considerable force and subtlety of argument, and apparently upon an equal basis of Scriptural authority. Now, if his mind has not been exercised in the field of Holy Writ, he will be incompetent to bring the opposing dogmas to an infallible standard, by comparing them respectively with the analogy of faith; and therefore (though from partiality, respect, or hesitating conviction he may still maintain his ground) his basis of truth-not having been fixed upon the sole and immoveable rock of the Bible-will be materially shaken. His standard (if he should be "a standard-bearer") will be lifted up with a feeble and trembling hand; and the indecisive character of his ministerial system will preclude any sanguine prospect of efficiency.1 We may trace many of the differences subsisting in the Church, to a feeble, uninfluential recognition of the supreme authority of Scripture. Different tracts are taken at the commencement of the inquiry-'What is truth? The mind is controuled by the bias of some human system. And thus the unity of truth is destroyed: and the clear and heavenly light of scriptural revelation is darkened by the prejudices of men, conflicting with each other, instead of bowing implicitly to the obedience of faith. In fact, from the constitution of the human mind, genuine independence is a matter of extreme difficulty and of rare occurrence. Attachment to some particular system is a spiritual self-indulgence, which too often guides our Scriptural reading, and gives an individual character to it, rather than receives a complexion from it. The book of God is indeed the living voice of the Spirit. To be 1 The principle of this course of biblical reading is excellently illustrated by the habit of the venerable writer just referred to' Having perhaps heard or read the opinions of different men on any disputed subject, I have, in my daily reading of the Scriptures, constantly kept those opinions in view, that I might at length form my judgment on which side truth lay. In doing this, I have always aimed to keep my mind from the two extremes on the one hand, of giving up my own opinion, from a kind of false humility, and deference for men, without being previously convinced that I had been mistaken; and, on the other hand, of assuming my opinion to be truth, so as to exclude light, especially if it came from an enemy, or a person not entitled to much deference. So that I have always aimed to be open to conviction; to bring every man's probable opinion to the touchstone, and to give it a fair trial, if not tried before; but not to receive it, without plainly perceiving its agreement with the Scripture; and at the same time to aim, that my heart might be suitably affected with the conclusions of my understanding-in which I have principally failed.' Scott's Life, pp. 329, 330, and some valuable remarks of his son in enforcing this peculiar feature of his father's example, pp. 667, 668. Upon the same principles Archbishop Usher gave the following wise instructions to young Ministers: '1. Read and study the Scriptures carefully, wherein is the best learning, and only infallible truth. They can furnish you with the best materials for your sermons; the only rules of faith and practice; the most powerful motives to persuade and convince the conscience; and the strongest arguments to confute all errors, heresies, and schisms. '2. Take not hastily up with other men's opinions without due trial; nor vent your own conceits; but compare them first with the analogy of faith, and rules of holiness, recorded,in the Scriptures, which are the proper tests of all opinions and doctrines.' Life of Usher, by his Chaplain, Dr. Parr, prefixed to his valuable Collection of Letters, p. 87. intent therefore upon the study of it, must result in a clear apprehension of the mind of God. Hence the maxim-' Bonus textuarius, bonus Theologus.' Most beautifully does Witsius set out the value of this primary Ministerial qualification-"mighty in the Scriptures." 'Let the Theologian ascend from the lower school of natural study, to the higher department of Scripture, and, sitting at the feet of God as his teacher, learn from his mouth the hidden mysteries of salvation, which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard; which none of the princes of this world knew;" which the most accurate reason cannot search out; which the heavenly chorus of angels, though always beholding the face of God, "desire to look into.” In the hidden book of Scripture, and no where else, are opened the secrets of the more sacred wisdom. Whatever is not drawn from them—whatever is not built upon them-whatever does not most exactly accord with them-however it may recommend itself by the appearance of the most sublime wisdom, or rest upon ancient tradition, consent of learned men, or the weight of plausible argument—is vain, futile, and, in short, a very lie. "To the law and to the testimony. If any one speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Let the Theologian delight in these sacred oracles: let him exercise himself in them day and night; let him meditate on them; let him live in them; let him derive all his wisdom from them; let him compare all his thoughts with them; let him embrace nothing in religion which he does not find here. Let him not bind his faith to a man-not to a Prophet -not to an Apostle-not even to an Angel himself, as if the dictum of either man or angel were to be the rule of faith. Let his whole ground of faith be in God alone. For it is a Divine, not a human faith, which we learn and teach; so pure that it can rest upon no ground but the authority of God, who is never false, and never can deceive. The attentive study of the Scriptures has a sort of constraining power. It fills the mind with the most splendid form of heavenly truth, which it teaches with purity, solidity, certainty, and without the least mixture of error. It soothes the mind with an inexpressible sweetness; it satisfies the sacred hunger and thirst for knowledge with flowing rivers of honey and butter; it penetrates into the innermost heart with irresistible influence; it imprints its own testimony so firmly upon the mind, that the believing soul rests upon it with the same security, as if it had been carried up into the third heaven, and heard it from God's own mouth; it touches all the affections, and breathes the sweetest fragrance of holiness upon the pious reader, even though he may not perhaps comprehend the full extent of his reading. We can scarcely say, how strongly we are opposed to that preposterous method of study, which, alas! too much prevails among us-of forming our views of Divine things from human writings, and afterwards supporting them by Scripture authorities, the result either of our own inquiry, or adduced by others too rashly, and without further examination or bearing upon the subject; when we ought to draw our views of Divine truths immediately from the Scriptures themselves, and to make no other use of human writings, than as indices marking those places in the chief points of Theology, from which we may be instructed in the mind of the Lord.' This exquisite Master of Theology proceeds in the same strain to remark the importance of the Student giving himself up to the inward teaching of the Holy Spirit, as the only mean of obtaining a spiritual and saving acquaintance with the rule of faith; it being needful that he that is a disciple of Scripture should also be a disciple of the Spirit.' But the whole Oration De Vero Theologo, and its accompaniment, De Modesto Theologo, are so intrinsically valuable for the elegance of their Latinity, the beauty of their thoughts, and most of all for the heavenly unction that breathes throughout the compositions, that nothing further seems needed, than to commend them to the earnest consideration of the Ministerial Student.1 The serious exhortation of our Ordination Service-referring generally to study, and specifically to the study of the Scriptures, will fitly sum up this section in connection with the preceding'You will apply yourselves wholly to this one thing, and draw all your cares and studies this way; continually praying to God the Father by the mediation of our only Saviour Jesus Christ, for the heavenly assistance of the Holy Ghost; that by daily weighing of the Scriptures, you may wax riper and stronger in your Ministry.' SECTION III. HABITS OF SPECIAL PRAYER. LUTHER long since has said-'Prayer, meditation, and temptation, make a Minister.' No one will hesitate to admit the importance of the first of these qualifications, who has ever realized the weight of Ministerial responsibility, who has been led to know 1 See Witsii Misc. Sacra, vol. ii. Compare also similar thoughts, expressed with the same spiritual holiness, in Vitringa Typus Doctr. Prophet. pp. 106-108. Some valuable quotations are given from the Fathers in Du Pin's Method of Studying Divinity, chap. xiii. that his "sufficiency is of God," and that prayer is the appointed channel of heavenly communications. The student's conscious need of wisdom, humility and faith, to ascertain the pure simplicity of his purpose, his necessary qualifications, and his Divine call to the holy office-will bring him a daily suppliant to the throne of grace. In his General Studies, abstracted from this spirit of prayer, he will find a dryness—a want of power to draw his resources to this one centre of the Ministry-or perhaps a diversion from the main object into some track of self-indulgence.1 And even in this special duty of the Scriptures he will feel himself, (as Witsius says) 'like a blind man contemplating the heavens,'--or as when the world in its original confusion "was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep." God must speak to his heart-"Let there be light;" and "for this he will be inquired of to do it unto him." Wickliff's judgment of the main qualification of an expositor of Scripture is equally striking and accurate. He should be a man of prayer--he needs the internal instruction of the primary Teacher. Dr. Owen observes with his usual impressivenessFor a man solemnly to undertake the interpretation of any portion of Scripture without invocation of God, to be taught and instructed by his Spirit, is a high provocation of him; nor shall I expect the discovery of truth from any one, who thus proudly engages in a work so much above his ability. But this is the sheet anchor of a faithful expositor in all difficulties; nor can he without this be satisfied, that he hath attained the mind of the Spirit in any Divine revelation. When all other helps fail, as they frequently do, this will afford him the best relief. The labours of former expositors are of excellent use: but they are far from having discovered the depth of this vein of wisdom; nor will the best of our endeavours prescribe limits to our successors; and the reason why the generality go in the same track, except in some excursions of curiosity, is—not giving themselves up to the conduct of the Holy Spirit in the diligent performance of their duty.'s 1 The Life of Dr. Andrew Willet furnishes us with an important and encouraging hint As he applied his heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and to that end, according to that Apostolical direction, "gave attendance to reading:" so likewise he followed that godly advice of Cyprian to Donatus, Epist. lib. ii. Epist. 2, to mingle frequent prayer with diligent reading: 'Sometimes,' (he saith,) 'speak to God— and sometimes let God speak to thee;' and he professed to his friends how much he had thereby improved his talent.' 2 Milner's Church Hist., iv. 134. 3 See his work on the Spirit. Mr. Scott bears the same testimony-Speaking of his Scriptural studies remarks- A spirit of continual prayer, mixed with reading, has been my practical help in all these things.' Life, p. 330. Quesnel, speaking of the importance of the study of the Scriptures to the Christian Minister, adds-'He must learn them 6 Let the probationer then seriously calculate the cost of the work. Many are the painful exercises of faith and patience superadded to the daily difficulties of the Christian life. Need we therefore remind him, what an awakening call there is for prayer, for additional supplies of heavenly influence-that his knowledge may grow "unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding" —that his heart may be constrained to a cheerful and ready obedience—that all his powers may be consecrated to this sole object -and that the whole work of preparation may be sealed by an abundant blessing? George Herbert justly remarks of some in a preparatory way,' that their 'aim and labour must be, not only to get knowledge, but to subdue and mortify all lusts and affections, and not to think, that, when they have read the fathers or schoolmen, a Minister is made, and the thing done. The greatest and hardest preparation is within!" And indeed hic labor-hoc opus est. To bring the heart to the work, and to keep it there-to exchange the indulgence of ease for labour and self-denial, the esteem of the world for the reproach of Christ and of his cross-to endure the prospect of successive disappointment and discouragement-this it is that raises within the "evil spirit" of despondency: "which kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."2 4 3 The first Ministers of the Gospel were prepared for their work (unconsciously indeed to themselves) by their Master's retirement for the continuance of a whole night of prayer to God. With the same holy preparation the first Missionaries to the Gentiles were sent forth; and thus-instead of "returning (like the nobles of Judah) with their vessels empty, ashamed and confounded, and covering their heads"--they gladdened the hearts of their brethren with tidings of the great things "that God had done with them." Indeed an entrance upon this great work without the spirit of prayer, would be to "go a" most fearful "warfare at our own charges." The kingdom of Satan would have little to apprehend from an attack of literature, or from any systematic mechanism of external forms. The outworks might be stormed, but the citadel would remain impregnable. "The prey" will never be "taken from the mighty, nor the lawful captures delivered,” by any other otherwise than by study. The unction of the Spirit is a great master in this science: and it is by prayer that we become his scholars. Much prayer and little study advance the work of God, more than abundance of study without prayer.' On John vii. 17. Januas Scripturarem custodit Spiritus Sanctus: non datur aditus, nisi propriæ cæcitatis conscius, hujus opem imploraris.' Bowles, Lib. i. c. 18. 1 C Country Parson, chap. ii. 4 Acts xiii. 2, 3. 5 Jeremiah xiv. 3. 2 Mark ix. 29. 3 Luke vi. 12-16. |