You have
entered the school of Christ, and have much to learn, far beyond what
men or books can of themselves teach, and you have much to receive on
divine credit, beyond what human reason can comprehend.

"I would recommend to you to read carefully, and pause as you
read, and pray as you read for the teaching of the Spirit, the epistle
of Paul to the Ephesians. Read it first without any commentary, and
read it as addressed to you, S---- A----. You will there find what may
in part stagger your reason; you will find what far surpasses your
comprehension; but yet read on, with conscious weakness, and
ignorance, and absolute dependence on divine teaching. When you have
read it through, then take Brown's or Henry's exposition of it.

"A degree of mystery, my son, runs through the whole of God's
revealed word; but it is _his_, and to be received with
reverence, and believed with confidence, because it is _his_. It
is to be searched with diligence, and compared; and, by God's teaching
and the assistance of his sent servants, the child of God becomes
mighty in the Scriptures. Let not mystery stagger you: we are
surrounded with mysteries; we ourselves are mysteries inexplicable:
nor let the doctrine of election stagger you; how small a part of
God's ways do we know, or can comprehend! rejoice that he has given
you the heritage of his people--leave the rest to him: 'Shall not the
Judge of all the earth do right?'

"Jesus took once a little child and set him in the midst of the
people, and said, 'Except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven,' intimating with what
simplicity and docility men ought to receive the gospel; and the
following text also alludes to this: 'Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'
There are many promises made to the diligent searchers after truth:
'Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.' 'The secret of
the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his
covenant.' Yet the highly enlightened Paul calls the gospel a mystery,
and godliness a mystery; 'for now we see through a glass darkly; but
then face to face: now I know in part; but then,' in heaven, 'shall I
know even as also I am known.' Therefore, while you use all diligence,
accompanied with prayer and the expositions of God's faithful
ministers, to understand every part of divine revelation, be neither