A Treatise of Family Instruction, Chapter 4 · Section 4
SECT. 4. The plea of ſuch as have dull Children or Servants, anſwered. How to deal with dull Perſons, and ſuch as have weak Memories.
Object. 4 Mr Children and Servants are ſo dull, and have ſuch weak Memories that I cannot make them underſtand or remember any thing, and this diſcourageth me from inſtructing them.
Anſw. 1. Dulneſs of Underſtanding and weakneſs of Memory oft-times proceed from the neglect and diſuſe of thoſe Faculties; good Tools will grow ruſty, and unfit for ſervice, if they be not uſed. It was the field of the ſlothful which Solomon ſaw all grown over with Thorns, and covered with Nettles, Prov. 24.30, 31. Though a perſon may have good parts, yet if from his youth he neglect to bend his mind to underſtand the things of God, and to get the word of God into his memory, he will find his underſtanding dull, in apprehending, and his memo-weak in retaining Divine Objects.
2. Though your Children and Servants ſeem to be very dull and ſimple, yet by inſtructing them out of the word of God, they may become very wiſe and prudent perſons: Pſal. 19.7. The Teſtimony of the Lord is ſure, making wiſe the ſimple: Pſal. 119.130. The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth underſtanding to the ſimple. Solomon ſpeaking of the word of God, ſaith, It will give ſubtilty to the ſimple, to the young man knowledge and diſcretion, Prov. 1.4. Though your children be ſo raw, dull, and ignorant, that they know nothing at all of the things of God, yet by inſtructing them out of the word of God, you may bring them to know and fear the Lord, Deut. 31.11, 13. Thou ſhalt read this Law before all Iſrael in their hearing, that their Children which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God.—
3. If your Children and Servants be dull of apprehenſion, and have weak memories, this ſhould not cauſe you to deſiſt from inſtructing them, but you ſhould rather take the more pains with them; Eccleſ. 10.10. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then muſt he put to the more ſtrength; but wiſdom is profitable to direct. The duller any perſons are, the more need they have of being taught. Heb. 5.11, 12. Ye are dull of hearing,—ye have need that one teach you.—Though we are guilty of much folly, and ignorance, and dulneſs, the Lord our God doth not ceaſe from teaching and inſtructing us, but guides and directs us continually, Pſal. 73.22, 23, 24. So fooliſh was I, and ignorant, I was as a beaſt before thee; nevertheleſs I am continually with thee—thou ſhalt guide me with thy Counſel. If God who is our Maſter, doth not leave off inſtructing us, becauſe of our ſimplicity and dulneſs, ſhall we think much to teach our Servants, becauſe of their ignorance and dulneſs?
4. If your Children and Servants be dull, and have weak memories, you muſt ſuit your inſtructions to their capacities; and ſeeing, as Solomon obſerveth, that when a man hath to do with blunt tools, Wiſdom is profitable to direct, wiſely conſider by what ways and means you may ſo carry on this work of Inſtruction, as may make moſt for their edification, in regard of the dulneſs of their underſtandings, and weakneſs of their memories: And to this purpoſe I ſhall ſuggeſt to you theſe following directions.
1. Let the Scriptures which you teach them be plain and eaſie: There are ſome things in the Scriptures which are foreign, hard to be underſtood, 2 Pet. 3.16. And there be other things that are plain and eaſie. Now they that are to deal with dull perſons, muſt wave thoſe things that are hard to be underſtood, Heb. 5.11. and muſt teach them ſuch things as are plain and eaſie, otherwiſe they will profit little or nothing by the inſtructions which you give them: 1 Cor. 14.9. Except ye utter by the tongue words eaſie to be underſtood, how ſhall it be known what is ſpoken? for ye ſhall ſpeak into the air. And therefore if there be any obſcurity either in the matter, or in the words and phraſes of thoſe Scriptures which you teach them, explain the ſenſe and meaning thereof, as the Levites did, when they read the Law to the people, Neh. 8.7, 8.
2. Let the Scriptures which you teach them be ſhort, and ſuch as may be eaſily remembred, as well as eaſily underſtood. Let them alſo be comprehenſive, ſuch as comprehend much matter in few words. As for inſtance: Solomon comprehends the whole duty of man in few words, when he ſaith, Eccleſ. 12.13. Fear God and keep his Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt ſums up all that is delivered by Moſes in the Law, and by the Prophets, in reference to our Duty to our Neighbour in a ſhort ſentence, Matth. 7.12. All things whatſoever ye would that men ſhould do to you, do ye even ſo to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. The Apoſtle Paul comprehends all the Commandments that are ſcattered up and down the word of God concerning our duty towards our Neighbour, in one ſhort ſaying, Rom. 13.9. If there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this ſaying, Thou ſhalt love thy Neighbour as thy ſelf. The Apoſtles reſolved that grand queſtion, what a man ſhould do to be ſaved, in few words, Acts 16.30, 31. Sirs, What muſt I do to be ſaved? And they ſaid, Believe on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and thou ſhalt be ſaved, and thy Houſe. Perſons of the weakeſt memories may retain ſuch ſhort Scriptures as theſe are, and by retaining ſuch comprehenſive Scriptures, they may know and remember much of their duty, although they remember but few words.
3. If your Children and Servants be dull, inculcate the ſame things over and over to them, that they may be the more imprinted in their minds, and be more deeply rooted in their memories. The Apoſtle ſpeaking of ſuch as were dull, Heb. 5.11. ſaith verſ. 12. Ye have need one teach you again which be the firſt Principles of the Oracles of God. Teaching of Truths once or twice, is not enough for ſuch as are dull; they muſt be taught the ſame things again and again, Iſa. 28.10. Precept muſt be upon Precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and there a little.
4. Direct them to, and put them upon the practice of thoſe things that will help the infirmities of their Underſtandings and Memories: As for inſtance;
Firſt, Stir them up to pray to God to give them his holy Spirit: The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Wiſdom and Underſtanding, and will make a man of a quick underſtanding in the fear of the Lord, Iſa. 11.2, 3. It is his work to lead us into all truth, John 16.13. And to help the infirmities of our memories, by bringing Gods Word to our remembrance, John 14.26.
Secondly, Stir them up to repent of their ſins: It is ſin which darkens our minds, and keeps us from the knowledge of the truth, 2 Tim. 3.6, 7. Silly women laden with ſins, led away with divers luſts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Such perſons as do not leave their ſins, will abide in ignorance, although they be Hearers and Learners of Gods word as long as they live. But as for ſuch as repent of their ſins, and turn to God, though they be ſimple perſons, yea ſuch as have loved ſimplicity and hated knowledge, the Lord promiſeth to make known his word to them, Prov. 1.22, 23. How long ye ſimple ones will ye love ſimplicity, and the ſcorners delight in their ſcorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof; behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Thirdly, Adviſe them to exerciſe their minds in ſtudying and ſearching into the Scriptures, and to exerciſe their memories by committing ſome portion of Gods word to their memories every day. Hereby ſuch as have weak memories, and could remember little or nothing at the firſt, will find their Memories improved wonderfully, and not only their Memories, but their Underſtandings alſo. Uſe and Exerciſe of the Faculties of the Soul, tend much to their improvement, which the Scripture as well as daily Experience doth teſtifie, Heb. 5.14. Even thoſe who by reaſon of uſe have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern both good and evil.