to remove the evil or obtain the good proceeding from a broken and contrite heart The sixth is fervent Petition earnestly craving and begging this at the hands of God who is only able to effect it The last is chearful confidence raising and rousing up our souls after such doleful complaining hearty wishing humble confessing unfeigned acknowledging and serious stirring up our selves and earnest craving of what wee want grounded upon the most sweet and sure Promises of God made to them that call upon him in Faith and upon the experience which the Saints of God in all ages have had of the success of their sutes who were never sent empty away but either obtained that thing which they begged or that which was much better for them but these things are specially observed in Meditation upon some grace or sin as will bee made more evident and plain by examples and are not ever necessary that they should bee particularly observed Quest What is to bee observed for conclusion of this exercise A. First We must begin when the heart is fitly disposed or at least labour to bring it into order before wee set upon this duty and break off before the spirits bee dulled and tired otherwise we shall lose the comfort and sweetness of it Secondly It is not good suddenly or abruptly to break off except some unavoidable necessity of company or business do urge us thereunto Thirdly The conclusion of this exercise consists principally in these things 1 Hearty thanksgiving to God that hath vouchsafed in such gracious measure to assist us in the performing of this duty 2 Recommending our selves and our waies to him that our life and carriage and all our thoughts and actions afterwards may bee answerable to those heavenly thoughts and desires which wee have had and express in the performing of this duty 3 Renewing our covenant to live by Faith and to walk with God in all holy conversation Quest Declare this by some example and first how should wee meditate on God his infinite excellency Answ Entrance may be made thus into it Oh Lord my heart desires to commune with thee that I might come into better acquaintance with thy Majesty but of my self I have no ability to conceive what is right or to think a good thought concerning thy highness Teach mee therefore Oh gracious God if not to comprehend thine excellency for that is impossible yet so to confer with thee that I may apprehend in some measure how thou hast revealed thy self and what thou wilt bee unto mee that knowing thee in thy power goodness truth soveraignty and grace I may unfeignedly cleave unto thee all the daies of my life Quest How must wee proceed in this Meditation Answ Wee must consider of his titles properties and works observing how infinitely hee exceedeth what excellency soever is in any or all the creatures in the world a 1 Tim. 6.16 1 Joh. 4.12 Exod. 33.20 Oh Lord thou dwellest in the light unapproachable whom man never saw neither can see and live thou art incomprehensible by reason and unnameable by words thy name is wonderful and thy nature secret I cannot comprehend what thou art I will labour to know what thou hast revealed I am not able to behold thy face let mee see thy back-parts for this is my life and joy of heart to know thee the onely true God which springeth and increaseth daily as I come to the fuller knowledge of thee and shall bee infinite because thou art infinite I beleeve as thou hast taught mee according to my manner and measure that thou art a Spirit without beginning without cause the first and absolute being living in and of thy self giving being and life to all creatures infinite eternal incomprehensible Gen. 17.1 without composition one in essence and three in persons most perfect a meer act blessed and glorious all sufficient in thy self for us a great reward void of all possibility to bee what thou art not great in power infinite in wisdome abundant in goodness everlasting in compassion rich in mercy faithful sincere constant in thy promises unchangeable in thy love gentle easie to bee entreated just and righteous in all thy Commandements and Proceedings the most absolute universal soveraignty of all things both in Heaven and Earth Thy name is wonderful in all the world for thou hast created all things and by thy appointment they continue unto this day Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth thou hast stretched forth the heavens as a curtain Job 9.7 8 c. and in them or dained a Tabernacle for the Sun Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the proud waves are quelled by thy command the day is thine the night also is thine the Moon and Stars are the work of thine hands Thou thunderest from Heaven by thy voice and bringest the winds out of their treasure thou breakest up the deep and causest the springs to ascend in the vallies Thou causest the grass to grow upon the mountains and satisfiest with thy goodness every living thing The earth Oh Lord is full of thy goodness but thy glory shines most bright in the assembly of thy Saints Oh what wisdome power grace mercy love long-suffering hast thou manifested in Jesus Christ the brightness of thy glory the image of the invisible God what great admirable things hast thou done for thy people thou hast reconciled them being enemies redeemed them being bond-slaves justified them being sinners of vassals of Satan thou hast adopted them to bee thy sons of unclean and polluted thou hast washed and made them clean Thou guardest them with thy Angels protectest them against dangers feedest them with fatness and marrow and hast reserved for them the Kingdome of Heaven All thy Works praise thee Oh Lord and thy Saints bless thee Great is the power wisdome holiness and glory of the heavenly Angels but they are finite created dependent great immortal glorious by participation only not able to behold the glory of God great is the renown dignity dominion of earthly Monarchs but their persons are mortal their glory fading their Dominion temporary their power limited what they are they have by deputation during pleasure As for our God hee is an infinite eternal absolute independent soveraign His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and his Dominion endureth throughout all ages Psa 90.1 2 Before the foundations of the earth were laid and ere the mountains were formed from everlasting to everlasting thou art God But Lord thine excellency far exceedeth all that I can conceive for what can a finite understanding comprehend of an infinite being I know very little of thy waies much less of thy nature yea what thou hast revealed of thy self in thy Word doth rather make known what thou wilt bee to thy people than what thou art in thy self As the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are thy waies higher than our waies and thy thoughts than our thoughts Quest How
largely to discourse upon them Sixthly Variety of matter is very profitable for often iteration of the same thing breeds heartlesness It is with Meditation as with medicines which with over ordinary use lose their soveraignty and kill in stead of purging Quest What are the benefits of Extemporary Meditation Answ 1 It fits for setled Meditation as it furnisheth with matter and prepareth the heart to commune with God as oft salutations makes way to familiar conference Hee that observeth the Lord in all his dealings and makes spiritual use of earthly things shall with more ease finde and fasten his heart upon some good matter and have it at command to attend upon the Lord in most serious Communication Secondly It kindles the graces of the Spirit which might otherwise bee damped with the foggy mists of earthly cares and vain delights As the fire gathers that which causeth it to burn faster so the Spirit raiseth holy thoughts upon outward occasions which do revive the grace wee have received Thirdly Since the greatest part of our life is spent in worldly affairs unless wee lift up our hearts to God upon occasions offered in our callings journies and such like wee shall deprive our souls for the most part of sweet fellowship and communion and company with the Lord. Fourthly If God walk along with us in the labours of our callings is it not an offence in us to take no notice or observation of his presence Fifthly Occasional Meditation is a sharp spur and strong provocation to prayer and praise Hee cannot want matter of thanksgiving or supplication that conscionably observeth and considereth the goodness of the Lord towards him in the things of this life and infirmities of the creature and his own inability of himself to effect or bring any thing to pass Sixthly It furthers much to bring us to the knowledge of our selves and to encrease humility self-ignorance is a disease most dangerous the daughter of corruption infidelity forgetfulness pride presumption earthly-mindedness flattery bad company ill examples and custome in sin One special Remedy of this over-spreading malady is oft and diligent Meditation of the things that shall happen fall out or be presented to us in our daily vocations Seventhly The thoughts of this nature are not onely lawful but so behooveful that wee cannot omit them without neglect of God his creatures our selves the creatures are half lost if wee onely imploy them not learn something of them God is wronged if his creatures bee unregarded our selves most of all if wee read this great volume of the creatures and take out no lesson for our instruction Quest How should a man fit himself for extemporary Meditation Answ First Hee must get an heart desirous to reap profit by every thing that doth befall him Love of wealth draws the covetous to study how he might turn all things to his advantage and love of grace will produce the same effects in her kind Secondly Hee must learn to read the power goodness bounty and wisdome of the Lord written in fair characters in the large volume of the creatures and in every leaf and line thereof The fire hail snow rain dew frost yea herbs plants fish and fowl praise the Lord that is give occasion to man to magnifie the name of God Psal 8.1 2 3. who is great and excellent Thirdly Let him make spiritual use of earthly things and mark how the one is resembled and shadowed forth in the other And to this end it is good to observe the parables and similitudes and borrowed phrases in Scripture whereby a Christian may soon furnish himself in this point Fourthly It must bee remembred that in every thing the wise just powerful and good providence of God doth over-rule this perswasion rooted in the heart draws a man to acknowledge the hand of God in whatsoever happeneth great or small Quest What is solemn or settled Meditation Answ It is a purposed and advised bending of the mind to consider and muse on some good and wholesome matter with resolution to work the heart into an holy temper to which end wee separate our selves from all companies and occasions that might distract us Quest What Motives should perswade Christians to set upon this duty Answ Besides the benefits before mentioned which principally belong to solemn Meditation these considerations may bee of force to quicken us First Wee must exercise our selves in the Word of God with care and diligence that it may sink into us abide with us quicken and conform and strengthen us Wee are commanded to treasure up and feed upon the Word of Life Psal 119.11 Isa 8.16 Luke 11.28 Rev. 1.3 Binde up the Testimony seal up the Law among my Disciples Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it Blessed are they who read and they who hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things that are written therein James 1.21 Receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is so called because it should abide in our hearts like a Siens in a stock and never bee removed but there grow and fructifie unto eternal life But the Word cannot take root bee remembred digested wee cannot feed upon it without Meditation Mat. 24.15 Let him that readeth consider and understand Secondly The Scriptures were written to bring us to happiness to fellowship and communion with God to everlasting life They set forth the way to blessedness and direct how wee may bee partakers of glory Rev. 1.3 Joh. 20.31 1 Joh. 1.3 And if wee be not careless of the salvation of our souls wee must search into this Mine as well by Meditation as reading or hearing Quest What things must bee looked unto that this exercise might bee taken in hand with good success Answ Choice of good matter fit place due time holy entrance orderly proceeding and seasonable meet conclusion Quest What rules are to bee observed touching the choice of matter Answ The matter of Meditation must be some good and profitable thing as God himself his attributes titles properties works of mercy and judgement creation and providence his Word Threatnings Promises Commandements our own unworthiness mortality the afflictions and manifold changes of this life and how we may go thorow them with comfort But out of this variety make choice of some one to bee the subject of thy discourse for hee that is every where is no where Nothing is more hurtful to the body than many medicines The sore to which sundry kinds of plaisters are applied is hardly brought to a scar Nihil tam utile est quod in transitu profit Senec Think upon one thing until thy affections be wrought upon Nothing is so profitable that it can benefit much in passing by hee that comes by the fire may feel a glympse of heat hee onely is warmed that tarrieth at it It is the property of a weak stomach to taste many things to hold and digest nothing Many matters thrust upon us at
Thus man was made the wonder of the world the principallest of living creatures indued with a reasonable soul most divinely qualified and strictly united to that earthly mass to quicken and inliven it The end why man was made in respect of God was the glory of his power goodness and wisdome appearing in the work it self of his justice in rewarding man if obedient and in punishing man if disobedient of his grace and mercy redeeming him fallen into the gulf of misery and that man should praise and magnifie his glorious name In respect of man that hee should live blessedly for ever if hee did obey man by creation was immortal for death is an enemy no consequent of nature but a companion of sin man dieth not because his body was framed of the dust 1 Cor. 15.26 but because hee is infected with sin Subjection to mortality and all miseries accompanying it is a fruit of disobedience Hee is reasonable and intelligent able to think invent judge devise compose discourse remember chuse refuse suspend and affect These powers being essential to mans nature do still remain but very weak and corrupt since the fall Also to man is given power to eat drink sleep weep laugh and speak whereby hee may communicate to others whatsoever hee conceiveth hee was perfectly conformable to the will of God made after the Image of God in knowledge righteousness and true holiness But the Image of God is defaced with sin there remaining onely some reliques in us as the ruines of a magnificent and stately palace that served to shew what once wee had Moreover in the state of innocency man was honoured with great Royalties and Prerogatives for hee had liberty to eat of every tree in the Garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil and was made ruler over all earthly creatures that hee might freely use them to the glory of God his own necessity and lawful pleasure But these priviledges hee hath forfeited by rebellion against his Creator The effects of man are suitable to the faculties and gifts hee hath received as to know God call upon his name worship him sincerely preach the Word administer the Sacraments govern give counsel contemplate the works of God read write confer and dispute exercise the works of virtue and honesty govern the affections reverence superiors live peaceably and such like But in all these things wee have much dis-inabled our selves by wilful disobedience Would you see the prime dignity of man by comparison In soul hee is like the Angels invisible immaterial immortal beautified with understanding will and power inriched with admirable divine gifts whereby hee resembleth God or carrieth his Image In body hee is the perfection of all earthly things whom they are to serve In both hee is the Epitome of all created excellency in Heaven and Earth Quest How must these things bee applied unto the heart for the quickening of affection Answ Wee must stir up our selves to magnifie the goodness of the Lord towards man-kind to shame our selves in conscience of our sins and misery raise up the heart to the contempt of earthly things and love of obedience and seek unto God to have his Image repaired in us again through Jesus Christ Lord Psal 8.4 5 6 c. what is man that thou visitest him the son of man that thou so regardest him Thou hast made him little inferiour to the Angels adorned him with grace stamped upon him thy Image invested him with dignity and crowned him with glory and honour Thou hast given him Dominion over the work of thy hands and put all things in subjection under his feet Thou hast made him for thy service his soul to bee thy habitation his body to bee the Temple of thy spirit and all other things to bee serviceable unto him the world and all that is therein for his use All things are prepared for him all things are subject to him hee ruleth over all living creatures they labour for him obey his command Lord thou art the glory of man man the receptacle of thy works thy wisdome and power But as mine excellency by creation exceeds so doth my shame and misery by sin and disobedience The higher mine advancement the lower my fall This was my chief honour and title that I was the Image of God This is my disgrace and ignominy that I bear the Image of the Devil This is my comfort that God did love delight and desire to dwell in mee it is my misery that I am cast out of thy favour and lye under wrath Ah what grief is this to think how my condition is altered through my foolishness once immortal now mortal once pure now impure and polluted once rich in wisdome and grace now blinde and naked once the Image and free servant of God now the vassal of Satan once at peace with God my conscience all creatures now at war with his Majesty my self all the world Once a free man to walk at liberty now a bondslave that can doe nothing but sin once the Ruler of all creatures now of all creatures the basest Satan excepted once subject to no annoyance now secure from nothing that might offend If a Noble man fall from height of honour to great contempt and bitter extremities hee is much afflicted much greater cause have I to bemoan my folly who have cast my self headlong from Heaven unto Earth even to the gulf of misery and confusion Oh my soul why dost thou forget thy self so much as to affect the base things of this life It is a shame for him that was to subdue all things to suffer himself to bee subdued by men and to become a Lacquey to his vile affections doing honour to the three great Idols of the world profit pleasure and preferment The world is too vile for thy delight thou art created for more divine service the Lord himself covets thy love The glory of the world is put under thy feet as things to bee trodden upon that which thou shouldest affect is far above heavenly and glorious If the fashion of the body should bee so changed that the face and eyes bowed to the earth continually should never bee able to look up it would bee grievous But if the soul which should bee lifted up to God do creep upon earth bee glued to worldly vain delights the alteration is more uncomfortable and monstrous Hee that subdueth the world doth yeeld himself to the service of God which is perfect liberty But when wee become slaves to the world wee labour to make God servant to our lusts which is most abominable and accursed The glutton makes God his caterer his belly his God and himself the guest The covetous worldling would have God his Broker and himself the Usurer The angry sinner would have God his executioner and himself the Judge The ambitious inquisitor can sometimes make God and Religion his stile but honour shall bee his God and lust reign The Lord himself