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I. THERE MUST BE AN ACTIVE, PRACTICAL HABIT OF ATTENTION. Earthly wisdom is gained by study; heavenly wisdom by prayer. Prayer puts the heart under a heavenly tutorage.

II. PRAYER MUST NOT STAND IN THE STEAD OF DILIGENCE. Let it rather give energy to it. The miner's indefatigable pains, his invincible resolution, his untiring perseverance. The rule of success is: Dig up and down the field, and if the search be discouraging, dig again. The patient industry of perusal and reperusal will open the embosomed treasure. The habit of living in the element of Scripture is invaluable. Yet this profit can only be fully reaped in retirement. To search the Scriptures we must be alone with God. This enriching study gives a purer vein of sound judgment. All fundamental errors and heresies in the Church may be traced to partial and disjointed statements of truth. Truth separated from truth becomes error. But the mind prayerfully occupied in search of Divine truth — "crying and lifting up the voice" — will never fail to discern the two great principles of godliness, the "fear and knowledge of God." There is no peradventure nor disappointment in this search. Never has apostasy from the faith been connected with a prayerful and diligent study of the Word of God.

(C. Bridges.)

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KJV: My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

WEB: My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;