12. Get an ardent love to the Word; Prizing relates to the judgment; Love to the affections. Psal. 119.159. Consider how I love thy (s)precepts. He is likely to grow rich who delights in his Trade; he who is [Greek or Hebrew] will be [Greek or Hebrew]; a Lover of Learning will be a Scholar. St. Austin tells us, before his Conversion he took no pleasure in the Scriptures, but afterwards they were his chaste (t)delights. David tasted the Word sweeter than the Honey which drops from the Comb,(u) Psal. 19.10. Thomas a Kempis used to say, He found no content but to be in angulo cum libello, in a Corner with the Book of God in his hand. Did Alphonsus King of Sicily recover of a fit of Sickness with that great pleasure he took in reading of Quintus Curtius? What infinite pleasure should we take in reading the Book of Life? There is enough in the Word to breed holy complacency and delight; it is a specimen and demonstration of God's Love to us. The Spirit is God's Love-Token, the Word his Love-Letter; How doth one delight to read over his Friend's Letter? The Word written is a Divine Treasury, or(x) Store-house; in it are scattered Truths as Pearls, to adorn the hidden man of the heart. The Word written is the true Manna which hath all sorts of sweet taste in(z) it; it is a sovereign Elixir, it gives wine to them of an heavy heart. I have read of an ancient Rabbi, who in a great concourse of people made Proclamation of a sovereign Cordial he had to sell; many resorting to him, and asking him to show it, he opened the Bible, and directed them to several places of Comfort in it. Holy David drank of this Cordial, Psal. 119.50. This is my comfort in my affliction, thy Word hath quickened me, [Greek or Hebrew], &c. [Greek or Hebrew]— St. Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a(a) Garden; every line in it is a fragrant Flower, which we should wear, not in our bosom, but our heart. Delight in the Word causeth profit: and we must not ⟨p. 168⟩only love the comforts of the Word, but the reproofs. Myrrh is bitter to the Palate, but good for the Stomach.
12. Get an ardent love to the Word; Prizing relates to the judgment; Love to the affections. Psal. 119.159. Consider how I love thy (s)precepts. He is likely to grow rich who delights in his Trade; he who is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 will be 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; a Lover of Learning will be a Scholar. St. Austin tells us, before his Conversion he took no pleasure in the Scriptures, but afterwards they were his chaste (t)delights. David tasted the Word sweeter than the Honey which drops from the Comb,(u) Psal. 19.10. Thomas a Kempis used to say, He found no content but to be in angulo cum libello, in a Corner with the Book of God in his hand. Did Alphonsus King of Sicily recover of a fit of Sickness with that great pleasure he took in reading of Quintus Curtius? What infinite pleasure should we take in reading the Book of Life? There is enough in the Word to breed holy complacency and delight; it is a specimen and demonstration of God's Love to us. The Spirit is God's Love-Token, the Word his Love-Letter; How doth one delight to read over his Friend's Letter? The Word written is a Divine Treasury, or(x) Store-house; in it are scattered Truths as Pearls, to adorn the hidden man of the heart. The Word written is the true Manna which hath all sorts of sweet taste in(z) it; it is a soveraign Elixir, it gives wine to them of an heavy heart. I have read of an ancient Rabbi, who in a great concourse of people made Proclamation of a soveraign Cordial he had to sell; many resorting to him, and asking him to shew it, he opened the Bible, and directed them to several places of Comfort in it. Holy David drank of this Cordial, Psal. 119.50. This is my comfort in my affliction, thy Word hath quickned me, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, &c. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉— St. Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a
- (s)Rom. 7.22•
- (t)Sint castae delitiae m•ae scripturae. Aug.
- (u)Quod sp•nte ex favo stillat, mellis medulla vocatur; plus autem melleae dulcedinis ab uberibus Scripturae sugitur.
- (x)Pietatis gaz•• hylacium. Quistorp.
- (z)Manna cujuslibet Saporis.
- (a)[Greek or Hebrew], &c. Chrys. Hom. in Psal. 44.〈non-Latin alphabet〉, &c. Chrys. Hom. in Psal. 44.
