A PROFITABLE TREA- TISE CONTAINING A DIREC- TION FOR THE READING AND VNDERT STANDING OF THE HOLY S'CRIP - tures : byMailer Greeneham. Hole things whichGod bath ioyned together, no manmay feuer afunder. Therefore preachingand reading oftheholy Scriptures beingofGod ioyned together inthe worke of ourfaluation,may not befeuered afunder. In allfciences, arts and trades, teachers and mailers are requifite ordinarily for the found learning and pra&ifingof them : weemull beperfwvaded much more that it is necelfary to have guides to goebefore vs inthe way ro Saluation. gee faith rthandrepeàlta. ceinGodspelople,amuflbegraunted,eDru- God,o ,douorié teron.18 .i8.33.1c.Leuit.lo.11.Mal.a.6.7. z.Chro.36.s5.Efay.5o5.5.7.8.53.1.55.1o. mèarsosto fol. X1.57.19.58.1.6! .I.0a.15,6.7. Mal. s 3.3.2 8.19.20. Ephcf4.I t.t 1.13.14. Roui.s 0.14. satins. 15. 1.Cor. s .2 i . t.Pet. ,.z 3 .a 5. And where this ordinarie ineanesof faluationfailetlr, the peoplefor themolt part periíh: Pro.x9.18.Hof.4.6. z.Chr.15a3.Efhy.56.9.Mat.t5.14. Luk. i 1.5a. But that the reading ofthe Scriptures publikely in theChurch of God, and priuàtely by our feises , is a fpeciail and ordinarie meane, if notto beget, yetto increafe Reading afthe faith in vs. It is likewife proued, Deut.6.6.11.18.Pfaff.r.a.Ioh.5.39. Mat. 1415.Rom.r5. yu lkefyir 54. z.Pet.i .1 9.Nehem. 8.8.A&.r3.15.15.21. The manifold fruit which comes of the rea- tMe ChurcG. ding of the Scripturesprouethe lame. Readingrather eßiabhQieth,thanderogateth frompreaching:for none can be profitable hearers of preaching, that hauenot beenetrained vp in reading theScriptures,or hearing them read. Many incouueniences come from the negiefil of reading, asthat the people cannottell when a fentence is alleadged out of the Canonical) Scriptures, when outof the Apocrypha, when outof the Scriptures, whenout of other writers, thatthey cannot dit- cerne when hefpeakethhisowne, or a fentenceof the Scripture. Againe reading helpethmens iudgements, memories andaffe&ions, but efpecially it ferueth for the confirmationof ourfaith: whichmaybeproued by the example of the men of Berea, A&.17.t3 .It feruethtoddame the fpiritsofmen , iJohn 4.tomakefounder confeflionof our faith, toflop themouthes of our aduerfaries,and toanfwere the temp- tations of Satan and thewicked. But becaufe men thine, not onelyin negle& of hearing and reading,but allo in hearing and reading amine : therefore the properties ofreuerentand faithfull readingand hearing, areto be let downe,which are thefe that follow : they beeight in number. s .Diligence. 5 .Conference. z.Wifedonse. S6.Faith. 3 .Preparation. )7.Pra&ife. 4.Meditation. ( &Prayer. The threefieltgotbeforereadingandpreaching.Thefourenextcomeafterthem. The lait 203
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