Words of advice to young men delivered in two sermons at two conventions of…

1. Labour to get this Word of God.

1. Get the Word of God into your minds, so as to understand it, so as to believe it. And that you may do so, I would advise you to take a right method herein, that you would begin with the Principles of Religion. One that would have a good understanding in the Tongues, must first learn the Grammar: One that would attain knowledge in the Art and Sciences, must begin first with the Principles, the Rudiments and Elements of them: And so one that would attain a good understanding in the Word of God, must begin with the Principles of Religion, which are collected together in the most easy way to understand in Catechisms, where you have the great fundamental truths of Religion, which are necessary to be known, believed and practised in order unto salvation, set down by way of question and answer. And because some Catechisms are very deficient in giving clear light, and some are very full: I shall above all commend to you the Catechism of the Assembly of Divines, where all the heads of Religion are proved out of the Scripture, which is the fountain ⟨p. 58⟩and foundation of all: and I would have you first to learn the shorter Catechism exactly, with the proofs; then proceed to the larger Catechism and confession of faith; and as you go along, labour to understand the meaning of every thing you learn; and not only to get a notional understanding, but also a spiritual discerning, and to mingle these great truths with faith, to receive and believe what you find proved by the Scripture to be the Word of God, and therefore most firmly to assent to them. For this end you must look up to the Lord, and make your prayer to him, that he would give you his Spirit to teach and lead you into all truth. Besides learning Catechisms, you must keep a constant course of reading some portion of Scripture every day, and labour to carry about with you something of the Word in your minds, which you may entertain your thoughts withal, when you get them off from other business.