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yourself as in God's sight, both in prayer, and in the works of your calling, I will say something for your direction concerning reading and meditation.

SECT. 2. OF READING.

Besides your set times of reading the holy Scriptures, you will do well to gain some time from your vacant hours, that you may read in God's book, and in the good books of men.

How to read profitably.

First, When you read any part of the word of God, you must put a difference between it and the best writings of men, preferring it far before them. To this end, (1.) Consider it in its properties and excellencies. No word is of like absolute authority, holiness, truth, wisdom, power, and eternity, Psa. xix. 7 - 11. (2.) Consider this word in its ends and good effects. No book aimeth at God's glory, John v. 39, 2 Cor. iii. 18, and the salvation of man's soul, Rom. xv. 4, James i. 21, like this; none concerns you like to this. It discovers your misery by sin, together with the perfect remedy, Rom. iii. 23, 24. It proposes perfect happiness unto you, Isa. lv. 1 - 3, affording means to work it out in you, and for you, Rom. i. 16, 1 Thess. ii. 13. It is mighty, through God to prepare you for grace, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. It is the immortal seed to beget you unto Christ, 1 Peter i. 23. It is the milk and stronger meat to nourish you up in Christ, 1 Peter ii. 2, Heb. v. 13, 14. It is the only soul-physic (through Christ Jesus) to recover you, 2 Tim. i. 13, and to free you of all spiritual evils. By it Christ gives spiritual sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, strength to the weak, health to the sick: yea, by it he does cast out devils, and raise men from the death of sin (through faith) as certainly as he did all those things for the bodies of men by the word of his power, while he lived on the earth, John v. 25. This book of God does contain those many rich legacies bequeathed to you in that last will and testament of God,