sight, and shew me Thyself. I should like to read to you, beloved, a single sentence from one of the greatest writers of the present day, every word of which is of untold value in itself, and doubly so as coming from the pen of one eminent in the Christian Church. He says:-'Ere, however, we enter into these discussions, let one point be clearly understood, that there is a requisite, a necessary preparation for the study of the Scriptures, which we assume throughout, a preparation of more value than a knowledge of all the rules and canons of the wisest interpreters of the Word, that requisite preliminary preparation is prayer. It is not necessary to enlarge upon a subject which speaks for itself; it is not necessary to commend what the very instincts of the soul tell us is a preparation simply and plainly indispensable. We allude to it as by its very mention serving to hallow our coming remarks, and as useful in reminding us, in the pride and glory of our intellectual efforts, that it is more than probable that the very simplest reader that takes his translated Bible on his knee, and reads, with prayer that he may understand, will attain a truer and a more perfect knowledge of the Word than will ever be vouchsafed to him who with all the appliances of philosophy and criticism reads the original but forgets to mark its holy character, and to pray that he may not only read, but may also learn and understand. Would to God that this rule were of more universal adoption, and had been of late more regularly observed, for then we may be well assured that none of the scornfulness and rash modes of interpretation against which we have now to protest, could ever have been put forth, and have tried, as they are now trying, both the faith and the patience of humble students of the Word of God.'

Ah, beloved friends, would indeed that these precious words, every one of them, were written in letters of gold, for they go to the very root of the matter. God has

opened a wide door, through which He shines as the true and only light; and it is not the great, and the wise, and the learned, that most readily find an entrance there. I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.'

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Only let us keep near to God, let us draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh to us, and though we be the simplest and the weakest of His children, we shall find that the entrance of that blessed Word giveth light. It is written concerning the way to which this is the entrance, that the wayfaring man though a fool shall not err therein.' 'A very extraordinary thing,' said one, 'if I, who have read the Bible over and over in the original languages, have studied it day and night, and have written criticisms on it-a very extraordinary thing that I should not be able to understand that meaning in the Scripture, which is said to be so plain that a “ wayfaring man, though a fool," should not err in the discovering of it. And so it is extraordinary until we open the Bible; and there we see the fact explained. The man who approaches the Word of God in his own wisdom shall not find what the "fool" would discover under the teaching of Divine wisdom. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise 1." It is painful to remember how much light may be shining around us on every side, without finding an entrance into the heart. The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.' Not only the pride of human reason, but the love of sin shuts out the light. Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.'

my dear friends, let us not rest satisfied with what

1 Cecil's Remains.'

ever measure of light may have been hitherto vouchsafed to us. Let us seek, that the Word may have an entrance ministered unto us abundantly.' The most advanced believer is most ready to acknowledge how much of the Word yet remains unexplored before him. Let us cultivate the disposition of a 'little child' (Matt. xviii. 3) -willing to receive, embrace, submit to, whatever the revelation of God may produce before us. There will be many things that we do not understand; but there is nothing that we shall not believe. Thus saith the Lord,' is sufficient to satisfy reverential faith. To this spirit the promise of heavenly light is exclusively made. 'The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.' The Spirit and the Word must conjointly become our guide-the Spirit enlightening and quickening the Word, and the Word evidencing the light of the Spirit. Nor will their combined influence ever leave the Church of God, until she has virtually and completely entered into Immanuel's land, where she shall need no other light than that of the glory of God and of the Lamb, which shall shine in her for ever1.'

PSALM CXIX. 173, 174.

THE PRAYER AND THE PLEA.

'Let Thine hand help me; for I have chosen Thy precepts.

'I have longed for Thy salvation, O Lord; and Thy law is my delight.'

WHAT a blessed and precious prayer is this, my dear friends, Let Thine hand help me,' and how blessed too the plea put forward by the Psalmist in connection with that 6 prayer, For I have chosen Thy precepts, I have longed for Thy salvation, O Lord; and Thy law is my delight.'

1 Bridges.

Before drawing your attention to the petition of the Psalmist we will consider the plea here offered. There is, first of all, the chief ground upon which he pleads which stands alone by itself. For I have chosen Thy precepts.' It was not in his own strength, beloved, that the Psalmist made this choice; it is through the grace of God alone that we can choose, at all costs, to be on the Lord's side; that we can say, in these blessed words, 'I have chosen Thy precepts;' I am Thy servant, Thy child, Thy soldier. Thou hast called me to this, and made me choose it; it is Thy vineyard, and Thy work; it is for Thine honour and glory; and, though I am weak and helpless in myself, I know that Thou wilt strengthen me. Remember too, beloved friends, that we cannot serve two masters; if we seek to serve the one, we must necessarily neglect the other; and only when we can say before God that the one desire of our hearts is to be His servants, and to glorify Him, shall we understand the request which is based upon this plea, 'Let Thine hand help me.'

Let us look for a few moments at the second plea here introduced, 'I have longed for Thy salvation, O Lord.' These it must be remembered are the words of a believer, who is already in the way of salvation; who is justified freely; and who has been brought out of darkness into Christ's marvellous light, and is now one of Christ's saved ones. It is the language of one who would say with Jacob of old, I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord!' It is the prayer of one who feels, 'Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee;' who enjoys his earthly comforts, as not abusing them,' and longs for His salvation above them all. Oh, what a Oh, what a privilege is it to have Him in heart, in thought and in view; to be rejoicing in His presence, and to be longing for a more full conformity to His image, and for a more lively en

joyment of His love; we must, in the words of the Apostle Paul, work out-or carry out our own salvation; Christ is our Saviour, and in Him our salvation is for ever perfect and complete; but we must work it out; for He has said, 'Occupy till I come;' and whether it be in things great or small, we must work and labour and toil, and thus carry out our salvation with fear and trembling. Christ has done all for us, and now we must go and fight for Him; and He will 'cover our heads in the day of battle' with the glorious helmet of salvation. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.' Yes, beloved, let us fight the good fight of faith; let us lay hold on eternal life, and so shall we be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.' We are truly, even at the best, unprofitable servants, but, surely there are none among us who do not understand experimentally something of this longing for His salvation?' If there are any such, beloved, oh, I entreat you, let it be so no longer; flee to Him now, just as you are, vile, sinful, and unworthy, only flee to Him, and He will shew you that great salvation; every sin He will forgive; every weakness He will pardon; and you shall be made like unto Him for ever.

'Oh, let Thine hand help me.' Thou hast given me this desire, oh, disappoint me not. I have longed 'I for Thy salvation, O Lord, and Thy law is my delight.' The law' in Scripture has a very wide signification, but I think in a case of this kind, it may be regarded simply as referring to God's holiness, as expressed in the moral law, of which David says elsewhere, 'Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage;' in all these Thy statutes, I find my sweetest joy,