A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

And thus we see generally what Christian Meditation is, and the causes of it; the which being a singular and effectual means of working in our hearts a great increase of all saving graces, and of strengthening us to the duties of a godly life, is not to be appropriated unto any one profession or sort of men (which were a dangerous Monopoly, tending to the inestimable prejudice of the Christian Common-wealth, when such a singular commodity as is profitable for all, is engrossed into the hands of some few) but is to be laid out in common to all the faithful, who are any way interested in grace or godliness. Neither ought any sort or sex to think that they are exempted from this exercise, unless they think themselves so strong in grace, that all means of spiritual growth are needless, or so weak and impotent, that they hold them boot less; seeing such exemption is no prerogative, but a disfranchisement, at least, in part of their spiritual freedom, and a loss of a singular privilege, which the Lord, in that great Charter of his Covenant made in Christ, hath granted unto them. For he hath not only allowed all the faithful to have the Book of his Law in their hands to read it, or in their mouths to talk of it, but with the finger of his Spirit hath written and engraven it in their ¹hearts, that they may continually think and meditate upon it: Yea, he hath not only left it unto us as a gracious liberty, which we may take and leave at our pleasure, but hath strictly imposed it upon all his people as a necessary duty. These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine ²