CIHM Microfiche Series (Monographs) ICi\AH Collection de microfiches (monographies) Canadian Iratituta fof Hiatorical MIeroraproductiona / Inathut Canadian da mieroraproductiona hittoriquaa 1995 Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes technique et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming are checl(ed below. 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Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming / II se peut que ceitaines pages blanches ajout^es tors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texle, male, kxsque cela itait ptBsible, ces pages n'ont pas M filmtes. L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur examplaire qu'il lui a et6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exem- plaire qui sont peut-^tre uniques du point de vue bibli- ographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modifications dans la meth- ode normale de filmage sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. 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I I Opposing pages with varying colouration or ' — ' discolourations are filmed twice to ensure the best possible image / Les pages s'opposant ayant des colorations variables ou des decol- orations sont film^s deux fois afin d'obtenir la meilleur image possible. n AddWonai comments / Commentaires sifiplbmentaires: This ittffl it filmed et the reduction rnio diwkad btlow/ C* document est filmi au uux dc rMuetton indiqui et-dtssou«. lOX 14X 1(X 22X 2tX XX J 12X 16X 2a X Tha copy fllmad h«r* hu baan raproduead thanki to tha ganarosity of: SUuffar Library 's Unlnrslty Tha imagas appaaring hara ara tha bait quality poMlbIa contidaring tha condition and lagjbillty of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract tpaclflcationa. L'aiamplaira film* fut raprodult grtca t la gAntroaItt da: Stauffar Library Quaan'a Unlvarafty Laa imagaa tuivantai ont M raproduitai avac la plus grand loin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattati da I'axamplaira film*, at an conformlt4 avac laa condltlona du contrat da fllmaga. Original copiaa in printad papar covara ara fllmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- aion. or tha bach covar whan approprfata. All othar original copiaa ara fllmad baginning on tha firat paga with a printad or Illuatratad Impraa- aion. and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or Illuatratad impraaaion. Tha laat racordad frama on aach microflcha ahall contain tha symbol —^ Imaaning "CON- TINUEO"). or tha symbol V (maaning "END"), whiehavar appliai. Mapa. plataa, charts, ate, may ba fllmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly Included in ona axposura ara fllmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar. laft to right and top to bottom, as many framas as raquirad. Tha following diagrams illustrata tha mathod: Laa axamplairaa originau« dont la eouvartura an papiar aat imprlmta sont film4s an commanc^^nt par la pramiar plat at an tarminant soil par Is darniira paga qui comporta una ampralnta d'Imprasslon ou d'lllusiratlon, soit par la sacex-' plat, salon la caa, Tous las autras axamplairas orlginaux sont film4a an commancant par la pramitra paga qui com'^orta una ampralnta d'Impraaaion ou d'illuatration at an tarminant par la darnMra paga qui comporta una talla ampralnta, Un das symbolas sulvants ipparaitra sur la darnitra imaga da chaqua microflcha. salon la cas: la symbols —»■ signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbols ▼ signifia "FIN", Las eartaa, planchaa. tablaaux, ate, pauvant itre filmte i daa tsux da rMuction diffirants. Loraqua la documant ast trop grand pour ttra raprodult an un saul cllcht, il ast film* i panir da I'angla supiriaur gaucha, da gaucha t droits. at da haut an bas, an pranant la nombra d'imagas ntcassairs. Las diagrammas suivants illustrant la mtthoda. 1 2 3 4 5 6 MKaoeofY aisoiuTioN iisi chart (ANSI ordrc«« (oc Ceacbctj iiiio StuOeiits. IT is many yeiiis since ] took part in a Provinciiil 8abl)»th S ool Convention, and I feel exceedingly glad to be liere to take p in this Convention this afternoon. You will aee that I am down tor a pretty long address, so 1 shiill not atop to make any preliminary remarks. I want to tell you some reasons why I selected this subject, and I trust you will understiind my purpose in giving you these reasons. It is simply that we may for the time being look at this important subjett from the same point of view, so far as possible, for I have often thought that the Bible is the worst understood liook in the world. Indeed, I have often said modestly that the Bible is the worst understood book in the world ; and, as I desire tlie statement to be t"ken, I believe it to bi- strictly true. I intend to say that, with respect to its historic meaning the Bible is of all books in the woild the most misunderstood. This fact, this lamentable fact, as I regard it, in owing to several unfortunate causes. Till' Bible is misunderstood because of false theories of inspiration. Until quite recen( ly, almost every theory of inspiration was more or less mechanical in its character, and the Scriptures were supposed to have been miraculously dictated to a class of men who were unlike other mortals; whereas the Scriptures were cop>posed by men of like passions with ourselves, who spoke or wrote on religious subjects as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, but who made use of a great variety of literary materials of one kind and another in the wisest and best way they knew. 1 182.'59 2 The Bible is misunderstood, also, because of erroneous views of revelation. Hitherto, as a rule, the whole body of Scripture has been viewed as a supernatural revelation, and every scriptural stdte- ment has been regarded as the veritable word of God : whereas the Bible itself is not revelation, but the record of revelation ; and that not a single revelation of equal breadth and brightness, but a pro- gressive series of revelations which culminated in the teaching of our Lord. Moreover, the divine truth contained in the Bible is not so much a revelation from God as a revelation of God, because the Deity is a self-manifesting Being, who has been revealing himself to men in every age, so fa. as they were able to perceive him and to apprehend his will. The Bible is also misunderstood becausio of wrong methods of interpretation. In former times, for the most part, men have studied the Scriptures, not so much, to find out what they really mean as to find out what they mioht ingeniously be made to mean. In other words, instead of studying the Scriptures as they would study other writings to ascertain their natural, logical, histo'ical meaning, they have rather studied them to draw some lesson, to trace some doctrine, or to teach some creed. To a certain extent this has been the case with respect to the whole Bible, but especially has it been the case with respect to the Old Testament. When expounding this portion of the Bible, expositors have generally employed a spiritualizing, or an allegorizing, or an apologizing method of interpretation which has totally misled them as to its true teaching on very many points. By adopting one or other of these methods, they have tried to obtain a Christian meaning where no Christian meaning existed ; they have tried to discover a hidden sense where no hidden sense was intended ; they have tried to defend an ancient position when the position was untenable ; they have tried to remove a moral difficulty when the ditliculty was immovable ; and they have tried to maintain a personal reference to the Messiah when such a reference was utterly impossilile. At the close of a Sabbath School lesson that I taught some years ago in one of the churches of this city, a thoughtful woman came to talk with me while the other members of the class were retiring from the room. Among other things, she said, " I have never been able to understand the Old Testament. 'When reading one of the historical books, I have been told that one part of a chapter refers to Moses or Joshua, but that another part of it refers to .Tesus ; and, when reading one of the Psalms, I have been told that certain verses refer to David or Solomon, but that certain other verses refer to Christ. I never could see how that could be." I do not wonder that ray friend could not understand the Old Testament, because no book in it can be properly understood that is treated in that fanciful way. Besides these three specific reasons — false theories of inspiration, erroneous views of revelation, and wrong methods of interpretation — there is another reason of a more general kind why the Bible is so badly understood, namely, a widespread acceptance of biblical diffi- culties as incapable of explanation. It has often been stated in sermons or observed in books that there are difficulties in the Bible which no one can understand, and that the difficulty of understanding it all is an argument in favor of its divinity. " If I could grasp the whole book," observes a well-known Christian writer, " I should say at once, ' It is the work of human intellects, like my own.' ' That sort of statement has been made in one form or another a great many times. Nine years ago last summer I spent most of the season at Clifton Springs, in tSe State of New York. During my sojourn ' there, I met a bright young man from one of tlie Southern States, who was feeling perplexed over a similar statement which he had heard his pistor make a few weeks before coming north. " I do not pretend to understand the whole of the Bible," the pastor said ; " if I could understand it all it would be to me a human book. It is because I cannot understand the whole Bible that I believe it to be a divine book." Tliat is to me an extraordinary confession. Without stopping to tell you what I said to that young man at the time, I may simply say I believe the Bible to be a divine book, not because 1 cannot understand it, but because I can understand it, and because I know it was meant to be understood by those who study it with proper mental and spiritual iiualifications. Mark, I say with proper mental and spiritual qualifications, because qualitications of both kinds are needed in order to understand it aright. There are diffi- culties in the Bible, of course, just as there are in ill other ancient literatures, difficulties that are due to imperfections in the manuscripts and to obscurities in the composition ; but there is no difficulty that cannot be fairly and reasonably explained. There are truths in the Bible, too, so deep, so high, so broad that no finite mind can compre- hend them ; but tli3re is no truth that cannot be rationally con- ceived and rationally believed. Just here let me put you on your guard against a very common habit, not of explaining a biblical difficulty, but of explaining it away! There is a class of teachers who have a practice, which can- not be too strongly deprecated, of interpreting Scripture so as to meet some supposed need of science or criticism. For instance, when physical scientists began to sliow from the testimony of the rocks that the world was not made in six days of twenty-four hours each, these teachers took the ground that the word for day in the first chapter of Genesis means not an ordinary solar day, but a geological age or a geological epoch. That is not explaining the dilhculty, but explaining it away. The writer of Genesis was not thinking of geological ages or geological epochs. Those are modern terms which were not known till a comparatively few years ago. But, describing a progress in the work of creation, the writer uses t! e word for a day of ordinary length to express the unknown time of one or, possibly, of more than one creative operation. The word he employs, however, means a day of ordinary length, and he had no thought of any other kind of day in his mind. So much for an endeavor to explain away a difficulty of Scripture raised by science. Let me also give you an illustration of a similar endeavor to explain away a difficulty of Scripture raised by criticism. Since biblical critics began to refer to certain errors and contra- dictions in the Bible, these teachers have tried to explain the difficul- ties away by asserting that, whatever errors there may be in the present manuscripts, there were no errors in the original autographs. That is a most unjustifiable assertion. We do not possess the original autographs, nor is there any reason to suppose that the earlier manuscripts were any freer from errors than the existing manuscripts are. As an earnest student of the text of Scripture, I want to tell you frankly that textual imperfections, instead of becoming less numerous, became more numerous the further back we go. Such imperfections belong to the human element in the Bible, and without miraculous intervention such as the Bible does not warrant, much less claim, they were inevitable. In dealing with biblical difficulties, therefore, we should seek to explain them, and not to explain them away. For the reasons I have mentioned, I regard proper biblical interpre- tation as the prime, if not the supreme, need of the Christian Church at the present time. After considering some of the principles of interpretation which I had previously explained to his satisfaction, some principles which I intend to illustrate in this lecture, a well- known Christian Kyman in this city once stopped me on the street, and said, " I have been wondering whether most readers of the Bible to-day do not each need to be asked the question which Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch, ' Understandest thou what thou readest 1 ' " That wonder which my friend expressed I cannot help but share. In trying to show you in a single lecture how to study the ISible so as to understand it aright, I shall be able, of course, only to state the leading principles in a very general way. These principles I shall illustrate l)y practical examples, following an outline so simple that every e may carry it in the mind. In the fii place, we should study the Bible as Uterature. On the human side, he books of the Bible are literature, as truly as the works of Homer or Horace, of Shakespeare or Milton, of Bacon or Macaulay, are literature. As a literature, the Bible contains great variety of composition, almost every variety indeed of any ancient composition. Some of it is history and some of it is chronology ; some of it is biography and some of it is genealogy ; some of it is allegory and some of it is symbol ; some of it is prophecy and some of it is parable ; some of it is drama and some of it is ritual ; some of it is poetry and some of it is prose. Being a literature, the Bible not only contains a great variety of matter, but also reveals a great diversity of purpose. While the great bulk of this literature possesses a religious character and was written with a religious purpose, some of it has a historical purpose, some of it has a chron- ological purpose, some of it has a biographical purpose, some of it has a genealogical purpose, some of it has a prophetic or didactic purpose, some of it has a sanitary purpose, like many of the regula- tions of Moses ; some of it has a national purpose, like the book of Esther ; some of it hss a patriotic purpose, like the book of I^amenta- tions ; and some of it has a moral purpose, like the Song of Songs. Hence we should study the Bible as we would study any other booli , with grammar and lexicon and critical appliances of every kind, in order to obtain the exact thought in the mind of each writer ; but, before interpreting any part of Scripture, we should ascertain, first, what sort of literature it is ; and, secondly, what sort of purpose it reveals Having determined the character of the composition, and having discovered the purpose of the writer, we should then interpret each passage in accordance with the laws that govern that particular kind of literature, whether it be history or chronology, biography or genealogy, allegory or symbol, prophecy or parable, drama or ritual, poetry or prose. Owing to the very composite character of Scripture, some Iwoks of the Bible may themselves contain a variety of literature. Several kinds indeed may be found in a single book, in one of the longer books especially. That being the case, you can see, we shall always have to examine each part of a book to find out what kind of literature it is, and what the pur|)08e of the writer was. Take the book of Genesis, for example. The first chapter is semi- scientific in its character, as it deals in a popular way with the w„rlr not as actual beings, but as attributes of God ^ ''«'"''"* Thereto maxL'''''"i; T ''"'"''' ""V^^ "'<' '^"''« "» «»^«»' ''''™'«« simply represent the highest thought of the timf when Lyle% 1 and ate food with him, we should interpret that account as belonging to a time when it was generally believed that men sometimes enter- tain angels, and even gods ; but we must not take the statements as being literally true, or suppose that (Jod actually appeared to Abra. ham with a human body, and ate food with him in his tent. Once more, the story of Balaam, as recorded in the book of Num- bers, should be regarded as belonging to a time when the idea of aniumls talking with men was practically universal, and we must interpret the account in the light of that fact. There is no reason to believe there was ever a time when animals talked, but there was a time when people believed that they talked ; and this passage repre- sents the bHlict of that time. In a similar way we should treat the story in the book of Joshua of the sun and moon standing still. That account belongs to a time when men had no adequate conception either of the character of God or of the constitution of the universe. Men then believed that God could do anything, or that tliere was nothing too hard for him to do. Men then supposed that the sun rose and set, not knowing, as we now know, that it always stands stiil. Hence the account simply represents the idea of aii ancient time. We now know that God can do nothing out of harmony with His laws, as well as nothing inconsistent with His character. We now know, too, that God governs the universe by laws, and that if the earth, which moves, and not the Pun, should stop moving for a single minute, the results would be incalculable. By these illustrations I wish you all to see that we should not regard the unscientific beliefs of an ancient time as in any sense whatever binding on us. I might also give you some examples from the New Testament, such as the belief about men being possessed of evil spirits, and the notion that women ought not to speak in public with uncovered heads. We would not express ourselves in either of these ways to-day. Such examples represent the beliefs of the age or the customs of the period in which they obtained, .nd they are but two illustrations out of many that might be given. Thus we should study the Bible as ancient literature, in accordance with the ideas which prevailed when the different parts of it were written. In the third place, we should study the Bible as oriental literature. Eastern peoples do not express themselves as western peoples do. They are more imaginative in their tl. ought, more extravagant in their speech, more figurative in their style. Compared with Anglo-Saxon peoples they are more impassioned and impulsive. Their manner, too, is more animated, and their descriptions are more bold. Hence 8 we mu.t m.ke allowance for all these features of orient-l thought should interpret the Bible in accordance with oriental modei of thought and oriental forms of speech. We must study the language Wm„„.7"-,TK""" ■",P°'"' °' "'*">""<' explain l.is words in harmony with his particular manner of expressing himself. 1 his IS a point on which I desire to lay great emphasis, inasmuch theBibir V%"«V "IV" "'PPr'"*'"' ^y th" ordinary student of the Bible. V\e have still as we have always had, a class of people Scrinr/».^. ul*'"''""' "' """'"'"»• ''O"*"'* "-oy «'»'■» »»•»' the wor,l» .^1,^ ^^ ^*'""'T"""*'"^™"y'°' '"""'^'"g t° the exact 7ZLZ ^^^^P^t" °" "'", P""'""* P»S«- "^Ve must take the Bible i^nLlV^ '' ^T P™^'* '*y- ^ '""' ""« °f them a short time since and their number is very large. Let us see what would be the result, If we did take the Bible just us it stands ti„;^Tl'°^*°^"'^-?°'P;' "* Matthew, when supping for the last time with his disciples, Jesus took bread, and, hrvin| broken it, he gave It to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat ; this is my body. ■ Now, thoHulf^ ^^'^""""'u^j"''" they stand, we must hold tlia brnkt f / i*" ""y^y °f Christ when he handed them the tr?„. f * ' Tt *■ """ *^'° """'^ *•"" "'°»« ''ho teach the doc- ^«.tl '"lf^^""*u'™ "? "S*"' '° "'«'■• interpretation of this passage; whereas we know that the phrase, "This is my body" is a rhetorical expression which means, This represents ray My. bJrll^^l '^^^ °[-^"'"'' ^"'P*'- "« «" t"'"! that, after Jesus hi^ ^ what fhr'''''''Ki" Pn"\°' *'■« '°"«^' »•'» «"'»«?'«' "feed hira what this parable might be." Taking these words just as explain just what a parable is; whereas we kao-- from the teaching of the context that, when they asked " what this parable might be " terfeTuT' '° '"^' T"".' '^°'' "'■' P"''^'^ "8"-^?' for in t'he next Zt the in?'""^ Lord says, "Now the parable is this "-meaning that the interpretation or explanation of the parable is what he ^oe, on to show them m the verses that immediately follow. Thus each ».«■■. h '" r^' ''r "' "^^^ '^'^ ^"''<' •'"«' »» ■' »t*"'Js, but in me aivevo? ' ° '7^'^ ^mething to bring out the sen,;. Let me give you one example more. In the 12th chapter of Matthew and the last verse Jesus is reported to have said, "Whosoever shall do the will o my Fathe which IS in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and moth, t" Here we have to supply several words in order to show the proper meaning because, while any good man might be called the spiritual brothel and any good woman might be colled the spiritual sister of Jesus, only one woman could properly be called his mother in any sense of the term. Our Lord evidently meant to say that any man or woman who would faithfully do the will of God would be as near to him spiritually, or as dear to him attectionately, as a brother, or a sister, or a motl iT. These examples will suffice to show that we do not take the Bible just as it stands, and that we should not take the Bible just as it stands, but that we must always interpret each part of it in accord- ance with oriental modes of thought and oriental forms of speech. In thus interpreting the .Scriptures, we must be careful to distinguish between rhetorical and logical forms of speech, because serious errors have arisen from mistaking rhetoric for logic. Do you see what I mean? The phrase, "This is my Irody," is not a logical, but a rhetorical, form. Hence we are not to take it as expressing Christ's thought literally, but we are to take it as expressing his thought rhetorically ; and we have to supply a word or two to bring out its sense, or to express its meaning. Yet, notwithstanding the oleakr.ess with which we all see that fact, Roman Catholic interpreters appear not to see it ; for they take the phrase to be a logical form, instead of taking it to be what it is, a rhetorical form. Let me now give you some examples of orientalism in the Old Testament, that will illustrate more fully what I wish to teach under this head. The Hebrew writers sometimes speak of God as harden- ing man's heart, and even as tempting man to sin. But God does not harden man's heart ; that is an oriental form of speech. Man hardens his own heart. God has, however, made the laws of moral nature such that, if man disobeys them, his very disobedience will tend to make his heart hard. Of course, God is back of it all, or in it all, because he stands for his own laws ; but we must not ascribe to him directly what belongs to a man personally. As God does not harden man's heart, so he does not tempt man to sin ; and yet we have suggestions of that kind in the Old Testament. A perfect Being can not tempt a man to sin, but each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lusts and enticed. Man allows himself to be tempted ; God does not do it. You will see, then, that all expres- sions in the Bible which represent God as prompting men either to do evil or to be cruel, should be interpreted as Hebrew forms of speech, which originated in an oriental mode of thought. Take another class of illustrations. The Hebrew writers represent God also as hiding his face and as withdrawing his Spirit from his people; but such forms of speech 10 ^ulTr t^'lf »«k.n literally. They .re metaphoric.l exp.e..ion. peculiar to the orienUl mind. God does not hide his face much «, withdraw hi. Spirit, from hi. people; but trouble may dim our p^ntual V...0.. at time. ,o that we do not see him a. cleariy "r Zl iir frr? *" "™''«'y " »' ""-"^ """"• Sin, too, mayVestroy wkhro]»1 T^T"'"".**"' *" '"'^* "■" "-e same fellowsWp To inl, "'"*"•'•'" 'r" *•■*' *' '"™ "' •"her times ; but we mus? not interpret any such expression in the Bible literally. Serint.?rp?aT" "'*"•''' "'""""i"™^ Throughout the Hebrew S '^ '*•" «'"'«"""« ■•oP'-o'ented as talking and walking, aa Wmg and seeing a. remembering and forgetting! as resolving ^n^ "Kufmrbut':.'''"'- '"'"""'" ""'^' -thro^^morphism^thl^n to ori.n .7 • '^ a'" «'5P™»"on» P«''»li«r to ancient time, and t^aehZ ^^ "^ '■* ^""^'""S to both Old and New Testament teaching, God is not only a spiritual Being, who cannot be seen, but also an mhn.te and eternal Being, ^ho does not change. We must not, therefore interpret these expressions literally. Since God is a Sp rit, an infinite and eternal Spirit, he ha. neither mouth, nor none of these physical organs, he can be to his people spiritually all that IS implied ,n the application of such language to him ' J" WuTt 5l'""'',:\ll'°"i'!,'',""'y ""> '"^'lo ■" *«'"/«<' «'«'•«- Zt fW . . '^u "?" ^''''* *' developed literature, I mean, IS m'u^h nlS ?h'""'^u°^ ''""P'"™ **"■" ''•'™'°P«d f«"° » literature th^t L M if **'?"*''»' contained in the Bible. Men used to think on™ W.r'' °* ^"T'' *■" "'« °'''«»' Pi«ce of literature in exist. ™v™;m ±th™''Tn''''"'P''"'".''"' °' """ """^'fo™ inscriptions hii, revealed another still more ancient literature, one which gives us an ToweVo'! Br,"'"' *'r «««,"•'■'..<'' "•« F'". of the Flood^I^d of th^ t^n °\-}"'^' '" ' *°"n that is shown by the mythological and poIytheist.c features to be much older than the biblical Sun , the atter being a purified and spiritualized and monotheized version of ll!^"^- """"8 ■•e»d »ome of these stories in the^old 3«1 shaped characters of Babylon and Assyria, I can a^ure vou thlt tht ormm which we find these stories there i. muchX thC the orm of thattit " " '^".^"^ "* '^'"""^- The earlier nar^tive" of that book were constructed out of traditional materials which wl« derived from Babylonia, as Professor Sayce believes, or werrs^ared .V ble":" 'ilt^at'' «<""•«? r-i Babylonians, a. othe'r orienurs^rl'i^ believe, .ut, at all events, in their present form they are a develop- ment froui more crude a. well a. more primitive forms. ^ When I describe the Bible a. developed literature, I mean 11 tecondly, that the religiouH idea* contained in it were gradually developed, having been more clearly apprehended and more correctly presented from age to ajje. The Bible recorda a progressive morality and a progressive theology. No one can study it carefully without perceiving a progress in moral teaching, m well as a development in religious doctrine. There is, indeed, a perceptible difference Iwtween the earlier and the later ideas on almost every subject. The more ancient writings present such views of truth us were obtiiinable by n)Bn who had reached a stage of partial religious development, and the more modern writings present such views as could be obtiiined by men who had arrived at a stage of complete religious development. In these latter writings wo find not only higher standards of morality, but also clearer perceptions of duty and loftier ideals of life. We ought, therefore, to interpret th i language of the Bible in harmony with the meanings which were attached to the words at the time when the writers employed them. That U the special point I want to make just here. Interpreting its language in this manner, we shall obtain a new view of a good many passages, for we shall find that a word used in one part of Scripture has a very different meaning from that which it has when used in another part of Scripture. Let me give you some illustrations of the way in which the application of this pi inoiple will modify our view of the true signiKcance of both Old and New Testament passages. Take the word translated "truth" in the Old Testament. Asa rule, it has a meaning there which is very different from the meaning which it has in the New Testament. By way of illustration, look at the 5th verse of the 2uth J'salm : " Guide me in thy trutli, and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation." According to the New Testament usage, that would be a prayer for divine instruction in religious doctrine, because we generally find the word truth used in the sense of doctrine in the New Testament ; liut here and elsewhere throughout the Psalms the word in the original means truthfulness or faithfulness. Hence the first line of the verse should be translated, "Guide me in thy truthfulness, and teach me." We have another beautiful illustration in the 3rd verse of the 43rd Psalm : " O send out thy light and thy truth ; let them lead me." This is a prayer for light and help from God. Truth here is not religious doctrine ; it is an attribute of Go'l. Hence we should translate, " send out thy light and thy truthfulness." The word translated " salvation " in the Old Testament has not the meaning we commonly give to it when we find it in the New Testa- ment. Take, for instance, the last verse of the 3rd Psalm : "Salva- \-2 tion l«lot.geth uiito the Lord." In the Nov Te.t„.nei>t the wor.1 fk"ntj V""' deliverance from »in or from spiritual ruin, l>ut in tne Uld re.(Am.,nt it commonly means deliverance from danger or from physical death ; .o that we ought to have the woni deliverance instead of salvation, in the text. Looking at the Psalin, you «ill se.' how -nanifest this is. I„ the preceding verses the writer speaks of he. .- surrounded by enemies, and in this verse he declares that deliverance from these enemies belongeth to the Ix)rd. We have another illustration in the L'," ', Psalm and Oth verse, to which I have already referred for another purpose, where the word salvation ought ..i"",^Tf "■'""'"' "P™" "'• *■■»« "'0"Kht: "For thou art the God of my deliverance " the writer means to say ; thou art the one to whoin I always come in time of trouble, and to whom I always look for help and success when contending with enemies In neither of these cases has the word the evangelical sense of deliver- ^hTni?^i>"'\ °' ^Tu'^i'l""'' "■"'"• '''"'"' '» ■""'"'er illustration in the 85th Psalm and the 9th verse, and I could give you many more. The words so often translated in the Old Testament " redemption " and redeem have not the evangelical meaning there that they generaUy have in the New Testament The word redemption is beautifully adapted to express the deliverance from sin that is in Uinst, but m the Old Testament it commonly means deliverance being used very much like the word salvation. Though the latter is h«?rM omT""" ""*■" *' ^"'■™" "• "•« '''She" meaning it hasm the Old Testament is temporal deliverance accompanied with spiritual blessings; but the temporal element is always a prominent element in the ancient meaning of each of these two words. In the 0th verse of the 111th Psalm, we have a good example: "He hath sent redemption unto his people." Here the meaning is that he sent deliverance to his people, and the word for redemption should be translated deliverance. Quite frequently in the prophetic writings where we have the word " redeemed," it ought to be rendered rescued or delivered because the primary reference is to temporal deliverance i-ven in the New Testament the word "redeem" has not always Its evangelical meaning. When the disciples on the way to Emmaus exclaimed, according to Luke 24 : 21, "We hoped thit it was he which should redeem Israel," they were not then thinking of evan- gelical redemption, or redemption from sin ; but they were thinkinir rather of some one who should redeem Israel, temporally speaking, from the power of his enemies and make of him again a great nation. In • f* ^Z"^ °^ **"* ^'' '^''^P'^'' °' ^"l*' "« have another example of an 0,.l Testament use of the word for redemption in the Ne^ 13 Tnitaineiit : " Bleued be the Lord, the Ood of Jirael ; for he hiith vitited kiid wrought redemption for liii people." The context (howi that /achariaa was not then speaking of redemption in the evangelical aenie of the term Ijut of deliverance from national enemiei. Theae illustrations will help you t' • m the iniporiance of interpreting the language of the Scriptures in uurniony with the niennir.gs attached to the words at the time when the writers employed them. In the Kfth place, we should study the ISible as iiupireJ Utemlure. Though the Bible is a literature, it is not an ordinary, but a sacred, literature, It is a sacred literature, because it is concerned with religious matters, and was written by inspired men. Hence, while we should study the Bible with grammar and lexicon and critical helps of the best kind, in order to obtain the exact thought in the mind of each writer, we sliould always have regard to its religious character and its spiritual contents. That is to say, while we should apply to the Bible the same rules of grammar and the same laws of thought that we apply to other literature, we must never overlook the spiritual element in the Bible. When I speak of a "spiritual element " in the Bible, my language implies that there is another element in it ; and that is what I mean, and what I want to get you all to see. There are two elements in the Bible, a spiritual oiid eternal element and a temporal or perish- able element. The Bible has been misunderstood, I said at the out- set, because of false theories of inspiration. These theories have kept men from seeing the two-fold character of Scripture. One class of teachers has regarded the Bible as wholly a divine book ; it was all of (Jod. Another class of teachers has regarded the Bible as wholly a human book ; it was all of man. Modern scholars recognize that in the Bible, as in the person of Christ, there are two elements, a human element and a divine element ; and they teach that it is the presence of the divine element in the Bible that constitutes its inspiration. To make my meaning still more plain, because I consider this point of vital importance, let me ask. What does conversion or regenera- tion do for a man when he becomes quickened in heart and life by the Spirit of God ? Does it give him any new knowledge of science or philosophy? No. Does it give him any new knowledge of history or chronology 1 No. Does it give him any now knowledge of astron- omy or geography 1 No. What kind of knowledge, then, does it give him i It gives him a new knowledge of God ; a new conscious- ness of his presence ; a new appreciation of bis power ; a new experi- ence of his grace. There is in Holy Scripture, as in human experi- 14 or ^U work!. It 1 the «l«m«nt that h.i to do with thn knowMw of Oo< that we call the i.,,pir«l el.nmnt ; the element tlmt hT^,?! w.thth« knowledge of hi. Cork, we c.ll ih. hutrll, t'" *" '" The ri. ,le ,. not in.pired u » loaf of bre«l i. leaven-d Bivin» it l^ll Z;''.! ""'"' ''•^""•'ll'"". •" "".t no matter where you c„\ it Lu you w II «et hi.tory I hi.tory i. not in.|,ired -hi.toric facta, I mean are not m.pirHd t. ^ uu cut it in another plac., you will get chroTo ' you will get aen^alogy, a,„| R^nealogy i. „ot inspired. Mo I mi^rht «l.ow you m regard to il» othrr feature,. In the Bible too the^o !. .aymg.of u„«,xlly n.en : they are not i„.,"red „ the Bi 7^1- r" Z "'"^ "";;"'"""-', """ of f.l.e prophet, ; 'they are not L, ed In the Bible then. ., re l,kHwl.e conversation, ascribed to Satan thev are -n.oreTll. While, therefore, we should interpret tl« Bible a^a' in.pired book, we »,u.t not awume that every parage expre.se. a .l.v.nely.,..p,r..d sentiment, or contain, a diviLl^ „u?ho3Ze It should here b.- ob,,..r,.d that, though some of the foreeoino .tatement. are negative in for,„, tbey are not de-tructive buf di,* mrn.nat.ve, .n ch.racte , b.ing made with a view to co rectt," m..concept.o„, ,„ regard to the subject of inspiration, as well a, with a v.e V to show.ng each one how to distinguish l«,t»'een the human and ie div.ne element in the ScriptnreE. Whenever we Hnd in fhl, u^cr.;: ',':'. "^CT.r -h-r' -ch"r"Cu"shaV „? llie Lord thy (,o" '«»"'^«' constitute the human element, because they are of man. "■enuman 16 How •hould *« .tudy the Bibl. «o « to und.r.Und it I ►'jr.t •• liUr.turo ; «condly, M »iici«nt lit«r,ilur. ; thirdly, « orie..ul lit^rH- tuVe ; rourthly, m cl«velop«l lit«r.tur. ; Hfthly. *• in.pirrd hter.ture, for iith one or other ol thew principle! every p«M«ge may t» explained ; or, to expreu the ..n.e thinK in on. ►^ntence we .hould ■tudy the Bihle >• .ncient, oriental, developed and u«pired lUer,.ture .„d we .hould bring to the .tudy of thi. literHture .he »«.ne u«. of reawn and the mine exerciw of common .enM that we l.rinR to the •tudy of any olher literature. , „ ■ i .r . • . Before concluding, let me a.k you to u.e the Hev,«d \ er...... your .tudy of the Bible, for in thou»and. of place, it expr-.He. th.. meaning much more adequately than the Authorized A -r...... .loe» Let me »1«> a.k you to pay particular attention to the iimrKiiuil reading- in the New Hevi.ion of Hie Old T.-.tament, 1m!chu.« t hey are .enerally letter than those which «tand .1. the text. But for ,h. length c' 'hi. addre.., 1 would like to pmsent .on.e exampleH of .uperior rendering from Iwtli the Old and the New U.tament ; but I will content mywlf with giving only one, and I give that lH,cause it lead, me naturally to my closing thought. In the Authorised Version, the Hr.t line of the l.lOtl. verse of the U9th Psalm, is wrongly rendered, " The entrance of thy words give h light;" in the Revised Verf ion, this part of the verse is lightly rendered, "The opening of thy words giveth light The rigl.tnes. of the latter rendering is proved by the testimony of the Greek trans- lation. The idea of the writer is not that of divine truth erterng into the mind, but that of divine truth being ojiened up to the mind. The words of God give light only m far a. they are »P";'"""y opened, and some of '.hem are comparatively dark till their true meaning is disclosed. ^ , i ■. 1 „ .1,1 1. As teachera of the Bible, therefore, all our study of it should be conducted with dependence on the Divine Spirit for the purpose, l,r»t, of 'ettinK light from it, and then of walking in that light. In other words, we ought to study it practically and experimentally uefore attempting to teach it, by homing it. truths in our heart, by prac- tisiug its precepts in our business, and by lealuing its principle, in our life.