seem not impossible our teachers may have too much departed from the example of Christ in the manner of their teaching. I should a fool to many, if I were to say how simple a thing, how plain a thing to an honest mind, I think the religion of Christ to be-so much of it as concerns our personal salvation, and the effects to be produced upon us. It might seem even bold to say, I think the Bible, for the purpose for which it was intended, the plainest and the easiest book that ever has been written; and while experience proves, what the Word itself declares, that no man understands it without the illumination of the Holy Spirit, I believe he requires that assistance, not to enlarge his intellect and improve his wit, but to reduce him to the ignorance and simplicity of childhood, without which he will not be instructed. Of this I am sure; if they who have made some progress in a religious course, find themselves harassed by uncertainties in doctrine, or confounded by the clangour of disputation, they had better leave controversy and the opinions of men, and betake themselves in simplicity and prayer to the plain letter of the written Word. They had better become deaf till they can hear its language, and dumb till they can speak it without additions and without reserves. "What shall I do to be saved?" is a question that in some form or other has agitated the world from the beginning of time. Volumes have been written upon it, and nations convulsed by it, and the united intellects of man expended in vain to solve it. The Scripture has answered it in one plain sentence -so plain, nothing but wilful blindness can ever more mistake the way. And those practical difficulties, which the amalgamation of the church with the world has so greatly multiplied, and the wish to unite what God has separated, has now made almost endless, how easily might those too be terminated, by simply referring them to Scripture. "What saith the Scripture?" "How readest thou?" "Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ." Who then follows Paul, and who follows Christ, in their submission to the word of God? The man of God, who takes it, first, as the rule by which he judges of his own character; believing he is what the Bible says he is, one of two things-a sinner by nature, or by grace a saint; lost by nature, or by graceredeemed; condemned in Adam, or justified in Chrit. Thus Jesus: "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."* "These are they which testify of me. And St. Paul: "I judge not mine ownself; there is one that judgeth." Who takes it, secondly, as the rule by which he forms his principles, asking not what others think, venturing not to think for himself, believing there is one truth, one religion, one way of salvation, even as the Scripture saith. This did Christ: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me;" and St. Paul: "Woe is me if I preach any other gospel." Thirdly he who takes it as the rule by which he judges others. No names of men, no dazzling qualities, no bonds of intimacy can induce him to put dark * John v. 31. ness for light, or bitter for sweet; every man is to him that which God seeth and God saith, and nothing more. It was so of Christ: "I can of mine ownself do nothing; as I hear, I judge;" and with St. Paul: "To his own master he standeth or falleth." Lastly, it is he who takes the Scripture for his rule of life. We have shown that Jesus did so; and surely Paul did so, for it was to him "a small thing to be judged of man's judgment." A Christian who follows in their footsteps, knows no right, no wrong, but according to God's revealed word. If he is questioned, there is his reason-if he is reproached, there is his defence-if he is in doubt, this, and this only, can resolve him. 95 CHAPTER IV. IN HIS INTERCOURSE WITH THE WORLD. "Walk in wisdom towards them that are without." Col. iv. 5. THE path of life is said in Scripture to be a narrow way. A narrow way is easily departed from, and may be difficult to regain it re : quires a watchful eye and steady step; a careless walker will be always swerving to the right hand or the left. But a narrow way is not necessarily an indistinct one, intricate, and easily mistaken; nor is it necessarily a rough one, on which, while he keeps it, the traveller finds it difficult to walk. fact with respect to the What then is the path of everlasting |