THE WORD OF THE LORD GIVETH

LIGHT.

Preached 4th Sunday after Trinity, 1850.

'When Thy word goeth forth, it giveth light and understanding unto the simple."-Psalm cxix. 130.

I SCARCELY need observe to you that the Word of God is "the Bible "-that Book which He has given us from Heaven, by putting His Spirit into the minds of holy men of old, and directing them what to write. The "going forth" of this Word is the entering in of its truths into the hearts of men, to teach them what God requires them to do in order to attain unto eternal life; how He will reward those who do as He bids them; and how He will punish those who do not. The Psalmist therefore speaks of His Word as "giving light," because until a man has the knowledge of it in his head, and the love of it in his heart, he is, to all good and spiritual purposes, walking in darkness-the darkness of sin and everlasting death. So Scripture, in another place, tells us that "it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps"; that a man living without the knowledge and the practice of the Word of Godthat is, without being well acquainted with its sacred

truths, and obeying its commands-is like one groping about in the night without a light to guide him. The devil then takes such a man by the hand, and leads him whithersoever he will. He has many paths suited to the different likings of different men who are content to follow him. One is the path of lust, another of covetousness, and so on; but they all lead to the same dreadful point at last-and that is the gate of hell.

And nothing can save these unhappy wanderers in the dark, but the truths of the Gospel. And therefore the Apostle calls this Word of God very appropriately "a light"; and so in another place it is spoken of as "a light to lighten the Gentiles," or heathen, who without it know nothing of God or of Christ; and so in the text it is said to "give understanding unto the simple "-that is, understanding how to please God and save their souls; for all are so simple and ignorant by nature, that they cannot know this of themselves. They may be very learned in other matters; but all such understanding can serve them but to little purpose, and last them but a little time; "for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither they are going." The only learning which we can carry with us into another world, is "the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Most High." And not only is this learning of eternal benefit to us in another life, but it is good for us here. It is the only learning really worth much even on this side of the grave. It makes us acquainted with God, and tells us where to

find Him, and how to gain access to Him. In sorrows and afflictions of whatever kind, it causes us to know and believe that He cares for us, and hears us when we call upon Him. And what comfort this is! It takes away at once the worst part of the suffering. It leads us to repose all upon God, and to have perfect confidence that He is ordering all things-pain, sickness, mental affliction, even death itself-so as to be working together for our final and eternal good. It gives us present peace in a very great degree, and the undoubting assurance of perfect peace hereafter: and this is what the Apostle so impressively terms, "The peace of God which passeth all understanding."

Is it not, then, the bounden duty of all who have been instructed in this Word, to cause its light and understanding to be made known to others? The question admits of but one reply. Reason and common sense, to say nothing of Divine commands to the same effect, are sufficient to assure us, that if there be a God who judgeth in the earth, He will call every man's soul to answer for it who has not diligently endeavoured to promote His own gracious designs of making men good here and happy hereafter. And in righteous judgment He will not allow the head knowledge of His Word to shine into the hearts of such, or to give them either present comfort or future peace. And hence it is that we see the Gospel so little valued by those who have it in their hands, because they will not walk by its rules themselves, nor give others the teaching to do so.

But what an enlightened era this is! How are the

energies of the human mind drawn forth! What an age of science, and of the triumph of the intellectual powers! Who can look around, and deny it? We make a piece of machinery to do the work of a thousand horses! We see nothing but a large mass of inanimate matter, vomiting forth a volume of smoke, and we travel at the rate of fifty miles an hour! A master manufacturer makes £50,000 in one year by inventing patterns for cotton gowns, which are sold at a few pence per yard! We fix our eyes on a dial plate, and see the hands move, and whilst we are yet looking a message has been delivered two thousand miles off, and back has come the answer! We contrive glasses to look into the luminaries of heaven, and measure mountains in the moon! Pray do not so mistake me as to imagine that what I nexion with my subject. It has the very closest. I am giving the utmost degree of credit, which any one can claim for the vast capacity, cultivation, and expansion of the marvellous powers of the human mind. In this respect we almost rival the ingenious race of Cain. I can never think that we come up to them, because they first drew, and marked out, and planned and levelled the road, which we only improve and adorn as we travel along it. We are a very scientific generation; but they were the fathers of science. We do not know that we even excel them in music; but we do know that they invented the harp and the organ. We do know that they were "the instructors of every artificer in brass and iron ;" and we do not know that they did not surpass us in perfection of work as well as

am now saying has no con

in originality of conception. But what did it all profit them? They were a wicked people, a leaven of iniquity which soon corrupted the whole human race, and their sins brought down judgments from God and a flood upon the earth.

This is in truth a learned age, and so was that of the Egyptians who oppressed the people of God. We are told that Moses was learned in all their wisdom. But his real strength lay in the knowledge and favour of God, and this it was which made him superior to them in words and deeds. They were permitted to change their rods into serpents; but the rod of Moses swallowed up theirs. They were permitted by their pernicious wisdom to add to the plagues of their country; but they had not the power to remove one of them. And it was Moses only who could really benefit Egypt, as well as deliver the people of the Lord out of captivity, through the divine light and understanding which God had given to his simplicity. Who ever equalled the Greeks in poetry, in eloquence, in perfection of painting, in statuary, in all the elegances of life ? Who the Romans in the sagacity of their generals and in the prowess of their arms? And yet they are passed away, sunk in ignorance, feebleness, and barbarity. And to what do these remarks tend? To this; a warning that all mere human greatness, and grandeur, and worldly wisdom, and external prosperity, which we so idolize, and seek after, and excel in, will stand us in no stead when the day of trial comes. We may enjoy it for a few days, and go down to the grave in the pride of our hearts, and in