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26. (7.) Above all, therefore, choose like real Christians, and take God and heaven for your hope, your all.

If you do not so, you are not real Christians, nor stand to your baptismal covenant; and if you be here fixed, by the grace of God, and by your sober consideration and belief, you will then know what to choose and what to do. You will be taught to refer all worldly things to spiritual and heavenly ends and uses, to count all things as loss and dung for Christ, and "to choose the one thing needful, which shall never be taken from you," even that which will guide you in just and safe ways, saving you from the greatest evil, and giving your minds continual peace, even that which passeth understanding, and which will be best at last when sinners are forsaken.

27. (8.) My next counsel, therefore, is for the order of your studies; begin with your catechism and practical divinity, to settle your own souls in a safe condition for life or death. Deal not so foolishly as to waste many years in inferior arts and sciences, before you have studied how to please God and to be saved. I unfeignedly thank God, that, by sickness and his grace, he called me early to learn how to die, and therefore to learn what I must be and how to live, and that he thereby drew me to study the sacred Scriptures, and abundance of practical, spiritual books in English, till I had somewhat settled the resolution and the peace of my own soul, before I had gone far in human learning. I then found more leisure and capacity to take in subservient knowledge in its proper time and place. And, indeed, I had lost most of my studies of philosophy and of difficult controversies in theology, if I had fallen on them too young, before I came to due capacity; and so I should have been prepossessed with crude or unsound notions, for they would have kept out that which required a riper judgment to receive it. Such books as I before commended to the apprentices, contain the essentials of religion, plainly, affectionately, and practically delivered, in a manner tending to deep impression, renovation of the soul and spiritual experience, without which you will be but "like sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." The art of theology without the POWER, (which consists in a holy life, and light and love,) is the art of forming a hypocrite.

Yet before you come to lay exact systems of theology in

due method in your minds, much help of subservient arts and sciences is necessary. However, a council of ancient bishops once forbad the reading of Gentile books.

28. (9.) I next advise you, thoroughly to study the evidences and nature of the Christian faith, but not to hasten too soon and over-confidently on hard controversies, as if your judgment of them at maturity must have no change; but still suppose, that greater light, by longer study, may cause in you much different thoughts of such difficulties.

29. (10.) And lastly, I advise you, that you begin not the exercise of your ministry too boldly, before public, great, or judicious auditories. Overmuch confidence signifieth pride and ignorance of your imperfection, of the greatness of the work, and of the dreadfulness of the Most Holy Majesty. But (if you can) at first settle a competent time in the house with some ancient experienced pastor, who hath some small country chapel, and who needs your help. And,

(1.) There you may learn as well as teach, and learn by his practice that which you must practise; which, in a great house as a chaplain, you will hardly do, but must in that case cast yourself into a far different mould.

(11.) By preaching some years to a small, ignorant people where you fear not critical judgments, you will get boldness of speech, and freedom of utterance, without that servile study of words, and without learning your written notes without book, which will be tiresome, time-wasting, and lifeless. When freedom and use have brought you to a habit of ready speaking about great and necessary things, and when acquaintance with ignorant country people has taught you to understand their case, you will have a better preparation for more public places, (when you are clearly called to them,) than you were ever likely to get either in universities, among scholars, or in great men's houses.

Compassion to the church that is plagued with bad ministers, and that undergoes exceedingly great loss by weak ministers, and the sense of the grand importance of the qualifications of pastors in reference to the happiness or misery of souls and kingdoms, have drawn me to say more than I first intended to young students who have determined to enter into the ministry. With the other two sorts, therefore, I shall be very brief.

Yet I add one earnest warning to you, and to all young

men,-know that one of the most common and pernicious maladies of mankind, is, AN UNHUMBLED UNDERSTANDING, rashly confident of its own apprehensions, through false and hasty judging and prefidence,-the brat of ignorance and pride. Of a multitude of persons differing, how few are not obstinately confident that they are in the right!-even lads that are past twenty years of age! O dread this vice, and suspect your understanding. Be humble; take time, and try, and hear, before you judge. Labour for knowledge; but take not upon you to be sure where you are not, but doubt and continue to try till you are sure.

CHAP. X.

Counsel to young Students in Physic.

SUPPOSING What is said to others equally to concern you, I briefly add,

1. Make not the getting of money, and your own worldly prosperity, so much your end, as the doing good in the world, by the preservation of men's health and lives, and the pleasing of God thereby. Selfish, low ends shew a selfish mind, that liveth not to God or for the public good.

2. Undertake not the practice of physic without all these qualifications.

(1.) A special sagacity, or a naturally searching and conjecturing judgment. For almost all your work lieth in the dark, and is chiefly managed by conjecture.

(2.) Much reading, especially of such of your predecessors as have been great observers, that you may know what hath been the experience of all ages and of those eminent men who lived before you.

(3.) The experience of other men's practice. If possible, therefore, stay some time first in the house with some eminent practitioner, whose practice you may see, whose counsel you may hear, and from whose experience you may derive instruction.

3. Begin with plain and easy cases, and meddle only with the safe and harmless remedies. Think not yourselves physicians indeed, till you have yourselves got considerable

experience: there is no satisfactory trusting to other men's experience alone.

4. In cases too hard for you, send your patients to abler physicians, and prefer not your own reputation or gain before their lives.

5. Study simples thoroughly, especially the most powerful; and affect not such compositions, as, by the mixture of the less powerful, do frustrate the ingredients which would else be more effectual.

6. Forget not the poverty of many patients, who have not money to pay large and chargeable bills to an apothecary, nor to give large fees to a physician. Multitudes neglect physic and venture without it, because physicians require so much, and are so much for the gain of their apothecaries that they have it not to pay.

7. Take heed of self-conceitedness, rash confidence, and too hasty judging. Most of your work is hard; many things, about which you do not think, may occasion your mistake. Causes and diseases have marvellous diversities. Most that are quick judges, and suddenly confident that all their first apprehensions are true, do prove but proud, self-ignorant fools, and kill more by ignorance and temerity, than highway robbers or designing murderers do. Though the grave may hide your mistakes, they are known to God.

8. Give not too much physic; nor give it too often ōr without need; neither venture on things dangerous. Man's life is precious; and nature is the chief physician, which art must but help. The body is tender and easily distempered; therefore, rather do too little than too much. Frequent tampering usually kills at last; as he that daily washeth a glass, at last breaketh it; and as seamen are bold, because they have often escaped; (but many, if not most, are drowned at last;) and as soldiers that have often escaped are bold to venture, but are killed at last :-It is usually so with them. that often take physic, except from a very cautious and skilful man. Therefore, were I a woman, I would not marry a physician, lest his nearness of relation to me and his kindness should cause him to be often tampering with me, till a mistake should kill me. All your neighbours may mistake your disease without your hurt, but the mistake of your physician may be present death to you.

9. Direct men first as faithful friends, to the things which may prevent the need of physic, such as,

(1.) A temperate and wholesome diet, avoiding fulness and hurtful things.

(2.) Sufficient labour to suscitate natural heat, keep pure the humours, and expel excrements; teaching them likewise to avoid idleness.

(3.) To keep warm, and avoid occasions of cold, especially cold drink, cold places, and cold clothing, either when persons are hot, or when nature needeth help in winter. (4.) Content and quietness of mind, and cheerful con

versation.

(5.) Direct them to such familiar remedies at home, in their drinks and diet, as are suitable to their distempers, and for their preservation, and to such as are safe and harmless. Put them not to a needless dependance on your frequent help; neither play upon the fears of weak women in making them miserable by administering needless medicines, and thus making them like tenants to you, to pay you a constant rent for keeping them quiet.

10. Give them that need it, good counsel for their souls; and flatter them not with false hopes of life, when it tendeth to hinder their preparations for death. They and you are hasting to such a great change as requireth great and careful forethoughts. It is sad for them to go out of the world, and not at all to know whither they are going, or what will be their next habitation; but much more dreadful is it, to be in a state of certain misery in this life, and liable to all the untried and indescribable wrath of God in the world of spirits. Those who will not send for a divine, will frequently hear a physician; and to warn poor sinners of their danger, exhorting them to flee from the wrath to come,-is not a work unbeseeming your profession, but such as Christian faith and charity bespeak.

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