or plasters contrary to the patient's need, and such as cherish the disease. So is it to read books of too high a style or subject, to dull and ignorant hearers. We use to say, That which is one man's meat, is another man's poison.' It is not enough that the matter be good, but it must be agreeable to the case for which it is used.

Direct. IV. To a common family, begin with those books, which at once inform the judgment about the fundamentals, and awaken the affections to entertain them and improve them.' Such as are treatises of regeneration, conversion, or repentance: to which purpose I have written myself, The Call to the Unconverted ;-The Treatise of Conversion;-Directions for a Sound Conversion;-A Treatise of Judgment;-A Sermon against making Light of Christ ;-True Christianity ;-A Sermon of Repentance; -Now or Never;-A Saint or a Brute; with others; which I mention, not as equalling them with others, but as those which I am more accountable for. On this subject these are very excellent, Mr. R. Allen's Works;—Mr. Whateley on the New Birth;-Mr. Swinnock of Regeneration ;-Mr. Pinks's five Sermons ;-most of Mr. Hooker's Sermons ;—Mr. J. Rogers's Doctrine of Faith ; Mr. Dent's Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven ;-most of Mr. Perkins', and Mr. Bolton's Works, and many the like.

;

Direct. v. 'Next these, read over those books which are more suited to the state of young Christians for their growth in grace, and for their exercise of faith, and love, and obedience, and for the mortifying of selfishness, pride, sensuality, worldliness, and other the most dangerous sins.' My own on this subject are, my Directions for Weak Christians ;-my Saints' Rest ;-A Treatise of Self-denial;-another of The Mischiefs of Self-ignorance; -Life of Faith ;-Of Crucifying the World ;-The Unreasonableness of Infidelity ;-Of Right Rejoicing, &c. To this use these are excellent, Mr. Hildersham's Works; -Dr. Preston's ;-Mr. Perkins' ;-Mr. Bolton's ;-Mr. Fenner's;-Mr. Gurnall's ;-Mr. Anthony Burgess's Sermons; Mr. Lockier on the Colossians, with abundance more that God hath blessed us with.

Direct. vi. At the same time labour to methodise your knowledge, and to that end read first and learn some short

catechism, and then some larger (as Mr. Ball's, or the Assemblies, larger); and next some body of divinity, (as Amesius's Marrow of Divinity, and Cases of Conscience, which are Englished).' And let the catechism be kept in memory while you live, and the rest be throughly understood.

Direct. VII. Next read (to yourselves or families) the larger expositions of the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Ten Commandments.' Such as Perkins, Bishop Andrews on the Commandments, and Dod, &c. That your understanding may be more full, particular, and distiṛct; and your families may not stop in generals, which are not understood. Direct. VIII. Read much those books which direct you in a course of daily communion with God, and ordering all your conversations.' As Mr. Reyner's Directions ;-The Practice of Piety ;-Mr. Palmer's ;-Mr. Scudder's ;—Mr. Bolton's Directions;—and my Divine Life.

Direct. IX. For peace, and comfort, and increase of the love of God, read Mr. Symmond's Deserted Soul, &c. ; -and his Life of Faith:-all Dr. Sibbs's Works;-Mr. Harsnet's Cordials;-Bishop Hall's Works, &c.: my Method for Peace, and Saints' Rest, &c.

Direct. x. For the understanding of the text of Scripture, keep at hand either Deodate's, or the Assembly of Divines, or the Dutch Annotations; with Dr. Hammond's, or Dickson's and Hutchinson's brief observations.

Direct. XI. For securing you against the fever of uncharitable zeal and schism, and contentious wranglings and cruelties for religion sake. Read diligently Bishop Hall's Peacemaker (and other of his books);-Mr. Burrough's Irenicon;-Acontius's Stratagems of Satan ;-and my Catholic Unity;-Catholic Church ;-Universal Concord, &c.'

Direct. x11. For establishing you against Popery, on the soundest grounds, not running in the contrary extreme; read Dr. Challoner's Credo Ecclesiam, &c.;-Chillingworth;-Dr. Field of the Church, &c.;-and my True Catholic;-and my Key for Catholics;-and my Safe Religion;—and Winding-sheet for Popery;—and Disputation with Mr. Johnson.'

Direct. XIII. For especial preparation for affliction, sufferings, sickness, death: read Mr. Hughes's Rod ;-Mr. Lawrence's Christ's Power over Sicknesses;-Mr. S. Ru

therford's Letters, &c.;-my Treatise of Self-denial ;-the Believer's Last Work;-the Last Enemy Death;--and the Fourth Part of my Saints' Rest. I will add no more, lest they seem too many.'

CHAPTER XXII.

Directions for the Right Teaching of Children and Servants, SO may be most likely to have Success.

I HERE suppose them utterly untaught that you have to do with; and therefore shall direct you what to do, from the very first beginning of your teaching, and their learning. And I beseech you study this Chapter more than many of the rest; for it is an unspeakable loss that befalls the church, and the souls of men, for want of skill, and will, and diligence, in parents and masters in this matter.

Direct. I. · Cause your younger children to learn the words, though they be not yet capable of understanding the matter.' And do not think as some do, that this is but to make them hypocrites, and to teach them to take God's name in vain for it is neither vanity nor hypocrisy to help them first to understand the words and signs, in order to their early understanding of the matter and signification. Otherwise no man might teach them any language, nor teach them to read any words that be good, because they must first understand the words before the meaning. If a child learn to read in a Bible, it is not taking God's name or Word in vain, though he understand it not: for it is in order to his learning to understand it; and it is not vain which is to so good a use: if you leave them untaught till they come to be twenty years of age, they must then learn the words before they can understand the matter. Do not therefore leave them the children of darkness, for fear of making them hypocrites. It will be an excellent way to redeem their time, to teach them first that which they are capable of learning: a child of five or six years old can learn the words of a catechism or Scripture, before they are capable of understanding them. And then when they come to years of understanding, that part of their work is done,

and they have nothing to do but to study the meaning and use of those words which they have learned already. Whereas if you leave them utterly untaught till then, they must then be wasting a long time to learn the same words which they might have learned before; and the loss of so much time is no small loss or sin.

Direct. 11. The most natural way of teaching children the meaning of God's Word, and the matters of their salvation, is by familiar talk with them suited to their capacities: begin this betimes with them while they are on their mother's laps, and use it frequently. For they are quickly capable of some understanding about greater matters as well as about less; and knowledge must come in by slow degrees: stay not till their minds are possessed with vanity and toys.

Direct. 111. By all means let your children learn to read, though you be never so poor, whatever shift you make.' And if you have servants that cannot read, let them learn yet, (at spare hours,) if they be of any capacity and willingFor it is a very great mercy to be able to read the Holy Scripture, and any good books themselves, and a very great misery to know nothing but what they hear from others. They may read almost at any time, when they cannot hear.

ness.

Direct. Iv. Let your children when they are little ones read much the history of the Scriptures. For though this, of itself, is not sufficient to breed in them any saving knowledge, yet it enticeth them to delight in reading the Bible, and then they will be often at it when they love it; so that all these benefits will follow. 1. It will make them love the book (though it be but with a common love). 2. It will make them spend their time in it, when else they would rather be at play. 3. It will acquaint them with Scripture history, which will afterwards be very useful to them. 4. It will lead them up by degrees to the knowledge of the doctrine, which is all along interwoven with the history.

Direct. v. Take heed that you turn not all your family instructions into a customary, formal course, by bare readings and repeating sermons from day to day, without familiar personal application.' For it is ordinarily seen that they will grow as sleepy, and senseless, and customary, under

such a dull and distant course of duty, (though the matter be good,) almost as if you had said nothing to them. Your business therefore must be to get within them, and awaken their consciences to know that the matter doth most nearly concern them, and to force them to make application of it to themselves.

Direct. vi. Let none affect a formal, preaching way to their families, except they be preachers themselves, or men that are able for the ministry: but rather spend the time in reading to them the most powerful books, and speaking to them more familiarly about the state and matters of their souls.' Not that I think it unlawful for a man to preach to his family, in the same method that a minister doth to his people; for no doubt but he may teach them in the profitablest manner he can. And that which is the best method for a set speech in the pulpit, is usually the best method in a family. But my reasons against this preaching-way ordinarily, are these:-1. Because it is very few masters of families that are able for it, (even among them that think they are ;) and then they ignorantly abuse the Scripture, so as tends much to God's dishonour. 2. Because there is scarce any of them all, but may read at the same time, such lively, profitable books to their families, as handle those things which they have most need to hear of, in a far more edifying manner than they themselves are able, (except they be so poor that they can get no such books.) 3. Because the familiar way is most edifying: and to talk seriously with children and servants about the great concernments of their souls, doth commonly more move them than sermons or set speeches. Yet because there is a season for both, you may sometimes read some powerful book to them, and sometimes talk familiarly to them. 4. Because it often comes from pride, when men put their speech into a preaching method to shew their parts, and as often nourisheth pride.

Direct. VII. Let the manner of your teaching them be very often interlocutory, or by way of questions.' Though when you have so many or such persons present, as that such familiarity is not seasonable, then reading, repeating, or set speeches may do best; but at other times, when the number or quality of the company hindereth not, you will