Much supersUtion prevails on these points. People seem to think that there is a virtue in the mere act of reading a chapter from the Bible, and some seem to go throuah the task as a sort of penance, imagining that they thus score some points to their cr~dit in heaven. The Bible is valuable to us only in so far as it influences us. To influence us H must be known and remembered. The Law graven on stone, locked in the ark and hidden behind the thick curtains of the sanctuary, could do the people of Israel little good. It needed to be written on the fleshy tables of tbe heart. This involves: 1. .An intelligent understanding of Divine truth, so that it comes to us, not as a mere string of words, but as clear ideas. 2. .A good memory of it. 3. .A love of it, so that it is treasured thoughtfully, and becomes part of our very being, moulding our character, colouring our thoughts and affections, and directing our conduct. It is not difficult to see that such a treasury of such treasure will secure favour with God and ultimately also favour with men. Vera. 5, 6.-Divine guidance. I. THE NEED OF DIVINE GUIDANCE. Several con- siderations force this upon us; e.g.: 1. The complexity of life. The longer we live, the more do we feel the profound mystery that touches us on every side. Innumerable avenues open out to us. Innumerable claims are made upon u.~. Conflicting duties perplex us. We feel as autumn leaves before the driving winds. We are helpless to choose and follow the right. 2. Our ignorance of the future. Like Columbus, we set our sails to cross unknown seas. Vv e know not what a day will bring forth, yet we must boldly face the next day, and plan for many a day in advance. Our whole life must be arranged with reBpect to the future. We live in the future. Yet the future is hidden from us. How needful, then, to be guided on to that unknown land by One who sees the end from the beginning! 3. The claims of duty. We need a guide if we have only our own interests to consider. Much more is this the case when we are called to serve God. We are not free to choose our own path, even if we have light to do so. The servant must learn the will of his master before be can know what he is to do. Our prayer should be not so much that God should guide us safely, as that he should show us his way. IJ. THE C01'"'DITION OF DIVINE 0UIDANOE. This is trust. The lower animals are guided by God through unconscious instincts. But having endowed us with a higher nature, God has given to us the dangerous privilege of a larger liberty, and the serious responsibility of voluntarily choosing or rejecting his guidance. But then he vouch- safes this great help on the simplest of all conditions. We have not to deserve it, to attain to it by any skill or labour, but simply to trust with the most childlike faith. Consider what this involves. 1. Self-surrender. "Lean -not to thine own understand- ing." We sometimes pray for God's guidance insincerely. We want him to guide us into our own way. But his guidance is useless when we should go the same way with- out it. It is only when human wisdom diverges from Divine wisdom that we are called expressly to follow the latter ; we do so unconsciously under easier circumstances. This does not mean, however, that we are to stultify our intellect; we must rather seek God's Spirit to enlighten it-not lean to our understanding, but to God for the strengthening of that understanding. 2. Whole-hearted faith. "Trust in God with all thine heart." It is useless to have certain faint opinions about the wisdom of God. Every thought, affection, and desire must be given over to his direction; at least, we must honestly aim at doing this. 'l'he more completely we trust the more surely will God guide us. 3. .Active faith. God guides, but we must follow his directions. The traveller is not carried up the mountain by his guide; he follows of his own will. It is vain for us to pray for a Divine leading unless we oonsent to follow the directions indicated to us. III. 'l'HE METHOD OF DIVIN!!: GUIDANCE, 1. Through our own conscience. Con- science is our natural guide. It is not, therefore, the less Divine; for God is the Author of our nature. Conscience, clear and healthy, is the voice of God in the soul. But conscience is liable to corruption with the rest of our nature. Hence the need of prayer for the gift of the Holy Spirit to purify, enlighten, and strengthen it. 2. Through inspired teaching. God guides one man through his message to another. Prophets and apostles are messengers of Divine guidance. We need such direction outside our own consciences, espeoially in our present imperfect conditioo, or we may 70 TRE PROVERBS. [on. tn. 1-86.
mistake the echoes of old prejudices and the promptings of self-interest for voices of God. God's word in the Bible is" a lamp to our feet." 3. Through the disposition of event_s. God guides us in his overruling providence, now closing dangerous ways, now openmg up new paths.