in relation to faith and practice, the most grievous errors abound. Bring therefore your sentiments and your conduct to this test. See whether your views of yourself, and of Christ, agree with those which the Scriptures exhibit; and see whe- ther your life, spirit, and conduct, be such as those of the Apostles were. I charge you, before God, to ti-y yourselves by this touchstone. It is not a superficial view of these matters that will suffice. You may easily deceive yourselves ; but you can never deceive God : and it is not by any standard of yours that he will try you, but by the standard of his own word. Oh ! search and try your ways : *' examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith : prove your own selves :" so shall you have the testimony of a good conscience now, and attain acceptance with God in the eternal world.]
2. Consult them in all things as your guide —
[Difficulties will often arise : and if you go to man for counsel, you will most generally be led astray ; since none but those who have imbibed the spirit of the Scriptures them- selves, can declare the sublime principles which they inculcate. Study then the Holy Scriptures from day to day, and that too with a direct view to your conduct ; so that on any emergency you may have readily occurring to your mind such passages as are fitted to regulate your judgment, and to direct your paths. " Instructed by them, you will be wiser than your teachers"," and will be enabled to " walk wisely before God in a perfect way**."]
3. Beg of God, who has revealed them to the world, to reveal them also in your heart —
[Plain as the Scriptures are, they are yet " a sealed book" to all whose eyes have not been enlightened by the Spirit of God. The natural man, how learned soever he may be, cannot enter into their spiritual import, because he has not a spiritual discernment®. The Apostles themselves, after all the instruc- tion which they had received, both in public and private, from their Divine Master for above three years, yet needed to have " their understandings opened by him, that they might under- stand the Scriptures." So do ye need the teachings of God's Spirit, without which you will be in darkness to the latest hour of your lives. Pray then to him, as David did ; " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law ! " Then shall you " be guided into all truth ;" and find the Scriptures fully adequate to all the gracious ends for which they have been revealed.]
c Ps. cxix. 99, 130. d Ps. ci, 2. ^ \ Cor. ii. 14.