Oh ! the mysteries, the excellencies, the glories that are in the word ! Ah ! no book to this book ; none so useful, none so needful, none so de- lightful, none so necessary to make you happy and to keep you happy as this. It is .said of Caesar, major fuit cura Gcesari libellorum, quam pn rpu rOB, that lie had a greater care of his books than of his royal robes ; for, swimming through the waters to escape his enemies, he carried his books in his hand above the waters, but lost his robe. Now, what are Caesar's books to God's books?
Ah! young men, young men ! the word of the Lord is a light to guide you, a counsellor to counsel you, a comforter to comfort you, a staff to support you, a sword to defend you, and a physician to cure you. The word is a mine to enrich you, a robe to clothe you, and a crown to crown you. It is bread to strengthen you, and wine to cheer you, and a honey- comb to feast you, and music to delight you, and a paradise to entertain you.1
Oh! therefore, before all and above all, search the Scripture, study the Scripture, dwell on the Scripture, delight in the Scripture, treasure up the Scripture ; no wisdom to Scripture wisdom, no knowledge to Scrip- ture knowledge, no experience to Scripture experience, no comforts to Scripture comforts, no delights to Scripture delights, no convictions to Scripture convictions, nor no conversion to Scripture conversion.
Augustine hearing a voice from heaven, that bade him take and read, tolle et lege, whereupon, turning open the New Testament, he fell upon that place, 'Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envy- ing. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof,' Rom. xiii. 13, 14. This scripture so sunk into his heart, as that it proved the means of his conversion, as himself reports. This Augustine, as he was once preaching, his memory failing of him, contrary to his purpose, he fell upon reproving the Mani- cheans, and by a scripture or two, not before thought of, to confute their heresies, he converted Firmus, a Manichean, as he after acknowledged to Augustine, blessing God for that sermon.2
It is reported of one Adrianus, who seeing the martyrs suffer such grievous things in the cause of God, he asked what was that which caused them to suffer such things ? and one of them named that text, ' Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of mau to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him,' 1 Cor. ii. 9. And this text was set home with such a power upon him, as that it converted him and made him to profess religion, and not only to profess it, but to die a martyr for it.
Cyprian was converted by reading the prophecy of Jonah. Junius was converted by reading the first chapter of John the evangelist.
I have read of a scandalous minister that was struck at the heart,
1 The Jewish Rabbins were wont to say, that upon every letter of the law there hangs mountains of profitable matter. * Lib. viii. Uonfes. cap. xi. Possidon. de vita. — Augustine.
1 Kings XIV. 13.] apples of gold. 237
and converted, in reading that scripture : ' Thou which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?' &c, Rom. ii. 21.
We read that Paphnutius converted Thais and Ephron, two famous strumpets, from uncleanness, only with this scripture argument, ' That God seeth all things in the dark, when the doors are fast, the windows shut, the curtains drawn,' Heb. iv. 13.
I have read of a poor man who persuaded a young scholar to leave reading of poetry, &c, and fall upon reading of the Scripture, which accordingly he did ; and it pleased the Lord, before he had read out Genesis, to change his heart and to turn him to the Lord in the prim- rose of his days, he being then but twenty years of age.
I have read of a young lady,1 called Potamia, of a very illustrious family, who endured very much in her martyrdom, by the extreme cruelty of Basilides her executioner, yet, after her death, he bethinking himself of the holy words and scripture-expressions that were uttered by her, during her cruel torments, became a Christian, and within few days after was himself likewise crowned with martyrdom.
James Andreas, a godly minister, hearing of a Jew that for theft was hanged by the heels, with his head downward, having not seen that kind of punishment, he went to the place where he was hanging between two dogs that were always snatching at him to eat his flesh ; the poor wretch repeated in Hebrew some verses of the Psalms, wherein he cried to God for mercy, whereupon Andreas went near to him and instructed him in the principles of Christian religion, about Christ the Messiah, &c, exhorting him to believe in him, and it pleased God so to bless his Scripture exhortations to him, that the dogs gave over tearing of his flesh, and the poor Jew desired him to procure that he might be taken down and baptized, and hung by the neck for the quicker despatch, which was done accordingly.
I might produce other instances, but let these suffice to provoke all young persons to a speedy, serious, diligent, and constant study of the Scripture.2 Ah ! sirs, you do not know how soon your blind minds may be enlightened, your hard hearts softened, your proud spirits humbled, your sinful natures changed, your defiled consciences purged, your dis- tempered affections regulated, and your poor souls saved, by searching into the Scriptures, by reading the Scripture, and by pondering upon the Scripture. You should lay up the manna of God's word in your hearts, as Moses laid up the manna in the golden pot, Heb. ix. 4. And as Tamar did with the staff and signet that she received from Judah, she laid them up till she came to save her life, and did save her life by it, as you may see in holy story, Gen. xxxviii. ] 8-36. The laying up of the word now, may be the saving of your souls another day.
I have read of little bees, that when they go out in stormy weather, they will carry a little of their comb or gravel with them, that they may be balanced and not carried away with the wind.
Ah ! young men, young men, you had need to have your thoughts and hearts balanced with the precious Word, that you may not be carried
1 Origen was her schoolmaster. [Potamiena, not Potamia. See Clarke's ' Martyrolo- gie,' as before, page 35, on Basilides. — G.]
2 Much in the word is wrapped up in a little. It is more to be admired than to have Homer's Iliads comprised in a nutshell.
238 APPLES OF GOLD. [1 KlNcs XIV. 13.
away with ' every wind of doctrine,' as many have been in those days, to their destruction .-11111 con fusion.
Narcissus, a beautiful youth, though he would not love them that loved him, yei afterwards fell in love with his own shadow.1 Ah, how
many Noun- men in these 'lays, who were once lovely and hopeful, are now fallen in love with their own and others' shadows, with high, empty,