Socrates and Plato united, did, in fact, only produce such arguments for their favourite opinion, as they were themselves dissatisfied with. Cicero, being so attached to the same opinion, that, as he says, he would rather err with Plato in holding it, than think rightly with those who deny it, poorly echoes the arguments of his master, adds little to them himself, and, at the conclusion, virtually giving up the point, with all the arguments brought to support it, endeavours to comfort himself and others, against the approach of death, by proving death to be no evil, even should the soul perish with the body. * Such were the conclusions of philosophy, and such was the very doubtful evidence on which these conclusions were built. We turn, however, to the Holy Scriptures, and every doubt is removed-every objection is silenced. What, indeed, appeared as probable, and devoutly to be wished for, is by this revelation rendered indubitably certain. The speculations of philosophy give place to the certainties of revelation, and "life and immortality are rendered manifest by the Gospel," 2 Tim. i. 10.

Now, let the several considerations which have here been adverted to, be thrown together:-let them be viewed separately and in the aggregate. Let the important nature and the consolatory tendency of these discoveries be considered. Let the means of knowledge which we possess in the Bible, be contrasted with the wanderings and uncertainties to which they must submit who are destitute of its light and influence; and we may ask, fearless of the consequences, are not these considerations adequate to excite our gratitude, when we approach to God, as speaking in that book? "Gratitude, not only expressing itself in proper terms, but possessing the mind with an abiding and over-mastering influence, under which it should sit impressed the whole duration of the interview. Such an emotion as cannot utter itself in language, though by language it indicates its presence-but preserves us in a devout and adoring frame while the Lord is uttering his voice. Go visit a desolate widow with consolation, and help, and fatherhood of her orphan children-do it again and againand your presence, the sound of your approaching footstep, the soft utterance of your voice, the very mention of your name, will come to dilate her heart with a fulness which defies her tongue to utter, but speaks by the tokens of a swimming eye, and clasped hands, and fervent ejaculations to heaven upon your head! No less copious acknowledgment to God, the author of our well being and the father of

* See Skelton's Deism Revealed, Dial. iii.

our better hopes, ought we to feel when his word discloseth to us the excesses of his love. Though a veil be now cast over the majesty which speaks, it is the voice of the Eternal which we hear, coming in soft cadences to win our favour, yet omnipotent as the voices of the thunder, and overpowering as the rushing of many waters. And though the veil of the future intervene between our hand and the promised goods, still are they from his lips who speaks and it is done, who commandeth and all things stand fast. With no less emotion, therefore, should this book be opened, than if, like him in the Apocalypse, you saw the voice which spake; or, like him in the trance, you were into the third heavens translated, companying and communing with the realities of glory, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived." * With this gratitude to God must be con

joined,

II. A HUMBLING

CONVICTION OF OUR OWN INABILITY RIGHTLY TO ESTIMATE THE VALUE, OR SUBMIT TO THE TEACHINGS OF GOD'S WORD.

This is indispensably requisite, God having declared the constitution of his gracious government and the mode of his merciful procedure:-" He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble," James iv. 6.; 1 Pet. v. 5. And surely the disposition of mind of which we are now speaking, is one most befitting persons who are not only "alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them" (Eph. iv. 18.), but whose understanding is also blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. iv. 4.), and whose corrupt nature" is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be," Rom. viii. 7. But, how many are there who, if they spurn not the heavenly visitant from their presence, and refuse to listen in any degree to the voice of God in his written word, yet come to its perusal with unhumbled and haughty spirits :with high thoughts of their own importance, and deceitful notions of their own dignity? Men who Men who open the Scriptures, and read their humbling and soul-abasing doctrines with the thoughtlessness and destitution of feeling with which they would peruse the pages of a novel or a romance, and never once think of the exceeding broadness of God's command, or the exceeding riches of his grace! Such, however, must not be our conduct, if we would profit by this employment. There must not only be the conviction of our ignorance of

* Irving's Orations for the Oracles of God, p. 17.

the deeply momentous truths of God's holy word, but there must also be a sensibility of our want of spiritual perception when those truths are laid before us, and of the hostility of our nature towards even those which we do know. Such is

the word of promise-" To that man will I look, to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word," Isa. lxvi. 2.

When we are brought under the unrestrained influence of these sentiments-gratitude for the revelation, and deep selfabasement from a consciousness of our own ignorance thereofthey will induce

III.-DEVOUT PRAYER TO GOD FOR DIVINE ILLUMINATION, AND A RIGHT UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURAL TRUTH.

The original author of the Holy Scriptures is alone able to convey to our understandings their true meaning; and unless his Holy Spirit cast a ray of heavenly illumination upon our minds, no power of genius, no depth of erudition, can conduct us to a saving knowledge of their contents. Not, indeed, that there is any deficiency in the Revelation itself: to suppose so would be as absurd as for a blind man to maintain that the sun did not shine, because he was unable to discern its splendour. The defect is in ourselves: we are by nature spiritually blind, "having the understanding darkened, and being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in us, because of the blindness of our hearts.' "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, because they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." But these declarations do not stand alone; they are accompanied with an assurance, that he which is spiritual discerneth all things:" and our blessed Lord declares," If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" While men are entertaining so high a conceit of themselves, as to imagine that Divine wisdom is attainable by the aid of their own unassisted reason, they are neglecting the chief means which God has appointed for securing it, and remain destitute of any other compass to direct them in the perilous voyage of life than their own changeable fancy. Is it surprising, then, that they should be constantly in danger of making" shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience?" They may read and dispute, and put their ingenuity to the rack, but they will still remain ignorant of the very rudi

ments of the Gospel. The prayer of faith, however, offered from the humble and contrite heart of one who has learned to sit meekly at the feet of Jesus, can never fail to unlock the sacred treasury of heaven, and to enrich the happy supplicant with that inestimable pearl of great price-that which is "more precious than rubies, and with which all things in the world are not to be compared." It is the peculiar office of the Holy Spirit to" lead men into all truth." Most justly, therefore, did Luther, in commencing his career of triumph over the ignorance and superstition of Popery, thus express himself: "The Sacred Writings are not to be understood but by that Spirit. by whom they were written; which Spirit is never more powerful and energetic than when He accompanies the serious perusal of those writings which He himself has dictated. Setting aside an implicit dependence on human writings, let us strenuously adhere to the Scriptures alone."*

In perfect accordance with these sentiments was the practice of the Holy Psalmist, than whom no man, perhaps, has ever formed a juster conception of the value and blessedness of God's truth. The devout aspirations of his heart are embodied in the beautiful compositions of his pen. "Open thou mine eyes, that I may beĥold wondrous things out of thy law:""Teach me thy statutes:" "Make me to understand the way of thy precepts," Ps. cxix.-Such were his convictions of the necessity of Divine illumination for the purpose of understanding the written word. Such were also the convictions and practice of the prophets and apostles, notwithstanding that they were favoured with extraordinary revelations from on high. And no man, who is truly grateful to God for the revelation of his will, and who also feels his own inability rightly to understand that revelation, will fail to profit by these illustrious examples. He will thankfully

avail himself of the advice of one who knew how to estimate its value-" If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him," James i. 5. And we may assure ourselves that no one, reading under the influence of such principles and the exercise of such devotion, shall fail of his reward. Every annunciation of the Eternal shall be sealed upon his heart, and be reflected in his temper and conduct. Humbly seeking to God for wisdom, and relying upon the word of his promise for grace to consecrate it to practical purposes, His word will become to such an one the Divine seed, giving birth to "the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God," Phil. i. 11.

* See Christian Observer, Vol. xx. p. 598.

IV. LET THE SCRIPTURES BE READ WITH A FREEDOM FROM ALL UNDUE BIAS OF SENTIMENT, AND WITH AN UPRIGHT INTENTION OF SUBMITTING TO THE WHOLE WILL OF GOD.

Without attention to this, all other efforts will be lost. And how greatly it is to be feared that multitudes of persons, in whose hearts God has excited a desire after Divine knowledge, suffer themselves to be deprived of the object of their labour and their prayer, by not carefully attending to this rule. The Bible is the exclusive depository of Divine truth, and no sentiment derived from other sources has the sanction of Heaven, or warrants its possessors to expect the approval of God. But O how fearfully do men-and Christian men, too-suffer themselves to lose sight of this important truth! Pre-occupied with some favourite notions which are fondly cherished as the doctrines of the Bible, that book is resorted to, rather for arguments to confirm and support these previously acquired sentiments, than to learn with simplicity and without reserve the whole will of God. Is there not reason to fear that there are few who can join, in the integrity of their heart, in the confession of the great but humble Boyle-" I use the Scripture, not as an arsenal, to be resorted to only for arms and weapons to defend this party, or defeat its enemies; but as a matchless temple, where I delight to be, to contemplate the beauty, the symmetry, and the magnificence of the structure, and to increase my awe, or excite my devotion to the Deity there preached and adored"? There is, in consequence of the fall of man, a haughty spirit of independence so inseparably allied to our moral constitution, that we are more apt to bring the truth of God to the level of our finite reason, than to receive it with that humility which our Lord inculcated, when he said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;" a temper of mind to which the apostle also alludes, when he speaks of our " becoming fools," in order that we may be wise. From this bitter root has proceeded much of that hostility with which a simple declaration of the doctrines of Christianity has in every age been met, as well as those various ramifications of false doctrine which so frequently harass the seemingly penetrating, but really perplexed and vacillating mind. Much also of the theological warfare which has been maintained among those who have been agreed in the fundamental tenets of vital godliness, and into the lists of which the best of men have sometimes entered, has had its origin in the same cause. How