likewise did much affect Luther viz. that in doubts of predestination we should begin from the wounds of Christ that is from the sense of God's love to us in Christ therefore the warming of the brains in study without the warming the heart by meditation is but a dead and cold speculation serious meditation puts lively colours upon common truths which operate strongly upon the heart to make it better Chap. 8. Of the subject of Meditation Sect. 1. Of meditaâ—ion on the works of God I now proceed to discusse the subject-matter of meditation first subject â—editation works of 〈◊〉 and here I am launching into a great Ocean but like the dogs of Nilus I shall but lick and away The first subject of meditation is God's works of Creation a fit matter for our serious meditations I remember the dayes of old saith David I meditate on all thy works I muse on the work of thy hands Psal 145.5 He looketh up to the Heavens and considereth the work of God's fingers meditating on all those works that were visible to the eye of man â—al 102.25 Psal 8.3 called elsewhere the work of his hands Isa 48.13 My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth and my right hand hath spanned the Heavens it is for that they are of such excellency as if they had been his handywork indeed which yet were made by his word only as Moses and St John do declare Gen. 1.6 Joh. 1.3 That great advancer of learning hath an excellent passage suitable hereunto Sr Francis Bâ—con's advancâ—ment of learâ—ing l. 1. p. 27 It is to be observed saith he that for any thing which appeareth in the History of the Creation the confused masse and matter of Heaven and earth was made in a moment and the order and disposition of that Chaos or mass was the work of six dayes such a note of difference it pleased God to put upon the works of power and the works of wisdome wherewith concurreth that in the former it is not set down that God said Let there be Heaven and earth as it is set down of the works following but actually that God made Heaven and earth the one carrying the stile of a Manufaction the other of a Law Decree or Councell It is not enough that we barely look on the works of God but we must meditate upon them for if we do no more than see them the Oxe the Bull and the Horse do as much as we If we see nothing in the Heavens Dearing Heb. Lect. 5. c. 1. vers 10. saith a grave Divine but that they are lightsome and above our reach the Horse and Mule see this as well as we if we see nothing in the earth but a place to walk in or to take our rest upon it the beasts and fouls see this as well as we if we see nothing in our gorgeous apparell but the pride of a goodly colour the Peacock seeth that in his feathers if in all our refreshment from the creatures we know nothing but the pleasure and sweetnesse of our sense the Swine hath as great a share herein as we if hearing seeing smelling tasting feeling be all the comfort we can find in the works of God the dumb creatures have these senses more exquisite than we and we have turned the hearts of men into the hearts of beasts who with wisdome and reason can do nothing â— Isidor â—usiot l. 2. â—st 135. and the words of the Prophet are fulfilled in us Man being in honour understandeth not and is like the beasts that perish Psal 49.20 therefore the sight of God's works must affect us more than so else shall we be but as the beasts and follow them Now you are to meditate how God brought forth all his works in the space of six dayes before he finisht them he did not create the world all at once but took time for the Creation of it to teach us to take speciall time duely and orderly to consider and meditate on the works of God if he that could have made the Heavens and the earth the Sun Moon and Stars and all creatures in a moment yet it pleased him to take time for the creating of them this should teach us to select some space of time for the meditation of them we must not think it enough to look upon them at one view but to passe from part to part from one creature to another and in every creature to admire the workmanship power wisdome and goodnesse of the Creatour as we are taught Psal 92.4 5. Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works and I will triumph in the works of thy hands O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep a bruitish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this which Psalm as the Title tells us was a meditation penned for the Sabbath day therefore I say God would spend six dayes about the Creation of the world whereas he might have done it in an instant and in a moment of time to the end that we might the better meditate upon it from point to point for which purpose he presently ordained the Sabbath Thus Job Job 36.24 tells us that we must not idly behold the work â—upellex orâ—ata hominem â—guit munâ—us Deum â—inut Faelix â—ctav but must magnifie the workman Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold this we will do coming into the Shop of an excellent Artizan The eternall power and Godhead is seen by the things that are made but most of us have great cause to be ashamed that we have spent so little time in meditating on the works of God yea who can truly say he hath spent so much time in meditating on God's works as God spent in making them how few are there that have set apart so much time ever since they were born as if it were all laid together will make up six dayes one entire week what a shame is it for man whom God made on purpose to view his works â—ria sunt geâ—era meditatiâ—num unum â— creaturis â—num in Scriâ—turis unum â—n moribus â—rimum surgit ex admiratione secundum ex lectione â—ertium ex circumspectione Hug. medit and by them to glorifie him not to spend so much time in meditating upon them as God spent in making of them therefore we have great cause to become more carefull and studious readers of this great Book of nature for time to come There is a threefold Book into which a Christian is to make inspection The Book of nature or of the creatures The Book of the Scriptures The Book of conscience The Book of the creatures hath a powerfull conviction meditate upon it and observe God's power or thou art an Atheist The Book of the Scriptures hath a power of conversion meditate on it and learn the will of God out of it so to serve him or thou art an hypocrite The Book of
befit the Nobility and Gentry of our Land who have more time and opportunities than others for this heavenly exercise how ought they to take heed of the snares of great places and great confluences which are great hindrances to the composing of the mind for holy meditations causing them to entertain converse only with such fantastick spirits from whom no other profit can be derived than what vanity hath suggested and the conceit of a deluded fancy hatched it lies upon you to meditate much on your inward cure restrain your eyes from those outward objects that may any way darken the prospect of your inward house it is one of your great cares in Architecture Hippolit de Collib that your houses have a pleasant site and be dilated to fair prospects you will not endure any man whose dwelling is near you upon any new superstructure or new raised story to darken the light of your windows Oh then suffer not any thing to incroach upon the liberty of your higher rooms these glorious structures of your souls let not pride over-top the â—uminaries of your souls let not covetousnesse stop and straiten them let not intemperance put out the eyes of your souls let not lust deface them nor anger lacerate them nor envy obscure them nor idlenesse and wantonnesse blemish them Noble Gentlemen reflect on your own worth Gentility is not known by your stately garb your sumptuous houses and train of attendants as by your noble vertues let inward ornaments be your chiefest care and the renewing and repairing of them your highest cure take a turn with God every day upon the Mount of meditation here you may find such choice flowers as will more refresh your souls than any visible odours or fragrant flowers are delightfull to your smell you will then scarce think any earthly object worth beholding when you frequently converse with heavenly things this will teach you to contemn the vanities of the earth to know the worth of time and to redeem your precious hours for the highest imployment to conquer death it self and to aspire to eternal excellencies you will then be carelesse observers of vain fashions which is the affectation of this fantastick age and desire to be cloathed with the wedding garment and be adorned with inward beauty that the Lord Jesus may take pleasure in you and marry you to himself for ever it will be more to your honour that you have redeemed time than that you have followed the mode and vain fashions of a sinfull time It is said of the Palm-tree Plin. Nat. Hist that when it grows dry and fruitlesse ashes are applied to the root of it and it soon recovereth and that the Palms of your generous minds may be alwayes green and flourishing and your branches be ever blossoming and never wither renew them daily with some sweet and soveraign meditation that when you shall return to the earth from whence you came those that succeed and survive you may collect how you lived while you were on earth by making those high imployments of yours patterns for their perpetuall imitation Meditation is a work you see well becoming men of high degree Joshua Josh 1.8 â— great Commander is commanded to â—ake it his daily practice and David â— great King tells us that meditation â—as his work all the day Psal 119. â—7 Mine eyes saith he are ever towards the Lord. Psal 25.15 Thou hast â—ossessed my reins Thou hast covered me â—n my mothers womb I will praise thee â—or I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my â—oul knoweth right well c. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the summe of them if I should count them they are moe in number â—han the sand when I awake I am still with thee Psal 139.13 19. 2. Meditation also may be practiâ—ed by men of low degree Bishop Hall's Contemplat as by men of the highest rank A low man saith one if his eye be clear may look as high as the tallest the least Dwarf may from the lowest valley see the Sun or Stars as fully as a Giant upon the highest mountain he that stands by may see as far into the Milstone as he that picks it Christ is now in Heaven it is not the smalnesse of any man's person nor the meannesse of his condition can let him from beholding him the soul hath no stâ—ture nor is God a respecter of peâ—sons if God be but pleased to clear tâ—â— eyes of any man's soul he shall high enough to behold him a poâ— man by holy meditation become poor in spirit and rich in grace bâ— meditation on the Scriptures he finâ—eth his condition to be an holy Asyluâ— that heaven hath promised a particulâ— protection to the poor Evangelizare pauperibus misit me Luk. 4. that Chriâ—â— came down from Heaven to instruâ—â— them that he hath pronounced thâ— blessed in his Sermons chose such fâ— his Disciples hath made them the oâ—jects of his love and designed theâ— for his favours All outward gooâ— though precious cannot escape the diâ—asters that threaten them cunning violence may rob us of them the iâ—nocent lose their honour as well as tâ— criminall Senault Treat 8. disc 3. the rich are as much afraâ— of sicknesse as the poor nor are Kinâ— more secure from death than the Subjects but be thou outwardly â—ver so poor yet if rich in faith graâ— is a good which cannot be taken froâ— thee no violence can plunder thee it 3. This exercise of meditation ought chiefly to be practised by Ministers and Scholars there are three things that make a compleat Minister saith Luther Luther viz. temptation prayer and meditation their hearts are alwayes to be inditing of a good matter Psal 45.1 that their tongues may be the pens of ready writers Plin. Nat. Hist when the people of Rome heard that the fields of some of their Colonies waxed barren their advice was that the Husbandmen should meliùs arare minùs serere plow better and sow lesse so when Gods field waxeth barren by reason of a negligent kind of preaching of the Word it were better such Preachers spent more time in meditation though they were lesse seen in the Pulpit than they are I speak only against frothy preaching if they have fished all night and caught nothing it were not amisse saith one Jer. Philip â— Serm. that they should sit down a while upon the shore and mend their nets afterwards with Gods blessing they may fish with better successe Paul exhorts Timothy to give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Meditate saith he upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear unto all 1 Tim. 4.13 15. Ministers and Scholars must diligently watch not only over the actions of their hands the wordes of their mouthes but also over the meditations of their minds because they of all men are most busied
of our Saviour Luk. 9.61 No man having put his hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdome of God remember Lot's wife the son of Syrach after Iuniuâ— his translation puts a grave question concerning him who holds the Plough and such persons who maintain the state of the world Ecclus 28.26 Junius ad loc the question is Whereby shall a man he made wise At the last Verse of the Chapter in the Latin translation he answereth By nothing unlesse he be such a one who will apply his mind and meditation on the Law of the most High Woodw child's â—atrimony The Husbandman in that place may seem to have as he reads and sâ— pleads his case a dispensation for his grosse ignorance but it is nothing so That Scripture saith that the holding the Plough shews him the constancy of a holy profession as before I hinted that his plowing up the ground shews him as in a glasse the sorenesse of afflictions Psal 129.3 Jer. 4.3 how the wicked plow upon the backs of the righteous and make long their furrows and what pains he should take also with his own heart so preparing it for the true seed the Word of life and when he casteth in the seed in the season he might understand his own season and look that the seed of the Word sown in his heart rise up with great increase and as that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die so the body of man after it dies and rots in the earth shall rise again and he that seeth not so much in the sowing and reaping his grain 1 Cor. 15.36 is a fool in the Apostles sense he that thus meditates at the Plough shall never be without a Sermon before him every furrow being a line or sentence and every grain of Corn that he soweth a lesson whence he may learn something of God Furthermore art thou a Vine-dresser meditate on that Parable Luk. 13.7 8. of a certain man that had a Fig-tree planted in his Vine-yard and he came and sought fruit thereon and found none By this certain man we must understand God himself who in many places of Scripture for our capacity and comfort is compared to a man to draw them with the cords of a man and the bands of love Hos 11.4 whereby he signified that he used his people not like beasts or slaves Genevens ad loc but lovingly and kindly as men do or should do one to another Had a Fig-tree planted in his Vine-yard that is had a people whom he had chosen to himself and both planted pruned and watered by his Word and Sacraments by the Vine-yard was meant the Church of the Jews Iacob de valentia in Cant. 8. or the Land of Iury and by the Fig-tree the inhabitants thereof and people contained therein and this is no new thing either for the Church in the whole world or more particularly for the Church of the Jews to be compared to a Vine-yard Cant. 8.11 Isa 5.1 7. Yea of God's particular dealing with this people and planting this Vine we read Psal 80.2 where the Lord saith that God brought a Vine out of Aegypt cast out the Heathen planted it prepared room for it and caused it to take deep root so that it filled the Land the hills were covered with the shadow of it and the boughes thereof were like the goodly Cedars therefore whensoever thou walkest like Adam among the trees of the garden and beholdest the Vine think of that mysticall union that is between Christ and his Church that he is the Vine his people the branches Ioh. 15.5 and that whosoever abideth in him and he in him the same bringeth forth much fruit that the Church of God also is a Vine-yard of red wine Isa 27.2 3. that the Lord doth keep it and water it every moment and lest any hurt it he will keep it night and day And as the Church is compared to a Vine-yard so also men be compared to trees as in Iotham's parable who compareth Abimelech to the bramble a base plant usurping authority when the more noble trees the Fig-tree the Olive and the Vine refuse it Iudg. 9.7 16. men in Scripture are compared to trees All the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree i. e. all the people of the world shall know Sometime you shall find him compared to the Olive-tree and his children to the Olive-branches round about his table Psal 128. sometime to the lofty Cedars of Lebanon sometime to the Oaks of Basan sometime to the low shrubs in the valley of Suecoth in a word the good man is compared to the green tree and the wicked unto the dry tree Again art thou a traveller in this world meditate with thy self how the world is like a forlorn wildernesse 1. Because it is a strange Land a solitary place a forsaken Countrey disertus so that Christ saith He is not of this world nor prayes he for it Joh. 17.9 Si recogitemus â—psum magis mundum carcerem esse â—xiisse nos è carcere intelligemus Tertul. ad Marcion 2. It is a Land of darknesse This gave Tertullian occasion to compare the world to a prison a prison is the receptacle of darknesse the Sun darteth no beams there the world lyes in ignorance all men are born blind and if the glorious Sun of righteousnesse enlighten them not they live and die in grosse darknesse 3. It is like a wildernesse a place full of dangers full of enemies the people of Zion cry out Our persecutors have laid wait for us in the wildernesse Lam. 4.19 The world is full of stinging Serpents of lying vanities a filthy deceiver Christ hath foretold that in the world we shall have tribulation Joh. 16.33 How should the meditation hereof make us to say with Abraham I am a stranger and with David I am a stranger with thee as all my fathers were and not to look for delights in a roaring wildernesse nor for meat where no Corn grows nor a dwelling house or an abiding City where no building is and though we groan sometimes under the weight of our travels yet to acknowledge that the persecutions of the world are not so tragicall as its caresses are Chap. 7. Of set and solemn meditation the definition and branches of it Sect. 1. Having spoken of rapt and occasionall meditation I shall in the next place treat of set and solemn meditation and shall thus define it Meditation is a holy retirement of the soul Definit and a fixed exercise of the heart upon spirituall objects that the heart may be affected with them and bettered by them 1. I say it is a holy retirement of the soul A retirement from the world A retirement from our own passions Mens nostra â—d contemâ—anda interâ—a nòn perduâ—itur nisi ab â—is quae exteâ—ùs implicaâ—ur studiosè â—ubtrahatur Greg. Moral â—
5. Nemo ad meditationem pervenit occupatus Senec. 1. A retirement from the world Stars which have least circuit are nearest to the Pole and men who least perplex themselves with worldly businesse are nearest to God Devout Bernard confesseth he learnt much of his Divinity under the trees of the Wood When Elijah was in the wildernesse far from his own habitation and the company of men then the Angel speaks unto him when we are alone sequestred from worldly cares and distractions then God opens his mind unto us and reveals many things to us which he will not do when he finds our hearts taken up with the cares and troubles of worldly businesse God is a Spirit and therefore when we converse with him he requireth not only a bodily but also a spirituall retirement Thus God callâ— Ezekiel Ezek. 3.22 into the plain that he might there talk with him and allures the Church into the wildernesse that he might speak unto her heart Privacy as one observeth is the seat of contemplation Brathwait Engl. Gent. though sometimes made the recluse of temptation from which the Cell is no more exempted than the Court but to a pious heart privacy is a great advantage to meditation Mihi oppidum carcer solitudo Paradisus Hier. Epist ad Rustic Erasm Tom. 5. de contemp mundi The City to me saith Ierom is a prison and solitarinesse is a Paradise Erasmus hath written much concerning the liberty tranquillity and pleasure of a retired life and the Psalmist bids us to commune with our own heart upon our bed or within our chambers as some translate and be still Psal 4.4 Be still from the world yet then must the heart be stirring towards God they that sail at Sea to the end to attain to the land they look more up to the Heaven than down to the Sea carnall men are drowned in fleshly delights and worldly cares their hearts are not purged or elevated to converse with God 2. A retiring from our own passions the heart must be setled and well composed before it ascend the hill of meditation God requireth a spirit setled for so high a work In quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength If a man do not first discharge both himself and his mind from the burden that presseth her removing from place to place will presse her the more it is not enough for a man to have sequestred himself from the concourse of the people a man must sequester and recover himself from himself Montaign Essayes l. 1. c. 38. Isa 30.15 Be still and know that I am the Lord Psal 46.10 We can never savingly know him till our hearts be free from these perturbations therefore when we come to meditate we must as well retire from the perturbations of our hearts as from the world Wasps and Drones make more noise than the Bees but make no honey but waxe only so they whose hearts are troubled and perplexed are very unfit for so high an exercise of the soul the showers that fall gently make Corn and grasse abound but falling violently much endanger the Corn and meadows it is not enough we are seperated from men if we are entangled with our own passions and indeed herein consisteth one of the most assured means of our spirituall improvement therefore he that will meditate on holy objects must call back his spirit very frequently into the presence of God and consider what God doth and what himself is doing crying out to God O Lord why do I not alwayes look toward thee Why dost thou think on me so often and I on thee so seldome our proper place is to be with thee Thrice happy is that soul that can lift up himself to God and can truly say Lord thou art my dwelling place my refuge my shadow against all temptations it is good for Christians to retire frequently into the lonenesse of their heart yea when they are in company with others for then thy heart may be alone with God so saith David I am continually with thee Psal 73.23 I have set the Lord alwayes before mine eyes Psal 16.8 2. Actus religionis seu exercitium spirituale Jer. Turner Serm. in Prov. 4.23 The second branch of meditation is that it is a fixed exercise of the heart upon spirituall objects 1. It is an exercise of the heart 2. A fixed exercise It is an exercise of the heart therefore one defines it to be an act of Religion or spirituall exercise it is an heart-imployment therefore may well be called a spirituall exercise not only becâ—use the matter of meditation is alwayeâ— some spirituall thing but also because the act of meditation is a meer spirituall act proceeding from the spirituall part of man as being an act of the heart other parts of man are taken up in other things the eye in seeing the ear in hearing the hand in touching and working the tongue in speaking the heart is only exercised in meditation therefore Davids meditations are called the meditations of his heart Psal 19. ult My heart saith he was inditing of a good matter Psal 45.1 Meditation is the heart of devotion the soul of piety by which we sound the depths of divine love whereby we apply our selves really to God and communicate much of his grace and comfort it fills the heart with sweet odours and spirituall refreshings that it resembleth a pillar of smoak from Aromaticall wood kindled with Myrrhe and all the sweet powders of the heavenly perfumer 2. It is a fixt exercise of the heart the heart must be fixt on God that will meditate upon him Psal 57.1 Therefore when we begin this exercise we must then resolve that our minds shall not wander from him we must lift up our hearts to God in the Heavens Lam. 3â— Psal 25.1 Christ was transfigured on a mountain and often withdrew himself into a mountain to pray and meditate not only for privacy but to note unto us that a man that will meet with God must ascend higher in his spirit God was at the top of Jacob's ladder where Angels were ascending and descending to this purpose Ambrose saith No man can see Jesus while he standeth upon the earth Zacheus could not see Jesus till he climbed up a Sycamore-tree Nemo potest videre Jesum constitutus in terra Ambros the composition of our bodies is such as a man cannot look up to Heaven with one eye and down to the earth with the other to teach us to look up to Heaven fixedly with both Pliny Plin. Nat. Hist l. 8. c. 3. reports strange things of bruit beasts he saith There was an Elephant not so capacious of instruction as the rest of his fellows to learn what was taught him by his Keeper whereupon being oftentimes beaten for that stupidity of his he was found in the night after his manner to be as it were conning and studying those feats which he had been taught in the day and Plutarch
the grave of darknesse who shined through many dark thoughts and apprehensions into the hearts of his disconsolate Disciples for his own Disciples did then â—egin to doubt We trusted said they â—hat it had been he which should have redeemed Israel Luk. 24.21 Here also we may meditate on the excellency of heavenly knowledge that wisdome â—xcelleth folly Eccl. 2.13 even as light excelleth darkâ—esse Light is comfortable and sweet it â— to behold the light of the Sun Eccl. 11.7 Darknesse makes men sad and timeâ—ous so wisdome makes a man's face â—o shine but ignorance is uncomfortaâ—e light manifesteth things as they â—e but darknesse hides them light â—stinguisheth one thing from another â—rknesse confounds things all alike so â—nowledge gives us a right discerning of things but ignorance overwhelms us with horrour and amazement light directs a man in his way but darknesse misguids him so wisdome shews us the true way whereas the ignorant wander in by-paths and fall into the bottomlesse pit I shall conclude this Section Clamant dupliciter 1. Ostendunt dignitatem 2. Ostendunt bonitatem Quocunque te vertis veritas vestigiis quibusdam quae operibus suis impressit loquitur tibi te in exteri ora relabentem ipsis exteriorum formis intùs revocat Aug. de libero arbitrio with that meditation of Austin Heaven and earth saith he and all things therein contained do make a continuall cry round about me that I should love thee O Lord they shew thy worthynesse and declare thy bounty such a world such Heavens such an Ocean such an earth such earthly creatures insensible sensible reasonable and all wonderfully framed Lord how mighty how wonderfull how wise art thou that madest them and therefore worthy our love and being thus made thus to blesse to continue to encrease tâ— multiply them yea more to fill us with them and therefore thy bounty thy super abundant bounty must needs make us to loâ— thee Sect. 2. Of meditating on the Word of Goâ— The second subject of meditatâ— that I shall lay before you is the Woâ—â— of God The second subject of meditation the Word of God It is said of the godly â— that he meditateth in the Law of God night and day Psal 1.2 How often doth David professe he will meditate in God's statutes Psal 119.48 Psal 119 97 and it was his practice vers 23. The Law of God was his meditation all the day long Meditation fastens the Word upon the heart the soul for want of meditation retaineth but little spirituall food the Word of God by holy meditating upon it produceth the same effects upon our souls as Manna Manna nò◠solum sanitatem sed animum Judaeis conferebat Josephus did upon the Israelites for some Writers say that it restored health infused strength and inspired courage into them that they owed those formidable victories they gained from their enemies to this meat that came down from Heaven so pious meditation on the Word changeth the qualities of men making them of a sound mind producing courage and assurance in the hearts of those that before were full of weaknesse fears and doubtings the Devils fly such men who lodge the Word of God the sword of the Spirit in their souls beholding their Judge seated in their hearts as upon his Throne this heavenly bread it was that animated the Martyrs to the flames that gave them courage to daunt their executioners the same food that nourisheth them defends them and that which cures their maladies subdues their enemies its strength no way hinders its sweetnesse there are charms in it that make it pleasant to every Palate that by faith and meditation tasteth thereof 1. Meditate on the transcendency of the Word that it is a transcendent rule of holinesse every Nation hath its Laws and there is none so barbarous whom nature or custome hath not furnisht with some polity the Greeks lived according to the Laws of their sages the Romans followed the twelve Tables and those that had neither Kings nor Lawgivers had the Law of nature for their guid the Jews were governed by the Law of Moses chiefly by the Law of the two Tables Senault Treat 7. disc 5. which if it gave them not strength enough to resist sin it gave them light enough to know and avoid it as one well noteth for saith the Apostle By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin now the whole Word of God both Law and Gospel is a most transcendent and most holy rule God is holy in his works but most holy in his Word Psal 138.2 in it shineth the purity of his nature not capable of the least imperfection the Angels though as fine gold yet are unclean in his sight saith Bernard Bernard how much more the sons of men who are but clods of earth and worms this meditation makes the holiest man to tremble at his presence and cry out with the Prophet that he is undone they that by derivation from him are most holy in comparison with him are most unholy saith Austin yea the Angels themselves when they draw near unto him cover both their feet and faces if Angels that stand at the Mercy-seat do tremble oh what shall sinners do that stand at the bar of justice 2 Meditate on the exactnesse of the Word of God the Law forbids all sin commands all obedience every passage in the life of man is ordered in it as Theodoret observeth of the Ceremoniall Law and the furniture of the Tabernacle that every particular thereof was exactly prescribed by God Theodoret. now if the Ceremoniall Law were so accurate and precise how strict is the Law of Morall holinesse the Law of the Lord is perfect we read that the measures and weights of the Sanctuary were double as much as the ordinary measures a man's actions may carry weight and be allowed among men in common conversation Aug. which will be found too light being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary of God saith Austin bring we our actions to this standard and our defects will soon be discovered and that which will seem warrantable and commendable before men will appear sinfull and abominable before the Lord. 3. Meditate on the spirituality of God's Word it requireth exactnesse of soul and spirit it aweth the thoughts and judgeth of externall actions according to the heart I the Lord search the heart to give to every man according to his works Jer. 17.10 The naturall heart it may be will be content with Herod to do many good things so he may have a dispensation in one raigning sin and it may be to suffer a little to do penance with a Papist and then sin again this it could brook well enough but to be restrained in every thing this flesh and bloud cannot endure but whatsoever liberty the flesh can desire whether in thinking speaking or doing contrary to that duty which belongeth to a man's place as he is inferiour or
superiour to others or contrary to the good of the persons or chastity or good name of others though it be but in secret corruption or secret working of heart still the Word of God doth oppose it in every thing the Pharisees forbad the outward act of uncleannesse but the Law of God forbids the impurity of the thoughts they make the Law like John Baptist who had a leathern girdle about his loins but the Gospel represents Christ to have a golden girdle about his Paps they represented only the first risings and motions of sin this makes the Saints mourn for the first conceptions of sin though they prove abortive saith Chrysostome Chrysost making them to pray with David to be purged and freed from secret sins and sinfull cogitations 4. Meditate upon the operativenesse of the Word it is not a dead letter but hath a quick power in it to work upon the heart the Spirit of God accompanies it making it active and mighty in operation as in the frame of a man's body under every vein there runs an artery full of spirits so under every vein of truth in the Word of God there is an artery of Spirit quickning searching cutting discovering condemning What 's the reason most mens spirits rise up against the Word it is because as the Elephant troubleth the waters before he drinketh that he may not see his ugly visage so the Word of God troubleth the mind of a sinner it terrifies his conscience making his sin appear very sinfull to him it makes a man a burden to himself these spectacles are too true for the sinners false eyes Ahab cannot endure to talk with Michajah nor meet with Elijah men can endure the generalities of the Word well enough but when it comes near them toucheth their Copyhold corrupt hearts run away from it because for want of serious meditation they are unacquainted with the spirituall nature of the Word of God Oh study I pray thee â—regor Moral saith Gregory and daily meditate on the words of thy Creatour and learn the mind of God in his Word that thou maist look up to eternall things for so much shall thy rest be the greater in Heaven by how much the more it hath been even now from the love of thy Creatour here on earth Sect. 3. Of meditating on Man The third subject of meditation is man his Creation his body his soul his priviledges his Creation his body his soul his priviledges Man cometh in the next place as a fit subject for our meditation and consideration man was the last of God's creatures as the end of his Creation all made for him and all represented in him the rest by his word commanding whereas his body by his hand-working and his soul by his breath-quickning became alive and here let us meditate first on man's Creation who is as Plato saith Plato the miracle of all miracles and as it were the soul of this world and you will see how every circumstance sheweth the Creatours goodnesse and man 's many obligations Let us begin with the meditation of man's body which is as one saith More 's demonstrat the pattern of the universall world 1. Meditate on the provision God made for man before he made him God sets up an house and furnisheth it then puts man into this house ready furnisht to his hand other things are but as essayes of God's power man the perfection Adam the last of all God's works and the Lord and soveraign over them under his soveraign Lord Heaven would have nothing wanting to man that he might wholly mind the things of Heaven 2. Meditate on God's proceeding hereunto the Father as it were calls a Councell God deliberateth upon the enterprize of this work and the Councell is held in the conclave of the most holy Trinity Let us make man Gen. 1.26 Adam is businesse for the whole Trinity all were imployed about this creature to the end that being created he might be wholly imployed about the service of God 3. Meditate on the form of man's body God hath neither made us to lye along on the earth as beasts â—truth Obserâ—at 36. Cent. 2. or stick on it as trees but by upright stature set our head to Heaven and our feet to the earth as one observeth Os homini sublime dedit coelumque videre Ovid. Jussit erectos ad sidera tollere vultus God with a lofty look did man endew And made him Heavens transcendent glory view God hath given us an upright stature not like other creatures that look downwards to the earth to teach us to look up to Heaven by holy meditations and to look up to the hills whence our salvation cometh our face is toward Heaven to teach us that our hearts should not be nuzzeling in the earth man hath one muscle in his eyes more than any other creature which may teach him still to look up toward Heaven 4. Meditate on the matter of man's Creation Ad coelestia magis rapiatur ad terrestria minùs capiatur Columella l. 5. c. 9. Ecce pulchrum lapidem putre cadaver tegentem Gasp. in Heraclito Homo bis creatus 1. Seminaliter seu causaliter 2. Formaliter seu visibiliter Aug. de Genes he was made of the dust of the earth so as howsoever we appear beautifull and amiable in the eye of man which is fixt only on the externall part yet when the oyl of our lamp is consumed and we reduced again to our first originall matter there will be left us no better Epitaph than this Behold here a spetious shrine covering a stinking corps man is twice created saith St Augustine Seminally or causally Formally or visibly The first according to his soul the second according to his body man's body of earth doth represent whatsoever is between Heaven and earth yea the very Heavens themselves are figured all naturall causes contained and their severall effects produced therein The three Heavens are resembled by the body of man the lower serving for generation and nutriment are like the lowest Heaven within the compasse whereof the elements are found for as from them all beasts plants trees and other things have being receive nourishment growth motion and sense so of four humours there engendered all the members are made fed moved and augmented the same agreeing in nature and number with the elements and producing effects in all answerable to them the upper part which is the seat of the heart may be compared to the middle Heaven the eighth sphere wherein the Stars are fixt which holding one even and constant motion giveth light and life to the world beneath through its rayes and comfortable influences so the heart being still in motion preserveth the whole body in life and health by sending forth the vitall spirits dispersing themselves into all the parts by veins and arteries Lastly the head the highest part of the body and noblest seat of the soul where she acteth
of Ionas Peter thought it of force to sink more than one Ship Luk. 5. for when two Ships fraught with Fish were ready to sink he fell down at the knees of Iesus and said Go from me O Lord for I am a sinfull man thinking that his sin had so endangered them Quest Though sin be as heavy as Salt sand Lead Iron of sufficient weight to sink Ships yea burden enough to sink the world what may the reason then be that many sinners are so merry and go so lightly away with it I answer with St Austin Resp. that the custome of sinning hath taken away the sense of sâ—n and so becoming ordinary it 's therefore not odious or irkesome by reason of custome and the help which Satan lends the sinner it seems no burden he feels not the weight of it sin setling it self in the heart it doth quiescere in propria sede rest in its proper place It is an axiome in Philosophy Elementa in loco proprio nòn ponderant that the Elements are not heavy in their own proper place as the air is not heavy nor any burden to the birds the water to the fishes the earth to worms or moles because they are in their proper places no more is sin heavy to a sinner setling it self in the heart where the element of sin is it weighs light and except the wrath of God fall upon the conscience sin lying in its Region the sinner never cries out like Cain Oh my sin is greater than I can bear Iudas his heart was laden with hypocrisie treason malice and covetousnesse enough to sink him down yet it was no burden to him till the wrath of God touched his conscience then it pressed him down to his own place 4. Sin is a debt Sin is a debt and the sinner is a debtor to God's Law and justice I have read of Augustus Cesar that hearing of a sale of goods belonging to a Gentleman of Rome that was deeply indebted Sueton. be demanded if the party used to sleep well saying that if he did he would buy his bed whatever it cost him for surely there was some extraordinary vertue in it and if Cesar thought a man could not sleep being indebted to men such as himself who at the most were able but to seize on his body then what may sinners think of themselves that are indebted to God more than they are able to pay and who is able to lay them fast and punish them in soul and body and that for ever and yet it may be feared that many men never break an hours sleep nor abridge themselves of any pleasure that cometh in their way for the matter the reason hereof is because they never cast about what it may cost them before they commit it being like a man riding crosse some great River or arm of the Sea with his face towards his Horse tail so as he never seeth nor feareth the danger he is to passe Vega in Psal 32. but only looks back to the banks from whence he came and whither he will not return and so at length his Horse failing him being tyred and able to swim no further both be drowned It is good therefore every day to look over our Debt-book that we may prevent running our selves into further arrear aâ—â—s for time to come and to spend all our time on the great businesse of our salvation he is a thriftlesse Farmer that suffers the debt of one year to run in another Struth observ Cent. 2. every day hath its own burden and how shall that crop discharge two years that payes not one By these Metaphors we see something of the nature of sin 2. Let us meditate on the number of our sins David that had not sinned so frequently as we have done yet when he takes a survey of the number of his sins he gives up this account Mine iniquities are moe in number than the hairs of my head they were so many that he could not count them upon which place Saint Austin hath this devout meditation August David saith he had little sins little and small as hairs but yet multiplying and encreasing as the hairs of his head and thus Chrysostome compareth sins to rags Chrysost to shew that as rags the longer they be worn the more they be encreased so sin the more it is practised the further it is enlarged and Bernard Bernard gives this advice When thou drawest near to God consider O Christian whether thou canst meet him with ten thousand sins repented of that cometh against thee with twenty thousand sins that thou never thoughtest of Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errours saith the Psalmist Who knows the nature of all his actions whether they be erronious or no warrantable or no indeed for the substantiall duties of a Christian he deserves not the name of a Christian that knows them not but for many particular Cases of conscience many Questions incident to the life of a Christian who can resolve them Some actions indeed are notoriously evil sins of the first magnitude such as are taxed and made manifest by the very Moon-light of nature some are oâ— weaker evidence as sins of infirmity some not discerned and scarce known as sins as sins of ignorance and incogitancy you may see them represented in three Parables Luk. 15. of the lost Son the lost sheep the lost piece of silver now draw out thy meditations and examine thy self see whether thou art not like the lost Son hast not thou often run away from thy Fathers house by wilfull rebellion and if not so yet mayest thou be as the lost sheep gone astray from thy God by a sin of infirmity and if not that yet who hath not been as the lost piece of silver have not many of thy actions slipt out of thy hand by incogitancy and ignorance 3. Meditate on the aggravations of your sins a sin that at first sight seems little yet by aggravation becometh exceeding sinfull though the substance of mens actions be good and their intentions good yet they may have some malignant circumstances that may blemish them Job respecting the substance of his actions and the good intentions of his heart cryes out O that I were weighed in a ballance but if he take in the erring circumstances then if he will be weighed he must follow Bernards advice The beam and standard must be the Cross of Christ and the worth of his merits must help down the weight or else it will be too light Gather together all the aggravating circumstrnces of thy sins meditate thus with thy self Such a sin I committed at such a time in such a place when I should have been better imployed I a man of such a Calling a Magistrate a Gentleman a Minister a professour of Religion a Father of children a Governour of a Family a Master of servants and so my example hath been an occasion of stumbling to many
degustabis and let this meditation chear the Saints of God how little soever they are in the worlds eye that one day they shall sit upon Thrones though now they lye among the Pots and like Job upon the dunghill yet one day they shall be gathered with Princes with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords therefore we should not think our selves Citizens of the world as the Heathen Philosophers did but Burgesses of Heaven as all the faithfull have done as Paul professeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our City-like conversation is in Heavâ—n Phil. 3.20 and then let us cry out Quousque Domine How long Lord make hast make no long tarrying Lord thou hast been the strength and food of all that travell by the way Cibus viatorum salus beatorum Fulgent so be now the Crown and glory of all that are come to the end of their way Chap. 9. Of timing our Meditations in the best manner 1. It is good to begin every year with holy meditations men usually handsell the year with some new-years gifts let us look higher even to God certainly this is our best newyears gift to give a heart to God fraught with heavenly meditations To this purpose such meditations as these are usefull namely to try one year by another whether grace thrive or decay in us to see according to our years what progresse we have made in the way to Heaven if for every year of our life we are passed a station of the wildernesse of this world to the heavenly Canaan if as our outward man decayes our inner man be renewed day by day it is of great advantage to Christians to begin the year with such meditations and better it is to fill our minds with these than our bellies with dainty food this work of meditation is a part of our yearly Rent to be paid to God every new year we renew the lease of our lives again of God and therefore pious meditations are a task answerable to such a time the new man in the beginning of the new-year is to meditate on his over year sins and heartily bewail them and repent of them to meditate on the renewing his Covenant with God for new obedience and according to the work of grace in him to strengthen his communion with God 2. It is good also to begin every day with meditation In the morning sow thy seed Eccles 11.6 Psal 130.6 David's meditations did prevent the morning watch his soul was flying to Heaven before the Sun was up or the morning got out of its bed and saith he Psal 139.18 When I awake I am still with thee to which Ambrose Ambros in Psal 36. It is good to set our souls in order every morning perfuming our spirits with some holy meditations Dr Sibs alluding saith Let a devoted spirit prevent the morning that it may be enlightned by Christ before the earth be illuminated by the rising of the Sun We bend our heart to God in the morning when we lift our heart to God and give him our first thoughts and affections then shall he fill us with his mercies in the morning that we may rejoyce all the day long Cicer. Tusc quaest l. 4. Demosthenes was troubled that a Smith should be at his Anvil before himself could be at his Study much more should it grieve us to be prevented by them Season your minds in the morning with such meditations as these 1. Meditate on the great favour which God hath vouchsafed to thee the night past and if thou hast not remembred God upon thy bed nor thy reins instructed thee in the night season and if God hath not been in all thy thoughts think of humbling thy self before him and crave his pardon 2. In the morning meditate thus with thy self this day is given me to give all diligence to make my calling and election sure to obtain eternall life to take a firm resolution to imploy my whole life to that purpose and to think seriously of the reckoning I must give to God 3. Meditate upon what affairs thou maist meet with the day following as helps or hindrances to thee in God's service use the best means offered to promote thy service of God and think how thou maist carefully resist and overcome whatever is contrary to God's glory and thy salvation 4. Meditate how unable thou art to perform any pious resolutions be they either to shun the evil or do the thing that is good and offer up thy heart in the morning with all thy holy purposes to the heavenly Majesty praying him to take it and them into his gracious protection 5. Think with thy self every morning this day for ought that I know may be my last day how ought I then so to spend this day as though death were presently to arrest me By these or the like morning meditations all that shall be done the day after may be bedewed with the blessing of Heaven As in the morning you are to take a spirituall repast by meditation so in the evening 't is necessary to take a devout and spirituall collation Isaac in my Text went out in the evening to meditate One adviseth that meditation be our key to open the morning and our lock to close the evening withall Get a little leisure after all your wordly imployments to call up your spirits to the consideration of some holy object which thou maist present to thy self simply by an inward cast of thy thought kindling the fire of meditation in thy heart by a few holy inspirations and ejaculations to the Lord either in repeating what thou hast best relished in thy morning meditations or by some other as thou best likest Now such meditations as these in the evening before our going to bed may not be unprofitable 1. To meditate on God's great goodnesse in preserving thee the day before from many troops of dangers that lay in ambuscado against thee 2. To meditate and examine thy self how thou hast carried thy self in every part of the day which to do the more easily you are to consider with whom and in what imployments you have been busied 3. If a man hath done any good to think of praising God for it if any ill in thought word or deed to be humbled and ask pardon for it with a resolution carefully to amend it 4. So to end the day in holy duties that by our morning exercise we may open the windows of our souls to the Sun of righteousnesse and going to take such rest as is necessary for us we shut them up against the Prince of darknesse Meditation is also a good night companion David would remember God upon his bed and meditate on him in the night watches Psal 63.6 Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy Word Psal 119.148 The night saith Chrysostome Chrysost ad popul Antioch Hom. 42. was not made to this purpose that we should sleep all the time and lye lolling on
our beds the manuary Trades and Horsekeepers and Merchants can witnesse as much unto us Rise thou at midnight as doth the Church mark the motion of the Stars the deep silence of all things then being their rest they then enjoy and admire the providence of God above then is thy soul more pure more light and subtil more lofty and quick the very darknesse it self and that great silence may induce thee to much contemplation and saith he further Look toward the City and thou shalt hear no noise at all cast thine eye on thine house and all thy family shall seem as if they lay in their graves or sepulchres all this may stir thee up to high and heavenly meditations and saith the same Father elsewhere Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 30. In the night no body is troublesome to us then have we a great tranquillity of our thoughts when our businesses are not troublesome when there is none that can hinder us from having accesse to God when our mind knittinâ— it self together is able diligently to makâ— reference of all to the Physitian of souls I shall not prescribe which of these is the fittest time for meditation but to me the morning seemeth to be the fittest but no time comes amisse to a prepared heart Chap. 10. An Exhortation to Meditation shewing also the necessity thereof Let me now exhort you to set about and to be frequent in this necessary duty of meditation Be often retiring your selves to God and breathing after him question him daily about thy salvation give him thy heart lift up thy soul to God cast thine inward eyes on his mercies give him thy hand as a little Child doth to his Father that he may lead thee and guid thee plant him in thy heart that God may be in all thy thâ—ughts make many motions in thy soul after him from every thing in the world may be presented many pious meditations and profitable discourses unhappy are they that use â—he creatures in turning them to sin and happy they that turn them to the meditation of God and his goodnesse This exercise of meditation is very necessary 1. Because much of the work of holy devotion consisteth in it it is that which may stand in stead of many other things but the lack of this can hardly be supplied by any other means for without this rest is but idlenesse pain taking but vexation 2. Meditation is necessary to beat down the flesh and to keep the sensuall appetite in subjection to the Law of the Spirit It is a great mischief saith Austin to enjoy those things we should but use and but use those things we should enjoy we should enjoy spirituall things and but use corporall which when the use is turned into enjoying our reasonable soul is turned into a bruitish and beast-like soul Animae viaticum est meditatio Bern. 3. Meditation is necessary to concoct the Word of God in our minds There are some that feel some tendernesse of spirit that will weep at a Sermon that one would think their hearts full of devotion but when it comes to the triall we find that as the sudden showers in the heat of Summer falling in great drops enter not but bring forth Toadstools or Mushromps so these tears falling on a vitious heart a heart not mollified by constant meditation the Word works not upon it but becomes unprofitable meditation softens the heart and fits it for any holy impression This made David cry out O Lord how sweet are thy words unto my tast they are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb and certainly the least comforts of the Word wrought in the heart by holy meditation are more worth than the most pleasing recreations in the world they that have tasted of them hold all other consolations to be but gall and wormwood in comparison of them Oh that now I could perswade men to this necessary duty of meditation withdraw your selves from your worldly affairs at least once a day for the exercise of meditation O holy soul saith Bernard O sancta anima fuge publicum fuge domesticos an nescis te verecundum habere sponsum c. Bern. shun publick places and the company of those of thy houshold knowest thou not that Jesus Christ thy Husband is bashfull and will not be familiar in company Come my beloved let us go forth into the field there will I give thee my loves Cant. 7.11 Chap. 11. Objections against setting about the practice of Meditation answered Object 1 But here some will be ready to say We are convinced that meditation is a necessary duty but it is a duty strange to us and that with which we are altogether unacquainted Resp The light though fair and pleasant to the eyes yet dimmest then after one hath been long in the dark before one cometh to be acquainted with the Inhabitants of any Countrey they will seem strange at first be they never so courteous so upon the change of thy life thou shalt find some inward alreration and in this generall adieu thou shalt give to the world and to all thy sins and foolish toyes thou shalt have some touch of grief and discontent but have but a little patience it is but a little astonishment the novelty brings thee passe that by and thou shalt receive many comforts and cordiall delights so pleasing and contenting that thou wilt esteem all other as nothing to them he that hath throughly tasted of this heavenly Manna cannot relish any worldly pleasures nor set his affections upon them the delights of holy meditation are the foretasts of those immortall delights that God gives to the souls of those that seek him Oh but saith the soul this mountain Object 2 of meditation is very high and the work is difficult how shall I be able to climb up this holy hill I am weak and unable for so high an exercise The work indeed seems harsh and difficult at first Resp. but when we are exercised therein it will be familiar with us The young Bees at first are called Nymphs and live on the honey that is in their Hives but when once their wings are grown out they fly abroad and gather honey for themselves on the flowers of the field and on the mountains It is true we are all Nymphs and worms in devotion at first not able to ascend this hill of meditation but when once we be formed in our desires and resolutions we then put fortâ— and so may hope to become spirituall Bees and then to fly higher and higher in our meditations in the mean time to feed on the honey of God's Word and of holy instructions praying to God to give us the wings of a Dove that we may swiftly and speedily fly unto him The greatest difficulty is in the first beginning of this exercise of meditation it being as one saith Io. Downham's guid to godlinesse so harsh to corrupt nature and so cross to carnall principles but the