sympathies; and if it should be presented to them in such a manner as not to do this, they feel that it is wronged and misrepresented.

(2) Owing to our not perceiving, or not remembering, this truth, that edification is through the heart, religious exercises are sometimes taken to be edifying which are not so. Shall I say that much of our ordinary reading of Holy Scripture comes under this head? that it often resolves itself into a mere mental exercitation, and that not of a very high order-an exercitation in which the only faculties evoked are, Attention, Memory, and Comparison? We lodge the points of the chapter in our minds, we call back one or two texts which convey similar doctrines, or perhaps merely echo back the same phraseology, we ask ourselves how this or that difficulty is to be explained, and possibly invent some explanation of it; and there we make an end, with a feeling, perhaps, of satisfaction that we have not done amiss. This method of reading may be repeated until we become adepts as textuaries, and have the very words of Holy Writ glibly on our tongue. But oh! what a misuse of terms is there in the phraseology so often applied to things got by rote, of which we say that they are learned by heart!" So far from being learned by heart, such things are often not even learned by mind, for sometimes they are most deficiently understood; and the very utmost that can be said in favour of such learning is that it lodges truth in the memory, which may expand and serve a good purpose at some future time. Has our study of Scripture given any bias to the will in the path of holiness? Has it at all stimulated the affections to the Love of God, or of our neighbour? Has it nerved us against temptation? supported us under trial? opened to us a door of hope, when we were fainting? has it prompted a prayer? or stirred in us a holy ambition? By these and the like questions must its influence upon the heart be tested; and unless it has had some influence upon the heart, there has been no edification in it.

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Let the devout man be upon his guard against an interest in Holy Scripture of a false kind. At first sight it might seem as if any and every interest in that Holy Book must be simply good, and deserving of encouragement. But indeed this is not so. And it is very necessary to notice this at a period when great intellectual activity is being attracted towards the Bible. We cannot wonder at the interest which attaches to the Sacred Volume even in a literary point of view. The earlier part of it is the oldest literature in the world; and, speaking of the Bible as a composition, there is nothing which can rival it in simplicity, in grace, in force, in poetry. The very difficulties which it presents are beyond measure interesting to an intelligent mind. But even in the critical study of the Bible, which some are called and bound to pursue, it should be remembered that the great purport of the Volume is moral and spiritual,-that it is given " for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." If it be read without any reference to this, its main object, it must certainly be misconstrued. But if even the sacred critic must not overlook the moral design of the Volume, how constantly should it be kept in mind by him who reads for edification only! Let such an one hold the mere understanding in check, and learn to restrain with a very sharp curb his curiosity. Curiosity is the interest of the mind; and what is needed for edification is the interest of the heart. It will be wasting an hour allotted to devotional reading to spend it on the critical investigation of a difficult passage. The difficult passages are not the most instructive; and many of them we believe to be altogether inexplicable by human research,-to have been left there purposely, with the view of proving our humility and faith, and to prevent the haughty understanding of man from riding proudly and smoothly over the Word of the Lord.

The plain things of the Word, which "thou hast known from a child,"—which thou hast received from thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice,―are

the really instructive things. The Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and such like rudiments of Faith; all saving truths are wrapped up in these; labour, and pray, and strive to have thy heart affected with them.

(3) Finally; let our studies turn more and more on that which is the core and centre of the Bible. The Bible is a revelation of God; and the core and centre of God's Revelation is Christ crucified. Many other subjects are treated in the Bible besides this; but this is really the pith and marrow of all; this wraps up in itself the whole compass of edification. In the Book of the Revelation we read of "the Tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and the very leaves of which were for the healing of the nations." It is the Passion-Tree, or Cross, of the Lord Jesus, which, planted by faith in the hearts of His followers, brings forth there all the fruits of the Spirit, and even the leaves of which,-every slight circumstance of it, which apparently might be detached without injury to the stem,-are medicinal to the soul. Study then the Passion of Christ in all its details-the apprehension, the binding, the buffeting, the spitting, the scourging, the mockery, the gall, the nails, the crown of thorns, the burning thirst, the exceeding great and bitter cry, the Precious Death which crowns the whole. Study it with fervent prayer and longing desire rather than prying curiosity. Study it side by side with thy sins, which made such a sacrifice necessary. So, under the influence of the Spirit of grace and supplications, shalt thou mourn for Him whom thou hast pierced; and this tenderness of spirit thou shalt find to be the principle of growth in Grace,-the greatest of all motive powers in the spiritual life.

CHAPTER VI.

ON LIVING BY RULE.

"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."-1 COR. xvi. 2.

THERE is a discrepancy between this passage and the general tone of New Testament precept, which cannot fail to arrest a thoughtful reader; and we shall endeavour to turn to some account the inquiry, to which this discrepancy might give rise in his mind.

St. Paul, the most disenthralled of all the Apostles from the bondage of Judaism, here gives a rule to his Corinthian converts on the subject of almsgiving. The rule was that on every first day of the week (or Sunday) each member of the Church should lay by a part of his substance, varying with the amount of his earnings during the past week, for the relief of the poor Christians at Jerusalem. The wisdom of such a rule of almsgiving is obvious. A considerable sum would thus be gradually accumulated, which though it might not appear formidable in its separate instalments, a man might hesitate to give in one lump. And then, again, such a rule ensured to the givers a gradual discipline in Christian benevolence, which would be far more beneficial to them, and a far greater test of character, than one great effort of it. A great effort may be made in a moment of excitement; but continual little efforts can only be made on principle. Lastly, by adopting this plan, the collection would be over and done before the Apostle visited them, and their minds would be free of the care and responsibility of it, and ready to receive the spiritual benefits of his counsel and ministry.

There can be no question, then, of the policy of such a rule. Still, a rule it is, and it has all the properties

of a rule. It defines the exact method, and the exact period of the duty; the sum is to be proportionate to the weekly earnings; it is to be laid by every Sunday. And it has all the narrowness inherent in the nature of rules; that is, it is not adapted to the circumstances of all men. In the case of incomes not accruing weekly, but yearly, or half-yearly, the rule would require to be recast. The deposit would then have to be made, not on the first day of the week, but whenever the income accrued. And though the Apostolic authority made this precise method of almsgiving binding on the Corinthian Church, there is probably no Christian of modern times who thinks himself bound to the literal observance of the rule in question, however much we may be bound, as of course we all are, to the spirit and principle of it.

But, as I have said, the passage is exceptional; it is not in accordance with the general tone of the precepts of the New Testament. They do not generally enter so much into particulars. They are not commonly rules at all; but great principles of duty; and unless they are apprehended as being such, they will certainly be misconstrued.

It is even surprising, until we come to consider it, when all the difficulty vanishes, what a dearth of rules there is in the New Testament. Who would not have thought, for example, that God would have prescribed to us a certain number of times for prayer daily? How natural that it should have been said, "Pray when you rise in the morning, and when you lie down at night;" and again, "Attend Public Worship on the first day of the week or Lord's Day." Whereas instead of any such rules, we have simply the principles laid down for our guidance, "Pray without ceasing." "Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together." "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them."

The fact is, that any prescription of stated times for prayer would not have elasticity enough for a New Testament precept,-it would have too much of the