. ' 'DireEtions [dr profitable bearing the Word preached.. --;-;-;-D irect.. 13• Thm while Supper i~ preparing, beta~ J•"' [elw to {ecret.prayer and me· Dire/1. 13. diratio 1 t ; ejther 1n }QJtr Chamber1 or walkj1tg at you fi;td mnft profitable : And let your Servants have no more to hirtdc:t them from the fame privilcdge, than what is of Necdllty· ' . ~· ; 4 . Direct. 14• AI S•pper fpmd 1/Je lime aJ ir aforefaid ( al Dinner) : Alwayes remem- Dmll. 14· bring that thou~h it be a d•y of Thanfgiving, it is not a day of gluttony, and that you mull not ufe too full a dyet, Id\ it make you heavy and drowfie and unfit for holy duty. 9· 15 . Direct. 15. After Supper tx.tmine your Children and Serva1!t1 wbst they have learnt aU Diret1. I)· day, a1zd fi11f!. aP[alm of prt~i{t .rnd conclude with prayer ajtd tbank.fgiving. . • . §· 1 6. Dircfr.: ~6. lf there be time afttr, both j flt(. aud they may _In [tcrct re.vuw the dut1tJ D,reO. 16. and mercier and fatlmgr of the day, and rccommc11d )'our fclt~eJ by Prayer znto tbe hanil; of God for tht night f oUowing: and {o betake your [elves to your relt. . . ~· , 7 • Dir<ct. '7· A nd to jhm rep aY, let :rur lajl tbough,tr b, boly, '" 1ht tbankfulfenft. o[Dtrea. 17• the mere.>• you have received, and the goodmfs of God revealedby our Medtalor, and comfortably trujhng yaur fouls and bodi_es i~to bi4 l~aJtdJ, and longing for your marcr approacb UNlo biJ Glory, and the beholding and full cnJoymg of htm for ever. ~- 1 g. I have briefly named this order of duties, for the memory of thofe that. have opportu– ni1y to obfcrve it : But if any mans place and condition deny lnm opporrunny for .lame of thefe he mull do what he can: but {(:c that carnal negligence caufe not his omi£1ion. And now J apPeal to Rcafon, Confcience and Expi:r~e~ce, wheth:r this e~plo~mcnt be not.. more fuira_hlc to the principles, ends and hopes of a Chnfhan, than 1dlenefs, or vam talk, or Cards or D:ce or Dancing, or Ale-houfc haunti~g, or worldly bufinefs. o~ difcourfe? And whether this would not exceedingly conducc to the mcreafe of Knowledge, Holtnefs and Hooefiy ? And whether rhere be ever a worldling or voluptuous fcnfualill of them all, that had not rather be found thus a! death ; or look back when Time is pall and gone, upon the Lords days thus fpent, than as rhe idle, flefhly, and ungodly fpend them? CHAP. XIX. 1)ireaions for profitable Hearing the Word Preached. OMitting thofe Directions which concern the external modes of Worfhip (for the Rea. fans rnc:ntioned Tom. 2. and knowh to all that know me and the time and place I live in ) I !hall give you fuch Directions about the perfonal interAa! management of your du– ty, as I 1hink moll necdfuy to your Edification. And feeing that your Duty and bene– fit lyeth in thefc four General points : 1. That you hear with underjlanding : 2. That you R.t– membcr what you hear; 3• That you be duly sjft11ed with it ; 4• And that you finmely pratli{t it, I U1all more particularly Direct you in order eo all thc:fe end; and dtttiu. Tit. 1. 1Jire[/ions for the U11derjlanding the Word whiciJ you IJtar. §· I• Dirtc~t. I· REad and mrditQte on the h9ly Scripturu much in private, and tbm yott wiU be Dirtll. 1 • the brttrr able to tmderftar.d what MPreached on it in publick;_, and to try thedo– l1rine whetherit be of God. Whcrc::J.S if you are unacquaintedwith the Scriptures, allrhar is treated ef or alledged from it will be fo flr<nge to you, that you will be but little edified by it. Pfol. r. 2. Pfll. 1 I9· Dcut. 6. 11, 12· 9· 2·. Direct. 2· Live t~nder the clearefi diftinll convincing fttlching that paf!ibly you can procHrt. DireGI. 2 • There ts an unrpeaklbie d1fferr:ncc as ro the edification of the hearers between a judicious clear difiir.Cl and skilful P~eacher, and one that is ignoranr,confu[cd, gener~l,dry, and only fcrap~th to: gether a Cent.o or mmgle-manglc of fome undigefted fayings to fill up the hour with. If in Phi... lo[ophy, Phyl1cks, Grammar, Law, and every Art and Science, there be fo great a difference between one Teacher and another, it rnufi needs be fo in Divinity alfo. Ignorant Teachers that underfland not what they fJ.y thernfelvcs, are unlike to make you men of underfianding: as Erronccus Teachers are unlike to make you Orthodox and Sound. p; 9· 3· Din .. Cl". )• Come nql to IH,zr with a cartle[i heart, aJ if you were to huzr am3tt~r tbllt little Virel1. 3• concfrmd;you, but come n'iib, a /nt[e of the un[peak...able wtig!Jt, neceffity and conftq 1 unce of the holy word wbzch you arc t9 be a~ and r.'btn )'OTt underjl.Jnd how m~tcb J Olt art coJtctr1fed in it, "nd truly Lqve
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=