I have a profound, unfeigned(I believe divinely-given) faith in the Bible. I have, through grace,
been by it converted, enlightened, quickened, saved. I have received the knowledge of GOD by
it, to adore His perfections; and of JESUS, the Saviour, joy, strength, and comfort of my soul.
Many have been indebted to others as the means of their being brought to God_to ministers of
that gospel which the Bible contains, or to friends who delight in it. This was not my case. That
work, which is ever God’s, was wrought in me by means of the written Word. He who knows
what the value of Jesus is will know what the Bible will be to such a one. If I have, alas! failed
in thirty years’ arduous and varied life and labor, I have never found the Word to fail me. If it has
not failed for the poor and needy circumstances of time through which we feebly pass, I am
assured it never will for eternity. "The Word of the Lord endure for ever" (1 Peter 1:25). As it
reaches down even to my low estate, it reaches up to’ God’s height, because it is from God. As
Jesus came from God and went to God, so does the Book that divinely reveals Him come from-
and elevate to Him. Where the Word has been received, it has brought the soul to God, for He
has revealed Himself in it. Its positive proofs are all in itself:the sun provides its own light.

1 avow, in the fullest, clearest, and most distinct manner here, my deep, divinely-taught
conviction of the inspiration of the Scriptures. While of course allowing, if need be, for defect in
the translation and the like, when 1 read the Bible, 1 read it as having absolute authority for my
soul as God’s Word. There is no higher privilege than to have communications direct from God
Himself.

My joy, my comfort, my food, my strength, for nearly thirty years have been the Scriptures
received implicitly as the Word of God. 1 do not doubt that the grace of the Holy Spirit is needed
to make the Word profitable and to give it real authority to our souls because of what we are; but
that does not change what it is in itself. To be true when it is received, it must have been true
before.

And here I will add that although it requires the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit to
give it quickening power, yet divine truth, God’s Word, has a hold on the natural conscience from
which it cannot escape. The light detects the wrongdoer though he may hate it. And so the Word
of God is adapted to man though he be hostile to it_adapted in grace (blessed be God!) as well
as in truth. This is exactly what shows the wickedness of man’s will in rejecting it. And it has
power thus in the conscience, even if the will be unchanged. This may increase the dislike of it,
but it is disliked because conscience feels it cannot deny the truth. Men resist it, because it is true.
Did it not reach their conscience, they would not need to take so much pains to get rid of and
disprove it. Men do not arm themselves against straws, but against a sword whose keen edge is
felt and feared.

Reader, it speaks of grace as well as truth. It speaks of God’s grace and love, who gave His only-
begotten Son that sinners like you and me might be with Him and know Him, deeply and
intimately_truly know Him and enjoy Him now and forever. Thus the conscience, perfectly
purged, may have joy in His presence, without a cloud, without a reproach, without fear. The
Word will tell you the truth concerning yourself; but it will also tell you the truth of a God of

love, while unfolding the wisdom of His counsels.

Let me add to my reader that by far the best means of assuring himself of the truth and authority
of the Word is to read the Word itself.