Manuductio ad ministerium. Directions for a candidate of the ministry

In fine; The Six Volumes of, The Morning Exercises, will give you such a Variety, both of Matters and of Talents, that I could wish you may not be without them.

In fine; The Six Volumns of, The Morning Exercises, will give you such a Variety, both of Matters and of Talents, that I could wish you may not be without them.

I may not omit giving you the best Encouragement I can, to allow unto a Box of North-British Authors, a standing in your Library, and often resort unto it. The Jews have a Fancy, that when our Almighty Creator, bespangled the Heavens with the Stars of Light, He left a space near the Northern Pole, unfinished and unfurnished, that if any After-God should lay claim to Deity, a Challenge to fill up that space might Eternally confute it. But in the Firmament of the Church, that Northern Part which belongs to Scotland, has been illuminated with Stars, even enough to make a Galaxy. And tho' the assiduous Employments of the Parish and the Pulpit, which are enough to take up all the Time of their Pastors, have prevented, [which, 'tis a Pity!] the appearing of so many Writers, among them, as might otherwise have ⟨p. 102⟩dispensed their sweet Influences to us; yet their Pens have not been Idle. Of these we have several Commentators on the Sacred Scriptures: [Among which, a Durham, — especially on the Commandments! And a Weemse long before him has given us a rich Amassment of Biblical Treasures, well worth your having.] We have several who have enriched us with Bodies of Theology; [Among which, a Scharpius.] We have several Champions for the Doctrines of Grace; [Among which, a Rutherford.] We have several Historians; [Among which, I will not say, a Spotswood, so much as a Calderwood: and very lately, a Woodrow.] We have several Defenders of the Gospel-Worship, and the Gospel Church-State; [Among which, a Gelaspy, a Lauder, a Willison, and a Jameson. The Eagle-Eyed and Miraculous Man last mentioned, has also obliged us, with, Spicilegia Antiquitatum, which are invaluable, and preferable to a Whole Vintage of many other Literators.] We have several Practical Tractators; [Among which, a Guthry, and a Clark, and that Wondrous Youth, whose Green Years could not withhold from him the Wisdom and Esteem, as he wore the Name, of, Grey!] It had been some Injustice as well as Ingratitude in me, to have left these unmentioned. And if a Burnet might not have been thought a little too much Anglified for it, he should also have had a mention among the Illustrious Pens of Scotland.