66 common is it to see even persons professing piety, so fondly attached to particular systems of doctrine, as to make no scruple of bending, by a laboured explanation, any text which does not seem to favour their preconceived opinions, and thus refusing to embrace ❝ the whole counsel of God." But, surely, if such persons were deeply affected with right conceptions of the inconceivable greatness of that Being by whose inspiration the Scriptures were given, they would not easily fall into snares such as these. They would be certain that the perfect understanding of many of the subjects revealed in the Sacred Writings, especially whatever relates to their great author, is far beyond the province of human intellect. Every attempt to fathom, by our limited reason, the deep things of the Most High, or to reconcile with systematic nicety particular points which, though clearly revealed, may not appear to our contracted view perfectly accordant with each other, or with our idea of what is right and befitting the Almighty, must be utterly vain and futile. Humility, contrition of spirit, steady faith, implicit confidence, a disposition to receive in its unsophisticated meaning all that God says, because he says itthese are the dispositions which become man when his Maker condescends to be his instructor, and in the exercise of which alone we can make any profitable attainments in spiritual knowledge. If we are willing to construe the words of a human author in their plain obvious signification, surely we ought not to refuse to do so with regard to Him that "speaketh from Heaven." This sentiment is very beautifully expressed by Saurin, in one of his sermons. "I freely grant, says he, "that had I consulted my own reason only, I could not have discovered some of the mysteries of the Gospel. Nevertheless, when I think on the grandeur of God-when I cast my eyes on that vast ocean-when I consider that immense ALL-nothing astonishes me-nothing staggers menothing seems to me inadmissible, how incomprehensible however it may be. When the subject is Divine, I am ready to believe all, to admit all, to receive all; provided I be convinced it is God himself who speaks to me, or any one on his part. After this, I am no longer astonished that there are three distinct persons in one divine essence; one God, and yet a Father, a Son, and a Holy Spirit. Either religion must tell us nothing about God, or what it tells us must be beyond our capacities; and in surveying even the borders of this immense ocean, it must needs exhibit a vast extent, in which our feeble sight is lost. But what surprises me, what staggers me, what affrights me, is to see a diminutive creature, a contemptible man, a little ray of light glimmering through a few feeble organs, argue a point with the Supreme Being; oppose that Intelligence who sitteth at the helm of the world; question what He affirms; dispute what He determines; appeal from His decisions; and even after God has given him evidence, reject all doctrines that are above his capacity. Enter into thy nothingness, mortal creature! What madness fills thee! How dost thou dare, thou who art but a point-thou whose essence is but an atom-to measure thyself with the Supreme Being; with Him who fills heaven and earth; with Him whom the heaven-the heaven of heavens cannot contain! Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?"* But the evil does not rest with those presumptuous spirits who would reduce the truths of revelation to the level of their own intellect, and impiously offer their counsel to him about whose word we are discoursing. The picture which has been drawn by an eloquent writer, of the too common practice of professing Christians generally, in this respect, is not less faithful than it is humiliating and distressing. "The points of the faith we have been called on to defend, or which are reputable with our party, assume in our esteem an importance disproportionate to their importance in the word, which we come to relish chiefly when it goes to sustain them; and the Bible is hunted for arguments and texts of controversy, which are treasured up for future service. The solemn stillness which the soul should'hold before her Maker, so favourable to meditation and rapt communion with the throne of God, is destroyed at every turn by suggestion of what is orthodox and evangelical, where all is orthodox and evangelical; the spirit of the reader becomes lean, being fed with abstract truths and formal propositions; his temper ungenial, being ever disturbed with controversial suggestions; his prayers undevout recitals of his opinions; his discourse technical announcements of his faith. Intellect, cold intellect, hath the sway over heaven-ward devotion and holy fervours. Man, contentious man, hath the attention which the unsearchable God should undivided have; and the fine, full harmony of Heaven's melodious voice, which, heard apart, were sufficient to lap the soul in ecstacies unspeakable, is jarred and interfered with, and the heavenly spell is broken, with the recurring conceits, sophisms, and passions of men."+ O that men who desire to hear God speak, and to do his will thereupon-who seek to put honour upon the Bible * Saurin's Sermons, Vol. i, p. 78.-Christian Observer, Vol, xx. p. 597. would guard against a practice so pregnant with mischief-so dishonourable to God-so destructive of their own highest and best interests! An authoritative message has been sent from the throne of God, accredited by the most ample and convincing evidence. What, therefore, is our duty? Assuredly it is not to prejudge the contents of this revelationto decide upon its propriety-to find fault with its claims. "Our simple business is to interpret fairly and without prejudice its various parts, and then to submit without any reserve to its paramount authority. Having been visited with the light of revelation, the formation of our religious creed is no longer left to the dreams of imagination or the speculations of philosophy, but it is to be deduced fairly and honestly from the written record alone. And the same principle is to govern equally the learned and the unlearned. It is the office of a translator to give a faithful representation of the original. And now this faithful representation has been given, it is our part to peruse it with care, and to take a fair and faithful impression of it. It is our part to purify our understanding of all its previous conceptions. We must bring a free and unoccupied mind to the exercise. It must not be the pride or the obstinacy of self-formed opinions, or the haughty independence of him who thinks he has reached the manhood of his understanding. We must bring with us the docility of a child, if we want to gain the kingdom of Heaven. It must not be a partial, but an entire and an unexpected obedience. There must be no garbling of that which is entire, no darkening of that which is luminous, no softening down of that which is authoritative or severe. The Bible will allow of no compromise. It professes to be the directory of our faith, and claims a total ascendancy over the souls and the understandings of men. It will enter into no composition with us, on our natural principles. It challenges the whole mind as its due, and it appeals to the truth of heaven for the high authority of its sanctions. "Whosoever addeth to or taketh from the words of this book is accursed," is the absolute language in which it delivers itself. This brings us to its terms, There is no way of escaping after this. We must bring every thought into captivity to its obedience, and, as closely as ever lawyer stuck to his document or his extract, must we abide by the rule and the doctrine which this authentic memorial of God sets before us.' "'* Having thus ascertained the revealed will of God, it must be our determination and aim to fulfil it. "Not every one," *Chalmers on the Evidence and Authority of the Christian Revelation, p. 269. The whole of the chapter will amply repay the labour of a careful perusal. says our Lord," that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven," Matt. vii. 21. It were better for us to be placed beyond the light and influence of the Divine Revelation, than to enjoy its advantages and yet withhold our obedience. For while the servant who knoweth not his Lord's will, and consequently errs in his duty, shall be beaten with few stripes; he that knoweth it, but doeth it not shall be beaten with many, Luke xii. 47, 48. Such appears to be the preparation of mind and the disposition of heart which are required in those who would derive from the study of the Scriptures those benefits which it is the intention of the Divine Being to impart through their medium. The Bible is the ordinary channel through which he conveys his blessings to man, and it is only by placing ourselves in a proper situation and providing ourselves with suitable means that we can rationally expect to become partakers of the stream of the water of life. 18 CHAPTER II. RULES FOR READING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. The Literal Meaning to be sought after-Of Method in ReadingOf the Scope Of the Context-Of Parallel Passages-Of the Analogy of Faith-Cautionary Rules for Practical Reading. HAVING treated of the preparation of mind which is requisite in order to read the Holy Scriptures with advantage, we proceed to consider the method by which this duty may be so prosecuted as to secure the benefits for the reception of which we have been thus prepared. It would be a mere waste of time to detain the reader from the immediate subject of this chapter, for the purpose of directing his attention to its high importance. Upon this there is no room for diversity of opinion. In every study, an object and method in its prosecution are indispensably requisite to the progress of the student: without these he may, indeed, obtain a superficial knowledge, but he will never gain an accurate and extensive acquaintance with his subject. Unless some specific object be proposed, some previous plan be formed, some mode of study be laid down, from which the student will not suffer himself to be diverted, he cannot rationally hope to secure a great acquisition of scientific or historical knowledge. And should not the same reasons influence and regulate our conduct in all our pursuits after scriptural truth? Though the intellect is not the only, nor even the most material part of the man, that is concerned in the study of the Scriptures, yet, that there must be a right apprehension of the truths of the Bible, in the letter thereof, before the heart can be rightly affected, or the affections suitably influenced, must be sufficiently obvious to all upon the slightest reflection. We therefore proceed to lay down some rules which should regulate our conduct in prosecuting the study of the Bible. I. DILIGENTLY LABOUR AFTER A KNOWLEDGE OF THE LITERAL MEANING OF EVERY PART OF SCRIPTURE. The literal meaning of Scripture, though not to be rested in, is, as we have before remarked, of the utmost importance |