Salvation depends upon the assimilation of the mind to the divine ideas, principles, and affections, exhibited in the Scriptures. This process commences with a belief of the gospel, but is by no means completed thereby; it takes a lifetime for its scope and untiring diligence for its accomplishment. The mind is naturally alien from God and all His ideas (Rom. 8:7; 1 Cor. 2:14), and cannot be brought at once to the Divine Likeness. This is a work of slow development, and can only be achieved by the industrious application of the individual to the means which God has given for the purpose, namely, the expression of His mind in the Scriptures of truth. Spiritual-mindedness, or a state of mind in accordance with the mind of the Spirit as displayed in these writings can grow within a man by daily intercourse with that mind, there unfolded. Away from this, the mind will revert to its original emptiness. The infallible advice then to every man and woman anxious about their salvation is - READ THE SCRIPTURES DAILY. It is only in proportion as this is done, that success may be looked for. The man, who sows sparingly in this respect, will only reap sparingly. To enable Bible readers conveniently to carry out the suggestion of the foregoing remarks, the following tables are placed in their hands, under the guidance of which, their daily readings will be methodical and edifying. An indiscriminate and haphazard reading of the Bible is unprofitable, and soon ceases to be interesting; straightforward reading from Genesis is also objectionable. A little read every day from various parts of the word has been found experimentally to be practicable, attractive, and profitable. The following tables are arranged on this plan giving the reader three portions in a day, which it will take only a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes to read, and enable his in the course of a year to get through the whole Bible-traversing the New Testament twice, and the Old Testament once, in course of twelve months. By a strict adherence to this plan from year to year, the reader will reap much profit, and find himself or herself gradually losing the insipidity of the natural mind, and taking on the warm and exalted tone of the Spirit's teaching, which qualifies for the inheritance of the Saints in light.
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