without ever reflecting on what we have heard, we cannot expect to get any good unto our souls. Our Lord has illus- trated this by a man sowing seed by the way-side. Can any one doubt whether the birds will come and take it away? Thus will Satan take the word out of our hearts, if it be not harrowed in by meditation and prayer e. Our Lord directs us to " search the Scriptures ;" and St. Luke tells us, that saving benefit accrued to the Bereans from their diligence in this respect ; " they were more noble than those of Thessalonica, because they searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so :" and then he adds, " Therefore many of them believed f." This indeed is agreeable to the established order of things throughout the world : for God has ordained, that while " the soul of the sluggard desire th and hath nothing, the soul of the diligent shall be made fatg."]
3. The humble —
[Pride and self-sufficiency are insurmountable obstacles to religious instruction. If the knowledge of divine truth were to be acquired merely by mental application, then indeed we might become proficients in it, notwithstanding our dependence were on our own exertions. But we are blind, and must have " the eyes of our understanding enlightened," before we can comprehend the mysterious truths of God: consequently, if we have not humility to pray for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, we must remain in darkness, with respect to the spiritual import of the word, however carefully we may inves- tigate its literal meaning11. We must pray with David, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law1." We must confess ourselves fools, if we would be truly wisek. When we are willing to learn with the docility of little children, then, and then only, shall " the things that are hid from the wise and prudent be revealed unto us1."]
4. The obedient —
[We must have a disposition, yea, a determination, through grace, to obey the word, if we would receive any substantial good from it. If we have any secret lust which we will not part with, it is in vain to hope that the word, whether read or preached, can ever profit us. Our bosom sin will necessarily warp our judgment, and dispose us to reject whatever militates against the indulgence of it. Being determined not to obey its dictates, we shall be always ready to dispute its meaning or deny its authority. Hence our Lord lays so great a stress
e Matt. xiii. 4, 19. f Acts xvii. 11, 12. e Prov. xiii. 4. h 1 Cor. ii. 10—14. See also Prov. ii. 1—6. * Ps. cxix. 18. k 1 Cor. iii. 18. i Matt. xi. 25.