Psa. cxix. 18. For this the apostle Paul interceded, on behalf of the Ephesians, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, might give unto them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of their understanding being enlightened; that they might know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." Eph. i. 17, 18. We complain, not without reason, of the feebleness of our minds, the obscurity of our views, and the difficulties which impede our progress in the knowledge of Divine truth. Let us not then undervalue or disregard the provisions for our aid. Let us not be remiss in seeking the influence we so much need. Never let us open the volume of truth without imploring the assistance of that Holy Spirit, by whose inspiration it was given to the Church. Let us ask in faith, and with intense earnestness of desire; and it shall be to us according to the word on which He who is ever faithful has encouraged us to rely. It is the Lord Jesus who has said, "If ye, 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?" Luke xi. 13.

The subject which has thus occupied our minds, may be regarded,

1. As furnishing a ground of appeal to those who are destitute of these pleasures.

There are those who call themselves Christians, and yet neglect, day after day, the read

ing of the Holy Scriptures. Are you chargeable with this neglect? and if so, are you inclined to assign as a reason, that you feel no interest and find no pleasure in the perusal of the Bible? and will you further allege, in excuse for your omission, that "there can be no disputing about taste?" Let me then most seriously remind you, that there can be no disputing as to the consequences of having, or of not having a taste for spiritual pleasures. It is true, a man may have no taste for the fine arts, and the consequence may simply be, an incapacity for a certain species of transient enjoyment. But if a man have' no taste for the study of the word of God and the pleasures of Divine knowledge, be it remembered, he has no fitness for the joys of heaven, no qualifications for the pleasures which are at the right hand of God! Should you depart out of life without a taste for these delights, and a fitness for these felicities, exclusion from the abodes of happiness must be your tremendous and eternal destiny! Dread then the thought of remaining under this awful incapacity; this most unreasonable and criminal disinclination to all that is heavenly and Divine. Seek, by faith in the Redeemer, the pardon and the removal of your carnality of mind. Direct your views and your supplications to him who heareth prayer, and who has most graciously said to those who seek him, "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and

I will give you a heart of flesh." Ezek. xxxvi. 26.

From this subject there arises also,

2. An incentive to gratitude.

Is not the liveliest gratitude due for the invaluable treasures of revealed truth? O what a precious gift, to ignorant, degenerate, dying man, is the word of the living God! It is his light in darkness, his comforter in trouble, his guide in perplexity, his hope in death. Thanks be to God, for causing the Holy Scriptures "to be written for our learning," to be transmitted to our country, to be translated into our language, to be interpreted in our sanctuaries! May they be written on our hearts, may they be recorded in our memory, may they be illustrated by our lives!

Finally, from this subject we may derive a powerful inducement to the dissemination of the Scriptures.

Has this blessed book given peace and pleasure to our own minds? It is equally adapted to give peace and pleasure to the minds of others. It is designed to meliorate the condition and to augment the happiness of our whole race. Without it, man is wretched. And yet, at this very day, it is in the possession only of a small minority of the population of our globe! Can we repress the desire, that the precious volume may find a place in every land, in every house, in every heart? Greatly must we rejoice in the unprecedented facilities now afforded for the extended circulation of the Holy Scriptures. Let the noble

institutions formed for this express purpose engage our most fervent prayers and most liberal contributions; and soon may the time arrive, when the knowledge of the best of books shall extend to every human being; when there shall be no longer occasion for one to say to another, "Know the Lord; for all shall know him, from the least even unto the greatest." Jer. xxxi. 34.

CHAPTER IV.

THE PLEASURES ARISING FROM THE EXERCISE OF THE AFFECTIONS IN RELIGION.

THE Correctness of our ideas of the nature of true religion must depend, in no small degree, on assigning the proper place, both to the operations of the intellect, and to the emotions of the heart. It is more than possible to err, on the one hand, by attaching undue importance to speculative knowledge; and on the other, by undervaluing accuracy of religious sentiment. It is more than possible to err, on the one hand, by placing religion chiefly in feeling; and on the other, by depreciating the importance of the exercise of the affections. The religion of the God of wisdom makes its appeal, as might be expected, to the human understanding, and requires us to dis

criminate between truth and error. The religion of the God of love makes its appeal, as might be expected, to the human heart, and requires us to be "fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." Rom. xii. 11. The only religion which deserves the name has its commencement in knowledge, its continuance in love,. and its consummation in joy.

The subject, then, to the consideration of which the present chapter is to be devoted, will not appear either uninteresting or unimportant. Our inquiries are to be directed to

THE PLEASURES ARISING FROM THE EXERCISE OF THE AFFECTIONS IN RELIGION. Let us attend,

1. To the direct and immediate delight arising from this source.

What are the affections of our nature, but susceptibilities of deep and lively impression, designed and adapted by the Author of our existence to be at once sources of delight, and springs of activity? If, then, these susceptibilities be excited by proper objects, and regulated in the degree of excitement both by the real and the relative importance of those objects, they must, by the very constitution of our nature, be pleasurable as well as beneficial. Were we destitute of these sensibilities, the objects by which we are surrounded might indeed occupy, but could not interest us. Our hands and our intellect might be employed, but we could not possibly obtain enjoyment. Human life might exhibit a series of toilsome exertions, but it would present to view a scene