him, and froin sinning against him, is never unseasonable to any man, and therefore never denied when sincerely desired, and the reason why any man wants this grace of God thus to prevent and direct him, is, because he never sincerely desires it, or rejects it when offered unto him.

6. Let no occasion whatsoever hinder you from your private, constant, devotion towards almighty God, but be steady, and fixed, and resolved in it; and go not about any business of importance (but only reading of a chapter, whereof in the next) till you have performed this duty; and although it be upon the Lord's Day, when you go to public prayers morning and afternoon, and though there be morning and evening prayers in the schools or college where you live, yet this must not make you omit your private devotions; for it must be a solemn and sacred employment, as a great and necessary means of your protection, and blessing, and safety, the ensuing day or night. I was ever distrustful of the success of that business which I undertook before I commended myself and affairs to almighty God in my private morning prayers.

7. Let all your thoughts and words be full of

reverence; think not of him lightly, nor speak of him, nor use his name vainly; consider, it is he by whose mercy and goodness you live and have all the blessings and comforts you enjoy, and that can call them away from you at his pleasure; it is he that knows all your thoughts, words, and actions, and discerns whether they are such as are decent, becoming and suitable to his will and presence; it is he that sees you though you see him not, and this is the reason of the third commandment, whereby you are forbidden to take his name in vain.

And this will accustom your mind and life to a right temper, to sobriety and decency in all your thoughts, words, and actions, but especially it will bring you to a great attention and due devotion to your prayers and all religious services of God, and render them acceptable and well pleasing to him.

CHAPTER VIII.

Concerning reading of the Scriptures and other good Books.

I HAVE before told you, that if you love and truly fear God, you will by all means endeavour to please and obey him, and to avoid every thing that may be offensive unto him; and to that end will use all due diligence to know what his will is, and what he would have you do, and what he would have you shun and avoid.

Now the gracious God hath not only engraved some natural precepts of piety and righteousness in our natures and consciences, but hath given us a written declaration of his mind and will, that you may know what it is: and as I, your poor mortal parent, out of care that you should do well, have written these directions for you, that you may remember and observe them, that it may go well with you, so the glorious and merciful God hath given a most excellent letter of direction, infinitely more perfect than any man can make, namely, his written word of the Old

and New Testaments, wherein he gives you an account of his whole will concerning the children of men, and what he would have you know and believe, and what he would have you avoid, and hath therein shewed you what will be the reward of your obedience to this word of his, and what will be the punishment of your disobedience to him.

In this book you will find how the world was first made by the almighty power and wisdom of God. In the historical part of it you will find how his sacred providence orders all things, and what a government he exerciseth in the world, even while we see not his immediate hand; how matters are brought about by his secret and powerful counsel; how disobedience, and sin, and atheism, and idolatry, and intemperance, and injustice, and unrighteousness, and impiety are punished, and how virtue, and goodness, and obedience to God are rewarded: and you may know that the same providence rules still in the world, though you see not the hand that guides and orders it. In the prophecies and their fulfillings you may see that God knows all future events, and orders them according to his foresight, will and council. That though the sinful actions of mankind are neither decreed nor allowed by

him, but forbidden, and proceed from the evil hearts of evil men, and the mischievous designs of evil angels, yet he overrules these very angels by his wise and excellent will and council.

In this book there are excellent precepts and directions of prudence and moral conversation for all ages, sexes and conditions, especially in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which will make you wise if you observe them.

In this book, especially in the New Testament, you have the full discovery of our redemption by Christ Jesus; the true state of man and woman after death; the nature of the rewards of the good, and punishments of the evil, and the true means to attain everlasting happiness; in a word, the full discovery of the whole will of God; what he would have you believe, how he would have you live, what are the things he would have you do and observe, what he would have you to avoid, and therefore you are to set a high value upon these sacred books, and esteem them as the greatest jewels in the world, to make them your counsellors and advisers in all your actions; your comfort and support in all your troubles; for it is a message in writing sent you from heaven, to enlighten, instruct, guide and direct you in all your ways, and to shew you the