against which there can be in my conscience no cauill but I could liue and die in the assurance that that is the wil of God It is incredible how the simplest may settle themselues herein in all the fundamentall points of religion If thou finde of these but 20. 30. 40. or 50. places in the whole Bible thou canst not now beleeue how it will settle thee As for example 1. Ioh. 5. he faith There are three in heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one All the world now should neuer make me doubt of the Trinitie in vnitie When I had gotten those grounds those I would sticke toâ—… and for other questions let them wrangle while they will I would receiue further light when I saw it cleere but their quarrelling should not much trouble me And thus I might go on with the particulars of the first sort of rules but these shall suffice to giue light to the course Now for the second sort of Rules one may finde in euery place certaine things strongly obiected against the practise of the godly As for example that they deserue to bee hated because they will not keepe company with their neighbours and because they stand so precisely vpon small matters as lesser othes and doing slight workes vpon the sabbath day and such like and besides many men are afraide to enter vpon such a course of life because it is a way so euill spoken of and reproched in the world c. Now for my owne establishment I would marke where my course differed from other men and in reading I would gather euident places that might warrant my practise As for example places that iustifie the auoiding of the company of the wicked and so againe places that shew that the sincere practise of godlines hath beene euer liable to the scornes reproches and slaunders of the world And so of the rest Now for the maner of vsing these rules I thinke thou maist profitably follow these directions First make thee a little paper booke of a sheete or two of paper as may be most portable then write vpon the toppe of euery leafe the title for that that thou wouldest obserue in reading Chuse out only six or eight titles out of the whole number of such at for the present thou hast most neede to obserue or onely so many as thou art sure thy memory will easily cary to thy reading whether more or fewer In reading obserue onely such places as stare thee in the face that are so euident thy heart cannot looke of them Trouble not thy selfe with that obiection that there are many things which thou canst not discerne take thou onely such as thou canst not passe ouer they are so cleare and euident In noting the places set downe vnder each title only the booke Chapter and verse and not the words for that will tire thee in the end As for example would I obserue all the hard places which in reading I haue a desire to know the meaning of that so when I come into the company of Preachers or able Christians I might haue profitable questions to propound I would set it downe thus Hard places Malach. 4. 5. Malach. 2. 6. And so of other places for I giue these on the suddaine but for instance sake Now when thou hast done thy quarters taske or thy yeeres taske then thou maist write out the thâ—…isest things as thou thinkest good and in the meane time hast the vse of the places for turning to And if thou shouldest in reading of thy selfe remember some title which thou hast not in this direction and yet hast a great desire to obserue places of that kinde by any meanes write it downe whilest thou thinkest of it and custome in obseruing will make thee able to bee thine owne Directour hereafter Looke not at the profit of this course the first weeke or month but consider how rich it will make thee at the yeeres end I am perswaded if thou feare God thou wouldst not sell thy collections for a great price after thou hast gathered them if it were but for the good they may doe thee in the euill day when it shall come vpon thee Farewell the Lord giue thee a blessing and pray thou for mee and remember before thou read to lift vp thy heart to God in some short eiaculations to beg his blessed assistance and take heede thou be not vnthankefull to God for the successe By all meanes striue to keeepe a delight in thy course and let not thy heart bee too apt to discouragement but reioyce in the Lord. Againe farewell the Lord keep thee till the day of Christ. The order of the Bookes and of reading the whole SCRIPTVRES THe Booke you are to read is the Bible your Bible is diuided into 2 parts the old Testament and the New The olde TESTAMENT containes the Law and the Prophets The Law is expressed in the fiue bookes of Moses called the Pentateuche The PROPHETS comprehend three kindes of writings 1. History principally from Iosua to Iob called the anterior Prophets 2. Doctrine principally from Iob to Esay called the Hagiographa 3. Prophesie specially taken principally from Esay to the end of Malachy called the posterior Prophets The new Testament containes 1. History principally in the foure Euangelists and the Actes 2. Doctrine principally in the Epistles 3. Prophesie in the Reuelation That which you are first then to read is the Law in the fiue bookes of Moses which bookes intreate 1. First of the originall and state of the Church in the beginning to whom the Law was giuen in Genesis 2. Secondly of the promulgation or publication of the Law which was giuen either generally the lawes Ecclesiasticall and Politicall together and so in Exod. 9. or specially and apart and so the Lawes Ecclesiasticall are giuen in Leuiticus the Lawes Politicall are giuen in Numbers 3. Thirdly the repetition of the Law in Deuteronomy GENESIS IN Genesis you shall read 1 First of the creation of the Church chap 1. 2. 3. 2. Secondly of the constitution of the Church from Chapter 4. to the end In the creation obserue the making First of the World in which the Church was to liue Chap. 1. Secondly of Man of which it was to consist in whom consider His happinesse in which hee was made Chapter 2. His misery into which he fell chap. 3. The constitution of the Church must bee considered as it was in the two worlds the olde world before the floode from chap. 4. to 8. and the new world after the floode of which chapter 8. to the ende of the booke In the old world consider The propagation of sinne and punishment chap. 4. The conseruation of the Church chap. 5. The condemnation of that sinfull world Foretold chap. 6. Executed chap. 7. The story of the new world is considered chiefly in the ages of foure men that is Noah to ch 12. Abraham to ch 25. Isaach to ch 28. and Iacob from ch
DIRECTIONS for the priuate reading of the Scriptures Wherein besides the number of Chapters assigned to euery day the order and drift of the whole SCRIPTVRES is methodically set downe And choice Rules that shew how to read with profit are likewise giuen The Vse whereof is shewed in the Preface The Second Edition By NICOLAS BIFEILD Preacher of GODS word at Isle worth in Middlesex LONDON Printed by E. Griffin for N. Butter neere S t Austens gate 1618. To the noble Knight S r HORRACE VERE Generall of the English-forces in the Low-countries AND To the most worthy Lady the Lady MARY VERE his Wife my most respected and religious Parishioners THere are three things incite me to Dedicate this little direction to your Lordship and my Lady The first is to testifiâ—… hereby vnto the world my vnfained estimation of those sauing grace and the true religion that dwels in you both The second is to ex presse hereby my great desire to shew my thankefulnesse for the many fauours I haue receiued but especially for all the incouragements wherewith I haue beene refreshed in obseruing your loue to my Ministerie aad care in your selues and your familie to shew the profit of it The third is because it pleased your Lordship and my Lady heretofore to desire and accept directions of this kinde from me in writing I haue beene the willinger to suffer this copy to come into publike view because I haue beene vrged by many friends from diuers places of late to giue them Directions of this kind and I haue long obserued that in the most places the godly that are vnlearned are at a great want of a setled course herein If it may please your Lordshippe and my Lady to afford this little worke your acceptation and countenance I shall be richly satisfied My hope is that the Lord that hath as it were called for it by the request of many well disposed will bee pleased to giue a blessing to it if any thing be now wanting by the intimation of my friends I may make further supply in after Editions if God will The Lord multiplie grace ioy with righteousnesse and peace in both your hearts and liues and prolong with increase your Lordships honour and good successe in your militarie calling in which you haue beene hitherto a speciall ornament to this Nation I end and rest Yours in the seruice of my ministery to be commanded N BIFEILD The Preface THESE directions for reading the SCRIPTVRES containe three things First Analyticall tables concerning the order of the whole SCRIPTVRES and the seuerall bookes and Chapters gathered to this end that the Reader might before hee reads marke the drift of each booke and Chapter and when hee hath read might with singular ease and delight remember what hee hath read The second is a Calendar shewing what number of chapters are to be read euery day that so the whole Bible might bee read ouer in a yeere The number of Chapters while you are reading the olde Testament is for the most part three a day and when you come to the new Testament it is but two Sometimes where the matter is Historicall or Typicall or the chapters short I haue set downe a greater number The third thing is the Rules for obseruation of profitable things in reading Many complaine of their not profiting in reading and some weake Christians afflict their hearts maruellously with griefe and feare because they cannot read with more comfort and profit when the fault is not in their affection to the word so much as in their want of direction for their reading Concerning these Rules I consider both the matter and the maner of vsing them For the matter hee that comes to read the Scriptures should especially set himselfe to obserue two things First the most needfull places to enlarge his owne knowledge and further his owne growth in the true grace of God Secondly such places as might warrant his practise in the things the world vsually cauills at and reprocheth his profession for as if hee did not what were necessary to doe There are some things in all places obiected against the godly Now it is a thing of admirable vse in our reading to gather vnder the seuerall heads such places as may establish our hearts with abundance of assurance that we do nothing out of precisenesse and curiositie in those things but meerly at the commandement of God And the Scriptures are so apparant and easie to bee discerned and so many in number that the simplest Reader may gather great store of testimonies Now for the first of these that is such places as might most profit me in my particuler reading I would bring this minde to the Scriptures I will but giue a tast here First it were a thing of admirable vse all my life long if I did set downe all the places of Scripture that in the reading I finde sensible comfort and rauishing of heart in It may be in the whole Bible I may finde 20. 40. 50. c. of such places as I was sure in the reading did wonderfully fill my heart with secret refreshing and sensible ioy Now these places so noted not onely serue for present vse but while I liue in any distresse I may haue recourse to these as so many wells of ioy and if in my griefe one or two or tenne of them did not comfort mee yet a thousand to one some of them will haue spirit and life in them to refresh me againe in any sorrowes Besides it maruellously establisheth my faith when I remember in how many distinct places of Scripture the Lord was pleased to comfort me in particular This is one thing now wee should obserue Secondly would it not be exceeding profitable If I did note all the places of scripture which in reading of them did sensibly smite my heart and reprooue some fault in mee so as I felt my heart troubled within mee Certainely by that time I had gone through the Scriptures I should see the Anatomy of my corruptions and plainely perceiue what things there were in my nature that God had a quarrell against and so might bee guided by the very finger of God to know the faults I should set my selfe most against in mortification Thirdly in reading one shall finde sometimes certaine rules or counsells giuen which one sensibly is affected withall and hath an inward desire Oh that I could but remember this counsell of the holy Ghost Now I would note all those places that the holy Ghost made me in loue withall in the reading that might concerne my own particular direction either at home or abroad Againe the most people in the midst of these extreame differences of opinions on all sides feele sometimes a wonderfull desire such as this O that I could tell but some certaine way what to beleeue and then let all the world contend if they will Now for this I would marke all those apparant places that containe euident ground of truth
the Epistle to Titus hee intreates of the duty Of Ministers chap. 1. Of Hearers chap. 2. 3. HEBREWES IN the Epistle to the Hebrewes he entreates 1. Of Christ and so 1. Of his person His Diuine nature ch 1. His humane nature ch 2. 2. Of his office as Prophet ch 3. 4. Priest ch 5. to 10. 2. Of the duties of Christians and so Of faith ch 11. Of holy life ch 12. 13. IAMES IN the Epistle of Iames he intreates Of patience right hearing the word and true religion ch 1. Of loue and iustification by workes ch 2. Of the tongue and wisedome chap. 3. Of contentions and presumption ch 4. Of oppression and swearing and praier and admonition ch 5. 1. PETER THe first Epistle of Peter hath in it matter Of consolation ch 1. to v. 13. Of exhortation v. 13. of 1. ch to v. 8. of ch 3. Of dehortation chap. 3. v. 8. to the end And these againe are handled Exhortation ch 4. to v. 12. Consolation v. 12. to the end of ch 4. Dehortation impliedly With the conclusion ch 5. 2. PETER IN the 2. Epistle of Peter He exhorts to holines c. 1. He threatens wicked Teachers and Apostates chap. 〈◊〉 He prophesieth of the day of iudgement ch 3. 1. IOHN IN the first Epistle of Iohn hee intreates Of the benefits of Christ. ch 1. Of the office of Christians In loue ch 2. 3. 4. In faith ch 5. REVELATION IN the Reuelation is contained A history of the state of the Churches then ch 1. 2. 3. A prophesie Of the world c. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Of the Church In her battailes ch 10. to 17. In her victories ch 17. 18. 19. 20. In her eternall glory chap. 21. 22. Nouember Romans 22. 1. â—…2 23. 3. 4. 24. 5. 6. 25. 7. 8. 26. 9. 10. 27. 11. 12. 13. 28. 14. 15. 16. 1. Corinthians 29. 1. 2. 3. 30. 4. 5. 6. Decemb 1. 7. 8. 2. 9. 10. 3. 11. 12. 4. 13. 14. 5. 15. 16. 2. Corinthians 6. 1. 2. 7. 3. 4. 8. 5. 6. 9. 7. 8. 9. 10. 10. 11. 11. 12. 13. Galathians 12. 1. 2. 13. 3. 4. 14. 5. 6. Ephesians 15. 1. 2. 16. 3. 4. 17. 5. 6. Philippians 18. 1. 2. 19. 3. 4. Colossians 20. 1. 2. 21. 3. 4. 1. Thessalonians 22. 1. 2. 3. 23. 4. 5. 2. Thessalonians 24. 1. 2. 3. 1. Timothy 25. 1. 2. 26. 3. 4. 27. 5. 6. 2. Timothy 28. 1. 2. 29. 3. 4. Titus 30. 1. 2. 31. 3. and Philâ—… Ianuary Hebrewes 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 4. 3. 5. 6. 7. 4. 8 9. 5. 10. 11. 6. 12. 13. Iâ—…s 7. 1. 2. 3. 8. 4. 5. 1. Peter 9. 1. 2. 10. 3. 4. 5. 2. Peter 11. 1. 2. 3. 1. Iohn 12. 1. 2. 3. 13. 4. 5. 14. 2. and 3. of Iohn with Iude. Reuelation 15. 1. 2. 3. 16. 4. 5. 6. 17. 7. 8. 9. 18. 10. 11. 12. 19. 13. 14. 15. 20. 16. 17. 18. 21. 19. 20. 22. 21. 22. Psalmes 23. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. 6. 7. 24. 8. 9. 10. 11. 25. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 26. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 27. 22. 23. 24. 25. 28. 26. 27. 28. 29. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 30. 34. 35. 36. 31. 37. 38. 39. 40. February 1. 41. 42. 43. 44. 2. 45. 46. 47. 48. 3. 49. 50. 51. 4. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 5. 57. 58. 59. 60. 6. 61. 62. 63. 64. 7. 65. 66. 67. 8. 68. 69. 9. 70. 71 72. 10. 73. 74. 75. 76. 11. 77. 78. 12. 79. 80. 81. 13. 82. 83. 84. 85. 14. 86. 87. 88. 15. 89. 90. 16. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 17. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 18. 101. 102. 103. 19. 104. 105. 106. 20. 107. 108. 109. 110. 21. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 22. 118. 119. the halfe 23. 119. the other halfe 120. 121. 122. 24. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 25. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 26. 137. 138. 139. 140. 401. 142. 27. 143. 144. 145. 28. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. Rules or Titles of things to be obserued in reading PLaces that in reading I found sensible comfort in Places that in the reading of them I found did rebuke corruption in my nature or practise Places that shew the priuiledges of the godly aboue all other men Places that shew the affection I should beare to God Places that shew mee how to cary my selfe in the Church Places that shew mee how to cary my selfe in the family Promises that may comfort mee against the burthen of my daily infirmities Comforts against inward tentations and afflictions of spirit Promises to establish me against the feare of falling away Promises that may comfort mee against outward crosses Grounds or places that shew mee diuers points of religion that I could infallibly rest vpon liue and die in the assurance of them Hard places that I would faine be resolued for the meaning of them Comfortable places concerning prayer Places that direct me in my particular calling Places that shew mee how to cary my selfe toward the wicked especially when I must needes bee in their company Comforts against death Places that shew the glory of heauen Places that set out the terror of hell Choice sentences to be learned without booke Sentences for children to learne briefly expressing the chiefe points of religion Places against Hypocrisie The most memorable sayings of the godly in their seuerall estates Places that in reading I thinke might be wonderfull fit to comfort or admonish or direct such and such a friend Miscellanea or places I would faine remember but I know not to what head to referre them RVLES of the second sort Places that iustifie our auoiding of worldly society with wicked men Places that iustifie a precise respect of the least sinne Places that concerne the strict keeping of the Sabboth Places that shew that the godly haue stil bin reproched slandered Places that shew that wee must be sorrow for our sinnes Places that shew that the godly haue had all sorts of crosses Places that shew that euen in the visible Church many times but a remnant shall be saued FINIS