The Way to the Tree of Life, Commentary
AN EXPLICATION Of the following DIRECTION For the Reading of the BIBLE over in a year.
With an EXHORTATION to the neceſſary Uſe and Practiſe thereof.
THE ſcope of this Direction is, to guide thee in the Annuall reading of the holy Scriptures. The way of it is plain and familiar, becauſe it moſt concerns the weak. Each page hath the figures for the day of the MonethMonth ſet in the firſt place, which ſerve for the three Moneths that are in that page. Each days task is three Chapters: two in the Old Teſtament, and one in the New, ſo long as the New doth laſt. And this order is conſtant, excepting in the Pſalmes: where, becauſe ſome are ſo very ſhort, there is ſometimes two, ſometime more to bee taken together at one reading. OnelyOnly the hundred-nineteenth, becauſe it is too long for one reading, is divided into four portions: Six parts apeece for the two former, and Five a peece for the two latter: which portions exceed not the length of an ordinary Chapter.
As for the day which is ſupernumerary in the Leap years (that is, which is above 365.) I rather leave to thy Diſcretion and Piety how to imploy to Gods glory, and thy own ſolace, then preſcribe any thing.
2. For the time: It is very requiſite to obſerve it ſtrictly; that is, to read one Chapter in the morning, another at noon, and the third at night: ſo thou ſhalt never want heavenly matter to take up thy thoughts. But, whatever is omitted in the day time, muſt be made out at night. If it ſo fall out, that ſome days or weeks task be omitted, (as by ſickneſſe, or the like) when thou comeſt to it again, double the daily task till the loſſe be repaired. And whereas the Lords day is here made onelyonly equall to other days, in its task and ſervice; thou muſt ever make it a Feaſt of Fat things, by adding to it a Portion in ſome Book or other, which thy ſoul moſt affecteth: be it Iſaiah, or the Epiſtle to the Romans, or any of the Goſpels, &c. But the Pſalms in this reſpect, may not wholly be omitted; this day being a ſingular day above others, for ſinging and rejoycing.
3. For good ſucceſſe, and proficiency in this holy employment; pray conſtantly to him that hath the Key of David, to unlock thy Vnderſtanding, and uſe ſuch helps as the Lord affordeth thee. And when thou Doubteſt, fail not to goe to the Maſter of the Aſſembly, Eccleſ. 12.11. Seek the Law at his mouth, for ſo thou oughteſt to doe, Malac. 2.7.
To help a bad memory, doe this; read with Leiſure and Intention; Meditate with Delight, (this feeds the ſoul) Conferre with others at all opportunities, eſpecially, with thoſe whom God hath ſet neare thee, or given thee in Charge, as Pſal. 34.11. Deut. 6.6, 7, 8, 9. & c. 11.18, 19, 20.
Apply the Promiſes to thy ſelfe with joy. Conſider the Threatnings with Fear and Trembling, Iſaiah 66.5. Pſa. 119.120. But above all Helps, if thou wouldeſt have thy profiting appear indeed, when ſoever God hath taught thee any Duty, fall ſtraightway in hand therewith, to Practiſe it thence forward.
4. This courſe (if carefully obſerved) will ſpeedily bring thee acquainted with God and his whole Counſell, revealed in his Word. It will inform thee of his good will towards thee, and what great things he hath done for thy ſoul; and likewiſe, what duties he requires at thy hand. It will forewarn thee of all the enemies that way-lye thee: and of their great wrath, malice, ſubtilties, and power: and not onelyonly ſo, but (which is all in all) it will furniſh thee with Wiſedome, to foreſee, with Courage, to ſtand, and Power, to withſtand, and Armour, (even the whole Armour of God, Epheſ. 6.10,—17.) wherewith to encounter and overcome, the World, the Devill, and the Fleſh. It will inform thee of the endleſſe Ioyes, and ineffable Treaſures of Heaven, that thou mayeſt covet them earneſtly, and inherit them: and alſo, of the inſupportable Torments, and unquenchable Fire of Hell, to avoid them. By this thy Conſcionable Practice, the work of the Miniſter ſhall be more profitable unto thee, and leſſe grievous to him: the word of God ſhall dwell richly in thee; and alſo thou ſhalt be able to render a reaſon of the Faith that is in thee, whereas without this Diligence, he that is Ignorant, doth often live and dye ſo, even under a Powerfull Miniſtery.
By this means (God bleſſing it to us) Chriſts kingdome ſhall come into our hearts with Power, and his Scepter (which is his Word) will bear Sway, and Rule in all private Families amongſt us: even in thoſe Families which hitherto have forgotten the Name of their God, and walking on ſtill in Darkneſſe, as without God in the World, Have counted thoſe great things of Gods Law, as a ſtrange thing, Hoſ. 8.12.
5. If theſe Motives availe not to winne thee to a liking of the Word, and the Practiſing of it; conſider further, what need thou haſt of it, and what it is which thou deſpiſeſt, in rejecting it. Thy heart is as hard as a ſtone in thee, but this Word is as a hammer, that breaketh the Rock in pieces, Jer. 23.29. It is alſo a ſalve, to heale and cure a broken and contrite heart, Pſal. 107.20. All holy zeal, and Spirituall deſires, are extinct in thee, but this Word is a Fire to kindle Holy Affections in thee: it is his Furnace to purge out the droſſe of thy Naturall Corruptions: Yea, it is as water to waſh away uncleanneſſe, Iohn 15.3. In a word, the Virtues and Operations of it are innumerable: and for its worth, man cannot utter it. It is ſtrengthning, as Bread: quenching thirſt after ſinne, as Drinke: Chearing, as Wine: Sweet, as Honey: Enriching as Gold. Quick and Powerfull, ſharper then any two-edged Sword. It is the word of Gods power, even, The power of God unto Salvation, to every one that beleeveth, Rom. 1.16.
6. Up then and be doing. Work out thy Salvation. They that ſtand all the day idle, receive no wages: and the ignorant have no promiſe of life: but they that are wiſe, that turn many to righteouſneſſe, ſhall ſhine as the Starres for ever and ever. The hand of the Diligent maketh rich: but the field of the man void of Vnderſtanding, is all grown over with Thorns. Ignorance of the Scriptures, is the mother of Error, Matth. 22.29. leaving a gappe open to all Lewdneſſe, Riot, and Exorbitancy.
Thinkeſt thou to have Eternall life in the Scriptures, and yet art not acquainted with them? The Promiſe is, Seek and you ſhall finde. And thou mayeſt ſeek Eternall life, and Jeſus Chriſt (the Authour and giver of Life) where he is to be found, he commands thee to ſearch the Scriptures, Ioh. 5.39.
To goe further yet; our Saviour intimates to us, that the Iews would never have troubled him ſo often with ſleight queſtions, if they had uſed to read the Scriptures as diligently as they ought. And when they poſed him, he uſually ſent them to read the Scriptures for their anſwer. So Luke 10.26. he returns one to learn his Duty, What is written in the Law? How readeſt thou? And ſo others of them, Mat. 12.3. Have ye not read what David did? And verſ. 5. Have ye not read in the Law? &c. So likewiſe Matth. 21.16.
So that the reading of the holy Scripture, is a Duty that our Saviour preſſed often. And his exhortation (before quoted) Iohn 5.39. is to all. Neither ſhould thy worldly imployments hinder thy performance of this Duty, for even the king (though he might plead the greateſt hinderances of any whatſoever, even the weighty affairs of his Kingdome) was not exempted from this daily task, the reading of the Word of God, Deut. 17.19.
Here is both Precept and Promiſe. Yea, this Practiſe hath a Bleſſing, Rev. 1.3. Bleſſed is he that readeth, &c.
7. And that thou mayſt not be diſcouraged, either through thy own incapacity, or its obſcurity; know, that this courſe of exerciſing in the Word of God, is bleſſed with happy ſucceſſe from the firſt medling with it, and that even to the weakeſt, Pſal. 119.130. The entrance of thy words giveth light: it giveth underſtanding to the ſimple. But if after all theſe Incitements, thou count thy ſelf unworthy of eternall life, and wilt not lay hold of it; I muſt alſo put thee in mind (ere I leave thee) that where theſe Bleſſings take no place, there the Curſe enters. When they that ſearch the Scriptures finde Eternall life, they that neglect them will finde Eternall death. When the Wiſe and Diligent enter into their Maſters Joy, the Slothfull and Fooliſh will be thruſt into Hell.
Conſider what the Scripture ſaith, and the Lord give thee Underſtanding in all things.