Notes from My Bible

The power of anecdote and illustration to press home the truth into the hearts and minds of their hearers is largely utilized by preachers and teachers of to-day.

The occasion often happens, however, when an anecdote would put the text out of sight, and when some trite saying, some deep thought crystallized into a few words, would serve the preacher’s purpose better, in order to flash light upon his subject.

During the course of my reading, I have always tried to gather “nuggets” by the way, and make a note of them on the margins and blank leaves of my Bible. I have found it to be a useful habit, preserving for use many seed-thoughts and apt sayings that otherwise would have escaped my memory.

” Notes from My Bible” is the harvest of many years’ gathering in this direction, and I want it to be distinctly understood that its contents are not claimed to be original. The flowers in this book have been culled from many gardens. I would be glad to give full credit to the men to whom I am indebted, by attaching their names to their sayings; but I found that this could be done only very pnrtialh*, and therefore decided to omit names in every instance.

The arrangement of the book is simple. Over against the text is the thought or illustration. At the beginning of the books and chapters of the Bible is placed whatever has a general reference to that section. A number of miscellaneous outlines are added at the end of Revelation.

I take this opportunity of impressing upon you, reader, the advantage of making notes. Let this book serve you not only as a storehouse, but also as a stimulus. Whether you are minister or layman, you will find that you will grow more deeply interested in your Bible day by day if you follow the course of making notes of sayings similar to those contained in this volume, of outline sermons, and of anything that helps to light up some well-known truth and fasten it in the memory. It is a good thing to be ready with new thoughts to present the old truths of the Bible.

God grant that this lxxpk may be very helpful to you.

This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.

Here search, and proat shall bo your store: Horn drink, and you shall thirst no more.

Sir Walter Scott, on bis deathbed, said, “There is but one Book,” and asked his friends to read the Bible.

Dean Stanley used to peruse a book first for the story, second for the thought, third for the style — three separate readings. A good rule to follow in reading the Ixxjks of the Bible.

In reading the word of God, I am not only to arrive at comprehension, but also at appropriation.

Adam illustrates Human nature.

Cain” The carnal mind.

Abel” The spiritual mind.

Enoch” Communion.

Noah” Regeneration.

Abraham” Faith.

Isaac” Sonship.

Jacob” Service.

Joseph” Suffering and glory.

THE BOOK OF BEGINNINGS.

Creation, chapter 1.

Origin of Human Race, 1: 26.

“Sabbath, 2:2, 3.

Marriage, 2:18, 21-24.

Sin and Death, 2:16, 17; 3:4-7.

“Sacrifice (grace), 3:21.

“Covenant Promises, 8:20-22; 9:1-17.
“” Nations, Races, and Tongues, 10:11.

The Chosen People, 12:1-3.

Genesis 1. How the world was made.

Genesis 3. How lost.

John 1. How redeemed.

Rev. 20. How to be reconstructed.

Gen. 1. Seven stages of creation, illustrative of stages in

the new creation: chaos, brooding of the Spirit,

light, life, growth, fruit, rest.

Creation, light, separation, growth, fruit-bearing.

God creating, moving, speaking, observing, calling,

dividing, blessing.
“It was so” — seven times.
“It was good” — seven times.
“God”’ — Elohirn — thirty-one times; in every verse

but five.

Verse 1. God the Father.
“2. God the Spirit.
“3. God the Son. (See John 8:12.)
” 3. Conversion.
4 4 7. Separation.
44 12. Fruit-lpearing.
1: 1. The Bible oipens without an apology.

41 1 do not know anything more difficult to believe than just the first veree of the Bible. If we master this verse, anything else that happened in the heavens or in the earth which God created will not stumble us.”” Through faith we understand that the worlds were

framed by the word of God.” Heb. 12:3. God first came down to create, then to save. To create, God ii:id only to sjpeak; to redeem, he had to suflVr. He made man by His breath; He saved him by His blood. Rom. 5:0. 26. In lpearing God’s image, man could bear God’s rule. He who gave His image to us must of necessity like to see His image in us.

1: 26. Man is the excellency of the creature; the saint is the excellency of the man.

2: 2. God rested on the seventh day, yet he had not made woman! In making her, he seems to have begun again. 0 woman, love thy maker! 4. “Lord God” — in the Hebrew, Jehovah Elohim.

8. Eden is our home; we are exiles now.

9. Not the tree of knowledge in general, but the testtree, by which Adam would gain the knowledge of good and evil.

The tree of knowledge has often been planted and has flourished where the tree of life never grew.

17. When all around was life, God spake of death.

Now, when all is death, God speaks of life.

18. How does God propose to meet loneliness? For

man to be alone means suicide; for two men together, homicide (Cain slew Abel); the only chance of keeping society together is by the marvelous influence of woman.

21. In forming woman, God did not take a part from his head to dispute his supremacy; nor from his feet, lest he should despise her; but from near his heart so that he should love and cherish her. So much is being done for us when we are unconscious of it!

3: 1. God tests — the devil tempts.

God made man for his crwn glory, but he joined the

devil and became a rebel. Satan began with the woman because novelty and

mystery appeal more to her than to man. Also because woman can influence man more than any one else.

“Every”- — R. V. reads “any.” Thus Satan lies.

If woman originally tempted man away from God, now she tempts him back.

Satan’s three lies are still in the world: —

1. God does not love you, for He has forbidden

some things.

2. Ye shall not surely die.

3. Ye shall be as gods.

3: 3. Man lost life by lpclieving the devil, and regains it by believing the Son of God. We must rise at the point where we fell.

“Lest ye die” — spiritual and natural death which would begin the very moment they eat of the fruit, but which would not be completed on that day. But in both soul and lpody the process was begun: they had passed the line that separated life and death. See Rom. 5: 12.

4. The first lie!

5. Tempted to an upward fall!

Satan’s words are ambiguous. Eve’s eyes were opened and she did know good and evil, but the experience was more bitter than she expected. They saw, not visions of glory, but their own nakedness and sinfulness.

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