The Brinkley argus., 1898-03-24
IMPORTANCE OF READING
 THE BIBLE.
BY s. D. SAWYER,

TEXT :-"T These were more nobl,
 than those in Thessalonica, in tha
 they received the word with al
 readiness of mind. and searched the Scripture daily, to see whether these things were so. "-Acts 17:11
 There IS not a command in tho Bible more positive and direct or a duty more.obligatory or express i've than searching the Scriptures Jesus, while remonstrating with the Jews on the occasion of heal. ing the impodent man, referred them to the Scriptures as vindica. tive authority for His Sonshil [John 5:39.] The prophet Isaiah, after enunciating the curses that were to come upon the land as an revengefnl recompense for disc. bedience, referred the people to the Book of the Law as a proof of Divine wrath [Isaiah 34 :16.] The widening power of Peters voice, as 1t swayed the multitude on the day of Pentecost, IS attributive partly to his familiarity with Scripture. Stephen preached a whole sermon, using only Scrip ture quotations. And Paul, the man whom Christ snatched from the deceptive embrace of Judaism, shook the very interior of Agrip- pas nature in his endeavor to maximize Christ, and to minimize Indaic rites and ceremonies. All thls was achieved by his having a thorough knowledge of the word of God. Time would fail me in the attempt to enumerate the var ious instances where knowledge of the teachings of the Bible has served as a masterpiece to repulse designing enemies of the truth. The Psalmist, ill his inimitable manner of praising the Lord and magnlfying his word. declares in language expressive of exultant joy ''The entrance of thy Word giveth light. J Phillips preach ing to the Ennnch, with reference to the sacrifclal death of Christ, was greatly facilitated by facts al. ready gleaned by his (Ennuch's) perusal of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. No one, it matters not what position he or she may occu- py in the realm of Christian duty can do effective work. ot teach inlpoztnat truths ~1s~~s thoe< WAOm they act read for themssives; 1ignt hefs1 want to say lies the cause that prevents so many people from profiting by listening to sermons preached; they have not studied the lessons themselves, therefore they cannot assimilate the truths contained therein.
 Think of a body of students studying classic Greek and Latin or even the primary school stud ies, what would be the result were they to depend on the instructor for an importation of the lesson without ever having seen inside the lids of the text booksf A mis. erable failure is the answer o1 every intelligent creature under the sun, yet there are churches in which the entire membership knows nothing of the Bible, ex, cept a few doctrinal points made familiar by being frequently quoted from the pulpit, in the preachers endeavor to hold uI CT eed instead of Christ.
 The value of reading the Scrip ture may be clearly brought ou1 in the text. The preaching o1 Paul and Silas in the Jewish syn agogue in Thessalonica met witt prejudicial opposition. Although a goodly number of devout Creek and chief women believed, ther' was still a multitude of hostil, Jews, who, through Pharsai'
 blindness, and for political pur
 poses, sought to arraigne Paul ant
 Silas before the Rulers on a fals
 charge of heretical teaching. Ha,
 they studied the Scriptures nor
 diligently, with view of ascer |
 taining the true character o