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broken heart, and in filling it with comfort and hope, with peace and joy? May the Lord grant us to abound more and more in these proofs of the efficacy of his Word ! May he greatly increase among us these glorious instances of his grace and love, and send forth his Spirit to carry the Word with life and power to every heart! !

Such is the description here given of the Word of God. We consider,

II. In what manner it ought to be received.

It must be clear, that the word cannot be properly received, unless it be received in a manner suitable to its character and importance. It was thus that the Thessalonians received it. The Apostle bears testimony to them, that they received it, “ not as the Word of Man, but (as it is in truth) the Word of God.” — Thus, if we would receive it as we ought, we must receive it. If we hope to profit by the Word, to give to it that reception which it deserves, we must receive it as the Word of God. - This general direction contains several particulars, which may be shortly noticed.

i. To receive the word as the word of God, means that we receive it with attention and reverence. Does God indeed speak, and shall not man listen ; attentively listen ; reve

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rently listen? The majesty and the perfections of Him who speaks, demand this of them. If the High and Lofty One, whose Throne is in heaven, who inhabiteth Eternity, so wonderfully stoops as to address himself to guilty, polluted, perishing sinners ; the least which He can expect is, that they should lend an attentive, a reverential ear to what He says. God himself frequently claims to be heard on this very ground, that He is “ the Lord,” who speaketh. Nor can any claim be better founded. He is the Lord who made us; the God, in whose hand our breath is, and whose are all our ways : The God, who, in an instant, can destroy both body and soul in hell. Surely, then, when He humbles himself to speak to us, it may with reason be said, “ He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” — But, my brethren, how

seldom is this admonition obeyed. With how little attention, with how little reverence is the word of God often heard in this favoured land! How many persons are there, who never read the written word, and who seldom put themselves in the way of hearing it preached! How many persons are there, who, when sitting in God's house, listen to his word read and preached with a stupid indifference and an ungodly unconcern : who suffer their thoughts to be wholly

fixed on other things : and while they profess to hear the truths of Scripture, are inwardly turning a deaf ear to all that is said ! Surely this is not to receive the Word as the Word of God. Can we wonder that few reap any lasting profit from the ministry of the Gospel, when they listen to it with minds so senseless and hardened ; so little touched by a sense of the Presence and Majesty of Him, whose Word they are called to hear !

2. The general direction before us means, that we receive the Word with humility and teachableness. It is God who speaketh. Does it become us to cavil at his word ? God is infinitely wise, and knoweth all things. He is true and faithful, and cannot deceive. Shall we then be so absurd, so impious, as to object to any revelations, which He is pleased in mercy to vouchsafe to us ? Shall we say,

• This doctrine cannot be true, for I cannot understand it.' • This command cannot be right, for I cannot see the reason of it:'-True it is that there may be many things in Scripture, which we can neither explain nor understand. But instead of being surprised that this is the case, we might

we might rather have wondered had it been otherwise : for God's thoughts and ways are far above ours. The answer to every objection is this : God

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ence.

has said it. What further proof can I require? It is His word, therefore I give full credit to it! It is on this ground that God himself demands our faith and obedi

He does not say : Believe this truth because you see it to be true; but because I tell you that it is so.'-Obey this precept,

" not because you perceive the reason of it; but because I enjoin it.' -- To receive then the Word as the Word of God, is to receive it with an humble mind; with a disposition to

l believe and obey it, on the authority of Him, whose Word it is : with a full conviction, that whatever is either plainly revealed in it, or justly to be drawn from it, is most certainly true; whatever objections may appear to us to lie against it. This is the disposition which St. James recommends, when he directs us to " receive with meekness the ingrafted word *;" and without thus receiving it, we can neither benefit ourselves, nor glorify God: nay, we dishonour him, and shall surely ruin our own souls.

3. To receive the Word as the Word of God, means that we receive it as his appointed instrument for the conversion and edification of our souls. We have seen that the Word effectually worketh in them that believe.

#James, i. 21.

We have seen what are the effects, which it is intended to produce. Do we look to it to produce these effects on ourselves ? Do we read and hear the Word of God with a real desire that it may effectually work in our hearts, and produce in us true repentance and genuine faith? To this end do we offer up our supplications at the throne of Grace, that God would be pleased to bless his Word to our conviction and comfort ? Do we pray that He would make it powerful for awakening our consciences, for disco. vering to us our sins, and for bringing us to Christ? - One reason why men receive so little profit from the Word, is that they expect so little. They do not consider it to

(as it is in truth) the Word of God.” They regard it merely as intended to convey instruction to the understanding, not as the appointed instrument for converting the heart. Hence they do not pray to feel its saving influence on their souls. They do not pray for the Spirit to accompany the Word, and to mix it with faith in their hearts. My brethren, if we did but pray more constantly and earnestly for God's blessing on what we hear and read, we should soon find a blessed work within; to which, it is to be feared, that some as yet are strangers. If we did but seek to de