“The law of thy mouth is better unto me than gold and silver.  O how I love thy law, it is my meditation all the day.  Thou, through thy commandments—­or the whole of thy truth—­hast made me wiser than my teachers.  The law of God makes the simple wise.  How sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.  Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way.  ’Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’  How safe, how happy are they who are taught by the word of God.  ’Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not taught thee this, but my Father who is in heaven.’

“O my children, enrich your minds with a full acquaintance with the word of God; lay it up in your memories, when you can do nothing more; be assured, if ever you are made wise unto salvation, it must be by this word; if ever you are taught of God, he will teach you by the words contained in the Bible.  ’Search the Scriptures, for they are they which testify of me;’ search the Scriptures, for in them are contained the words of eternal life.  ’Be followers of them who, through faith and patience, now inherit the promises.’

“Holy David went forward, heavenward, improving in the knowledge of God, of himself, and of God’s plan of salvation for ruined sinners, by studying the word, the works, and the providences of God, but chiefly the word of God; praying for, watching for the influences of God’s Spirit on his judgment and thinking powers:  it was by this that he became wiser than his teachers.  He was a king, and had the cares of the nation to occupy his mind; he was a man of war, and had that art to study.  But O, the privilege of the Christian! he goes through every part, even of his earthly way, leaning upon God.  David could say, even of war, ‘The Lord teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.’  ‘The Lord subdued the people under me.’  In temporals and in spirituals, he is my shield, my strength, my buckler, my strong tower.’  I shall not fear what man can do unto me.’  ’In Judah’s land God is well known; there he brake the spear, the bow, and the battle.’  He ascribes all to God.  We hear nothing of his own wisdom, his disciplined armies, his order of battle and warlike powers, though attention to all these was his duty, and not neglected by him.  He devoted all his natural talents to God; he exercised them diligently, but still he knew and acted under the influence of that knowledge, that unless the Lord build the house, the builders lose their pains; unless the Lord keep the city, the watchmen watch in vain.  He, as well as worldly men, chose the means best adapted to the end proposed.  Let natural men assert, and let it be admitted, that David knew better how to use a sling and a stone, than mail, helmet, and sword; therefore he chose them.  But follow David until he meets the hostile foe.  Do we hear a word of his art as a slinger, as a marksman? though we may suppose he was expert at both.  ’Thou comest to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield; but I come in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied; and this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear’—­these are not essential—­’for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.’