Manuductio ad ministerium. Directions for a candidate of the ministry

To this Purpose, My Advice to you is, That it be your Practice, to Read the Sacred Scriptures in the Porismatic Way; Or, with a Labour to observe and educe, the Doctrines of Godliness, which this inexhaustible Store-House of Truth, will yield unto them that are seeking after it. Make a Pause upon every Verse, and see what Lessons of Piety are to be learnt from every Clause. Turn the Lessons into Prayers, and send up the Prayers unto the GOD, who is now Teaching of you: As Arrows from the Hand of a mighty Man, send them up with Lively Ejaculations unto the Heavens. What Exercise can be more Enlightening, more Sanctifying, more Comfortable, than such an Intercourse, of GOD uttering His Voice, and, Lo, a mighty Voice! — unto you, and your Holy Returning of it, unto Him, in such Echo's of Devotion! I will ⟨p. 81⟩say this for your Encouragement. In your Searching of the Scriptures, you will forever have something that is New to entertain you. They are a Treasury, which (beyond that at Venice) you cannot reach to the Bottom of. Austin in his Epistle to V•lusius has not said a Thousandth Part of what may be said, about fetching still every Day fresh Entertainments and Advantages from them, after one has already Spent an Age in the Study of them. The Jews have Reason on their Side, when they say of the Scripture, Versa eam, et Versa eam, nam onmia sunt in ea.

I will Refine yet a little further upon this Proposal; And, I will show you an Excellent Way, how in Reading of the Sacred Scriptures, you may make an Admirable and Effectual Application of the Leaves, which are for the Healing of the Nations; and have the inestimable Blessings of, An Healed S•ul, conveyed unto you What I intend is my Spener's Direction: Praemissis Plis Precibus, Affectum Scriptorum Sacrorum Devota Attention observent, eumque Affectum assumere studeant. The Holy Men of GOD who wrote this astonishing BOOK, were moved by His Holy Spirit, in it, and for it; and the Spirit of Holiness at the Time of the Inspiration made suitable Impressions on the Affections of His Faithful Servants. When the Holy SPIRIT with His Afflations, disposed them to write what we have in our Hands, He doubtless produced in their Hearts, those Motions of PIETY, which were agreeable and answerable to the Matter then flowing from their Pens: They are very Legible, and an ordinary Capacity may discover them These Motions of PIETY, in the Soul; — By these Things