For if once the soul be truly sanctified, then, 1. Their salvation is much secured, and the main work of their lives is happily begun, and they are ready to die safely whenever God shall call them hence. 2. It will possess them with a right end, in all the studies and labours of their lives; which is an unspeakable advantage, both for their pleasing of God and profiting of themselves and others; without which they will but profane God's name and word, and turn the ministry into a worldly, fleshly life, and study and preach for riches, preferment, or applause, and live as he, Luke xii. 18, 19, "Soul, take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry;" and they will make theology the way to hell, and study and preach their own condemnation. 3. A holy heart will be always under the greatest motives; and therefore will be constantly and powerfully impelled (as well in secret as before others) to diligence in studies and all good endeavours. 4. And it will make all sweet and easy to them, as being a noble work, and relishing of God's love, and the endless glory to which it tendeth. A holy soul will all the year long be employed in sacred studies and works, as a good stomach at a feast, with constant pleasure. And then oh how happily will all go on! When a carnal person with a dull, unwilling, weary mind, taketh now and then a little, when his carnal interest itself doth prevail against his more slothful, sensual inclinations; but he never followeth it with hearty affections, and therefore seldom with good success. 4. And a holy soul will be a continual treasury and fountain of holy matter, to pour out to others, when they come to the sacred ministry; so that such a one can say more from the feeling and experience of his soul, than another can in a long time gather from his books. 5. And that which he saith will come warm to the hearers, in a more lively, experimental manner, than usual carnal preachers speak. 6. And it is liker to be attended by a greater blessing from God. 7. And there are many controversies in the church, which an experienced, holy person (_cæteris paribus_) hath great advantage in, above all others, to know the right, and be preserved from errors.
_Direct._ II. Let young men's time (till about eighteen, nineteen, or twenty) be spent in the improvement of their memories, rather than in studies that require much judgment. Therefore let them take that time to get organical knowledge; such as are the Latin and Greek tongues first and chiefly, and then the Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic; with the exactest acquaintance with the true precepts of logic: and let them learn some epitome of logic without book. In this time also let them be much conversant in history, both civil, scholastical, (of philosophers, orators, poets, &c.) and ecclesiastical. And then take in as much of the mathematics as their more necessary studies will allow them time for (still valuing knowledge according to the various degrees of usefulness).
_Direct._ III. When you come to seek after more abstruse and real wisdom, join together the study of physics and theology; and take not your physics as separated from or independent on theology, but as the study of God in his works, and of his works as leading to himself. Otherwise you will be but like a scrivener or printer, who maketh his letters well, but knoweth not what they signify.
_Direct._ IV. Unite all ὀντολογία, or knowledge of real entities, into one science; both spirits and bodies; God being taken in as the first and last, the original, director, and end of all: and study not the doctrine of bodies alone, as separated from spirits; for it is but an imaginary separation, and a delusion to men's minds. Or if you will call them by the name of several sciences, be sure you so link those severals together that the due dependence of bodies on spirits, and of the passive natures on the active, may still be kept discernible; and then they will be one while you call them divers.
_Direct._ V. When you study only to know what is true, you must begin at the _primum cognoscibile_, and so rise _in ordine cognoscendi_; but when you would come to see things in their proper order, by a more perfect, satisfying knowledge, you must draw up a synthetical scheme, _juxta ordinem essendi_, where God must be the first and last; the first efficient Governor and End of all.
_Direct._ VI. Your first study of philosophy therefore should be, of yourselves; to know a man. And the knowledge of man's soul is a part so necessary, so near, so useful, that it should take up both the first and largest room in all your physics, or knowledge of God's works: labour therefore to be accurate in this.
_Direct._ VII. With the knowledge of yourselves join the knowledge of the rest of the works of God; but according to the usefulness of each part to your moral duty; and as all are related to God and you.