FORD ESCORT 1996 Starting problems?

I have a 1996 ford escort, I just got it and I went for a long drive the other night and had been driving on "E" for a couple miles, after my drive the next day I gased her up and went to my college courses, now when I start it up it shakes and sputters and has a hard time staying idle and dies down. I can still drive but when I accelerate it sounds like a baseball card in a bycicle spook but for a car. I just got a new battery, I was told it could be a fuel filter. any ideas?