■word of God is called a light unto our feet, not to our tongues, merely to talk of, but feet to walk by : endeavour for it, not that thou mayest spread thy own name, but celebrate God. As David promiseth, when he understands the pre- cepts of God, then he will talk of his wondrous works, he will trumpet the fame of them, and thereby awaken others to inquire after God.
Secondly, When thy end is right set, then thou must be constant in thy endeavour after it. The mysteries of Christ are not learned in a day. ' Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord,' Hos. vi. 3. Some are in a good mood, may be, and they will look into the Bible, and read a chapter or two, and away they go for a week, and never practise it more ; like some yoimg boys, if at school one day, truant all the week after : is it any wonder such thrive not in knowledge? It is a good speech of Bernard, Tantuvi d'tstat stitdium a lectione, (juantum amicitia ab hospitio, socialis ajfectio, a fortuita salutatione. The study of the word, and tlie reading of it, differs as much as the friendship of such who every day converse lovingly together doth from the acquaintance one hath with a stranger at an inn, or whom he salutes as he passeth by in the streets. If you will get knowledge indeed, you must not only salute the word now and then, but walk wilh it, and enter into daily con- verse with it. The three men, who were indeed angels, that stood by Abraham, as he sat at his tent-door, were reserved and strange, till Abraham invited them into his tent, and entertained them friendly ; and then Christ (who was one among them, as appears by the name Jehovah given him in several verses, and also by what he promised he would do for Sarah, ver. 10, not Avhat God woidd do, which, if a created angel, he would, ) begins to discover himself to Abraham, and reveal his secrets to him. That soul above others shall be acquainted with the secrets of God in his word, that doth not slightly read the word, and as it were compliment with it at his tent-door, but desires more intimacy with it, and therefore entertains it within his soul by frequent meditating of it. David compares the word for sweetness to ' the honey and the honey-comb.' Indeed, it is so full, that at first reading some sweetness will now and then drop from it, but he that doth not press it by meditation, leaves the most behind.
Thirdly, Be svn-e thou takest the right order and method. Arts and sciences have their rudiments, and also their more abstruse and deep notions ; and sure the right end to begin at, is first to learn the principles : he, we say, is not like to make a good scholar in the university, that never was a good grammar- scholar. And they cannot be solid Christians, that are not instructed in the grounds of Christianity. The want of this is the cause why many are so imstedfast ; first of this way, and then of that, blown like glasses into any shape, as false teachers please to breathe. Alas I they have no centre to draw their lines from. Think it no disgrace, you who have run into error, and lost your- selves in the labyrinths of deep points, which now are the great discoiu'se of the weakest professors, to be set back to learn the first principles of the oracles of God better; too many are, asTertullian saith in another case, pudoris niagis tnevwres quam salutis, more tender of their reputation than their salvation, who are more ashamed to be thought ignorant, than careful to have it cured.
Fifthly, If thou wouldst attain to divine knowledge, wait on the ministi'y of the word. As for those who neglect this, and come not where the word is preached, they do like one that should turn his back to the sun, that he may see it ; if thou wouldest know God, come where he hath appointed thee to learn. Indeed, where the means is not, God hath extraordinary ways ; as a father, if no school in town, will teach his child at home ; but if there be a piiblic school, thither he sends him. 'God maketh manifest,' saith Paul, 'the savour of his knowledge by us in every place,' 2 Cor. ii. 14. Let men talk of the Spirit what they please, he will at last be found a quencher of the Spirit, that is a despiser of pi-ophecy ; they both stand close together : 1 Thess. v. 1 9, 20, ' Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesying.' But it is not enough to sit luider the means ; Avoful experience teacheth us this ; there are some no siui will tan ; they keep their own complexion under the most shining and burning light of the word preached, as ignorant and profane as those that never saw gospel-day ; and therefore if thou wilt receive any spiritual advantage by the word, take heed how thou hearcst.
DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. \0'^