Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

'DireFtions for Memory. Tit. 1. Vireuio11S for r](ememberi1zg wl1at you Hear. THlt want of Memory which cometh from Agt and decay of Nat•rr, is not to be cured; Nor lhould any frrvant of Chrifi be overmuch troubled at it : S'<ing Chrill will no more call offhis fervants for that, than he will for age or any ficknefs: But for that want of memury which is curable, and is a fault, I 01311 give you thefe Directions following. ~ I• Direct. t.It grtat!Ji hclpClh·Memory to have a fuU Vnderflanding of the matter fpok,_m, which you wo'Hid rcmcmb~r.: And ig~pr;mce ts one of the grearcll: ~mdt::rances.ro Memory. Com~_on (x:pe~ rience telkth you this, how eaiJ!y you can remember any dtfcourfe whtch you throughly und-erflmd ( For your very knowledge by invention will revive your memory): And how hard it is to remem~ her any Words which arc inlignificanr, or which we under!hnd nor. Therefore labour mofi for a clear underfranding according to the lafi Directions. ~· 2. Direct. 2· A deep awa~tned affdiion i1 a very powerful help to memor)• . We eafily remem– ber any thing which our tjlate.r or livu lye on; when uifi~s ue negltC:ted an~ loon forgotten: There.. fore labour 10 get all to your hearts, accor~ing to the next following Directions. 9· 3· Qiretl. 3· Method i1 • vtry grw help to me~W>ry. Therefore be acquaint·ed with the Preach– ers Method: •And theQ you arc put into a path or traCt, which you cannot eaftly go out of. And therefOre it is that MinHlers ·mufl not only be Muhodical, and avoid prolix, confufed, and invc-lved difcour{es, and that malicious pride of hitling their Mttbotl, but rnutl be as oft in the ufc of the {amt mttbod as rhe Subicd will bear, and choofe that method which is mofi eafte to the hearers to under... fiand and remember, and labour to make them perceive your trac~t. ~· 4· Dire&. 4• Numher~are a great hrlf. to memory: As If the ReafoJJJ, the V[e1, the Motives, the Signes, the Dtred:ions, be fix or feven o'feight ; when yoU know jutt the number, it helpeth 575 I' you much to remembt'r, 1 which was the firfl, fecond, third, 6 ... c. • 9· 5• Direct_. 5• Namei alfo and fi~nal "'"d' are a great belp to memory : He mly remember \~ one word 1 that cannot remember all the fentence : And that one rPord may · hdp him to remember t . <·;;, lhuch of the refi : Therefore Preachen !hould contrive the force of every Reafon, Ufe, Direction, Cr-c· as much as may be into Come one emphatical word ( And fome do very profitably contrive e<~.ch of thofe words to begin witlfthe fame Lettet, which is·gOod for memory, fo it be not too much firained and put them not upon greater inconveniences ) : Ar; if l were to direct you to the chief({!: Helps to your falvation, and fhoutd name, I· Powerful Prtt~cbing. 2. Prayer. 3• Pr11tltnct. 4• Pie(y. 5• Pain[Hlntfs· 6 Pt~tUnu. '}• Ptr[tverance :. though I opened every one of" thtfe'"'lat lar~e, tbe· Yery names would help the hearers memory. 1r is this that maketh Mif\IHc:rs that care more for rhdr peopleS fpuls, than the plcafing of curious ears, to go in the common road of Doctrine, Rea[on, Ufc:!l, Motives, Helps, &c. and to give their Ufes the ftme titles, of Informationt. Reproof, ExhiJTtati-.. Dtt, &c. And yet when (heSHbjtll lhall direct us to fame other mtrhatl, rh~ hurers mu,Unot be offendet\ .: with us : For one Method will not fervc exactly for every Subject.; and we mull be loth to wron11, theText pr Matter. 9· 6. Dired-. 6. It. if agreat help to memory, ofttn in tbt time of hearing to call ovtr and rtp.taf to your felvu tbt names or htjjds t»hich have bun [poJvn: The mind of man can do two rhin~s at once: Y.ou may both hear what is· Caid,and recall and repeat to your fclves what is pafl: Not to fiand long upon it, but oft and quickly to name oyer, e.g. the Reafons, Ufes,Moti.ves,&c. To me~ this hath been ( next to underfianding and Affection ) the greatefi help of any that I have ufed: For orherwife to hear a Hea_d but once, and think of it no more till the Sermon is done, would. never ferve my turn to keep tt. ~· 7· Direct. 7• Grafp not at mort than you art able 10 hold, left thereby you loft aD : If there he more particulars than you can poffibly rtmember, lay ho1d on fome · which motl concern you, · and let go the refi : Perhaps another may rather tok,c up thofe, which you leave behind. Yet fay not that it is the Preachers fault to name more than you can carry away: For, 1. Then he mull leave out his enlargeinentrnuchmorr, andthemoll: ·ef his Scrmpn; fo~ it's like youleave theml)fi behind. 2. Another may iemember inore than you. 3• All is nor loll when the 'lf"ord, are for· gottcn : For it may breed a habit of undcrfianding, and prQffiOtc refolutioo, affection ana l'ratl.ice. 9· 8. Dire&. 8. Writing i1 an eafie btlp fer memory, to t/,.fe that un ufe it : Some qucfiion whe– ther they lhould ufe it becaufe it. hiodererh their affe<lion. But rhat mull be differently determioed accordmg to the d1tference ofJttbjtlls andof IJearerJ. Some Sermons arc all to work upon theafl~Cfi.: ons at prefent, and the prefent' adnnuge Is to be preferred before the after perufal; But fi>me muft m01:e protlt us in aftcr·digefiion and review. And fome hearers ~an write much with eafe and Jit.. tle hin~er their affrdion; and fome wr,ite fo little and are hindered fo much, that ic recompc:nfcch not the" loCs : Some know fo fully all that is faid that they need no notes: and-forne that are ignqrant need them for perufal. ' ..9·9· Dir:ct. 9· P(ru[t whatyoutrmtmber, or rv~itc down, wlun J.1H con1t home ; and fix it JPef... ally btfore tt'l lojl: Arld hearltbm thal can repeal il betltr: Pray it ovor, and <Onfer of it with others. . Eeec

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