CHRIST And the COVENANT THE Work and Way of Meditation Gods Return to the Soul or Nation Together with his Preventing Mercy Delivered in Ten SERMONS VIZ. 1. Christs Personal Excellencies the Object of of our Love 2. Christ crucified the Object of our Faith 3. The New Covenant of Grace opened 4. Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant 5. The Way and Spirit of the New Covenant or New Testament 6. The Blood of Sprinkling 7. The sweetness and profitableness of Divine Meditation 8. The Work and Way of this Meditation 9. Gods Return to the Soul and Nation 10. Preventing Mercy By W. B. LONDON Printed for N. Ranew and J. Robinson at the Angel in Jewen-street 1667. To the READER Courteous Reader THese Ten Sermons lately taken by an expert band as they fell from the mouth of the sweet Preacher of them contain so great a variety of Heavenly matter so much of the very marrow and quintessence of the Gospel that thou wilt no sooner begin to read them but wilt presently find that the heart of the Reverend Author of them hath lay'n long asoke in the blood of Jesus and that he hath been no stranger to his very bosome Love Buy them therefore with what speed thou canst and read them over diligently it will be a good bargain for thy Soul and one of the Richest Commodities that ever thou mettest with at so cheap a Rate It is put into so small a Letter and Bulk purposely for thy better accommodation and that not only in the ease of thy Purse but principally that thou mayest make it as well thy Pocket as thy Hearts Companion where e're thou goest Farewell The Reader is desired to Correct or Pardon these few faults or any other literal mistakes that he meets with PAge 17. line 9. for love read heart p. 20. l. 25. f. love r. good p. 21. in the Title f. faith r. love p. 25. l. 4. f. think r. thing p. 29. l. 23. f. cleary r. clearly p. 32. in the Title f. Christs r. Christ p. 35. l. 15. f. Elias r. Eli. p. 41. l. 25. f. gorw r. grow p. 43. l. 9. for spirit r. sight p. 64. l. 1. f. for r. if p. 100. l. 27. f. for lo. p. 355. l. 22. f. when r. where p. 356. l. 25. f. Samaritans r. the Samaritans p. 367. l. 24. f. dange r. danger p. 371 l. 9. f. with that r. what is that p. 378 l. 24. f. when r. where p. 384 l. 12. leave out your p. 388 in the title f. and r. of p. 389 l. 15. leave out be p. 397 l. 6. leave out a. p. 403. l. 12. leave out and. p. 409 l. 7. f. uno r. unto p. 419 l. 28. f. a r. the and line 29. leave out therefore p. 426 l. 23. f. so r. see p. 445 in the title for wory r. work p. 451 l. 8. f work r. want p. 455 l. 25. for aytance r. assistance p. 476 l. 12. for not gone r. not so gone l. 19. for not gone r. not so gone p. 487 l. 23. for ere r. or Christs Personall Excellencies the object of our Love SERMON I. John 14.28 â—f ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater than I. THese words are part of the last sweet Sermon which our Saviour Preached unto his Disciples before his Death and departure from them wherein he labours to allay their sorrow and grief upon the â—ccasion of his departure Therefore he tells them 〈◊〉 the second Verse In my Fathers house are many manâ—s and at the third Verse I go to prepare a place for 〈◊〉 Then he tells them at the 16 17 18 verses that 〈◊〉 would send them another Comforter and I will not leave 〈◊〉 comfortlesse I will come unto you Then he labours to perswade them unto comfort 〈◊〉 their protestation of their own Love unto him 〈◊〉 say you love me saith he If ye loved me yo would reâ—e because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is â—ter than I. â—f ye loved me that is If you loved me so much as you should 'T is usuall with Scripture to speak of thingâ— absolutely when they are meant câ—mparatively If you loved me so much as you proâ—esse and so much as you should for they did love him If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I go unto mâ— Father Joy is the top of Comfort as Comfort is the top oâ— Peace Joy is the cream of Comfort If ye loved me ye would be so far from being troubled at my going that you would be very much comforted for I gâ— unto my Father who is greater than I Than I am aâ— Mediatour who upon my coming to him will exaâ— me and therefore if ye loved me ye would ratheâ— rejoyce because I go unâ—o my Father who is greatâ— than I From whence then I take up this Doctrine Doct. That true love unto the Person of Christ wâ— make us rejoyce in his Personall Exaltment thou it may be in some respects unto our debasement or prâ—sent losse For the opening and prosecuting whereof 1. We must enquire what there is in Christ's gâ—â—ing to the Father that is matter of our Rejoycing 2. I shall labour to shew you that 't is our duty rejoyce in the Personall Exaltment of Christ thoâ— in some respects it may be to our own losse and â—basement 3. That true love to the Person of Christ will 〈◊〉 able us to do this 4. That 't is possible that Christ's own and 〈◊〉 Disciples may be wanting in their Love to Chriâ— Person 5. What an excellent thing it is to love the Pâ—son of Christ rather than the benefits of Christ To have our hearts drawn out in Love to his Person more excellent than to have a love to him upon the account of benefits And 6. What we should do that our hearts may be drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ so as we may be able to rejoyce in his exaltment though to our own debasement First If you ask what there is in Christ's going to the Father that is matter of our Rejoycing of a Disciples rejoycing I answer much every way much in reference to our own concernments much in reference to the concernments of Christ much in reference to the concernments of God the Father As for our own concernments First If Christ had not gone unto the Father his â—atisfaction for our sins had not been accepted nor â—ur Redemption perfected Heb. 9.12 Neither by the blood of Goats and Calves but by his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained eternal Redempâ—ion for us It doth relate and allude unto the manner of the Old Testament when the blood of Goats â—nd Calves was poured out the Priest took the blood â—nd carried it into the holy of holyest and sprinkled the merâ— Seat But though the blood of Bulls or Calves had â—een poured out yet if the Priest had not
Reward Christ himself had All love of reward is not Mercenary But for a man to serve God mostly chiefly onely upon the account of wages and for reward this is plainly Legal A man of a Gospel spirit knows that he lives upon a better Purse than all his own earnings can amount unto But 2. A legal Spirit also is a fearing Spirit put on rather by the Threatning than by the Promise a Gospel spirit rather by the promise than the threatning In the times of the Old Testament the Threatning reigned And if you look into Deuteronomy you shall find that when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached and declared the mind of God unto the people he begins with Curses and Threatnings Deut. 27. They were upon two Hills and v. 14. The Levites shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice Cursed be the man that maketh any Graven or Molten Image an abomination unto the Lord. Cursed be he that setteth â—eight by his Father or his Mother And Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbours Land-mark and so he goes on with Curses In the 28. Chap. then comes the blessings It shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice â—f the Lord thy God to observe and do to all his Commandments which I command thee this day That the Lord thy God will set thee on High above all Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy Cattel the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy Sheep Mark how the Blessing comes after First comes the Curse when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached But now look into the 5th of Matth. and ye find that when Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant comes to preach that he begins with Blessing Blessed are the poor in spirit and blâ—ssed are the meek and blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness and blessed and blessed First comes the blessing and then afterwards in the following part of the Chapter comes the Law and the curse And if you look into this Scripture you find the difference also for saith the Apostle here We are not come unto the Mount that might be touched that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet and the voice of words which they could not endure so terrible was the sight thereof But ye are come to mount Sion Would you know the difference between the dispensations the one is terrible the other comfortable The one is fearing and the other comforting Look in the 10th of Rom. The Apostle there also makes the difference between the Spirit of the Law and the Gospel Moses saith he v. 5. describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them Do and live but at the 6. verse The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven It don't hold the soul in suspence and anxiety and fear and trouble Christ hath ascended and Christ hath descended Quest But you will say May not a man that is of a Gospel spirit and that is come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant be full of fears May not a good and gratious soul be full of fears about his condition Answ I answer He may but his fears do arise from the weakness of his Adherence and Faith The other's fears do rather arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon As for example Two men are affraid of drowning one stands upon a Rock and he is affraid of being drown'd the other stands upon a Quick-sand and he 's affraid of being drown'd both are affraid He that stands upon a Rock is affraid of drowning why because he is affraid he shall be washt off His fear arises from the weakness of his Adherence But the other's fear arises from the unsoundness of the ground he stands upon for it is upon a Quick-sand So here are two fears a gracious Gospel-heart fears and a Legalist fears One fears from the weakness of his Adherence I am upon the Rock but I am affraid I shall be washt off But the other's fears arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon he stands upon the Quick-sand upon his own duties and his own works so that a legal Spirit is a fearing Spirit He is put on rather by the Threatnings than the Promise The other by the Promise rather than the Threatning The one is kept from evil by his delight in good and the other is put on to good by his fear of evil That 's the second 3. In the times of the Old Testament they did very much measure the love of God by outward things For the Promises as you know then were mostly concerning Temporal things and so they measured the love of God much by those outward things But now in the times of the New Testament our Promises are mostly spiritual and therefore a New Testament spirit measures the love of God most by Spiritual things and not by these outward things 4. A legal Old Testament spirit trades much or most or altogether with conditional Promises for the Old Covenant Promises were most conditional and ran conditionally But now when God promises the New Covenant he gives out an absolute Promise and therefore a New Testament spirit trades much with absolute promises For he knows and you may know that though a promise be conditional the Lord hath promised the very condition in another Scripture and that without a condition And he knows and you may know that when God gives a promise with an Oath though the promise do run conditionally it shall be fulfilled absolutely 5. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the promise for Christ was not yet come but promised But now in the times of the New Testament we come first to Christ and so unto the Promise for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ 6. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the Law and without the Law they might not come to Christ For the Law was a School-master for to bring to Christ But now in the time of the New Testament The Law is not our School-master for to bring to Christ And though seldome any go to Heaven but come by the gates of Hell And seldome men do come to Christ now but they have some
commanded by Moses in the Old-Testament and go unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament for grace to perform them There is nothing commanded in the Old Testament but it 's promised in the New There is nothing commanded by Moses in the Old Testament but Christ the Mediator of the New Testament is ingaged to perform it for you and to give you grace to do it The Law commands and Grace helps The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth comes by Jesus Christ Observe therefore what that is that is commanded by Moses in the Old and go to Jesus the Mediator of the New for Grace and Strength to do the same 3. Then be sure that you stand when the Spirit breathes Now the Spirit breaâ—hes in the pure and clean preaching of the Gospel Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith VVould you be brought off from Moses and stand clear from Moses choose to stand under such a Preaching where the Spirit breathes and that 's a Gospel Preaching 4. Then put your selves upon the stream of the free Grace of God without having any foot on your own bottom Some men will learn to swim and they are loth to lean themselves upon the stream of the water but keep a foot at the bottom and they never learn to swim till they take up the foot Some would fain be Evangelical but they cannot lean themselves upon the stream of Grace but keep a foot at the bottom still upon some thing of their own Some there are that do and work and when they can work no further then they eke it out with Christ's Mediation So indeed they make the Mediation of Christ but an Eekment to their own working But away with these Eekments Oh let Christ be all let Christ be all And therefore 5. Study much the body of Jesus and the allsufficiencie of the Mediation of this Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant The sight of Gods Alsufficiencie will draw one off from the Creature And the sight of the Alsufficiencie of the Mediation of Christ will draw one off from Moses Put thy self often unto this Disjunction Come O my soul either there is enough in the Mediation of Jesus or not If not enough why do I go unto Christ at all if there be enough why should I not stand clear from Moses and upon pure Gospel ground Thus therefore do Quest But Suppose I have come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant what should I do that I may walk up unto this condition What should I do and how should I so walk as one that is indeed come unto Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant that yet I may stand upon Gospel ground and not touch at all upon Moses Answ First If you be indeed come unto Jesus this Mediator of the New Covenant and would walk sutably thereunto VVhy then should you not still throng and press after the Appointments Institutions and Ordinances of Jesus The Law and the Prophets were untill John but from John the Baptist the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence that was sutable to the Gospel And what was the suffering violence but peoples pressing after the Gospel So now to press after the Kingdom of Heaven suites with a Gospel state to press after the Ordinances and Appointments of Jesus suites with a Gospel staâ—e But secondly Labour more and more for to know your Christian â—iberty in Conjunction with strictness of life Some there are that are very strict in their lives but they don't know their Christian lâ—berty some again know their Christian liberty yet abate in their strictness of life But blessed is that knowledge of our Christian liberty that is in conjunction with more strictness of life Oh blessed blessed is that knowledge of our Christian liberty where strictness of life and holiness grow up together with it Therefore I say labour more and more to know your Christian liberty in conjunction with strictness and holiness of life this suites a Gospel state then shall you do as those that are come unto Jesus But then Thirdly In regard of your Faith Be sure that you close with Christ himself the absolute Promise and live in continual dependence upon Christ this Jesus this Mediator For as living upon an old Stock and a Stock received suited with a covenant of works So living in continual dependence upon Jesus for fresh Grace suites with this covenant of Grace whereof he is Mediator Fourthly In regard of your repentance and sorrow for sin the more your hearts do melt and thaw under sense of love that you have sin'd against God For the Law rends and tears but the Gospel melts and thaws The more that you grieve for sin and rejoyce in God together The more you grieve for sin that is pardoned and because 't is pardoned For a legal Spirit grieves for sin onely that it may be pardoned but a Gospel spirit because it is pardoned And the more you grieve for sins that are secret the sins of your spirits especially unbelief For saith Christ I say unto you he that locketh upon a woman c. The more I say you are found doing these things in reference to your Repentance the more your Repentance suits with the Gospel and with a Gospel state And then Fifthly As to the matter of your Obedience 1. The more gracious you are upon the account of Grace the more Evangelical And 2. The more free you are in your actings towards God the more Evagelical those that Jesus makes free are free indeed Free Not from duty but free in duty free from sin but not free to sin A legal Spirit is restrained from evil and constrained to good Labour to be free in all your actings towards God And 3. Then again The more you are conformed unto God the Father who hath given you this Mediator and to Jesus this Mediator the more Evangelical you are and the more you suite with this Gospel state unto which you are come Now a man is conformed unto God the Father when he doth good to men for evil Bless them that curse you so shall ye be the children of your Father Then a man is conformed to Jesus this Mediator when his life is inammeled with Meekness and Humility Learn of me saith Christ for I am meek and lowly Friends the Law frets and the Gospel sweetens 4. And then In case that you have to deal with the things of the wâ—rld The more you are estranged from the world by Faith and can forsake the things thereof for Christ and his Wayes and Truth bearing witness to his Truth and wayes the more you comply and comport with a Gospel state If thou wilt be perfect saith Christ to that Legalist go and sell all that thou hast and come and follow me and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven And In case that you meet with sufferings look upon all your sufferings as part of Christs purchase for you Your
Blood of the Lamb. They have washed their Robes how what with their great Tribulations No They came out of great Tribulations but their Tribulations dont wash them these are they that came out of great Tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Nothing on this side Christ and this blood of sprinkling can cleanse your souls But 4. Though there be nothing on this side Christ that can cleanse your souls but the blood of Jesus yet it is the Spirit of Christ that must sprinkle it The blood of Jesus is then sprinkled when it is applied now this is the work of the Holy Ghost I will sprinkle you with clean water I le wash you with water As it is a derogation to the blood of Christ to go to any else for cleansing So 't is a derogation to the Spirit of Christ to go to any else for sprinkling or to go to any else for that application of the Blood of Christ 'T is onely the Spirit of Christ that must sprinkle this blood upon your and my soul 5. Though this sprinkling must be done only by the Spirit Yet notwithstanding this blood of Jesus is sprinkled by the ordinance in the hand of the Spirit by the preaching of the Gospel He preaches not that sprinkles not the blood of Christ in preaching and especially by that great ordinance of the Lords Supper You may observe therefore that the same words that were used in the Old Testament when they sprinkled the blood This is the blood of the Covenant as in the 9th of the Hebrews are used by our Saviour Christ at the Lords Supper This Cup is the New Testament in my blood c. Why so but to shew thus much that this ordinance of the Lords Supper is the Hysop in the hand of the Spirit whereby the souls of believers are sprinkled with a fresh sprinkling Oh therefore who would not come to this ordinance of the Lords supper in a right way and manner 6. But then again you must knâ—w â—lso that you must come for sprinkling with the great'st sense of unworthines that may be Iâ— you look into the 19th of Numb you shall find that he that sprinkâ—â—d the blood was to be unclean until the evening v. 7. Then the Priest shall wash his cloaths and he shâ—l bâ— tâ—e his flesh in Wâ—ter and afterward he shall come into the Camp And the Priest shall be unclean until the evening At v. 6. The Priest shall take Cedar-wood and Hysop and Scarlet and cast it into the midst of the burning or the Heifer and then the Priest shall wash his cloaths and come into the Camp and shall be unclean until the evening And at the 8th v. He that burneth her shâ—ll wash his cloathes in Water and bathe his flesh in Water and shall be unclean until the evening And a man that is clean shall gather up the Ashes of the Heifer and lay them up without the Camp in a clean place and it shall be kept for the Congregation of the children of Israel for a Water of separation It is a purification for sin and he that gathereth the Ashes of the Heifer shall wash his cloaths and be unclean until the evening What 's all this but to shew thus much That they might not come to this sacred Expiation but with the greatest sense of their unworthiness Plainly shewing thus much That there is no medling with this blood of sprinkling but with the greatest sense of our unworthiness of the blood of Jesus Now therefore do you desire that you may be sprinkled with this blood of sprinkling then whensoever you go to the blood of Jesus and look upon it go with the greatest sense of your unworthiness of this blood then go to the Spirit of God whose work alone it is to apply and sprinkle and then stand and wait where the Spirit stands with his Hysop to sprinkle the souls of men and so shall you be made partakers of this great priviledge But suppose that I be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and that this blood of sprinkling hath indeed fallen upon my soul what is my duty then 1. Then Go away and doubt no more When the sinning Jew was sprinkled do you think he doubted whether he were pardoned or no No surely he did believe that he was pardoned and that he was in Covenant with God For those words were used This is the Blood of the Covenant And shall you be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus and will you doubt whether you be in Covenant with the Lord by Grace or no c. This blood of sprinkling speaketh and you have heard what it speaks now then I pray take heed that you don't refuse him that speaketh from Heaven mark how it follows in the very next words to the Text We are come to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Why man or woman 't is Jesus that speaketh to thee Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant that speakes unâ—o you to believe What are you sprinkled go away then and doubt no more but take heed that ye refuse not him that speaketh from Heaven And secondly Then also conclude and say Now know I that I shall be preserved from the destroyer When the Isralites posts were sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb They could say Now know I that I shall not be destroyed by this destroying Angel Art thou sprinkled with the blood of Jesus say then Now know I that I shall not be destroyed but that the Angel shall pass over me in the destroying day 3. Then also go away and be Contented with your Condition what ever it be And well you may if you be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus you are made partakers of the greatest priveledg that can be and will you not then be contented with your Condition Go away and be contented with your Conditions saying I have now received the greatest privelege for I am sprinkled with the blood of Jesus therefore will I be contented with my Condition What ever it be 4. And then go away and praise God and be very thankful Be very thankful to God the Father and to the Lamb with whose blood you are sprinkled Look into the 5th Rev. and you shall find there are 3 quires of Praisers and all praising upon the account of this blood And when he had opened the book v. 9. the 24. Elders fell down before the Lamb and they sung a new song The four and twenty Elders these are men saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood By thy bloud here 's the foot of the Song Then comes in the
the Description of a godly man He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate Hereby then you shall have a testimony in your own hearts that you are truly godly But you shall not only have a testimony that you are truly godly but practise it and thereby you shall be very godly for the more constant you are in godliness the more godly you are By the work of Meditation you will be constant in the work of Godliness The more extensive your godliness is the more godly you are Now by meditation you can extend your thoughts beyond your hands As by sinful musings a man can extend his thoughts beyond his power to practice so by meditation on God and the things of God a man may extend his thoughts concerning godliness beyond his power to act As in sin a man by his thoughts may be naught where he hath not an outward power to be naught so by holy meditation a man may be good where he hath not a power in his hand to practise The Psalmist saith in the 45th Psalm The Kings Daughter is all glorious within her garment is of wrought gold vers 13. Her clothing is of wrought gold is not that glorious clothing is outward but saith he she is all glorious within 'T is not the wrought gold without makes her glorious but she is all glorious within Though the garment and though her clothing be of wrought gold yet her glory lyes within Here lies the glory of a Christian to be glorious within And how can we have this inward Holiness Grace and goodness and Glory unless we be versed in this work of Meditation 6. Thereby also you shall offer up your selves unto divine Imbraces and upon this ground of Meditation will God give out his loves unto you In Cant. 7. saith Christ There will I give thee my Loves v. 12. There where Let us get up early to the Vineyards let us see if the Vine flourish whither the tender Grap appear and the Pomgranates bud forth Here 's the publick Assembly What 's this to meditation Yes in the former v. Come my beloved let us go forth into the Field let us lodg in the Villages places of Retirement There will I give thee my Loves upon the ground of Retirement There will he give forth his loves O! What a great mercy is here by this work of Meditation you do not onely offer up your selves unto Divine imbraces But There upon Meditation-ground will God give out his loves unto you 7. Thereby also your souls and hearts shall be subdued unto God As in sin so here Friends It is not a sinful thought that doth subdue my heart into sin 't is not a sinful suggestion that subdues my heart into sin But A Complacential dwelling of sinful thoughts in my heart subdues my heart into sin So 't is not a transient good thought that will subdue the soul or the heart unto God but it is a Complacential dwelling of good thoughts in the heart that doth subdue the heart unto God and that 's done by Meditation Thereby therefore I say Your very hearts shall be subdued unto the Lord Oh what a mercy is this 8. By this work of meditation on God and the things of God You shall live on God Possibly a man may come to the Court where the King is and not live upon the King because he don't stay there but those that stay at the Court they live upon the King for they stay there Now by a thought I don't stay upon God but by a frequeut meditation on God I shall live in God for then I stay by God and I do stay on him 9. Thereby also you shall have a constant relief against all your afflictions both inward and outward Inward Psal 143. Have mercy upon me O Lord for saith he v. 4. My spirit is overwhelmed within me my heart within me is desolate What then I remember the dayes of old I meditate on all thy works Here lies the relief against spiritual fears and overwhelmings of soul even to meditate on God as one ought to do in a right manner I am overwhelmed but I 'le meditate on all thy works and muse on the work of thy hands As for the Outward afflictions Psal 119. the place cited before v. 23. Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy Servant did meditate in thy Statutes Reproach from an ordinary man is affliction enough but for Kings and Princes to speak against one this is a great matter What relief then But thy servant did meditate on thy Statutes So that by this you have a constant relief against both outward and inward afflictions And 10. Thereby also you shall be freed from that unkindness that God will take at your hands if you don't meditate on him and the things of God Friends If you don't meditate on God and the things of God God will take it very unkindly at your hands What man that is abroad beyond Sea hearing that his wife frolicks it at home and never thinks on him will not take it unkindly We are absent now from God and to frolick and be vain and go up and down and have no thoughts on God no meditation on God How unkindly must God take this at our hands 'T is a sleight If a man speak unto you and you don't think of what he speaks 't is a sleight to him So to read what God saith or see what God doth and not think on 't not to meditate on it what is this but a sleight unto God Respect and Meditation go together Psal 119.15 I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes So then The want of meditation and thinking on what God saith and what God doth is a great sleighting of him 't is a want of respect and God will take it unkindly And what then Why he will deal by you as you do by him if you think not on him he will not think on you and in the day of your extremity when you call and cry to him because you thought not of him he will not think of you But to end all God knows and your own souls know how you have lain musing in the way of sin how some times you have lain devising mischief upon your beds How often you have chewed the Devils Cud what swarms of unclean thoughts of proud thoughts of unbelieving thoughts have possessed your hearts Oh friends Shall we lie musing upon our bed in a way of sin and shall we not think and muse and meditate on God and the things of God What shall we not be the same for God that ever we have been for sin O we have had our sinful musing times therfore now why should we not have our holy musings also And to conclude all Meditation holy meditation is a very great friend to heavenly Conversation Sweet meditation of God is a very great friend to holy Conversation Private meditation a great friend
the first 2. Jesus was and is the fittest person in the World to mediate between God and us There was no creature fit to Umpire the business between God and us and therefore Job saith well at the 9th Chap. 33. verse Neither is there any dayes-man betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both Man was not fit to mediate because man is the person offending Angels not fit to mediate for the shoulder of an Angel could not bear the weight of Mediation-Work neither could an Angel satisfie God the Father not fit for this work the first person in the Trinity for he was the person offended The Holy Ghost not fit for this work for 't is his work to apply the blood of this mediation so then there is none other fit but Christ fit Jesus fit The fittest person For first of all he is the person appointed by the Father If a man will undertake to mediate between two and be not chosen thereunto he is not fit for it but if chosen then he is fit Why Jesus is the person chosen mine elect Servant saith the Father Whom I have chosen I have given him for a Covenant unto the People Isa 42. 2. He was and is the fittest person to mediate between God and us for he is a middle person partaking of Gods nature and of mans Extreams are joyn'd together by a middle who more fit to mediate between two then he that is a middle between them 3. He is the fittest person for he is the fittest to make reconciliation between God and us to reconcile God to us and us unto God First He is the fittest to reconcile God to us for that God might be reconciled he must be satisfied his Justice satisfied and his Anger satisfied Now Jesus Christ was God and Man as Man he ought to satisfie but could not as God he could satisfie but he ought not but as God-man he both could and ought and so the fittest And again 2. Who more fit to reconcile God unto us then he that was the most fit to intercede that had credit and favour and love with the Father Now Jesus lay in the bosome of his Father This is my beloved Son and I was the Fathers delight saith he in the 8th of Prov. Therefore the most fit to intercede and so to reconcile God unto us 3. Who more fit to reconcile God to us then he that was fit to be a surety to undertake for us If a man come to mediate with a person offended for another Saith the person offended but will you undertake he shall do so no more Yes Why then I am willing Now Jesus is called our surety in the 8th Heb. He undertakes that though we have broken with God already we shall break no more and therefore the fittest person to reconcile God to us But secondly the fittest person also to reconcile us to God 1. Who more fit to reconcile us to God then he that can change our natures Now Jesus is able to change our nature I find saith Paul a Law in my Members rebelling against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity unto the Law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death then I thank God through Jesus Christ And Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death And 2. Who more fit to reconcile us to God then he that can beget good thoughts in us concerning God So long as a man hath hard thoughts of God he will never be reconciled to God Now Jesus Christ lay in the bosome of his Father and can tell the Soul what volumes of Love there were and are in the bosome of the Father for it from all eternity and so can beget love in the Soul towards God and so able to reconcile the Soul to God You have it clearly in John 1.18 he lay in the bosome of the Father c. 3. And then to say no more but this Who more fit to reconcile us to God then he that can give the Holy Ghost into our Souls For as God is reconciled to us by the blood of Christ so we are reconciled to God by the Spirit of Christ Now Jesus gives the Spirit I will send the Comforter saith Christ so that he he is the fittest person in all the world to reconcile God to us and to reconcile us to God and so the fittest person in all the world to mediate between God and us And so you have the second thing 3. But then thirdly As Jesus is the fittest person to mediate between God and us so he hath undertaken this work of Mediation and he will certainly carry it on unto due perfection First I say he hath undertaken it and therefore he is called the Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the man Christ Jesus and he alone is the Mediator I confess indeed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is given to Moses and Moses in the 3d. of Gal. is called a a Mediator The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator vers 19. that is not Christ But the Law was ordained by Angels in the hand that is by the Ministry of a Mediator Christ was not the Minister of Angels Moses was and therefore Moses is to be understood here The same word that is used concerning Christ is used here But now although Moses was a Mediator a Typical Mediator and did stand between God and the people as in the 5th of Deut. to deliver out the Law unto them vers 5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew you the word of the Lord. Though I say Moses is called a Mediator because he stood between God and the people to give and deliver out the Law to them yet you never find that Moses is called a Mediator in a way of Redemption or satisfaction or paying of any ransome so Jesus onely is In the 1 Tim. 2. There is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all And so in the 9th Heb. For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament For what cause Why vers 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered up himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God and for this cause is he the Mediator It is never said so of Moses No but Christ the Mediator and he onely the Mediator in a way of satisfaction and redemption and paying of a price Well thus he hath undertaken the work And certainly he will carry on his work of Mediation unto due perfection for saith the Apostle he is faithfull in all his house as Moses was Moses a Servant he as a Son Moses the
workings of the Law first Yet notwithstanding if I will lay a necessity upon such a precedency of a legal work before I do come to Christ then I am too legal 7. In the times of the Old Testament men did then upon any great discovery of God flie from God as when God gave out the Law they fled from God And when Christ did a great work before Peter Lord saith he depart from me for I am a sinful man But now in the Gospel the greater the discovery is the more a Gospel Spirit doth draw near to God Oh 't is good for me to be here saith he 8. The time of the Old Testament was a time of the Letter And therefore if a man of a legal spirit can but perform his duty according to the Letter of the Commandment he is satisfied But the times of the New Testament are the times of the Spirit We are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit And therefore a Gospel spirit though he can perform his duty according to the Letter of the Command yet if he don't attain the spirit in it he is unsatisfied 9. To say no more in it but this In the times of the Old Testament God spake by Visions and Dreams and Signs But now in these latter days he hath spoken by his Son and we have a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto we do well that we take heed So that thus you see that there is a difference and what the difference is between the way of the Old and New Testament between an Old Testament and a New Testament spirit Fâ—urthly But then 4ly Suppose now that I have recourse too much to Mâ—ses in these Gospel times and not enough unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Suppose I be legal in these Gospel times is there any great danger in it Much very much And I pray consider it that we may be all found upon Gospel ground in this Gospel day Danger I say much For I. The more legal you are in Gospel times the more sinful you will be and the less able for to live unto God 1. The more sinful you will be For saith the Apostle Let not sin reign in your mortal body for ye are not under the Law but under Grace And the less able you will be to live unto God For saith the Apostle Gal. 2.19 I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Till ye be dead unto the Law you will never live unto God and in the Rom. 7. Ye are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit untr God Dead unto the Law That ye may bring forth fruit unto God Never think of bringing forth fruit unto God while you are upon a legal ground and come not off fully to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant 'T is observed that the Law was given out twice in Tables of Stone And the first time that they were given out God did cut out the Tables of Stone and he himself did write the Law with his own Finger in those Tables The second time Moses cut out the Tables of Stone and Moses wrote the words of the Commandment upon those Tables In the 34. of Exod. Hew thee two Tables of Stone like unto the first saith God Well so he did at the 28. v. And he wrote upon the Tables the words of the Covenant the Ten Commandments The first Tables were of Gods own making and the writing was of Gods own Finger The second Tables were of Moses framing and Moses writing and yet the first were broken the second kept What should be the Reason One would think that the first Tables should have been kept as a holy thing rather then the second but the first were broken and the second kept why For a good reason saith Austine because when the Commandment was given in the first Tables then God appeared in a dreadful way with Thundring and Lightning When God gave out the Commandments again the Lord appeared in a way of Grace The Lord proclaimed unto Moses Exod 34. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands Thus God proclaimes himself as a gracious and merciful God and when the Law comes out now 't is kept No such way to keep the Commandments of the Law as from the consideration of the free grace and mercy of God When the Law comes out with a Gospel hand I then it 's kept and the Commandment not broken So that I say the more Legal you are the more sinful you will be and the less able you will be for to live unto God 2. The more Legal you are the more opposite you are to your own assurance to a full setled assurance of your interest in God and Christ We have not received the Spirit of bondage you read it again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Assurance is a work of the Comforter but the Spirit of servitude 't is opposite to the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 't is a great Enemy unto true assurance Now is it not a miserable thing for a man or woman to be always fluctuating and never to have assurance setled The more Legal you are the more opposite to your own assurance But 3. Though you do serve and worship the true God yet if you worship him in a Legal way your worship will be Antichristian For what 's Antichrist and who is Antichrist The Apostle John tells you in the 1 Epist 4.3 Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that Spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come But shall Antichrist deny Christ to be come in the flesh in so many terms No He shall not deny the Incarnation of Christ for he shall sit in the Temple of God How then shall Antichrist deny Christ to be come â—n the flesh He shall set up such a Worship as was before Christ came in the flesh As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was an outward glorious and a pompous Worship so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was a Temple and a great Cathedral so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there was a High-Priest and Priests and Levites so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there were Copes and Ephods and Linnen Coats so shall Antichrist have As in the time of the Old Testament before Christ came in the flesh there were Candles and Tapers and Musick in the Temple so shall Antichrâ—st have As in the
his own Blood But Jesus did he offered up himself by the Eternal Spirit as in the 9th of the Heb. 3. And though Abel and the Fathers of the Old Testament offered excellent sacrifices yet they offered often and so those sacrifices could not make the Commers thereunto perfect saith the Apostle But Christ offered himself once for all And so he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 4. Though Abel and the Fathers in the Old Testament did offer excellent sacrifices yet their sacrifice was after their sin committed when they had commited a sin then they were to get a sacrifice and possibly they might have died before the sacrifice was offered but the sacrifice of Christ is before our sin is committed we cannot die between the sin and the sacrifice 5. And though Abel and the Fathers of the Old Testament offered excellent sacrifices the blood whereof was sprinkled on the people yet that was but to the purifying of the flesh for saith the Apostle at the 13th v. of the 9th Chap. If the Blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh c. But the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus purgeth our Consciences from dead works How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Upon which words saith Capellus you have here the excellencie of this offering above all other offerings in the World above the offerings of the Heathen above the offerings of the Jews above the offerings of the Christians Above the offerings of the Heathens for they sacrificed to Devills but he offered himself without spot to God Above the sacrifice of the Jews for their blood of sprinkling sanctifyed to the purifying of the Flesh but this to the purging of your Conscience from dead works Above the offering of the Christians for though Christians offer up spiritual sacrifices to God as prayers and thanksgivings yet not without spot but he offered himself through the Eternal spirit without spot to God 6. And then Though Aâ—el offered an excellent sacrifice and so the Fathers of the Old Testament yet notwithstanding those were for themselves and for those times Abel offered for himself and the Jews for themselves for that time onely but Christ offered a sacrifice for all the World He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World and a Lamb slain from the beginning of the Wâ—rld 7. Again though Abel offered an excellent sacrifice and the Fathers of the Old Testament offeâ—ed excellent sacrifices and the blood thereof was sprinkled yet it was not sprinkled upon all things but in the 9th Heb 't is said Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the Tabernacle and all the Vessels of the Ministry and almost all things are by the Law purged with blood It was but almost but now by the blood of Jesus all things are purged and cleansed not almost but all things are purged and cleansed Thus now you see what this blood of sprinkling speaketh and how it speaketh better things then the blood of Abel better than his Personal blood and better than his sacrificed blood and that 's the second General 3. Now 3 unto this blood of sprinkling are we come in these Gospel-tâ—mes We are not come unto the blood of Bulls and Goats and heifers but we are come unto the blood of Jesus the blood of sprinkling For what is the dispensation that we are now under but the dispensation of a crucâ—fied Christ There are two Comings of Christ mention'd in the Scripture A coming in a way of meanness riding upon an Ass his first coming is in a way of humiliatâ—on riding upon an Ass and accordingly his Kingdom is a Kingdom of Patience And there is a coming second Coming of Christ when he comes riding upon the Clouds in power and Great Glory and accordingly his Kingdom then shall be a Kingdom of power and Glory When Christ comes the second time we shall be under Glorious dispensations but now we are under the first Coming of Christ and therefore what is the Dispensation that now we are under but the dispensation of a crucified Christ What doth a Preaching signifie and hold forth but Christ crucified We Preach Christ crucified saith the Apostle What do the Sacraments hold forth why This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood saith he So that now we are under the Dispensation of a crucified Christ In the times of the Old Covenant they did believe in God and God himself was the first object of their Faith and so they came to Christ now in these times of the New Testament the first and immediat object of our Faith is the blood of Christ Faith in the Blood of Christ Rom 3. So that I say It is the blood of Jesus that now we are come unto Well but though in these Gospel-times we are now come to the blood of Jesus the blood of sprinkling yet it may be this blood of sprinkling may not be sprinkled upon my soul When may the blood of sprinkling be said to be sprinkled upon a mans soul How shall I know whether this blood of sprinkling be sprinkled upon my soul in particular that 's a Question of great Concernment Thus therefore 1. If it be your great work in all your Temptations and upon all Occasions to apply your selves unto the blood of Jesus then is the blood of Jesus applyed to you and so sprinkled on you The blood of Jesus is sprinkled on us by the Spirit of God and when it 's sprinkled by the Spirit of God it is applyed If you do make applications of your selves to Christ certainly Christ hath made applications of Himself to you for all our grace is but a reflexion of his Grace we love him because he loved us first and we choose him because he chose us first and we apply our selves to him because he hath applyed himself unto us first If therefore in all Temptations and upon all occasions it be your great work to make an application of your selves unto the blood of Jesus then hath the blood of Jesus been applyed to you and sprinkled upon you 2. If you ever have had such a sight of the blood of Christ as that thereby you are purged from an evil Conscience Then hath this blood been applyed to and sprinkled on you They go together In the 10th Heb. 22 it s said Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience or purged the 9th of the Hebrews calls it purged having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience What is that why an evil Conscience is an evil Conscience two wayes either because it is a sluggish Conscience and don 't stirr us up unto our duty and accuse for sin or else because it is a clamorous
And the more sensible we are of the loss of our thought-pâ—ssessions and of our Meditations the more fit we shall be for this work of Meditation First therefore be very sensible of your want and neglect of this work of Meditation thus long 2. If you would meditate indeed on God and the things of God labour more and more for a Serious Spirit A frothy leight and giggling disposition is never fit for Meditation Labour therefore to be serious And there are three or four things that will poise and make your hearts serious The sight of the glorious Majesty of God The sense of your Eternal Condition Eternity Eternity Humiliation for Sin And converse with those that are serious Be serious and you will be more fit for Meditation That 's the Second 3. If you would indeed meditate on God and the things of God labour more and more for a Fixed Spirit Fixation of Spirit is a great friend to meditation An unsettled an unfixed soul cannot meditate Fix therefore first And there are many things that may fix your Spirits The great and weighty Judgments of God that are upon us may help to fix us and hang lead upon our heels In case you are to come to Meditation or any other Work come free and don 't leave any businesse standing at the Door for a hundred to one but your hearts will step out unto it at the time of your Work whether Meditation or Prayer or any thing else Therefore come free unto every Duty if you would be fixed And labour for Intention of Affection In Meditation Prayer or any other Work be Intense We use to say when the Candle burns the Mouse doth not nibble but when the Candle is out then the Mouse nibbles when our hearts are warm and lively in Prayer and Meditation we are free from distractions the Mouse nibbles not And in case you meet with any distraction in Meditation or other duty don't stand to Correct your heart in the time of the duty but go on with your work If a woman carries a Child abroad among friends and the Child cries and makes a disturbance the mother don't then correct the Child there but calls the Child to an account when she comes at home for saith she Else would my correction be a further disturbance to the company So here when you meet with distractions in duty if you call your hearts to an account then it will be a further disturbance but on with your present duty correct afterward and thus shall your hearts be the more fixed and fixation of heart is a great help to Meditation 4. If you would indeed meditate on God and the things of God be sure that you lay out such objects as may give entertainment to your thoughts For if there be no Corn in the Quern what grinding will there be Have therefore objects laid out to exercise your thoughts withal upon all occasions And so when you have any spare time your Objects lying by you will be presently upon the work of Meditation only let those Objects be such as are drawing alluring thought-begetting Objects and Thought-entertaining Objects But then 5. If you would meditate on God and the things of God strengthen your Love and Delight for Meditation grows upon the stalk of Love and Delight And the more a man doth love God and the things of God the more he meditates thereon Psal 119. O how I love thy Law what then It is my Meditation all the day this was much his meditation all the day What 's the reason Why his Love was beyond expression O how I love thy Law It is my meditation all the day Love loves to be thinking on the person loved It carries the Picture of the Person or thing loved up and down in its bosome the more you love the more you meditate and the more you delight the more you meditate Can a Woman forget her Child no why because she loves it Can a Worldly man forget the World his Money and his House or Land can he forget this no why because he loves them What 's the reason we meditate no more but because we love God no more Do but strengthen your love to God and the things of God and your delight in God and the things of God and you will meditate more This is the fifth means unto the work of Meditation Strengthen your love to and your delight in the Lord And then 6. If you would meditate on God and the things of God Then labour to get a deep Impression of the things of God upon your heart and soul 'T is deep impressions that calls for meditation A man reads the word of God and it may be understands it but he don't meditate Why because the word made no impression upon his heart as he went along But if he read it and understand it and hath an impression made upon his soul as he reads it then he thinks on 't afterwards As in hearing the Word of God a man hears the Word of God in Publick or in Private and he meditates not thereupon Why Why because it has no impression upon him Possibly a man may think of the free grace of God yet if it make no impression upon his soul he don't go away and meditate on it If a man think on the Wrath of God and it make an impression upon him he goes away and is still in the thoughts thereof What 's the reason that many poor souls troubled in Conscience are alwayes thinking of Hell and Judgement and Wrath but because the Wrath of God hath made a deep impression upon their souls and the more deep the impression is upon your soul the more full will your meditation be You see how it was in former times when they went in procession at the end of the Parish they would take up a Boy and whip him Why that he might remember the bounds of the Parish for Passion is the best Door-keeper of Memory And as passion is the Door-keeper of Memory so Impression is the Door-keeper of Meditation 7. If you would meditate on God and the things of God Take heed that your hearts and your hands be not too full of the world and the employments thereof The more full your hand is of worldly imployments the more you will think thereon and the more you think thereon the less you will think of Gâ—d and the things of God And what is the reason that many meditate and think so little of God and the things of God but because their hearts are so full of the World Where their treasure is there will their hearts bâ— O saith one I would think on God and I would meditate on God with all my heart but meditation-work is a work of time it will cost time and I have no time my hands are so full of business and so full of imployment I have no time for this work Meditation is not a transient Thought but it is a work of
time and will ask time and I have no time Mark therefore what David saith in the 119. Psalm Lord incline my heart unto thy testimonies how so Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity The way to have ones heart enclined to the Testimonies of God is to turn away ones eyes from these outward vanities Would you therefore meditate on God and the things of God then take heed that your hearts and your hands be not too full of the world and the imployments thereof 8. Lastly If you would meditate on God and the things of God go then to God for this skill of meditation Friends There is an Art and divine Skill of meditation which none can teach but God alone Would you have it go then to God and begg of God these things First Begg of God that he would change your nature For if your soyl be not changed nothing but weeds will grow still not the Flowers of meditation but the weeds of vain thoughts go first to God to change your Nature to change your Soyl. 2. Go to God and beg of him that he would sanctifie and sequester your mind unto himself that your whole mind may be under God's sequestration Every man is as his mind is A mans mind is a profusâ— thing and it is as full of thoughts as the Sun is full oâ— Beams If God don't take it in and bring it undeâ— his sequestration it will be full of evil go then tâ— God and desire him to sanctifie your devising youâ— thinking and your projecting Faculty 3. Go to God and beg of him that he would laâ— out drawing objects before you that may draw oâ— your thoughts and your meditations 'T is God thâ— must present such objects 4. Go and beg of God your Thoughts also anâ— beg of God these thought-possessions that Goâ— would give you thoughts And then 5. Beg of God a fixed heart for fixation of heaâ— is a great friend to meditation And then 6. Beg of God the Spirit for the Spirit is our Remembrancer to bring all things to our remembrance Thus do and you shall in some measure be able to carry on this work of Meditation in a right way with comfort and sweetness These things by way of means By way of means be sensible of your former work of meditation labour to be more serious get a fixed heart and spirit lay out objects that may entertain your thoughts upon all occasions strengthen your love to and delight in God labour to get Impressions deep impressions made upon your souls to the things of God and take heed that your hearts and hands be not too full of the world And then go to God for this skill of Meditation 4. But then fourthly What are those rules and directions that will help therein How and in what way and manner should this work of Meditation be carried on with sweetness and success First of all In all your Retirements for the work of Meditation is a work of Retirement in all your meditations be sure that you retire in to God himself Don't retire into your retirements as the Monks and those do retire into a monkish devotion But in all your Retirements be sure that you retire in to God himself 2. Take heed that you be not Legal in this work of Meditation Legal work is sowre work Meditation work is sweet work A man is legal in this work of Meditation when he doth make it a mere task when he doth in his meditation think on God out of Christ I thought upon God and was troubled to think upon God out of Christ is sowre work I thought upon God and was not comforted but was troubled saith the Psalmist So that to make our meditation work a meer task is a legal work to think upon God out of Christ is a Legal work and to pass through God unto Christ also is Legal For In the times of the Old Testament they câ—me to Christ through God but in the time of the New Testament we go to God through Christ An Old Testament way is a Legal way would you therefore have this work of Meditation carried on with sweetness Take heed of a Legal spirit in this work of Meditation which will sowre all 3. Be sure of this That nothing fall within the compass of your meditation but what falls within the compass of the Scripture It may be you may think of God and you may think what God was doing before the world was made this you have no Scripture for therefore is no work for your meditation It may be you think you are a Reprobate for say you I have the marks of a Reprobate upon me But where doth the Scripture give any marks of a Reprobate The Scripture gives marks of a wickâ—d man that possibly may be converted But now If you would carry on the work of meditation in such a way as it may be done with sweetness be sure that it be bounded with the Scripture and let nothing fall within the compass of your meditation but what falls within the compass of the Scripture 4. In all your settled meditation Begin with Reading or Hearing Go on with meditation End in prayer For as Mr. Greenham saith well Reading without Meditation is unfruitful Medition without Reading is hurtful To meditate and to read without prayer upon both is without blessing If you do read and not meditate then you wilâ— want good affections If you do meditate and not read or hear you will want good Judgment and be apt to fall into some ill Opinions If you do read or hear or meditate and not pray you will want the blessing of the Lord upon both Read or hear first then meditate and then pray upon both I speak of settled meditation and let one be proportioned unto another There must be a proportion between the one and the other in a settled meditation and therefore if that you would meditate rightly I say in all your meditations begin with reading go on with meditation and end with prayer 5. If you would have this work of Meditation carried on with profit and sweetness joyne with your Meditation the examination of your own souls in case you meditate on God and Christ think with your selves by way of examination But have I an Interest in this I have been now thinking and meditating on the excellencies of Christ but have I an Interest in him Come Oh my soul thou hast been meditating on God and on the excellencies of Christ but hast thou any share hast thou any Interest therein Joyne examination with your Meditation then it will be profitable then it will be sweet otherwise it is but Contemplation or but a study but joyne examination with your Meditation so 't is sweet and so 't is profitable Sixthly Observe what those times and seasons are that are most fit for Meditation and be sure you lay hold thereon Though Meditation-work is every dayes work yet there are some times and seasons that are