1. Let me first begin with the meritorious cause of it That which Heathens knew not Nature saw not Philosophy and Learning could not find out nor reach only holy Scripture tells me and shews it to be that most black inlet sin Rom. 5.12 Death entred into the world by sin and v. 17. By one mans offence death reigned not only entred but reigned hath mastered and will master all sinners Sin that greatest evil in the world sin the only contrariety to the living God that gave life to man at first and ever since sin that only injury to the blessed God bred and brought death the greatest misery to man here sin that provoked God to pass the sentence sin occasioning the vindictive cause the Justice of God to let in death death with the consequences of it that would follow without a Mediator that Adam knew not of Death so considered is the way of the very deepest revenge a God can take But then this black part of it bodily death without that blacker Train of Hell and Eternity in it is that which must challenge a very great proportion of ponderings 2. Let me look at not only the rise of it and the bare wrath occasioning the inflicting it but that so fixt and irreversible sentence that like the Law of the Medes and Persians cannot be broken Heb. 9.27 It 's appointed for all the universality of sin hath given death an universal sting and the Statute of Heaven hath impowered Death's Extensiveness over all and set a seal of irrevocableness to it as to all men Therefore it is appointed I must think particularly for me whatever I am or do or can in utmost possibility do I must not once think of making an escape from it Yea let me consider as I must die so the very Year Moneth Day Hour and Moment is immutably fixt and can never be altered Job 14.5 the place also where the means whereby the manner how all circumstances about it are unchangeably determined 3. But how material is that particular of the uncertainty of the time and manner to me that 's a reservation and secret kept in the Lord 's own breast not possibly to be exactly known before without it be revealed as Christ of the Great Day of Judgment saith Mat. 24.36 Of that day and hour knoweth no man And Verse 42. Ye know not what hour your Lord will come And 44. In such an hour you think not your Lord comes so the two latter may be applyed to this of death when he calls for an accompt of our Stewardships and Talents and passes particular and personal Judgment 3. Let me pass next to the Meditation serious pondering of the nature of it and that great dreadfulness of that most terrible of terribles that King of terrours Job 18.14 Here that I may duly look on it let me look up for a God to teach me as to number my days Ps 90. so to be wise to consider my latter end to do that hard work overcome that difficulty of looking Death-watd Nature abhors the thinking of it Corruption all it can opposes it but Grace must bring and fix earnestly and often the Eye upon it familiarize death to me let me then Eye my dissolution the parting of the two nearest dearest friends the Soul 's taking its sad farewel of its former dwelling it s going going in an instant out of the Body and then that which Death doth as an Enemy to all former Life concerns and as an entrance upon an Eternal Condition 1. As an Enemy to all enjoyments how sweet soever Pleasures all now quenched Honours now all dasht Riches and Estate now all lost Power now utterly ceast 2. An Enemy to all Relations Friends Acquaintance now must I shake hands with all nearest and dearest the sweetest and most helpful Relations 3. An Enemy to all Imployments necessary or pleasurable no Work no Business no Invention after it 4. An Enemy to all Opportunities and Means of Grace never to read the Bible more never to hear one Sermon more never to receive the Lords Supper more never to make one Prayer the shortest of one of the fewest words more and then also when thou art just launching into the length of vast Eternity But now must be Prayerless and totally helpless yea now thy Souls condition becomes becalmed and thou canst not obtain one gale of the Holy Spirit to blow upon thee and help move thee in any measure 5. It s an Enemy quickly to the curious frame and so exquisite building of thy body with all its parts and members made with such adaptations and sutableness whatever with all the Tempers Qualities Offices Abilities and Actings of it An Enemy likewise to all the senses seeing hearing the two disciplinary with feeling tasting smelling the so likewise necessary 6. It is an Enemy and Destroyer of all comliness and beauty form and shape And all these former by being the Enemy and Destroyer of that thy so sweet and precious life by making that Jewel drop out of the Cabinet of the Body or rather driving forth thy immortal and invaluable soul bringing with it a Writ of forcible entrance coming with an Execution to turn out that old inhabitant of the body securing it from regaining possession making it stand empty and thence exposing the body to rot ruine turn to dust and expose it to Oblivion as if it had never been But then upon thy Souls thus leaving thy Body immediately and instantly it is cast upon a state of Eternity of Misery if thou wert not in Christ or felicity if found and dying in him When Life ends Eternity begins O this all amazing Eternity this so vast and inconceivable Eternity no way to be exprest or set forth no way to be understood or known a Glass that is ever running a Chain that is ever lengthening who can number the Sands of this Glass who can reckon the links of this Chain of Eternity without stop or period bound or end O let me be ever musing of this Ever have it so full in my Eye while I have time this moment of time here that it may wind up and leave me in possession of most happy Eternity But to affect my spirit aright and be wise in the due managing of this Meditation of dreadful Death let me look to and ponder the Scripture Commands for remembring and considering my latter end and the Arguments strongly inducing to it How frequently and earnestly is it urged upon all O let me lay the weight and stress of them close to my heart not suffering it to put by the thoughts of death how awk and averse soever my carnal spirit is towards it Let me therefore not only muse on the sentence the peremptory and irrevocable sentence passed upon all in general and so upon my self in particular but on it as ready to be executed this hour yea this moment for ought I or any in the world can tell Ah let me say to my self the
Warrant for my death at this very instant may be sealing and immediately in a moment put in Execution Ah therefore should I not still daily represent and realize to my heart my own particular coming Death represent it by those frequent Examples the hand of Death brings and sets full before my face to force my Observation The deaths of both strangers to me and familiars with me of near Neighbours dear Friends sweetest Relations bereaving me it may be of the Father that begat me the Mother that bare me the Children of my bowels the Wife of my bosom or the Husband that was my guide and stay or some other very comfortable Relation and so the comfort of any such Relation ceases All Relations are broken by this Bond-breaker this Tie-dissolver Death When I see these thus called away and must be my Relations no more should not I hear my self call'd upon to come away shortly it may be after them O but with these near warnings without me let me take those nearer warnings upon me and within me inevitably still seizing me Let me take those many successive summons given for my own personal change Ah how many are those joggings the hand of Death daily gives me for my awakening into that serious pondering of that death I either seldom or slightly mind How many strokes may I observe Death daily gives at the Root of the Tree making as it were the Chips flye in my face making me smart by Pains Aches Weakness Craziness Failings and Fallings of the spirits and strength and increase of Infirmities by all declaring he is making at me And how many pieces of my house of Clay may I see crumbling and mouldring away now one and then another After the morning of my Age my Sun soon gets up higher soon it is noon afternoon and night with me How soon is the Sun at the height with any in the bright and warm beams of bodily beauty and strength but how impossible is it for to say effectually to it Sun stand thou still and go not down for the least moment How soon appear one way or other the tendencies to death in and upon us Decay in Beauty and Comliness Sometimes yea ordinarily when we are in the Flower presently the Beauty and Comliness begins to blast The best and fairest Face as to the pure White and Red soon either becomes paler or higher coloured after grows darker and deader still one way or other worse As to the feature and curious shape of Face and whole Body soon that likewise changes either by a contraction in leanness and thinness or by an extension in corpulency and grossness Both the curious and rare Colours and Features change warning us of tendency to the last great coming change Or sometimes an intimation is given by the Grinders of our food whereby we live by the decayings still of the Teeth the Teeth which are absolutely the hardest and strongest things about us these so soon decaying as it is in most plainly it demonstrates that the softer and weaker things in and about us and so the whole frame will go at last By this the soon decaying of the bardest pieces Death seems to set his black mark on us we have his mark in the mouth and by their decayings and rottings we touch as it were these his warnings continually with our Tongues thence to mind us of what change is coming For when the Teeth fail the Grinders and Meat Preparers made to fit meat for the stomach this causes the stomach to act less perfectly and on its failing in degree all the dependencies must needs fail in their Offices But if these-Deaths Marks begin not so in some yet how do we find generally some other marks of decay set upon us If Death come not early yet how soon upon most doth he set his mark most observably on the very top of our Houses of Clay bringing forth gray Hairs on the highest part the Head and turning them whiter every day Making the Almond Tree to flourish as Solomon elegantly in Eccl. 12. And in how many Elegancies doth there the Wise man discover and represent rarely the decays of the Body in old age all as demonstrations of Deaths being continually busie about us both to prepare and reduce us to his possession What varieties of warnings are given us in the impairings of this or that Member or of several parts of the Body by sometimes Sores Imposthumes Fistulas Gangrens and parts corrupting shewing a coming dissolution How many mortal Diseases besides others shaking the Houses of our frail Bodies I say incurable Diseases whereby we are told that Death hath us now fast in his hand If not so yet what warnings otherwise are given in the senses beginning to fail as our Sight growing dimmer Hearing duller and in the rest And as in the parts more common so in the noble and principal parts in the Liver Heart Head and others these not performing so perfectly their Offices whence the spirits strength and motion are impaired the Flesh wastes the Skin wrinkles Memory and Vnderstanding likewise decay and appearances of death come all the Body over what are all the forementioned and concurrent decays but a being Death-smitten a coming out full of the Tokens of Death What are all these successions of decays but so many added links of that great Chain Death holds in his hand and draws us to him by All Messengers that have the sound of their Masters feet Death behind them O how exceeding gracious is God in his Multiplications and Connexions of warnings who might smite every Sinner without any notice of death given Therefore as a piece of highest wisdom let me strive to represent the possible suddenness of Deaths sad coming upon me and this by all the ways and inducements I can apply The Examples such as are in Scripture of Abels death Lot's Wife Nadab and Abihu Vzzah Amnon Abner Ananias and Sapphira Herod and others And in History and Experience of so many and so various ways suddenly snatcht away Not a Year or some small portion of time but it furnishes with fresh Examples What hath befallen others may befall me I have no security against sudden death but wheresoever and in whatever time death may seize me If I Travel a Thief may kill me my Horse may throw and kill me the Coach or Carriage I pass in may ruine me on the Water I may there be drowned on the Land and when I am passing in the Streets some casualty may dispatch me at home by some mischance or sudden distemper something at the Table Fire Bed or other place within or without doors some Imposthume Palsey Apoplexy kills or some venomous inward vapour may strike me to the heart Multitudes of Experiences we continually have If not suddenly Death seizes but is a stroke with warning either shorter or longer yet it comes at last in the way and at a time or hour I just know not My best way therefore
that for twenty years together he had studied nothing but the Bible and his own heart I believe none of those Philosophers and Artists ever acted any seriousness to that height and sweetness that the holy ones of Christ have done But it is time to come now to the next thing CHAP. XI Meditation in a searching and scanning 6. THis Meditation besides Application of the Mind to the Object and intension or seriousness on it includes a searching and scanning or diving deep an extension of thoughts a looking about or endeavour of Comprehensiveness in respect of the Object so far as we can To make as perfect and full a view of it and to see into the Dimensions and Extents of that we think on Thus when a man studies a thing He endeavours an Extensive and a Comprehensive seeing and having the fullest view He sets it not before him to see a little but the most he can The Scripture phrase I cited of Proverbs 4.26 and that of Luke 2.29 of Pondering includes this particular likewise we now are to treat of In pondering there is both first the Minds applying it self to a thing and the intending its acting and then this third of an acting of searching and diving into it or knowing what we can of it Pondering is an Expression taken from Goldsmiths and Tradesmen that desire to know the full weight of a thing and thereby the value or worth for their profit and use Thus the Merchant weighs his Merchandise the Goldsmith weighs his Silver and Gold the Jeweller weighs his rich Pearls Rubies and Diamonds to know them more exactly There is exceeding great weight and worth in Heavenly and Spiritual things Meditation must hold the scales to weigh so well as we can these so rich and precious things these Diamonds and Pearls of Heavenly Treasure yea weigh them as things that unspeakably surmount all other things As Prov. 2.4 Wisdom must have a searching for as for hid Treasures as the searching for and searching in the Gold and Silver Mines in which there is not only great earnestness of search till the Rich Vein is discovered but being once found there is a following it with exactest Industry and utmost Curiosity to find not a part or quantity of the Treasure but all the Riches scattered over the whole Mine part after part A Christian in his Exercise of Meditation must act the part of the Exquisite Miner to dig deep dig over all the Mine and gather up the Riches of it the lesser and greater quantities as they come to view in the Mines of Spiritual Treasure Travellers tell us that in the Persian Gulf at a certain season of the Year great store of a kind of Shell-fish is to be found near the shore in which Shell-fish they find the precious Pearls bred in their Shells But the way of finding them is by Diving there are men that have an Art of Diving down to the bottom of the Sea and bringing up their Baskets fill'd with these Shell-fish the Shells being opened they find and take out the Orient and Rich Pearls of several proportions some of them very great and rich whereby they greatly enrich themselves and those that deal in them Meditation is the Spiritual Merchants Art of Trading for Heavenly Riches Pearls of great price but there must be a Diving deep If we have not this Art of Diving we shall lose the rich Pearls the deepest diving down in the practice of Meditation comes up with the Greatest Returns of Soul Enrichments Solomon in Eccl. 7.25 hath a very emphatical Expression to hold forth this we are upon Our Translation hath it I Applied my heart but the Hebrew hath it I Compassed and my heart that is Compassed to search and seek out Wisdom Or I and my heart Compassed so in the Margin we have it There 's Coming upon a thing and a Compassing a thing the heart in Meditating is to compass in a thing as well as it can They say in Philosophy that wisdom lies in Perspection Introspection and Prospection that is in viewing throughly all over viewing inwardly and viewing what may be eventually what may be the issues of things it prys into a thing and looks round about a thing makes the Mind endeavour an Extensive and Comprehensive knowing as was said Meditation in Spiritual things should be like Nehemiah when he came to Jerusalem and would go view it He went and viewed first one part and then another till he had gone round So Meditation looks largely views what it can take in and consider As God took Moses to the top of Mount Nebo Deut. 34.1 shewed him all the Land of Promise part after part round Thus when we go up this Mount of Meditation we must search view look round take in as large a prospect as we can This is the Sixth thing Meditating includes as to the Object a spreading our Eye looking as largely and seeing so much as we can for the Ability and Opportunity is given us CHAP. XII Meditation is a Dwelling of thoughts 7. MEditation includes a Dwelling or a Commoration of the Thoughts upon the Object drawing out the Golden thread of Holy Thinking to its due length giving the mind its full scope and allowance of Abode on the meditated matter Meditation is in Scripture and oft particularly in the Book of Ecclesiastes exprest by the phrase of Considering In Consideration there is 1. Application of the Mind to an Object 2. Intension upon it 3. Pondering of or searching into it And this 4. thing of Commoration or the Dwelling of the Thoughts for some due space of time for viewing and reviewing For second thoughts bettering of Thoughts and better compleating this great Soul Affair of Meditation This Meditation needs must have that allowance that all Great Musings and Considerings have Such as Rare Artists Exquisite Engineers Deep Philosophers and great Statesmen all Noble and Ingenious ways must have for their times of studyings they must have their due space of time for thinking and lengthen out their mindings in that time to make as we say no more haste than good speed A staying a while will make an end the sooner make the work the surer Meditation is not a hasty hurry of thoughts that 's Precipitation not Meditation It is not gathering half-ripe Fruit that which hath not its time for the Influence of Heaven to come down upon it and its own internal principle and power of its Nature to produce a kindly maturation a kindly ripening We will not have for want of time our Bread dough-baked or meat raw-roasted knowing that which is not rightly prepared for the body may breed Distempers if it bring not Death It is not the way to thrive look well and be strong lively and chearful why should we gather our souls precious fruits half-ripe feed our Souls with dough-baked Bread for want of a little time Some things must have Infusion for taking forth the Spirits and Tinctures of Colours Others
Heaven do or as a perfect Artist that hath a perfect skill and hand at some Art or work The most of good Christians though they have true saving wisdom for the substance yet have little very little wisdom to understand their way little of this acquired habitual wisdom This is the reason of their being so frequently to seek so at a set and at a loss not knowing what to do The want now of this wisdom is from want of Meditation serious and frequent musing to frame and mould the mind into habitual wisdom and so increasing in wisdom daily That a Christian may be an Artist and have his Trade have head and hand adapted and readyed for it this must be by habit through custom and use There are these four special things excellent advantages in a habit among others 1. It lays in ability for doing 2. It induces facility in doing 3. It breeds delight and complacency with doing 4. It holds up evenness and constancy in doing A Scholar or an Apprentice put upon Employment for learning an Art or Mystery At the first he wants for the present the ability to act as an Antist a Logician a Philosopher or the like and so the facility pleasure and constancy cannot be come at because they are the higher steps or stories built upon the first that of ability But when by time he hath accustomed himself in a way he comes to an habitual knowledge and skill and that habit brings ability to do and with ability goes facility easiness to act in the art or way then with facility is pleasure and delight attending what we do with ease is pleasing Then what breeds Pleasures brings also constancy and doing with evenness and equality O how desirable is this wisdom in Christianity how highly is it to be contended for to have this wisdom this Art of going to Heaven of living to the living God to arrive at a doing with an improved wisdom a wisdom of superadded ability with a happy facility of acting a sweet delight in acting heavenward and a beauteous a glorious evenness and constancy Not to be and remain still weak in our Trade of godliness not be to seek so oft as not knowing our way in divers cases not to drive so hardly on not to be so dull and heavy nor yet so unevenly and brokenly to carry on our work but with all forenamed advantages to be daily still experienced to higher encouragements This is a grand end of Meditation to work up to habitual wisdom to help a Christian to excel in this soul Beauty of an exquisite Artist and Operatour for Heaven and Eternity CHAP. XXII Of the fifth End of Meditation to kindle and enflame the Affections 5. MEditation hath not only its excellent ends and uses relating to the understanding and mind but also is of singular use relating to the Affections Meditation is that which keeps alive the fire on the Altar and helps to make it burn It is that which both gathers the sticks the fuel and materials for keeping the fire from going out and that which kindles them blows upon them and makes them burn and flame up to Heaven In the Levitical Law the fire upon the Altar must never go out but it was kept burning by the Priests continual minding it If they had not minded that fire continually it would have gone out The fire in the holiest heart it must be kept in kept burning continually by Meditation and constant mindings Meditation is a great Heart-warmer it renews and encreases spiritual heats drives away dulness and dead heartedness brings a new life strength and vigour into the spirit when it faints and flags They say of the Loadstone that wonder in Nature when either by carelesness in keeping it or by some accident it loses its virtue yet by laying it some good space of time in the filings of Steel it will again recover its virtues when the spirit of a Christian by not looking well to it loses of its heavenly heat and liveliness the way of recovery is by laying it asteep in this so warming and quickning Meditation O how burning and flaming may we often observe the spirit of the holy Psalmist David in his acting of Meditation As Psal 39.3 My heart waxed hot within me and while I was musing the fire kindled or burned Musing made him hot yea burning hot at the heart Thus oft in the beginning of a Psalm we find his heart low and discouraged but as this Musing was acted and heightened his spirit grew hotter and at last flies all on a flame flies up to a very high pitch of heavenly heat O how do all the conscientious Practisers of Meditation ever and anon experience these happy heavenly heats and heart-enlargements Ah if all the Saints so glorious heart-quickenings were gathered together what a rich Chain of Pearls Pearls of rare Experiences would they make up of the heart-warming Efficacies of Meditation Meditation is a mighty Engine to kindle cooling hearts and make them flame in fervency The Rule of effecting a business especially entangled in difficulties is first as they say Removendo prohibens applicando promovens That is by removing the Obstacles first and then applying furtherances Meditation is instrumental to heart-warmings and quicknings First by making a grand inquest into the occasions of heart-coolings and helping to remove them Then secondly by stirring up to the efficacious means of warmth and quickening it s a rule among the Schoolmen that every Negative is founded in an Affirmative that is every not doing is founded in some positive act of doing something else And as to the like purpose we say in Philosophy The intention of one thing is the dis-intending of another Meditation makes an enquiry and thereby a discovery of that which hinders spiritual heat The extinguishing of fire and heat in Nature is either by casting on much water or smothering it by either throwing on much incombustible matter or hindering the airs openness and its free coming to it which choaks it or by withdrawing the Fuel upon which it feeds 1. Meditation finds heart-coolings to proceed from a giving way to and the present prevailing of some corruption or lust that like water quenches the fire They say that some rich spirits and rare extractions if taken in some acid or sour Liquor the sowr Liquor turns the edge of those spirits and frustrates their operation As cold clammy humours at the head of the Nerves or Sinews stop the course of the Animal spirits and occasion the Numm or dead Palsey Or as some cold Poison taken in quenches the vivifical heat and spirits endangers if not induces death So a corruption or sin let out and given way unto chills and cools and quenches the heart-heat and the longer yielded to the cooler will the affections grow A Sin given way unto damps the heart-warming Ordinances quenches the heart-warming spirit obstructs thy communion with a heart-quickening Christ Hoseah Whoredom and Wine and new Wine
concern as to work off all my usual wonted easiness and slightness of thinkings on this particular And to arrive at a contrary habitual seriousness and earnestness of mindings frequent thinkings yea let my spirit not rest till I am reduced to and improve under the powerful and prevailing provocations of it to whatever so great a thing calls for from me That I may daily more answer the intendments of a God in relating this Hell so plainly and plentifully in his Word for my due notice of it My way then must be a course of serious pondering the Scriptures passage after passage wherein the second Death and Hell is set forth in the several Books As in Isa 30.1 Tophet is prepared of old even for the King he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it An elegant description in an allusion So those many clear passages of Christs own mouth set down so plainly as words can utter Math. 5.22 and 29 30. In that very first Sermon of Christs on the Mount there he mentions Hell-fire and casting into Hell three several times Mat. 11.23 Brought down to Hell Luke 16.23 The Rich man is said to be in Hell Pet. It 's called a Prison Prisons being the wors of places made for securing and punishing Rev. 20.1 A bottomless Pit Luke 16.23 A place of torment Mat Their worm dieth not alluding to that worm that breeds in and feeds on the body is lying gnawing and cannot be cured Their fire goes not out Fire is the most quick and active the most tormenting and torturing Element It 's Brimstone that is the fuel which is a most combustible noisom and suffocating matter It 's call'd utter darkness Darkness is a most dreadful and disconsolating thing as that of Egypt For the company it is only wicked persons perfect in sin and most wretched Devils the worst of Creatures Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels O how hot and scorching must that fire be that purposely is prepared for utmost torment Not like Nebuchadnezzars Furnace seven times hoter but seventy times hoter that which is inconceivable In Scripture Hell or the state of misery is exprest by the terms of second death death one death in any kind is very dreadful above all other things but after dying a first death then to come and dye a second death and this not so easie as dying any bodily death millions of times over If a Malefactor should die the most cruel death and then be made to live again and then die that death a second time yea thousands and thousands of times over O how sad were the case of that person that must be so under the both fears of that death first and then the torments and pains But what is all this to this second death being under the fullness of infinite wrath and that for ever The inflicter of this misery is no less than an infinitely wise holy sin hating and an omnipotent God acting in the purest and fiercest wrath endeavouring the fullest revenge the damned creature is capable of and for which it purposely is made a vessel of wrath and that vessel is preared to receive and hold this wrath 1. Prepared by being widened extended as it were to receive the fulness of wrath As the Saints shall have their spirits elevated and extended to the utmost to be made fit to receive the fulness of glory and happiness so the damned have their spirits widened and enlarged their understandings and hearts in the utmost extensiveness that they be brim-full of wrath 2. Prepared by being purposely strengthened to the utmost as Vessels are made strong to hold the strongest Wine or Liquor to hold and keep in that wrath poured into them Were Hell but to have the least torment in the least member or sensible part as in the Toe Finger or the like for ever or but one torment in a noble part Head Liver Heart or a complication of many sad diseases for ever how intolerably sad were this state but to have all possible trouble and torment both in body and soul set on by a God for ever O how unspeakably sad is this All the forenamed this imprisonment this tormenting this worm this fire the weepings the wailings the gnashing of teeth is not for an hour a day a month a year an age nor a thousand years or ages or what can be reckon'd by millions of millions but for ever no rest for ever no ease for ever no hope of any deliverance or degree of it for ever but sorrow torment and terrour sinking in despair and hopelesness for ever ever ever O then to improve this Meditation and make it operative upon my spirit Let me first look upon Hell begun in that terrour and horrour the wicked instantly upon their raising up from the dead and changed are seized with The hot burning Coals of Hell are thrown into their bosom fill them up and lie burning and scorching as they are both bringing to the judgment seat and are standing before Christ at the Bar all the time of their arraignment Never did any poor guilty prisoner stand in such a fear as this fear and were so amazed 2. The then unspeakable shame Then all the time of their arraignment and especially on the pronouncing of that dreadful sentence which will be passed and executed O what must be the unspeakable shame mixt with the continuing and encreasing sad horrour Dan. 13. O what must be that shame when all things possible concur to load and cover them with shame never was there nor can be such a shame poured upon any A shame in the greatest concourse that ever was or can be all the Saints and Angels yea all the wicked and the Devils every particular ashamed also before all their own company in this so desperate state 3. And especially a transcendent shame in respect of the infinitely glorious Judge the Lord Jesus despised and sinned so against by so many Ah what must be the shame of wicked men to stand uncover'd with open faces to see the so dreadful Judge looking the arraigned person full in the face looking with the most wishly Eye and stern countenance upon I say their uncover'd faces to have all their sins ript up every one adding still to the shame but then when the dreadful sentence passes O what the shame will farther then be And yet far more when the sentence is Executed they driven away and all Devils and men thrust into the Dungeon of darkness what an everlasting shame will that be Now O now to think of all their unexpressible losses of such a Bill of losses as never was seen loss of God himself his face and communion with him Father Son and Spirit loss of the company of all the Saints and Angels lost Heaven and all its glory lost and all that happiness that arises from all
particulars 1. Meditation on some passage or portion of Scripture 2. Or going over the chief points of Religion in order 3. Meditating of some of the works of God 4. Or something of my own spiritual state to make me more wise or warm or active for God 5. Or how the case of my soul stands 6. Or of my own evil hearts deceitfulness 7. Of my Enemies Satan and the World 8. Of my wants and weakness of Graoe 9. Of the swift passing of time and opportunities 10. Of the shortness of my life 11. Of death of the body 12. Of Judgment after death and of the Last Judgment 13. Of death Eternal and Hell 14. Of Heaven and Eternal happiness These are the heads of this first Branch CHAP. XXIII Meditation on some things providential THere is but this one thing which I will briefly dispatch remaining yet to be spoken of and then I come to the last sort of Meditation that is by a short and more sudden way Ejaculatory Meditation I say there should be Meditation on something providential a matter the hand of providence acts or orders holds forth and offers to our viewing and serious thinkings The great God as he always is guiding and ordering all things in all places in Heaveu Earth and Waters and among all Creatures especially the reasonable and chiefly above all in his Church and for his Saints against his and their Enemies As he is guiding with his hand all the concerns of particular persons to the supream end his own glory and likewise infallibly to the salvation of his Redeemed so there is ever and anon something observable particularly providential something which as the hand of providence holdeth forth so the heart of prudence and godly wisdom will take up that purposely it will set it self to see search and improve as it may be something sometime of the Church of God abroad or something of the People of God at home or in the place particularly we live in It may be there is some dispensation to some of our Relations or Friends or some matter falls out in our Family or yet nearer on our person and personal concerns There is seldom any space of time but the great Governour of the World is doing some remarkable thing it may be some admirable and glorious it may be some amazing and stupendious it may be some terrible and very dreadful work if we have our eyes in exercise and will observe Indeed Gods goings sometimes Psal 77.19 His footsteps cannot be seen but are very secret and unsearchable And there are others of his workings which are more easie for all to behold and understand There are varieties of Providences successively following each others which we should wait and watch for which we should take as they come fresh and warm out of the Lords hand and apply them warm to our hearts for a more kindly operation Meditate we should upon Providences while they are just new and fresh so we shall give them or rather our selves the advantage of a more ready and affectionate pondering a more profitable minding If I could still improve in Meditation of the Promises and in a wise warm lively also Meditating of providences in the one see better daily the riches of free Grace in the other the glorious governings of a God in wisdom righteousness and goodness How would my spirit under the dews of this fruitful Meditation be shooting up how would it prosper They are the highest form Christians that are arrived here at the contemplation of the works and great providences of God in the world In 1 John 2.13 He writes to some he calls Fathers others young men others Children Some by Children understand such as are as to Meditation taken up with the promises and matters of justification pardon and peace young men are such who are gotten farther and exercis'd about sanctification and conquering strong corruptions Fathers that beyond both are taken up and arriv'd at ponderings and contemplations of the works and ways of God and his great actings in the world So it is sometimes needful to Meditate on the Providences that are more obliging and engaging more awakening and inciting such as are as it were the special hand of the Lord touching us taking bold of us framing and ordering things for us And here there is great reason our Meditation should be more serious and curious as wherein we may see Gods so particular goings and workings toward us and for us Psal 18. All that excellent Psalm over David there enumerates and records all Gods goings towards him O then with the Psalmist let my soul meditate on all the works of God list and file up up the dispensations of his observable providences towards others and my self Meditate on his so merciful preservings directings prosperings and all other sorts and ways of Providence that I may admire and exalt him depend and trust and wait upon him and walk so before him that his ways may ever be mercy and truth towards me I have now dispatcht the second branch of Meditation on particular Providences and thereby the second general kind of Meditation which is set and occasional Meditation at particular times of leisure The last sort of Meditation comes now to be handled CHAP. XXIV Of more short and ejaculatory Meditation BEsides solemn and set Meditation there is also that which is sudden and short wherein the soul acts as one breaking out of a Throng or Croud goes aside from disturbances and diversions or breaks off from some present and too pressing business to take breath and respite it self whereby it makes a stand of thoughts turns the stream of former thoughts and like a Bird that was sitting on the ground rises and mounts up aloft to sing and sport it self even so a holy heart in heavenly mindedness will get out of the throng of cares and business will be often breaking off the thread of earthly thoughts and interpose some heavenly dart up to Heaven make a short visit thither refresh it self with some heavenly dainty take and taste of the Manna above look up to God to Christ his Spirit his Grace his Promises his Providences and gracious orderings have a running Banquet of heavenly sweet-meats when it cannot sit down and feed at large by a fuller set Meditation As there are ejaculatory Prayers and wishes when there is not opportunity for more solemn enlargements there should be also sudden and short meditatings quick interposings of good and holy thoughts then when the urgencies of Affairs incumbrances diversions and interruptions by company hindrances in any kind will not admit the opportunity of an abode of serious thoughts then sudden dartings up the soul to Heaven may be had be a refreshment as Jonathans tasting the Honey with the top of his Rod when being in pursuit of the Philistines he could not take a full meal David that meditated so much must needs in respect of his great occasions Civil and Military and Domestick
cares they strive to come in businesses and multiplicity of affairs sudden emergencies and sundry things that may attempt to interpose and these if our watch and guard be not the stronger and stricter will miscarry the Duty Yea sometimes one Duty may drive out another often we let holy duties interfere and cross each other hearing praying and the rest sometimes there 's hastening from one to another sometimes letting one detain us so long that others are cut short and so helps are turned in part into hindrances opportunities for some Duties into obstructions to others when godly prudence allows every thing its season and due proportion of time The external hindrances to Meditation are many from common business and things of this life and we often create our own hindrances by our sloth and imprudence not carefully redeeming and wisely ordering our times and opportunities Ah then my soul if Meditation be so high so hard as to its spiritual nature and hath withal such Enemies and oppositions look to it then I must the more cautiously but not less resolutely perform it The Moralists say that difficulty is cos virtutis the incentive and heightener of magnanimity to a great and heroick spirit nothing must be so great as to outlook it and discourage it The greater and braver fish swim against the stream the noble Christian by difficulty and opposition is caution'd but not cowed out If there were nothing to set against and weigh with the former cautions and arguments from Enemies and opposition if no high inducements and advantageous arguments to put into the scale of perswasion to weigh against such as fill the scale of diswasion it then might the more reverse and turn the edge of thy courage yet arguments from evil and mischief in many cases are sufficient alone the danger of an armed Enemies approaching as in Jacob's case the danger of deadly poyson prepared for thee or infection coming very nigh thee is enough But we have encouragements and those in full measure pressed down and running over As Elisha to his servant discouraged when encompast in Dothan we have moe with us than against us What if there be a principle of flesh that makes opposition yet thy principle of spirit and grace is a real ground of hope and help If thy grace Christian be true though but a grain of mustard-seed it will live and hold and act and grow act into endeavour and striving till it overcomes A principle will help thee 1. Consider a principle introduces an inclination a bent and tendency of heart against the inclination and contrary tendency of corruption Psal 119.112 and it 's a principle must live and the contrary carnal principle must die Rom. 6.11 Reckon your selves dead unto sin but alive unto God Sin as to the purchase of Christ is dead in the Saints totally and it is dead in the habit and root initially and in part in respect of the communicated and inherent grace of Christ which upon union with Christ begins the death of sin in mortification Rom. 6. 2. A principle besides inclination and tendency introduces power and ability as the Flesh hath its power so the spirit and grace hath its contrary power 3. A principle introduces facility though the Flesh makes Duties hard yet the Spirit is ready and makes godliness easie 4. A principle introduces delight and complacency the Flesh acts reluctancy the Spirit delight and pleasure Psal 119.47 5. A principle works holding on and constancy Gal. 5. as the Flesh lusts against the Spirit so the Spirit against the Flesh Psal 119.12 last part of the verse not only begins but holds on a principle will help you to hold on for God will hold that on Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work in you will finish it to the day of Christ 6. A principle is blest by the using of it with progress and growth the flesh that shall decrease and waste but the grain of Mustard-seed shall grow to a great tree Math. 13.32 7. A principle shall be crown'd by contending and striving with glorious conquest and victory the Spirit wars against the Flesh and it conquers in the issue by its still warring judgment is brought forth to victory Rom. 8.37 Ah never be discouraged for any thing within be very sensible of sin within and the stirrings of it but sink not under the sight of it take thou encouragement Christian to fight it and to subdue it if thy hearts badness appear its backwardness and crossness to any Duty know you can get nothing by giving way but by going on and striving and use this herein as thy rule wear out thy own backwardness to and weariness in a Duty by doing it in a resolved constancy wear out the indisposition to duty by doing that Duty and doing it fervently 2. What if Satan be such an Enemy yet have we not more and stronger with us than him we have the holy Spirit that helps to pray and he will help us to meditate If he sees we are labouring to get up the Mount in Meditation he will give us his hand to help us up if Satan and all Hell be against us in this or any other Duty he will be for us yea Father Son and Spirit are and will be all assistants to us Do we not use to say God came in at such a time in such a Duty He delights to see how the pulse of thy spirit beats heavenward how the eye of thy soul looks upward how it fixes its looks of heavenly love upon him he delights to help up thy heart in its holy Meditation to help it tower up to Heaven to taste of those surmounting glorious delicacies prepared for his beloveds entertainment and highest solace What others in their exemplary carelesness hold forth what their mindlesness is they use must not have any impression of discouragement or prove to us any impediment It is no staying till we can take every one along with us in our journey to Heaven Neither must the example of any the highest the greatest the richest the wisest and learnedest the nearest related the dearest affected nor any under any consideration whatever have that ill influence upon us either to discourage or divert us weaken our hands or hinder our making straight steps in this blessed path of meditating diligently upon heavenly things Neither let the cares and pleasures business and affairs of this world hinder this soul great affair of serious Meditation in the seasons of it The Saints of Christ in all ages have found a way to this duty as well as others and that through the throng and multiplicity of crowding and justling occasions As it is said of our Lord Christ in Luk. 4.30 when they of Nazareth angry with him thrust him out of the City and would have cast him down headlong he passing through the midst of them goes his way the Saints of Christ have made their way passing through the midst of businesses and emergencies
free Grace I have heard by a good Hand that one of the Dukes of Muscovy while he stood talking with a poor Peasant of the Country pitcht a Spear he held in his hand upon the poor mans naked foot there digging with the point of the Spear into it and the slave for so they are generally durst not complain O! Gospel-sins dig not into the foot or hand or eye of a God if I may so speak but into his heart and the very top and crown of it Every sin against the Gospel kicks so at the very bowels of God so dishonours him in that his tenderest upper interest as nothing can higher offend and therefore not expose to deeper danger For farther help take the Book of Conscience thy Souls Register and God Remembrancer Look over all the black Items there on the File that it will certainly one day produce and set before thy face For yet surer assistance take the perfect Rule and Glass of the Law and Word of Christ therewith duely comparing thy life and frame of heart that by the Laws coming sin may the more abound O but the Law not only discovers guilt but denounces a most dreadful curse Gal. 3.10 Cursed be every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to do them And as the Law so the Gospel curses with a more dreadful curse for not obeying it in true coming to Christ by Faith O what a curse must this then be to be accursed first for original corruption in all the hellish wickedness of it And then to he cursed for all thy innumerable actual trangressions Accursed for the first act of sinning Accursed for the next act And for every new sin to have a new sentence be under a new curse For every every evil thought every evil affection purpose word work every commission every omission every day for all the sins of it to be accursed from the beginning to the end of it Really by the curse to be separated to evil bound over to death eternal in Hell How should this startle and awaken thee O but there 's yet that is more dreadful to be continually for sin under the hot displeasure and abiding wrath of a God Psal 7.11 God is angry with the wicked every day Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him This God so angry for sin how infinitely able is he to take revenge and how resolved is he unless thou turn to him O what is that death eternal that Hell provided to punish sinners How frail is thy life by which thou art kept from falling into the Lake of fire and brimstone How certain is thy death and how uncertain is thy dying time It may come in a moment and then thou art cast upon eternal ruine Consider thy sins after commission grow not less wear not out are not less dangerous Sin is the same for substance though thy sense of them be less we greatly deceive our selves herein as if sin the longer after commission were less but the guilt of sin is the same the defilement the same the curse against them is in the same force the wrath displeasure and resolution of God to revenge them full out the very same and Gods remembrance of them is ever the same Hos 7.2 I remember all their wickedness and how is that They are before my face If they are not before thy face as God can set them yet they are before his face Psal 50.21.51.9 that is seen and remembred as a thing set full in a mans eye and his eye full on them I have been too bold in thus enlarging O 't is hard to awake from the deep sleep of sin But this must be endeavoured all thou canst and God he is to be entreated to help and do this for thee There must be an awakening by conviction really and undeniably seeing and acknowledging thy most woful condition Conviction in the understanding must end in contrition and a working down to the affections In a fourfold affection answering a fourfold distemper 1. Upon Fear 2. Sorrow 3. Despair 4. Desire and care to be eased 1. To tame presumptuous boldness and confidence in thy coming to fear that for all thy sin and danger feared not As it is said in that particular case Jer. 36.24 Though so great sinners and so severely threatned yet were they not afraid but burnt the Roll. To say we have sinned is not enough there must be real pungent fear Acts 2.37 pricked at the heart on sight of the sin of killing Christ a real and deep fear to a wounding piercing the heart and thick skin of security hindering the feeling of a woful state coming to be as really sensible as thou dost in assured and great danger Act. 16.29 the Jaylor came trembling God by his Spirit the spirit of bondage works this fear Rom. 8.15 2. There must be a dashing the usually carnal jollity and mirth Jam. 4.9 Let your laughter be turned into mourning and joy into heaviness this all the Scripture calls for A man condemned to dye a cruel death if perswaded he must dye will not laugh and be merry but mourn That mirth used at other times is not to be used now 3. To dash the deceiving usual carnal hopes which are the house built upon the sand Hopes of salvation on no true bottom but fond phansie meer imagination There must be despair as to all worthiness and ability in a mans self or any creature or in God and Christ hoped as many do in a false way Deut. 29. Psal 50. Acts 2.37 What shall we do implies as I take it beside other things despair of what formerly they hoped and trusted on 4. To curb and cure carelesness and a not desiring any other condition than their present or an only cold as it is in many and a fluctuating desire there must an edge be set upon desire an earnest great desire to be eased of the trouble and burden of sin and Gods wrath Acts 16.29 What shall I do and Acts 2.37 What shall we do implies an earnest desire to be eased And accordingly there must be an applying thy self to all the ways thou knowest and going to others that can advise thee Praying especially oft and as earnestly as thou canst Confessing and bewailing greatly thy present condition Upon being truly awakened and thence made really sensible of thy so woful state weary and heavy laden After the first dispositive Meditation and the impressions made on thy heart through the Lords help then a second Meditation must next be mightily intended and diligently followed Meditation on the means and manner of using them for getting out of thy so sad estate and coming to a safe and happy As he Acts 16. What shall I do to be saved Here must be laid at the bottom of this work that so necessary consideration That none can help himself and attain the mercy of a God in a meritorious Saviour unless God the Father by
more When a soul comes to look and search into himself sees what little grace he hath what abundance of corruptions and in what power they shew themselves When he finds how he is assaulted by Satan and ensnared by the world and things of it he sees how necessary it is to consider what in this case he is to do This therefore after assurance in some degree obtained and how to keep and increase it may well be the matter of Meditation Meditate then of thy grace received the weakness and imperfection of it and how to help and strengthen it especially thy Faith that great fundamental Grace that serves as the eye to see Christ the foot to come to him and hand to take him lean upon and to take and receive from him In the case of weakness of grace thy Meditation must be upon that purposely conferred fulness Cor. 1.19 that fountain-fulness which is in Christ 〈◊〉 whom by faith thou art united engraffed into 〈◊〉 to partake of the sweetness of this Vine Joh. 〈◊〉 of the fatness of this Olive 1 Cor. 1. â—◠〈◊〉 made to us wisdom righteousness sanctification 1. Meritoriously so he hath purchased these 2. Efficaciously he imparts and communicates these Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing without first a real ingraffing into Christ Joh. 15.4 without a vital influence from him and without a new continual acting trust and recumbency on him But Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Consider thou must that he will help thee If Christ did first help thee when thou wert a stranger and enemy to him now much more will he help thee being reconciled If when thou hadst no union wert no member of his he made thee a member much more being a member will he supply life strength and growth to make thee a perfect member he must make his body in all the members perfect at last They must grow therefore that he may be a head perfected in all his members perfection The way Christ will teach thee seeking to him The work Christ will work for thee trusting in him 2. Then as thy Meditation must be of Christ the Well of living waters and his fulness so because the Well though a living Spring yet it is deep how to come at it how to draw The next Meditation therefore must be of our means vouchsafed us to draw and of particularly that by which all the Saints in all Ages have drawn out of this Well of Salvation and received grace for grace Therefore this Meditation must be of that precious powerful Faith whereby Christ is received initially by our first union and communion with him and received also gradually daily and for our building up to perfection in him Meditation must be as of Faith to fetch supply from Christ 3. So of the way Faith hath to act namely by the precious Promises of Sanctification in which Christ assures thee he will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12.20 That the Kingdom of Heaven at first is as a grain of mustard-seed but it becomes as a great tree Matth. 13.31 32. That the good work in any heart God will finish to the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 Thou must repair to the rich Treasury of the Gospel gather up the Pearls of Promises scattered all over it string them up in Meditation and ponder their infallible Truth abundant Goodness and most transcendent Freeness 4. Next thou must meditate duely of the way for the full Breasts of the Promises to give down into thy longing spirit their sweetness and help This is by Christs appointed Ordinances praying and the rest wherein thy Faith must act upon the Promises and by them upon Jesus Christ and so though that Well be deep Faith is thy Bucket the Promises the Chain the Ordinances the Hands to let it down and draw it up filled with living water for thy thirsty soul to drink CHAP. XIII Of Meditation of Corruptions stirring and oft prevailing THis Meditation must proceed upon the Promises of sin-subduing and mortifying Mich. 7.19 He will subdue our iniquities Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace A man under the Law it gives no strength against sin Rom. 3.20 It discovers sin and irritates sin Rom. 7.8 9. but gives no strength to subdue it But being under Gospel-grace that gives power to mortifie sin Those that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 They are dead to sin Rom. 6.2 by Christ purchasing the total mortification and dead by an Initial and begun sanctification that from being implanted into Christs death and his sin-killing grace sin receives its deaths wound and shall bleed to death upon it But this by applying frequently the promises of mortification exercising Faith by them exciting Faith to rest on them Let us therefore as for other cases so for this gather up variety of promises of sin-subduing Let thy eye in Meditation go from promise to promise First set one promise before thee and dwell upon that look to Christ in that and thence draw help from him resting on him for making it good to thy souls case and then go to and dwell upon another ponder that and rest again upon Christ in that promise and so successively upon others Thou hast great varieties of Promises that thy eye in Meditation might be more delighted in walking in this Garden of Christ among these pleasant sweet flowers and that Faith might by the variety feed more to the full upon them In the case of a particular corruption sometimes yea it may be often too hard for thee Thy now Meditation must pass in a more particular manner In great pondering of the sinfulness of this sin as the Scripture in the divers passages of it sets it forth in the kind and nature in the degrees aggravations and abounding sinfulness of it 1. In the terrible threatnings denounced against it which discover Gods not dealing tenderly and handling it as it were gently What David said of Absalom in his rebellion warring against him openly Deal for my sake gently with the young man Absalom 2 Sam. 18.5 that we are ready to do with applying the Threatnings to our corruptions loth to apply him too hot and too home and let these Corrosives continue their time because of their smart and pain But we should both get store of threatnings give them all the edge we can apply them close and let them stick fast and stay their just time to issue in due fear and awakning and make thee more willing to forego thy sin The Threatnings of the Law and Word of Christ are of great necessity and use for godly spirits so God and the Saints in Scripture used them for humblings awaknings and reformings 2. This sins sinfulness in Examples In the Examples of severity recorded both of wicked and godly persons Gods severity to them yea
Examples of sometimes high and amazing severities against sins lookt on as low and little in their nature God cannot over-punish any the least sin here The highest severity is lower and far beneath the Hell due for the least sin O let Meditation apply all the Engines discharge all the great and small shot give it all the broad-sides and Thunders of Threatnings of wrath death and Hell spit flames of fire in the face of this sin get all the strongest Arguments highest Incentives with all possible means and ways to help in this case When a Ship hath sprung a Leak when the Sea hath made a remarkable breach men presently run study and apply all possible ways of stopping it When thy soul hath sprung a leak that will certainly sink thee without due help in time used When the Sea of sin hath made a dangerous breach speedily use all effectual means to heal it Faithful Physicians when a Patient is endangered by that disease which is a case of great difficulty how do they study and strive with utmost Art and industry to cure it When it is a great Soul-case of most dangerous distemper when a Tendency to great mischief when a high Disadvantage to peace comfort strenght growth fruitfulness there should be both hastening and heightning utmost intending of thoughts care industry in all possible ways Do it to save heart-smart and hazard Do it to save God a labour of using sharper means sad soaking long and abiding trouble to make thee consider make thee willing to part with that member that right foot or hand or eye whatever it be Ah! but above all take that highest inducement and strive to be the greatest most industrious and exquisite Artist in selecting sweetest strongest and most efficacious Gospel-arguments for aggravating thy sin and loosning thy heart unsoddering it from that sin that cleaves so fast And let the Master-piece of all be the deep and great ponderings of the so astonishing and amazing coming and humblings of the Lord Christ all his abasings the deepest that ever were all of especially his sufferings his agony apprehension and by betraying his arraignment condemnation derision buffeting spittings on scourging and crucifying with the weight of the wrath of God and his withdrawing for a time and then giving up the ghost All these unparallel'd Sufferings from most inconceivable love Lay this great abasing home to greatly humble thee This soul exceeding heaviness to work thee to suitable sorrow this Blood so precious to warm thy heart to melt it and work it to willingness to leave this sin that more peculiarly spilt it this blood of God and his life that he laid down for it to thy free laying down of it of this peculiar Christ-killing sin CHAP. XIV Of Meditation in respect of Temptations and and Assaults by Satan 4. THere is thy Meditation and considering 〈◊〉 reference to thy case as tempted 〈◊〉 be thou art under sad Temptations 〈…〉 dreadful and horrid things injected 〈…〉 heart ake and tremble that arnaze and confound thee that haunt thee that thou hast no freedom or quiet that storm thee so violently thou knowest not what to do After peace and assurance is obtained and power also in some good degree gained the Lord sometimes lets Satan loose in several ways he in infinite wisdom judges fittest for most holy purposes as referring to himself and his own glory for most gracious ends as respecting his own children their spiritual great good If thy case be thus to be tempted it may be very sorely assaulted Consider that now thou art not to be scared and disturbed as at a strange thing unusual with Gods Children though new to thee Thou art not to be sadned and dejected with sorrow and discouragement not disturbed and confounded as neither heart nor head resolution or reason grace or experience counsel or any thing can help and be effectual 1. But now one excellent and proper way in this case of sudden disturbances from sudden assaults is a turning from thy imaginations thy sudden and short thoughts that are raising hurries violent passions and disturbances in thee to endeavour serious and deliberate thinkings to do what in us lyes to check imagination and phansie and hasty apprehensions thence flashing and flying like sparks from a blazing matter and to let the Sun-shine of reason serious and religious reason put out the fire and candles of phansies and imaginations to quench and slack their heat and haste There is nothing our foolish hearts are apter unto then these short sudden thoughts flashes and hastiness without heedings and stay Hastiness of thinking comes on us as Lightning sometimes on the dry thatcht house sets it instantly on fire and comes as Lightning with an after Thunder-clap strikes all into fears and confusion shivers and scatters all confidence and consideration into such confusedness and discomposure that nothing at that time will prevail with us Like the Sea when a strong wind hath raised the billows high it rages and roars and cannot suddenly rest The way in all cases of troubles by sudden apprehensions and short thoughts is to help our selves by thoughts of depth and length Depth of seriousness things soaking first into thy mind Length also of abode and staying with thee a fit space of time that allowance of time which a serious and weighty thing ought in full to have Thus the relief of Temptations working discomposing impressions from Satans sudden and thick dartings and our sudden receivings in imagination and short thinkings and thence coming quick upon the minds passions and affections must be ejected by contrary seriousness and time-taking in thinking Until we can in some sort cease to be sudden short and hasty in our apprehensions until phansie and imagination sway less and judgment in seriousness and pondering prevail more that we are habited and accustomed to wisely weigh things that come into our minds Satan will be too hard for us by making our hastiness our hurt This was one reason of Davids miscarriage when he under temptation in Psal 116. he tells us vers 11. He said all men are lyars But he found the reason it was in his haste His being fail'd by the temptation was by the haste of his spirit in imagination thought too short too sudden and passion was stirred too soon He did not ponder what promise was and the experiences he had to stay him Thus the blessed Apostle Peter whom Satan winnowed he came thick with his darts of temptation Peter was too short in consideration which made him so sudden in fear and that occasioned his fall If he had used such consideration as led him to repent afterward had used consideration in the time of tentation he had not been led into it Thus Divines give the account of that fall that ruined Adam and all his posterity He did not duely consider he acted imagination and incogitancy not wisdom and prudent pondering This was one way the Apostle used in the case of temptation
Christian is a person of great excellency it is very highly extolled in the Scripture This David though not presently yet attained in time as Psal 119.99 100. I have more understanding then all my teachers I have more wisdom then the ancients 3. To have the richest treasury of heavenly truths the fullest stores of precious experiences Meditation is the greater gatherer of them and the improver of them on all occasions It becometh not a Christian of long standing to be poor and unfurnished of holy experiences The Psalmist we may see drawing forth his experiences and telling them to others Psal 3.4 5. I cryed and he heard Psal 18. almost all the Psalm he puts all the pearls of deliverances experiences that way on one silken thread of this one Psalm together So Asaph Psal 77.6 I call to remembrance my song in the night what joy he formerly felt though now he wanted it Thus oft the Saints in Scripture The Apostle 2 Cor. 1.10 Who hath delivered and doth he had his experiences ready 4. More peculiarly your great exercise which others cannot so well reach is to be much implied in the deepest Mysteries the highest points of Faith and the hardest matters of practice I mean not so much such sorts of difficulties in Divinity those which great skill in the Tongues and Arts will require and that must have long time much study which the necessary occasions of very many cannot admit and are not necessary for every man to understand But such higher matters of godliness as may more Jude 20. edifie you in your holy faith increase your obedience to a more fruitful and exact walking Eph. 5.15 See ye walk circumspectly accurately or exactly the word is thus the higher contemplations of the Nature of God his Attributes and Titles the Works of God Creation and Providence his wise righteous and holy Administrations and Government 1. Government in the whole world and all things in particular in it to the least circumstance the falling of a hair from the head 2. Government and that so rare and admirable towards the rational creatures but most observable astonishing towards his Church and his dear Saints This as some of our Divines say of Gods Government of the world and matters in it is to be one of the great Meditations of Christians that are by the Apostle called Fathers who having obtained formerly much acquaintance with other truths of more necessary use for their then rank and standing now are to busie themselves in these high Mysteries for furthering Faith and Godliness The Mysteries in the two Books of Scripture and Nature are the two Tropicks or Lines between which thy Meditation should move and bound run its course and keep within this compass which is useful and safe In sum let thy Meditation be improved all thou canst for the setting up of the main mark for the fullest aiming at it the hardest pressing toward it with all contendings for an excellency of wisdom eminency of holiness exemplariness of conversation and exact walking together with all industriousness after that peace which passes all understanding joy unspeakable and full of glory the establishings and heightning of them with longings and hastnings after that appearing of the Lord and crying Come Lord Jesus come quickly Conclusion Now this so highly important duty of holy Meditation having been as to the nature kinds necessity and excellency so fully discovered and demonstrated the great sinfulness of neglecting it evinced the dangers following the neglect manifested the practice with such high inducements and powerful Scripture-arguments urged home and the way respecting all sorts of persons in so many Rules and Directions cleared Application general Then all who know these things are utterly inexcusable that know these so greatly necessary things and will not comply with the careful practice of them Ah! therefore let every one most earnestly beg it of God to write this his Law of holy Meditation in his heart to give the right wisdom to understand the way of it the firm purpose and resolution constantly to perform it yea the practice of it with sweetest solace and highest delight Let me say to my soul Necessity is laid upon me It is an Imperial Law of the great King of Heaven if I do it not great guilt will be contracted great wrath of a God will be kindled my soul will deeply be wronged If I have not act not good thoughts my heart will act evil thoughts will fill with evil thoughts will fix and habit it self in them be quite over-run with them I shall have a spirit stained deeply dyed into habitual vanity of mind yea I may be given up to judicial penal vanity of thoughts It may be to terrifying and most affrighting thoughts That I which would not be brought to think of the threatnings of a just God and his terrible Curses That would not meditate of that greatest of evils sin of my heart and life-sins shall have all my sins set in order before me held and kept staring me continually in the face That I who would not meditate of the most blessed God his Christs fulness his Spirits sweetness his Heaven and everlasting Happiness shall now have represented to my thoughts and be made to see Satan Hell and eternal Death continually before me Yea to be under such amazements and terrours to be so haunted and followed that at last it may be insupportable and quite overwhelm me O therefore let me not so sin against my own soul and for ever undo my self by wilful or heedless neglecting this duty which lies so indispensibly upon me and may be so advantageous to me O how many are continually guilty of self-destroying for want of a timely self-bethinking By a slighter thinking for want of serious thinking By a too short thinking for want of the necessary allowance of time and space for thinking By a too seldom thinking and not using due frequency of thinking By acting meer phansie and imagination and not wise consideration Adams first state was good yet mutable but it was not a sin or imperfection to be mutable And though this mutability of his will was a ground of his fall yet it was his incogitancy was the first blamable cause he fell by acting sudden too hasty imagination and not due consideration he considered not all things to be considered Thus ever since the falls of sinners are generally more by incogitancy haste and hurries of fancy and imagination want of consideration though there be sins also of deliberation not precipitations but presumptions When God reduces a sinner he brings him from swaying phansie and carelesness to considerateness Ezek. 18.28 Because he considers and turns he breaks the reeden Scepter of phansie and inconsideration and brings in and sets up the golden Scepter of wise consideration So Acts 2. Men and brethren what shall we do Acts 16.30 Sirs what must I do to be saved But O what pity is it that any soul should perish for want of