“Study to show thyself approved unto God…” — 2 Timothy 2:15
Charles Dickens once addressed a letter to his son Henry while he was at college, advising him to keep out of debt and confide all his perplexities to his father. The letter concluded as follows: “I most strongly and affectionately impress upon you the priceless value of the New Testament, and the study of that book as the one unfailing guide in life. Deeply respecting it, and bowing down before the character of our Savior, you cannot go very wrong and will always preserve at heart a true spirit of veneration and humility. Similarly, I impress upon you the habit of saying a Christian prayer every night and morning. ‘These things have stood by me all through my life, and remember that I tried to render the New Testament intelligible to you and lovable by you when a mere baby, And so God bless you!”
‘Tis one thing to read the Bible through; another thing to read to learn to do.
‘Tis another thing, too, to read with delight, and quite another thing to read it right.
Some read it with design to learn to read, but the subject pay but little head;
Some read it as their duty, once a week, but no instruction from the Bible seek.
Some read to bring themselves into repute, by showing others how they can dispute,
While some read because their neighbors do, to see how long ’twill take to read it through.
Some read the blessed Book they know not why—it sometimes happens in the way to lie;
While others read it with uncommon care, but just to find some contradiction there.
One reads with his father’s specs upon his head, and sees the things just as his father said;
One reads through others who are not inspired, and thinks it seems precisely what they desired.
Some read to prove some pre-admitted creed, thus understanding but very little of what they read.
And every passage in the Book they bend to make it prove that all-encompassing end.
Some people read as I have thought, to teach the book instead of being taught,
Yet many others read with highest purpose given, to learn the way to Heaven.
