self as a subject of God's moral government, and the
doctrines of the Bible as the laws of his kingdom; and you will feel
such a personal interest in them, that you cannot rest in abstract
speculation. Study these doctrines, that you may know how to live to the
glory of God.

I will now give you a few simple directions for obtaining a correct
knowledge of the doctrines of the Bible.

1. _Approach the subject with the spirit of a little child._ "As
new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word." "Except ye be
converted and _become as little children_, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven." A little child is always satisfied of the truth of
what his father tells him. "My father says so," is reason enough for
him. He does not say, "I will not believe it, because I cannot
understand it." So it should be your first object to ascertain what the
Bible teaches, and then submit to it with the confidence of a little
child. You cannot expect fully to comprehend the ways of an infinite
Being. You can see but a very small part of the system of his moral
government. It cannot be strange, then, if you are unable to discover
the reasonableness of every truth which he has revealed. Do not try to
carry out difficult points beyond what is plainly taught in the
Scriptures. God has revealed all that is necessary for us to know in
this life. He knows best where to leave these subjects. If there were no
difficulties in the truths revealed, there would be no trial of our
faith. It is necessary that we should take some things upon trust. There
are also some truths taught which we find it difficult to reconcile with
others as plainly revealed. Be content to believe both, on the authority
of God's word. He will reconcile them hereafter. "What I do, thou
knowest not _now_, but thou shalt know hereafter." Let this
consideration always satisfy you: "Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight." I am the more particular on this point, as it is
the place where error always begins. The setting up of feeble reason in
opposition to the word of God, has been the foundation of all mistakes
in religion. And, if we determine to be satisfied of the reasonableness
of the truth before we believe it, and carry out the principle, we shall
land in downright atheism. By this, I do not mean that any truth is
unreasonable. It is not so. Divine truth is the perfection of reason.
But there are some truths which may appear unreasonable, because we