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per remedy against every disease at hand *, Prov. xxv. 11. As every good man, so every good book is not fit to be the afflicted man's companion, but this is. Here he may see his face, his head, his hand, his heart, his way, his works. Here he may see all his diseases discovered, and proper remedies proposed and applied. Here he may find arguments to silence him, and means to quiet him, when it is at the worst with him. In every storm, here he may find a tree to shelter him; and in every danger, here he may find a city of refuge to secure him; and in every difficulty, here he may have a light to guide him; and in every peril, here he may find a buckler to defend him; and in every distress, here he may find a cordial to strengthen him; and in every trouble here he may find a staff to support him.

7. To satisfy some bosom-friends, some faithful friends. Man is made to be a friend, and apt for friendly offices. He that is not friendly, is not worthy to have a friend; and he that hath a friend, and doth not shew himself friendly, is not worthy to be accounted. a man. Friendship is a kind of life, without which there is no comfort of a man's life. Christian friendship ties such a knot, 1 Sam. xxii. 1, 2, 3. that great Alexander cannot Summer-friends I value not, but winter-friends are worth their weight in gold; and who can deny such any thing, especially

cut.

* That remedy is no remedy, that is not proper to the disease.

in these days, wherein real, faithful, constant friends are so rare to be found *? The friendship of most men in these days, is like Jonah's gourd; now very promising and flourishing, and anon fading and withering. It is like some plants in the water, which have broad leaves on the surface of the water, but scarce any root at all; their friendship is like lemons cold within, hot without; their expressions are high, but their affections are low, they speak much, but do little: as drums and trumpets, and ensigns in a battle, make a great noise, and a fine shew, but act nothing; so these counterfeit friends will compliment highly, bow handsomely, speak plausibly, and promise lustily, and yet have neither a hand nor heart to act any thing cordially or faithfully. From such friends it is a mercy to be delivered: and therefore King Antigonus was wont to pray to God, that he would protect him from his friends; and when one of his counsel asked him why he prayed so, he returned this answer, "Every man will shun and defend himself against his professed enemies: but from our professed, or pretended friends, of whom few are faithful, none can safeguard himself, but hath need of protection from heaven." But for all this, there are some that are real friends, faithful friends, active friends, winter friends, bosomfriends, fast friends; and for their sakes (especially those among them that have been

* Oh my friends! I have never a friend, said Socrates, A friend is a very mutable creature, said Plato,

long, very long, under the smarting rod, and in the fiery furnace, and that have been often poured from vessel to vessel) have I once more appeared in print to the world.

8. and Lastly, There hath not any authors or author come to my hand, that hath handled this subject as I have done, and therefore I do not know but it may be the more grateful and acceptable to the world; and if by this essay others that are more able shall be provoked to do more worthily upon this subject, I shall therefore rejoice, 1 Thess. i. 7, 8. 2 Cor. viii. 10. and ix. i. 2. I shall only add, that though much of the following matter was preached upon the Lord's visitation of my dear yoke-fellow, myself, and some other friends; yet there are many things of special concernment in the following tract, that yet I have not upon any accounts communicated to the world. And thus I have given you a true and faithful account of the reasons that have prevailed with me to publish this treatise to the world, and to dedicate it to your selves.

The second thing promised, was the giv ing of you a little good counsel, that you may so read the following discourse, as that it may turn much to your souls advantage, Luke

. 5. Many read good books, and yet get nothing, because they read them over cursorily, slightly, superficially; but he that would read to profit, must then,

1. Read, and look up for a blessing, 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7. Paul may plant, and Apollos may

water; but all will be to no purpose, except the Lord give the increase. God must do the deed, when all is done, or else all that is done, will do you no good. If you would have this work successful and effectual, you must look off from man, and look up to God, who alone can make it a blessing to you. As, without a blessing from heaven, thy clothes cannot warm thee, nor thy food nourish thee, nor physic cure thee, nor friends comfort thee; so without a blessing from heaven, without the precious breathings and influences of the Spirit, what here is done, will do you no good, it will not turn to your account in the day of Christ; and therefore cast an eye heaven-wards. It is Seneca's observation, that the husbandmen in Egypt never look up to heaven for rain, in the time of drought; but look after the overflowing of the banks of the Nile, as the only cause of their plenty. Ah! how many are there in these days, who, when they go to read a book, never look up, never look after the rain of God's blessing, but only look to the river Nile! they only look to the wit, the learning, the arts, the parts, the eloquence, &c. of the author; they never look so high as heaven; and hence it comes to pass, that though these read much, yet they profit little.

2. He that would read to profit, must read and meditate. Meditation is the food of your souls; it is the very stomach and natural heat whereby spiritual truths are digested. A man shall as soon live without his heart, as he

shall be able to get good by what he reads, without meditation. Prayer (saith Augustine) without meditation is dry and formal; and reading without meditation is useless and unprofitable. He that would be a wise, a prudent, and an able experienced statesman, must not hastily ramble and run over many cities, countries, customs, laws, and manners of people, without serious musing and pondering upon such things as may make him an expert statesman: so he that would get good by reading, that would complete his knowledge, and perfect his experience in spiritual things, must not slightly and hastily ramble and run over this book or that, but ponder upon what he reads; as Mary pondered the saying of the angel in her heart. Lord, (saith Augustine,) the more I meditate on thee, the sweeter thou art to me; so the more you shall meditate on the following matter, the sweeter it will be to you. They usually thrive best, who meditate most. Meditation is a soul-fattening duty, it is a grace-strengthening duty, it is a duty-crowning duty. Gerson calls meditation the nurse of prayer; Hierom calls it his paradise; Basil calls it the treasury where all the graces are locked up; Theophylact calls it the very gate and portal by which we enter into glory and Aristotle, though a Heathen, placeth felicity in the contemplation of the mind. You may read much, and hear much; yet without meditation you will never be excellent, you will never be eminent Christians;

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