.

paration of mind to embrace indifferently whatever God reveals as the object of our faith; and we must also direct our reading to the proper end for which the holy scriptures were designed, namely, the knowing God's will, in order to the doing of it, Psalm cxi. 10. "A good understanding have all they that do his commandments."

4. Read the scriptures with especial attention. It is folly and lightness not to do so in the, reading of human authors, but it is sinful and dangerous not to do so in perusing of this divine book: What greater contempt can be shewn of a man whom we hear speak, if we mind not at all what is spoken by him? This vile affront do all those put upon Almighty God, who hear or read his word, but give no attention to it; the virtue which God has put into his word, consists not in the letters and syllables of it, which are no more sacred than those of another book; but it is the sense and meaning which is divinely inspired, and which can never be understood by drowsy and inattentive readers.

5. Read the word of God with particular application. This is the proper end of our attention: Let us therefore, when we read, look upon ourselves as spo-ken to in what we read. When we read our Saviour's denunciation to the Jews, "Except ye repent, ye shall all perish," Luke xiii. 5. we are to look upon it as spoken to ourselves, and to conclude the indispensible necessity of our own repentance. When we read that black catalogue of crimes in 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. which pronounces that such persons shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven, we are to believe, that the same crimes will as certainly shut heavens' gates against us, as against those to whom that epistle was immediately directed. So in all the precepts of a good life, we are to think ourselves as nearly and particu

larly concerned as if we had been Christ's hearers upon the mount. In like manner, when we read the threatenings and promises, we are either to tremble or hope, according as we are guilty of those sins against which the threatenings are denounced; or practise those duties to which the promises are annexed.

6. Read the word of God with a resolution to practise what thou readest, otherwise all your reading serves but to increase your guilt, and will aggravate your condemnation. As christianity is not an empty profession, but a practical art of holy living; so the bible was not given us merely for our speculation and entertainment, but for the rule of life. Alas! what will it avail us that our knowledge is right if our manners be crooked, and our practice be bad? We shall wish another day we had studied the Alcoran (a book held sacred by the Turks) rather than the book of life. Read then the holy lives and actions of God's children, not as matters of history only, but as patterns for imitation. When thou readest of Noah's uprightness, of Abraham's faithfulness, of Moses's meekness, of David's devotion, of Job's patience, of Josiah's zeal, labour to be inwardly endued with the same virtues, and to be outwardly adorned with the same graces. Wo unto us, if we read the bible only as historians, to furnish ourselves with matter for discourse, and not as Christians, to regulate our lives according to the precepts and examples contained in it! If this be the case, it will undoubtedly prove the saddest history that ever we read in all our lives.

7. Let the word thou readest in the morning, be much upon thy thoughts all the day after as thou hast opportunity; if alone, either walking or working, meditate upon what thou hast read; thy thoughts may be busy, and yet thy hands be not idle; thy heart

may be in heaven, while thy hand is at the plough: How is it possible to profit by the word read, if we never think of it after we have read it? David tells us, that he had "more understanding than his teachers," because the law of God was his "Study and meditation all the day long," Psal. cxix. 99. If thou art in company, either with thy children or servants, Almighty God both directs thee, and commands thee also, to make his word the subject-matter of thy dis course unto them: Deut. vi. 6, 7. "These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.'

8. In reading God's word, compare scripture with scripture, and use plain scriptures as a key to unJock obscure ones; for the bible sweetly harmonizeth and agreeth with itself: There are indeed some things hard to be understood, some knotty passages in scripture to tame our pride, and to preserve the sacred writings from contempt; but the truths necessary to salvation are plain, and of easy access to the weakest understanding. "In the scriptures, those waters of life, says pious Bishop Hall, there are shallows, and there are depths; shallows where the lambs may wade, and depths where the elephants may swim." Let not the plainness of the scriptures offend sonie, nor the obscurity of the scriptures discourage others. But,

9. If you meet with any difficulties in scripture

which overmatch you, note them down, consult your ministers, and crave their help in order to the right understanding of them; you need not doubt of an easy access, and an hearty welcome upon this errand to your spiritual guides; only be sure that you come to

learn, and not to cavil: to have your judgments in formed, and your consciences satisfied; not to have any itch or vain curiosity gratified. Our blessed Saviour, though willing to satisfy his disciples concerning his doctrine, yet when they came to him with nice and curious questions, he chose rather to chastise that humour by a reproof, than to cherish it by a satisfying answer: See Acts i. 6, 7. " Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" He said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons," &c.

10. If by frequent converse with the blessed bible, you have got the scriptures at your tongue's end, take heed that you never furnish out a jest in scripture attire, or in a jocular humour make any light or irreverent applications of scripture phrases and sentences. O what an impious liberty have some men in this age taken, to lay their scenes of ridiculous mirth in the bible, to rally in that sacred language, and to play the buffoon with the most serious things in the world? They bring forth scripture indeed in discourse, but it is as the Philistines brought forth Samson, only to make. them sport. These men ere long will find Almighty God in earnest, though they be in jest; and that he that has magnified his word above all things, will not. brook it, that any man may make it vile and contemptible, by rendering it the theme of his giddy mirth and profane drollery. It is reported of our Josiah, King Edward VI. that when in his council chamber, a paper that was called for happened to lie out of reach? a person that stood by took a bible, and standing upon it reached down the paper. The king observing what was done, frowned upon him, took the bible into his hands and kissed it, laying it up again. Of this action of the king's let me make this applica tion: how much it concerns all men, not only to ab

stain themselves from every action that looks like a contempt of the holy scriptures, but also when they observe it in others, to discountenance the insolence, and both by word and action give testimony of the veneration they have for that holy book, which they see others despise.

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CHAP. XII.

Of Hearing the Word preached.

UR blessed Saviour being constituted and appointed by his Father to be the supreme prophet and teacher of his church, when here on earth, he discharged this office personally; going himself into all "cities and villages, teaching, and preaching the kingdom of God," St. Mark vi. now he is ascended into heaven, he teaches his church ministerially, by his ministers and ambassadors, whom he has enjoined, in his name, and by authority derived from him, to teach his people to observe, all things whatsoever he has commanded them," St. Matt. xxviii. 20. at the same time laying his people under a strict injunction and obligation also, to" take heed that they hear," Matt. xi. 15. "To take heed what they hear,” Mark iv. 24. and "to take heed how they hear," Luke viii. 18. Where observe, that as there is a law enjoining hearing, so there is also a rule to direct us in the act of hearing. And indeed, if we consider the majesty, and authority of the person speaking to us in the word how deeply we are concerned in what we hear, the