Sermon on the Mount recorded in the V. VI. and VII Chapters of Saint Matthew Reade these at least once a week VIII Then follow the Acts of the Apostles which abundantly declare their authority by whose Ministry we have received the Gospel and bid us attend to their Instructions which are left us in their Epistles as the words of men divinely inspired And in these content your selves with those parts of them which are most easy and plain and of general use and concernment and meddle not presently with those which are hard and obscure and which relate to some particular cases which now are not so well known as to make their sense apparent to every one For it is a very ill sign when you stand puzzling your selves about some dark passages in the Apostolical Writings when there are plain ones in abundance to exercise your thoughts I will direct you to some that will be fittest for your Meditation In the Epistle to the Romans reade often the XII and XIII Chapters with the XIII of the first to the Corinthians the IV. V. VI. to the Ephesians III. and IV. to the Colossians IV. and V. of the first to the Thessalonians and to omit others the I. II. X. XI XII XIII of the Epistle to the Hebrews the whole Epistles of Saint James and of Saint Peter And when you reade them let it be with a design to grow better rather then more knowing And then think you grow better when you are made more humble more sensible of God's love and your own undeservings more thankfull more meek and patient more submissive to God's Providence and to your Governours whether civil or spiritual private or publick IX When you are thus disposed by these and such like Christian Vertues you may venture to reade the harder parts of Scripture and not be in danger to wrest them as those doe who are settled upon no principles to your own destruction For then you will not be forward to frame a sense of those places out of your own head but confess your ignorance and look upon them as containing things not necessary to be known for all necessary things are plainly set down and perhaps some of those very things about which you trouble your selves are else-where delivered in clearer words As you may be satisfied if you take the next opportunity to consult with those whose lips are to preserve knowledge Which is the best way to be resolved in such cases X. As for other good Books besides the Scripture you may find some time to reade them And the less you have on other days spend the Lord's days and other Holy days the more seriously in this work When I would advise you to reade V. VI. and VII of Saint Matthew with some part of the Whole Duty of Man And when you have made some proficiency in knowledg reade Dr. Hammond's PRACTICAL CATECHISM where you will find that Sermon of Christ's upon the Mount expounded XI But whatsoever godly Book you reade whether the Holy Scriptures or any other be sure you indeavour to come away bettered by the reading of them For if you get no good by them that very thing will incline you at last to slight and neglect them as many do we see the hearing of good Sermons because they do not perceive that they or others are at all the better for them but after much hearing there is little doeing of God's will But this the Scripture it self foretold and hath exactly described such people as are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. III. 5 6 7. and intended hereby to breed in every one of us a due caution least we be of that unprofitable number Which you must prevent by being more serious attentive and diligent in reading holy Books for that end for which they were writ and hearing Sermons not for fashion sake but that you may be taught or remembred of your Duty and excited or directed to doe it with greater care and constancy XII And if you meet with the very same thing over and over again either in reading or hearing do not therefore nauseate it or grow weary of it or pass it by hastily and carelesly But rather look upon it as a very usefull Truth of which you have great need because it comes so often in your way and thankfully acknowledging that God is very kind to you in putting you so frequently in mind of that which is so necessary to your Salvation give the greater heed to it and ponder it with such seriousness as a thing of that moment deserves CHAP. XVI A necessary qualification to receive benefit by all this IF every one had so much Humility and such a hearty desire to be truly good wrought in their Souls betime they would reade and hear God's word to better purpose I. Therefore Parents should above all things instill this into their Children very early how necessary it is and how much it becomes them to be humble and that by no means they grow conceited of their own parts or understanding but be desirous to learn of every one with simplicity and meekness without any other design but to know their Duty II. This we may be sure would dispose them to receive benefit by the Holy Scriptures and by all other good instructions For it is the very qualification which Christ requires to make a person fit to be one of his Disciples that He first become like a little Child XVIII Matth. 3. There is no good to be done upon him in Christ's School unless he first learn to be humble subject to his Teachers simple hearted and without guile contented with a little heartily in love with those that take care of him And when he is thus freed from pride ambition desire of Riches or any thing else but onely of Knowledge as little Children naturally are till the seeds of those vices be stirred up in them by others he will be a fit soil to receive Christ's heavenly Doctrine III. And doubtless he had reason to say it who told this Nation long ago that it is for want of acquainting Childhood and Youth with such plain Rules as this which the Scripture it self delivers for our right understanding it that the Scripture either seems obscure and difficult to them or that they mistake it where it seems evident IV. For when they grow to mens estate or are engaged in worldly buisiness or come to honour before they be acquainted with the Holy Scripture and especially these plain directions which it gives us for our profiting by it one of these three things is the consequence of it The seeming difficulty of the Scripture either makes them to seek for other Rules which they apprehend more easy or 2. not to care for any Rule of Faith at all or else 3. to transform this which God hath given for the renewing his image in them into the nature of their corrupt affections V. Let this
up the principal things they observe carefully in their hearts that they may find them there upon occasion VIII For which end Masters and Mistresses should take care their Servants may have time to go to Church or rather they should see them go and bring them thither saying with the holy men of God I and my house will serve the Lord. IX And if they would help them to learn some short Prayer by heart besides the Lord's Prayer it would be a means to possess them with a sense of their Duty and to make them more confident of God's gracious assistence in the doing of it Instruct them at least after you have read to them their Duty to God and their Duty to their Neighbour to say Lord have mercy upon me and write all these thy Laws in my heart I beseech Thee and this Collect O God whose Blessed Son was manifested that He might destroy the works of the Devil and make us the sons of God and heirs of eternal life Grant me I beseech Thee that having this hope I may purify my self even as He is pure that when He shall appear again with power and great glory I may be made like unto Him in his eternal and glorious Kingdom where with Thee O Father and Thee O Holy Ghost He liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Amen X. There is reason Masters and Mistresses should be at this pains with their Servants who cannot reade if they consider how much better Servants they will be to them when they are become the Servants of God and that they themselves have a Master in Heaven who expects they should not merely use their Bodies well but look also after their Souls so far at least as to help them to the means of Christian Instruction This is a thing indeed much neglected and if their work be but well done some Masters and Mistresses concern themselves no farther But such persons plainly declare that they love themselves better then God else they would not be satisfied till God's work was done also and carried on together with their own CHAP. XV. Directions to those that can reade I. AS for those who are able to reade I need not sure advise them to use that ability but onely to use it well avoiding vain and idle especially all filthy Books and being conversant in those that are good and profitable such as will improve their minds in usefull knowledg or excite in them devout affections towards God or direct them in the practice of Justice and Mercy of Temperance and Chastity and of all other Christian Vertues II. But above all other Books acquaint your selves with the Holy Scriptures which Timothy S. Paul says had known from a child and were able to make him wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. III. 15. Which is a high commendation of the Old Scriptures and a great incouragement to study those Holy Books from whence we may reap the greater benefit now that we have the New Scriptures added to them which contain the Faith in Christ Jesus which the Apostle speaks of You do but pretend to love God which you acknowledge is a part of the Duty you owe Him if you do not seek after his mind and will which is onely to be found in the Holy Scriptures III. And of all other parts of the Scripture I have observed young people delight as it is natural to doe in reading the Historical Books of the Old Testament Which truly are writ with such a spirit of Piety as is to be found in no other History designing visibly these two things First to instill into the people a belief of Divine Providence which governs all things and presides not onely over Nations but particular Persons who therefore ought to have God in all their thoughts to whom all events are ascribed by the holy History And secondly to nurse them up in a sense of the difference of Good and Evil the former of which always received remarkable testimonies of God's Favour and the other was ever attended with the effects of his severe Displeasure IV. Do not think therefore that you have profitably read these Books unless you come away from the reading of them more sensible of these two things and more affected with them Possessed that is with a more lively apprehension of God's overruling Power and Providence whereby all things are disposed and therefore resolved to commit your selves unto Him in well-doing and to make that difference between Good and Evil that He doth resting satisfied with what He is pleased to order when you have taken care to order your selves so as to avoid what He hates and to follow that which He loves V. But above all other Books of the Old Testament the Psalms are of most general use and therefore ordered by our Church to be read over publickly once every month Some of which you would doe well to get by heart that you may say them upon all occasions as anciently they were wont to doe nothing being more ordinary then to hear the Husbandman chanting them as he followed the Plow the Seaman as he sate at the Helm the Waterman at his Oar the Weaver at his Loom the good Houswife at her Spindle or her Wheel nay the poor Ditcher sang them at his Spade and the very Children in the streets In short they suckt these in with their Mothers milk and from their very infancy as soon as they could learn any thing were taught a smattering of them before they could speak perfectly such a love they had to the sweet Musick of these Holy Songs VI. The very first of which will put you in mind of your Duty and of the Happiness it will bring you if you doe it faithfully Let that therefore and the rest that are of most general use and relate not merely to David's present condition or to some publick calamity be read most frequently and pondered most seriously Such are the VIII XV. XIX XXXIII XXXIV CIII CIV CXIX CXXXIX CXLV with many other which every one may observe for his own use particularly the VII Penitential Psalms which are most proper when you are in a sad afflicted condition or bewail any Sin you have committed to which they may be also applied They are the VI. XXXII XXXVIII LI. CII CXXX CXLIII VII But when all this is done you must chiefly reade the Books of the New Testament or Covenant made with us in Jesus Christ to which the Books of the Old Testament refer you as the perfection of that Knowledg which was but obscurely delivered by them And first the Holy Gospels which mostly contain the History of our Saviour's Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascention in all which principally observe the mighty power of God giving Testimony unto Him and declaring Him to be the Son of God Whom therefore you are bound to obey and in order thereunto study what his Will is which is most fully delivered in the
's He hath bought me with a price and I have devoted my self again and again unto Him Therefore I will glorify Him with body and Soul which are his Or to affect your heart the more you may put it thus O how happy am I in being ingaged to serve such a gracious Lord and Master as Christ Jesus I will never lose this Happiness by being unfaithfull to Him and unmindfull of his Love III. To keep your self stedfast in this Resolution reade seriously every day your Duty to God and your Duty to your Neighbour as they are plainly set down in the Church-CATECHISM See p 29. of this Book And say at the end of it This I have promised this I have vowed when I became a Christian this I have again confirmed and this by God's grace I will faithfully perform IV. And resolve at the same time to be watchfull all that day especially in those things wherein you observed at your last examination of your self you have been most defective and most apt to be surprised Excite your self therein to use greater diligence and set a stricter guard upon your heart carefully avoiding such places company and occasions as have been wont to indanger you And call your self to an account at night according to the Advice p. 33. of this Book V. There is no body sure so imployed but may find time for such short Exercises as these In which if they would be serious and not slubber them over too fast they would find the happy fruit of them in their hearts and lives And to make them the more effectual adde this short Prayer as oft as you can every day Almighty God who hast given thine onely Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Ensample of godly Life give me grace that I may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour my self to follow the blessed steps of his most holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen VI. If your buisiness be such that you cannot every day reade over your Duty to God and your Duty to your Neighbour do not fail to doe it once or twice a week And pause a while at the end of every particular saying This is my Duty this I will doe by God's grace And at the end of all to make your reading the more effectual say I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that He hath called me upon these terms into the state of Salvation and I beseech Him to give me his grace that I may continue in the same unto my life's end VII Resolve also by this means to fit your self to receive the Holy Communion as often as you can remembring that as by Baptism you are made a Member of Christ and enter into the state of Salvation so by this Communion with Him you continue in that blessed state Which they cannot justly pretend unto who constantly neglect to doe this in remembrance of Christ They give no sufficient testimony that they are of the Christian Society nor have any reason to look upon themselves as living Members of Christ and in a state of Salvation VIII And if you do not come up to your Resolution in every thing but find rather you have severall ways failed in the performance of your Duty to God and your Neighbour let not that hinder you from going to the Communion when you have opportunity But onely humble your self the more before God by unfeigned Repentance and go to strengthen your Christian Resolution by receiving the spiritual Food which Christ hath prepared for you and beseech Him to impart more spiritual strength unto you IX And if you still start back again let not that discourage you nor make you think you shall never grow better But hope in God rather that by the constant and frequent use of this and all other holy means you shall at last be stedfast and unmovable in well-doing You will never be so if you leave off to communicate but you will grow more and more careless in other things and therefore continue to doe this as Christ bids you and doe it for this end that you may tie your self faster to Him and increase in power and strength to have victory and to triumph over the Devil the World and the Flesh X. And lastly be not hindred by Doubts and Scruples wherewith many are wont to perplex and dishearten themselves from receiving the benefit of frequent Communion I have not room to consider them all in this little Book but if any person cannot in this way which I have directed satisfy his Conscience let him not fail to follow the Counsel which is given him in the Communion-Service which is to goe to his Guide or some other discreet and learned Minister of God's Word and open his grief to him that by the Ministry of God's Holy Word he may receive the benefit of Absolution together with ghostly counsel and advice to the quieting of his Conscience and avoiding of all Scruple and Doubtfulness CHAP. IX Touching Doubts and Scruples IT will doe some service perhaps to well-disposed Souls if I shew how easily some of their most common Scruples may be satisfied if they will but advise with God's Ministers about them though I cannot insist upon all the causes of their Doubtfulness I will bestow this Chapter therefore upon that buisiness I. We ordinarily hear this objected to us when we tell men of their neglect of this Duty I do not delight in that nor in other holy Duties and therefore to what purpose is it to doe them The plain Answer is this If you prefer the doing of your Duty before your Pleasure or your Gain then you cannot but take a rational satisfaction if you understand your self in what you have done Nay if you consider it well you will have a high Satisfaction proportionable to the greatness of the Pleasure or the worldly Advantage which you denied for God's sake Who you must remember is satisfied in your doing what you can especially when you are tempted another way and therefore so should you be too Hoping that by constant practice of Vertue He will give you that Delight in it which you desire I am sure this is the way to get it if it be to be had II. Others complain of a great Dulness that is upon them in holy Duties which makes them have no list to them This doth not differ much from the former and therefore I shall onely adde that when you have taken all the pains with your self which I have directed in the foregoing Chapter you ought not to be troubled at your Dulness but ascribe it either to your natural Constitution or to some present Indisposition of body Neither of which is in your power to remedy but onely to submit unto and endure with patience In short let not this afflict you much less hinder your Communicating if by your receiving the Holy Communion you find that you are made more