VII. Ufe fome Paraphrafe or Expofition to affift you in the Understanding of Scripture. Any Book writ at that Distance from the Times we live in, as the Scriptures were, must have Relation to Cuftoms with which we are unacquainted; muft have Hints of Things then. commonly known, but now out of Ufe: Upon this Account fome fhort Notices of them will give us great Light in understanding several Things, that otherwife may appear obfcure. Betides, when we know the Subject Matter beforehand of any of St. Paul's Epiftles, and the End and Defign for which he wrote it, we do the more eafily enter into the Senfe of it; and then feveral Phrafes, which appear by themfelves difficult, receive fresh Light from the Knowledge of what he proposed to treat of: To this End, it might be of great Ufe to have Contents to every Book of Scripture as we have to every Chapter: For from that general Idea of what is contained in the Book, we fhould be affifted to understand Particulars. For those who have not fuch Advantages, I would advise them, when they meet with Difficulties, to apply to their spiritual Guides, in order to have their Help and Affiftance in the Understanding of them, and to take their particular Directions how to read with greatest Profit; always taking Care that they addrefs to them, not out of vain Curiofity or any Inclination to cavil, but with

a fincere

a fincere Defire of informing their Judgment, and rectifying their Practice.

VIII. Recollect what moft touches you after Reading. It will be difficult to charge our Memories. with every Particular: The Exhortations to Virtue are various, and the Difcouragements from Vice are frequent; yet fome noted Inftances may always be retained, as the Subject of our Meditations in the feveral Occurrences and Bufineffes of Life. This may be preferved as a fpiritual Nofegay, always ready to refresh our Minds. Sometimes we may charge our Memory with a particular Promife, that encourages our Perfeverance in our Duty; and at another Time with aThreatening, that may deter us from comply-ing with the Vanities and Follies of the Age. The Inftances of God's bleffing others in the Discharge of their Duty, may be retained as an Encouragement to ourselves; and those Marks of his Vengeance, with which he has chaftifed the Wicked, fhould be remembered, as proper to deter us from the Commiffion of any Thing that may difplease him. By the frequent Practice of this, we fhall be ftocked with Variety of Armour, to refift the manifold Attacks of our spiritual Enemies, and we. fhall have a proper Remedy for every Temptation that affaults us. That I may read to fuch admirable Purposes, ftrengthen, O Lord, my Memory, that I may always retain thofe Things that may moft contribute to my Increase

in the Knowledge and Love of Thee; that being conformed to the Image of my bleffed Saviour here below, I may partake of his Glories in the World to come.

CHAP. XVI.

FOR TUESDAY.

Meditation.

In a religious Senfe, Meditation is such an Application of the Mind to the Confideration of any divine Subject, whether it be any Mystery of the Gofpel Inftitution, or any Truth or Virtue of the Chriftian Religion, or any Part of our Saviour's Life or Death; as may beft difpofe us firmly to believe and embrace it, and ftir up all the Faculties of the Soul to a vigorous Profecution of it. It confifts in exciting holy Motions in our Souls, by Virtue of thofe good Thoughts we entertain and dwell upon: And indeed without this Practice, the Holy Scriptures and other devout Books, will have but little Effect upon us: For it is by this Method that we digeft what we read, and turn it into the true Nourishment of our Minds.

1. Meditation impreffes the Senfe of our Duty upon our Minds. Confidering the Frailty of our Natures, and our daily Converfe with fenfual Objects, our Knowledge of divine Things would by degrees be impaired, if we did not refresh it by frequent Recollection. All the Motives that encourage our Obedience, and all the Punishments that are threatened against fuch as tranfgrefs God's holy Laws, by this Means become effectual

to us.

2. It keeps our Confcience tender, and afraid to offend. In the Hurry and Noife of the World, we are too apt to neglect the Voice of Confcience, which, as a faithful Friend, is always ready to direct us in the right Way, and to admonish us when we deviate from it: But when we meditate feriously upon our Duty, it will be difficult to reject the Teftimony it offers, either by approving what we have done conformable to the Will of God, or by feverely reproaching us for thofe Neglects which we have been guilty of.

3. It habituates our Minds to fpiritual Ob jects. The daily Neceffities of our Bodies call for our conftant Care and Application; and God has thought fit to make it our Duty to provide for them: But yet, it is not reafonable they fhould engrofs all our Time, and take up all the Vigour and Strength of our Minds. We have a better Part, infi. nitely more worth our Care, which, if ever

it

it attains the Happiness that is prepared for it, muft converfe with Spirits of God's heavenly Kingdom, and be qualified for fpiritual Enjoyments: and therefore Meditation is proper to train us up for that holy Society we expect to converfe with; and to make us familiar with fuch Objects as are out of Sight; and which, for that very Reason, might otherwife lofe their Force and Influence upon us. To make our Meditations useful to the best Purposes, we muft obferve this Method.

I. Prepare your Minds for this Duty by imploring God's Affiftance. We must remember that God is prefent to all our Thoughts, and fearcheth out all our Ways; that we are unworthy, by reason of our Sins, to prefent ourfelves before him; and that we are unable, without his Affiftance, to think any Thing that is good. I firmly believe, O God, that thou art here, and every where present; that thy Being and thy Power is infinite: I adore Thee with all Humility as my Sovereign Lord, and acknowledge that I am unworthy to ap pear before thee, by reafon of my many firmities and Follies: but for the Sake of the bleffed Jefus be gracious unto me, and fo enlighten my Understanding, and Influence my Will and Affections, that the present Action may tend to thy Glory, and the Good of my own Soul.

In

II. Choose the Subject of your Meditation. I believe it advifeable, for the Generality of

Chriftians