How To Study The Bible

Samuel Ridout

1. Methods of Study

2. 2. Memorizing Scripture

3. 3. Analysis

4. 4. Notebooks on Bible Study

5. 5.Topical Study

6. 6. Biographical Study

7. 7. Typical Study

8. 8. Dispensational Study

9. 9. Harmony Studies

10. 10. Smaller Details

11. Part 2. Practical

12. Part 3. General Responsibilities

13. Part 4. The One Great Theme

14. Part 5. Helpful Books for Bible Study

Methods of Study

1. Daily Bible Reading

FIRST of all in importance, and no doubt in the practice of the majority of God’s people, we place the daily, regular reading of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, repeatedly and throughout life. Often, men of much knowledge of different portions of Scripture, quite familiar perhaps with the original tongues, show the greatest ignorance of the simple historical facts narrated throughout the Bible, together with an evident unfamiliarity with the whole manner of Scripture. No words of ours can express too strongly the absolute importance of having the mind and heart thoroughly saturated with the knowledge of the letter of Scripture from beginning to end. Nothing really in the way of Bible knowledge can take the place of this. It is the broad foundation upon which the superstructure of subsequent detail must rest; and if this foundation is not broad and deep, the superstructure, no matter how high and intricate, will lack in stability.

Ruskin, the great master of English, and in many ways a remarkable man, declared that the most valuable part of his education was in the letter of the Bible, he having been compelled from early childhood to read a number of chapters regularly every day, and when he had completed the book, to start afresh. Always bearing in mind what we said at the beginning, that a spiritual knowledge of the Scriptures is absolutely and speaking now simply of what is before us, the methods of Bible study, we desire to reiterate with emphasis the necessity and importance of this daily reading.

Let us be very simple and explicit. In every Christian home there should be the reading of the word of God and prayer at least once a day. No matter how strenuous the life and busy, let nothing rob the family of this simple and most precious privilege. Let some hour be selected morning or evening, when the family can be gathered for a few minutes and a chapter be read carefully and attentively, either by one or in turn. The time consumed in this way is well spent and will in itself help to keep fresh in our mind, from early childhood, the great outstanding facts and truths of the precious word of God. It is probably better to begin with the Gospels and to go through the New Testament, then to take up the Old. Anyone can make certain selections which would be perhaps more suited to the younger members of the family, and certain portions could be left for more private reading; but in the main it may be said that we should put honor upon God’s precious Word by reading it throughout. Few indeed are the portions which will not yield edification when read in this way. Indeed, the less attractive portions will often be found to offer suggestions for profitable conversation, and serve to awaken and confirm the interest in the entire book.

In addition to the family reading, we speak next of the private reading by each one, of at least a single chapter every day. Here, too, it is well to follow the order suggested above and begin with the New Testament, and having finished that, to go to the Old. If but one chapter a day can be read, the entire Scriptures will have been gone over in the course of three years; and, similarly, two or three chapters a day will complete the entire book in a much shorter time. An attentive reading of an ordinary chapter will consume not more than ten minutes. Surely, the busiest life can find or take ten minutes for such a work as this.

Regularity and system are most important here. One can carefully study the duties and responsibilities of the day and devote a certain time, as far as possible, to this reading. We are creatures of habit, and when once it is a settled fact that our daily chapter or two is to be read, little difficulty will be found in carrying out the plan. Here, as in most of our spiritual conflicts, the victory is won in the heart, when the purpose is fully established before God of going on with His word. It is probably better, wherever possible, to be reading in two places, one in the Old and the other in the New Testament. Thus, in the morning, Matthew might be begun, and in the evening Genesis; and when each Testament is completed, turn back again with renewed zest to the first chapter.

In a life where there is a measure of leisure, there should not be the slightest difficulty in reading through the entire Scriptures at least once a year. Half an hour a day will easily accomplish this; and where one of the chapters is read in the family, it would leave but two others to be read alone.

Quite similar to the practice just recommended, and indeed a part of it, is the practice of reading a whole book through at a sitting. For instance, the gospel of Mark can be read as we would an article in a magazine, and in as short a time. It has been said that a little over one hour is sufficient for this. So, too, a little longer time would suffice for reading through either of the other Gospels or the Acts. In this way we get a good general idea of the contents of the book, much as a journey through a region of country enables us to form a fairly correct idea of its character.

This rapid survey reading, as we may call it, is also of much value as an introduction to the study of each of the Epistles. We read it through at a sitting, and then take it up more in detail.

The same may be said as to the Old Testament. The life of Abraham or of Joseph or of David could be read through in this way, giving us, as we would find, something more than the mere facts, the purpose of the Spirit as a whole, with reference to the life recorded.

So, too, each of the Prophets could be read at a sitting or two, giving us the main themes and general course of what was in the Spirit’s mind. Such “quantity reading,” as we may call it, should not be indulged in to the exclusion of the regular plodding along with the daily chapter or two, but could be introduced from time to time as a complete change, and, as we said, for the purposes of introductory study.

A word perhaps may be said as to the kind of Bible to be used. In this, individual taste and mental peculiarities must be considered. Some have a strong local memory and locate a passage from its position on the page. If one may speak for others, this is not a faculty particularly to be encouraged, because, should we be deprived of our usual Bible at any time, we may find ourselves rather helpless in handling a strange book. Wherever possible, it may be well to have two Bibles, one for outside use, such as at meetings or carried in the pocket with us, not too large; and another for the table at home. This latter may be an ordinary cheap book, which we do not hesitate to mark. Favorite verses, striking or difficult passages may be noted here without much reference to special neatness, while in the book which we preserve for more permanent use, the notes and markings are more carefully inserted.

A prominent lecturer used to suggest that one Bible could be used for marking and be completely filled in a year. This is probably quite unnecessary, but not many years will pass before a book can be so completely marked up that there will not be room for further insertions.

We are not going to spend much time over details here, but a few words as to Bible marking may not be out of place. Pen and ink are to be preferred rather than a lead pencil, whose marks are easily blurred. When once even pencil marks are put in a Bible they cannot well be erased, and therefore they might as well be put in the more permanent ink. In reading our daily morning chapter, for instance, we are struck with the beauty or appropriateness of some special sentence. This can be marked by a simple line at the side, or possibly underlined throughout. Perhaps some prominent words may be particularly underscored. For instance, in Genesis 1:1 we might draw a straight, black line under the first four words: “In the beginning, God.” How many thoughts are suggested by this phrase! “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.” There, in the beginning, before an atom of the vast universe of His creation had been called out of nothingness, God was as He is, eternally the same. On the side of these words might be written the reference to John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word,” giving the marvelous, blessed fact that He who became flesh and tabernacle amongst us in lowliness, to serve us in our need and to go to the cross for our sins, was none other than God, One who was daily with Him, delighting in Him, and whose delights were with the sons of men. Thus, we could easily add the reference to Proverbs 8; and other passages of Scripture would naturally suggest themselves, so that before long we would have quite a number of Bible references on the margin opposite our first verse.

We are not, as has been said, giving more than a few obvious hints as to Bible marking. Everyone will have his own system, but we would suggest that each one learn to make his own or additional references to parallel passages of Scripture which elucidate the text. This has been found most helpful and profitable.

As we read our chapter, there will sometimes be an obscure verse; for instance, Galatians 3:20: “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.” We look at the connection and try to gather the meaning, but are not quite clear. We may possibly consult helps, or if these are wanting, or prove not entirely satisfactory, we put a simple “?” by the side of the verse or some other mark of interrogation. It would probably be well, for us all if we inserted these question marks along our Bibles wherever we do not fully understand the thought. It would be interesting in our next reading to notice how many of these “?s” could now be dispensed with. In the meanwhile, our attention will have been riveted by the fact that we are asking ourselves, Do we understand what we are reading?

Further markings will suggest themselves. Later on, we will take up the subject of various versions and the originals. Our admirable English version will be found to be greatly improved in numbers of places by slight alterations in the translation of a word or phrase, or the removal of an evident interpolation, or an addition of something that has been omitted in the manuscript from which the translation was made. For instance, in Romans 8:1, the last clause can be bracketed, having been introduced there from verse four, where it really belongs. The meaning is greatly clarified by this elimination which is authorized by the manuscript authorities. Thus, the great truth of “No condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus” stands unqualified by the walk, which is fully provided for in the subsequent verse.

In like manner, the passage in Colossians 2:11 gathers fresh meaning and force when the words which have been interpolated are removed, making the passage read: “Putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,” omitting the words “of the sins.” Our Lord’s death has not only put away the fruit, but condemned and set aside the very root which bore it.

In like manner, occasionally a word or phrase has been omitted from the text, as in Ephesians 6:9, where the margin supplies the added thought that the Master in heaven is Lord both of servant and master. In 1 John 2:23, the latter half of the verse has justly been added, having been omitted from the comparatively recent manuscript from which the translation was made. These must suffice as illustrations of what will prove a most helpful exercise.

We may say in general that markings which have to do with the text itself, along the lines thus suggested, could be put as neatly as possible in the copy which we keep for permanent use. Our table Bible can receive various notes and markings which would soon overrun the limited margins at our disposal. It may be well also to remind our readers that for marking Oxford India, or nearly all paper used in book printing, India ink is indispensable. This, with a fine “Crow quill” pen and perhaps a small ruler, are all that is needed mechanically, At the risk of repetition, we speak a further word as to the necessity for regularity and system in the work of Bible reading. Let it be settled before God, of course not in a legal way, but in the liberty of true love, that we must and shall read our Bibles regularly and systematically. Let us give them the first place, ― if possible, a few minutes in the morning when the mind is fresh, and it will probably help in giving tone to the mental system for the entire day, even if we rise a few minutes earlier in order to devote from five to fifteen minutes to what will become an ever-increasing delight if we go on with God.

It is astonishing how much of what we read at this time will go with us during the day. Unknown to ourselves, we will be turning over what has been read; probably will find occasion to speak of it to others, and in various ways find that it is becoming a part of our mental and spiritual equipment. Let us not expect to see great results from the practice of a single day or week, but continue steadfastly on, not overtaxing ourselves by devoting too much time in our endeavoring to “catch up” that which we have inevitably lost. God is not a hard Master and His service is perfect freedom. It will be found that we would as soon think of being deprived of our daily food as of missing what is of far more importance.

Later on, we will endeavor to prepare illustrative schedules of Bible reading and study for different classes of readers, on the basis of from fifteen minutes’ daily work to two hours’. This, however, can best be deferred for the present.

2. Memorizing Scripture

WE are approaching our subject from the end of extreme simplicity, and can imagine that some of our readers will smile at a place being given to such a childish proceeding as learning verses by heart. Be that as it may, we trust that none of our readers will finish this little section without having impressed upon them the importance, and almost necessity, for this exercise which should be continued, as well as Bible reading, throughout life.

We will suppose that our reader has been brought up in a Christian home, and had the advantages of training in a Scriptural Sunday-school. There has probably been the memorizing of at least one verse of the Bible for each Lord’s Day in such cases. We know of Sunday-schools where this is still practiced, though perhaps it has become too old-fashioned for some of the more “progressive” ones. By the time a pupil has reached the age of twelve to fifteen, he has in memory possibly as many as one to two hundred verses, embracing the great fundamental truths of sin, judgment, salvation, the love of God, the person and work of Christ, the necessity of faith, and many other blessed facts. Here is an arsenal supplying weapons ready at hand with which to meet the adversary, and small portions of meat in due season, and refreshment for weary saints or needy sinners.

Has the reader ever felt at a loss for a suited word of warning to some careless scoffer, or failed to find ready at hand the exact verse which will give assurance to an anxious soul? Why should this have been the case? Why should we not have ready at hand, stored in memory, an abundant supply for immediate use of various portions of God’s precious word?

We have also already alluded to the great value of filling the minds of the young with the word of God, so that when the Spirit of God has awakened them to their true condition, He will have abundance of material with which to act upon them. This, of course, applies to the memorizing of verses.

We pass, however, to that which possibly will not be so readily admitted by the average Christian reader who has passed the age of youth. We will be told that persons more advanced in life are unable to retain that which they have committed to memory. It is just here that we wish to be distinctly explicit, and to claim for age as well as youth, the privilege of this most helpful exercise. We do not believe that our memories, or to speak more accurately, our powers of attention, become so enfeebled with age that we are incapable of committing passages of Scripture to memory. It is well known that there is nothing like neglect to weaken a power. If certain limbs are not kept in exercise they become atrophied from the lack of use. The busiest mule in our whole body perhaps is the heart, which ceaselessly beats throughout the twenty-four hours of the day, snatching possibly briefest moments of rest between the diastole and systole, eighty times a minute. We should never lose our active interest in all useful affairs. Nothing is more pathetic than to see a cloud of indifference, or possibly morose and morbid selfishness, settling down upon an aged person. The brightest lives are those which keep in touch with what is going on about them of a proper character, up to the very last. Instead of weakening the powers and shortening the life, we have no doubt that the very reverse is true. How many an active man of business, after having earned a competency, has retired to devote the latter years of his life to comparative leisure and has found time hanging so heavily on his hands that he has been glad to plunge again into something that will occupy his mind; or failing in this, his life has become saddened and shortened by the helpless feeling that he is of no use to himself or anyone else.

Now, all this applies to the study of the word of God, no small part of which consists in memorizing. It has been said, and probably is correct, that if one verse were committed to memory each day, the entire Scriptures would have been memorized in the course of twenty-five years. Imagine what rich stores would thus have been laid away in the mind if one had begun at ten years of age, and when thirty-five could repeat the entire Bible from memory! Of course, much might have been forgotten in that time, but as we shall see, provision could be made to guard against this, and at any rate, there would have been gained a familiarity with the Scriptures far beyond what is common to persons of thirty-five. And now, in the flower of life, with judgment becoming more mature, the student could begin at that age a systematic and careful review, mingling with the memorizing of our English version possibly many excellent emendations in the text and full quotations from the originals. Should life be prolonged up to fifty years, we have no hesitation in saying that the Bible would be practically stored in the mind, and a chapter could be “read” aloud in the dark by the bedside, in the hospital, or wherever one might be. And how much time would have been required each day, to have reached this most desirable end? Scarcely more than five minutes!

But we will not dwell upon ideals, and indeed even here would reiterate the solemn declaration of the word of God: “The flesh profiteth nothing; it is the Spirit that quickeneth.” No knowledge of Scripture, however complete, can either save the sinner or sanctify the child of God apart from the exercise of a living faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. There is danger, too, of pride coming in because of our success in these directions. However, we are not to be deterred from the simple and blessed path of Christian activity because of the dangers that beset it, and therefore continue our subject.

Some of our readers will probably have said: “We do not think it desirable to learn the entire Bible. There are many of the historical books which we do not need thus to memorize, and much in the Prophets, too, that would needlessly cumber the mind.” Just here it may be well to say that cumbering the mind is largely a figment. Nothing in the word of God really cumbers the mind, which is not a material storehouse which holds so much and no more. It is developed by the very act of acquiring and retaining knowledge, and, with due regard to the simple laws of health, is not in any danger of being overtaxed. We admit, however, that most of us will probably never attempt to memorize the entire Scriptures.

For such, we plan a more modest course and this we hope will not be considered extravagant. Who would not love to know every word of the Gospel of John, to be able to repeat the words of Him who spake as never man spake, and to have them before our minds as we lie awake, perhaps, a few minutes on retiring, or to have them speak to us in the morning? “He awakeneth mine ear morning by morning to hear as one that is taught.” Similarly, the epistle to the Romans, particularly the first eight chapters, furnishes a most necessary framework for the whole truth of Christian justification; while Galatians in its entirety settles the thousand and one subtle questions arising in a mind not set free from the law.

Ephesians, too. Can we afford to do without its wondrous unfolding of the Christian position in Christ? and Colossians as it tells us of the perfections of Him who is the Image of the invisible God; Philippians, with its powerful appeal to the affections, and furnishing the ideal of Christian experience? We cannot do without one of them, and indeed may we not claim that we need these not merely conveniently in our pockets in a portable Bible, but in our minds as well?

The same, of course, could be said of the epistle to the Hebrews, and that of 1 Peter and 1 John, so that without being extravagant, we might easily say that it is most desirable that the Christian should know by heart at least two-thirds of the New Testament.

Turning to the Old, there are single chapters, such as Gen. 1; Genesis 49; Exodus 12; Exodus 20; Leviticus 16; Leviticus 23; Numbers 19; Deuteronomy 8; Deut. 26; Josh. 1; Judges 5; Ruth 1; 1 Samuel 9; 2 Samuel 7 and 23; Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings and 2 Chron., the closing chapters of the book of Job, many of the Psalms, and a few chapters of Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, Isaiah 1, 6, 12, 28, 35, 40, 53, 54, 55, 60. but we all have our favorite portions which we would most covet to learn, and need not multiply them here.

The question now recurs, Is it possible for the average Christian, with his life full of busy duties, to be able to accomplish a tithe of all this? We answer, Not all at once. The great thing is to make a beginning, to learn one verse, and to proceed quietly in this way. Perhaps we will be astonished at the end of a month how much we have committed to memory. Let us begin, say, at the age of twenty. We will suppose that one is fairly familiar with the New Testament and is growing in acquaintance with it and the Old through the daily reading such as has been already suggested. Let such an one begin, for instance, with the epistle to the Galatians. Already, many verses are familiar, and often as many as three or four can be fully learned in a few minutes. A chapter is mastered, we will say, in a week. It is then reviewed at some leisure time, on Lord’s Day. Perhaps a number are interested in the same work, and by hearing each other will have their interest quickened and their memories brightened. It is probably always better to repeat what we have learned aloud, first to ourselves and then, if possible, to someone else. We will find that the words are more firmly imbedded in the mind by this. The daily family reading would be a good time for this, and an hour on Lord’s Day might be happily and profitably occupied in reviewing the week’s work.

In a month or six weeks, the entire epistle will have thus been learned. This is not expecting too much, but let us cut it, if you please, in four parts and suppose that in six months we have learned the epistle to the Galatians, in another six that to the Ephesians, and in four months more, Philippians. By the end of two years, we will have become fully acquainted with the most of the small epistles and will be astonished at the ease with which we continue to memorize. Frequent reviews will keep what we have learned fresh in the mind.

We now turn to the Gospel of John and will probably find that one year and six months will enable us to recite practically the entire book. The remaining six months of that year could be devoted to the epistle to the Hebrews. Thus in four years, a person of ordinary intelligence, by spending from five to ten minutes a day upon it, could have committed these portions to memory and have formed a habit which would go with him through life, so that in all probability by the time he was thirty years of age the somewhat lengthy list of Old Testament passages also would be safely housed within his heart.

But perhaps you remark with a sigh, “I am not a young man of twenty or even of thirty. I have passed the fifty-year mark or more, and my memory has become so weak that I often forget persons’ names and familiar events. There is, of course, no use for me to attempt any of this that you speak of.” Indeed, there is. Your memory is probably weak from long disuse. Like persons, the memory loves to be trusted and if we, so to speak, prove our confidence in it by testing it, it will improve. Long disuse, as has been said, may have caused it to seem so weak that there is no use of attempting to exercise it, but let a single verse be tried. Take the first verse of John and devote a day to learning it, and the next morning see if it is remembered. You smile as though we were teaching you the A, B, C again. In all probability a very few minutes would suffice. All that we mean is, do not attempt to do too much at once, but what you do, take up thoroughly and as far as possible, regularly. Regularity, system, are most important. Remember five minutes a day means thirty hours a year, and thirty hours are not to be despised.

Persons who have reached a mature age, who might shrink from coming into competition with younger and brighter minds, can go along at their own quiet pace, learning a few verses each week with very gratifying and profitable results. Let us then begin, if we have not yet done so, to learn verses by heart, and with the determination by God’s grace to continue this as we do our Bible reading, throughout life. Our blessed Lord, we may be sure, had God’s word hid in His heart. He had its letter as well as its spirit, and when assailed by the tempter during His time of fasting, could quote—we may be quite sure He did not read—passages from the word of God.

In closing, then, we would suggest that older persons take up the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians and commit it to memory. It may take them considerable time, but will encourage them to go on in what will prove a happy and profitable employment for a few minutes of each day. As we go on the train or street cars, we see perhaps three-fourths of the occupants busily engaged in the morning with the newspaper, spending perhaps half an hour over it. Returning in the evening, we find the same absorption. How much of the word of God could be memorized in the daily journey to and from work!

3. Analysis

WE are now launched, we will say, down the great, broad stream of divine truth, with abundance to engage mind and heart and to absorb all the time that we can give to it. We will suppose that our readers have it settled in their minds, and are, with purpose of heart, reading through the New and Old Testaments regularly and systematically in such a way that there is an increasing degree of familiarity with them. We also hope that they are daily committing a verse or two to memory. Abundance of material is thus at hand, and the work of analysis and arrangement must therefore be begun. We approach this subject, too, from the standpoint of simplicity.

First of all, analysis will require more minute and careful study, much more attention to details, and therefore more time than the ordinary careful reading of which we have already spoken It can very profitably be connected with memorizing. Let us suppose, for instance, that we have begun to memorize Ephesians. Now is the time to endeavor to thoroughly analyze the epistle. For instance, we have learned the first verse and can repeat it without an error. We now take up each phrase and word and seek to get its meaning and relation to the rest of the sentence.

“Paul,” the one who was once a bitter enemy, who when converted had the revelation of Christ in glory and the intimation of His people’s identification with Himself (“Why persecutest thou Me?”) which forms the theme of this epistle. Much else, of course, is at once suggested by the name. We confine our attention to that which is characteristically associated with our epistle.

He is “an apostle of Jesus Christ.” The very One whom he once persecuted sends him as His special messenger, to whom the dispensation of the mystery is committed. He is an apostle. What does this word suggest? Compare the twelve apostles of the Gospels with Paul, the one apostle of the Church. The twelve, as their number probably suggests, have a governmental place connected, we might say, with the earth; while Paul, as one born out of due time, is the chosen vessel of that mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

Note next, this apostleship is “by the will of God,” suggesting that Paul’s ministry was received directly from a divine source. He was an apostle “not of men, nor by man” (Gal. 1:1).

We have thus in the first half of the verse, the source, the will of God; the Person represented, our Lord Jesus Christ; the instrument, Paul. The second half of the verse shows to whom the epistle is addressed, “the saints.” Note how completely assured the people of God are as to their position before Him, already “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints” (1 Cor. 1:2). These “are at Ephesus,” which suggests the special locality where gathered, but reminds us of that unity which pervades the whole Church of God which is one body, and therefore the local assembly but furnishes the special occasion for that which not only meets their individual need, but is for the Church of God in every place and time.

“And to the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Note “saints” first of all; then, because of it, “faithful.” It does not necessarily mean that some are saints who are not faithful. God’s word presumes that we answer to our position; it does, however, furnish a word for our conscience that if we are to go on in the knowledge of the truth of God, it must be as those who have obtained grace to be faithful. This faithfulness, however, is not the result of mere individual condition, but is “in Christ Jesus.” We are linked with Him not merely for the grace that has saved us, but for that which produces the fruits of the divine life.

We have now, as we might say, dissected the verse and found that it contains the following subjects:

These eight subjects naturally fall into two groups:

1St, those which are associated with the sender of the epistle;

2nd, those associated with its receivers.

The first links Paul with our Lord Jesus Christ and the will of God in his apostleship.

The second links the saints with their local gathering and their place and condition in Christ Jesus.

Two questions for further study would be noted:

1St. What is the thought in the New Testament of an apostle, and in what sense were the twelve and Paul apostles par excellence? See, for instance, Acts 14:4, associated with Paul as an apostle, and yet we all instinctively feel that there was a difference. This topic may be marked for further study.

The second question would be as to the expression “in Ephesus.” Note the manuscript authority for and against the insertion of these words. If possible, read a summary of views on this point.

This will furnish an illustration of what we mean by analysis. It consists largely in disengaging each phrase and word from its immediate setting and seeking to ascertain its place and importance in the sentence. As will be noted, this will prove a most valuable help in memorizing; and conversely, memorizing will enable us to meditate upon such details. After each verse is thus analyzed, we can endeavor to put it together in somewhat the way that has been suggested above. We go on thus, verse by verse, and find that each one can be, not only analyzed, but that it forms a part of a group or paragraph. Thus, for instance, the first two verses of Ephesians stand together as a salutation; in like manner, verse 3 to 8 form a group in which the fullness of our spiritual blessings in Christ is unfolded.

Verse 9 to 12 form another group, showing God’s eternal purpose to head up all things in Christ, while verses 13 and 14 speak of the present seal of the Holy Spirit as the witness of our blessings, who abides with us until the day of redemption. The remainder of the chapter evidently falls into another group or division in which we find the apostle’s prayer for the saints.

Analyzing this prayer, we find that it is composed of three parts: 1St, his desire that we might know the hope of God’s calling (vs. 18); 2nd the riches of His inheritance (vs. 18), and 3rd, the greatness of the power which has wrought in us.

This wondrous power he further enlarges upon, showing it to be none other than that which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. It is then traced on until we see our Lord seated on high, Head over all things, and His Church linked with Him as the body to the Head.

We have thus supposedly dissected each verse and phrase of our chapter and re-arranged it into certain well-defined groups or divisions. We perhaps are not yet ready to see the exact proportion existing between these various groups or divisions, but at least have a fair measure of apprehension of the contents of the chapter and the relation of its various parts. As a result of perhaps a week’s study, we will have memorized and analyzed our chapter and can proceed with the next.

When a whole epistle has thus been gone over, verse by verse and group by group, we will be in a position to arrange these groups in more definite proportion and to see what are the main divisions, and under these, the sub-divisions of the epistle.

The effect of study like this is most helpful in every way. It enables us to meditate in detail upon each portion, and to reduce it down to those elements which can be most readily assimilated into our own spiritual being, and at the same time furnishes us with the key to the special object or objects for which the epistle was written, and enables us to follow the method which the Holy Spirit has used in inspiring the apostle as he wrote. We will find, as has been said, the main divisions of the epistle.

It is suggested that each one study for himself in somewhat the manner indicated, instead of following the results of the study of others. Our own analysis will qualify us the more to appreciate what others have learned, and give us that individuality of knowledge which is so essential in the word of God. We are not blindly to follow others, though we may thankfully use results of their work.

When we have thus gone through the epistle and noted its contents, we are prepared to make the final outline and arrangement in which it will be fastened permanently in our minds. Here will come in helps from other sources, and we will be gratified to see how far our own analysis has corresponded with that of students who have gone before us, and at the same time be enabled to appreciate the added light which we get through their labors.

We have now, let us say, gone throughout the entire epistle to the Ephesians, having analyzed each verse and committed it to memory, and gained a fairly clear knowledge of its contents and the current of its thought as set forth in its outline. In a similar way, we could next take up the other epistles, devoting a portion of time daily and regularly, no matter though it be but a few minutes, to this branch of our work.

After having outlined a few of the epistles and having gone on with our regular reading of the entire Scriptures, we will be in a position to complete this analysis of the entire New Testament. Being fairly familiar with its contents, we will have a more or less distinct idea of the general purport of each book or group of books. Of course, we will not have analyzed the entire New Testament as thoroughly as we have the epistle to the Ephesians, but the very habit which we have formed in the study of that book will have led us to apply similar methods even to our ordinary reading, and many facts and thoughts which would otherwise have escaped us will have become clear in our daily reading. We will, therefore, begin our analysis and grouping of all the books of the New Testament.

Perhaps it would be as well to continue with the Epistles for our first attempt. Thus we would naturally pass from Ephesians to Colossians, which it greatly resembles, and gather, if we can, the prominent features in that epistle. While we find much that is similar to Ephesians, the preeminence of our Lord Jesus Christ in both His person and work, as displacing all that would dispute His supremacy, will be found to be the theme. We might say that Ephesians gives us the Church “in Christ.” In Colossians, we have Christ in the Church. Thus, in Ephesians, we are seen as linked to Him by the Holy Spirit as well as quickened and raised with Him and seated in Him in the heavenly places. In Colossians, Christ as the glorious Head and all-sufficient object of His people is presented; and the saints are looked upon as quickened, but still upon earth; and as “risen with Christ” are to seek the things where He is, mortifying all that is inconsistent with this, and applying this position and association to the various relationships in the daily life.

But let us retrace our steps a moment, and indicate what might be the manner in which the reader would gather these and other truths in Colossians. We will make a list of some of the prominent thoughts of each chapter as it is read. Thus:

Chapter 1.

	1. The salutation.
	2. A prayer for the saints.
	3. Thanksgiving for present possessions, including:
	a. Meetness for heaven.
	b. Deliverance from the power of darkness.
	c. Redemption.
	4. The glorious Person of our Lord:
	a. As divine.
	b. As Head over all creation.
	c. The Creator of all things.
	d. His Headship to the Church in resurrection.
	5. All fullness dwelling in Him.
	6. Reconciliation by His death.
	a. Of things in heaven and earth.
	b. Of persons once alienated.
	7. These blessings only for genuine faith, not pression.
	8. Paul, a minister of the gospel.
	9. Also a minister of the Church, the mystery.

Endeavoring to group these thoughts together, we might say the general theme of the first chapter was Christ in the perfection of His person and work the source of every blessing, present and future, for all creation, and particularly for His Church—the ministry of all this entrusted to the apostle.

Chapter 2.

By a similar process we would collect the prominent thoughts in the next chapter, and as a result state its general theme: Christ embodying all-sufficiency for His people and displacing for them both philosophy and legalism. A prominent thought is “Dead with Christ.

Chapter 3.

“Risen with Christ” is the theme here, and the walk of the new man; the old having been laid aside with his deeds. The theme of the chapter might be stated, “‘Risen with Christ’ and the walk according to the new creation.”

Chapter 4.

continues the side of the practical walk and closes the epistle with various greetings and salutations which have a beautiful and consistent place. The general theme might be given, “Practical responsibilities and the outgoings of love.”

It will be noted that we have made no attempt at what may be called a final outline of the epistle. That will come later, but sufficient will have been gathered each day in the reading of the chapter to enable one to make some such outline as is indicated above, with the result that the main theme of the entire epistle will be more or less clearly apprehended.

We turn next to the epistle to the Galatians, and applying similar methods as with Colossians, reach its general theme: the believer delivered from the law, both for justification and as a rule of life, in order that he may walk in the power of the Spirit.

Philippians has a place all its own, showing how occupation with the precious truths presented in the other epistles will result in the experimental knowledge of Christ as the one portion for our souls. This, we might state as the theme of the epistle, and its four chapters evidently suggest a four-fold view of our blessed Lord:

	1. As the life, and source of all blessing.
	2. As the example of His people.
	3. The object in heaven toward which we press.
	4. As the supply for our every need here.

Let us now survey what we have gone over.

We will suppose that the epistle to the Ephesians has been studied in detail, occupying possibly three months, during which we have also at odd times been able to memorize it. Another month will have given time for the less minute study of Colossians, Galatians, and Philippians, enabling us to go through the epistle to the Romans as minutely as that to the Ephesians, perhaps without memorizing more than chapter 3 to 8, giving, as the result of our year’s work, a fairly thorough outline of these epistles with their contents and their relation to each other. We might then probably appreciate the grouping which has been made of these epistles in an order which illustrates the perfection of divine inspiration and which pervades the entire word of God.

	1. Romans—Justification by faith, the true foundation.
	2. Galatians—Deliverance from law, a necessary result.
	3. Ephesians— “In Christ,” and union with Him.
	4. Colossians—Christ’s person and position, our delivering Object.
	5. Philippians—Christ known

experimentally in the soul. But we hear some of our readers say: “We have no time for such study as this; it is too difficult, and impossible for us in a year’s time to get such a knowledge. Life is too busy; the days are too short. There is no use of our ever attempting anything like this.”

But, courage. Do not dwell upon the difficulties. Begin today with ten minutes of your time, even if the results are so small that you cannot see them, and go on regularly, devoting that much time daily and systematically. If you have not been able to accomplish in the year what we have outlined, possibly you have done but a third as much, and surely if at the end of three years, we have gathered for ourselves from these great epistles their meaning to a certain extent, our work has not been in vain. The trouble with many is that after they have left school, and probably even when there, they have never accustomed themselves to habits of systematic work. The outcome of such a study as we have indicated would be most beneficial in securing more system and better results throughout the entire day.

When once a mastering purpose has taken possession of the heart, even though we may not be able to give very much time to it, we will be jealous of everything which will encroach upon that time. Occupation with needless things, frittering of time away in reading trashy literature, or unprofitable conversation, will be eliminated, not from a legal sense of duty merely, but rather in the spirit of Nehemiah: “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”

We leave, however, this part of our subject to further pursue that which is now before us, the analysis of Scripture. Our reason for taking up Paul’s epistles first is that these form, we might say, the Center of doctrinal truth about which all other truth is grouped. It is understood that during this time, whether one or three years in which we have been making our outline of this group of Paul’s epistles, we have also been reading steadily one or more chapters daily of the entire Bible. We will find also that our facility for catching the thought of a verse or chapter has greatly increased, and we are able to write down concisely what we are learning. We will, therefore, be able to continue our work of analysis and grouping, taking in, next, the entire New Testament, in which we will find certain clearly marked groups of books.

Thus, the four Gospels stand by themselves as presenting to us the life of all lives, the Person of our beloved Lord.

The Acts similarly give us the history of the Spirit’s work in establishing the Church in the true liberty of the gospel, separating it from the Jewish swaddling clothes in which it had been bound at the beginning.

Paul’s epistles, as we have already seen, furnish the great doctrinal Center around which all revelation is grouped; while the so-called general epistles of Peter, James, John and Jude afford that which is so needful for our earthly walk.

The Revelation concluding the whole is the great book of New Testament prophecy.

We have hitherto been occupied simply with the New Testament, and it is essential that we should have this book first in our minds, or we will be lacking the light so necessary to understand the Old. Without going into further details, which would carry us too far from our more immediate subject, we find that a similar treatment, not so minute as that suggested for the epistle to the Ephesians, would enable us to put the Old Testament books into their main groupings.

Thus, the Pentateuch would stand by itself; the Historical Books would follow. Then the Poetical Books, and finally the Prophets. As we proceeded further, we would modify this order according to the valuable suggestions given to us in the books already referred to, and thus have a framework of the Old Testament which could be gradually filled in as time enabled. As the years went on, more and more clearly would God’s wondrous Word spread out its riches before us, not in a confused mass in which we scarcely knew which to take up and enjoy, but rather in that order which is the characteristic of all God’s work, and which pervades His written Word no less perfectly than it does the order of the heavens above us or the creation which lies around our feet.

In connection with the work of analysis, we might mention that form of it which Dr. Dodd-ridge followed in his “Expositor,” an old book probably difficult to find now, and too much out of date to find a place on many book-shelves. In it he gives what we might call a running exposition of the Scripture in which the exact language is woven into an accompanying paraphrase. The inspired words are all underscored so that they can be read separately without any difficulty. We will attempt a brief illustration of this method, with the suggestion that possibly some of our readers might devote a special notebook to this kind of work, a few minutes out of those devoted to analysis being given to it.

Col. 1:1, 2. Paul, formerly a bitter persecutor but now an apostle (a specially inspired messenger with authority to establish Churches and to make full provision for their instruction and government) of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, Creator and Upholder of all things, who became incarnate and by His atoning death made provision for the redemption of all mankind, and who, as risen from the dead and ascended on high, has sent forth the Holy Spirit to form His Church and to unite them to Himself as Head, and who is coming again to receive them and all His people to Himself; by the will of God, and therefore not subject to human authority, nor going at his own charges or of his own volition; and Timotheus, as present at the time of writing and identified, not in authority, but fellowship with the epistle; our brother, not indeed according to the flesh, but in those divine ties which are eternal.

To the saints, not indeed such by nature or attainment, nor yet that the flesh, the old nature, does not still remain in them, but “sanctified in Christ Jesus,” “sanctified, justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God,” sanctified too by the blood of Christ; thus, set apart to God, both by the work of the Spirit in them and the work of Christ for them, whose walk too will in greater or less degree show the fruit of this life; and faithful brethren, believing not merely with the mind, but with the heart, and therefore loyal brethren, members of the one family of God, and more specifically of “the Church of first-born ones whose names are written in heaven”; in Christ, partakers of His life, by the Holy Spirit born again and eternally united to their living Head in heaven by the baptism of the Spirit; which are at Colosse, but not excluding “all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours,” for all saints have not only a local connection, but are members one of another. Grace, the full favor of God, unmerited by us and secured by no works of righteousness which we have done, but the free gift of God, including all present and eternal blessings, be unto you; not to some special class of saints, but all, from the least to the greatest; and peace, the enjoyment of a relationship which has been already established by our Lord from God our Father, who has chosen us in Christ and is the Source of all things, and the Lord Jesus, the once lowly Man but now exalted to be Christ.

Colossians 1:15-18. Who, as now incarnate, but the ever existent God, is the image or exact likeness in every attribute and moral character of the invisible God “who dwelleth in light unapproachable, whom no man hath seen nor can see,” but who has been declared, made known, by the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father; the Firstborn, not in point of time, but of priority, establishing His headship of every creature, or of all creation, being thus its Master and its Head; for, the reason why this is the case is that by Him, in His power, the Author and Agent, were all things as hereafter stated, created, not formed out of pre-existent matter, but called into being from absolute nothingness, that are in heaven, the vast universe above and about us, and that are in earth, the sea, the land, all things, vegetable and animal, in various families and orders, with their characteristics and possibilities of further development, in fact every possible and conceivable existence outside of Deity itself; visible, the material creation; and invisible, the world of spirit; whether they be thrones, highest official dignitaries; or dominions, rulers over parts of God’s vast universe; or principalities, lesser authorities; or powers, every angelic being exulting in strength, fallen and unfallen, though all as created by Him were unfallen, intelligent, responsible, superhuman, immortal spirits: all things as thus characterized, without a single exception were created by Him, who thus proves Himself to be absolute Deity, one with the Father, in essence, power and glory; and for Him as the expression of His attributes of power, wisdom, skill, of His divine mind with its infinite and glorious conceptions—that vast plan in which His entire universe is to set forth His glories, and those more blessed ones of righteousness, holiness, goodness and love; and He is before all things, nothing can compare with Him in importance; no subject can engage our thoughts equal with Himself; He rises above all the affairs of this world and of the universe; even as He existed before them, so now He Isaiah infinitely superior to them; and by Him, by His wisdom, and the power of that word which called all things out of nothing into being, not by anything inherent in themselves, all things consist, are held fast together, the stars in their immeasurable orbits above us, the tiny drops of water that sparkle upon a blade of grass, all are held fast by the same omnipotent power of the eternal Son of God; and He is the Head, supreme Master and sovereign Lord, not only in an administrative way, but vitally the controlling power of the body, composed of all believers since Pentecost, being united to Him by the baptism and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no longer a Jewish nation or an earthly people, but the Church, the truth as to which forms the mystery spoken of in this epistle, and made known by special revelation to Paul; who is the beginning, the Author and Head of the new creation which rests not upon fallen man, but upon the Son of God incarnate, who is the Firstborn from the dead, victorious over that death and judgment under which His people lay, He the first-fruits and the Forerunner of all His redeemed; that in all things, in every department of existence, wherever the thought can reach or wherever the Spirit of God can lead to still higher and ever higher conceptions of the breadth and length, the depth and height of those domains which have no boundaries, to all, with every family in heaven and earth, angelic, human, infernal, He might have the preeminence, Head over all things, Lord of all, to whom yet every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

These illustrations will suffice to open up a boundless field of activity. We might study greater conciseness, so far as is consistent with including every thought which occurs to us, as suggested by the word or phrase, and endeavor to weave all together, so that it can be read smoothly.

A verse, for instance, like John 3:16, could be given to intelligent members of a Sunday-school class for paraphrase after this manner. It would probably give views of its wondrous depths of which they had never thought before. If separate notebooks are kept for this paraphrase work, we would gradually, in the course of years, accumulate quite a number of outlines of different books. Here, too, probably, it is better to go on verse by verse, rather than to select special portions.

While we are upon this part of the subject, the writer has found it quite interesting to have a notebook as a companion in his daily reading, in which each chapter as it was read was roughly outlined under headings somewhat after the manner of the headings to the chapters in our Bibles, only more fully and with reference to dispensational accuracy. Thus, Matthew 3 as it is read in the course might be divided up somewhat as follows: The preaching of repentance by John the Baptist (vers. 1, 2); in fulfillment of prophecy (vs. 3); John described (vs. 4); the effect of his preaching (vers. 5, 6); his warning to the Pharisees and Sadducees (vers. 7-9); judgment upon unfruitfulness (ver. 10); the coming of our Lord predicted (vers. 11, 12); the baptism of Christ (vers. 13-15); the descent of the Holy Spirit (vers. 16, 17).

And so, as each chapter is read, it could be roughly hewed out in this way, which would pave the way for the more complete treatment that we get in our thorough analysis.

Again, let us take courage. We do not expect persons to reach absolutely satisfactory results at the outset. No doubt, at first, one would find even so bald an outline as that given above, rather difficult; but a little practice will help, and with the blessing of our Lord we will soon begin to ask ourselves what each chapter contains and note it down. Every piece of such outline work lets fresh light into our understanding of the Bible as a whole, and makes it less and less an unknown country. Roadways will have been opened up through it in various directions and we will have the general “lay of the land.” Often as we go along our road to another destination, we may cast longing glances into some field which attracts us with its richness of flower and fruit, at which we only can glance in passing on, but with the promise to ourselves of returning there for a special examination.

4. Notebooks on Bible Study

IT is not a logical method in the treatment of our subject that we are pursuing, but rather in the natural way in which each part would be suggested to us. We have now reached the point where it may be best to say what we have to about note-books and other matters of that kind.

It is always well to read and study pen in hand. Lord Bacon said: “Reading maketh a full man; writing, an exact man”; and the practice of putting down the results of our reading and study is most important. What has occupied us in the former chapter will have already shown the necessity for note-books of one kind or another. Our study, for instance, of Ephesians would require a special note-book in which we would jot down the outlines of each verse and afterward their groupings together.

The final results of our analysis might well be transferred to another book in which things were put in a more orderly way. This suggests the use of at least two kinds of note-books from the outset. The writer would only give some of the results of his own experience in this direction. No doubt, each one would find special means adapted to his peculiar needs. We would suggest, then, having two books, one perhaps larger and forming part of a series of such note-books, in which the results of our study could be entered in a more orderly and careful way; but we should have a handy book in which we can jot down everything as it comes up. Disconnected thoughts perhaps, outlines of verses or of chapters, questions which occur to us; hundreds of matters which will escape our memories if we let them go, but which are fastened definitely by being thus recorded. We might call such a note-book in which entries like this were made, the daybook, and the more permanent and orderly one, the ledger. Just as in a daybook each entry is put down, often quite hastily and with only a separating mark to distinguish it from the following entry, so this note-book should be used freely for everything. It can be of small size, so as to be conveniently carried in the pocket or bag, to jot down on every occasion our gleanings in the field of divine truth. In this also we might keep a memorandum of work done, and thus mark each day’s progress.

As we read our daily chapter, something that has struck us in it may at once be put down.

It is also before us as we take up our work of analysis, and we have no hesitation in blocking out the contents of a verse three or four times if necessary, until we get something like a real list of what is there. During the day other things occur to us, perhaps from our Old Testament reading, or something is suggested, not closely connected with our special study; but it too finds a place here. Such a book is wonderfully interesting when it is completed, and serves as a kind of diary of each day in connection with divine things.

If we use it as freely as has been suggested, we would probably fill a small-sized one every two or three months. These should be numbered and kept for further reference.

Will our readers pardon us if we suggest a few lines of entry in such a book?

“Tuesday, May 9, 19―. Daily reading in the family, Exodus 20, the law. Ought not the ten commandments to be committed to memory by every one? Would it not increase conviction of sin in the unsaved, and gratitude in the hearts of believers? Was struck with the effect of the law upon the people, putting them at a distance, and then God’s gracious provision of the altar by which we are brought nigh. Thus, the wounding and healing are put side by side. Study the subject further.”

“List of subjects in Romans 5:1. 1, justification; 2, by faith; 3, present possession, ‘we have’; 4, ‘peace with God’; 5, ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ.’”

“Verses 2:1, Access into the grace; 2, by faith; 3, standing; 4, joy in hope; 5, the glory before us.”

Three points of time are noted here: “Peace in view of past sins; access for the present; the glory of God for the future.”

“What exactly is meant by ‘we stand’? What is the difference between standing and state, and is it a scriptural distinction? These two verses seem to stand out separately from what follows. Analyzed and memorized them.”

“Continued private daily reading, John 6. The language of this chapter suggests how important it is. The miracle of the five loaves is the only one recorded in all the four Gospels. Does our Lord mean to say that we are to labor for the bread of life, and if so, how can that be reconciled with its being a gift? Was struck with the expression ‘at the last day’ used four different times in this chapter. It seems to connect together four thoughts: 1, verse 39, the gift of the Father; 2, verse 40, the faith of the believer. These two suggest God’s side and man’s side. 3, verse 44, faith the gift of God; 4, verse 54, all rests on the work of Christ. J. N. D.’s version gives a different word for ‘eat’ in verse 51 and in verse 54 where it is translated ‘feedeth upon.’ Does ‘eating’ suggest the first time a hungry sinner comes, and ‘feeding’ the daily communion which is to continue always? A very full and rich chapter, with only a little gleaned out of it. Hope for more next time.”

This will suffice to give a hint how such a book can be used. The daily date will serve as a kind of diary, and whenever meetings have been attended, or things of that kind, they could also be entered here. It is not advised that we should pursue the methods of the diaries of many godly Christians which have been preserved for us, in which thoughts and states are dwelt upon. Introspection is never a healthy or profitable occupation, except for necessary self-judgment, and is reserved for the privacy of our closets with God; and even here we are only to be sufficiently occupied with self to judge our ways and to turn more completely to the Lord and His blessed Word. A record of our goings and doings is of comparatively small value, but it is indeed a comfort if we can connect our life’s history with our progress in the knowledge of God’s precious Word.

The entries indicated above might be made several times during the course of a day, and the time occupied in putting them down would be scarcely appreciable and would serve to fasten in our minds something we might use from every chapter we read. The results of our analysis or other special study could be, when fully digested, entered in the more formal outline-book suggested above.

In addition to what has been said above, it may be well to have a special book for each line of study—as, for instance, Ephesians, Colossians, etc.

5.Topical Study

IT will be noticed that we have given the first place to the simple, daily reading of our Bibles; the next, to memorizing special portions; the third, to analyzing and outlining individual books and grouping them. These we feel are of far greater importance than the topical sties which we will now dwell upon for a little.

Our food comes to us, not divided up into the various elements which form its constituent parts; but into nutritious, wholesome meat, bread and vegetables, with fruit that is pleasant to the taste and attractive to the eye. God’s word is like this. It is not a dictionary nor an Encyclopedia of facts and doctrines, but a living, throbbing, organic whole, instinct with love and with life, in which eternal realities pass before us—not in a cold list of doctrines, but in the person of the Son of God, the narrative of His work, the exhibition of faith in Him as exemplified in His people, their experiences, sorrows, trials and failures. Even when we come to the doctrinal epistles, truth is presented not in a coldly theological way, but ever with the deep, personal interest of both writer and reader fully engaged and in such an order that the distinct purpose of the Spirit of God is ever kept prominent; while, flowing from the doctrinal statements, the Christian walk and practice are ever brought before us.

This we say furnishes the suggestion for the proper method of study. We have taken a walk in the fresh air, through a beautiful country. Field and tree, flower and running brook, even the very stones and red earth beneath our feet, have in turn filled the eye and caused our hearts to rejoice in the beauty all about us. We come home and arrange on a shelf a flower which we have plucked and pressed, a curious pebble which we found, a little box filled with the earth, a piece of the bark of a tree, perhaps a moth which we caught. A friend comes to see us, and, instead of taking him to enjoy the beautiful walk, we turn to our shelf and inform him that it is not necessary, that here we have the results of what we have gathered in the walk, and show him our dry bark, flower, pebble, etc.

Now this is, of course, extreme; but we do feel that topical study of the Bible, arranging and classifying it into doctrine, should occupy a minor place in our studies; but we must qualify this to a certain extent, and can best do so by going a little further into detail.

The apostle directed Timothy to “hold fast the form of sound words;” which could, perhaps, be more accurately rendered, “have an outline of sound words.” A text-book of botany is necessary, although it does not glow with the beauty and brilliancy of the flowers that strewed our path. Indeed, it has a beauty all its own in laying bare the processes of plant life, the dissection of its various parts, all of which bring out the marvelous details of divine wisdom, power, and goodness. God would have us gather and arrange the great outstanding facts of divine truth in due order, and in this way gain knowledge of a more exact character, perhaps, than would otherwise be gathered from our daily reading.

To go back to our illustration, a museum which contains specimens of the various plants, soils, rocks, etc., in a given country serves an important purpose, and enables one to form a more accurate knowledge than he would gather in a walk. We have indicated what we believe to be the order, and can therefore now take up the topical study of Scripture without seeming to ignore that which should come first.

1. The great doctrines of Scripture.

We might begin our topical study by forming as complete a list as we could of the doctrines which we have found throughout the word of God. Such a list would include the following:

	Creation.	Inspiration.
	Angels.	Sanctification.
	Man.	The Father.
	Sin.	Election.
	Satan.	Forgiveness.
	Salvation.	Justification.
	Repentance.	Adoption.
	The person of Christ.	Deliverance from sin.
	The work of Christ.	The law.
	The Holy Spirit.	The coming of the Lord.
	New Birth.	The judgments.
	Eternal Life.	Eternity for the saved and the lost.
	Assurance.
	Eternal security.

This is but a partial list of some of the great fundamental doctrines. We might take them up and find that each one suggests a group.

Thus the subject of the person of Christ might be divided into,

	1. His deity.
	2. His humanity.
	3. The union of His deity and humanity.
	4. His earthly life.
	5. His present life.

In like manner the atoning work of our Lord furnishes a number of subjects for detailed examination.

	1. The relation between the person and work.
	2. Substitution.
	3. Atonement Godward, or propitiation.
	4. Reconciliation, or atonement manward.
	5. Access.
	6. Priesthood.
	7. Advocacy.

This list need not be formed all at once. Probably at the first we might think of only a comparatively small number of the great doctrines, grouping them possibly around the three persons of the Godhead; gradually, though, as days passed on, we would add other doctrines to the list, which should be kept open for further additions and rearrangements as our knowledge broadens. It is suggested that the student adopt his own method of classification here, which may be either that suggested above or the historical one indicated in our list, or some other.

We are now ready to take up our study of each doctrine separately, and will take as an example the solemn subject of “Sin.” Pursuing the general method already indicated, and with our notebook ready at hand, we will not attempt any systematic outline at the start, but jot down the subjects as they occur to us, and the scriptures connected with them. Thus we would naturally refer to the fall in Genesis 3, and examine the nature of sin, so far as we might. We would see that its outward expression was in disobedience to God, the temptation of Satan by which he deceived having preceded that outward act. Next, the effect of sin is seen in the sense of shame and guilt, of distance from God, and the loss of the privileges previously enjoyed. All this is connected with the narrative in the early part of Genesis. We might then trace sin historically as finding its development in the family of Cain, the corruption of the family of Seth, —save an elect remnant, — and the inevitable judgment which followed.

This will indeed give us an example of the history of sin in the world. We might next trace it governmentally in the history of Israel under the law, and the oft-repeated apostasies and recoveries narrated in the historical books, where God’s earthly government takes knowledge of and punishes by temporal chastisements the violations of that law. This, of course, does not touch the question of future and eternal retribution.

Passing on to the Psalms, Proverbs, and Prophets, we find an ever-broadening stream of iniquity flowing onward; while in the New Testament we see it attaining special virulence during our Lord’s presence on earth, and culminating in its most awful form in His rejection and crucifixion. This would be the historical method, of which we will speak more in detail presently.

Pursuing the subject of “Sin” further, we would take up the doctrine as found in the various Epistles, noting passages such as Romans, chapters 1, 2, 3, which delineate it in its various forms of corruption, whether man has been left to the light of nature, as in heathenism; to natural cultivation, as in the case of Greek or Roman philosophy; or to the exceptional privileges of those who had the Scriptures, as the Jews. In every case we find the solemn truth, “There is none righteous; no, not one.”

We note sin as moral death in Ephesians 2, and as enmity against God in Romans 8, Col. 1, etc. The epistles of John furnish other characteristics of it; and in Revelation we find it rising to its full height of rebellion against God, only to meet its eternal doom in the lake of fire.

After having gathered such thoughts as these, with such helps as were at our command, and more particularly our own study of Scripture, we could begin to classify the subject and reduce it to a somewhat orderly arrangement, for instance, as follows:

	1. The nature of sin.
	2. Its effects in relation to God.
	3. Its moral effects in relation to man.
	4. Its fruits.
	5. Its punishment.
	6. Its remedy.

This last, of course, would lead on to other and more blessed subjects. Before leaving this, however, we would find a number of subordinate subjects, as, for instance, the distinction between “sin” and “sins”; between “the flesh” and the “mortal body”; between “the old man” and “sin.”

Let us next take up in an illustrative way the subject of “Atonement.” We have already, in looking at the doctrine of “Sin,” indicated its historical treatment. We will pursue this a little more distinctly under the present head. Of course the doctrine of “Sin” forms here an introduction, suggesting the deep need of man which has to be met.

We find in the book of Genesis that God’s earliest dealings with fallen man, and man’s only way of approach to God, were on the basis of sacrifice. Throughout the entire Old Testament this is portrayed in the sacrifices of clean animals whose blood was shed. In the patriarchal age great simplicity marked it. The offerer —as Abel, Noah, Abraham, or Jacob—slew his offering and burnt it upon an altar. He was accepted on the ground of his sacrifice. We find no special mention of definite acts of transgression as calling for this sacrifice, if we except the implied suggestion of God that if Cain did not well a sin-offering lay at the door which could be presented as atonement for his guilt.

Sacrifice, throughout the book of Genesis, seems to have been largely, too, the means for maintaining communion with God. In it the savor of the offering went up to Him, and, in connection with it, doubtless the offerer received the communications which God had to give.

When we come, however, to the elaborate ritual established by God after the redemption of Israel from Egypt (where the passover sacrifice had given the clearest thought of substitution and shelter from judgment), we find much detail, particularly in the various offerings described in the first part of Leviticus. Taking them in inverse order as starting from man’s need, we find in the trespass-offering provision for actual transgression; in the sin-offering the question is dealt with more radically, the root as well as the fruit suggested; in the peace-offering we have communion established on the basis of sacrifice; while in the burnt-offering, with its accompanying meal-offering, we have all offered up as a sweet savor to God, in which savor the worshiper finds his acceptance.

The great service of the day of atonement—Leviticus 16—goes still more fully into the doctrine; and here we have, in addition to what has already been noted, the holiest, or place of access, with its mercy-seat, suggesting the Person through whom atonement is effected. This gives us, typically indeed, but very really, a well-nigh perfect outline of the great subject. Different aspects of it are given, for instance in Numbers 19, where the water of separation shows how the work of Christ forms the basis of the removal, not only of guilt, but of the moral defilement which would prevent communion.

Thus it will be seen that the Pentateuch furnishes us with well-nigh all the material necessary for a complete conception of atonement. It is only in type, however, and needs the full blaze of New Testament truth before it could be understood. The law had but a shadow of good things to come; was not, indeed, the very image, and therefore could never make the comers thereunto perfect as pertains to the conscience.

The historical books add but little to our knowledge of the subject of atonement, furnishing simply illustrations of what we have already learned. In the book of Psalms, however, we have a most complete and striking unfolding of this great truth, though still veiled behind the language of prophecy, so that faith alone could in any full measure divine its meaning.

We find thus, in the great atonement-psalms, our Lord presented as the Sacrifice, with details which are not typical, but as deep as any statements in the New Testament. We see Him thus as the Sin-offering in the 22nd psalm; as the Trespass-offering in the 69th; and as the Burnt-offering in the 40th, and possibly the Peace-offering in the 102nd. Many other psalms afford glimpses, more or less complete, of the atoning work of our Lord, while the blessed results of His redemption shine forth in all the splendor of Israel’s millennial blessing, and out to the nations gathered around them.

Familiar passages in the Prophets are much in line with what we have already seen in the book of Psalms. They present to us, as the 53rd of Isaiah, our Lord’s suffering and rejection: in the book of Zechariah, His wounding in the house of His friends; while all future blessings for Israel and the world at large flow from those stripes by which faith can say, “We are healed.”

Passing next to the New Testament, in the four Gospels we have largely the record of our Lord’s earthly life, which showed Him to be the “Lamb without blemish and without spot,” the only One in heaven or earth fitted by the dignity of His person as divine, and His assumption of perfect manhood, to be the Sacrifice and Substitute for His people.

Each of the four Gospels gives us a special view of the sacrificial character of His atoning death. In Matthew we have Him as the Trespass-offering, bearing the consequences of sins, and death, which is sin’s wages. In Mark there seems to be the more absolute view of the Sin-offering in His death. In both these Gospels our Lord cries, “Why hast Thou forsaken Me?” quoting from the great sin-offering psalm. In Luke, with its blessed human gospel throughout, we have Him as the Peace-offering; and in John all goes up to God as a sweet savor, the true Burnt-offering.

In the Acts the great doctrine of atonement is not brought out in any systematic way, but, rather, forgiveness and justification are presented, both to the Jew and Gentile, with their accompanying results.

When we come, however, to the Epistles, and particularly that to the Romans, the doctrine of atonement is developed to the fullest extent. Here, as we have already seen, first man’s guilt and lost condition are presented. Every mouth is stopped, and all the world brought in “guilty before God.” Then divine righteousness, which must condemn the guilty, is seen to be on the side of the guilty sinner who accepts the sacrifice which God has provided. Indeed, it sets forth our Lord Jesus Christ as a propitiatory, or mercy-seat—a meeting-place, through faith, on the ground of His blood, whereby we can approach to God. Not only is there forgiveness of sins, but a positive justification, resting upon this basis. The effects of this justification are “peace with God,” access into His presence, rejoicing in hope of His glory; while God Himself becomes, instead of our dread, our exceeding joy, through our Lord Jesus Christ, “by whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Further on in the epistle the blessed results of our Lord’s atoning work are set forth as meeting the condition of the believer born in sin, with a sinful nature, and prone to evil. The Cross which has secured our pardon has also “condemned sin in the flesh”; and now, for those “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” there is power for holiness.

Galatians teaches substitution in the most marked way. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” Thus forgiveness and liberty are assured, with all their accompaniments; so that now we are to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.

Ephesians, in addition to much of what has already been dwelt upon, shows that we are made nigh by the blood of Christ, who is our peace, having broken down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, and brought both and presented them in one body to God, having slain the enmity by His cross.

Colossians dwells upon much the same truth, showing our emancipation from legal ordinances which were contrary to us. These, and Satan’s power too, have been destroyed, so that we need no longer serve sin.

The epistle to the Hebrews takes us back to the Old Testament, with the light of the New shining upon the priesthood, the sanctuary, and the sacrifices offered by the law, and showing how all has been fulfilled and set aside through the one accomplished work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The epistles of James, Peter, John and Jude with the Revelation furnish also many statements as to the atonement in line with what has been bore us.

We have gone thus into some detail to show how a doctrine can be traced throughout the entire word of God, and how, while gathering added truth, it shows the doctrine in germ in the earlier books of the Bible, but shining out more and more brightly until the full display is seen in the person and work of our Lord, and in the doctrine as enunciated in the Epistles. But we must go further here in our doctrinal outlines. Sufficient has been given to show how, with proper care, an endless field of profitable study is opened up.

We would suggest that special attention be given to the topic of the Scriptures themselves. What does the Bible teach as to itself? This could be taken up in connection with the general topic of inspiration, and it will be found that Scripture itself speaks in no uncertain way of the perfections of the divine Word.

The Psalms are full of this subject, the longest one in the entire collection being given to it (Ps. 119). The structure of this psalm is remarkable. Each section, as is known, of eight verses, is devoted to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in its order, each verse beginning with that letter. It is as though the perfections of the word of God were suggested in this way. The entire alphabet is used. All the possibilities of human language are exhausted in setting forth the fullness and perfection of the word of God.

Other acrostic psalms, and other portions of Scripture suggest the same precious truth.

Coming to the New Testament, we find in the quotations from the Old, and constant refences to it, a witness to the truth of its inspiration. Let all these passages be studied in their connection. A most interesting and profitable line of work it will be, and the student will rise from it with the conviction that “the Scripture cannot be broken,” and that higher criticism in all its varied forms is but a device of the enemy and an assault upon the word of God.

It may be asked, When are we to finish all this? and our happy reply is, Never, in this life; were we to spend every waking moment, we could not exhaust the fullness there is in the word of God. And indeed, this is neither to be expected, nor in one sense to be desired. There must ever be time given for the ordinary duties of life; or, if one is engaged in the service of the Lord, in ministering to others that upon which he has already fed himself.

6. Biographical Study

THIS feature of Bible study need not detain us long, although it is exceedingly interesting. Perhaps the earliest lessons of divine truth are learned at the mother’s knee in the stories of our first parents, of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and above all, of our blessed Lord Jesus. As we have frequently said, God’s precious word is not a dull Encyclopedia of religious facts and truths, but a delightful unfolding of the life of God in men of like passions with ourselves on the one hand, and yet the subjects of divine grace on the other who have obtained a precious faith which ever produces fruits which are according to God.

The simplest method here is probably the best. We can begin with Adam and learn all that the Scripture has to teach about him, and follow it up with every other man of faith throughout the Scriptures. The biography of such a man as Moses will give us the history of his times and the stirring events of which he forms so large a part.

Genesis itself, as we have seen, is a book of seven biographies. We do not pretend to make a list here of all the Old and New Testament worthies. What a list it is, however! Let each one write it out as fully as may be, and perhaps dedicate one day to thinking over all that he can remember about a character. This might come in as a kind of a change from other lines of study. A sad duty, also, is the preparation of a list of those who furnish warnings instead of example, headed by Cain and followed by such men as Korah, Dathan, Abiram, king Saul, all the kings of Israel after the division, and many of those of Judah, Ahithophel, Absalom, Judas Iscariot. What a dark list it is!

As to methods of study here, we would only suggest that we should endeavor to get as clear a conception as we can of each character historically, in his individual relation to God, to the times in which he lived and to the persons with whom he was thrown. It is very striking that we find how faithfully God has delineated the character and conduct of His beloved people. He gives us a picture of “Solomon in all his glory,” and yet does not hide from us the exceeding folly of the wisest of men when he allowed strange women to turn away his heart from God. David, the man after His own heart, is not spared in the faithful narrative which shows his weakness in connection with Joab and his awful sin of which he so deeply repented and for which he was so faithfully chastened. Even Abraham, “the friend of God,” was not perfect. Indeed, there is the biography of but one perfect Man in the entire inspired volume, and how good it is that we have, not merely one, but four inspired biographies of Him, presenting Him to us in every phase of character in which we should know Him—in His official dignity as King, as in Matthew; in His prophetic and yet lowly service narrated in Mark; as the Man who knew every human need and felt every human sorrow as in Luke, and as the One who was in the bosom of the Father and remained there even as He walked the earth and witnessed for Him, recorded in John.

But the subject of our Lord’s life must stand largely by itself and is treated of elsewhere.

After we have gained a fairly complete and accurate outline of the life of our character, we can proceed with care to note the typical significance of the biography as given to us. Thus, evidently, Joseph is a type of Christ, both in His rejection and glory. His brethren figure Israel, their sin, repentance and restoration, while blessing goes out not merely to the seed of Israel, but world-wide through him who is put upon the throne of Egypt.

So many, perhaps all, Old Testament historical characters are typical as well. Let us only be careful in our study in this delightful field, that we keep the due proportion of truth and that all harmonizes with the setting in which it is placed. Nothing is here of a haphazard character, and the student should guard carefully against mere similitudes or suggestions which are really not of a typical character.

Unless our readers have the time and inclination for much writing, we have nothing special to suggest as to the use of the note-book in these biographical studies, beyond the free jotting down of whatever occurs to us at the time when it passes through the mind—which otherwise may be lost sight of. Where one is engaged, hover, in Sunday-school work, a very delightful exercise would be to assign certain biographical characters to the children as subjects for compositions which they could prepare and hand in, or which might be read in the class, or a selection of them to the school at large. How much delightful service there is indeed in the things of God! Truly we are not straitened in Him!

7. Typical Study

GOD’S world is a picture-book. The things which are seen are doubtless shadows of unseen truth. He speaks to us, and would seek to attract our attention in the beauties of nature about us and above us to Him of whom they speak, and above all, to Him who has created them and made reconciliation for all things in heaven and earth, purging even the heavenly places by His own blood.

When we come to the Old Testament, especially the Pentateuch, as we have already seen, we find a multitude of typical persons, places, times and acts. Genesis deals largely, though not exclusively, with typical persons.

Adam is “a figure of Him that was to come”; Abel, of Christ in His rejection; Cain, of Israel according to the flesh; Seth, of Christ in resurrection; Noah, of Christ as head over the millennial earth; Abraham, beside his individual history, reminds us in certain details of the Fatherhood of God; Isaac, of the Son; and Jacob of one under the special leading of the Holy Spirit; and Joseph, of whom we have already spoken, is perhaps the fullest type of the Beloved of the Father.

Genesis, however, is not confined to the narrative of typical persons. The coats of skin which covered our first parents speak of the covering secured for us through the death of Christ; Abel’s sacrifice, of a better; Cain’s, of the worthlessness of all efforts to approach God in any other way than by the sacrifice of Christ. In Noah’s ark, we have a shelter from coming judgment—type, not only of salvation in general, but particularly of Israel’s salvation and introduction into the millennial earth. The birth of Isaac is a re-echo of the promise of the woman’s Seed (the first of all gospel promises) while his being delivered up for death needs no word to remind us of the offering up of God’s beloved Son and His literal resurrection to be the Bridegroom of one brought out from a distance to be His bride. This must suffice as to Genesis.

In Exodus, a veritable garden of types bursts upon our view. Indeed, there is such an abundance of riches here, that we are embarrassed to make a selection. The Passover lamb, the passage of the Red Sea, the manna, the smitten rock, the tabernacle—with its types upon types, would require a separate book for their proper unfolding.

Leviticus, as mentioned already, dwells upon sacrifice in its varied aspects and upon the priesthood. The entire book is typical. So also is Numbers, where in the camp of Israel, the number and arrangement of the various tribes, their officers and their journeyings through the wilderness, we can say in the language of Scripture, “Now these things happened unto them for ensamples (types); and they are written for our admonition.”

Deuteronomy is not merely a recapitulation, but deals largely in prophetic admonitions and glimpses into the future. There are still, hover, a goodly number of typical portions; for instance, the “basket of first-fruits” (ch. 26).

Joshua, the first of the historical books, is typical throughout. So, too, is Judges, and the charming Ruth which follows it. How meaningless would these narratives be, particularly the latter half of the book of Joshua, which opens up Israel’s inheritance in the land, if the very names were not a picture of something richer and better!

The narratives of Samuel and Kings also abound in types, as indeed do all the historical books. Necessarily, the poetical and prophetic books have less of this character about them, being themselves unfolding’s of principles which grow out of what has been presented in the earlier books.

Passing to the New Testament, we find our Lord speaking in parables, and, we might add, acting them also. Doubtless every miracle is a picture of the grace which reaches the sinner, and how many gospel sermons have been preached from these types! Even the narratives of our Lord’s life abound in typical significance. We read His rejection as He goes to the Gentile towns of Cæsaria-Philippi, and His exaltation to glory is seen in the Mount of Transfiguration, while coming down from the mount, He meets Israel possessed of a demon and casts it out.

The book of Acts furnishes, too, we cannot doubt, many types and illustrations of grace. We mention but the healing of the impotent man at the Beautiful Gate, so near to all the grandeur of the legal ritual which yet had never given him power to do aught but beg. Set free by grace, he enters into those splendors and exults in his new-found liberty which doubtless gives a new light to all the splendors of the temple.

Peter’s imprisonment and Paul’s shipwreck no doubt have a typical meaning as well. This rapid survey of the field, with part of its riches, will, we trust, awaken a hunger to search deeply for “things new and old” in the precious storehouse of divine truth.

We add but a word of caution. Some minds seem peculiarly fond of this line of truth. They are inclined to take up fanciful resemblances. Let it be definitely understood that types are as exact in their meaning as any other line of divine truth, and their right understanding requires a broad and deep knowledge of the great fundamental truths, and indeed of the letter, of the word of God. We shrink from young Christians forcing their way into fields of typical study without having previously made a study of the New Testament, and particularly of the doctrines of the Epistles and of the life of our Lord.

8. Dispensational Study

WE have had some misgivings as to leaving this portion of our subject so long untouched, because in one sense it is of the very first importance that all our study of Scripture should be along the lines of a clear understanding of the great dispensational landmarks of divine truth. The position, therefore, does not indicate that the subject is of less importance than the others that have gone before.

By “Dispensational Study,” we mean the study of the various ages, epochs or dispensations into which the history of God’s dealings with mankind from the beginning to the end of time are divided. Perhaps many Bible readers have never seriously thought of the self-evident fact that God has had different methods of dealing with men from the beginning to the present. Even where there is not entire ignorance as to this, the distinction between the dispensations has been but feebly grasped by the majority of God’s people. Far be it from us for a moment to say that any portion of Scripture may not be profited by without this: but we fail in its full application and use unless we realize its setting.

For instance, the children of God in all time have justly turned to the book of Psalms as a storehouse of inspired experience in which they find utterance for their needs, sorrows, failures, trials, doubts and fears, as well as their joys, responsibilities, faith, hope, duty, love and all the fruits of the divine life which abound there. Indeed, we are persuaded that the people of God suffer in this busy day because of their neglect of the divinely recorded experiences which we find throughout the wonderful book of Psalms. But because of this very fact, we repeat that it is of the greatest importance, nay necessity, that we should apprehend the true dispensational setting of these inspired poems.

For instance, godly saints have been obliged to consider what are called the imprecatory psalms as belonging to a ruder age, as possibly not inspired in the same way as are the lofty outbreathing’s of praise and worship. Thus an unintentional slur is put upon their inspiration, and at the same time much important instruction is lost sight of.

Similarly, the absence of the spirit of adoption, the knowledge of present and eternal acceptance, the heavenly hope as contrasted with the earthly one, and the acquaintance with the person of our Lord Jesus, ―these and many other features compel the intelligent reader to recognize that in the book of Psalms he is not on characteristic Christian ground. All this is seen to some extent by every Christian properly familiar with the Bible; and yet many of these, through lack of a knowledge of the great dispensational outlines, would be unable to explain exactly why we do not find the same liberty in the Psalms that we do, for instance, in the epistle to the Philippians. The explanation is at once simple and satisfying. “He hath made everything beautiful in his time” (Eccl. 3:11), and the time had not yet come, in the dispensation in and for which the Psalms were written, to bring out Christian truth. Such a thing would have been putting new wine into old bottles.

The same may be said as to the Prophets, and indeed of the entire Old Testament Scriptures. We must take truth in its proper connection, or we will fail to apprehend it aright. This is one of the very first axioms of Bible study. Get the immediate and surrounding context clear, if you expect to understand the meaning of any particular passage. It is the application of this principle that we may call dispensational study.

Let us begin by supposing that the Christian reader has a fair measure of acquaintance with the letter of the Old and New Testaments, but has never had his attention called to the fact of which we are speaking. We will also, as far as possible, suppose that his interest has been awakened in some ordinary way, rather than by the reading of some book in which dispensational truth is brought out. In this way, we may, perhaps, get hints as to helpful methods of further study along these lines.

Let us suppose, for instance, that in the daily family reading, they have come to the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, and one of the children asks: “Father, of whom is the prophet speaking here?” and at once gets the reply, “Why of the Lord Jesus, of course. He is the One who was despised and rejected of men, and the One upon whom the chastisement of our peace was.” “Then, father, why does it not say plainly that it was the Lord Jesus?” “Because the Lord Jesus had not yet come, and God was telling, through the prophet, many hundreds of years before, how the Lord Jesus would be treated when He came. We know it speaks of the Lord Jesus because if you turn to the New Testament in the book of Acts, you find Philip preached to the Ethiopian about the Lord Jesus from this very passage.” (See Acts 8:32-35.)

“Is that the reason why we never find the name of the Lord Jesus mentioned in the Old Testament?” “Yes; He had not yet been born, nor suffered and died for our sins. Men of God were hoping and waiting for the coming of the Saviour who had been promised from the beginning.” “Didn’t David know the Lord Jesus?” “No; because he lived many hundreds of years before the Lord Jesus was born.” “Well, how could David be saved then? Was he not a sinful man?” “Yes; Psa. 32 tells us not only that he had sinned, but also that he knew how blessed it was to have his sins forgiven. He did not know fully about it; he only knew God was very merciful and that the time was coming some day when all would be made plain; and so every one who really had faith trusted in God, and though they often had many trials and doubts, they also had faith and hope and were not left alone in the dark.”

Another child says: “Well, I think I like the New Testament better, because that tells us not only that some One was coming, but that He has come, and of the love of God and all that the Lord Jesus has done for us.” “Yes,” the father says; “and we would not understand very much from the Old Testament if we did not have the New to tell us plainly all about the Lord Jesus.”

This little conversation awakens thoughts in his mind. As he goes through the day’s duties it recurs again to him, and at some opportunity, he takes a New Testament out of his pocket to read a little from the word of God. “There, again,” he says, “why do we carry the New Testament instead of the Old?” And of course his Christian conscience gives him the correct reply.

Gradually, as he continues his daily readings in both Old and New Testaments, this light gathers increased clearness. He recognizes what all along he had more or less acted upon, that a different atmosphere pervades the New Testament from that of the Old. He notices, too, how our Lord speaks of His own coming. “Blessed are the eyes which see the things which ye see: for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them” (Luke 10:23, 24). He connects with this another more striking statement still, where the Lord promises His disciples, in John 16: “It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.”

Coming to the book of Acts, he finds the comforter sent according to promise, and in his study of the epistle to the Ephesians, he finds that the Holy Spirit has been given as a seal, “the Earnest (the pledge) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.” He finds, too, that the Holy Spirit was not given until our Lord Jesus was glorified, until after redemption had been accomplished (John 7). He finds, too, in connection with the Holy Spirit, that assurance, the knowledge of the present forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7), the Spirit of adoption, of sonship (Rom. 8:15), and many other characteristics abound in the Epistles, which are not found in the Old Testament. Gradually having been accustomed, let us say, to jotting down his thoughts in his note-book, he reaches some such conclusion as the following:

1. “Bible history is divided into two parts, marked by the birth and life of our Lord Jesus upon earth. All that took place before that, is narrated in the Old Testament; and after that, in the New. The Old Testament is in the shadow, with bright glimpses of hope. The New Testament is in the full blaze of light.”

2. “All New Testament history is divided into two parts and is marked off by the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. All before that narrates the perfect life of our Lord Jesus, and still deals more or less with the Jews. All after that speaks of the accomplished work of Christ and every blessing in Him enjoyed by every believer.”

We are bold to say that such a discovery as this would mark an epoch in the life of any Christian man. The Bible would become a new book to him; it would shine with the luster of a love which he had feebly apprehended before, and the joy of a known redemption would fill his heart. He has grasped the great fact of dispensational truth. Much still remains to be learned, but this part is essential and most important of all.

As is the case with all knowledge, and especially Scripture knowledge, what we learn not only gives us instruction upon the point before us, but raises further questions and furnishes a key to their answer. Accustomed to asking questions of every verse as he reads it, it gradually dawns upon him from his study of the Epistles, that there is a distinct hope which the Spirit of God has put in the hearts of the Lord’s people. Just as in the Old Testament everything looked forward to the coming of Messiah, so in the New Testament, after our Lord’s death, resurrection and ascension, everything looks forward to another coming. A growing conviction presses upon him that the expectation held forth in the Epistles is not of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, or a gradual improvement of the earth and setting up of the Millennium. On the contrary, he sees that Christianity separates the believer from the world, that he belongs to heaven, and every question as to his salvation having been settled, he longs to be there. Furthermore, he finds that instead of death, the somber companion of all hope of human progress and earthly blessing, God sets before him a “blessed hope” which is none other than the coming of the Lord Jesus at any time to take His people out of the earth, raising those who are sleeping, changing the living, and translating them all to heaven.

In other words, he learns what marks the present dispensation. It is an accomplished redemption by the sacrifice of Christ, the presence of the Holy Spirit as the witness of this, uniting believers to the Lord Jesus, and leading out their hopes to wait for His second coming to translate them to heaven.

As he continues, however, his Old Testament reading and study, with no less love than before, but with much clearer interest, he finds a progress running through it also. For instance, there are certain great landmarks which stand out like mountain peaks, dividing the whole domain of Old Testament truth into clearly marked districts. The greater part of the Old Testament has to do with a nation, the chosen people of God. These are under law. In the light of his New Testament studies, he finds that there is a special sense in which the believer is not under law now, as he was in the Old Testament. He finds, too, that the prophets, both in the days of Samuel and Elijah, as well as the later ones who committed their messages to writing, made reference to this law and the relation of this earthly people, Israel, to God. He finds, too, that this period of God’s dealings might be called national, because He treats the whole nation alike, many of whom are children of God and many are not. All, however, have a certain relation to Him, are under law, recognize their sinfulness and liability to punishment. He finds at the same time that faith pierces through this cloud and lays hold upon the grace and mercy of God, but that the dispensation, or manner of God’s dealing, is marked by distance and conditions upon which man could receive blessing.

Looking back to the time preceding this, he finds in the book of Genesis a period not marked by this national dealing nor by the giving of law. There is a covenant relationship with God which recognizes the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and these enjoy a communion according to their faith as individuals.

Looking back a little further, he finds a brief account of the origin of nations, and traces it to the establishment of ordered government under Noah. Prior to that, was a long period in which man was left to himself, and lawlessness and violence filled the earth; and this, in his backward glance, brings him to the fall and the brief period of innocence which preceded it.

Turning again to his note-book, he makes some such entry as the following:

1. “Man was created innocent, and God’s dealings with him in the Garden of Eden were entirely different from anything since.”

2 “From Seth to the flood, there seems to be a period when man was left largely to himself, without government, and without intercourse with God except where there was faith.”

3. “With Noah a new manner of God’s dealings with men seems to begin. They are put under government, and divided into nations.”

4. “Abraham marks the great beginning of God’s ways in covenant or agreement with men.”

5. “Moses begins the great chapter of national history, in which we find, not a covenant or agreement by promise, but one with certain conditions connected with it, God promising to bless if man would keep His law.”

In this way, in the course of ordinary reading, with thought and study, we will suppose that he has reached a more or less definite understanding of the difference between God’s ways with man before the fall, prior to the flood, in Noah’s times, and the call of Abraham, with the subsequent national history of Israel.

We will suppose him now making a further entry: “Before the fall we have the state of innocence, separate from all the after-history of God’s ways with man. All Old Testament history after the fall is divided into four great periods:

	1. Lawlessness from Cain to the flood.
	2. Governmental from Noah to Abraham.
	3. Patriarchal from Abraham to Moses.
	4. A chosen nation under law from Moses to the end of the Old Testament.”

As he further meditates upon this schedule, he sees that the period called “patriarchal” is rather introductory to, and gives the faith side of the whole period of God’s dealings with Israel, and finally reaches a three-fold division for the Old Testament.

All that such a student needs now is the help of some elementary book to gather up all the results of his dispensational study and carry it out to completeness. If it be said, Whoever got this far along with the knowledge of dispensations, unaided? our answer would be, Someone must have, or we would not have our present knowledge of dispensational truth; and further, we are persuaded that if prejudice is absent, it does not take long to convince a sincere Bible reader and student of the truth of the great epochs of which we have been speaking.

We need hardly point out both the advantage and the necessity for distinct knowledge of this kind. We are not contending at present for any rigid dispensational outline, except the clear marking off the present or Christian period from all others, together with the hope of the Lord’s coming, which brings to a close the present period of grace. This leads us on to consider what is coming after the people of God are removed to heaven at the close of the present age. We will, for the sake of uniformity, continue to follow our supposed Bible student in his search.

He finds a large amount of Scripture, in the Psalms and Prophets particularly, which speak of a glorious time that is coming. Evidently, it is not Christian times that are described, — unless, indeed, we rob words of their literal meaning and spiritualize everything, making the glowing descriptions of the kingdom and Israel’s blessing upon the earth to be pictures of spiritual blessing for the Church, as the summaries in the ordinary versions of our Bible indicate.

He finds no time in the past, not even in the palmiest days of David and Solomon, when these predictions were fulfilled. Indeed, many of them were written long after the division of the kingdom into two parts. They evidently look forward to a future time beyond the present Christian age; and perhaps, without becoming absolutely clear about it, he has in his mind something which he expresses in words like this: “The future hope for the Christian is not the improvement of this world, but the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to take His people out of it. In the Old Testament many beautiful prophecies speak of a time when this world shall blossom as the rose. This will most likely be after the Christian period has closed.”

Probably, for the ordinary Bible student, the harmonizing of these two thoughts—the coming of the Lord to take His people out of the world (which experience and the Scriptures alike show to be getting worse, instead of better) and the introduction of a reign of righteousness, with the knowledge of the Lord covering the earth as the waters cover the sea—will be a task either too difficult, or accomplished only after long and prayerful study. We are, however, dealing with possibilities rather than actualities, and will continue, for the purposes of illustration, to suppose that the student reaches his conclusions as the result of his own labors.

Indeed, we may say just here that there is a danger of having truth prepared ready to our hand, summing up what has been reached by others as the result of long, laborious search and prayerful meditation. Where it is learned in this way, at second hand—whether doctrinal truth or that which now occupies us, the prophetic outline of God’s ways—the knowledge will be of a superficial or light character, having little moral power, and relinquished, possibly, as easily as acquired. We are indeed most thankful for all the results of believing study and research, and are assured that one who despises written ministry of this character will probably not make much progress in truth, and may possibly fall into error; but the road lies between ditches on either side of it; and there is a distinct danger in learning truth out of books instead of from the Scriptures. The former often produces rapid results, but the authority is often that of some prominent teacher rather than of the word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Possibly the danger of which we speak is greater in connection with prophetic truth than with any other. There is so much of a comparatively historical character which occupies the mind rather than the conscience and the heart; curious questions arise, and there is a subtle pride in having knowledge which is not possessed by others. We are justified, therefore, in encouraging and urging Christians to pursue studies for themselves, and to endeavor to make original research a prominent part of their Bible work. In education, wherever practicable, laboratory work is required of the student of chemistry, physics, biology, etc. We plead for more of this “laboratory work” in the word of God. Every Bible student should be an original investigator in some field, no matter how limited or elementary his work may be.

How is the Millennium to be brought in? His Old Testament studies in the Prophets and Psalms present a dark picture of the condition of the world, and of God’s professed people. They show disobedience, godlessness and apostasy rising higher and higher until the very earth is seen to be a moral chaos, and nothing but the judgment of God can be expected. This judgment, he finds, is the prominent theme in the Prophets. So far from the world gradually improving and evil slowly giving way to or—strangest of all permutations—changing into righteousness, God’s judgment is delayed only for a time, and must fall both upon the nation of Israel and the world at large.

Turning to the book of Revelation, the great prophecy of the New Testament, he finds that the larger part of the book is taken up with judgments of the most dreadful and complete character—upon the civilized nations of the world, upon the earthly people of God who have been led off into apostasy under the False Prophet, and upon Babylon the great, which bears unmistakable signs of being the apostate Church. After the infliction of all these judgments, he finds both in Old Testament prophecy and in the book of Relation the appearing of the Son of Man in the climax of judgment, overthrowing His enemies, and introducing the very kingdom of righteousness and peace upon the earth for which saints of old longed and to which prophecy pointed.

Working backward and forward, he sees that this period of judgment is spoken of as a “short work” (Rom. 9:28; Isa. 28:22). He sees, too, that this period has been made short especially for the sake of “the elect”— not the Christians of the present age, but a remnant of godly Jews who turn to the Lord after the Church has been removed to heaven, and are subjected to fearful persecutions because of their faithfulness to Christ.

This remnant is frequently spoken of in Revelation (chs. 6-14), in the book of Psalms and in the Prophets. It is for the sake of these that the days of the great tribulation will be shortened. As a matter of fact, the last week of the seventy predicted in Daniel (9:24-27) is divided into two parts, the last half only being the time of the great tribulation, when the suffering is so great that unless the days had been shortened no flesh could be saved (Matt. 24:22). He finds in connection with this scripture last quoted that the appearing of the Son of Man will follow “immediately after the tribulation of those days.”

This coming he finds described in Revelation as a victorious coming forth to battle, after the manner of Psalms 45 and Isaiah 63. He has reached the solution of the problem which has occupied him, and finds in the glorious reign of Christ for a thousand years ample room for all the glowing descriptions of the Old Testament.

The same chapter in Revelation (20) which speaks of this glorious millennial reign adds a brief description of the closing period of time when Satan who has been bound is let loose for a little season, and again the great lesson of the inveterate, incurable enmity of the heart of the natural man is manifested in the last and final act of rebellion, which is followed by the eternal punishment and retribution of evil in fallen angels and wicked men, so that nothing shall ever intrude into God’s glorious new creation, which for all eternity shall be the sphere of untold bliss and joy unutterable in the worship, communion and service of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of Father, Son and Spirit, for the heavenly people on high, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Thus the student will have, by the leading of the Spirit of God, and as a result, perhaps, of slow, careful plodding and prayerful study, out of the materials abundantly furnished in the word of God, constructed a bridge of truth reaching from eternity to eternity, over the comparatively narrow span of time of a few thousand years’ duration. This span, however, is of such momentous importance that every possible question of good and evil which could rise has been not only discussed, but manifested and allowed to run its course, in order that at the close of time, with the portals of eternity open, it will be with the knowledge that no further question can ever be raised.

What a glimpse does this transcendent theme give of that eternal calm in which God sits enthroned! From eternity to eternity He is God! The restless malice of Satan and the puny rebellion of fallen man have not swerved Him from the one unceasing purpose which He purposed in Himself before eternal ages, to glorify His Son, to head up all things in Christ, “in the dispensation of the fullness of times” (Eph. 1), and to have gathered about Himself a universe of intelligent, adoring creatures capable of entering into His thoughts and of enjoying His love; creatures of various families, but every family in heaven and earth named with His name who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; and in these families one shines out with a tender glow of radiant beauty more marvelous than all others. It is “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

We must not think, however, that with the construction of the bridge, sufficient and suitable for us to pass over its entire length, we have completed the study of dispensational truth. We have, indeed, only mapped out that which invites us to further and more minute study. Many details remain for exploration, many questions to be settled; the place of many minor events to be found; but in it all, having the great outline, we will be able to fit in the details with increasing facility.

We add a word of special emphasis with regard to the period in which we are living. The ends of the world, or “ages,” are come upon us (1 Cor. 10:11). The Church is the mystery which from the beginning had been hid in God, a mystery, or secret, now made known (Eph. 3), the right apprehension of which furnishes the key to the knowledge of all prophecy, and shows the peculiar grace and marvelous dignity of the place into which sinners of the Gentiles like ourselves, with Jews who through grace have believed in Christ, have been brought.

As has already been said, this present dispensation, or period of God’s ways, is marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit in a special way, not merely resting upon men for power and enlightenment in the knowledge of truth, but dwelling in them and uniting them, in abundant sympathy and vital activity, to Christ who is the Head of His body the Church, and to one another as fellow-members of that body. This opens up an immense and most delightful field of truth, which has all the greater charm because it presents the climax of all God’s purposes—His masterpiece, we might reverently say.

In Colossians 1:24,25, the apostle speaks of a special ministry which had been committed to him in addition to that of the gospel. It was not, of course, that the one contradicted the other; but rather that this special dispensation of God, which was given him to make known “the mystery,” was supplementary to that of the gospel. A remarkable expression occurs here which it is well to notice: “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.” A casual reading of this clause would suggest merely that these truths had been predicted bore, and were now being fulfilled. As a matter of fact, this is not the case; for, as we have said, the truth of the Church was not made known, and could scarcely even be said to have been predicted; the types in the Old Testament requiring a knowledge of “the mystery” even to connect them with the Church.

The word “fulfill” is, literally, “to complete”; and what we have stated here is that the great truth of the Church as the body of Christ, composed of Jews and Gentiles, baptized and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (all the saints of the present dispensation, from Pentecost to the coming of the Lord), is the crowning revelation which has come to us in the Scriptures. In that sense Paul’s ministry, while not the last chronologically, nor even morally, is the climax of all dine revelation. Whatever is brought out afterward, particularly the noble scenes that pass before us in the book of Revelation, are not new truths, but rather enlargements of what has already been declared in both New and Old Testaments. Indeed, we may say that the book of Revelation takes up the subject of Old Testament prophecy, giving it greater distinctness and enlargement. But there is no new doctrine involved there, and the place and destiny of the Church therein set forth have been already anticipated and revealed in the writings of Paul.

Thus in a very distinct way this ministry of “the mystery,” this unfolding of the truth of the Church of God, is the completion of the whole canon of Scripture. It is the capstone upon the perfect structure which completes the whole. It is the keystone of the arch, binding all together and making a perfect bridge from eternity to eternity.

Therefore if one is ignorant of the true nature and place of the Church of God in His ways, he cannot be clear as to the vast purposes which He has formed. Such a subject as this deserves the prayerful and careful attention of the Bible student.

The Epistles, particularly those of Paul, therefore unfold to us the nature, character and constitution of the Church as the body of Christ, the house of God, indwelt by the Spirit, and destined to be the bride in the day to come of which we have spoken. The constitution of the Church will be found to make ample provision for all worship, the enjoyment of all communion, the exercise of every activity, and the fulfillment of every responsibility which rests upon it. Whether we look at it as a body composed of many members, all united to the Head, and see the various functions of these members, differing each from the other, and all working harmoniously together to the edification of itself in love; or whether it be the house of God resting upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, inspired men who have given us the New Testament Scriptures, we see every provision which divine wisdom and love could make. The mutest details are provided for. The greatest needs are anticipated; and so beautiful is the ling organism that even now to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places are made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God (Eph. 3:10).

Such a delicate, marvelous organism must have a suited environment in which to operate. This has been furnished in the Christian position. This is characterized by the finished redemption of Christ through the cross; by His resurrection as the witness of God’s acceptance of all that He has done; by His ascent on high to be our High Priest to sustain us in the trials of the way, and our Advocate to restore us should we wander from Him; by the Holy Ghost to give us the consciousness of our nearness to God, the sense of sonship, with its accompanying dignity power and liberty, together with the knowledge of all other spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ which are our present portion.

No words of ours can emphasize the transcendent importance of a right apprehension of all this. It is only as Christian liberty is realized that our grave responsibilities, both individual and as members of the Church of God and of one another, can be carried out. Ministry, whether in the gospel of God’s grace as preached to the unsaved, or the unfolding of His word to His people; discipline, whether as to the ordinary daily, careful pastoral service of those who are gifted thus, or the various grades of warning admonition, even to the extreme of putting away, — can only properly be carried out in the holy but most gracious atmosphere of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.

When once these great characteristic truths of the Christian position have been grasped, the student will see how incongruous it is to blur into one confused dispensations of Scripture. How limited is that liberty which sees no further than the letter—taking, for instance, the book of Psalms as equally germane to the Christian as the Epistles of which we are speaking!

So far from this leading him to despise the precious revelation which is given there, he will be filled with wonder and admiration at the perfection of this and each portion of the word of God. Indeed, his enjoyment of it will be enhanced by realizing that “some better thing” has been provided for us—a better thing, hover, which only gives us the capacity to enjoy all that the Old Testament reveals.

May we not say that much of the confusion which has come in among the people of God, the lack of power and liberty, with the corresponding intrusion of worldliness and the mingling of saints with the world, has resulted from a failure to follow on, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, into the full truth of the gospel, including, as it does, all the characteristic features of Christianity.

This brings us to another feature of dispensational or prophetic truth clearly foretold in the word of God. Not merely do all things lead up to the great climax, but even the Church, which should have been the custodian of the most priceless secrets of God, has failed in its sacred trust; and as a result, ruin, so far as human testimony is concerned, has come in. Scripture foretold all this, and the present dispensation of marvelous grace is no exception to the sad rule—a lesson we gather from all the ages—that whatever is entrusted to man fails. God alone is faithful. So there is no room for self-complacency as we dwell upon the amazing truths we have been suggesting. Rather, shame and confusion of face will become us as we look at our present condition and that of the whole professing Church, and compare it with the glorious ideal spread before us in the Epistles.

Where is the chaste virgin espoused to Christ? Where, the oneness of heart and soul? Where, that one body united to one Head, actuated by one Spirit? Where, that holy temple into which nothing profane or of the world intrudes? Blessed be God, we know that His purposes abide. The Church as it will be in glory He sees already; but for ourselves, with sorrow, self-judgment and humiliation, we take our place as did Daniel for his time, and say, “Unto us belongeth shame and confusion of face.”

The result, therefore, of dispensational study will be to give greater breadth, deeper knowledge, and a more exact conformity of mind, to the purpose of God revealed in His word than is possible where all Scripture occupies one dead level.

At the close of our little book we will give a list of helpful literature upon this part of our subject. What we are seeking, however, to emphasize at present is the great importance, nay, necessity, of every one forming his own scheme of dispensational knowledge. The student is earnestly requested to read again what we have said on that subject.

9. Harmony Studies

WE put these studies into a special department, having, as they do, a character peculiar to themselves. In our later suggestions for systematic work we do not give them a place. They would come in under some special study for which the more advanced student will find time and manner.

The four Gospels here occupy the prominent place in this kind of study, and to these we give the first and larger place.

We would first remark that, had God intended we should have but one narrative, He would have given us the record of the life of our Lord in that form. Our attention, therefore, should be directed to each separate Gospel to ascertain, as far as we may, its general character; its main theme; its point of view; the manner in which it presents our Lord.

These questions, it will be found, affect the entire narrative, and the very arrangement of subjects will be seen to have been governed by the main object before the inspired writer.

We further remark that there is a fullness and multiplicity of detail in the life of our Lord and in His public ministry, crowded as it was in the three brief years, usually allowed, which would furnish abundant material illustrative of the special object which each Evangelist had before him. We get intimations of this in various ways. For instance: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people.” Here is a simple statement of the tireless activities of a life which had no hours of relaxation or periods of rest.

No doubt, in the various conversations which are recorded (as for instance, John 10, or the period just prior to the last Passover, when there were various discussions with the leaders of the people in the temple), we have abridgments given by each of the Evangelists in which special attention is paid to those features of the discourse which are more particularly related to the general theme of that Gospel. This perhaps will account for the apparently different modes of expression in the different Gospels. For instance, in the parable of the vineyard in Matthew (chs. 21:40, 41), our Lord’s question: “When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?” is answered by those whom He was addressing; while in Mark He seems Himself to answer it (ch. 12:9), and in Luke also it is the same. We find, however, in examining more closely, that our Lord Himself in Matthew gives an answer in addition to that which His hearers gave (vs. 43): “Therefore, say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”

This in itself indicates that the narrators are not in conflict with each other, but simply recording that portion of the conversation which had special reference to their main theme.

But we speak here more particularly of what are called “harmonies.” This has been a favorite method of study by Bible students, and quite an account could be given of the various harmonies compiled, from the first diatessaron to the latest “Harmonies of the four Gospels.” While these have very much that is in common, and indeed we may say that the general outlines of the Gospel narratives are not so difficult of recognition, yet there is sufficient divergence in the details which indicates that it is very difficult, not to say impossible, to arrange every portion of the four narratives so as to blend them in one smoothly connected whole.

This is not because there are contradictions, but simply that this was not the object of the Spirit of God in giving us the four-fold record. It is difficult for us to divest ourselves of a certain external exactitude which is really not a proof of the highest kind of accuracy. Probably all of us have passed through, if we are not still in it, the stage in which our idea of harmony means that we can piece together the four narratives so completely as to leave no gaps. This might be possible, if, for instance, Matthew or any one of the other Evangelists had written four Gospels instead of one, with but the one object. In doing this, he could dwell, in one, upon certain features, making provision for the addition of other features which could be taken from a second or a third narrative. When, however, we have four different Evangelists, with four different objects in view, as we have said, this becomes impracticable. The entire method of treatment is different.

Minute details may be recorded in one Evangelist which in another are passed over without any allusion, or in a few words of generalization. Sometimes, indeed, the occurrence is so marked, that we can decide its place without difficulty, and therefore find room next to it for what manifestly belongs there. For instance, in the question of the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes in the Gospel of John, we have the record of our Lord’s discourse which was based upon that miracle. The feeding of the multitude took place at a distance, but we know that His return to Capernaum was on “the next day” or indeed during the same night, and that the discourse in the synagogue there upon “the Bread of God which came down from heaven” must thus be placed in connection with the miracle itself.

There are numbers of cases like this, particularly in the synoptic Gospels, all of which are an interesting and profitable subject of study, with more or less definite conclusions to show as the result of our labors.

Thus, helpful books on “The Life of Christ” endeavor to weave together the one narrative from all four Gospels in the way above indicated, and we have no fault to find with that kind of study if it is prosecuted in a reverent spirit. But we rise from all such with the conviction that God’s order is better than man’s, and that in proportion to our understanding of each Gospel in its individual character we will have the material for a clear view of some of the blessed perfections which mark our Lord’s life as a whole. We may say unhesitatingly that we would advise a more careful study of each Evangelist separately before attempting any harmony.

This brings us to notice another matter. The order in the Evangelists is by no means always chronological. The facts relating to our Lord’s entrance into public ministry, and the close of His precious life by His atoning sacrifice, occupy nearly the same position in each Gospel, but it is difficult always to place in their chronological setting the various acts and teachings of our Lord. Indeed, some have questioned whether His ministry was as much as three years, believing that the feast spoken of in the fifth of John is not the Passover, but one of the other feasts. There would thus be but three Passover seasons referred to in John—chapter 2, chapter 6 and chapter 13. If these are all the Passovers in His public ministry, it could scarcely have been three years in length. We do not believe, however, that such a conclusion is demanded by the facts, nor does it seem to allow for sufficient time in which to bring tether all the occurrences of that wondrous life. Other considerations, too, confirm this.

We instinctively connect certain expressions with His life; the three, or three and a half, years suggest that “midst of the week” to come at a later date, when the sacrifice and oblation shall be made to cease (Dan. 9:27). “Lo, these three years,” when the Master was seeking for fruit from the tree, intimates something similar. As already said, the Evangelists are not giving us so much a consecutive, chronological narrative, as selecting certain features in our Lord’s life which illustrate the special theme of their Gospel. Luke particularly, probably more than the others, gives what we may call the moral, rather than the chronological order. Events are grouped together by him, not in the sequence in which they occur—sometimes indeed being separated by quite a length of time—but according to their bearing upon some feature of our Lord’s character to which the Spirit of God would call our attention. Instances of this will be given as we take up each Evangelist. We refer only to the general subject here.

We might remark in this connection, that a hard literalness will often mislead us. Even the use of certain adverbs usually indicating time does not necessarily imply chronological sequence. For instance, we use the adverb “then” in a moral as well as in a chronological way in ordinary discourse. Thus, if we were giving a number of occurrences which illustrated a certain characteristic, we would connect them together by this adverb without the thought of succession, simply meaning that our evidence was cumulative.

In Matthew, as we shall find, our Lord’s teachings are grouped together, and similarly His miracles. Very likely what had taken place over a considerable space of time is massed together with this object in view. It will be found, without doubt, that all is perfectly accurate, although some things may be quite beyond us, as, for instance, the opening of the eyes of blind Bartimæus us. Did it take place before our Lord’s entry into Jericho, as it seems to be from Luke 18:35, or afterward, as Matthew 20:29 seems to dictate?

There are a number of possible explanations; as, for instance, that the narrative of the opening of the eyes in Matthew is not meant to show that our Lord had passed through Jericho before He opened the eyes of the two blind men, but that it falls into its place because of its reference to the beginning of His final presentation to the people.

Thus it would suggest that work of grace in the heart of the remnant which will take place in the latter days. Its relation to Jericho is not so much emphasized as that to Jerusalem, while in Luke the opening of the eyes took place before our Lord reached the town, and our attention is therefore called to that act of grace earlier than in Matthew. But Matthew, at least, does not require us to believe that it took place after He left Jericho, while Luke does seem to show that it actually occurred before He reached the town.

Another explanation might be that our Lord lingered about Jericho, down in the valley, before going up to Jerusalem, and that there may have been two approaches to the town, one of which is given in Matthew, and after which He wrought the miracle, although in fact He had returned back eastward from Jericho, and the actual miracle had taken place there as narrated by Luke.

We notice, too, that Matthew, as is his manner in several other cases, mentions more than one individual who was the subject of this mercy. There is doubtless a special reason for this, though probably Bartimæus was prominent in the matter. If only we have it settled in our souls that both accounts are absolutely true, and that all we need is to understand the special object of the Spirit of God in the form of the narrative, we will find no difficulty in believing literally both.

But we will not dwell upon further details. What has occupied us will be sufficient to show that an open and reverent spirit, which is not seeking for contradictions, will be amply rewarded. No doubt further study and deeper familiarity with the manner of each narrative will reward our patient and prayerful examination into details which for the time seem impossible of being harmonized.

The opposite of this spirit is seen in much of the higher critical work. Apparent discrepancies are eagerly sought for and given as evidence of fallibility in the narrators. Thus the feeding of the four thousand is but another and contradictory narrative of the feeding of the five thousand. The critics, however, seem to forget that both are not only recorded by the same Evangelist, but our Lord afterward speaks of both in connection with the question raised by His disciples. See Mark 8:19-21.

The two cleansings of the temple, one at the beginning of His public ministry, recorded in John, and the other at the close, recorded in the Synoptists, is another case in point. Each is in beautiful accord with the main object of the narrator. Both undoubtedly took place. In John the one at the beginning of His ministry is given, because in that Evangelist our Lord from the very first is seen as rejected. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” The purging, therefore, of the temple at the beginning of His Judæan ministry, particularly recorded by John, is appropriate to His entire theme, which shows us our blessed Lord outside of the system of things in which He yet tarried, if perchance there might be repentance on the part of the leaders. He repeats the same act at the close of His ministry as recorded in the other Gospels, where His rejection is not emphasized until the close of His public ministry.

It will be found thus that if there is a desire on our part to learn the reason why things are given to us in the order in which we have them, instead of stumbling over that which, after all, were it a mere question of common veracity, would not be raised, the difficulties would largely vanish, and we would be in a fair way to get explanations which the Spirit of God could not give us if we approached the subject in an irreverent, unbelieving manner.

This brief examination will suffice to point out the relation which the four Gospels bear to each other, a relation which is significant; and the recognition of this, and further study here suggested, will serve to confirm our knowledge of the contents of each individual Gospel, and its ordered place in relation to the others. The rays of light which beam from each, all blend together to give us God’s thought of Him who is “the image of the invisible God,” who is light, and who is love.

Before leaving this part of our subject, it may not be out of place to offer a few practical suggestions as to the method of study to be adopted in seeking a fuller knowledge of the contents and mutual order of the four Evangelists. Of course, there are numbers of books which give these; but it will be found that what the student gathers for himself is often of greater and more lasting profit than the most admirably predigested analysis.

Our suggestion is very simple. In an ordinary blank-book, let four columns be drawn on the opened page, two columns to a page, headed with the names of the four Gospels. In the column under “Matthew” enter each section of his narrative, making these so minute that they cover only one topic. Thus the temptation would be divided into three parts. For convenience, consecutive numbers could be given to these sections, which would reach, perhaps, to more than a hundred in the entire Gospel. Each section would have its number, title, and chapter. Thus:

	1. Title of book. chapter 1:1.
	2. Genealogy from Abraham to Joseph (3 parts). Chap. 1:2-17.
	3. Testimony to Joseph. Verse 18-25.
	4. Visit of wise men. chapter 2:1-12.
	5. The flight into Egypt. chapter 2
	6. The slaughter of the babes at Bethlehem. Verse 6-18.
	7. The return from Egypt to Nazareth. Verse 19-23.
	8. The preaching of John. chapter 3:1-12.

Thus, let the entire Gospel be dissected with no special reference to the relation of each of the parts to the other, nor to their relative prominence, care only being taken, as we have said, to make the divisions sufficiently small for comparison with the other Evangelists.

Next, in the column of “Mark,” let the same course be pursued, each entry numbered with no reference to Matthew. In like manner, the columns of “Luke” and “John” are to be filled. There will thus be before the eye, in four parallel columns, the contents of each of the four Gospels dissected and catalogued in consecutive order. This will form a basis for comparison.

Let the entry in each Gospel be compared with those in the others, and in red ink let their corresponding numbers be put over—thus: We take The Preaching of John (No. 8 in Matt.) as an illustration.

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
1	1.(Red) Mt. (8); L. (13); J. (2) (4) (6)	1	1
	2. The Preaching of John
2	3	2	2

3	4	3	3

4	5	4	4

5		5	5
	6		(Red) Mt. (8); M. (2); L. (13)
			6.The Preaching of John
6		6
(Red)Mk. (2) L. (13); J. (2) (4) (6) 8. The Preaching of John		(Red) Mt. (8); M. (2) J. (2) (4) (6)
		13. The Preaching of John

When this work is completed, the student will have the material before him, not only for the study of each Gospel separately, but for purposes of comparison with the others, in which at a glance he can tell what is peculiar to each and what is common to two or more Evangelists. This is probably as far as most students will care to go, and is the most important part of this kind of study. From this, the portions of the different Gospels can be grouped into their divisions and subdivisions.

For those who desire to construct a “harmony,” the above catalog of subjects will be of help in arranging the parallel passages in their order. Let another book be prepared with four columns similar to the first, and let “Matthew” be entered in the first column exactly as it was bore, only with an interval of say three lines between each entry. Next, let the parallel passages in Mark be entered directly opposite those in Matthew, using the spaces left vacant for the insertion of those portions peculiar to the second Evangelist.

In like manner, Luke and John are to be entered. Let the original numbers of the sections of each Gospel be also inserted. The result will be that at a glance we will be able to see the contents of the four Gospels arranged with reference to the order given in Matthew. This will form a basis for comparison, and much careful study will be required to see whether that order is always to be followed. As a matter of fact, the Gospel of John furnishes certain great prominent occurrences, the intervals between which must be filled in more or less definitely with the events recorded in the other Gospels.

As has been said elsewhere, a certain order of subjects which we have called a moral order is observable in Luke. Only the most patient and careful study will put each narrative in its chronological place. While Matthew is perhaps as consecutive as any in the form of his narrative, exceptions will be noted.

In concluding our subject, we would reiterate our conviction that God has intended special instruction in the four narratives, and that our efforts at “harmonizing” the four must not obscure what is manifestly His purpose.

These “harmony” studies, while most prominent in connection with the four Gospels, have also been used in the book of Acts, where the place of the various epistles in relation to the historical narrative has been, with greater or less definiteness, ascertained.

Similarly, the parallel accounts in the books of Kings and Chronicles have been treated. Effort has also been made to give the Psalms their historical setting, while perhaps next in prominence to the harmonizing of the Gospels, has been the arranging of prophetic truth in its consecutive order. Thus, harmonies of the books of Revelation and Daniel, together with the other prophets, have been made. The Levitical ordinances, given in the three central books of the Pentateuch, have also been similarly compared with those in the book of Deuteronomy.

10. Smaller Details

WE might say we have used the telescope in sweeping over the vast epochs of God’s operations. We have passed, in our thought, from the Garden of Eden into the Paradise of God; from earth to heaven; from time to eternity. All has been found to be the revelation of the perfect mind of God. Indeed, the apostle closes the brief, prophetic section of the epistle to the Romans (chs. 9-11) with what should ever be the moral effect upon us of dispensational study—a grand doxology: “Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor? or who hath first given to Him and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

As in nature the wonders of God’s workmanship are seen in their perfection in the infinitesimal world as well as in the immensity of the starry universe, so too is it in His word. We can for the time resign our telescopic sweep of the prophetic heavens, and take up the microscope of faith and reverent study, and gaze into the minute worlds of grace, love, and truth, suggested in the present part of our work.

1. Word Study

It is not our desire in the compass of this little book to consider to any special degree the requirements of the advanced student. It is rather our purpose to begin with beginners, and go on with them to the extent of acquirement possible to the ordinarily diligent reader and student, leaving what is beyond this for special handbooks.

At the outset we must give a word of warning as to putting this kind of study out of its place. While it is true that “in all labor there is profit,” well directed labor is more profitable— “rightly dividing the word of truth.” We think, therefore, that the place in which we have put the present chapter will indicate its relation to other subjects which have gone before.

By “word study,” we mean the gathering together of certain words used throughout Scripture. For instance, in the chapter on Topical or Doctrinal Study, we have seen how a doctrine can be traced from the first intimations in the Old Testament to the full display in the New. Word study is an application of this thought in one of its branches.

We take up, for instance, the word “blood” in connection with sacrifice, suggesting at once our Lord’s atoning sacrifice. With the aid of a concordance we find the first mention of the word in Ex. 12. Passing down the long list, we make a selection from the various references in the Pentateuch of a typical character, on to the frequent mention made of it in the Epistles, until we reach, in Revelation, the last mention of that blessed word. Let us resume our little note-book entries, and see what we can glean from the study of this word:

	1. Ex. 12:7: “They shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses.”
	2. Ex. 12:13: “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” The first mention of “blood” in connection with sacrifice and atonement.
	3. The last mention of “blood” is Rev. 12:11. “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” Two great monuments at the beginning and ending, of the doctrine of the blood which stands out so prominently throughout the word of God. The one tells of shelter from judgment; the other, of the power which overcomes the world.
	4. The blood was sprinkled about the altar. Lev. 1: 5.
	5. The blood was put upon the horns of the altar of incense. Lev. 4:7.
	6. Upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering. Lev. 4:25.
	7. Upon the mercy-seat. Lev. 16:14.
	These passages all teach the same precious truth of atonement by substitution and shedding of blood. “Without shedding of blood is no remission.” The place where the blood is put seems to suggest, in some cases, the measure of apprehension of its effects. Thus, in the case of a priest, it was put upon the altar of incense; but in the case of a ruler, upon the altar of burnt-offering. When, however, God would show the perfect acceptance of His people and His thought of the blood, it was put, as in the day of atonement, upon the very Throne of God itself.
	8. John 19: 34: “Forthwith came there out blood and water.”
	9. Acts 20:28: “The Church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood.”
	10. Rom. 3:25: “A propitiation through faith in His blood.” The propitiation is through faith, and is in or by His blood.
	11. Rom. 5:9: “Justified by His blood.”
	12. Eph. 1:7: “Redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
	13. Heb. 9:22: “Without shedding of blood is no remission.”
	14. Heb. 10:29: “The blood
	15. Heb. 13:20: of the covenant.”
	16. 1 Pet. 1:19: “Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.”
	17. Rev. 1:5: “Washed us from our sins in His own blood.” 1 John 7: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

No. 8 gives us the fact of the shedding of our Lord’s own blood connected with the giving up of His life. This is evidently the use that is intended all through the New Testament when the blood of Christ is spoken of. It means His atoning death in fulfillment of all the types of the sacrifices, where the shedding of blood is constantly mentioned.

Nos. 9, 12 and 16 speak of the blood as the redemption price which was paid for the Church and for every believer, to deliver us from the guilt, as well as the power of sin.

Nos. 10. and 11. give us the ground of the believer’s justification. He has access into the presence of God on the ground of the blood. See also Heb. 10:19 and Eph. 2:13. The work of our Lord thus furnishes a solid resting place and a perfect title to enter the presence of God.

No. 17 serves as a connection between the great truth of the value of the blood as the ground of forgiveness and the purifying effect of the Spirit’s work. In both these scriptures, cleansing is by the blood. This must be, first of all, through forgiveness and putting away of sin; but God’s work is never one-sided, and one part of it always includes the other; so that the precious fact of cleansing (being washed completely from the guilt, and, resulting from that, from the defilement of sin) is suggested in these two precious verses.

Nos. 14 and 15 show that the new covenant for Israel—the blessings of which are ministered to us also—has been sealed and rests upon the blood. Under the old covenant, the blood of goats and calves was used to sprinkle the people and the book; but it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. These only pointed to Christ. The old covenant, the law, which was thus sealed by the blood of animals, could make nothing perfect, and has waxen old (Heb. 8:13). The new covenant rests upon better promises, and these are made sure by that blood which is the seal of the everlasting covenant which never will be abrogated, because nothing can ever alter the value of the precious blood of Christ.

No. 13 we may put as a seal upon the whole, reminding us that in no way could our eternal blessing be secured, apart from the shedding of blood.

Similarly, the word “lamb” could be studied with profit. Without multiplying illustrations which would anticipate to a certain extent the work which we desire to suggest, we give a partial list of words which can be profitably studied in this way. The words are thrown together without any direct connection with each other.

Words in both Old and New Testaments.|{}|

	Believe—faith.	Suffering—suffer.
	Sin.	Law.
	Pray—prayer.	Sanctuary—Holiest.
	Forgive—forgiveness.	Priest—priesthood.
	Peace.	King
	Wrath.	Prophet.
	Comfort.	Obey—obedience.
	Hope.	Ungodly.
	Love.	World.
	Joy—rejoice.	Save—salvation.
	Light	Redemption—Redeemer
	Truth.	Mercy.
	Creation—new creation.	Heart.
	Sacrifice.	Grace.
	Promise.

Words in New Testament only.

	Adoption—sonship.	Reconciliation.
	Holy—saint.	Righteousness—righteous.
	Justify.	New—newness.
	Crucify—crucified.	Raise—raised—risen.
	Life.	Eternal.
	Death.	Consider.
	Glory.	Come—coming.
	Whosoever.	All.
	Bless—blessing.	Repent—repentance.
	Tempt—temptation.	Works.
	Kingdom of heaven.	Kingdom of God.

But we need not multiply words. Abundance has been given from which the student can make judicious selections and prosecute a line of study which is both fascinating and profitable. Particularly is this the case when we apply the knowledge previously gained.

There are several advantages and several dangers connected with this kind of study which we will point out. Among the advantages, may be mentioned:

1st. An increasing knowledge of Scripture-truth, and an illustration of the unity of that truth underlying the entire word of God.

2nd A variety of treatments of the same subject in different portions of the Scriptures.

3rd. The development of the faculty of selection and grouping.

4th. A directness and conciseness of statement helpful in analysis.

5th. A useful help in the topical or doctrinal study previously described.

Some of the dangers to be avoided are:

1st. Too slavish a following of mere verbal resemblances, and a mechanical similarity not justified by the actual or original meaning. Thus, the word for “world” translates two different Greek words with quite distinct meanings. We read in an ordinary concordance as follows:

	Matthew 13:22: “The care of this world.”
	Matthew 13:38: “The field is the world.”
	Matt. 13: 40: “In the end of this world.”
	2 Corinthians 4:4: “The god of this world.”
	Gal. 1:4. “This present evil world.”

If these words were taken as having identical meaning, we certainly would miss the thought in some of the passages. For instance, Matthew 13:38, “The field is the world” means the material world as inhabited by men. Matt. 13:40, “The end of the world” is really “the end of the age”— the dispensation or period which is to be closed at the appearing of the Lord.

Gal. 1:4, “his present evil world” is really “age,” meaning the course of men away from God during the present time, and since the fall. If we did not distinguish these two words, our study would be misleading or at least confused.

Very many cases of a similar character could be given. We would say in general that the remedy for blunders of this kind is to have one of the concordances referred to in our list of Helpful Books. Here the meaning of the original will be a safeguard from many errors into which we would otherwise naturally fall.

2nd Giving the identical meaning to the same word used by different writers. Inspiration has not destroyed individuality, though it makes use of it. We will find, therefore, that with certain writers there are words of frequent recurrence with a specific meaning, which perhaps in another writer has quite a different one.

Thus, the very word “world” used in many cases, as in Matthew, Mark and Luke, for the material world, without definite, moral distinction, in the Gospel of John seems to have a moral character answering considerably to the word aion or “age.”

	John 7:7: “The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth.”
	John 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world.”
	John 14:17: “Whom the world cannot receive.”
	John 14:30: “The prince of this world.”

Other uses of this word in John would give us its ordinary meaning, but these have evidently a moral character which should be noted in any grouping of our word studies.

The word “righteousness” has quite a different meaning, according to the subject spoken of.

	Rom. 1:17: “The righteousness of God.”
	Romans 9:30: “The righteousness which is of faith.” Cor. 1:30: “Christ... is made unto us... righteousness.”
	Galatians 5:5: “We wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”

Here, righteousness is imputed and is therefore not a personal attribute, but a standing which every believer has in Christ.

On the other hand:

1 John 2:29: “Every one that doeth righteousness.”

1 Pet. 2:24: “Being dead to sins should live unto righteousness,” and many other passages, even in Paul’s writings, speak of the practical life and personal character of the believer. The one, as can readily be seen, flows from the other; but to confound them would blur the precious truth of justification by faith, and reduce to an unrecognizable mass what in Scripture is clear as noonday.

3d. Ignoring the great lines of demarcation indicated in the study of dispensational truth and the characteristic epoch of each writer.

	Isaiah 63:16: “Doubtless Thou art our Father.”
	Isaiah 64:8: “O Lord, Thou art our Father.”
	Psalms 68:5: “A Father of the fatherless.”
	John 20:17: “I ascend unto My Father and your Father.”
	Romans 8:15: “The Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
	Colossians 1:12: “Giving thanks unto the Father.”

It would be a great mistake to apply to the Old Testament passages the same meaning as to those in the New. These latter show that new and blessed relationship which has been formed by the Holy Spirit, while for Israel they were a nation of sons; that is, in the place of outward nearness to God, but this must not be confounded with the present standing of believers.

This will suffice to put our readers on their guard. Many most profitable outlines for private use, Sunday-school work, or gospel and other addresses can be had in this way. We reserve the discussion of the book indispensable to the use of this line of study until we come to the entire subject of “Helps.”

One general direction may be given in these word studies. Many words are of so frequent use that were we to attempt to include them all, the very abundance of the material would confuse any clearness of thought. A very good way is to copy down from our concordance those passages which strike us as furnishing added features to the general subject. We may have as many, we will say, as twelve references. These now can be classified and grouped together, forming perhaps four or five main divisions.

Let us illustrate with the word “Peace.” We select from our concordance the following list of texts:

	Job 22:21: “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace.”
	Psalms 37:37: “The end of that man is peace.”
	Isaiah 26:3: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.”
	Isaiah 48:18: “Then had thy peace been as a river.”
	Isaiah 48:22: “There is no peace, saith the Lord unto the wicked.”
	Isaiah 53:5: “The chastisement of our peace was upon Him.”
	Jeremiah 6:14: “Peace, peace, when there is no peace.”
	Luke 2:14: “On earth peace, good will toward men.”
	John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you.”
	Romans 3:17: “The way of peace have they not known.”
	Romans 5:1: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.”
	Ephesians 2:14: “He is our peace.”
	Ephesians 2:17 “Came and preached peace to you which were afar off.”
	Col. 1:20 “Having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

In a subject like this, we could easily multiply these references from the concordance, each of which strikes us as supplying some fresh thought as to peace.

We next seek to group them, giving them somewhat in their moral order.

The importance of the whole subject would be suggested by the passage in Job (22:21), which would serve as an introduction.

	1. As to the wicked:
	a. No peace—Isaiah 48:22.
	b. False peace—Jeremiah 6:14.
	c. Ignorance of true peace—Romans 3:17.
	2. The foundation of peace:
	a. Peace made—Colossians 1:20.
	b. Peace provided—Isaiah 53:5.
	c. Peace preached—Luke 2:14: Ephesians 2:17.
	3. Peace possessed:
	a. By faith—Romans 5:1.
	b. Christ Himself our Peace—Ephesians 2:14.
	4. Peace enjoyed:
	a. Kept in Peace—Isaiah 26:3.
	b. Like a river—Isaiah 48:18.
	c. Christ’s peace given to us—John 14:27.^[1]

	5. Peace at the end. Psalms 37:37.
	5. Peace at the end. Psalms 37:37.


	[1] It will be noticed that we have peace spoken of in two ways here. “Peace I leave with you” seems to refer to what the Lord has accomplished by the sacrifice of Himself which is our portion. “My peace I give unto you” is the enjoyment of that which filled His own heart.

Another interesting use of word studies is the gathering of the characteristic words found in a certain book. For instance, the phrase “These are the generations” occurs in the book of Genesis ten times, and gives us a certain characteristic of that book.

“As the Lord commanded Moses” occurs in Exodus with suggestive frequency.

“Holy” and kindred words give a key to the contents of Leviticus.

The book of Psalms has many characteristic words— “Selah,” “according to Thy word,” “enemies,” “wait.”

Proverbs invites a selection of many such words: “surety,” “suretyship,” “wisdom,” “lying,” “wicked,” “slothful,” “pride,” “heart,” “tongue,” “feet,” “lips,” “eyes.”

Similarly, Ecclesiastes “vanity,” “vexation,” “under the sun.”

Song of Solomon: “beloved,” “spikenard,” “spices,” “charge.”

Similarly, each of the Prophets doubtless will be found to have certain characteristic words which are prominent.

Coming to the New Testament, we find the same individuality in the different books.

“The Kingdom of heaven” is the main phrase in Matthew.

“Immediately,” “straightway,” in Mark.

“Son of man,” in Luke.

“Sent,” “world,” “Father,” “abide,” in John.

“Spirit” and kindred words in the book of Acts.

“Just,” “justify,” “righteous,” “faith,” “death,” “dead,” etc., in Romans.

And each of the epistles will be found to have certain words which are used with greater frequency according to their length than any other portion of the book.

For the purposes of comparison, a concordance of each separate book would have a value peculiarly its own. The writer has compiled a few concordances of this kind of the shorter epistles.

It is significant, for instance, that in Galatians the words “love,” “holy,” “holiness,” are largely absent, while in Ephesians they are prominent. The reason is not far to seek. The law produces neither love nor holiness, and those who are occupied with it need not be surprised at its absence.

John’s writings have verbal characteristics of their own in contrast to Paul’s. Thus, where the latter speaks of “righteousness,” John would speak of “life;” and “justification” in the one is paralleled by “new birth” in the other. “Child,” or “children,” suggesting birth, is John’s favorite expression, while “son,” suggesting position, is Paul’s. These words give the characteristic themes of the two writers, and furnish fresh evidence of the marvelous exactness and divine wisdom of the Spirit of God in the inspiration of Scripture.

As we go on with our word studies, our conviction of the verbal inspiration of the word of God will be deepened. We have but touched upon a vast field of research. Truly here, as in every department of the examination of this wonderful book, we can say: “There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.” Oh, for more courage, simplicity and diligence on the part of every individual child of God to enter into this good land and large, and possess himself of some of the treasures which lie upon its very surface; its rugged hills inviting us to dig for iron and brass, and its apparently desolate wastes furnishing the occasion for fresh manna to be gathered!

2. Names, Their Use and Significance.

The great frequency of names is apparent to the ordinary reader of Scripture. The Bible is a veritable biographical dictionary, historical thaurus, and a geographical gazeteer. Names of persons and places abound everywhere. This in itself would show us that we cannot ignore their presence. A casual examination of Scripture, however, will show that many names, at least, have been given for specific reasons. Thus, the first names, Adam and Eve, Cain, Abel, Seth, have an evidently appropriate significance.

Adam is “made of the earth,” as the word would suggest.

Eve, “living,” was “the mother of all living.”

Cain, “acquisition,” speaks of the fond hope, so rudely disappointed, that he was the “gotten one,” the promised woman’s Seed.

Abel speaks of the “frailty” and brevity of his life.

Seth, “appointed,” of the one appointed to fill his place.

Noah, “comfort,” answers to his name.

When names have been changed, the reason has been given, a reason based upon their significance.

Thus, Abram, “great father,” is changed to Abraham, “father of a multitude”— the change, as has been noted, effected by the addition of a single letter in the Hebrew, “he,” the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; number five speaking, as we know, of God with man. How truly does God with man change the lonely individual into the father of a multitude.

It is noteworthy that Sarai’s name is changed at the same time by the addition of the same letter, exemplifying the same great truth.

Isaac, “laughter,” recalls the laughter of both his parents in view of his birth, and suggests that joy which the coming of the true Son brings.

Jacob, “heel-catcher,” was rightly so named, as his poor “hairy” brother Esau declared; while Israel, “a prince of God,” is a new name with special significance given to him.

So we might go on speaking of Judah and the other sons of Jacob; of Moses and his two sons; of Joshua, “Jehovah-Saviour,” and the “wholehearted” Caleb; of Achan, “the troubler;” of Samuel, “asked of God;” of David, “the loved;” and Solomon, “the peaceable.”

Evidently, Scripture itself gives us abundant justification of our contention that the significance of the names in the Bible is not merely of etymological interest, but furnishes at once a key to its fuller interpretation.

Similarly, places and localities are suggestively named: Egypt, Mizraim, “double smallness” or “narrowness,” suggesting the well-known geographical characteristics of that country with but a fertile strip on either side its river Nile, and also indicating that this world is but a narrow place, hemmed in by the unknown desert of the past and the future, with a little strip of brightness in the present.

Babel, Babylon, speak of the “confusion” begun and perpetuated there.

Beersheba, “well of the oath;” Shechem, “shoulder;” Shalem, “peace;” Jerusalem, “possession of peace;” all have the meaning of their names either given or suggested in Scripture; sometimes indeed the reason for a name is given.

Zoar, “a little one,” so called by Lot.

Beth-el, “house of God,” because God there appeared to Jacob.

Mahanaim, “two camps,” because there the Lord’s host as well as Jacob’s is seen.

But it is ever the manner of the word of God not only to give us instruction and explanations, but rather to furnish us with the key which will enable us to prosecute further our studies in the direction marked out by it. This is one of the proofs of the divine inspiration of the word of God, one of the marks of the love and care of Him who would at once satisfy, while He awakens the hunger for knowledge in His people.

We find, therefore, that our Lord in interpreting parables, gives sample explanations, and leaves the key with us to investigate further. “Know ye not this parable; how then will ye know all parables?”

The familiar use of Melchisedec in Hebrews 7 authorizes us to believe that names throughout the entire word of God can be similarly examined in a reverent spirit.

Melchisedec means, as we are told, “king of righteousness,” and this is what characterizes him who is the type of our Lord who is both King and Priest and whose personal characteristic is righteousness—righteousness the girdle of His loins, and every claim of divine righteousness having been met by His perfect sacrifice of Himself. Thus, He is fully Melchisedec, “King of righteousness,” “Priest of the most high God.” He is also “King of Salem,” suggesting not only Jerusalem, the literal city, but of “peace,” which is “the work of righteousness.” Thus as “King of peace,” we see Him unchanging and ministering the fruits of His own work in righteousness.

Furthermore, the order is emphasized. He is first “King of righteousness;” after that, “King of peace.” There can be no true reign or any peace until every demand of righteousness has first been met. This, as we have said, gives us a clue with which we can penetrate into the apparently meaningless array of words in genealogical catalogues or intricate lists of the cities, boundaries, etc., of the land. (See Joshua, chapters 15-21.)

“But,” it will be asked, “do you mean that every name of every person in the Bible has a significance?” There can be but one answer to this. It certainly has a literal meaning which a careful study of the derivation of the word will supply, and what has been said will justify us in expressing the belief that every word has a spiritual significance which will require only care, faith, patience and diligence to ascertain.

We would say here, as has been remarked in other connections, that undue prominence must not be given to this department of Bible study. We shrink from the crude attempts at explanations of intricate or obscure passages given by those who are not well grounded in divine truth. Such efforts both cramp the one who attempts them and bring into reproach a very delightful, refreshing and important department of Bible knowledge. Let all things be kept in their proper place and proportion. We must not surfeit either ourselves or others with a mass of questionable matter, gleaned from partial study.

We might add just here, deferring to another place the full mention of it, that the whole subject of etymology, or significance of names, in the Hebrew, and especially in the Greek, is yet in its infant stage. The subject has been so long neglected, worked by so few, that the results, while so satisfactory in a large number of cases, are in many others uncertain.

Ere closing this, we might make an attempt to follow the leading of Scripture and see whether well ascertained meanings of names give any further clue to the interpretation of a passage.

Noah means, as we have seen, “rest” or “comfort.” His father Lamech gave it in faith that the divine comfort would be given through him, a hope well founded. In Genesis 3:4, the ark rested, literally “Noahed,” upon the mountains of Ararat. In the 21st verse of the same chapter, “the Lord smelled a sweet savor,” literally “a savor of rest,” or Noah. In each case, the root is the same, and shows how truly God answered the faith, seen in his name, by bestowing rest in the midst of a scene of desolation—declaring that the sacrifice was the basis of it.

Phinehas, “a mouth of brass” is singularly appropriate to him who was so unyieldingly faithful to God, and by his relentless judgment of sin secured an abiding priesthood for himself and family.

Eleazar, the son of Aaron, “my God is help,” was the successor of his father—an evident type of Christ in resurrection—as Aaron the priest dies, Eleazar is clothed with his garments. This same name, clothed in the Greek of the New Testament, “Lazarus,” is associated with the resurrection of the brother of Martha and Mary, as well as hinted at in the case of that beggar who was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom, for whom, therefore, opened a new life of blessedness.

These are but suggestions which can be abundantly multiplied, and we shall find with increasing knowledge of these details, we are being furnished with a network of truth which shows us how the word of God is a seamless robe woven from the top throughout, in which not a single thread is useless or disconnected from its place.

3. Numbers and Their Significance

We are already prepared to believe that if names have a special meaning, so also must numbers, and indeed everything else in God’s precious word. We will therefore without any preamble see what Scripture has to say upon this subject; and here at the very threshold of our Bibles, we have a most manifest numerical order in the six days of creation followed by the seventh day of rest.

We have gone somewhat fully into this subject in another book, to which we must refer the reader. The result of our investigation there gives us the following conclusion:

One is the number of origin, creation, sufficiency, and so on. It is the fitting number of God and of the Father.

Two speaks of help and deliverance from evil. It is the number appropriate to the Son, the Saviour and Deliverer.

Three speaks of manifestation and of Him, the Holy Spirit, who is the unfolder of truth. “God is light” (that which manifests), and it is significant that light is composed of a threefold ray. “Three” also suggests resurrection, which is so closely connected with the manifestation of God and His power; also of the sanctuary where His presence is manifested.

Four is the earth number—of trial, weakness, and failure.

Five is the creation with another coming into it, and suggests in addition to other features, the incarnation of One who embraces in His own blessed person, God and man. It is also the number suggesting responsibility.

Six is the number of man’s day, the limit of human labor and activity, and therefore of evil so constantly carried on in man’s energy. It thus suggests divine restraint and victory over evil.

Seven is the rest number. It speaks of completeness, leaving nothing to be added or desired in that sense. It therefore completes the perfect series.

Eight, being a fresh beginning, is therefore the number of the new creation.

Nine is a multiple of three; it is its square, we may say an intensified three.

Ten is a double five, suggesting the two-fold measure of man’s responsibility as seen in the two tables of the law, the obedience demanded Godward and manward.

Eleven seems to be one short of twelve.

Twelve is the great governmental, administrative number—the twelve tribes, twelve apostles, twelve gates, etc. It is the number of Israel’s unity as seen in the twelve stones set up in Joan, and the other twelve brought up and set up in a pillar on its banks; the twelve stones in the altar of Elijah; the twelve loaves of shore ad, etc.

Other numbers seem to be multiples, as “fourteen” is a double seven, as though manifesting the completeness suggested by that number. Thus, our Lord’s genealogy in Matthew is divided into three sets (the number of full manifestation) of fourteen generations each, in which man is completely manifested and all is laid bare. It is only in the fullness of time that God thus sent forth His Son.

“Twenty,” “forty” and other multiples of ten give us the characteristic of responsibility suggested by the ten in combination with the other number. Thus, “forty” speaks of full testing under responsibility; “eighty,” the limit of human life—four score, responsibility doubled, tested, and the end, “Yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away.”

Numbers may be seen in various relations to each other, as the first four rules of Arithmetic show us. They may be added together, subtracted, multiplied or divided. We have illustrations of each of these uses of numbers, and no doubt a spiritual significance is attached to the process in each case. Joseph means “addition.” At his birth, his mother said: “God shall add to me another son.”

The early chapters of the book of Numbers show how the tribes were enumerated and added together in various camps. Addition suggests strength. “Two is better than one.” Spiritually, it suggests the help afforded by increase. All growth is addition. The Lord “added” to the Church daily such as were being saved.

Just here we may guard against the too literal use of the concordance in such a connection as this. The familiar passage in 2nd Peter, “Add to your faith, virtue,” etc., is not really addition, but, if we may speak arithmetically, multiplication. It is, “Have in your faith, virtue”; that is, let your faith be characterized by courage; your courage by knowledge; your knowledge by self-control, etc.

Subtraction, the taking away, suggests in the same way a lessening and weakening. “If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life.” The value of a piece of land was calculated by the number of years to the year of Jubilee. Thus, its full value was estimated on a fifty-year basis. Every year nearer to the Jubilee subtracted so much from the value of the land.

Multiplication, as its name suggests, speaks of growth in a fuller way indeed than addition, which is simply an increase in one direction, whereas in multiplication each figure is laid hold of and increased as many times as indicated by the multiplier. For instance, “seven” is formed by the addition of four and three. Twelve is the multiplication of the same numbers. In “seven” we have that completeness which includes heaven and earth—we might say reverently, God and His creation; while in “twelve,” the number prominent in the foundations and gates of the heavenly city, we have “four,” the number of earth, of human weakness laid hold of and increased according to divine power.

Division is the opposite of multiplication, its very name suggesting separation. We know, alas, something of this in an evil sense, and yet even here there is a good side. God has divided the inheritance amongst His people; the word for “the rivers of water” in Psa. 1:3 is a derivative of the root, “to divide.” Refreshment flows in where there is a cleaving asunder of what would hinder its entrance. Thus the very word of God which is “quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,” but opens the way for the stream of refreshing to enter into the inmost parts of the being.

Fractions are division in another form. They express the relation of two numbers to each other, indicating a division. They also speak of a proportionate part of a given whole. Thus, a shekel is twenty gerahs (Ex. 30:13), half of which was to be given by every man as a ransom for his soul. This gives us the familiar “ten,” suggesting that redemption is commensurate with full responsibility Godward and manward. The atonement price, the blood of our blessed Lord, is a full satisfaction to God for man.

The ordinary measure was the ephah, one-tenth of which was an omer, the food of one man (Ex. 16:16, 36). In the meal-offering, the measure of fine flour which accompanied the burnt-offering was in proportion to the size and importance of the animal offered. Thus, for a lamb, one-tenth deal, that is one omer was given; for a ram, two-tenths, or one-fifth; while for a bullock, three-tenths, “three measures of fine flour,” which speak of the fullness of Christ.

The fractions, 1/2 1/3 1/4 (, we find in connection with the drink-offerings in Numbers 28 and 29. These too were in proportion to the size of the offering, as was the meal-offering. “One-fourth,” the smallest number, may suggest a comparatively feeble measure—the earth estimate of Christ; “one-third” intimates a fullness when once completed; while the “half” reminds us of the other half, or, as the Queen of Sheba said of the glories of Solomon, the half had not been told her; so we have never yet grasped the half of the glories and blessedness of our Lord.

This is a mere hint as to the wide field open for us in the study of numbers in Scripture. As has already been seen, when applied to the structure of the books in their groups or the subdivisions of individual ones, the numbers have a marked function in indicating the contents of the special portion to which they are attached.

4. Reference Work

It is to be regretted that most references of our ordinary Bibles are merely parallel passages, or so remotely connected with the subject that they fail to elucidate the text in a sufficiently helpful way. This, however, should not discourage us from making use of Bible references. Probably, as has already been suggested, each reader can make his own set of references, which will be doubly valuable; but it is well in reading the Old Testament to refer to the references to the New; and particularly in the New, to look up the passages which are there quoted. A number of Bibles in their “helps” give a list of the quotations of the Old Testament in the New, and these could easily be entered or indicated by marking them. It necessarily consumes a good deal of time to turn to references, and therefore we must not slavishly do this, but if we accustom ourselves to look up a few in our daily reading, we shall soon acquire a facility in this direction.

5. Memorizing the list of Bible Books.

It may be almost out of place to speak of memorizing the books of the Old and New Testaments in the order in which we find them in our Bibles. They should be so familiar to us that we should have no more difficulty in turning to one of the minor Prophets, Esther, the epistle of Jude, etc., than to any of the rest. It is also desirable to have a general idea of the length of all the various books as indicating, not exactly their importance, but the space which they occupy. Thus, the number of chapters in Haggai or Obadiah, Amos or Micah, will supply us with little pointers as to the place they occupy.

Most of these details should be taught the children at their homes. Many a happy season can be spent with them thus, and our own memories be refreshed as we hear them recite the list of the Bible books with perhaps the number of chapters in each, or engage in a competitive test in finding and reading a half-dozen references.

Speaking of the children, tender memories will arise of how we have sought to make the Bible a familiar and revered book to which they could turn, even for relaxation as well as instruction. The description of some familiar scene without mentioning names; the formation of anagrams such as “God is light” by asking the names of various Bible characters. In this way, Scripture or Bible books at least become familiar to the young, and God can use these things later on.

This by no means exhausts the various details and lines of Bible study which could be included under this general head. We would reiterate that God’s precious word stands open for our minutest, most painstaking examination. “In all labor there is profit,” and “Much increase is by the tillage of the poor;” so that we need not, because of our lack of education, want of time, habit of mind, or whatever it may be, hesitate to enter into such blessed work. The reward is great. Only let us seek to direct our activities into channels which will yield the surest and quickest results.

As in our food the diet for children, the delate or the aged, is largely confined to simple and easily assimilated articles, leaving other things, however palatable and useful in their places, to those of stronger digestion, so it is in the spiritual realm. Thank God there is abundance of milk and honey in the land, and we can eat our bread without scarceness under the eye of our God which rests in love continually upon it.

Part 2. Practical

System, and Time-schedules

WE desire to gather under this head a number of matters of which we have already spoken in one way or another, but now wish to present in a more orderly way. The reader will pardon us if we take nothing for granted as to his abilities, present habits of study, etc. We have no doubt that some are already doing what is equivalent or superior to our own suggestions. Those who are already equipped will be the last to criticize our endeavor to give practical hints; they indeed will be the surest to compare our suggestions with their own practice.

If we are ever going to accomplish anything outside of our daily employment, we have to take up the matter of time and settle distinctly a number of points. The person who works eight or ten hours a day, and has to spend two more hours in going to and returning from work, has very little spare time. The element of home duties, bodily strength, and the necessary attendance at one or more weekly meetings consumes much of the remainder of our waking hours. Seven or eight hours must be devoted to sleep if the body is to be kept in working order. Perhaps it would be as well for each one to draw up some sort of list of the way in which the twenty-four hours are disposed of. Such a list might look something like this:

	Work.	9 hours.
	Going to and fro.	2 hours.
	Morning and evening meals	1^{1^{/2 hours.}}
	Luncheon.	^{1^/2hour.}
	Sleep.	8 hours.

This leaves us but two hours out of the twenty-four in which to do numberless things—dressing, general reading, an occasional visit, two meetings a week—so it is not too strong a word to say that we must fight for whatever time we are to give to systematic Bible reading. It is no wonder that the average busy man or woman says, “Do you see? — what time have I to do all these nice things that you suggest? It is utterly out of question;” and so it goes.

Now we are quite aware of the truth of all this, and sympathize with it; indeed, may say the same of much that we would like to take up. The point is, are we going to fight for a half hour a day which we can regularly and rigidly dedicate to the Lord, to be used in the study of His precious Word? Each one must answer whether a half hour is too much. If so, can you be sure of fifteen minutes? And if not of that, you surely have five minutes out of the twenty-four hours which you can thus dedicate.

Of course, there must be the will, the desire, and the purpose; and these we take for granted. If many of us would collect together the mites we spend in looking over the newspaper or something of that kind, we would find more than five or fifteen minutes has been consumed. If possible, the hours of retiring and rising should be definitely settled, and unless something special hinders, our time for reading and study should be in the morning. If we are obliged to leave home, say at half past seven o’clock, which means breakfast at seven, can we not give the fifteen minutes before that to this work? If you ride on the train or cars to work, usually a seat is to be had, and then you could do a good deal of the Bible reading, and possibly memorizing, on the way to and from work. If an hour is allowed for lunch, a few minutes of this could also be taken for something, while the Bible can be opened, or we may be learning our verses as we make our toilet in the morning. We must learn to write on our knee, so to speak, and acquire the habit of jotting down in our note-book all sorts of things. The act of committing them to writing will often fix them in the memory. Thus, if we are able to attend to our reading as we travel, and our memorizing at odd moments, it will leave the time for orderly study free and, possibly, we can proceed to make a weekly schedule of how we are to use the time. We will suggest four different schedules on a basis of fifteen minutes daily, half an hour, one hour, and two hours.

Fifteen minute schedule.

We have indicated, in addition to daily Bible reading and memorizing of Scripture, six different methods of Bible study. Where so small a period as fifteen minutes a day is all that can be devoted to study, it is well not to attempt to prosecute the six lines at the same time. It would probably be better, say for a month at a time, to pay special attention to one line until a fair measure of progress had been made.

We would suggest that these fifteen minutes be divided into two portions of ten and five. If one is only a beginner, it is important to get some clear knowledge of dispensational truth as furnishing the framework on which all our subsequent knowledge can be arranged. We therefore give ten minutes daily to the study of dispensational truth, along the lines suggested under that chapter. The other five minutes could be given to topical study. This could be done for one month; and for the next, analysis could take the place of the topical study, giving still the chief place to dispensational truth; so on through the year, giving one month of the five minute portion alternately to analysis and topical study. Thus, at the end of the year, the beginner would have acquired a fair measure of prophetic truth, and if he had used helps, would by this time be able to rightly divide the word of truth. For the next year he could possibly let dispensational truth change places with the five minute period, giving ten minutes daily to analysis, and alternating dispensational truth with topical study. When one feels that a certain line of truth is fairly clear in the mind, it can be put in an “occasional” column for odd moments, and another, such as “typical,” take its place. “Word study” would also in this way find a place even in the fifteen minute schedule. “Biography” we would advise to be left for special times in this schedule, as for instance, Lord’s Day, when perhaps a whole fifteen minutes or longer could be given each week to the study of the life of some prominent character, in the New Testament first and then in the Old.

Half hour schedule.

Again, we suppose our student to be a beginner and will therefore give the place of prominence to dispensational truth. Fifteen minutes daily can be devoted to this until a fairly clear conception is had. Special attention should be given in every case to getting clearly the great characteristics of the present or Church period in which we live, with its characteristic blessings, privileges and responsibilities. The raining fifteen minutes could be divided between analysis and topical study—ten minutes to the first and five to the second. The order for these two could be reversed for the next month, and at the end of six months, the typical might displace the topical for the remainder of the year. Here, too, biographical study could be relegated to a weekly period on Lord’s Day of, we hope, at least thirty minutes.

One hour schedule.

It is probably well, even with more time at our disposal, not to have “too many irons in the fire” at once. Again let dispensational truth have the first place of twenty minutes—fifteen minutes each for analysis and topical study, and possibly ten minutes daily for typical study. However, where so large a portion of time is being given, we would probably include the daily reading in the hour, and ten minutes could be the allowance for this. Anyone who is able to give a full hour daily to study will probably be able to use good judgment in the disposal of it, so we do not indicate any more than the above. When we feel that we have finished a fairly careful review of dispensational truth, we might give the twenty minutes to analysis, which is indeed of prime importance. Twenty minutes daily will be none too much out of the hour, with ten minutes each for dispensational, topical and typical study, leaving ten minutes for daily reading.

Two hour schedule.

One who is able to devote so much time as this could probably divide it into two or more portions. If one has not formed the habit of study, it is probably better to do this, as it is difficult to keep the attention fixed for so long a tune without a certain measure of practice. We would therefore divide it into two parts: First, morning hour: daily reading, ten mites; memorizing, ten minutes; dispensational truth for beginners, twenty minutes; analysis, twenty minutes.

Second, afternoon hour: topical study, twenty minutes; dispensational study, ten minutes; typical study, fifteen minutes; analysis, fifteen minutes.

At the end of six months, this order can be varied, and after certain prominent topics have been studied, “word study” could be introduced as alternating with the topical. “Biographical” could exchange places in like manner with typical; but we would advise continuing the analysis daily, and the dispensational, until one is thoroughly grounded in it, and even then allow a brief period daily to pursuing the dispensational truth, taking up the characteristics of each period until one is able to refer each portion of the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, to its appropriate dispensational setting. We might as well say here that the “typical” will long have a place in our studies, and we will find that the analytical method will remain with us throughout life, without exhausting the fullness and scope of the precious word of God.

A few further remarks may not be out of place in connection with these different schedules. First, we would mention the importance of moments. The whole material universe is made up of atoms, and our life, of moments. All vital processes take place on a microscopic scale. We should see to it that the moments are rightly used. The student may be well content if at the end of the first month’s trial of any of these schedules he has formed the habit of regularity and promptness. Let a watch or clock be before the eye, and no matter how interesting the subject, when its appointed time is finished, let it be dropped for the next on the schedule. Of course, if one has extra time, he can return to that; but, for instance, in the fifteen-minute schedule, let the five or ten minutes be rigidly devoted to the subject in hand. This very habit of system and regularity is an excellent mental tonic, and will assist to gird up the loins of the mind.

After leaving school, the majority have little or no mental training, and their minds and thoughts are allowed to drift about according to inclination. As a result, nothing definite is accomplished. We believe that when once the habit has been thoroughly formed of dividing our time rigidly according to a pre-arranged schedule, there is a fascination about it and such distinct results as will ensure our prosecuting it further. We will also find, no doubt, that we will annex other portions of time, and it would not be surprising if the fifteen-minute schedule could later on be exchanged for one of thirty minutes; but, let us reiterate, give the exact time to each portion, even if it has seemed to be so insignificant that we can scarcely see the progress from one day to another.

Let the note-book be our constant companion in this work, and it might be as well to put it in a kind of diary form, giving the date each day and noting the carrying through of the schedule. This has been dwelt upon at length in speaking of the note-book and the various lines of study, but we repeat it here as being of the greatest importance. Let us not be afraid of system. God’s whole creation is carried on by system. Each day and year is divided into periods. What would happen if God’s works were carried on in the desultory, haphazard way in which we carry on much of our work? Nor let carelessness be taken as a mark of spirituality. One can be truly spiritual when ordering his spare time according to a given routine and system. It insures regularity and is in itself a tonic and stimulant in mental work. We are too prone to follow our own inclinations, and even in our Bible reading and study may be attracted into by-paths by our inclination, which will prevent that directness of purpose which gives true apprehension of details and a breadth of mind which can take in the entire scope of God’s precious word. Let us then be systematic, and with grateful hearts dismiss from our thoughts the idea that routine is unspiritual.

We would mention also the importance of original work. Later on, we shall look at a goodly number of most helpful books as aids to Bible study, but there is a peculiar charm in original discovery, which is in itself an incentive to further research. God’s dear people are sheep in more ways than one. Sheep are great imitators, and follow one another; and we are often in danger of simply following the beaten track made by others where we accept, as really as a creed is accepted, the teachings which are current amongst Christians of our acquaintance. For this cause, we would deprecate the use of many books in our Bible study, especially for the briefer periods. It may be well to have some useful outline of dispensational truth, but apart from this, our best and only text-book is the Bible itself.

There is nothing which promotes fellowship so much as original, private study. We meet together to exchange what we have learned, and thus are a mutual help. This also greatly aids in our enjoyment of ministry, whether written or spoken. If we are carrying on our own independent study, we will be able both to judge that which we read or hear and to appreciate it. So, let us be original investigators; whether scholars in the Sunday-school or aged Christians who through a long life of communion with God in His word have learned much, let us continue to gather fresh truths for ourselves. We speak this more particularly for the young Christian who is just starting out; and, with all the energy of which we are capable, would press again and again the great necessity and importance of what we are dwelling upon.

Next, we must say a word about avoiding extremes. There is always a danger of our being one-sided. Probably every one of us has certain lines of truth which are more enjoyable than others. This can be seen in public ministry.

The Lord’s servants, in common with all Christians, have these favorite lines of study and thought, and unless they are on their guard, it will be found that these recur with too great frequency in their public ministry. Thus the bent of mind in some leads them to finding the typical significance in occurrences, phrases, words, numbers, etc. While this is, as we have already pointed out, a most delightful field of study, we must not make it the staple, and we must not get the reputation of being the brother who always speaks on types.

Again, others are devoted to prophetic truth, and dwell almost exclusively upon interesting points of prophetic detail, omitting, however, matters of greater moment. Others in preaching the gospel will dwell largely upon the narrative portions of the Gospels and Old Testament, while still others may never leave the Epistles for their gospel themes. There are those who crowd their addresses with illustrations and narratives, and others in whose addresses these are entirely lacking. Let us do nothing over much in any of these directions. May our entire knowledge of the word of God be harmoniously developed: “Unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.”

Recurring to the subject directly before us, of Bible study, we reiterate the importance of not going too exclusively into any given line of work. Let us also avoid digressions in our studies and keep close to the subject in hand. It is well to have a place in our note-book where we can make a list of interesting and suggestive themes which we will pursue later on; but if we are to follow every lead, we will be like the child sent on an errand who turns aside after every butterfly that crosses its path.

We say a word on the great need of caution and of meditation in connection with our study. The young need to be especially on their guard against wonderful discoveries which they have made. They will indeed make these, but let them be tested soberly by the word of God. Nothing is sadder than to hear young Christian brethren giving out crude, extravagant interpretations of Scripture. Our plan of study would guard against this, especially if we guard against jumping at conclusions, and use caution along with the faith which ever reaches forth to the things that are before. If we give the place of prominence to our study period which it should have, and endeavor to place it in the early part of the day, we will find that what has been bore us then will go with us throughout the day; we will meditate upon it, turning it over in our minds, and many are the thoughts which will find their way to our note-books as a result of our meditation.

Perhaps, at the close of this part of our subject, we might say a word as to the great dangers of mental dissipation and the destroying of our spiritual appetites by indulging in mental food which can only work injury. We say nothing against newspaper reading, for instance, or general literature in itself, but only ask, How much of our valuable time can we spare to those things which tend to destroy our appetite for the word of God and rob us of precious hours? We would particularly urge young Christians who are forming their habits for life, to avoid reading of this character. We need not specify. Conscience, and our own experience, will soon enable us to detect that which interferes with our regular work. We are living in days of superficiality. Even in secular things there is a light, trifling habit of mind which has taken possession of all. Many never touch a thoughtful book; have taste only for fiction, often of a most injurious character, and always tending to lead the mind from sober things. The love of amusement, the frivolity which seems to become a part of the very life, how often these little foxes are allowed to spoil the vines! May the Lord then lead us into true, systematic diligence, meditation and sobriety: “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them that thy profiting may appear unto all.”

The expression, “Give thyself wholly to them” is literally, “Be in them,” immersed, absorbed, occupied with them. The same expression was used by our Lord as a child of twelve. “How is it that ye sought Me?” He said: “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” literally, “in the things of My Father.” How truly was He thus characterized! He had but one object. “As the living Father hath sent Me and I live,” not merely “by the Father” as in our version, but “because of Him,” that is, for His sake, to be occupied with Him. He was the Center and circumference of His life. There was no other reason for His living here but for the Father. “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” Let us have unity of purpose. We pray that our words may contribute to this in many lives.

Part 3. General Responsibilities

1. Prayer in Connection with Bible Study

WE want to look a little more in detail at the subject of prayer, which has already been before us to some extent. Perhaps some of our readers have already felt that we were giving an undue prominence to mere study. It has been with no thought of excluding prayer, but rather preparing the way for it. We would say, however, even here, that the word of God must ever precede prayer. We are not sanctified by prayer, but by “Thy word.” There is danger in being occupied with prayer as a service, instead of looking upon it as simply a means and the natural out-going of the heart to God. But there is, without doubt, a danger of our becoming merely intellectual in our study and of losing that freshness of soul which is ever the mark of communion with God.

We are not now speaking of prayer in general, nor of that pouring out of soul to God in worship and supplication which is needed in our daily life. We are ever to be worshipers, suppliants, and intercessors—worshipers in recalling to mind the infinite fullness of that grace which has been shown to us and which has opened to our adoring gaze the perfections of the person and work of our blessed Lord; suppliants, because we are in a great and weary land where needs are constant in every direction, and where enemies on all sides would assail us and temptations allure us; intercessors, because there are those who are dear to us whom we must ever hold up before God—family, kindred, and friends. There are also the needs of the people of God in ever-widening circles, needs which we should never forget—His servants at home and abroad, the work of the gospel, the upbuilding of His people, the spread of His truth, the various means of a Scriptural character used to this end. All these and much more will take us often to the throne of grace, and we need hardly say that morning and evening we should spend a season upon our knees before God.

It is not, however, of prayer in this way that we speak, but rather as connected with our subject. Our studies are to be conducted in a prayerful way, and here we cannot be too simple. Whenever we open our Bibles, whether for reading our daily chapter or for any particular course of study, there should be a sense of incompetence and self-distrust. We should realize our special tendency to having our own thoughts instead of having a mind open to the thoughts of God. We should therefore be as specific as possible.

For instance, one may say: “How can I bring my mind to bear upon a topic for only five mites; it will take me that long to collect my thoughts.” How would it do to ask the Lord to fix our attention on what is before us? Perhaps the subject is a little distasteful to us at the time. Can we not confess this to Him, and ask His help? Perhaps some difficult point meets us at the very outset. Let us ask Him to elain it to us. And so on, throughout the entire fifteen-minute period or longer, let prayer be mingled with our study. We will be astonished and delighted to find how often we will receive direct answers to the simplest kinds of requests.

Of course, we shall not always at once get our answer. If we did, it would make us careless and we would lose that sense of reverence which must ever become us. Doubtless there will often be exercises and a sense of failure, but let us not be discouraged, only “continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanks giving.” This will keep our study from being formal or merely intellectual. We will find our very prayers becoming more intelligent and direct; and if we really have desires, we will find them granted far oftener than we had thought possible.

In connection with this general subject of prayer, we would add another thought. Let us be on our guard against losing a sense of having to do with divine things; that we are really in the presence of God, and the ground whereon we stand is holy. This will make us reverent, and in connection with this, we will not lose that sense of glad enjoyment of even the most familiar truth and of wondering surprise as new things are opened to us.

If it were merely the natural mind trafficking in divine things, or even an investigator into Scripture subjects without any special personal interest in them, one would soon grow accustomed to truths, and the deepest and most wondrous things would lose their attractiveness; but where the soul is really engaged, and where the Spirit of God, the inspirer of all, is opening up to us “things new and old,” this sense of wonder and surprise will not be wanting. Let us challenge ourselves if we begin to take things as a matter of course; and above all, if the simplicities of divine grace cease to have a special charm to us.

2. Outside Responsibilities

“Oh,” we hear someone say, “you forget that we have our meetings to attend; and I have a Sunday-school class and must prepare the lesson;” and perhaps another devotes an hour each week to tract distribution and visiting; and another holds a little gospel-meeting each week in some cottage which has been opened to him. Another has open-air preaching during the summer, etc. Are we to neglect these in order to carry out your schedule? Most certainly not. Forsake not “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.” We should never allow ourselves to become neglectful as to attending the regular meetings. Promptness, regularity and attention to these things are certainly as little as we can render. How many have been stumbled by the absence of older Christians from meeting or their coming in late when unnecessary. We must surely make provision for these duties.

Then, as to the special preparation for certain work. A Sunday-school teacher dare not go to his or her class with the lesson perhaps barely read over and no distinct preparation. Let it not be thought that the children do not notice this. As a teacher can tell when the scholar has not prepared the lesson, so the reverse is also true. A little regularity and system will no doubt help here also. In fact, we believe that if some schedule has been settled upon and persistently followed out, it will enable one to pursue also other work more systematically.

Space will not permit our going into the whole subject of Sunday-school work, which will have a place elsewhere, but we may be allowed to suggest a certain line of preparation which ought to enable us to get a fair measure of acquaintance with the lesson without taking too much time. We will suppose that the lesson is clearly designated, and consists of as much as half a chapter. The first day, this could be read and a number of parallel passages and references looked up, occupying possibly ten minutes in all. The next day and those following could be occupied by an analysis of the lesson verse by verse, adding references to our Scripture. If ten minutes each day is used in this way, or its equivalent at one time, a half hour toward the close of the week will suffice to arrange in an orderly way what we desire to put before our class.

We cannot, of course, expect to carry our studies as far as we would like to do, and we would also say that the very young Christian would probably better not undertake to teach a class until he has had time to acquire a certain knowledge of truth. “Not a novice” would apply here. It is best that young Christians should be put in the Bible Class for a season at least, and graduated from that into the regular work for themselves.

The same remarks would apply to those who are conducting a little cottage meeting, or open-air preaching, or anything of that kind. We would distinctly state that wherever practicable, one should meditate upon and study the subject upon which he expects to speak. It is no mark of spirituality, nor do we believe it to be a correct application of the Scripture, that we should take no thought how or what we shall speak, nor expect the Lord to fulfill that promise given in a far different connection: “It shall be given you in that same hour what ye ought to speak.” Here, He is assuring His disciples that they will never be deserted when brought before kings and rulers for His name’s same. They need not meditate in advance any line of defense, or any elaborate statement of what they hold. If they have been living in the enjoyment of these things and bearing faithful witness, they may be sure that the Lord will not desert them in their time of need. This would also hold good where one was absolutely unable to know in advance what he was going to speak upon, or if an unexpected opening were given for preaching the gospel. At such times, often, there has been the greatest liberty and directness, and the Lord’s help has been manifested.

But we speak not of the exceptional. Do not divine things require our careful attention? Instead of rambling on, scarce knowing what one is saying, is it not more honoring to the Lord to be before Him in prayer, and have a more or less distinct conception of what we are going to speak upon?

Of course, it is not a question of words. We can trust the Lord for these as for all else, but we do plead for a little more care and study. It is not “writing sermons” or anything of that kind, but only treating rightly the blessed privilege we have, and esteeming that the things of the Lord require as much attention as we would give to temporal affairs.

The prophet Malachi rebukes the people for bringing the blind and the lame as an offering to the Lord, and in solemn satire suggests that they offer such things to their ruler and see if he will accept them. This may well apply to what we are saying. Robert McCheyne used to say: “Always beaten oil for the Sanctuary,” the oil that is freshly beaten out in prayerful study.

A little judicious care perhaps may enable us to incorporate our Sunday-school and other work with our regular routine of study. This would be particularly true where we were devoting more than an hour to that work. We return, therefore, to our original plea for system, both in time and method in Bible study, and trust that the busiest life will still find room for at least fifteen minutes’ daily work.

3. Sunday and Holiday Work

We cannot be too thankful that the law of the land and the customs of the countries in which we live give us the Lord’s Day free from the ordinary business of the week. While not under the law of the Sabbath (if we were, we should have most rigidly to observe the seventh day, Saturday, not the first), there is an evident necessity for a period of rest, one day out of the seven, needed by all alike, and doubly prized by the child of God as affording a cessation from that constant strain of business which is racking to nerves, mind, and heart alike.

“The Lord’s Day,” what hallowed associations, what precious privileges, what memories of happy enjoyment cluster about it! Although it has been greatly misunderstood by our fathers, and something of the rigor of the Jewish Sabbath imposed upon it, yet even so we are sure it was far better than the lawlessness which is now coming in like a flood and wiping away every vestige of reverence. Thank God for the day set apart to His worship. Even broad-minded statesmen cannot fail to see the menace there lies in turning this day into one of mere recreation and amusement. The loss of the fear of God is felt by the State, sooner or later; and it is to the best interests of government, looked at in purely this secular way, when by the individual, the family and the community, there is a wholesome regard for the proprieties and responsibilities of the first day of the week.

But our concern is not directly with all this: only let us see to it that we do not use our liberty and freedom from the law as an occasion to the flesh, and spend this precious day in idleness or worse, and set such an example that the world thinks of us as careless as themselves.

The Lord’s Day, then, will be one of special enjoyment. The careful housekeeper will begin to provide for it in advance, by seeing that all possible work is got out of the way, while the members of the family endeavor to clear up as much as possible all necessary duties, so that they can rise fresh and bright and ready for the joys of the Day. Saturday night will not be made a time for all sorts of things that rob of necessary sleep, so that there is an excuse for sleeping late on Lord’s Day morning. We may be pardoned for speaking in this plain way, but are persuaded that most of our readers will see the cause. With all of us, perhaps, there is a tendency to rob the Lord of His due by treating His day as one of mere family repose. We do not of course speak of the necessity perhaps for a little season of rest for those who have to rise up early and sit up late all through the week: but let it not be overdone; and large numbers, without doubt, can rise as early on this day as throughout the week.

Two questions confront us. We have our private and public privileges on the Lord’s Day. The one must not conflict with the other, and we cannot therefore lay down rules. For instance, those who have Sunday-school classes, and in addition possibly some extra gospel work, will find that if they attend the regular meetings for worship and ministry, together with these others, the day will be so fully occupied that there will perhaps be but little more time to devote to study than on any day in the week. We must not attempt to lay any burden upon these, only suggesting that they keep up, if possible, the brief period which they have allowed for study during the week. Of course, if one is spending from one to two hours daily, he will scarcely have that much time on the Lord’s Day, and would not need it; but for those who have the fifteen minute or half hour schedule, we would suggest, if possible, that they continue to use that time.

But instead of going on with fresh work, we would suggest that these spend the time in a review of what has been gone over in the past week. The portion which has been memorized might be all reviewed and it would be very interesting at some time during the day, when the whole family can be together, for all to recite the verses which they have been learning.

The note-book for the previous week could be read over, and the questions which have been asked in it or put upon the margin of the Bible could be looked at to see if we have yet reached any definite answer as to some things. In this way, there would be no constraint felt to force work; and the very cessation from the usual routine will leave one with further hunger for the next morning.

We speak separately of those who have more leisure on the Lord’s Day. Perhaps these have only a morning Sunday-school, which, with the meeting, and the gospel at night, is all of their public activity, with possibly a visit or two sometime during the afternoon. These might very profitably spend an hour in the afternoon in some general reading which bears particularly upon their study during the week, and in the review which we have above indicated. Sometimes one who has held quite rigidly to the fifteen minutes of the daily study will rejoice to devote an hour or two in the afternoon to more careful and prolonged work than he has been able to give during the week. So we feel that for all, the Lord’s Day, so far from interfering with the regular routine of work, will serve to impress its results upon our memory and interest, and thus in liberty and joy we can take up on the following day what is never a burden, but a delight.

There are a number of holidays, too, during the year—single days such as New Year and others, and the longer holiday during the summer which many enjoy. We would suggest that the Lord’s interests be not left out in the increasing leisure that we have. In the day of Israel’s joy, and at the time of their feasts, there was ever to be remembered the Lord’s share in the way of tithes and the care for His poor. Conscience will be kept clear, and the recreation sweetened, if the Lord is thus given His place in it all.

We might add a word, perhaps not greatly needed, for any over-conscientious persons who unduly burden themselves with routine and other work, and turn all into a semi-legal bondage. These should see to it that they do not misrepresent the grace of our Lord by making Him a hard master in the slightest degree. There is no service like the service of love; no devotion like that which comes from the heart set free by His grace. Let us see to it that we are living in the joy of that grace which makes duty joy, and labor rest.

4. Benefits of this Systematic Work

A year of faithful adherence to a system such as we have suggested, though in its briefest form, will be of incalculable benefit in many directions. We want to collect a list of these benefits together and set them before the eye of any who may question the wisdom, desirability or indeed the feasibility of taking up work like this.

1. The Bible will not be neglected. It is a sad fact that many children of God allow days and weeks to pass without more than a glance at their Bibles. Let one who has resolved to read a chapter every day, and who has allowed three or four days to elapse, or perhaps longer, try to “catch up.” They will find how much easier it would have been to read one chapter daily. One is traveling, sickness has come into the family, the house is full of visitors, extra work at the office—matters like these will be found to shut out all reading of the Bible unless there is in our soul the insistence upon the few minutes which we have set apart for this. In this connection we would advise that no one lightly undertake to dedicate a portion of time however brief, to daily Bible work, who has not determined in the fear of God to carry it through; and if prevented at the outset by unavoidable circumstances from going on, not to attempt to “catch up,” but to resume one day’s work at once and go on from that point.

Let the reader ask himself if his Bible is neglected or not? And then let him ask, without needless prying, whether many of his acquaintances are not neglecting it equally with himself.

2. The example will be contagious. If one is really possessed with an idea, he will be speaking of it to his friends. As soon as one gets established in this kind of work, he will find himself telling some brother about it, and they will begin comparing notes, and sooner or later, others will be encouraged and stimulated to take it up. There will also be a greater readiness to speak about the things of God, for the simple reason that one has something to say. We are often exercised about the Lord’s people having closed lips in the meetings. Often, this is due to the lack of clearness of apprehension; they do not speak because they have so little to say: and indeed it is probably desirable that they should first have a certain, if only a small, furnishing to speak to edification. So too in prayer; the more familiar we are with the thoughts of God in a proper way, the more our desires will find definite expression, and we, in the earnestness of desire, would soon lose self-consciousness; and prayer in public as well as private would be a normal practice.

3. The mind will be disciplined. The mind of man is a most marvelous instrument, if we may speak of it in that way. It responds to training, and every exercise of its powers increases its capacity for further activity. Thus, the practice of forming rough outlines, or making more accurate and minute analyses of portions of our Bible, will increase the facility with which we are able to do it, and with facility comes enjoyment of the keenest kind. There are no natural pleasures greater than those connected with mental activity, and speaking even in an educational way, the benefit of these studies cannot well be over-estimated. Regularity, system, accuracy, niceness of distinction, perception, memory, judgment—every faculty will be brought into play; and instead of a vague feeling of helplessness, coupled with shame to speak of things of which we know comparatively little, there will be a good degree of familiarity and confidence of a proper character. How different would Bible-readings be, for instance, if everyone came to them already fairly familiar with the chapter to be discussed, and with ability to make or understand distinctions such as we have been dwelling upon. Everyone could be a contributor to the general interest, and we are sure the Lord’s beloved people would, with His blessing, have an awakening that they would not easily allow to subside.

4. The whole life would be affected. Let us suppose that an ordinarily busy Christian young man has been accustomed to sleep until the last possible minute in the morning, so that he must hurry through everything to get to his business in time; who has spent his spare moments on the train or elsewhere in aimless conversation or reading of questionable things; whose evenings are spent in mere social intercourse, often leading to associations and amusements which cannot but injure the soul, and retiring late at night with conscience none too much exercised, to repeat the same experience day after day. Will such a one grow? Need we be surprised if he makes no progress?

Let us now suppose that he determines to adopt the fifteen-minute schedule of Bible study, and sets apart the time in the morning. He rises and begins the work. Perhaps the first feeling will be one of discouragement and distance, and he will be tempted to throw it all aside and resume his more easy-going manner but he has a conscience toward God and perseveres. Occasionally he “oversleeps,” but at the end, we will say, of two weeks, the habit is in a fair way of being established to rise a half hour earlier than was his custom in order that he may not be unduly hurried. Instead of a wild rush at breakfast, with perhaps slips of temper and forgetfulness, a certain quietness and happiness of spirit takes its place. Something has interested him in his work and a glance at the newspaper suffices instead of the absorbing perusal of columns of worthless matter. Lunch hour finds him eager to finish something that he began in the morning, and his earlier rising makes him ready for retirement earlier than before. We say nothing now of the effect of the word of God upon his conscience and heart, but merely its tonic influence upon his habits. In a year’s time, can any of us doubt that the effect upon his whole life will be so marked that his profiting will appear unto all?

5. Our knowledge of Scripture will be gradually and largely increased and systematized.

6. Our love for the word of God will be deepened.

7. Our reverence for Scripture and belief in its absolute inspiration will cease to be an orthodox belief and become the intensest conviction.

8. We will become better Sunday-school teachers, or preachers, and whatever public service we are engaged in will feel the improvement.

9. Prayer will be more definite, broader and constant, while our very necessities will teach us to watch thereunto with thanksgiving. In short, we are persuaded that the whole life will be brought under the power of divine things more fully than before.

There are of course dangers here as everywhere. Pride ever lurks behind every duty, and a spirit of complacency at increased knowledge, a measure of self-denial, greater usefulness, or whatever else it may be, will call for self-judgment and confession; but where is this not the case? The very land of Israel’s inheritance was peopled with enemies, and the epistle which brings out in highest and fullest measure our blessings in Christ warns us to put on the whole armor of God, that we may be victorious in the inevitable conflict with Satan and his hosts. Dangers only deter the slothful. Let us not be amongst the sluggards.

Part 4. The One Great Theme

Christ, the Center and Theme of all Scripture

WE want in this part to dwell somewhat at length upon that which we have constantly had occasion to refer to through our little book, as well as elsewhere, but which can never be repeated too often or given too great an emphasis. God’s word is a unit, with one Author, the Holy Spirit, although He has used numbers of instruments throughout vast periods of time. The object of the Book is one, although this too is approached from every possible point of view—historical, typical, legal enactments, biographies, poetry, parable, allegory, prophetic denunciation of sin and promise of glorious blessing—all of which we find in the Old Testament. And in the New, direct narratives of the life, teaching, sufferings, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; then the history of the establishment of His Church upon the descent of the Holy Ghost, and the going out of the gospel world-wide, in the Acts. The Epistles unfold the truths and responsibilities of Christianity, collective, and individual; then the closing book of prophecy, with its windows open to the heavenly Jerusalem, where the seer, not in a home at Babylon but in his prison Isle of Patmos, looks out toward the glories that shall be. Through them all, Christ is the Center, the object, the theme, and the end. He is the Alpha, from the first of Genesis; and the Omega, as the light and glory that illumine the heavenly city. Yes, Christ is all.

Christ is the theme of the Pentateuch. We have Him in the book of Genesis in the first chapter, where His presence in the divine Trinity is evidently indicated by the word “God” being in the plural, while the verb “to create” and the rest of the verbs used in that chapter are in the singular, indicating a plurality of Persons and one God.

In the second chapter we have Him typified in Adam, “a figure of Him that was to come,” who with the helpmeet, the bride provided as his companion is established in paradise, a type also of that “Garden of Delights,” the Paradise of God into which the serpent and sin can never intrude. We have Him in the third chapter, in the promised woman’s Seed, and in the earlier fact too that God came down into the garden. The very thought of God coming down suggests “Immanuel, God with us,” while the coats of skin, necessarily taken by the death of the victims, remind us of His sacrifice through which a perfect robe of righteousness suited to God’s own character has been provided for faith.

Abel’s sacrifice next speaks unmistakably of Him whose blood spoke better things than that of Abel.

Seth, the “appointed” seed again tells us of Christ in resurrection; and the power of holiness is expressed in Enoch’s life of faith and walking with God.

Noah, with the ark of safety, is another suggestion of Christ as Head of His people and the shelter it assures in Him, a shelter which brings in millennial blessing to all the earth.

Christ is the key to the life of Abraham, his altar speaking of atonement and communion with God; his interview with Melchisedec for-shadows our Lord’s eternal priesthood and kingly authority.

Isaac, the child of promise, is in like manner a figure of the Son; his sacrifice upon Mt. Moriah, arrested by the hand of God, a figure of that giving up of God’s only begotten Son unto death which was not arrested. The union of Isaac with Rebekah is a type of Christ united to the Church—Sarah (Israel) having for the time being been set aside.

Esau and Jacob give us the contrasted seeds of the flesh and the Spirit; and Jacob of the exercises through which the child of God goes until Christ be formed in him, typified in Joseph.

Joseph is a marked type of our blessed Lord as Son of the Father, hated and rejected by His brethren, cast out and banished by the world, and at last exalted to the throne over all. Thus, throughout Genesis, Christ is the theme and the key to every portion.

In Exodus it is the same. Moses is also rejected, and afterward established as leader. During his period of rejection by his kinsmen according to the flesh, he is associated with the bride, Zipporah, “a sparrow” (a little, worthless thing in itself, but cared for by God) a beautiful type of the Church, of little worth in the eyes of man, but the chosen bride of Christ.

The blood of the Passover lamb needs no mention, and the triumphant departure from Egypt led on by Moses, by the pillar of cloud, all speak of Christ our glorious Leader in the power of His death and resurrection leading out His people, and under the Spirit’s guidance bearing us onward as on eagle’s wings, to bring us to God. He is also the Leader of our praises, and under His guidance we go forward through the wilderness, where the manna, the smitten rock, and above all, the tabernacle set Christ before us in various characters.

Even Mt. Sinai, with its thick darkness and lightnings “and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words” still speaks of One who in the majesty of His person and the holiness of His character could say: “Thy law is within My heart.” The law itself, the whole system of divine requirement from man, with its claims of implicit obedience and absolute perfection, as a stern school-master convicting of sin, of guilt, and helplessness, points to the One who alone can set free from the law’s curse, having borne it Himself to deliver us from it—delivering us from the law to put us under grace.

The gorgeous ritual of the tabernacle, the exquisite beauties of its various parts, all tell us in one way or another of Him who is the eternal Word, the very Shekinah of God, the effulgence of His glory.

Leviticus, with its elaborate details as to the priesthood and directions as to the various sacrifices, takes up the same blessed theme: it is Christ our High Priest; and the garments of glory and beauty put upon Aaron only tell of the varied excellences of the character and matchless worth of our blessed Lord, entitled to all the glories and kingly dignities which are His by right and by sacrifice.

Our Lord’s sacrifice needs more than one type to set forth its perfections, as we have already noted. The burnt-offering tells us of the sweet savor of His death which has gone up to God and in which the believer is perfectly accepted; the meal-offering tells us of His person; the peace-offering of reconciliation which He has effected, and the communion which He has made possible; the sin-offering has met our deepest needs; and the trespass-offering has more than repaid for the wrong which we have done to God.

In the remainder of the book, the various ordinances all tell the same story: Christ will be found to be the key.

Numbers still carries this on. The very failure of the people in the wilderness furnishes but a fresh opportunity for God to bear witness of His unfailing Son, of the perfections that are in Him, and through whom the fullness of blessing for Israel and the world is to come.

Deuteronomy adds its prophetic word to confirm all this; with its reviews backward, as though emphasizing the fact that Christ must be all; and in its forward glance, even to the uttermost bounds of the everlasting hills, blessing rests upon Israel only as in subjection to Christ.

It is worthy of more than a passing notice that this first group of Old Testament books, at the very threshold of the entire Bible, is thus permeated with the truth that CHRIST is the theme. God emphasizes this in every way. He would tell us thus to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, and to find in the Second Man that which alone can meet our need and secure God’s glory.

The historical books are necessarily taken up with the development of this great truth in the minds and ways of the people, and here of necessity we are more occupied with their failure than with God’s purposes. How often has He to pause in the unfolding of His counsels and desires because we are so dull of hearing and slow to learn!

Joshua gives us our risen Lord as the Leader into the promised land with its fullness of blessing; the One through whom we are more than conquerors, and through whom we can overcome all the spiritual foes in the heavenly places, and gain full possession of our land.

In Judges, God speaks to us in contrast. Out of the very eater (Satan, who is overcome) He brings forth to us meat, even Christ. We are shown that every bondage into which the people of God are brought is through sin, which turns away from Christ, and every corresponding deliverance is through leaders who, spite of all their failures, have unmistakable resemblance to the one great Deliverer who alone can set His people free.

In Ruth, we pause a moment: it takes us aside into the quiet scene of Bethlehem, there to show us in an anticipative way not to be misunderstood, how a Babe, the true Obed, the true Servant of God and of man’s need, is to be born; and thus the sources of that stream of mercy and grace in the purpose of God, through the Seed of David, is disclosed.

The books of Samuel show us, first, the faire of the priesthood and the bringing in of the prophet. The prophet supersedes a failed priesthood; as there can be no true priest until the coming of Christ—the true Prophet of whom Samuel and all the servants of God have spoken. The people long for a king, but the king of their choice is a poor man of like passions with ourselves, who disobeys God and has self for his object, and who must be superseded by the man after God’s own heart, David, distinguished from Saul by this fact pre-eminently, that Christ and God’s glory are the controlling object of his life. And so, at the close of David’s life, with the lowly acknowledgment that his house is not such as God could use in true headship, he looks forward yet to that covenant “ordered in all things and sure” when the “righteous Ruler over men” shall come. This is all his salvation and all his desire; Christ fills his vision.

The blaze of Solomon’s glory is quickly quenched by his own folly, but it already reminds us that “a greater than Solomon” is in the mind and purpose of God.

The kings who follow are either weaker David’s and Solomon’s, or poorer Saul’s. We look in vain for the true King, save as we find Him evidently suggested; and the Desire of the heart of God and of faith is felt throughout. Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Josiah (righteous men) are foreshadows of Christ. So, too, during the captivity, Esther furnishes in Mordecai a type of the true Man whom God delighteth to honor, the Deliverer of His oppressed people; while Ezra and Nehemiah, both in their persons and times, give us fresh glimpses of the Lord as the restorer of the breach, the healer of the hurt of His people.

Job is not wanting in many suggestions that the Lord is its underlying and final object. Human righteousness in its greatest excellence must take its place in abasement, repenting in dust and ashes, that the righteousness of Another may stand out in all its peerless glory. Thus, Christ, by implication as well as direct suggestion, is the key to the book of Job.

Christ is the grand theme of the Psalms. We have special Messianic psalms, such as the send, which tells us of the Son as King in Zion and ruler over the nations. In the 8th we have the Second Man with dominion over all things. In the 16th we see the Leader and Perfecter of faith; in the,8th, the King triumphant over all opposition; in the loth and 21st the lowly path of suffering through which He reached His glory. In the 22nd, the great atonement psalm, the forsaken One cries out from the thick darkness; and in the 24th the King of glory enters with divine splendor unto His own. All these speak directly of Christ. So, too, the 40th shows Him to us as the fulfiller of the will of God in the sacrifice of Himself; in the 45th we have the Conqueror with the sword under which none but proud oppressors and guilty sinners need fall; the meek will be avenged, while the queen, Israel, attended by obedient nations, enter into their millennial joy.

Psalms 69 shows Him as the sin-bearer, restoring that which He took not away; and the 72nd again describes the glory of His reign. Psalms 91 tells us of the Second Man with all things beneath His feet. The glories of the kingdom and the coming of our Lord are put before us in the following ones up to psalm 100 while 102 again leads us back to His sufferings, alone as a sparrow upon a housetop, with strength weakened in the way and cut off in the midst of His days, and yet the eternal Jehovah by whom all things have been created.

Psalms 109 reminds us again of our Lord’s sufferings at the hand of men, while the 110th exalts Him to the throne of God, waiting until His enemies be made His footstool. Psalms 116 recounts His experiences, and shows Him as the Leader of our praises; while the 132nd points Him out as the true Ark, the Center of the praises of His people, the highest step, we may say, in those songs of degrees or ascents, leading up to the temple of God.

These give us a partial list of the directly Messianic psalms, but if we return for a moment to the first, and following ones, we find “the Spirit of Christ” evidently throughout, though He be seen in the lowly company of His afflicted but righteous people.

Thus psalm I can only, in perfection, be true of Christ; and those sufferings at the hands of men, so much seen in the Psalms, are but part of that rejection which He had to undergo for us. The confession of sin and failure which abounds throughout the remnant psalms are not, of course, directly applicable to our Lord; and yet, even here, with full knowledge of His people’s sin, the Man of sorrows, Himself apart from sin, entered into all the afflictions, sorrows, and needs of His people. Without entering into things beyond our knowledge, we may safely say in the language of the hymn:

“Our sins and guilt, in love divine

Confessed and borne by Thee.”

And when we take up the themes of exultant praise which we find throughout the Psalms, when Jerusalem, “the city of the great King,” shall answer to its name, “the foundation of peace”— “beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth,” when mountains and hills shall flow down righteousness and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands, on to those final outbursts of hallelujah praise which bring this precious book of worship to a close, there is one sweet, strong, clear Voice pervading it all which we cannot fail to recognize. The Leader of the praises is the One who has sounded all the depths of sorrow, and has reached up to all the heights of joy; One who knows the bitterness of the enemy’s assaults, and knows also His people’s weaknesses and failures; Himself the unfailing One, but in whose heart the sweet chords of tender compassion strike true and deep, even the minor notes of sorrow and of failure (a failure in which He had no personal part) and out of it bring sweetest, truest, fullest melody to God. How truly CHRIST is the theme of the Psalms!

In the Proverbs of Solomon, we have at once the suggestion of our Lord, the Son of David, as the true teacher of the fear of the Lord, while the Spirit of adoption is suggested in the oft repeated phrase: “My Son.” Christ is seen in the first part of the book as the true Wisdom in contrast with the poor world with all its snares and temptations. In the 8th chapter, the language unmistakably applies to our Lord, and carries us back to the holy scenes before time began, where, in all the gladness of divine relationship and eternal affections, He enjoys counion with the Father and the Spirit, yet with a heart of tender interest in the sons of men.

The main part of the book is taken up with what a superficial reader might call disconnected proverbs, words of wisdom thrown tether with no systematic order; but even here we catch glimpses of a “Friend who loveth at all times,” of a “Brother born for adversity,” of a King to whom all power is entrusted. Even where the theme is some special sin whose consequences are pointed out, by implication the opposite is suggested, which we find in its perfection in Christ alone.

It would be a healthful exercise to go through the book of Proverbs, and, opposite each exhortation or warning, to give a reference showing how Christ exemplified the one or was the exact opposite of the other. Thus “a false witness” is the contrast of “Jesus Christ, the faithful and true witness;” a “tale bearer” contrasts with One who did not accuse men, save to themselves, to bring them at His feet to know His grace. The “sluggard” is the very opposite of Him whoever was “in His Father’s business,” and ever ready to serve in man’s need, finding rest not in bodily repose but in ministering to any poor needy soul; who willingly was raised from sleep to still the storm, or kept His lowly vigil all night in prayer to God—everywhere showing the very opposite of that wretched dullness which so besets us.

Ecclesiastes, of any book in the Bible, comes nearest perhaps to leaving Christ out; and yet, by that very fact, makes His absence more keenly felt, thus turning us to Him by way of contrast, and preparing us to take up with fresh delight the theme of the Song of Songs where the King in His beauty is before us, the spikenard and precious ointments gladly and freely poured out upon Him.

Christ is the glorious Hope to whom all the prophets point. The people’s sin; the needed judgment—God’s strange work; the raging of the Gentiles, to be quelled by the strong arm of divine power; the very pleadings of God with man to turn from his wickedness, — all these are but the dark background upon which shine out in all their luster and beauty the glories of the person, the fullness of the work, and the splendors of the reign of the King.

Isaiah tells us of the glories of Christ which he saw in the temple (chs. 6). He is the root of Jesse with a sevenfold enduement of the Spirit; Christ is the true candlestick, the enlightener of His people; He is the virgin’s Son, Immanuel, “God with us;” He is the King who reigns in righteousness and causes the wilderness and solitary place to rejoice, and the desert to bloom as the rose; He is the corner stone, the sure foundation, elect and precious; the great Shepherd who shall lead His flock, gathering the lambs with His arm and carrying them in His bosom; He it is who spans the heavens and gathers the waters in His hands, the hills as dust and the nations as grasshoppers before Him, and yet who was “despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” The triumph of His reign; the gathering of His people about Him; the flowing down of the mountains at His presence; the treading of His foes beneath His feet—all speak of Christ’s glory when He comes the second time, no more to suffer for sin, but for the deliverance of His people, and the eternal confusion of His enemies.

Jeremiah, between his sighs and tears, his scathing denunciations of his people’s sins, tells of an unchanging covenant, of the gifts and calling of God which are without repentance, which will all be made good through Him who is “the Lord our Righteousness,” who shall also put His name upon His people, that they may be characterized by it. (Compare Jeremiah 23:6 with Jeremiah 33:16.)

Ezekiel deals with the captive and still apostate people away from Jerusalem, and witnesses also the destruction of the city; but if the Glory departs, it also returns again to inhabit a temple described in the latter chapters. It requires no imagination to see our blessed Lord seated upon the throne, charioted by attendant cherubim, removing from His guilty people, but coming back again at the end to set up His kingdom and to restore the land to the nation, when the overshadowing glory shall be spread over all.

Daniel speaks of Him definitely as “Messiah the Prince” (ch. 9:25), and all the historic and typical facts are grouped about Him who furnishes the key to their right understanding.

Hosea, tenderly but faithfully, shows Israel as rejected of God because of their sins, and Judah no better; yet the time is coming when Jezreel, “the seed of God,” shall “grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.” Indeed, all along God views His people linked with His beloved Son, as He says: “When Israel was a child, then I loved Him, and called My Son out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1 with Matt. 2:15).

Joel, in common with the other prophets, has to declare the people’s sin and the judgment that follows. Yet he points to the coming day when the Lord will restore to them the years of famine that their own folly have brought, and they shall know Him as their Lord. Then of that glorious outpouring of the Spirit which had its anticipative fulfillment at Pentecost—which meant even more than what Joel foretold, when “The Spirit shall be poured out upon all flesh, and in Mount Zion and Jerusalem there shall be deliverance.”

The same is true of Amos, who in the midst of unsparing rebuke of Israel points forward to the time when God will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof, when He will again bring the captivity of His people Israel and plant them upon their land. It is through Christ alone that all this is effected.

Even Obadiah in his single chapter, with its unsparing denunciations of Edom for its pride and sin, at the close tells of the salvation that is to come to Zion, and the kingdom which is to be the Lord’s.

Jonah, our Lord uses as a type of Himself in His death and resurrection. The whole narrative of the prophet finds its highest fulfillment in the work of Christ.

Micah adds his definite tribute and tells us (ch. 5:2) of One whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting; who, born in Bethlehem, is to rule over Israel—a prophecy which even the unbelieving Jews well knew referred to the Messiah.

The judgments upon Nineveh predicted in Nahum show us how the time is coming when the Lord will avenge His beloved people Israel and trample their enemies beneath His feet. We must not forget this aspect of Him who will one day gird His sword upon His thigh and go forth unto judgment.

Habakkuk stands upon his watchtower with longing eyes, looking for the coming deliverance, and gives us that word, thrice used by the apostle Paul, the great principle of justification by faith (chs. 2:1-4).

Zephaniah tells of judgments upon the nations and the recovery of His afflicted and poor people who shall trust in the name of the Lord; the daughter of Zion shall yet sing when they are delivered, and the Lord in the midst of them, their mighty Saviour, will rejoice over them with joy, will rest in His love, and joy over them with singing. We are at no loss to see who is referred to here.

Haggai, the prophet of the restoration, protests against the same formalism and pride in the returned remnant which had brought judgment upon their fathers. He points them to the house of the Lord lying unbuilt and uncared for, and men seeking their own; but the prophet by the Spirit looks on to the glory of the latter house, when the Lord will indeed give peace. That glory still waits to be revealed when “the Desire of all nations” shall come, and the Lord shall appear in His temple. Heaven and earth, the sea and the dry land shall be shaken, but He will come who sets up a kingdom that cannot be moved.

Zechariah is very rich in detail as to our Lord, both in His person and His work. We see Him as the Shepherd, a man, yet Jehovah’s fellow against whom the sword of divine judgment against His people must fall, in order that He may return to them as their delivering King and establish the nation in blessing on the basis of “holiness to the Lord” (chs. 13 and 14). A beautiful gospel picture of the putting away of sin and the establishing of government upon the divine Stone (Christ) is seen in chapters 3 and 4.

The candlestick of testimony is established and its light maintained by Him who is both Priest and King, as typified by the two anointed ones, Joshua and Zerubbabel, types of Christ in these aspects. It is fitting and beautiful thus to see, in connection with the little remnant restored from Babylon, a brighter and more definite testimony, possibly, than before the captivity.

Malachi closes the Old Testament with a picture, dark indeed, of formalism, open neglect and hypocrisy, with, however, a clearly marked remnant of those who “feared the Lord,” spoke often of Him one to another, and who one day will be manifested as His jewels. Such a state existed at our Lord’s advent upon the earth, and will doubtless be duplicated in the day after the removal of the Church. On such a scene of formalism, and for those who fear His name, the “Sun of righteousness” will rise; the “morning without clouds” will dawn; Christ will appear, and His kingdom be established.

This rapid glance at the books of the Old Testament, with repetitions which we trust, considering the theme, will not be regarded as amiss, will suffice to give us a hint at least of that which pervades the entire Old Testament far beyond our power to describe. CHRIST is the one Object before the Spirit of God; the one Center toward which all tends; and from every direction everything leads up to Him as the fulfiller of all the purposes of God—the bringer-in of everlasting blessedness to man.

Passing to the New Testament, we need not dwell long upon that which is too patent to be for a moment questioned. Surely here “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by (or, in the person of) His Son.”

As intimated in the Prophets, we see at the opening of the New Testament a remnant of godly Jews who were waiting for redemption—for deliverance not only from the oppression of the enemy, but the more deadly formalism which rested as an incubus upon the nation as a whole. These rejoiced at the coming of “the Dayspring from on high,” and saw in Him the One through whom, delivered from their enemies, they would be enabled to serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all their days.

Our Lord is thus in the midst, and gathered about Him is a company which to sight seems poor indeed, and the objects of scorn. It is composed of publicans and sinners who have felt the burden of their woe and been brought to Him—of those who have been healed of various maladies, spiritual as well as physical, and delivered from the thralldom of Satan more complete than that of demoniac possession. We see the Pharisees standing at the corners of the streets making long prayers to be seen of men, saluted as rabbi and sitting in Moses’ seat, but, alas, only whited sepulchers, full of all uncleanness within. We see, too, the populace lending an ear to Him at one time, and at another listening to their leaders and joining, at last, in that awful cry— “Away with Him! crucify Him!”

We also see many notable characters, godly persons, as Zacharias and Elisabeth, whose unaffected and deep piety shows why God still lingered over the nation; Simeon, Anna, and others. Towering above them all in rugged moral greatness is John the Baptist, a prophet, and more, whose denunciations of sin pierced more deeply still than those of Isaiah or Jeremiah or Amos, and yet who is privileged to point to “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” Indeed, we might take John the Baptist in this attitude—pointing to Him who had been baptized by the Holy Spirit and anointed for the great work of the Cross—as a symbol of the Old Testament Scriptures and prophecies embodied in the forerunner; and they, as he, in the same blessed attitude, all standing with rapt gaze as they point to that lowly Man by Jordan, and declare, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!”

As we look upon Him on whom the heavens opened, and God the Father and the Holy Ghost thus setting their seal upon Him, we have indeed the great fact which we have been dwelling upon pressed upon us with absolute conviction—Christ is the Center, both for earth and for heaven.

A mere word must suffice as to each of the books of the New Testament, which we give rather to round out that which we have begun.

Christ is the theme of Matthew as the King of Israel, the bringer-in of blessing to God’s chosen people, who will eventually establish the kingdom of heaven, with its authority over the earth.

Mark shows Him to us as the faithful Prophet and witness for God, who humbled Himself also to serve man’s need.

In Luke He seems to come closer yet, as Man with men, entering into every human sorrow, ministering to every human need, and forgiving every human sin.

In John we soar upward into the heavenly abyss, and are lost in the divine glories opened to our view, while yet we find that He who came from eternal glory has taken up His abode with man, a foretaste of that happy time when it shall be said, “The tabernacle of God is with men.”

In Acts it is the preaching of Christ to the Jew first; then, in ever-widening circles, to Samaria, Syria, Macedonia, Greece, Rome, “to every creature under heaven.” Christ is ever the theme.

Romans declares the righteousness of God in justifying the guilty sinner on the ground of the blood of the cross—Christ is the mercy-seat where God and the sinner meet. Let us attempt to eliminate the Son of God from this great foundation-epistle, and we could well say, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

In 1St Corinthians things are sadly wrong in the Church, both in practice and doctrine, as they ever will be unless Christ is the true Object and Lord of all. His resurrection proves that His person is indeed the Rock upon which His Church is built, and against which the gates of hades, of death, can never prevail.

2nd Corinthians beautifully gives us a glimpse into the springs and motives of the apostle’s life and ministry; and Christ is his theme. The promises of God are “Yea and Amen in Him” who has brought in the ministry of righteousness; into whose unveiled face, as we gaze, we find a transforming power to manifest His life in our mortal flesh.

Galatians recalls the wandering saints back from legalism, the rudiments of the world, to Christ, who gave Himself for us—the embodiment of all the types and shadows of a past dispensation.

Ephesians leads us up into the inner sanctuary on high, but “in Christ;” and as from that exalted position we look out on ever-widening circles of the divine plans made known, we find all things headed up in Christ.

Philippians has Christ as its one theme, in whatever way we may consider Him. Even the apostle still presses onward, confessing that he knows not yet, has not yet attained the full blessedness that will be his, “the prize of the calling on high,” the same blessed One who had laid hold of him here.

Colossians sets forth the glories of the person and the value of the work of our Lord in a very marked way, as the antidote for the temptations with which the saints were assailed to turn them aside to philosophy and vain deceit, or the empty formalism and rudiments of the world.

In 1st Thessalonians the coming of the Lord is the one object before the saints; and in 2nd Thessalonians, in view of the foreseen apostasy, it is His appearing by which all things will be set right and Satan beaten down beneath our feet.

1st Timothy gives the godly order in the assembly, with the varied responsibilities and activities which have their proper sphere there; but, for one who is to know how he should have himself in the house of God, it must be, as recognizing that for which it stands, the confession and the display of the great Mystery of piety, He who “was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” A wondrous and blessed privilege indeed: as the pillars of old in the tabernacle held up before the worshiping priest the mystic veil (type of our Lord in humanity, the perfection of His person as Man), so also the Church, as “the pillar and ground of the truth,” holds up before the worshiping kings and priests the varied perfections of our blessed Lord.

In 2nd Timothy, by solemn contrast, all is in ruins: “The pillar and ground of the truth” seems to have fallen, so far as entrusted to man; yet, rising out of the ruin like some great promontory standing out in the midst of an angry sea which vainly dashes its waves at its foot, we have “Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, raised from the dead,” as the unswerving testimony of every one who, as bearing His name, should depart from the iniquity of displacing Him from the Center in which God has put Him.

Titus is quite similar to 1 Timothy as connected with the order of God’s house. It is beautiful to see, in the midst of the simple duties enjoined, the scope of the gospel declared—that “grace of God which bringeth salvation,” and, while it teaches a godly life, leads the heart ever onward to that blessed hope, “the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ!”

Brief as is Philemon, there is the fragrance of Christ about it all. What but divine grace and the compassions of our Lord Jesus Christ could welcome a poor transgressor and bondservant, out of condemnation into the family, no longer as a servant, but a brother beloved in the Lord!

Next, Hebrews reminds us of the breastplate upon the bosom of the high priest, in which every jewel shines with a luster all its own, and each of which speaks of Christ. He displaces everything and everyone else. These were but the show. He is the substance. They have their service, and as saints still have their position of blessedness, but can never dispute places with Him to whom they all point. They are set aside that we may behold Him in whom the shadows have their accomplishment. Aaron the priest gives way to the great High Priest; the apostle who writes the epistle (doubtless Paul) is lost in the brighter light of the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. Moses, the great lawgiver, the one whose memory had become a nehushtan to Jewish formalists, is seen indeed as a faithful servant but never to be confounded with Him who as Son is over God’s house; yea, who Himself has built all things, the Creator of them—their God.

Joshua, leader of the people into the land, after all never gave the promised rest; and David the great king still bends his yearning gaze forward to the coming of the greater King to bring in that rest for which the saints are still waiting. Even the mystic Melchizedek, whose delineation in the Old Testament narrative has been mistaken for Him of whom he was but a type, no longer occupies such a place. Now, it is the Son of God Himself.

The old covenant is set aside for Him who has brought in the new covenant and established an everlasting one through His own blood.

The tabernacle too was a type of Him who has tabernacle among us, and, by His work, has introduced us into the house. The sacrifices of bulls and goats are set aside by the one great sacrifice of Him who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God. These were but the “shadow of good things to come.” Christ, the High Priest of those good things, has brought in the substance.

The 11th chapter sets in array before our eyes the heroes of faith from Abel onward; but we feel as we read down its glowing verses that they as well as our conductor, the Spirit of God, have another object in view. The great cloud of witnesses is pointing us forward, urging us to lay aside every weight, and to look “unto JESUS the author and finisher of faith.” The way is one of trial. Temptations are on every hand. Knees begin to tremble and hands to hang down; yea, the very earth on which we walk will one day quake, and heaven also, in order that what cannot be shaken may stand in its solitary grandeur on the Rock of Ages, the Christ of our salvation. Fittingly were the Hebrews warned, urged, pleaded with, to hold fast to Him; and, though at present it is a way of reproach— “Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach!”

James has been thought by some to strike a discordant note in all this divine harmony; but they little understand his meaning who think this. He also contributes his quota of truth to the vast storehouse of “the unsearchable riches of Christ,” and in that “beautiful Name” wherewith we are called, we have the key to all that he has to say to an empty form of faith which is not “the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”

1st Peter is addressed (as was the epistle to the Hebrews, from another standpoint) to the Jews scattered abroad. They have lost their national hopes, and he reminds them that if their earthly inheritance has failed, they have one incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away; that they are pilgrims and strangers as regards the earth, but holy and royal priests as regards access to God; but in whatever way he reminds them of their blessings, they see them all centered in Him who “once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust that He might bring us to God.”

2nd Peter, as is common with the second epistles, speaks of ruin and declension; but in the midst of abounding apostasy, they are reminded that they have not followed cunningly devised fables. The apostle himself was a witness of the glory, a glimpse of which he got on the holy mount of transfiguration, and he exhorts the saints to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The epistles of John, like his Gospel, have one blessed, glorious theme—that Eternal Life which was with the Father and has been made manifest to us. He is the test of everything that professes knowledge of God, as He, by His work and in His person, is the only way to the Father. Righteousness is the natural expression of that new life which He has imparted. He indeed is the true God and eternal life. On Him, as in the second epistle, the weakest woman can lean as she stands unswervingly for the doctrine of Christ; and the strongest man must remember, as in the third epistle, that subjection to the Lord is the one thing that pleases Him.

Jude is similar in many ways to 2nd Peter.

Whilst the “common salvation” is upon his heart, he had to press the dark, terrible history of apostasy because it had already become manifest in the ruin of professing Christendom; but evil is not the Center, and the theme of his epistle is the “most holy faith” on which we are to build ourselves up, and “praying in the Holy Ghost,” look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

In the last book, the great prophecy of the New Testament, we see the Churches like golden candlesticks, shining in a dark world, but in their midst is One whose glory can never be dimmed, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and before whom the seer falls as one dead. Christ is manifestly the Center of all the Church’s testimony and history. Then we pass from earth to heaven and see there the same blessed One as the Lamb in the midst of the throne, surrounded by adoring hosts, and the glorious anticipative picture of that glad day when every creature in heaven, on earth and under the earth shall join in that majestic chorus of worship, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”

The judgments then follow, unsparing and searching, making their awful advances nearer and nearer, sweeping the earth, shaking the nations, and manifesting all that is contrary to God.

Full scope is given for evil to raise its head in one terrible rebellion, and also to the false church, the harlot, the opportunity to display herself in her attire of glory stolen from the Son of God. All is to be plunged into final judgment, and the earth to be swept clean for the establishing of the reign of righteousness, for which Christ is manifested as the only faithful witness and righteous Ruler. Heaven opens not merely to show us the glories that are there nor the innumerable hosts of that mighty army, but rather to fix our gaze upon the glorious Leader upon whose Head are many crowns and whose name embraces all the fullness of Godhead and manhood, a name which in its higher mysteries no creature can comprehend and no one knows but Himself, a name which still reveals Him and God to us, for it is “the Word of God;” a name also which is the pledge of universal dominion, for He has it written on His vesture and on His thigh, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” And in that last, awful scene, on the great white throne, One is seated into whose hands all judgment has been committed; heaven and earth flee from His presence. Blessed be God, it is none other than the eternal Son, He who has borne our sins in His own body on the cross, who has loved us and still loves us, and has washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and His Father.

Thus we enter into the eternal glories and find there One well known through grace, still the Center of heaven, the Object of eternal worship, as He is the Center of all God’s ways from the beginning to the end.

If Christ is thus the center and theme of all Scripture, it is of first importance that the Bible student should have this in mind in all his study. As we read our daily chapter, it is well to ask, Where do I find Christ in this chapter? for He indeed will be the key to its right understanding. If we are analyzing a verse, or an epistle, it is well to remember that Christ is the center and the key. Thus many a difficulty will be solved if we keep this distinctly in mind. So, too, prophecies are not meant to give us mere details of history, but to show how all things have their importance and destiny with reference to Himself. Thus, the affairs of nations which occupy centuries of time in man’s history, conquerors and their conquests, are dismissed with a few words in Scripture, while a poor little nation, scattered and peeled, is traced throughout the whole stream of history onward, until it is re-established in its own land in blessing and prosperity with control over all nations—because He who is the King of kings and Lord of lords is the Messiah of Israel, the Son of David.

Let us ever remember He is the Key— “the Key of David,” we may say—the Holy and the True who openeth all things, even the Scriptures themselves, so that no man can shut them to the simplest faith that discerns Him as the theme of all.

Part 5. Helpful Books for Bible Study

SO far, we have rigidly adhered to our theme: “How to Study the Bible,” and have endeavored to put ourselves in the place of the young believer who is just starting out upon this great life occupation. We must again rind our readers that this is no course of study out of which they are going to graduate. It is, however, a school in which the routine, so far from being irksome, becomes an increasing delight; and we rejoice at the fact that here at least it is no disgrace to be always scholars; indeed, in one sense, we should be always ready to take our place with the beginners, and to enjoy the lessons just as much as they do.

We have, therefore, almost avoided the mention of any books except the Bible itself, in the hope that our readers will be encouraged to take up that precious Book with the confidence that from its pages directly they may learn more than they could from any number of commentaries, educational encyclopedias, and all the paraphernalia of theological study.

Now when this is settled in the mind, and the reader or student has become an original investigator, to a certain extent dependent upon no other help than the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the prayerful, intelligent reading and study of the Bible, he is in a position to appreciate all the more keenly and to profit more fully from the many excellent helps to be found in books. For such, therefore, we have no misgivings in turning now to books other than the Bible, always remembering that at the last we must receive the truth for ourselves from God, no matter what instrumentalities He may use in making that truth plain to us.

Creeds, for instance, are excellent and often admirable statements of Christian doctrine. The mistake in using them, however, is in making them authoritative statements of truth instead of historically giving us the faith of those who compiled them. Looked at in this way, they are helpful and valuable; but a creed, as has been pointed out by a profound Bible student, must be made up firsthand; each of us in that way must make a creed for himself. So it is also with all human literature. It is a servant, a handmaid, not a master. It can point out things to us and give us clues, but of no book, however wise and rich it may be in instruction, can it be said: “Thus saith the Lord.”

We must be pardoned for dwelling a little upon this at the threshold of our subject, but there is a need. Many true Christians read their Bibles largely in a perfunctory way, and turn with a measure of relief to some expository book and gather practically their instruction from it. Now let us face the matter. The word of God is more important than the best word of man about that Word, and the Bible itself states things infinitely more wisely and clearly than the wisest books of men; only, the Bible being a revelation of the whole mind of God which He has seen fit to make known to us, has a vastness, fullness, comprehensiveness which the combined intellects of all time can never exhaust; so that we may gladly profit by the suggestions and helps of others. We may say, in general, that those books are most helpful which are most stimulating. That book which satisfies us with itself, and does not stir a longing to turn to the word of God has something wrong about it. The best books ever written are in that way but signboards to point to where all knowledge dwells.

Books that Have to Do with the Text

1. The Bible Itself. As we are taking up the subject of books, we will refer our readers to what we said about the copy of the Bible it is best to have. We are living in a day of Bible production; publishing houses vie with each other in producing the most excellent and attractive editions of the Scriptures. They can be had in all sizes and for all purposes. As already recommended, we would suggest that one have a larger Bible for the table at home, with good, clear type, and a margin sufficiently wide to make such notes as it will be desirable to preserve. If one is making his notes freely, as was suggested, marking everything that strikes him, such a copy had best be moderately cheap, so that when it is marked up, it could be laid away. Where this is done and the student can afford it, it might be well to buy a wide- margined Bible of good paper, in which the more permanent markings could be entered, with such notes as he desires to preserve for constant reference. A Bible of this kind need not have any “Helps” in the back, which increases the bulk. Perhaps the note-book will take the place of the casual daily markings, and we need have but one table Bible for careful and permanent entries. Thus, subjects could be traced throughout and divisions noted, and whatever else is of permanent value would be preserved. In addition to this table copy, it is well to have a book as small as can be conveniently read, to carry about with us in the satchel or pocket.

There ought to be numberless opportunities for the use of our pocket Bible, and probably a great deal of our consecutive reading and memorizing will be done with it. Bibles for permanent use for the table, and the pocket Bible, had best be of good quality, and here at least the best is the cheapest. If one is going to spend as much as three dollars for a book, he had better strain a point, if need be, and spend five to nine; but if he cannot afford to do this, he will probably get almost as much satisfaction out of one for two. The middle-priced books are often rather disappointing, but any book, no matter how expensive and how well-bound, must be properly treated or we can easily “break its back” by opening it in the center and straining it back at once. We should follow the directions which often go with such books, and open carefully, passing our finger along the joint where the leaves are stitched together, beginning with the first few leaves and alternating with the last, until we have thus pressed out the leaves at intervals of six or so, throughout the entire book. In this way, the book will gradually open and the glue at the back not be broken.

The writer may be pardoned for not advising the purchase of two books of the “fac simile series” as they are called, where the larger editions correspond exactly to the smaller in their paging, so that local memory is assisted. We are not going to be limited to two Bibles all our lives, and it seems a pity to be brought into what is almost a bondage in the use of one style of book. As we grow familiar with our Bibles, we will find little difficulty in turning to passages.

We unhesitatingly advise the use of the authorized version alone as our textbook and companion. It is a great pity to take up any revision or version, no matter how excellent, and make it the basis of our work. If for no other reason, the fact that King James’ version, while sufficiently accurate, is universally used would decide us in this.

2. Other Versions. As soon as one is fairly familiar with the text of our authorized version, it is very desirable to get one or more versions. The original Greek or Hebrew can be rendered of course in different ways, and yet the translation be faithful. It is this diversity of translation which proves so helpful as one advances in Bible knowledge. The way a sentence is translated, the different words used, or their arrangement, often prove a very suggestive help. Back of this is the question of the text, particularly of the New Testament which, as is well known, has been more or less improved by the discovery of ancient manuscripts since the time our admirable “Authorized” version was made. As we have already said, none need be disturbed at the thought that the text has been altered in certain places. If we remember that our Bibles were, for many centuries before the discovery of printing, copied by the slow and laborious means of handwriting, we may be sure that many little slips occurred, no matter how careful the copyist might be. It is worthy of note, however, that amongst the hundreds of manuscripts which are in existence, in the most faulty of these, not a single doctrine of divine truth has been affected, if we take the Bible as a whole. The vast majority of these errors are so manifest and of such unimportant character that their correction raises no question.

A number of passages in Scripture, however, have been rendered obscure by this faulty copying. Occasionally, too, the copyist has dropped out a word, phrase, or even a sentence which is found in other manuscripts; and occasionally what was evidently a marginal note or explanation has been incorporated into the text by a succession of copyists who have apparently thought it helpful to the understanding of the passage. Thus, the familiar passage which found its way into our version (1 John 5:7, 8) is an interpolation which was probably introduced by some monk copyist more than a thousand years after Christ, and does not exist in any manuscript that can be considered for a moment as authoritative on such matters. There are very few passages so glaring as this, but quite a few where the text has been more or less affected, and where a judicious and reverent scholarship has, by faithful research, found out the more ancient reading and the exact original wording.

Now, wherever this has been ascertained, of course we should make use of it; and here was one of the great needs for a revision of the text. The Revised Version of 1881, together with the recommendations of the American editors of the same, furnish very many helpful suggestions along these lines. Care, however, should be taken by the student, not to slavishly follow the suggestions of the revisers, for in some cases they are themselves open to further revision, and (with the exception of manuscript corrections mentioned above) are no improvement upon the Authorized Version—rather the reverse.

We mention, therefore, another revision of the New Testament, of somewhat earlier date, which is more conservative and careful in its emendations of the various readings. This book has a valuable introduction which will put the average reader in possession of the facts needed to appreciate the importance of textual revision; and a list of the principal manuscripts, with their description, is also given. The special feature of this work is that in foot-notes the editor puts the reader in possession of the manuscript authorities which have been the basis of his own alterations in the text, thus enabling one to form his own judgment. This feature of the work renders it particularly valuable, and we unhesitatingly recommend it to the student as a companion in his Bible study, together with the Revised Version.

Along with these two, we would recommend the text of the Numerical Bible, which also gives many suggestions as to passages in question, as well as an excellent translation.

Thus far we have dwelt simply upon the text itself. For those who desire to go more fully into this subject, we would refer them to the many excellent books on New Testament textual criticism. Among these might be mentioned “The Words of the New Testament,” by Millan and Roberts; and, for those who desire a larger work, “New Testament Textual Criticism,” by Scrivener.

In what we have said about the text, it must be understood that we refer chiefly to the New Testament. That of the Old Testament remains what it was, the Massoretic text, manuscripts of which are not so ancient even as those of the New Testament, and which have so little variety in them as practically to be a unit. The Septuagint and other versions are too uncertain for us to allow them at present to affect the integrity of the text as we have it.

The Revised Version of the Old Testament is also helpful, and Mr. Darby’s particularly so.

That part of the Numerical Bible which has been issued is also very helpful in this direction.

Thus far we have dwelt exclusively upon the matter of text and manuscripts. When we come to translation, as has already been intimated, we find especial value in the use of different versions. Every good version in our own or other tongues is just a translation of the original from a slightly different point of view. We would not advise the beginner to get more than the few versions already indicated; but for the advanced student we would say that every genuine new translation which he can get will prove in some way suggestive. Thus, Rotherham’s “Critical Translation of the New Testament;” Alford’s more popular but scholarly version of the same; and any other genuine and reliable attempt to give the meaning of the original, will prove suggestive. We do not, of course, speak of those wretched and irreverent travesties of translation which result only in bringing dishonor upon the word of God. These, no matter how well intended, may be safely let alone. To express the word of God in the language of the daily newspaper is certainly no gain, but a great loss. If one is familiar with any foreign language, by all means let him have a copy of the Scriptures in that tongue. These will all prove helpful and suggestive in one way or another.

The advanced student might also have one or more versions of the Old Testament by Jews. These will prove suggestive in certain directions, and the manifest effort to avoid the testimony of their Scriptures to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is both sad and instructive. Truly, “They know not the voice of the Prophets, which are read every Sabbath day.” Leer’s “sacred Scriptures” is perhaps as good as any of these Jewish versions of the Old Testament.

The “Douay” or Roman Catholic version is by no means a poor one, and can be added to the stock of translations, both for whatever of suggestiveness it may offer, as well as to enable us to meet the Romanist with his own version of the Scriptures in our hand. Not to confuse the average student, we recur again to our recommendation, if but one additional version is used, let it be Mr. Darby’s, or that of the Numerical Bible; and our last word, best of all for the average reader is the Authorized Version.

3. The Original Text. This place will perhaps do as well as any to say something about the originals. Comparatively few Bible students have a knowledge of the original Hebrew and Greek, and we need not dwell very long upon this part of our subject, as we have more particularly in mind English readers. It may not be amiss, however, to say to college graduates, or those who have a fair knowledge of Greek, that it is a pity to let it slip as most do. Without pretending to independent scholarship, an ordinary knowledge of the Greek Testament is exceedingly profitable. Multitudes of details which would only cumber a translation can easily be gathered by the average student. Take, for instance, the simple matter of synonyms. We have a very profitable field of study open to an ordinary student. The same is true as to the use of prepositions, to say nothing of the shades of meaning involved in mood and tense.

The last verse of Romans 12 recurs as an illustration of the delicate shade of meaning in the use of prepositions. “Be not overcome of (hupo, literally, by) evil, but overcome evil with (en, literally, in) good.” Here “evil” is looked at as a power from outside which threatens and could easily overcome us. On the other hand, “good” is the atmosphere in which we are to live, occupied with it, and in the power of this can meet and overcome evil.

Most are familiar with the delicate distinction made by the evangelist John in the restoration of Peter (John 21), where our Lord uses the stronger, we might say divine, word for “love,” agapao, and Peter in response uses the more human phileo. The very use of the words might suggest that self-distrust which had so happily taken the place of Peter’s vain confidence; a distrust, however, which must not be allowed to go too far, or it becomes false humility.

Therefore let the one who has the Greek make use of it, and be very thankful for it. It is a most absorbing and delightful line of work, which yields rich results. On the other hand, we would not recommend the average Bible student whose time is limited to a few minutes each day to attempt to master so intricate a language as the Greek of the New Testament; but for the encouragement of those who have leisure and purpose of heart we say, The fact that you have never acquired the language at school need not deter you from the attempt to get a moderate, working knowledge of the New Testament Greek by devoting a certain specified portion of your time to faithful study. Perhaps as useful works in this direction as any other are, Dr. Green’s “Grammar of New Testament,” and Harper and Weidner’s “Manual of New Testament Greek.”

We add a further word of caution for all except those who are actually qualified. Do not attempt to be dogmatic, and do not quote Greek to those who know nothing about it, nor make your little gleanings the staple of instruction to your Sunday-school class or at meetings. It will usually be found that those who have a fair knowledge of the original will be slower to exhibit it than those who have merely a smattering. We need to remember the apostle’s injunction, and “put on humility of mind.”

What we have said about the New Testament will apply equally to the Old. Hebrew is far simpler, and therefore not so difficult a language as the Greek. Yet it is the divinely-chosen medium of inspiration for the Old Testament. The very language is itself pictorial, or typical, and is therefore appropriate to the times of type and shadow. It is a most beautiful language, which, with a marked simplicity, is also sufficiently flexible to express profound emotions. It would, however, scarcely lend itself to the delicacies and shades of meaning, for instance, of the Goel of John or the epistles of Paul. The Greek is perhaps the most perfect vehicle in existence for the expression of abstract truth; but in Old Testament days, while the time for this abstract statement had not come, the Hebrew, by its very simplicity and pictorial character, is peculiarly adapted to its own special use.

Hebrew etymologies are particularly interesting, and, as we know, the significance of names has in late years attracted much attention and been useful in opening up hitherto neglected portions of Scripture.

We add a word as to certain characteristics of the language which are suggestive. As is well known, there are but two tenses in the Hebrew, the past and the future. The present is the changing point between these two, itself suggesting a profound truth. There is also what is called the conversion of tenses which affords suggestive lessons. For instance, in Gen. 1:1, we have the simple statement: “In the beginning, God created (bara) the heavens and the earth.” This is a simple preterit. It carries us back to the beginning. The next event, hover, is not described by a preterit, but a future, rightly translated however by a preterit. The original, by a vav conversive, changes the future into a past. Literally, it would be: “And God will say, Let there be light.” The thought seems to be that we take our stand in the beginning with God, and look out upon the work which He is about to do: as though in answer to our question, What will He do next? the answer is given, “And God will say, Let there be light; and God will see the light that it is good.” In other words, the language is intensely dramatic. It enacts the whole scene before us, instead of simply narrating it.

Many highly interesting and profitable suggestions will be gathered by one ordinarily familiar with the Hebrew, and we would again earnestly advise those who have time to keep it fresh by a little daily reading. Five minutes each, spent on the Hebrew and Greek daily, would at least prevent our losing what we have gained.

Those who desire to take the time to acquire a fair knowledge of Hebrew, by no means an insurmountable task, can find helpful books. The “Elementary Hebrew Grammar” by Dr. W. H. Green, and the “Hebrew Chrestomathy” by the same author will suffice.

Concordances

We will speak of concordances first as being practically indispensable to those who are going to make progress in study. There are numbers of these, and it will not be understood that we are recommending one to the exclusion of others if we do not mention all.

In selecting a concordance one should know exactly what he desires, as it is well nigh impossible to get every feature in one book. Of first importance for ordinary Bible students is one which gives every word in the Bible in alphabetic order with a reference to every passage in which it occurs, and a sufficient number of words to enable one to identify the reference. Of books which practically do this, perhaps the earliest was “Cruden’s Concordance,” which in its various editions still remains the one most commonly in use, with many excellent features to recommend it. It is not, however, strictly alphabetic, but the same word is sometimes divided into groups with characterizing words, so that two, three or more lists or groups of the same word are given, which are somewhat confusing to one merely looking for a passage.

“Walker’s Concordance” is quite good, although possibly not so complete as Cruden’s, but without the undesirable feature we have just mentioned.

“The Oxford Pocket Concordance” is a much smaller book, suitable for carrying about, but would scarcely be recommended for permanent use, being so much abridged.

The best of all verbal concordances with which we are acquainted is Strong’s “Comprehensive Bible Concordance,” which has the advantage of placing every English word used in the Scriptures, including all proper names, in exact alphabetic order. This excludes the articles “a” and “the” and a few pronouns and other particles constantly in use. The author, however, has even included these in an appendix, indicating an immense amount of labor for which, with all respect to his diligence, we do not see the need.

With this concordance, the English reader can select any word, except those just mentioned, and find its reference in the concordance. He will not be confused by a variety of lists, groupings, divisions or anything else. In addition to this, each word has a number, while different kinds of type indicate whether the word is Hebrew or Greek. These numbers are arranged in their order in two other appendices, in which the original Greek or Hebrew word is given, spelled also in English letters, with its meaning, and with the various English words which are used to translate it in our Bibles. We are thus quite completely in touch with the original tongues. Perhaps it is the best of all concordances for those who can have but one. Its great bulk, however, makes it unwieldy—a hindrance for some.

“Young’s Analytical Concordance” differs in some respects from Strong’s. It gives us the English words in their alphabetic order, and under each English word we have the various original words which are used to translate it. Here we have lost the thought of a reference concordance, but have gained greater accuracy in having the different original words which are translated by the one English word classified in separate lists under an English heading. “Young’s Concordance” gives us, no doubt with a good degree of accuracy, all the original words translated by one English word. He fails, however—which seems a distinct blemish—to give us all the original words, whether translated by different English ones or not. In other words, he has made the English version the basis, instead of the original. We come next to “The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance” and “The Englishman’s Greek Concordance” by G. V. Wigram, which we consider the most helpful and scholarly work of its kind. Here, the original is made the basis and the words are arranged in the order of the original alphabet and not of the English. Under each original word is given in English every occurrence of that word in Scripture, after the manner of “Strong’s” or “Cruden’s.” The English word which is the translation of the original is printed in italics, so that there can be no doubt. Thus, the ordinary English reader is put in possession of a concordance to the original tongues, but on an English basis. The Hebrew and Greek are given in their own characters, and spelled out in English also. All in all, for purposes of study, we consider “Wigram’s Concordances,” especially the Greek one, to be the most useful of all.

However, as we have already said, Strong’s is the best where only a single concordance can be had. Our recommendation would be Strong’s and Wigram’s.

We merely speak of other works, no doubt excellent in their way: “Hitchcock’s Bible Analysis,” Bullinger’s and Hudson’s Concordances, and a very portable one for a Greek scholar, Schmidt’s. All are useful in their place.

In addition to a concordance, we would recommend “The New Topical Text Book” with an introduction by Dr. Torrey, in which various Scripture passages are grouped together to illustrate certain topics. This little book will be found quite helpful in the topical study of the Bible as described in Part 1, Section 5.

Simply for those who may desire to know, we mention for the Old Testament, Tregelles’ Edition of “Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon”; and for the Greek, perhaps none is better than Dr. Robin-son’s Dictionary of New Testament Greek. Cremer’s might also be named.

Bible Dictionaries

In the wider use of the word, an excellent single volume is Fausset’s Bible Cyclopedia which has the merit of scholarship, orthodoxy, and to a certain extent a spiritual apprehension of the truth.

Another Bible Dictionary, published by G. Morrish, has the added advantage of a deeper spiritual apprehension, though we are not prepared to speak with the same certainty of its breadth and scholarly character.

“Smith’s Bible Dictionary,” Hackett’s edition, in four volumes, is perhaps the best of the comparatively recent and thoroughly scholarly works. It also has the merit of orthodoxy which, alas, is, lacking in many other modern works.

Hastings’ Bible Dictionary, and Driver’s, and all of that kind are to be eschewed by any one who loves the word of God. They are thoroughly leavened and tainted by higher criticism, and all the vain show of scholarship but raises dust to obscure the vision of the simple.

Other helpful and useful books of this character would be “Kitto’s Bible Dictionary”; McClintock and Strong’s Doctrinal, Ecclesiastical and Theological Cyclopedia,” ten or twelve volumes—of larger works; the “Schaff-Herzog Cyclopedia,” an adaptation in English of Herzog’s larger German work, and for ordinary readers the smaller Bible Dictionary by Dr. Schaff, are all that need be mentioned. Two books with many helpful articles are the “Handbooks to the Old and the New Testaments” by Walter Scott.

Some of these can be picked up occasionally in secondhand bookstores for a small sum. For any who are buying one book, we would recommend Fausset as likely to give the greatest satisfaction.

Bible Outlines

We devote a special section to a class of very helpful books which lie between the dictionary and the commentary. For want of a better word, we will speak of these under the general head of Books of Bible Outline. They give us in a general way the contents of the whole Bible; sometimes in a brief, rapid summary, and again in a more detailed unfolding of the contents and purport of each book; or perhaps, better than all, the contents and scope of each book and its grouping as bringing out the marvelous, perfect structure of the Scriptures.

1. “The Books of the Bible” by J. N. Darby, is a little book that can be put in the pocket and read through perhaps in an hour or so. It is very brief, but gives an excellent summary of all the books of both Old and New Testaments.

2. “Bible Outlines” by Walter Scott, is fuller and is valuable as giving a summary of the books of both Old and New Testaments in sufficient detail to enable one to form a fairly clear and comprehensive view of the Bible as a whole.

3. “The Numerical Structure of Scripture” by F. W. Grant, supplies a most suggestive and beneficial outline of the books, describing them not only by their contents, but by their numeral position in the various groups into which Old and New Testaments are divided. This is a most helpful book, and its publication marked what we may almost call an epoch in systematic Bible study.

4. “From Genesis to Revelation” by S. Ridout. This book is based upon the preceding, and is an attempt to combine the structural analysis of Mr. Grant with a descriptive summary of the contents of each book, somewhat after the manner of the “Synopsis” next to be described. It lies, in this way, midway between the two, and has been helpful in giving in simple, colloquial language, easily understood, the results of the profounder work that went before.

5. “Synopsis of the Books of the Bible” by J. N. Darby. Perhaps no uninspired book that has ever been written, all things considered, has been more used in opening up the word of God than these five unpretentious volumes. Two are devoted to the Old Testament and three to the New. Originally written in French, but added to and enlarged by their author, they were written, as nearly all the works of this devoted and learned servant of Christ, with the special object of the edification of the people of God. A prolific author of some forty volumes or more, it might be said that scarcely one of them was prepared without some definite purpose in view. Often it was to meet error. Even when writing on such topics as particles and prepositions, there was the evident purpose of the edification of the saints. Learned beyond ordinary, but with no pretense of pedantry, with a mind the equal or superior of any in his time, coupled with the simplicity of a child and the devotedness and zeal of first love, we cannot too warmly commend everything written by this faithful servant of God.

5. His “Synopsis” remains the one book par excellence for the Bible reader and student who desires to get a full, clear summary of the contents and scope of the word of God. Mr. Darby had the unusual gift, beyond most, of grasping the great, salient features of an inspired book and of falling into the current and purpose of the Spirit of God in its elucidation. He could thus state in a few paragraphs the main theme and object of each book. This was followed by a few words marking the divisions of the book; and under each division is given further the contents and main theme of each chapter or group of chapters. The work is therefore of great value as a companion to simple Bible reading. If we would spend a few minutes in reading the outline of the special chapter with which we are occupied in our Bible reading, it would be very illuminating. While all this applies to the Synopsis of the entire Bible, it is particularly true of the three volumes of the New Testament, and in a special degree of the Epistles, where the characteristic truths of Christianity, so long tangled up in a vague mass with all the rest of Scripture, are brought out in their true light and distinctness. For those who are familiar with the “Synopsis” no words of ours are needed to commend it, but we cannot too earnestly advise those who hope to gain a clear apprehension of all the word of God to secure this work, and make it the companion of their studies.

This must suffice for books of general outline.

6. In addition to these, for the New Testament and for that part of the Old which it covers, we must mention the “Numerical Bible” by F. W. Grant. A work in its way as unique as the “Synopsis,” the fruit of years of patient study for his own profit, the embodiment of his convictions as to the inspiration and perfection of the word of God in its structure as well as its contents, the “Numerical Bible” in its introductory outlines gives invaluable help along the lines we are now pursuing. A little later we will refer to its other valuable features, but just here speak only of its importance for outline, synoptic work.

Outlines of Special Topics

It will be remembered that in the chapter on dispensational truth, we suggested it would be better for the student to have some useful book of outlines of prophetic truth as a guide. We will now mention a few of these, beginning with the simpler. Many of these are in pamphlet form and quite small, but it would be well if those who have not had and read them should secure them as of special value in their study.

1. “The Lord’s Coming,” by C. Stanley.

This is among the first published on prophetic subjects, which have since multiplied so largely. It contains the simplest of diagrams, which yet in an unmistakable way conveys Scripture truth. It is said that Mr. Stanley first drew this diagram on a barn door with a piece of chalk, to illustrate the great dispensational truths to his simple country hearers. We can only say it would be well if all preachers and teachers grasped this simple outline and grouped their knowledge of Scripture truth according to its teaching.

2. “What God hath said on the Second Coming of Christ,” and on the “Millennium,” by the same author, are full of references to Scripture.

3. “Caught up with the Bridegroom and Coming with the King;” “Changed in a Moment” and “He Cometh with Clouds;” “Papers on the Lord’s Coming,” by C. H. M.; “The Mystery and the Kingdom of Heaven,” with accompanying chart, are all of them pamphlets, small and large, which can be procured for a few pennies, and will illumine the whose subject of dispensational truth.

Of larger works, we mention:

4. “Eight Lectures on Prophecy,” by Trotter; “Plain Papers on Prophetic and Other Subjects,” by the same. The first is a simple and valuable statement for beginners; the second goes into the subject at length and is a most valuable compendium of dispensational truth—perhaps the best work on prophecy. Here, the great epochs of Scripture and the great prophetic questions are treated in a clear, reverent and practical way. We can cordially commend this valuable work.

5. “The Lord’s Coming, Israel and the Church” by T. B. Baines, is another valuable dispensational work with the special merit of great simplicity and clearness of style. It is perhaps more readable than the previous book, though not so full in its treatment of prophetic subjects.

Other excellent books on dispensational truth will be mentioned in a supplementary list but need not be specially characterized here.

6. We add, however, “The Lessons of the Ages,” by F. W. Grant, a very clear and helpful characterization of each dispensation of Scripture, with the lessons to be learned from all. No one should fail to study this valuable book of only 125 pages.

7. Before closing this part of our subject, we notice a very helpful “Chart on the Course of Time,” by A. E. Booth, with notes to the same, called “A Key.” This chart, based upon the typical interpretation of the seven days of creation in their application to the dispensations, is an interesting and helpful work. It puts clearly before the eye, in a semi-pictorial way, the great epochs and dispensations of Scripture, showing how each day of creation was typical of a day in the great progressive march of events.

Thus, the first day with the light is typical of the first age when the light of God’s promise shone upon the troubled seas of humanity from Adam to Noah.

The second day, in like manner, with the firmament above the earth, suggests the period of human government when the authority of the heavens was first felt in the government of the world.

The third day, the emergence of the dry land, is the age of Israel’s history as a nation from the call of Abraham to Christ, where in the sea of the world’s nations, Israel arises as the great central continent where God manifested His ways.

The fourth epoch is that of the Church, the dispensation in which we are living, when the Son, the light above the sun, for us shines in the heavens.

The fifth day is the period of the fruitfulness of the waters, suggesting that Great Tribulation out of which emerges blessing for the earth. This blessing is described in the Sixth day, the millennial period where the man with the woman, typical of Christ and the Church, is given authority over all the earth.

The seventh day is the Sabbath, the eternal rest of God where sin can never enter to blight His new creation.

This, with very many interesting details, is given in the chart and accompanying key.

Commentaries

We can imagine some of our readers lifting their eyebrows at this word, especially in the light of what we have already said about original work. We can only say, there are two kinds of commentaries and we must not be afraid of a word because it has been abused. What is our own little book, but an endeavor to throw light upon the truths of the precious word of God? What are these outlines which we have been commending, but elucidations of the great dispensations, etc., of Scripture; and what the helpful “Notes,” etc., which have been of such benefit to multitudes? These are but commentaries under another name, and we must not despise helps of this kind. Indeed, the student who gathers most by original work will be the last to despise helps of every kind.

We desire under this head to give no exhaustive list—an impossible thing; nor even to point out every helpful commentary, which would also be an impossibility; nor yet merely to repeat what we have said elsewhere, but simply to answer an inquiry that might be made by any one engaged in Bible study.

As to commentaries on the entire Bible, we mention first, although it covers only part of the Old Testament with all the New,

1. “The Numerical Bible,” by F. W. Grant. We have already spoken of it as supplying a new and carefully prepared version of the Bible, and have as well pointed out the value of its outlines, together with the numerical structure to which we have had occasion to draw the reader’s attention. We therefore confine what we have to say here simply to its value as a comment upon the Scriptures, and we can truly say that, in our judgment, no more valuable commentary exists.

It is not in the strictest sense a commentary. That is, it does not take up each verse and give grammatical and other elucidations, with practical remarks at the close. It is rather an enlargement of the thought of an outline, giving the scope and contents of each book with its divisions and sub-divisions, and going into the evident purpose of the Spirit of God in each portion, both as to its form and contents. There is always special reference to the spiritual significance, and where this is clearly grasped, it often offers a key to the literal interpretation of a passage. Mr. Grant is particularly rich and helpful in the typical portions of the Old Testament; the comments on the tabernacle in Exodus, on the sacrifices in Leviticus, the other ceremonial ordinances in Numbers and Deuteronomy, are most valuable and suggestive. Indeed, it is the peculiar charm of this hook that it gives us clues for further study, rather than sating the mind with every possible thought upon a passage. The work is thus stimulating and enables one to pursue his own studies with greater liberty and confidence. Nor is the practical feature found wanting. Indeed who that is most engaged with the truly spiritual can handle it in a coldly intellectual manner? It is ever God’s way to appeal to the heart and conscience as well as the intellect, and a mere mental enjoyment of Scripture is a dangerous thing.

The two volumes from Genesis to 2nd Samuel are a treasure-house of “things new and old” in this direction. The separate volume on the book of Psalms is remarkable in every way. We know of nothing to be compared with it in value as a commentary upon the Psalms, and especially with reference to their structure, dispensational setting, and Christological value.

We are thankful to say that the entire New Testament is completed, and here, in Gospels, Acts and Epistles, together with Revelation, we have a complete commentary upon the Christian Scriptures, most useful and sufficiently minute in the more abstract portions to amount to a helpful treatment of the subject.

It has also a system of references by which an effort is made to elucidate the text by suited and classified references. These have proven helpful to many students, not only in furnishing actual texts, but indicating the nature of proper references and how far we may make use of Scripture as a divinely inspired comment upon itself. This line of study, as already suggested, is most valuable, and indeed fascinating.

2. With certain qualifications and reservations, we mention “Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary” of the entire Scriptures—a work of considerable value in furnishing a comment upon every portion of Scripture, in the main orthodox, but lacking that dispensational grasp of truth which is of such great importance. It is perhaps the most valuable commentary of this character that we can speak of. For those who know dispensational truth, it would be valuable in a general way, as furnishing useful and helpful explanations of much of an antiquarian and historical, as well as doctrinal and practical character.

Somewhat similar, but probably more scholarly and more lengthy, is “The Speaker’s Commentary,” prepared by prominent clergymen of the Church of England, with much to commend in its devout and reverent tone and genuine scholarship, while quite within the comprehension of the average student.

“Ellicott’s Commentary” on the entire Scriptures seems also a valuable work of the same character, while the older commentaries of Scott and Matthew Henry are far too voluminous and diffuse for the average reader to make much use of.

Of more distinctly technical works, we might mention the commentaries of Kiel and Delitzsch upon the Old Testament, rich and scholarly, but without the knowledge of dispensational truth. We might mention as a New Testament companion to these, a work different indeed in many respects, but valuable: “Alford’s Greek Testament,” in five volumes. The author was a scholarly, gifted man, no mean textual critic, and with quite an insight into prophetic truth. His notes are interesting and suggestive, and his text, especially with its rich thesaurus of various readings, is invaluable. He must however be read with discrimination.

The Lange series of doctrinal, critical, exegetical and homiletical commentaries on the entire Bible is of varying value according to the authors. While not distinctly unsound nor tainted with higher critical infidelity, it is scarcely a work one would recommend for the general reader. Some, however, will profit from it, and whoever is capable of understanding it should at least be also capable of detecting partial or erroneous views.

With these, we close our general list and add only a few works upon special books.

1. C. H. M.’s “Notes on the Pentateuch” we have already described and would again warmly commend. They should have their place on the shelves of every Bible student. With many, they have been the key to opening the entire Bible. The beloved author was a man of singular piety and ability, with a remarkable gift of expression. Scarcely anywhere, in the English language will we find more beautiful and forcible language. It is a work to be put in the hands of a beginner, and many there are who have wished that he could have continued his comments upon the entire Scriptures in the same manner. This, however, was not permitted. We therefore add, as far as we can, a list of works of a similar class, upon the remainder of the Scriptures.

2. “The Book of Joshua,” by H. F. Witherby, is quite in line with Mr. Mackintosh’s work and a good introduction to this important and little understood book. It is particularly rich in its unfolding of what we might call “Ephesian truth.”

3. “Lectures on the Book of Judges,” by S. Ridout. In a series of familiar addresses, the contents of this book are opened up, the lessons of Israel’s failure to possess themselves of the land and to hold it in the fear of God, with special application to individual and corporate life at the present time.

4. “Gleanings from the Book of Ruth,” by the same author, is along similar lines, and, together with other smaller works, is an exposition of that lovely pastoral supplement to Judges.

5. “King Saul: the Man after the Flesh,” by S. Ridout, is a series of Notes upon 1st Samuel, after the manner of the book on Judges; and while King Saul is the prominent character, as indeed he is in 1St Samuel, there is an exposition of the book from beginning to end. “Life and Times of David,” by C. H. M., covers the same period, as “Staff and Scepter,” by C. Knapp, also does.

6. “The Kings of Judah and Israel,” by C. Knapp. This book covers 2nd Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, with many helpful and valuable notes on the various kings, good and bad, of Judah, and those who led or maintained the divided kingdom of Israel in their apostasy.

To these also may be added the helpful monographs, by C. H. M., on Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Elijah and Josiah. “Mephibosheth,” “Great Stones and Costly,” “Doors Shut and Lamps Put Out,” interesting and valuable pamphlets by Charles Stanley. “Meditations on Elisha,” by J. G. Bellett, in that gifted author’s usual happy style.

7. The captivity books, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, have been commented upon by E. Dennett, C. Stanley and others. “The Captives of Judah,” by J. G. Bellett, is valuable.

“The Gates of Jerusalem,” by H. A. Ironside, and the same author’s suggestive “Notes on Esther,” bring us to the end of the historical books.

8. “Notes on Job,” by W. Kelly, with a new and able translation of that book, with Notes following each chapter, is an excellent little volume. Mr. Mackintosh has written “Job and His Friends” which deals with one feature of the book, and Mr. Stanley on “Job’s Conversion.” There is still room for a handling of the whole book after the manner of Mr. Mackintosh.

9. Mr. Darby’s “Practical Reflections on the Psalms;” “The Book of Praises,” by C. E. S.; “Meditations on the Psalms, chiefly in their prophetic character,” by J. G. Bellett; and “Notes on the Psalms,” by Arthur Pridham, the latter with some provisos, will suffice.

10. “Proverbs,” by H. A. Ironside, a valuable and practical comment upon each verse of that wonderful book.

11. On Ecclesiastes, we have “Old Groans and New Songs,” by F. C. Jennings, in which the great problem, “Is life worth living?” is discussed in the light of New Testament joys, which alone can justify an affirmative answer.

12. “Meditations on the Song of Solomon,” by A. Miller, is a sweet and edifying enlargement of this lovely book. The smaller work by H. Friend is also helpful.

13. On Isaiah we have no work of a character similar to the list we are now giving. “The Prophet Isaiah,” by W. Kelly, is a larger and more scholarly work, abounding in much that is profitable however, and with the special advantage of being clear in its dispensational presentation of the truth.

14. “The Weeping Prophet,” by H. A. Ironside, is a helpful unfolding of the book of Jeremiah, with practical applications to our times.

15. “Notes on Ezekiel,” by W. Kelly, covers that prophet in a profitable way.

16. “Notes on Daniel,” by the same author, is a remarkably helpful and simple work. Mr. Ironside’s “Lectures” on the same book, recently published, are perhaps a more popular treatment of the same subject.

17. “The Twelve Minor Prophets,” by H. A. Ironside, gives quite a full unfolding of this “Deuteronomy of the Prophets” after the author’s usual clear and practical manner.

Continuing our list of books that would form suited companions to C. H. M. ‘s “Notes,” we come to the New Testament.

18. We place first here Mr. Bellett’s admirable book on “The Evangelists” which, in deep, spiritual and rich views of the person of our Lord, make up for any lack of detailed exposition.

19. These details are considered in “Lectures on the Gospel of Matthew,” an excellent and scholarly work by Mr. Kelly, a little above the level of the other books, but furnishing a pattern for the study of the other Synoptic Gospels.

20. “Notes on Mark,” by C. E. S., and “The Great Servant Prophet,” a series of addresses on this Gospel, by W. T. Turpin, are useful. W. Kelly has a learned work on this same Gospel.

21. The Notes on the Gospel of Luke, “From Advent to Advent,” by C. E. Stuart, bear marks of that author’s usual painstaking labor and helpful suggestions in many directions.

22. “Notes on the Gospel of John,” by R. Evans, enter into the spirit of this wondrous Gospel, whose heights and depths still invite further prayerful meditation. A work on this Gospel in the style of Mr. Mackintosh is greatly to be desired.

23. Perhaps the best Notes on the book of Acts are those by Mr. Darby, originally written in Italian; they are a beautiful and simple unfolding of that book. Mr. Kelly has also written on it.

24. “Notes on Romans,” by J. N. Darby, and another by W. Kelly on the same epistle, would serve perhaps as well as any for a detailed examination of that epistle. The smaller works by C. Crain and J. Fort have features of excellence which we miss in the others.

25. As for Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Mr. Kelly has written a series of volumes on all these epistles, than which we know of none superior. The same remark applies to his books on the pastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus.

26. “Lectures on the Epistle to the Hebrews,” by S. Ridout, is in line with the book on Judges, with perhaps more reference to detailed exposition, so that the entire epistle is covered. There is also an excellent summary of the Epistle by F. W. Grant.

27. “Reflections on James,” by J. N. Darby is a simple treatise on that epistle.

28. 1 and 2 Peter by W. K., and Jude by H. A. I.

29. The 1st Epistle of John, by J. N. Darby, and a larger work by W. K. on the three epistles.

30. On Revelation, we have a goodly number of illuminating expositions. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” by T. B. Baines, is simpler than another of a similar title by F. W. Grant, which is more profound and, on the whole, the best that has been written on this portion of Scripture. Mr. Baines is more after the manner of Mr. Mackintosh.

We have thus endeavored to suggest a library of Expositions of the entire Scriptures for the average reader, which might be called an elementary commentary on the Bible, while by no means unsuitable for more advanced students.

All these books have the advantage of having been written from the standpoint of “rightly dividing the Word of truth,” particularly as to dispensational details. There are many excellent works which have not been mentioned, but which lack this clear setting as to the general scope of Scripture teaching. No doubt, many think of favorite authors whom they would prefer to some mentioned here. We simply give a list which we can commend as being both profitable and safe.

We add a few books not exactly expository, but which are as necessary for the Christian’s library.

1. “Facts and Theories as to a Future State,” by F. W. Grant, the classic on this solemn subject; a treasure-house of truth to meet the current assaults upon the fact of man’s responsibility, the eternity of punishment and related subjects. In view of the activity of Adventism, Millennial-dawnism, Christadelphianism, and other similar forms of error, this book is a necessity for the Bible student and Christian worker.

2. “The Atonement” and “The Crowned Christ,” two works by the same author upon the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ, are most valuable treatises on these subjects.

3. “The Son of God,” by J. G. Bellett; “The Moral Glory of the Lord Jesus,” by the same, are two delightful, elevating books, leading to a deeper and adoring sense of the excellence and matchless worth of our Lord. The first dwells upon. His deity; the second upon His humanity.

4. “The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit,” by S. Ridout, is an attempt to present in orderly detail this most important subject; special attention has been drawn to the unscriptural idea of seeking a baptism of the Spirit, a “second blessing,” etc., while fully recognizing the need of being “filled with the Spirit” who dwells already in every believer. The work of the Spirit in connection with Church ministry, worship, etc., as well as in His dispensational work in the past and in the future, is set forth.

5. “Divine Unfolding’s,” by Walter Scott, is a very helpful and interesting little book in which the accuracy of Scripture in using the various titles of God and our Lord Jesus Christ is set forth. This book should have a place in every library.

6. “The Prophetic History of the Church,” by F. W. Grant; “Simple Papers on the Church of God,” by C. E. Stuart, and W. K..’s “Lectures on the Church of God” are excellent. These or similar books should find a place upon the shelves of every one who desires to know what the Bible teaches on this great subject.

7. No library would be complete without a little poetry. At least, the “Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso and Others,” by Mrs. Bevan, and her own book “Coming,” should find a place in the smallest library.

We add a short list of books upon the subject that has been before us, many of which will be found suggestive and covering part at least of the ground we have gone over. This must necessarily be the case, for Bible study cannot be entirely along new lines.

1. “How to Study the Bible,” by D. L. Moody.

This is a stimulating and suggestive little book, giving simply an address upon this topic. It does not pretend to enter into such details as the Bible student would require.

2. “How to Study the Bible for greatest Profit,” by R. Torrey.

Dr. Torrey has also written a very suggestive introduction to the “New Topical Text Book,” elsewhere noted. His suggestions are valuable. In the book we notice here, he has gone quite fully and thoroughly into the general subject. Many of his suggestions, as just mentioned, will be found to have been given in one form or another in our own book; but his method of treating the subject is original, and those who can do so will find much of profit in going over it. His suggestions as to analysis are good, and the chapter devoted to an outline of 1 Peter will be found stimulating. We can commend the book cordially.

3. How to Study the Bible,” by I. M. Haldeman.

This is the first of a series of articles on Bible studies embraced in the book to which this article gives its name. While excellent and helpful, the purchaser must not expect to find a book of the size indicated by the price, as only the first article, of some fifty pages, is given to this subject. Dr. Haldeman also alludes to various methods, some of which we have taken up.

Without claiming exhaustiveness for our little book, we can say that we do not know of any special method recommended in any of the other books which is not dealt with in our own.

Hints as to Reading

At the close of our little book, we may be allowed to make a few suggestions as to reading in general, with special reference to literature helpful for Bible study and other matters connected with this.

1. In one sense it can be said that we are living in a book reading age, and yet perhaps never have books and their readers been so superficial as at present. A vast mass of periodic literature of the emptiest kind is absorbed by the reading public. In our large cities nearly everyone, even children, reads the daily newspaper, gorged with its disgusting recitals of crime and scandal. Weekly periodicals of trashy fiction, with numberless magazines of the same character, tinctured with an occasional article on some sensible topic, form the staple of mental food for the vast majority. In addition to these, novels by the hundred are turned out and greedily devoured. Of all this we have little to say, except to remind our readers that it indicates the course of this world according to which we no longer walk.

We would seriously lay it upon our own heart and that of God’s people, that such reading is not only in many cases positively injurious, implanting infidel notions and a worldly habit of thought, but creates a distaste for solid, mental food, and particularly for that which has to do with our eternal interests. If there were no other reason why the young Christian should abstain from literature of this character, this would be sufficient. Anything that makes the Bible distasteful, or makes it a task to read helpful books that explain it, can surely not be a friend to our souls’ growth. It cannot be from God, and therefore must be from an opposite direction. We cannot as to these apply the Scripture: “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” We do not wish to be narrow or legal, but that is not the special danger of the times in which we are living. If refusing to be turned away from Christ to enjoy this sinful world going on to destruction be narrowness, then with all our soul, let us be narrow!

With the desire to avoid misunderstanding, we add a word: what we have said is not meant to put God’s people under bondage; for instance, as to reading the news. The Christian can acquaint himself with what is taking place in the world, especially as showing its tendencies and the progress of events. However, a glance at the paper will suffice for this, and we must be on our guard, for many strong men have been ensnared in this direction.

There are a few books in which great epochs in the Church’s history have been described in the form of a narrative, in which there are fictitious individuals. Some of these books may be profitable for the young in giving them a clear view of historical events. Some of them we would hesitate to condemn absolutely. We cannot say without qualification that fiction of every kind is evil, without including such books as these; but we do say most distinctly that fiction as a whole is evil and demoralizing, for the reasons just given above.

But enough of this distasteful subject. We must leave it with every one’s conscience, asking them only, if given to reading of this character, to glance back over a year and recall all such books and literature they have read, to estimate how many pages it would make, how many hours it has taken, and then do the same with their Bible and helpful Christian literature, and compare the two. For those who might object that we had given too long a list of notes and comments on the Bible, it might be a surprise to learn that many a young man and woman reads thirty-five novels and more in the course of a year.

2. There are two ways of reading helpful books, neither of which can be commended, leaving a third, which we think is the normal and proper way. Some devour books; will take, for instance, a volume of C. H. M. and read it through in two days. To do this, they may sit up half the night or neglect some manifest domestic or business duties, or so encroach upon the time for independent Bible study that it is entirely neglected. When we come to the table, we do not eat everything that is put upon it at once; and we have a mental as well as a physical capacity for receiving and assimilating nutrition. Beyond that, what we take will only gorge and hinder true mental and spiritual digestion.

Others fall into the opposite danger. A book is so long in hand that before the end is reached the beginning is forgotten: a page or two are read at intervals perhaps of two or three days; and while we do not say that much that is profitable is not gathered, yet there is no sense of progress and no positive accumulation of truth. The happy medium between these two extremes is doubtless the best. For instance, if we are reading the Notes on the Pentateuch, it might be done at the rate of a chapter a day, or at the same rate as we are reading in our Bibles. This has the double advantage of giving us leisure for the enjoyment of the portion in hand and of confirming and enlarging our understanding of the chapters we are reading. How delightful and profitable would such a systematic course through the Pentateuch be!

The other books suggested in the list could be taken up in a similar way, so that gradually one would have read over helpful expositions of the entire Scripture; we do not say as rapidly as they would have gone over the Bible, but perhaps in double that length of time.

This brings us to guard our reader from encroaching upon his time for study. Let that be kept inviolate, and if possible, be given in the early morning when one is freshest and least likely to be disturbed. Night study and late hours are to be avoided.

Some books, of course, are merely for refence, such as the dictionaries, concordances and even the outlines of which we have spoken above, with the one exception of the “Synopsis” which we would indeed advise to be read consecutively, at least once, along with the Scriptures.

Numbers of commentaries, if one has them within reach, can be consulted on special passages, but there is no profit in attempting to read through many helpful works of this character—indeed an impossible task. They are intended for reference.

Do not be afraid of marking books which are your own, and as such marks are rarely erased, they might as well be made with ink to avoid the blurring and soiling of the page. An intelligently marked book is of interest to others. It shows them that someone has been along this way before and does not really lessen the value of the book. These marks may vary, from simply calling attention to an interesting passage, or a question as to the correctness of a certain statement, to making extended remarks on the margin. A book of this kind may be for the time a sort of note-book in which all sorts of things that the author suggests to us are jotted down. Let not a borrowed book, however, be marked, even with a pencil. We would advise one, if possible, to purchase his own books, rather than to borrow those of others. Books are lifelong friends, and if one is worth reading it is worth possessing. Of course, we may not be able to buy them at once. Indeed, books which have cost some self-denial to secure have a special value, and if thus gradually obtained will be more likely to be read than if they are bought by the yard. Borrowed books should be returned as soon as practicable. It is neither good for oneself morally, nor just to others, to fail to return books that have been kindly loaned to us.

We have reached the end of what we set out to say upon this most important subject of Bible Study. We are quite aware that nothing very original or striking has been said, but if our little book shall result in encouraging beginners to take up their Bibles or stimulate those who are already happily thus engaged, it will not have been in vain. Its aim is to glorify our blessed Lord in the hearts of His people, and to seek Him, the living Word who was and is with God, and was and is God, in the pages of that written Word where everything speaks of Him. There is indeed a marked similarity between the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and the written word of God. The One is Divine and yet has become flesh, humiliating Himself so that He could be heard and seen and handled, a Man with a perfect human mind, heart, will, affections, all that goes to make up the ideal Man, yet in and above all this, with glory veiled only to unbelief, we see the living God. So with the Scriptures: in form they are human writings, the production of various authors, and with all the characteristics of times in which they were produced and the authors who produced them. Nothing is forced or cramped. A great genius evidently wrote the Pentateuch; true poets, of the highest order, evidently wrote the Psalms, the book of Job and the Prophets. Painstaking and discriminating historians evidently wrote the historical narratives; faithful and attentive biographers evidently wrote the Gospels; and a master genius, Paul, wrote his epistles. But underneath and above the human instrument, whether king or peasant, fisherman or poet, shines the Divine Mind, the inspiring Spirit, revealing in all its grandeur and perfection, the will, the ways, the holiness, the glory, the love of God, in the person of His Son.

We know God through His word, not merely intellectually, but as born, cleansed and nourished by that Word. We know Christ thus, also; and thus, in a special and real way, the written Word is the mind of the living, the Divine Word. May something of that longing which filled the heart of the apostle possess us also. As we press forward to see our Lord on high, may we also seek Him in His word, forgetting our past attainments which are behind, reaching forth to those that are before, and pressing forward ever for the prize which, while it is on high, awaits our reverent, diligent, persistent search in the precious word of God. Not that we shall ever be satisfied this side of heaven. Indeed, God’s word is so perfect that we can never grasp all its fulness here, but we shall go on to know Him and the power of His resurrection, yea, and the fellowship of His sufferings too, in that measure in which His word fills mind and heart and possesses and controls our lives.

Courage, then, dear fellow-Christian, in this noble work! The few minutes you are putting on some little study morning by morning may seem a trifle; but, oh, the knowledge of Christ is not a trifle; the knowledge of the word of God is not a trifle. Let us then be diligent, simple, obedient and hopeful, and continue in this precious work!

“O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word. I have not departed from Thy judgments, for Thou hast taught me. How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through Thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way” (Psa. 119; 97-104).