and must be performed as a Duty of indispensible necessity 1 Tim. 4.15 Psal 1.2 1. A Duty in reference to Christ Necessity in reference to Christ himself an Obedience to his Law a subjection to his Crown Imperial an homage and service due to him as the Sovereign Lord of our Souls and of that Meditating and pondering faculty he endowed them with Meditation is Jesus Christs Reservation in the great Gift and Grant of our Souls Thinking power He hath endowed us with that so Noble Faculty of minding and musing and also with a large Mind-Charter and liberty of thoughts for our own occasions and sober Recreatings in our Contemplations or Studies But yet 't is always provided that a holy Tribute out of the whole of our thoughts is still duly to be paid in and that as an acknowledgment both of holding our thinking faculty upon him Rom. 11.36 and our best way of employment of it and this to be done in the due seasons both Ordinary and Extraordinary The neglect of this Duty is a denying of his Right and Royalty over my thoughts and over that which is so eminent an Endowment of the Mind and given in to the Spirit by God for its chiefly Thinking of him that is so High and Allsufficient and the surpassing excellent things of God as being the Souls best acting Certainly thus the Saints in the Scripture acted highly upon this account of their paying in the Reserved dues of Christ their Leige Lord 1 Cor. 6.20 His Dues and their Duties moving strongly to act highly in this work and way 2. Duty to my self and my own Soul Concernments is another great Consideration here In all doing Duty there 's a doing my self right paying in to my own Soul its due Neglecting in any kind my Duty is a wronging my own soul Prov. 8.36 He that sins against me wrongs his own soul Performing it is a doing my Soul Right Yea holy Duties are the Highest doings of right to our Souls There 's no way of doing better to my self than going in the King of Heavens High-way His ways are my Souls best ways wherein I act best for my self and when I perform them in them in the best manner This leads me to the next particular the Requisites and the Ingredients of this Meditation considered as a holy Duty which are these next following CHAP. IV. Of the Requisites in Meditation THere are these three things I shall mention as the Requisites for holy Meditation as a Duty 1. That I call a Foundation or Preparative to it 2. Those things that are for the forming and framing it as to the parts and proportions 3. The things that finish it up 1. As to the Foundation or Preparative to it This must be laid above in Heaven by the Dispositive or Preparative work of fervent Prayer The foundation of this Soul Affair must be as a Learned man saith of the Foundation of the World The Foundation of the World he saith is the. Third Heaven which is of a constant incorruptible Nature of no pre-existent principles and so not liable as other things are to corruption and resolution and which as to the convex or outward superficies or the highest part is only bounded or terminated by its own limits or terms of Essence and Quantity but in its concave or bollow superficies or the lowest part contains all inferiour things and is fixt immoveable If the Foundation of the great World is laid by the Third Heaven the Foundation of this great Work of holy Meditation must be laid in Heaven laid by the Soul 's strong mounting up thither and fixing it self there by fervent Prayer as the great Preparative to this Meditation Fervent Prayer The word in the Hebrew used for Meditation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also Prayer Prayer and Meditation being so near a kin and the one helping mutually the other 1. To begin with a bringing the Soul into the Glorious and Tremendous Presence of the Great God and under his so pure and all-seeing Eye 2. To act the Soul and lay it as it were asteep in self-abasings and humblings for its former miscarriages and failings in and present unfitness and indisposedness for what is now undertaking 3. To exercise fresh Self-denyings as to any sufficiency of ability to perform any thing herein acceptably and profitably 4. To act vigorous and strong recumbencies on Jesus Christ for his both Teachings and Touchings of our Spirits and upholdings likewise in the work 5. To procure and beget a warm temper in us such as may make the heart to Glow all the Duty over 2. As to the forming of the Duty in the Parts and Particulars of it 1. It must be bottom'd and rise from the Spring and Great Principle of Motion and Action which is the will in a both free choice and firm purpose A resolvedness and rooted purpose Thus David Psal 119.48 I will meditate in thy Statutes and verse 15. I will meditate in thy Precepts The evil heart saith I will not Meditate Satan saith so far as he can hinder you shall not And the prophane World saith you need not But the holy heart saith I will Meditate This is my free and firm purpose and nothing by Christs assistance shall divert me The Philosopher saith that in every virtuous action there must be a choice of Will it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be Elective come free from the Spring of the Will and run in Resolution otherwise it is not a virtuous Action The Scriptures for all Religious Actings call for Willingness Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy Power or as it is in the Hebrew A people of willingnesses thy people And in divers places call for Readiness in what we perform to God No work in the World can challenge that intense degree and share of Readiness and Freeness as Christs work and such ways as have a clear and lively Stamp of his Royal Will and Command No higher Character is given in Scripture of a Real Godliness than freest Choice of Will and Readiness To Chuse the good part Luke 10.42 To Chuse the things that please God Isa 56.4 and as in abundance of places is to be seen A Carnal heart acts from Carnal Wisdom and self-Interest or from Passion and self-biassing affection but not from pure freeness and deliberate Choice of Will That is not the Spring and rise of his Duties as it is in a good and holy heart A good heart acts from purpose a well and deep set purpose Acts 11.23 with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord. And Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform c. So the Will for holy Duties must put forth in Purposes firm Purposes varieties of fresh Purposes Act all the still needful and conducing Purposes any Duty in any respect calls for There are many Rare and Rich Attendants and Properties Ingredients and Excellencies Divine and Heavenly Beauties appertaining to holy Duties
they think bare knowing without due Meditating is an undervaluing of spiritual things CHAP. XXVII Of the third Ground of this Meditation as to several ends and uses THE third great ground of this necessary Duty is from the Ends and the great concernments of them as to all sorts of persons 1. For a sinners first conversion to God 1. Meditation is a Duty incumbent on and highly necessary for persons yet strangers to God to bring them home Ezek. 18.28 Because he considereth and turneth 1 King 8.47 If they bethink themselves and turn returning of the sinners is upon considering and self bethinking thus the Prodigal Luke 15. No man ever truly converts to God without some consideration of his Misery with his absolute need of Christ and his Grace and flying to him Although the efficacious drawing of a sinner be Gods work he awakens convinces humbles and he changes the heart yet not without the sinners considering minding mourning seeking and striving God converts men as reasonable Creatures and conversion is founded on the deepest set reasons and the strongest working and prevailing arguments in the world God he awakens and the sinner looks about and considers he reasons with himself as the Prodigal and out-reasons himself but by Gods mighty working keeping down the hearts corruption and by its quickning the soul with a new living principle and so he resolves and returns to God If more would muse and consider did do it duly more God enabling would return When the one is to be done the other shall be done men shall come to consider and ponder 2. For all renewed repenting There 's great necessity of consideration for our renewing our returning continually for holding up an evenness and constancy of renewed repentance Psal 119.59 I considered my ways and turned my feet to thy Testimonies Fresh godly sorrow self-loathings serious returnings must have new fresh considerings of the sinfulness of sin and laying loads of aggravations on particular new warpings and miscarriages Especially greater Repentings require a deeper and larger foundation in consideration as David did in Psal 51. that evidences great and deep thoughts of heart 3. For a vigorous acting of Grace For vigorous acting any Grace Faith Love Hope Fear Humility Patience and others as is frequently seen in the Saints in Scriptures what reasons and perswasions they drew out of the depths of considerations Job David others All the heart Graces are stirr'd and acted in some measure by consideration either of the command enjoyning the Promise encouraging threatning awing examples exciting arguments in some sort or other inducing and helping It is something that works and weighs is first pondered before the soul acts or is rightly moved A Christian acts not as Water or Fire which move by their own inclination But as men act in things as men which is by choice and free election but upon preceding instigation of Reason and consideration Grace though it be a spring of living water it is not that which runs over of it self That 's for Heaven where the heart will be full and run alone It is not like the spring-head of Jordan that ran of it self but like Jacob's well that had always water but must always be drawn It must be drawn out by consideration Christians mistake and complain oft of their hearts and would have them like a running Spring to run to act alone when here in the best though there be water as in Jacob's Well yet the well is deep there must be drawing for every drop or none will come Therefore to make it come the Bucket of Consideration must be letting down and pulling up and so pouring forth What the Apostle said to Timothy 2 Tim. 1.6 Stir up the gift that is in thee must be said to all and done by all that would do any thing Some Horses we say go on meer Metal without out provocation of switch or spur others will go well with some stirring up So our hearts if good will go on in godliness but not on meer Metal but with provokings of considerations There should be endeavoured the best and strongest mindings and reasonings if we would act Graces vigorously and strongly There 's a necessity that strong purposes and resolutions for believing trusting loving hoping all acting all enduring strongly be bottom'd in strong mindings and considerings The fuller the consideration the better the actings of Graces the stronger the spring in the Watch the better all the Wheels move CHAP. XXVIII Of other ends of this Meditation 4. FOR all Duties and holy performances there is great necessity of Meditation in some due measure for a due wise warm lively and spiritual acting them acting from the right principle of Grace within by the right rule eying the Word and to the right mark and end salvation Real and vigorous performing in this sort must have some good allowance of pondering what we are to perform This is very conspicuous in holy David so great a performer of holy Duties Praying confessing and praising his prayings and all things in that way he calls his Meditation Certainly those so excellent Psalms of prayings and praisings were no flashes of a meerly raised phansie or some hasty runnings over of a hot Brain not an uttering what came next but the passages so rare spiritual and heavenly and so strongly rational as they had a touch from Heaven in the Spirits guidance and assistance so they had a tincture from a wise holy heart within laying them asteep in consideration and acting them with it in highest heeds and mindings concurring with their utterings Things so well spoken must be well weighed especially when they also were to be Scripture Records For holy Prophets and Scripture Pen-men were to use their own natural gifts and their graces in their writings though the Spirit of God infallibly guided sometimes raised and elevated them above themselves Duties of Religion ebb and flow are more lively spiritual and heavenly or more dead carnal and such as run lower according to their fomentings and feedings from the warm spring of Meditation thus in our praying and other duties we may daily experience Christians complain they are dead-hearted and cold slight and perfunctory in performances confessions are not accompanied with heart-meltings shame and self-loathings Petitions not with fervency strong cryings and earnest wrestlings Thanksgivings not with that flame of love and joy and high admirings of the so great goodness and rich free Grace of God in his ways and dispensations toward us commonly the cause is the spring of Meditation is stopt the soul runs not in such a current of considerations and quickning reasons as it ought and used to do When any part or member of the body fails in heat sense or motion where there is actio laesa as the Physicians say there 's principium laesum that is where is an action or acting hurt or hindred from its natural and usual way there the principle and feeder of that action hurt and
only in our selves but our own happiness must be aimed at for glorifying God by it We must aim at happiness and being in Heaven thereby to be in a most perfect state that we may attain the most perfect principle for the highest exalting of God Althugh in Heaven seeing more and tasting more and having the vessels of body and soul filled up with glory and happiness makes our state more glorious yet the end of that seeing tasting and all enjoyings there are to put us into a most perfect capacity highest heart-readiness and alacrity upon the most over-powring incentives to lift up to the utmost the glorious praises of God This then is a very considerable particular that besides glorifying God the supreme end aiming at our own salvatition must be more then for our selves We use to speak of several spiritual ends relating to our own spiritual good which we are allowed to set up and seek and strive after yet all these must have this reduction must all have this glory of God for their chief end The last end as hath been said gives the rules to all both subservient ways and ends Therefore in our examination let us take in all the spiritual ends before spoken of for heavenly light and larger knowledge for a spirit of wisdom to be wiser to salvation to be warmer at the heart melt off all incumbrances make up to Heaven better to fix our resolutions firmer strengthen our grand purpose of still walking with God to stablish our course and make straiter steps for our feet and to press harder to the mark Are our spirits acted to these aims and all those other Meditation is so excellently and usefully appointed to 2. Do we meditate in the right way of calling off our thoughts from impertinencies and diversions Do we set a strong guard upon our spirits and watch them diligently Do we act Meditation in bending our minds to it strive to act with all seriousness we can Do we act searching and pondering and keep up constancy of thoughts till we both bring our hearts to the heavenly temper and the duty to the kindly issue it should have and cannot be content with any thing but that a God who sees our actings will approve of CHAP. IX Of the Directions relating to Meditation First for such as would begin AFter some Characters given of a right Meditation I shall next speak of Directions or Rules to be observed about it The Rules must be suited to the several sorts of persons that will set upon this work or proceed in it with success 1. If it be a person who would enter upon this way being sensible of the sin of hitherto neglecting it and is now willing to be advised how to perform it Then consider it is no undertaking it or hope of doing it aright and holding on with constancy and to the spiritual advantages of it unless there be an endeavour after a right principle a living spring within to found and still feed a due performance of this spiritual work To undertake it without thou wilt find it too high and hard arrive at the best at a formal doing a slight and overly doing and in the end grow weary of it and cast it off and so return to it no more Therefore thy great intendment to which thou must bend thy self and whole soul which should not must not be given over until it be effected is to make sure of a new heart this will bring in a new power a new principle introduce a bent and inclination of spirit a love unto it a firm and abiding purpose a rooted resolution for doing it against all difficulty and opposition This will make the duty of Meditation easie and also sweet by the pleasure and advantages found in this heavenly way thou wilt be encouraged to hold on success will encourage thee that will sweeten the way to thee and help to stablish thee in it Though thou canst not change thy own heart and make it new lay in a new principle of Holiness but it must be God who gives the new heart Ezek. 36.26 27. And works the will and the deed of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.13 Yet as he calls thee to convert and in order to thy converting requires thee to consider and bethink thyself so is it thy necessary and important duty to consider and ponder deeply and frequently those things and in that manner order which are most effectual to that end which God uses to set home For by putting thy self into Gods prescribed way of seriously and frequently considering thou mayest meet with a help with God helping at last who helps them that seek him diligently and give not over striving That relation is remarkable of the bad Son whom his father dying calls to him and gets him to make this promise That every day he should for but one quarter of an hour meditate of some one thing or other what he would Accordingly he every day employs a quarter of an hour or some time in serious thinking But this at last most happily issues in serious considering his sinful state and a real converting to God at last Thus often it hath come to pass when persons have set themselves to consider as God in Scripture exhorts it hath ended in a true returning so the Prodigal is described Luke 15. So Ezek. 18. If thou art very desirous more particularly to be here directed what to do to obtain the right principle and thence the right way of acting this duty and others in the holy and spiritual required manner I must not engage far in so large a point yet if I exceed something it will I hope get pardon Only I shall mention some particulars more necessary for this so weighty a concern If really and in good earnest thou wilt engage strive to purpose for obtaining a sure principle of performing this or any duty aright a principle of Grace and Holiness a new heart and a new spirit 1. You must go about it with the greatest seriousness that ever thou canst and endeavour the firmest and strongest purpose for prosecuting it till thou hast attained it But then thou must see thy utter inability without Gods lending a hand to help thee in so high an undertaking It is thou must endeavour but God he must draw thee Joh. 6.44 No man can come to me unless the Father draw him Thou must strive for but God must give repentance 2 Tim. 2.25 If God will give repentance Jer. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you Yet God must see us when he calls for returning to endeavour and strive and wait for his giving who works the will and the deed of his own good pleasure 2. Thou must resolve to sequester thy self at times at fit seasons from all diversions not suffering any thing then to interrupt thee thou must sit alone as Lam. 3.28 3. Do all thou possibly canst to be awakened
to be better composed more serious and intent is a good furtherance to Meditation if we are not timorous and apt to fright Isaac Gen. 24.63 went out in the evening to Meditation It may be the duskishness of the time might be part of his purpose because he could less see about which the lightsomness of the day would not so suit All things which prevent scatterings of the thoughts and abate seriousness which may conduce to intending the mind and quicken to the duty in hand should so well as we can be considered and applied until by frequent practice we get a hand at this work that thou provest an Artist in it and arrivest at a heavenly habit to work readiness easiness and constancy in doing it The Prophet Psal 108.1 saith His heart was ready so the old Translation hath it the new Translation My heart is fixed The word in the Hebrew signifies first ready or prepared Then secondly it signifies fixed We first fit prepare a thing sharpen it before we drive it into the ground and then drive it in and fix it So act seriously and often that thy heart may be ready and may also be fixt and this by a habit which brings readiness and fixedness as in other holy duties so in this of Meditation CHAP. XVI Of Directions in reference to short and ejaculatory Meditations 1. HEed here must be taken that neither these short and quick actings of the soul in ejaculations Prove exclusive of the more serious and solemn or take off from it from either the daily Meditation or the solemn occasional formerly spoken of Nor that we lay more stress upon these short and frequent dartings up of the heart than upon our daily Meditation or the other that this short thing be not made to stand for all or almost all else meditating The heart of the best person is a deceitful and slippery an inconstant and fickle a dull and slothful piece under a lothness to do good especially that which is high and hard that comes not off easily and that which must have time a space and good proportion of time This we are ready at least in our hearts to call tedious and think too long although there be but bare allowance of so much time as the very necessity for the well-doing the duty requires As naturally a slightness and shortness to have a serious duty quickly over pleases much so a tang of this yea too much of this carnal hastiness is in the best Any spiritual performance we would oft have over before it be on and get into the heart before it be warm in the heart kindle it quicken it draws it up to Heaven and hath its efficacy and real ends Things that are hard and work trouble we are ready quickly to call tedious and because other occasons may call loud our corruption present hath an itch for any duties being over ended so soon as begun Therefore thou must look this short sooner over work get not ground of the other more serious and solemn Meditation that a help convert not it self into a hindrance that it justle not out the solemn or rob it of its due Holy duties are to be all Links of the same golden Chain Pearls all strung upon the same silken thread the greater must not keep off the less nor the less the greater Both must have their just allowance of place come all upon the thread make up the chain entire and be all our helps in their connexion Holy duties must not clash not be their own hinderers by opposition one set against another or derogating one from another But as the noble parts in the body and the meaner parts have all their several places offices uses for the good of the whole yet with their diversity act not contrariety but a sweet harmonious subserviency mutually to each other and to the whole 2. Neither must this sort of Meditation be slight and remiss grow into and setle in a meer customariness and formality It must not on the one hand shut out the more solemn Meditation nor on the other hand fix in an easie and slight performing But must have its true and spiritual warm and lively acting with reverence care pure aiming to have heart for the shortness of time to ascend up to Heaven making a short visit for meeting with some soul-refreshing by a sight and taste of the pleasures and delicacies set ready for all that travel this road of heavenly Meditation We must look it be a right work how short soever that it be the use of our spiritual Archery from a right principle to take a true aim at the mark flye round up to it by acting spiritual skill and strength some wisdom and warmth as the nature of the work will admit That it be not a flash a fit of phansie a meer custom which calls on us and carries us but a spark of the holy heart-fire within flying up to Heaven 3. This being a short visit made to Heaven a journey of less charge and labour and of a quick dispatch It therefore should be done the oftner and with greater frequencies From friends that are near we expect more frequent visits Common and easie things we look to be done more constantly to us What thing in the world is so cheap as a thought What is so short and of so quick a dispatch A thought-visit is the easiest visit God expects of us it should be frequent very oft and reason urges to a greater frequency for making up that which this sort of Meditation must want of the more set and solemn As they say of gold that it is found either in the Oar mixt or in the lump and small pieces Pipins as they call them but purer or else in sand and small dust very pure and good But the small golden sands when they are many gathered and put together may make so large quantities for use as that is found in the Oar or lump and greater pieces Many golden sands of precious ejaculations will amount to much and help to make a Christian rich at last Though great gains in trade fill the purse sooner when ordinary yet light gains when thick will make a heavy purse also at last I will add no more Directions for younger Christians in their Meditations having already exceeded Now we must come to Directions for others CHAP. XVII Directions for more grown and elder Christians 1. YOu must daily contend to better establishment and confirmation in this way and work of Meditation Psal 119.15 I will meditate in thy precepts and vers 18. I will meditate c. David had formerly meditated accustomed himself to this rare practice was not now to begin to resolve or do Therefore his meaning must be a fixing his resolution and purpose stronger The Apostle Paul often for the establishment of those he wrote unto prays earnestly 2 Thes 2.17 Stablish you in every good word and work in every duty of godliness The best
Christians and most establisht in their way have always need of more establishing as to their graces and frame of heart so to their duties and whole course of godliness There must be an earnest care and striving as you have begun and practised so to be stablished Not to begin and then draw back nor yield to do with a weakness weariness and unevenness but here to say as David oft O God my heart is fixed I will meditate Meditation is neavenly but hard in it self comes off sometimes harder The best heart is a slippery piece that sometimes not only flags and falls low but sometimes also fails the purpose within and the practice without may have their stops and faltrings The Watch may want a winding up There may be failure in the practice from a failing in the purpose a fit of dying away may come upon thee if there be not a constant care of stability A good mans heart must be like Solomons Temple with the two Pillars set up in it Jacin and Booz establishment and strength 2. As thou must endeavour establishment so strive for improvement Growth is necessary both in Graces and Duties as the Scripture shews 1. There must be care to improve in the Art and skill of holy Meditation To understand thy way better Prov. 14.8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way not only with an initial understanding it but a progressive understanding of it Not only to know in the same degree and to be always alike at the last as at the first but to understand far better As the wise Artificer that contents not himself with the same measure of skill in his way but to be a better Artist proceed to a perfection If a Christian be trading for Heaven in good earnest he will strive every way to excel Not like a Bungler that does in a poor pitiful manner just to live and no more but as an Artist and man of ingenuity to live plentifully I must study how to study better to comprehend the whole wisdom of my way to live more fruitfully to others serviceably to God comfortably to my own bosom Not to only just so much skill as will serve to get creeping but for flying to Heaven 2. To learn how to kindle a fire in my heart and do my work warmer Strive to more affectionate Meditation To have things have a quicker passage from the head to the heart That the spiritual things meditated on come sooner to my heart kindle it quickly and make me all on fire Bom. 12.11 Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. It is not to be taken only for real fervency but growth He would not have them no warmer and fervent at last than at first So Meditation should heap hotter coals upon thee make thy fire a flame This by Meditations applying warmer and more heart quickning reasons and arguments We call motives reasons for doing a thing a duty of Religion Incentives Meditation should strike fire and blow it up into a flame Strive to have Meditation more heart-warming not only to have it more notional but cordial not only a shining but a burning light as it was said of John Baptist That 's Meditation to purpose when the head moves the heart brings in light and heat also The Moon-light is pleasant but the Suns is best because chiefly it is with vivifical heat it is the worlds warmer Therefore see search in Meditation for such things and manage them in such a manner as may warm thee at the heart most make thee daily warmer 1. Warmer in that grand affection that strong spring of spiritual operation Love love to the work of Meditation love to heavenly and spiritual things the lovely beauteous and glorious things which Meditation brings and sets before thee to highly treat and entertain thee Principally most inflamed love to the highest beauty and glory for whom most peculiarly that best affection the best piece of thy heart was made the most blessed God Father Son and Holy Spirit 2. Warmer in ardency of desire to keep in and improve in this heavenly way of Meditation Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the desire it hath to thy judgments which soul-breaking was for looking into them by reading reading for meditating to present and supply new heavenly matter that he might exercise himself there by Meditation know Gods will and be better affected more resolved and enlarged That desire so earnest was greatly among others to be at that his rare mind-exercise of Meditation the best way of thinking that possibly can be none like this this had this holy mans chief heart-workings nothing had that share of constant seriousness here were his longings to breathe his soul up this hill he grudg'd the time that gave stop or interruptions to this best thought-work 3. Warmer should Meditation be as to delight and complacency to not only burn and be fervent in love and desire but to flame up in joy and delight more generally men like a fire best when it flames The holy Prophet Psal 119.47 I will delight my self in thy Commandments Meditation in the word is the holy hearts walk of pleasure a broad large walk Psal 119.96 Thy Commandment is exceeding broad so our new Translation exceeding large so the old We so far live a duty as we act delight When David saith he will delight he meant not the mixture of a meer drop or smallest spark of delight should be stirred up but a great yea growing delight Delight in Meditation should not only live and have a being some moving but should thrive and grow As every Ordinance should prove a still greater pleasure So Meditation should prove a more refreshing soul-eye walk an ascent from delight to delight to higher delight till we come to the top in ravishments and highest attending admirations CHAP. XVIII Directions more particular 1. WHatever thou meditatest upon let it not be only an intuition or dying a thing or a meer recognition or remembrance Or if divers things come before thee let not thy work be a bare enumeration or as it were a telling them over to be able to say I have thought of such and such things in particular but let it be a review with something that new is with some new considerations as thou art able Something fresh which may bring the better savouriness and sweeter relish that may set a better edge and quicken things more upon thee Meditation though it be not for feeding phansie with curiosities yet should be so ordered as to season and sweeten suit and prepare things to more spiritual delight and to a larger perceiving of that extensive and abounding savouriness and excellency in holy things Every Meditation should endeavour a more exquisite preparation better still reducing things that we ponder both to spiritual advantages with spiritual pleasure accompanying To do this most easily and effectually our way is to improve and quicken Meditation by our gathering up the graciously afforded varieties of Scripture-passages
a due time for percolation and straining for a segregating and seperating of the finer parts from the Feculent and Dreggy And some things a longer space in a slow and constant Fire in the Operation or the cost and labour is lost Intensions for effecting things greatly beneficial and admirable are most freely allowed a larger proportion of time both for frequencies and Repetitions of Musing seriously But O how too ordinarily do the best of Saints fall short of the actings of Rare Artists in their higher Operations in their stands and abodes of thoughts for more curious Observations and ntellectual satisfactions Usually we are too hasty and eager to have Duties over The Soul is in pain till it be delivered of them In Meditation it is hard sometimes at least to take off the thoughts for it from preingagements of other thinkings and apply them to the duty But harder to become duly serious in acting in it harder yet to Dive and Ponder and hardest of all to hold up in an abode of thoughts and dwell long enough and after views to make reviews to re-act the same thinkings to taste things over and over when the freshness and newness is past when by long thinking the things before us seem old we are ready to grow dead and flat in a performance except we stir up our selves often in it It is hard to hold on and hold up unless we hold up a wakeful Eye a warm affection a strong and quick repeated Resolution yea and without often lifting up the Soul to Christ for fresh recruits of strength to hold on David that so excellent Artist in this way saith he will Meditate Psal 119. often saith he will Doubtless he not only said I will when he was to make his entrance into this hard work but likewise for continuance in it to keep up his heart from flaging till he well ended his work It is not the Digging into the Golden Mine but the Digging long that finds and fetches up the Treasure It is not the Diving into the Sea but staying longer that gets the greater quantities of Pearls To draw out the Golden Thread of Meditation to its due length till the spiritual ends be attained This is a rare and happy Artainment This is the Art but of the ends of Meditation we shall speak hereafter CHAP. XIII Of Affectionateness in Meditation or the life and lustre of it in the intermixings of sutable Affections THree things we proposed in treating of this Divine Meditation 1. The right Preparative to it fervent Prayer 2. The main Foundation of it in the free choice of the Will 1. To firmly purpose a right work that it be sincere 2. To purpose and intend a wise work 3. To design a warm work 4. To have it earnest against lets and oppositions 5. To have it a successful work 3. The Forming and Finishing of it For the Forthing and Constituting of it which is 1. By a Reverential frame of heart stir'd up answerable to the Duty 2. By first sounding a Retreat of the Thoughts from all other Objects 3. By setting a strong Guard upon our slippery Spirits Then as to the constituting the work 4. By setting the Thoughts on the Object 5. By seriousness in Thinking 6. By searching of Thoughts 7. By a staying and abode of Thoughts 8. For Finishing the work by intermixtures of the Life and Beauties of such Affections as are proper and sutable for the Duty It must be an affectionate acting warm and zealous lively and vigorous So David's Meditation Psal 39.3 while musing the Fire burned Not only it should be so eventually but by way of concomitancy when we Meditate with the Mind we should be warm at the Heart The fuel and fire of holy Affections must come to the offering up this Sacrifice There must be an Affectionate acting which brings the life and beauty into the body and face of the Duty They say Beauty must have these four things 1. Perfection or Intireness of parts no part wanting 2. Proportions due no part too great too little or unsutable And proportion of Colour White and Red in a just proportion 3. There must be Right Order of parts that nothing be misplaced 4. There must be spirit and vivacity appearing in the Face as a chief Ingredient or superaddition to all the rest as that which adds singular grace and lustre to all So besides the parts and chief lineaments there must be that which compleats the Beauty of Meditation Those things which are as not only the Beauteous Colours but the freshness liveliness and spirits aspersed and appearing over all the Face of this Rare Piece this Excellent Performance That as the Heart with its Diffusions of Heat and Spirits in a due proportion makes a comely graceful and lovely Colour which in Heart-Distempers Faintings and Sinkings disappear and vanish So the Holy Heart with its Diffusions of heavenly warmth and spirits heavenly affectionateness makes Meditation comely beauteous and lovely If Meditation be only Head-work and not Heart-work it is like a Picture without life like a Student that studies in a meer acting of Wisdom only The right and genuine Meditation is an affectionate thing as the Head acts the Heart glows The life veins of warm Affections run and disperse themselves through the whole Duty and give lustre to it This we may see in the Meditations of that great Artist in this kind in holy David you may see a beauty and excellency of Holy Affection mixt and interwoven like the Gold in the Tissue with the Silk and sparkling in his this-way-acting Affections appearing set as so many Rich Stones Rare Beauties and Glories among his various Musings There are Three sorts of Affections that shine gloriously in David's and other holy mens Meditations left upon Record in Scripture which needs must be patterns to provoke us to imitation 1. The Affection of Desire 2. Of Love 3. Of Delight I shall briefly dispatch them CHAP. XIV Of the First Affection Desire 1. THat Affection of Desire wound up and let out to pantings and longings Heaven-ward and being above in this Heavenly Exercise of Meditation David with his Meditating of God and his Word he tells us what longings and heart-pantings he had Psal 119.20 His Soul breaks for desire which he had to Gods Testimonies How was this to have the Book of the Law no it was to be exercised in it to an improving of Meditation on it Ps 1.2 Ah he could not Meditate enough act freely enough far enough The Commandment was so exceeding broad as he saith Psal 119.96 so very broad and his heart so narrow Sin so incompast and straitned him that his Soul breaks that he could have no larger thoughts Such an edge and eagerness of Affection such a large strong and vehement desire should be an attendant an assistant of Meditation one strong Feather impt and added to the Wing of Contemplation to make it mount up fast to Heaven Ah say Christian Lord
that my soul could Meditate still better flye farther mount higher be more upon the wing make sweeter and more happy discoveries and prove a greater proficient in this Heavenly way Meditate with desires and breakings of Soul to dart up the highest you can to Heaven and stay there CHAP. XV. Of the next Affection Love 2. THe next Affection which sends a Great Artery of vivifical Heat a glowing Heat into this Meditation is that of Heavenly Love Love to the Duty and the Excellent things to be Meditated upon Love is the great Heart Fire made to warm every holy service Ps 119.97 O how Love I thy Law it is my Meditation all the day Love led him into this pleasant soul walk of sweet Meditation and Love kept him company kept his heart warm in it The fulfilling of the Commandment is Love Rom. 13.10 and Love is the fulfilling of this Commandment of Meditating It is performed in Love This Heart vital Heat of Love must move to and in Meditation must glow through the whole work all the time of it Meditation is either of the infinite beauties of the most blessed God the infinite perfections and surpassing glories of his Essence and Attributes and of the Three Persons in that Essence or else of the precious Word or Works of God his general Providence and Government or his peculiar Governing of the reasonable Creatures especially that so stupendious work of Redemption by Christ and all those things which are reducible to his praise which must needs being so beauteous have their surpassing loveliness And therefore there is great reason to act love abundantly towards them To have Meditation still richly perfum'd with actings of burning love all over it O let Love ever come in and act its part in Meditation wherein the Souls Eye is not only glancing but wishly viewing the surpassing beauteous things of Heaven or such things as may lead up to Heaven Ah if I cannot ascend in a Flame of love yet let me in Meditation flye up in some sparks of Love If my heart cannot burn in the flame of Love let it keep warm upon the Embers of Love Let Love give it a spirit vigour and liveliness As Solomons Temple was inwardly all overlaid with Gold let this rare work of Contemplation be overlaid and inlaid with Love Cant. 3.10 as Solomons Chariot in the Canticles the midst of it paved with love so let this Chariot of Contemplation the midst of it be paved with Love This is the Second Affection Love CHAP. XVI Of the last Affection Delight 3. THE last Affection to make a threefold cord to draw up the heart in Meditation and that winds the work up higher and that is a great superadded Beauty and Glory is the Affection of Delight Joy and Pleasure Meditation must not be a dull sad and dispirited thing Not a driving like the Chariots of the Egyptians when their Wheels were taken off but like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6.12 Make me like the Chariots of Aminadab that ran swiftly So let us pray Lord in Meditation make me like the Chariots of Aminadab that my swift running may evidence my Delight in Meditating Holy David makes Delight such an Ingredient or Assistant here that sometimes he calls this Exercise of Meditation by the Name of Delight Psal 119.16 speaking in the foregoing Verse of this Meditation I will Meditate in thy Precepts in the 16. verse I will Delight my self in thy Statutes which is the same with Meditation only with superadding the excellent qualification due Meditation should have This Name is given from this noble concomitant As Wisdoms ways are all paths of pleasantness so this path it hath its pleasantness and sweetness Contemplation hath its rare and most pleasant walks No Habitation hath such Rooms such Galleries within of pleasure Nor Gardens without with such Walks and Curiosities No Situation or Stand such Prospects and varieties of delightful Eye-Objects as Meditation enjoys All Objects that Nature or Art can present to the Eye are meer Shadows and Nothings in respect of the rich and rare Furniture the Eye of Meditation is provided with The Traveller whose fect and helps have carried him the farthest whose Eye and Observation hath viewed and taken in never so much variety and Curiosity that hath recreated ravisht and satiated it self never so largely with any of the most taking things the whole Worlds fullness comprises hath not cannot come neer to and compare with the transcendencies of purest highest Soul-refreshing ravishing Delights this high Operation and more sublime acting conveighs and gives in where the Object is spiritual the Eye Spiritual the heart holy and spiritual and the way of acting upon this Spiritual Object is Spiritual as every way or Ordinance of Christ is Or where the Object is excellent the faculty exercised on it is excellent the Medium or way of Applying the Faculty to the Object is Excellent There the Delight and Pleasure is most rare and excellent There are sundry sorts of pleasures There are sensitive pleasures of the external Senses as of Hearing Seeing Tasting and the like These are very various and very great too often too bewitching and besotting There are Phansie Imagination-pleasures I say the pleasures of Phansie which are rare and higher than those of the outward Senses Imagination and Phansie which is a quick sudden short and shallow apprehension of things it is not judgment that ponders but a sudden slight taking in and acting this is especially in some sorts of persons a very high Spring and strong Feeder of Delight or Pleasure of Pleasures that come like things fresh quick and spirited to the Body and Senses Phansies O how they perfume like richest scents please like briskest and most racy Wine Phansies though often very fond and vain yet are great insets of Delight 3. There are Intellectual Pleasures Rational Joys and Delights These are more high sublime and refined and therefore more sweet such as the Pleasures of understanding new rare Notions excellent Speculations and apprehensions of solid and precious Truths and the Minds Musings on them Tasting feeding on them this in it self is a more transcending Delight than the two former though Phansies weigh more with some yea though sensual Pleasures take most with abundance 4. But there are beyond the former namely those that are spiritual Pleasures Delights found and felt in a holy and spiritual Heart in one that hath a Principle far above Sense and Phansie and Natural Reason that a renewed Mind a Spiritual Understanding a Wisdom from above only reaches and relishes and these are best and sweetest when they are not only taken into the Soul by an act of apprehension and conceiving of them but when they pass into the more inward Room or Office of the Mind into the Judgment when they are there detained in Consideration and by Meditation give down their delicious sweetness like Grapes in the Wine-Press Meditation is such a Soul Engine such an instrument of such
failing is hurt and failing it self As when failing of sence or motion in an Hand or Leg it 's num or cannot stir this is from the cold clammy humors lying at and obstructing the heads of those Nerves that did convey motive or sensitive spirits to that part is num or motionless Now Meditation is a head or rise of motions spiritual Reasons and Arguments are as the Nerves that convey and stir up heat spirit and motion into holy performances This is one very great cause holy Duties are no more lively and warm the cure must be in removing the obstructions opening the spring-head of Meditation making that run fresh and full in such considerations as may warm and quicken The wisdom of Christians therefore is to take as we said that great Artists way the holy Psalmist that acted godliness so eminently and among others upon this eminent acting still of Meditation he tells how he prayed day and night and how he still praised and highly rendred his thanksgivings and blessings and he tells you how he meditated day and night And he tells you his Meditation assisted and contributed as Psal 5. He tells you his Prayer was his Meditation because assisted quickened and prepared by Meditation If Christians would use to Meditate more carefully and constantly it would help to keep up better the vigour of Prayer so would it likewise keep life and warmth in all other holy duties No Christians are warmer at the heart and livelier in holy services than those who meditate most but never expect the one without the other Keep this Fountain open and still running this is the water to drive the Mill the Wind that moves the sails the spring in the Watch that carries all the Wheels and keeps them going I speak as to that is to be done on our part otherwise God does all in all 5. Meditation is necessary to be an exclusive and keeper out of evil and vain thoughts and to dislodge them naturally all the imaginations of the heart are evil and only evil continually Gen. 6.5 Vain thoughts lodge and repose as in a Bed in a carnal heart Jer. 4.14 How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Ephes 4.17 Walking in the vanity of your minds The way and walk is in the vanity of the mind To dislodge these lodgers and shut them out is by accustoming and exercising the mind to good thoughts to be the excluders of bad thoughts The Learned Sir Francis Bacon observes as the cures of bodily diseases are by applying things contrary to them so the defects of the mind are helpt by contrary studies Poetry makes men witty History wise the Mathematicks subtil Natural Philosophy deep Moral Philosophy grave Logick and Rhetorick able to contend these Arts help the defects of Nature by working contrary habits proper for the cure of those defects So in spiritual distempers and defects there are sutable cures and remedies by applyings and actings of the contraries So Rom. 8.13 If ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit All sins particular sins are mortifi'd by those Graces are contrary to those sins so distrust is mortified by holy trusting passion and wrath by godly meekness Pride by Humility worldly affections by heavenly affections still acted and so evil thoughts by good roving wandring and wild imaginations by Godly Consideration and Meditation which accustoming our selves unto will work off customary vain and wandring thoughts a holy principle of Meditation the sinful principle of evil thinkings It is not so much the striving and tugging against corruptions to keep them down though we must both watch and war against them but the acting of the contrary Grace that best relieves us to strive after a bare suppressing of sin and of evil thoughts in particular comes to little This is a kind of being only upon the defensive for an observing and marking the risings and stirrings of corruption and sins it may be with a good measure of grief and reluctancy but this is rather a telling and reckoning the evil thoughts and stirrings and lying expos'd still to fresh assaults leaving corruptions opportunity to return so oft as they will than to abate and suppress them It can do little unless we go this way to work The best and nearest way to dislodge and exclude evil thoughts is by lodging and acting good thoughts in this way this ordinance of Meditation which will keep us God keeps us when we keep his and our way The way when they come as we should against evil thoughts act detestation but withal act diversion act not detestation alone but diversion Let thy heart both turn inwardly against them and turn also from them by turning upon something is both spiritual and seasonable So soon as the Poyson of evil thoughts would infect take the antidote the best preservative of diversion to and acting of good and holy thoughts the art of diversion is better than meer acting still of striving and opposition Yea Secondly Meditation is to be exercised not only as an exclusive of bad thoughts but for an introductive of good thoughts good thoughts in a way for an arriving at habitual heavenly mindedness for an introductive of heavenly mindedness where there was formerly a walking in the vanity of the mind Gen. 6.5 All the thoughts of the heart evil continually customarily habitually evil for I say an introductive to heavenly mindedness and likewise for an improver of heavenly mindedness daily In handling the Explication of the description of Meditation when the ends of it were mentioned among other ends this was one Meditation must be performed to be a moulder and framer of habitual heavenly wisdom making the spirit of a Christian habitually wise so I adde now Meditation is to be performed to introduce and after that improve an habitual heavenly mindedness It is not only incumbent on thee to shut out evil thoughts and endeavour good thoughts to take up the old lodgings of the evil and so thrust and keep them out but thou must by Meditation by constant using it endeavour habitual heavenly mindedness In all truly gracious hearts a principle that inclines that introduces a bent and tendency of soul heaven-ward but this at the first is a tender bud it is but weak and inclines weakly acts feebly in comparison of after time when it 's grown and strengthened by exercise when we exercise and use to meditate this dips and dyes the spirit into the tincture and Grain Colour of habitual heavenly mindedness Though the first fundamental inclination and bent of spirit heaven-ward must be sought till it be found the carnal earthly mindedness changed into heavenly yet this if we were never so assured of it must not satisfie here no Christian must set up But to the now first principle and the fundamental habit obtained this superadded acquired habit should be this second grand endeavour and intension first to have the spiritual habit the new fundamental heart-tendency then to have this inclination
happiness Christ must be received in the Promises rested upon as sure good and free 4. By earnest often praying for grace faith and other graces a new heart and new principles which will introduce a new power and make godliness in all the duties of it and this of Meditation sweet and easie CHAP. VII An Application to such as are godly and have tasted the sweetness of Meditation 2. Vse of exhortation THE next perswasion and instigation is of all such who from a right principle planted in them by heart-changing grace and their experience from often and usual practice of Meditation have tasted the benefit and sweetness of it to take heed of neglecting it and to endeavour a constancy and improvement in it As there is nothing harder than to hedge in the thoughts and govern them so how hard is it to make them keep and beat this path of Meditation to have the soul go as with Hinds feet most readily and with enlargements of steps in it The holiest heart is too apt to flag and be weary in the best path-way to Heaven Meditation hath a strong and active Enemy in every bosom when any would do this good evil is present in backwardness to it regret and reluctaney rises up puts in a caveat hangs a weight and clog to hinder which watchfulness and resolution must spy out and cast off Cast off every weight saith the Apostle Heb. 12.1 Every weight the flesh casts upon a Duty the spirit must cast off and then run sin at all times can easily beset us and now at this time we may easily find it How easily will sin beset us with excuses how easily with whole Troops of Arguments will it charge us how easily with swarms of diversione diverting thoughts purposes affections will it seek to warp us this thing and the other and a third and a thousand that flye about as thick in the heart as motes in the Sun-shine 1. Meditation is harder than some other Duties of godliness for in other Duties the body comes in as an assistant to the soul and lends a hand of help As in praying there may the voice come in which is a great furtherance keeping better up the minds intention and keeping better off deadness and distraction In reading the eye is exercised and the mind is the better as to attention and heeding if not to heat and intention The eye affects the heart so preaching hath the ear to convey and make the better impression But in Meditation the soul acts single and unassisted without a stirring up or exciting by any sense or any help from the body and so it is the harder as the condition of our Nature now makes it In the state of imperfection we need the bodies help to farther the soul in its workings in some sort 2. Meditation hath least opportunities of coming under observation of others and thereby less provocation and encouragement for doing well by either bad or good before whom in other cases our light should shine and God by them be glorified 3. Meditation is hard in that it is an acting of the quickest faculty and the most slippery piece of the soul nothing is nimbler than the thinking power no act in the world quicker and of more expedite motion than that of a thought and nothing sooner slips off the object or thing acted upon and makes a way faster to a new than the thinking faculty like the Bird put wild into a Cage the door is no sooner open but she is gone Meditation is harder being not bare thinking a flash a sit for an instant a touching but a fixing and stay of thoughts a detaining them which otherwise are as Oyl in a mans right hand that will not be retain'd A carnal heart counts all Ordinances and spiritual engagements but coming into bonds tyings with Cords longs to break them and be free so doth it by this Cord and tye of Meditation it 's harsh work to the flesh O it 's a most high attainment to be able to say O God my heart is fixed Psal 108.1 fixed as to the purpose of heart the choice and intent of the will so to have the head the mind to cease the rowling ranging vanity and slipperiness and to act fixedly in the way of seriousness not be a light-headed but a musing man a person of ponderings and thought-stayings like the Bee that lights on the Flower and stays to have the Honey with her e're she removes 4. Meditation is the harder in that Satan hath greater power upon and more immediate passage to the faculty of imagination than other faculties of the will and affections he works not so immediately on the will and affections as upon the imagination and there he endeavours interruptions by his injections and suggestions there he endeavours diversions to think quite another way from the work in hand and disturbances casting in by-thoughts and sundry objects of different or contrary nature to the duty we are in As Satan fill'd Ananias heart but first by filling the imagination with thought of covetousness so he can cast suddenly into the best heart thoughts and apprehensions when about the best work to disturb and hinder Besides consider his malice is great against Meditation knowing how great advantage comes to us by it and how much disadvantage to him Satan is much prejudiced by ponderings he ever watches when this work is taking in hand and therefore Christian thou hast greater reason of taking the greater heed to watch him that so watches thee to fight him that fights against thee and so envies thee the help of this Ordinance that would not have thee enjoy the freedom of one good one serious thought but is casting the dust of evil thoughts in the eyes of our minds when they are looking up to Heaven but principally he envies and opposes seriousness searchings and dwelling of thoughts upon spiritual things Satan deals with us here as deceitful Courtiers and Councellors have done with their Masters diverting them from minding their affairs and all right seriousness by pleasures and new devices under the pretence of freedom from incumbrances and trouble and enjoying themselves but that hereby they might more securely prosecute compass their own private interests Satan had rather we should do any thing than keep up a seriousness in Meditation or any other holy Duties which may keep us awake and in a watchful posture against his enterprises 5. Meditation is the harder by reason of the exemplary mindlesness of so many we daily meet and converse with who refuse and slight all seriousness as unnecessary niceness or neglect it out of slothfulness and lothness to trouble themselves Bad Examples are very infectious apt to convey a secret poyson into mens hearts when they heed them not by touching this pitch the best are ready to be defiled 6. Meditation is like the road or passage where many things meet us justle us and are ready to turn us out of the way
cares they strive to come in businesses and multiplicity of affairs sudden emergencies and sundry things that may attempt to interpose and these if our watch and guard be not the stronger and stricter will miscarry the Duty Yea sometimes one Duty may drive out another often we let holy duties interfere and cross each other hearing praying and the rest sometimes there 's hastening from one to another sometimes letting one detain us so long that others are cut short and so helps are turned in part into hindrances opportunities for some Duties into obstructions to others when godly prudence allows every thing its season and due proportion of time The external hindrances to Meditation are many from common business and things of this life and we often create our own hindrances by our sloth and imprudence not carefully redeeming and wisely ordering our times and opportunities Ah then my soul if Meditation be so high so hard as to its spiritual nature and hath withal such Enemies and oppositions look to it then I must the more cautiously but not less resolutely perform it The Moralists say that difficulty is cos virtutis the incentive and heightener of magnanimity to a great and heroick spirit nothing must be so great as to outlook it and discourage it The greater and braver fish swim against the stream the noble Christian by difficulty and opposition is caution'd but not cowed out If there were nothing to set against and weigh with the former cautions and arguments from Enemies and opposition if no high inducements and advantageous arguments to put into the scale of perswasion to weigh against such as fill the scale of diswasion it then might the more reverse and turn the edge of thy courage yet arguments from evil and mischief in many cases are sufficient alone the danger of an armed Enemies approaching as in Jacob's case the danger of deadly poyson prepared for thee or infection coming very nigh thee is enough But we have encouragements and those in full measure pressed down and running over As Elisha to his servant discouraged when encompast in Dothan we have moe with us than against us What if there be a principle of flesh that makes opposition yet thy principle of spirit and grace is a real ground of hope and help If thy grace Christian be true though but a grain of mustard-seed it will live and hold and act and grow act into endeavour and striving till it overcomes A principle will help thee 1. Consider a principle introduces an inclination a bent and tendency of heart against the inclination and contrary tendency of corruption Psal 119.112 and it 's a principle must live and the contrary carnal principle must die Rom. 6.11 Reckon your selves dead unto sin but alive unto God Sin as to the purchase of Christ is dead in the Saints totally and it is dead in the habit and root initially and in part in respect of the communicated and inherent grace of Christ which upon union with Christ begins the death of sin in mortification Rom. 6. 2. A principle besides inclination and tendency introduces power and ability as the Flesh hath its power so the spirit and grace hath its contrary power 3. A principle introduces facility though the Flesh makes Duties hard yet the Spirit is ready and makes godliness easie 4. A principle introduces delight and complacency the Flesh acts reluctancy the Spirit delight and pleasure Psal 119.47 5. A principle works holding on and constancy Gal. 5. as the Flesh lusts against the Spirit so the Spirit against the Flesh Psal 119.12 last part of the verse not only begins but holds on a principle will help you to hold on for God will hold that on Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work in you will finish it to the day of Christ 6. A principle is blest by the using of it with progress and growth the flesh that shall decrease and waste but the grain of Mustard-seed shall grow to a great tree Math. 13.32 7. A principle shall be crown'd by contending and striving with glorious conquest and victory the Spirit wars against the Flesh and it conquers in the issue by its still warring judgment is brought forth to victory Rom. 8.37 Ah never be discouraged for any thing within be very sensible of sin within and the stirrings of it but sink not under the sight of it take thou encouragement Christian to fight it and to subdue it if thy hearts badness appear its backwardness and crossness to any Duty know you can get nothing by giving way but by going on and striving and use this herein as thy rule wear out thy own backwardness to and weariness in a Duty by doing it in a resolved constancy wear out the indisposition to duty by doing that Duty and doing it fervently 2. What if Satan be such an Enemy yet have we not more and stronger with us than him we have the holy Spirit that helps to pray and he will help us to meditate If he sees we are labouring to get up the Mount in Meditation he will give us his hand to help us up if Satan and all Hell be against us in this or any other Duty he will be for us yea Father Son and Spirit are and will be all assistants to us Do we not use to say God came in at such a time in such a Duty He delights to see how the pulse of thy spirit beats heavenward how the eye of thy soul looks upward how it fixes its looks of heavenly love upon him he delights to help up thy heart in its holy Meditation to help it tower up to Heaven to taste of those surmounting glorious delicacies prepared for his beloveds entertainment and highest solace What others in their exemplary carelesness hold forth what their mindlesness is they use must not have any impression of discouragement or prove to us any impediment It is no staying till we can take every one along with us in our journey to Heaven Neither must the example of any the highest the greatest the richest the wisest and learnedest the nearest related the dearest affected nor any under any consideration whatever have that ill influence upon us either to discourage or divert us weaken our hands or hinder our making straight steps in this blessed path of meditating diligently upon heavenly things Neither let the cares and pleasures business and affairs of this world hinder this soul great affair of serious Meditation in the seasons of it The Saints of Christ in all ages have found a way to this duty as well as others and that through the throng and multiplicity of crowding and justling occasions As it is said of our Lord Christ in Luk. 4.30 when they of Nazareth angry with him thrust him out of the City and would have cast him down headlong he passing through the midst of them goes his way the Saints of Christ have made their way passing through the midst of businesses and emergencies
ends and be performed in another sort then an only wise or a learned man yea then any formal Christian can act or compass of himself And for the Characters of a right holy Meditation there will be no need to fetch any other lights of discovery but only to take up and hold those to this intendment which were opened in the discovery of the nature of divine Meditation 1. As making it our real and high obedience to God the soveraign Lord of our souls and to the golden Scepter of his Word in that express Law of his laid upon the thinking power and grounded upon the high and infinite obligations he hath on us to impose this thought-tribute and homage a pure obedience to him and doing his will herein He that meditates aright hath been taught and learnt to obey God to yield it to him as his due I am under my God saith the right Christian and infinitely obliged to all which he commands me This among others is one of his righteous and holy Laws one great signification of his Royal will I must not will not deny it dispute it or put it from me but comply freely with it And this comes from that spring that root which lyes at the bottom of the heart that supereminent love to God the holy hearts chief good and the great ground of all right obedience Rom. 13.10 Love is the fulfilling of the Law and so is it the fulfilling of this particular Law of holy Meditation love to God so infinitely excellent in himself and who hath so unspeakably loved the holy soul Therefore if it be the right and genuine obedience it hath this high this warm spring of love running in this channel this of Meditation an over-powering constraining love that breeds this thinking this looking of the soul in Meditation O therefore try if this heavenly love hath first been planted in the soil of thy heart if from a new heart circumcised to love the Lord above all that thence thou comest to love Meditation because thou lovest the Law-giver first who writes his Law and writes this particular Law in thy heart by love to it by making thee a lover of Meditation 2. If Meditation be genuine and right then is it from a choice of will wrought up by the power of holy love subduing and mortifying carnal and formerly predominant unwillingness and stubbornness reluctancy and refusals of this work and framing it to willingness freeness and fixedness of purpose to do it and hold it Psal 119.48 I will meditate saith the holy Psalmist Meditation arose from resolution from a will fixed and that arose from love acted and working the will to resolution Therefore in the 97. verse of this Psalm he speaks it to God himself O how love I thy law and what fruit doth this noble root of love put forth it is my meditation all the day Meditation of the Law proceeds from love to the Law Love lay at the bottom and that engaged the will into a firm resolution to meditate Never is the will freer and its purpose firmer then when love inclines and engages it The highest and strongest resolutions that ever were taken up by any holy heart were the rare products and sweet fruits of heavenly love love efficaciously exciting the will winding it up to the top and then fixing it fast 3. Where the work of Meditation is right the aims and ends of it are pure spiritual and holy it is carried beyond and above self it is an acting with self-denying self is neither the total nor the predominant ingredient in this undertaking That which Christ calls for of denying a mans self Mark 8.34 in the extent of all Christianity must particularly be performed in this duty Self seeking must not be uppermost not the main intent or inducement For this is the Sphere an unsound heart moves ever in The aim and end in the best natural man is never higher then self and no other really then self and that because he chiefly loves himself But a right work must be aimed and acted above all to the living God Therefore Zec. 7.5 God tells them their fasting was not right because they did it not to God so is Meditation or any other duty not right if it be not to him aimed above all at his Glory In this respect therefore Religion is in Scripture called Godliness because it is a frame of spirit acting above all self-ends and inferior respects unto the living God above all So Heb. 9.14 To serve the living God works not done to the living God are dead works a living work is aimed and level'd to the living God The end more particularly must be the glorifying God 1 Cor. 10.31 Do all to the glory of God If eating drinking and such inferior things then much more holy duties must be done to Gods glory There must be an inward powerful principle that can aim so highly really and an acting of that principle that God is actually glorified It is not enough to say we do as many erringly affirm they aim their duties when they never had first that right principle of Holiness wrought in their hearts Without the principle of Holiness it is impossible to have holy aimings holy ends It 's impossible without an eye to see to level at a mark Wheresoever there 's a right doing there 's a potent elevating principle that sets the spirit above the predominancy of self-seeking and acts it into a reality of God-exalting above all that kindles and inflames the soul into an ardency of desire love delight of glorifying God in every undertaking This is unspeakably sweet and heart-gladding nothing pleases a holy heart more then when the heart below can run in some degree parallel with the hearts of Saints and Angels above in hallowing and advancing the highest God and his Name Try we therefore if our meditating be a real acting up to the grand scope and highest end the exalting of God if his honour be indeed the preponderating inducement and greatest soul-aim 2. Happiness and our own Salvation was the next aim formerly mentioned happiness propounded and declared in the Gospel and no other To this next subordinate end must all the golden lines of holy duties tend here they must center Every right duty must be a real levelling at Gospel-happiness that which God proffers and Christ hath purchased If Meditation be right it is a part of true wisdom for our selves Prov. 9.12 Wisdom to salvation as really aimed at it as any marksman aime at his mark God next to himself and his glory allows and requires to look and seek labour and strive for eternal life and happiness and all our duties as they are subservient to his glory so our own happiness is complicate and wrapt up in it yet not above it or equal with it but next under it Accordingly therefore in this duty as in all others our aim at happiness must not be a meer self-seeking it must not terminate
Directions to old Christians pag. 360 Chap. 20. More Directions for setting Meditation on work pag. 363 Chap. 21. Of Meditation respecting those that are called Fathers pag. 369 Chap. 22. Of the particular management of Meditation of those called Fathers pag. 373 Chap. 23. The Conclusion exciting every one to a constant daily performance of this excellent duty of divine Meditation pag. 376 BY reason of the Authors absence from the Press several faults are escaped which the Reader is intreated to correct or candidly pass by SOLITUDE IMPROVED IN MEDITATIONS Upon DIVINE MEDITATION THat so noble Subject and necessary Duty of Divine Meditation I have now chosen by Christs assistance to speak of to you Of Meditation in general according to Scripture-latitude in the various Kinds and Considerations of it there exprest My Text therefore must not be one single Scripture for the total foundation of what I shall tender but the universal vote and passages asperst through the Bible some of which are these you may please to turn unto 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate upon these things There Timothy and in him by way of proportion every person is commanded Meditation Psal 1.2 In that Law doth he meditate day and night If the blessed man doth so meditate then all who will be blessed must do the like And Psal 77.12 I will meditate on all thy works Both the word and works of God must be the godly mans meditation Psal 63.6 and Meditate on thee in the night-watches And Psal 104.34 My Meditation of him shall be sweet God must be meditated on and that Meditation should be sweet Obs From these and the like passages scattered over the Bible the Observation or Conclusion is this Pious Meditation is the Duty of every Christian or It is the high Institution of Christ and greatly Incumbent duty of Christians to exercise themselves much in holy Meditation A rare and soul-enriching way such as none know the sweetness and blessed Incomes of it but such who exercise themselves in it Philosophers tell us there would be no life or motion in the lower World if the Sun and Celestial Bodies stood still Physicians say if the Heart did not continually beat in the Body there would be no life and motion in the little World Man And Experience proves if there were no Springs or Weights in Watches and artificial Engines they could perform nothing What the Sun Moon and Stars are to life and motion here below what the Heart is to the Bodies life and moving and what the Springs and Weights are to Motions Artificial that in a high degree is Meditation to spiritual Life and Motion Of the various things tendred to us for truths this is the great Trier the Percolation and Refiner the Melioration and Improver Such things that come to us crude and raw become mellow and concocted by Meditation It is the Golden Scale to give Divine things their due weight The Souls Rare Limbeck to effect the highest Operations to extract the richest Spirits for Heart use Meditation is of that happy Influence it makes the Mind wise the Affections warm the Soul fat and flourishing and the Conversation greatly fruitful Psal 119. Who can but practise it continue it contend to larger improvements in this Heavenly Art that hath once experienced and fed upon the surpassing sweetness and refreshments the unspeakable solaces and ravishments both had and heightned in it To speak of it adequately I cannot it is such an attainment that none know the All of it Nothing but progress in the daily practice can help to comprehend it There is still a plus ultra a Going and a Knowing further I shall speak to four things only concerning Meditation 1. The Precedents upon the File of Scripture or some rare Examples of the Practice and but briefly 2. The Nature Ingredients Qualifications and the several sorts of Meditation and here I must be something large 3. The Grounds and supporting Reasons of it to manifest it 4. The diverse Improvements of it to divers sorts of persons First The Precedents on the Sacred File recorded Instances in Scripture There are among others four Instances which I shall single out four famous holy and eminent ones The first is that of the godly Patriarch Isaac Gen. 24.63 Isaac went out in the Evening to meditate God is a most free Agent as in all other actings so in conferring his Scripture Honours He honours whom he pleaseth and when and how he pleaseth He is bound to give no account of his matters And oft we see him in his Goings and Doings but cannot by searching find him out Job 11.7 Divine Soveraignty and Wisdom is pleased in the Scripture Records to fix the first honour of this practice of Meditation on holy Isaac Doubtless his so excellent Father holy Abraham did use to beat this path to Heaven who walkt so much with God Doubtless those other Patriarchs and Saints living before Abraham travelled much in this heavenly Road. Enoch for his walking with God so highly honoured was no stranger to this way Questionless it was one of his walks He certainly used to go to Heaven Mentally before he was translated Personally He used to ascend up by Meditation before his happy translation But Isaac is he who first is mentioned for acting this holy Meditating It may be he exceeded and excelled in this Heavenly Art and Practice and because it was a Duty performed privately and that was not known God would reward and honour him openly by making it known and that some hundreds of Years after by Moses his holy Pen. It 's probable there was something more than ordinary in it which occasioned this first Record of Meditation However this was the holy pleasure of God so to fix it to place it first on the File of godly Meditators Isaac is the first mentioned Meditator in Scripture Records Instance 2. The second which is the fullest to all intents and respects is that high and noble Precedent of holy David That man after Gods own heart among other reasons I believe for his beating so much this path to Heaven for the frequencies of his visits made this way He soon became a man of Great Troubles and Difquiets yet then in them he would resolutely cut out his way and keep his course of holy Meditation witness those many Psalms penned in and on occasions of his troubles and stiled his Meditations He after Sauls death is crowned King of Judah had his great multitudes of high Employments was a mighty Warriour and so must be exposed to highest hazards yet nothing in no time whatever should check or retard his course Though he had his Head full of Thoughts his Heart full of Troubles his Hands full of Work nothing should hinder him in this high Exercise of his so experienced sweet Meditation In Psal 1.2 He makes Meditation the Character of a blessed man To meditate in Gods Law day and night And what he makes a Rule for others he makes good
things or any other things in a holy manner unto spiritual and holy ends and improvements only 1. Here is the more general Nature founding it 2. The more peculiar Nature and particular Requisties finishing it 1. The more general Nature in a double Aspect The first looks up to Christ it is his Ordinance his Institution The second looks down to man it is his Obedience his Duty 2. Here is the particular Nature and Requisites Where first 1. The Object I will consider the Proper Object of this Meditation in two parts 1. Things spiritual and heavenly 2. Things though not in themselves spiritual yet in a spiritual manner lookt upon 2. The acting on it The acting on this Object by way of right pondering where many particulars will be opened 3. The Ends of this Meditation for only spiritual ends or the ends to be levell'd at must be spiritual and only holy 1. The more general Nature of Meditation we speak to It 's 1. Christs own Ordinance 2. And then mans Duty and Obedience It is Christs own Ordinance as those Scriptures fore-cited and many other which will be after-named prove Three things there are in an Ordinance of Christ which I shall speak of 1. The Rise and Original it is heavenly 2. The Nature it is spiritual and holy Yea 3. The use and end it is for a help 1. For the Rise and Original it is glorious and transcendent it comes as far as Heaven it is Heaven-born and bred It bears Christs Image and superscription Brings his Broad-seal and Commission it is one bright beam of Christs Sovereignty shining down upon us One holding out of his Golden Scepter for us to touch the top of it It comes with the King of Heavens Must it must be yielded to done as the strict and high Command of the great King of Saints given in Indispensible Necessity yea with the very same Cogency and Necessity that Praying Hearing the Word or any other most usually yielded to Duty doth Commonly as by our daily practice we prove it we lay not such stress upon Divine Meditation as we do upon other Scripture Institutions As if there were a less weight of Christs Regal Scepter in it As if it were not so current Coin of his but rather like some light Gold which we need not receive except we please Whereas this Duty of Meditation comes in Christs Name to every soul and with a Commission as full and firm as any other Gospel Command or Duty whatsoever 2. An Ordinance of Christ is holy Every Institution is a participation and carries a stamp and beam of God's glorious Holiness Not only of his Regal Authority but of his inconceivable Holiness and Purity The Holiness of God is that glorious Attribute of his whereby being free from all Impurity he wills and orders all things for his Name and Glory The holiness of an Ordinance is chiefly that by which it is laid and levelled full at the grand scope and mark of God's highest praise and honour It must be lookt on and represented to us as an Appointment for the most High God his Highest Interest All Religion is principally for living to the Living God Rom. 6.7 Heb. 9.14 All Ordinances are but the higher and more eminent ways given us for exalting him So many ascents and rising grounds whereby he may mount aloft and become more transcendently great and glorious If this be not the predominant Ingredient in our performances we are quite mistaken and so take his blessed name in vain This therefore being the chief thing this Ordinance of Meditation stands charged with must accordingly be minded and meant in it God's Institution of it First for his own highest Interest his intending it first for himself who so infinitely surpasses all Created Beings and their total Interests whatsoever they can amount unto This is the second Considerable an Ordinance is Holy chiefly instituted for lifting up God 3. An Ordinance is helpful for our heavenly help by Grace and the Lord's Condescension it is an Appointment and Institution for us For our chief Interest the High-way of our Souls help an Intendment and a Means to the main Mark of Happiness The singular way of our God's devising The sweet way of our great Prophets Teaching Christ's first setting me up a Light and therewith lending me his hand of help all Gospel Ordinances carry light and help with them The Scriptures call them ways Psal 119.3 They are Gods ways and they are also our ways They are first the King of Heaven's High-ways his Institutions and Appointments for us And they are our ways our High-ways to travel up to the City of God Heaven our ways to walk in to our chief Happiness I must look upon Christs Ordinances not as meer Impositions and significations of Christs Sovereignty not as Burdens and Tasks the products and effects of severity but such as are the Demonstrations of his Graciousness and Pity He sets me and shews me the way who justly might leave me to lose my way and to lose my self to lose both my Labour and Life Heaven and Happiness and that for ever These three forementioned Considerations ah what exteam need hath every one to give them the keenest edge to make Meditation more penetrative and powerful To both facilitate it to us and fortifie it in our Hearts Ah when we are to Meditate how do we still find our spirits all over-run and tainted with carnal and hellish Repugnancies and recoilings against it Rom. 7.21 how biassed and acted with strong diversions from it How sunk down suddenly in deadness and flatness in it How overcome with fainting fits and feebleness in it from the poysonous Fumes and dangerous Damps ascending out of the Hell of Corruption lying at the bottom of our spirits And how still abused by the frequencies of our hearts Deceitfulness and Miscarriages about it The more high holy and conducing any Ordinance of Christ is the more fearful and sad are the Demonstrations of the Enmity and Hell in our Hearts acting against it Domine Gehenna sum Lord I am Hell said that devout Meditator Ah what Floods what Seas of Considerations have we need of to quench these Hellish sparks that rise up in our Bosoms What need of all the Heavenly fire we can make and kindle to extinguish this Hellish Fire that so quickly burns and flames up As we see the Sun to extinguish the Fire on the Hearth Celestial Fire our Culinary Fire This may suffice for the first thing Meditation is an Ordinance of Christ To come to the Second it is our Incumbent Duty our Obedience to the great Law-giver Christ CHAP. III. Meditation our Duty our Obedience 2. Meditation our Duty MEditation is not only Christs Institution and Ordinance but every ones Incumbent Duty and Necessary Obedience not like the Free-will Offering a matter meerly arbitrary and as a dealing by way of courtesie Not for a Casting in as a Redundancy over and above all other Duties but is
growing of the Grass and Herbs and Trees the singing of the Birds among their Branches in the waters the playing of the Leviathan the innumerable creeping things in the Seas and the going of the Ships in them as Psal 104. The wise Solomon hath his Meditation of the Horse-leach with her daughters Prov. 30.15 The Ant in her Industry Prov. 26.14 sending the Sluggard that turns on his Bed as the Door on the Hinges that often moves but never removes to her to learn Industry Prov. 6.6 Yea sometimes the most inconfidenable things the Scripture takes notice of for us to mind the Hairs on the head which all are numbred the Sands of the Sea which though so weak and small is thereby bridled The Dust of the Earth by Gods power as in a Measure comprehended Isa 40.12 And not only God's great works and high actings but the lowest actions of men and the meanest actings of the inferiour Creatures are in Scripture held forth as occasions for this Meditation as advantage grounds for the ascending of thoughts and raising up the Mind Heaven-ward All this pains taken by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures is to shew what a wise and fruitful spirit may extract by this holy Art of Meditation yea to teach us how constantly thought-busie we should keep our hearts like that wonder in Nature the so wise and laborious Bee still in gathering some Celestial sweetness from every Flower of Scripture or Providence or any other Object we stay upon CHAP. VII Of the Requisites for Meditation FRom the Object and Matter of Meditation we must next come upon the Requisites and Qualifications and the things contained in it and constituting of it Here by the way there were two sorts of Meditation mentioned 1. That which is set and more solemn 2. That which is short sudden and ejaculatory 1. The first that which more properly is called Meditation is that so frequently we have spoken of in the Scripture and mentioned in our Divinity-Books and in Discourses Meditation in the ordinary acceptation of the word taken for a work of time seriousness and solemness that must have a due proportion of Time Labour and Diligence to effect that upon the heart it is to be used for 2. There is that which is called Ejaculation sudden quick acting or ascending of the Soul to Heaven This is a holy spark flies up out of the heavenly Fire burning suddenly in the heart this is but Meditation rather more improperly so call'd Of this I shall speak something hereafter But that we are now to proceed upon is the Meditation more properly so call'd more set solemn Meditation a business of time and seriousness There are divers things I shall mention eight Particulars or Requisites for this Meditation There are eight Requisites I shall mention 1. There 's requisite a Holy Awe and Reverence a putting on a reverential frame of heart sutable to the holiness of the Duty 2. There is requisite a Retreat of the Thoughts calling off the mind from all its preceding excursions or engagings otherways 3. There 's requisite the setting of a strong Guard and so sure a Watch upon our slippery spirits as we are able to secure it against all diversions 4. Meditation as to the Form and Nature proper Notion and Essence consists in Application of the Mind and Thoughts and setting them upon the Subject or Matter intended to be considered 5. Meditation as to the Nature and Essence consists as in Application of the Mind to so in the intension and due seriousness of thinkings on a fit Object 6. In a diving and searohing of thoughts scanning for a best discovery 7. In a Commoration and due stay of the thoughts upon the work in hand without precipitation and undue hastening 8. It 's requisite there be an infusing and intermixing the life and beauties of such affections as are sutable and proper for the Duty 1. Meditation it must have the Dispositive and Preparation of Holy Awe and Reverence a still engaging the Spirit to and imposing upon it and framing of it unto all that holy Awe and highest Reverence which this so excellent Duty calls for both in the Entrance and over all the Performance I say Highest Reverence as that which is to be done in the so infinitely pure presence of a God a God whose eye is observing in a special manner our hearttemper not only in a Duty performed in his view but a temper presented and tendered to himself as an Homage and Honour As a way of Ingratiating our selves with him as a way and one of our sweetest ways of higher Intimacy and Communion with him The Spirit of a Creature perfect much less of a sinner it cannot have too strong an Infusion too deep a Tincture of holy Reverence This is the first Requisite a deep Tincture of holy Reverence contended to CHAP. VIII Of the second Requisite THE next Requisite is in sounding a Retreat of the Thoughts and calling off the Mind from all preingagements not only Evils and Vanities but all Business and Duties Nothing must detain the thoughts or divert the thoughts when we design and intend Meditation God complains of men when Bodies are brought and Hearts are left out well may he complain if we go about Meditation a Mind a Thought Exercise if we let the mind and thoughts be sent abroad and not called home The Philosophers say truly that intention can be only of one thing at one particular individual time Divinity tells us there must be no allowance of disintention neither a giving way to a seisure of Impertinencies to keep possession of the Mind that will keep off that which is incumbent and our present Duty David Psal 119.113 says he hated vain thoughts when they were Intruders when they crowded in much more as they were Excluders and crowded out good thoughts Therefore most of all when they obstructed and interposed at the time of his Meditation Therefore being so rare an Artist in Heavenly Meditation he still would shake out and empty the Vessel of his heart of other previous improper thoughts Do as Nehemiah when Tobijah had laid up his stuff in the Temple he throws it all out to make way for the proper Furniture Musing in this sort therefore must have its Preparative its stand and its retreat off and from all impertinent thoughts a making the Coast clear a setting the mind free disburdening and disclogging it Casting off all weights when we are to run this Race and mount up the Hill of Divine Contemplation Now is the time to call to by-thoughts to void the Room and leave it free for other thoughts to enter This is the Second Requisite a sounding a Retreat to the thoughts from all other things 3. When Meditation is to be performed there must be a strong Guard set a sure Watch kept upon all Avenues and Passages on all the Inlets and Out-lets of the heart As Jehoiada the Priest set a Guard round about the young King
Sugar drops unspeakable sweetness and satisfaction upon and into the holy heart 1 Pet. 1.8 These and sundry others are the fat things full of marrow and make up the Feast and are from the actings and industries of this happy way of Meditation As therefore the Heart is hungry and thirsty in continual Lingrings and Longings and never quiet Meditation must carry it to this royal Gospel Feast and thereby meet with a blessed fatisfaction not being contented with the sight of the Feast and the delicacies of it without attaining some happy satiety The Prophet Isaiah mentions one dreaming of eating but when he awakes his soul is hungry If we look not well to it Meditation may be but such an unprofitable thinking as when we have ended it we may miss of this satisfaction find our souls empty It must be still so managed that it prove a help and cure to my Soul 's inordinate lingerings and improve to a spiritual satisfaction Plutarch in his Morals tells of one Pythos who finding a rich Mine of Gold and out of his eager desire to have the Treasure in the Mine was so continually attending at the Mine that he neglected his comings home to his Meals To confute his covetous industry his Wife one day instead of providing him food prepared nothing but Golden Dishes with several sorts of Meats cast into the forms of sundry things edible but all of Gold whereby he could observe a curiosity of invention but was disappointed of feeding and satiety We must not in our Meditation content our selves with feeding the eye for curiosity but endeavour feeding the Soul unto satiety heavenly satiety Ah let my Spirit mind more a fullness of satisfaction than newness of Notion carry it from Head-work to Heart-work from bare speculation to rare and ravishing satisfaction This for the third particular Soul satiety 4. Admiration Let me to set the Crown on the head of the Duty adde one thing over and above let Meditation be carried up to admiration not only should we be affected but transported rapt up and ravisht with the beauties and transcendencies of heavenly things act Meditation to Admiration endeavour the highest pitch coming the nearest to the highest patterns the patterns of Saints and Angels in Heaven whose actings are the purest highest Extasies and Admirations Thus were these so excellent Artists in Meditation David an high acter of Admiration in Meditation as often we see it in the Psalms so in Ps 8.1 and the last Verse Ps 31.19 O how great is thy goodness c. Psal 104.24 O Lord how manifold are thy works c. And in other places Davids Meditation and Admiration were as his Harp well tuned and excellently played on in rarest airs and highest strains as the precious Gold and the curious burnishing or the richest Stone and the exquisitest polishing and setting of it So blessed Paul who was a great Artist in musing acted high in admiration his soul was very warm and flaming up in it It was as a Bird with a strong and long wing that soars and towers up aloft and gets out of sight Thus sundry of the Ancients as holy Austin Bernard and others of those who have recorded their rare hours of Meditations and Transportings of Admiration liftings out of themselves and liftings up to Heaven A precious Minister of Christ oft in his life time would wish he might die in the heavenly Exercise of singing a Psalm in which he used to be transported in Meditation and Admiration At length he had in singing a Psalm his holy wish dying in the performance whereby he was rapt up after his ravishment in the Duty into Heaven changing his place but not his work Another a man eminently learned and heavenly riding with a friend in his Coach he fell into a rare Contemplation and Discourse of the glory of Heaven and the beatifical vision in which he was so highly ravisht that within a short time he was suddenly taken from this Earth to take his possession of that Glory he had so before in Contemplation Thus I have weakly endeavoured some explication of this happy work of holy Meditation It must first be begun with fervent Prayer It must be founded in a purpose of 1. A right work 2. A wise work 3. A warm work 4. A strong purpose of earnest striving against all impediments 5. An endeavour of the kindly issue and success It must have likewise 1. Putting on a holy Reverence and Awe 2. A Retreat of thoughts from all other Objects than such as we are to muse on 3. A strong Guard must be set to keep off all diversions 4. A setting on the thoughts on the Object 5. A seriousness of thoughts 6. A searching of thoughts 7. And then a staying and dwelling of thoughts 8. An intermixing of heavenly affections 1. Desire 2. Love 3. Joy And Meditation should have 1. A savouriness 2. A sweetness 3. A satiety 4. Come up and be carried on with holy admiration There remains one thing more to be spoken of in the Description given of Meditation CHAP. XVIII Of the Ends of Meditation MEditation we described to be an institution of Christ and duty of a Christian wherein the Mind acts upon spiritual things or other things in a spiritual manner by a due considering of them and this to holy ends or spiritual uses only Now the Ends of Meditation are three Three great Ends of our Meditating 1. Such as refer to the most high God 2. Such as respect our selves 3. Such as relate to others 1. Such as refer to the most high God Meditation is to be the motion of the heavenly spirit Heavenward to carry it up to Heaven and keep it a time there A looking of the Eye of the mind and a lifting up of the heart a making a stay and taking a spiritual solace in Heaven with God All Duties we perform must be done to the living God Heb. 9.14 to serve the living God If otherwise our Duties are but dead works loathsome as dead Carkasses A living work must have for its supreme end the living God God that is the first and best must have the first aim and levelling to They say in Philosophy the last end must have the first intending The first looking at as the first ground and mover to any work And as they say in Opticks the peculiar Art that treats about the nature of seeing of Objects Quod primo radiat est primo visibile that which first irradiates sends forth that which through the Medium first conveys it self to the Eye This is first visible and that is light The first thing the Eye of Meditation should fix upon is that which is the light of lights and that is God who is all Light Beauty and Glory Meditation should be chiefly acted to see God and to aim at glorifying of God above all 1 Cor. 10.31 Whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God The Gentiles wise men and great Philosophers because their
speculations were not acted to the glory of God were vain imaginations Rom. 1. Whatsoever the aim be if the glory of God be not the real scope nay if it be not the master mark the work is miscarried and but a ravelling out of Time a losing of Labour Meditation must make sure of the right method and order of aiming the glory of God like the Sun in the Heavens that out-shines all other Lights below and above and that which is to be seen before and above all others so this must be eyed and aimed at likewise far before all other Three things to be eyed Ah we should eye 1. The Infinite Glories and Resplendencies of the Eternal and All-sufficient God 2. The infinite distances and heights he is in above us 3. And the infinite Obligations that ever lie upon us to exalt him beyond all As in the making of our whole man whereby he is total owner of us and proprietor in us And in our preserving whereby we are yet more highly bound And in the provisions for our Eternal happiness which is far beyond all the former Therefore there 's an absolute necessity of this Method and Order of still first aiming every Duty and Acting at this grand mark and then to make it the striving and pressing hard of our Spirits to it O that in my thinkings in the ascendings of my thoughts this glory of the great God may ever still ascend For no thoughts nor actings can truly ascend if they go not up to the blessed God and this glory of God if God goes not up higher in our thinkings they then go not higher than self and which is but indeed downward and not upward at all Nay 't is a worse descent than that also 't is Destruction and Hell-ward whatsoever is Self-ward and is not to the advanceing of the great God Meditation is not only to be acted to God as a Duty but as this Duty in its peculiarity and propriety as being a peculiar streight line to God as a singular way for our taking aim this high aim at exalting the praises of God Thus did that rare mark-man holy David as it is admirably conspicuous in the Psalms in Psal 103.12 In the very entrance he lays a strict a repeated command upon his Soul and all that is within him to bless and bless and praise God Yea not only lays his Meditation level to the mark but raises up his spirit to take the purest the fullest aim this both by a selecting and improving of spiritual reasons the strongest he could find and the most quickning Motives he could apply all that his heart might carry up in a heavenly flame the highest praises of God Thus you shall see him very frequently acting his Meditation up with the greatest fervour to this exalting highly of God Meditation is a peculiar visit made to the great God a Mind a Thought visit wherein as to a great friend the Soul as it were comes and saith to God Lord I come to see thee I now come purposely to see thee to spend some fit portion of time with thee and I come for that high Honour and Observance I am infinitely obliged to tender to thee Every Meditation is giving a fresh visit and thereby a new tender of highest Honour we own to this best of Friends This is the first end 2. The next end is our highly pleasing of God which by Meditation we are to intend God will be both obeyed and pleased with our respecting and acting of every appointed way Meditation is the best way the most pleasing way of thinking Col. 1.11 We are to walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing Therefore this must be performed to an intended pleasing a due serious thinking a pondering and dwelling of the thoughts upon heavenly things and chiefly upon the infinite Beauties and Excellencies of God who is the perfect Thought and Heart-knower the exquisite Searcher and Observer of Soul-actings But then most when purposely pleasing is designed This must very highly please him when we especially design pleasing with our most wishly eyings of him yea to intend the doing our best to please him and this O how should it greatly also please us David Psal 19. last v. prays for pleasing God Let the Meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer So it is not only to be prayed for but made the holy aim of Meditation with our utmost care Favourites to great Princes what industries do they use to please them especially that their thoughts offered in Counsels may be acceptable Thus how did Philotas who was Alexander the Great 's Favourite and Meeenas Augustus his Favourite and so among our selves divers But how near goes it to them if their Counsels please not as with Achitophel when his Counsel pleased not Absalom and on the contrary with Hushai when his Counsel pleased So when Hamans Counsel was rejected and how contrary with Mordecai when his Counsels were resented Pleasing of a Prince is a great encouragement But pleasing of a God is a sweet Soul Contentment it is most worthy striving after O how unspeakably sweet will the finding and feeling of this prove in thy heart when Meditation is performed purposely to please thy God when it runs in a pure stream when thy spirit reflecting on its actings in Meditating makes discovery of this holy aim of high pleasing the most high God As the Scripture commands pleasing the Saints are peculiarly commended and greatly honoured for it As with wise and well bred people obliging and pleasing in good things great pleasing is a great praise As Abel Enoch and others from this character of pleasing God It is a heavenly ambition to earnestly design pleasing as in all others so in this walking with God in Meditation CHAP. XIX Meditation respecting our selves 2. AS there should be such aims relating to the great God so Meditation must have its advantageous aims respecting our selves 1. The Grand Scope and End of our own happiness 2. All other Subservient and Excellent Ends. 1. The grand End of our own happiness and working out our own salvation is the next spiritual end that Meditation as a mighty Engine should set on going to effect It should be sure to be ordered up and duly aimed at acted according to the aptitude and fitness of any way in it to further this important end Musing and right Meditation hath a most rare tendency and helpfullness as to the working out salvation As it is a sanctified means on Gods part so it must be an earnestly employed help on our part We must Meditate ever so that it may help on salvation we must mean it and level it sure not any way deceive our selves but take the best and surest aim Salvation challenges the best eying the fullest steadiest strongest aiming of every way and help Soul happiness must not have slender aims we cannot have aimings too serious and intense Let my aimings
pondering and meditating The Saints in Scripture that acted the highest resolutions exercised the deepest Meditations as we see in that man after Gods own heart Fits and flashes of Phansie never breed firm purposings but such resolutions that lie longest asteep in due preceding Meditation have the deepest tincture and holding Colour Longer I have been upon this particular as a point more material because the art of raising and fixing heightning and improving holy resolutions is such a happy fruit of Divine Meditation ordered to that blessed End CHAP. XXIV Of Moditation as a grand supporter of the Christian course 4. MEditation is for a constant keeper up and supporter of the Christian course as to the evenness of this Golden thread without decays sinkings stands and interruptions 2. As to improvements and goings on to perfection 3. And as to conflictings with Enemies and Oppositions This was holy Paul's practice by still taking in the highest provoking considerations minding and due pondering of them it made him to labour so abundantly to press so hard to the mark forgetting the things behind and looking to the things before He meditated on the Price of the high calling kept his Eye on the Crown of righteousness he kept his Eye alway on the stores and varieties of Gospel encouragements A Christian of the greatest consideration will ever keep up best his evenness and constancy New fresh Meditations are new Soul feedings new meals which adde new strength and vigour they make a Christian like Elijah when he had eaten to travel with new strength to Horeb the Mount of God There is a Beast in the West-Indies they call Pigritia which signifies sloth for its strange slow pace which is going fourteen days a stones cast and they have contrarily a glorious Bird call'd the Bird of Paradise that is seen generally flying and in a very expedite motion Divers for running the blessed race of Godliness go creeping slowly making little haste or progress certainly they meditate little The swiftest of foot in Christs way are the frequent serious Meditaters Meditating makes the Birds of Paradise the Christians of the perpetual motion I might adde more to this particular but I hasten to the next CHAP. XXV Of the End or Vse of Meditation in reference to others 3. THe third and last End or Use of Meditation named was in respect of others As the former ends were in reference first to God then towards our selves So this we come now unto is in respect of others Meditation in reference to others to persons of all sorts is to fill the treasure of the heart with good things and to fit the good man out of the good treasure of his heart to bring them forth to furnish others and be serviceable to their spiritual condition Luke The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things He first lays in a good treasure stores himself with the riches of heavenly treasure and then brings it out It is not a work meerly of phansie and imagination but chiefly of Meditation and Consideration Imagination takes in varieties of things in a promiscuous manner without differencing or distinguishing Imagination makes a collection Meditation makes a selection and dijudication Meditation observes what precious things are offered us and lays them up and discerns what are not precious and lays them by yea by Meditation there is not only an old store laid in but there will be also an adding of new It is this rare Art of Meditation that both founds and fills the treasury with old and new Phansie and Imagination as it is in divers may fill the mind with trash but not with Treasure with things that glister but are not Gold It is this Meditation that makes discerning betwixt the precious and the vile that takes up on searching the treasure found and discern'd and lays it up in the treasury of a good heart And this is first for the good mans own store and supply but then it is also for to enable him to bring forth for others use and help to bring forth in first discourse that is spiritual and savoury for the Nature and that likewise is seasonable and sutable for the occasion offer'd to bring and shew forth the Apples of Gold in their Pictures of Silver as Solomon saith of a word spoken in season likewise to hold forth things that are exemplary as to a fruitfulness in walking to bring forth the good things of light to shine out light of precious edifying truths and light of rich and rare experiences and to bring out the good things of a heavenly quickning comforting and encouraging Nature Meditation as it is the great way of gathering up things that are useful and filling the heart-treasury so it is to be the way of direction to open it and bringing forth in discourse the good things stored up And by this imparting them to others we our selves have a double advantage often following 1. A clearer and more distinct apprehension as Silver and Gold brighten by use not by lying up 2. A warmer and livelier Affection and when they come forth warmer by discoursing they are the apter to warm others and make their hearts burn within them This then is one End one great and excellent End of this so excellent way of Meditation That as face answereth to face in water so heart may answer heart in warmth When things have been well warmed in the Forge and Furnace first of Meditation and then in our Communication Fire may kindle Fire and one warm heart may occasion another Discourse that is the meer product and fruit of Phansie and Memory and hath not some rise and tincture of warm Meditation some discovery of heart-heat is like flashes of lightning or the shining of the Moon they make a shew but warm not No body is warmer by the one no heart is warmer by the other CHAP. I. Of the several kinds or ways of Meditation WE now from the divers Ends of Meditation proceed to the several kinds or ways of it Meditation is either that which is more set and solemn or that which is more sudden and short 1. That which is more set and solemn and this is either the more ordinary and daily or that which is extraordinary upon some more peculiar Occasions both which the Scriptures hold forth in the recorded Precepts and Precedents therein 1. The necessity of daily Meditation The first way of solemn Meditation is that which should be daily That as private Praying and other Duties are a Christians daily ways of exercising himself in Godliness and walking with God so holy Meditation is one golden path in the great Road to Heaven one way of breathing his soul daily up the Hill of Eternity and meeting with God in the Mount Psal 1.2 The holy Prophet makes it a Character of the blessed man that he Meditates in the Law of God day and night Where we have held forth as they say Gratiam Gradum the
Grace and the Degree of that Grace the Grace he doth Meditate the Degree day and night Thus much hereby must then be implyed that as it is to be performed often so it cannot well be performed by the Rule in this Scripture passage if every day in course there be not something done this way either more or less certainly we cannot give God and our souls concerns too much measure So Psalm 119. He tells us his daily practice to Meditate both in the day and night Now his Example being a King and under such varieties of important Affairs so many and so great as none can have more And if he had still such cares troubles and dangers attending might not these have excused to some abatement of his constancy but it did not This therefore leaves all sorts of persons without excuse none being able to alledge that which he could or not more urgencies of daily occasions There is no doubt that as it is a work lies upon every one so sure as the day returns and the fresh businesses of it so this Meditating of right doth challenge for it self some fit season and portion of the day being one of the great businesses for the Souls help As no Christian can plead exemption from this daily incumbency this daily soul affair so no good prudent Christian can conceive but he may find out in the revolution of the day some at least fit opportunity for serious Meditation Or if not in the day time the time of action and avocation yet in the night upon the Bed the time of rest and freedom What was said of that great Warriour Hannibal making his way into Italy over the high rocky Mountains the Alpes with Fire and Vinegar Hannibal will either find a way or make one and is said of Love It will creep if it cannot go a good heart will find or make its way over Mountains of Difficulties and Business to have Communion with Jesus Christ Cant. 3.1 2 3. Ah it is most sad if I can allow so many hours in the night for rest and sleep so many in the day for business and emergencies so many for eating and drinking so many for company and discourse yea so much time for pleasure play for trivial things next to nothing it may be for things worse than nothing for sins and lusts and that no part of the twenty four hours must be afforded for serious thinking thinking of things ten thousand times more momentous and concerning than the total sum of matters that sweep away and swallow up precious time so much The good Christian cannot but at least close with the eternal obligation of this duty And the wise and fruitful Christian cannot but yield some complyance with the practice of it and let this come in for its due share in the time of the day as one important business to be dispatcht and that must still contribute to the right making of it up and improvement of it After some evidence of the equity of this daily Duty I come to speak to the Nature and way of this Meditation This being of all other sorts the principal which therefore challenges a more distinct and careful handling If Christians very well understand not this way or fall very short of the due manner and order of it the work is neither so pleasant or successful as it might be and should be and questionless is to Christians such as are the great Artists herein such as have been well practised and experienced in it I shall therefore now endeavour to shew the Nature of it and something of a Method of due proceeding in it In general it is that daily exercise whereby we single out purposely some spiritual or useful matters to act the searchings and ponderings which according to our ability and opportunity of the day we can exercise for our spiritual advantage The Mind is a Spring alway running in thinkings a Wheel alway turning a Forge alway framing a Wing ever moving it is the most active busie nimble thing in all the world therefore hath the greatest need to be well lookt unto to be kept as Solomon saith Prov. 4.23 With all keeping keep thy heart to be guided with the best skill and care with the steadiest and stiffest rein like a Horse of highest metal ready to run away with his Rider it will run wildly away and carry the soul into vanity folly and self-mischieving Meditation is a spiritual rein and curb and the peculiar designed way to reduce rectifie and order it To bring the hearts thinking power into the highest subserviency the greatest usefulness to the main to the Souls grand interest Therefore there is a great necessity upon every good heart of daily and much Meditating CHAP. II. Of the manner and way of daily Meditation 1. EVery Christian is to awake with God in the morning Psal 139.13 as David when he awoke was ever with God at his awaking times in the night by thinking of God so chiefly when he awoke last when the night was past with all the dangers of it and the day dawned then the morning-star of Meditation arose in his heart The first work in the morning is to awake with God and the noble thinking faculty which upon awaking will instantly awake and begin to stir begin to act Let it be awakened into this sweet way of self entertainment by engaging of it in holy Meditation Look we that the heart be first of all seasoned sweetned and perfumed with heavenly thoughts 1. Begin we with serious reflections upon the great goodness and tender mercies of God in our preservations from Satans malice and mischiefs what affrightments in noises and appearances in violence and harms would he exercise if he were let loose upon us What other harms from wicked men usually taking the advantage of the dark and still night when all are at rest besides harms from accidental occasions that we are liable to There is also the great mercy of Beds to lie on rest without tossings ease without torments sleep without holding our Eyes in awaking having our sleep sweet awaking with refreshing having our formerly weary bodies and decayed spirits revived and cheared and we our selves under a new adaptation and fitness for the succeeding days occasions There should be also a stand and abode of thoughts upon any thing in the night which is more signal and remarkable that comes down from Heaven as a brighter beam of favour to take the Eye with that is let down as a more peculiar hand to take up our thoughts to Heaven by that is sent as a more special Love-token stampt with more legible Characters of the care and kindness of a God towards us 2. When the nights past mercies have had some due Reflections and Musings had a down-weight of improvement endeavoured for warming and enlarging the heart toward our good God If then it conveniently may be nothing to the contrary interposing and that justly may hinder the next thing
and qualifications of heavenly Graces that was cold dead and altogether sinful and draws the glorious image of Christ upon the Soul He enlivens establishes enlarges and encourages and fills the Spirit with peace and joy unspeakable We act from his blowings on the Gardens of our hearts then the spices of Graces flow Cant. 4.16 The Wheels Ezek. 10.17 moved from the spirit in them so a Christian moves or not as the Spirit moves or not Every day and for every Duty in the day there is need of a new blowing of the Spirit that the Spices may flow new moving that the Wheels may move us We must neither grieve quench or resist the Holy Spirit Eph. 4.30 1 Thes 5.19 Act. 7.51 The Spirit who is our Helper and Applyer farther of Christ and receiving of his fulness If we will act wisely the Eye of the Soul by Meditation must daily be pondering the necessity of the Holy Spirits Influences stirrings up strengthenings and enlargements when we neglect and slight the Spirit and so want justly his help we must needs drive on heavily But when we mind him and have his assistance this wings the Soul and makes it to move strongly and nimbly to the main mark If the Question were askt what were the highest thoughts the mind can possibly think they would be such as these three following 1. That thought of the so infinite and all admired love of God the Father in giving freely his Son for Sinners 2. That thought of that infinite and all amazing love of God the Son in giving so freely himself for his Fathers Enemies 3. That thought of God the Holy Spirit 's infinite love astonishing love in so freely giving himself into such dunghill hellish hearts to make them his glorious Habitation his Palace and Solace to be the mighty heart-helper and Comforter This Spirit then must not be grieved by the least neglect but highly and constantly both honoured and cherished with our utmost thought-preciousness and earnestness that so thinkings may work up to liveliest lookings for him lookings to listenings for his knocking 's at the door of our Hearts listenings for ready lettings of him in and being let in we may give him the highest and freest Entertainments with yieldings of the fullest obedience unto him It is reported that formerly sometimes Travellers Sailing by the Coasts of Arabia the happy have had by the Winds blowing off the Land such rare rich smells and perfumes of the precious spices that without the Experience of it it is hardly credible Sometimes the Holy Spirit so blows on the Garden of a Christians heart that the Spices in such sort perfume it with Ravishments of Peace and Joy that are inexpressible and then it runs apace to the main mark Ah then it must be best to enter on the work of the day by an early and earnest eying of this glorious Helper the Holy Spirit who is sooner ready to lend us his helping hand then we are ready for it CHAP. VII Of the next particulars the incumbent Duties of the day 3. THE Ordinances of Christ are the next general things Meditation may fix on The Ordinances are our ways of communion with God the ways whereby God conveighs himself to us the King of Heavens high-ways of spiritual Commerce and Trade The Roads and Paths wherein the Holy Spirit walks and comes to apply himself to us and our ways in which we are to go forth and meet him apply our selves to him fix an heavenly intercourse and acquaintance with him The Winds blow from all the Quarters of Heaven and the Holy Spirit breaths and blows from all his heavenly Ordinances We may therein look for the breathings of the Spirit but we must not look for the Holy Spirit out of his own ways The Prerogative of the Spirit is not to be absolutely tied to Ordinances but our liberty is not to be loosed from them We are tied to the ways of Christ which are our warrantable ways for communion and waiting his Spirits comings and assistings The Eye of Meditation should act daily in such fresh and vigorous lookings on the Ordinances as may more highly commeid them raise their price represent them more lovely reduce us to more evenness in performance by finding them more easie and sweet in continued use and exercising our selves in them and induce still higher admirations by experiencing their help and efficacies The Ordinances of Christ have their high ratification in the Holy Scriptures for their power and efficacy The Saints in all Ages have given their great confirmation set their probatum est to every of them by millions of encouraging experiences When that Ordinances are more precious they are the more efficacious O let our Meditations daily scope be to make them more precious that they may prove more efficacious Like that eminent pattern that great Meditater David that high progress he made in Meditating of the ways of God set the Price higher made his heart warmer He Meditated and he valued more admired more and he acted more eminently and arrived at last at that pitch which hath left him on Record in the highest rank of Saints that ever lived The Ordinances therefore are most worthy our daily musing on as for their own excellency as the King of Heavens high Institutions so as the Holy Spirits walks wherein he comes to meet us and have communion with us and apply Christ more unto us CHAP. VIII Of Meditation on the Word of God and the Promises whereby the Spirit first is given and after works THE Word of God is that sure wisdom revealed unto us by God to lead us by his Counsel to Glory That only infallible Rule given us to walk by It is the Golden Scepter of Christ for the Subjects of his Kingdom to come and touch the top of The dear purchase of Jesus Christ for the only Rule of his Redeemed the breathing and dictate of the Holy Spirit the high product and that clearest shining forth of the brightest beams of Infinite Wisdom Truth Holiness Righteousness Mercy Free-Grace Love Power and all Glories and Perfections of the Author for the blessed Ends it is bestowed It is the excellent Instrument in the hand of the Spirit whereby he effects his great Soul-saving work whereby he brings about that work of wonder the applying of lost sinners to an All-sufficient Saviour first by effectual calling and then applies Christ more and more building them up more in him unto perfection If I look for the Spirits operation I must look for and apply my self to the help of that rare Tool and Instrument he operates by Think what an Engine it is what most admired glorious work he hath effected by it upon millions of blind Eyes hard Hearts Persons impotent Crippled in their Souls Dead in sins and trespasses at the dreadful distance from God of Haters and Enemies of him and all things leading to him enlightening them healing them and reconciling them to himself and his
now could have I am now next to come to the cogencies and strengths of Reasons which are for the farther evidencing and supporting of this so important Duty of holy Meditation CHAP. XXV Of the Grounds and Reasons of this so necessary Duty of Meditation SO great and necessary a Duty must have its support of strong Reasons to conclude it and help to bear up the spirit better under the weight of it Divine and infinite Wisdom must needs impose and require nothing without great and sufficient Reasons I shall therefore endeavour to propose sundry of them in their clearness and strength as I can in this short intended piece The grounds and farther demonstrations of this Meditation I shall reduce to these four heads 1. First from the natural order and dependencies of the Faculties of the reasonable soul and the several principles of Grace given into those faculties to enable the soul rightly to exercise it self to godliness 2. From the transcendent Excellency of Divine matters which must have their due and full mindings 3. From the use and several ends of Divine Meditation 4. From either the great accruing advantages or the prejudice upon the due performance or sinful neglect of this required Meditation 1. Ground From the natural order and dependencies of the souls faculties and the graces laid into these faculties for enabling a Christian rightly to exercise godliness God as he made man an excellent creature for excellent ends and operations so he hath made the mind and understanding to be the souls eye guide and director The first great Wheel the first mover directing and setting the other faculties of the will and affections in going and doing their several offices And because mans nature is corrupted and disabled of it self alone to perform things spiritual and holy in a due manner without a new heart a new mind will and affections all sanctified by new principles given in to them Therefore he must have a new light and knowledge for his natural darkness ignorance and error A new wisdom for his natural folly A new power and goodness of will for the natural depravity A new stamp of order power and life in the affections and holiness in all the heart for the disorder and unruliness The order in both Nature and Grace is to act from the purpose intention and choice of the will and heat of affections But first the will acts from the understanding that 's the Golden Candlestick which holds the Light and is the spring that brings all motion about that sets all the wheels of the soul on going We first must see and have our guide before we chuse affect or act The Will as they say in Philosophy is Potentia coeca a blind faculty Therefore the understanding must guide at first Therefore it must first act by thinking seeing and shewing vvhat is to be done in all rational actings thinking must be first And to come nearer to our purpose in all works of wisdom the understanding must act not hastily but with heed not vvith precipitation but pondering All heed and pondering requires time for the minds bending it self to a thing searching into it staying upon it by musing and meditating After due consideration comes the conclusive dictate of the understanding that this or that is to be done and before it be done the Will first spontaneously chuses it and then doing follovvs upon determining Novv as things done rationally and rightly should have not bare sudden transient thoughts but ponderings by time taken Prov. 4.26 a fit proportion of time Nothing of moment should be done on a bare present apprehension unless it hath formerly passed under the test of deliberation so wise persons act still True it is vve do many things in hastes and hurries but this is more like brute creatures than men It is the order God hath set in Nature first of all to consider then to act All wise doing is vvith a first vveighing othervvise it is folly and vanity vvithout comliness vvithout profit As in Nature God hath set this order the mind must first move and vvisdom in the mind vvill first ponder and weigh not act on slight but precedent serious thinkings So in Religion in all the matters of it vve are to perform first there must be minding None must ever in Religion say I mind not what I do The understanding in spiritual wisdom must ponder and consider all things to be considered and the will then must chuse and the affections move by the graces in them orderly and then the executive power must act in subordination to the mind guiding and the will chusing and intending As the understanding will and affections are as the several natural links of the soul so consideration the so noble act of the understanding is to breed and ground the choices and intents of that Queen regent the Will and the orderly motions of her handmaids the several Affections and then must follow prosecuting and doing that was purposed by the Will and ponder'd by the understanding As consideration in things Natural is fundamental and necessary to due chusing and doing of all things so Divine Meditation is fundamental and necessary in some degree to the spiritual actings of the Will movings rightly of the Affections and a religious regular performing what was piously purposed and piously first ponder'd and Meditated upon All the Graces that make up the Golden Chain the Graces that are the supernatural soul enoblements that are planted and reside in a renewed heart by way of principle and habit are planted and laid into the several faculties of the Soul as their relief and help to sanctifie them and empower them some in the mind and others in the will and affections These faculties have all their several Golden Links of the Chain of Graces aspersed among them and laid into them But as the faculties of the soul are all guided drawn and moved by the first Mover the understanding and the act of considering So the graces of the soul all the Golden Links of the whole Chain of Graces must move by the first Link of the Chain the light spiritual wisdom and actings of it by this Divine Meditation This Link must draw first Spiritual wisdom exercised in this holy way of Meditation must be a constant foundation and rise to all the Duties of godliness This should be at the bottom and a still quickner to all prayings readings hearings and the rest Nothing is well done that is not first well thought on although the Duties of godliness are reciprocally helpful mutually lending a hand each to other as Reading Hearing Praying are to Meditating and Meditating is to them in different respects yet Meditation should and must help to make us our firm even footing and lively walking in Christs ways All things from first to last in our way of Religion and walking by that Rule have their due guidance and managings by this helm and hand of Meditation God every where in Scripture
heightened ripened and corroborated by habit attain'd upon frequencies and constancies of practice and using this heavenly meditating This David the excellent example of actings in this high-way to Heaven God says of him when he was very young when Samuel came to annoint him he was one whose heart he lookt on as being principled with piety and real holiness he had a heart inclined set for God and things heavenly but he acted holiness exercised himself in it and in this particular way of Meditation till it ripened and arrived at habitual meditation from holding up a constancy in it This may be gathered from the character he gives of a godly man and from his own still practice Psal 1.2 In the Law of the Lord he meditates day and night when a man begins to be godly hath the principle this will incline him to begin this godliness this meditation But then godly wisdom teaches to practise it for to use meditating to get a hand at this rare work to come to an habitual heavenly mindedness So David that was so wise so excellently wise as Psal 119.98 99. he had acted the fundamental principle Psal 119.112 He inclined his heart to keep all the Commandments alway and he exercised meditation to babitual heavenly mindedness for he tells us Psal 119.97 Psal 63.6 he meditated all the day meditated in the night watches when he still awoke he was ever with God He gets the habitual heavenly mindedness and then it was easie and by being sound easie it was withal his delight Meditation at first the burden and yoke of heavenly Meditation lying on the weak shoulders of the new Convert with only his new principle of grace begun is a hard and heavy work though the spirit be willing yet to perform it is weak But when this work is carried on and daily practised then by custom and habit an acquired habit then it is easie then 't is the great soul-solace and delight David's habitual beavenly mindedness was the rare product and issue of his meditation he found it so and therefore followed the faster Therefore this ought to be a grand intendment A heavenly mindedness when 't is habitual when it is corroborated and of a young tender Plant is grown to be a Tree of strength and yet is growing more this is a rare excellency and gloriously sweet attainment a heavenly minded man how excellent is such a one generally in all mens tyes This makes a Christian still with God have his way above his conversation in Heaven Psal 139.18 Phil. 3.20 feed on Manna fill with peace and joy overflow and abound in singular fruitfulness towards others Out of the abundance of heart-heavenliness the mouth speaks and the whole conversation shines in an exemplary walking Therefore the heart must be meditating upon heavenly things that it still may be framing and fixing bigher in habitual thinkings Meditate thy self into heavenly mindedness that so blessed and glorious frame To conclude this third Reason Therefore the Scripture holds forth Meditation in several sorts 1. Daily doing it in course 2. Then occasional meditating as a superaddition 3. And that of ejaculation or short and more sudden darting up the thoughts to Heav'n to come in as an Auxiliary supply when the other Meditation more solemn and set cannot be used Ejaculations may oft interpose in our course This is a wedge may be driven in enter the throng and crowd of occasions when matters lie before us as tough and knotty pieces of wood when they will not give way to meditation at large but hinder it this wedge may and will ever enter if we apply it to keep up the constancy of heavenly mindedness Ah how should my spirit bless abundantly that God who hath so fully provided for a lying open of 〈◊〉 way to Heaven that my soul may mount up 〈◊〉 so frequently and be either detained above by 〈◊〉 Contemplation or at least to touch at Heaven by 〈…〉 CHAP. XXIX Of the fourth ground that supports this Duty of Meditation 4. THE fourth and last ground to support this weighty work of holy Meditation is the consideration of the great advantages or disadvantages arising from the careful performance or careless neglect of it Every Ordinance of Christ hath holy advantages attending it those who use them aright daily experience how good it is to walk in the King of Heaven's high-ways 1. The first I shall name is that so glorious advantage of improving our communion and acquainunce with God Job 22.21 1 Joh. 1.3 No communion we can expect much less can we improve it out of the use of holy Ordinances whereby we draw neer to God and God to us Although God himself be not so tyed to these ways but he may come to us when and how he pleaseth yet we are tyed to Gods Ordinances as our ways of acquaintance with him and when in a holy manner we draw neer to God he hath promised to command the blessing to us Psal 133.5 Psal 24.5 He shall c. Meditation being then his Ordinance it is a way of communion a singular way of acting our spirits towards him of acting our minds and thoughts in a way of reference to him either more directly or less sometimes Meditation is acted on his infinite excellencies in seeing his infinite beauty and loveliness admiring and glorifying him and by this Contemplation we come to an improvement of our knowledge to understand more of him an enlargement of affections encouragement of our wills chusings of him and aimings at his glorifying and exalting excciting and stirring up the Graces of Faith for stronger recumbencies on his All-sufficiency love to cleave more humility to stoop and submit more patience to endure more willingly and other Graces to act higher in their spheres and ranks by all in the ways of exercising them to own him and have him more to be our God Meditation helps to move and carry the soul and all that is of it and in it towards God And when we act upon him open the doors of our hearts to him Rev. 3.20 God he comes in and manifests himself in his Grace Quicknings Supportings Comforts he sups with us as Rev. 3.20 and we sup with him he is pleased and delighted with our Graces exercised towards him and we sup with him in his manifestations of himself to us in his helpings of us gladding and chearing our spirits ravishing our hearts with the tastes of his love CHAP. XXX Of solace and spiritual pleasure another end of Meditation 2. AS it is a way of singular communion with God so it is for a heavenly walk of great soul-solace and delight a path of pleasantness to walk turn and recreate thy spirit in as Solomon Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness all her ways all the particular paths in those ways and therefore this way and it is made purposely by Christ for his people to walk and turn in One of the stately large high walks in the
say'st thou wretched sinner is not this charge all this indictment in every particular true witnessed and proved to thy face Do not I the heart-knowing Judge know it is every tittle true and doth not thy own heart thy own bosom the Book of thy conscience shew it to be true cannot but yield it so Ah true true it is Lord all in every tittle most true I cannot deny it nor will contend to justifie or excuse my self in the least 7. Then sinner thou acknowledgest thy self by all that hath been shewn and proved to thy face and by thy own confession of all that thou art guilty what sayst thou therefore to the whole charge Guilty or not Guilty Guilty guilty Lord What hast thou then to alleage why sentence of condemnation should not pass upon thee Ah Mercy mercy Lord I beg mercy I have only mercy to entreat O pity pity mercy I most humbly crave No no it is now no time for mercy for any pity time was when thou livedst under the free ten-of it but now time 's past now go thou cursed wretch that wouldst never consider never meditate go thou foolish sinner thou lazy slothful sinner that wouldst not take the pains and dis-ease thy self so far as to engage in a little thought-labour go thou stubborn stout-hearted sinner that wouldst not stoop to take up this easie yoke this light burden of being sometimes rightly serious of a now and then some few minutes time meditating and pondering matters spiritual and eternal but only worldly carnal and perishing matters these these were the things had all thy mindings all thy seriousness and earnestness and thy constancies of thoughts go therefore thou foolish lazy stubborn sinner into that place which is prepared for all such as thou art Take him away bind him hand and foot cast him into utter darkness Most just just and righteous is it Lord cry all the Bench of Saints and Angels full evidence and his own confession there is that he would not obey this righteous Law would not use his thinking power to think of thee Lord Jesus nor the things of thy Kingdom nay he would not bethink himself think of his immortal souls highest concerns but minded wholly other things than the main O 't is most righteous righteous Lord that thou hast judged thus When the sentence is thus pronounced by the mouth of Jesus Christ the Judge when all that innumerable company of Saints and Angels have unanimously not one dissenting approved the righteousness of the whole proceeding and just doom and sentence what then presently follows but driving away from the face of Christ dragging and haling to the place of Execution thrusting into the pit of darkness a filling up with scalding wrath brim full and a sealing up in that woful place and state for ever and for ever Ah then thou that art and hast never never been serious in minding the main concerns of thy immortal soul serious in every thing rather than therein O look look to it before it be too late Ah never be quiet till thy spirit comes to this happy attainment comes to fix and setle in seriousness of daily meditating in walking this way with evenness and constancy and so make it easie and sweet Ah never be content till from mindlesness and disuse of thinking thy thoughts the right way acting the seriousness of them upon things that challenge it most till thou comest to thy self as Luke 15.17 comest to humble thy self greatly to say with deepest sorrow self-abhorring and shame O what have I done what have I been how many years have I run out void of all due consideration how many and many millions of steps have I taken in the great Road of vanity of thoughts Ah how near am I come to the end of my days or how near may my end for ought I know be and so for want of thinking and meditating I may perish for ever Ah at how low arate have I set my precious soul set my body my whole person my hopes my God his Christ his Spirit his Grace Heaven happiness all my high concerns that never thought them worth a thought or a few thoughts in this way this holy way of Meditation never weighed them so in the Ballance unless to find them too light outweighed by every worldly every bodily and carnal concern O unwise silly wretch that I have all this time been that I should deal thus by my self be so cruel and so heedless the foolishest adventurer the most idle sluggard to live in a lothness to be at the pains of a sometimes meditating and thinking though the gains be or might be beyond all thoughts Ah now therefore now now if it be not too late by the Lords help I will begin to bethink my self now I will set my self to do my utmost now to make haste and use all the means I possibly can to repent and reform that I may be recover'd from my vanity of mind and conversation and at last be wise unto salvation CHAP. V. Of being humbled for negligence in this Duty of Meditation after experiencing the fruit and sweetness of it ANother improvement of this Doctrine is for due humbling of all such who after experiencing the success and sweetness of heavenly Meditation both that first soul-seriousness into which they were drawn drawn by the Holy Spirit in effectual vocation and grounding their so happy conversion to God and believing in Christ and then likewise after their usual and daily exercising holy Meditation that whence they have had so sweet Communion with God those rare hours wherein they have been wrapt up with that blessed Apostle into the third Heaven and tasted of those glorious and soul-ravishing pleasures and joys that are unspeakable Ah Christian to experience so often the surpassing sweetness of this happy way this path and walk to Heaven and tread it no more 1. To fail so frequently in that so needful daily Meditation do it so little or so slenderly 2. To take so seldom into that path of Occasional set and solemn Meditation that also of so great advantage large incomes of light and wisdom warmth and quickening strength and encouragings 3. And to act no oftner that so easie quick and expedite ejaculatory meditating whereby thy soul may give incumbrances and overcharging business the slip take breath ease it self mount up to Heaven make a short visit and return refresht quickened and enlarged A Student never does himself such wrong as when he reads much and muses little for then he either receives in or retains nothing or cannot manage his Notions We never order and dispatch Affairs worse than when we Meditate least And so a Christian never loses more labour does his soul-affairs worse than when he muses not and warms not himself by this exercise of Meditation Divers profess a faculty and ability as in Sciences and ways of Learning in Mysteries and ways of Trading and Dealing yet are but slender proficients
troubles and disquiets They had a wisdom given them to find out a way they had a will a purpose and resolvedness fixt so as to overlook and overcome obstructions and lets from throngings of business and multitudes of still successively interposing diversions That holy David who had so many highly urging and pressing occasions as no man now whatsoever he be can have more yet he made his way continually through all the throngings of so high importancies and most urgent affairs he had a wisdom given to find a way and a will to resolve to Meditate and he did it daily Psal 119.48 He says he will meditate in Gods Statutes when he so determined certainly he did it not rashly and without consideration of his many occasions and weighty affairs and those great diversions which he might after meet with at home and abroad in Peace and War yet thus he resolves And Psal 119.97 he saith it and to the Lord himself that he did it and all the day first he saith he will then saith he doth meditate and saith it to the all-knowing God It therefore hence appears how feasable and practicable this Duty is notwithstanding cares business troubles of all sorts whatever from the world and living in it there is an attainable will 1. A godly heart may come to say I will may set an universal purpose of heart a firm purpose and a purpose of equal extent to the whole latitude of Gospel Duties and whatsoever the Word requires 2. And likewise he may have a latitude of wisdom to understand his way every way he is to walk Prov. 14.8 The wisdom of the wise is to understand his way Psal 119.98 Thou hast made me wiser than mine Enemies and 99. I have more understanding than my teachers There David discovers he had wisdom for his way and how he arrived at such a height of wisdom and directs us how to come by it 3. And as a Christian may come to say he will do such a required Duty and arrive at the wisdom of doing it so by grace he may come up to an answerable extensiveness of practice and performance walking in all the ways of the Lord as Zacharias and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 David oft professes his both universality as of his heart-purpose so of his practice as the 119. Psalm and others abundantly shew Yet first fixing our purpose in the strength of Christ then following after the wisdom of our way making it a grand scope to attain the wisdom the right and sure wisdom of our soul affairs to be Artists in Religion and then falling close to practise what we resolve and understand this with Christs help will make our work any work upon our hands to prove easie Prov. 8.9 They are all plain to him that understands easie the old Translation hath it we have a saying in Divinity Iter ad pietatem est intra ipsam pietatem the way to godliness is within godliness that is the way to learn it is to act it and the way to facilitate and make it easie is by exercising our selves still in it setting upon and keeping up the practice of it He that doth much in it fervently and frequently will come to perform with increasing facility Slack and listless doing slight and negligent performing may come to loathing and leaving end with the disadvantage of a far worse temper of heart-aversness than there was at the first Formality in Religion ends oft in falling first off from it and then falling out with it contrarily doing with care and fervency encreaseth spiritual strength and the encrease of strength makes the work more easie In using to do it earnestly we arrive at a doing easily O therefore let every one be highly encouraged to hold up our constancy in this excellent Duty to walk with an extensive and increasing evenness and equality in this so pleasant high road to Heaven both in daily Meditation in that for the entrance and that other for the ending of the day in also the occasional solemn Meditation that rare way of spiritual improvement in wisdom and heavenly warmth and in that way of Meditation by short and sudden ejaculations This threefold cord will draw strongly Heaven-ward will make thy soul go from strength to strength from warmth to warmth from pleasure to pleasure make thee keep upon the wing mount up aloft and not be weary by the successive varieties and the abundant sweetness flowing hereby into thy bosom and to winde up this instigation in a word 1. Is my heart dead at any time and listless how soon will Meditation quicken it and reduce it into activity 2. Is it barren and unfruitful alone or in company what rare rich matter can meditating bring in and spread over the barren soil of my spirit and make it soon put forth fruitfully 3. Is it chill and cold without wonted warmth and vivacity what fuel can it fetch to kindle a fire on this hearth fuel from Heaven and Earth from the Word and Works of God and all sorts of objects whatever spiritualizing them for my use what sparks can it strike what coals can it kindle and blow up into a flame to thaw my frozen heart 4. How high a preparative is Meditation to prayer to enrich it with choicest materials to enliven it and make it burning hot in holy fervency 5. How rare a dispositive to hearing the Word of Christ to open the everlasting doors of the heart to widen the heart for a letting in more freely of heavenly Truths and increasing the good hearts treasure to make us swift to hear to hear with the largest and liveliest affections readiest purpose most raised and fixed resolutions to receive and obey the Word in every thing most abundant readiness to be moulded into the form of Doctrine that shall be delivered 6. What an efficacious helper is Meditation to spiritual digestion and reducing divine Truths into sound and good nourishment which miscarry in others for want of due meditating And what a mighty assistant is it to holy Duties what is there performed wisely and with vigour unless directed and assisted by Meditation For to make the instigations more full we may look back to the ends of Meditation and the afterward grounds were given and enlarged upon which being many will be too long to repeat Two things only remain to finish this Improvement 1. The Evidences and Characters of a right and due Meditation 2. The Directions and Rules for the best managing of it CHAP. VIII Of the Evidences of a due Meditation FOr the Evidences of a due and right Meditation it must have the Nature Properties and Attendants of it and therefore it is not to be taken up as a custom as a thing made to stop the mouth of a calling and urging conscience or a meer acting for Notions a study and search of Curiosity to know Novelty or to know much and be able to hold discourse with others But it must have a higher nature purer
his Holy Spirit the mighty Applyer of Christs Redemption draw efficaciously the weary sinner to the soul-easing Saviour works faith to come and rests on an all-sufficient Christ The first step in this great soul-concern must be labouring to divert the eye from a total or too much viewing of sin and Gods wrath and earnestly endeavour to be duely deeply possest of the infinite mercy love riches of free favour in Christ in whom he is placable and infinitely willing to shew mercy 1. Willing in that he hath in his abounding wisdom and prudence contrived the way of Reconciliation in Christ Eph. 1. 2. Willing in infinite love and riches of grace he appointed his own only Son anointed him with all fulness of grace sending him and causing him to work and procure Redemption perfectly in all respects and then in making the most free imaginable and possible proffer and tender of Salvation in Christ A discovery and tender in the exceeding great and precious promises promises that are as so many strong yernings and loud soundings of the bowels of a God to sinners promises most firmly fixt as being all the ingrost particulars and the golden clauses of the Covenant of Grace signed and sealed with the most precious blood of Christ and therefore ordered and in all things most sure The Promises and Covenant are by most highly demonstrating that hardly to be believed and trusted to by once awakened sinners that free rich love of God in Christ by demonstration of it the intendment is sirst to found and breed faith in weary heavy laden sinners and after to build it up and perfect it Meditation should first fix upon the promises of free justification and pardon of sin and as humbling arises not from a confused general apprehension of fin or many sins but distinct particular viewings of particular evils so comfortings and coming to relief must be by singling out and pondering the promises of mercy in particular As a drowning man that scapes by a taking hold on a particular thing hand or cord But the thing the greatest and highest for breeding and founding justifying faith is first pondering the infinitely all-amazing and adored free love of God the Father Joh. 3.10 1 Joh. 3.1 1. This is that so rich Mine out of which the most precious Corner-stone Christ himself was taken 2. For principally glorifving this riches of free grace the Earth for a Stage was set up to begin the discovery and revelation of it 3. The great Assize of the great day of Judgment is chiefly appointed for higher manifestation of it 4. And the highest Heaven with the state of Glory there is purposely founded and conferred on the Saints for the highest demonstration chiefly of free saving grace not Angels glorification but redeemed Saints glorifying is for free saving graces greatest glorifying and highest exalting Dwell here till largest apprehensions and highest admirations swallow up and drown all thy fears doubts and discouragements raising thy spirit up to hope trust and consolation But this so infinitely free love of the Father must be connected with most wishly viewing and most earnest pondering the highest proof and evidence of it in that greatest possible gift Gods own Son God in our Nature Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that c. Here after all thy black and sad thoughts and disquiets is the richest strongest and surest Cordial for a fainting heart A Christ in whom all fulness of wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption dwell That out of his own infinite love became man was in the form of a servant performed the whole Law pacified the wrath of God purchased perfect and eternal life by laying down his life a ransom 1. A Christ freely offered by God the Father Isa 55. Come and buy without money 2. Freely offering himself Joh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink 3. Freely offered and to be taken as the Bride and the Spirit say Come and drink of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 This free grace must be applied by the promises of grace and pardon more especially and first Christ is not offered by God the Father and the Lord Christ offers not himself nor the Holy Spirit offers not neither draws to Christ but on the ground of the promise of forgiveness and salvation Nor can it be taken by man as a learned Divine expresses it but mediante promissione The promises particularly must be pondered duely often and often Ponder 1. The goodness of them they are good sweet indeed to a needy thirsty spirit Ponder 2. The sureness and firmness by a God that cannot lye Tit. 1. All yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. Pvnder 3. The freeness of them Nothing so free as they that come only from a God only for his own Name sake Ponder 4. The seal of them in the rare and abundant examples recorded for encouragement of sinners of all sorts received to mercy So 1 Tim. 1.16 I saith the Apostle was received for a pattern to them that hereafter should believe to eternal life The promises must be pondered prayed often over as those which are for the wounded weary and heavy laden to breed faith not only to feed it but found and feed it also to begin and to build it up Never leave pondering the promises Gods love and Christs fulness offered in them until pondering comes to hope hope to thirsting thirsting to highest prizing prizing to selling all and buying the Pearl till thou comest to renouncing thy own righteousness thou casts thy self upon God in Christ by the promise first rested on promise leading to Christ first and to God by Christ and not only Christ for justification as thy Priest that purges guilt and makes atonement but as thy Prophet and King for light and holiness for a new heart a new principle a new wisdom and power a quickning power from Union and Communion with Christ Rom. 6. by the inhabitation and operation of his Spirit by faith that hand that receives all from Christ when by faith thou art justified and sanctified and receivest by influence from Christ a living principle Now thy heart is put upon the right hinge for rightly performing holy duties praying reading hearing the Word And now thou canst meditate aright in a holy and happy manner with wisdom and some skill choice of will complacency and constancy And now Meditation will prosper in thy hand Now as Davids blessed man thy delight will be in the Law of God and in that Law thou wilt meditate day and night I have been longer herein by much then was my intendment come we to the next Directions CHAP. X. Of Directions for Meditation respecting such as are young Christians newly converted OUr next Work after Directions to those that desire to successfully practise holy Meditation having formerly neglected it is to treat of the Directions for young Christians who are but entered upon their way how best to
have no other means for it and the walks wherein the Spirit comes 4. Use to cast a wishly eye on all such conducing things formerly mentioned as thou canst have opportunity 5. Look to well enter into and fix upon the Meditation daily examination of review looking over matters of the day and if hindered at any time help it by after-industry I say the Meditation of Review in the close of the day to see and judge thy self as to thy hearts frame and thy carriage in the time of the day This at the first is like the working with an Awkhand this must not be slubbered over slightly done But being harsh and unpleasant work at first thou must so manage it in care and constancy that thou mayst gain a hand at it it may become easie and pleasant Suarez a Jesuit says of himself that his times of self-reflection and examining his conscience for matters of the day were the sweetest part of all the day Thy Rule must be to perform this work so as it proves easier and sweeter and thereby thou improvest in it The more impartial and sincere you are in it the sweeter you will find it The more accurate and exquisite your inquiries and heart-searchings are and the more impartial towards your self the sweeter peace the higher boldness and confidence will thy heart be filled with For this brings in the clearer evidence of thy sincerity thy impartiality Nothing perfumes the spirit of a Christian with sweeter peace and more heavenly joy than a clear discovery of the hearts uprightness and integrity which by searching our hearts and impartially judging them we attain As Psal 26.1 2. David prays Judge me O Lord for I have walkt in mine integrity And Psal 139.23 Search me and see if any way of wickedness be in me This came from his own first impartial searching and finding his sincerity Vsual and diligent self-searching brings in and keeps up a setled peace and confidence by a mans being daily more assured of sincerity and heart-uprightness Be careful therefore and diligent in this self-searching CHAP. XI Of the Directions for particular Cases of young Christians how they should do therein BEsides these more general things last mentioned I must next come to the Rules of Meditation as to thy particular case and condition Here that thy Meditation must pitch upon will be either 1. The Case of thy assurance either wanting and not yet attained or else weak and feeble 2. It must be something relating to sanctification thy weak grace and many imperfections here the purging of thy heart from divers evils subduing of new rising and stirring corruptions some particular sin that haunts and troubles thee some temptation which follows thee some cross or affliction lying heavy upon thee or any other particulars wherein thou art concerned here to meditate how to have help the best and speediest 1. That is a principal point of wisdom to study and ponder the case of thy peace and assurance of Gods love and favour if not yet obtained or but enjoyed in a small measure accompanied with divers doubts and fears to meditate how best thou mayst come to assurance and be strong and stablisht in it How to have thy good condition made out to thee and thy fears discouragements and doubts may seatter and be driven away Here thou must be willing to take pains and resolve to exercise very humble patient waiting Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Psal 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait 6. My soul waits more than they that watch for the morning I say humble patient waiting until by frequent ponderings and searchings thou art replenisht with such a furniture and treasury of Scripture-grounds Gospel reasons and inducements and these so full and clear as thy heart now changed by the gracious help of the Holy Ghost who assures by the Gospel-promises arrives at the skill and wisdom as to be able to answer thy own cavilling doubting spirit and to repel the false reasons that Satan uses to hinder thy peace and assurance Assurance is chiefly bottomed on our sanctification assured So Divines say assurance of Election Justification Perseverance and Glorisication cannot be without assurance of Sanctification this being the ground of our assurance in the other four In particular thou must labour to draw forth out of the sure Word of Christ the infallible Characters clear descriptions and evidences of the new creature and of sincerity of grace then meditate and ponder so duely upon these sure evidences and right Scripture-descriptions given of the new Creature and sincerity of grace as to come to as clear and distinct an understanding of what is held forth to thee as thou canst I pass divers things might be mentioned and shall touch on the following 1. As that change and renewing of the mind and judgment which in respect of sin is to have it out of measure sinful Rom. 7.13 The greatest evil in all the world as that only contrariety and emnity to the greatest good namely the infinitely blessed God his insinite holiness and purity and all his so infinitely glorious Attributes yea his very Being with his Soveraignty and Government all his most holy righteous and good Laws and Word the signification and demonstration of his Soveraignty over us and of his will concerning us Hereby likewise manifesting the extreme injuriousness and unrighteousness in sin in regard of God whom upon infinite and indispensible obligations we are engaged perfectly to obey And as the abounding sinfulness of sin must be seen so as the judgment disallows all known sin the very least so there must be an universal liking and an allowance of all good of all known Truths and all known Duties Truths as revealed by God and to be believed by us and Duties commanded by God and to be performed by us 2. In seeing the fulness 1 Pet. 2.7 of beauty and excellency with the mightiness of Christ to save in all respects all that come to God by him by faith with the vanity of all earthly things to make us happy and the excellency of Grace Holiness Faith Love and the other required heavenly graces and soul-abilities and beauties above all other endowments This is the first part the first right change of the mind and judgment 1 Cor. 2. Whereas the natural man knows not the things of God nor can he because they are spiritually discerned 2. The next part of the new Creature is that change and new heavenly frame of that noble faculty the will Rom. 7.18 To will is present Oft in the Psalms David mentions his will his choice his curpose his firm and rooted resolution Psal 119.8 I will keep thy statutes Vers 30. I have chosen the way of truth Vers 106. I have sworn and will perform to keep thy righteous judgments Isa 56.4 That abuse
The true and sound cure must be well studied Although such as are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 Quoad animi propositum cordis purificati principium as to the inward living principle and the real heart-purpose initially and gradually in little degree for that which is in no degree begun is not a grain of mustard is nothing at all Though those that are in Christ have crucified as we said their carnal affections in some degree Coming in of Christ and Grace into the heart gives the carnal affections a deadly dash like the taking of some incurable poyson given to kill gradually The first taking gives the advantage for deaths seizing yet this is not enough as experience sadly shews there must be a studying and great pondering how to rule the daily discovered unruliness of the affections and how to cure them which is not the Philosophers way nor the wise moral mans way which is to curb and moderate them but the Scriptures directed and commanded way and therefore the Christians way that he must use and that is to crucifie and mortifie them Col. 3.5 Mortifie your affections that are on the earth The Art and sure way for carnal affections as so and then to study to order these affections which are noble natural plants and dispositions of heart that they may be acted by graces principle on and for things heavenly with a real warmth and a growing fervency 3. Strongly thou must resolve and most exquisitely endeavour to study and meditate for the government of thy will The will in its nature and rank is a most noble faculty the Empress of the soul the spring of action the weight and biass for motion the door that opens and admits in chusing or shuts out in refusing that which sets up the mark and aim every end and interest and likewise makes choice or rejections of the means to the end In its corrupt and carnal state it is the wickedest piece in every person it sets up the greatest Idol in the world Self in the Throne above God Nothing in Scripture hath so great frequent and high complaints and charges brought in by God against it that which is the most hellish and devilish piece in its repugnancy contrariety stoutness and stubbornness against God and whatever is holy and the hellish hold-fast of evil chiefly when it receives the grain-colour and scarlet-tincture of habit by customary sinning In hearts changed by grace it is in a great measure still carnal and accordingly in part hath all the forementioned wickedness and is ready to act it if it be not the better watcht and ordered continually Being then in the best men so evil it needs the best study the most serious and constant Meditation to find the best way for it to rule this unruly will 1. Especially as to base self-aims in which it is the most slippery and soonest swayed hastily burried and entangled 2. And as to the cursed contrariety and hellishness against the Law will ways of God and God himself The Art of ruling this Ruler in chief is well worth thy chiefest Meditation the wretchedness of it will disquiet the pliantness and obedience holiness and purity of its aims choices and refusals will comfort most as carrying highest evidences of thy sincerity 4. Meditation hath great need to act its part industriously and accurately as to know how to govern the tongue that rare instrument called by David Psal 188.1 his glory But by sin called by the Apostle Jam. 3.8 An unruly member full of deadly poyson that sets on fire the course of nature is set on fire of Hell vers 6. David prays for a watch before his mouth Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed that I sin not with my tongue and keeping his mouth with a bridle To refrain evil words requires care to refrain vain and idle words requires a curiosity and exactness Study this Art not as Pythagoras the Philosophers Scholars that had their quinquennium silentium first spent five years in his School to learn silence but all a mans life is too little But there 's more to be learnt than just silence and that is savouriness of speaking Prov. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver the heart of the wicked is little worth then and therefore the tongue of the wicked is little worth because the heart out of whose abundance the mouth speaketh is little worth Study the Art of savoury speaking by getting three things 1. A good treasure in thy heart 2. A wisdom to discern times of speaking 3. A true godly humble boldness to speak and not be ashamed Psal 119.46 I will speak of thy testimonies before Kings and will not be ashamed Meditate for the true Scripture-way for speaking 5. Meditate how as to fill up with heart-beauties of graces within knowledge wisdom holiness and every particular grace so to have a fruitful shining exemplary conversation suitable to thy rank and station in Christianity How to walk worthy of the Lord to all well-pleasing Col. 1.11 To all fruitfulness in every good work in all conditions and in all relative duties as husband or wife parent or child master or servant and the rest It is hard to be good indeed harder to be growing better hard to become and suit a change in condition never under before hard to come up to relative duties and be Christian in them and so good as a well-grown Christian should be Some are very heedless here they too little mind a proportionate growth herein as in other parts of godliness but this must be minded Meditate universal growing how to honour thy longer standing in godliness by shooting up and spreading out more 6. Lastly Make it thy great study how to have suitably to thy rank in godliness a richer treasury and stock of experiences useful and rare experiences for thy own and others advantage make Meditation a great observer a diligent gatherer a careful layer up of experiences choice and precious to have a large treasury to bring out of it new and old CHAP. XXI Directions to Christians of the uppermost Rank 3. FOr such as are Christians of the highest form in Christs School such the Apostle in this 1 Joh. 2.13 calls Fathers not for their long living here or being long Christians visible Members of the Church as for great growth and improvement in real godliness much Knowledge Wisdom Experience Faith Love and Eminencies of Christianity their Meditation like the highest Artists must be acted higher 1. The Meditation of such as are fathers should carry higher in all the ways and concerning all the several points and particulars formerly exprest and relating to all persons in general in all the sorts of Meditation 1. In the daily Meditation to be more eminently exercised and constant in drawing out a thread of far exacter evenness and equality without such frequent breakings off and inconstancies that younger Christians more unprincipled and
Christian is a person of great excellency it is very highly extolled in the Scripture This David though not presently yet attained in time as Psal 119.99 100. I have more understanding then all my teachers I have more wisdom then the ancients 3. To have the richest treasury of heavenly truths the fullest stores of precious experiences Meditation is the greater gatherer of them and the improver of them on all occasions It becometh not a Christian of long standing to be poor and unfurnished of holy experiences The Psalmist we may see drawing forth his experiences and telling them to others Psal 3.4 5. I cryed and he heard Psal 18. almost all the Psalm he puts all the pearls of deliverances experiences that way on one silken thread of this one Psalm together So Asaph Psal 77.6 I call to remembrance my song in the night what joy he formerly felt though now he wanted it Thus oft the Saints in Scripture The Apostle 2 Cor. 1.10 Who hath delivered and doth he had his experiences ready 4. More peculiarly your great exercise which others cannot so well reach is to be much implied in the deepest Mysteries the highest points of Faith and the hardest matters of practice I mean not so much such sorts of difficulties in Divinity those which great skill in the Tongues and Arts will require and that must have long time much study which the necessary occasions of very many cannot admit and are not necessary for every man to understand But such higher matters of godliness as may more Jude 20. edifie you in your holy faith increase your obedience to a more fruitful and exact walking Eph. 5.15 See ye walk circumspectly accurately or exactly the word is thus the higher contemplations of the Nature of God his Attributes and Titles the Works of God Creation and Providence his wise righteous and holy Administrations and Government 1. Government in the whole world and all things in particular in it to the least circumstance the falling of a hair from the head 2. Government and that so rare and admirable towards the rational creatures but most observable astonishing towards his Church and his dear Saints This as some of our Divines say of Gods Government of the world and matters in it is to be one of the great Meditations of Christians that are by the Apostle called Fathers who having obtained formerly much acquaintance with other truths of more necessary use for their then rank and standing now are to busie themselves in these high Mysteries for furthering Faith and Godliness The Mysteries in the two Books of Scripture and Nature are the two Tropicks or Lines between which thy Meditation should move and bound run its course and keep within this compass which is useful and safe In sum let thy Meditation be improved all thou canst for the setting up of the main mark for the fullest aiming at it the hardest pressing toward it with all contendings for an excellency of wisdom eminency of holiness exemplariness of conversation and exact walking together with all industriousness after that peace which passes all understanding joy unspeakable and full of glory the establishings and heightning of them with longings and hastnings after that appearing of the Lord and crying Come Lord Jesus come quickly Conclusion Now this so highly important duty of holy Meditation having been as to the nature kinds necessity and excellency so fully discovered and demonstrated the great sinfulness of neglecting it evinced the dangers following the neglect manifested the practice with such high inducements and powerful Scripture-arguments urged home and the way respecting all sorts of persons in so many Rules and Directions cleared Application general Then all who know these things are utterly inexcusable that know these so greatly necessary things and will not comply with the careful practice of them Ah! therefore let every one most earnestly beg it of God to write this his Law of holy Meditation in his heart to give the right wisdom to understand the way of it the firm purpose and resolution constantly to perform it yea the practice of it with sweetest solace and highest delight Let me say to my soul Necessity is laid upon me It is an Imperial Law of the great King of Heaven if I do it not great guilt will be contracted great wrath of a God will be kindled my soul will deeply be wronged If I have not act not good thoughts my heart will act evil thoughts will fill with evil thoughts will fix and habit it self in them be quite over-run with them I shall have a spirit stained deeply dyed into habitual vanity of mind yea I may be given up to judicial penal vanity of thoughts It may be to terrifying and most affrighting thoughts That I which would not be brought to think of the threatnings of a just God and his terrible Curses That would not meditate of that greatest of evils sin of my heart and life-sins shall have all my sins set in order before me held and kept staring me continually in the face That I who would not meditate of the most blessed God his Christs fulness his Spirits sweetness his Heaven and everlasting Happiness shall now have represented to my thoughts and be made to see Satan Hell and eternal Death continually before me Yea to be under such amazements and terrours to be so haunted and followed that at last it may be insupportable and quite overwhelm me O therefore let me not so sin against my own soul and for ever undo my self by wilful or heedless neglecting this duty which lies so indispensibly upon me and may be so advantageous to me O how many are continually guilty of self-destroying for want of a timely self-bethinking By a slighter thinking for want of serious thinking By a too short thinking for want of the necessary allowance of time and space for thinking By a too seldom thinking and not using due frequency of thinking By acting meer phansie and imagination and not wise consideration Adams first state was good yet mutable but it was not a sin or imperfection to be mutable And though this mutability of his will was a ground of his fall yet it was his incogitancy was the first blamable cause he fell by acting sudden too hasty imagination and not due consideration he considered not all things to be considered Thus ever since the falls of sinners are generally more by incogitancy haste and hurries of fancy and imagination want of consideration though there be sins also of deliberation not precipitations but presumptions When God reduces a sinner he brings him from swaying phansie and carelesness to considerateness Ezek. 18.28 Because he considers and turns he breaks the reeden Scepter of phansie and inconsideration and brings in and sets up the golden Scepter of wise consideration So Acts 2. Men and brethren what shall we do Acts 16.30 Sirs what must I do to be saved But O what pity is it that any soul should perish for want of
in his own Example Psal 119.97 O how love I thy Law it is my Meditation all the day there 's the practice of the first time the day and a full Example and Practice All the day And Psal 119.148 Mine Eyes prevent the Night-Watches to meditate in thy Word there 's the practice of the other time mentioned in the Character in Psal 1.2 Not a Watch set in the Night but he had his Meditation O most admirable frame of spirit A King and a daily Meditator and a night Meditator also It was not Family Business nor State Affairs not Wars Urgencies and Difficulties that so could crowd in and impose upon his thoughts but he would have his spiritual retreats his soul repasts in Meditation mount up to Heaven by it Trace we him with the Eye of duest Observation over the Book of Psalms the Psalms which are the choice and rare Records of his Exemplary this way actings we find most excellent Patterns of all sorts as for this holy Exercise Singular Meditations sometimes of the great Works of God as Psal 8. and Psal 19. and Psal 104. c. wherein the Fire kindles and flies up in the highest strains His heart like the most rare and exquisite Engine and Instrument produces-such raised and sublimated things that transcend sometimes all the strains of Rhetorick and Poetry in the world as some very learned men observe Sometime his Meditations and there they ply more as of nearer concernment are on the Word of God as Psal 19. and Psal 119. c. and what passages and praises hath he most high and sweet and savoury that what can be fuller and high for the nature and properties of it Sometimes the most blessed God himself is the high subject of his Meditating and what transcendencies of thoughts what Raptures and Ravishments what Instances of highest Soul transportings hath he this way recorded for us purposely to put us upon pursuit of the like Glimpses and Tastes by suitable first breathings and pantings after sweetest communion with him It is evident he was a grand Master in this Art of Meditation by the so exquisite pieces drawn to the life and reserved for use and imitation in the Book of Psalms 3. The third Pattern is that of the so wise Solomon in Ecclesiastes who gave his heart as he saith to seek and search and to know wisdom Eccl. 1.13 and v. 17. ch 2.12 Davids strain of Meditation proceeds principally on matters in themselves spiritual as God his Word and Ways and sometimes on the Works of God Solomons more upon things natural and the ways and works of men Eccl. 1.13 14. but to demonstrate the insufficiency of all things in the world and all the works of men to make up true happiness without the true fear of God and keeping his Commandments Eccl. 12.13 This is the sum and scope chiefly of that his Book that Book of most deep and great Considerations and excellently useful Meditations for all to obtain wisdom by It is of all the choicest piece of Scripture in this kind it sets us an accurate Copy of regular and fruitful Contemplation and Meditation of all things under the Sun which we should strive to imitate and write after Chap. 1.14 It is left us thereby to learn from him the so great Experimenter and Tryer the wisest and most exquisite weigher of all things and the Finder of their extream insufficiency and vanity To teach every person by this his so eminent and exemplary acting his successful searching to do in the like manner To infuse his spirit and lay it asteep strongly and deeply in this Meditation of Creature vanity and the vanity of all mens labours under the Sun Yea to sink this down to the bottom of the soul there to fix and root it self thence as by a most potent and predominant principle to work and act up to more weanedness from things of the world and to more wariness of our being ensnared by them The fourth rare Instance is of the female Sex That of the Blessed Virgin Mary Luke 2.19 But Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart This is the remarkable and special Example of Meditation mentioned that I know of in the New Testament We have none so punctual and plain which I can remember as this Some signal honour is hereby intended to this so Blessed Virgin to be so noted more than others in the Gospel Records and thereby held forth as a pattern and provocation to all after Ages The Scriptures silence as to other Saints practice in this Duty is not a Negative or an Exclusive of their doing it Because it is not said of every one they Pondered or Meditated we must not thence infer they did it not David in the first Psalm and second Verse saith the Blessed man meditates in the Law of God day and night He therefore makes it a necessary Duty and certain Character of every godly person in some sincere measure and constancy performing of it As the people of God are all taught wisdom to salvation so this peculiar wisdom this way of Meditation of the great concerns of Gods Kingdom and their most precious immortal Souls to give things of the highest importance their due and down weight their due and down weight in the Ballance of a holy Meditation CHAP. II. Of the Nature and Description of this solemn Meditation MEditation according to the usual Notion and Acceptation is taken for any serious or earnest thinking of any matter whatsoever for what end soever whether it be good or evil So Meditating is used in the Scripture not only in a good sense but in an evil sense So Psal But ordinarily it is taken in a good sense for a holy Mind Exercise or acting the thoughts in any seriousness upon any matter in a spiritual manner There is a double kind of Meditation 1. That which is more set and solemn when a man is serious in thinking of any thing for some spiritual end and so as to allow some due space of time for a right performance of it 2. There is that which is called Meditation of Ejaculation which though serious yet is more short and quick and sudden wherein the soul darts up to Heaven and makes a short visit thither I shall begin with the first that which more commonly is called Meditation The other shall follow in its due place Therefore having mentioned some Scripture Instances or Examples of Meditation as to the practice of it I shall come to handle the Nature and Description of the set and more solemn Meditation Here first I will endeavour to present you with the true Picture and Description of Meditation in some Scripture lineaments and proportions and afterward the Explication and peculiar handling of them I shall give you the Description in this manner It is that Ordinance of Christ and Obedience or Duty of a Christian whereby he acts his spirit into a right pondering of either heavenly and spiritual