Christian Observations and Resolutions, Observations · Observation 39 – Observation 42
39. Holy Meditations, Difficultie and Profite.
HOlie Meditation, is pleasant to God, and profitable to vsus, and that Sathan knoweth, and preasseth to stay: wee may close our selfe in secret from men, but no doore nor locke can hold him out: Wee can shift our dearest Friendes, but not him; and the more wee thrust him out, the more he throngeth in: It is a well fenced minde wherein hee will not breake by fansies and suggestions, and while wee are thinking of his debarring, by that same thought hee either enters in (turning our barre in his key) or maketh vsus to evan…sh: and what difference is there betweene his inbreaking, or our evanishing, and outrunning? None can for a few moments urge a deepe and a sensible Meditation of God; but either the minde is to call home, or the heart to seeke.
It is good when wee goe to Meditation, to pull in all our Spirites to God, and thrust out all distractions, to fixe our minde on him, and holde it at that stay without diuerting, to set our conscience on worke, to checke that watch, and aduertise vsus both of Sathans suggestions, & the wandering of our mind: And most of all, to pray in the entrie, for such a diuine vertue, as may draw our minde to God, and unite it to him, till hee communicate himselfe to vsus, in that measure he thinketh meete for the time.
It is a fruitefull Meditation, when the heart receiueth such stampe of God, as maketh it to taste how good hee is, and so thirst for more Grace, that wee earnestly seeke vp these sweete streames to the fountaine, euen God himselfe, where that perfection dwelleth. Such Meditation bringeth out some point of liuelie and affectuous knowledge, and with these holy conceptions worketh a greater puritie and holinesse of the mind that conceiueth it: The soule in that case it is not simple actiue, but passiue also: and is changed to the nature of these heauēly things that it conceiueth.
40. Spiritualitie of the bodie.
OUr bodies are earthly, and yet hauehave a promise of Spiritualitie: It is as easie to God, to make them so, as is to cleanse them from sinne: this is alreadie practised in our kinde, in Christ Iesus: Our nature in his Body, is spiritualized, to tell vsus, that for possibilitie, it may be, and for certaintie it shall be so in vsus: Hee is our Brother, therefore we may be like him, & he is our Head, therefore wee must bee like him in a conformitie with his glorious Bodie. Philip. 3.
So soone as the Soule liueth by the faith of these promises, it beginneth to feele this spritualitie: Wee louelove our body by Nature, and oft-ten idoll it: But Grace maketh vsus louelove it lesse, as it is naturall, and more as it shall be fullie spirituall in Heauen. This is a seale and token of that spiritualitie, that the body is disabled for sinfull actions: The worke of the Soule, and the satietie of spirituall influence, bringeth for the tyme a deadnesse to sinne on it, Scarcelie can the minde strengthen it selfe in any spirituall delight, but the bodie is thereby weakned: The Soule marking that disposition, is confirmed by it, and the bodie it selfe, though the first and onelyonly loser, is content of that weakning, because it is assured of the owne spiritualitie: When our Soule shall bee full of glorie in Heauen, it shall turne the body to the like estate.
I care not how weake my body bee for the workes of sinne: I hauehave then most delight in it, when it is beaten downe and brought in subjection, 1. Cor. 9. 27. not to hinder, but to helpe the workes of the Spirit.
41. Credulitie and Confidence, are weake attendants of a weake Spirit.
CRedulitie, and Confidence are usuallie found together, the one for taking in of reports is an euill porter, the other, a lavish out-giuer: The first admitteth both others reportes and the owne imbrede suspitions: The second giueth them out boldly as vndoubted truthes: In one instant, their heart is both at the roote of the eare, hearing greedilie, and in the toppe of the tongue, talking looslie: the one tryeth nothing, and the other spareth nothing.
Credulitie putteth no difference betweene mans report & Gods word, their owne apprehension and diuine reuelation: Confidence resteth on them all alike, and venteth all with the like assurance: It knoweth no degrees of perswasion, but layeth the same degree of trust vponupon humane rumours, as vponupon the Articles of the Creede.
They are the two wings of Calumnie, without which it cannot flee abroad: When Sathan hath layde in the vncharitable heart, the egges or seedes of Ignorance, Malice, Prejudice, Suspition, preposterous Zeale, and such like, Then hee worketh mightilie on them, and hatcheth the monstrous bird of Calumnie: But it is winglesse, till it be vented: For this end, hee putteth Confidence and Credulitie to it, that it may flee abroad, which was brought foorth in secret. This is a match of Sathans joyning: A babling tongue to speake, and a bibulous eare to drinke in greedilie bad reportes.
It is a weake Soule, that hath two such assistants, who so would perswad them of any thing, hauehave lesse to doe, than hee who must heare their raw and vnconsiderate reportes. Hee needeth no more, but vent his tales, he is trusted at once by them, but their hearers must either beleeue them, & that in their own degree of perswasion, or else suffer for it: It is easier to bee their informers, than their hearers or reformers, and that rather in lies and trifles, than in trueth. They are as hard to take contrare information to their former errors, as they were ready at the first to drinke them in.
It is our best, to try reportes, and then giuegive eueryevery thing its owne due of trust, and eueryevery trust the owne degree of asseveration. It is folie to embrace humane reports with that same degree of perswasion, as wee doe diuine trueth, or to speake them with the same confidence.
A speciall worke of Gods Spirit, is to direct vsus in the trueth, and that not onelyonly in the matters of Saluation, but also in our common conuersation, where hee reigneth, hee placeth holy Discretion at the roote of our eares, to keepe vsus from racklesse Credulitie: And hee guydeth the heart with wise Charitie, to stay vndiscreet Confidence, inventing of our owne apprehension, or other mens reports. The foolish man will beleeue eueryevery thing: but the prudent will consider his steppes. Prov. 14. 15.
42. The sight of a present God-head.
IT is a great worke to direct our life a…ight, and many hauehave giuen good precepts for it, but the Scripture is a most full and pertinent rule. And God who knoweth best our duetie, hath summed all vp in one word, VValke before mee, and bee thou vpright. Gen…s. 17. 1. The sight and sense of a reuealed, reconcealed, and present God-head, is the marrow and substance of all wholesome directions.
Who can see him, but hee must louelove and seeke an union with him? and keepe that union by a constant walking with him: Hee cannot bee seene but by his owne light, nor felt, but by his owne life, and the raritie of these blessinges make the Christian conuersation so rare.
This is a compleate Furniture for our duetie, first, to know it, next to will it, and thirdlie, to hauehave a power to doe it: All these are obtained by setting God before vsus.
Neither is hee a beholder of his gifts, but an effectuall mouer of them, setting vsus and his Grace in vsus to worke, by a powerfull working. If his pure light fill the minde, his effectuall power will fill the heart, and that light and power can lead vsus no wher-else, but to himself: They put vsus to a restlesnesse, but when wee are pleasing him, and that restlesnes is a most sweete rest. The goodnes of promised blessings, the weight of threatned curses, and the equitie of dueties commanded, are all in their vigour when we see God, so that faith and obedience doe follow: Other considerations hauehave their owne force, but this is so immediate and strong, that there is neither place for delay, nor hypocrisie. He who seeth God alway, dare neither neglect his duetie, nor doe it deceitfully.
Where this care is, Sinne findeth a bridle, and Grace a spurre. There can no tentation ouercome vsus, so long as wee see God clearely before vsus: Sathans suggestions evanish as mist before that face: And our corruption dare not shew it selfe before the clearenes of that light.
Our walking in Christianity, is but a roving,, till wee come to this sight of God in some measure. This maintaineth light in the minde, sensiblenesse in the heart, and setteth to worke our Conscience, to direct and hold vsus in a conuersation worthie of him, whom we see alwayes looking on vsus. Men are diuersly affected with this sight: Some know not the nature of it; other condemne it as a phanaticke imagination, because they comprise all the worke of Grace within their owne personall experience: But VVisedome is justified of her children.
They who are conscious and sensible, of it, enjoye the vnspeakable fruites thereof: While other are as voyde of them, as they are voyde of the sight it selfe.