'I _Chap.15. Sect •,'2 . - -----.--- CHAP. XV. SECT. x. Of the nature of Reading the Scriptures, What it is. ~~~~~He fecond Duty in reference both to fccret, private and pub'ick Ot! dmanccs, is Readi,·g the oly Sc,.iptMcs, which is nothing clfc but a k.!.nd tfbo~1 confercnc~ with G'od,whcreut we e11qu!re nfur, and he ~rVellls 11 ,,,. 11s hunfr!f and hu tv10: when we take m hand therefore the Book of .' trtpwre.r, we c;mnot othcrwifc conceive of our fclves then as fb nding in Gods prefence, to hear what he will fay unto us: So much the Prophet feems to imply, when he exp1elferh his confulting with Gods Word, by that phrafe ofgomg imo the fanEfuary ofGod (i. c.) ingoing;, t<nto Cud; as gotng iwo the Sani:f11ary is termed; 2 Sam. 7· 18. fo by readmg the word we come m unto God., ltll' flJJ.m.J m the prefence of (,od, to enquLre at hzr mouth SECT. 2. Offit times andfeafons for Reading the Scriptum. F{al..1~· 17 · 2 Sam, ?· ·~ T Hm is a frafm. to evtry purpofe under the Sun, f.1ith Solomon the obfervation li"lef.J, 1 ,J whereof not only addes grace to every good aCl:ion,but many times facilitates the work it felf we have in hand: Now the times andfe~tfons mofl: convenient to this duty of reading the Scriptures, are (befides the Sabbath) left to Chrifl:ian wifdom , onely we have general commands to be frequent and diligent in meditation of the Word, Jofh. r.8. i'fal. ''9·97· and the particular times may be either uncent~in and occajional, or conftant andfet. For the firll, we t'nay have occalions to read the Scriptures, to refolvc us in doubts, l'j{d. 73· '7· to comfort us in affiiCl:lons, Pfa!. rr9. 50. to direct us in matter of advice, Pfa!. 119.24. toguideusin our way, Pfal. 119. 16). toaffiil us intem- · ptations, Eph. 6. '7· fuch or the like occajions may make us to have 'recourfe to the \Vord extraordinarily. For the fccond, refpeCl: mufl: be had both to order and proportion; for the former, vi<.. Order, godly men have accufl:omed to begin the day with religious excrcifes, as With prayer, Pfal. 5. 3. --- 55. 17. --- 8°. r3. now although Prayer and the Reading of the Word be two difl:ind exercifes, yet they mutually help one another, and con– fequently arc fit to be joyned together: And as we mull: thus begin the day , fo it is very fit tv clofe up the day with the fante d«ties: The evening was D"vids time, Pfal. 55· '7· and lfaoc's time, Gen. 2+ 63. For the latter, vi<.. Proportion of time to be. allotted for this excrcifc, it mull: indifferently refpec.'l: boththe duty ?. that we read all S<npmrc? and the perfon that undertakes it, for more tinie is rcquHed of Husbands, PJrents, MagilhJtes, Minifl:ers, then of others; though all mull fet apart fome time foe th1s druy ; but that I may in generall commcnd_the pra.'t.ice of this order mtd proportion to all, I ihall compofc a Calender, to ihew how we may read all the Scripiurcs over in a year: SE Cf. 3· I
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