6. By daily meditation on heavenly things. 7. By acts of love and charity.

"Lord increase our faith!"

HOPE is that part of a living faith, by which we expect things to come, according to the promifes of God. It lies between the two extremes of prefumption and defpair. It is a reasonable virtue, not an enthufiaftic or groundless perfuafion of the mind, like prefumption and defpair. It has the fame effect in the Chrif tian as in the husbandman, who ploweth and foweth in expectation of the harveft; and fpares neither labour nor expence. So the Chriftian is never weary of well doing; knowing that we fhall reap if we faint not. It bears fufferings with chearfulness, as knowing that all the fufferings of this prefent time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that fhall be revealed in us. It is the staff of life, to fupport the fteps of those who would otherwife faint in their journey through this wilderness: it prefents daily to the mind the promises and bleffings of Canaan.

CHARITY, is the love of God for himself, and the love of man for the love of God; which is beft fhewn by helping him forward in the way of his falvation, No man loves God who does not love his neighbour; nor can any love his neighbour truly who does not first love God. Charity gives perfection to the will, as faith does to the understanding. Faith begets charity, and charity increases faith; which without charity will go out, as a lamp that has no oil. By fin faith is darkened, and by degrees totally extinguished. Faith increafed renders charity vigorous: faith is the root; the works of charity are the branches bearing fruit; and the branches can bear no fruit, but fo far only as the root fupplies them with fap. Without this, they dry up and are withered.

Without these, man is all fin, or has nothing toward falvation,

DIRECTIONS

FOR

EXTRACTING AND APPLYING PROFITABLY THE

MATTER OF A TEXT;

WITH AN EXAMPLE.

THE Scripture itself teaches us how this is to be done :

Rom. xv. 4. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime "were written for our learning, that we through patience and "comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

1 Cor. x. II. "These things happened unto them for en"famples, and they are written for our admonition."

2 Tim. iii. 16. "All Scripture is given by infpiration of God, " and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for "inftruction in righteousness:

"That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished "unto all good works."

Hence we learn for what purposes the Scriptures are intended; and confequently, that they are to be used for "doctrine," or teaching; for "reproof; for "correction;" for "inftruction in righteousness; for "comfort," and "admonition."

I. Пpos didaonaλiav, for DOCTRINE. The words teach, that we should always be ready to publish the truth of the Gospel. 2. Even though we should lofe all by fo doing. 3. Chrift and his truth are above all that is in the world, even life itself. 4. That there is eternal punishment for those who are tempted to deny him. 5. That we need not fear, becaufe God always hath us under his care, fo that none can hurt us till he permits. 6. This we may be fure of, becaufe even the leaft things, the smallest of creatures, feemingly infignificant, have his regard; much more

we.

II. Пpos ελεvxov, for REPROOF; i. e. confutation on conviction. 1. Of those who think it fufficient to believe with the heart, but palliate and diffemble with men, as times and interests serveas in perfecution" with the mouth confeffion is made unto falvation." 2. For the confutation of Epicureans, who remove God from the government of the world. 3. Of Stoics, who govern the world by fate. 4. Against those who believe chance and fortune. 5. Those who hold only a general providence, not defcending to minute particulars: 6. Thofe who truft more to worldly helps, than to the power of God, which made and preferves even the hairs of our heads. 7. Those who cruelly or inconfiderately destroy those creatures, which it is the care of God to preserve.

III. Пpos wandelv-ad vitæ morumque inftitutionem.-1. To have the true fear of God before our eyes: to meditate conftantly on the torments prepared for thofe who deny Chrift; that we may amend our finful lives. 2. That we may learn to defpife worldly greatness, left we lose our fouls for the prefervation of it-therefore to leave all for him and his glorious kingdom. 3. To think of the presence of God ready at hand to help-to implore his affiftance, and be firmly perfuaded our actions are governed and guided by him—that there is no danger from which he cannot fecure or deliver us.

IV. Προς επανορθωσιν, CORRECTION. 1. Of the negligence of those who seek not by earneft prayer for that pure love of God which will enable them to part with life itself; and for that better fort of fear which is proper to children toward their parent-this to be done more especially in times of danger—that they may endure unto the end and be faved. 2. Of the blindness of fuch as do not fee the care of God's providence in the government of the world. 3. Of the ingratitude of those who do not constantly acknowledge it with thankfulness. 4. Of those who abuse any of the creatures of God. Thus we are corrected in our mistakes, and fpurred on to attention and diligence,

V. Пpos Пαрaxλnow-for COMFORT. Is it not a great confolation under trials and afflictions, that God is not unmindful of us; that we and all our concerns are in the hands of him, who

careth for us; and fo careth, that not an hair falls to the ground without him?

Let it be obferved that all things in the Scriptures are to be brought home to the present state of the church, kingdom, town, parish, univerfity, college, family, and to the heart of each individual. The Scripture has fomething for every person, condi tion, fituation, that ever was or ever shall be.

Those of parts and capacity, who defire to learn, find doctrines of heavenly philofophy-those who have erred in faith or practice, find sharp reproof-the fimple and the humble, who afpire to no great heights, but are follicitous to live righteoufly, find inftruction, waideiav-those who know the truth but are dull and heavy, find exhortations and reproofs-those who are in forrow and afflic tion, find confolation-hiftories of that which is paft fhew what is to be expected, and fo ferve apos valeriav, for warning and admonition of dangers and deliverances. Sec 1 Cor. x. 11.

Doctrine promotes knowledge; reproof reclaims the wanderer, inftruction fets forward in the path of life; correction calls finners to repentance; confolation raifes the weak and afflicted to hope and gladness. Here is every thing that can be wanted to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work.

Lord teach our ignorance, reprove our errors, inftruct us unto righteousness, quicken our floth, comfort our forrows-thou art good and gracious; O teach us thy ftatutes.

ENTHUSIASM.

1. What it is.

ENTHUSIASM is the vice of a mind falfely fuppofing itself under the immediate infpiration of God. It is above the use of ordinances; and has a near alliance with Schifm, in which it commonly ends. It is the peculiar engine of the devil, by which he does most harm. His kingdom is best advanced, when he can pafs his delufions for the dictates of the Holy Ghost. He has many ways of tempting men to fin: but if any pleases him moft, it is when he is taken for the fpirit of God; as of old in the Heathen oracles.

2. The ufual Causes of it.

Enthufiafm is bred in thefe days from ignorance of the Scripture, and of Chriftian antiquity. The regular way to true piety is by knowledge, by the purifying of the heart by faith (A&s xv. 9.) and hearing the word of truth rightly divided. There is no real enthusiasm till we are taken off from the word, and have assumed fome other principle of knowledge. Labour therefore in that, and never attempt to fet up without it. They who know not the marks of the true fpirit, and would yet be doing great things in an extraordinary character, are in danger from the evil spirit; who takes advantage of that zeal which is without knowledge, and turns it to his own purpofes. Not understanding rightly the means of grace, or thinking them below their attention, they claim the grace of God without the means; which being contrary to his will, who has appointed both an inward and an outward religion, accommodated to the foul and body of man, it is not ftrange if they get fomething else instead of it. Negligence in Tome of the clergy of the church, and the want of discipline,