particulars 1. Meditation on some passage or portion of Scripture 2. Or going over the chief points of Religion in order 3. Meditating of some of the works of God 4. Or something of my own spiritual state to make me more wise or warm or active for God 5. Or how the case of my soul stands 6. Or of my own evil hearts deceitfulness 7. Of my Enemies Satan and the World 8. Of my wants and weakness of Graoe 9. Of the swift passing of time and opportunities 10. Of the shortness of my life 11. Of death of the body 12. Of Judgment after death and of the Last Judgment 13. Of death Eternal and Hell 14. Of Heaven and Eternal happiness These are the heads of this first Branch CHAP. XXIII Meditation on some things providential THere is but this one thing which I will briefly dispatch remaining yet to be spoken of and then I come to the last sort of Meditation that is by a short and more sudden way Ejaculatory Meditation I say there should be Meditation on something providential a matter the hand of providence acts or orders holds forth and offers to our viewing and serious thinkings The great God as he always is guiding and ordering all things in all places in Heaveu Earth and Waters and among all Creatures especially the reasonable and chiefly above all in his Church and for his Saints against his and their Enemies As he is guiding with his hand all the concerns of particular persons to the supream end his own glory and likewise infallibly to the salvation of his Redeemed so there is ever and anon something observable particularly providential something which as the hand of providence holdeth forth so the heart of prudence and godly wisdom will take up that purposely it will set it self to see search and improve as it may be something sometime of the Church of God abroad or something of the People of God at home or in the place particularly we live in It may be there is some dispensation to some of our Relations or Friends or some matter falls out in our Family or yet nearer on our person and personal concerns There is seldom any space of time but the great Governour of the World is doing some remarkable thing it may be some admirable and glorious it may be some amazing and stupendious it may be some terrible and very dreadful work if we have our eyes in exercise and will observe Indeed Gods goings sometimes Psal 77.19 His footsteps cannot be seen but are very secret and unsearchable And there are others of his workings which are more easie for all to behold and understand There are varieties of Providences successively following each others which we should wait and watch for which we should take as they come fresh and warm out of the Lords hand and apply them warm to our hearts for a more kindly operation Meditate we should upon Providences while they are just new and fresh so we shall give them or rather our selves the advantage of a more ready and affectionate pondering a more profitable minding If I could still improve in Meditation of the Promises and in a wise warm lively also Meditating of providences in the one see better daily the riches of free Grace in the other the glorious governings of a God in wisdom righteousness and goodness How would my spirit under the dews of this fruitful Meditation be shooting up how would it prosper They are the highest form Christians that are arrived here at the contemplation of the works and great providences of God in the world In 1 John 2.13 He writes to some he calls Fathers others young men others Children Some by Children understand such as are as to Meditation taken up with the promises and matters of justification pardon and peace young men are such who are gotten farther and exercis'd about sanctification and conquering strong corruptions Fathers that beyond both are taken up and arriv'd at ponderings and contemplations of the works and ways of God and his great actings in the world So it is sometimes needful to Meditate on the Providences that are more obliging and engaging more awakening and inciting such as are as it were the special hand of the Lord touching us taking bold of us framing and ordering things for us And here there is great reason our Meditation should be more serious and curious as wherein we may see Gods so particular goings and workings toward us and for us Psal 18. All that excellent Psalm over David there enumerates and records all Gods goings towards him O then with the Psalmist let my soul meditate on all the works of God list and file up up the dispensations of his observable providences towards others and my self Meditate on his so merciful preservings directings prosperings and all other sorts and ways of Providence that I may admire and exalt him depend and trust and wait upon him and walk so before him that his ways may ever be mercy and truth towards me I have now dispatcht the second branch of Meditation on particular Providences and thereby the second general kind of Meditation which is set and occasional Meditation at particular times of leisure The last sort of Meditation comes now to be handled CHAP. XXIV Of more short and ejaculatory Meditation BEsides solemn and set Meditation there is also that which is sudden and short wherein the soul acts as one breaking out of a Throng or Croud goes aside from disturbances and diversions or breaks off from some present and too pressing business to take breath and respite it self whereby it makes a stand of thoughts turns the stream of former thoughts and like a Bird that was sitting on the ground rises and mounts up aloft to sing and sport it self even so a holy heart in heavenly mindedness will get out of the throng of cares and business will be often breaking off the thread of earthly thoughts and interpose some heavenly dart up to Heaven make a short visit thither refresh it self with some heavenly dainty take and taste of the Manna above look up to God to Christ his Spirit his Grace his Promises his Providences and gracious orderings have a running Banquet of heavenly sweet-meats when it cannot sit down and feed at large by a fuller set Meditation As there are ejaculatory Prayers and wishes when there is not opportunity for more solemn enlargements there should be also sudden and short meditatings quick interposings of good and holy thoughts then when the urgencies of Affairs incumbrances diversions and interruptions by company hindrances in any kind will not admit the opportunity of an abode of serious thoughts then sudden dartings up the soul to Heaven may be had be a refreshment as Jonathans tasting the Honey with the top of his Rod when being in pursuit of the Philistines he could not take a full meal David that meditated so much must needs in respect of his great occasions Civil and Military and Domestick
which the Will must intend and make its free firm Choice of which the purposes of the Will must lye level to and make after as the proper and proportionate Marks and higher Tendencies CHAP. V. Of the Purposes for this I Shall name Five Particulars for this There must be 1. An aim and firm Purpose to make the Duty a Right Work to make sure it be made true 2. A free and full Purpose of a Wise Work to have it a Work of Spiritual Wisdom 3. A firm purpose for a vigorous and spirited performing 4. A strong purpose of watching and earnest striving against all Diversions and Interruptions 5. In a firm purpose of Vtmost endeavour of success and having the Right and Kindly End and Fruit of the Duty 1. A right Work 1. The Wills purpose and intendment must be to make the Duty of Meditation a Right Work to make sure it be made true and and sincere John 4.24 Not a Carcase a Painted piece without Soul and Substance a Formality without Power Not a meer work performed as it were to flatter God who looks for a Duty As they in Psal 78.86 are said to flatter God with their lips but their heart was not right with him We are ready to flatter him instead of Realities with our Modes of Meditation and Fashions of Thinkings with our Formalities without Realities and Truth and the work 's being sincere It must not be a flattering of God but a true pleasing him from being true it self It must not be a work dawbed over with the untempered Mortar of our own hearts self-deceitfulness setting up a thing to shew like it and be something near it only and putting thereby a Cheat upon our selves Nor make it a thing only to stop the mouth of our Consciences keep them from calling on and challenging of us but to design it strongly and firmly to purpose through God to proffer to and please him with a sincere Work Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be sincere This must be understood certainly of every Walk and Path we go in Not a walk in some one way or divers and not all but in every walking sincerity must be a Property a Qualification design'd and firmly resolv'd and we must not be satisfied unless it be Right Meditating such as Scripture requires and Saints in Scripture practised yea that they told God himself that they performed Ps 119.23 And doubtless David durst not tell the Heart-searching God he Meditated if he had done it formally and hypocritically and not been sincere and upright in it Again It must be a wise work 2. The Intendment of the Will must be for making this Duty a Wise Work to make it a Work of Spiritual Wisdom The Apostle Ephes 5.15 says Be not fools but wise understanding what the will of the Lord is And 2 Tim. 3.14 there 's mention of wisdom to salvation And Prov. 9.12 Wisdom is called on for our selves 1. Wise in respect of God Certainly as Solomon did things of great Excellency to shew himself very wise so when the most High God's Honour is concern'd and when he will be present at our Performances and comes as it were purposely to them shall we present him with any foolish piece not design a wise work and be seen acting wisely 2. Wise in reference to our selves Should we not also strongly purpose to make this Duty a Wise Work a Work of sure Wisdom for our selves and lay it fully level to the grand mark of Eternal Salvation for our selves Solomon Prov. 17.21 saith The Father of a Fool shall have no joy so the Parent of a foolish acting will have no joy It is the Godly prudent acting whose Fruit is Peace and which issues in Heavenly joy O how sweet and comfortable is that Duty in which we have acted up to the Rule of sound Wisdom This is the Second Particular a Duty must be Purposed and Intended to be a Wise Work 3. A spirited and lively work There must be a firm and strong Purpose and Intendment for a vigorous and spirited a lively and warm Work Rom. 12.11 Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. In every Duty we must have a Purpose of striking fire of making the heart burning hot It must not be luke-warm in an indifferency that 's but lazy nor Blood-warm that 's but low But the Souls Purpose and Design must be for highest heat and fervency greatest vigour and activity As Artists in some High Operations endeavours the hottest Fire As warmest Preaching and warmest Hearing as the Disciples hearts burned within them when Christ opened the Scriptures Luke 24.32 And so warmest Reading and warmest Meditating David's heart while he mused the fire burned Psal 39.3 So when we Meditate we should intend a warm work to be very warm at the heart 4. A striving against all lets In a strong purpose of earnest striving against all lets and interruptions The whole work of a Christian here must not only be vigorous and sedulous but striving and contentious Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait Gate Every single and particular Duty must bear a part of striving to enter in at the strait Gate For this is to be applied to every particular Duty though Christ speaks only in General bidding us strive Two things make up the Notion of striving 1. First Intension and Earnestness 2. Secondly Contention against Opposition When a man strives he acts earnestly and when he strives after or for a thing he strives also with that which is against him Striving is against something that letts or opposes In all Soul-work and peculiarly in this of Meditation the throng of Difficulties is great the Oppositions are many therefore the purposes and Resolutions of heart must be strong and high None ever carry on their work well Who are not first well resolved and still renew and link one firm purpose to another to hold on their course to the last 5. A purpose for the kindly issuing of Meditation The Will must purpose firmly to endeavour still the kindly issue and success of the Duty Look saith the Apostle John 2.8 ye lose not the things wrought who would set up at the Labour in Vain Christ's sweet Promise is Isa 65.23 The seed of the blessed of the Lord shall not labour in vain The way among others of having it performed is by grounding our endeavours in strong and rooted Resolutions for that running and pressing on and looking after our Duties doing until the work winds up and issues in the spiritual ends in the sweet success it is appointed unto such as encrease of Holiness and Grace and improvement of Communion with God Finis Coronat Opus Success sets the Crown on the head of the Work Resolve to get the Crown still set on the Head of every Duty that it shines in the glory of success These are the five special Branches this Root of Resolution should put forth these as so many precious corner-Stones should lye at the Bottom of
growing of the Grass and Herbs and Trees the singing of the Birds among their Branches in the waters the playing of the Leviathan the innumerable creeping things in the Seas and the going of the Ships in them as Psal 104. The wise Solomon hath his Meditation of the Horse-leach with her daughters Prov. 30.15 The Ant in her Industry Prov. 26.14 sending the Sluggard that turns on his Bed as the Door on the Hinges that often moves but never removes to her to learn Industry Prov. 6.6 Yea sometimes the most inconfidenable things the Scripture takes notice of for us to mind the Hairs on the head which all are numbred the Sands of the Sea which though so weak and small is thereby bridled The Dust of the Earth by Gods power as in a Measure comprehended Isa 40.12 And not only God's great works and high actings but the lowest actions of men and the meanest actings of the inferiour Creatures are in Scripture held forth as occasions for this Meditation as advantage grounds for the ascending of thoughts and raising up the Mind Heaven-ward All this pains taken by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures is to shew what a wise and fruitful spirit may extract by this holy Art of Meditation yea to teach us how constantly thought-busie we should keep our hearts like that wonder in Nature the so wise and laborious Bee still in gathering some Celestial sweetness from every Flower of Scripture or Providence or any other Object we stay upon CHAP. VII Of the Requisites for Meditation FRom the Object and Matter of Meditation we must next come upon the Requisites and Qualifications and the things contained in it and constituting of it Here by the way there were two sorts of Meditation mentioned 1. That which is set and more solemn 2. That which is short sudden and ejaculatory 1. The first that which more properly is called Meditation is that so frequently we have spoken of in the Scripture and mentioned in our Divinity-Books and in Discourses Meditation in the ordinary acceptation of the word taken for a work of time seriousness and solemness that must have a due proportion of Time Labour and Diligence to effect that upon the heart it is to be used for 2. There is that which is called Ejaculation sudden quick acting or ascending of the Soul to Heaven This is a holy spark flies up out of the heavenly Fire burning suddenly in the heart this is but Meditation rather more improperly so call'd Of this I shall speak something hereafter But that we are now to proceed upon is the Meditation more properly so call'd more set solemn Meditation a business of time and seriousness There are divers things I shall mention eight Particulars or Requisites for this Meditation There are eight Requisites I shall mention 1. There 's requisite a Holy Awe and Reverence a putting on a reverential frame of heart sutable to the holiness of the Duty 2. There is requisite a Retreat of the Thoughts calling off the mind from all its preceding excursions or engagings otherways 3. There 's requisite the setting of a strong Guard and so sure a Watch upon our slippery spirits as we are able to secure it against all diversions 4. Meditation as to the Form and Nature proper Notion and Essence consists in Application of the Mind and Thoughts and setting them upon the Subject or Matter intended to be considered 5. Meditation as to the Nature and Essence consists as in Application of the Mind to so in the intension and due seriousness of thinkings on a fit Object 6. In a diving and searohing of thoughts scanning for a best discovery 7. In a Commoration and due stay of the thoughts upon the work in hand without precipitation and undue hastening 8. It 's requisite there be an infusing and intermixing the life and beauties of such affections as are sutable and proper for the Duty 1. Meditation it must have the Dispositive and Preparation of Holy Awe and Reverence a still engaging the Spirit to and imposing upon it and framing of it unto all that holy Awe and highest Reverence which this so excellent Duty calls for both in the Entrance and over all the Performance I say Highest Reverence as that which is to be done in the so infinitely pure presence of a God a God whose eye is observing in a special manner our hearttemper not only in a Duty performed in his view but a temper presented and tendered to himself as an Homage and Honour As a way of Ingratiating our selves with him as a way and one of our sweetest ways of higher Intimacy and Communion with him The Spirit of a Creature perfect much less of a sinner it cannot have too strong an Infusion too deep a Tincture of holy Reverence This is the first Requisite a deep Tincture of holy Reverence contended to CHAP. VIII Of the second Requisite THE next Requisite is in sounding a Retreat of the Thoughts and calling off the Mind from all preingagements not only Evils and Vanities but all Business and Duties Nothing must detain the thoughts or divert the thoughts when we design and intend Meditation God complains of men when Bodies are brought and Hearts are left out well may he complain if we go about Meditation a Mind a Thought Exercise if we let the mind and thoughts be sent abroad and not called home The Philosophers say truly that intention can be only of one thing at one particular individual time Divinity tells us there must be no allowance of disintention neither a giving way to a seisure of Impertinencies to keep possession of the Mind that will keep off that which is incumbent and our present Duty David Psal 119.113 says he hated vain thoughts when they were Intruders when they crowded in much more as they were Excluders and crowded out good thoughts Therefore most of all when they obstructed and interposed at the time of his Meditation Therefore being so rare an Artist in Heavenly Meditation he still would shake out and empty the Vessel of his heart of other previous improper thoughts Do as Nehemiah when Tobijah had laid up his stuff in the Temple he throws it all out to make way for the proper Furniture Musing in this sort therefore must have its Preparative its stand and its retreat off and from all impertinent thoughts a making the Coast clear a setting the mind free disburdening and disclogging it Casting off all weights when we are to run this Race and mount up the Hill of Divine Contemplation Now is the time to call to by-thoughts to void the Room and leave it free for other thoughts to enter This is the Second Requisite a sounding a Retreat to the thoughts from all other things 3. When Meditation is to be performed there must be a strong Guard set a sure Watch kept upon all Avenues and Passages on all the Inlets and Out-lets of the heart As Jehoiada the Priest set a Guard round about the young King
then for the way of our thoughts should be to look forward to the day coming on and the spiritual concernments of it or if it then cannot at the present be yet so soon as we can to set to and engage in this so useful Meditation CHAP. III. HEre the more particular Rules we may use for this daily Meditation are these following I say the Rules we may use for the particulars of daily Meditation and for Method herein may be such as these following 1. Meditation of setting up the Master Mark the glorifying of the most high God 2. Next unto it Meditation of Eternal happiness in the enjoying of God 3. Meditating then after it of the sure and adequate means for attaining them both And these are therefore to be Meditated upon Meditating on 1. Jesus Christ the only way to the Father by his work of Redemption Meditating on 2. The Holy Spirit the great applyer of Christ and his Redemption Meditating on 3. The holy Ordinances of God the usual ways of the Spirits coming to apply Christ by Meditating on 4. The Word of God chiefly the Promises of the Gospel These on Gods part Meditating 5. On our part by our use of the Ordinances and the Word and Promises and that Faith and holiness whereby we come to union and communion with God glorifie him and obtain salvation Faith as the instrument of receiving Christ and both Faith and Holiness or the graces of Christ as our principles of life and power to live unto God and growing up to perfection against all opposition 1. The first thing according to the rule of best wisdom which lays the surest foundation in any course is first to take into most serious consideration the supream and chief end and to act a fresh setting up before us that Master-Mark and scope of the most high God and the glorifying of him to be continued as we can through the whole course of the day I say this so high incumbency and duty of looking still at and levelling all to the glory of God Meditation of this glorifying God for pure lively and highest advancings of it this is the Souls best operation and runs most parallel to the perfect work of Heaven Heavens higher acting is Contemplation of the most blessed God for the most transcendent exaltings of his glory The Rule of Scripture is To do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And this Rule must therefore have its place and power here therefore this daily Meditation must take it in and set it up It must be every ones wisdom to bottom our day Meditation with the still eying of and aiming at the glorifying of the most high God To begin with the fresh thoughts and also the warmest frame of Spirit for farthering the supream end the glory of God and with it as fit to be annext unto it that which is wrapt up with it our own Eternal happiness Philosophers and Divines have several Maxims about the Supream End To mention some of them to help us here As 1. Finis summus est maxime appetibilis The chief End is of all things else the most desirable Psal 73.25 Matth. 6.9 If as it is most sure it be most desirable then this as was said before is the chief point of wisdom to chiefly eye and aim at this chief End and then sure it is most proper in the method of our daily Meditation to mind this one of the first and how to advance towards it anew on the opportunity of a new day begun upon us 2. Secondly there is another Rule given which is Finis ultimus praescribit Regulas totius vitae sed ipsi fini nonpraescribitur That the last or chief End prescribes or gives the Rules of the whole life or course but the last End hath no Rules prescribed to it In all cases the End of any thing that gives the Rules to that thing Thus that hath profit and livelyhood for its End that profit and livelyhood gives the Rules to the Trader and all his actings are reduced and ordered to profit and subsistence That of mens particular or a Nations interest as it is called The particular interest of persons in particular Or the Publick interest and chief good that gives the Rules to private men or to States-men their actings must be to their interest the chief good or End So the Souls grand interest real highest End and Interest gives all the Rules to all a Christians wise truly wise actings Thus in Phil. 3.13 I press hard to the Mark first he set up the Mark or that was set up before him to aim at And this made him press hard and run in the right way so earnestly made him use all the right means and the due manner for attaining to it So this of eying the Supreme End as the right sure way as the sure wisdom for a mans self Prov. 9.12 this should be first taken in and come under fresh consideration That which gives the first rise to endeavour that which must vitally influence and strongly instigate yea fix and stablish our whole course The course rises or falls strengthens or weakens bears up or breaks off in evenness or unevenness according to our more or less lively and fresh lookings at and ponderings of the chief End This we see in all undertakings the manner earnestness and evenness of any course is from the manner earnestness and evenness of mans eyings of his chief aim and interest designed in it In a Watch and divers artificial Motions the evenness and expediteness of the motion is from evener or unevener stronger or weaker drawing of the Spring the first mover Thus is it in godliness a Christians motions are answerable to his eyings more or less of the main end Christians complain of their daily dead-heartedness and unevenness it much arises from the so little or listless lookings at the main Mark. Paul lookt earnestly and he prest hard In Archery those who eye the Mark most earnestly and steadily hit the oftenest and fullest The wisest Christian is the most earnest equal eyer of the main End There be many particulars in this head which according to prudence and leisure may have their seasons of ponderings The variety will breed delight and set an edge upon the Spirit apt to grow heavy and weary they are such as these As the considerations of the most high God in all his infinite Glories and Perfections His All-sufficiency in his Knowledge Wisdom Holiness Righteousness and the rest But chiefly in his so infinite and unchangeable Love and Riches of Free Grace The Infinite obligations eternally lying upon us for glorifying and exalting of him The infinite excellencies and fullness of the second Person and his infinite Love in undertaking with his Father to Redeem lost sinners And the infinite love of the third Person the Holy Spirit the applyer of Redemption Some most serious Meditation of God and glorifying him to give down into the heart a
glowing heat and liveliness for all the following day is still fit in some measure to be practised 2. The next should be some serious musing on that next End our own salvation and Eternal bappiness farther to be wrought out to be our day labour by the opportunity of a new begun day a day which will bring us nearer to the Ocean of Eternity CHAP. IV. Of the next End Salvation NExt to the highest Gods interest must be mused seriously upon this great soul-interest Prov. 9.12 If thou art wise thou art wise for thy self 2 Tim. 3.1 Wisdom to salvation This because self is so near and dear and the immortal Soul so unspeakably precious the heart being once stampt with a spiritual high strong self-love will have a mighty influence of warmth abiding on the Spirit Here two things are to be attended and practised 1. Meditation of Salvation in a more general Notion and Consideration works little or nothing but the pondering of particulars in Salvation It is a Rule in Oratory and so in Preaching that for moving and drawing the affections generals and things in a confused manner spoken they hit not work not draw not It is the distinct seeing and viewing of particulars which moves and affects to purpose So Meditation to be effectual must particularize the things comprised in some sort in this happiness and salvation As that so blessed freedom from sin in the guilt in pardon and righteousness from the dominion of sin by power life image of Christ and holiness and the glorious priviledges of a Christian here and Everlasting Glory hereafter and such like 2. There 's another Rule among Oratours that things moving the Affections they do it either Magnitudine aut Praesentia by their greatness or excellency or by their presence or nearness As the greatness of a person or the presence of a person or the greatness of a good or evil or the nearness and presence of it 1. The greatness the surpassing greatness of Salvation as Scripture sets it forth Heb. 2. That so unspeakable deliverance from such a height breadth and length of Misery by sin and that inexpressible happiness by union with Jesus Christ The so great things of this glorious state should fall by our Meditation upon the Affections and daily like fire from Heaven kindle them greatly 2. Things move by their presence or nearness the remoter the Object is from the Faculty as the Objects of the External Senses as Seeing Hearing and the rest or the farther a thing is apprehended to be as any Place or Time or the like the less it affects But the presence or propinquity of a thing moves most as when a Poyson or dangerous thing is near or present as an Antidote or a help when near when Death or Deliverance is at hand when a Friend is present or the like this moves most So the way of Meditation here is by representing salvation as present or near 2 Cor. 6. 1 2 3. escaping Hell as now being put into possession of Heaven as now if I were now dying and my Soul sitting on my lips ready to take its flight as now if now the last Trump were sounding now Jesus Christ seen coming to Judgment now the Sentence of Absolution passing Let me thus season and strengthen Meditation by this kind of representation seeing it as near as present now acting now doing or now having and fully possessing this Salvation CHAP. V. Of the Means conducing to this chief End THE next thing in spiritual wisdom to be the Object of daily Meditation is to give as we can some allowance of serious thoughts of that which should be the due and adequate means conducing to the chief End of Eternal life with the glorifying of God as formerly we have mentioned 1. Christ the way Therefore the next thing being the highest and uppermost of all conducing Means to the Supream End the next thing I say to be the great Object of Meditation must be Jesus Christ our way to the Father and our highest way of glorifying him None comes to the Father saith Christ but by me John Initial coming to God by Faith to Justification Reconciliation and Union with God is by Christ All other after comings and glorifyings of God are still by Christ as also all salvation is treasured up in him so it must be the best way for our Meditations method to be daily acted in some measure upon our mighty Saviour our great and only way to our great and chief End so he calls himself the way John Here what a most glorious and delicious Object hath the Eye of Meditation Christ in Isa 65.1 calls Behold me behold me ah what a Spirit must that be that for such an infinite Beauty cannot afford one cast of the eye one wishly look in the whole compass of a day that can look every way freely fixedly and unweariedly but Christward The Spouse in the Canticles her Eye-walk was among the Excellencies and Beauties of her Beloved the Lord Christ his pure Colours White and Red his most rare features and exact proportions of every part his Head Locks Eyes Cheeks Lips Hands Legs and all his glorious perfections and then addes to fum up all that he is altogether lovely So lovely that her Eye affected her heart and so beloved that she fell sick of love Ah when a heart is strongly enflamed with a Love to Christ the eye will be acted in most wishly lookings upon Christ as the love grows the earnest lookings will grow Here then the Rule is to Meditate in some due measure on this Glorious Object so both infinitely excellent in himself and so mighty a Saviour unto us His infinite Riches and Preciousness in his Natures united in his Offices conferred in his graces fullness perfect performances most perfect Redemption his infinite love pity willingness to save lost Sinners The so great free offers of himself and giving himself to us applying his whole Redemption to us by his mighty operation in us Some singular seriousness and rigour of Meditation cannot but daily be due as that first and chief means to the chief End Christians that least look at Christ and least distinctly view him will make the slowest progress and such as study him most will have the easiest and most expedite coming up to the main Mark. CHAP. VI. Meditation of the Holy Spirit the Applier of Christ and his Redemption 2. SOme due proportion of Thoughts-seriousness is proper to be daily acted in reference to the mighty and only applyer of the work of Christs Redemption the holy Spirit and our great daily helper The Holy Spirit first comes to the Soul and person of a Christian applies Christ to him brings Christ into him makes him his Temple and an Habitation of God and Christ to dwell in the heart The Spirit comes inhabits sweeps and cleanses furnishes the heart with light that was darkness with truth that was errour and deceitfulness with power that was weakness life-warmth
and qualifications of heavenly Graces that was cold dead and altogether sinful and draws the glorious image of Christ upon the Soul He enlivens establishes enlarges and encourages and fills the Spirit with peace and joy unspeakable We act from his blowings on the Gardens of our hearts then the spices of Graces flow Cant. 4.16 The Wheels Ezek. 10.17 moved from the spirit in them so a Christian moves or not as the Spirit moves or not Every day and for every Duty in the day there is need of a new blowing of the Spirit that the Spices may flow new moving that the Wheels may move us We must neither grieve quench or resist the Holy Spirit Eph. 4.30 1 Thes 5.19 Act. 7.51 The Spirit who is our Helper and Applyer farther of Christ and receiving of his fulness If we will act wisely the Eye of the Soul by Meditation must daily be pondering the necessity of the Holy Spirits Influences stirrings up strengthenings and enlargements when we neglect and slight the Spirit and so want justly his help we must needs drive on heavily But when we mind him and have his assistance this wings the Soul and makes it to move strongly and nimbly to the main mark If the Question were askt what were the highest thoughts the mind can possibly think they would be such as these three following 1. That thought of the so infinite and all admired love of God the Father in giving freely his Son for Sinners 2. That thought of that infinite and all amazing love of God the Son in giving so freely himself for his Fathers Enemies 3. That thought of God the Holy Spirit 's infinite love astonishing love in so freely giving himself into such dunghill hellish hearts to make them his glorious Habitation his Palace and Solace to be the mighty heart-helper and Comforter This Spirit then must not be grieved by the least neglect but highly and constantly both honoured and cherished with our utmost thought-preciousness and earnestness that so thinkings may work up to liveliest lookings for him lookings to listenings for his knocking 's at the door of our Hearts listenings for ready lettings of him in and being let in we may give him the highest and freest Entertainments with yieldings of the fullest obedience unto him It is reported that formerly sometimes Travellers Sailing by the Coasts of Arabia the happy have had by the Winds blowing off the Land such rare rich smells and perfumes of the precious spices that without the Experience of it it is hardly credible Sometimes the Holy Spirit so blows on the Garden of a Christians heart that the Spices in such sort perfume it with Ravishments of Peace and Joy that are inexpressible and then it runs apace to the main mark Ah then it must be best to enter on the work of the day by an early and earnest eying of this glorious Helper the Holy Spirit who is sooner ready to lend us his helping hand then we are ready for it CHAP. VII Of the next particulars the incumbent Duties of the day 3. THE Ordinances of Christ are the next general things Meditation may fix on The Ordinances are our ways of communion with God the ways whereby God conveighs himself to us the King of Heavens high-ways of spiritual Commerce and Trade The Roads and Paths wherein the Holy Spirit walks and comes to apply himself to us and our ways in which we are to go forth and meet him apply our selves to him fix an heavenly intercourse and acquaintance with him The Winds blow from all the Quarters of Heaven and the Holy Spirit breaths and blows from all his heavenly Ordinances We may therein look for the breathings of the Spirit but we must not look for the Holy Spirit out of his own ways The Prerogative of the Spirit is not to be absolutely tied to Ordinances but our liberty is not to be loosed from them We are tied to the ways of Christ which are our warrantable ways for communion and waiting his Spirits comings and assistings The Eye of Meditation should act daily in such fresh and vigorous lookings on the Ordinances as may more highly commeid them raise their price represent them more lovely reduce us to more evenness in performance by finding them more easie and sweet in continued use and exercising our selves in them and induce still higher admirations by experiencing their help and efficacies The Ordinances of Christ have their high ratification in the Holy Scriptures for their power and efficacy The Saints in all Ages have given their great confirmation set their probatum est to every of them by millions of encouraging experiences When that Ordinances are more precious they are the more efficacious O let our Meditations daily scope be to make them more precious that they may prove more efficacious Like that eminent pattern that great Meditater David that high progress he made in Meditating of the ways of God set the Price higher made his heart warmer He Meditated and he valued more admired more and he acted more eminently and arrived at last at that pitch which hath left him on Record in the highest rank of Saints that ever lived The Ordinances therefore are most worthy our daily musing on as for their own excellency as the King of Heavens high Institutions so as the Holy Spirits walks wherein he comes to meet us and have communion with us and apply Christ more unto us CHAP. VIII Of Meditation on the Word of God and the Promises whereby the Spirit first is given and after works THE Word of God is that sure wisdom revealed unto us by God to lead us by his Counsel to Glory That only infallible Rule given us to walk by It is the Golden Scepter of Christ for the Subjects of his Kingdom to come and touch the top of The dear purchase of Jesus Christ for the only Rule of his Redeemed the breathing and dictate of the Holy Spirit the high product and that clearest shining forth of the brightest beams of Infinite Wisdom Truth Holiness Righteousness Mercy Free-Grace Love Power and all Glories and Perfections of the Author for the blessed Ends it is bestowed It is the excellent Instrument in the hand of the Spirit whereby he effects his great Soul-saving work whereby he brings about that work of wonder the applying of lost sinners to an All-sufficient Saviour first by effectual calling and then applies Christ more and more building them up more in him unto perfection If I look for the Spirits operation I must look for and apply my self to the help of that rare Tool and Instrument he operates by Think what an Engine it is what most admired glorious work he hath effected by it upon millions of blind Eyes hard Hearts Persons impotent Crippled in their Souls Dead in sins and trespasses at the dreadful distance from God of Haters and Enemies of him and all things leading to him enlightening them healing them and reconciling them to himself and his
Word and Ways CHAP. IX Of Meditation of the Spirits drawing to Christ by the Promises AS it is the Instrument in the Spirits hand and without which it would do nothing could not awaken humble and convert the Soul so it cannot either convert and bring in or confirm and build up without that most signal sweetest part the precious Promises and the Promises would do nothing out of the hand of the Holy Spirit and his efficacious managing of them The Grounds and Encouragements of all our drawings near to God through Christ by his Spirit in his Ordinances are the Promises of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace Sinners must not draw nigh to God without his Warrant and Command first given But a Command will not be yielded to unless there be the encouragement of a promise of an acceptance and help in both the first and all other after approches to God Psal 119.49 Gen. 32.9 Exod. 34.6 Num. 14.18 And the Promises must be managed and ordered by the Holy Spirit else they will have no vigour or efficacy as to either initial application of Christ or to any farther and fuller application of him Ephes 1.13 The Spirit is called the Spirit of Promise as given by the Word of Promise Gal. 3.2 Received ye the Spirit by the c. 2 Cor. 3.38 The Gospel that is by the Promises of it is call'd the Ministration of the Spirit which is not only of the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit but the saving operations of it from its inhabitation It is called the Spirit of Promise as conveying and working all to us and in us by the Promise Christ and his Grace is not offered by God nor received by a Christian by any man I mean grown up person but by the offer of him in a Promise there is no immediate acting upon Christ for a first or after and fuller receiving of him but by the medium the way of an intervening Promise God holds forth and Faith sees it and takes Christ offer'd in the Promise Acts 10.43 To him give all the c. As the Spirits humbling is by his whetting and setting home by his art the threatnings of wrath and death Eternal so the comforts of the Spiritare by his setting home the promises of salvation And further supplies of Grace are by the promises through the co-operating of the Holy Spirit bringing us to receive farther of Christ his fulness by the promises that are Yea and Amen in him 2 Cor. 1.20 But all this farther operation of the Spirit and receiving more of the Grace of Christ it is by Meditation and pondering of the Promises Fresh receivings from Christ must be founded in fresh Meditation of the Promises The more intense and earnest the ponderings of the Promises of growth and encrease are the larger will your desires the more earnest your endeavours be after more of Christ Christians are sometimes in great haste to believe strongly but cannot reach it because they meditate on the Promises slenderly They make the best work of it who dwell and act most upon the promises that still Meditate from promise to promise By the Promises we are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Cleanse our selves from all pollution of Flesh and Spirit perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 There be great varieties of precious promises for Justification Sanctification and the rest There is a transcendent Truth Goodness and Freeness in the Promises great and rich supplies made over to Believers by them But they will not give down their Milk without our due mindings and daily Meditatings on them Meditation must press out the Juice and sweetness gather the rare Honey that is upon these Flowers of precious Promises If Bones be full of Marrow it must be gotten out by pains and knocking The Promises so full of marrow and sweetness must yield it forth by Meditation Lay sound weight of Meditation on them to press out the Spirit and virtue in them If therefore a Christian would daily have his recourse to Christ if he daily would touch Christ so as to have virtue go out of him for healing and help in any kind bring your Eye to the hand of the Spirit and to the Promise which he must be expected to work your coming to Christ by and fresh receivings of Grace from Meditate well that you may speed well Let the promises mellow in thy heart by Meditation that thou mayst find how sweet they this way are CHAP. X. Of the next thing Meditation may best take in which is that on my part I am to perform 5. IF I would perform in the Day what is incumbent on me to be rightly done I must Meditate of the way where the Holy Spirit may meet and help me Meditate I must of my necessary putting my hand to the work of Christ and bearing his burden and the need I have of the Spirits lending his hand to help me who helps our infirmities I must eye the Rule of the Word by which the Spirit teaches me and the precious promises whereby he encourages me And in that all my conversation in the Day must be holy and heavenly comfortable and fruitful I must meditate of stirring up the grace given me to act by the help of the Spirit upon Christ and to him for working out my own salvation and the glorifying of God thereby This must be if I consider the living the life of Faith more peculiarly and exercising of likewise every Holy Grace the work of the day requires Therefore next my Meditation may be upon the Graces that in the Duties of the day are to be exercised for to be improved Without the exercising of these Graces all the conversation is carnal not spiritual all Duties are but dead carcasses and loathsom to God I must think how my daily course must be a living to the living God a living peculiarly to him that dyed for me and rose again and a living to the blessed Spirit that dwells and works in me and is my mighty helper Likewise I must consider it must be a living very exemplarily towards all men especially the godly that my light may shine before them to provoke and profit them all I can 1. Particularly I must Meditate of living the life of precious and glorious Faith the Grace of Graces Faith as to the whole word of God all the precepts promises threats and Recorded Examples acting more peculiarly Faith in the promises and by the promises on Jesus Christ acting more on his All-sufficiency to save and for receiving fresh strength and supplies for the Duties and Occasions of the day ensuing Likewise through Christ I should think of my access to the Father of trusting to Gods All-sufficiency his Wisdom Truth Righteousness Holiness Goodness Mercy Love Free Grace and all his infinite perfections with his providence preserving and governing all things to the least and toward my own self in particular in a most excellent wise holy and
glorified by all his Saints to the highest in Of all imaginable places this this is the place this is Room this is a place so large as the hearts of the Saints can wish 3. As Heaven is the largest for capacity and quantity so is it the best place for quality and excellency 2 Cor. 12. It is called Paradise by that blessed Paul who was taken up thither to tell upon his return what a place it was Paradise mentioned Gen. 2.8 it was the best place that ever was on Earth it was the summary of all necessaries and delicacies for Adam in that perfect state his accommodations recreations and abundant delight fit therefore to resemble the place of glory by And so our Lord Christ thought when he calls it by this name of Paradise Luke 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise The best place it was made because for the best Creature on Earth Luke 16. It is called Abraham's bosom Abraham in his time was the most eminent person living call'd the Father of the faithful No place for a Child can be so proper so desirable pleasing and contenting as the most loving tender Fathers Bosom O how a Child loves the Bosom O how desirous are the Children of Abraham to be in his Bosom In other places it is a place of glory riches of glory a Kingdom a Crown of glory an eternal weight of glory a state where there are Pleasures for evermore Rivers of pleasures joys and fullness of joy For every Saint the highest entertainments in all respects for the Senses 1. The Ear hath such ravishing Musick and melody as that best and greatest Consort of all the innumerable companies of Saints and Angels can make 2. For the Eye the Palace of Heaven is unspeakably beyond all places prospects and objects that Nature and Art could ever yield The persons of the Saints as to the numbers so innumerable must needs make up the rarest Train and shew as to their sorts and differences that ever Eye saw O what a ravishing sight must that be to see Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the Holy Patriarchs Moses Samuel David and all the Holy Prophets Peter Paul John and all the Holy Apostles All the blessed and glorious Martyrs of Jesus Christ All his godly and serviceable painful and laborious Ministers All the precious Saints Kings and Governours and others that are recorded in the Bible And not only Men but holy Women Sarah Hannah Ruth Esther and others in the Old Testament the blessed Virgin and Elizabeth with the Women that followed Christ and ministred unto him Mary Magdalen Johanna Susanna Lydia Dorcas Priscilla among the Apostles helping them all the Disciples of Christ which believed in him with all the eminent godly lights in the Church after the Apostles and all the Saints in all after Ages to the worlds end And then for all this Train in their sorts and ranks as to their bodies to be so all over glorious to shine as the Sun and brightness of the Firmament for ever O what a shew and ravishing entertainment is here for the Eye But that which is the top and height and far surpassing all the other is that sweetest most ravishing sight of the most glorious body of Jesus Christ The highest beauty that ever Eye beheld or saw far out-shining all others as the Sun exceeds the Stars Ah here here will be a sight indeed Ah but then to behold him in his highest discoveries of his sweetest loveliest lookings and smilings on all his Saints with him and upon thee in particular To see his countenance compos'd and ordered purposely to beam forth in fullest Manifestations of surpassing sweetness of most intense affections towards his so dearly beloved Bride now present with him in the glorious Bed-Chamber to behold him and enjoy perfect communion with him 3. O but what entertainments are there as to the soul and spirit for the faculties of Vnderstanding Will and Affections how far transcending those of the Senses as the beatifical vision seeing God face to face with all intellectual satisfaction as to all the truths in the Word of God all Mysteries Prophecies and difficulties and whatsoever may conduce to the glorious happiness of the Saints satisfaction also as to the works and ways of God Creation and Providence all the Riddles and dark things so far made known as is needful Likewise as to the will and heart the beatifical fruition enjoying of God Father Son and Spirit and his infinite sweetness to all possible fullness and perfection Likewise all happy communion with Saints and Angels to all delight and pleasure And for all this both body and Soul are prepared strengthened elevated and enlarged to the utmost extensiveness As all imperfections and sins are utterly remov'd so all grace and holiness light and wisdom heat and flame of heart communicated and in a blessed reciprocation a mutual acting God the infinitely alsufficient communicating himself to the glorified to their utmost capacity and they reacting and putting forth their grace and holiness to their utmost ability O how unspeakably sweet and satiating must this continual intercourse be For the close of all let me think my self after a glorious and blessed Resurrection and absolution by Christ at the Judgment day freed utterly from all evil feeling likewise my compleat happiness coming on so fast in my now passage up to the place of glory and then instantly finding it finisht finisht on the first setting my foot as it were within the Gate of Heaven And now I think what a prepared and furnished place I am in What company of the Saints Angels and Jesus Christ also I have What fruition of the most blessed God what sense of the pleasures joys satisfactions and most ravishing sweetness under all security under that which superadded heightens and sweetens all the rest the Charter of inconceivable eternity Ah then let my frequent and intensest thinkings be not a looking down to Earth but up to Heaven breathing my soul up the Hill to this City of God in contemplating the Glories of it often let me walk this so pleasant walk Who will look and pore on a dark Dungeon that hath the Sun to behold who will that means to hit the mark look quite besides it who is it can go to Heaven that thinks most another way that hath a down-look as we say a Beasts Eye that hath no Muscle of elevation Ah such as look most will long most after labour most for it O therefore let my Eye every day be walking to and in this Paradise solace it self in taking a turn still there be walking in this upper Eye-walk by Meditation till I come to see God face to face till I look my self into this Heaven I look on I have now dispatcht this point of Occasional set Meditation as to the first branch Meditation of such things we our selves single out and set before us and take some special times for which were in these
when he would have those come right and return that have gone wrong and such to go on that have well begun he calls them to consideration and minding their ways Hag. 1.5 Consider your own ways in your hearts and again verse 7. Isa 46.8 Bring it to mind Put your hearts upon your ways in the former here they must bring their doings upon their hearts by considering Ezek. 18.28 He considereth and turneth Consideration is the rise of returning Luke 15.17 The Prodigals returning was upon his considering common wisdom acting in consideration is the souls helm and spiritual wisdom acting in Meditation is the Christians Helm as the Word is his compass and the Gales of the holy Spirit fill his sails and make him move We cannot look for a Ship to sail well without the Helms steering well Meditations Helm must steer our course our course to the Harbour of true happiness must have its rise in due consideration as the Scripture every where shews O let me Lord keep up ever this right order and method in my walkings let Meditation be the spring that carries all the Wheels of my spirit right and even that still pondering all my paths my ways may be established This then I propound as a principal ground of the necessity of Meditation that dependance of the Will Affections and actings spiritual on the understanding sanctifi'd and furnisht with light and wisdom for salvation which wisdom and light is the guide to and stirrer up of the will affections and endeavours by the means of Divine Meditation This I have the more now insisted on in that the great failings of all sorts rise from neglect of this consideration and Meditation because this consideration is no more considered All Christians that would have the Will purpose the Affections move the executing power endeavour well must use the grace of spiritual wisdom that is the first wheel in the heavenly frame of spirit and wisdom by the way of Meditation to set on going all the wheels of other graces disperst through the heart The Graces planted as principles of spiritual life strength and motion and given to animate all operation CHAP. XXVI Of the second ground of this so necessary Duty of Meditation HEavenly things should have not only a meer seeing and knowing but a minding and meditating from their obliging and challenging excellencies Prov. 8.6 and 22.20 Excellent things have I not written to thee excellent things saith Solomon Phil. 3.8 For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ c. their so far transcending excellencies their rare objective excellencies give me leave to call them so that is they are not only excellent things in themselves though never known or shewn to us but they are made to be excellent objects for our observation and minding All made to be minded but some of them more peculiarly made and prepared made great made high deep and large fil'd brim full yea running over with both native excellency and likewise sutableness for us sutableness for our spirits to act and make their chief abode of seriousest thoughts upon for a spiritual and holy eye to fix upon and be pleased in As in Philosophy they reason if there be objectum sensibile an object of the outward sense and that which especially is excellent if there be Odours and rich Scents if sounds excellent sounds or if there be rare Colour Feature Motion and that so excellent object Light especially such glorious Lights as the several Stars the Moon and the most glorious Sun there must be those Senses of smelling hearing seeing which may perceive their objects and receive the pleasure and benefit of them otherwise they must be all in vain If there were no Creatures with any Senses to perceive these Objects of Colour Light and the rest to what end were any of them What use would Colour or Light be of without any eye to behold it The omniscient God he cannot need it The Angels and Spirits being without bodies they do not need it Creatures blind and Creatures made without sense Elements as Earth Water and the other Elementaries such as Stones Metals Trees and such like insensitive things they need it not neither need any smells sounds or tastes only the sense is suted to the Object and the Object to the sense The Object is made or manifested and shewn for the sense So if there be spiritual Objects and no spiritual eye fitted for them and if spiritual Objects be held forth and shewn and there were never any eying of them they then in that respect as to their holding forth would be in vain And the spiritual eye would be in vain as if the eye had no Object to behold it would be in vain and as no eye at all Therefore doth God in Scripture call so oft for a beholding of the things of Heaven because of their excellencies purposely shewn for that end Joh Behold the Lamb of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what love the c. Therefore when there are such abundance of spiritual and heavenly things set out in such rare Colours and proportions shining in such high splendour and glory When so many most bright and beauteous when so great and extensive rarities and excellencies beam forth and shine so gloriously in heavenly and spiritual things there then needs must be an Eye a spiritual Eye for these so excellent Objects to behold them and be exercised about them Yea when there is such a height depth latitude and length and vastness every way of dimensions of excellency shining in them and this purposely that they may be viewed and admired and also improved therefore there must be an answerable eying and considering 1. A real sincere acting of minding and meditating to answer their most real worth 2. A deep searching of thoughts to answer their height and depth of excellency 3. An abode and dwelling and enlarging of thoughts to answer the latitude and extensiveness of excellency in them that all their glory and excellency so near as can be may be known and tasted The excellencies therefore of spiritual things are for eying and pondering the greatness of their excellencies for great eying and earnest Meditating Therefore we find that great Artist in Meditation the holy Psalmist so busying his thoughts and meditating in several things as about God and his Glory Greatness Holiness Righteousness Truth Mercy Severity and Power Psal 104. Psal 12.6 About the Word of God in those shining rays of its infallible Truth Purity Perfection mighty efficacy and glorious excellencies Psal 19.7 8. Psal 119. And so about the works and ways of God 2 Tim. 3.16 The blessed Apostle Paul was so acted in his thoughts about the Word of God and the Gospel Christ and Free Grace the fullness of Christ Ephes 2.4 7. the workings of his Spirit and the whole mystery of godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 Thus other Saints in Scripture Prophets Apostles and divers else The wise hearted will have their eyes thus exercised
heightened ripened and corroborated by habit attain'd upon frequencies and constancies of practice and using this heavenly meditating This David the excellent example of actings in this high-way to Heaven God says of him when he was very young when Samuel came to annoint him he was one whose heart he lookt on as being principled with piety and real holiness he had a heart inclined set for God and things heavenly but he acted holiness exercised himself in it and in this particular way of Meditation till it ripened and arrived at habitual meditation from holding up a constancy in it This may be gathered from the character he gives of a godly man and from his own still practice Psal 1.2 In the Law of the Lord he meditates day and night when a man begins to be godly hath the principle this will incline him to begin this godliness this meditation But then godly wisdom teaches to practise it for to use meditating to get a hand at this rare work to come to an habitual heavenly mindedness So David that was so wise so excellently wise as Psal 119.98 99. he had acted the fundamental principle Psal 119.112 He inclined his heart to keep all the Commandments alway and he exercised meditation to babitual heavenly mindedness for he tells us Psal 119.97 Psal 63.6 he meditated all the day meditated in the night watches when he still awoke he was ever with God He gets the habitual heavenly mindedness and then it was easie and by being sound easie it was withal his delight Meditation at first the burden and yoke of heavenly Meditation lying on the weak shoulders of the new Convert with only his new principle of grace begun is a hard and heavy work though the spirit be willing yet to perform it is weak But when this work is carried on and daily practised then by custom and habit an acquired habit then it is easie then 't is the great soul-solace and delight David's habitual beavenly mindedness was the rare product and issue of his meditation he found it so and therefore followed the faster Therefore this ought to be a grand intendment A heavenly mindedness when 't is habitual when it is corroborated and of a young tender Plant is grown to be a Tree of strength and yet is growing more this is a rare excellency and gloriously sweet attainment a heavenly minded man how excellent is such a one generally in all mens tyes This makes a Christian still with God have his way above his conversation in Heaven Psal 139.18 Phil. 3.20 feed on Manna fill with peace and joy overflow and abound in singular fruitfulness towards others Out of the abundance of heart-heavenliness the mouth speaks and the whole conversation shines in an exemplary walking Therefore the heart must be meditating upon heavenly things that it still may be framing and fixing bigher in habitual thinkings Meditate thy self into heavenly mindedness that so blessed and glorious frame To conclude this third Reason Therefore the Scripture holds forth Meditation in several sorts 1. Daily doing it in course 2. Then occasional meditating as a superaddition 3. And that of ejaculation or short and more sudden darting up the thoughts to Heav'n to come in as an Auxiliary supply when the other Meditation more solemn and set cannot be used Ejaculations may oft interpose in our course This is a wedge may be driven in enter the throng and crowd of occasions when matters lie before us as tough and knotty pieces of wood when they will not give way to meditation at large but hinder it this wedge may and will ever enter if we apply it to keep up the constancy of heavenly mindedness Ah how should my spirit bless abundantly that God who hath so fully provided for a lying open of 〈◊〉 way to Heaven that my soul may mount up 〈◊〉 so frequently and be either detained above by 〈◊〉 Contemplation or at least to touch at Heaven by 〈…〉 CHAP. XXIX Of the fourth ground that supports this Duty of Meditation 4. THE fourth and last ground to support this weighty work of holy Meditation is the consideration of the great advantages or disadvantages arising from the careful performance or careless neglect of it Every Ordinance of Christ hath holy advantages attending it those who use them aright daily experience how good it is to walk in the King of Heaven's high-ways 1. The first I shall name is that so glorious advantage of improving our communion and acquainunce with God Job 22.21 1 Joh. 1.3 No communion we can expect much less can we improve it out of the use of holy Ordinances whereby we draw neer to God and God to us Although God himself be not so tyed to these ways but he may come to us when and how he pleaseth yet we are tyed to Gods Ordinances as our ways of acquaintance with him and when in a holy manner we draw neer to God he hath promised to command the blessing to us Psal 133.5 Psal 24.5 He shall c. Meditation being then his Ordinance it is a way of communion a singular way of acting our spirits towards him of acting our minds and thoughts in a way of reference to him either more directly or less sometimes Meditation is acted on his infinite excellencies in seeing his infinite beauty and loveliness admiring and glorifying him and by this Contemplation we come to an improvement of our knowledge to understand more of him an enlargement of affections encouragement of our wills chusings of him and aimings at his glorifying and exalting excciting and stirring up the Graces of Faith for stronger recumbencies on his All-sufficiency love to cleave more humility to stoop and submit more patience to endure more willingly and other Graces to act higher in their spheres and ranks by all in the ways of exercising them to own him and have him more to be our God Meditation helps to move and carry the soul and all that is of it and in it towards God And when we act upon him open the doors of our hearts to him Rev. 3.20 God he comes in and manifests himself in his Grace Quicknings Supportings Comforts he sups with us as Rev. 3.20 and we sup with him he is pleased and delighted with our Graces exercised towards him and we sup with him in his manifestations of himself to us in his helpings of us gladding and chearing our spirits ravishing our hearts with the tastes of his love CHAP. XXX Of solace and spiritual pleasure another end of Meditation 2. AS it is a way of singular communion with God so it is for a heavenly walk of great soul-solace and delight a path of pleasantness to walk turn and recreate thy spirit in as Solomon Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness all her ways all the particular paths in those ways and therefore this way and it is made purposely by Christ for his people to walk and turn in One of the stately large high walks in the
at the great day before all the world shall bring forth the eager mindings of youth the toys vanities phansies and follies of youth set them all in order and then shew what the things of Heaven and happiness discovered and tendered are all the so rare and most inestimable things proffer'd in the Gospel together I say when all the trifles and vanities of youth and the bendings of the mind unto them wholly to them and all spiritual things in the Scriptures in their natures and heights of excellency and the not minding but refusing to mind them shall be laid together O what will be the unspeakable shame and confusion silence and stoppings of the mouths of mindless sinners O what to such as are snatcht away in their youth in the heights of their minding vanities and so fond refusals of meditating on spiritual things as not being at leisure yet as not thinking it proper and seasonable to be serious so soon Ah then if the case of youth mindless youth will be so sad at the great day when things shall appear as they are when an infinitely wise and righteous God will make every sin appear in its exceeding great sinfulness how now should it humble all for their youth regardlesness refusals to allow time for heavenly thoughts to let precious youth be so embezled If we mind not sins of youth God may soon make us to possess them Job 13.26 If we are truly humbled for them this may as it were spare God a labour save us that heart-smart in troubles and terrors which like gravel in the tender eye or smaller motes there may occasion great pain Those little things of youth and which by many are resolved into nothing or have a pardon of course Ah these sometimes God blows into the eye of conscience like clouds of dust that we may feel how great a weight of trouble how hot a Hell the least sin can bring upon us The least arrow in the Quiver of Gods wrath dipt in the least measure of its venom bred by the least sin can wound torment and drink up our spirits O therefore sadly sometimes let every one look over the time of youth which so long for intending vanities dis-intended and considered not things serious and spiritual but put them by Put them by as meer niceties and impertinencies yea as very burdens and yokes but chiefly having been called so oft upon by the Word without and the holy Spirits sweet motions together with the frequent calls of conscience within O the time of youth may for ever humble all cause us to look on it with great self-loathing and heart-breaking with fresh runnings of the spring of sorrow and shame for our follies and frowardness in refusal of returning and to cry out with the Psalmist Psal 25.7 Lord remember not the sins of my youth O give a free and full pardon for that fond time so wasted without consideration acted upon any spiritual concernment to any purpose but all lost CHAP. III. Another particular cause of humbling for so long neglect of Meditation 3. improvement FOR humbling greatly every Christian in that at the best and soonest we began so late this seriousness of thoughts this Duty of Meditation which challenges of all the very first consideration and pondering the very first buddings out and first blossomings of the considering power should begin with our spiritual concernments not letting it act blindly ignorantly evilly and impertinently but knowingly wisely and in a right manner the rule allows not taking the first step nor any other after wrong Ah how long hath it been how long have the best of Saints the soonest blossoming and ripen'd young Christians how long was it before consideration and meditation began in their hearts before the Scepter of Jesus Christ held forth in the Laws and Commands of Meditation was attended would be yielded to How long e're that any of our fond and froward spirits would cease their vanities and wildness follies and impertinencies of thoughts When wisdom in any one begins to act then consideration begins no hopes of young heads till they begin to put forth and act consideration then begin they to be wise or give hopes of a being hereafter wise when they prove considerate then begins that which is wisdom for thy self when thou comest to consider when thy spirit begins to beat the Golden path of Meditation Ah then let it humble us it was so long before the first and fundamental Meditation or Consideration before that first engaging the heart to seriousness and a due minding that initial and introductive considering for true turning to God with the whole heart Formerly in one of the grounds of this point we mentioned the necessity of consideration and pondering our unspeakable misery by sin and God's displeasure in order to conversion to God As all that are truly converted are truly humbled so all truly humbled and converted are made first truly serious and self-bethinking reduced to this Meditation of their inexpressibly miserable condition Conversion to God stands as it were on two feet comes about by a double inlet of a twofold Consideration or Meditation 1. A serious Meditation of now seen and felt unspeakable misery that load and burden of sin and Gods wrath laid on and this must be deep sink down into the soul and press it and soak through the soul in sorrowings in meltings in weariness of spirit and in willingness to be eased of the present pressure 2. Then a most serious Meditation and Pondering of the rich free grace of God the Father reconcilable in a full Saviour offer'd in a free firm Covenant and Promise of salvation to every sinner without exception These two great considerations are the foundations and inlets of the great heart-mutation and conversion Therefore these are of the greatest concernment of all other considerations yea these are such considerations that no other are to be reckon'd upon till they have been performed effectually Ah therefore how exceedingly should this humble all persons whatsoever for their former so long neglect of this introductive and fundamental consideration Hos 8.5 God crys out How long will it be e're they attain to innocency Ah how long was it with any with the very earliest self-bethinker before he used the eye of his mind in consideration Consideration to view not that was far off but that was of all others the nearest to see himself and himself also in his nearest concern of all others that eternal condition of his immortal soul Ah what an humbling charge should this bring up to every spirit to every bosom O how should it shame thee and me and every one to think how long it was before we began to do that might be called thinking before I once began to think to any purpose how long my thinking and considering power was meerly abused by me was both diverted and debased by a continual running like Water beside the Mill ravelling out like a golden Thread spoil'd as
can do little but bungle because they study and muse no more to know their own way Many Christians are but bunglers to what they might be make a large disproportion between their profession and their proficiency their practice and their profit because they meditate no more to understand their way 2. The great not only ignorance but dead-heartedness and spiritual chilness with the brokenness and unevenness of Christians in their walkings arises much from a negligence in this Meditation either negligence of not doing it but ceasing sometimes or negligence of slackness and slothfulness in ceasing fervency and industry for the manner Davids manner of meditation in the fervency and the constancy of it will keep up Davids affections fervent and flaming affections and Davids constancy and evenness of conversation 3. Little meditating makes lean Christians of little life little strength little growth and of little usefulness to others Heb. 12.12 There 's mention of feeble knees which also occasions the going with no steadiness and the not making of straight steps As it is oft in the body thus from a failing in the head obstructions of the Fountain and feeder of sense and motion so this among others this failing in Meditation is a great occasion though there be divers other causes a great ground of Christians weak feet and going no stronger and steadier Meditation that should influence stir up strength and motion is obstructed disused and neglected Meditation must still lend a hand of help to every spiritual undertaking first ponder then proceed We can perform nothing well in worldly affairs without well considering so in spiritual matters what duties can be well performed what graces rightly exercised what in all Religion that can be named can be rightly ordered if you mind not seriously consider not before the doing it as well as mind and attend it in the doing Serious thinking is fundamental to all right doing O what are the innumerable advantages that thy constancy in this course would still bring in and what have been thy losses by neglect and will daily increase upon thee by it Ah therefore consider be awakened and strive to be humbled for all thy failings and neglects especially thy fallings off from and disusings of this so necessary and excellent Duty look to thy first beginning in it and thy making no better entrance into it First undertakings if not so well and through prove great inconveniences and if not lookt after and amended may occasion a less seriousness and care ever after but however they require a making up and bettering that which serves a young weak and unexperienced Christian must not serve a grown Christian one old in his way O but be humbled for thy improving no more in this Art of Meditation for being no better Artist for having so little of this heavenly habit and heart-readiness from thy frequencies and constancies of not only acting but earnest and vigorous strivings which intend and strengthen improve and increase the habit Be humbled for no higher attainments in this happy way which we should be most perfect in ready for in which we should still have an increasing and heightening complacency and pleasure to perform with a striving to do it better as to heart-readiness better as to heart-power and purpose resolvedness against oppositions and hindrances Ah then look mournfully look we and with shame and self-abasings on all and for all our failings and for all our guilt contracted for this Duty neglected 1. That our progress and improvement hath been so small 2. Our inequalities and unevennesses so many 3. Our fallings off and desistings and lyings so long or any space of time before returning and recovering and by our dis-using contracting an unwillingness a spiritual lothness a doing with more difficulty or by refusals and denying of doing this Duty to thereby aggravate our sin Therefore I say for all these admitted and added let us be deeply humbled before God and mourn over so many and great neglects he hath observed in us Ah therefore say I have sinned greatly in what I have done 2 Sam. 24.10 say I will do so no more Job 34.32 Ah so to slight to forget the concerns of God and my soul to let my eyes be in the corners of the earth to let my soul lose so its lookings by eying vanity to imbezel my precious thoughts upon the by and overlook the main May not my God come and challenge me for great unkindness unworthiness and folly What thou my child to be so vain and unwise when thou hast to contemplate thy God in his infinite all-sufficiency thy Saviour in all his matchless beauty and fullness thy Sanctifier in all his operations and consolations thy perfect rule the Scriptures with all the treasures of heavenly truths in them and when thou hast all the excellent and admired works and ways of a God the condition of his Church and people thy own souls state and eternal salvation together with all such things that continually stand full in thy view Ah to have so many paths for the feet of thy spirit to walk in by Meditation so many rare Objects for thy Eyes entertainment and employment and to thy sweetest solace largest satisfaction and yet in any degree to miscarry the golden seasons of this so heart-enriching Meditation Ah may not my grieved God and his grieved spirit grieve and sadden my herein so sinning spirit may not my neglects of Meditation not seriously and frequently thinking of him and such things that nearly highly concern him justly occasion my Gods neglecting of me Neglecting me by withdrawing his hand from his blessed impulses infusings of heavenly thoughts judging it not meet to give down good and holy thoughts into a spirit distemper'd diverted by too usual admittance of earthly evil and carnal thoughts and disuse of holy Meditation Who will plant the most precious flowers among heaps of poisonous weeds Who will mix their richest purest Wine with puddle dirty Water or their Gold and Diamonds among dirt and dung Ah this is the way for my God not only to withdraw himself but to let Satan the foul Spirit loose upon me to trouble me to haunt me to follow me with all manner of disquieting and discouraging thoughts with temptations of injury and stealing revenge and cruelty uncleanness and filthiness and sinful sensualities and such like evil thoughts against others Ah may not this neglect of good thoughts and due Meditation be justly met with and expose me to the blackest and most horrid thoughts and temptations such as those of Blasphemy thoughts as thick as Hail and that daily haunt me darting horrour and Hell into my spirit making my heart to tremble and my hair to stand upright on my head Ah may I not if I amend not the sooner not come to that so sad and dreadful temptation so contrary to Nature the temptation of self-destroying thinking it may be best to be rid of my trouble though it be so
order their right principle received to their best advantage in this way of Meditation 1. Here as the Rule of learned Physicians is in curing of diseases that universals are first to be intended So first your Rule is to enter and engage your selves into that great Road and most ordinary work incumbent of daily Meditation herein to contend and strive after an habitual holy frame to habit thy self as thou art able to the right daily Meditation 1. Habit and accustom thy self to the mornings Meditation in awaking so still with God in serious thinkings of and admirings his goodness and mercy in the night past Begin to accustom thy self to first looking up to God and that most seriously and earnestly that so near as may be God ever may be the first in thy thoughts Psal 139. When I awake I am ever with thee And Psal 5.1 3. Give ear unto my meditation In the morning O Lord will I direct or set in order as the word properly signifies and look up He awaked into Meditation and acted that Meditation in lifting up his heart in praying To improve holy thoughts and holy desires Gods being ever the first in our thoughts on awaking is certainly more his due and proper right than any other things in the world It is also the very best thought-bestowing the best laying out our precious thoughts for our own profit best as to the help and furtherance of grace best for fresh incomes of sweet peace When first we act Heaven-ward we act freest and freshest when the spirit acts upward before lusts and corruptions are stirring before Satan begins to interpose and before the world comes in to us to hang on its weights upon our hearts It is far more acceptable to the Majesty of the high God to have the first visit and homage likewise more beneficial to our selves to get the start of other things to give our hearts first a heavenly seasoning The vessel will be the sweeter and retain an after better savouriness for the coming day when this is well and seriously done Visit God early and he will visit us early This awaking will occasion the Holy Spirits awaking and blowing on the garden of thy heart for the spices to flow 2. Come then to that Meditation relating to the duties of the succeeding day this then must be well attended for making a good entrance into this new course of Meditation 1. Here to strive after the true wisdom of this way to be an Artist in some measure a wife Meditater At the first we cannot be too wise nor understand too well a way new begun Nor never can we here be so wise for doing any part of our spiritual work but we may learn more 2. To have a due temper of warmth fervour and vivacity this must be minded Rom. 12.11 Fervent in spirit To begin a course dully act easily and not earnestly this wrongs thee much it hinders the otherwise obtainable faeility of doing with that rare sweetness attending a holy seriousness and the rich improvement of the main stock that stock of grace given for increasing A habit comes not up by remiss actings but by earnest actings Cold water cannot be made boiling hot and kept so by adding luke-warm water but water very hot Easie actings will disintend and abate the habit where attained and hinder the attaining where aimed at Easie endeavours will setle in a spiritual laziness set up at a formality but equal and earnest will itroduce a strong habit and high Get the habitual fervency by daily actings of heat and being fervent in every doing So when the Apostle urges fervency of spirit he means a fervency in all serving the Lord at all times 3. As you must do this in reference to daily Meditation in the general way of it so habit and accustom thy self to meditating of thy chief and supreme end To a due and earnest meditating of God and glorifying him for this gives the Laws and Rules to all thy course If the question were What is the best thought arising any time in any heart it is that which is of God the glorifying of him The purest highest thoughts of a God exalting him must needs excel all other thoughts more than the Sun excels all candles or least lights whatsoever Use thy thoughts with David and other holy men of God to bear strongly and act ardently upon this This lays the foundation daily deeper of thy self-denying Mark 8.34 that so hard and tough work Self would not rise up and float so high in any good heart if glorifying the infinitely better God were more meditated daily upon and had its more due and down weight in the scales of the Christians thoughts had more serious musing upon 4. Habit thy self gain upon thy self as to serious daily Meditation on the next end and scope thy own eternal happiness and salvation Let not this so momentous concern want its weight in thy daily meditating let it have still some at least serious pondering and this not only at thy first entrance upon this way of daily meditating then when thy fears and feelings of wrath remain fresh in memory But here is the Art and frame to be endeavoured to grow up in more habitual seriousness of musing on this great salvation This was the blessed Apostles way he not only at first when Christ humbled him began it to meditate how to be saved but eyed it daily accustomed himself into serious more serious minding it Phil. 3.13 I forget things behind and press to the mark He kept his constant aiming and aimed better still more fully and therefore the act being stronger the habit must be more intended The habit of meditating here should not sink and be in a consumption decline and grow weaker or but keep up alive but it should root deeper put forth stronger shoot up higher to the mark Salvation should have quicker and more lively impressions on us like the natural motion though slack at first yet quick at last That 's more natural and genuine which grows still stronger like rich wine more strong and spirit by keeping close 5. Contend to habiting thy self to ponder those particular means making up to the grand ends of glorifying God and thy happiness in enjoyment of him for ever Namely 1. Accustom thy self to as high and transporting thoughts of Jesus Christ his fulness of grace freely offered and thy daily putting him on more and growing up in him And this by Meditation of the precious Promises and the Faith whereby thou must through them receive from Christ and live by it 2. So accustom thy self daily to Meditation of the Holy Spirits dwelling and operating in every good heart without whose assistance thou canst not perform any good therefore must not be neglected grieved quenched resisted but prayed for and cherished earnestly expected and highly entertained 3. Accustom thy self to some seriousness of thoughts of the Ordinances of Christ the ways of our Communion with God we
Christians and most establisht in their way have always need of more establishing as to their graces and frame of heart so to their duties and whole course of godliness There must be an earnest care and striving as you have begun and practised so to be stablished Not to begin and then draw back nor yield to do with a weakness weariness and unevenness but here to say as David oft O God my heart is fixed I will meditate Meditation is neavenly but hard in it self comes off sometimes harder The best heart is a slippery piece that sometimes not only flags and falls low but sometimes also fails the purpose within and the practice without may have their stops and faltrings The Watch may want a winding up There may be failure in the practice from a failing in the purpose a fit of dying away may come upon thee if there be not a constant care of stability A good mans heart must be like Solomons Temple with the two Pillars set up in it Jacin and Booz establishment and strength 2. As thou must endeavour establishment so strive for improvement Growth is necessary both in Graces and Duties as the Scripture shews 1. There must be care to improve in the Art and skill of holy Meditation To understand thy way better Prov. 14.8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way not only with an initial understanding it but a progressive understanding of it Not only to know in the same degree and to be always alike at the last as at the first but to understand far better As the wise Artificer that contents not himself with the same measure of skill in his way but to be a better Artist proceed to a perfection If a Christian be trading for Heaven in good earnest he will strive every way to excel Not like a Bungler that does in a poor pitiful manner just to live and no more but as an Artist and man of ingenuity to live plentifully I must study how to study better to comprehend the whole wisdom of my way to live more fruitfully to others serviceably to God comfortably to my own bosom Not to only just so much skill as will serve to get creeping but for flying to Heaven 2. To learn how to kindle a fire in my heart and do my work warmer Strive to more affectionate Meditation To have things have a quicker passage from the head to the heart That the spiritual things meditated on come sooner to my heart kindle it quickly and make me all on fire Bom. 12.11 Fervent in spirit serving the Lord. It is not to be taken only for real fervency but growth He would not have them no warmer and fervent at last than at first So Meditation should heap hotter coals upon thee make thy fire a flame This by Meditations applying warmer and more heart quickning reasons and arguments We call motives reasons for doing a thing a duty of Religion Incentives Meditation should strike fire and blow it up into a flame Strive to have Meditation more heart-warming not only to have it more notional but cordial not only a shining but a burning light as it was said of John Baptist That 's Meditation to purpose when the head moves the heart brings in light and heat also The Moon-light is pleasant but the Suns is best because chiefly it is with vivifical heat it is the worlds warmer Therefore see search in Meditation for such things and manage them in such a manner as may warm thee at the heart most make thee daily warmer 1. Warmer in that grand affection that strong spring of spiritual operation Love love to the work of Meditation love to heavenly and spiritual things the lovely beauteous and glorious things which Meditation brings and sets before thee to highly treat and entertain thee Principally most inflamed love to the highest beauty and glory for whom most peculiarly that best affection the best piece of thy heart was made the most blessed God Father Son and Holy Spirit 2. Warmer in ardency of desire to keep in and improve in this heavenly way of Meditation Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the desire it hath to thy judgments which soul-breaking was for looking into them by reading reading for meditating to present and supply new heavenly matter that he might exercise himself there by Meditation know Gods will and be better affected more resolved and enlarged That desire so earnest was greatly among others to be at that his rare mind-exercise of Meditation the best way of thinking that possibly can be none like this this had this holy mans chief heart-workings nothing had that share of constant seriousness here were his longings to breathe his soul up this hill he grudg'd the time that gave stop or interruptions to this best thought-work 3. Warmer should Meditation be as to delight and complacency to not only burn and be fervent in love and desire but to flame up in joy and delight more generally men like a fire best when it flames The holy Prophet Psal 119.47 I will delight my self in thy Commandments Meditation in the word is the holy hearts walk of pleasure a broad large walk Psal 119.96 Thy Commandment is exceeding broad so our new Translation exceeding large so the old We so far live a duty as we act delight When David saith he will delight he meant not the mixture of a meer drop or smallest spark of delight should be stirred up but a great yea growing delight Delight in Meditation should not only live and have a being some moving but should thrive and grow As every Ordinance should prove a still greater pleasure So Meditation should prove a more refreshing soul-eye walk an ascent from delight to delight to higher delight till we come to the top in ravishments and highest attending admirations CHAP. XVIII Directions more particular 1. WHatever thou meditatest upon let it not be only an intuition or dying a thing or a meer recognition or remembrance Or if divers things come before thee let not thy work be a bare enumeration or as it were a telling them over to be able to say I have thought of such and such things in particular but let it be a review with something that new is with some new considerations as thou art able Something fresh which may bring the better savouriness and sweeter relish that may set a better edge and quicken things more upon thee Meditation though it be not for feeding phansie with curiosities yet should be so ordered as to season and sweeten suit and prepare things to more spiritual delight and to a larger perceiving of that extensive and abounding savouriness and excellency in holy things Every Meditation should endeavour a more exquisite preparation better still reducing things that we ponder both to spiritual advantages with spiritual pleasure accompanying To do this most easily and effectually our way is to improve and quicken Meditation by our gathering up the graciously afforded varieties of Scripture-passages
a little thinking Shall I suffer my self to be of that simple sort and to be carried away in that crowd to utter ruine If I neuer yet walkt in this heavenly thought-way the greater reason I have to hasten into it But if I have tasted tryed and found the surpassing sweetness and advantages of it have I not high encouragement to make a farther progress still in it And if by long beating this path I have largely experienced the most abundant pleasantness and sweetness have I not then greatest inducement to go on the more both evenly and earnestly Ah! then my soul consider with thy self the liberties the latitudes the pleasures and satieties which thy eye may still expatiate and recreate it self in by this rare Art of Divine Meditation Look to thy ways thy eye-ways their varieties and excellencies which are so many and of that transcendency that there never were nor can be any so various and spacious of that delicacy beauty and glory The wise and holy heart hath far the advantage of all the great Scholars and Artists all the highest Nobles and Princes he hath better walks and rarer eye-entertainments in his happy way of Meditation Ah! then my soul how canst thou in the least sort be slothful and backward to this so pleasant performance and soul-enriching way this so easie ascent to Heaven by the paths and steps purposely made thee to mount up thither See what plenties of rare provisions are made to entertain and take up thy thoughts What multitudes of fittest objects What sweet and precious things lie full before thee to give thee a full employment at all times and with a very great variety to be a preventive of weariness and cloying and introduce a more fulness of satiety and delight Thou hast that great Book of the whole Creation all the several most stupendious and glorious Works of God to take and look over all the guilded leaves and there to meditate on wonder after wonder Thou mayst carry thy eye over all the Earth full of Gods Riches descend into the bowels of it meet with all the hid Treasures and Rarities lockt up in the Makers rich Cabinet there below Thou mayst go upon the so large extended Waters through the paths of the Seas see the things of excellency in the one and other Thence thou mayst ascend up the steps and stories of the Air and Firmament the glorious Heaven beyond it with the so glorious Lights of such astonishing magnitudes and motions orders and influences Thence then mount up thou mayst to the highest Heaven that most holy place the Worlds most glorious piece and fabrick that Palace of the King of Glory with all his so glorious Retinue and Attendants of millions of millions of most happy Saints and Angels O what an ample provision is this for my spirits particular help and solace my eye-accommodation and recreation Yea how unspeakably gracious must I have declared my God to be towards me had I only been favoured with the ten thousand part of the things my Meditation can recreate it self upon Ah! but my soul thou hast more graciously afforded thee by thy God another book that richest Treasure of most infallible necessary and saving Truths there may I most highly meditate and satiate my self with that highest Mystery of godliness all the wonders concurring and meeting to make it up and among them that most especially of the so astonishing so all-amazing Mystery of God manifested in the flesh The very highest thought-walk given for a created Nature to take its most ravishing solace in Not only for sinners redeemed by the Lord of Glory but those of that uppermost rank of Nature that never needed a Saviour from sin yet being mutable creatures might all have fallen But in Christ their Head being given in their election to him and thence preserved by him These blessed Angels have this Mystery of Godliness this Lord of Glory Jesus Christ their Head of continuation of happiness the most transcendent object of their highest contemplation and admiration O what an account then shall I render to my God if I do not design and endeavour Meditation in some good degree proportionate and answering the so inconceivable eye-obligation and engagement herein lying on me But O my soul this is not all thou hast yet another Book besides that of the Creature and the other of Scripture the book of thy own self state and heart wherein with singular advantage thou mayst constantly busie thy thoughts most seriously And if thou art Christs Temple knowest his dwelling in thee thou mayst find it like the so glorious Temple of Solomon built of costly stones of spiritual excellencies over-laid with that pure gold of inward Holiness and Sanctification throughout Having in it that fire of heavenly love descended on it burning in it the Altar for offering thy self by Christ in thee a whole burnt-offering the golden Altar Christ for the perfuming of all thy services to ascend as Incense up to God and be pleasing most sweet and acceptable with him There you may find the golden Lamps with the seven glorious lights the Lord of light thy wisdom making thee light and shining in heavenly knowledge and wisdom Nay there may be found the golden Ark with the Testimony the Law by the finger of Christ written on the fleshly tables of thy heart and the Mercy-seat or Propitiatory whereby thou art made to God a friend by Christ who is the Propitiation residing in the Temple the hidden man of thy heart the Cherubims of glory cover thee and thy whole man made the Temple of the Holy Ghost dwelling and working in thee O what precious matter of Meditation may thy own glorious state and the beauties of Graces and Holiness the new creature formed in thee after the image of Christ and the Spirit of life and power to the highest praise of the infinite love of the most blessed God afford thee even that God who in riches of free grace hath thought upon and from all Eternity chosen thee to be a vessel of glory and honour O how many and many rare objects as have been formerly exprest are given and set before thee to improve Meditation upon And to and above all if there be not enough large enough high enough sweet enough and satisfying thou hast to search and dive farther into the infinite power of the All-sufficient God especially his infinite loveliness and sweetness to take thy highest solace fullest satisfaction in Ah! then my soul lift up to the utmost thy self in most glorious praises unto thy God who hath appointed such a way as this of heavenly Meditation to hedge in thy thoughts wildness and wandrings to help up thy thought otherwise earthliness Bless him with all that is within thee for vouchsafing and sanctifying so happy a way for thy both thought-imployment and improvement Bless him with all heart-enlargements thou canst for making thee so spacious and large walks Most highly rejoyce in him who hath afforded thee so transcending pleasant and delightful walks for thy thoughts to take their happy turns in Say unto thy God O what is man that thou art so mindful of him so mindful of that silly mind of man as to prepare and fit for him such blessed mind-walks and these in so great variety of excellency spiritual excellency for such pure pleasure and ravishing delight O then my soul never deny the doing of this work never defer the doing to a better time when time is now O be not heartless and listless dead and dull not uneven and inconstant in the fervent performance of it O daily contend to higher excellency in this heavenly Art to have the wings of thy spirit longer and stronger to soar a higher pitch to take a more nimble flight and make larger returns of blessed advantages in peace joy satisfactions of ravishments and highest raptures of spirit and by this assent of holy Meditation mount up still higher and higher till thou touchest Heaven it self till contemplation ends in vision and fruition of the most infinitely glorious God himself Vision is accompanied with plenary and most perfect satisfaction perfect happiness for ever To which most unspeakably glorious God the most infinitely highest Beauty and Excellency for the eye by contemplation to act and dwell upon the Father chiefly in his infinite riches of free Grace the Son in his infinite fulness of Redemption the Holy Spirit in his most glorious Inhabitation and Application of that Redemption be Honour Glory and everlasting Praises of Saints and Angels for ever Amen Soli Deo gloria FINIS
free Grace I have heard by a good Hand that one of the Dukes of Muscovy while he stood talking with a poor Peasant of the Country pitcht a Spear he held in his hand upon the poor mans naked foot there digging with the point of the Spear into it and the slave for so they are generally durst not complain O! Gospel-sins dig not into the foot or hand or eye of a God if I may so speak but into his heart and the very top and crown of it Every sin against the Gospel kicks so at the very bowels of God so dishonours him in that his tenderest upper interest as nothing can higher offend and therefore not expose to deeper danger For farther help take the Book of Conscience thy Souls Register and God Remembrancer Look over all the black Items there on the File that it will certainly one day produce and set before thy face For yet surer assistance take the perfect Rule and Glass of the Law and Word of Christ therewith duely comparing thy life and frame of heart that by the Laws coming sin may the more abound O but the Law not only discovers guilt but denounces a most dreadful curse Gal. 3.10 Cursed be every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to do them And as the Law so the Gospel curses with a more dreadful curse for not obeying it in true coming to Christ by Faith O what a curse must this then be to be accursed first for original corruption in all the hellish wickedness of it And then to he cursed for all thy innumerable actual trangressions Accursed for the first act of sinning Accursed for the next act And for every new sin to have a new sentence be under a new curse For every every evil thought every evil affection purpose word work every commission every omission every day for all the sins of it to be accursed from the beginning to the end of it Really by the curse to be separated to evil bound over to death eternal in Hell How should this startle and awaken thee O but there 's yet that is more dreadful to be continually for sin under the hot displeasure and abiding wrath of a God Psal 7.11 God is angry with the wicked every day Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him This God so angry for sin how infinitely able is he to take revenge and how resolved is he unless thou turn to him O what is that death eternal that Hell provided to punish sinners How frail is thy life by which thou art kept from falling into the Lake of fire and brimstone How certain is thy death and how uncertain is thy dying time It may come in a moment and then thou art cast upon eternal ruine Consider thy sins after commission grow not less wear not out are not less dangerous Sin is the same for substance though thy sense of them be less we greatly deceive our selves herein as if sin the longer after commission were less but the guilt of sin is the same the defilement the same the curse against them is in the same force the wrath displeasure and resolution of God to revenge them full out the very same and Gods remembrance of them is ever the same Hos 7.2 I remember all their wickedness and how is that They are before my face If they are not before thy face as God can set them yet they are before his face Psal 50.21.51.9 that is seen and remembred as a thing set full in a mans eye and his eye full on them I have been too bold in thus enlarging O 't is hard to awake from the deep sleep of sin But this must be endeavoured all thou canst and God he is to be entreated to help and do this for thee There must be an awakening by conviction really and undeniably seeing and acknowledging thy most woful condition Conviction in the understanding must end in contrition and a working down to the affections In a fourfold affection answering a fourfold distemper 1. Upon Fear 2. Sorrow 3. Despair 4. Desire and care to be eased 1. To tame presumptuous boldness and confidence in thy coming to fear that for all thy sin and danger feared not As it is said in that particular case Jer. 36.24 Though so great sinners and so severely threatned yet were they not afraid but burnt the Roll. To say we have sinned is not enough there must be real pungent fear Acts 2.37 pricked at the heart on sight of the sin of killing Christ a real and deep fear to a wounding piercing the heart and thick skin of security hindering the feeling of a woful state coming to be as really sensible as thou dost in assured and great danger Act. 16.29 the Jaylor came trembling God by his Spirit the spirit of bondage works this fear Rom. 8.15 2. There must be a dashing the usually carnal jollity and mirth Jam. 4.9 Let your laughter be turned into mourning and joy into heaviness this all the Scripture calls for A man condemned to dye a cruel death if perswaded he must dye will not laugh and be merry but mourn That mirth used at other times is not to be used now 3. To dash the deceiving usual carnal hopes which are the house built upon the sand Hopes of salvation on no true bottom but fond phansie meer imagination There must be despair as to all worthiness and ability in a mans self or any creature or in God and Christ hoped as many do in a false way Deut. 29. Psal 50. Acts 2.37 What shall we do implies as I take it beside other things despair of what formerly they hoped and trusted on 4. To curb and cure carelesness and a not desiring any other condition than their present or an only cold as it is in many and a fluctuating desire there must an edge be set upon desire an earnest great desire to be eased of the trouble and burden of sin and Gods wrath Acts 16.29 What shall I do and Acts 2.37 What shall we do implies an earnest desire to be eased And accordingly there must be an applying thy self to all the ways thou knowest and going to others that can advise thee Praying especially oft and as earnestly as thou canst Confessing and bewailing greatly thy present condition Upon being truly awakened and thence made really sensible of thy so woful state weary and heavy laden After the first dispositive Meditation and the impressions made on thy heart through the Lords help then a second Meditation must next be mightily intended and diligently followed Meditation on the means and manner of using them for getting out of thy so sad estate and coming to a safe and happy As he Acts 16. What shall I do to be saved Here must be laid at the bottom of this work that so necessary consideration That none can help himself and attain the mercy of a God in a meritorious Saviour unless God the Father by
his Holy Spirit the mighty Applyer of Christs Redemption draw efficaciously the weary sinner to the soul-easing Saviour works faith to come and rests on an all-sufficient Christ The first step in this great soul-concern must be labouring to divert the eye from a total or too much viewing of sin and Gods wrath and earnestly endeavour to be duely deeply possest of the infinite mercy love riches of free favour in Christ in whom he is placable and infinitely willing to shew mercy 1. Willing in that he hath in his abounding wisdom and prudence contrived the way of Reconciliation in Christ Eph. 1. 2. Willing in infinite love and riches of grace he appointed his own only Son anointed him with all fulness of grace sending him and causing him to work and procure Redemption perfectly in all respects and then in making the most free imaginable and possible proffer and tender of Salvation in Christ A discovery and tender in the exceeding great and precious promises promises that are as so many strong yernings and loud soundings of the bowels of a God to sinners promises most firmly fixt as being all the ingrost particulars and the golden clauses of the Covenant of Grace signed and sealed with the most precious blood of Christ and therefore ordered and in all things most sure The Promises and Covenant are by most highly demonstrating that hardly to be believed and trusted to by once awakened sinners that free rich love of God in Christ by demonstration of it the intendment is sirst to found and breed faith in weary heavy laden sinners and after to build it up and perfect it Meditation should first fix upon the promises of free justification and pardon of sin and as humbling arises not from a confused general apprehension of fin or many sins but distinct particular viewings of particular evils so comfortings and coming to relief must be by singling out and pondering the promises of mercy in particular As a drowning man that scapes by a taking hold on a particular thing hand or cord But the thing the greatest and highest for breeding and founding justifying faith is first pondering the infinitely all-amazing and adored free love of God the Father Joh. 3.10 1 Joh. 3.1 1. This is that so rich Mine out of which the most precious Corner-stone Christ himself was taken 2. For principally glorifving this riches of free grace the Earth for a Stage was set up to begin the discovery and revelation of it 3. The great Assize of the great day of Judgment is chiefly appointed for higher manifestation of it 4. And the highest Heaven with the state of Glory there is purposely founded and conferred on the Saints for the highest demonstration chiefly of free saving grace not Angels glorification but redeemed Saints glorifying is for free saving graces greatest glorifying and highest exalting Dwell here till largest apprehensions and highest admirations swallow up and drown all thy fears doubts and discouragements raising thy spirit up to hope trust and consolation But this so infinitely free love of the Father must be connected with most wishly viewing and most earnest pondering the highest proof and evidence of it in that greatest possible gift Gods own Son God in our Nature Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that c. Here after all thy black and sad thoughts and disquiets is the richest strongest and surest Cordial for a fainting heart A Christ in whom all fulness of wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption dwell That out of his own infinite love became man was in the form of a servant performed the whole Law pacified the wrath of God purchased perfect and eternal life by laying down his life a ransom 1. A Christ freely offered by God the Father Isa 55. Come and buy without money 2. Freely offering himself Joh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink 3. Freely offered and to be taken as the Bride and the Spirit say Come and drink of the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 This free grace must be applied by the promises of grace and pardon more especially and first Christ is not offered by God the Father and the Lord Christ offers not himself nor the Holy Spirit offers not neither draws to Christ but on the ground of the promise of forgiveness and salvation Nor can it be taken by man as a learned Divine expresses it but mediante promissione The promises particularly must be pondered duely often and often Ponder 1. The goodness of them they are good sweet indeed to a needy thirsty spirit Ponder 2. The sureness and firmness by a God that cannot lye Tit. 1. All yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. Pvnder 3. The freeness of them Nothing so free as they that come only from a God only for his own Name sake Ponder 4. The seal of them in the rare and abundant examples recorded for encouragement of sinners of all sorts received to mercy So 1 Tim. 1.16 I saith the Apostle was received for a pattern to them that hereafter should believe to eternal life The promises must be pondered prayed often over as those which are for the wounded weary and heavy laden to breed faith not only to feed it but found and feed it also to begin and to build it up Never leave pondering the promises Gods love and Christs fulness offered in them until pondering comes to hope hope to thirsting thirsting to highest prizing prizing to selling all and buying the Pearl till thou comest to renouncing thy own righteousness thou casts thy self upon God in Christ by the promise first rested on promise leading to Christ first and to God by Christ and not only Christ for justification as thy Priest that purges guilt and makes atonement but as thy Prophet and King for light and holiness for a new heart a new principle a new wisdom and power a quickning power from Union and Communion with Christ Rom. 6. by the inhabitation and operation of his Spirit by faith that hand that receives all from Christ when by faith thou art justified and sanctified and receivest by influence from Christ a living principle Now thy heart is put upon the right hinge for rightly performing holy duties praying reading hearing the Word And now thou canst meditate aright in a holy and happy manner with wisdom and some skill choice of will complacency and constancy And now Meditation will prosper in thy hand Now as Davids blessed man thy delight will be in the Law of God and in that Law thou wilt meditate day and night I have been longer herein by much then was my intendment come we to the next Directions CHAP. X. Of Directions for Meditation respecting such as are young Christians newly converted OUr next Work after Directions to those that desire to successfully practise holy Meditation having formerly neglected it is to treat of the Directions for young Christians who are but entered upon their way how best to