{"id":2480,"date":"2013-06-05T10:07:42","date_gmt":"2013-06-05T14:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/?p=2480"},"modified":"2013-06-05T10:07:56","modified_gmt":"2013-06-05T14:07:56","slug":"learn-it-meekly-on-they-knees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/?p=2480","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLearn it meekly on thy knees\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Just last night I came across this poem and found it to be a wonderful statement on how we should approach the Bible, especially the last two stanzas. The fact that this poem was originally written for children will discredit it for some, but such an assessment would be unwise. I am currently reading Mark Gignilliat\u2019s fine book,<a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/1b4eTUI\"> <i>A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism<\/i><\/a>. He describes key voices in biblical scholarship as they again and again began with rejecting the divine inspiration of Scripture. Such skepticism is usually in vogue, but the faith encouraged in this poem is the way to life and understanding.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b>&#8220;Taste&#8221;<\/b><\/p>\n<p>O guide my judgment and my taste,<br \/>\nSweet SPIRIT, author of the book<br \/>\nOf wonders, told in language chaste,<br \/>\nAnd plainness not to be mistook.<\/p>\n<p>O let me muse, and yet at sight<br \/>\nThe page admire, the page believe;<br \/>\n\u201cLet there be light, and there was light,<br \/>\n\u201cLet there be Paradise and Eve!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Who his soul\u2019s rapture can refrain?<br \/>\nAt Joseph\u2019s ever-pleasing tale,<br \/>\nOf marvels, the prodigious train,<br \/>\nTo Sinai\u2019s hill from Goshen\u2019s vale.<\/p>\n<p>The Psalmist and proverbial Seer,<br \/>\nAnd all the prophets\u2019 sons of song,<br \/>\nMake all things precious, all things clear,<br \/>\nAnd bear the brilliant word along.<\/p>\n<p>O take the book from off the shelf,<br \/>\nAnd con [learn] it meekly on thy knees;<br \/>\nBest panegyric on itself,<br \/>\nAnd self-avouch\u2019d to teach and please.<\/p>\n<p>Respect, adore it heart and mind,<br \/>\nHow greatly sweet, how sweetly grand!<br \/>\nWho reads the most, is most refin\u2019d,<br \/>\nAnd polish\u2019d by the Master\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014from Christopher Smart, <b><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/10YxsFp\">Hymns<\/a><i><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/10YxsFp\"> for the Amusement of Children<\/a>\u00a0<\/i><\/b>(1771)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just last night I came across this poem and found it to be a wonderful statement on how we should approach the Bible, especially the last two stanzas. The fact that this poem was originally written for children will discredit it for some, but such an assessment would be unwise. I am currently reading Mark &#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/?p=2480\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading &lsquo;\u201cLearn it meekly on thy knees\u201d&rsquo; &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[61,25,261],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2480"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2482,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480\/revisions\/2482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}