:

should remain so. He comes to them, remembers that they have always perplexed him, and passes on. Other verses, it is to be feared, have never conveyed to him any definite meaning at all; and he is content to remain in ignorance of their meaning,—perhaps, secretly, to doubt whether they have any. Not a few verses in every chapter, it may well be feared, most of us mistake the sense of. And thus, between the beautiful,-which we have long since ceased to be struck by the difficult, to which we have long since become reconciled: the verses supposed unmeaning,-which we dismiss with indifference; and the verses whose meaning we mistake, which, of course, we let pass without suspicion, how can it fail but that, to many of us, the Bible is almost a sealed book? We boast that we have it; but we seldom use it, and never for long or we are faithful in using it; but we read to little profit. We really love it, but we do not understand what we love. As far as our own use of it is concerned, we might almost as well be without it altogether.

In reading the Bible then, it seems that we should be more watchful, slow, and thoughtful, than we usually are. By watchful,—I mean that we should strive to let nothing escape us;

that we should notice all the little words, the minutest facts, the smallest details,-whether of description, or reasoning, or exhortation,—and make the most of them. We should do as the Indians do when they are looking for gold, which the rivers wash down from the mountains. They sift the sand, and they sift it slowly, lest a single particle of the precious metal should escape them. Even the things omitted should be noticed. To give many examples of our meaning would obviously be impossible: but if we are asked for a single instance,—Why is it not said of the work of the second Day of Creation. that God saw that it was good?'

We should also read Scripture slowly as well as watchfully, or else it will make no impression upon us. Moreover Scripture is such a brief record of events, that if we read it fast, we shall be sure to miss the fulness of its statements. Doctrine, again, it exhibits in so condensed a form, that if we do not read slowly, we shall scarcely be aware of the depths over whose surface we are skimming. For example, our LORD says of Chorazin and Bethsaida, (two cities near the Sea of Galilee,) that if the mighty works which He had done in them had been wrought in Sodom, it would have repented. A careless reader would

fail to notice the wonderful history here summed up in a single verse. Think a moment.

How

many of the miracles performed in Chorazin and Bethsaida are recorded in the Gospel? Not one! and yet they must have been very numerous, very mighty indeed, as we learn from this brief allusion to them on the part of Him who was the author of them all! .... Take notice also, that a marvellous doctrine is here revealed; for our SAVIOUR tells us that He knows not only what will take place, but also what would have taken place if something else had been first done.

But the thoughtful reading of Scripture is the great thing which we should strive after. And in connexion with thoughtfulness, we may suggest the duty and advantage of habitually dwelling upon such hard and yet familiar expressions as the following: 'I am THE LIGHT of the World.' In the beginning was THE WORD.'

"The HOLY GHOST which is THE COMFORTER.' 'LIGHT,' 'THE WORD,' 'THE COMFORTER,' -though very common words, become mysterious Names when claimed by the Second and Third Persons in the Blessed Trinity; and if we will take one such Name into our hearts, and ponder it, we may be able at last to see something of its meaning.

And now, we can fancy that some one will be induced to make the effort, and try whether the Bible may indeed prove so profitable and so delightful a study as we have been saying. Let us then state beforehand what will probably happen, if you should be induced at once to make so pious an endeavour. You will alight on some difficult or unattractive passage; and unless you are very careful, you will quickly subside into your old habit of careless reading. And is it any wonder that Satan should seek to divert the Christian soldier from the spiritual armoury where the weapons he chiefly dreads are to be found? To the plain and unlearned, our advice is,-Never heed any discouragement which may arise; but having chosen some book of the Bible, whether it be Genesis, or Job, or the Psalms, or Samuel, or the Books of Kings, read steadily When you open your Bible, say secretly some such words as these,- Open Thou mine eyes, that I may see the wondrous things of Thy Law!' If your opportunities are few, а Gospel will suit your needs still better; and when you have chosen a Gospel, never try to read many verses of it at once: but read eight, or ten, or twelve verses,-slowly; pausing between each, and making sure that you have

on.

attended to every word in every verse ;—and then, think about what you have read. Those who will try this experiment faithfully, for a month, will be astonished to find how little they have hitherto understood of the Book of Life. The habit will grow sweeter, as with time it grows more confirmed; and on their dying pillow they will bless the day and the hour when they began to seek GOD in His Word.