Blessed Bible! how I love it!
How it doth my spirit cheer!
What on earth like this to covet?
Oh! what stores of wealth are here!
Man was lost, and doomed to sorrow,
Not one ray of light or bliss
Could he from earth’s treasures borrow,
Till his way was cheered by this.

Yes, I’ll to my bosom press thee;
Precious word, I’ll hide thee here;
Sure my very heart will bless thee,
For thou ever say’st “Good cheer!”
Speak, poor heart, and tell thy ponderings,
Tell how far thy rovings led,
When this book bro’t back thy wanderings
Speaking life as from the dead.

Blessed Bible!  I will hide thee
Deep, yes deeper in my heart;
Thou thro’ all my life wilt guide me,
And in death we will not part:
Part in death? no, never, never!
Thro’ death’s vale I’ll lean on thee;
Then, in worlds above for ever,
Sweeter still thy truths shall be.
                              Mrs. Phoebe Palmer


Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.  John 5:39

The Greek word here rendered search signifies a strict, close, diligent, curious search, such as men make when they are seeking gold, or hunters when they are in earnest after game.  We must not rest content with having given a superficial reading to a chapter or two, but with the candle of the Spirit we must deliberately seek out the hidden meaning of the word.  Holy Scripture  requires searching-much of it can only be learned by careful study.  There is milk for babes, but also meat for strong men.  The rabbis wisely say that a mountain of matter hangs upon every word, yea, upon every tittle of Scripture.  Tertullian exclaims, “I adore the fulness of the Scriptures.”  No man who merely skims the book of God can profit thereby; we must dig and mine until we obtain the hid treasure.  The door of the word only opens to the key of diligence.  The Scriptures claim searching.  They are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur-who shall dare to treat them with levity?  He who despises them despises the God who wrote them.  God forbid that any of us should leave our Bibles to become swift witnesses against us in the great day of account.  The word of God will repay searching.  God does not bid us sift a mountain of chaff with here and there a grain of wheat in it, but the Bible is winnowed corn-we have but to open the granary door and find it.  Scripture grows upon the student.  It is full of surprises.  Under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, to the searching eye it glows with splendor of revelation, like a vast temple paved with wrought gold, and roofed with rubies, emeralds, and all manner of gems.  No merchandise like the merchandise of Scripture truth.  Lastly, the Scriptures reveal Jesus:  “They are they which testify of Me.”  No more powerful motive can be urged upon Bible readers than this:  He who finds Jesus finds life, heaven, all things.  Happy he who, searching his Bible, discovers his Saviour.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                         C. H. Spurgeon