The Word of God, the only standard of truth, has been effectually hindered by man, by the habit of generalizing God’s truth and being interested in only a certain set of subjects of personal interest, as if they contained the whole of His revealed will. Hence has arisen a great impatience of searching the Scriptures, for we presume that we are in possession of all we need, when we confine our interest to that which respects our salvation or which we think is a present need. We revere the Bible, because it ministers to our necessities as fallen sinners, rather than because it reveals God and His glory. It is for this reason many Christians are ignorant of the Word. It has not been searched as containing God’s whole revelation, but only as some object of faith or hope, intended to be morally influential upon our souls. May we rather search it as those whose privilege it is to be interested in all the counsel and revealed purposes of God our Father.
J. L. Harris