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Much may be done, it is true, in the ordinary way of reading chapter by chapter, and book by book,to secure the inspired sentiment. But we conceive that this course is too cursory, and fails of arousing the faculties of the mind to the extent which is necessary to make that sentiment its own property. Not only so, it is going too much into detail to render the subject as a whole available. By confining ourselves to this 'course, important portions of divine truth might remain for years, if not forever, uncontemplated. To remedy this evil, the writer of these pages has pursued to some extent, the practice of reading daily at several different points in the Bible; for instance, in the historical and devotional parts of the Old Testament, together with different portions of the New. But this method does not enable us to "compare spiritual things with spiritual," to the extent which is necessary in balancing different inspired statements with each other; or in deducing the precise force and bearing of those which relate to a given point. Nor does it conduct us to that skill in wielding them for purposes of practice and utility, which the exigencies of human nature require. That a man's memory is largely stored with disconnected Scriptural statements, is no evidence, that in dividing and appropriating them to the varieties of actual use and need, he is a workman that ought not to be ashamed.

Moreover, presumptuous as it may seem, we cannot but esteem the practice of writing commentaries on the whole Bible, verse by verse, as little adapted to make the matter of inspiration available, as any course that can well be pursued. It is as if a botanist should abandon every law of classification, and betake himself to the herculean task of teaching botany, by writing a dissertation upon every plant in the universe. And, if the experience of others corres

ponds to that of the writer of these pages, these detailed productions are both too extended, and too limited to be of much service. What is said on each verse is too limited to be of much value, while the work as a whole would cost the labor of one's life to read it; and when it should be read, one would no more be able to recall the matter he had gone over, than he would, all the trees which he had seen in wandering through a vast forest. We know that commentaries are thought to be of great service to ordinary readers and especially to those religious teachers who have limited means for study. And perhaps the assumptions in their favor, under such circumstances, may be well founded. But we believe that a work might be constructed on the principle of classification, whose limits should not exceed one of the volumes of an ordinary commentary, which would subserve a better purpose, whether in a critical, devotional or any other point of view, than all the commentaries which have ever been writen.* It would be a more effectual guide to inspired thoughts in themselves considered, or to their practical tendencies, than any thing that the ingenuity of man can put into the shape of a detailed exposition, in course, of all the

*We ought probably to make an exception in favor of those which are wholly or chiefly exegetical. Works constructed with reference to making the sense of the inspired text plain, wherever it may now be in any degree dark, must be valuable. But we think we have looked into this subject enough to be certain, that the interest of Sunday Schools must droop, till our course of instruction is changed. Going from verse to verse through a book, is too tedious a process for a child. Let him have references, however, to enable him to view all the parts of the Bible on a given subject together, and his interest will be kept up and when you have gone through with that subject, an available impression of it will be left upon his mind. At all events, whatever may be said in favor of notes or exegetical comments upon the inspired text, there is no way, in our view, of conducting processes of reasoning, or of arriving at the true Spirit and force of revealed statements on a given point, but by " comparing spiritual things with spiritual,"

passages of the Bible. Instead of multiplying this species of literature, therefore, we could desire to see the labor which it has hitherto claimed, turned upon an effort to shape our biblical research on those principles of induction, whose application to the other departments of knowledge, has conducted us to results so splendid and magnificent; and which will be found to embody our sole means of successful inquiry into the science of inspiration. After all, we must concede to each of the foregoing methods of studying the Bible, some degree of utility.

Somewhat also may doubtless be done to secure inspired thoughts, by taking subjects which are related to each other, as in the concatenation of topics in a system of theology. Though this is a much more unsafe method than either of the former, and has proved in the hands of theorists a pregnant means of darkening and perverting the sacred text. Not only so, a complete body of divinity may be constructed and followed out, limb by limb, muscle by muscle, and bone by bone; and yet, little more of the scope of inspired truth will be understood, than was formerly known of nature, after going through with the scholastic mode of reasoning. Nature, held on its wonted course, displaying its established phenomena, notwithstanding the rant of the schoolmen; just so the Bible, after all our studies in systematic divinity, speaks just what it does, and often it speaks directly the reverse of our reasonings.

To aid our investigation of its contents, therefore, suppose we throw together all the passages and facts which relate to a given topic and examine them in connection; then, those relating to another topic; and so on, till our topics shall exhaust (not its matter, for that is impossible,) but all the prominent features of its phenomena. Then, let these topics be examined in their relations to each other, collating

those passages which respect the agency of God in the introduction of a sinner into the divine life, for instance, in connection with those which recognise a human instrumentality in the same work-those which bear upon the sovereignty of God, with those which respect the freedom of moral agency-and in this way, view the prominent features of the vast scheme, in their harmonious adjustment to each other. There is no estimating the degree of elevation in divine knowledge, to which we may attain, by such a mode of using inspired materials. Not only so, but our views, instead of being dubious and conflicting; as they must always remain so long as they are based in part upon foreign materials, and not conformed in exact measure and degree to what is revealed; would become clear and substantially the same, being composed of the same elements. There could be no material difference in the decoction, which a number of persons should produce from the same identical ingredients. Our object being the same, that is, to ascertain the exact thought of the inspired text, in its bearing upon character and conduct; and our plan of procedure the same, consisting simply in arranging our material according to natural laws of classification; from what source could divisions and dissensions arise? One could not complain of another for learning faster than himself, or for exhibiting in his life a more perfect model of the holiness, humility, and various virtues of the Bible. Nor, indeed, could any specific differences in our plan of classification, in our combination of materials, or even in the result, which might be expected to arise from the imperfection of the human understanding, lay a foundation for embittered disscussion and divergent organizations. Such consequences might follow under any circumstances, we grant, from the conflict of selfish interests and unsubdued passions. But as we observ

ed at the commencement of our work, our reasonings do not bear upon such a cause of dissensions; but simply upon those of a sentimental character, arising from the past results or present modes of religious investigation. Now, we repeat again, we see no chance for material differences to arise, were we to abandon the causes which at present corrupt our religious reasonings, and betake ourselves to a careful pursuit of the very thoughts, conveyed by the langague of the Bible, on the same principles that guide us in other departments of knowledge.

SECTION IV.

Manner of securing inspired thoughts-hints at a Plan of Classification

A thorough investigation of the laws of connection, coincidence, and agreement between the unique and various phenomena of the inspired department, would require an extent of research and reference wholly unsuited to our limits. To effect in this way a lucid arrangement of the actual materials of knowledge furnished from this source, so as to give the learner the greatest possible facility in securing and wielding them, not only would great patience of detail be necessary; but the nicest discrimination in distinguishing between real and imaginary lines of resemblance, and also in discovering both what a particular fact is in itself, and what are its bearings upon the divine scheme, and upon the aggregate of human duties and interests. Nor let any one be guilty of the

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