gift, let us ever remember the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The Holy Spirit imparts His gifts, not for self-exaltation, vain glory, or self-aggrandizement, but for the salvation of our souls, for the edification of all around us, and the general good of our fellow-creatures. Just as God hath set the members every one of them in the body as it pleases him-that the members should have the samé care one for another; so the Holy Spirit divides His gifts to each individual believer, for the general good of the whole church.

His

If divine teaching is so necessary, PRAYER IS THE GREAT PREREQUISITE IN ALL OUR STUDIES. We need to have this urgently enforced, as we suffer the greatest loss in our everlasting concerns by reading without prayer. We read much, we pray little. The best proficients have been those who have prayed most. 'Dr. Doddridge used frequently to observe, that he never advanced well in human learning without prayer, and that he always made the most proficiency in his studies when he prayed with the greatest frequency and fervor.' Lord Bacon's acquirements were preceded by prayer. (See his prayer, chap. x.) Milton's Paradise Lost was not written without prayer. thoughts on planning it were these: This is not to be attained but by devout prayer to the Eternal Spirit, that can enrich with all utterance and knowledge, and sends out his seraphim with the hallowed fire of his altar, to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases. To this must be added industrious and select reading, steady observation and insight into all seemly and generous arts and affairs; till which in some measure be compassed, I refuse not to sustain this expectation.' Dr. Johnson infers, From a promise like this, at once fervid, pious, and rational, might be expected the Paradise Lost.' How earnest are David's prayers for divine teaching, through the 119th Psalm. How distinctly the apostle adds prayer to meditation, when he

says to Timothy, Consider these things, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

In fact all our knowledge of every kind should be made the subject of prayer, both as to its attainment and its application, or we have no security that it will not be perverted rather than improved, and draw the heart from God rather than draw it near to Him; be used against Him rather than for him; and puff up with pride rather than humble us in the deeper discovery of our ignorance. But knowledge which is preceded by prayer for its acquisition and right application, will be a real blessing to ourselves and to others, will not deaden but promote spiritual affections.

PRAYER FOR DIVINE TEACHING.

FATHER of Lights, and God of all grace! Thou hast promised that Thou wilt give wisdom to them that ask Thee. Feeling my own ignorance, I now ask of Thee to impart out of the fulness of Him in whom are hid all the treasure of wisdom, the gift of heavenly wisdom.

I live in a world full of error and full of sin; and to whom can I look with any certainty but unto thee, O Lord. Enlighten my understanding, purify my affections, and guard me from error. Let not the wicked delude me, and let not the mistakes even of the righteous lead me astray. I am as fallible and liable to error as others, leave me not therefore to myself, but enable me to adhere to thy word, and give me the abundance of thy Spirit to guide me into all truth, and make me wise unto salvation, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

CHAPTER IV.

THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES IN PARTICULAR.

THE study of the Scriptures is so essential a part of the work of the Christian student, that it requires distinct and primary consideration. Let us never forget, in all our studies, that there is but one book of supreme, and paramount, and incalculable value-THE WORD OF GOD-A book to be constantly studied by all ranks and all classes. This is admitted by Protestants; but it is to be feared that the admission has hardly sufficient influence on any of our minds and practice. The best students have agreed in asserting that the Holy Scriptures claim the first attention. Melancthon, in his brief method of studying theology, recommends as the first requisite, a familiarity with the text of the Sacred Scriptures; and in order to this, that they should be read daily both morning and evening. The testimonies of men of the greatest learning in their last moments afford strong evidence of the importance of paying chief attention to the word of God. Notice those of Selden and Salmasius. Of Selden, Lord Clarendon says, 'He was of so stupendous a learning, that a man would have thought he had never spent an hour but in reading, and writing.' When near the end of his days, he declared to Archbishop Usher, that ' though he had been laborious in his literary inquiries, and possessed a number of valuable manuscripts on all ancient subjects, yet he would rest the happiness of his soul on none of them except the Holy Scriptures.' Salmasius was one of the most learned men, the monarch and the tyrant of literature. At the close of his life he acknowledged, that he had too much and too

earnestly engaged in literary pursuits, and greatly overlooked those objects in which true and solid happiness consists. He said, 'Oh I have lost a world of time; time, that most precious thing in the world! Had I but one year more, it should be spent in studying David's Psalms, and Paul's Epistles.',

When commencing the study of divine truth, amid all the jarring opinions of human authors, it is of inexpressible moment to begin with studying the pure word of God, and to go regularly through the whole of that word, before we prepossess our minds with human opinions while continuing the study of divine truth, it is also of vast moment constantly to keep up the daily reading of considerable portions of the pure word of God, and so to keep scriptural truth, as it has been observed, continually revolving in the mind. It will be the only effective preservative against the taint and deterioration which the mind might otherwise receive from reading human authors :-and when closing our studies, and approaching the borders of another world, O how important to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, and to become more familiar with the spirit of those blessed servants of God, with whom we hope to abide through eternity.

Professor Campbell, in his Treatise on Systematic Theology, has insisted much, and in the author's opinion very forcibly, on the importance of pursuing this plan; and that previous to reading any work on the evidences, any commentaries, or any doctrinal books. He says, Devoutly study the Scriptures themselves, if you would understand their doctrine in singleness of heart. The only assistance which I would recommend, are those in which there can be no tendency to warp your judgment: It is the serious and frequent reading of the Divine Oracles, accompanied with fervent prayer; it is the comparing of Scripture with Scripture; it is the diligent study of the languages in which they are written; it is the knowledge

of those histories and antiquities to which they allude. These indeed will not tell you what you are to judge of every passage, and so much the better. God has given you judgment, and requires you to exercise it. And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right.' He states afterwards how much may be done on this plan with the Bible in the original languages, and a concordance.

In fact, we are entirely incompetent to determine what is God's truth, till we have diligently searched his word. We may, as it has been forcibly expressed, merely rise to the inheritance of the false opinions of others.' The conclusion to which President Edwards caine, is the result of real experience I find it would be very much to my advantage to be thoroughly acquainted with the Scriptures. When I am reading doctrinal books, or books of controversy, I can proceed with abundantly more confidence, and can see upon what foundation 1 stand.'

Our time for being enriched with divine knowledge is also very limited. Suppose a man were to be introduced into the bank, and he were told, You are to be here but half an hour, there is such a place filled with gold, and such with silver, and such with copper, and you may take away from each as many bags as you please; we all know that he would go to that place where the gold was. The precious gold of truth is contained in the Holy Scriptures, and our main study should be to get, and then diffuse, as much as possible of this gold. Other books may be studied as helpful to this end, or to the right fulfilling of our respective stations but the studies of a Christian, and especially of a Christian minister, ought to be appropriate. It is a shame to any man, but especially to him, to know little of that book which is the foundation of his religion and of the highest of human hopes and joys-to be a great classic, a first-rate philosopher, a skilful physician, an experienced chemist or geologist, and an ig