his grace and goodness abode still in the estate of innocency and blessedness they are created spirits limited in essence compounded of subject and accident act and possibility immortal by participation mutable by creation but established by grace in their first state As spirits they are invisible immaterial incorruptible intelligent as chief instruments of Gods providence they are furnished with great power incredible swiftness singular wisdome burning zeal and undoubted faithfulness as blessed Ministers that ever attend his Throne they are indued with clear knowledge of God inestimable love exceeding joy and admirable glory Their life is spiritual their state blessed and permanent for they stand ever in the presence of God behold his glory and rest in him with full delight Their End and office in respect of God is to praise his Name and execute his Commandement in respect of Christ to minister and attend upon him in regard of men to rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner to guard and protect the faithful against the dangers of this life and the assaults of Satan to curb bridle and destroy their enemies and to gather the elect together at the day of judgement Quest How are these things to bee pressed and urged and applied unto the heart Answ 1 Wee must stir up our selves to admire the power goodness and glory of God in himself his tender care over us rouze up our souls to the obedience of Gods will and respect of his children and take courage to rely upon God in the midst of dangers that compass us about who would not fear thee O Lord our God glorious in Majesty dreadful in Holiness wonderful in Power Thine holy Angels excel in strength are cloathed with glory that man cannot behold but all their might and goodness is derived from thee a drop of thy Ocean a beam of thy Sun if the glory of the creature bee so great the glory of the Creator must infinitely surpass all comprehension Oh how blockish am I that in the view and contemplation of the work have not enlarged my heart to laud and magnifie the work-man Arise my soul and gird thy self to the chearful sincere faithful obedience to Gods Commandement To do the will of God is Angelical preferment a divine and heavenly exercise the greatest freedome and perfection Make haste delay not to exercise his good pleasure Loe the Angels in Heaven are thy samplers whom thou oughtest to follow Let not that seem irksome to thee that is delightsome to them esteem it not a burden which is to them an heavenly solace and refreshing Ah wretched man why should I grudge to yield obedience to my heavenly Father or do his will negligently by the halves when those Noble spirits and heavenly souldiers do alwaies stand in readiness to receive his commands and execute their commission Doth the world despise the poor Saints of God for their outward baseness yet I will honour them as the onely excellent for God is their Father the Angels their Attendants Wee cap and bow to them that are nobly attended gorgeously arrayed honourably served but herein the Saints excel if the thing bee well considered They are esteemed the scum of the world but respected of God in such manner that hee hath given his Angels charge over them the guard that attends upon his Throne is assigned to watch over them Walk on couragiously O my soul walk on couragiously in the waies of piety Fear not the assaults of Satan the fury of any adverse power that shall oppose it self for more are with thee than can be against thee If Satan with his bands endeavour thy destruction The troops of heavenly Angels do watch for thy defence yea the Lord himself is thy keeper and stands at thy right hand to save thee from all them that rise up against thee How great is the clemency and tender care of the Lord over his poor people what tongue can express what heart comprehend his infinite goodness hee sends from on high his mighty souldiers to encamp about us watch over us preserve and save us from them that lye in wait to vex and annoy Oh my Father what can I render unto thee for this thy great kindness and unspeakable mercy I have nothing to give but my heart which here I offer unto thee and because I am weak exposed to the temptations of Satan and allurements of this wicked world I pray thee give mee thy grace confirm and strengthen mee that I may imitate those pure spirits every day more and more that I may praise thy Name execute thy Commandements love thy Children rejoyce in the conversion of them that go astray and fight thy battels against sin and Satan Quest Let man bee the third example how must wee proceed to meditate on that Subject Answ For the better information of our judgement wee must consider these particulars the Author the Matter Form End Properties and Effects what are like and what opposite Man is inferiour to the Angels but of earthly creatures most excellent The Author of this principal work is God himself Father Son and Holy Ghost and that in special manner for other creatures were made by a simple command man not without a divine consultation Gen. 1.26 others at once man hee did first form then inspire others in several shapes like to none other but themselves man after his own Image others with qualities fit for service man for Dominion Hee was made the last of the creatures and brought as the Lords Vicegerent into this world as into a parlour ready trimmed and prepared for so worthy a guest Man consisteth of two parts Matter and Form Heaven and Earth a humane body and divine soul and well may be called a little abridgement map or table of the whole world In his soul is the nature of Angels though not so active and extensive In his body are the Elements Meteors Minerals as may appear both by vapours fumes and spirits Hee lives the life of plants hee hath the senses of beasts and above all the addition of reason His body was framed of the dust of the ground in more exquisite manner than any other furnished with most excellent instruments absolutely composed both for beauty and duty in all the works of holiness and righteousness For variety of parts sweetly knit together and orderly disposed it was wonderful for temperature exact for form erect and streight In the whole beautiful glorious strong subject to no annoyance most artificially fashioned that it might bee the neat stately Palace of a Divine Noble reasonable soul In every part beauty strength convenience meet together The distinct consideration of every member with its temper proportion placing figure and use might well astonish The soul of man was immediately created of nothing and being indued with most excellent faculties and gifts natural and supernatural was infused into the body and inseparably knit had not sin made an unnatural divorce to give life motion and sense unto it
Scripture this work is ascribed to the Father * Act. 2.24 who is said to raise his Son and to the Son a Rom. 1.4 Joh. 10.18 who by his Divine power or as the Apostle speaketh by the eternal Spirit raised up himself I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it Of his infinite love towards his Elect hee laid down his life and of the same love and affection toward them hee rose again which is more evidently seen in this that hee did vouchsafe to call them brethren with which sweet name full of love hee had not before saluted any man As hee suffered the most grievous torment for the salvation of the Elect his chosen people so for the glorification of his Spouse that is the Church hee rose again that hee might inrich and beautifie her with spoils taken from the enemy The Causes lead us to consider of the End why Christ rose again for every proper efficient intendeth an end which is ever good and that most excellent as the worker is of greatest wisdome and excellency Now therefore since Christ rose in special love to his peculiar people it must needs tend to their special exceeding great good By his Resurrection the glory of Christ which hee had with the Father before the foundation of the world was manifested which the world would not acknowledge by his Sermons nor by miracles confirming his Doctrine By his Resurrection he obtained those glorious Titles with which the Prophets foretold that the Messias should bee adorned such as bee Act. 3.15 1 Cor. 15.20 Col. 1.15 18. Apoc. 1.5 Rom. 14.9 The Prince of life the first-fruits of them that sleep the first-born of every creature the first-born from the dead and the first-begotten of the dead and the Lord of Dead and Living By his Resurrection hee shewed himself to bee the Conquerour of Death Sin and Satan meritoriously hee triumphed over our enemies upon the Cross actually hee began his triumph at the Resurrection Col. 2.23 24. Now when the powers of Hell could no longer hold him under it is manifest that they are subdued and conquered By his Resurrection hee declareth that his satisfaction is fully absolute Had the least penny of our debt remained upon the score not discharged hee could not have loosed the sorrows of Death Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification By the Resurrection hee prepared himself to the glorious function of a Mediatour As hee suffered without the gate to pay the price of our Redemption So did hee enter into Heaven to appear before the Father for us Hee died once for our sins and now liveth for ever to make intercession for us By his death hee purchased life and salvation for his people and now sitting in glory at the right hand of the Father hee doth communicate the blessing that hee hath procured for them Christ rose that wee might rise For hee that raised up the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.14 shall raised up us with Jesus and set us together with him Early in the morning upon the third day after hee was buried our Saviour rose out of the Sepulchre in which hee was laid at which time there was a mighty Earthquake and an Angel descended from Heaven to rowl away the stone at which glorious apparition the souldiers that kept the Tomb were sore affraid and became as dead men The death of Christ wanted not signs of Majesty nor his Resurrection tokens of exceeding glory when the Earth was moved at his presence and the Angels descended from Heaven to do him service The effects of this Resurrection are far more glorious than the signs that did accompany it for unless his Resurrection had followed his cruel death all his benefits appropriated to us had layen buried together with him 1 Cor. 15.17 Rom. 6.8 9 1 Cor. 15.55 1 Pet. 1.3 1 Cor. 15.21 22. The Resurrection of Christ is a notable confirmation of his Doctrine the abolition of sin and death regeneration unto life eternal and vivification of our bodies are the fruits of it It was necessary that Christ should rise in regard of the excellency of his person for being the proper Son of God it was impossible hee should bee held of the sorrows of death being just and innocent as man it could not bee that hee should lye under the power of the grave and dying to overcome hee could not bee vanquished of the enemies It was also necessary in respect of the Covenant hee had made with the Father the dignity of his high office of eternal Mediation and that the truth of those things which were foretold concerning the glory of the Messias might bee fulfilled Many admirable things are spoken touching the Messias and the glory of his Kingdome who was first to lay down his life and then to take possession of his Kingdome in glory where hee shall live for ever to make intercession for his people which hee could not have done if hee had not risen It cannot bee that the Word of God should take none effect but it was foretold that the Messias should rise again in which respect his Resurrection was necessary Christ not as a private person but as a publick person Hee died for his Elect and virtually they rose in him when hee rose from the dead of whose Resurrection they partake actually when by lively Faith they are made one with him This Resurrection was exceeding glorious in respect of the power by which it was effected the life into which hee rose and the things that accompanied or followed after the Resurrection For the graves did open and many bodies of them that slept in the earth arose Whereby the grave did witnesse that its power was taken away and clean vanquished Jonah's deliverance out of the Whales belly was wonderful and miraculous the Lord was gracious in sparing Isaac and raising him as it were from death who was a slain Sacrifice in his Fathers account But these were only types and shadows of Christ his Resurrection the life and glory of the other The elect and faithful shall rise to glory at the day of judgement but they shall rise by the power of Christ Christ arose by his own power they shall rise as the Members of Christ but Christ rose as the first-fruits of them that sleep they shall rise as private persons but Christ arose as a publick They shall arise from corruption but Christ his body did not see corruption They shall rise to immortality and glory for themselves but Christ rose to glory that hee might govern his Church in glory and bring his Elect unto himself that where hee is there they might bee for ever Quest How are these things to bee pressed upon the heart Answ Wee must stir up our selves to behold and rejoyce in the Lords love towards us and fly unto Christ by Faith that wee might feel the power of his Resurrection quickening us to newness of life and comfort our selves against the fear of death and rotting in the grave with an assured hope of Resurrection to immortality and eternal glory FINIS Courteous Reader These Books are printed for and sold by Henry Mortlock at the sign of the Phoenix in Pauls Church-yard near the Little North-door Folios A Commentary upon the whole Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians wherein the Text is learnedly and fruitfully opened with a Logical Analysis spiritual and holy Observation Confutation of Arminianism and Popery By Mr. Paul Bain A Commentary on the Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles and the Major Prophets By John Trap M. A. Quartos An Exposition of the Prophecy of Ezekiel By William Green-hill The dividing of the Hoof or seeming Contraditions throughout sacred Scriptures distinguished resolved and applied By William Streat M. A. Some Sermons preached upon several occasions By Peter Sterry Large Octavos A Treatise of the Divine Promises in five Books In the first A general Description of their Nature Kinds Excellency Right Use Properties and the Persons to whom they belong In the four last A Declaration of the Covenant it self the bundle and body of all the Promises and the special Promises likewise which concern a mans self or others both temporal spiritual and eternal By Edw. Leigh M. A. of Magdalen-Hall in Oxford The Hypocrites Ladder or Looking-glass or a Discourse of the dangerous and destructive nature of Hypocrisie the reigning and provoking sin of this age wherein is shewed how far the Hypocrite or formal Professor may go towards Heaven yet utterly perish by three Ladders of sixty steps of his Ascending By John Sheffield Minister of the Word at Swithins London An Improvement of the Sea upon the nine Nautical Verses in the 107 Psalm wherein among other things you have a very full and delightful Description of all those many various and multitudinous Objects which they behold in their Travels through the Lords Creation both on Sea in Sea and on Land viz. All sorts and kinds of Fish Fowl and Beasts whether wilde or tame All sorts of Trees and Fruit All sorts of People Cities Towns and Countries By Daniel Pell Preacher of the Word Small Octavos Several Treatises useful for Christian Practice viz. Warning to Backsliders The way to true Happiness Mercies Memorials A Sermon preached on the fifth of Novemb. Milk and Hony first and second Part Orthodox Paradoxes The New Commandement Divine Similitudes or Mysteries and Revelations By Ralph Venning The Exceeding Riches of Grace advanced by the Spirit of Grace in an Empty Nothing-Creature viz. Mris. Sarah Wight Published by H. Jessey A Servant of Jesus Christ A Latin and English Grammar By Charls Hool M. A. Physical Rarities containing the most choice Receits of Physick and Chirurgery for the Cure of all Diseases incident to mans body Hereunto is annexed the Physical Mathematicks of Hermes Trismegistus Published by Ralph Williams Practitioner in Physick and Chirurgery Twelves The Saints Desire or Divine Consolations being a Cordial for a Fainting Soul containing Observations Experiences and Counsels The Saints daily Duty the Life of Faith and how a Soul may live in the sweet enjoyment of the Love of God c. By Samuel Richardson A Receipt for the State-Palsie or a Direction for setling the Government of the Nation delivered in a Sermon upon Proverbs 25. v. 5. FINIS
bee impotent as having lost her former strength and constancy in good things for the time it is constrained to omit and let pass the same Quest How is this to bee remedied Answ The remedy to such a one as through an unsettled heart cannot meditate of any parts of Christianity and godliness having otherwise knowledge is to meditate of his present unfitness looseness of heart and earthly-mindedness to account it as an heavy burden to accuse his heart and to bring it to kindly relenting by considering how far it is off presently from that mildness humbleness and heavenliness and readiness unto duty which ought to bee in him continually and hath been in him at some other time Let him bring his mind to these considerations and say with himself I have received a mind to * Heb. 13.18 Col. 1.10 please God to be teachable and ready to any duty I have opposed my self against mine own will and the Devils secret and malicious counsel though sweet to the flesh a Rom. 8.12 I am not a debtor unto it how can I then yeeld to the untowardness of my heart and to sin against my God I have tasted the fatness and marrow in the house of God and shall I return to feed upon the husks of the world where are the manifold and comfortable priviledges which he hath given mee that I might bee faithful unto him Am I weary of my own peace and do I haste after my own sorrow what pleasure can I finde in vanity and vexation what taste in the white of an egg Lord bring back this ranging heart of mine from the deceitful dreams and fears that it hath been snared in and restore it to the liberty that it was wont to injoy that is to solace it self in thy favour and communion with thee And this gift being decayed through my own fault and Satans cruelty and subtilty forgive my cold and weak love of thee who have provoked thy Majesty if thou wouldest bee provoked to frown and look amiably on mee no more Thou Lord chargest mee thus to seek thy face and sweet presence which I have gone from and for a time been blinded as having no ability to muse of any good thing and have not seen that I was seduced till I perceived that I had lost this sweet liborty Now therefore O Lord shew thy loving kindness in my distress and weakness and restore to mee this liberty of my heart which many of thy children do finde and enjoy Thus fall into consideration with thy self and bee not discouraged when thou seest thy infirmities who hast learned to use all thy wants to humble thee and to bring thee nearer to God rather than to go further from him but let no man give any liberty in any sort to his evil heart when it is turned away from chearfulness and willingness in any part of Gods service to go forward therein for that were to bring himself into utter bondage Quest What is a second Impediment or Let Answ Inconstancy when wee begin to set upon this duty but are drawn aside by the love of vanity or discouraged by the difficulty of the exercise and so give over and never set about it in good earnest Quest What is the Remedy of this Impediment Answ Labour to be constant and if it bee possible let no day pass without some line of Meditation though many blocks be cast into the way Impediments will multiply as wee give way unto them indisposition and unfitness get strength through omission and delay but constancy and courage our breaking thorow all opposition with careful watchfulness to tye up our thoughts will make this exercise in time not onely possible but easie and pleasant It is grievous for children at the first to go to school but after they have tasted the sweetness of study and tried the fruit they are contented to leave country and kindred for love of learning So the entrance into this exercise is hard and tedious but the progress full of heavenly delight and contentation nay it is grievous to bee pestered with vain wicked idle thoughts whereby communion and fellowship with Christ is interrupted In the world it is accounted a hard thing to bee bound with cords and chains of Iron to bee vexed with Tyranny an insupportable burthen what is it then to bee bound with chains of our corruption to live under the power of lust to bee tossed to and fro with the temptations of Satan let us therefore set apart the fittest time for this exercise especially on the Sabbath when spiritual idleness is as bad or worse than bodily labour and to keep it constantly not giving over when wee have once begun till wee finde that it hath done our hearts some good For what will it avail us to knock at the door of our hearts if wee depart before wee have an answer Quest May not a man spend too much time in private Meditation Answ Yes no doubt and many do who are so addicted to their own private devotions that they neglect other duties of Christianity and of their particular callings the neglect of which besides that it is a separating of those things which God hath joyned together doth not inlighten and quicken the mind but rather by the just judgement of God blinde and dull it Hence it proceeded that the antient Monks mingling bodily labour with Meditation proved excellent whereas the Popish Monks mured up in their Cloysters and exempted from bodily labour proved the most noisome Caterpillers in the world Wherefore wee must so chuse our times for the performance of this exercise that God bee not dishonoured nor our brethren wronged by the neglect of others The object of this exercise being spiritual is far too excellent for the weak sight of man to bee gazing on continually Quest What is the third Impediment Answ Many are hindered and kept back from this duty for want of matter Notwithstanding the great variety of matter which the word and works of God and the due consideration of their own estate might minister unto them yet their hearts are so barren and their heads so empty that they are utterly to seek about what to bestow their time and their cogitations Quest What is the Remedy against this Let Answ The help is to bewail and lament the barrenness of their hearts and to enforce themselves to read and hear the Word and to mark and observe the works of God with greater care conscience diligence and attention than they have done in former times How a Christian is to furnish himself with good matter wee shall shew hereafter more fully But for the present every man that is desirous to set upon this exercise may propound these things to bee thought upon First His vileness unworthiness and other his several corruptions and sins Secondly The sufferings of Christ and the wrath of God due unto us for sin Thirdly The love of God in giving Christ to dye for us and the
greatness of his bounty and riches of his grace and constancy of his love in forgiving so many transgressions and subduing daily more and more the dominion of sin and Satan Fourthly Hee is to think how hee may bee guided thorow that present day after the rules of his daily direction especially those that seem hardest to bee followed both the well-ordering of his heart and framing of his life so far as stands with Gods Word Fifthly Let him meditate on the several parts of the Christian Armor and how God hath appointed to strengthen him thereby for his better going forward in a godly life Lastly Let him consider of the outward blessings that God vouchsafeth unto him his constant care and fatherly protection over him in his going out and coming in providing him meat drink and apparel and other necessaries Quest What is the fourth Let Answ Want of leisure and opportunity by reason of necessary business taking up the time Quest How is this to bee remedied Answ Men must know that the ordinary works of their calling are not to put this duty out of place for if they do it is by the unskilfulness or untowardness of them who commit this fault but the one of them is appointed of God to go with the other and both of them to stand together to the upholding of one another If any through necessary occasion and hinderances shall be constrained to let pass this duty of Meditation when otherwise hee would have set upon it hereby let it appear to have been necessarily passed by and without his fault if hee supply the want of this duty after his necessary labour ended and take heed that in no wise it bee omitted altogether unless hee can bee assured with peace that God in the omitting of it hath been remembred answerably some other way Quest What should move us to bee careful to take time for this duty Answ Because wee are earnestly exhorted by the Apostle to redeem the time that is to take the opportunity and lay hold on all occasions whereby wee may glorifie God or do good to others and to our own souls And the special spur to provoke us to make choice of and constantly to keep some time to the performance of this duty and to break thorow the manifold lets and impediments which stand in our way is the due consideration of the fruits and effects of this duty carefully performed which have been mentioned before and come to bee named hereafter Quest What things do hinder the fruitful performance of this duty Answ Two principally which may bee called abuses of Meditation First Sleightness when wee make a ceremony of it not so much looking how our hearts are affected in and by it as that wee may not justly bee charged for omitting it Secondly Trifling fantasies and worldly cares which fill the head that wee cannot minde heavenly things hence followeth weariness of it and an hastening to more liberty that our hearts may range where they list Quest How are these abuses to bee remedied A. First We must remember that it is a duty of great weight earnestly called for at our hands of singular fruit and comfort worthy to bee delighted in and exercised with greatest diligence The men of the world are exact in trifles is it not a shame to the children of God if they be sleighty in matters of so great importance Labour spent in the duties of Religion is lost and the fruit perisheth if wee strive not to perform them with life and power Secondly To obtain that we may bee fit to perform this duty and not to bee carried at that time after wandring wee must tye up our loose hearts throughout the day from the deadly custome of ranging after vain fond and deceiveable thoughts dreams and delights wee must weigh how little worth this is to suffer our cogitations to bee fastened on things transitory with delight much less about those that are filthy and evil but rather bring them to bee taken up in those which are heavenly This wee are called unto and until wee learn how weighty soever our dealings be to count this the chiefest to keep peace with God and ever fear to offend him it will bee an hard matter to bring our selves to meditate with chearfulness and fruit Thirdly When thou settest upon this duty take heed of self-confidence lest thou provoke God to give thee up to be buffeted of Satan to teach thee humility and lowliness How should wee hope to prosper in any good work so long as wee trust in our own strength Success joyned with self-presumption is perillous for it tendeth to spiritual fulness and surfeiting two main and great diseases of the soul Quest What bee the sorts and kinds of Divine Meditation Answ It is fitly divided into two sorts First Extemporary occasional or sudden which may bee done at all times and in all employments Secondly Set deliberate or solemn both these have their use and in both these seriousness is required Quest What is occasional Meditation Answ It is a serious bending of the mind to think upon some good and profitable subject being occasioned thereunto by such things as by the providence of God do offer themselves to our senses Psal 8.8 Joh. 4.10 Prov. 6.6 Mat. 6.26 eyes and ears as wee go about the duties of our calling or bee exercised in some honest and lawful Recreation for the continuance of our health and comfort of our life Quest What Rules are to bee noted touching this extemporary Meditation Answ First Extemporary Meditation as Ejaculatory Prayers have no ornament but fervency no motive but love no other eloquence but affection and their clauses no contexture but necessity Secondly No employment can hinder us from this duty they rather minister occasion thereof unto us The cold of Winter the heat of Summer the sweetness of the Spring the fruitfulness of the Harvest do * Psa 19.1 69.34 89.5 Psa 8.3 4. praise the Lord that is do minister plentiful occasion to us to praise God No month in the year nor week in the month nor day in the week nor hour in the day which doth not afford us some profitable matter to meditate upon Thirdly The fittest day in the week is the Lords day which wee are to consecrate wholly to him but as no person is exempted from this duty so no time but may fitly serve for the performance thereof Fourthly As wee must not lightly let slip such matters of good use as will bee often offered unto us and defraud our selves and others of the benefit thereof so wee must not fix our minds too earnestly upon them lest wee offend others and neglect some necessary duty of our own Fifthly The more natural and lively the occasion of external Meditation is the better it doth affect at the first salutation as soon as wee take a taste of it which must bee regarded and laboured after because the business of this life will not suffer us
perform this duty but hee may finde some place to do it in either in the field with Isaac Gen. 24.63 Dan. 6.10 or in the house with Daniel or at least if they bee hindered all the day long in his a Psa 6.7 4.4 bed with David Quest What time must bee set apart for the performance of this duty Answ First The Lords day is the fittest time in the week for the performance of this exercise but though it must not bee omitted on that day yet it must not bee put off till that day Secondly Some time convenient must bee set apart for this duty every day and that must bee observed constantly as much as wee can for by that means wee shall bee better enabled to finish this work with better success Thirdly No part nor hour of the day is absolutely necessary to bee kept neither is a man so strictly bound to observe the time which hee hath chosen as fit and seasonable that hee should charge himself in conscience to bee guilty of sin if upon occasion hee change it unto some other Order in all good duties is a cause of constancy and constant order is a notable means of continuance Fourthly As for the fittest hour in the day a mans own experience must instruct him and his occasions direct him whether to take the golden hours of the morning when being awakened and refreshed by sweet sleep and quiet rest hee shall finde himself free and fit to meditate upon some heavenly matter as Jacob did or the evening Gen. 28.16 when hee hath ended his labours which was the time that a Gen. 24.63 Isaac took or the midst of the day which was b Act. 10.9 Peters time or any other part and hour of the day c Psa 55.12 David and d Dan. 6.10 Daniel used three times a day to pray and meditate Fifthly The most quiet and free times if strength and wakefulness will give leave are the morning evening and night season which were the times approved among the Heathen who for the better imprinting of any thing in memory give this counsel which common experience doth confirm to think seriously upon it in the evening before they sleep and to call it again to minde in the morning when they awake Oh how sweet it is to awake with God in the morning and to salute him with our first thoughts How safe and profitable to prevent unsavoury thoughts and wicked projects by lodging up in our soul some holy matter worthy our chief employment Psa 88.13 119 48 Psa 5.3 Psal 63.1 Job 1.5 and to prepare the heart to walk with God before wee enter into the world Hee that makes himself well ready every morning shall pass the rest of the day with much ease and great comfort It is much with what liquor the heart is first seasoned if it be well prepared with some heavenly Meditation before the cares of this life take up the room it will be kept in better order in all businesses occasions accidents whatsoever How fit is it when wee have tasted of the blessings of the day that wee should render unto God the fruit not of the lips but of the heart and come into his presence from whom wee have received so many favours What more expedient than that wee should commend our selves into the hands of God with confidence and make our accounts even being to lye down in his fear What more excellent recreation after tedious labour than to recount the mercies of the Lord his fatherly protection the dangers wee escaped what service wee owe to God for all the tokens of his love and what cause wee have to bee humbled for all our sins Of the night David saith a Psa 16.7 My reins shall teach mee in the night season God used to speak to his servants in the * Psa 119.55 Psa 63.6 Job 4.13 night by dreams and visions When wee are freed from cares and incumberances compassed about with darkness that outward objects apprehended by the eye cannot draw the mind away when all things are quiet and still then what greater solace or sweet refreshing can bee found than to lift up the heart to Heaven But these times may bee commended as fit not urged as absolutely necessary Sixthly Every man must set apart some time for this duty but they the most that have most leisure and opportunity Meditation is an affirmative duty which must bee taken in hand when the Lord calleth thereunto and putteth it upon us by affording us means and season Quest What say you to them that pretend multitude of worldly businesse to excuse the omission and neglect of this exercise Answ It is their sin that they will thus set God against himself as though hee should command them to do that which hindereth them from another duty commanded God hath appointed unto us our several standings in our general and personal callings they are both of him and the duties belonging to them both will excellently stand together if the Commandements of God bee not contrary Nay rather wee should think that following of the world to bee too much which is not ordered and moderated by due consideration how far and in what manner wee should deal in the world so as not to bee hindered from holiness by it but even to practise holiness in our earthly affairs If wee bee rich wee have the less cause to bee holden from Meditation by wordly cares If poor wee have the more need of this duty to moderate our care that it exceed not nor carry us to unbeleef What example soever wee have of the contrary in the multitude of worldlings among whom wee live yet wee must know though others will not that wee are not set here in our places to do as loose and wretched servants who when they go to Market neglect their Masters business and mis-spend their time Quest What course must bee holden to redeem time out of the world for Meditation Answ First Walk so on earth as that thy chief delight bee in Heaven still use this world as a Pilgrim doth his cloak Love will finde somewhat to do they that delight in the world will make business in the world as children invent matter of play But if Christ bee our beloved and our treasure in Heaven nothing can hold our hearts from him Secondly Order the affairs of this life wisely that every thing may have its fit time and season wee have sufficient allowance for the dispatch of all our labours if wee take the opportunity and manage both work and means with discretion If thy heart bee upright fear not Eccl. 10.10 God will teach thee how to walk To the man that is good in his sight God giveth wisdome knowledge and joy Thirdly Spend not much time either in consulting privately with thy self or by talking in company with others about that whereof there is no use or which may bee done and ended in