would the Lord that we should be princes and judges, but messengers and ministers of his word. For look, what serveth to our salvation and to godliness, all that hath God himself set down in his laws." Wherefore, if all the worship of God, all godliness, all religion, be to be sought out of the word of God, let us, unto whom the office of teaching is allotted, consider how dangerous a thing it is to speak more: and let all who will be, and will have themselves accounted to be, Christians, remember how dangerous a thing it is to believe more."

J. I am to understand you then, as recommending the diligent study of the Bible?

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S. No; not recommending, but requiring. As a man, an individual Christian, it is your duty to "meditate on the law of the Lord;" to "hide his word in your heart;" to have the word of Christ dwelling in you richly, in all wisdom :" how much more, then, as a Christian minister? That you may know the will of God yourself, this must be your study; it must likewise be your study that you may most effectually aid others in knowing it. We are not inquiring how you may be, professionally, an eloquent preacher, acceptable and popular; but how you may fulfil the ministry which you have received of the Lord Jesus Christ, You are not to preach yourself; either your own inventions, or for your own honour or advantage. You are to do a certain work, for a certain object. And as you are to look for no new revelations, that you may deliver the right message, you must seek it where alone it is to be found. You must diligently and honestly study the Bible, that the truth which it contains may dwell clearly and extensively in your own mind. Look at your hearers. Consider their circumstances. Recollect how little leisure they have, and how few advantages, for the thorough study of the word of God. To them it is said, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;" and, "Desire the sincere milk of the word, that may grow thereby." Your ministry is to be one principal means of aiding them in this. You are to seek to supply their lack of leisure and advantage. You are to aid them in acquiring continually increasing measures of heavenly

ye

wisdom. Only in one way can this be done,-by the honest, diligent, devout study of the word of God. The rule is, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;" but you cannot do this unless you are yourself thoroughly acquainted with the "lively oracles," so that, in a manner, they may speak in you, and by you.

J. Then am I to study only the Bible?

S. By no means. You are of course to study it devotionally. In all else that I say, that is always to be understood. But that being understood, you are to study it rationally; that is, as you study all other books. The same order of means must be employed, and employed with the same diligence.

J. What studies, then, are comprehended in this prin cipal one?

S. Let us examine the case, and see whether a few directing principles may not be ascertained.

J. We set out with this,-Here is the book of God,— do we not?

S. For you there is an earlier inquiry; namely, Is it what it professes to be? Here is a most important branch of study, that which includes the truth and inspiration of the Bible; or, to describe it in other language, the evidences of revealed religion, and of Christianity in particular. You are to be satisfied on this subject your own self; and you are to be prepared, as far as possible, to satisfy others. You are set for the defence of the Gospel; and, therefore, you are to be ready both to show the Christian the proper grounds of his faith, and to withstand and refute the gainsayer. The subject is anything but a neglected one. The entire question, and all its particular branches, have been thoroughly considered. Our own language is particularly rich in works of this kind. With at least the principal of them, you must become well acquainted. Paley, for instance, and Campbell, and Butler, must be not only read, but thoroughly digested. And in times like the present, when infidelity is again lifting up its head, and directly assailing our holy faith, not only in every point of its surrounding and intrenching outworks, but in its very citadel, you must

most conscientiously give all diligence, that you may be so master of the subject, as to be prepared for successful defence wherever assault may be expected.

J. Taking this, then, as the first branch of study, what comes next?

S. I suppose you to be perfectly satisfied that this is indeed the book of God. The next point, of course, is to ascertain its meaning. But for this, what may be termed rather collateral than direct aids, will be found indispensable. You open the Bible. You may at once see in what form it has seemed good to the wisdom of God, that this divine revelation should be given. It is a book, not by one author, but by many; not written at one time, but spread over a long period; not given in your own language, but in languages which have long ago ceased to be spoken; not written by persons of your own country or time, but by those who, as they lived long ago, lived in another country,— customs very different from those of your own country and time, not only prevailing, but very materially influencing their manner of composition. A most important, in fact, an absolutely necessary, branch of study opens here before you, in the rules of biblical criticism, and the principles of Diblical interpretation. Works on this subject, likewise, -elementary and systematic works, I mean,-are not at all uncommon. My object, however, is not so much to direct you to books, as to subjects. Still, on this important division, it would almost be unpardonable if I were not to mention a work which on all questions of biblical criticism and interpretation,-including, likewise, that of the Christian evidences, is a library in itself; and with which if you make yourself familiar,-reading it, studying it, digesting it, you will have acquired amply sufficient information for all ordinary purposes, and be prepared to study with advantage the larger works which learned Christians have at various times put forth: I mean, the Introduction to the Study of the sacred Scriptures, by the Rev. Thomas Hartwell Horne, a work whose solid worth it would be difficult to overrate. Perhaps I ought, likewise, at the same time to mention two small but very valuable volumes, on the

rinciples of biblical interpretation, published by Clarke, of Edinburgh, in a series, with the title of "The Biblical Cabinet." The volumes I refer to, are translated from the work of a German author, Ernesti: and though far too many of the biblical critics in Germany have adopted principles which, however their nomenclature is disguised, are in reality infidel, yet this work of Ernesti's may be studied safely, as well as advantageously. At all events, Mr. Horne's volumes must be read by you; and if you master these, they will leave little else on the subject for you to desire. Not only Christian ministers, but the Christian public generally, owe him a large debt of gratitude for his invaluable compilation, so well digested, and so well arranged, so particular, and so comprehensive, as to have all the worth and merit of an original work.

J. I see I must not be idle. You have already given me work that will not be completed in a day, and we seem but just to have crossed the threshold.

S. Well-begun, is half-done, however. A student, diligent in those branches of study which I have now mentioned, will have acquired much mental strength, and many important principles; and if, still remembering the necessity of a watchful and praying heart, he bring this intellectual vigour and these acquired principles, to the direct study of the word of God, he cannot fail of soon being "a scribe well-instructed unto the kingdom of God." But there is another aspect under which your ministerial studies are to be viewed; that, I mean,—which considers them as directly theological. I may express what I now mean by the common terms-the doctrines of religion, that which the Bible teaches,―systematic divinity. This, in point of fact, is to be the subject-matter of your pulpit addresses; to the clear and comprehensive attainment of this, all your other studies are to be directed. That you may be a useful preacher, you must be a truly enlightened and sound divine.

J. What sort of books am I to read to help me in this? S. You do right to say—what sort of books? rather than --what books? The latter question would most easily be answered by putting some catalogue of works on theology

into your hands. But I must again request you to remember that I am now only endeavouring to guide you in your own studies by suggesting certain principles and rules, which your own judgment must teach you to apply. I may mention, however, classes of works; and by noticing these, you may be assisted in your selection of the books actually to be read. One class of such works is that furnished you by Commentators, whether upon the whole Scripture, or upon separate and detached portions. These, of course, will aid you in the direct study of the word of God. I need not tell you that you are not to read them as masters, but as guides. You will consider what they say, and receive their sayings, so far as they appear to you to be true. Indeed, of not only Commentators, ancient or modern,-but of all human writers in divinity, whatever be the form of their works,—I would say, that what you have to do is to follow them, so far as they appear to you themselves to follow Christ.

J. You speak of works under other forms. What other classes of writers do you include in this branch of study?

S. Another class, then, is that constituted by those whose volumes furnish us with systems of divinity, more or less particular and minute. Perhaps even this may be subdivided. There are those who give you expositions of that ancient summary of Christian doctrine, the Apostles' Creed. Several writers have made this the basis of excellent treatises. Barrow, for instance, in our own language, has written upon this, as he wrote upon every other subject. But one work of this kind has obtained a sort of prescriptive eminence: I mean Bishop Pearson's admirable Exposition. Luther used to say, that if a student would repeatedly peruse the "Common Places" of Melancthon, he could scarcely fail of being a sound divine. I feel no hesitation in saying this of Bishop Pearson. Read him thoroughly, and read him often. Study him. If young preachers, instead of running from book to book, as though on the search for novelty, were to make themselves familiar with the judicious, clear, profound, pious, might I add manly?-theology of Bishop Pearson, our pulpits would show the effect. Fewer ornaments might,