a mighty means to arm and defend us against all the temptations of the Devil and against all his fiery darts It is armour of proof against the Devil and all his temptations What made Moses refuse the pleasure treasures and honours of Egypt for Moses when he was of age a young man and fit to enjoy the pleasures of Egypt he chose rather to suffer affliction than to enjoy the pleasures of sin he refused to be called the Son of Pharoah's Daughter What made him do all this Because he had respect to the recompence of reward and he beheld him that was invisible he meditated upon the reward he should have in Heaven he knew the pleasures of Heaven were better than the pleasures of Pharoah's Court and he knew the treasures he should have in Heaven were better than the treasures he should have in Egyyt and therefore he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season He knew he could not enjoy both and he had an eye to the recompence of reward he saw him that was invisible and this made him do all this he could never have done this without this Divine grace of Meditation And what made Ioseph refuse to lye with his Mistris when he might have been preferred by lying with her and had secresie and security why he meditated How can I do this and sin against God He thought of God and he would not do it it was meditation that made him refuse it What made the Saints of old receive joyfully the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10. 34. They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance Because they knew that is they considered that they had in Heaven an enduring substance an eternal reward they should have better riches there they considered that and that made them lose their outward estates they looked for a better estate in Heaven Bishop Hooper when he was going to Martyrdom over night he discoursed and reasoned with himself saith he When I think of the fire I begin to be afraid for I fear that fire will burn but when I think of the fire of hell the fear of eternal fire makes me willing to endure a temporary fire Saith he again When I think of the loss of life I begin to be afraid I know life is precious and when I meditate upon these outward enjoyments outward preferments I seem unwilling to be burnt but when I meditate of the joys of Heaven and the preferments that I shall have there this makes me willing to go through fire to go through Martyrdom to Heaven It was meditation of Heaven and the joys of Heaven that made the Martyrs come so willingly to the stake and imbrace it as a bride doth her bridegroom And thus I have shewed you the great necessity of this grace of Meditation It remains now that I should come to the Application of this Doctrine If this duty of Divine Meditation be so necessary a duty as you have heard then it reproves those Christians that are utterly unaccustomed and unacquainted with this duty that receive mercies from God but are never the better for the mercies they do receive for want of meditation That do not say in their hearts let us fear that God that doth give us the former and the latter rain as it is Ier. 5. 23. it reproves those that are guilty of many sins but do not repent for want of consideration because they do not say in their hearts what have I done it reproves those that meet with many losses and crosses in the world but are never the better for their afflictions because they do not consider what is the meaning of Gods rod and how they may get their afflictions sanctified that read the blessed Promises of the Gospel but taste not the sweetness of them for want of meditation for want of chewing them in a word that hear many Sermons but are never the better for the Sermons they hear and all for want of this Divine Meditation The mercies of God and the promises of God and the afflictions of God and the Sermons we hear are like unto a Soveraign plaister which though it be never so good if it be taken off the wound as soon as ever it is laid on it will never cure the wound it is the abiding of the Plaister upon the wound that cures it So it is the dwelling upon the mercies we receive the chewing upon the Promises the meditating upon the Sermons we hear will do us good That man that hears a Sermon and forgets it as soon as he hath heard it will get no good by it it is with Sermons and mercies as it is with meat a man may eat his meat and be never the more nourished if he do not digest it if he vomit it up as soon as he hath eaten it or if his meat presently go through him it will do him no good it is the digesting the concocting of meat that nourisheth a man so there are thousands of people that hear Sermon upon Sermon and yet are never the more holy by what they hear for want of digesting the Sermons they hear by Divine Meditation Now this want of meditation is a sin that I perswade my self most Christians are guilty of I cannot exclude my self there are few Christians that are convinced of the necessity of this duty of Divine Meditation few that practise this duty the great God hath exercised this Nation with variety of Providences for these many years we have been these eleven or twelve years in the fire of affliction we have met with unexpected changes and alterations but where is the man that lays to heart the Providences of God where is the man that studies what God is doing with this Nation and how to get the Providences of God sanctified We may say of most of the Nation as it is in Ier. 12. 11. The whole land is made desolate because no man layeth it to heart There is no man considers what is the meaning of Gods Providences the variety and strangeness and wonderfulness of them We are like unto those Isa. 42. 24 25. Who gave Israel to the spoil and Israel to the robbers did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned for they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient to his law therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him but he laid it not to heart We have been burning and burning and consuming but no man lays it to heart this is the great sin of this Nation the Lord humble us There are four sorts of Christians that are here to be reproved for the want of the grace of Divine Meditation 1. The ignorant Christian that knows not how to set about the
cured as soon as ever Peter took him by the hand and lift him up immediately his feet and ancle-bones received strength and he leaping up stood and walked and entred with him into the Temple the poor man never walked in all his life he was lame from his mothers womb as soon as ever he found his legs he fell a leaping presently he did not leap afterwards but walked ordinarily as other men but he was so overjoyed that he forced himself to a kind of leaping so there are many Christians that when they first set upon this duty because they find their hearts very dead and dull therefore they will offer violence to their affections and force themselves to tears or joy But you must not do this the best way is to wait in the practise of meditation for the coming down of God to wait for the consolation of Israel as it is said of Simeon Luk. 2. 25. There was one Simeon a man in Ierusalem who was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel So must we in the use of this blessed duty wait upon God for Divine comfort and while we are waiting God will come in Isa. 30. 18. Blessed are all they that wait upon the Lord. ver ult They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles You must continue waiting and be assured the Lord whom you seek will come in and you shall find your hearts melted if you go on in a calm quiet waiting posture As Bernard who was a man much accustomed to this duty of meditation when he went to meditate and pray he found his heart at first very dull at last the visitations of the Almighty came upon him and he felt his heart warm he had the appearances of the Lord to his soul that he cried out rara hora brevis mora it comes but seldom but sometimes it comes blessed be God it tarries too short a while Oh that it would continue wait upon God in the practise of Divine Meditation and you shall find the elapses of the Holy Ghost the Visitations of God coming upon your souls and filling you full of Heavenly comfort 6. And lastly This Divine Meditation must be persevereing you must persevere in this duty though you cannot at first find the benefit and comfort that you expect There are many Christians that have set upon this work of Meditation and finding it too hard and difficult and meeting with so much opposition in their hearts wandering thoughts and abundance of spiritual distempers they have been discouraged and laid it aside which certainly they ought not to have done I have read of the Leopard when it looks after his prey when it looks after his prey when it hath a beast in view that it would prey upon the manner of its hunting is to take three or four great skips and if it cannot take the beast in three or four skips then it leaves it it is so furious and hasty So there is many a poor Christian skips into the duty of Meditation as it were by taking three or four leaps and sees he cannot compass it he cannot find the benefit and comfort he would and therefore he lays it aside this is a great fault you must wait upon God as I said in the former you must continue and persevere and go on in this duty And I have four arguments to perswade you to persevere in this duty 1. From the necessity of this duty it is a duty absolutely necessary as I have told you it is the life of all other duties prayer will do you no good unless it be joined with meditation Oratio sine meditatione est arida saith Bernard Prayer without Meditation is dry and luke warm and cold and the reason why our prayers are like so many dead carcases of prayers is because we do not join meditation with prayer sermons do us no good without meditation Meditation is the life of all Religion and that which puts life into all other duties It is of great necessity and therefore you must not be weary of well-doing you must persevere for there is no grace crowned without perseverance 2. Consider the excellency of this duty it is the souls transmigration to Heaven the souls transfiguration the souls going up to Heaven to converse with God and Christ and the things of eternity it is a rare duty as necessary as your daily bread and certainly God conveys much of himself in the practise of this duty As Iesus Christ when he was in the Mount was transfigured and his face shined like the Sun So certainly you that are much in the mount of meditation you that often go up to meditate of God and Christ and Heaven and sin your faces will shine you will be taller than other Christians in grace by the head 3. Study the mischiefs that come by the want of practising this duty it is not eating meat that nourisheth you but the digesting of it meat may be set before a man and he may eat a great deal but if he doth not digest it he will never be nourished Meditation is a digesting of all the things of God it is not the hearing a Sermon doth you good but the meditating on what you hear if a man hath a plaister and lays it to his sore and take it off as soon as he hath laid it on it will do no good at all so when you hear a Sermon if you forget it as soon as ever you have heard it if you do not chew meditate and ponder upon what you hear you will never get any good As the beast that chewed not the cud was an unclean beast so the unmeditating Christian is an unclean Christian. The reason why we have so many lean kine pardon my expression that devour the fat and are never the fatter I mean so many lean Christians that devour hundreds of Sermons that will hear three or four a day and are never the beetter never the fatter what is the reason of this because it comes in at one ear and goes out at the other one Sermon justles out another but they never meditate ponder and consider what they hear that is the reason why you are so lean in grace You know there are many hours required to digest a little meat eaten in a little while so a man should be many hours digesting a Sermon that he hears in one hour God and Christ are like a picture that hath a curtain drawn over it now a man will never judg of the picture till the curtain be withdrawn Meditation is nothing else but the taking aside the curtain and viewing of God To an unmeditating Christian God is like the Sun in a cloud to an unconsidering Christian Christ is like a jewel in a leathern purse now meditation opens the purse and takes out the jewel and looks upon it Meditation draws aside the curtain and views God and beholds the glorious things of God
is so excellent Difficilia quae pulchra the more excellent any duty is the more difficult it is And another reason why it is so difficult is because it is so contrary to corrupt nature now the more contrary any duty is to corrupt nature the more excellent it is The difficulty of the duty should not so much discourage us as the excellency of the duty should quicken us Now that I may help you against the difficulty of this duty I shall lay down three sorts of rules 1. Rules for the right qualifying of the person that is to meditate 2. Rules for the right ordering the Subjects upon which he is to meditate 3. Rules for the right meditation upon these Subjects I. I shall lay down Rules and Directions for the right qualifying and ordering the person that is to practise this Divine duty of Meditation and for that purpose I shall give you in these Rules 1. Convince thy soul of the absolute necessity of Divine Meditation I have shewed it is a duty expresly commanded by God a duty required of all sorts of persons of Kings of Generals of Armies of young Gentlemen of Women of Ministers David Ioshua young Isaac in my Text practised this duty and many Women and many holy men Let me add that this very duty is the life and soul of all Christianity you are but carcasses of Christians if you be not acquainted with it it is as impossible to live without a soul as it is to be a good Christian without Divine Meditation As it is impossible for a man to be nourished by meat if he want digestion and concoction so it is impossible for a man to be nourished in grace if he neglect the duty of Divine Meditation for Divine Meditation is the spiritual concoction and digestion of all holy things and all holy duties As a man without concoction I mean without a faculty of digestion and concoction so is a Christian without the practise of Divine Meditation 2. Convince your souls and the Lord convince you of the great benefits and advantages that are obtained by a conscientious practise of Divine Meditation as I have shewed Divine Meditation is a mighty help to the begetting grace and increasing grace 1. It is a mighty help to the begetting repentance as David saith Psal. 119. 59. I considered my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies It was the consideration of the evil of his ways that made David turn his feet to Gods Testimonies And it is said of Peter Mark 14. 72. When he thought thereon he wept what made Peter repent the meditation of the unkindness of the sin he committed against Christ. And what made the Prodigal child come home to his father Luk. 15. 17. When he came to himself he considered and said how many hired servants of my fathers have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger It was consideration that made the Prodigal child come home to his father he considered how much bread there was in his fathers house and he ready to starve 2. Divine Meditation is a mighty help to the love of God for to an inconsiderate Christian God is as a picture with a curtain drawn over it but consideration takes away the curtain unveils God to a man and shews him all the beauty and excellency that is in God and it is like a fiery furnace to kindle a Divine fire of love in the soul of every Christian. 3. It is a mighty help to beget in us the fear of God Oh did you meditate much of the power of God and the goodness of God and the forgivenesses that are in God Oh you would fear God for his goodness and for his greatness the reason why we love God no more is because we think of God no more study God no more 4. It would be a mighty help to the love of Christ for Christ Jesus to an unmeditating Christian is like a book that is sealed like a treasure that is lockt up but Meditation opens this book unlocks this treasure and that man that solemnly meditates of the excellency and love of Christ cannot but love Christ. 5. It is a mighty help to the contempt of the world for the world is like gilded Copper there is a glittering excellency in it but meditation of the vanity of the world will wash off all the gilt the whorish paint the glittering excellency that is in the world a man that looks upon the world a far off sees nothing in it but excellency but when you come to meditate of the vanity of the world and all worldly things meditation will make you contemn the world and all worldly things 3. Consider the unconceivable and unexpressible mischiefs that come upon a Christian for want of Divine Meditation What is the reason why men go on in their sins without repentance it is for want of Meditation Ier. 8. 6. No man repenteth because no man saith what have I done What is the reason the Word of God takes no more impression upon your hearts and there is no more good done by Preaching it is because you do not meditate upon what you hear as a plaister that is put to a wound if it be pluckt off as soon as it is put on it will never do you good so if a Sermon be forgotten as soon as it is heard it will never profit you And what is the reason that the mercies of God do no more good that men are no more thankful for mercies and no more fruitful under mercies because they do not consider their mercies come from God Hos. 2. 8. She did not know that is she did not consider that I gave her corn and wine and oil and multiplied her silver and gold which they prepared for Baal They would not have prepared their silver and gold for Baal had they considered that God gave it but they would have served God with it that is the reason why you are so proud of your mercies and sin against God with your mercies because you do not meditate that the Lord hath given you all the mercies you have and what is the reason men get no more good by afflictions because they do not consider why God afflicts them what is the meaning of Gods rod and how they might get their afflictions sanctified the want of the practice of Divine Meditation is the cause of all punishment as well as of all sin Ier. 12. 11. All the whole land is made desolute because no man lays it to heart 4. If you would be rightly qualified for Divine Meditation labour to get a sufficient furniture of spiritual knowledg for the reason why this duty is so difficult and why men cannot continue long at it is for want of sufficient matter to meditate upon For as I shewed you Meditation is a dwelling a musing an abiding upon the things we know of God or Christ or the Promises it is an unlocking of the treasure of knowledg concerning
Souldiers Generals and Captains 5 4. Learned Men. Ib. 5. Women Ib. There be two sorts of Meditation of heavenly things 1. Sudden short occasional 6 2. Solemn set deliberate Ibid. 1. Of Occasional Meditation three Things viz. the Excellency Examples and Practise Ibid. 1. The Excellency of occasional extemporary sudden and ejaculatory Meditation from Scripture and humane Testimony 7 8 2. The Examples from Scripture and humane Testimony 9 3. Motives to perswade to the Practise of it viz. 13 1. It may be performed at all times Ibid. 2. Practic'd in all places and companies 14 3 It is easie to spiritualized ones Ibid. 4. 'T is the excellency of a Christian to spiritualize natural things herein exceeding a Bruit 15 All wicked men Ibid. 5. 'T is the greatest affront we can give to God not to make a spiritual use of his creatures 17 6. 'T is a Soul-destroying sin not to observe the Works of God and make a good use of them 18 II. Of Solemn Meditation the Nature and Necessity 22 1. The Nature of solemn Meditation in two particulars 23 1. 'T is a dwelling and abiding upon things that are Holy being typified two ways By the Beast That did chew the cud 24 That had eyes within and without 25 2. 'T is an act of the heart as well as the head Ib. It must enter into the door of the understanding heart and conversation 28 2. The Necessity of it evinc'd from the Mischiefs of neglecting this Duty 29 Advantage of practising this Duty 29 1. The mischiefs and inconveniencies of neglecting this duty It is the cause of sin and punishment 30 1. The want of practising this Duty causeth sin As particularly Ibid. 1. 'T is the reason of hard-heartedness Ibid. 2. Unprofitableness of hearing Sermons 31 3. Not relishing of sweetest promises 33 4. No impression from threatnings 34 5. No bettering by mercies Ibid. 6. No amending by afflictions 36 7. No heart softning by Providences Ib. 8. Reason of distrustfulness of Gods Providence 37 9. Censoriousness of others not of our selves Ibid. 10. Offering the sacrifices of fools in worship 38 2. The want of practising this duty causeth punishment 40 2. The advantages and benefits by a conscientious practise of this duty in begetting and increasing of grace and arming against temptations 42 1. 'T is a mighty help to the begetting and working of grace in 9 particulars Ibid. 1. To work repentance and reformation of life 43. to 55. 2. A love to God 43. to 55. 3. A fear of God 43. to 55. 4. A love to Jesus Christ. 43. to 55. 5. Faith and trust in God 43. to 55. 1. In his Providence in all outward streights 2. Promises in all spiritual troubles 6. A contempt of the world and worldly things 43. to 55. 7. Thankfulness for mercies and blessings 43. to 55. 8. A Preference of Gods house to our own 43. to 55. 9. A Keeping of all Gods Commandments 43. to 55. 2. 'T is helpful to preserve and increase grace 55 3. 'T is helpful to arm and defend against all the temptations of the Devil 56 The Application of this Doctrine concerning this necessary duty of Meditation may be for 1. The Reproof of those Christians that are utterly unaccustomed to and unacquainted with this duty and these are of four sorts viz. 1. The ignorant Christian that knows not how to set about the work 58. 2. Forgetful Christian that remembers not God 61 3. Rash-headed Christian that acts without consideration where are four evils viz. 63 1. Such is a spiritual fool in offering sacrifices to God 64 2 Often speaks that he 'l wish he had not 65 3. Quickly runs into error and by-paths 66 4 Will never persevere and hold out to the end 67 4. A slight-headed Christian that cannot dwell long upon any thing which argues a slight Christian. 68 Q. Are then all who have slight heads Hypocrites Ibid. A. There is a double slightness of head viz. 69 1. That which is a natural disease when a child of God of a weak head cannot think long of any thing at all Ibid. 2. That which is sinful when a man can be serious and dwell long upon the things of the world not on the things of heaven this is reprov'd Ibid. 2. The Reproof of those who meditate upon things that are evil and wicked 70 1. Such as design and do evil 2. Such as delight in the evil they have done 71 3. An Exhortation to all to accustom themselves to the duty of meditation viz. To 1. Ministers 2. Nobles 3. Souldiers 4. Young Gentlemen 5. Merchants 6. Women In speaking to this Exhortation six particulars proposed viz. 1. Place 2. Time 3. Properties 4. Companions 5. Materials 6. Helps 72 73 74 1. Concerning the Place to chuse one convenient which is freest from distractions 76 2. Time which proves seasonable in due circumstances Here four Rules are suggested 81 1. It behoves all not hindred to endeavour the setting apart of some time every day morning afternoon or night 82 2. To set a sufficient proportion of time a-part every day 84 3. The Sabbath-day especially all should busie themselves in this duty 86 4. A Sacrament-day more especially 87 Here 12 Things suggested as instances of Sacramental Meditation viz. 88 1. The great and wonderful love of God the Father in the giving of Christ. Ibid. 2. Love of Christ in giving himself 89 3. Hainousness of sin 90 4. Excellency of the Sacramental feast Ibid. 5. Our own unworthiness 91 6. Our spiritual wants and necessities Ibid. 7. The cursed condition of an unworthy receiver Ib. 8. The happy condition of those that come worthily 92 9. The Sacramental Elements of Bread and Wine Ib. 10. The Sacramental Actions 93 11. Sacramental Promises Ib. 12. What retribution to make to Christ. 94 3. Properties ingredients and qualities of Meditation viz. 1. Divine Meditation must be often Because 96 1. We shall know more of the best things 97 2. Have more near and intimate acquaintance with them 99 3. Heavenly Duties will become more easie to us 2. It must be solemn and serious not only formal 101 102 3. Not only notional and speculative but practical and reflective It must be in the understanding heart and affections yea and the conversation 105 4. It must be particular and applicative 108 5. It must be calm and quiet 110 6. It must be persevering 112 There be four Arguments to persevere Viz. From the 1. Necessity 2. Excellency of it 113 3. Mischiefs by not practising of it Ibid. 4. Easiness attainable by persevering in it 116 4. Companions of Meditation which are two 117 1. Praying must be joined with Meditation ibid. 2. Reading will do well to accompany in weak Christians with two Cautions viz. 118 1. Not to read much lest it hinder 120 2. Not to read at the Sacrament ibid. 5. Materials of Meditation 121 The four last things Death Iudgment Heaven Hell 1. Death 1. The certainty 2.
God and Christ and Heaven and he that hath not a good stock of knowledg of Christ or the Promises can never continue long to meditate upon Christ or the Promises if ever you would be a good Practitioner of this duty of Divine Meditation you must labour to be instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven as the Phrase is Mat. 13. 42. Every Scribe which is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man which is a housholder that brings out of his treasure things old and new You must be acquainted with things both new and old and instructed in the things of the Kingdom of God and you must be men in understanding 1 Cor. 14. 20. Brethren be not children in understanding howbeit in malice be ye children but in understanding be men A babe in understanding cannot be long in meditation but you must be babes in malice but in understanding men of ripe age You had need have a great deal of knowledg that would be Practitioners to purpose of this excellent duty of Divine Meditatiou you must grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord Iesus Christ. 5. If ever you would be a good Practitioner in the School of Divine Meditation you must labour to get a serious spirit for a slight-headed Christian can never be a good meditating Christian a slight-headed and a slight-hearted Christian that cannot dwell upon things but rove from one thing to another cannot be a good Christian pardon my words I speak them upon much deliberation for Religion is a serious matter it is a business of eternity and therefore it requires a serious Christian and if ever you would practise this duty that I am preaching of if ever you would go up to the mount of Meditation to converse with God there you must labour to be of a serious spirit as those were Luk. 1. 66. And all they that heard him laid it up in their hearts they did not slight what they heard but laid it up in their hearts Luk. 2. 19. But Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart Luk. 2. 51. But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart A good Christian is a pondering a serious Christian. There is a fourfold frame of spirit that cannot stand with true Christianity nor with the practice of this duty that I am preaching of and the Lord help you against them 1. A slight frame of spirit that man that thinks slightly of God will love him but slightly and serve him but slightly slight thoughts of God will make but slight impressions upon the heart and slight impressions upon the life Slight thoughts of God will have but slight affections to God for if my apprehensions be slight my affections and my actions will be slight for my affections and actions follow my apprehension Therefore a slight frame of spirit is a very sad frame of spirit 2. As there is a slight so there is a trifling frame of spirit when a man thinks of the things of Heaven as trifles when a man trifles way a Sacrament trifles away a Sermon trifles away a Prayer as thousands of you do Oh it is a sad thing for a man to be serious in trifles and to trifle in serious things I cannot tell which is the worst though I think rather the second is the worst That is a sad thing when a man looks upon Sabbaths and Sacraments and Ministers and Ministry and all the holy things of God as trifles such an one was Gallio when he saw it was a matter of Religion he cared for none of these things he looked upon them as trifles A trifling frame of spirit cannot consist with true Christianity 3. There is a watry frame of spirit there are some men tell them of their sins and they will yield to you and confess their sins and promise amendment and there are many while they are at a Sermon the Sermon takes impression upon them but they are of a watry spirit nothing will abide upon them As a man that flings a stone into the water it will make one circle and another circle and another circle a great many circles but there is no abiding of them they are quickly gone so there are some men their hearts will melt at a Sermon or a Sacrament but they are of a watry spirit nothing will abide upon them Take a stone and fling it at a feather-bed the stone will make a great dint in it but this dint will not abide though the feather-bed yield to the stone yet there is no remaining of the impression so many a man is of a yielding spirit that nothing will fix 4. A rash inconsiderate frame of spirit cannot stand with true Christianity when a man rusheth upon good duties and upon Offices Church-offices and State-offices without any deliberation Meditation or preparation when a man prays rashly comes to the Sacrament rashly headily hand over head as we say this man is a spiritual fool and all his holy duties are the sacrifices of fools Eccles. 5. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifices of fools for they consider not that they do evil Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God A rash spirited man that prays headily and comes to holy duties headily and inconsiderately this man catcheth many a fall as a man that runs hastily will quickly stumble so a man that is spiritually rash will run into many spiritual evils As a man that is rash in his calling will quickly out-run himself so he that is rash in holy duties will quickly run into a thousand mischiefs as Peter was so rash when he said to Christ Though all men forsake thee yet will not I. He was over rash but it cost him dear So it was a rash act of David when he went to kill Nabal and if Abigail had not hindred him he had murdered him And when he gave the land to Mephibosheth's servant it was a rash act Consider I beseech you these four Particulars these frames of spirit will never make you good Christians never fit you for the practise of this rare duty of Divine Meditation but you must pray unto God that he would give you a solemn and serious spirit if ever you would be rightly qualified to go up to the mount of Divine Meditation The sixth Rule is this Labour for the love of Heaven and Heavenly things the reason why people find it so difficult to meditate upon Heavenly things is for want of love to them for if you did love Christ I need not perswade you to meditate of God I need not perswade a covetous man to meditate of his money a man that loves the world you need not perswade him to meditate of the world or a man that is voluptuous to meditate upon his pleasures his love to his pleasures will force him to think of them
field at eventide INTRODVCTION IT is not unknown unto you I suppose that there are two things required by God of all those that would receive the benefit of the Sacrament the one is preparation before they come and the other is meditation when they are come I have made many and many a Sermon of Preparation but I have made very few of Meditation Now the Sacrament is a meditating Ordinance as I may so express my self it is an Ordinance for Meditation and the great work that we have to do at the Sacrament is to meditate upon Christ crucified and therefore I shall crave leave to make you a few Sermons concerning this rare and excellent Doctrine of Meditation and for this purpose I have chosen this Text Wherein we have four Particulars 1. We have the person that is here spoken of and that is Isaac the godly child of godly Abraham 2. What is here related of this person he went out to meditate 3. The place that he chose for his meditation and that was in the field he went out into the field to meditate 4. The time that he chose to meditate in and that was the evening and Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide The great question for the meaning of this Text will be what the subject of Isaac's Meditation was what did Isaac go out to meditate upon now for this you must know there is a double meditation there is a meditation that is sinful and wicked and there is a meditation that is holy and godly 1. There is a meditation that is sinful and wicked and that is when we meditate upon things that are wicked of this you shall read Psal. 36. 4. He deviseth mischief upon his bed And Psal. 7. 14. Behold he travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief There are wicked meditations as well as wicked conversations and a man may go to Hell for plotting wicked things as well as for practising wicked things And therefore it is said Prov. 12. 2. A man of wicked devices will God condemn Not only a man of wicked practises but a man of wicked devices will he condemn There is a contemplative wickedness as well as an actual wickedness and a man may go to Hell for contemplative wickedness As for example there is a contemplative murder when a man doth delight in the thoughts of murdering his brother when the thought of revenge is pleasing And there is a contemplative adultery when a man doth plot how to commit adultery and delight in the thought of adultery Now Isaac's meditation certainly was not of things that are wicked he did not go out into the field to meditate upon vile and wicked things 2. There is a meditation that is holy and godly and that is when we meditate upon things that are holy and heavenly and of this nature was the meditation of Isaac he went out into the field to meditate on the works of God and of the blessings and mercies of God to meditate upon the Heavenly Canaan and upon his sins and this appears because the Hebrew word that is here used for meditation that is here translated meditation doth also signifie to pray and therefore it is in your margent And Isaac went out to pray at eventide It was a Religious work that Isaac went out about and you must know that Prayer and Meditation are very well joined together Meditation is a preparation to Prayer and Prayer is a fit close for Meditation and Isaac went out to meditate to pray and to meditate and to meditate and pray This Meditation was a holy and heavenly act of Isaac So then the Observation I shall gather is this Observ. That the meditation of holy and heavenly things is a work that God requires at the hands of all people That God that requires you to pray requires you to meditate as well as pray there are few Christians believe this Doctrine That God that requires you to hear Sermons requires you to meditate on the Sermons you hear 1. God requires this of you that are young Gentlemen and therefore here you read of Isaac that he went out to meditate Now though it be true that Isaac at this time was forty years old yet in those days to be of forty years was to be but a young man for Isaac lived an hundred and fourscore years and therefore this is a notable pattern for young Gentlemen to imploy their time in godly and holy meditation 2. This is a duty that God requires of Kings of Nobles and of great persons and therefore David though he was a King and had a great deal of work and business yet he saith of himself Psal. 119. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts v. 23. Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes v. 48. I will meditate in thy statutes 3. This is a duty that God requires at the hands of Soldiers and Generals and Captains Iosh. 1. 8. there God speaks unto Ioshua This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou maist observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success 4. It is a duty that God requires of all Learned men and of all that are Scholars 1 Tim. 4. 15. Give attendance to reading and exhortations and meditate upon these things give thy self wholly unto them 5. This is a duty that God requires of Women and therefore it is said of Mary Luk. 2. 19. She kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart v. 51. But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart That is she meditated upon them In a word it is a duty that God requires of all that look for Blessedness Psal. 1. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night Now you must know there are two sorts of Divine meditation there is a sudden short occasional meditation of Heavenly things and there is a solemn set deliberate meditation I shall crave leave to speak something concerning the first sort of meditation which I call sudden and ejaculatory extemporary and occasional meditation and I shall shew you three things concerning this 1. I will shew you what this ejaculatory and extemporary meditation of Divine things is and the excellency of it 2. I will give you some examples of it 3. I will give you some motives to perswade you to the practise of it 1. I will discover to you what I mean by that I call occasional and extemporary sudden and ejaculatory meditation Occasional meditation is this when a man takes an occasion by what he sees or by what he hears or by what
not so much to have the wrath of God upon us as not to lay it to heart it is a sign of the greatest fury of God for a man to be given over to slightness of spirit when he is under the judgments of God not to regard and lay them to heart And thus I have been somewhat long in setting out unto you the mischiefs that flow from the want of the practise of the grace of Meditation and I do this to provoke you all to be humbled before God for the not practising this duty for I am confident your consciences will tell you that you do not practise it and to convince you of the necessity of the practising of this duty which is quite dead and buried in the world That I may be Gods instrument to stir you up to a conscientious practise of this duty of Heavenly meditation 2. I shall shew you the necessity of it from the benefits and advantages that will come unto Christians by the conscientious practise of this duty and this I will shew in three Particulars 1. It is a mighty help to the working and procuring of all grace 2. It is a mighty help to preserve and increase grace 3. It is a mighty help to arm us against the Devil and all his temptations 1. Meditation when it is sanctified is a mighty help to the begetting of all grace this I will shew in divers Particulars 1. It is a mighty help to work in us repentance and reformation of life and therefore David saith Psal. 119. 59. I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies I thought on my ways that is I considered the evil of my ways and what a bitter thing it is to sin against God what a dishonour I have brought upon God by my evil ways and what a scandal I have brought upon Religion Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall you remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations A conscientious meditation of the evil of sin is a Divine hammer to break your hearts for sin and from sin for did you consider the Majesty of God that is offended by the least sin did you consider the infinite wrath of God against sin did you consider the affronts that are offered to God by sin that every sin is a dethroning of God a robbing of God a striking through the name of God did you consider the pollution that is in sin that sin makes you like the Devil did you further consider the mischief that sin brings upon us sin deprives you of the Beatifical vision sin shuts you out of heaven sin binds you over to everlasting burnings Again did you consider the patience of God and the goodness of God towards you yet notwithstanding all your sins and what an unkind thing it is to sin against so good a God and did you further consider what Christ hath done to purchase pardon for your sins and how Christ hath shed his blood for such wicked wretches as you are did you sanctifiedly meditate upon these things it would mightily provoke you to repent of your sins and to turn unto God And therefore you shall read concerning Peter after he had denied Christ Mark 14. 72. The cock crew and Peter called to mind the word Iesus said unto him Before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice and when he thought thereon he wept The meaning of the Greek word is When he weighed the speech of Christ when he thought what an unkind thing it was to deny his dear Lord and Master this made him weep if he had not meditated of the evil that he had committed he had never wept And what made the Prodigal child return home to his father you shall see the reason Luk. 15. 17. And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger When he came to consider with himself the misery that he had brought upon himself and that there were many servants in his fathers house that had bread enough I will arise saith he and go to my father and I will say Father I have sinned against heaven all this was but his meditation he did but thus think in his heart to do this and he arose and came to his Father 2. Divine meditation is a mighty help to beget in us a love to God for as it is with a picture that hath a curtain drawn over it though the picture be never so beautiful you cannot see the beauty of it till the curtain be drawn aside to an unconsiderating an unmeditating Christian God is as a picture with a curtain drawn over it he cannot see the beauty of God but meditation draws the curtain and lets us in to behold all the beauty that is in God and he that beholds the beauty of God cannot but love God As it is said of Socrates he was so good a man that all that knew him loved him and if any man did not love him it was because they did not know him much more may I say of God All that meditate in and study God cannot but love him And the reason why you do not love him is because you do not study and meditate on God as it is said 1 Ioh. 4. 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love he that knoweth God loveth God What is the reason the Saints in heaven love God so perfectly because they always behold his face they see him they think on him And did you meditate upon the excellency of God that God is altogether lovely that all Excellencies are after an infinite manner concentered in God that there is nothing lovely in the Creature but it is to be found infinitely in the Creator Did you further consider all the good things that God hath done for you all the blessings and mercies that you have received from God did you not only think but did you dwell upon these thoughts did you sit at this fire it would kindle a mighty flame of Divine love in your souls therefore David saith Psal. 39. 3. My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned Psal. 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet Did you meditate much of God you would taste a sweetness in God that would be as a Loadstone to draw your hearts to the love of God 3. Divine meditation is a mighty help to work in us a fear of God the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom now did you study the Majesty of God that God hath all men all the Devils in a chain and that God only can do us hurt and that no man can do us hurt but God must give him leave Did you study the Omnipotency of God you would fear God and fear him only as it is Isa. 51. 12 13. I even I am he that
work of Meditation for want of matter to meditate upon for meditation supposeth knowledg meditation is a dwelling upon that we know and therefore the ignorant Christian cannot be a meditating Christian he that is ignorant of God cannot meditate of God he that is ignorant of Christ crucified cannot meditate of Christ crucified and this is one reason why so many Saints of God are so barren in Sacramental meditation because they know so little of Christ crucified the ignorance of God and Christ is not only a sin but it is the root of all sin It is said 1 Sam. 2. 12. of the two Sons of old Eli They were sons of Belial and they knew not the Lord. All sin is wrapt up in ignorance as a child in swadling clouts as Toads and Serpents grow in dirty and dark Cellars so doth all sin grow where ignorance dwells And therefore Chrysostome saith That ignorance is a deep hell And one saith very well An ignorant Christian is the Devils shop wherein he forges all manner of wickedness 2. There is the forgetful Christian for meditation is a meditating of what we know concerning God and Heaven and the day of Judgment it is a bringing of the things we know unto our selves and therefore a forgetful Christian cannot be a meditating Christian he that forgets the Mercies of God can never meditate on the Mercies of God This sin of forgetfulness of God is a sin that the Children of Israel were very guilty of Psal. 106. 7. The Prophet complains of them our Fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the Sea even at the red Sea v. 13. they soon forgot his works v. 31. They forgot God their Saviour which had done great things in Egypt therefore he said that he would destroy them The forgetfulness of God and the mercies of God is made the root of all sin as well as the ignorance of God Iudg. 3. 7. The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot the Lord their God therefore they did evil in the sight of the Lord. And therefore God lays a charge upon the children of Israel that when they came into the land of Canaan and should have the fulness of all outward blessings Deut. 8. 11. Beware saith he that thou forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes which I command thee this day lest when thou hast eaten and art full and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein v. 14. Then thy heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God You that forget the mercies of God God will forget to be merciful unto you and you that do not remember what good things God hath done for you God will take order that you shall have no good things to remember The good Thief on the Cross when he was dying his great request to Christ was Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom It is the great desire of all Saints that God would remember them in mercy but certainly you that forget the mercies of God God will forget to be merciful unto you 3. I am to reprove the rash-headed Christian that rushes upon Duties and upon Ordinances and publick Offices without consideration that comes rashly to the Sacrament and kneels down rashly to his private and publick devotion that doth not consider before-hand when he comes to worship the Lord our God this I call the rash-headed Christian we have many such among us And there are four things worthy your observing that may be said of a rash-headed Christian. He is a spiritual fool and all the Sacraments he receives and the prayers he makes they are the sacrifices of fools as you have it excellently set down Eccles. 5. 1 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifices of fools for they consider not that they do evil Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Out of which two verses I gather these two things 1. That it is the duty of all Christians in all their addresses to God to consider who this God is to whom they draw near to consider their own vileness and Gods excellency to consider that God is in heaven and they are upon earth 2. That whosoever doth rush upon Ordinances without consideration he doth offer up the sacrifice of fools because he doth not consider that he doth evil when you come rashly to publick duties here upon the Sabbath-day and you come rashly to the Sacrament and when you are hasty to utter words to God you come as so many spiritual fools 2. A rash-headed Christian will many times speak that which he will wish he had not spoken and he will do that which he shall have cause to repent of We have many examples of the Saints of God that have paid dearly for their rash-speaking and their rash-practising for this rashness is a sin that the Saints of God are very much subject to we read of Peter that he fell three times into this sin Mat. 16. 22. there Christ told Peter That he must be crucified and Peter began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Peter spake very rashly now Christ said unto him Get thee behind me satan thou art an offence unto me And Luk. 9. when Christ was transfigured then Peter began to utter a rash speech saith Peter to Christ Master it is good for us to be here and let us make three tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias not knowing what he said It was a rash speech and especially Luk. 22. when Christ told him that one of you shall betray me saith he very rashly Master though all betray thee yet will not I betray thee But he spake rashly not knowing the deceitfulness of his own heart We read of the two brethren Iames and Iohn that they spake very rashly unto Christ Luk. 9. 54. When his two disciples Iames and Iohn saw this they said Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them even as Elias did but he turned and rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of We read of Moses that he spake unadvisedly with his lips and God was angry with him Numb 20. Shall we bring water for you out of he rock he spake unadvisedly and the Lord was angry with him Iephtha made a rash vow Whatsoever I see I will offer in sacrifice He had cause to repent of that Vow And that which I say of words I may say of deeds the Saints of God have done many things in their haste that they have cause to repent of David rashly
gave away the land of innocent Mephibosheth to his servant 2 Sam. 16. 4. Ziba came with a false accusation against his Master and David rashly without examining the cause said Thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth which was a very sinful and an unjust rash action of David he gave away all the estate of the Master to a cunning servant And when he came marching against Nabal he spake rashly and was acting rashly As the Lord lives saith he I will not leave one alive of the house of Nabal and he came with his army thinking to destroy all if Abigail had not prevented him 3. A rash-headed Christian will quickly run into error and into by-paths As a man that runs hastily is very prone to stumble so those Christians that rush upon the profession of Religion and rush upon publick Offices and Ordinances they are like to miscarry in them and they are apt to run into error for a rash-headed Christian is led more by passion than judgment he is led more by affection than by reason He is like a horse without bridle like a house without walls a city without gates a city without walls and doors is easily robbed so a rash-headed Christian is easily cozened of the truths of Christ. 4. A rash-headed Christian will never persevere and hold out to the end he that takes a profession of Religion upon him rashly and doth not consider before-hand what it will cost him when this man meeteth with more difficulty than he is aware of he will apostatize and fall away And therefore it is the speech of our Saviour Luk. 14. 28. Which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it What King going to make war against another King sitteth not down first and counteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand Let it not be offensive to tell you and let not your hearts rise against it There are many of this City took up the Presbyterian Perswasion but they never considered what they took they took it as an opinion cried up but as soon as ever they found opposition they fell from it because they never considered what it was when they took it Few men consider seriously what Religion is and what it is to be a real Saint and a real professor of Religion and therefore as soon as ever persecution and trouble arise they fall away for want of meditation and consideration 4. I am to reprove especially your slight-headed Christians that cannot dwell long upon any thing that is good that rove and wander from one thing to another this frame of spirit if I be not mistaken is quite opposite to Religion Do not think me censorious for I must profess I have been long of this opinion That a slight-headed Christian cannot be a good Christian. Religion is a serious and solemn matter it is a business of eternity and I read of Religious persons in Scripture that they are commended for their seriousness It is said of the Virgin Mary Luk. 2. 19. All that heard it wondred at the things that were told them but she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart A Religious Christian is a thoughtful pondering Christian Luk. 1. 66. All they that heard them laid them up in their hearts saying What manner of child shall this be A true Saint of God is a considering thoughtful serious Christian therefore a slight-headed Christian is but a slight Christian for he that thinks slightly of God will serve him slightly and speak slightly of him a slight head produceth a slight heart and a slight life if the thought of God and Christ make but slight impression upon thy soul thy expressions of God and Christ will be more slight he that thinks slightly of God God will slight him a slight-headed Christian is but a vain Christian and all his Religion is but vanity but like a slight garment or a slight house that any wind blows down The Lord give you to think of this Most Christians in the world are slight-headed Christians that think slightly of sin of God of Christ of the day of Judgment I but you will say unto me Are all men that have slight heads hypocrites A. I will give you a distinction that I may not be misunderstood There is a double slightness of head there is a slightness of head that is a natural disease when a man through the weakness of his head cannot dwell long upon any thing when he cannot think of worldly business long his head will not bear it now thou maist be a true child of God and have a weak head that is not able to think long of any thing at all And there is a slightness of head that is a sinful slightness and that is when a man can be serious upon the things of the world can dwell upon worldly businesses but cannot dwell long upon the things of heaven cannot be serious about the things of his soul but as soon as ever he comes to prayer he is slight as soon as ever he comes to the Sacrament or any holy duty then he hath slight thoughts of God and of Heaven such an one was Gallio Act. 18. when he saw it was a matter of Religion he cared for none of these things saith he if it were a matter of civil right I would regard it but seeing it is matter of religion look ye to it And Pilate was a slight-headed man Ioh. 18. 38. Pilate saith unto him what is truth that was a good question and when he had said this he went out again unto the Iews he never looked for an answer he had a slight thought came into his mind that was good but he went away and never came and desired Christ to give him answer I beseech you to consider of it a slight-headed Christian can never be a good Christian. If the things of God do not make impression upon your hearts you will never be serious about the things of eternity These are the four sorts of Christians that are to be reproved for want of meditation But I have another use of reproof If those are to be reproved that neglect this Divine duty of meditation much more are those to be reproved that meditate upon things that are wicked instead of meditating upon the things of Heaven Here are two sorts I would speak a little to either those that meditate to do evil or those that meditate upon the evil they have done 1. It reproves those that meditate to do evil you shall read of them Psal. 36. 4. They devise mischief upon their bed Jer. 18. 18. Then said they come and let us devise devices against Ieremiah There are some men that plot how to do evil which is a double sin it is one sin to do evil it is a greater sin to plot to do evil a man may go to hell
so must you when these roving thoughts come upon you when you are in the Temple or the mount of meditation you must thrust them out that is you must use all your spiritual strength to thrust them out and you must pray unto God as Moses prayed Exod. 8. that God would take away this plague of flies and do as Pharoah did he sent for Moses Oh pray pray unto God for me that this swarm of flies may depart out of the land Speak to thy godly Ministers thy godly friends to pray for thee and do thou pray for thy self that the Lord would deliver thee from these noisome imaginations and fancies and roving thoughts that do disturb you in the Worship of God and in the practise of this duty of Divine Meditation So much for the place where we are to meditate The 2d thing to speak to is the time when we are to meditate it is said in the Text And Isaac went out to meditate in the eventide it seems Isaac found the Evening to be the fittest time for Meditation Dr. Hall in his excellent Tract of Meditation tells us out of his own experience that he found the evening-time to be the fittest time for Meditation And there is a learned Minister in that excellent Book of the Saints Everlasting Rest doth likewise from his own experience commend the eventide for the best and suitablest time for Meditation and he saith from the Sun-setting to the twi-light and sometimes in the night when it is warm and clear I will not lay clogs upon any mans conscience that which is seasonable for one is unseasonable for another some mens tempers are fittest to meditate in the morning and some mens tempers are fittest to meditate in the evening Now there are four Propositions four rules of Direction concerning the time when I would have you to meditate 1. It is the duty of all those that are not hindred by necessary business if it be possible to set apart some time every day for meditation whether it be morning afternoon or night For Meditation is the life and soul of all Christianity it is that which makes you improve all the Truths of Christian Religion you are but the Skeletons of Christians without Meditation it is as necessary as your daily bread and as you feed your bodies every day so you ought to feed your souls every day with meditating on your sins or your Evidences for Heaven or the everlasting burnings of Hell or of the day of Judgment the great account you are to give at that day or of the joys of Heaven or of the Promises c. We are every day assaulted with the Devil therefore we should every day put on the armour of Divine Meditation to consider how to resist the wiles of the Devil we are every day subject to death we are every day subject to sin therefore we should every day consider how to prepare our selves for death and every day consider how to resist sin Meditation is nothing else but a conversing with God the souls colloquie with God and it is fit we should every day walk with God Divine Meditation is nothing else but the souls transmigration into heaven the souls ascending up into Heaven now it is fit every day that we should have our conversation in Heaven David when he describes the blessed man Psal. 1. 2. saith he His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his law will he meditate day and night And he saith of himself though he was a King and had many worldly businesses the affairs of his Kingdom to hinder him yet he saith Psal. 119. 97. Oh how do I love thy law it is my meditation all the day v. 148. Mine eyes prevent the night-watches that I might meditate on thy word There is the morning-time for Meditation I prevent the dawning of the morning that I might meditate in thy word v. 15. I will delight my self in thy statutes and I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto all thy ways And Ioshua that great General of the Army though he was a man surely of great imployments yet God doth lay an injunction upon him Iosh. 1. 7 8. The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day night 2. I will go higher yet it is our duty to set a sufficient proportion of time apart every day Oh it is a hard matter to get our hearts in tune for this duty as it is with a Musician he hath a great deal of time to string and to tune his Instrument before he can play the best Christian is like an Instrument unstrung and untuned he had need take a great deal of time to get his heart in tune for Divine Meditation the best Christian is like wet wood which will not burn you know without a great deal of blowing he had need to take a great deal of time to kindle a holy zeal in his heart to God to blow up the sparks of grace that are in him If a man would fill a Chest that is full of dirt full of Gold he must take time to empty the Chest before he can fill it By nature we are all full of the world full of the dirt of the world full of vanity full of carnal creature-pleasure now it is our duty first to take pains to empty the Chest before we can fill it full of Heaven full of God and Christ. Now I propound this to you that have a great deal of spare time especially you that spend whole afternoons in idle visitings and vain recreations Oh that I could perswade you to give God a visit every day and to meditate of God and of Christ and your selves and the recreations of the other world let me perswade you that count it your happiness to live vainly that you have not so much work to do as other men have to set some time apart to go up into the mount of God to meditate of the things of the other world And that I might provoke you let me tell you thus much it is the greatest curse under heaven for God to give a man over to live an idle life to trifle away his days in vanity and so it is reckoned Psal. 78. 33. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity Therefore it is spoken as a curse hearken to this you that idle away your time there cannot be a greater curse of God upon you than to suffer you to idle away your time herein you idle away your salvation this direction belongs to you that are rich men rich Merchants that have whole Exchanges full of business in your heads to beseech you that you would contract your worldly affairs into a narrower compass that you may have time for the practise of this rare duty of Meditation which is the very life and soul of all duty And the reason why you are so lean and poor in grace is for want of the
practise of this duty be not always like Martha troubled with this and that business but remember Maries choice who chose the better part in attending upon Christ's Ministry I would have all rich men every day think of that Text Luk. 12. 20. Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee and what then will become of all thy possessions I confess God doth not require this at the hand of the daily labourer or at the hands of servants that are not masters of their own time and those that are very poor and are not able to set time apart for Meditation But you may remember I gave you a distinction between Ejaculatory Meditation and solemn Meditation a poor man when he is at his work may have a short Ejaculatory Meditation though he hath not time for this set and solemn meditation when he is at his work he may meditate upon the Promises and of Heaven and of Hell and of Death and Iudgment and the vanity of the world I have heard of a godly man was wont to say I thank God I can be in heaven in the midst of the croud of Cheapside I can meditate on the Rest I shall have in the other world 3. The third Direction is this The Sabbath-day especially is a day wherein all sorts of people are to busie themselves in this excellent work of Divine Meditation this is a day wherein the labourer ceaseth from his work the Plowmans yoke is taken off and the labouring-man and the serving man have their rest therefore it concerns all of us to spend some time every Sabbath-day in Meditation to meditate of the work of Creation or Redemption for the Lords-day is so called because Christ rose on that day and Christ set apart that day in memory of his Resurrection in memory of his Redemption therefore this is thy work Oh Christian not only to come to the publick Ordinances not only to pray in thy family but to set some time apart for Divine Meditation and the Lord forgive us this sin that we have omitted this duty so long Oh that I could be Gods instrument that there might be a resurrection of it that you would make conscience of it every Sabbath-day as you make conscience of attending upon publick and private duties so you would put this as one of your Sabbath-day duties for it is the very Quintessence the life and soul of all duty the Sabbath-day is a type of the eternal Sabbath which we shall keep for ever in Heaven and shall not I think of my eternal Sabbath upon the Sabbath shall not I be much in Heaven when I am keeping a rest upon earth that represents my eternal rest in Heaven let us upon our day of rest meditate much upon our eternal rest Oh let us upon our Sabbath-day meditate upon the everlasting Sabbath which we shall keep with God Almighty the Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever in Heaven 4. And last Direction is this That Sacrament-days are especially to be meditating-days to be set apart for this great work of Divine Meditation it is the great end why Christ hath appointed the Sacrament to shew forth the Lords-death till he come and saith Christ Do this in remembrance of me There are two things make us worthy receivers of the Sacrament Preparation before we come and Meditation when we are come and though thy Preparation be never so serious yet if thou dost not act aright in thy Meditation as well as thou hast done in thy Preparation thou maist lose the benefit of the Sacrament Now if any should ask me What are those things you would have us to meditate of when we are come unto the Sacrament or when we are at the Sacrament There are twelve Meditations which ought to take up our Sacramental-time which I call twelve common-place-heads I do not say we can meditate upon all of them at one Sacrament but my design is to give you matter sufficient that you may sometimes meditate of one sometimes of another I will but name them 1. You must meditate of the great and wonderful love of God the Father in giving Christ not only to die for us upon the Cross but in giving him to be our food at the Sacrament there was nothing moved God to give Christ but pure love and great love For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son So how so infinitely so inexpressibly the love of God in bestowing Christ is so great that the Angels desire to look into it And you that are not affected with this love I fear you have little share in it That is enough to take up one Sacrament 2. You are to meditate at the Sacrament not only of the love of the Father in giving of his Son but of the love of Christ in giving himself Ephes. 5. 2. Who loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour As God gave Christ so Christ gave himself as God gave himself as man the Godhead infused this will into the Manhood that Christ willingly laid down his life Ioh. 10. 17 18. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it up again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up this commandment have I received of my Father Now the love of Christ in giving himself to be a curse for us is a love that passeth knowledg yet it is a love that we must study to know It is a riddle but such a riddle as the Apostle himself doth in so many express words declare unto us Ephes. 3. 19. That we may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledg Great is the love of Christ which passeth knowledg great is the love of Christ in dying for us and being made sin for us and being made a curse for us 3. We must meditate of the heinousness of sin when we were all fallen in Adam we were ingulphed into such a bottomless abyss of misery that none but the blood of a God could deliver us for there was an infinite breach by sin between God and us and this breach could never be made up but by the blood of God That is a rare meditation at the Sacrament to meditate of the heinousness of sin when you see the bread broken it was sin that caused Christs body to be broken and when you see the wine poured out it was sin caused Christs blood to be poured out it was sin that caused Christ to suffer so much 4. You must meditate of the excellency of this Sacramental feast for the Sacrament is a commemorative Sacrifice it is a commemoration of that blessed Sacrifice that was offered on the Cross for our sins and it is an obsignation
doing of the duty that God looks after as the right manner of doing the duty It is not the hearing the Word will please God unless we hear the word of God aright therefore Christ saith take heed how you hear it is not prayer that will prevail with God unless we pray after a right manner unless we pray in faith with fervency and humility so it is not the meditation of God and Christ and the Promises will do us any good unless we meditate after the right manner that God would have us to meditate Now I shall acquiant you with six properties of Divine Meditation for the right manner of performing it 1. Divine Meditation must be often and frequent Deut. 6. 7. there God commands Thou shall teach the words of the Law diligently unto thy children thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Josh. 1. 8. The book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night Though he was a great Commander and had affairs of great concernment yet God commands him to meditate day and night in the Law of God And David tells us of a godly man Psal. 1. 2. That he will delight himself in the law of God and in his law will he meditate day and night Psal. 119. 97 98 99. David professeth of himself though he was a King and had many diversions yet saith he Oh how do I love thy law it is my meditation day and night Thou through thy commandments hath made me wiser than my enemies for they are ever with me or it is ever with me speaking of the Commandments of God he had them always in his thoughts I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation Psal. 139. 8. When I awake I am still with thee What is the meaning of that that is by the meditation of God in the morning as soon as ever he awaked he begun the day with Meditation with some sweet pious thought of God It is the duty of a Christian as you have heard if it be possible if his worldly occasions do not necessarily hinder him there may you know be necessary avocations to spend some time every day in Divine Meditation You that are Ladies men of great Estates and have time are to set some solemn time some solemn part of the day for Meditation but all of us are to have Ejaculatory Meditation though it be in our worldly business There are three Reasons to perswade you to frequent Meditation 1. Because the oftner you meditate of God and Christ and Heaven the more you will know of God and Christ and Heaven and the more you will love God and Christ and the more earnestly you will seek after the things of Heaven for you must know the things of Heaven are like a beautiful Picture the more you view them the more will you admire them and seek after them to enjoy them I have read a story of Necrasophus who was an excellent Painter that viewing wistly a Picture there came a Country-man by and seeing him view that Picture so wistly he asked him Why do you look upon that Picture so much saith the Painter to him If you had my eyes you would never ask me this Question if you knew the excellency of this Picture you would never ask me why I look so much upon it The things of Heaven the things of God the Promises of God are most glorious and excellent things and the more you look into them the more you will look into them and the oftenr you view these Pictures the more you will admire them and the more you will view them God and Christ and Heaven are like unto a bottomless Mine of treasure the more you dig in this Mine the more riches you will find in it they are like unto a sweet cordial the more you chew them the more sweetness you will find in them They are like an excellent garden in the Spring-time the oftner a man goes into the garden still he finds a new flower and another flower and another flower so the things of God and Christ and the Promises and Heaven the more you walk in this garden the more flowers you will gather you will have still new flowers to pick. And the reason why the Saints of God love God no more and prize Christ no more and seek no more after Heaven is because they do not meditate more of God and Christ and Heaven the want of frequent meditation of them is the reason why we love them and esteem them so little and seek so little after them The second Reason why we should frequently meditate upon things Divine is because the oftner we meditate of God and Christ the more near and intimate acquaintance we shall have with them as you know Neighbours the oftner they visit one another the more acquainted they come one with another and the seldomer they visit one another the more estranged they are one to another Visitation breeds acquaintance so the seldomer you think of God and Christ the more you are estranged from them and the less acquaintance you have with them and the oftner you meditate of God the more intimate society you will have with him as I have told you Divine Meditation is nothing else but a dwelling upon the things of God a conversing with God and Christ and the Promises and it will be matter of rare comfort to a child of God when he lies upon his death-bed and is going out of the world to consider I am now going to a God that I am acquainted withal that I am not a stranger to I am going to heaven where I have been often in my meditation It is reported of Dr. Preston when he was dying he used these words Blessed be God though I change my place yet I shall not change my company for I have walked with God while I lived and now I go to rest with God A man that is often in meditation is often in Heaven often walking with God and Christ and the Promises and when he dies he goes to enjoy the Promises and to be and to live for ever with this Christ. It is a sad and a disconsolate thing for a man when he comes to die to think of God as a stranger to think of Heaven as a place where he hath never been he hath hardly had a thought of it all his life I verily perswade my self it is one reason that the Saints of God are so unwilling to die because they have no more acquaintance with God in this life they think of him as a stranger the more you are acquainted with God while you live the more willing you will be to die to go to him for death to a child of God is nothing else but a resting with God with whom he walked while
he lived to rest in the bosom of God in whose bosom he hath often been by holy meditation when he was alive 3. You must be often and frequent in the duty of Divine Meditation by often using it to make it more easie there is great complaint of the difficulty of this duty it hath been often said to me Sir there is no duty in the world so hard as Divine Meditation and it is true it is a hard matter to keep the heart close in Meditation of Divine things and therefore you must accustom your selves to this duty and use will make perfectness usus promptos facit by often doing it at last through grace it will become easie When a young youth is bound Prentice to a Manual Trade at first it seems very hard to learn his Trade but by long custom at last he is very expert in it A man that is to go up a hill every morning at first he pants and breathes and cannot get up the hill within a little while he can get up with ease so this duty of Divine Meditation though it be exceeding difficult because it is exceeding spiritual yet by often and frequent practising of it through the assistance of Gods Spirit it will become at last very easie whereas the seldomness of the practice of this duty makes it difficult and intermission of any thing makes it very hard A man that learns the Greek or Hebrew Tongues or learn to speak French if he intermit the speaking eleven or twelve years he will quickly forget to speak it so long omission of this duty is the reason why it is so difficult would you but resolve to practise it for one twelve month you would find it at the twelve months end an easie duty through the help of God The second property is this Divine Meditation must be solemn and serious though we must accustom our selves to this duty yet we must take heed of customariness and formality in the duty formality in good duty is the dead fly that spoils the box of precious ointment God hates a formal Christian he hates a formal prayer a formal hearer of the word formality in Gods service is like the plague of locusts of which you read Exod. 10. that did eat up all the green things in the land formality in good duties eats up all the beauty and all the comfort and benefit of a good duty there is nothing God hates more than formality in his service therefore you must take heed above all things of being formal in the practice of this duty of Meditation it must be solemn and serious and you must be very intent about it slight thoughts of God will make but a slight impression upon the affections and he that thinks slightly of God will serve him slightly and love him slightly he that thinks slightly of sin will slight sin he that thinks slightly of God God will slight him And the reason why we serve God with so little affection and so little devotion and reverence is because we meditate slightly of God for slight thoughts of God work but a slight heart and a slight conversation I will give you an instance or two of this slight way of Meditation Ioh. 6. you shall read of certain men that when Christ was preaching had a very good ejaculation ver 34. Lord say they evermore give us of this bread it was a sweet Meditation but it was but a short a slight and formal one for at the end of the Chapter these men forsook Christ it was not a solemn and serious Meditation Ioh. 18. 38. you read of Pilate Pilate saith unto him what is truth here is a good question that arose from some inward thought that he had and when he had said this he went out again he never thought of it more he never tarried to hear an answer but now our care must be to be very solemn and serious in this work of Divine Meditation let me give you an example of Alexander the Great a Heathen man was offering Sacrifice to his God the Priest that held the Censor the Chafing-dish wherein the Incense was there was a spark of fire fell upon his hand and he was so intent and unwilling to hinder the Sacrifice that he suffered his hand rather to be burnt than he would intermit the Sacrifice this shews how devout and intent this Priest was even in the service of the Heathenish God and Chrysostome tells a story of a Lady that being to make a precious ointment she calls in all her handmaids to help her so saith he when we converse with God in any holy duty we must call in all our handmaids all our affections when we are making any holy ointment the meaning is this when you are conversing with God by meditation or conversing with Christ or the Promises you must call in all your affections to assist you you must be very solemn and serious and intent upon this work And yet I must give you one caution here you must take heed you be not over-intent though you must be serious you must not be over-serious I have heard a story of a godly Minister Mr. Welsh that was one day meditating of eternity and he was so serious in the thoughts of Eternity that he fell into a trance into a swound that they could hardly ever recover life in him again he was so swallowed up in that Meditation he was too serious we must be serious but not over-serious we must do as good travellers do that will be careful not to over-ride their horses lest they tire they will ride moderately that so they may hold out to their journeys end so must we be serious but we must be moderate not over-serious we must remember we have a body of flesh that is not able to bear over-much seriousness in these weighty Meditations of Eternity and God and Christ and Heaven 3. Divine Meditation must not only be notional and speculative but practical and affectionate therefore consideration and meditation are not only acts of the head but acts of the heart Deut. 4. 39. Know therefore this day and consider it in thy heart There are three doors as I may so speak that Meditation must get into or else it is of no use 1. It must get into the understanding that must ponder the things of Heaven but it must not tarry there But 2. It must get into the door of the heart and affections to stir them up for the understanding must be as a Divine pair of Bellows to kindle a Divine fire in the heart and affections and to inflame and raise them up as David saith Psal. 39. While I was musing the fire burned we must so muse upon God and Christ that our affections may as it were burn within us as the Disciples hearts burnt within them while Christ was speaking 3. It must get into the door of the conversation that is we must so meditate of Christ as to live according to
the life of Christ and so to meditate of God as to obey the Commands of God And unless your Meditation get into these three doors it is of no use the understanding to the heart and affections is like the nurse to the child you know the office of the nurse is to prepare meat for the child to chew and cut it that the child may eat it so the work of the understanding is to prepare Divine Truths for the heart and affections that the heart may close with them and eat and digest them but if the nurse should eat the meat she chews and give nothing to the child the child may starve for all the nurse so though the understanding doth chew never such glorious Truths if it doth not convey them to the heart and affections it is of no use there is many a man spends his time in Meditation as a Butterflye feeds upon the flower sucks the flower not to be fruitful and useful but meerly to paint her wings so he studies and ponders of Divine things meerly to paint his wings to get curious language of God and Christ and curious notions of sin and the promises but because he doth not convey them into his heart and affections he is never the holier never the better for his Meditation but true Meditation is this when we so meditate of Christ as to find vertue coming out of Christ to cure the bloody issue of our sins to meditate of him so as to be transformed into him when we so meditate of God as to love God and desire after God and rejoice in God and live according to the Commands of God when we so meditate of sin as to hate and abhor it and turn from it so meditate of the promises as to close with them when by frequent musing of God there is a holy fire of Divine love kindled towards God as it is in Psal. 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet When we so meditate on God as it gets into our affections to sweeten the thoughts of God unto our souls then the meditation of God is sweet this is the reason why many times an honest plain-hearted Christian finds more benefit by the practise of this Divine Meditation than a great Scholar for a great Scholar will meditate to find out some glorious expressions some curious notions As a man that reads a book meerly for the fine language and a man that hears a Sermon meerly to feast his ears because of the eloquence of the Sermon and goes home never the holier never the better but now the honest plain-hearted Christian meditates of the things of Heaven that he may be made the more heavenly he meditates of God that he may love and fear him more he meditates of Christ that he may prize him more he meditates of sin that he may hate it more and of the Promises that he may love them more though he cannot find out these curious notions that a Scholar doth yet his heart is more affected many times than the heart of a greater Scholar if he be not godly Divine Meditation is of no use unless it be practical and affectionative 4. Property is this Divine Meditation must be particular and applicative for generals will not work at all the Philosopher saith that fire in general doth not burn it is this fire that burns a sword in general doth not cut it is this sword cuts so confused meditation of heaven God and Christ will do you little good but if ever you would get good by the practise of meditation you must come down to particulars and you must so meditate of Christ as to apply Christ to thy soul and so meditate of Heaven as to apply Heaven to thy soul this is mine this is my portion Christ is my portion he is Iehovah my righteousness Nam quid est Deus si non est meus What am I the better for Heaven or for Christ if they be not mine what comfort can I have to meditate of Christ if I have no interest in him if I cannot apply him what comfort can I have to meditate of Heaven if I have no right to Heaven I meditate of a place that doth not belong to me Therefore the greatest part of Meditation is Application you must apply the things you meditate of to your own particular and that man that in his meditation of Christ can say with Thomas My God and my Lord is of all men the happiest blessed is that man that can say my God and my Lord. There are four things that work mightily upon the heart Necessity and Excellency Propriety and Perpetuity the heart is much taken with things that are excellent especially when they are necessary especially if I have a propriety in them and this propriety be perpetual and thrice happy is that man that can say all these four concerning God and Christ that when he meditates of the excellency of God and Christ and Heaven and the necessity of enjoying them when he can add a propriety all these are mine God is my God Christ is my righteousness and Heaven is my inheritance and my inheritance for ever Oh this man is in Heaven already that can make this application upon Scripture-grounds And therefore be sure in the practise of this duty your meditation be applicative though a medicine be never so soveraign it doth you no good unless you apply it the water in the fountain will never do you good unless it be brought to you by a cistern conveyed to you some way or other so the meditation of God Christ and Heaven will little avail unless you make application and this is especially to be used at the Sacrament the work you are to do at the Sacrament is meditation and in all Sacramental meditation you must be sure to join application when you meditate of the breaking of the bread of the body of Christ that was broken for you you must apply it it was broken for me and when you see the wine poured out you must meditate of the blood of Christ that was poured out upon the Cross you must make application by faith that is the great act of faith This blood was poured out for me this body was broken for me and now God offers Christ God gives Christ to me there is the sweetness in the Sacrament The fifth Property Divine Meditation must be calm and quiet there are many well affected Christians that in the practise of this duty will force themselves too much this is proper to young beginners that when they meditate of their sins will force themselves into tears and when they meditate of Christ will force themselves into joy it is ordinary when young Christians meditate because they cannot find their affections wrought upon they will use violence to their affections and force out tears or joy according to the nature of the thing they meditate upon just like the man Act. 3. 7 8. the lame man that was
know thy interest in them thou wouldest often think of them or if thou didst love them thou wouldest often think of them or if thou hadst a Heavenly heart thou wouldest often think of them Oh therefore go to Christ and whatsoever you ask in the name of Christ it shall be given unto you 2. I am to set down Rules for the right ordering the materials the subjects that we are to meditate upon And here I shall give you in these four Rules I. Be sure that in the beginning till you come to be acquainted with this duty you pick out easie subjects to meditate upon there are some subjects that are very abstruse and sublime and difficult it is a hard matter for a weak Christian to spend an hour in the meditation of the ineffable and great mystery of the Trinity or in the meditation of the Hypostatical Vnion of the two Natures of Christ in one Person or in the meditation of the Mystical Union between Christ and a Christian. And therefore my advice is that in the beginning of the practice of this rare duty you would pick out easie subjects to meditate upon As for example I should think that it were an easie thing to spend an hour in meditating upon the Attributes of God to meditate of Gods Omnipotence and Gods Omniscience and Gods Omnipresence and the All-sufficiency of God the Everlastingness of God the Eternity of God the Perfections that are in God and so to meditate upon the works of God the work of Creation to meditate what God made the first second third fourth fifth sixth day to meditate on the goodness and mercy of God in creating the great fabrick of Heaven and Earth and to meditate of the work of Redemption to meditate of Iesus Christ of the Divine and humane nature of Christ. I should conceive it were an easie thing especially to you that love Christ to spend a great deal of time in meditation of the love of God in sending Christ to become man and of the love of Christ the mysery of love the miracle of love in God becoming man and to meditate of the life of Christ and the death of Christ what Christ suffered in the Garden when he sweat drops of blood and what he suffered upon the Cross when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Of the love of Christ that died for us and of the persons for whom Christ died for us when we were sinners and of the patience and humility of Christ whilst he was dying for us and to meditate of the Resurrection of Christ the Ascension of Christ and the Offices of Christ the Kingly Priestly and Prophetical Office and to meditate of our interest in Christ and how we should do to walk worthy of Christ. I conceive there are few that truly fear God that are so little furnished with spiritual knowledg but are able to spend an hour in meditating upon these things I might add another meditation and that is the meditation of Heaven who is there that hath any thing of Heaven in him that cannot spend an hour in meditating 1. Of the happiness of Heaven in general It is a place where we shall have such joys that eye never saw nor ear heard nor ever entred into the heart of man to conceive it is a place where we shall be crowned with three Crowns a Crown of Life a Crown of Glory a Crown of Righteousness It is an inheritance that hath three Properties which any understanding Christian may spend many years in thinking of An inheritance immortal undefiled and that never fadeth away 2. To meditate of the happiness of Heaven in particular as for example who is there of such a low form of grace that cannot spend time to meditate of the Beatifical Vision what a happiness it will be in Heaven to see God face to face for God is an universal Good all good is in God God is all happiness and therefore he that is admitted to see God sees all happiness in God And then to meditate of the sight of Christ what a rare thing will it be for a poor soul to live for ever in Heaven with Jesus Christ and to behold his face to be with the Lord Christ And then to meditate of the company that we shall have in Heaven to be present with Angels and Archangels with all the Patriarchs and with all the holy men of God that ever have been And then to meditate of the place it self Heaven is the Paradise of God it is the Throne of God it is the first building the highest building the largest building the best building of the Creation of God And then to meditate of the perpetuity of those joys who cannot spend a little time in meditating of the eternity of the joys of Heaven not only the perfection but the perpetuity of them and then to meditate of thy interest in these joys whether thou be'st a person qualified to go to Heaven and then to meditate how thou maist do to get to be qualified to go to that holy place in which no unclean person shall ever enter That is the first Rule 2. I would have you use variety in your Meditation I would not have you always dwell upon one subject the strongest stomack will loath to eat always of one dish and therefore I gave you in several particulars to meditate upon I gave you a large field to walk in and I did this the rather that so you might have matter enough you might not be drawn dry for want of subjects that you might sometimes pick one flower and then another flower and then another flower Variety will much delight a Christian. And truly I would fain have this duty not be a burden to any but a delight to all Sometimes I would have you meditate of the vanity of the world and sometimes of death of the certainty and uncertainty of death and how to be fit for death Sometimes I would have you meditate of the day of Judgment sometimes of Hell sometimes of Heaven sometimes of the sinfulness of sin sometimes of the love of Christ. So I would have you walk in the garden of Divine Meditation from flower to flower that you may take the more delight and content in it The third Rule is this Be sure to pick out such subjects to meditate upon especially which do most of all work compunction in the heart that do most of all stir up holiness and provoke you to godliness and piety Of this kind is the meditation of the Incarnation of Christ the Meditation of the Life and Death and Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. It is a meditation if the Lord bless it that will mightily provoke you to holiness and to piety and to thankfulness so the meditation of death is a sin-mortifying meditation and so the meditation of Heaven and the day of Judgment these are soul-sanctifying meditations So likewise the meditation of the vanity of the
thy children if thou hast any thy estate all that thou hast recommend them unto thy God shut up all with a sweet resignation of thy self and all thy affairs and all thy ways As David saith Commit your ways unto the Lord commit your selves and your affairs all that you are all that you have into the hands of the Lord as a faithful Creator and a merciful Redeemer I would have you close up all with a committing and a submitting committing thy ways unto God submitting unto God in all his ways purposing to live to his glory and to walk worthy of that heavenly calling to which thou art called And thus I have put an end to this subject of Divine Meditation Now what remains but to perswade you to the practise of these things That which a learned man who hath written a Tract called The art of Divine Meditation closeth his Book withal let me close this with saith he Oh that my words were as so many gourds to quicken up the dead and dull and drousie hearts of Christians to a conscientious practice of this excellent duty of Divine Meditation It is a strange speech that he useth saith he I will give any man leave to curse me upon his death-bed if he doth not then acknowledg that those hours that he hath spent in Divine Meditation have been the best hours that he hath spent in all his life if he doth not then confess he is sorrowful that he spent no more hours in so blessed a work Sure I am when you lye upon your death-bed this will be your comfort Lord I have been often in Heaven in Meditation and now I am going to that place that I am acquainted withal Oh my God! I have been often with thee in the Mount I have been often meditating of thee Oh my blessed Saviour thou art no stranger to me I have been often meditating of Christ. Oh what comfort will this be to you when you lye upon your death-beds I will not say curse me if you do not find this true but I will say this is as sure as the Word of God is true you will find it so There are four things I will conclude this Discourse withal 1. I would humbly beseech you that you would mourn before God that you have lived so many years in the School of Christ and have been no more acquainted with this duty of Divine Meditation I believe there are very many that have been long standers in Christ's School that never yet practised this duty of Divine Meditation that never were half an hour together in the Mount of God solemnly and seriously Now I beseech you mourn before the Lord that we have been no more acquainted with this blessed and heavenly duty 2. Let us mourn before the Lord that we have misplaced our meditation for the heart of man is restless it is like the weight of a Clock that will never leave going down as long as it is wound up the heart of man will always be meditating of something or other like mill-stones if they once grind they will grind one another the heart of man will always be grinding always musing always meditating on something or other Now mourn before God heartily and go into your Closets and bemoan it that you have ground chaff to your immortal souls all your lives long that you have spent your days in meditating what to eat and what to drink and what to be clothed withal and how to grow rich and how to manage your trading and your calling how to thrive in the world how to get such preferments you have been meditating all your lives long upon vain things and have not meditated upon the things of eternity those things that do most concern you you have been meditating upon trifles upon things that will not profit at the hour of death and forgot to meditate of those things that are of eternal concernment our Saviour Christ complains of those men Mat. 6. Take no thought for your lives what you shall eat and what you shall drink nor for your body what you shall put on as if he should say why do you spend all your time in taking thought of eating and drinking and clothing and outward things Which of you saith he can by taking thought add one cubit to your stature All your musing and meditating of them is vain Can a Dwarf by thinking he is a Dwarf make himself taller it is not all your musing and your meditating of these outward things I mean your inordinate meditating will advantage you I grant Tradesmen must have time to meditate of worldly things I will not lay heavier burdens than the Scripture doth lay but when you ravel away all your time in meditating upon earthly things and never are serious in the Meditation of heavenly things this I would have you mourn for you that are old people and have been many years professors of Religion Oh mourn that you have wasted your intellectual faculty that you have wasted that glorious faculty of soul your understanding in such vain and trifling things nay are there not some that do not only meditate of vain things but spend many hours in meditating on vile things that devise mischief upon their beds and meditate how to cozen their neighbours how to be revenged upon their neighbour how to do mischief how to compass about their wicked designs are there not some that meditate to do evil and rejoice in the meditation of evil when they have done it Many old men meditate with joy of their youthful vanities and wickedness committed in their youth they chew over their wicked ways with delight which we call contemplative wickedness Oh let us bewail and bemoan it before God that we have squandered away our immortal souls by exercising the glorious faculty of the understanding in such poor trifling things it may be lustful revengeful vile wicked thoughts either in doing that which is evil or in meditating on the evil we have done instead of mourning for it rejoicing in it 3. I would perswade you to study the necessity the excellency the usefulness and profitableness of Divine Meditation let me tell you for the conclusion this duty is not only a duty but the quintessence and marrow of all other duties there is no duty will take impression upon your souls without the practise of this duty it is the very life and soul of Christianity without which a Christian is but the carcass of a Christian. I have shewed that the want of Divine Meditation is the cause of all sin and all punishment I have shewed you that the practise of Meditation will help to beget Grace and increase Grace and resist the Devil and all his temptations 4. Let me perswade you all that you would put this duty in practise especially you that are rich people Gentlemen Merchants and others you that have estates you that are Gentlemen may spare time from your sports and you that are rich Merchants and others may take time from your outward occasions O let me intreat you that you would take some spare-time every day to go up to the Mount of God to meditate of some of those Subjects that I have propounded to you whether it be Death or Hell or Heaven or Iudgment or Sin or Christ or God or the vanity of the world whatsoever the Subject is that is holy and heavenly I will not lay burdens upon you I know there may be such occasions that you cannot but ordinarily that you would as often as you can make conscience to accustom your selves to this necessary and long-neglected duty of Divine Meditation Let me tell you you would be tall Christians in grace if you did accustom your selves to this duty the reason why you are such Dwarfs in Christianity and so unacquainted with God and the Promises and Christ and Heaven is for the want of the practice of this duty this is the reason why you creep upon the ground and are so poor in Grace and so lean in Religion Therefore let me intreat you especially you whose happiness is that you need not work every day to provide for your families the Lord hath given you an estate and you may spare time Oh let it not be said at the day of Iudgment that you lost Heaven for the want of the practising this duty of Divine Meditation And then you that are poor people and cannot find time you that are Servants and Apprentices that have not time remember what I said concerning Occasional Meditation I shewed you how you might meditate when you were about your worldly business there is no lawful calling that a man can be in but if he hath a heavenly heart he may heavenlize that calling he may take occasion as Christ takes occasion to heavenlize his Discourse from outward things to raise Heavenly Discourse when thou art at work thou maist be by Divine Meditation in Heaven But let me perswade you all on the Sabbath-day though you have not time on the week-day for set solemn Meditation yet then you have time for occasional Meditation for on the Sabbath all your work ceaseth that is the day that God hath set a part for publick service and private Meditation Meditation on the work of Creation and the work of Redemption it is a great work we are to do upon the day of our rest to meditate of our Eternal Rest in Heaven therefore let me perswade you to spend some time on the Sabbath-day upon Meditation but especially on the Sacrament-days There are Twelve Meditations I propounded to meditate on upon the Sacrament and I chose this Subject to help you with Sacramental Meditation it hath pleased God to carry me out further in the handling of it than ever I thought The Lord give a Blessing to it FINIS
4. Consider that by persevering in this duty it will at last grow easie it is I confess a very up-hill duty a very spiritual Heavenly duty but as a man that every day goes up a hill though at first it be very difficult he blows and pants as if his soul would go out of him but by persevering in it he can go up the hill without pain or weariness so though it be an up-hill a hard duty yet if you that have time as many of you have would but set about this work and persevere in it and labour that your Meditation be applicative and affectionative let me assure you you would quickly conquer the difficulty by the help of God let a man be to kindle a fire if the wood be wet he must blow and continue blowing and at last he will conquer it if he fling away the bellows he will never make the fire burn but he must continue blowing till he hath extracted the moisture and conquered the wood so when you go to meditate of God and Christ of the Promises of Heaven of your sins though you find your hearts dead and dull and full of vain roving thoughts and you are mightily out of tune and much discouraged you must go on blowing still you must blow and blow and blow and at last the fire will kindle the great God of Heaven and earth will come in and help you Thus I have done with the third particular the properties of Divine Meditation 4. I must speak to the companions of Meditation There are two companions you must always join with it or at least ordinarily I am sure that one you must always join one is reading the other is praying 1. You must join prayer with your meditation and therefore here in my Text the same word that signifies to meditate in the Hebrew signifies to pray And Isaac went out to meditate the word in the Hebrew is He went out to pray or to meditate and therefore in the Margent it is put And Isaac went out to pray And in the old Translation it is And Isaac went out to pray and in the new Translation it is He went out to meditate The same Hebrew word that signifies to meditate signifies to pray to teach us that we must always join meditation and prayer together As for example when you meditate of your sins you must put up a prayer to God that you may so meditate of your sins as to get your hearts humbled for them and when you meditate of Heaven you must join prayer with your meditation and lift up a prayer that the Lord would help you so to meditate of Heaven as to make you fit for Heaven when I say prayer I do not mean a set formal prayer but a short prayer when you go up the hill of Meditation you must not set your selves at prayer but only join short prayer beseeching God that he would bless it unto you Luk. 9. 29. when Christ went up to prayer while he was praying his countenance was changed he was transfigured and Cornelius while he was a praying the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him he had glorious appearances while he was praying Act. 10. when we go up to the hill to meditate and to pray to pray and meditate we shall be sure to meet with apparitions from God with glorious transfigurations it is a rare saying of Bernard Meditation without prayer is infertilis barren and luke-warm prayer without meditation is arida dry And as one saith very well writing of Meditation The reason why the prayers of many of the Saints of God are but carcases of prayer is because they do not join meditation and prayer And the reason why their meditation is no more powerful is because they do not join prayer with their meditation for meditation without prayer is altogether useless and unprofitable you must not meditate in your own strength 2. You must join reading with your meditation understand me aright I propound this to weak Christians that want a stock of knowledg there are some Christians that are a Walking-library they are Books themselves they need not a Book to help them to meditate But you that are weak Christians my advice is this that you would join reading with your meditation As for example would you meditate of Christ go and take the Bible and read the History of his Passion and when thou readest any thing remarkable lay thy book aside and meditate seriously of that passage As for example when thou comest to read of Christ sweating drops of blood that Christ in a cold Winter night upon the cold ground for thy sake should shed drops of blood lay thy book aside and meditate of these drops of blood Oh the wrath of God that he then suffered and so when thou comest to read what Christ suffered upon the Cross when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me lay aside thy Book and meditate of the love of Christ that was forsaken for thy sake in regard of outward comfort I mean not in regard of union He was forsaken that thou maist not be forsaken So likewise wouldest thou meditate on the Promises if thou be a weak Christian take a Book that treats of the Promises and when thou readest any Promise that is suitable to thee lay the Book aside and meditate of that Promise till thy heart be affected with it and labour that it may take impression upon thy soul. Saith Bernard Long reading without meditation never made a good Scholar it is always barren And Meditation without reading leads many a weak Christian over to error And therefore when you set a time apart for Meditation join prayer and reading with your meditation Now here I must give you two Cautions 1. You must not read much lest it hinder you meditation as you must not be large in prayer that it may not hinder your meditation so you must not be large in reading when you go to meditate for prayer and reading are in order to meditation 2. When you are at the Sacrament you must lay aside all reading you must meditate at the Sacrament without reading the reason is because Christ at the Sacrament preacheth to the eye And our Sacramental Elements are our Sacramental Bible every action of the Minister is mystical and spiritual the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine is spiritual Christ Jesus is represented in all that is done at the Sacrament And therefore when you begin to be drawn dry as I may so speak and you know not what to meditate on you must instead of reading look upon the Elements it is a sanctified way to quicken you to holiness and you must look upon them with a spiritual eye with an understanding eye as knowing what those Elements signifie and the sight of the Elements will suggest matter of meditation This I speak because I see many weak Christians and I believe they do it upon honest