2. Pray for the teaching of God's Spirit —
[With deceitful hearts, a subtle adversary, and a tempting world, we are continually in danger : nor can we hope to be guided aright but by the Spirit of the living God. Even the Scriptures themselves will be " a dead letter," and " a sealed book " to us, unless the Spirit of God open our understandings to understand them. He has promised to lead us into all truth ; and if we be really disposed to embrace the truth, he will discover it to us. But if, through our hatred of the light, we shut our eyes against it, God will give vis over to our delu- sions, that we may believe a lie". Let us therefore guard
1 Ps. Ixvi. 18. James i. 26. Job xlii, 6. Rom. vii. 21 — 24. ™ Phil. iii. 13, 14.
" John iii. 19. 2 Thess. ii. 10—12. and Isai. Ixvi. 3, 4. vol. v. T
against self-deception, and submit ourselves to the guidance of God's Spirit. Then, though our capacities be ever so small, we shall be kept from every fundamental error", and be " made wise unto salvation through faith in Christ."]
3. Seek above all to know the hatefulness of sin — [Nothing but a discovery of the evil of sin will effectually preserve us from self-deceit. To produce this, is the first saving work of the Spirit : and the more this is wrought in the heart, the more shall we be on our guard against all self-flatter- ing delusions.]
° Isai. XXXV. 8. and Matt. xi. 25.