WE generally, I fear, consult the Scriptures too negligently, and reflect on them too superficially, with no greater degree of attention and care than we employ in perusing mere human composures (and I would to God we employed always as much in one case as in the other).
We do not sufficiently consider who it is that speaks to us there, nor what it is that He says; what weight, what fullness of sense, what excellent variety of matter and wonderful depth of thought there must be in words dictated by, or at least spoken [written] under the overruling influence of Infinite Wisdom....
We dwell on the letter only, on what offers itself to us at the first view; but we do not make ourselves acquainted with the life and spirit of them. And yet for this reason among others, these Holy Writings are left us by God, that we might, as good David speaks, exercise ourselves in them day and night, have perpetual matter for our inquiries into, and improvements in the knowledge of things divine, and DRINK always of these WATERS OF LIFE.