A25478:1074
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers
London: printed for Thomas Cockerill, 1676
Sermon 11: By what Scriptural Rules may Catechizing be be so managed, as that it may become most Ʋ…
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
8. In all your instructions most carefully avoid all tedious prolixity. Nothing more disgusts a Child's spirit, than long and tedious discourses. Make up the shortness of your discourse by frequency? a little now, and a little then, not all at once: Drop by drop, as you pour liquor into narrow-mouthed Bottles. As you do when you first begin to feed their Bodies with a Spoon, so must you do when you first begin to feed their Souls with instruction. Long Speeches burden their small memories too much; and through mens imprudence may unhappily occasion them to loath spiritual Manna. As Physicians therefore in their Diuretic Precepts prescribe to children little and often, so must we. Young Plants may quickly be even over-glutted with rich manuring, and rotted with too much watering. Weak eyes newly opened from sleep, at the first can hardly bear the glaze of a Candle. Line upon line therefore, and Precept upon Precept, here a little, and there a little. 1You must drive the little ones towards Heaven, as Jacob did his towards Canaan very gently. Fair and soft goes far.
8. In all your instructions most carefully avoid all tedious prolixity. Nothing more disgusts a Child's spirit, than long and tedious discourses. Make up the shortness of your discourse by frequency? a little now, and a little then, not all at once: Drop by drop, as you pour liquor into narrow-mouth'd Bottles. As you do when you first begin to feed their Bodies with a Spoon, so must you do when you first begin to feed their Souls with instruction. Long Speeches burthen their small memories too much; and through mens imprudence may unhappily occasion them to loath spiritual Manna. As Physitians therefore in their Diuretick Precepts prescribe to children little and often, so must we. Young Plants may quickly be even over-glutted with rich manuring, and rotted with too much watering. Weak eyes newly open'd from sleep, at the first can hardly bear the glaze of a Candle. Line upon line therefore, and Precept upon Precept, here a little, and there a little. 1You must drive the little ones towards Heaven, as Jacob did his towards Canaan very gently. Fair and soft goes far.