enjoy the Lord of the Sabbath and have time turned wholly into Eternity These or such like Meditations may be sutable and quickening for improving the great opportunity of this day of Christ and we cannot think too much or too seriously for this great occasion Having in some measure thus endeavoured to open and illustrate this point of daily Meditation both that which may be sutable for the six days and for the Lords day I pass to the next sort Occasional Meditation CHAP. XV. Of Occasional Meditation and that which is more extraordinary SOlemn Occasional Meditation comes now to be considered which is the souls taking of time for and acting Meditation on some particular selected subject either out of the Word of God or among the Works of God or somthing providentially falling out or somthing concerning our selves any thing offering fit occasion for fruitful Meditation They may be chiefly referr'd to these two heads 1. Either such things as purposely we out of varieties of subjects before us do single out for Meditation to help and quicken us in godliness 2. Or some new fresh thing which the hand of Gods Providence holdeth forth for our particular observing and improving 1. That which we ourselves out of varieties of subjects may or do single out for our spiritual advantage Here the scope and compass our Eye hath to make its choice of and fix upon is very large The Eye in Meditation hath before it the fullest fairest prospect can come in view Here is a breadth length depth height a compass and circumference that in point of lawful liberty you may look from Earth to Heaven yea through the whole world in all its vastness and varieties of objects in it and beyond them all unto him that is so infinitely above them all God himself in all his so inconceivable exaltations and perfections O how narrow then must that Spirit be which shall be straitned and at a loss for matter to employ and busie its seriousness about That hath so large a Field to walk in and so great varieties as the vast world Heaven and Earth and all things in them and the infinite God with so many infinite excellencies as are in him and yet to seek how to Meditate Ah how barren low and poor must that spirit be which is enriched with so great provisions for mind and thought entertainment and for times improvement and yet cannot fruitfully employ it self on some one thing or other that presents it self to us and invites our seeing and pondering of it Although Meditation hath so great a latitude and liberty a liberty to travel farther and see more by far than all the great Travellers that have bin in the world yet spiritual wisdom teacheth us to endeavour the most advantageous way of engaging our thinking power in Meditation For the wisdom of this way we now are upon it needs must lie in that manner and order as most may conduce to the great and main end of glorifying God and our own salvation It is most true that in point of liberty it is my Christian priviledge to take and set before me any profitable subject to intend my thoughts upon when no particular occasion of Meditation doth otherwise oblige me I say when no particular contrary obligation is upon me I may chuse to meditate either on this or that useful subject as I please I have the whole Creation for my Eye-walk my Meditation and spirits recreation yea and farther than the whole world extends I may go to contemplate him that is the highest if I please like David and other Saints of God I may with my Eye walk and look among the Works of God the so excellent and unimitable pieces of his most admirable framing On all the so stately Fabrick of the world any of the rare built stories lower or higher any of the rich Furnitures or exquisite things contained in it First I may view the lower story wherein I am fix upon the precious things the Earth hath within the riches of Minerals and precious Metals Silver Gold and the so useful other sorts the riches of all sorts of precious Stones Diamonds Carbuncles Rubies Emeralds and all the rest I may view the innumerable exquisite things upon the Earth from the Moss and imperfect Plants to the Grass made for the Cattel to all things growing in the whole Garden of Nature and more peculiarly made for the service of man among all the Herbs Flowers Shrubs and Trees of all sorts and see in them the so fair Characters of the infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness of the great Creator written most legibly on them I may Meditate on all sorts of living Creatures from the least and lowest Mite or Insect all creeping things with all Beasts and Birds that go upon the Earth wild or tame Consider I may their several Natures Features and Shapes Beauties and Excellencies and withall the serviceableness and usefulness of them to that poor Clod of earth man for whom they are I may look to the Waters Fountains Rivers and vast Seas with the innumerable things and Creatures about and in them Fowls Fishes and these of so many Kinds Forms and Shapes all of them the demonstrations of the infinite glories of that unimitable Artist the great God My Meditation also may with the Psalmist take in the eternal and mighty Hills and Mountains with the Rocks Sands and Bulwarks made against the raging Seas that they return not again to cover the earth Psal 104.9 I may go up to the higher stories of this Fabrick of the World to the Waters above to the Clouds and their Bottleings up of Waters in them and that so great wonder in Nature the invisible and so powerful Wind which carries the Clouds from place to place whereby they at length open fall down and water the thirsty Earth with Dews and Showrs they also serve to purge and purfie the Air we breathe in I may eye other sorts of Meteors or Exhalations and things appearing in the Air as those fiery and dreadful sometimes impressions making us to wonder the falling Stars flying Dragons fiery dartings of some and fixing standing brightnesses of others of several shapes To all these I may adde that Voice of God the fearful Thunder and the concomitant Coruscations and Lightnings Lightnings also sometimes alone all these are mighty and stupendious operations of the great God Higher yet I may go to another higher story that of the Starry Heaven contemplate the so innumerable Stars of several glories and wonderful motions influences with the beauteous Moon to shine by Night her changings encreasings and decreasings and hidings and that Eye of the World the most glorious Sun all so admirably meditated upon by the Psalmist Ps 8. Ps 19. Ps 104. Ps 136. I may go yet one step higher to that third Heaven the Palace of God where also Christ is in his humane Nature exalted and appearing in highest glory It is also the native place of
of meer general thinkings or that of Phansie or Speculation of our own but first laying a Scripture great and firm foundation And then after to improve those Scripture assertions by all the ability and help we can of Reason and Inferences of best Representations and Resemblances of Imagination and Invention General apprehensions and grantings of Scripture truths deceive and destroy many when they are rested in General notions of Heaven and happiness granting it there is a Heaven and no more makes many miss of it miss for want of more distinct apprehensions well grounded believing and due deep sinking of it to the bottom of the heart there to lie glowing to warm and kindle the affections to provoke into a labouring a mighty striving to win the Crown of glory The way is as wisdom in all other cases of consequence teaches to come off every day from general confused thoughts of Heaven and happiness restings on and runnings away with a supposed doing enough If we still grant there 's a Heaven and Happiness every day to endeavour distincter and clearer thoughts and knowledge Generals will not serve grantings must not be made the enough of a wise Christian he must have an extensive and enlarging clearness an encreasing firmness of Faith in the Doctrines the great points of salvation But we having this so prime an Article of faith that which hath wrapt up in it so rich a Treasure and preserves as it were that so inestimable Jewel of happiness mans last end that which is the great foundation and instigation of all a Christians strivings and hopes for he hath no hope in this life for happiness here This therefore should not be turned off nor terminated as too oft is done with a granting or bare assent but still obtain of us a fuller firmer warmer and more operative seeing and belief Now this cannot be without diligent gathering in and better still Meditating on particular Scriptures asserting and clearly manifesting this main Article and mans chief end comprised in it The Jewish Church had this typified in the Holy of Holies as Heb. 9.3.12.24 Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which were the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self This was that by the visible place faith might be stirr'd up to eye and view the invisible typified state of glory Psal 73.24 David tells us of it and was assured to be received up into glory that is into Heaven in glory Dan. 12.23 Of them that sleep in the dust some shall awake to everlasting life and shine as the brightness of the firmament and some as the stars for ever The Church of the New Testament in the writings given by Christ to it have this Doctrine of Heaven and happiness abundantly and most clearly set forth The first mentionings of it are out of the mouth of him that with the Father and Holy Spirit made it Math. 5.3 in Christs first Sermon Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven So verse 10 12. The persecuted for righteousness theirs is c. verse 20. Mention there is again of it Verse 34. and v. 45. and 48. Chap. 6. v. 1. v. 9. The first passage in the Lord's Prayer At least twelve several times in this first Sermon of Christ this Heaven is mentioned And as in the Gospels so all the new Testament over you may many scores of times find and see it lying as a most shining and glorious Diamond in the Mine or as in a rich Cabinet for to be viewed and laboured for The multitudes of places well weighed must needs hold forth to all that shut not their eyes wilfully a Local Heaven a place of happiness and glory It is no Allegorical Heaven as some have dream'd or may ignorantly imagine when it is asserted in so many clear passages which all of them in our reading or hearings should have their due weight weight of thinkings and efficacy on us for firm believing and answerable endeavours for not losing but enjoying it For the rank of places what it hath the Scripture tells us it is the third Heaven the first being that where the Clouds are the second where the glorious Lights Sun Moon and Stars are this third above them all call'd therefore the highest Heaven This third and highest Heaven is most inconceivably excellent not made of any preceeding matter much less of any elementary matter Some say it was made immediately of nothing and with it were also made concreated the Angels all at the same instant Heaven never being empty of Inhabitants The Sun Moon and Stars were made not the first day but the fourth day for Furniture of that Heaven under the highest Heaven 2. It is the largest and most capacious place as that which comprises or surrounds all the inferiour world and things in that O here here is Rechaboth room enough In this world here 's crowding pushing crushing of the Saints The wicked world would quite cast them every one out of it to be left alone and enjoy all to be let alone and have none to see and shame them any way But the Saints shall all be brought at last into a large place where none shall molest or trouble them Heaven is a Rechaboth indeed a most large place The Globe of the whole Earth and Water is as Geographers tell us at the least one and twenty thousand and six hundred miles in compass The Air above encompassing in that and especially the uppermost part of the Air must needs be far more in compass than the Earth and Water The Moon alone is very great though something less than the Earth some of the Planets are judged far greater than the Globe of the Earth The Sun by some is judged to be one hundred sixty six times greater than the whole Earths Globe which others make yet far greater which then must be some millions of miles in compass according to that account The fixed Stars which all are above the highest Planet Saturn are by the Learned every of them judged greater than all the Earth the least of them eighteen times bigger than the Earth those of the highest magnitude and the most glorious brightness an hundred and eighteen times bigger than the whole Earth Of these fixed Stars who can tell the numbers of them those which are reckon'd are but some hundreds in their Constellations How exceeding then vast must this starry Heaven be if the Planets and fixed Stars in it are so great and numerous O then how unspeakably vast and large must this third Heaven be which compasses round all the Earth Air and the starry Heavens What a Kingdom for Territories is this What a place for Christ to prepare Mansions for his in What a place for the all-glorious God and Jesus Christ to keep a Court in highest splendour and magnificence in And the Lord Jesus the Saviour that purchased this inheritance with his own blood for him to be ever viewed loved admired
Eccl. 12. Imagine then that great and terrible day of the Lord to be come thou seest the Heavens departing as a scrowl the Elements melting with fervent heat the Earth with the works therein burnt up imagine thou seest the Lord Jesus descending from Heaven with his mighty Angels coming with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God seest the dead arising the living all changed in a moment and all persons whatsoever convented and brought before Jesus Christ the Judge such a Judge as never any was in any degree to be compared with so unspeakably excellent and glorious sitting on his high Throne in highest and most transcendent majesty and glory as there cannot possibly be greater Among all that are to be judged imagine thy self there appearing at the Judgment seat to make thy personal answer and take thy Eternal doom that presently thou art call'd come thou sinner come hold up thy hand at the Bar answer for thy self that thou hearest the Judge call read the indictment read it aloud and answer thou sinner to every part of thy charge 1. First thou that standest here at this Bar to be tryed thou hast a noble faculty of reason and understanding and with it a power of thinking and meditating given into thy soul and that above all others to meditate of heavenly things thou answerest it is true Lord I cannot deny it 2. Thou also hadst my Word a perfect rule to direct thee my Ministers to perswade thee my Spirit to draw thee thine own conscience to call upon thee which also called loud often and earnestly upon thee to consider yes Lord thou answerest it is most true 3. Time also and opportunity thou hadst space sufficient allowed thee to meditate and consider if thou wouldst have done it a time of youth and time enough then also a time of it may be riper years and old age a time of many years great patience waitings on and strivings with True Lord thou answerest I had many opportunities to consider 4. But when thou should have remembred thy Creator in the days of thy youth thou didst forget him wouldst not think of him of his Word of his ways thy own state and thy souls concerns Thy first fresh years were spent in walking in the sight of thy eyes and minding vanities thou couldst find time enough to think of thy pleasures thy play sports and pastimes thy excesses filthiness loosness but not of thy God or thy souls great affairs At such a place in such a year such a month such a day of that month such an hour or suchhours of that day is it not so sinner there then thou wert thinking musing devising for such a pleasure such a sport such a vanity and such a wickedness and the following day at such a place and such an hour doing the like and so day after day thy thoughts were lavisht lost let out on impertinencies and meer vanities but purposely taken and turn'd from all religious seriousness all soul-matters Was not this thy usual way to ravel out that thy youths time in never minding thy God and the things are holy never to consider any thing to any purpose indeed What say'st thou sinner to all this charge of embezling that precious time of tender and more pliable youth Are not all particulars charged against thee true Yes Lord Jesus I was such a one as to every particular and cannot deny any thing charged 5. Ah but beyond that time thou livedst up to riper years and when the time of fond phansie and folly wore off by the ripening of reason on thy coming to mans estate then had you more reason far more to mind and meditate on the great concernments of God and your soul I then lookt for seriousness when you now could be serious and serious enough in things of lower concernment as for your calling and business for getting wealth and growing rich to be great and high and have abundance ah how couldst thou studdy muse beat thy Brains in the day and in the night appointed for rest and sleep how did thy worldly mindedness act thee thy mind running thoughts intending multiplying with all possible earnestness and eagerness Ah friend what have been the multitudes of thy musings day after day in such and such cases business bargains purchases and projects What an engrosser of thoughts hath Mammon been in thy covetous frame of heart and what a most shameful excluder of good and heavenly thoughts continually Yea I have to charge thee farther before men and Angels with thy studyings and contrivances the deepest and most intense thoughts of heart thou hast had for credit applause and honour from men like thy self for rising growing high getting power and being great in the world O how this this friend provokt and engag'd your thoughts studyings plottings all the soul-earnestness that was in thee to be accounted and applauded to be great and high but you never would be half so serious spend any such proportion of time to get Honour that comes from God and to be one the Lord commends Sinner is not all this also true canst thou deny any one part of this charge No Lord saith the Prisoner it is all very true Over and above thou hast meditated and devised and that many and divers ways for satisfying thy lusts in every way thou likedst and wert pleased in Meditated for mischief taking revenge which was none of thine but mine as now appears yea for opposing good causes persecuting the godly such as would be upright in their Generation and not be wrapt up in the wickedness of the times Ah what of all others what depths and heights of musings and devisings hath thy heart of hatred thy keenest hellish malice brooded and brought forth against my Saints these Saints that lived with thee here they are before thee see them there 's such a godly painful Minister and there 's another and there are all the rest you hated and opposed here friend are such Christians you have plotted against and persecuted so often there 's such that lived in such places about you there 's such who lived in the same Town with you here 's one that lived the very next door to you here be those who were in the same Family of your familiarity of your daily converse with and your spiteful opposition to here 's such a fellow-servant such a Brother or Sister such a Child or Parent such a Husband or Wife hated and scorned for godliness sake This this hath been thy manner sinner from thy very first to the end of thy days which have not been few all the thoughts of thy heart evil all but steps in the long walk of the vanity of thy mind Thoughts thou hast enough thy mind that meditated enough was ever acting busie enough but bad thou wouldst not meditate the right way on the best things on holy and spiritual things not in all thy time so as to convert and turn to God What
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
take away the heart what is there spoken of a more total taking away the heart in evil men is true of a gradual taking away the heart the heat and liveliness in godly men 2. Meditation on due Enquiry finds heart-coolings to arise from Christians smothering their heat with heaping up businesses and troubles upon themselves launching too far into the Seas of worldly Affairs and over-carings The thorny ground had the word choaked by cares and affairs of this life what cares and business doth to the Word it doth to the hearts warmth can thou entangle thy self in the matters of the World and thou wilt cool apace The farther a man Travels from the Sun Northward the cooler he is Turn your face from Heaven to the World go far and you come to not only cool but freeze Or as she in the Roman story that out of a design to enrich her self contracted with the Enemy to betray the Castle for that which the Souldiers had on their left arm meaning their Golden Bracelets but the Souldiers instead of their Bracelets threw their Shields on her whereby she instead of being enriched was smothered To engage in a throng is the way to be smothered The world will smother thee if thou engagest too far it will still cool thy heart-heat make thee of a warm and lively a cool dead-hearted Christian There is a Fish call'd the Torpedo if you touch it with your bare leg or hand it presently nums that Limb that toucht it Touch with thy heart upon the world it will leave it num there 's no such way to keep in thy heat as to keep out the world avoid the danger of a Crowd of businesses and cares 3. Meditation upon searching discovers the decay of heat is from decay in heart-warming Ordinances where the Sun of Righteousness shines warm upon thee whereby the Soul-heat is both preserved and encreast Abatings of heavenly heat arise from drawing away the fuel of heavenly duties or thy own remissness and negligence in them If a man shall cast away his Cloaths leave his food and decline the means of preserving heat and life he must needs grow cold if he be not quickly kill'd If a man reads not meditates not prays not hears not or is negligent and formal herein he must needs like a dying man grow cold It much depends upon the lively performance of holy duties that you keep Heart-warm or that you decay in your fervour by carelesness in the means Meditation will mind you of this and put you upon mending it in time The Angel of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. forsook or left his first Love his Heart-heat and Christ intimates he had left off his first works 2. Meditation is instrumental to spiritual vivacity and warmth applicando promovens by helping to apply the things that recover and promote heat and liveliness I will name but two things in this 1. Meditation mightily helps here by being a great instrument of searching out applying and working home the Scriptures Heart-warming considerations such as the quickning Spirit the inditer of the Scriptures that knows what things are most proper and proportionate for recovering or increasing heat what he hath left upon record to use in this case As consideration is the first mover in the soul so warm considerations are the first warmers O what a latitude and fullness hath Meditation to fetch heart-warming considerations from If the Eye looks up to the Heavens what abundance of Heavenly bodies for conveyance of light and heat it soon discovers But if the eye of Meditation looks into the Scriptures what a prospect of various rare and glorious passages is there to be found of Considerations Like abundance of richest Spirits highest Cordials and preparations of all sorts in Artists Shops and Closets O what heart-warming considerations can Meditation fetch and apply from the infinitely blessed God his infinite Excellencies Eternal Love sweetness unspeakable of the sense of his Favour and the like Ah what heart-warming considerations from Jesus Christ to behold him and view him all over in all he is in his unexpressible Glories In all he hath done whereby he hath out done all that ever was or shall be done What warming considerations in respect of the Holy Spirit the grand and mighty applyer of Redemption by his habitation and operation What in respect of the Word the Precepts Promises Threatnings and Examples in it of sundry sorts all for our help and comfort What of the Covenant of Grace so sure and sweet What in respect of our selves souls state and all the great concerns of it in salvation Meditation can never want heart-warming considerations can bring stores of Arguments of all sorts and blow upon them to make the heart kindle and flame although it was chill and dead and never so low brought Lastly this Engine of heavenly Meditation produces heart-warmth and vivacity by taking thee out of the shade and cool and leading into the Sun-shine of Heart-warming Ordinances wherein the Sun of Righteousness arises and shines warm and his quickning spirit breathes warm upon thee Rev. 2.5 As a cure of cooling and decaying Love Christ counsels the Angel of that Church of Ephesus first to repent and then to do his first works Negligence in holy Duties omission of them or remisness in them introduced a cooling of his Love therefore what was lost by not doing must be recovered by such a doing as the first was that his first works done again might be a rekindler of his first Love Disuse of Exercise abates the natural heat and vigour but returning to it will again recover it Meditation when it finds the failure and defect will provoke and engage to the just Remedy and Relief I have now dispatcht at length this second End of Meditation its being for quickning the Affections The next follows CHAP. XXIII The End of Meditation in reference to the will MEditation as it is to be a helper to warm the affections so for a means to strengthen and fix the holy purposes and resolutions of the will It is not a wavering and weak purpose or a feeble resolution will serve for a foundation for building so high as Heaven for carrying on so great and hard a work as soul-saving The Scripture mentions cleaving to the Lord with purpose of heart Acts 11.23 Holy David often in the Psalms tells us of his will his purpose of heart and his heart was fixed Psal 119. and Psal 108.1 Meditation is singularly instrumental here 1. Of fixing and deeper rooting of the grand general purpose of pleasing and glorifying God and working out our own salvation 2. It 's greatly instrumental for corroboration and for strengthening the lesser Roots of derivative purposes that spring from the grand purpose that are the particular Abettors and Helpers of the main and general forementioned purpose In every holy heart there is planted at first conversion that fundamental and noble purpose of pleasing and glorifying God in all
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
Christ that he may both be admired of Saints and Angels and magnified in the sight of all wicked men and Devils Therefore he now is to appear in the highest glory splendour and power And he being made now the visible Judge this must be most glorious in that it is the consummating work of his Mediatory Kingdom preceding immediately his delivering up his Kingdom to God the Father as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 15.24 For the method and most fruitful way of this so very necessary Meditation I conceive it may be 1. To begin with those Scriptures that most clearly and distinctly present us with the infallible certainty of this grand point 2. To then gather up the Remarkable particulars of it in Scripture as to the Nature Manner and the things that both accompany and follow it 3. How to manage it to our being best moved and stirred up by it 1. For the infallible certainty of this Judgment day let me look out those Scriptures in the Old and New Testament that speak perspicuously of it and then labour by Meditation and Prayer to sink deep into my heart to lay them so strongly to infuse as to leave a deep abiding tincture upon it To be put into a full possession and assurance of Faith in this so high soul-concernment In Jude 14. Enoch the seventh from Adam that so walked with God and that was first translated prophesied of the Lords coming to Judgment Job who is supposed by the Learned to have lived when the Israelites were in Egypt and before Moses time in his 19. Chapter 25 26 27. verses hath a most clear and full assertion of his Redeemers being the last day on the Earth and seeing him then c. Solomon Eccl. 12.16 God shall bring every thing to Judgment every secret thing good or evil Dan. 12.2 They that sleep in the dust shall arise some to shame others to life In the New Testament out of Christs the Judges own mouth Math 25.31 to the end This Doctrine is most fully with the particulars and manner of it described and in the other Gospels often So the Apostle of the Gentiles Acts 17.19 At Athens the great Vniversity of the World he tells them God had appointed a day to Judge the World in righteousness and by the man Jesus c. Rom. 2.16 In that day that God shall Judge the secrets of mens hearts So we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ c. 2 Cor. 5.10 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to all that know not God and obey not the Gospel And Revel 20.12 13. to the end I saw the dead stand before God and judged according to their works c. The varieties of places in Scripture are like many Candles lighted in one place like multitudes of Lights in the Heavens all to give light to us below that we might have clearest discoveries firmest Faith strongest instigations to yield full compliance and obedience with greatest readiness pleasure and sweetness O I must answer for having the Scriptures the varieties perspicuities convincing Reasons and perswading endeavours of the Spirit of God towards me in them and by them The more in the Scripture is done for me the more will be required of me This for the first 2. The particulars remarkable to be gathered together of this day as the nature manner c. 1. I must meditate of the Person the so great and glorious Person that shall be Judge which is God himself as the Scripture often tells us as Eccl. 12.16 Rom. 2.16 as was mentioned before God shall judge c. Though this be greatly considerable under which our Faith must be concluded and this alone well pondered may greatly awaken awe and provoke us to all fulness of regard and care yet the Word tells us farther it is God by Jesus Christ so in Acts 17.19 God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World by that man he hath appointed Hath committed all judgment to the Son It is not committed to the holiest man that ever lived nor to any mighty Angel it is too high an Honour too great a Work for any created Nature only fit for him that is God and man For by being God there 's both an Omniscient and Omnipotent an infinitely Holy Righteous Good and Merciful Judge And by being Man there 's to all mens eyes a visible Judge that the Scriptures may be fulfilled And this for the Saints surpassing joy but the wickeds greater daunting and terrour let in by the eyes both of the one and other All must be judged by a Judge their eyes shall behold 2. For the time of his coming Mat. 24.42 it cannot will not be known At what hour your Lord will come you know not 3. For the suddenness and secresie of his coming 2 Pet. 3.10 The Lord will come as a Thief in the night Math. 24.44 At an hour you think not your Lord comes 4. For the place whence he sets out and comes 1 Thes 1.16 The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven 5. It will be in power and great glory such as never was and never the like again shall be never did the Sun of Righteousness ascend to and shine in such a Meridian such a transcendent height of glory Tit. 2.3 Looking for the glorious appearing 6. For the company and retinue it 's all the whole Court of Heaven come to wait on their King of Glory All the glorified Saints and Angels leave Heaven empty to make up his Train thousand of thousands giving their attendance Jude 8. With thousands of his Saints 2 Thes 1.7 Comes with his mighty Angels Math. 25.31 Cometh and all his holy Angels with him O what an unspeakably glorious attendance this is 7. For the dreadfulness of his coming 2 Thes 1.7 Christ is revealed coming in flaming fire 2 Pet. 3 10. The Heavens shall pass away with a great noise the Elements melt with fervent heat the Earth with the works in it burnt up 8. As a preparative to the Judgment Christ descends from Heaven 1. with a shout never was there such a shout made in all the time the world stood 2. with the voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God the Voice and Trump at Mount Sinai where six hundred thousand might hear that was a glorious and most dreadful voice and sound but nothing like this Never such a voice that which will make the whole world ring and the dead rise out of their Graves and with the same bodies the same numerical bodies that lived here 3. Those that are alive shall be changed in a moment in the twinckling of an Eye on the sound of the Trump 1 Cor. 15. 4. The dead in Christ shall rise first be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air 1 Thes 4.16 17. O blessed and most joyful meeting of the Saints that were on Earth now raised changed and
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
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
not as if they were not at all oblig'd but free from any such engagement of their thoughts any employing of their serious thoughts this way O how many are there to be found that never considered what that noble eye of the understanding was given for they use it as if it were made to look only downward or any other way but upward and heavenward that lose contentedly lose the principal end of that so rare faculty made most peculiarly to mind and contemplate heavenly beauties and excellencies What was said by Duke Alva he did not use to look up to Heaven this may be said of too many yea they may say it of themselves they do not use to look up to Heaven by meditating on the things above Ah sad eye and sad frame of spirit but saddest state not to have God nor the things of God in the thoughts to have an eye made purposely for them above all but uses to look from them not towards them that fixes on the Earth that hath their eyes All and Heaven the allowance of a Nothing 2. Others mistakingly think Meditation may concern some sorts of persons but not them they have no leisure they have no Learning as others have We read of a King when a Treatise of happiness was presented unto him would not look on it but said he was not at leisure O how many are there too like him in this they are not at leisure They can find time for looking every way on every thing fond phansie carries them to but it is for others who have time and a mind to it thus to employ it in Meditation 3. Others there are who think religious seriousness and musing of things heavenly the greatest folly the worst bestowing of thoughts and time they loath all trouble of consideration this way license their thinkings to a roving ranging liberty let their thoughts fly as Children do their Arrows any way and every way but to no certain mark at all with such any way is vanity but walking in the vanity of their minds Ephes 4.17 with them no thoughts are savoury but such as are remotest from Heaven a seriousness and sixing their thoughts is a fettering to their freeness of phansie all stay of thoughts is a meer tediousness and the more spiritual the things are they are perswaded to mind the more unkind entertainment they meet with O that ever that eye which the great soul-maker bestows purposely and principally to act its seriousness and best mindings on best things should be so strangely perverted to an only minding the worst O what a wonder is it that the great Giver of this great Talent of the thinking power doth not totally take it away doth not let it quite quench in a seizing stupidity and loss of reasons use as it happens to some by sad Diseases or that the wildness and wickedness of phansie be not revenged with wildness of phrensie and striking all such willfully mindless sinners mad as sometimes some are and it may be partly on this account O let every one take heed of provoking their God in such a sort and set themselves to ponder what it is not only to forget God carelesly but to refuse to remember him purposely and designedly purposely to refuse minding those things of Heaven which like the lights of Heaven have purposely the greatest â—â—stre and glory that they may have the greatest eyâ—â—gs and lookings upon Every one therefore should learn to be concluded under this great truth under the great necessity and importancy of this Duty see it most clearly Christs blessed way for the frequent and constant walk of his thoughts to improve communion with God and perfect holiness by Lord clear up my Eye to see daily more into the excellencies of this heavenly way and have my spirit lifted up and enlarged in it O let me not faint and grow weary but have the Loins of my spirit girded with strength my goings held up in this path of pleasantness unto the end CHAP. II. A second improvement of this truth by way of conviction and for deep humbling 2. Vse LET this serve for conviction and deep humbling of every one for no better discharging this obedience to the Lord of our spirits and that thinking power of them The natural faculty for thinking was given by God chiefly for spiritual objects and for acting it self in a spiritual way as the bodily eye is given much more for beholding the light of the Sun than the light of Candles That so precious Talent of the thinking power was not lent us by our Lord to embezle and ravel out but to employ and improve for his best advantage not to be as water spilt upon the ground not to be as a spring of pure excellent water which empties it self into some near noisome ditch or is swallowed up in some Bog or Quagmire O no it was given us for excellent ends to act and be in exercise to put forth its strength and vigour upon things most excellent and high in themselves and most sweet and sutable to it 1. Therefore let every person look back and be greatly humbled for those times of childhood and youth and that excessive vanity of thoughts and evils continually evil imaginations as Scriptures charge all with Gen. 6.5 O let us learn much to be humbled for being so long under the total neglect and daily exclusion of all thought-seriousness not at all complying with but dis-relishing but refusing all reducing of the thoughts to any due mindings and ponderings of heavenly things In that forecited 6. of Genesis the Lord when he was threatning the drowning of all the Earth he saw the wickedness of man was great and then among others when he is making a review and looks back to former times the times of mens youth he casts into all the sum of sins the youths sins of thoughts the then evils of its imaginations with the aggravations reckons not the ways only and wildness of youth discovering it self to others but the evil thoughts of youth and punishes for them with other sins I say drowned the world for youth sins yea youngest times thoughts Though youth be least considerable and youths thoughts least of all considered yet the holy God puts these mites into the black bill makes the weights of thought sins to help cast the Ballance hangs these about the sinners necks to help drown them in the flood O let us then look back to them be duly humbled for them humbled for that All of the evil of imaginations humbled that there was then no consideration nothing of this so incumbent Duty this then even in youth so needful duty O what a sad time was that which did not would not meditate that could not would not spare time time from pleasures play vanities and follies time from very toys trifles poor petty despicable things yet so eagerly minding them and being so taken with them enslaved led and befooled by them Ah when the holy God
his Holy Spirit the mighty Applyer of Christs Redemption draw efficaciously the weary sinner to the soul-easing Saviour works faith to come and rests on an all-sufficient Christ The first step in this great soul-concern must be labouring to divert the eye from a total or too much viewing of sin and Gods wrath and earnestly endeavour to be duely deeply possest of the infinite mercy love riches of free favour in Christ in whom he is placable and infinitely willing to shew mercy 1. Willing in that he hath in his abounding wisdom and prudence contrived the way of Reconciliation in Christ Eph. 1. 2. Willing in infinite love and riches of grace he appointed his own only Son anointed him with all fulness of grace sending him and causing him to work and procure Redemption perfectly in all respects and then in making the most free imaginable and possible proffer and tender of Salvation in Christ A discovery and tender in the exceeding great and precious promises promises that are as so many strong yernings and loud soundings of the bowels of a God to sinners promises most firmly fixt as being all the ingrost particulars and the golden clauses of the Covenant of Grace signed and sealed with the most precious blood of Christ and therefore ordered and in all things most sure The Promises and Covenant are by most highly demonstrating that hardly to be believed and trusted to by once awakened sinners that free rich love of God in Christ by demonstration of it the intendment is sirst to found and breed faith in weary heavy laden sinners and after to build it up and perfect it Meditation should first fix upon the promises of free justification and pardon of sin and as humbling arises not from a confused general apprehension of fin or many sins but distinct particular viewings of particular evils so comfortings and coming to relief must be by singling out and pondering the promises of mercy in particular As a drowning man that scapes by a taking hold on a particular thing hand or cord But the thing the greatest and highest for breeding and founding justifying faith is first pondering the infinitely all-amazing and adored free love of God the Father Joh. 3.10 1 Joh. 3.1 1. This is that so rich Mine out of which the most precious Corner-stone Christ himself was taken 2. For principally glorifving this riches of free grace the Earth for a Stage was set up to begin the discovery and revelation of it 3. The great Assize of the great day of Judgment is chiefly appointed for higher manifestation of it 4. And the highest Heaven with the state of Glory there is purposely founded and conferred on the Saints for the highest demonstration chiefly of free saving grace not Angels glorification but redeemed Saints glorifying is for free saving graces greatest glorifying and highest exalting Dwell here till largest apprehensions and highest admirations swallow up and drown all thy fears doubts and discouragements raising thy spirit up to hope trust and consolation But this so infinitely free love of the Father must be connected with most wishly viewing and most earnest pondering the highest proof and evidence of it in that greatest possible gift Gods own Son God in our Nature Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that c. Here after all thy black and sad thoughts and disquiets is the richest strongest and surest Cordial for a fainting heart A Christ in whom all fulness of wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption dwell That out of his own infinite love became man was in the form of a servant performed the whole Law pacified the wrath of God purchased perfect and eternal life by laying down his life a ransom 1. A Christ freely offered by God the Father Isa 55. Come and buy without money 2. Freely offering himself Joh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink 3. Freely offered and to be taken as the Bride and the Spirit say Come and drink of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 This free grace must be applied by the promises of grace and pardon more especially and first Christ is not offered by God the Father and the Lord Christ offers not himself nor the Holy Spirit offers not neither draws to Christ but on the ground of the promise of forgiveness and salvation Nor can it be taken by man as a learned Divine expresses it but mediante promissione The promises particularly must be pondered duely often and often Ponder 1. The goodness of them they are good sweet indeed to a needy thirsty spirit Ponder 2. The sureness and firmness by a God that cannot lye Tit. 1. All yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. Pvnder 3. The freeness of them Nothing so free as they that come only from a God only for his own Name sake Ponder 4. The seal of them in the rare and abundant examples recorded for encouragement of sinners of all sorts received to mercy So 1 Tim. 1.16 I saith the Apostle was received for a pattern to them that hereafter should believe to eternal life The promises must be pondered prayed often over as those which are for the wounded weary and heavy laden to breed faith not only to feed it but found and feed it also to begin and to build it up Never leave pondering the promises Gods love and Christs fulness offered in them until pondering comes to hope hope to thirsting thirsting to highest prizing prizing to selling all and buying the Pearl till thou comest to renouncing thy own righteousness thou casts thy self upon God in Christ by the promise first rested on promise leading to Christ first and to God by Christ and not only Christ for justification as thy Priest that purges guilt and makes atonement but as thy Prophet and King for light and holiness for a new heart a new principle a new wisdom and power a quickning power from Union and Communion with Christ Rom. 6. by the inhabitation and operation of his Spirit by faith that hand that receives all from Christ when by faith thou art justified and sanctified and receivest by influence from Christ a living principle Now thy heart is put upon the right hinge for rightly performing holy duties praying reading hearing the Word And now thou canst meditate aright in a holy and happy manner with wisdom and some skill choice of will complacency and constancy And now Meditation will prosper in thy hand Now as Davids blessed man thy delight will be in the Law of God and in that Law thou wilt meditate day and night I have been longer herein by much then was my intendment come we to the next Directions CHAP. X. Of Directions for Meditation respecting such as are young Christians newly converted OUr next Work after Directions to those that desire to successfully practise holy Meditation having formerly neglected it is to treat of the Directions for young Christians who are but entered upon their way how best to
fast as spun by a neglect of winding up and right using Ah how sad and self-abasing reflections should this often occasion to us Ah think we sadly how long so noble a faculty as the understanding is how rare an acting the acting of its consideration is how high a concern eternity of happiness is how necessary in order to happiness conversion is and how needful consideration to conversion is And yet to lose all the right and best use of this considering power this meditating by ingaging it in impertinencies and very nothings meer shells and shadows instead of realities and things of worth true worth and excellency to be so long like the Prodigal before we came to our selves were seen sitting in our right mind entring upon Meditation for that great soul-affair Conversion CHAP. IV. For humbling those that are totally yet to begin Consideration for Conversion AH then in the next place as it was for great shame universally to all persons whatsoever for so long neglecting consideration and meditating of their souls condition and for conversion so how far more should it humble all that never as yet so meditated to that great and principal end Conversion so as Conversion followed Consideration never had the first corner stone laid of that consideration which bottoms and grounds conversion that hitherto have had all their precious thoughts scatter'd in rovings and wandrings of spirit acted and wasted upon vanities and follies things that perish that cannot profit in the day of wrath that will prove sorrow shame and anguish of spirit in the latter end Ah how many are there who for improving that great talent of the thinking power employing it for those so high ends it was peculiarly design'd to and given for for wisdom to salvation and glorifying God the giver that have daily all their thoughts either vile or vain that walk in the vanity of their minds that is in a constancy and prevalency of mind-vanity vanity exclusive of good thoughts and all right seriousness and productive of nothing but the weeds of evil and vain thinkings The way of their thoughts is a successive taking step after step in vanity one vain thought follows close treads on the heels of another for haste all the walking of that so working active busie mind is nothing but continued vanity O how sad a frame of spirit is this how sad a sign and symptom if not healed by a new frame of heart symptom of deepest danger of ruine and destruction hastening on apace Some-Diseases in that so noble part the head are most dangerous the Cure is hard the Killing quick when vanity seizes the mind when men from vain thoughts arising in them come to allowing of them and from allowing to a walking in the vanity of their minds vanity of thoughts becomes an habit and when it becomes habitual then the danger is high All habits evil habits are like old rooted Diseases hardly if ever cured O when men walk in the vanity of their minds God may be provoked to a giving them up to walk on and so be at last ruin'd utterly for want of a timely returning from it O how should this awaken such that have so this way ravel'd out their youth it may be lavisht and lost their best days of riper years yea peradventure are arrived at an old age and are old withal in this way of vanity of thoughts Old and vain is sad to purpose Ah when younger when elder yet never could allow or would find time to become serious A young head and a vain head all wildness is a sad beginning A grown man ripened in Reason but not yet beginning not so far as budding out in consideration not arrived at the wisdom of minding soul-concerns that 's worse and a sad sign But for a man to have gray hairs here and there and to be yet to begin wisdom for self in self-bethinkings never to have laid the foundation of meditating on the highest soul-affairs thereby to convert O this is dreadful sad beyond all ah to ravel out the most the best the all almost of thy time and never never to interpose one times one hours serious Meditation or never to meditate to purpose so as to convert to God truly but be still to begin to return to God contenting thy self with a just nothing done of that greatest and which should never be the last but first dispatcht business of all others Ah but what will all prove at last to all younger or elder if there be a going on without consideration without conversion young and strong and old are all liable to death yea to a death that may be on thee suddenly who can all things considered think in any wisdom he can be so secure that he needs not yet be ready for dying Ah if that black Serjeant of death claps thee suddenly on the shoulder serves an Arrest upon thee presently to come away and give up thy account in what woful case wilt thou then find thy self what terrour and confusion will instantly seize thee It will most certainly come that thou knowest but when it will come that thou canst not know ah think therefore of it before-hand make it thy case as now come and by the symptoms of it had really seized thee that thou wert now drawing on hadst but a few hours or minutes to continue in this world and then be cast upon eternity be cast upon eternity and before thou ever hast come to any consideration which issued in a real conversion and thereby to make some sure provision for thy eternal salvation Ah put this case this dying case put it soon enough and close home to thy bosom let it stay upon thy heart let Death as it were lay his cold hand on thee and conceive that thou feelest it touch thee and take fast hold of thee to carry thee instantly away and so cut thee off from ever having one opportunity the shortest space imaginable for consideration any possibility of conversion to God more that time and means must now be no longer because thou must be no longer in the land of the living O but then think O seriously think what immediately will follow after ponder thy particular doom thy souls sentencing to an everlasting state Think not only of thy souls leaving its old ruined Tabernacle but of its launching forth into that Ocean of Eternity Think what an Eternity thine Eternity must now be who wasted all thy time lent thee for Eternity and that so precious talent of opportunity trusted with thee to trade for Eternity for a most happy Eternity and making that sure 1 Tim. 6. 2 Pet. 1. And to affect thee more abundantly and work upon thy spirit to purpose think O think of besides thy own particular day of that great day fixt appointed by the great Governour of all the world for judging of every person every work of every person the secrets of that persons heart yea every secret thing good or evil