should search the holy oracles for ourselves, and hear them expounded to us by others : nor should we ever rest till we can prove out of them, by indis- putable evidence, our right and title to the heavenly inheritance. Happy would it be for us, if we sought the knowledge of Christ ! we should soon be guided into all truth : and be made wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus.
But while we thus read the Scriptures,
2. Let us pray for the teaching of the Holy Spirit — To unenlightened man, the Scriptures are " a sealed book;" nor, however learned he may be in other sciences, can he attain the knowledge of Christ, unless the Holy Spirit shine into his heart to give him that knowledge6. If we look at a sun-dial, we may under- stand the use and import of the figures ; yet can we not attain a knowledge of the time unless the sun shine upon it. So it is with respect to the word of God : we may understand the general meaning of the words ; yet can we not receive its spiritual instruc- tions, unless we have that " unction of the Holy One, whereby we may know all things." The words of Christ " are spirit and life ; " and a spiritual discern- ment is necessary in order to a just apprehension of their import f. St. Paul had studied the Scriptures diligently, but could never find Christ in them, till the light shone upon him from heaven, and the scales fell from his eyes. The Apostles had been instructed by our Lord himself between three and four years ; and yet could not enter into the truths which the prophets and Christ himself had declared, till " he opened their understandings to understand the Scrip- tures." Nor, with all our advantages, have we any more power to comprehend his truth ; for he expressly tells us, that " no man knoweth either the Father or the Son, except the Holy Spirit reveal him unto usg." Hence for the attainment of divine knowledge we are directed to combine a dependence on God's Spirit with our own researches : " If thou criest after knowledge,
e 2 Cor. iv. G. f 1 Cor. ii. 14. 8 Matt. xi. 27.
975.] °UR JUSTIFICATION BEFORE GOD. 1 ! l<>
and lit'test up thy voice for understanding ; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures ; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God ; for the Lord giveth wisdom ; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding11." Let us then not presume to separate what God has thus united, but pray with David, " Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."
There is yet another direction, which it is of infinite importance to attend to, namely,
3. Let us guard against self-righteousness —
There is no evil that cleaves more closely to our nature than self-righteousness. We are always wanting to be justified by some other way than that proposed in the text. Like Naaman, if some great thing were required of us, we should gladly do it ; but when it is said to us, " Wash and be clean," " Believe and be saved," we turn away in disgust. The very simplicity of this fundamental truth offends us. Were we told that we must work diligently, and become godly in order to obtain justification, we should think the di- rection safe and proper : but the Scripture account of the way of being justified is directly opposite to this : St. Paul says, that " to him that worketh not, but be- lieveth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness':" and this appears so strange, that men cannot, and will not, admit it. But the Apostles themselves could not obtain justification in any other way, than by renouncing all their own righteousness, and by going as ungodly and perishing sinners unto Christ, that they might be accepted through him alone. This is affirmed by St. Paul him- self, who says, " We, who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the