Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

172

Shall God speak, and not make himself under stood? Will he bring us into judgment, and condemn us for not profiting by those scriptures, which, though he caused to be written for our learning, he has denied us, (on the above suppo sition) the means of learning and knowing? That be far from him. There is then light suf ficient in the scriptures, if the light that be in us, in ourselves, be not darkness. If we use this light aright, that is, for the purpose for which it was given us, for the glory of God the giver, and our own instruction in righteousness, then we shall understand that the scriptures were written for our learning, that by their light and instrumentality, we might know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent.

Whenever then, my brethren, we sit down to read the holy scriptures, let us endeavour to have these points thoroughly settled and fixed in our minds: first, that they are the word of God, divinely inspired, containing his will and mind. Secondly, that "He caused them to be written for our learning." And thirdly, that we have light sufficient to learn them and to profit by them, if it be not our own faults, that is, if we carefully and thankfully use that light which God has given us, and neither pretend on the one hand, that we have light enough, without that of

the holy scriptures, to guide us into the knowledge of God and ourselves; nor, on the other hand, that we have too little light in the scriptures, because their truths are not absolutely forced upon our convictions, and we experience some trouble and difficulty in fully admitting them; though no more difficulty than truths of any other kind require which are not immediately the objects of our senses.

Once thoroughly to believe that God designed all holy scriptures for our learning, is to have already profited by revelation in no small degree; it is to receive them with all that light and evidence, and truth with which we find them vouchsafed to us, and no more. To look for more, to complain for want of more, is not to receive the scriptures as the word of God, but as the word of man. Truth amounting to demonstration, truth submitted even to the testimony of the senses, will fail to convince those (as in the case of the Jews with respect to the miracles of our Lord,) who use not the light that is in them; that is, who are not careful to use and improve that gift of reason with which all men are endued. Upon this principle it was, that our Lord affirmed to his disciples, "that to him that hath, shall more be given" to him who rightly improves the light of reason, more light shall be afforded; more

and more insight into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. If, my brethren, we be content to be learners under the teachings of God's holy spirit, manifesting in our tempers all that docility, humility, and simplicity, so necessary to guard our minds from being puffed up on the one hand, or discouraged on the other, we shall find with Job, that "there is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding:" and with the psalmist, that "we have more understanding than our teachers :" that is, that the knowledge of God's law is infinitely to be preferred to all other wisdom.

When we have attained to so excellent a spirit as this, and seek to know the truth, and to improve and cherish the light that is in us; we have reached precisely that point, at which we may humbly hope, that God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, will graciously aid our enquiries, and finally lead us into all truth. For as much as we thus do his will, we shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. We shall, therefore, proceed to pray that we may "hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest," the things that are written for our learning.

The holy scriptures differ from all human compositions in many essential respects: and in this respect chiefly, that the truths they contain,

are the vehicle not so much of information for the understanding, as of moral food for the heart. It is true, indeed, that this remark is applicable, in a certain degree, to other books of high-toned morality, and of a religious cast and tendency. But theirs is a borrowed light. Such books owe all their excellency on this account to truths derived either immediately, or accidentally, and through other channels, from the volume of Inspiration; since no morality is of much value that does not flow from that source. Hence it is that the holy scriptures, in order to convey to us their peculiar and transcendent virtues, require to be lived as well as read; their waters must, in order to prove efficacious, be conveyed from the head, to the heart and affections, and from thence be wafted and diffused into every word and action of the man.

[ocr errors]

For this purpose it is evident that scripture must be 'read, marked, learned, and inwardly digested.' It must undergo a kind of moral process within us, akin to that which food undergoes in order to become in the Eighest degree nutritious, and conducive to poses of life, health, and vigour. What is inwardly digested becomes assicutei, and so part of, our nature. And as precsely is t with regard to a right reception of the heig

pur

scriptures. Of what use are its highest and most important truths, precepts, maxims, and examples, if they become not incorporated as it were with our very nature, our hearts, and lives? To what purpose is it that God speaks to us in his word, and reveals himself in his various dispensations of love and mercy, if his word be not in us, and abide with us: if we endeavour not on our parts to resemble Him, as a God of love, holiness, purity, and perfection? To what purpose do we read, and even "mark and learn that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them," if this truth be seated only in the understanding, and pass not to the heart, and operate in the affections and life? Then only have we digested this most vital of all truths, this sublimest of all mysteries, when we have in heart and life, in spirit and affection, in word and deed, been "reconciled to God" through the Spirit, and Christ dwells in our heart by faith; when "we are one with Christ, and Christ with us:" when we "repent truly for our sins past, amend our lives, and are in perfect charity with all men”--then, my brethren, and not till then, we have read, marked, learnt, and inwardly digested this holy scripture.

In the same way, and by the same rule, we

« VorigeDoorgaan »