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their very prayers and sacrifices "an abomination to "the Lord," and perverts those things which are designed for their advantage, into an occasion of their falling.

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A second thing necessary is Diligence. This, with the former, is finely described in the book of Proverbs. My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my "commandment within thee; so that thou incline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding: yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and "liftest up thy voice for understanding: if thou seek"est her as silver, and searchest for her as hid trea66 sures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God," Prov. ii. The wisdom of God, in which we are concerned, is contained in his word. The best understanding is to keep his commandments, Psal. cxi.; but as we cannot keep them unless we know them, neither can we know them without a diligent inquiry. The word which is rendered search, ɛpauvaw, is borrowed from the practice of miners: it implies two things, to dig, and to examine. First, with much labour they pierce the earth to a considerable depth; and when they have thus found a vein of precious ore, they break and sift it, and suffer no part to escape their notice. Thus must we join frequent assiduous reading, with close and awakened meditation; comparing spiritual things with spiritual, carefully taking notice of the circumstances, occasion, and application of what we read; being assured, that there is a treasure of truth and happiness under our hands, if we have but skill to discover and improve it. Only let us be mindful that we have the same views in reading the Scripture, that God has in revealing it to us; which the apostle thus enumerates :

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"All Scripture," or the whole Scripture, Tara Ÿçα‡ŋ, " is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for "doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction "in righteousness; that the man of God may be per"fect, thoroughly furnished to every good work," 2 Tim. iii. And elsewhere it is said to be able to make us wise unto salvation." How absurd would it be for a man to read a treatise of husbandry with a design of learning navigation, or to seek the principles of trade and commerce in an essay on music? No less absurd is it to read or study the Scriptures with any other view than to receive its doctrines, submit to its reproofs, and obey its precepts, that we may be made wise unto salvation." All disquisitions and criticisms that stop short of this, that do not amend the heart as well as furnish the head, are empty and dangerous, at least to ourselves, whatever use they may be of to others. An experience of this caused a learned critic and eminent commentator (Grotius), to confess, towards the close of his life, Vitam prorsus perdidi, laboriose nihil agendo! Alas! I have wasted my life in much labour to no purpose! But, on the contrary, when we are diligent and studious, that we may be better acquainted with the divine precepts and promises, and better inclined to observe and trust them, then we may hope for happy success; for, "blessed is "the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and "who meditates therein day and night: for he shall "be like a tree planted by rivers of waters, which

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bringeth forth its fruit in due season; his leaf also "shall not wither, and whatsoever he doth," under this influence, "shall prosper," Ps. i. Thus God has promised, and thus many have found it, and been enabled to adopt the words of David, "Thou through

"thy commandments hast made me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me: I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimo"nies are my meditation." Ps. cxix.

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Humility is a third thing very necessary to a profitable perusal of the Scriptures. "God giveth his

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grace to the humble," James, iv.: "He will guide · "the meek in judgement, he will enlighten the simple "in his way," Ps. xxv. The proud he resisteth, AVTITαGGETα, he draws up against him, he prepares himself, as it were, with his whole force, to oppose his progress. A most formidable expression! If God only leaves us to ourselves, we are all ignorance and darkness; but what must be the dreadful case of those against whom he appears in arms? This has been a principal source of those various and opposite heresies and mistakes, which are the reproach of our holy profession, that vain man, though born a mere "ass's colt," Job, xi. has undertaken, by his own strength and wisdom, to decide authoritatively on the meaning of Scripture; without being aware of the ignorance, prejudice, and weakness, which influence his judgement in religious matters; without knowing the utter inability of the natural man to discern the things of God, and without attending to those means the Scripture itself has appointed for the redress of these evils. But would we not lose our time and pains, would we wish not to be misled ourselves, or not to mislead others? Let us aim at a humble spirit: let us reflect much on the majesty and grandeur of the God we serve: let us adore his condescension in favouring us with a revelation of his will; let us learn to consider the word of God, and the wisdom of God, as terms of the same import: in a word, let us study to know ourselves, our sinfulness and ignorance; then we

shall no longer read the Scriptures with indifference or prepossession, but with the greatest reverence and attention, and with the most enlarged expectation.

I shall mention but one thing more upon this head, which is as necessary in itself as any of the preceding, and likewise necessary in order to obtain them, and that is Prayer. Sincerity, diligence, and humility, are the gifts of God; the blessing we seek in the exercise of them is in his hands; and he has promised to bestow all good things, even "his holy Spirit, upon "those who ask him." Prayer is indeed the best half of our business while upon earth, and that which gives spirit and efficacy to all the rest. Prayer is not only our immediate duty, but the highest dignity, the richest privilege we are capable of receiving on this side eternity; and the neglect of it implies the deepest guilt, and includes the heaviest punishment. A stranger to prayer, is equally a stranger to God and to happiness, "like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and

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tossed," James i. Are any of you, my friends, unacquainted with prayer? Then are you without God in the world, without a guide in prosperity, without resource in distress, without true comfort in life, and, while you continue so, without hope in death. But, especially, you are utterly unqualified to "search the "Scripture." There is a veil upon the mind and heart of every man (as the apostle assures us, 2 Cor. iii.), so that he can neither see, nor embrace heavenly truths, till this impediment is removed: the means of this is prayer. Therefore David says, Open thou "mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law," Ps. cxix. He knew there were wonderful things contained in the law, but confesses himself incapable of discerning them till the Lord should interpose. This he has promised to do in behalf of all who call

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upon him. But those who seek not assistance from God can find it no where else: for "

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every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the "Father of lights," James, i. who hath said, “ If any "man lack wisdom, let him ask of God." A critical knowledge of the original languages, a skill in the customs and manners of the ancients, an acquaintance with the Greek and Roman classics, a perusal of councils, 'fathers, scholiasts, and commentators, a readiness in the subtilties of logical disputation; these, in their proper place and subserviency, may be of considerable use to clear, illustrate, or enforce the doctrines of Scripture: but unless they are governed by a temper of humility and prayer; unless the man that possesses them, accounts them altogether as nothing, without that assistance of the Spirit of God which is promised to guide believers into all truth; unless he seeks and prays for this guidance no less earnestly than those who, understand nothing but their mother-tongue; I make no scruple to affirm, that all his apparatus of knowledge only tends to lead him so much the farther astray; and that a plain honest ploughman, who reads no book but his Bible, and has no teacher but the God to whom he prays in secret, stands abundantly fairer for the attainment of true skill in divinity. But happy he, who, by faith and prayer, can realize the divine presence always with him! who is sincere in his intentions, diligent in the use of means, diffident of himself, yet full of trust and hope, that God, whom he desires to serve, will lead and guide him in the paths of peace and righteousness for his mercy's sake, Psal. xxxi. Those things which are necessary for him to know, shall be made so plain, that he shall not mistake them; and those things, with which he is not so immediately concerned, shall at least teach him humility; teach him

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