here have the keenest edge of seriousness be elevated the highest made the firmest and the most extensive Let them take in universally whatsoever may most instigate to and quicken in this high operation proportionate it to this working out salvation the so great Gospel Salvation Thus did the prodigal who represents the Returning sinner when sensible first of his unspeakable misery and thence apprehensive of the great obtainable Felicity the so glorious Gospel salvation never did he so act any thinking made such warm work of it as now In like manner the Jaylor Acts 16. having such a dreadful awakening from sense of a lost condition O what a pondering of Salvation was that from a heart so warm'd and edg'd when Extremity of Misery hath the deepest sense Meditation of Salvation and Recovery hath the highest seriousness What can have such a thinking as when one thinks for life and that eternal Let Meditation take in 1. Those Considerations that are most awakening that unspeakable misery comes upon us by sins so innumerable As contracting on the person such horrid guilt and conveying into the heart such hellish filth Every sin with the aggravations contracting a debt to Divine Justice and that entered into God debt Book which we never can pay or get paiâ— without a surety but must bring destruction in Eternal fire 3. Then weigh the great uncertainty of life and how certain death casts every one upon an Eternal state unavoidably upon inconceivable Eternity 4. Then must be weighed the Mighty Enemies and multitudes of hinderances lying in the way of escaping 2. Next come the Considerations that are the most highly encouraging to strive to enter in at the strait Gate such as the Scriptures fullness supplies O how great and prevalent are those in the Gospel to wise and warm us to strengthen and heighten Meditation As Eternal life which in the believing heart is already begun with sure promise of carrying it on to perfection by our yet co-working with the holy Spirit of Christ working in all his which we must do continually Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation c. What may I say of conjunction with God by union with Christ by Faith of Communion with Christ in justification and pardon of sin a most glorious righteousness reconciliation adoption with a sure title to Heaven and the glorious graces of Christ his image holiness wisdom life power peace passing understanding joy unspeakable with establishment growth in grace victory over all Enemies Ah what wishly lookings should we exercise daily at this so great salvation and the transcendencies and perfections of it and at last such an outlet of all evils such an inlet of all good such a Crown of Glory with all the inconceivable Excellencies of it and the perfect fruition and vision of God for ever I have been longer on this than was my purpose yet shall crave leave for one thing more and that which is after all momentous cousiderations besides the greatest of strongest influence and efficacy that is the vastness inconceivable vastness of Eternity Not Eternity meerly in the abstract only considered in it self but in reference to misery or felicity I say to all other inducements adde Eternity hang on this great weight of Eternity of Misery and Felicity Endeavour with thy utmost Art and Industry by all resemblances to have che liveliest and most operative representations of it Breathe thy soul often by healthful exercise here breathe thy soul frequently up this Hill of Eternity whatsoever thou meditatest on let still this be one Object entertained in thy serious thoughts this vast Eternity Let this have its due time 2. Holy Meditation hath besides the former several other excellent ends to be aimed at and improved to As Artificers do with their Gold beat it out sometimes to its utmost ductility and extensiveness Improve this Gold of precious heavenly Objects beat them out to the utmost by this Hammer this art of Divine Meditation The Art of Medtiation will like Solomons Temple overlaid with Gold overlay thy heart with Christs pure Gold and make it rich and glorious Ah therefore Christian act up thy Meditation to these precious ends and chiefly lay a mighty stress upon that so momentous thing Eternity of Son Misery or Felicity So I have at last dispatcht these first things CHAP. XX. Of the partieular Ends of Meditation in respect of our selves THere be various Ends of Meditation respecting our selves I shall mention among others these seven particular Ends relating to our own spiritual advantage 1. For a principal improver of saving Knowledge 2. For to make our Knowledge Clear and Distinct 3. To found a Rich Treasury of Truths and make them sure 4. And to be an introducer of habitual wisdom an acquired habit of wisdom to the first given wisdom in heart renovation 5. For a Kindler of Heavenly Fire and Flame in the heart 6. For a Mighty Corroborater of holy purpose 7. To be a constant quickner of the Christian course 1. Meditation is for a Principal Improver of saving and heavenly Knowledge To set as it were more Lights on the Golden Table in the Temple of the holy heart to repleuish the Golden Candlestick with more and better Lights and glorious burning Lamps to yield clearer light in the dark heart Psal 119.97 98 99. I am wiser than my Enemies for thy Commandments are ever with me that 's in Meditation continually as v. 97. Thy Law it is my Meditation continually or all the day v. 99. I have more understanding than all my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my Meditation and v. 100. I understand more than the Ancients c. Here 's an assertion in a kind of gradation of the successfulness of his holy Meditation namely understanding wisdom and excelling in them Wiser than his Enemies yea than his Teachers yea than the Ancients that have had longest time largest opportunities for greatest Knowledge and highest wisdom Meditation is the ground inlet and improver of Knowledge It is not the great and much reading makes the Scholar but the studying and pondering that is read It is not the reading much that makes the knowing Christian but the meditating on what is read Reading without Meditation is like swallowing much meat without due chewing that makes a lean man so this makes a lean mind Many read and hear Much but understand little because they bring themselves so little under this Ordinance of Meditation If thou wouldest be right excellent in Knowledge be rich in it and of a higher stature in wisdom than others as David was strive to write after his rare Copy in abundant Meditating 2. Meditation is to make Knowledge clear and distinct The Apostle Phil. 1.9 mentions love its abounding in Knowledge and Judgment and in other places we have mention of discerning and judging As to matter of Learning in Arts and Sciences they have the most clear and distinct heads have their Notions most methodical distinct and most mellow who
this Building the better to bear it up These should be as so many great Arteries branching forth from the Heart to convey vital spirits into the body of this heavenly Duty of Meditation and keep it alive and warm and improvingly active CHAP. VI. Of the proper Objects of Divine Meditation FRom things of a remoter relation to the subject in hand I pass to such as are the nearer the more intrinsical and peculiar And here comes first to be handled the Matter or the Object of this Meditation When the wise King Solomon was to build the Temple first he is providing the rich and precious Materials then he proceeds to the framing and fitting of them and then to erecting and finishing that glorious Structure That which next is to be done is first to look out the Materials of our work and then the framing and finishing up is to follow The Materials or objective parts are far more rich and precious than those of Solomon's Temple They are as our Description of Meditation holds them forth either 1. Such as are more properly and purely spiritual and heavenly in their own Nature 2. Or things considered in a Spiritual way and to a Spiritual end and use It is not the Consideration of things as to their Entity or Being that is Metaphysical Metaphysicks treat of Entities of the meer Beings of things Of the first Being namely God and of secondary Beings derived from God the first Being It is not the Consideration of things as Rational the Rational respects things have one to another this is Logical Logick that considers respects of things as Causes Effects Subjects Adjuncts and the like It is not the Consideration of things in their particular Natures and Natural properties This Natural Philosophy Contemplates It is not the Consideration of things Civil Moral or Political these Moralists and States-men are exercised about Neither is it the consideration of particular Crafts and Trades this is Mechanical and but a work prudential and Humane not Divine But this Meditation hath Objects of a far higher Sphere and Rank things of a Divine and Theological Consideration Nay nor yet is it the meer Study of things Theological and Divine A man may be a Student in Divinity beat and busie his Brains about the high points and Mysteries in it may read and muse on Matters Divine and yet not be a Meditator such as we speak of not act Divine Meditation A man may act upon things as Notions and as matters of Knowledge or to make up an Universal knowing person he may act Contemplation for Curiosity for such an use as the Heathen man Aristotle made of reading Moses his first Chapter of Genesis whereof he passed his undue and heathenish censure that Moses affirms all but proves nothing he read first and then pondered and then censured But he acted not Meditation not that we speak of It was not a consideration of spiritual things as spiritual and for spiritual ends but only as wise man acts his thoughts upon things as New for New notions and improving Knowledge Many thus consider things Scriptural and Divine study them as we call it study Books of Divinity study things in the Scripture but they act not the Duty of Meditation They act upon things as Matters Intellectual and Rational not as Heavenly and Spiritual Act for Notion and Speculation and not for Holiness Act Curiosity not Christianity The right Meditater far transcends any meer Student he acts a more Noble part hath a more Noble and sublime manner of Operation Aristotles studying Moses Writings and David's Meditating in the Law of God how far do they differ So a Heathen's or a Mahometan's or a Jew 's or any such persons studying matters in the Bible differs greatly from Meditating in it Nay many Protestants are great Students in Divinity that never Meditated they dwell upon the study of it but touch not with the least of their fingers the hard work of holy Meditation But to return to our matter in hand and to speak to this subject of Meditation Formerly it was said that Spiritual things or things in a Spiritual and Heavenly manner considered are the proper and adequate Object of this Meditation And bere O how large and fair a prospect hath the Spiritual Eye to Expatiate and Recreate it self in The Infinitely Glorious and All-sufficient God the Father Son and Holy Spirit as the Scripture reveals The vast world the frame of Heaven above and Earth below with all the so innumerable things contained in them Their sundry Natures Properties and Vses with the so beauteous and various Excellencies of them The mighty Sustentations and Preservations of all things Created as to their Beings their Faculties and their Acts. The most wise righteous and holy Governing of them with a most steady and never erring hand unto their particular ends and with a most certain winding them all up ultimately in the Supream scope of the great Creator and Governour Then that peculiar Government of the rational Creatures Angels and Men The unspeakably sad full of some Angels and all Mankind The Recovery of some men and their Eternal Salvation by Christ the Redeemer God in our Nature Here here is matter of Meditation The great mystery of Godliness as 1 Tim. 3.16 And particularly the four last things as they are called namely Death Judgment Heaven and Hell Besides there is for Meditation the whole Book of boly Scriptures now compleat in the New Testament-times with the Ordinances of Christ and the Covenant of Grace And lastly the Meditation of that so great concern our own particular Estates how matters stand with us and are like to be with us to all Eternity which Eternity challenges and imposes on every person the greatest both intensions and frequencies of thoughts But though this be so great yet again what is there in all the vast circumference of the whole world I say what is there although never so small but by a wise and holy heart may be an Object improvable to an excellent use and end As the Art of Chymistry can extract rare and efficacious Remedies out of Dungs Putrefactions and Poysons That Soul must be a pitiful vain and barren piece that wants matter and mind to move and act fruitfully in so large a sphere and compass as Meditation hath It affords the whole latitude of all things properly spiritual And it comprises likewise all other things which in some respect or other wisdom can improve by this rare Art No Artist in any way of Operation with all his rare Instruments and efficacious Engines can operate more eminently than an Artist in this holy kind may do Of this the Scriptures give plentiful proof in the many Precedents left us in it for imitation So we see it in holy David in many of his Psalms besides them of the Word of God his greatest Subject of Meditation in those made of God's great works yea the works of his common Providence and Guidance as the
in his own Example Psal 119.97 O how love I thy Law it is my Meditation all the day there 's the practice of the first time the day and a full Example and Practice All the day And Psal 119.148 Mine Eyes prevent the Night-Watches to meditate in thy Word there 's the practice of the other time mentioned in the Character in Psal 1.2 Not a Watch set in the Night but he had his Meditation O most admirable frame of spirit A King and a daily Meditator and a night Meditator also It was not Family Business nor State Affairs not Wars Urgencies and Difficulties that so could crowd in and impose upon his thoughts but he would have his spiritual retreats his soul repasts in Meditation mount up to Heaven by it Trace we him with the Eye of duest Observation over the Book of Psalms the Psalms which are the choice and rare Records of his Exemplary this way actings we find most excellent Patterns of all sorts as for this holy Exercise Singular Meditations sometimes of the great Works of God as Psal 8. and Psal 19. and Psal 104. c. wherein the Fire kindles and flies up in the highest strains His heart like the most rare and exquisite Engine and Instrument produces-such raised and sublimated things that transcend sometimes all the strains of Rhetorick and Poetry in the world as some very learned men observe Sometime his Meditations and there they ply more as of nearer concernment are on the Word of God as Psal 19. and Psal 119. c. and what passages and praises hath he most high and sweet and savoury that what can be fuller and high for the nature and properties of it Sometimes the most blessed God himself is the high subject of his Meditating and what transcendencies of thoughts what Raptures and Ravishments what Instances of highest Soul transportings hath he this way recorded for us purposely to put us upon pursuit of the like Glimpses and Tastes by suitable first breathings and pantings after sweetest communion with him It is evident he was a grand Master in this Art of Meditation by the so exquisite pieces drawn to the life and reserved for use and imitation in the Book of Psalms 3. The third Pattern is that of the so wise Solomon in Ecclesiastes who gave his heart as he saith to seek and search and to know wisdom Eccl. 1.13 and v. 17. ch 2.12 Davids strain of Meditation proceeds principally on matters in themselves spiritual as God his Word and Ways and sometimes on the Works of God Solomons more upon things natural and the ways and works of men Eccl. 1.13 14. but to demonstrate the insufficiency of all things in the world and all the works of men to make up true happiness without the true fear of God and keeping his Commandments Eccl. 12.13 This is the sum and scope chiefly of that his Book that Book of most deep and great Considerations and excellently useful Meditations for all to obtain wisdom by It is of all the choicest piece of Scripture in this kind it sets us an accurate Copy of regular and fruitful Contemplation and Meditation of all things under the Sun which we should strive to imitate and write after Chap. 1.14 It is left us thereby to learn from him the so great Experimenter and Tryer the wisest and most exquisite weigher of all things and the Finder of their extream insufficiency and vanity To teach every person by this his so eminent and exemplary acting his successful searching to do in the like manner To infuse his spirit and lay it asteep strongly and deeply in this Meditation of Creature vanity and the vanity of all mens labours under the Sun Yea to sink this down to the bottom of the soul there to fix and root it self thence as by a most potent and predominant principle to work and act up to more weanedness from things of the world and to more wariness of our being ensnared by them The fourth rare Instance is of the female Sex That of the Blessed Virgin Mary Luke 2.19 But Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart This is the remarkable and special Example of Meditation mentioned that I know of in the New Testament We have none so punctual and plain which I can remember as this Some signal honour is hereby intended to this so Blessed Virgin to be so noted more than others in the Gospel Records and thereby held forth as a pattern and provocation to all after Ages The Scriptures silence as to other Saints practice in this Duty is not a Negative or an Exclusive of their doing it Because it is not said of every one they Pondered or Meditated we must not thence infer they did it not David in the first Psalm and second Verse saith the Blessed man meditates in the Law of God day and night He therefore makes it a necessary Duty and certain Character of every godly person in some sincere measure and constancy performing of it As the people of God are all taught wisdom to salvation so this peculiar wisdom this way of Meditation of the great concerns of Gods Kingdom and their most precious immortal Souls to give things of the highest importance their due and down weight their due and down weight in the Ballance of a holy Meditation CHAP. II. Of the Nature and Description of this solemn Meditation MEditation according to the usual Notion and Acceptation is taken for any serious or earnest thinking of any matter whatsoever for what end soever whether it be good or evil So Meditating is used in the Scripture not only in a good sense but in an evil sense So Psal But ordinarily it is taken in a good sense for a holy Mind Exercise or acting the thoughts in any seriousness upon any matter in a spiritual manner There is a double kind of Meditation 1. That which is more set and solemn when a man is serious in thinking of any thing for some spiritual end and so as to allow some due space of time for a right performance of it 2. There is that which is called Meditation of Ejaculation which though serious yet is more short and quick and sudden wherein the soul darts up to Heaven and makes a short visit thither I shall begin with the first that which more commonly is called Meditation The other shall follow in its due place Therefore having mentioned some Scripture Instances or Examples of Meditation as to the practice of it I shall come to handle the Nature and Description of the set and more solemn Meditation Here first I will endeavour to present you with the true Picture and Description of Meditation in some Scripture lineaments and proportions and afterward the Explication and peculiar handling of them I shall give you the Description in this manner It is that Ordinance of Christ and Obedience or Duty of a Christian whereby he acts his spirit into a right pondering of either heavenly and spiritual
muse most contrary those are the weak and easie Scholars that muse least Divers Christians have their heads full of raw confused things a company of broken ends Notions of small use to themselves or others for want of due digestion in Meditation Gold Oar without refining and sound hammering is of little use want of Refining keeps the Metal base want of Hammering makes it brittle it will not be burnisht up to a full and perfect brightness it will not obtain a just firmness You cannot have so rich Plate or Vtensils no Vessels of it for your special use The minds of too many Christians lye strewed over with precious truths but neither clear or distinct They are like Houses or Closets where the rich things Furnitures and Rarities lie covered over with dust or want brightening or are so dissevered lie so scattered and out of place that scarce any thing is for any present use So there may be multitudes of Notions and Truths in the mind but are obscure and confused a dust covers them a Curtain is drawn too far over them they are of little use because Meditation is little used Meditation is that and must be that which methodizes them that sets them in order Meditation brightens them and helps for to make them clear helps them to a lustre Clearness and distinctness will not be had without giving down-weight in due Meditation And without a clear and distinct apprehension of things they are of little light to thee Christian of less influence as to others instigation and incouragement A Scholar that hath his Notions raw and obscure can make at the best but a Bungler An Artificer any Tradesman that hath not his Art but imperfectly will make of it but a mean way to live and subsist he that understands his way in Religion will prove the wise warm and fruitful Christian 3. Meditation is to be a chief help to the Repository and Treasury of Truths to lay and lock up store of precious and useful Truths more sure to fix the lights of truth firm make them stand fast in the mind Serious Meditation is a great advantage to memory the Souls Treasury that lays up precious Truths in the close conveyances of the understanding and locks the Doors fast Such as Meditate most will have the surest memory for things heavenly Holy David to lay up and hide the Word in his heart as Psal 119.11 did it as by other so by the way of Meditation As in the 15. Verse by Meditation and v. 97. Continually As Truths came to him so made he them sure by Meditating his Treasury and Stock grew richer and were kept the safer As in Scholars not the multitude of Books or great Reading will make a Treasury of precious Notions and make them sure for use but the due afforded allowance to the clearing and fixing of them by Meditation Christians that Meditate will be rich in knowledge and keep it sure CHAP. XXI Of the next particular the fourth end to produce habitual wisdom THE next particular end of Meditation is to produce an habitual wisdom in the Mind of a Christian To be a moulder and former of the spirit into habitual wisdom to superinduce upon the first Fundamental that infused wisdom given in renovation and heart-change I say to the first saving wisdom to superadde and introduce an habitual wisdom acquired as they call it such a wisdom as makes a Christian more knowingly and wisely skillful and ready for his way and work to be beyond a meer Learner to prove an Artist for working out his own salvation There is an infused knowledge and an infused wisdom a wisdom stampt upon and given into the Mind in its first renovation and conversion for then a man ceases from being a stark fool for salvation as the Scripture makes all in the state of Nature Prov. 1.22 c. but by conversion and change of heart and by union with Christ first and then communion with him as the wisdom of his members by this they become wise by an infused wisdom whereby they are wise indeed wise to salvation wise whereby the right and chief end and happiness is discerned and the right way and means to that end is discovered and both thereupon designed and intended But this is but a lower measure at first a Seed a grain of Mustard-seed as the Lord compares the state of Grace begun in the heart Mat. 13.32 But beside the former infused wisdom there is requisite an acquired wisdom a superaddition to the other This is a noble help and an improver of the first that as to the Eye of Reason and natural wisdom Learning and Experience and Exercise brings in an Habitual wisdom enlarging the Natural As it is with a Scholar or an Apprentice to a Trade First his Tutor or Master infuses principles for the wisdom or skill of his Profession or Trade whereby he can a little begin to act or work make tryal though but in an imperfect manner but then by minding and musing of his instructions and by exercise he comes at length to an acquired habit to act and work knowingly and with facility because he hath a new wisdom to understand his way But without minding and musing he would never have had the way the Art or Trade intended Meditation beside others is a singular help to Habitual wisdom to attain the Art and Trade of Christianity Prov. 14.8 It is the wisdom of the wise to understand his way And Eph. 5.17 Be not fools but wise understand the will of the Lord. Though they were excellent Christians by the large measure of wisdom they at their first conversion received yet he calls upon them to seek for more to improve the wisdom infused to farther wisdom to a spirit of wisdom to an acquired habitual wisdom to be Artists in their way and excel in it Nothing doth so mould the mind into habitual wisdom as Meditation nothing so improves and enlarges spiritual understanding makes to understand our way and rule of walking as Meditation as serious and repeated thinkings In natural or any Civil Affairs wisdom in and about them is not obtained by bare thinkings slight short and transient thoughts or by seldom and now and then in a fit to think and away but by serious thoughts weighings and ponderings yea by frequencies and constancies of thoughts and mindings This way of thinking makes a man wise in his way Trade or in any business emergent It s impossible to be wise with this acquired habit of wisdom without taking time making a stand an abode of thoughts and those serious also If we are hasty short give not due allowance of Time and down weight of thoughts serious thoughts we will not come up to habitual wisdom nor likewise we shall not act as wise Christians are required to do if habitual wisdom be wanting No man can act wisely or in height or eminency of wisdom except he act by a perfect principle as the Angels and Saints in
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
of men when God pleases to permit him as we have it most evidently in the 1. 2. of Job yet he hath not such power to work upon the souls of men as to destroy them or to disturb them or to discern and discover their hearts their thinkings affectings aimings or any actings of the reasonable soul Neither can he hurt the soul either to destroy it or to defile it or to force it to think or affect or purpose He can force no man to sin in the least commission of evil or omission of good He cannot perswade terrifie or trouble without first our giving leave and giving way He gets ground by our first giving ground he leads when we let him fasten his chain and draws when we suffer our selves to be drawn Jam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and is enticed Satan casts forth the bait but we first catch it before he catcheth us he cannot make us take in the bait no more than the Fisher can force the fish to bite and swallow his bait he tenders only and the fish takes it of its own accord Satan can throw his dart but it cannot enter unless we will if we will yield and not encounter with our arms but walk unweaponed and not fight 3. Though Satan hath the greatest gall deepest and most highly improved hatred of an irreversible edge boiled up to the highest Hell-dyed implacableness yet this Serpent is not so formidable as the infinite love of God to thee is comfortable What can his malice weigh against the goodness of thy God that endureth continually 4. Though Satan be unweariedly busie and sedulous yet he is not cannot be so industrious careful wakeful working for thee and disposing all things for thy greatest good Rom. 8.28 as thy God is He never can out-do thy God his doings against thee cannot out-do thy Gods doings for thee No not in any heat or height of any temptation When he tempts thee buffets thee haunts thee he must not be lookt upon as one at full liberty to do what he lists He is not the Ruler of all things governs not the world by himself alone But he is under thy God then when he tempts thee yea thy God governs the very temptation Satan can cast out no more of his serpentine venom than thy God permits He casts not out one drop or the least quantity without thy Gods first giving way 5. As thy God governs by still giving Satan leave and limiting him when he tempts as he limited him in Jobs case so his letting Satan tempt is not for him to have his will but that thy God may have his own holy will both to teach thee and better thee much to support encourage and yet humble much thy spirit that thy God sees is needful for thee Though temptations are like fire to melt the metal yet not to mar but mend it to purge it cast it into a new mould that it may be polisht and brightned and so fitted more for thy Gods praise Though the best Physicians sometimes use severe and sharp remedies yet the trouble pain sickness caused by Evacuations Corrosives Causticks Cuttings and such like are not intended for themselves but for recovery soundness strength and the good of the Patient though at present he may not so like or believe it So is it in thy Gods suffering thee to be tempted sorely and long buffeted and this must be considered and believed Thy Gods suffering thee to be tryed is only for gracious ends which after the temptation is well over will clearly be seen and thankfully acknowledged Ah! thou wilt say I could not have been without this temptation or these tryel in this nature manner me sure so sharp so long so many Never had my experiences been so rich my Faith and trust love and cleaving hope and waiting humility patience courage contentedness and other graces so appeared so improved acted so high to the praises of God and reflected and brought in such peace and joy to my own bosom Ah! how out of this evil God hath wrought my good Out of this roaring Lyon this eater brought meat out of the strong sweetness as Samson of the honey found in the Lyon he vanquisht Judg. 14.8 6. Though Satan be such an enemy and his molestations so great yet Meditation must gather up the reliefs and encouragements the Scripture supplies thee with All discouragement arises much from a single or too much pondering and poring on a present evil without a due looking to the means of relief escaping or enduring Therefore Meditation here must 〈◊〉 Eye God as well as Satan his love faithfulness pity power and all things making for comfort 2. The purchase of Christ buying victory by his blood 3. The presence and help of his Spirit against the evil Spirit and the defence he will be sure to make of his own house and Temple and the things of it to save it from harm 7. Lastly thy Meditation must look up and labour to write after the copies of the Saints that have couragiously combated and gloriously conquered especially upon thy Captain General who overcame not by his meer infinite power but by means at hand and ready always in thy power By the Scripture I have singled out a few things on this occasion whole books some less some very great have been written very learnedly and experimentally of the Doctrine of Temptations wherein large direction and help may be had for such as are tempted but I have rather exceeded already and therefore will add no more in this particular CHAP. XV. Some Directions as to occasional and set Meditation SOme Directions might be next inserted concerning that Meditation used on special occasions and which is more therefore solemn and at larger leisure As in the Law besides the daily Sacrifices there were particular solemn times where the work was much more more Sacrifices offered more Rites observed and time spent in those Services was more This Meditation must be performed according to the nature and scope and such Rules as best godly wisdom can suggest for it 1. As choice of the fittest season and opportunity doing it when we are freest from avocations and fittest as to frame temper and strength of body when we are liveliest and freshest and not sunk tyred dispirited that the good and lively present temper of body may the better help and assist the soul and the soul thereby more orderly and vigorously more intensly and deliberately act 2. Chusing the fittest place is a prudence and great advantage for avoiding disturbance and interruptions and to have the golden thread of Meditation run smoothly on without breaking from any diversions We must in faithfulness to our own spiritual interest wisely watch and strongly resolve to put by every thing that may divert or disquiet us in our now intended Meditation A darksom place or that is purposely made something dark for avoiding distractions from the eye and