safe and ready way to attain the favour and love of God, and everlasting happiness, and therefore I would have you observe these directions:

1. When you are able perfectly to read, I would have you read every day, one chapter in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament, till you have read them both through and when you have read them through once, read them through again, and by this means you will attain a good measure of remembrance of what there is therein contained.

2. Let your reading be serious, and attentive, and reverend, for you are reading the word of God, and although your younger years be not capable of so much seriousness, yet that will come on by degrees as you grow older.

3. And I would not have you'think that when you have read over the Bible twice, you may then lay it aside; no, but you must be often reading in it, and observing the history of it, and the doctrines and precepts in it for you must understand that although almighty God requires all to be diligent in their callings and employments, yet the great business of your life, the one thing necessary, is for you to obtain the knowledge and favour of God, to love, to obey, to 'honour him, and hereafter to attain and en

joy everlasting life, and happiness, and the glorious sight of the glorious God for ever; and in order thereunto, the study and knowledge of the holy Scriptures must accompany you all the days of your life, because it concerns your greatest and most important good.

4. In all your mentioning of any passages in the holy Scriptures, let it be with seriousness and reverence; and beware of jesting or scoffing at it, using the passages of it trivially, lightly or vainly, and know that those bold and vain pretenders to wit that turn Scripture passages and phrases into drollery, and think it a piece of gallantry, and grace of their discourse to deride at the Scripture and religion, are but a sort of halfwitted people, and indeed the rankest fools in the world, and commonly come to miserable ends.

5. As I would have it your commendation, which was once the commendation of Timothy, that from a child you have known the Scriptures, so be very careful that you order your lives according to them, in all piety, sobriety, and righteousness; this will make you truly wise, even wise to salvation; and besides let me tell you from my own experience, the knowledge of the Scriptures, and ordering your lives accordingly, will make you wise men even in this

world, for there are no better precepts in the world for true wisdom than the Seriptures yield; for whereas other books may possibly make men subtle, and crafty, and politic, this is but mock wisdom; the Scripture teacheth you wisdom with innocence, wisdom with honesty, wisdom with justice and righteousness, wisdom with truth, wisdom with piety, wisdom with a good conscience, and this is true wisdom indeed, and such as will carry through with honour and reputtation, when craft and subtilty and that which is commonly miscalled policy, will come to naught and deceive its owners.

6. There are very many controversies abroad in the world in points of religion, and many opinions and many sects. But as for you, hold fast to the Scripture, let that be to you the judge of controversy, for this is the word of God, who is the God of truth, and knows best what is truth and what is not: you cannot err dangerously in religion so long as you make almighty God your director and guide, and his word your rule, both of faith and life.

7. Although there are many very good books written by pious and learned men, yet let the holy Scriptures have the preference with you, because these are the true rules whereby the

truth or sufficiency of other books of divinity are to be measured, and the Scriptures are dictated by an unerring and infallible spirit; but all other books are the writings of fallible men that may err and mistake.

But yet these may be also good helps to you, both in knowledge and piety, if you make a good choice; yet among these books I rather commend to your reading books that may instruct and encourage you in a good life, rather than books of controversy or high speculation, for asthey are too hard for you, especially in your youth, so they have not so good an effect as plainer and more practical discourses. I commend therefore to your reading, the books called the Practice of Piety, the Whole Duty of Man, Mr. Capel's, which may assist you to a virtuous, pious and Christian life. It was not for nothing that our Saviour says, John vii. 17. “ if any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or not:" a life framed according to the precepts of Christ, is a ready way to learn the truths of the Christian religion.

CHAPTER IX.

Concerning the Observation of the Lord's Day or the Christian Sabbath.

SIX days the God of heaven hath allowed us for our ordinary actions, and he is no hard master that reserves but a seventh as a tribute of the time he lends us, especially considering this day he reserves, he reserves it for our advantage more than for his own.

For it is a certain truth, that we never spend any time with better husbandry, and more advantage to ourselves, than that time we spend in the service of God, and to his honour, and according to his will; and that man is very illnatured that thinks it much to consecrate one day of seven to the special service and honour of him that doth not only lend him the seventh to live, but the other six to his ordinary use and employments. I will acquaint you with a truth that above forty years' experience and strict observation of myself hath assuredly taught me; I have been near fifty years a man as much conversant in business, and that of moment and