The Book of Books

Henry Scudder, The Christian's Daily Walk, pp. 142-143:

When you read any part of the word of God, you must put a difference between it and the best writings of men, preferring it far before them. To this end, (1.) Consider it in its properties and excellencies. No word is of like absolute authority, holiness, truth, wisdom, power, and eternity. (2.) Consider this word in its ends and good effects. No book aimeth at God's glory, and the salvation of man's soul, like this; none concerneth you like to this. It discovereth your misery by sin, together with the perfect remedy. It proposeth perfect happiness unto you, affording means to work it out in you, and for you. It is mighty, through God, to prepare you for grace. It is the immortal seed to beget you unto Christ. It is the milk and stronger meat to nourish you up in Christ. It is the only soul physic, (through Christ Jesus) to recover you, and to free you of all spiritual evils. By it Christ giveth spiritual sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, strength to the weak, health to the sick, yea, by it he doth cast out devils, and raise men from the death of sin, through faith, as certainly as he did all those tilings for the bodies of men by the word of his power, while he lived on the earth. This book of God doth contain those many rich legacies, bequeathed to you in that last will and testament of God, sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. It is the magna charta, and statute-book of the kingdom of heaven. It is the book of privileges and immunities of God's children. It is the word of grace, "which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified." For, it will make you wise to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus, making you perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.