THE Interpretation of Scripture ought to be a subject of deep interest, not only to those who, whether as ministers or teachers, are called to the office of expounding God's Word, but to all persons whatsoever. For it is every man's duty diligently to study the Scripture, to consider for himself its meaning, and to apply to his own heart its precious truths. But it is obvious that if we undertake to be teachers of this Word to others, such a duty is in an increased degree binding upon us. Nor let it be thought that because, as is the case with those whom I address, we may have only children to instruct, a meagre or a superficial acquaintance with the Scriptures will be sufficient

for our purpose. Undoubtedly, the

more simple, the more practical we are, in explaining to children the Word of God the better. But who, in general, will be so plain, and so truly practical, as he who has the fullest and most accurate knowledge of that which he proposes to teach? There are many things which an instructor might never think of bringing before his pupils, but which, nevertheless, it may be highly important for him to know, in order to the distinct and complete setting forth of that which he must bring before them. There are hard texts in Scripture, with the difficulties of which it would be inexpedient to occupy the minds of our Sunday scholars; but which it may be useful for us, even as it respects our

employment as teachers, to understand ourselves. I venture, therefore, to urge this study upon you, the careful, constant investigation of that first and best of Books: the endeavour, as you read, really to understand what is said; to get your mind not only familiarized with the letter, but with the meaning and spirit of the Bible. I shall be thankful if the few hints I may be ale now to give, should have the effect of exciting the diligence of any one or more of you in this respect.

The course which I will take will be to notice, First, the requisite qualifica tions for an interpreter of Scripture; and, Secondly, some of the more important principles of interpretation.

I. Now, the qualifications are of two kinds, moral and intellectual. Both these may, indeed, be said to be necessary for the true and just interpretation of any book. We want intelligence to comprehend what a writer says; and we want honesty, candour, and simplicity to take his words as he means them. But I would observe, with regard to the Word of God, that whilst intellectual qualifications, to a certain extent, are indispensable, the moral, or, to use a more comprehensive, perhaps a more suitable word, the spiritual, are of peculiar importance. No man, in the absence of these, can fairly understand the Bible. It is possible for men to be very learned as critics, but at the same time very defective as interpreters. On the other hand, the

powers of one's intellect and the furniture of one's mind, as it respects anything beyond the range of Scripture itself, may be but ordinary, and yet, possessed of such moral and spiritual qualities, one may have a very true, very enlarged, and very profitable insight into God's Word. And I the rather throw out this remark here, because I should be sorry, by saying | too much upon the knowledge required, to discourage any who perhaps have, from the best of motives, undertaken the duties of Sunday school teachers, but who have not the time for a great deal of collateral study.

1. The first thing that I would notice as essential is, a profound reverence for the Scriptures, as the Word of God. We must never permit ourselves to forget, when reading the Bible, that it is, from first to last, in every part and parcel of it, the Book of Inspiration. The holy men who wrote it, "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," and their writings, therefore, are the voice of God speaking to man. We must read them as such. This is, of course, an independent duty. But it is also most important, as bearing upon a right understanding of the Divine Oracles. It will keep our minds in their right place, and right position when engaged in this study. It will keep us from trifling and taking liberties with Scripturefrom being offended at difficultiesfrom imposing senses on Scripture, instead of taking the sense from it.

2. Connected with this reverence, and, indeed, included in it, is childlike humility. And our Saviour himself has taught us how essential this is to our understanding the Scriptures, "I thank Thee, Father, Lord of Heaven," &c. "The knowledge of Scripture," says St. Augustine, as quoted in one of the Homilies, "is a great, large, and high place; but the door is very low, so that the high and arrogant man cannot run in, but he

must stoop low, and humble himself, that shall enter into it. Presumption and arrogancy are the mother of all error; and humility needeth to fear no error."

The revealed truth of God is opposed to the pride of man; and, so long as pride is held, that truth remains in obscurity.

Prejudice is intimately connected with pride, and it is needless to say that this necessarily obstructs our understanding the Scriptures. Hence the vail that is even now upon the heart of the Jews; they cannot comprehend their own law, because they will not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. The 53rd of Isaiah, so perspicuous a Gospel narrative to us, is a perfect mystery to them, and they are at their wit's end to give any explanation of it. There is no hindrance to the knowledge of Divine Truth, and no cause of error and division, even amongst ourselves, more common than this. Men allow themselves to be prejudiced against this or that doctrine, or set of doctrines, and then, as a matter of course, come forced interpretations, and confusion of mind, and perversions of the Word of God.

And

3. But, again, I would mention as a further qualification, a mind in harmony with the mind of Scripture—a disposition, a state of feeling, in some degree, at least, congenial with the spirituality of the Word of God. this, you will remember, is the apostle's assertion, "The natural man," &c. Something at heart, therefore, we must have if we would enter into the meaning of God's Word of "the mind of Christ." Whatever, in particular, may be the characteristics of that Book, there should be something in us to correspond with them. E. g., They are the Scriptures of Truth, and so there must be a love of truth, and there must be faith in us. There is the stamp of holiness in that Book; it is a transcript of the Divine Mind,

and holiness beams forth upon every | page of it. There must therefore be the love of holiness in us. In order rightly to understand, we want to feel the Scriptures. A dry, cold, intellectual, worldly mind, is very unfit for such a study; and, of course, a sensual mind, the seat of evil passions, which cloud the judgment, and render even the intellect torpid, is more unfit still. Further, the Scripture is a practical Book, and designed for practical purposes; and hence, to understand it rightly, we must be practical men. We must read, not for information only, or for curiosity, but that we may be "furnished unto all good works." Our Saviour has declared this to be a qualification, "If any man will do my will," &c.

4. But before leaving this part of the subject, I must not fail to remind you of the necessity of prayer for the Spirit's teaching. It is, after all, his prerogative to guide us to the knowledge of the Word; He " opens our understandings, that we may understand the Scriptures;" and we are bound, therefore, to seek his merciful aid and direction. How the Holy❘ Spirit acts upon our minds it is not necessary for our present object to inquire. But that He does so-whether in the way of assisting and guiding our judgment, or enlightening our minds, or sanctifying our affections-is an unquestionable and all-important fact. This agency does not supersede our efforts, or our studies; nor does it make us in any way independent of the written Word. We learn nothing from the Spirit except what we learn from the Bible. Nor, again, does the supposition of such agency make us infallible; no man can say, "I have prayed for the Spirit, therefore my interpretation of this and that portion must be right." But whilst avoiding errors of this kind on the one side, we must be as careful of avoiding those of a different kind on the other. We

must take care not to make light of Divine teaching, or, because we cannot distinguish the Spirit's operations from those of our own minds, be tempted to imagine that dependence upon it is

useless.

The intellectual qualifications next come under consideration. Without laying too much stress upon these, they are, of course, to a certain extent, necessary. The Scriptures are a very profound Book, and embrace an extensive field of knowledge, at the same time that they are also a very perspicuous Book, so that he who runs may read. There is enough to exercise the most enlarged and powerful intellect; whilst, as it regards fundamental truths and practical points, they come down to the level of the simplest understandings and the least-instructed minds. They are a Book for the most learned, and a Book for the most simple. We would not raise the standard of intellectual qualifications so high, as to say that none but the learned can interpret -nor, on the other hand, would we put it so low as to say that a common, untutored intelligence, is all that is required. This, indeed, with a spiritual mind, may be all that is required for a practical apprehension of the truth of God unto salvation; but not all that is requisite for a clear and full understanding of the contents of the Word of God.

1. There must be certain powers of mental perception, of discrimination, of reasoning, such as are ordinarily acquired only by culture and education. The most illiterate mind, taught of God, can easily understand such a truth, e. g., as that "the whole world is guilty before God," and that we can only be justified or accepted before God for the merits of the Lord Jesus. But to follow out closely and in detail the whole argument of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans--to see the bearing of one part upon another-and to understand the meaning of the vari

ous parts severally-this, you will at once perceive, demands the application of more cultivated powers.

2. Then, as it respects actual knowledge, there must be, first of all, an acquaintance with the letter and the facts of Scripture itself. We must know generally, and, indeed, somewhat fully, what there is in the Bible. If we take up for the first time any uninspired work, and open it at random, and proceed, unacquainted as we are with the author's design, the nature of his subject, and his peculiarities as a writer, to interpret his words, how easily may we misunderstand and misrepresent him. There are allusions; there are supposed principles-previously established points; and there are usages of language-our ignorance of all which quite disqualify us for comprehending him aright. Possessed of that information which we need not go beyond the book itself to obtain, we should see at a glance many things which, uninformed, we cannot see. So then, as it regards the Scriptures, we must read them through and through, and again and again; we must famili arize ourselves with the contents of the Book, in order that we may interpret its various parts.

3. Nor should we stop here, or rather, we cannot stop here. The knowledge of other things is necessary. And here it naturally occurs to me to mention (not as necessary, but very important,) the languages in which the Scriptures were written-the Hebrew of the Old Testament, and the Greek of the New. Those have certainly a very great advantage even in this day of abounding commentaries, helps, and expositors, who are able to read the originals. It is probable that some whom I address, are at least acquainted with the Greek, and they would do well to study the Testament in that language. They would find very useful for their purpose, the Cambridge edition, with the English and Greek on the same page in parallel

columns; and also Hugh Rose's edition of Parkhurst's Greek and English Lexicon. Some knowledge of History, of Geography, of the Manners and Customs of the East, is essential to an enlarged understanding of the Scriptures. To history we look for illustrations of the fulfilment of prophecies. The profane history of the four great Empires, e. g. furnishes a comment upon, and explanation of, the visions of Daniel. Josephus' History of the Jewish Wars, is the best comment on our Lord's prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem.

Then, with regard to Geography, it is needless to dwell on the importance of it. No history, or narrative of events, in which the names of places occur, is rightly intelligible without attention to the geographical particulars. No one would think of reading a history of Rome, or Greece, or England, without a map before him on which he might distinguish the localities named. And why any more those portions of Scripture which are either purely historical, or in which various countries or localities are referred to? Difficul ties and contradictions are oftentimes cleared up by attention to geography.

Other uses of geography might be named, and illustrations of its importance given; but I must pass on. Wells' Geography of the Old and New Testament you would find useful, and also a beautiful volume published by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, entitled "Scripture Topography."

Then, again, some knowledge of the Manners and Customs of the East is most important as a help to the elucidation of Scripture. There are necessarily many allusions to these the language and representations of Scripture are, in fact, to such an extent founded upon them that, without reference to them, it cannot be understood. Burder's "Oriental Customs," or Harmer's "Observations," would furnish ample information on