John Wesley (1703–1791)
I want to know one thing,—the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way: For this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book]. Here then I am, far from the busy ways of men. I sit down alone: Only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning of what I read? Does anything appear dark or intricate? I lift up my heart to the Father of Lights:—“Lord, is it not thy word, ‘If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God?’ Thou ‘givest liberally, and upbraidest not.’ Thou hast said, ‘If any be willing to do thy will, he shall know.’ I am willing to do, let me know, thy will.” I then search after and consider parallel passages of Scripture, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” I meditate thereon with all the attention and earnestness of which my mind is capable. If any doubt still remains, I consult those who are experienced in the things of God; and then the writings whereby, being dead, they yet speak. And what I thus learn, that I teach. (preface to Sermons on Several Occasions, WJW [Jackson] 5:3–4, italics original, bold added)
All this time [eight years] my manner was, to spend several hours a day in reading the Scripture in the original tongues. ("The Principles of a Methodist," WJW [Jackson] 8:366)
Q. 29. What general method of employing our time would you advise us to?
A. We advise you, (1.) As often as possible to rise at four. (2.) From four to five in the morning, and from five to six in the evening, to meditate, pray, and read, partly the Scripture with the Notes, partly the closely practical parts of what we have published. (3.) From six in the morning till twelve, (allowing an hour for breakfast,) to read in order with much prayer, first, “The Christian Library,” and the other books which we have published in prose and verse, and then those which we recommended in our Rules of Kingswood School. ("Minutes of Several Conversations between the Rev. Mr. Wesley and Others from the Year 1744, to the Year 1789," WJW [Jackson] 8:314)
What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear, to this day, is want of reading. I scarce ever knew a Preacher read so little. . . . Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. . . . It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety; there is no compass of thought. Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep Preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian. O begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercises. You may acquire the taste which you have not: What is tedious at first, will afterwards be pleasant. Whether you like it or no, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way; else you will be a trifler all your days, and a pretty superficial Preacher. Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow. Do not starve yourself any longer. Take up your cross, and be a Christian altogether. Then will all the children of God rejoice (not grieve) over you. ("Letter to John Trembath [August 17, 1760]," WJW [Jackson] 12:254, emphasis added)
Let us each seriously examine himself. Have I, (1.) Such a knowledge of Scripture, as becomes him who undertakes so to explain it to others, that it may be a light in all their paths? Have I a full and clear view of the analogy of faith, which is the clue to guide me through the whole? Am I acquainted with the several parts of Scripture; with all parts of the Old Testament and the New? Upon the mention of any text, do I know the context, and the parallel places? . . . Do I understand the scope of each book, and how every part of it tends thereto? Have I skill to draw the natural inferences deducible from each text? Do I know the objections raised to them or from them by Jews, Deists, Papists, Arians, Socinians, and all other sectaries, who more or less corrupt or cauponize the word of God? Am I ready to give a satisfactory answer to each of these objections? And have I learned to apply every part of the sacred writings, as the various states of my hearers require?
(2.) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew? Otherwise, how can I undertake, (as every Minister does,) not only to explain books which are written therein, but to defend them against all opponents? Am I not at the mercy of every one who does understand, or even pretends to understand, the original? For which way can I confute his pretence? Do I understand the language of the Old Testament? critically? at all? Can I read into English one of David’s Psalms; or even the first chapter of Genesis? Do I understand the language of the New Testament? Am I a critical master of it? Have I enough of it even to read into English the first chapter of St. Luke? If not, how many years did I spend at school? How many at the University? And what was I doing all those years? Ought not shame to cover my face? ("An Address to the Clergy," WJW [Jackson] 10:490–91, emphasis added)
Joseph Benson (1749–1821)
Let these Psalms be read and considered with fervent desires after, and a lively dependance on, the illuminating and sanctifying influences of the Spirit which first dictated, and can only enable us rightly to understand, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, and we shall find them able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith in Him whose person and offices, whose love and sufferings, whose humiliation and exaltation, whose grace and glory, they so amply and excellently set forth. (The Holy Bible with Critical, Explanatory, and Practical Notes [introduction to Psalms], emphasis added)
No prophecy of Scripture, and hardly any doctrine, precept, or promise thereof, will or can be properly or fully understood by any man . . . without the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. (The Holy Bible with Critical, Explanatory, and Practical Notes [1 Pet 1:20], italics original, bold added)
Adam Clarke (1762–1832)
At an early age I took for my motto Prov. 18:1: Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. Being convinced that the Bible was the source whence all the principles of true wisdom, wherever found in the world, had been derived, my desire to comprehend adequately its great design, and to penetrate the meaning of all its parts, led me to separate myself from every pursuit that did not lead, at least indirectly, to the accomplishment of this end; and while seeking and intermeddling with different branches of human knowledge, as my limited means would permit, I put each study under contribution to the object of my pursuit, endeavouring to make every thing subservient to the information of my own mind, that, as far as Divine Providence might think proper to employ me, I might be the better qualified to instruct others. (The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes, 1:12, italics original, bold added)
At first I read and studied, scarcely committing any thing to paper, having my own edification alone in view, as I could not then hope that any thing I wrote could be of sufficient importance to engage the attention or promote the welfare of the public. But as I proceeded I thought it best to note down the result of my studies, especially as far as they related to the Septuagint, which about the year 1785 I began to read regularly, in order to acquaint myself more fully with the phraseology of the New Testament, as I found that this truly venerable version was that to which the evangelists and apostles appear to have had constant recourse, and from which in general they make their quotations. The study of this version served more to illuminate and expand my mind than all the theological works I had ever consulted. (The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes, 1:12, italics original, bold added)
The New Testament I plainly saw was a comment on the Old; and to understand such a comment, I knew it was absolutely necessary to be well acquainted with the original text. I then formed the plan of reading consecutively a portion of the Hebrew Bible daily. Accordingly I began to read the Old Testament . . . In this preliminary work I spent a little more than one year and two months, in which time I translated every sentence, Hebrew and Chaldee, in the Old Testament. In such a work it would be absurd to pretend that I had not met with many difficulties. . . . The frequent occurrence of such difficulties led me closely to examine and compare all the original texts, versions, and translations, as they stand in the London Polyglot, with some others not inserted in that work; and from these, especially the Samaritan, Chaldee Targums, Septuagint, and Vulgate, I derived the most assistance, though all the rest contributed their quota in cases of difficulty. (The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes, 1:13, emphasis original)
READER, thou hast now before thee the most ancient and most authentic history in the world; a history that contains the first written discovery that God has made of himself to mankind; a discovery of his own being, in his wisdom, power, and goodness, in which thou and the whole human race are so intimately concerned. How much thou art indebted to him for this discovery he alone can teach thee, and cause thy heart to feel its obligations to his wisdom and mercy. Read so as to understand, for these things were written for thy learning; therefore mark what thou readest, and inwardly digest—deeply and seriously meditate on, what thou hast marked, and pray to the Father of lights that he may open thy understanding, that thou mayest know these holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. (The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes, 1:38 [Gen 1], italics original, bold added)
Joseph Sutcliffe (1762–1856)
The present work is the result of [the author's] study and labour for about forty years. Favoured with health, and a biblical library, he has spent his mornings in reading the original scriptures, with versions and comments. His favourite authors have been Jerome, Chrysostom, and Theophylact of Bulgaria. Of the reformers and catholics, he has studied Munster, Valla, Lyranus, Vatablus, Drusius, Castellio, Clarius, Calvin, Beza, Scaliger, Casaubon, Cameron, Cappelus, Grotius, Gagæus, Estius, Sa, Menochius, Tirinus, Heinsius, Gorannus, Lightfoot, Marlorat, &c. &c. &c. (A Commentary on the Old and New Testament, 1:viii, emphasis added)
[The author's] first aim has been to aid the devout christian in the duties of the closet [cf. Matt 6:6], and to assist his progress in divine attainments. . . . A commentary to [a man who does not know the geography, culture, and history of the Bible] is like the star of Bethlehem, which guides him to the Saviour, and enriches his mind with the collective wisdom of past ages. . . . Another devout aim of the author has been to assist the candidate for the sanctuary to the utmost of his power; for the conscious mind, called to save souls, and defend the truth, is worthy of all the aid that science can afford. (A Commentary on the Old and New Testament, 1:viii, emphasis added)
Amos Binney (1802–1878)
In preparing the work the annotator has himself been much profited in a large increase of biblical knowledge, and deeply impressed with the truth expressed by some writer, that one seldom knows whether he really does understand a subject until he either teaches it or writes upon it. . . .
That the Spirit of inspiration, who has caused all the Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, may bless this humble effort to make the word of God expound itself, and make it an instrument in promoting his glory by extending a correct knowledge and love of sound biblical truth, is the prayer of THE AUTHOR. (The People's Commentary, 1:3–4, emphasis added)