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
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
yet are poor ambitious persons that are passionate for glory and yet are despicable but every one that loves me finds me I am with him that seeks for me his love makes me present in his soul as soon as he longs for me I am in his embraces Rule 3 Let not your hearts be overcharged with worldly cares they are great hindrances to us in heavenly meditation The Angels have care of our preservation As in a race one Charet hindreth another in the way stopping the path even so earthâ—y cogitations hinder heavenly when they have gotten the start Macarius Ita sarcina seculi veluti somno assoler dulcitèr premebar cogitationes quibus meditabar in te similes erant conatibus expergisci volentium qui tamèn superati soporis altitudine remerguntur August and endeavour it diligently yet are they not perplex't about it for their care proceeds from charity carking cares about the things of the world trouble a man's reason and judgement so that he cannot meditate on God as he ought the Wasps and Drones make more noise than the Bees but make no honey but waxe only I was overwhelmed with worldly cares as with a deep sleep saith Austin and the meditations I lifted up to Heaven were like the vain endeavours of men striving to awake who beaten down with the weight of drowsinesse fall asleep again at the very instant they awake It is impossible he should be heavenly minded that dotes upon earth or have any passionate longings for Heaven who is strongly wedded to the things of this world Spend not too much of your time Rule 4 in recreations It is necessary sometimes that we recreate both our bodies and spirits as to walk abroad to take the air to entertain our company with some pleasant discourses to ring to play on some instrument these are recreations so innocent that to use them well needs nothing but discretion that gives to every thing its order time place and measure but here we must beware of excesse for if we imploy too much time therein it is no more a recreation but an occupation that neither recreates the body nor the spirits but rather dulls and distracts them and above all take heed of setting your affections on any of them for let our recreations be never so lawfull it is vitious to set our affections on any of them to long after them to study on them or vex our selves about them there are some recreations indeed that as they are commonly used tend to much evil there is as Physitians say of Mushromps a quality of poison in them though never so well cooked they are spungious and full of pores and easily draw any infection to them and if Serpents be about them they take poison from them so such recreations are very dangerous they divide the spirit from pious meditations cool charity and awaken in the soul many sorts of ill cogitations Therefore when you are in the use of any recreations labour to wind up thy heart to Heaven use some godly meditations think how thy time passeth away and death draws on see how it calleth thee to his dance where the musick shall be elegies and lamentations that thou shalt make but one step from life to death When thou goest to meditate fix Rule 5 not thy thoughts on many things at once Cogitatio vaga incessa semper hùc illùe divertit Hugo in lib. de Area mysticâ variety of thoughts are like many men in a crowd or throng where all are stopt and none can get out variety of meats if the stomack be good do alwayes offend it if weak it overthrows it fill not thy soul with the thoughts of many things at once for these will trouble and distract thee a soul that feels it self much purged from evil humours hath a great appetite after spirituall things and as half famished the thoughts run upon many exercises of piety at once and this is a good sign to have so good an appetite but thou must look how thou canst digestall that thou desirest to eat take every thing therefore in order and feed on them moderately that thou maist digest them and not be cloyed with them Rule 6 Let examination and meditation go hand in hand together without examination meditation will be ineffectuall as for instance when thou hast been meditating of the graces of God's Spirit examine whether those graces are seated in thy heart meditate on the beauty of heavenly graces make comparison between graces and vices in themselves contrary what sweetnesse in meeknesse in regard of revenge in humility in regard of pride in charity in regard of envy and all the graces have this to be admired in them that they affect the soul with incomparable delight and comfort after they are practised whereas the vices leave us distracted and ill entreated and as for vices they that enjoy them in part are never content and they that have them in abundance are much discontented but as for graces they that have the smallest measures of them yet have they content and so more and more as they do encrease When thou meditatest on sin examine how stands thy heart affected towards sin hast thou a resolution in the strength of Christ never to commit any sin hast thou any inclination to small sins or any affection to any of them When thou meditatest on God's Commandements examine thy heart doth it find them to be good sweet and amiable and agreeable as he that hath an exquisite tast and good stomack loveth good food and refuseth the bad Examine how thy heart stands affected to spirituall exercises dost thou love them or are they tedious to thee do they distast thee to which of them dost thou find thy self more or lesse inclined to hear God's Word or to discourse about it to pray to meditate to fly up to Heaven c. and what in all these is thy heart against and if thou find any of these to which thou art not inclined examine whence this distast ariseth and what is the cause thereof Examine what is thy heart toward God himself is it a delight to thee to think on him dost thou feel a particular tast of his love dost thou delight in meditating on his power his goodnesse and mercy if the thoughts of God do come into thy mind in the midst of businesse and worldly imployments when it cometh dost thou give place thereto doth it settle in thy heart dost thou perceive thy heart to lean that way and in some measure to prefer it before any other thing dost thou love to speak to God and of God is his honour and glory dearer to thee than all other things dost thou love his children and the glory and beauty of his worship and Ordinances for want of this examination meditation doth often come to nothing Rule 7 Both begin and end this exercise of meditation with prayer Meditation without reading is erronious without prayer unfruitfull saith Bernard
Meditatio sine lectione erronea sine oratione infructuosa Bern. Let prayer go before it go to God and beg of him to inspire thee with holy meditations it is God that with his own hand puts them into our mouthes Noah is commanded to make a window in the top of the Ark and a door in the side of it a window is for the eye to look out at a door is for the whole body to go out and he that will ever be a good Christian must not only make a window for contemplation as Daniel did at which he prayed thrice a day but a door for action as Abraham did at which he sate once a day at the window of meditation he must contemplate with a good heart at the door of action he must go out to bring forth fruit with patience Matt. Stiles for of our selves we are not sufficient for one good thought prayer of it self lifts up the soul to God who is our only joy and comfort as is the sight so will the affection be and as the affection is so will the desire be Pray at the end of your meditations as David doth Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer Psal 19.14 Pray that God would keep these things for ever in the imagination of your thoughts 1 Chron. 29.18 The last Rule is that all our meditations must be reduced to practice Thou shalt meditate in this Boâ—k of the Law that thou maist observe to do according to all that is written therein Josh 1.8 the end of meditation is practice I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Psal 119 59. In passing from our meditations we must resolve carefully to put them in execution without which meditation is not only unprofitable but rather hurtfull to us for vertues meditated on and not Rule 8 practised are apt to puff up the spirit in taking our selves to be such as we resolved to be therefore we must joyn practice to meditation To conclude as they that go into a goodly Garden go not out without gathering of some Flowers to smell to long after so our souls having by meditation fallen upon some pleasing points must take two or three most fit for our furtherance in piety to think on the rest of the day and as it were spiritually to smell unto Now as it is necessary that all these be setled in our hearts so in withdrawing our selves from our meditations we must passe very gently to other affairs for fear lest the liquor of our resolutions the result of our meditations do leak out and not penetrate into all parts as it should even into our hearts and souls yet all must be done without violence either of body or mind Object But who is able to put his meditations into practice the directions and exercises thereof being so many Resp If one were to put them all in practice every day he should do nothing else it would take up his whole time but that is not required but as time and place shall serve and as occasions shall offer themselves Renew thy resolutions often and say with David I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes Psal 119.15 I will for ever keep thy Word and when thou failest herein take in hand thy protestation and offer it with thy whole heart to God This free confessing of our desire to serve God and to be wholly consecrated to him by a particular affection is very pleasing to him Chap. 13. Of the excellency and usefulnesse of Meditation Having given you Rules about meditation I shall in the next place shew you the excellency and usefulnesse thereof 1. Meditation breeds knowledge sc the knowledge of God and his benefits and our sin and unworthinesse As there is no moment wherein man useth not God so ought there to be no moment wherein he hath him not present in his memory Sicut nullum est momentum in quo homo nòn utatur Deo sic nullum esse debet momentum quo eum praesentem nòn habet in memoriâ Hugo l. 3. de anima Babingt in Num. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Aug. de civ Dei l. 21. c. 6. Aquin. in Joh 5. this continuall meditation on God and his mercies is that blessed union of our spirits with God which holy men so much regarded in their times a man given to meditation is a man that walketh not in darknesse nor in the shadow of death as those do that seldome or never think of him Clemens of Alexandria calls the meditations of holy men Candles that never go out like the Candle which was among the Pagans in the Temple of Venuâ— which was called inextinguishable as Austin relateth without this men are but snuffs in respect of their use and service as Aquinas saith Meditation doth not reveal any divine truth unto us that only is the work of God but after God hath revealed them faith apprehends them then meditation illustrates to the soul what faith believes and so our knowledge is encreased many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be encreased Fenner de meditat Dan 12.4 It is not saith one the bodily removing of man from place to place so much as the busie stirring of the mind from one truth to another by meditation that encreaseth spirituall knowledge 2. Meditation rectifies the affections of the soul it opposeth serious considerations against vain imaginations and because our imagination is apt to raise false objects and thereby false conceits and discourses in us therefore meditation propoundeth true objects for the mind to work upon from the meditation whereof the soul rightly conceives of things and discourseth upon true grounds of them meditating thus with himself if things be thus and thus in reality then must I live according to these principles this is the spring of all holy affections in the soul as the true love of God the true joy and delight in him and his wayes Meditation is like the player on an Instrument who by touching of the strings finds them that are out of tune winding them up or letting them down so after meditation hath examined the love the hate the fears the hopes the griefs the joyes of our souls if it find them out of tune in expressing their harmony which is the glory of God it then puts them in tune again 3. Meditation fills the heart with joy My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Psal 104.34 When the Spirit of God doth open the eyes of the soul and it is brought forth into the light then doth meditation clear up to the soul those grounds of joy which are exceeding comfortable Holy meditation shews the soul the face of God reconciled his pardon sealed an entrance into the everlasting Kingdome the heart of God opened toward him and his name written in
pray solemnly we may have liberty to confer with God by holy meditations 3. The Lord heareth the meditations of his people David prayes to God not only to consider his words but also to consider his meditation Psal 5.1 As our ears saith Austin Aug. in Psal 48. Hom. 16. Aug. in Psal 41. are to our words so are God's ears to our thoughts and in another place saith he We hear not one another without the benefit as of our lungs so of our tongues but Cogitatio tua clamor est ad Dominum thy very thoughts are shrill in the ears of God and elsewhere he saith Aug. Confes â—0 c. 2. My confession O my God is made in thy sight secretly and yet not in secret Tacet enim strepitu clamat affectu it makes no noise at all by way of sound and yet it is clamorous by reason of her love Gregor in Iob. They are not our words but our desires and thoughts that yeeld a most forcible sound in the most secret ears of God There is saith Peter Martyr Pet. Mart. in 1 Sam. 1.12 no need at all of voice when we make our private prayers to God in regard that God heareth our hearts and minds 4. Meditation brings the soul to rest it self in God One saith Struth Observ 87. Cent. 2. that contemplation is both the labour and the rest of the devout soul it carries up the spirit of man into the bosome of God's love it exalts a man so high as to make him look down upon these sublunary things with contempt as Peter James and John Luk. 9.33 following Christ to the Mount where he was transfigured seeing some of his glory cried out Master it is good for us to be here so when a Christian follows Christ upon the Mount of meditation he is where he would be he cryes out it is good for me to be here 5. A man given to meditation is a growing Christian As holy meditations do thrive with us and abide in us so doth the grace of God increase in us holy meditations are good tokens of present grace and do enkindle strong desires after more grace the man that is barren in meditation is barren and unfruitfull in grace 6. Meditation is a great evidence of sincerity As men may know us by our actions as the tree is known by his fruit so a man may know himself by his constant thoughts for as he thinketh in his heart so is he Prov. 23.7 And God looks not so much upon what we do as upon what our hearts are most upon not so much upon what is uttered by the lips as upon what the heart indites by this we draw vertue from God himself and are full of the life of God 7. Meditation is a Christian's Heaven upon earth This is as one saith the measure that God gives in this life a beginning that shall be finished an earnest that shall be followed with the full summe The soul that keeps daily intercourse with God in holy meditations is in patriâ Contemplatio dicitur cibus in hâc vitâ ubi in sudore vescimur pane nostro potus in futurâ ubi liberè sine dolore sumitur ebrietas in ultimâ cùm animo recepto corpore congaudebit Bern. Sent. when he is in viâ at home when he is in the way he quits earth to live in Paradise the love and Magnificats he bestows on God are his chiefest imployment in this one object he finds all his happinesse and his diversion his heart is no longer in the earth he mounts up to Heaven by his desires and converseth more with Angels than with men and hath already a large tast of the sweetnesse of heavenly pleasures FINIS