profane the sabbath? You know that intemperance is a sin. Do you knowingly commit excess in meats and drinks? You know that swearing is a sin. Do you knowingly use oaths? You know that it is your duty to resist the devil. Do you knowingly make light of his existence, of his name? You know that it is your duty to mortify the flesh. Do you knowingly indulge it in every pleasure within your reach? You know it is your duty to renounce the world. Do you knowingly seek as much of its wealth, honours, or enjoyments, as you can, by any decent means, contrive to appropriate to yourself? If this be your state; if in all, or in any one of these particulars, you prove not the sincerity of your desire to do God's will, by actually doing it, you shall not know of the doctrine whether it be of God." You shall not perceive, in the words of Scripture, that it is the voice of your Almighty Father. You shall not discern truth from error. You shall not attain comfort, and peace, and joy, in knowing, hoping, and believing. You must actually do the

things you purpose to do, or your purpose is vain, is counted for no purpose at all.

And especially should you note the particulars of God's will, which relate to the use of these very Scriptures; to the means of their study, and right understanding. He has ordained, for instance, ministers, to teach his word; to enforce the doctrines, and the duties, which that word contains. And no point of his will is more clear, none more easy to apprehend, than this; that you ought to attend to their teaching, to respect, to value, to follow their instructions. This you ought to do, not for their own, but for their office' sake; seeing in them always, not their own character, but the authority of Christ'sordinance; and esteeming them very highly for his sake, in whose name they minister. Little must you expect to understand of the meaning, or the worth, of God's doctrine in his word, if you undervalue or neglect the ordinance of his ministry; if you take rather especial pleasure, as is with many too common, to pry into the failings, and rail at

the conduct, of those, from whose lips you ought yourselves to learn.

Another point of God's will for our edification, which any man of honest purpose may clearly understand, is this, that we should hallow one day in seven; that we should keep it holy; that we should use this day especially for the edification of our souls, for calling to mind God's goodness in making us, and in redeeming us, and for advancement in that knowledge which leadeth unto life. The wilful neglect then of this ordinance, the habit of profaning the sabbath, of using it for any other purposes than those to which it is so evidently devoted, is a violation of God's will so flagrant, that they who are guilty of it can have no ground to expect that they shall understand his word.

There is a third particular in which the will of God is very plainly revealed on this subject; and that is, that we should pray for grace to mark, learn, and inwardly digest his word. If even for our daily bread we ought to ask in

prayer, how much more for the daily nourishment of our souls, for the bread of life, the knowledge of the truth, and the strength to obey it? If" the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God;" (1 Cor. 2. 14;) if we must ask in order to receive, seek that we may find, and knock that we may have it opened unto us; (see Matt. 7. 7,8;) how can we for one moment think to have our doubts resolved, our minds enlightened, or our faith enlarged, unless we pray expressly for these blessings, unless we read with prayer that precious volume which can alone instruct us in righteousness? "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God." Not if he vaguely intend to do it; but if he now in earnest purpose it, and prove his purpose by setting about to do it. And especially if he do it in those particulars which are most nearly connected with the study of the word; in hallowing, namely, the sabbath for spiritual improvement; in listening to the ministers ordained to enforce it; and in

hearty prayer also for the grace and direction of that Holy Spirit, who alone can guide us into all truth.

ye

See then that ye thus do God's will; and

shall "know of the doctrine." See that ye consult that sacred book with an entire desire for the saving of the soul, and ye shall find in it the knowledge of the way of life. Read it with the impression of its being the divine word, with the sense of its having God for its author, with the consolatory persuasion that He revealed it for your good, and with the single purpose of becoming better by the study of it. Then will He make his gift both safe and profitable for your direction. Then will He guide you into all truth, all that is necessary, all that is expedient, for you to know. Daily will you feel more and more deeply the necessity of caring for the soul, the comfort of believing that God careth for you. Daily will you be more and more deeply impressed with the vanity of things earthly, the fearful peril of eternal death, and the surpassing love of