thine own understanding."* Imitate the example of David; and like him, seek for divine instruction. When you read the word of God, lift up your heart to God, and pray as he did, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." It is God only who can enlighten the eyes of our dark understandings. It was God that opened the heart of Lydia, to attend to the things which were spoken by Paul. "opened the understanding of his apostles, that they might understand the Scriptures.§

Jesus Christ

To encourage your expectations of divine instruction, reflect upon the affecting and beautiful argument which our Saviour employs to engage us to seek the Holy Spirit. "If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures; and he only can illuminate and prepare the mind of man to edification and salvation, by their gracious and imperishable words.

Miriam. Cannot the Scriptures be understood without the influence of the Holy Spirit upon the mind?

*Prov. iii. 5.

† Psa. cxix. 18.

Acts xvi. 14.

§ Luke xxiv. 45.

Luke xi. 13.

Father. As a book of ancient history and general information, its details of facts may be understood, as well as the writings of wise and learned men, who were not divinely inspired. But its spiritual doctrines cannot be received by any man without the illumination, and renovation of heart by the Holy Spirit. The grand design of the Scriptures, is to reveal the character of God in its holiness and justice; and to manifest the purposes of his sovereign grace and mercy in the salvation of sinners: and this design accomplished by the incarnation, obedience, and atonement of his own Son. These revealed purposes of God, are too humiliating to the proud heart of sinful man to be loved by him. His natural depravity darkens his understanding, and occasions this dislike of spiritual things, which the Scriptures describe and denominate "the carnal mind," and say, "it is enmity against God," that "it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be."* The inspired apostle declares, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned."+ On this account our Lord so solemnly declared to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and

of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."*

Thomas. I clearly perceive there is an essential difference between admiring the Scriptures as a book of antiquities, history, and morality, and loving it as containing the doctrine of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. O that we all may be humble in heart, and blessed with the effectual and constant influence of this divine Comforter and Guide.

Henry. We cannot but unite with you in so important a prayer.

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