"Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord."-Deut. 8 :3.

While reading "Christ and the Scriptures," by the late Adolph Saphir, blessed thoughts came to mind, how in our Lord's entire earthly life, and even in His dying agonies, His never-failing thought was to honor the Scriptures, and that His every act bore on this as well. How often does the Lord, in His teachings and interviews with all classes, raise the question, "What saith the Scripture ?" " How readest thou ?" Or He states, " It is written," etc. Then His acts are constantly referred to as in fulfilment of Scripture. Let us look a little at a few of these instances, and notice His love and reverence for them.

At the early age of twelve He would impress upon His mother the one purpose of His life:"Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business ?" (Luke 2:49). Can there be a doubt of its being the Scriptures which were the subject of questions and answers with the doctors of the law in the temple? (Luke 2:46, 47).

He meets and binds Satan in the wilderness solely by Scripture, three times quoted (Luke 4:1-13).

In the early part of His ministry we find Him in the synagogue of Nazareth on the Sabbath-day, standing up to read from the book of the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:16-21). He finds the place where it is written, " The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord " (Isa. 61:i, 2). He closes the book, saying, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

When His disciples inquire as to His speaking to the people in parables (Matt. 13 :10), He replies that He speaks in parables in order that may be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet:" Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not," etc. (Isa. 6:9, 10.)

He appeals to the multitude (Matt, 11:10) for recognition of John the Baptist's mission, claiming, "This is He of whom it is written " (Mal. 3:i).

How did He vindicate His disciples (Matt. 12:3, 4) as they plucked the ears of corn to satisfy their hunger on the Sabbath-day ? By the Word, recalling to them David's conduct (i Sam. 21:1-6).

In Matt. 12:16 He charges the people Whom He has healed "that they should not make Him known:that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold My Servant, whom I have chosen; My Beloved, in whom My soul is well pleased:I will put My Spirit upon Him" (Isa. 42:i).

Concerning His ride into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:4-9) we are told, "All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass" (Zech. 9:9).
In John 12:37 and 15:24, 25 we are told that, "though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him, that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled; '' Lord, who hath believed our report?" etc. (Isa. 53:1.) The Lord speaks of their hatred and rejection of Him, adding, "But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law. They hated Me without a cause "(Ps. 69:4). In John 17:14 the Lord mentions the Father's word as the great legacy He has given His disciples.

He enters the temple at Jerusalem (Matt. 21:12), and casts out the traffickers there, saying, "It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people" (Isa. 56:7).

He corrects the Sadducees who come to Him, tempting Him as to the one true husband out of seven which a certain woman had, saying that they do err, ''not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God" (Matt. 22:23-29). Then He adds, in ver. 31, "As touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living " (Ex. 3:6).

To the Pharisees, who could not endure the affirmation of His deity, He quotes Ps. 110:1, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool"; and asks them how it was that Christ is David's Son, since David in spirit calls Him Lord. By this question He completely silences them (Matt. 22:41-46).

How carefully He distinguishes between the teachings and the lives of the scribes and Pharisees, as those who "sit in Moses' seat"; telling the people, "Whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works:for they say, and do not" (Matt. 23:3). Their works were evil, but the word of God which they taught was good.

To the lawyer who, tempting Him, asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus replied (taking him on his own ground of works), " What is written in the law ?" To the lawyer's scriptural answer Jesus replies, " This do, and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:25-28).

In His narration of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man entreats Abraham to send Lazarus to his brethren on the earth, "that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment"; but Abraham replies, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them … if they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead " (Luke 16:27-31).

When he warns the people (Luke 20:16, 17) that the Lord of the vineyard, whose husbandmen have been unfaithful, will come to destroy them, they reply, "God forbid." He then immediately asks, "What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner ?" (Psalm 118:22.)

At His betrayal He saith, "The Son of Man goeth as it is written of Him " (Matt. 26:24).

With the eleven, on the mount of Olives (Matt. 26:31), He declares, "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd" (Zech. 13:7); and when Peter would smite with the sword, the Lord prevents him by saying, " How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be " (Matt. 26:54).

Just before Peter's denial and Judas' betrayal (Luke 22:37), He tells His disciples that "this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me :He was numbered with the transgressors " (Isa. 53; 12); "for the things concerning Me have an end"-soon all that was written in the Scriptures concerning His humiliation and sufferings would be finished.

In the distribution of His raiment (John 19:23, 24) Scripture must be fulfilled (Ps. 22:18).

In Jno. 19:28, "Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst" (Ps. 69:21).

A soldier must pierce His side (John 19 :34) to fulfil Scripture-"They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced" (Zech. 12:10).

To the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, whom after His resurrection He met, "beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27).

Then Jesus comes into their midst at Jerusalem, and tells them, " These are the words which I spake unto you . . . that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me "(Luke 24; 44-46). May the Lord bless this brief survey of our Lord's mind in relation to the Holy Scriptures, that His dear people may live of and in them more! They vivify; they sanctify; they link us with Him, and with our home above.

Let us who believe cleave with full purpose of heart to the whole word of God in this evil day, when Higher Critics are all agreed to undermine and destroy, so far as in them lies, the "Book of books."
L.