PART II
CHAP. I. - Of the several Kinds or Ways of Meditation.
WE now, from the divers ends of meditation, proceed to the several kinds or ways of it.
Meditation is either that which is more set and solemn, or that which is more sudden and short. That which is more set and solemn, is either the more ordinary and daily, or that which is extraordinary, upon some more peculiar occasions, both which the
Scriptures hold forth in the recorded precepts and precedents therein.
1. The necessity of daily meditation. The first way of solemn meditation, is that which should be daily: that as private praying and other duties are a Christian's daily ways of exercising himself in godliness and walking with God; so holy meditation is one golden path in the great road to heaven, one way of breathing his soul daily up the hill of eternity, and meeting with God in the mount.
The holy prophet makes it a character of the blessed man, that he meditates in the law of God day and night, Psa. 1.2: where we have held forth the grace, and the degree of that grace: the grace, he doth meditate; the degree, day and night. Thus much hereby must then be implied, that as it is to be performed often, so it cannot well be performed by the rule in this Scripture passage, if every day in course there be not something done in this way, either more or less: certainly we cannot give God and our soul's concerns too much measure.
In Psalm cxix David tells us his daily practice, to meditate both in the day and night. Now his example, being a king and under such varieties of important affairs; so many and so great as none can have more: and if he had still such cares, troubles, and dangers attending, might not these have excused some abatement of his constancy? but it did not. This therefore leaves all sorts of persons without excuse, none being able to allege that which he could, or more urgencies of daily occasions. There is no doubt, that as it is a work which lies upon every one, so sure as the day returns and the fresh businesses of it; so this meditating of right doth challenge for itself some fit season and portion of the day, being one of the great businesses for the soul's help.
As no Christian can plead exemption from this daily incumbency, this daily soul affair; so no good, prudent Christian can conceive but he may find out in the revolution of the day, some at least fit opportunity for serious meditation. Or if not in the day time, (the time of action and avocation,) yet in the night upon the bed, the time of rest and freedom. What was said of that great warrior Hannibal, making his way into
Ah, it is most sad if I can allow so many hours in the night for rest and sleep, so many in the day for business and emergencies, so many for eating and drinking, so many for company and discourse, yea, so much time for pleasure, play, for trivial things next to nothing, it may be for things worse than nothing, for sins and lusts, and that no part of the twenty-four hours must be afforded for serious thinking, thinking of things ten thousand times more momentous and important to us than the sum total of matters that sweep away and swallow up precious time so much. The good Christian cannot but at least close with the eternal obligation of this duty; and the wise and fruitful Christian cannot but yield some compliance with the practice of it, and let this come in for its due share in the time of the day, as one important business to be despatched, and that must still contribute to the right making of it up, and improvement of it. After some evidence of the equity of this daily duty, I come to speak to the nature and way of this meditation. This being of all other sorts the principal, which therefore challenges a more distinct and careful handling.
If Christians very well understand not this way, or fall very short of the due manner and order of it, the work is neither so pleasant nor successful as it might be and should be, and, questionless, is to Christians such as are the great artists herein, such as have been well practiced and experienced in it. I shall therefore now endeavor to show the nature of it, and something of a method of due proceeding in it.
In general, it is that daily exercise whereby we single out purposely some spiritual or useful matters, to act the searchings and ponderings, which according to our ability and opportunity of the day we can exercise for our spiritual advantage.
The mind is a spring always running in thinkings, a wheel always turning, a forge always framing, a wing ever moving; it is the most active, busy, nimble thing in all the world, therefore bath the greatest need to be well looked unto, to be kept, as Solomon saith, “Keep thy heart with all diligence," Prov. iv. 23, to be guided with the best skill and care, with the steadiest and stiffest rein; like a horse of highest mettle, ready to run away with his rider; it will run wildly away, and carry the soul into vanity, folly, and self-mischieving. Meditation is a spiritual rein and curb, and the peculiar designed way to reduce, rectify, and order it.
To bring the heart's thinking power into the highest subserviency, the greatest usefulness to the main, to the soul's grand interest, there is a great necessity upon every good heart of daily and much meditating.
