is to frequently in my thoughts put my self into the condition of a present dying How it must be with me let me look on my self how certainly without flattery I am prepared to dye If I have a Christ in my bosom the Love of God assured and can dye in the Lord 2 Cor. 13.5 dye in Faith and look Death in the face boldly resign up my soul freely into Christs hands these make for this Agony the highest Cordial these furnish me with Armour of proof against this Enemy But let me then look on my self as having no means farther to preserve me all Physick Art and Experiences withdrawing their usual help Friends standing about me pitying lamenting me but not able to evidence more than their kind wishes and I my self perceiving Deaths summons sent me as to King Hezekiah but without expecting any Messenger after to be sent with better News Prayers now and all such means also reversed and proving labours lost I now feeling my decays and hastening away my disquiets and pains encreasing strength failing spirits sinking heat turned into chillness Cramps contractions of Nerves and limbs following breath shortening speech faultring heart pangs and agonies now multiplying the whole frame of the body shaking the Hands snatching Eye-strings as they say breaking and after many deep heavy sighings and groanings the Soul comes forth with gaspings and sitting upon my quivering lips upon the last gasp takes its nimble flight leaves its old habitation to rottenness and corruption and launches forth into an everlasting new condition Lord teach me so to number my days see how frail I am Psal 90.12 Psal 39.1 let me so often realize this dying to my self in most serious Meditation put my self into this condition of Deaths coming and acting his part his utmost on me that I may both familiarize and facilitate this so dreadful and difficult work that I may be greatly desirous to be dissolved and be thereby with Christ which is best of all O that I may perform this last work best which that I may and make that great Enemy my great Friend my Losses greatest Gain let me still mind Christ's healing this bitter water making it sweet making this Deaths-day better than the Births-day let my thoughts be on the Sting's pulling out that it cannot hurt if I am Christ's Death is ours if we are Christ's and for our most high advantages as being the great outlet of all evil and misery I now shall sin no more be tempted and ensnared no more the World shall now be corruptions bait and Satans Hook no more Satan shall never throw at me any fiery dart more God will never desert me hide his face from me more All Miseries Crosses Losses Poverty Shame Pain Sickness Weakness Weariness Faintness Hunger Thirst Cold Nakedness Labour Toil Cares Fears Sorrows and Disquiets and whatsoever of this lifes Evils can be named is at an Eternal end And Death becomes the great inlet of all good to flow in most abundantly a passage to Heaven to be possest of a Crown of Glory to enjoy the innumerable company of Saints and Angels to be with Christ and seeing God face to face and fulness of felicity for evermore CHAP. XIX Of Judgment after death ON the sad parting of those two dearest friends Soul and Body comes instantly the doom and sentence Heb. 9.27 the particular Judgment of the person to pass and be put in execution to an Eternal Estate either of Happiness or Misery immediately as to the immortal Soul and afterward at the General Resurrection of Body and Soul in Conjunction This therefore little foregoing Day of Judgment upon which by the Bodies mortality and necessity of dying and the Souls immortality and necessity of not dying every person comes to be stated in eternal misery or happiness unavoidably is a point of most high consequence to be well considered deeply weighed often dwelt upon in our most prudent improvements of retiredness A very great frequency and repetition of our best thoughts and serious ponderings must be the Tribute of this concern this vertical point this Judgment which casts the scales and makes full weight for misery or felicity for ever For as the tree falls so it lies as Death leaves Judgment this particular Judgment finds us dooms us irreversibly there is no bringing a Writ of Errour no Appeal to be made no pardon now the Judge will give no petition he will receive no stay of proceedings can in the least be granted or lookt for on any ground This to every particulat person in some respect is his great day of Judgment this disposes and dispatches this secures and keeps me for the great general Assize and Judgment this is the Foundation that will be the Superstructure this is secret that is solemn this for a private execution that for one in open view of all But this Judgment particular strikes the first stroke of utter undoing or lends the first hand of help to an eternal saving and without which the great Judgment doth not proceed Ah then well may I afford this Judgment a great frequency largeness seriousness of thoughts which launches the Ship of my Soul into the Ocean of Eternity which lets my Soul either presently to sink into the Bottomless Pit purposely sends it thither casts it into the Lake of Everlasting Fire or sends it into Abrahams bosom into the harbour of eternal happiness and enters this Jewel into the Cabinet of Heaven Ah how unspeakably considerable is this particular Judgment The very moment of my death that is uncertain and the very next moment after death comes certain Judgment irresistably and irrecoverably and determines our state of Eternity CHAP. XX. Of the general Judgment Day BUT then particular Judgment foregoing this is but the foundation and introduction of the following The private and partial execution on the Soul separate from the Body shall have a publick and most solemn both manifestation and consummation with it 1. This day among other ends is reserved for the so great and glorious manifestation of the infinite holiness and righteousness grace and mercy wrath and severity and other Attributes of God never in this world having their so full discovery as now by the intendment and most wise contrivance of a God they shall have before Angels and Saints Devils and wicked men The Judgment-day Rom. 2.5 is called the day of the Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God of that righteousness that so great and glorious Attribute so little understood less considered so much questioned and cavil'd at the highest declaration and fullest Revelation that ever was shall be then made and seen by all So the rest of Gods Attributes shall obtain their meridian height and shine forth in their most perfect resplendencies Therefore it needs must be a very great day when it is so intended purposely to be the greatest day that ever was or can be 2. It is also purposely constituted for the highest glory of Jesus
caught up to meet and see the Lord Jesus their Saviour and now the glorious Judge coming to consummate their happiness in soul and body together to die no more and to meet with all the Saints and Angels come from Heaven and to be for ever with the Lord never to be from him again 5. But others that were wicked and now raised with the other black Troop that were in Hell and now have their Souls united to their bodies All shall be brought before Christ the Judge according to the opinion of some sitting on a high Throne in the Air the Saints and Angels all attending about him 9. For the manner of these proceedings alluding to the manner of mens Judicatures as Revelations Chapter 20. 1. All persons small and great are brought and stand before God that is Christ God and man 2. The Books are opened the Book of Gods Omniscience and the Books of mens hearts and consciences not in an imperfect state of ignorance and forgetfulness but fully prepared for their work of answering at the Tribunal and Bar of Christ 3. It is a judging men according to their works for that hath been done in the body good or evil Eccl. 12.16 And a judging every secret thing of mens hearts Rom. 2.16 Some conceive that seeing there will be the Revelation of the righteous judgment of God Rom. 2. therefore it will have a long time to judge the cause of every person in all particulars that so the righteousness of the judgment and sentence of Christ with the Execution of it may fully appear and none to have any least objection against it But others think there will not be so particular a discovery and tryal of all things relating to the Saints but a more general one However Christians must be diligent to be found of Christ without spot and blameless as 2 Pet. 3.14 10. When the cases of all have been tryed and made to appear the Sheep having been separate from the Goats and set at Christs right hand the Goats on the left the sentence then passes that most comfortable sentence for the Sheep the Righteous now so judged by the heart-knowing and most just Judge Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you And that terrible sentence on the Goats now openly convicted Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels To which the Saints and Angels all give their full approbation as also to the doom upon the Devils 11. Upon which the most righteous execution follows of both the sentences for the righteous and against the wicked ones To make all this obtain a more efficacious impression daily on my spirit let me strive to represent this Day as now come that I hear the Trump sound see the dead rise the living all changed in a moment looking up I see Christ coming in the Clouds with great glory Angels and Saints all attending him Christ placed on the Throne of Judgment all persons convented before him and my self among the rest my case tryed my works words thoughts and all my secrets judged and my state for all Etemity determined and now when the World is all on Fire the wicked sent into that everlasting destruction the righteous going with Christ into Heaven and everlasting happiness what my own particular condition is like to be If I can come before Christ the all-knowing Judge with confidence and exceeding joy shall be absolved and hear that joyful sentence Come thou blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for thee CHAP. XXI Of Meditation of Hell and Death Eternal therein THE very naming of Death is dreadful Death Eternal is much more dreadful but a being in Hell the worst place possible is most dreadful of all Hell though in the meer mentioning it makes such a jarr upon the spirit of any though the least touching on it by a but glancing thought the least touch be like the needles sharp point to the Apple of the Eye so acute a pain and smart yet must the Eye of the soul by Meditation not only touch it but take it close to it but dwell upon it Death natural in the but very thought hath a very high attending regret we cannot endure to look deathward but O how greatly unwilling to look in the least this sad way destruction-ward Hell-ward toward death Eternal The first is tasting Gall but the second is a drinking Poyson The one hath a deep attending reluctancy the other a double died antipathy It 's the harshest task for a sinner it 's a hard for a Saint to fix willingly and dwell in Meditation on so sad and dreadful a subject as Hell is yet is it that which must be done and by a holy wise spirit may be both confidently and advantageously done The best Christian on earth will lose nothing by sometimes looking into Hell and fixing the thoughts there No man ever yet fled from Hell but first fixt his thoughts in some proportion on it No man will flye fast enough from this Pit of perdition this Lake of Fire if he do not oft look towards it and keep his Eye upon it Hell and Death Eternal are set down in Scripture for both evil and good mens flying but this cannot be compast without frequencies of earnest ponderings and meditatings For a right proceeding in this Meditation 1. Let me first look to that which is my infallible rule the testimony of that God who founded Hell and laid the corner stone of it who first threatned and prepared this Prison this Pit of destruction who knows all the large dimensions of it all things in and about it and cannot nor will not in the least deceive us in it He hath given us his Word to tell us and that under his own hand in great numbers and varieties of passages that we cannot rationally conceive he would so do mention and give it so many times under his own hand were there no such thing no local Hell and second Death Eternal My way therefore as a good Christian is to look up gather Scripture passages passage after passage all over the Book of God as I find this asserted in them O shall my lives time ravel out without any redeeming it as to this particular of giving due down weight of thoughts frequent serious thoughts as opportunity can be had of Death Eternal in Hell I must not only say there is a Hell I must not only give it for granted as most persons do but I must be concluded under the Scripture Authority See it and say it upon due perswasion upon clear demonstration demonstration on conclusive argumentation Arguments chosen as so many Arrows taken out of Christs Quiver the Scriptures levell'd right flying round up to the mark and hitting full my unbelieving and recoiling averse spirit making it fall down under this weighty truth reducing it through Christs help to a firm and operative belief yea so to assent to and ponder this so high
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
glowing heat and liveliness for all the following day is still fit in some measure to be practised 2. The next should be some serious musing on that next End our own salvation and Eternal bappiness farther to be wrought out to be our day labour by the opportunity of a new begun day a day which will bring us nearer to the Ocean of Eternity CHAP. IV. Of the next End Salvation NExt to the highest Gods interest must be mused seriously upon this great soul-interest Prov. 9.12 If thou art wise thou art wise for thy self 2 Tim. 3.1 Wisdom to salvation This because self is so near and dear and the immortal Soul so unspeakably precious the heart being once stampt with a spiritual high strong self-love will have a mighty influence of warmth abiding on the Spirit Here two things are to be attended and practised 1. Meditation of Salvation in a more general Notion and Consideration works little or nothing but the pondering of particulars in Salvation It is a Rule in Oratory and so in Preaching that for moving and drawing the affections generals and things in a confused manner spoken they hit not work not draw not It is the distinct seeing and viewing of particulars which moves and affects to purpose So Meditation to be effectual must particularize the things comprised in some sort in this happiness and salvation As that so blessed freedom from sin in the guilt in pardon and righteousness from the dominion of sin by power life image of Christ and holiness and the glorious priviledges of a Christian here and Everlasting Glory hereafter and such like 2. There 's another Rule among Oratours that things moving the Affections they do it either Magnitudine aut Praesentia by their greatness or excellency or by their presence or nearness As the greatness of a person or the presence of a person or the greatness of a good or evil or the nearness and presence of it 1. The greatness the surpassing greatness of Salvation as Scripture sets it forth Heb. 2. That so unspeakable deliverance from such a height breadth and length of Misery by sin and that inexpressible happiness by union with Jesus Christ The so great things of this glorious state should fall by our Meditation upon the Affections and daily like fire from Heaven kindle them greatly 2. Things move by their presence or nearness the remoter the Object is from the Faculty as the Objects of the External Senses as Seeing Hearing and the rest or the farther a thing is apprehended to be as any Place or Time or the like the less it affects But the presence or propinquity of a thing moves most as when a Poyson or dangerous thing is near or present as an Antidote or a help when near when Death or Deliverance is at hand when a Friend is present or the like this moves most So the way of Meditation here is by representing salvation as present or near 2 Cor. 6. 1 2 3. escaping Hell as now being put into possession of Heaven as now if I were now dying and my Soul sitting on my lips ready to take its flight as now if now the last Trump were sounding now Jesus Christ seen coming to Judgment now the Sentence of Absolution passing Let me thus season and strengthen Meditation by this kind of representation seeing it as near as present now acting now doing or now having and fully possessing this Salvation CHAP. V. Of the Means conducing to this chief End THE next thing in spiritual wisdom to be the Object of daily Meditation is to give as we can some allowance of serious thoughts of that which should be the due and adequate means conducing to the chief End of Eternal life with the glorifying of God as formerly we have mentioned 1. Christ the way Therefore the next thing being the highest and uppermost of all conducing Means to the Supream End the next thing I say to be the great Object of Meditation must be Jesus Christ our way to the Father and our highest way of glorifying him None comes to the Father saith Christ but by me John Initial coming to God by Faith to Justification Reconciliation and Union with God is by Christ All other after comings and glorifyings of God are still by Christ as also all salvation is treasured up in him so it must be the best way for our Meditations method to be daily acted in some measure upon our mighty Saviour our great and only way to our great and chief End so he calls himself the way John Here what a most glorious and delicious Object hath the Eye of Meditation Christ in Isa 65.1 calls Behold me behold me ah what a Spirit must that be that for such an infinite Beauty cannot afford one cast of the eye one wishly look in the whole compass of a day that can look every way freely fixedly and unweariedly but Christward The Spouse in the Canticles her Eye-walk was among the Excellencies and Beauties of her Beloved the Lord Christ his pure Colours White and Red his most rare features and exact proportions of every part his Head Locks Eyes Cheeks Lips Hands Legs and all his glorious perfections and then addes to fum up all that he is altogether lovely So lovely that her Eye affected her heart and so beloved that she fell sick of love Ah when a heart is strongly enflamed with a Love to Christ the eye will be acted in most wishly lookings upon Christ as the love grows the earnest lookings will grow Here then the Rule is to Meditate in some due measure on this Glorious Object so both infinitely excellent in himself and so mighty a Saviour unto us His infinite Riches and Preciousness in his Natures united in his Offices conferred in his graces fullness perfect performances most perfect Redemption his infinite love pity willingness to save lost Sinners The so great free offers of himself and giving himself to us applying his whole Redemption to us by his mighty operation in us Some singular seriousness and rigour of Meditation cannot but daily be due as that first and chief means to the chief End Christians that least look at Christ and least distinctly view him will make the slowest progress and such as study him most will have the easiest and most expedite coming up to the main Mark. CHAP. VI. Meditation of the Holy Spirit the Applier of Christ and his Redemption 2. SOme due proportion of Thoughts-seriousness is proper to be daily acted in reference to the mighty and only applyer of the work of Christs Redemption the holy Spirit and our great daily helper The Holy Spirit first comes to the Soul and person of a Christian applies Christ to him brings Christ into him makes him his Temple and an Habitation of God and Christ to dwell in the heart The Spirit comes inhabits sweeps and cleanses furnishes the heart with light that was darkness with truth that was errour and deceitfulness with power that was weakness life-warmth
and faithful to thy self as to lead thy thoughts to think of Hell and ponder that place and state taking often the weight of the crown of glory the worth of the Jewels of that Crown and think in greater earnestness of the Riches of that Kingdom of Glory thy own unspeakable happiness with that rare rich annexed Jewel Eternity The losing of it is from not looking on it most losing it from looking aside to the world The best go but slowly to Heaven because they mind it so remissly and move so easily A way the best way to be the best Marksman at Heaven should be every Christians great study This is wisdom for thy self to meditate study thy self into the Art of winning the Crown of Glory Weigh Hell and Heaven unspeakable insufferable and eternal eternal torment and wo with inconceivable and eternal never fading happiness and highest glory Represent more effectually see feel more sensibly the fearful and woful case of a damned soul realize it with the best industry and Art thou canst use and be not so sinfully soft nice and tender of touching or of dwellings and searchings by this way of thoughts force thy self to feel the pains and scorchings of this Hell prepared and the fulness of Gods wrath poured out and then represent and realize to thy self happiness and glory with thy utmost ability and industry as if thou sawest it in all the fulness tasted it and wert feeding to the full at Christs Table in his Kingdom There are strange Artifices to get Crowns and Kingdoms Ah! act Meditation into an ever-growing more covetous of the gain ambitious of the honour contentious for to have the victory over all difficulties in the way of this most transcendent Crown of Glory The wise Merchant seeks and buys the Pearl Mat. 13.46 The wise Meditater weighs strives for and wins the Crown 3. Improve Meditation all you can as to the grand and most principal means be very high and hard Students for that excellency of knowledge the knowledge of Christ and him crucified and better applying of him To see daily more what a way Christ is to the Father what fulness dwells in him Col. 1.19 how freely he is offered how mighty and ready he is to save to the uttermost Uttermost of guilt by righteousness and forgiveness of wrath by reconciliation of shame and vileness by dignity and adoption through his blood To the uttermost of darkness by being our light uttermost of our errours by being put on as truth uttermost of folly by being applied as our wisdom uttermost of corrupt affections and carnal aims choices and distempers of will and finfulness of the whole soul by being our sanctification 1 Cor. 1.31 Yea to the uttermost f all misery and to perfect felicity Strive to meditate better to have Meditation issue in a growing knowledge of Christ sweeter savour stronger recumbencies on him larger receivings from him more intimate fellowship with him and a more worthy walking of him 4. Let thy Meditation be more improved in that particular of the great Applier of Christ to thee and mighty Helper of thee the holy Spirit how to better entertain him and by obeying please and delight him and not grieve him that he always may be ready to assist enlarge and comfort thee seal thee and shed abroad the love of God in thy heart 5. Strive after a better meditating on all the precious promises so as more to strengthen Faith heighten Hope and have the fuller Communion with Christ by them 6. So meditate of the Ordinances as they be more highly valued and endeared and be more instrumental for thy meeting with God in them and commanding his blessing by them of light warmth strength and encouragement 7. Mightily contend to exacter musings and ponderings of thy hearts great wickedness and deep deceitfulness Make Meditation a better clue and thread to lead thee into all intricacies and windings of that maze and labyrinth wherein thou art so ready to be lost and art often lost To know it more perfectly in all its cheats and deceits but with an earnest looking up to God the heart-searcher to manifest thy self unto thy self So for the methods and dephts of Satan thy unwearied enemy which will not be understood unless studied and minded much 2 Cor. 2.11 We are not ignorant saith the Apostle of his devices He was not ignorant this way this must be knowledge by minding and studying of them Though God teacheth yet not without our endeavour setting our thoughts to search and find out his practices and subtilties If we are careless herein God may instead of helping us against him let him loose upon us to act his frauds and fury that our buffetings may awaken us into mindings of him and endeavours of being acquainted with his devices Meditate therefore more to be an experienced skilful Artist here and grow more cunning to see into his practices 8. Meditate more of that enemy the world that makes the baits for covering Satans hooks without which he could not so catch as oft he doth neither could we be so catcht from our own corruptions if things of the world did not occasion our deceivings The fuel and tinder is without the spark and fire is within the lust is within but the bait is without Jam. 1.14 Every one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own concupiscence and enticed If the bait were nothing to us there would be no catching of us if the world were vanity all things as crucified to us having no beauty and loveliness in them there would be no danger Meditate to a discovery more of the worlds vanity and that insufficiency in every thing but God to make us happy and to thereby a weanedness of heart from those things that will neither fill or fix satisfie us or stay with us CHAP. XIX But more particularly 1. THou must earnestly act and strive to improve thy Meditation on those things which concern thee in thy rank and age of Christianity There are some Babes little children in godliness others are young and strong men others are fathers so 1 Joh. 2.12 13 14. The strong men must act according to their age and rank in Christianity not as babes or little children the strong Christian must not does not look to little childrens lessons return thither and strive to no more Heb. 5.12 To use milk stick at barely the Principles of the Oracles of God and Doctrine of Christ Chap. 6. v. 1. But uses strong meat takes forth the higher lessons in Religion beyond children The Apostle saith The word was in them and they had overcome the wicked one They were besides knowledge of the Principles improved to such knowledge of the Word higher knowledge that they knew what was proper of the Word and how to use it as fitted them to combat with Satan and overcome him The strong Christian must be busied in higher matters therefore must act Meditation higher study and learn those lessons
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
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
righteous manner to the salvation of his people destruction of his Enemies and his own Glory 2. I may Meditate at least sometimes of the other soul-beauties of heavenly Graces as of that grand rare grace of Love holy Love that which is the fullfilling of the Law the great Breeder and Feeder of all Obedience Love which daily as a Fire must be blown up and made to burn afresh in the heart and enliven the daily course Ah what a Christian may do by keeping his heart hot and burning in Love 3. Joy Meditating of living the life of heavenly peace and joy rejoycing in the Lord alway Not living the life of sadness and pensiveness most unbecoming an Heir of Eternal Glory 4. Hope Meditate also I may of heavenly Hope which makes not ashamed Rom. 5.5 Heb. 6.19 An Anchor sure and firm to ride out all storms And of all the Graces as of holy Fear Humility Meekness Patience Contentedness Zeal Courage Constancy all the Chain of Graces mentioned in 2 Pet. 1.5 and other places The whole days actings should be considered so as not to be a complication of vanities follies and careless walkings but a shewing forth and shining in the glorious beams of heavenly Graces and Excellencies 5. Meditate daily I should of the spiritual dangers I am surrounded with by spiritual Enemies That principal and Arch-Enemy the Flesh that sin which is connatural to me dwells in me Rom. 7. and so easily besets me Heb. 12.1 that is alway present and too prevalent the Fountain and Forge of all other sins the Heart Touch-wood and Tinder for temptation The ground out of which all the stinking and poysonous weeds of Lust grow up and that ground and foundation of the deepest tincture and grain Colour of all soul-defiling Habits and customary sins that so enslave and lead a sinner captive 2. Of that so potent Adversary Satan his subtlety and depths vigilancy and unwearied diligence whetted by implacable and improving malice 1 Pet. 5.8 3. The World that Bait for Satans Hook and great Engine whereby he acts by the many sweet Allurements on the one hand and Determents on the other hand These I must every day watch and war with Therefore I must daily consider my helpers God the Father Son and Holy Spirit 2 Cor. 8.9 Eph. 6.13 The Armour of God I must put on for every part and my fighting in the strength of Christ by whom I may be made more than Conquerour Rom. 8.37 And for the last general there must be Meditation of the unspeakable preciousness of time running on without possibility of a stand or least stay With the Frailty of life Psal 39.4 with the uncertainty of it and the certainty of death and unavoidableness of that which will cast me upon Eternity These are the more general things among which my Meditation may take its walks and upon which my seriousness may daily sit down to make its spiritual advantage by I must adde now things more particular CHAP. XI Of some Particulars to be added to the former Generals THere are some things in particular I may adde which may help to direct and quicken a Christian in his daily course 1. For the Scripture I daily read or hear to endeavour some thoughts which may help to higher quickenings and heart-enlargings by farther fresh ponderings of the surpassing Excellencies and mighty Efficacies of the Scripture to think of a required higher rising estimation more inflamed affections of Love Joy Hope Longing and the rest seen and so observably conspicuous in the Saints in Scripture to light our Candle by their flame And the more rooted resolution I should take up and engage in to be more by my looking into the Glass of the Word transformed into the image of it 1 Cor. 3.18 Of Faith in the Word I should farther think of that Faith I am necessarily to act in the truth and certainty and usefulness of the Word I now am to be exercised in and of my mixing of Faith more abundantly with it Heb. 4.2 As to any Doctrine Precept Promise Threatning or Examples and whatever is there related for my use Of Wisdom I should think also of the Wisdom which that I read requires in selecting that out is most conducible is my proper portion and best fitting my souls condition As Samuel at his Feast set forth something peculiar for Saul 1 Sam. 9.23 24. Joseph caused to be prepared for his Brother Benjamin Gen. 43.34 God will now be seen if wisdom be used to hold forth a peculiar prepared portion Some Eye-salve to annoint mine Eyes Rev. 3.18 some rich Balm to heal some sore some corrosive to eat out some proud flesh some Cordial for a strengthener and chearer some piece of spiritual treasure to enrich me some rare Jewel for ornament wanting to me something there is now in my hand for my now spiritual advantage if I can see it and see it I may by that which must be the Auxiliary and constant Assistant of my reading if I would meet with a due profiting which is my conscientious and careful pondering weighing and weighing this pure Gold stored up in Christs rich Treasury to make me rich Reading brings me Meat Meditation brings forth the sweetness Reading brings the Coals to the Wood Meditation makes the flame Reading brings me the Sword of the Word Meditation whets it Reading barely proves pouring water into a Sieve Meditation is putting Gold into a Treasury the former lets the Water out the latter locks the Gold up O let me read much but let me also Meditate much that Meditation and Reading may be commensurate my Souls digestion proportioned to its Reception its taking in by Reading let me Read and Meditate that I may not have a meagre lean soul like them that have an eager appetite and a weak digestion but that it may be fat and well-liking by this good digestion of due Meditation 2. Some lively and vigorous Meditation should be daily performed in reference to private Prayer I say for assistance and furtherance of secret Closet-Prayer that so important and sweet Soul-Exercise 1. Of that importancy and concernment that the main stress both of the whole work and likewise of the hearts after warmth and life in the day lies greatly on it 2. Of that heavenly sweetness that it is the chief way of our private familiarity with God 3. Of that excellency that it is our only way of private speaking unto the great God of having the high honour and favour of whispering in his ear access in private to his bosom and bowels and the chief way of procuring his private Signet and Seal of blessed assurance of happiness The way it is of the souls freshest freest and most elevated actings such as oft-times praying in company must not cannot bear and the way of strong high Exercise of sundry Graces 1. It sends private Embassies daily to the King of Heaven by Faith 2. It carries up daily the soul to Heaven in a
week now in the New Testament times changed to and called the first day of the week and the Lords-day 1. As to the rise nature ends and advantages the Sabbath in the Old Testament and the Lords-day in the New it is the best day that ever the world saw or shall be seen on this side Heaven 2. It was and is that day wherein the infinite Glories and Excellencies of a God have shined brighter and warmer on the spirits of men than in any other days beside namely his infinite Wisdom Power Love Goodness Mercy and Riches of free Grace 3. The Sabbath as some judge had its rise so early as in Paradise or when man was in state of innocency it must then be of very great Antiquity and a rarity of great worth And 4. Then it must be that only holy day which man in state of innocency had and possibly if he had stood should ever have had afterward 5. After the first institution it had the most glorious and tremendous promulgation and sanction such a delivery and ratification as no other Law except those that were spoken at the same time ever had namely by Gods so wonderful and most astonishing appearance on Mount Sinai in the sight of six hundred thousand persons There it was one of the ten words spoken by Gods own mouth by God first spoken in the ears of all that so prepared and awakened numerous multitude and after in the Mount was written with the finger of God written on the first Table of Stone before the six Commandments of the second Table This Commandment thus written was with the others reserved in the Golden Ark or Chest made purposely by Moses from Gods Command to keep the Tables and then by Gods Appointment was to be preserved in the glorious Tabernacle made by Moses and there it was to be with highest honour prefer'd to be kept in the Holy of Holies 6. Though some yield it not yet others judge the Sabbath had its change from the seventh to the first day of the week by the Lord of the Sabbath Christ himself or at least by his Apostles from his Authority 7. However it be changed yet it is lookt upon as grounded on that so amazing part of our Redemption Christs so glorious Resurrection on the third day after his Passion 8. The Sabbath formerly was the Old Testament Churches fixed time to behold as in a mirrour the glory of God the Creator his Eternal Godhead Power Wisdom Goodness and most glorious Excellencies in the so admirable frame of Heaven and Earth and the so various and curious pieces in it all most exquisitely wrought and finisht It was the peculiar time for setting up the Ladder of the Creatures by Contemplation to climb from Earth to Heaven with But now changed into the first day of the week it is the Christian Churches time for beholding as in a mirrour the glory more peculiarly of God the Redeemer now not in his Humiliation but in his appearing and begun Exaltation in that his glorious Resurrection from the dead that his concerned people might joy with highest and most heavenly rejoycing for this rising of the Sun of Righteousness to be under the warmest and most vivifical beams of his infinite love 9. Let me Meditate of this day as the time afforded for largest spiritual advantages no day being so eminent for me and my Soul as this day 10. Let me Meditate of this day as that happy season wherein the Ordinances of Christ do run in a fuller higher and stronger current More is offered me on this great soul-mart day than on other common Market-days other week-day opportunities it is the day whereby in some respects I have far better Ordinances the Publick in Communion with Christ in the midst among those that are gathered together in his Name And then by the Publick I have better advantages for the Private to perform them better Private Duties having a better time and better helps I must thereby be minded of my better performance 11. It is the eminent day of meeting with God in his upper walks of more solemn Ordinances 12. The day of days for our best speaking with our God and of highest familiarity with him 13. It 's the great time of our hearing from God and having him most eminently to speak to us There be no hearings from God like this days hearings no such voice no such efficacy can be expected as on this day 14. It is the day wherein God sits out and is most to be seen the great day of seeing Gods goings in the Sanctuary seeing his Power and his Glory No such day for this as the Lords own day Ps 63.2 15. A day of feeding more on the Feast of fat things full of Marrow Isa 25.6 Of being brought into the Kings Banquetting-House having the Banner of Christs love spread more amply over us than at other times it being the day wherein the highest flamings up of his unspeakable love appeared in that he not only died but rose again from the dead without which all his other labour and sufferings had been lost and our souls been also lost 1 Cor. 15. 16. It is a day dropt down from Heaven may serve to give a taste of the Sabbath and day kept there and to set a Copy for us here to write after in our holy restings and actings attended with heavenly refreshings God that made all things when he had finished his work he then rested on the seventh day and with his example of resting gave the precept of sanctifying the seventh day to the Church of the Old Testament And the Lord of the Sabbath Christ Jesus resting from his work and rising the first day of the week gives the Example and with the Example the Precept of resting and keeping holy the first day of the week to the Church of the New Testament as some think which therefore Rev. 1.10 they say is called the Lords day as the Ordinance of the Supper is called the Lords Supper as instituted by him 17. It is the day of resting the body from labour of respiteing the mind from worldly thoughts and cares and of refreshing the spirit with heavenly Manna which rains down now on this day more plentifully and with water of life that runs more abundantly in the pure Channels of holy Ordinances 18. Meditated on it should be as the season of the best reciprocations mutual actings between Earth and Heaven wherein the soul hath the advantage of acting higher and more vigorously to glorifie and please God Psal 24.5 and wherein God commands the blessing more and affords assistances more usually than on any other days as experiences prove 19. It s a time to come from sweeter and fuller communion with God in Christ whose blessed day it is to come with our faces shining and hearts flaming made better to be on Earth fitter to live in Heaven And hereupon 20. To leave upon the spirit a more eager longing fully to
the glorious Angels and the place of happy reception entertainment and habitation of the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 But of this more particularly hereafter But among all I may more peculiarly muse and in musing greatly wonder at that one thing namely Man Ps 8. the making of him in so great excellency and all things in the World for his use and service all for a little speek of dust with a little spark in it of an immortal soul O what is man that a God should be so mindful of him and do so for him But O what must man then be that so little minds God! and what must that man be that does not that cannot or rather will not find mind Employment how to engage and act that rare endowment the thinking power in the rich and ample provisions purposely made for objects of mind entertainment All this being then my Eye-scope and having so great varieties of Eye-walks so large a latitude to exercise my thinkings so profitably to act this holy Duty of Meditation I am left wholly if I neglect it without all excuse If I still daily let my thoughts run and ravel out in vanities and impertinencies and can fix no where usefully for my spiritual good But in that multitudes of things may breed confusion prudence must direct to find out the best method and order that so I may meditate with more ease pleasure and advantage My best Wisdom therefore is to consider of the fittest way if not in it self yet at least for my particular ability and times 1. As either to meditate of some portion or passage of holy Scripture some Precept Promise Threatning Direction Encouragement or Example or some Grace Virtue Vice or Sin And for more delight and help meditate I may by setting one contrary against another as one Promise being singled or some of the Promises I may turn upon the Threatnings If I meditate upon a Reward and Blessing given to any turn I may to the Punishment and Evils that have been inflicted or are threatned Reward on Obedience and Punishment on Disobedience 2. Meditate I may over the heads and chief points of Religion in order as I can set them or as some short Bodies of Divinity and Catechisms comprise them 3. Or something of the Works of the great God as Creation that so amazing and utterly inconceivable Work set out as it is in Genesis the first and in other Scriptures Or Providence God's so strange and admirable preservation and governing of all things in the World from the greatest to the least in it and about it every motion mutation and disposing of it to a sure end his own highest glory 4. Or something particularly of my own spiritual condition for my more peculiar benefit As 1. Something which may make me wiser to salvation and adde to my Treasure of spiritual truths 2. Something may make me warmer and encrease my heat of holy affection 3. Or something which may strengthen and fix my souls great purpose of walking with God and render me a more highly resolved person for Heaven 4. I should as a grand business the affair of chief concernment meditate frequently and most seriously about the case of my soul how in very deed it is 2 Cor. 13.5 both without any self flattery on the one hand or self injury on the other hand Psal 36.2 Neither making my self and state better than it is nor worse than it is Lam. 3.1 That I may not on any mistake be confident presuming fondly John 2.4 nor diffident desponding and discouraged weakly 5. I must frequently meditate of the evil and most deceitful heart that arch cheater I continually carry in my bosom and therefore am never to be secure but alway awakened for fear of its falseness and deceits Meditate therefore of that so excellent Scripture Jer. 17.9 The heart c. Therefore I shall more largely speak to it CHAP. XVI Meditation should often be of the hearts great deceitfulness MEditation should be very frequent of the hearts great deceitfulness The right and best way of this Meditation lieth in these four particular paths 1. In pondering the infallible certainty of it and particulars in it 2. Pondering the sad condition every one is under by it 3. Weighing the sad attendants and consequences 4. The way of deliverance and relief 1. It is best here to begin with the Meditation of the infallible certainty of this so superabounding heart deceitfulness 1. This first is to be minded as that which is asserted so by a God for whom it is impossible to lie Heb. 6. being infinitely wise holy righteous and good he affirms it and that before and to the very faces of all persons He hath written recorded it in his Scripture of truth he hath commanded all persons to read what he hath there recorded he hath preserved miraculously these Records against all haters and opposers Men and Devils and among other ends that men may have a Glass a perfect undeceiving Glass to shew men that they never would or could see or believe if God had not held this Glass to them and made the true and lively representation of the hearts deceitfulness above all things by it 2. These Scripture assertions of the hearts deceitfulness are from that God who is the only both heart-framer and heart-searcher and knower Ps 33.15 having his Eye omniscient Eye also every moment and least particle of time upon it and every where in every Chamber and corner every part of it therefore he must needs know exactly all the hearts deceitfulness and desperate wickdness As he made the whole frame of the Soul and all the faculties the Springs and Wheels of that exquisite frame so he knows all the foulness and soil of sin which hath fallen in and which it hath gathered all its motions irregular all its stops and stands all its commissions and omissions all its defects of principles all its corrupt principles Therefore knowing the both natural powers of the Soul with all superadded corrupt principles evilly inclining aims and interests biassing and leading he keeping also such an Eye ever upon it for of the things in the whole world there 's no one thing the Eye of God looks so upon as spirits and hearts He must know the deceitfulness of it by being the only Maker and likewise the continual Observer of it and therefore if he affirms it how deceitful the heart is it must be so 3. But besides there can be nothing in the heart to alter and change it to restore and raise it from this bad state but he knows it his Eye is ever upon the heart he keeps alway an awakened Eye that is still watching it narrowly viewing it he is the heart continual searcher and tryer Psal 7.9 He tries the heart and the reins 4. He must also be Judge of the secrets of mens hearts Rom. 2.16 God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts c. therefore all deceitfulness
such a state as is so good and glorious to that utmost possibility as the Creature is susceptive of and can have and for that so all sweetning and satiating eternity And then which greatly aggravates the misery as Christ himself expresses it Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when ye shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all c. So to see all the Saints to see all the godly Patriarchs Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the other To see Moses Samuel David and all the holy Prophets to see all the blessed Apostles Peter John Paul and all the Disciples of Christ with all the glorious Martyrs and Confessors in all times and all the innumerable company of Saints in both former present and after Ages all these known in their times but neglected scorned opposed persecuted and destroyed yet all these to be taken up with Christ into Heaven but as other sinners so thy woful self dying without a Christ shut out and have Heaven Gates shut up lockt and barr'd against thee for ever and withal also ah lockt up fast in the Dungeon of darkness and fill'd up full in soul and body with unspeakable torment never to end And to realize this more and make it more effectual on thee that art saved after the Judgment is ended sentence of condemnation passed let me imagine my self looking after this Herd of Goats all driving down headlong to the Lake of fire and Brimstone seeing them taken hold of and haled to the Prison of Hell and immediately shut in presently seis'd with wrath and torment fill'd brim full up with unspeakable woe and torture Then could I but go near lay my ear to the door of this Prison and listen earnestly O what would be the dolours the groanings cryings roarings yellings shriekings that so many many thousands altogether tortured would be heard to make The noise of a few Prisoners condemning of Passengers in a Ship drowning of men in Battel killing and dying makes a most hideous impression makes a mans ears to tingle and his heart to ake and tremble But O what is or can be like unto this hideous noise and cry of so many innumerable millions of all sorts and sexes men and women under such intolerable torments O but might I have liberty and security to make an ocular observation with my eyes to see the Gates of that horrid place open to see the lake of Fire and Brimstone flaming to look in and see the tormented in their so woful condition most sad postures and behaviours All the multitudes and throngs of persons and the persons in particular I desire to see and view There I might see that first Murderer Cain appearing in his Chains and Tortures and on my demanding who he was he answers I am that cursed one that kill'd my righteous Brother Abel here here I have bin already so many thousands of years and here I must remain to be tormented for ever In another place appears another it may be wicked Saul that persecuter of holy David in another Achitophel or Haman Herod Judas and abundance of such strewed all over this Prison Sinners of all sorts Idolaters Superstitious Prophane Wizards Witches Swearers Cursers Prophaners of the day of God with disobedient to Parents Murderers Adulterers Thieves Lyars Covetous and all others of several Sexes Ranks and Conditions If I might ask and be answered upon enquiry by the persons I see there would not one come and say I am such a one another say I am such and so others Would not one come and shew me there in such a place are those that were drowned by the Deluge there are the Sodomites burnt with fire and Brimstone there 's Pharaoh and the Egyptians those drowned in the Red Sea there 's such and such Enemies and Persecuters of Christ and his Church of old there are the heathen Persecuters and the Antichristian Enemies there such Apostates such Hypocrites such loose Christians in this place such a man or such a woman you knew and in that place another there you see them and in the same sad case with my self But should I ask of their several conditions and what they continually feel O what doleful Relations would they give in of the scorchings of that fire of the gnawing of that never dying worm of their deepest sorrows highest fears and above all of their overwhelming and unspeakable despairs Prov. 18.14 Here when God suffers but a spark to flye out of the Furnace of Hell and fall into a sinners bosom as Judas Math. 27.5 O how intolerable doth it prove But when the whole pile of Hell's fuel and fire shall be laid and fastned on sinners by the hand of an Almighty God O what must that torment and that despair amount unto and then when under infallible certainty of a lengthening out to all Eternity O let every one Meditate often and most seriously of this so dreadful state not be shye of a looking this way of a looking into this Lake of Fire and realizing all the so dreadful things comprehended in it Not contenting thy self with thy yieldings and giving it for granted and never ponder never labour to any purpose to be rightly affected stirred up to take a sure course for escaping it But let this terrour of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 awaken provoke and perswade every one to flye from this wrath to come and flye to that Christ make sure of him that only can deliver us CHAP. XXII Of Heaven and Happiness Eternal THE last thing I shall mention in this part of solemn and set Meditation is that of Heaven and Happiness Eternal therein Hell is not so miserable a state but Heaven is as transcendently glorious and happy The one being purposely for demonstration of the fulness of Gods hatred and wrath the other for the highest manifestation of the riches of Mercy and Free Grace Yea this being the thing the Lord is so infinitely pleased and delighted in must needs have the fullest and most glorious manifestation that is any way possible for a God to make and his Creatures can be apprehensive and receptive of and therefore the state of Glory must be glorious indeed Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for such as love him There he is speaking of things but dispositive to happiness the blessings of Grace Peace Joy and heavenly Priviledges given in Christ but then if happiness only begun be so glorious O what is happiness finished up and consummate For our way of proceeding in this Meditation I conceive it best by laying a full Scripture ground in gathering those choice Flowers springing up thick in the rich Garden stores of the infallible Scriptures and are purposely growing there for the hand of faith to gather and the Eye of our dim weak sight to be healed and cleared to believe and see the glory of Heaven by It is not a way
glorified by all his Saints to the highest in Of all imaginable places this this is the place this is Room this is a place so large as the hearts of the Saints can wish 3. As Heaven is the largest for capacity and quantity so is it the best place for quality and excellency 2 Cor. 12. It is called Paradise by that blessed Paul who was taken up thither to tell upon his return what a place it was Paradise mentioned Gen. 2.8 it was the best place that ever was on Earth it was the summary of all necessaries and delicacies for Adam in that perfect state his accommodations recreations and abundant delight fit therefore to resemble the place of glory by And so our Lord Christ thought when he calls it by this name of Paradise Luke 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise The best place it was made because for the best Creature on Earth Luke 16. It is called Abraham's bosom Abraham in his time was the most eminent person living call'd the Father of the faithful No place for a Child can be so proper so desirable pleasing and contenting as the most loving tender Fathers Bosom O how a Child loves the Bosom O how desirous are the Children of Abraham to be in his Bosom In other places it is a place of glory riches of glory a Kingdom a Crown of glory an eternal weight of glory a state where there are Pleasures for evermore Rivers of pleasures joys and fullness of joy For every Saint the highest entertainments in all respects for the Senses 1. The Ear hath such ravishing Musick and melody as that best and greatest Consort of all the innumerable companies of Saints and Angels can make 2. For the Eye the Palace of Heaven is unspeakably beyond all places prospects and objects that Nature and Art could ever yield The persons of the Saints as to the numbers so innumerable must needs make up the rarest Train and shew as to their sorts and differences that ever Eye saw O what a ravishing sight must that be to see Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the Holy Patriarchs Moses Samuel David and all the Holy Prophets Peter Paul John and all the Holy Apostles All the blessed and glorious Martyrs of Jesus Christ All his godly and serviceable painful and laborious Ministers All the precious Saints Kings and Governours and others that are recorded in the Bible And not only Men but holy Women Sarah Hannah Ruth Esther and others in the Old Testament the blessed Virgin and Elizabeth with the Women that followed Christ and ministred unto him Mary Magdalen Johanna Susanna Lydia Dorcas Priscilla among the Apostles helping them all the Disciples of Christ which believed in him with all the eminent godly lights in the Church after the Apostles and all the Saints in all after Ages to the worlds end And then for all this Train in their sorts and ranks as to their bodies to be so all over glorious to shine as the Sun and brightness of the Firmament for ever O what a shew and ravishing entertainment is here for the Eye But that which is the top and height and far surpassing all the other is that sweetest most ravishing sight of the most glorious body of Jesus Christ The highest beauty that ever Eye beheld or saw far out-shining all others as the Sun exceeds the Stars Ah here here will be a sight indeed Ah but then to behold him in his highest discoveries of his sweetest loveliest lookings and smilings on all his Saints with him and upon thee in particular To see his countenance compos'd and ordered purposely to beam forth in fullest Manifestations of surpassing sweetness of most intense affections towards his so dearly beloved Bride now present with him in the glorious Bed-Chamber to behold him and enjoy perfect communion with him 3. O but what entertainments are there as to the soul and spirit for the faculties of Vnderstanding Will and Affections how far transcending those of the Senses as the beatifical vision seeing God face to face with all intellectual satisfaction as to all the truths in the Word of God all Mysteries Prophecies and difficulties and whatsoever may conduce to the glorious happiness of the Saints satisfaction also as to the works and ways of God Creation and Providence all the Riddles and dark things so far made known as is needful Likewise as to the will and heart the beatifical fruition enjoying of God Father Son and Spirit and his infinite sweetness to all possible fullness and perfection Likewise all happy communion with Saints and Angels to all delight and pleasure And for all this both body and Soul are prepared strengthened elevated and enlarged to the utmost extensiveness As all imperfections and sins are utterly remov'd so all grace and holiness light and wisdom heat and flame of heart communicated and in a blessed reciprocation a mutual acting God the infinitely alsufficient communicating himself to the glorified to their utmost capacity and they reacting and putting forth their grace and holiness to their utmost ability O how unspeakably sweet and satiating must this continual intercourse be For the close of all let me think my self after a glorious and blessed Resurrection and absolution by Christ at the Judgment day freed utterly from all evil feeling likewise my compleat happiness coming on so fast in my now passage up to the place of glory and then instantly finding it finisht finisht on the first setting my foot as it were within the Gate of Heaven And now I think what a prepared and furnished place I am in What company of the Saints Angels and Jesus Christ also I have What fruition of the most blessed God what sense of the pleasures joys satisfactions and most ravishing sweetness under all security under that which superadded heightens and sweetens all the rest the Charter of inconceivable eternity Ah then let my frequent and intensest thinkings be not a looking down to Earth but up to Heaven breathing my soul up the Hill to this City of God in contemplating the Glories of it often let me walk this so pleasant walk Who will look and pore on a dark Dungeon that hath the Sun to behold who will that means to hit the mark look quite besides it who is it can go to Heaven that thinks most another way that hath a down-look as we say a Beasts Eye that hath no Muscle of elevation Ah such as look most will long most after labour most for it O therefore let my Eye every day be walking to and in this Paradise solace it self in taking a turn still there be walking in this upper Eye-walk by Meditation till I come to see God face to face till I look my self into this Heaven I look on I have now dispatcht this point of Occasional set Meditation as to the first branch Meditation of such things we our selves single out and set before us and take some special times for which were in these
particulars 1. Meditation on some passage or portion of Scripture 2. Or going over the chief points of Religion in order 3. Meditating of some of the works of God 4. Or something of my own spiritual state to make me more wise or warm or active for God 5. Or how the case of my soul stands 6. Or of my own evil hearts deceitfulness 7. Of my Enemies Satan and the World 8. Of my wants and weakness of Graoe 9. Of the swift passing of time and opportunities 10. Of the shortness of my life 11. Of death of the body 12. Of Judgment after death and of the Last Judgment 13. Of death Eternal and Hell 14. Of Heaven and Eternal happiness These are the heads of this first Branch CHAP. XXIII Meditation on some things providential THere is but this one thing which I will briefly dispatch remaining yet to be spoken of and then I come to the last sort of Meditation that is by a short and more sudden way Ejaculatory Meditation I say there should be Meditation on something providential a matter the hand of providence acts or orders holds forth and offers to our viewing and serious thinkings The great God as he always is guiding and ordering all things in all places in Heaveu Earth and Waters and among all Creatures especially the reasonable and chiefly above all in his Church and for his Saints against his and their Enemies As he is guiding with his hand all the concerns of particular persons to the supream end his own glory and likewise infallibly to the salvation of his Redeemed so there is ever and anon something observable particularly providential something which as the hand of providence holdeth forth so the heart of prudence and godly wisdom will take up that purposely it will set it self to see search and improve as it may be something sometime of the Church of God abroad or something of the People of God at home or in the place particularly we live in It may be there is some dispensation to some of our Relations or Friends or some matter falls out in our Family or yet nearer on our person and personal concerns There is seldom any space of time but the great Governour of the World is doing some remarkable thing it may be some admirable and glorious it may be some amazing and stupendious it may be some terrible and very dreadful work if we have our eyes in exercise and will observe Indeed Gods goings sometimes Psal 77.19 His footsteps cannot be seen but are very secret and unsearchable And there are others of his workings which are more easie for all to behold and understand There are varieties of Providences successively following each others which we should wait and watch for which we should take as they come fresh and warm out of the Lords hand and apply them warm to our hearts for a more kindly operation Meditate we should upon Providences while they are just new and fresh so we shall give them or rather our selves the advantage of a more ready and affectionate pondering a more profitable minding If I could still improve in Meditation of the Promises and in a wise warm lively also Meditating of providences in the one see better daily the riches of free Grace in the other the glorious governings of a God in wisdom righteousness and goodness How would my spirit under the dews of this fruitful Meditation be shooting up how would it prosper They are the highest form Christians that are arrived here at the contemplation of the works and great providences of God in the world In 1 John 2.13 He writes to some he calls Fathers others young men others Children Some by Children understand such as are as to Meditation taken up with the promises and matters of justification pardon and peace young men are such who are gotten farther and exercis'd about sanctification and conquering strong corruptions Fathers that beyond both are taken up and arriv'd at ponderings and contemplations of the works and ways of God and his great actings in the world So it is sometimes needful to Meditate on the Providences that are more obliging and engaging more awakening and inciting such as are as it were the special hand of the Lord touching us taking bold of us framing and ordering things for us And here there is great reason our Meditation should be more serious and curious as wherein we may see Gods so particular goings and workings toward us and for us Psal 18. All that excellent Psalm over David there enumerates and records all Gods goings towards him O then with the Psalmist let my soul meditate on all the works of God list and file up up the dispensations of his observable providences towards others and my self Meditate on his so merciful preservings directings prosperings and all other sorts and ways of Providence that I may admire and exalt him depend and trust and wait upon him and walk so before him that his ways may ever be mercy and truth towards me I have now dispatcht the second branch of Meditation on particular Providences and thereby the second general kind of Meditation which is set and occasional Meditation at particular times of leisure The last sort of Meditation comes now to be handled CHAP. XXIV Of more short and ejaculatory Meditation BEsides solemn and set Meditation there is also that which is sudden and short wherein the soul acts as one breaking out of a Throng or Croud goes aside from disturbances and diversions or breaks off from some present and too pressing business to take breath and respite it self whereby it makes a stand of thoughts turns the stream of former thoughts and like a Bird that was sitting on the ground rises and mounts up aloft to sing and sport it self even so a holy heart in heavenly mindedness will get out of the throng of cares and business will be often breaking off the thread of earthly thoughts and interpose some heavenly dart up to Heaven make a short visit thither refresh it self with some heavenly dainty take and taste of the Manna above look up to God to Christ his Spirit his Grace his Promises his Providences and gracious orderings have a running Banquet of heavenly sweet-meats when it cannot sit down and feed at large by a fuller set Meditation As there are ejaculatory Prayers and wishes when there is not opportunity for more solemn enlargements there should be also sudden and short meditatings quick interposings of good and holy thoughts then when the urgencies of Affairs incumbrances diversions and interruptions by company hindrances in any kind will not admit the opportunity of an abode of serious thoughts then sudden dartings up the soul to Heaven may be had be a refreshment as Jonathans tasting the Honey with the top of his Rod when being in pursuit of the Philistines he could not take a full meal David that meditated so much must needs in respect of his great occasions Civil and Military and Domestick
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
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
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