ly." It becomes us to open the sacred volume with all the simplicity of children; to consider our own insignificance as creatures, and more especially our unworthiness as sinners; to realize the perfections of that God by whose inspiration the scriptures were written, and then reflect that whatever he teaches must be true, and whatever he commands must be right. This was the temper which the apostle so highly recommends in the Bereans. "They received the word with all readiness of mind;" they regarded the authority of God as the highest possible evidence for the truth of any doctrine, and therefore that it was their duty, and glory to subject their reason to his revelations. This same humility of mind he most honorably notices in his epistle to the Thessolanians; "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh in you that believe." 3. The scriptures ought to be read with fervent prayer to the Divine Spirit for his influences to enlighten our understandings, and enable us savingly to comprehend them. No truth is more obvious from the word of God, and universal observation, than the insufficiency of all means without his energies accompanying them. "Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." "Without his powerful agency," as an evangelic, elegant author* expresses it, "to enlighten our understandings, and apply the doctrines of the bible to our hearts, we shall be, even with the word of light and life in our hands, as blind Bartimeus sitting amidst the beams of day, or like the withered arm with some valuable treasures before it." The bible is indeed compared to a lamp, but a lamp affords neither pleasure nor profit to him who has not eyes to discern and follow its light, so the eyes ofthe understanding must be opened before we are capable of beholding with comfort and advantage this light shining in our benighted world. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; they are foolishness to him," as the doctrine of sounds appears foolishness to him who is deaf, or as the doctrine of colours appears foolishness to him who is blind, "neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned," discovered by the almighty operations of the Lord, the Spirit. This is a truth which ought never to be forgotten when we open the volume of revelation, that it will be profitable either for reproof or consolation, only as our understandings are illuminated to comprehend it. With what importunity of soul did the holy David supplicate for this divine influence while he searched the scriptures, "Open thou mine eyes to behold wondrous things out of thy Rev. J. HERVEX. law; a train of wonders the most sublime, and interesting it does indeed contain; here thy love illustriously shines in providing a Saviour for our guilty world, thy sovereignty is displayed in accepting from the Surety that satisfaction which thou mightst have demanded from the sinner, thy long-suffering in bearing with us amidst the most criminal misimprovement of privileges, but all these wonders without illumination from on high must remain uninteresting to me, as the harmony of sounds to him who is deaf, or as the most delicious meats to him whose palate is vitiated and incapable of relishing them. "If any man lack wisdom," if he would possess that knowledge of divine things which is pure and peaceable, which is the effect of grace here, and the earnest of glory hereafter, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth none, and it shall be granted him." 4. The oracles of God ought to be read by all who are capable of reading them. Search the scriptures, is the positive command, and binds to that duty persons of every age and situation who have access to the sacred volume, and have the capacity of perusing it.—The sinner ought diligently to read the scriptures as an ordinance appointed of Jehovah for his instruction and conversion. "The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul; the testimonies of the Lord are sure making wise the simple; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightVOL. 3. I 2 ening the eyes," and to souls innumerable this volume carefully read has proved the wisdom and the power of God for these important ends. The law of God when applied by the Spirit of God sets before the sinner in awful review not merely his present, but also his former conduct; not only his actions, and words, but the most secret thoughts, and purposes of his heart; it presents these to the eye of his conscience with every circumstance of aggravation; nay, it brings home immediately to his view not only crimes which the world never knew, but duties neglected, warnings misimproved, and crimes committed, which for months or years had been forgotten by himself. It then admonishes him that "cursed is every one who continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them; that the soul that sinneth it shall die :" It thus rouses the sinner to a consciousness of his guilt, to an apprehension of his danger, and obliges him with the trembling jailor to exclaim, "what shall I do to be saved?" A very interesting instance of the efficacy of the word, when applied by the power of God, for alarming the most secure, and subduing the most obstinate sinners, occurred in the army of Oliver Cromwell. It was the special order of that officer that every soldier under his command should always have a bible in his pocket. Agreeably to this requisition a licentious young soldier carried a copy of the scriptures, which dur ing the action was penetrated by a ball from the enemy. After the army had retired from the field, this profligate youth had the curiosity to examine how far the ball had entered his bible, and while he was turning over one leaf after another the following passage arrested his attention, "rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment:" And this word accompanied with the power of Almighty God literally "pierced to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit:" It proved the happy instrument of enlightening his understanding, of alarming his conscience, of changing his heart, and finally of saving his soul: He afterwards resided many years in London manifesting the reality of his conversion by the holiness of his life; and often remarked to his minister, a celebrated divine of that city,*" that his bible was the means of saving both his soul and body." But the use of the scriptures does not cease at our conversion to the living God; they ought to be diligently and devoutly read as a means of our progress in sanctification, and spiritual wisdom: And the believ er in Jesus usually finds that every grace flourishes in proportion as his delight in the living oracles increases. These are the * Dr. EVANS. |