I g.. Chap: Y The Introduíiáof. not as if they could tinderffand ahem without their teachers, much lefs to judge their doftrine, but to confirm their faith in what they hear. z. Meditation is the fecondduty. We are to meditate and ruminate, as well upon the Tim 4. r S. things we hear, as upon thofe we read. St. Paul, after he had prefcribedt rules toTi- Phil. 4, 8. toothy how to order himfelf, gives him this counfel alto. Meditate upon thefe things, give thy felf wholly to them, that thyprofiting may appear to all. Andafter agene- ral exhortation to the Phillippians, he concludes, with, Finally brethren, &c. think,, on there things. The reafon is given by St. "impf ine, .Qtodhabes, cave ire perdae, take heed thou lofe not that whichthou haft gottenby reading and hearing. If we . only hear and read, andthink not afterward upon it, it is to be feared that we that! not be bettered by that whichwe have either reador heard. This duty hath ever Gen. 24.63. been in praEtife with the Saints of God. Ifaac went out into the fields to meditate. Pial, ra9. Andking Daviddidoften fo, as appeareth by the tiePfalm, in diversplaces. 3 The raft duty conference. And this is done, either, Firft, by Auditorsamong themfelves. Or fecondly, with the Prieft and learned. The firft wehave in the mat. 3. 16. Prophet Malachi; they that feared theLord, fpakeoften one to another ( yet not Agge 0. IL in Conventicles.) And the other we have in the Prophet Agge, Ask the Priefts con- aat. a. q. cerning the Law. The reafon is given by the former Prophet, The Priefts lips pre ferve knowledge, becaufehe is themeffenger of the Lordof Hotta. Ifthen in read- ing or hearing we be at a ftand, the Scriptures being a deep Sea towade through, re- pair to the Priett, confer with him, and deflre his dire&ton. We fee ourSaviour Luken. 46, while he was young took this courfe,his parents found himnot only hearing the Doû- ers, but confering with them, and asking them queitions. Though it be the common faying that Experience is the Mother of Knowledge, yet twd conference is the Grandmother, for it begets experience. ía.:7.9. ér7 Now (as the Prophet fpeaks) Hic eft omvis fruîtur ut auferettr ?tweet/no, this is the fruit and end of all thefe duties, to take away fin. As in difeafes there are battard Feavers, which have wpldwsa verarum febrium, fymptomes and figns of true feavers; fo is there alfofj uria pietas, baftard religion, which hath fpcciousihews of truepie-' r Cer, t 3. $ tela Martha, t ovum neeeßâgium eft, there isoneathing needful; while we have the Luke ro. 42. great blaring of the Word, that union neceffarium,. let us hearit, and God in it. Left Ptov'3!',1.'8* ithappen to uswhich the Wifeman and the Prophet foretold. They fhall cry unto 14,c. theLord, but bewill not hear them, why? becaufe they hated knowledge. And as it r Sam. 2. , q, waswith Elies foes; they hearkned not to the voiceof their Father, therefore the .iphcf. I. 4. Lord did flay them. Let ustherefore labour by hearing tocome to the knowledge of God, and nodoubt butGodwill have a refpedhto our hearing, and of Catechumeni, make us proficients; give a bleffing to our endeavours : the will conclude this point, with a faying of St. Cyril an ancient Catechift, Mann eft decere, veftrum aufcultare, Dei perficere. It is my part to teach, yours to hear, and Gods to petted and give a Hefting to that which 1 teach and you hear. And fa much for Venire & aufcultare. CHAP. III. Of Religion in general, and the foundations of it.. The four laft fleps. r We mutt camera God, as the only way to true happinefs. No happinefs in riches proved by divers reafon. Not in Honour. Not inpleafttré. Not in moral virtue. Not in con- templation. General reafon againft themall , that Felicity cannot be in any of them. becaufe they cannot fatisfie. z They are not perpetual , but uncertain. In God only is truehappinefs tobe found HEwork of.Religionwhereof weare to treat, is compared by our Saviour to a Tftru&ure or building, and the teacher to a Mafter builder by the Apoftle,and the Mai.7.24.16. Principles of Religion tea foundation. Now in a building the principal care ought r Cot. 3. ,o. to be, to make the foundation fun,to dig deep enough, and lay the foundation upon Neb. 6. ,. a rock, and not uponearth or fand, left the Devil, byunderminingfhake the founda- Luk6.g5i49. tion and ruine the whole ftrudure. Andthis layingof a flightfoundation is the fault , of the builders of this age. Now to findwhen wehave a firm foundation, we are to examine, a. Whether,the grounds of Religion be true or falfe. z. Whether warranted cby
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