SPIRITUAL EYESIGHT.

'

'Open thou mine eyes, that I that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." Ps. cxix. 18.

READER, is this thy prayer, when thou sittest down to peruse the Scriptures? Hast thou been taught by the Holy Ghost thy naturally blind and ignorant condition, and that thou canst not understand things spiritual, except by His teaching? The above Scripture, is the language of those hearts only, that are taught of God. Many imagine that the sacred oracles are to be interpreted by the wisdom of the natural mind, but God has declared, that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. ii. 14. It is also recorded, that the Holy Ghost is given to guide us "into all truth." John xvi. 13. Let us ponder these inspired testimonies. Have we not often proved the truth of them in our various experiences? Were not the sacred writings foolishness unto us for many a year,

B

and of all other books the least in our estimation? And since our eyes were opened to a right view of our natural depravity, and power was given us to lay hold of the Son of God as our salvation, have we not often been struck with the beauty, and felt the preciousness of the Word of God, and its suitableness to our poor and needy souls? Blessed would it be for

us, if we were at all times sensible of our real ignorance and weakness, that we might habitually yield ourselves to the wisdom and teaching of the Spirit of truth, when meditating on the Holy Scriptures. We are told, that Jesus opened the understanding of His disciples, "that they might understand the Scriptures," Luke xxiv. 45 for though they were His true-hearted followers, had been under His personal ministry, and had lived and walked with Him; still, they needed the power of God to enable them to apprehend divine instruction. And we, too, should remember, that whatever measure of knowledge we possess, or however much we may have attained in spiritual things, yet, without the guidance and teaching of the Holy Ghost, we cannot have a profitable understanding of the truth as it is in Let us then continually lift up our hearts to Him, to anoint our eyes with eye-salve, that we may have ability to "behold wondrous things" out of His law. And we shall find them "wondrous" indeed; first, because of the inexhaustible riches they unfold of the grace of God, to such as we once were,“ ene

Jesus.

mies;" and to such as we still are,-failing, faithless, perverse, &c., unworthy of the least of His mercies. Secondly, in their peculiar adaptation to each and all of the Lord's dear people, whatever be their circumstances. Thirdly, because that in every page, in various ways, in types, shadows, parables, or figures, written by many instruments, and at different periods of time, the Blessed Lord Jesus is presented to us, either in the perfect beauty and glory of His mysterious person, the incomparable excellencies of His character, or in His finished and all-prevailing work. Beloved children of God! let us seek to cultivate an increasing sense of our natural ignorance and blindness, that our unfeigned cry to the God of all grace, whenever we read the Holy Scriptures, may be, OPEN THOU MINE EYES;" and thus drawing by faith out of His fulness, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," we shall assuredly BEHOLD WONDROUS THINGS" out of His law.

PRECIOUS FAITH.-Faith is the gift of Godthe fruit of the Spirit. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. The word of God is the ground of faith. The Lord Jesus Christ is the object of faith. Seeing Him who is invisible, is faith in exercise. Holiness is the fruit or work of faith, and "It is written," is the language of faith, whatever appearances may be.

THE BURNT OFFERING.

"And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him." Lev. i. 4.

IN the burnt offering, we have typically brought before us the Lord Jesus, perfectly surrendering Himself to God, in an infinitely acceptable manner, "for us;” so that His people are "accepted in the Beloved." It proclaims, that Christ "hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savour." Eph. v. 2. It sets before us the whole life of the unblemished One, voluntarily and unreservedly consecrating Himself to God, always doing those things that please Him. John viii. 29. "My meat," said He, "is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work." John iv. 34. It shews us Jesus loving the Lord His God, with all His heart, and mind, and strength. It is not the bearing our sins that the burnt offering specially teaches us; that, the sin offering blessedly represents. It is Jesus as the obedient One that is here considered; He, "who,

being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him THE FORM OF A SERVAnt, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He нUMBLED HIMSELF, and became OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, even the death of the cross." Phil. ii. 6-8. Yes, it is Jesus, who is so touchingly depicted in this offering, perfectly surrendering Himself to God,-"unto death, even the death of the cross," that "by the obedience of one," many might "be made righteous." Rom. v. 19. Trace this "Holy One" where we may, and in whatever circumstances, He is doing always "the Father's will." In early youth, the abundance of His heart flowed out in the utterance of His lips, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Luke ii. 49. In the wilderness, after fasting forty days, and being afterwards an hungered, with what quiet submission do we see Him quenching the tempter's dart, with "It is written!" In the garden of Gethsemane, when filled with bitter anguish and indescribable agony, so that "His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground," and in the full prospect of the accursed "death of the cross," still he could say, "not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Matt. xxvi. 39. And again, when His betrayers and murderers came to lay hold of Him, Jesus went forth "of His own voluntary will," and said, "Whom seek ye?" and when they said "Jesus of