may be, is certainly an indolent mind, without being of necessity a humble one. "Search the Scriptures," is an unlimited and universal command; as applicable to the peasant and the child, as to any student of prophecy, or professor of sacred literature, if the object of that search be to find "Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write." Perhaps our Saviour's expression, "the one ought ye to do, and not to leave the other undone," applies with a happy discrimination to the relative duty of studying the Scriptures without any reference to human aids; and again, of thankfully employing such aids, when offered by those who are competent to offer them. But, oh! dearest, how vain will be your reading, how vain your interest in what you read, how vain your search after truth, if you do not "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness "if you do not pray for his enlightening Spirit! Without this, your imagination may be charmed, your sensibility excited, and your mind enriched, but your heart will continue at "enmity towards God:" your life remain uninfluenced by his precepts. The waters of the sanctuary may flow over your soul, yet fail to fertilize and refresh; the manna which should serve for food, will become corrupt, and afford no nourishment; your spiritual knowledge, like the carved cherubim and palm trees of the temple, will breathe no life, and yield no fruit. So then, you must pray, and pray first for a praying spirit, or even the word of God will profit you nothing. But ask God to be his own interpreter, and he will make that word plain, and not only plain, but precious. Its treasures may at first be hidden, but none ever rightly sought without finding, as none ever found without being satisfied. These letters have grown far beyond their intended limits: I will now sum up my advice, and bid you farewell. Read with expectation. Read with reverence. yourself. Read with prayer. seldom lay down that holy Read for Then will you book without some apprehension of Simeon's joyful feeling, when he took his infant Saviour in his arms, LETTER V. MY DEAR RELIGION is not in reality a gloomy, unintelligible thing; a principle which, when admitted into the human mind, is destructive of intellect and happiness. It is the direction of natural energy into a worthy channel; the devotion of the mind to subjects immortal as itself. Religion is not a thing of Sundays and sermons, creeds and commentaries; of separate acts, and distinct observances; it is a life-giving, life-pervading spirit, intended to exercise over our motives just that guiding, quickening, controlling influence, which the mind exercises over the body. True religion is cheerful. Whilst its highest joy is derived from the contemplation of God, in his word, works, and ways, in same. his threefold character of Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier-whilst it feels that he, and he only, has a right, because he, and he only is worthy, to be loved supremely—it infringes upon no duty which we owe to our fellowcreatures; upon no pleasure which accords with right reason. If you should bring me a catalogue of tastes, habits, pursuits, and enjoyments, which religion really did require to be modified, or surrendered, I would undertake to prove that reason commanded the True piety is active. Man was made for occupation: a life wholly contemplative, is not a Christian life: it is necessary to follow a thousand pursuits, it is lawful to indulge in a thousand tastes, which in themselves have entire and simple reference to this world;but however unconnected with religion in the act, there is nothing which may not, which ought not, to be connected with it by the motive. Herein consists one chief comfort of this principle, it affords a new stimulus to exertion-it supplies a sufficient motive. Others may actuate us, but eventually they fail both to satisfy the judgment, and animate the heart. Self-aggrandizement, abstract ideas of duty, |