But Elijah, and Moses, and Job, and Jacob, and John, as followers of God in the midst of crooked and perverse generations,—in their tears and prayers, temptations and infirmities,-yea, and in their spiritual consolations and enjoyments also, are our brethren and our friends-bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. The same may be said of that ONE, who, as man, united in his single person, and exemplified in his short sojourn upon earth, such grace and glory, that all the saints who had lived from the creation of the world to the period of his birth, had possessed, in comparison, but a feeble spark. We know that error to be deadly, which degrades this glorious ONE into a mere "teacher of righteousness:" but we may, nevertheless, regard his divinity so exclusively, or rather, so abstractedly, that we shall not duly estimate the command laid upon us to manifest his spirit, and walk in his steps.

READ FOR YOURSELF. Remember, the Old Testament was the gospel to the Jews, and either in similitude, example, inference, or

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type, you will find it contains all the doctrines, and most of the precepts of the New. You may not find the apostolic declaration, Now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law with one another; why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?" But you will find an illustration of this spirit of forbearance in Isaac, when he twice removed from the wells he had digged, because "the herdmen of Gerar did strive with his herdmen, saying the water is ours." We have not a verse like this: "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves :"--but of whose example do we think? What bright original of this apostolic portrait rises before our mind's eye as we read?-Surely that of Moses; "who was very meek, above all the men that were on the face of the earth." It is this striking interchange of precept and example; this analogy between action and principle; these strong parallels, these corroborating resem

blances, which commend the bible to the heart and conscience of the reader, who says, whensoever he takes up that holy book, "I will hear what the Lord will say unto me."

The length of time you can appropriate to the devotional reading of the scriptures, must be a good deal regulated by circumstances. But if your heart is really interested, yon will forego indifferent occupations, rather than abridge this. The length of the portion read, must also vary according to the view with which you read; for the bible is a new book every time we take it up with a new purpose. Sometimes it would be advantageous for you to read in masses, many chapters at once, that you may see their connexion, gather the general line of argument, trace the succession of incidents, the development of human character, the fulfilling of God's purposes. At another time, it would be well for you to take a small portion, and dissect it thoroughly; to mark every emphatic verse, even every striking phrase; and, until your memory will enable you to do it without, to note, by the aid of a con

cordance, any similar incident, precept, doctrine, or expression, in the margin. If you read with interest and attention, you will soon discover the parallel passages for yourself. Both your eyes and ears will be quickened; your memory being ever in requisition, will ever be in readiness; and many sweet and profitable thoughts will arise in your mind, whilst comparing one page of inspiration with another. When I thus recommend you to make as much as possible, scripture its own commentary,* I hope you will not suppose that I would set young people in the seat of their elders, or would express myself with other than the highest

* I will mention a few instances of what I mean to suggest. The Prodigal Son is a parabolic description of a sinner's restoration to the favour of God. In the second of Ephesians, we have a description of the same thing, only without the figurative medium. Joseph was an eminent type of Christ; but read Phil. ii. 5-12, in connexion with Genesis xli. 38-45, and you will discover a typical minuteness, which, if you never observed it before, will both surprise and delight you. The pro

phetic allegory of the vineyard, Isaiah v. 1-8, and the parable, Matt. xxi. 33-42, are parallels: so are Psalm lxxx. and Isaiah lxiv: so are Psalms xxxix.; xc.; cii. 1-13. and Job. vii.

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reverence of those divines, whose annotations on the scriptures are equally sound and scriptural. But the use of their valuable labours should encourage, not supersede our own. The mind that habitually submits itself to be a passive recipient of the thoughts of others, however correct and judicious those thoughts 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 Christians.

But, oh dearest, how vain will be your reading, how vain your interest in what