SOLITUDE IMPROVED, &c.
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PART I.
CHAP. I.-Of Divine Meditation in general.
ON that noble subject, and necessary duty, Divine Meditation, I have now chosen, by Christ's assistance, to speak to you.
Of meditation in general, according to Scripture latitude, in the various kinds and considerations of it there expressed. My text, therefore, must not be one single scripture, for the total foundation of what I shall tender, but the universal vote, and passages dispersed through the Bible : some of which are the following.
"Meditate upon these things," 1 Tim. iv. 15. Here on Timothy, and, by way of proportion, on every person, is commanded meditation. "In his law doth he meditate day and night," Psa. i. 2. If the blessed man doth so meditate, then all who would be blessed must do the like.
"I will meditate on all thy work," Psa. lxxvii. 12. Both the word and works of God must be the godly man's meditation. "And meditate on thee in the night watches," Psa.
lxiii.6. And, "My meditation of him shall be sweet," Psa. civ. 34. God must be meditated on, and that meditation should be sweet.
From these and the like passages scattered over the Bible, the observation or conclusion is this: Pious meditation is the duty of every Christian; or, It is the high institution of Christ, and greatly incumbent duty of Christians, to exercise themselves much in holy meditation.
A rare and soul-enriching way: none know the sweetness and blessings of it, but such as exercise themselves in it.
Philosophers tell us, there would be no life or motion in the lower world, if the sun and celestial bodies stood still. Physicians say, if the heart did not continually beat in the body, there would be no life and motion in the little world, man. And experience proves, if there were no springs or weights in watches and artificial engines, they could perform nothing. What the sun, moon, and stars are to life and motion here below, what the heart is to the body's life and moving, and what the springs and weights are to motions artificial, that in a high degree is meditation to spiritual life and motion.
Of the various things tendered to us for truths, this is the great trier, the percolation and refiner, the melioration and improver. Such things that come to us crude and raw, become mellow and concocted by meditation. It is the golden scale to give divine things their due weight. The soul's rare alembic, to effect the highest operations, to extract the richest spirits for heart use.
Meditation is of that happy influence, it makes the mind wise, the affections warm, the soul fat and flourishing, and the conversation greatly fruitful.
Who can fail to practice it, continue it, contend to larger improvements in this heavenly art, that hath once experienced and fed upon the surpassing sweetness and refreshments, the unspeakable solaces and delights, both had and heightened in it!
To speak of it adequately I cannot; it is such an attainment that none know the all of it. Nothing but progress in the daily practice, can help to comprehend it. There is still a going and a knowing further.
I shall speak to four things only concerning meditation.
1. The precedents upon the file of Scripture, or some rare examples of the practice, and but briefly.
2. The nature, ingredients, qualifications, and the several sorts of meditation: and here I must be something large.
3. The grounds, and supporting reasons of it, to manifest it.
4. The diverse improvements of it to divers sorts of persons
1. The precedents on the sacred file, recorded instances in Scripture. There are, among others, four instances, which I shall single out, four famous, holy, and eminent ones.
The first is that of the godly patriarch Isaac, Gen. xxiv. 63, "Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide." God is a most free Agent, as in all other actings, so in conferring his Scripture honors. He honors whom he pleaseth, and when and how he pleaseth. He is bound to give no account of his matters. And oft we see him in his goings and doings, but cannot by searching find him out, Job xi. 7. Divine sovereignty and wisdom is pleased, in the Scripture records, to fix the first honor of this practice of meditation on holy Isaac.
Doubtless, his excellent father, holy Abraham, did use to beat this path to heaven, who walked so much with God. Doubtless, those other patriarchs and saints, living before Abraham, traveled much in this heavenly road. Enoch, for his walking with God, so highly honored, was no stranger to this way. Questionless, it was one of his walks. He certainly used to go to heaven mentally, before he was translated personally. He used to ascend up by meditation, before his happy translation. But Isaac is he who first is mentioned, for acting this holy meditating. It may be he exceeded and excelled in this heavenly art and practice; and because it was a duty performed privately, and that was not known, God would reward and honor him openly, by making it known, and that some hundreds of years after, by Moses' holy pen.
It is probable there was something more than ordinary in it, which occasioned this first record of meditation. However, this was the holy pleasure of God so to fix it; to place it first on the file of godly meditators. Isaac is the first mentioned meditator in Scripture records.
The second instance, which is the fullest to all intents and respects, is that high and noble precedent of holy David, that man after God's own heart: among other reasons, I believe, for his beating so much this path to heaven; for the frequencies of his visits made this way.
He soon became a man of great troubles and disquiets; yet then in them he would resolutely cut out his way, and keep his course of holy meditation: witness those many psalms penned in and on occasions of his troubles, and styled his meditations. He, after Saul's death, is crowned king of
In Psa. i. 2, he makes meditation the character of a blessed man, to meditate in God's law day and night. And what he makes a rule for others, he makes good in his own example.
Psa. cxix. 97, "Oh how love I thy law I it is my meditation all the day: " there is the practice of the first time, the day; and a full example, and practice, all the day.
And Psa. cxix. 148, "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word:" there is the practice of the other time mentioned in the character in Psa. i. 2.
Not a watch set in the night, but he had his meditation. Oh most admirable frame of spirit! A king and a daily meditator, and a night meditator also!
It was not family business, nor state affairs, not war's urgencies and difficulties, that so could crowd in and impose upon his thoughts, but he would have his spiritual retreats, his soul repasts, in meditation, mount up to heaven by it. Trace we him with the eye of due observation over the book of Psalms, (the Psalms, which are the choice and rare records of his exemplary this way actings,) we find most excellent patterns, of all sorts, as for this holy exercise. Singular meditations sometimes of the great works of God, as Psa. viii., and Psa. xix., and Psa. civ., &c., wherein the fire kindles and flies up, in the highest strains. His heart, like the most rare and exquisite engine and instrument, produces such raised and sublimated things, that transcend sometimes all the strains of rhetoric and poetry in the world, as some very learned men observe.
Sometimes his meditations (and there they ply more, as of nearer concernment) are on the word of God, as Psa. xix., and Psa. cxix., &c.; and what passages and praises hath he, most high, and sweet, and savory, that what can be fuller and higher, for the nature and properties of it!
Sometimes the most blessed God himself is the high subject of his meditating; and what transcendencies of thoughts, what raptures, what instances of highest soul transportings hath he this way recorded for us, purposely to put us upon pursuit of the like glimpses and tastes, by suitable first breathings and pantings after sweetest communion with him!
It is evident he was a grand master in this art of meditation, by the so exquisite pieces drawn to the life, and reserved for use and imitation in the book of Psalms.
The third pattern is that of the so wise Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, who gave his heart, as he saith, to seek, and search, and to know wisdom, Eccl. i. 13, 17 ; ii. 12. David's strain of meditation proceeds principally on matters in themselves spiritual, as God, his word, and ways, and sometimes on the works of God. Solomon's more upon things natural, and the ways and works of men, Eccl. i. 13, 14; but to demonstrate the insufficiency of all things in the world, .and all the works of men, to make up true happiness, without the true fear of God, and keeping his commandments, Eccl. xii. 13. This is the sum and scope chiefly of that his book, that book of most deep and great considerations, and excellently useful meditations, for all to obtain wisdom by.
It is (of all) the choicest piece of Scripture, in this kind; it sets us an accurate copy of regular and fruitful contemplation and meditation of all things under the sun, which we should strive to imitate and write after, chap. i. 14. It is left us thereby to learn from him, the so great experimenter and trier, the wisest and most exquisite weigher of all things, and the finder of their extreme insufficiency and vanity.
To teach every person, by this his so eminent and exemplary acting, his successful searching, to do in the like manner. To infuse his spirit, and lay it to steep strongly and deeply in this meditation of creature vanity, and the vanity of all men's labors under the sun.
Yea, to sink this down to the bottom of the soul, there to fix and root itself; thence, as by a most potent and predominant principle, to work and act up to more weanedness from the things of the world, and to more wariness of our being ensnared by them.
The fourth rare instance is of the female sex, that of the blessed Virgin Mary. ". But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart," Luke ii. 19. This is the remarkable and special example of meditation mentioned (that I know of) in the New
Testament: we have none so punctual and plain, which I can remember, as this. Some signal honor is hereby intended to this so blessed virgin, to be so noted, more than others, in the gospel records; and thereby held forth, as a pattern and provocation to all after-ages.
The Scripture's silence, as to other saints' practice in this duty, is not a negative or an exclusive of their doing it : because it is not said of every one, they pondered, or meditated, we must not thence infer they did it not.
David, in the first psalm and second verse, saith, the blessed man meditates in the law of God day and night. He therefore makes it a necessary duty and certain character of every godly person, in some sincere measure and constancy performing of it.
As the people of God are all taught wisdom to salvation, so this peculiar wisdom, this way of meditation, of the great concerns of God's kingdom, and their most precious immortal souls, to give things of the highest importance their due weight in the balance of a holy meditation.
CHAP. II. - Of the Nature and Description of this solemn Meditation.
MEDITATION, according to the usual notion and acceptation, is taken for any serious or earnest thinking of any matter whatsoever, for what end soever, whether it be good or evil. So meditating is used in the Scripture, not only in a good sense, but in an evil sense. But ordinarily it is taken in a good sense, for a holy mind exercise, or acting the thoughts in any seriousness upon any matter in a spiritual manner. There is a double kind of meditation.
1. That which is more set and solemn, when a man is serious in thinking of any thing for some spiritual end, and so as to allow some due space of time for a right performance of it.
2. There is that which is called meditation of ejaculation, which, though serious, yet is more short, and quick, and sudden, wherein the soul darts up to heaven, and makes a short visit thither.
I shall begin with the first, that which more commonly is called meditation. The other shall follow in its due place.
Therefore, having mentioned some Scripture instances or examples of meditation as to the practice of it, I shall come to handle the nature and description of the set and more solemn meditation.
Here first I will endeavor to present you with the true picture and description of meditation, in some Scripture lineaments and proportions; and afterward the explication and peculiar handling of them.
I shall give you the description in this manner. It is that ordinance of Christ, and obedience or duty of a Christian, whereby he acts his spirit into a right pondering of either heavenly and spiritual things, or any other things, in a holy manner, unto spiritual and holy ends and improvements only.
Here is the more general nature founding it; and the more peculiar nature and particular requisites finishing it.
The more general nature, in a double aspect: the first looks up to Christ; it is his ordinance, his institution. The second looks down to man; it is his obedience, his duty.
As to the peculiar nature and requisites, notice,
1. The object. I will consider the proper object of this meditation, in two parts:
1. Things spiritual and heavenly.
2. Things, though not in themselves spiritual, yet in a spiritual manner looked upon.
2. The acting on it. The acting on this object, by way of right pondering, where many particulars will be opened
3. The ends of this meditation; for only spiritual ends, or the ends to be aimed at, must be spiritual and only holy.
As to the more general nature of meditation, it is,
1. Christ's own ordinance. 2. Man's duty and obedience. It is Christ's own ordinance, as those Scriptures fore cited, and many others, which will be after named, prove.
Three things there are in an ordinance of Christ, which I shall speak of.
a. The rise and original, it is heavenly.
b. The nature, it is spiritual and holy.
c. The use and end, it is for a help.
a. For the rise and original, it is glorious and transcendent: it comes as far as heaven; it is heaven-born and bred. It bears Christ's image and superscription, brings his broad seal and commission; it is one bright beam of Christ's sovereignty, shining down upon us, one holding out of his golden scepter, for us to touch the top of it. It comes with the King of heaven's must, it must be yielded to, done as the strict and high command of the great King of saints, given in indispensable necessity ; yea, with the very same cogency and necessity, that praying, hearing the word, or any other most usually yielded to duty doth.
Commonly (as by our daily practice we prove it) we lay not such stress upon divine meditation, as we do upon other Scripture institutions. As if there were a less weight of Christ's regal scepter in it. As if it were not so current coin of his; but rather like some light gold, which we need not receive except we please. Whereas this duty of meditation comes in Christ's name, to every soul; and with a commission as full and firm as any other gospel command or duty whatsoever.
b. An ordinance of Christ is holy. Every institution is a participation, and carries a stamp and beam of God's glorious holiness. Not only of his regal authority, but of his inconceivable holiness and purity. The holiness of God is that glorious attribute of his, whereby being free from all impurity, he wills and orders all things for his name and glory.
The holiness of an ordinance, is chiefly that by which it is laid and leveled full at the grand scope and mark of God's highest praise and honor. It must be looked on, and represented to us, as an appointment for the most high God, his highest interest. All religion is principally for living to the living God, 2 Cor. v. 15. All ordinances are but the higher and more eminent ways given us for exalting him; so many ascents and rising grounds, whereby be may mount aloft, and become more transcendently great and glorious. If this be not the predominant ingredient in our performances, we are quite mistaken; and so take his blessed name in vain. This therefore being the chief thing this ordinance of meditation stands charged with, must accordingly be minded and meant in it, God's institution of it. First, for his own highest interest, his intending it first for himself, who so infinitely surpasses all created beings and their total interests, whatsoever they can amount unto.
c. An ordinance is helpful, for our heavenly help; by grace and the Lord's condescension, it is an appointment and institution for us. For our chief interest, the highway of our soul's help; an intendment and a means to the main mark of happiness; the singular way of our God's devising; the sweet way of our great Prophet's teaching; Christ's first setting me up a light, and therewith lending me his hand of help: all gospel ordinances carry light and help with them; the Scriptures call them ways, Psa. cxix. 3. They are Gods ways, and they are also our ways. They are first the King of heaven's highways, his institutions and appointments for us; and they are our ways, our highways to travel up to the city of
I must look upon Christ's ordinances, not as mere impositions and significations of Christ's sovereignty; not as burdens and tasks, the products and effects of severity; but such as are the demonstrations of his graciousness and pity. He sets me and shows me the way, who justly might leave me to lose my way, and to lose myself; to lose both my labor and life, heaven and happiness, and that for ever.
From these three fore mentioned considerations, what extreme need hath every one, to give them the keenest edge, to make meditation more penetrative and powerful! To both facilitate it to us, and fortify it in our hearts!
Ah! when we are to meditate, how do we still find our spirits all overrun and tainted with carnal and hellish repugnancies and recoilings against it I Rom. vii. 21. How biased and acted with strong diversions from it! How sunk down suddenly, in deadness and flatness in it! How overcome with fainting fits and feebleness in it, from the poisonous fumes and dangerous damps ascending out of the hell of corruption, lying at the bottom of our spirits! And how still abused by the frequencies of our heart's deceitfulness and miscarriages about it! The more high, holy, and profitable any ordinance of Christ is, the more fearful and sad are the demonstrations of the enmity and hell in our hearts acting against it. "Lord, I am hell," said a devout meditator.
Ah, what floods, what seas of considerations have we need of, to quench these hellish sparks that rise up in our bosoms! What need of all the heavenly fire we can make and kindle, to extinguish this hellish fire, that so quickly burns and flames up! As we see the sun to extinguish the fire on the hearth; celestial fire our culinary fire.
CHAP. III.-Meditation our Duty, our Obedience.
MEDITATION is not only Christ's institution and ordinance, but every one's incumbent duty and necessary obedience: not like the free-will offering, a matter merely arbitrary, and as a dealing by way of courtesy. Not for a casting in, as a redundancy, over and above all other duties; but it is and must be performed as a duty of indispensable necessity, 1 Tim. iv.15; Psa. i. 2.
1. A duty in reference to Christ. Necessity in reference to Christ himself; an obedience to his law, a subjection to his crown imperial, a homage and service due to him, as the sovereign Lord of our souls, and of that meditating and pondering faculty he endowed them with.
Meditation is Jesus Christ's reservation in the great gift and grant of our soul's thinking power. He hath endowed us with that so noble faculty of minding and musing, and also with a large mind-charter, and liberty of thoughts, for our own occasions and sober recreatings, in our contemplations or studies. But yet, it is always provided, that a holy tribute, out of the whole of our thoughts, is still duly to be paid in, and that as an acknowledgment both of holding our thinking faculty upon him, and our best way of employment of it; and this to be done in the due seasons, both ordinary and extraordinary. The neglect of this duty, is a denying of his right and royalty over my thoughts, and over that which is so eminent an endowment of the mind, and given in to the spirit by God; for it is chiefly thinking of him that is so high and all-sufficient, and the surpassing excellent things of God, as being the soul's best acting. Certainly thus the saints in the Scripture acted highly upon this account, of their paying in the reserved dues of Christ, their liege Lord, 1 Cor. vi. 20. His dues and their duties moving strongly to act highly in this work and way.
2. It is a duty to myself, and my own soul concernments.
In all doing duty, there is a doing myself right, paying in to my own soul its due. Neglecting in any kind my duty, is a wronging my own soul. “He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul," Prov. viii. 36. Performing it is a doing my soul right. Yea, holy duties are the highest doings of right to our souls. There is no way of doing better to myself, than going in the King of heaven's highway. His ways are my soul's best ways, wherein I act best for myself, and when I perform them in the best manner.
CHAP. IV.- Of the Requisites in Meditation.
THERE are these three things I shall mention as the requisites for holy meditation as a duty.
1. What I call a foundation, or preparative to it.
2. Those things that are for the forming and framing it as to the parts and proportions.
3. The things that finish it up.
1. As to the foundation, or preparative to it, this must be laid above in heaven, by the dispositive or preparative work of fervent prayer. The foundation of this soul affair must be, as a learned man saith of the foundation of the world: The foundation of the world, he saith, is the third heaven, which is of a "constant, incorruptible nature, of no pre-existent principles, and so not liable, as other things are, to corruption and resolution; and which, as to the convex or outward superficies, or the highest part, is only bounded or terminated by its own limits, or terms of essence and quantity; but in its concave or hollow superficies, or the lowest part, contains all inferior things, and is fixed immovable." If the foundation of the great world is laid by the third heaven, the foundation of this great work of holy meditation must be laid in heaven, laid by the soul's strong mounting up thither, and fixing itself there by fervent prayer, as the great preparative to this meditation. Fervent prayer: the word in the Hebrew used for meditation, signifies also prayer; prayer and meditation being so near akin, and the one helping mutually the other.
a. To begin with a bringing the soul into the glorious and tremendous presence of the great God, and under his so pure and all-seeing eye.
b. To act the soul, and lay it as it were to steep in self-abasings and humblings, for its former miscarriages and failings in, and present unfitness and indisposedness for, what is now undertaking.
c. To exercise fresh self-denyings, as to any sufficiency of ability to perform any thing herein acceptably and profitably.
d. To act vigorous and strong recumbencies on Jesus Christ, for both his teachings and touchings of our spirits, and upholdings likewise in the work.
e. To procure and beget a warm temper in us, such as may make the heart to glow all over in the duty.
2. As to the forming of the duty in the parts and particulars of it.
a. It must be founded on, and rise from, the spring and great principle of motion and action, which is the will, in a both free choice and firm purpose. A resolvedness and rooted purpose: thus David, "I will meditate in thy statutes," and, “I will meditate in thy precepts," Psa. cxix. 15, 48. The evil heart saith, I will not meditate: Satan saith, (so far as he can hinder,) You shall not: and the profane world saith, You need not. But the holy heart saith, I will meditate. This is my free and firm purpose, and nothing, by Christ's assistance, shall divert me.
The philosopher saith, that in every virtuous action there must be a choice of will; it must come free from the spring of the will, and run in resolution; otherwise it is not a virtuous action.
The Scriptures, for all religious actings, call for willingness: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power," Psa. cx. 3; or, as it is in the Hebrew, A people of willingnesses, thy people: and in divers places call for readiness in what we perform to God. No work in the world can challenge such an intense degree of readiness and freeness as Christ's work, and such ways as have a clear and lively stamp of his royal will and command. No higher character is given in Scripture of real godliness, than freest choice of will and readiness. To choose the good part, Luke x. 42. To choose the things that please God, Isa. lvi. 4; and as in abundance of places is to be seen.
A carnal heart acts from carnal wisdom and self-interest, or from passion and self-biasing affection, but not from pure freeness and deliberate choice of will. That is not the spring and rise of his duties, as it is in a good and holy heart. A good heart acts from purpose, a well and deep set purpose: with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord, Acts xi. 23. And Psa. cxix. 106, “I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments." So the will, for holy duties, must put forth in purposes, firm purposes, varieties of fresh purposes; act all the still needful and conducing purposes, any duty in any respect calls for. There are many rare and rich attendants and properties, ingredients and excellencies, divine and heavenly beauties, appertaining to holy duties, which the will must intend and make its free, firm choice of, which the purposes of the will must lie level to and make after, as the proper and proportionate marks and higher tendencies.
CHAP. V. - What the Will must intend in Meditation.
I SHALL name five particulars: 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 utmost endeavour of success, and having the right and kindly end and fruit of the duty.
1. A right work.
The will's purpose and intendment must be to make the duty of meditation a right work; to make sure it be made true and sincere, John iv. 24. Not a carcass, a painted piece, without soul and substance, a formality without power. Not a mere work performed, as it were to flatter God, who looks for a duty, as they in Psa. lxxviii. 36, 37 are said to flatter God with their lips, but their heart was not right with him. We are ready to flatter him 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 itself. It must not be a work daubed over with the un-tempered mortar of our own heart's self-deceitfulness, setting up a thing to show like it, and be something near it only, and putting thereby a cheat upon ourselves.
Nor must it be a thing only to stop the mouth of our consciences, keep them from calling on and challenging of us; but we must design it strongly and firmly, to purpose, through God, to proffer to and please him with a sincere work. "Walk before me, and be thou perfect," ' Gen. xvii. 1. 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 designed and firmly resolved; and we must not be satisfied unless it be right meditating, such as Scripture requires, and saints in Scripture practiced; yea, that they told God himself that they performed, Psa. cxix. 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.
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, in Eph. v. 17, says, "Be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." And in 2 Tim. iii. 15, there is mention of wisdom to salvation: and in Prov. ix. 12, wisdom is called on for ourselves.
a. Wise in respect of God. Certainly, as Solomon did things of great excellency to show himself very wise; so when the most high God's honor is concerned, 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 not be seen acting wisely?
b. Wise in reference to ourselves. Should we not also strongly purpose to make this duty a wise work, a work of sure wisdom for ourselves, and lay it fully level to the grand mark of eternal salvation for ourselves? Solomon, in Prov. xvii. 21, saith, "The father of a fool hath 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. Oh how sweet and comfortable is that duty, in which we have acted up to the rule of sound wisdom!
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. "Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord," Rom. xii. 11. In every duty we must have a purpose of striking fire, of making the heart burning hot: it must not be lukewarm, in an indifferency, that is but lazy; nor blood-warm, that is but low. But the soul's purpose and design must be for highest heat and fervency, greatest vigor and activity. As artists in some high operations, seek for the hottest fire.
As warmest preaching and warmest hearing, as the disciples' hearts burned within them, when Christ opened the Scriptures, Luke xxiv. 32. And so warmest reading and warmest meditating. In David's heart, while he mused, the fire burned, Pas. xxxix. 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. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," Luke xiii. 24. 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.
a. Intention and earnestness.
b. 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 lets 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 endeavor still the kindly issue and success of the duty. Look, saith the apostle, ye lose not the things wrought, 2 John 8. Who would set up at the labor in vain? Christ's sweet promise is, "The seed of the' blessed of the Lord shall not labor in vain," Isa. lav. 23. The way, among others, of having it performed, is by grounding our endeavors 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 increase of holiness and grace, and improvement of communion with God. 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 may shine 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 lie at the bottom of this building, the better to bear it up. These should be as so many great arteries branching forth from the heart, to convey vital spirits into the body of this heavenly duty of meditation, and keep it alive, and warm, and improvingly active.
CHAP. VI. - Of the proper Objects of Divine Meditation.
FROM things of a remoter relation to the subject in hand, I pass to such as are the nearer, the more intrinsical and peculiar. And here comes first to be handled, the matter, or the object of this meditation. When the wise king Solomon was to build the temple, first he is providing the rich and precious materials, then he proceeds to the framing and fitting of them, and then to erecting and finishing that glorious structure. That which next is to be done, is first to look out the materials of our work, and then the framing and finishing up is to follow. The materials, or objective parts, are far more rich and precious than those of Solomon's temple. They are, as our description of meditation holds them forth, either,
1. Such as are more properly and purely spiritual and heavenly in their own nature.
2. Or things considered in a spiritual way, and to a spiritual end and use.
It is not the consideration of things as to their entity or being, that is metaphysical: metaphysics treat of entities, of the mere beings of things. Of the first Being, namely, God; and of secondary beings derived from God, the first Being. It is not the consideration of things as rational; the rational respects things have one to another, this is logical: logic, that considers respects of things, as causes, effects, subjects, adjuncts, and the like.
It is not the consideration of things in their particular natures and natural properties: this, natural philosophy contemplates.
It is not the consideration of things civil, moral, or political: these, moralists and statesmen are exercised about.
Neither is it the consideration of particular crafts and trades: this is mechanical, and but a work prudential and human, not divine. But this meditation hath objects of a far higher sphere and rank; things of a divine and theological consideration.
Nay, nor yet is it the mere study of things theological and divine. A man maybe a student in divinity, beat and busy his brains about the high points and mysteries in it, may read and muse on matters divine, and yet not be a meditator, such as we speak of, not act divine meditation. A man may act upon things as notions, and as matters of knowledge; or, to make a universal knowing person, he may act contemplation for curiosity; for such a use, as the heathen man Aristotle made of reading Moses' first chapter of Genesis; whereof he passed his undue and heathenish censure, that Moses affirms all, but proves nothing: he read first, and then pondered, and then censured. But he acted not meditation, not that we speak of: it was not a consideration of spiritual things as spiritual, and for spiritual ends; but only as a wise man acts his thoughts upon things as new, for new notions and improving knowledge. Many thus consider things Scriptural and divine, study them, as we call it, study books of divinity, study things in the Scripture; but they act not the duty of meditation. They act upon things as matters intellectual and rational, not as heavenly and spiritual. Act for notion and speculation, and not for holiness. Act curiosity, not Christianity.
The right meditator far transcends any mere student; he acts a more noble part, hath a more noble and sublime manner of operation. Aristotle's studying Moses' writings, and David's meditating in the law of God, how far do they differ! So a heathen's, or a Mohammedan's, or a Jew's, or any such person's studying matters in the Bible, differs greatly from meditating in it.
Nay, many protestants are great students in divinity, that never meditated: they dwell upon the study of it, but touch not with the least of their fingers the hard work of holy meditation.
But to return to our matter in hand, and to speak to this subject of meditation: formerly it was said, that spiritual things, or things in a spiritual and heavenly manner considered, are the proper and adequate object of this meditation.
And here, oh how large and fair a prospect hath the spiritual eye to expatiate and recreate itself in! The infinitely glorious and all-sufficient God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as the Scripture reveals: the vast world, the frame of heaven above, and earth below, with all the innumerable things contained in them.
Their sundry natures, properties, and uses, with the so beauteous and various excellencies of them. The mighty sustentations and preservations of all things created, as to their beings, their faculties, and their acts.
The most wise, righteous, and holy governing of them, with a most steady and never-erring hand, unto their particular ends ; and with a most certain winding them all up ultimately, in the supreme scope of the great Creator and Governor.
Then that peculiar government of the rational creatures, angels and men: the unspeakably sad fall of some angels, and all mankind; the recovery of some men, and their eternal salvation, by Christ the Redeemer, God in our nature: here, here is matter of
meditation, the great mystery of godliness, as in 1 Tim. iii. 16. And particularly, the four last things, as they are called, namely, death, judgment, heaven, and hell.
Besides, there is for meditation, the whole book of Holy Scriptures, now complete in the New Testament times; with the ordinances of Christ, and the covenant of grace. And lastly, the meditation of that so great concern, our own particular estates, how matters stand with us, and are like to be with us to all eternity; which eternity challenges and imposes on every person the greatest intensity and frequency of thought. But though this be so great, yet again what is there in all the vast circumference of the whole world; I say, what is there, although ever so small, but by a wise and holy heart may be an object improvable to an excellent use and end ? As the art of chemistry can extract rare and efficacious remedies out of putrefactions and poisons.
That soul must be a pitiful, vain, and barren piece, that wants matter and mind to move and act fruitfully, in so large a sphere and compass as meditation hath: it affords the whole latitude of all things properly spiritual ; and it comprises likewise all other things, which, in some respect or other, wisdom can improve by this rare art.
No artist in any way of operation, with all his rare instruments and efficacious engines, can operate more eminently than an artist in this holy kind may do.
Of this the Scriptures give plentiful proof in the many precedents left us in it for imitation. So we see it in holy David, in many of his psalms, (besides those concerning the word of God, his greatest subject of meditation, in those made of God's great works,) yea, the works of his common providence and guidance; as the 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 in Psa. civ. The wise Solomon hath his meditation of the horseleech, with her daughters, Prov. xxx. 15. The ant in her industry, sending the sluggard (that turns on his bed, as the door on the hinges, that often moves, but never removes, Prov. xxvi. 14) to her to learn industry, Prov. vi. 6.
Yea, sometimes the most inconsiderable things the Scripture takes notice of, for us to mind the hairs on the head, which all are numbered; the sands of the sea, which though so weak and small, is thereby bridled; the dust of the earth, by God's power, as in a measure comprehended, Isa. xl. 12. And not only God's great works and high actings, but the lowest actions of men, and the meanest actings of the inferior creatures, are in Scripture held forth as occasions for this meditation, as advantage-grounds for the ascending of thoughts, and raising up the mind heavenward.
All this pains taken by the Spirit of God, in the Scriptures, is to show what a wise and fruitful spirit may extract, by this holy art of meditation; yea, to teach us how constantly thought-busy we should keep our hearts, (like that wonder in nature, the so wise and laborious bee,) still ingathering 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 to the requisites and qualifications, and the things contained in it, and constituting 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 solemnness, that must have a due proportion of time, labor, and diligence, to affect 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 that flies up out of the heavenly f ire, burning suddenly in the heart; this is but meditation rather more improperly so called. Of this I shall speak something hereafter.
But that we are now to proceed upon, is the meditation more properly so called, more set, solemn meditation, a business of time and seriousness.
I shall mention eight particulars or requisites for this meditation.
a. There is requisite a holy awe and reverence, a putting on a reverential frame of heart suitable to the holiness of the duty.
b. There is requisite a retreat of the thoughts, calling off the mind from all its preceding excursions or engagings other ways.
c. There is 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.
d. 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.
e. Meditation, as to the nature and essence, consists, as in application of the mind to, so in the intension and due seriousness of thinking on a fit object.
f. In a diving and searching of thoughts, scanning for a best discovery.
g. In an abiding due stay of the thoughts upon the work in hand, without precipitation and undue hastening.
h. It is requisite there be an infusing and intermixing the life and beauties of such affections as are suitable and proper for the duty.
a. Meditation 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 infinitely pure presence of a God; a God whose eye is observing in a special manner our heart-temper, not only in a duty performed in his view, but a temper presented and tendered to himself, as a homage and honor. As a way of ingratiating ourselves 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, cannot have too strong an infusion, too deep a tincture, of holy reverence.
CHAP. VIII. - Two other Requisites.
b. THE next requisite is in sounding a retreat of the thoughts, and calling off the mind from all pre-engagements, 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 seizure of impertinencies to keep possession of the mind; that will keep off that which is incumbent, and our present duty.
David, in Psa. cxix. 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 Tobiah 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.
c. 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 outlets of the heart.
As Jehoiada the priest set a guard round about the young king, when he was to be crowned, 2 Chron. xxiii. 7, so when this duty is endangered, and ready to be hindered from having the crown of a right performance set upon it. The Scripture rules impose
circumspection, great caution in all our concernments, but more peculiarly in things pertaining to God, and his worship. Take heed to thy foot, &c.; so, Take heed what you hear. And, Take heed how you hear. So there must be heed, and a great take heed how we
meditate. The strongest guard is little enough, yea, too deficient and weak, for the holiest heart, and the best exercised in this part of godliness. Oh how inconceivably evil is every heart in its leakings and runnings-out, in its rovings and wanderings, in its slipperiness and inconstancies; and likewise in its sinkings and fallings, instead of keepings-up in its
heat and heavenly vivacity, and keepings-on in any evenness and equality!
No sieve is more unapt to hold water, no hand more unable to hold sand, or oil poured into it, no bone, which often hath been out of joint, is more apt to dislocate and slip out of place, than is the best heart to slip off, rove, and range from this duty, in diversions and admissions of impertinencies. When we are most serious and intent, suddenly our carnal spirits give us the slip, and are gone: like the bird, if the cage be but open; or the prisoner, if the doors be not fast and watched. Or, if the heart get not out in
diversions, it falls flat in deadness and sudden coolings: like the iron in forging, no longer hot than the workman keeps blowing: like melted metal, which cools as it runs and is pouring forth. This made David in the Psalms so often and earnestly to call for
quickenings, from the sense of his frequent heart-coolings and.sinkings.
The acting of meditation must not be going up a hill of ice, where footing is both slippery and cold, but like the going up the burning Mount Etna, where the footing, if not firm, yet is that which the travelers (as they say) feel warm. Or like Moses' going up the mount to God, which was steady and earnest till he came to the top. Still a due guard must be kept about our hearts in this so important soul affair. An intense care must be used, and a holy fear against all diversions, all heart-sinkings, and against all disappointments also, that we lose not the real benefit and comfort of this work.
CHAP. IX. - Meditation in applying the Mind to a proper Object.
d. MEDITATION stands in an application and bringing the thinking power of the soul upon the object, or thing to be meditated of. Taking that great engine of the spirit, and setting it to act upon some fit subject.
The thinking faculty is a rare endowment; an engine whereby the reasonable creature can draw up and take in any object, and act or exercise itself about it for that use or end we aim at in our thinking.
In all meditation there must be an applying and conjunction of the mind and the thing. As sensitive seeing must have some union, virtual union, with the thing seen; so intellectual seeing, seeing by the eye of the understanding, must be by a bringing the thoughts upon that is to be thought upon. The Scripture hath this expression, of setting the heart upon a thing, Hag. i. 5. So it is in the Hebrew, that which we translate “Consider your ways," is, Put or set your hearts upon, &c. In consideration or musing there is not only a taking of the heart and thoughts from foregoing minded objects, but a putting or setting it on some new thing, setting that on there where it was not set before.
The sinful heart of itself will run any way; upon earthly things, upon evil things, or upon impertinent and unseasonable things; not come to or keep upon that it should intend and mind: therefore it must be taken as by strong hand, and set upon spiritual things, set on musing and meditation of heavenly things. A carnal heart is like the loadstone, it cleaves to nothing but steel or iron, and both of them easily unite: but the heart must be of another property, and act in a higher way. And a good heart, though it thinks too much earthward, runs often wrong; yet it will set itself in its thinkings right, on right objects, make itself and them to meet and unite. David tells us, how he did, he inclined his heart to God's commandments, Psa. cxix. 112, both to keep them, and to meditate on them. He took and bent his heart, as a thing bending too much to other things; set his mind on musing on it. He found his heart and the law of God too far asunder, and so would continue, unless he brought them together and made them one. If he had not brought his heart to the word, he had never meditated: the object cannot apply itself to the mind, but the mind must bring itself to the object. No holy duties will come to us, we must come to them. Many, in a secret folly and sluggishness, would have things do alone of themselves, without their stirring or acting: but they mistake; it is something like to Mohammed the deceiver, who once told the people that were met by his means, to see him have a mountain, upon his call, to remove and come unto him; but when the mountain would not come, he boldly then tells them, If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must or will go to the mountain. What he did attempt in pretence, and act in impudence, but was fain to go at last to the mountain, that would not come to him; I say, like to this we are ready to do in slothfulness, we look that duties should come to us, that they do themselves, and we do nothing. But that which will not come to us, we must go to it; we must bring and set our hearts to this and all other duties. There must not be a letting the mind lie still; that so matter of meditation may come to us, and make us meditate; but we must bring and set our hearts to objects of meditation, and make this happy meeting, of excellent objects, and this excellent musing power. This is the more to be contended for, because this work of holy meditating hath so many busy adversaries, but chiefly in the constant progress and carrying of it on.
Ah, it is extremely against the grain of a natural heart, to be broken off from its customary wildness, wanderings, and rangings of thoughts; to cage up itself, and become tame, and tuned to serious musings and thinkings heavenward. In the best heart, that sin that so easily besets us will be ready quickly to interpose, and cut off the passages otherwise open.
Oh how the heart strives to beset and block up all passages, when we are beginning to enter on this work! All the whole garrison of disinclinations and repugnancies, the hellish heart, venoms, and contrarieties take instantly the alarm, and endeavor to hinder the heart's conjunction with spiritual objects by this meditation. The soul under its complications of lusts and corruptions, is as if you had a bowl of many biasses clapt upon it, all ready to draw diversely, but all from the duty in hand: and as natural corruptions will be acting contrarieties and diversions; so old customary evils, haunts, and wonts, will be calling upon us, coming to give us their visits, calling us off to some other way.
Satan also, and the power of darkness, will not be absent at this time, that may turn so much to his prejudice; but he will be sure (if he any way can) to divert thee totally, and cause the whole current of thy thoughts to run out in useless impertinencies.
Great circumspection must therefore be still used in our settings upon this duty: a work well begun is half done.
CHAP. X. - Meditation must be a serious Thinking.
e. MEDITATION includes, as an application, so an intension and seriousness of thoughts.
Serious objects, and serious work, must have thought-seriousness; an earnestness, and acting the vigor of the thinking power. We can think slightly, but this we call not meditation; but serious and earnest minding must be ever an ingredient of due performed meditating.
In Scripture it is sometimes expressed by the term of considering. "I will consider thy testimonies," Psa. exix. 95; that is, mind them with a serious and earnest thinking. So Psa. lxxvii. 5, "I have considered the days of old; " he acted in not a slight eyeing, but serious musing.
Thus Solomon in his Ecclesiastes often expresses it by the term considering ; " I considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun ;" and, " I considered all travail," Eccl. iv. 1, 4. Consideration (besides the bringing of the mind unto a thing) includes also seriousness, an intension of the mind upon the object. Sometimes in Scripture it is expressed by the word pondering, "Ponder the path of thy feet,” Prov. iv. 26; that is, earnestly mind them. So Mary is said to ponder the sayings of Christ in her heart, Luke ii. 19; she made it a work of great seriousness.
There is a slight and easy thinking, an acting of thoughts cursorily, and when a thing is out so soon as in, and the thought off so soon as on; and there is a serious thinking.
The mind of man hath not only an ability to act, but can put forth an exceeding great seriousness. That as in things natural they have not only power to act, but can also act intensely and vigorously. Thus in things inanimate, as in fire, how hot and intense may it be! In brute creatures, how earnestly can they act, when they put forth their strength! As the horse in running, the eagle in flying. In things artificial, to what intense degrees can divers instruments and engines operate, and discharge themselves! Oh what can this engine of the mind of man effect! what heights of seriousness can it arrive at! what contributions of earnestness can it pay in, when it is highly concerned, when it is edged by some real or supposed grand interest; as some weighty affair, urgent business, some imminent danger to be escaped, some rare pleasure, high preferment, vast sum of treasure, or such like engagements! Yea, what can the mind, as to a high seriousness, act sometimes upon objects totally unworthy of the thoughts! vain thoughts can be very eager and intense.
If we can be so serious in matters inferior, certainly divine and spiritual matters must needs claim a far greater share of seriousness. There should be no earnestness of thoughts on any ground or interest whatsoever, like to this meditating earnestness.
There are several spheres of seriousness of thoughts which we may observe men move in; steps and ascents of seriousness.
(1.) Countrymen, in their lower ways, have their plodding seriousness: how earnest do divers of them appear in minding of their occasions, which they account great!
(2.) Citizens, in their higher ways, have their higher and more improved seriousness. Oh what are the various earnestnesses, how strange and amazing to consider are the daily beatings of brains, and intendings of thoughts, on daily occasions by multitudes of persons in a vast city!
(3.) Students and scholars, in their ingenious ways, what intense and earnest musings do many of them habituate themselves to; and what improved
heightenings of the ways of studying do they contend unto! The highest seriousness makes the best scholar.
(4.) Statesmen and soldiers, what seriousness do their grand and important affairs for the public (that lies at the stake to be preserved and advanced) engage and draw forth! How great is the great politician's seriousness about his designs!
(5.) Debauchery and vice hath its sinful seriousness. Sensuality, uncleanness, contemplative fornication, hath in all places and ages given highest evidence of unparalleled seriousness what ever hath raised and wound up the seriousness more; as in amorous poetry, and wanton romances, and such-like filthy writings
appears! All sorts of vices and lusts, the lower they lie in the sink of the sinful heart, the higher they act in saddest seriousness and studyings for satisfaction.
(6.) The black train of hell and devils have their unspeakable heights of seriousness and musings for souls-destroyings.
But whatever spheres and heights of seriousness there can be, spiritual things of right must challenge of every Christian a far other and better seriousness. The perfect rule of religion obliges Christians to outdo all others in their greatest seriousness.
(7.) Doubtless the saints in all ages have excelled in this kind. In their retirements and happy engagements between Christ and their souls. Such as Enoch, who walked with God, such as the other holy patriarchs, such as Job, and other eminent ones. And peculiarly David, that so rare artist in this way. What may we also say of the holy prophets, blessed apostles, glorious confessors and martyrs, and the eminent saints and excellent lights of the church? these no doubt have been highly serious in their heavenly meditations.
Certainly the rare artists of the world, neither Apelles in painting, nor Phydias in carving, nor Dedalus in contriving the Labyrinth at
of Christ in the passages mentioned before; neither than that seriousness of such as lived after the apostles, as holy Ignatius, Cyprian, Justin Martyr, Ambrose, Augustine, and others of the ancients, rare men in contemplation. And such as not only the blessed reformers abroad, Luther, Melancthon, Bucer, Martyr, Calvin, Zanchy, and others of them were, but such of our own martyrs, holy Cranmer, Latimer, Bradford, and the rest of that glorious army; and as many after them, in the several parts of these nations; one of whom would say, he thanked God, that for twenty years together he had studied nothing but the Bible and his own heart. I believe none of those philosophers and artists ever acted any seriousness to that height and sweetness, that the holy ones of Christ have done.
CHAP. XI. - Meditation must be a Searching and Scanning.
f. THIS meditation, besides application of the mind to the object, and intension or seriousness on it, includes a searching and scanning, or diving deep, an extension of thoughts, a looking about, or endeavor of comprehensiveness, in respect of the object, so far as we can. To make as perfect and full a view of it, and to see into the dimensions and extents of that we think on. Thus when a man studies a thing, he endeavors an extensive and a comprehensive seeing and having the fullest view. He sets it not before him to see a little, but the most he can.
The Scripture phrase I cited of Proverbs iv. 26, and that of Luke ii. 29, of pondering, includes this particular likewise we now are to treat of. In pondering, there is both first the mind's applying itself to a thing, and the intending its acting, and then this third, of an acting, of searching and diving into it, or knowing what we can of it.
Pondering is an expression taken from goldsmiths and tradesmen, that desire to know the full weight of a thing, and thereby the value or worth for their profit and use. Thus the merchant weighs his merchandise, the goldsmith weighs his silver and gold, the jeweller weighs his rich pearls, rubies, and diamonds, to know them more exactly. There is exceeding great weight and worth in heavenly and spiritual things: meditation must hold the scales, to weigh, so well as we can, these so rich and precious things, these diamonds, and pearls of heavenly treasure; yea, weigh them as things that unspeakably surmount all other things. As Prov. ii. 4, Wisdom must have a searching for as for hid treasures: as the searching for and searching in the gold and silver mines; in which there is not only great earnestness of search, till the rich vein is discovered, but being once found, there is a following it with exactest industry, and utmost curiosity, to find not a part or quantity of the treasure, but all the riches scattered over the whole mine, part after part. A Christian in his exercise of meditation, must act the part of the exquisite miner, to dig deep, dig over all the mine, and gather up the riches of it, the lesser and greater quantities, as they come to view, in the mines of spiritual treasure. Travelers tell us, that in the Persian Gulf, at a certain season of the year, great store of a kind of shell-fish is to be found near the shore, in which shell-fish they find the precious pearls bred in their shells; but the way of finding them is by diving: there are men that have an art of diving down to the bottom of the sea, and bringing up their baskets filled with these shell-fish; the shells being opened, they find and take out the orient and rich pearls, of several proportions, some of them very great and rich; whereby they greatly enrich themselves and those that deal in them. Meditation is the spiritual merchant's art of trading for heavenly riches, pearls of great price; but there must be a diving deep. If we have not this art of diving, we shall lose the rich pearls: the deepest diving down in the practice of meditation, comes up with the greatest returns of soul enrichments.
Solomon, in Eccl. vii. 25, hath a very emphatical expression, to hold forth this we are upon: our translation hath it, "I applied mine heart," but the Hebrew hath it, I compassed, and my heart that is compassed to search, and seek out wisdom: or, I and my heart
compassed; so in the margin we have it. There is comma upon a thing, and a compassing a thing; the heart in meditating is to compass in a thing as well as it can. They say in philosophy, that wisdom lies in perspection, introspection, and prospection; that is, in viewing throughly, all over, viewing inwardly, and viewing what may be eventually, what may be the issues of things: it pries into a thing, and looks round about a thing; makes the mind endeavor an extensive and comprehensive knowing, as was said. Meditation in spiritual things should be like Nehemiah when he came to
As God took Moses to the top of
CHAP. XII. - Meditation is a Dwelling of Thoughts.
g. MEDITATION includes a dwelling of the thoughts upon the object, drawing out the golden thread of holy thinking to its due length; giving the mind its full scope and allowance of abode on the meditated matter. Meditation is, in Scripture, and often particularly in the book of Ecclesiastes, expressed by the phrase of considering.
In consideration, there is, 1. Application of the mind to an object. 2. Intension upon it. 3. Pondering of, or searching into it. And this, 4. thing, the dwelling of the thoughts for some due space of time, for viewing and reviewing; for second thoughts, bettering of thoughts, and better completing this great soul affair of meditation. This meditation needs must have that allowance that all great musings and considerings have. Such as rare artists, exquisite engineers, deep philosophers, and great statesmen, all noble and ingenious ways must have for their times of studyings: they must have their due space of time for thinking, and lengthen out their mindings in that time; to make, as we say, no more haste than good speed. A staying awhile will make an end the sooner, make the work the surer.
Meditation is not a hasty hurry of thoughts: that is precipitation, not meditation. It is not gathering half-ripe fruit, that which hath not its time for the influence of heaven to come down upon it, and its own internal principle and power of its nature, to produce a kindly maturation, a kindly ripening. We will not have (for want of time) our bread dough-baked, or meat raw-roasted; knowing that what is not rightly prepared for the body, may breed distempers, if it bring not death. It is not the way to thrive, look well, and be strong, lively, and cheerful: why should we gather our soul's precious fruits half-ripe? feed our souls with dough-baked bread for want of a little time? Some things must have infusion for taking forth the spirits and tinctures of colors. Others a due time for percolation and straining, for a separating of the finer parts from the feculent and dreggy: and some things a longer space, in a slow and constant f ire in the operation, or the cost and labor is lost.
Intensions for effecting things greatly beneficial and admirable, are most freely allowed a larger proportion of time, both for frequencies and repetitions of musing seriously. But oh how too ordinarily do the best of saints fall short of the actings of rare artists, in their higher operations, in their stands and abodes of thoughts for more curious observations, and intellectual satisfactions! usually we are too hasty and eager to have duties over. The soul is in pain till it be delivered of them. In meditation it is hard (sometimes at least) to take off the thoughts for it from preengagements of other thinkings, and apply them to the duty; but harder to become duly serious in acting in it; harder yet to dive and ponder; and hardest of all to hold up an abiding of thoughts, and dwell long enough, and after views to make reviews, to react the same thinkings, to taste things over and over when the freshness and newness is past, when by long thinking the things before us seem old : we are ready to grow dead and flat in a performance, except we stir up ourselves often in it. It is hard to hold on and hold up, unless we hold up a wakeful eye, a warm affection, a strong and quick-repeated resolution; yea, and without often lifting up the soul to Christ, for fresh recruits of strength to hold on. David, that so excellent artist in this way, saith he will meditate, often saith he will. See Psa. cxix. Doubtless he not only said I will, when he was to make his entrance into this hard work ; but likewise for continuance in it, to keep up his heart from flagging, till he well ended his work. It is not the digging into the golden mine, but the digging long, that finds and fetches up the treasure. It is not the diving into the sea, but staying longer, that gets the greater quantities of pearls. To draw out the golden thread of meditation to its due length, till the spiritual ends be attained, this is a rare and happy attainment.
CHAP. XIII. - Of Affectionateness in Meditation, or the Life and Luster of it in the Intermixings of suitable Affections.
h. I NOW observe that, for finishing the work, there must be intermixtures of the life and beauties of such affections, as are proper and suitable for the duty. It must be an affectionate acting, warm and zealous, lively and vigorous. So David's meditation, while musing the fire burned, Psa. xxxix. 3. Not only it should be so eventually, but by way of concomitancy; when we meditate with the mind, we should be warm at the heart: the fuel and fire of holy affections must come to the offering up this sacrifice. There must be an affectionate acting, which brings the life and beauty into the body and face of the duty.
They say beauty must have these four things.
1. Perfection, or entireness of parts, no part wanting.
2. Proportions due, no part too great, too little, or unsuitable: and proportion of colour, white and red in a just proportion.
3. There must be right order of parts, that nothing be misplaced.
4. There mustbe spirit and vivacity appearing in the face, as a chief ingredient or superaddition to all the rest, as that which adds singular grace and luster to all.
So besides the parts and chief lineaments, there must be that which completes the beauty of meditation; those things which are as, not only the beauteous colours, but the freshness, liveliness, and spirits dispersed and appearing over all the face of this rare piece, this excellent performance. That as the heart, with its diffusions of heat and spirits in a due proportion, makes a comely, graceful, and lovely color, which in heart-distempers, faintings, and sinkings, disappear and vanish; so the holy heart, with its diffusions of heavenly warmth and spirits, heavenly affectionateness, makes meditation comely, beauteous, and lovely.
If meditation be only head-work, and not heart-work, it is like a picture without life; like a student that studies in a mere acting of wisdom only. The right and genuine meditation is an affectionate thing: as the head acts, the heart glows. The life-veins of warm affections run and disperse themselves through the whole duty, and give luster to it. This we may see in the meditations of that great artist in this kind; in holy David you may see a beauty and excellency of holy affection mixed and interwoven, like the gold in the tissue with the silk, and sparkling in his thus acting; affections appearing set as so many rich stones, rare beauties, and glories among his various musings.
There are three sorts of affections that shine gloriously in David's and other holy men's meditations left upon record in Scripture, which needs must be patterns to provoke us to imitation.
1. The affection of desire.
2. Of love.
3. Of delight.
CHAP. XIV.-Of the First Affection, Desire
THAT affection of desire wound up, and let out to pantings and longings heavenward, and being above, in this heavenly exercise of meditation. David, with his meditating of God and his word, tells us what longings and heart-pantings he had. “My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times," Psa. cxix. 20. How was this? to have the book of the law? No, it was to be exercised in it, to an improving of meditation on it, Psa. i. 2. Ah, he could not meditate enough, act freely enough, far enough. The commandment was so “exceeding broad," as he saith, Psa. cxix. 96, so very broad, and his heart so narrow: sin so encompassed and straitened him, that his soul breaks that he could have no larger thoughts. Such an edge and eagerness of affection, such a large, strong, and vehement desire, should be an attendant, an assistant of meditation, one strong feather added to the wing of contemplation to make it mount up fast to heaven.
Ah, say Christian, Lord, that my soul could meditate still better, fly further, mount higher, be more upon the wing, make sweeter and more happy discoveries, and prove a greater proficient in this heavenly way! Meditate with desires and breakings of soul, to dart up the highest you can to heaven, and stay there.
CHAP. XV. - Of the next Affection, Love.
THE next affection, which sends a great artery of vivifying heat, a glowing heat, into this meditation, is that of heavenly love; love to the duty and the excellent things to be meditated upon. Love is the great heart fire, made to warm every holy service: "Oh how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day," Psa. cxix. 97. Love led him into this pleasant soul walk of sweet meditation, and love kept him company, kept his heart warm in it. The fulfilling of the commandment is love, Rom. xiii. 10, and love is the fulfilling of this commandment of meditating; it is performed in love. This heart-vital heat of love must move to and in meditation; must glow through the whole work all the time of it. Meditation is either of the infinite beauties of the most blessed God, the infinite perfections and surpassing glories of his essence and attributes, and of the three Persons in that essence; or else of the precious word or works of God, his general providence and government, or his peculiar governing of the reasonable creatures, especially that so stupendous work of redemption by Christ, and all those things which are reducible to his praise; which must needs, being so beauteous, have their supassing loveliness. And therefore there is great reason to act love abundantly towards them; to have meditation still richly perfumed with actings of burning love all over it.
Oh let love ever come in and act its part in meditation, wherein the soul's eye is not only glancing, but wishfully viewing the surpassing beauteous things of heaven, or such things as may lead up to heaven.
Ah, if I cannot ascend in a flame of love, yet let me in meditation fly up in some sparks of love. If my heart cannot burn in the flame of love, let it keep warm upon the embers of love. Let love give it a spirit, vigor, and liveliness. As Solomon's temple was inwardly all overlaid with gold, let this rare work of contemplation be overlaid and inlaid with love: as Solomon's chariot in the Canticles, the midst of it paved with love, Cant. iii. 10; so let this chariot of contemplation, the midst of it be paved with love.
CHAP. XVI. – Of the last Affection, Delight.
THE last affection, to make a threefold cord, to draw up the heart in meditation, and that winds the work up higher, and that is a great superadded beauty and glory, is the affection of delight, joy, and pleasure.
Meditation must not be a dull, sad, and dispirited thing; not a driving like the chariots of the Egyptians, when their wheels were taken off, but like the chariots of Aminadab. Make me like the chariots of Aminadab, that ran swiftly, Cant. vi. 12: so let us pray, Lord, in meditation make me like the chariots of Aminadab, that my swift running may evidence my delight in meditating. Holy David makes delight such an ingredient or assistant here, that sometimes he calls this exercise of meditation by the name of delight, Psa. cxix. 16; speaking in the foregoing verse of this meditation, “I will meditate in thy precepts;" in the 16th verse, "I will delight myself in thy statutes;" which is the same with meditation, only with superadding the excellent qualification due meditation should have: this name is given from this noble concomitant.
As Wisdom's ways are all paths of pleasantness, so this path hath its pleasantness and sweetness. Contemplation hath its rare and most pleasant walks: no habitation hath such rooms, such galleries within, of pleasure; nor gardens without with such walks and
curiosities; no situation, or stand, such prospects and varieties of delightful eye-objects as meditation enjoys. All objects that nature or art can present to the eye, are mere shadows and nothings compared with the rich and rare furniture the eye of meditation is provided with. The traveller, whose feet and helps have carried him the farthest, whose eye and observation hath viewed and taken in ever so much variety and curiosity, that hath recreated and satiated itself ever so largely, with any of the most taking things the whole world's fullness comprises, hash not, cannot come near to, and compare with, the transcendencies of purest, highest, soul-refreshing delights this high operation and more sublime acting conveys and gives in; where the object is spiritual, the eye spiritual, the heart holy and spiritual, and the way of acting upon this spiritual object is spiritual, as every way or ordinance of Christ is. Or where the object is excellent, the faculty exercised on it is excellent, the medium or way of applying the faculty to the object is excellent, there the delight and pleasure is most rare and excellent.
There are sundry sorts of pleasures; there are sensitive pleasures of the external senses, as of hearing, seeing, tasting, and the like: these are very various and very great, but too often bewitching and besotting.
There are fancy, imagination pleasures, which are rare and higher than those of the outward senses. Imagination and fancy, which is a quick, sudden, short, and shallow apprehension of things, (it is not judgment that ponders,) but a sudden slight taking in and acting: this is (especially in some sorts of persons) a very high spring and strong feeder of delight or pleasure; of pleasures that come like things fresh, quick and spirited to the body and senses. Fancies, oh how they perfume like richest scents, please like briskest and most racy wine! fancies (though often very fond and vain) yet are great inlets of delight.
3. There are intellectual pleasures, rational joys and delights. These are more high, sublime, and refined, and therefore more sweet, such as the pleasures of understanding new, rare notions, excellent speculations, and apprehensions of solid and precious truths, and the mind's musings on them, tasting, feeding on them: this in itself is a more transcending delight than the two former; though fancies weigh more with some, yea, though sensual pleasures take most with abundance.
4. But there are beyond the former, namely, those that are spiritual pleasures. Delights found and felt in a holy and spiritual heart, in one that hath a principle far above sense and fancy, and natural reason : that a renewed mind, a spiritual understanding, a wisdom from above, only reaches and relishes; and these are best and sweetest, when they are not only taken into the soul by an act of apprehension and conceiving of them, but when they pass into the more inward room, or office of the mind, into the judgment; when they are there detained in consideration, and by meditation give down their delicious sweetness, like grapes in the wine-press. Meditation is such a soul engine, such an instrument of such a manner of operation, that nothing in the world, the highest objects of sense, fancy, or mere natural reason, can act with that complacency and delight.
Solomon, in his Ecclesiastes, that rare record of his large and infallible experience of all things for pleasure and delight, tells us he found nothing so sweet, and which he could act upon with that delight, as when he acted up in meditation, Eccl. xii. 13. David oft expresses what joy he acted in this soul engagement; yea, tells us as he did, so he will delight himself in it, and the heavenly objects of this heavenly work. Heavenly things and a heavenly heart meeting in meditation, will act and make the purest pleasure.
Meditation therefore must have this attendant of delight; which like a flame, like the chariot of Elijah, carries up the soul in musing into heaven.
CHAP. XVII. - Some other Particulars added in some special Scripture Expressions.
BESIDES these three affections of strong desire, ardent love, and holy delight, that, like heat, and spirits conveyed from the arteries (arising in the heart) into all the body, to add to and complete what we have in some measure expressed, there are these three or four things I shall a little speak to.
1. Meditation should be a work very savory to the soul.
2. It should be sweet and pleasing to it.
3. It should be with satiety in it.
4. With an admiration, as the crown on the top of it.
1. It should be performed, not as a thing that is disrelishing, but savory to the spirit in the doing,
2. Meditation should be sweet. This I further add, in that the Spirit of God is pleased to honor this pious expression of the holy prophet, (by recording it for us,) who after a most heavenly torrent of elegancy in expressing the surmounting excellences of God in the wonderful ways of his workings and governings, says there in Psa. civ. 34, “My meditation of him shall be sweet." How sweet must meditation be upon infinite sweetness, and from whom all other sweetness, creature sweetness, word and ordinance sweetness, derives itself!
"How sweet are thy words unto my taste I yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth," Psa. cxix. 103. This must be chiefly by meditation: it is that which presses and sucks out the rare sweetness in the precepts, so holy and righteous; in the promises, so precious; in the encouragements, so high; and in all the excellent things in the so perfect word of Christ. He not only asserts the sweetness he found in meditation, but is transported with high admiration. And when he could not speak of it to the height and fulness, then (which is our usual manner) when we are at a loss or expression in words of comprehensiveness, to wrap up ourselves in the elegancy and terms of an interrogation and admiration; yet not contented with this way, for fuller representing his experimented sweetness, he takes up a comparison, says sweeter than honey, which in that pure air of that blessed land of Canaan, was the most surpassing sweet honey in the world. Yea, in Psa. xis. 10,
"Sweeter than honey," and the distilling of the honeycomb, which is the sweetest of all others: but this was in holy meditation, that made the honey melt in his mouth, and give down its sweetness. Meditation that drives the hive, drains the honey, and drops in the delicious sweetness into the musing spirit. Lord, teach us the way of this heavenly art, and make this honey drop, and the heavenly manna of Divine truths fall richly into our hearts.
3. Meditation may and should be attended with a heavenly and spiritual satiety: "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches," Psa. lxiii. 5, 6. His rare hours introduced and made returns of heavenly satisfaction.
The largeness and excellency of it he sets out by a very suitable expression, satisfied as with marrow and fatness, which to the stomach yields the best satisfaction, the speediest and sweetest, the most large and lasting. No food satiates better than marrow and fatness. So Isa. xxv. 6. The gospel feast is "a feast of fat things full of marrow." There are the fat things of a perfect righteousness applied, of a full pardon obtained, of reconciliation and peace with God made, and glorious adoption conferred through Christ, John i. 12; the feast of the feast, together with the satisfaction of the blessed image of Christ, in the beauteous lineaments of holiness and righteousness, light and life, of all graces and excellences; and all drawn to the life, and wrought up by the Holy Spirit's inhabitation and operation, and arising from believers' happy union and communion with Jesus Christ and his fullness. And likewise as a glorious superaddition, that of assurance of a most happy condition, and of the unchangeable love of God, and that blessed hope of eternal life, which strews sugar, drops unspeakable sweetness and satisfaction, upon and into the holy heart, 1 Pet. i. 8. These and sundry others are the fat things full of marrow, and make up the feast; and are from the actings and industries of this happy way of meditation. As therefore the heart is hungry and thirsty, in continual lingerings and longings, and never quiet, meditation must carry it to this royal gospel feast, and thereby meet with a blessed satisfaction, not being contented with the sight of the feast and the delicacies of it, without attaining some happy satiety.
The prophet Isaiah mentions one dreaming of eating, but when he awakes his soul is hungry. If we look not well to it, meditation may be but such an unprofitable thinking, as when we have ended it, we may miss of this satisfaction, find our souls empty. It must be still so managed, that it prove a help and cure to my soul's inordinate lingerings, and improve to a spiritual satisfaction.
Plutarch in his Morals tells of one Pythos, who, finding a rich mine of gold, and out of his eager desire to have the treasure in the mine, was so continually attending at the mine, that he neglected coming home to his meals. To confute his covetous industry, his wife one day (instead of providing him food) prepared nothing but golden dishes, with several sorts of meats cast into the forms of sundry things edible, but all of gold; whereby he could observe a curiosity of invention, but was disappointed of feeding and satiety. We must not in our meditation content ourselves with feeding the eye for curiosity, but endeavor feeding the soul unto satiety, heavenly satiety. Ah, let my spirit mind more a fullness of satisfaction, than newness of notion; carry it from head work to heart work, from bare speculation to rare and ravishing satisfaction.
4. Admiration. Let me, to set the crown on the head of the duty, add one thing over and above, let meditation be carried up to admiration; not only should we be affected, but transported, rapt up, and delighted with the beauties and transcendencies of heavenly things, act meditation to admiration, endeavor the highest pitch, coming the nearest to the highest patterns, the patterns of saints and angels in heaven, whose actings are the purest, highest ecstasies and admirations. Thus were these so excellent artists in meditation, David a high actor of admiration in meditation, as often we see it in the Psalms, as in Psa.
viii. 1, 9. "Oh how great is thy goodness!" Psa. xxxi. 19. "O Lord, how manifold are thy works!" Psa. civ. 24. And in other places David's meditation and admiration were as his harp well tuned and excellently played on, in rarest airs, and highest strains; as the precious gold and the curious burnishing, or the richest stone and the most exquisite polishing and setting of it. So blessed Paul, who was a great artist in musing, acted high in admiration; his soul was very warm and flaming up in it: it was as a bird with a strong and long wing, that soars and towers up aloft, and gets out of sight.
Thus sundry of the ancients, as holy Augustine, Bernard, and others of those, who have recorded their rare hours of meditations and transportings of admiration, liftings out of themselves, and liftings up to heaven. A precious minister of Christ often in his lifetime would wish he might die in the heavenly exercise of singing a psalm, in which he used to be transported in meditation and admiration: at length he had, in singing a psalm, his holy wish, dying in the performance; whereby he was rapt up (after his rapture in the duty) into heaven, changing his place, but not his work. Another, a man eminently learned and heavenly, riding with a friend in his coach, fell into a rare contemplation and discourse of the glory of heaven, and the beatifical vision, and within a short time he was suddenly taken from this earth, to take his possession of that glory he had so before in contemplation.
CHAP. XVIII. - Of the Ends of Meditation.
MEDITATION we described to be an institution of Christ, and duty of a Christian, wherein the mind acts upon spiritual things, or other things in a spiritual manner, by a due considering of them, and this to holy ends or spiritual uses only: now the ends of meditation are three.
1. Such as refer to the most high God.
2. Such as respect ourselves.
3. Such as relate to others.
1. Such as refer to the most high God. Meditation is to be the motion of the heavenly spirit heavenward; to carry it up to heaven and keep it a time there: a looking of the eye of the mind, and a lifting up of the heart, a making a stay, and taking a spiritual solace in heaven with God.
All duties we perform must be done to the living God, “to serve the living God," Heb. ix. 14. If otherwise, our duties are but dead works, loathsome as dead carcasses. A living work must have for its supreme end the living God. God that is the first and best, must have the first aim and leveling to.
They say in philosophy, the last end must have the first intending: the first looking at, as the first ground and mover to any work. And as they say in optics, in treating about the nature of seeing of objects, that which first irradiates, sends forth that which through the medium first conveys itself to the eye: this is first visible, and that is light. The first thing the eye of meditation should fix upon, is that which is the light of lights, and that is God, who is all light, beauty, and glory. Meditation should be chiefly acted to see God, and to aim at glorifying of God above all; "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God," 1 Cor. x. 31.
The Gentiles, wise men, and great philosophers, because their speculations were not acted to the glory of God, were vain imaginations: see
Whatsoever the aim be, if the glory of God be not the real scope, nay, if it be not the master mark, the work is miscarried ; and but a raveling out of time, a losing of labor. Meditation must make sure of the right method and order of aiming at the glory of God, like the sun in the heavens that outshines all other lights below and above, and that which is to be seen before, and above all others; so this must be eyed and aimed at likewise, far before all other.
Three things to be eyed: 1. The infinite glories and resplendencies of the eternal and all-sufficient God. 2. The infinite distances and heights he is in above us. 3. The infinite obligations that ever lie upon us, to exalt him, beyond all.
As in the making of our whole man, whereby he is total owner of us, and proprietor in us. And in our preserving, whereby we are yet more highly bound. And in the provision for our eternal happiness, which is far beyond all the former.
Therefore there is an absolute necessity of this method and order, of still first aiming every duty, and acting at this grand mark; and then to make it the striving and pressing hard of our spirits to it. Oh that in my thinkings, in the ascendings of my thoughts, this glory of the great God may ever still ascend I for no thoughts nor actings can truly ascend, if they go not up to the blessed God and this glory of God: if God goes not up higher in our thinkings, they then go not higher than self, and which is but indeed downward, and not upward at all. Nay, it is a worse descent than that also, it is destruction and hell-ward whatsoever is self-ward, and is not to the advancing of the great God. Meditation is not only to be acted to God as a duty, but as this duty, in its peculiarity and propriety, as being a peculiar straight line to God, as a singular way for our taking aim, this high aim, at exalting the praises of God.
Thus did that rare marksman, holy David, as it is admirably conspicuous in the Psalms. In Psa. ciii. 1, 2, in the very entrance he lays a strict, a repeated command upon his soul and all that is within him, to bless, and bless, and praise God: yea, not only lays his meditation level to the mark, but raises up his spirit to take the purest, the fullest aim; this both by a selecting and improving of spiritual reasons, the strongest he could find, and the most quickening motives he could apply, all that his heart might carry up (in a heavenly flame) the highest praises of God. Thus you shall see him very frequently acting his meditation up with the greatest fervor to this exalting highly of God.
Meditation is a peculiar visit made to the great God; a mind, a thought visit, wherein, as to a great friend, the soul, as it were, comes and saith to God, Lord, I come to see thee, I now come purposely to see thee, to spend some fit portion of time with thee, and I come for that high honor and observance I am infinitely obliged to tender to thee. Every meditation is giving a fresh visit, and thereby a new tender of highest honor we owe to this best of friends.
The next end is, our highly pleasing of God, which by meditation we are to intend: God will be both obeyed and pleased with our respecting and acting of every appointed way; meditation is the beet way, the most pleasing way of thinking. We are to "walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing," Col. i. 10. Therefore this must be performed to an intended pleasing, a due serious thinking, a pondering and dwelling of the thoughts upon heavenly things, and chiefly upon the infinite beauties and excellences of God, who is the perfect thought and heart knower, the exquisite searcher and observer of soul actings. And then most, when purposely pleasing is designed: this must very highly please him, when we especially design pleasing, with our most wishly eyeings of him, yea, to intend the doing our best to please him; and this, oh how should it greatly also please us! David, in Psa. xix. 14, prays for pleasing God, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be accceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer." So it is not only to be prayed for, but made the holy aim of meditation with our utmost care. What industries do the favorites to great princes use to please them, especially that their thoughts offered in counsels may be acceptable! Thus, how did Philotas act, who was the favourite of Alexander the Great; and Maecenas, the favorite of Augustus; and so divers among ourselves! But how near goes it to them if their counsels please not! as with Ahithophel, when his counsel pleased not Absalom; and on the contrary with Hushai, when his counsel pleased. So when Haman's counsel was rejected; and how contrary with Mordecai, when his counsels were adopted! Pleasing of a prince is a great encouragement; but pleasing of a God is a sweet soul contentment; it is most worthy striving after. Oh how unspeakably sweet will the finding and feeling of this prove in thy heart, when meditation is performed purposely to please thy God; when it runs in a pure stream, when thy spirit, reflecting on its actings in meditating, makes discovery of this holy aim of high pleasing the most high God! As the Scripture commands pleasing, the saints are peculiarly commended and greatly honored for it. As with wise and well-bred people, (obliging and pleasing in good things,) great pleasing is a great praise. As Abel, Enoch, and others, from this character of pleasing God. It is a heavenly ambition to earnestly design pleasing; as in all others, so in this walking with God in meditation.
CHAP. XIX. - Meditation respecting Ourselves.
As there should be such aims relating to the great God, so meditation must have its advantageous aims respecting ourselves.
1. The grand scope and end of our own happiness.
2. All other subservient and excellent ends.
1. The grand end of our own happiness, and working out our own salvation, is the next spiritual end that meditation as a mighty engine should set on going to effect. It should be sure to be ordered up, and duly aimed at; acted according to the aptitude and fitness of any way in it, to further this important end: musing and right meditation hath a most rare tendency and helpfulness, as to the working out salvation. As it is a sanctified means on God's part, so it must be an earnestly employed help on our part. We must ever so meditate that it may help on salvation; we must mean it and level it sure, not any way deceive ourselves, but take the best and surest aim. Salvation challenges the best eyeing, the fullest, steadiest, strongest aiming of every way and help. Soul happiness must not have slender aims; we cannot have aimings too serious and intense.
Let my aimings here have the keenest edge of seriousness, be elevated the highest, made the firmest and the most extensive. Let them take in universally whatsoever may most excite to and quicken in this high operation, proportionate it to this working out salvation, the so great gospel salvation.
Thus did the prodigal, (who represents the returning sinner,) when sensible first of his unspeakable misery; and thence, apprehensive of the great obtainable felicity, the so glorious gospel salvation; never did he so act any thinking, make such warm work of it, as now. In like manner the jailer, Acts xvi. having such a dreadful awakening from sense of a lost condition: oh what a pondering of salvation was that, from a heart so warmed and edged! when extremity of misery bath the deepest sense, meditation of salvation and recovery bath the highest seriousness. What can have such a thinking, as when one thinks for life, and that eternal!
Let meditation take in those considerations that are most awakening, that unspeakable misery comes upon us by sins so innumerable; as contracting on the person such horrid guilt, and conveying into the heart such hellish filth. Every sin, with the aggravations, contracting a debt to Divine justice, and that entered into God's debt book, which we never can pay or get paid without a surety, but must bring destruction in eternal fire. Then weigh the great uncertainty of life, and how certain death casts every one upon an eternal state unavoidably, upon inconceivable eternity. Then must be weighed the mighty enemies, and multitudes of hinderances, lying in the way of escaping. Next come the considerations that are the most highly encouraging to strive to enter in at the strait gate, such as the Scripture's fullness supplies. Oh how great and prevalent are those in the gospel, to make wise and warm us, to strengthen and heighten meditation! As eternal life, which in the believing heart is already begun, with sure promise of carrying it on to perfection, by our yet co-working with the Holy Spirit of Christ, working in all his, which we must do continually: “ Work out your own salvation," &c. Phil. ii. 12. What may I say of conjunction with God, by union with Christ, by faith of communion with Christ, in justification and pardon of sin, a most glorious righteousness, reconciliation, adoption, with a sure title to heaven, and the glorious graces of Christ, his image, holiness, wisdom, life, power, peace passing understanding, joy unspeakable, with establishment, growth in grace, victory over all enemies!
Ah, what wishful lookings should we exercise daily at this so great salvation, and the transcendencies and perfections of it; and at last such an outlet of all evils, such an inlet of all good, such a crown of glory, with all the inconceivable excellences of it, and the perfect fruition and vision of God for ever!
I shall yet add one thing more, and that which is (after all momentous considerations besides) the greatest, of strongest influence and efficacy, that is the vastness, inconceivable vastness of eternity: not eternity merely in the abstract, only considered in itself, but in reference to misery or felicity. I say, to all other inducements add eternity; hang on this great weight of eternity of misery and felicity. Endeavour with thy utmost art and industry. by all resemblances, to have the liveliest and most operative
representations of it.
Breathe thy soul often by healthful exercise here; breathe thy soul frequently up this hill of eternity. Whatsoever thou meditatest on, let still this be one object entertained in thy serious thoughts, this vast eternity: let this have its due time.
Holy meditation hath, besides the former, several other excellent ends to be aimed at and improved to. As artificers do with their gold, beat it out sometimes to its utmost ductility and extensiveness; improve this gold of precious heavenly objects, beat them out
to the utmost by this hammer, this art of divine meditation. The art of meditation will, like Solomon's temple overlaid with gold, overlay thy heart with Christ's pure gold, and make it rich and glorious.
Ah, therefore, Christian, act up thy meditation to these precious ends, and chiefly lay a mighty stress upon that so momentous thing, eternity of soul misery or felicity.
CHAP. XX. - Of the particular Ends of Meditation in respect of Ourselves.
THERE are various ends of meditation respecting ourselves: I shall mention, among others, these seven, relating to our own spiritual advantage.
1. As a principal improver of saving knowledge.
2. To make our knowledge clear and distinct.
3. To found a rich treasury of truths, and make them sure.
4. To be an introducer of habitual wisdom, an acquired habit of wisdom, to the first given wisdom, in heart renovation.
5. For a kindler of heavenly fire and flame in the heart.
6. For a mighty corroborater of holy purpose.
7. To be a constant quickener of the Christian course.
1. Meditation is a principal improver of saving and heavenly knowledge. To set as it were more lights on the golden table in the temple of the holy heart, to replenish the golden candlestick with more and better lights, and glorious burning lamps, to yield clearer light in the dark heart. I am wiser than my enemies, for thy commandments are ever with me; that is, in meditation continually, as, Thy law is my meditation continually, or "all the day;" " I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation;" and, "I understand more than the ancients," Psa. cxix. 97-100. Here is an assertion in a kind of gradation of the successfulness of his holy meditation, namely, understanding, wisdom, and excelling in them: wiser than his enemies, yea, than his teachers, yea, than the ancients, that have had longest time, largest opportunities, for greatest knowledge and highest wisdom.
Meditation is the ground, inlet, and improver of knowledge. It is not the great and much reading makes the scholar, but studying and pondering what is read. It is not reading much that makes the knowing Christian, but meditating on what is read: reading without meditation is like swallowing much meat without due chewing; that makes a lean man, so this makes a lean mind. Many read and hear much, but understand little, because they bring themselves so little under this ordinance of meditation. If thou wouldst be right excellent in knowledge, be rich in it, and of a higher stature in wisdom than others, as David was; strive to write after his rare copy in abundant meditating.
2. Meditation is to make knowledge clear and distinct. The apostle, in Phil. i. 9, mentions love, its abounding in knowledge and judgment, and in other places we have mention of discerning and judging. As to matter of learning in arts and sciences, they have the most clear and distinct heads, have their notions most methodical, distinct, and most mellow, who muse most; on the contrary, those are the weak and easy scholars that muse least. Divers Christians have their heads full of raw, confused things, a company of broken ends, notions of small use to themselves or others, for want of due digestion in meditation. Gold ore, without refining and sound hammering, is of little use; want of refining keeps the metal base, want of hammering makes it brittle, it will not be burnished up to a full and perfect brightness, it will not obtain a just firmness: you cannot have so rich plate or utensils, no vessels of it for your special use. The minds of too many Christians lie strewed over with precious truths, but neither clear nor distinct: they are like houses or closets where the rich things, furnitures and rarities, lie covered over with dust, or want brightening; or are so dissevered, lie so scattered and out of place, that scarce any thing is for any present use. So there may be multitudes of notions and truths in the mind, but they are obscure and confused; a dust covers them, a curtain is drawn too far over them; they are of little use, because meditation is little used. Meditation is that, and must be that, which methodizes them, that sets them in order: meditation brightens them, and helps to make them clear, and give them a luster. Clearness and distinctness will not be had without giving down-weight in due meditation. And without a clear and distinct apprehension of things, they are of little light to the Christian; of less influence as to others' instigation and encouragement. A scholar that hath his notions raw and obscure can make (at the best) but a bungler. An artificer, any tradesman that hath not his art but imperfectly, will make of it but a mean way to live and subsist: he that understands his way in religion, will prove the wise, warm, and fruitful Christian.
3. Meditation is to be a chief help to the repository and treasury of truths, to lay and lock up store of precious and useful truths more sure, to fix the lights of truth firm, make them stand fast in the mind. Serious meditation is a great advantage to memory, the soul's treasury; that lays up precious truths in the close conveyances of the understanding, and locks the doors fast. Such as meditate most, will have the surest memory for things heavenly.
Holy David, to lay up and hide the word in his heart, Psa. cxix. 11, did it, as by other, so by the way of meditation: as in the 15th verse, by meditation, and in ver. 97, continually. As truths came to him, so made he them sure by meditating: his treasury and stock grew richer, and were kept the safer. As in scholars, not the multitude of books, or great reading, will make a treasury of precious notions, and make them sure for use, but the due afforded allowance to the clearing and fixing of them by meditation. Christians that meditate will be rich in knowledge, and keep it sure.
CHAP. XXI. - Of the next Particular, the fourth end, to produce habitual Wisdom.
THE next particular end of meditation, is to produce an habitual wisdom in the mind of a Christian. To be a moulder and former of the spirit into habitual wisdom, to superinduce upon the first fundamental, (that infused wisdom given in renovation and heart change,) I say to the first saving wisdom, to superadd and introduce an habitual wisdom, (acquired, as they call it,) such a wisdom as makes a Christian more knowingly and wisely skilful and ready for his way and work; to be beyond a mere learner, to prove an artist for working out his own salvation.
There is an infused knowledge, and an infused wisdom; a wisdom stamped upon and given into the mind in its first renovation and conversion, for then a man ceases from being a stark fool for salvation, as the Scripture makes all in the state of nature, Prov. i.
22. But by conversion and change of heart, and by union with Christ first, and then communion with him, as the wisdom of his members; by this they become wise, by an infused wisdom, whereby they are wise indeed, wise to salvation; wise whereby the right and chief end and happiness is discerned, and the right way and means to that end is discovered, and both thereupon designed and intended. But this is but a lower measure at first, a seed, a grain of mustard-seed, as the Lord compares the state of grace begun in the heart, Matt. xiii. 32.
But beside the former infused wisdom, there is requisite an acquired wisdom, a superaddition to the other. This is a noble help, and an improver of the first; that as to the eye of reason and natural wisdom, learning and experience and exercise brings in an habitual wisdom, enlarging the natural. As it is with a scholar, or an apprentice to a trade, first his tutor or master infuses principles for the wisdom or skill of his profession or trade, whereby he can a little begin to act or work, make trial, though but in an imperfect
manner; but then by minding and musing of his instructions, and by exercise, he comes at length to an acquired habit, to act and work knowingly and with facility, because he hath a new wisdom to understand his way. But without minding and musing he would never have had the way, the art or trade intended. Meditation (beside others) is a singular help to habitual wisdom, to attain the art and trade of Christianity. 10 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way," Prov. xiv. 8. And Eph. v. 17, "Be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." Though they were excellent Christians, by the large measure of wisdom they at their first conversion received, yet he calls upon them to seek for more, to improve the wisdom infused to further wisdom, to a spirit of wisdom, to an acquired habitual wisdom, to be artists in their way, and excel in it.
Nothing doth so mould the mind into habitual wisdom, as meditation; nothing so improves and enlarges spiritual understanding, makes to understand our way and rule of walking, as meditation, as serious and repeated thinkings.
In natural, or any civil affairs, wisdom in and about them is not obtained by bare thinkings, slight, short, and transient thoughts, or by seldom, and now and then in a fit to think and away, but by serious thoughts, weighings, and ponderings, yea, by frequencies and constancies of thoughts and mindings. This way of thinking makes a man wise in his way, trade, or in any business. It is impossible to be wise with this acquired habit of wisdom, without taking time, making a stand, an abode of thoughts, and those
serious also.
If we are hasty, short, give not due allowance of time, and down-weight of thoughts, serious thoughts, we shall not come up to habitual wisdom; nor shall we act as wise Christians are required to do, if habitual wisdom be wanting. No man can act wisely, or in height or eminency of wisdom, except he act by a perfect principle, as the angels and saints in heaven do, or as a perfect artist, that hath a perfect skill and hand at some art or work. Most good Christians, though they have true, saving wisdom for the substance, yet have little, very little, wisdom to understand their way, little of this acquired habitual wisdom. This is the reason of their being so frequently to seek, so at a set, and at a loss, not knowing what to do. The want now of this wisdom, is from want of meditation, serious and frequent musing to frame and mould the mind into habitual wisdom, and so increasing in wisdom daily.
That a Christian may be an artist, and have his trade, have head and hand adapted and ready for it, this must be by habit, through custom and use. There are these four special things, excellent advantages in a habit among others. 1. It lays in ability for doing. 2. It induces facility in doing. 3. It produces delight and complacency with doing. 4. It holds up evenness and constancy in doing.
A scholar or an apprentice put upon employment for learning an art or mystery, at the first wants the ability to act as an artist, a logician, a philosopher, or the like; and so the facility, pleasure, and constancy cannot be come at, because they are the higher steps or stories built upon the first, that of ability. But when by time he hath accustomed himself in a way, he comes to an habitual knowledge and skill, and that habit brings ability to do; and with ability goes facility, easiness to act in the art or way; then with facility is pleasure and delight attending; what we do with ease is pleasing. Then what produces pleasure, brings also constancy, and doing with evenness and equality. Oh how desirable is this wisdom in Christianity, how highly is it to be contended for, to have this wisdom, this art of going to heaven, of living to the living God, to arrive at a doing with an improved wisdom, a wisdom of superadded ability, with a happy facility of acting, a sweet delight in acting heavenward, and a beauteous, a glorious evenness and constancy; so as not to be and remain still weak in our trade of godliness, not to be to seek so often, as not knowing our way in divers cases, not to drive so hardly on, not to be so dull and heavy, nor yet so unevenly and brokenly to carry on our work, but with all the forenamed advantages, to be daily still experienced to higher encouragements!
This is a grand end of meditation, to work up to habitual wisdom, to help a Christian to excel in this soul beauty of an exquisite artist and operator for heaven and eternity.
CHAP. XXII. - Of the fifth End of Meditation, to kindle and inflame the Affections.
MEDITATION hath not only its excellent ends and uses, relating to the understanding and mind, but also is of singular use relating to the affections. Meditation is that which keeps alive the fire on the altar, and helps to make it burn: it is that which both gathers the sticks, the fuel, and materials for keeping the fire from going out, and that which kindles them, blows upon them, and makes them burn and flame up to heaven.
In the Levitical law, the fire upon the altar must never go out, but it was kept burning by the priests' continual minding it: if they had not minded that fire continually, it would have gone out. The fire in the holiest heart must be kept in, kept burning continually by meditation and constant mindings. Meditation is a great heart warmer; it renews and increases spiritual heats, drives away dullness and dead-heartedness, brings a new life, strength, and vigor into the spirit, when it faints and flags.
They say of the loadstone, (that wonder in nature,) when either by carelessness in keeping it, or by some accident, it loses its virtue, yet by laying it some good space of time in the filings of steel, it will again recover its virtues; when the spirit of a Christian, by not looking well to it, loses of its heavenly heat and liveliness, the way of recovery is by laying it asteep in this so warming and quickening meditation. Oh how burning and flaming may we often observe the spirit of the holy psalmist David, in his acting of meditation! As Psa. xxxix. 3, "My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire" kindled or "burned:" musing made him hot, yea, burning hot at the heart. Thus often in the beginning of a psalm we find his heart low and discouraged, but as this musing was acted and heightened, his spirit grew hotter, and at last flies all on a flame, flies up to a
very high pitch of heavenly heat. Oh how do all the conscientious practisers of meditation, ever and anon experience these happy heavenly heats and heart enlargements! Oh if all the saints' so glorious heart quickenings were gathered together, what a rich chain of pearls, pearls of rare experiences, would they make up of the heart-warming efficacies of meditation!
Meditation is a mighty engine to kindle cooling hearts, and make them flame in fervency. The rule of effecting a business, especially entangled in difficulties, is by removing the obstacles first, and then applying furtherances. Meditation is instrumental to heart warmings and quickenings:
1. By making a grand inquest into the occasions of heart coolings, and helping to remove them.
2. By stirring up to the efficacious means of warmth and quickening.
It is a rule among the schoolmen, that every negative is founded in an affirmative; that is, every not doing is founded in some positive act of doing something else. And as to the like purpose, we say in philosophy, the intention of one thing is the disintendmg of another: meditation makes an inquiry, and thereby a discovery of that which hinders spiritual heat. The extinguishing of fire and heat in nature, is either by casting on much water, or smothering it; by either throwing on much incombustible matter, or hindering the air's openness, and its free coming to it, which chokes it, or by withdrawing the fuel upon which it feeds.
1a. Meditation finds heart coolings to proceed from a giving way to and the present prevailing of some corruption or lust, that like water quenches the fire. They say that some rich spirits and rare extractions, if taken in some acid or sour liquor, the sour liquor turns the edge of those spirits, and frustrates their operation: as cold, clammy humours at the head of the nerves or sinews, stop the course of the animal spirits, and occasion the numb or dead palsy; or as some cold poison taken in, quenches the vivifying heat and spirits, endangers, if not induces, death; so a corruption or sin let out and given way unto, chills, and cools, and quenches the heart heat, and the longer yielded to, the cooler will the affections grow.
A sin given way unto, damps the heart-warming ordinances, quenches the heart-warming spirit, obstructs thy communion with a heart-quickening Christ. "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart," Hos. iv. 11: what is there spoken of a more total taking away the heart in evil men, is true of a gradual taking away the heart, the heat and liveliness, in godly men.
1b. Meditation on due inquiry finds heart coolings to arise from Christians smothering their heat with heaping up businesses and troubles upon themselves, launching too far into the seas of worldly affairs and over-carings. The thorny ground had the word choked by cares and affairs of this life: what cares and business doth to the word, it doth to the heart's warmth. If thou canst entangle thyself in the matters of the world, thou wilt cool apace. The farther a man travels from the sun northward, the cooler he is: turn your face from heaven to the world, go far, and you come to not only cool, but freeze. Or as the woman in Roman history, that out of a design to enrich herself, contracted with the enemy to betray the castle for that which the soldiers had on their left arm (meaning their golden bracelets); but the soldiers, instead of their bracelets, threw their shields on her, whereby she, instead of being enriched, was smothered. To engage in a throng is the way to be smothered: the world will smother thee if thou engagest too far; it will still cool thy heart beat, make thee of a warm and lively, a cool, dead-hearted Christian. There is a fish called the torpedo, if you touch it with your bare leg, or hand, it presently benumbs the limb that touched it. Touch with thy heart upon the world, it will leave it numb; there is no such way to keep in thy heat, as to keep out the world, avoid the danger of a crowd of business and cares.
1c. Meditation, upon searching, discovers the decay of heat is from decay in heart-warming ordinances, where the Sun of righteousness shines warm upon thee, whereby the soul heat is both preserved and increased. Abatings of heavenly heat arise from drawing away the fuel of heavenly duties, or thy own remissness and negligence in them. If a man shall cast away his clothes, leave his food, and decline the means of preserving heat and life, he must needs grow cold, if he be not quickly killed. If a man reads not, meditates not, prays not, hears not, or is negligent and formal herein, be must needs, like a dying man, grow cold. It much depends upon the lively performance of holy duties, that you keep heart warm, or that you decay in your fervor by carelessness in the means: editation will mind you of this, and put you upon mending it in time. The angel of the
his first works, Rev. ii. 4, 5.
2. Meditation is instrumental to spiritual vivacity and warmth, by helping to apply the things that recover and promote heat and liveliness.
2b. Meditation mightily helps here, by being a great instrument of searching out, applying, and working home the Scripture's heart-warming considerations, such as the quickening Spirit, the Inditer of the Scriptures, that knows what things are most proper and proportionate for recovering or increasing heat, what he hath left upon record to use in this case. As consideration is the first mover in the soul, so warm considerations are the first warmers. Oh what a latitude and fullness hath meditation to fetch heartwarming considerations from! If the eye looks up to the heavens, what abundance of heavenly bodies for conveyance of light and heat it soon discovers! But if the eye of meditation looks into the Scriptures, what a prospect of various rare and glorious passages is there to be found of considerations! like abundance of richest spirits, highest cordials, and preparations of all sorts, in artists shops and closets. Oh what heart-warming considerations can meditation fetch and apply from the infinitely blessed God, his infinite excellences, eternal love, sweetness unspeakable, of the sense of his favor, and the like! Oh what heart-warming considerations from Jesus Christ, to behold him and view him all over, in all he is in his inexpressible glories! in all he hath done, whereby he hath outdone all that ever was or shall be done! What warming considerations in respect of the Holy Spirit, the grand and mighty applier of redemption, by his habitation and operation! What in respect of the word, the precepts, promises, threatenings, and examples in it of sundry sorts, all for our help and comfort! What of the covenant of grace, so sure and sweet! What in respect of ourselves, soul's state, and all the great concerns of it in salvation! Meditation can never want heart-warming considerations, can bring stores of arguments of all sorts, and blow upon them, to make the heart kindle and flame, although it was chill and dead, and never so low brought.
2b. This engine of heavenly meditation produces heart warmth and vivacity, by taking thee out of the shade and cool, and leading into the sunshine of heart-warming ordinances, wherein the Sun of righteousness arises, and shines warm, and his quickening Spirit breathes warm upon thee. As a cure of cooling and decaying love, Christ counsels the angel of that
CHAP. XXIII. - The End of Meditation in Reference to the Will.
MEDITATION, as it is to be a helper to warm the affections, so for a means to strengthen and fix the holy purposes and resolutions of the will. It is not a wavering and weak purpose, or a feeble resolution, will, serve for a foundation for building so high as heaven, for carrying on so great and hard a work as soul saving. The Scripture mentions cleaving to the Lord with "purpose of heart," Acts xi. 23. Holy David often in the Psalms tells us of his will, his purpose of heart, Psa. cxix., and his heart was fixed, Psa. cviii. 1. Meditation is singularly instrumental here,
1. Of fixing and deeper rooting of the grand general purpose of pleasing and glorifying God, and working out our own salvation.
2. It is greatly instrumental for corroboration, and for strengthening the lesser roots of derivative purposes, that spring from the grand purpose, that are the particular abettors and helpers of the main and general forementioned purpose.
In every holy heart there is planted at first conversion, that fundamental and noble purpose of pleasing and glorifying God in all things without exception: this purpose also must be often renewed, have its reiterations for corroboration. There must be also derivative and subservient purposes, particular purposes, in reference to advancing the main purpose, and the soul's chief end and intendment, purposes for particular soul concerns, particular duties either respecting mortification of particular corruptions, and particular self-denials, or that respect particular graces and duties, in the seasons required for them. Every particular duty and soul concern, must have the hand of a peculiar purpose lent it to assist it. Right undertaking, as it must have the mind acted in wisdom to direct it, so it must have the will acted in purpose, deliberate purpose, to effect or endeavor it. Grace in the will must work it into a due purposing for the particular occasion of every particular incumbent duty, purpose of heart to ground performance.
The Scriptures give frequent instances of both general and particular purposes this way practiced. First of the general and grand purpose; thus David very often in the Psalms declares, "I will keep thy statutes," Psa. cxix. 8; there is a general purpose superadded to the first purpose that he did when he first gave up his heart in conversion to his God. Thus in the 69th verse of this psalm, "I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart;" there is another general purpose. And Psa. cxvi. 9, "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living;" there is another of his added general purposes for serving God. "Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said I will keep thy words,” Psa. cxix. 57. There he tells you what he had done in the time past; he had said, as in the former he saith, what he would do for the future. So in the 106th verse, he tells you what a purpose he had taken, such as had a confirmation of an oath, or, as some express it, had, as it were, the strength or force of an oath; yea, here tells you what he did in time past, and what he will do for the future: "I have sworn," there is the time past; "and will perform," there is purpose for the future: a recalling of his old purpose, and a renewing of a fresh purpose to back the old. So others of the saints in Scripture are to be observed, to accustom themselves frequently to strengthen the first general purpose, with the additions of frequent following purposes.
Also for particular purposes, for particular coming occasions, we have frequent instances of holy men's practices. In reference to avoiding sin, "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes," Psa. ci. 3. In reference to taking heed to our ways and words, "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue," Psa. xxxix. 1. In reference to trusting on God in difficulties, waiting upon God, worshipping God, praying, praising, and all sorts of duties and graces, love, joy, hope, courage, constancy, and the like.
Purposes and resolutions, general and particular, and the frequent use of them. Linking purpose to purpose: strong purposes are still necessary for every Christian that will work out salvation; yet all must be done in the strength of Christ, else they will not hold, but wear out and snap asunder.
Now meditation is greatly instrumental herein.
1. Instrumental to make our purposes wise: we must ponder and consider before we purpose; rash purposes and more sudden, without due bottoming in a previous meditating, will prove but miscarryings and abortions. They are like foolish building on the sand, they soon fail: a purpose the more deliberate, the more durable.
2. Meditation helps to make purposes strong and firm: we have need of strong purposes for the great things of eternal life: we have strong opposition from corruption within, and temptation without. Meditation helps mightily to strengthen resolution. It repairs to your spiritual magazine, and thence fetches forth strong spiritual arguments to raise strong resolutions and purposes. Arguments out of the rich stores of Scripture, of all sorts and natures, to relieve the weakness of the will in purposing. Meditation acts a divine reasoning, disputes you into a purposing, when it shows you have so much for it, and nothing at all against it. Also meditation selects and sharpens arguments, sets home, and improves them upon the conscience, that you must yield, must resolve, and firmly, strongly, in such matters as none can be higher.
Oh how many strong and unanswerable arguments can meditation come furnished with, to dispute against carnal unresolvedness, to plead for your acting strong resolutions for any part of an enjoined duty! What weight can it put into the balance to cast the scale for God's and your soul's interest! I need not name the heads of arguments, such as the indispensable necessity of the precept and means, the great sinfulness of unwillingness, the excellency of the thing, with the sweetness, comfort, confidence, and advantages attending it: but this I shall add, the excellency of a Christian lies chiefly in his will; and the excellency of that will is in the height of its purpose and resolution, freest purpose and choice, firmest resolution and determination for the work he came into the world to do. And the great assistant, on our part, of holy resolution, is holy meditation, applying fit reasons to stir up resolution, and instigating to all those ways that produce and cherish it. And this latter is another particular whereby meditation is a relief and fortifier of good resolutions and purposes.
Meditation, I say, is a great strengthener and establisher of holy purposes, both as it is a directive, and instigative; as teaching us what are the ways to help us in purposing, and as instigating and provoking to the ordinances and means, that will water the plants of holy purposes, make them root deep, and shoot up high, flourish and bear fruit. If our purposes are weak; if our hearts in purposings are apt to slip out of joint; no sooner set, but as soon slipt, or ready to dislocate and be out of joint; what remedy then have we but consideration or falling to meditate, to make a true inquiry first of the right and proportionate ways of healing this will malady, this heart infirmity? And then meditation instigates to a due use of discovered helps, of infirm and inconstant resolutions, draws you to and through the whole circle of means, provokes you to try every remedy to cure these abortive purposes. It directs and leads you to all the ordinances of help, to the promises that make over help, to a Christ and all his fullness of help, to the Holy Spirit for his applying effectually of help, to stirring up faith, to acting recumbencies and restings on Christ in the promises, to stirring up ourselves, to humble ourselves for our failings in our purposes, and to strive against them, watch our heart's slipperiness, and to labor keeping our resolutions and purposes better. In nature's order, doing is upon resolving, resolving upon considering; so in grace, performing is upon purposing, purposing arises from pondering and meditating. The saints in Scripture that acted the highest resolutions, exercised the deepest meditations, as we see in the man after God's own heart. Fits and f lashes of fancy never produce firm purposings; but such resolutions that lie longest asteep in due preceding meditation, have the deepest tincture and holding color. Longer I have been upon this particular, as a point more material, because the art of raising and fixing, heightening and improving, holy resolutions, is such a happy fruit of divine meditation ordered to that blessed end.
CHAP. XXIV. - Of Meditation as a grand Supporter of the Christian Course.
MEDITATION is for a constant keeper-up and supporter of the Christian course, as to the evenness of this golden thread, without decays, sinkings, stands, and interruptions. Also as to improvements and goings-on to perfection. And as to conflictings with enemies and oppositions.
This was holy Paul's practice, by still taking in the highest provoking considerations, minding and due pondering of them; it made him to labor so abundantly, to press so hard to the mark, forgetting the things behind, and looking to the things before, Phil. iii. 13, 14. He meditated on the prize of the high calling, kept his eye on the crown of righteousness; he kept his eye always on the stores and varieties of gospel encouragements.
A Christian of the greatest consideration will ever keep up best his evenness and constancy. New, fresh meditations are new soul feedings, new meals, which add new strength and vigor; they make a Christian like Elijah, when he had eaten, to travel with new strength to Horeb, the Mount of God.
We should not move like the sloth, but contrarily, like the bird of paradise, that is seen generally flying, and in a very expedite motion. Divers for running the blessed race of godliness, go creeping slowly, making little haste or progress; certainly they meditate little. The swiftest of foot in Christ's way are the frequent. serious meditators: meditating makes the birds of paradise, the Christians of the perpetual motion.
CHAP. XXV. - Of the End or Use of Meditation in reference to Others.
THE third and last end or use of meditation named, was in respect of others. As the former ends were in reference first to God, then towards ourselves; so this we come now unto, is in respect of others.
Meditation in reference to others, to persons of all sorts, is to fill the treasure of the heart with good things, and to fit the good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, to bring them forth to furnish others, and be serviceable to their spiritual condition. "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good," Luke vi. 45. He first lays in a good treasure, stores himself with the riches of heavenly treasure, and then brings it out: it is not a work merely of fancy and imagination, but chiefly of meditation and consideration. Imagination takes in varieties of things in a promiscuous manner, without differencing or distinguishing them. Imagination makes a collection, meditation makes a selection and adjudication. Meditation observes what precious things are offered us, and lays them up, and discerns what are not precious, and lays them by; yea, by meditation there is not only an old store laid in, but there will be also an adding of new. It is this rare art of meditation that both founds and fills the treasury with old and new. Fancy and imagination, as it is in divers, may fill the mind with trash, but not with treasure; with things that glister, but are not gold.
It is this meditation that makes discerning betwixt the precious and the vile, that takes up on searching the treasure found and discerned, and lays it up in the treasury of a good heart. And this is first for the good man's own store and supply; but then it is also to enable him to bring forth, for others' use and help, to bring forth in first discourse, what is spiritual and savory for the nature, and that likewise is seasonable and suitable for the occasion offered; to bring and show forth the apples of gold in their pictures of silver, as Solomon saith of a word spoken in season, Prov. xxv. 11. Likewise, to hold forth things that are exemplary as to a fruitfulness in walking, to bring forth the good things of light to shine out, light of precious edifying truths, and light of rich and rare experiences, and to bring out the good things of a heavenly, quickening, comforting, and encouraging nature. Meditation, as it is the great way of gathering up things that are useful, and filling the heart treasury; so it is to be the way of direction to open it, and bringing forth in discourse the good things stored up. And by this imparting them to others, we ourselves have a double advantage often following. 1. A clearer and more distinct apprehension; as silver and gold brighten by use, not by laying up. 2. A warmer and livelier affection; any when they come forth warmer by discoursing, they are the apter to warm others and make their hearts bum within them.
This then is one end, one great and excellent end of this so excellent way of meditation: that as face answereth to face in water, so heart may answer heart in warmth. When things have been well warmed in the forge and furnace first of meditation, and then in our communication, fire may kindle fire, and one warm heart may occasion another. Discourse that is the mere product and fruit of fancy and memory, and hath not some rise and tincture of warm meditation, some discovery of heart heat, is like flashes of lightning, or the shining of the moon; they make a show, but warm not; nobody is warmer by the one, no heart is warmer by the other.
