week now in the New Testament times changed to and called the first day of the week and the Lords-day 1. As to the rise nature ends and advantages the Sabbath in the Old Testament and the Lords-day in the New it is the best day that ever the world saw or shall be seen on this side Heaven 2. It was and is that day wherein the infinite Glories and Excellencies of a God have shined brighter and warmer on the spirits of men than in any other days beside namely his infinite Wisdom Power Love Goodness Mercy and Riches of free Grace 3. The Sabbath as some judge had its rise so early as in Paradise or when man was in state of innocency it must then be of very great Antiquity and a rarity of great worth And 4. Then it must be that only holy day which man in state of innocency had and possibly if he had stood should ever have had afterward 5. After the first institution it had the most glorious and tremendous promulgation and sanction such a delivery and ratification as no other Law except those that were spoken at the same time ever had namely by Gods so wonderful and most astonishing appearance on Mount Sinai in the sight of six hundred thousand persons There it was one of the ten words spoken by Gods own mouth by God first spoken in the ears of all that so prepared and awakened numerous multitude and after in the Mount was written with the finger of God written on the first Table of Stone before the six Commandments of the second Table This Commandment thus written was with the others reserved in the Golden Ark or Chest made purposely by Moses from Gods Command to keep the Tables and then by Gods Appointment was to be preserved in the glorious Tabernacle made by Moses and there it was to be with highest honour prefer'd to be kept in the Holy of Holies 6. Though some yield it not yet others judge the Sabbath had its change from the seventh to the first day of the week by the Lord of the Sabbath Christ himself or at least by his Apostles from his Authority 7. However it be changed yet it is lookt upon as grounded on that so amazing part of our Redemption Christs so glorious Resurrection on the third day after his Passion 8. The Sabbath formerly was the Old Testament Churches fixed time to behold as in a mirrour the glory of God the Creator his Eternal Godhead Power Wisdom Goodness and most glorious Excellencies in the so admirable frame of Heaven and Earth and the so various and curious pieces in it all most exquisitely wrought and finisht It was the peculiar time for setting up the Ladder of the Creatures by Contemplation to climb from Earth to Heaven with But now changed into the first day of the week it is the Christian Churches time for beholding as in a mirrour the glory more peculiarly of God the Redeemer now not in his Humiliation but in his appearing and begun Exaltation in that his glorious Resurrection from the dead that his concerned people might joy with highest and most heavenly rejoycing for this rising of the Sun of Righteousness to be under the warmest and most vivifical beams of his infinite love 9. Let me Meditate of this day as the time afforded for largest spiritual advantages no day being so eminent for me and my Soul as this day 10. Let me Meditate of this day as that happy season wherein the Ordinances of Christ do run in a fuller higher and stronger current More is offered me on this great soul-mart day than on other common Market-days other week-day opportunities it is the day whereby in some respects I have far better Ordinances the Publick in Communion with Christ in the midst among those that are gathered together in his Name And then by the Publick I have better advantages for the Private to perform them better Private Duties having a better time and better helps I must thereby be minded of my better performance 11. It is the eminent day of meeting with God in his upper walks of more solemn Ordinances 12. The day of days for our best speaking with our God and of highest familiarity with him 13. It 's the great time of our hearing from God and having him most eminently to speak to us There be no hearings from God like this days hearings no such voice no such efficacy can be expected as on this day 14. It is the day wherein God sits out and is most to be seen the great day of seeing Gods goings in the Sanctuary seeing his Power and his Glory No such day for this as the Lords own day Ps 63.2 15. A day of feeding more on the Feast of fat things full of Marrow Isa 25.6 Of being brought into the Kings Banquetting-House having the Banner of Christs love spread more amply over us than at other times it being the day wherein the highest flamings up of his unspeakable love appeared in that he not only died but rose again from the dead without which all his other labour and sufferings had been lost and our souls been also lost 1 Cor. 15. 16. It is a day dropt down from Heaven may serve to give a taste of the Sabbath and day kept there and to set a Copy for us here to write after in our holy restings and actings attended with heavenly refreshings God that made all things when he had finished his work he then rested on the seventh day and with his example of resting gave the precept of sanctifying the seventh day to the Church of the Old Testament And the Lord of the Sabbath Christ Jesus resting from his work and rising the first day of the week gives the Example and with the Example the Precept of resting and keeping holy the first day of the week to the Church of the New Testament as some think which therefore Rev. 1.10 they say is called the Lords day as the Ordinance of the Supper is called the Lords Supper as instituted by him 17. It is the day of resting the body from labour of respiteing the mind from worldly thoughts and cares and of refreshing the spirit with heavenly Manna which rains down now on this day more plentifully and with water of life that runs more abundantly in the pure Channels of holy Ordinances 18. Meditated on it should be as the season of the best reciprocations mutual actings between Earth and Heaven wherein the soul hath the advantage of acting higher and more vigorously to glorifie and please God Psal 24.5 and wherein God commands the blessing more and affords assistances more usually than on any other days as experiences prove 19. It s a time to come from sweeter and fuller communion with God in Christ whose blessed day it is to come with our faces shining and hearts flaming made better to be on Earth fitter to live in Heaven And hereupon 20. To leave upon the spirit a more eager longing fully to
enjoy the Lord of the Sabbath and have time turned wholly into Eternity These or such like Meditations may be sutable and quickening for improving the great opportunity of this day of Christ and we cannot think too much or too seriously for this great occasion Having in some measure thus endeavoured to open and illustrate this point of daily Meditation both that which may be sutable for the six days and for the Lords day I pass to the next sort Occasional Meditation CHAP. XV. Of Occasional Meditation and that which is more extraordinary SOlemn Occasional Meditation comes now to be considered which is the souls taking of time for and acting Meditation on some particular selected subject either out of the Word of God or among the Works of God or somthing providentially falling out or somthing concerning our selves any thing offering fit occasion for fruitful Meditation They may be chiefly referr'd to these two heads 1. Either such things as purposely we out of varieties of subjects before us do single out for Meditation to help and quicken us in godliness 2. Or some new fresh thing which the hand of Gods Providence holdeth forth for our particular observing and improving 1. That which we ourselves out of varieties of subjects may or do single out for our spiritual advantage Here the scope and compass our Eye hath to make its choice of and fix upon is very large The Eye in Meditation hath before it the fullest fairest prospect can come in view Here is a breadth length depth height a compass and circumference that in point of lawful liberty you may look from Earth to Heaven yea through the whole world in all its vastness and varieties of objects in it and beyond them all unto him that is so infinitely above them all God himself in all his so inconceivable exaltations and perfections O how narrow then must that Spirit be which shall be straitned and at a loss for matter to employ and busie its seriousness about That hath so large a Field to walk in and so great varieties as the vast world Heaven and Earth and all things in them and the infinite God with so many infinite excellencies as are in him and yet to seek how to Meditate Ah how barren low and poor must that spirit be which is enriched with so great provisions for mind and thought entertainment and for times improvement and yet cannot fruitfully employ it self on some one thing or other that presents it self to us and invites our seeing and pondering of it Although Meditation hath so great a latitude and liberty a liberty to travel farther and see more by far than all the great Travellers that have bin in the world yet spiritual wisdom teacheth us to endeavour the most advantageous way of engaging our thinking power in Meditation For the wisdom of this way we now are upon it needs must lie in that manner and order as most may conduce to the great and main end of glorifying God and our own salvation It is most true that in point of liberty it is my Christian priviledge to take and set before me any profitable subject to intend my thoughts upon when no particular occasion of Meditation doth otherwise oblige me I say when no particular contrary obligation is upon me I may chuse to meditate either on this or that useful subject as I please I have the whole Creation for my Eye-walk my Meditation and spirits recreation yea and farther than the whole world extends I may go to contemplate him that is the highest if I please like David and other Saints of God I may with my Eye walk and look among the Works of God the so excellent and unimitable pieces of his most admirable framing On all the so stately Fabrick of the world any of the rare built stories lower or higher any of the rich Furnitures or exquisite things contained in it First I may view the lower story wherein I am fix upon the precious things the Earth hath within the riches of Minerals and precious Metals Silver Gold and the so useful other sorts the riches of all sorts of precious Stones Diamonds Carbuncles Rubies Emeralds and all the rest I may view the innumerable exquisite things upon the Earth from the Moss and imperfect Plants to the Grass made for the Cattel to all things growing in the whole Garden of Nature and more peculiarly made for the service of man among all the Herbs Flowers Shrubs and Trees of all sorts and see in them the so fair Characters of the infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness of the great Creator written most legibly on them I may Meditate on all sorts of living Creatures from the least and lowest Mite or Insect all creeping things with all Beasts and Birds that go upon the Earth wild or tame Consider I may their several Natures Features and Shapes Beauties and Excellencies and withall the serviceableness and usefulness of them to that poor Clod of earth man for whom they are I may look to the Waters Fountains Rivers and vast Seas with the innumerable things and Creatures about and in them Fowls Fishes and these of so many Kinds Forms and Shapes all of them the demonstrations of the infinite glories of that unimitable Artist the great God My Meditation also may with the Psalmist take in the eternal and mighty Hills and Mountains with the Rocks Sands and Bulwarks made against the raging Seas that they return not again to cover the earth Psal 104.9 I may go up to the higher stories of this Fabrick of the World to the Waters above to the Clouds and their Bottleings up of Waters in them and that so great wonder in Nature the invisible and so powerful Wind which carries the Clouds from place to place whereby they at length open fall down and water the thirsty Earth with Dews and Showrs they also serve to purge and purfie the Air we breathe in I may eye other sorts of Meteors or Exhalations and things appearing in the Air as those fiery and dreadful sometimes impressions making us to wonder the falling Stars flying Dragons fiery dartings of some and fixing standing brightnesses of others of several shapes To all these I may adde that Voice of God the fearful Thunder and the concomitant Coruscations and Lightnings Lightnings also sometimes alone all these are mighty and stupendious operations of the great God Higher yet I may go to another higher story that of the Starry Heaven contemplate the so innumerable Stars of several glories and wonderful motions influences with the beauteous Moon to shine by Night her changings encreasings and decreasings and hidings and that Eye of the World the most glorious Sun all so admirably meditated upon by the Psalmist Ps 8. Ps 19. Ps 104. Ps 136. I may go yet one step higher to that third Heaven the Palace of God where also Christ is in his humane Nature exalted and appearing in highest glory It is also the native place of
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
fast as spun by a neglect of winding up and right using Ah how sad and self-abasing reflections should this often occasion to us Ah think we sadly how long so noble a faculty as the understanding is how rare an acting the acting of its consideration is how high a concern eternity of happiness is how necessary in order to happiness conversion is and how needful consideration to conversion is And yet to lose all the right and best use of this considering power this meditating by ingaging it in impertinencies and very nothings meer shells and shadows instead of realities and things of worth true worth and excellency to be so long like the Prodigal before we came to our selves were seen sitting in our right mind entring upon Meditation for that great soul-affair Conversion CHAP. IV. For humbling those that are totally yet to begin Consideration for Conversion AH then in the next place as it was for great shame universally to all persons whatsoever for so long neglecting consideration and meditating of their souls condition and for conversion so how far more should it humble all that never as yet so meditated to that great and principal end Conversion so as Conversion followed Consideration never had the first corner stone laid of that consideration which bottoms and grounds conversion that hitherto have had all their precious thoughts scatter'd in rovings and wandrings of spirit acted and wasted upon vanities and follies things that perish that cannot profit in the day of wrath that will prove sorrow shame and anguish of spirit in the latter end Ah how many are there who for improving that great talent of the thinking power employing it for those so high ends it was peculiarly design'd to and given for for wisdom to salvation and glorifying God the giver that have daily all their thoughts either vile or vain that walk in the vanity of their minds that is in a constancy and prevalency of mind-vanity vanity exclusive of good thoughts and all right seriousness and productive of nothing but the weeds of evil and vain thinkings The way of their thoughts is a successive taking step after step in vanity one vain thought follows close treads on the heels of another for haste all the walking of that so working active busie mind is nothing but continued vanity O how sad a frame of spirit is this how sad a sign and symptom if not healed by a new frame of heart symptom of deepest danger of ruine and destruction hastening on apace Some-Diseases in that so noble part the head are most dangerous the Cure is hard the Killing quick when vanity seizes the mind when men from vain thoughts arising in them come to allowing of them and from allowing to a walking in the vanity of their minds vanity of thoughts becomes an habit and when it becomes habitual then the danger is high All habits evil habits are like old rooted Diseases hardly if ever cured O when men walk in the vanity of their minds God may be provoked to a giving them up to walk on and so be at last ruin'd utterly for want of a timely returning from it O how should this awaken such that have so this way ravel'd out their youth it may be lavisht and lost their best days of riper years yea peradventure are arrived at an old age and are old withal in this way of vanity of thoughts Old and vain is sad to purpose Ah when younger when elder yet never could allow or would find time to become serious A young head and a vain head all wildness is a sad beginning A grown man ripened in Reason but not yet beginning not so far as budding out in consideration not arrived at the wisdom of minding soul-concerns that 's worse and a sad sign But for a man to have gray hairs here and there and to be yet to begin wisdom for self in self-bethinkings never to have laid the foundation of meditating on the highest soul-affairs thereby to convert O this is dreadful sad beyond all ah to ravel out the most the best the all almost of thy time and never never to interpose one times one hours serious Meditation or never to meditate to purpose so as to convert to God truly but be still to begin to return to God contenting thy self with a just nothing done of that greatest and which should never be the last but first dispatcht business of all others Ah but what will all prove at last to all younger or elder if there be a going on without consideration without conversion young and strong and old are all liable to death yea to a death that may be on thee suddenly who can all things considered think in any wisdom he can be so secure that he needs not yet be ready for dying Ah if that black Serjeant of death claps thee suddenly on the shoulder serves an Arrest upon thee presently to come away and give up thy account in what woful case wilt thou then find thy self what terrour and confusion will instantly seize thee It will most certainly come that thou knowest but when it will come that thou canst not know ah think therefore of it before-hand make it thy case as now come and by the symptoms of it had really seized thee that thou wert now drawing on hadst but a few hours or minutes to continue in this world and then be cast upon eternity be cast upon eternity and before thou ever hast come to any consideration which issued in a real conversion and thereby to make some sure provision for thy eternal salvation Ah put this case this dying case put it soon enough and close home to thy bosom let it stay upon thy heart let Death as it were lay his cold hand on thee and conceive that thou feelest it touch thee and take fast hold of thee to carry thee instantly away and so cut thee off from ever having one opportunity the shortest space imaginable for consideration any possibility of conversion to God more that time and means must now be no longer because thou must be no longer in the land of the living O but then think O seriously think what immediately will follow after ponder thy particular doom thy souls sentencing to an everlasting state Think not only of thy souls leaving its old ruined Tabernacle but of its launching forth into that Ocean of Eternity Think what an Eternity thine Eternity must now be who wasted all thy time lent thee for Eternity and that so precious talent of opportunity trusted with thee to trade for Eternity for a most happy Eternity and making that sure 1 Tim. 6. 2 Pet. 1. And to affect thee more abundantly and work upon thy spirit to purpose think O think of besides thy own particular day of that great day fixt appointed by the great Governour of all the world for judging of every person every work of every person the secrets of that persons heart yea every secret thing good or evil Eccl. 12. Imagine then that great and terrible day of the Lord to
glowing heat and liveliness for all the following day is still fit in some measure to be practised 2. The next should be some serious musing on that next End our own salvation and Eternal bappiness farther to be wrought out to be our day labour by the opportunity of a new begun day a day which will bring us nearer to the Ocean of Eternity CHAP. IV. Of the next End Salvation NExt to the highest Gods interest must be mused seriously upon this great soul-interest Prov. 9.12 If thou art wise thou art wise for thy self 2 Tim. 3.1 Wisdom to salvation This because self is so near and dear and the immortal Soul so unspeakably precious the heart being once stampt with a spiritual high strong self-love will have a mighty influence of warmth abiding on the Spirit Here two things are to be attended and practised 1. Meditation of Salvation in a more general Notion and Consideration works little or nothing but the pondering of particulars in Salvation It is a Rule in Oratory and so in Preaching that for moving and drawing the affections generals and things in a confused manner spoken they hit not work not draw not It is the distinct seeing and viewing of particulars which moves and affects to purpose So Meditation to be effectual must particularize the things comprised in some sort in this happiness and salvation As that so blessed freedom from sin in the guilt in pardon and righteousness from the dominion of sin by power life image of Christ and holiness and the glorious priviledges of a Christian here and Everlasting Glory hereafter and such like 2. There 's another Rule among Oratours that things moving the Affections they do it either Magnitudine aut Praesentia by their greatness or excellency or by their presence or nearness As the greatness of a person or the presence of a person or the greatness of a good or evil or the nearness and presence of it 1. The greatness the surpassing greatness of Salvation as Scripture sets it forth Heb. 2. That so unspeakable deliverance from such a height breadth and length of Misery by sin and that inexpressible happiness by union with Jesus Christ The so great things of this glorious state should fall by our Meditation upon the Affections and daily like fire from Heaven kindle them greatly 2. Things move by their presence or nearness the remoter the Object is from the Faculty as the Objects of the External Senses as Seeing Hearing and the rest or the farther a thing is apprehended to be as any Place or Time or the like the less it affects But the presence or propinquity of a thing moves most as when a Poyson or dangerous thing is near or present as an Antidote or a help when near when Death or Deliverance is at hand when a Friend is present or the like this moves most So the way of Meditation here is by representing salvation as present or near 2 Cor. 6. 1 2 3. escaping Hell as now being put into possession of Heaven as now if I were now dying and my Soul sitting on my lips ready to take its flight as now if now the last Trump were sounding now Jesus Christ seen coming to Judgment now the Sentence of Absolution passing Let me thus season and strengthen Meditation by this kind of representation seeing it as near as present now acting now doing or now having and fully possessing this Salvation CHAP. V. Of the Means conducing to this chief End THE next thing in spiritual wisdom to be the Object of daily Meditation is to give as we can some allowance of serious thoughts of that which should be the due and adequate means conducing to the chief End of Eternal life with the glorifying of God as formerly we have mentioned 1. Christ the way Therefore the next thing being the highest and uppermost of all conducing Means to the Supream End the next thing I say to be the great Object of Meditation must be Jesus Christ our way to the Father and our highest way of glorifying him None comes to the Father saith Christ but by me John Initial coming to God by Faith to Justification Reconciliation and Union with God is by Christ All other after comings and glorifyings of God are still by Christ as also all salvation is treasured up in him so it must be the best way for our Meditations method to be daily acted in some measure upon our mighty Saviour our great and only way to our great and chief End so he calls himself the way John Here what a most glorious and delicious Object hath the Eye of Meditation Christ in Isa 65.1 calls Behold me behold me ah what a Spirit must that be that for such an infinite Beauty cannot afford one cast of the eye one wishly look in the whole compass of a day that can look every way freely fixedly and unweariedly but Christward The Spouse in the Canticles her Eye-walk was among the Excellencies and Beauties of her Beloved the Lord Christ his pure Colours White and Red his most rare features and exact proportions of every part his Head Locks Eyes Cheeks Lips Hands Legs and all his glorious perfections and then addes to fum up all that he is altogether lovely So lovely that her Eye affected her heart and so beloved that she fell sick of love Ah when a heart is strongly enflamed with a Love to Christ the eye will be acted in most wishly lookings upon Christ as the love grows the earnest lookings will grow Here then the Rule is to Meditate in some due measure on this Glorious Object so both infinitely excellent in himself and so mighty a Saviour unto us His infinite Riches and Preciousness in his Natures united in his Offices conferred in his graces fullness perfect performances most perfect Redemption his infinite love pity willingness to save lost Sinners The so great free offers of himself and giving himself to us applying his whole Redemption to us by his mighty operation in us Some singular seriousness and rigour of Meditation cannot but daily be due as that first and chief means to the chief End Christians that least look at Christ and least distinctly view him will make the slowest progress and such as study him most will have the easiest and most expedite coming up to the main Mark. CHAP. VI. Meditation of the Holy Spirit the Applier of Christ and his Redemption 2. SOme due proportion of Thoughts-seriousness is proper to be daily acted in reference to the mighty and only applyer of the work of Christs Redemption the holy Spirit and our great daily helper The Holy Spirit first comes to the Soul and person of a Christian applies Christ to him brings Christ into him makes him his Temple and an Habitation of God and Christ to dwell in the heart The Spirit comes inhabits sweeps and cleanses furnishes the heart with light that was darkness with truth that was errour and deceitfulness with power that was weakness life-warmth