: obscure the glory of truth. We all know how fogs and mists can veil the splendor of the sun, so that when they intervene, that glorious luminary has lost almost all its glory the lesser light of the moon, in a clear atmosphere, has a greater brightness. Thus, when in- ́ dulging in the lusts of the flesh, we are living in the low and damp ground of fogs and mists, and cannot see the light of sacred truth, however clearly and brightly it may be shining on those dwelling in the higher regions of practical holiness. But on the other hand, devotedness to God will help us clearly to discriminate between what is vain, and trifling, and worthless; and what is holy, and wise, and excellent, and we shall not spend our days and our nights on things, the knowledge of which will neither glorify God nor benefit man. God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. (Eccl. ii. 26.) CONFESSING OUR LORD CHRIST BEFORE OUR FELLOW CREATURES is another step to divine knowledge. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God: and we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love. (1 John iv. 15, 16.) A faithful profession of the gospel calls for those dispositions which are so much dwelt upon in the divine record, faith, hope, love, and holy courage; and we understand them in exercising them with a clearness infinitely beyond what any speculative notion can give. The actings of this confession of Christ as it respects others, often painfully call forth and disclose the enmity of the natural heart, and thus furnish a practical commentary illustrating the scriptural description of that enmity. We get a new and lively understanding on actual experience of statements which come in every page of the Bible. We find religion to be the same from the beginning, and that we, like Moses, if we would belong to the true church, must choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. But as St. John intimates in the passage above quoted, this confession of Christ is connected with more immediate communion with God, and a more rich discovery of his love. Afflictions arising from a faithful profession are a special blessing. (Phil. i. 29.) He walks closely with God, he knows much of God, he greatly enjoys God, who in faith, humility, and love, boldly confesses Christ before men: the very crosses, opposition, contempt, and mortifications, which he has to pass through, lead him to more intimate communion with that heavenly Parent for whose cause he suffers. How spiritual and heavenly are the letters of Bradford from prison, and of Rutherford written while confined in Aberdeen for his confession of Christ! READY OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S PRECEPTS directly tends to lead us to embrace all the main principles of the gospel. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine. Every step in obedience more and more shows us the truth of scriptural doctrines. The standard of obedience is absolute perfection; to love God with all our heart, and to love our neighbour as ourselves-to be perfect as God is perfect. When really aiming to reach this standard, as every Christian will aim to do, he will feel that he has to maintain a constant conflict with opposing dispositions, and that there are multiplied hindrances within his own heart; he will thus perpetually be led to see how short he comes, how evil his heart, how entire his dependance on divine grace for daily pardon and daily strength; he will see the impossibility of acceptance but in the beloved Son, and will be prepared to admit the elements, at least, of those deeper doctrines which show us the wonderful love of God in originating our individual salvation before time began, and in engaging his power to perfect it in everlasting felicity when time shall be no more. Our Lord observes, that on love to God and love to man, the two great commandments, hang all the law and the prophets. Errors in religion spring from the neglect of them; the true plan of revelation will be comprehended according as we simply and heartily and honestly aim to fulfil them. FAMILY INSTRUCTION is a step to divine knowledge, as well as a material point in the Christian character of every head of a family. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do-for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord. God gave to Abraham a peculiar insight into his purposes. Family instruction however, in general, is a school for the teacher as well as the taught. A faithful head of a Christian household will daily, morning and evening, read a portion of Scripture to his family; this cannot be done without placing the Scriptures in a new aspect to his mind. He will try to add practical observations to this portion, either gathered from other works, or arising from his own meditations. These practical observations, gathered for direct and particular edification, will farther tend to promote and increase the best kind of knowledge. May the author add that it is heartily to be wished that every head of a family would try to attain the holy skill of exposition in his family. He should be a priest in his own house, and this skill is of more easy attainment, and, we are persuaded, of much more important benefit, than is often supposed. Christians might thus become more fitted for extensive usefulness, and those Christian laborers who have peculiar talents might more easily be called forth into that field which is white for the harvest, while the reapers are wanting to gather it in. We would caution all. however against any thing tedious and wearisome. Short striking addresses to the conscience drawn from the passage, like arrows from the bow, penetrate the heart; but full, and minute, and lengthened common place explanation, wearies and disgusts, and is in ordinary circumstances quite out of place in the family. Much, very much of the true blessedness of this service will depend on the lively piety of the expounder. We are persuaded that there are few Christian masters who might not thus make family prayer such a blessing, that the strife among children and servants should not be who may be absent, but who may be present, and a necessary absence would be felt to be a loss and privation. And while there would be this effect in the family, the master would be ripening day by day unto all the full maturity and rich experience of Christian wisdom. VISITING THE POOR is another most instructive part of Christian holiness. All who have in a right spirit been thus occupied, will have found it quite a school of divinity. The very best lessons in divine knowledge are there acquired. We see the practical working of truth on the mind; we learn what touches the heart; what truths respond again. The poor are more free from some of those artificial trammels which a highly cultivated and refined state of society has thrown around the upper ranks of life. They express their feelings more openly and strongly, and having often been greatly exercised, their faith and Christian experience are sometimes very great. One of the best universities, and one far too much unvisited, is the retired apartment of suffering poverty, the cottage or the garret of the afflicted; and one of the best lectures in divinity, and most fruitful of Christian conferences, is conversation on the things of God, with those poor of this world whom God hath chosen rich in faith. Many a minister has there first learnt the lesson of saving knowledge for his own soul, and thence has carried the best lessons which he could give to his people. Christian student, then ever remember, that one leading part of pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. We would once more illustrate this subject by the Christian's GROWTH IN GRACE: The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day: there is the light of knowledge, and the light of holiness, and both advance together in the path of the just. Our Lord told the Jews who believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John viii. 31, 32.) Knowledge and growth in grace are united in the direction, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and the connexion shows that this direction has an immediate reference to those things which are hard to be understood, and being led away with the error of the wicked. The Apostle Paul in a similar way connects being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Col. i. 10.) The experienced Christian has acquired a deep insight of his natural depravity; he has seen his weakness and his tendency to fall into the worst sins when left to himself, and thence Jesus and his great salvation become increasingly understood, and increasingly precious. God reveals himself to the pure in heart; (Matt. v. 8.) and as the Christian advances in purity, in deadness to the world, and devotedness to God, he sees more of the divine glory in the face of Jesus Christ, and more admires that wonderful system of grace which rescues the polluted sinner from the mire of sin, and makes him the child of God, the heir of heavenly glory, and meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. In that rich cluster of evangelical graces mentioned by the Apostle Peter, we see the reciprocal influence of advanced piety and knowledge fully displayed. Knowledge is here seen surrounded with lovely graces and virtues. "Add to |
