A Divine Message to the Elect Soul, Sermon 2

A Divine Message to the Elect Soul · Sermon 2

p. 31The Second SERMON OF The uſe and benefit of Divine Meditation.

HAGGAI. 1.5.

Now therfore thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, Conſider your wayes.

NOw followes the manner, how to follow Meditation home to the heart. Here are foure things to be practiſed.

1Firſt, weigh and ponder all theſe things in thy heart. It's ſaid of Mary, ſhee pondered, Luke 2, 19. and kept p. 32all theſe ſayings in her heart: verſe 51. The words ſignifie two things: Firſt, ſhee compared theſe things together. Secondly, ſhe caſt them all in the ſcales together. Doſt thou know God is mercifull? ponder it with his juſtice. Doſt thou know that Jeſus Chriſt died for ſinners? ponder it with the true drift of it, how that it is not to let men go on in their ſins, but to ſave them from their ſins. Doſt thou obey God in this or that Commandement? O ponder thy life with the reſt, Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy wayes be eſtabliſhed. Prov. 4.26. A man that eates his meat well, forty morſels well, yet one crum going awry throttles him. Thou walkeſt in theſe and theſe Commandements; yea, but there be other Commandments beſides theſe: doſt thou walk in them too? thou muſt, if thou meaneſt to have thy wayes to be eſtabliſhed. The Jewes had their continers, talents, mind's ſicles, which were greater weights; ſo they had alſo their gerahs, and agorahs, ſmaller meaſures, and ſmalleſt of all: ſo have thou greater and leſſe weights; great ones to ponder the great Commandments, and leſſe to weigh even the leaſt of Gods Commandments: and ſee thou make true Evangelicall weight, or elſe all will not be well. Suppoſe a man were to pay a 100 pound of good and lawfull money, and in weight, upon forfeiture of all that he hath, if he weigh it not; but the Creditor doth, and finds it light; he is undone. If thou pondereſt not thy wayes, God will ponder them: Prov. 5.21. p. 33the word ſignifies, he weighs, and ponders them in a ballance, or ſcales; he puts the Word of his Goſpel in the one, and thy goings and obedience in the other. Thou art weighed, and art found light, thy kingdom is departed from thee: ſaith God to Belſhazzar, Dan. 5.27. So if thou be light, thou ſhalt be weighed, and ſo found, thou ſhalt loſe the kingdom of heaven for ever.

Secondly, ſtrip ſin, and look upon it ſtark naked: ſin covers and diſguiſeth it ſelf, with pleaſure, profit, eaſe, and many a whoriſh garment, and ſo inticeth the heart. Even a toad, if ſhe were covered over with gold, thoſe that ſaw onelyonly the gold, would pocket it up; if it were naked, they would ſling it in the kennell. Why do men love covetouſneſſe? Why, its hooded with profit. Why carding, dicing, hunting, hawking, tabring, piping, and more then the word alloweth? Why? they are cloathed with pleaſure, and delight. Its the duty of Miniſters to unmask and uncaſe ſin, and pluck off the vail that covers it from appearing unto men. The not doing of this is the cauſe, that men do not meditate on the vileneſſe of their ſins, never are humbled, never eſcape Gods wrath; even becauſe they do not diſcover mens iniquities. Lam. 2.14. Alas, the profit of thy ſins ſhall ceaſe, the pleaſure ceaſe, the eaſe ceaſe, and all theſe goodly ſuits ſhall vaniſh away, when the ſoul comes to die, or to ſtand before the judgement ſeat of Chriſt: ſin will remain, but thy ſilver, and thy gold, where will that be then? thy laughter, and p. 34thy merriment, what will become of that then? thy delight will be gone. Meditate therefore with thy ſelfe, my ſin is now gainfull, and eaſie, and pleaſant; but what will my ſin become, when I come to lie on my death-bed? what good will it doe me, when I have moſt need of ſuccour? I will never acknowledge him my freind that will turn againſt me, when I have moſt need of him. Alas, I muſt die, I muſt come to judgement, I muſt goe either to heaven, or to hell: the profit that I get now by my ſins, will it beſtead me then? the pleaſure, the eaſe that I now find in ſin, will it help me there? Alas no, it will then be my break-neck, it will be a Devill unto me: the more I have been delighted with it, the more it will gall me: the more I have gotten by it, the more it will damne me: the ſin which I moſt of all loved, will moſt of all torment me. Eccleſiaſt. 11.9. look thus upon ſin.

The third means: dive into thine owne ſoul and heart? there is a tough brawn over thy heart that it feels not its ſins. Now Meditation muſt look through, and come to the heart at the quick and cauſe the truth to dive into the deep places of the ſoule. When the timber is hard, the workman cannot thruſt in the nail with the weight of his hand: no, he muſt hammer it in. Meditation is the hammering of the heart. It's a pertinent phraſe, Jer. 23.24. Is not my word like a fire, (ſaith the Lord) and like a hammer that breaketh the rocks in peices? There be two ſimilitudes, firſt, of a hammer: the Word of God is p. 35the hammer; meditation is the hand that taketh this hammer, and knocks the nail into the rocky heart, and makes it enter: Wilt thou not feele? Ile make thee feele: (ſaith meditation) wilt thou not take notice of thy wretched eſtate? Meditation comes with blow after blow, and makes it take notice. Seeondly, of fire; the word is like fire; Meditation kindles it about the heart. A man benummed with cold is ſenſeleſſe; the water frozen with cold, though the leaſt peble would have ſunk in it before, now a great milſtone is able to lie upon it, and not ſink; the water is able to beare it: ſo is the heart, be it ſins never ſo heavie, as the hill of Baſan, yet it bears it and feels no weight: but Meditation thawes the heart, and then every ſinne pincheth and oppreſſeth. Is not my word like fire? as if he ſhould ſay, think of it, and muſe of it, and meditate of it, and thou ſhall feele it as a fire. Meditation is the often ſmiting of the heart with this hammer: ſo did Ephraim, ſmite upon his thigh: Jer. 31.19. like a man in a miſerable agony, he thumps his own breaſt, and in a vexation ſtrikes his hand on his thigh. Oh miſerable wretch that I am! So did Ephraim, Oh what an unruly Ox am I! how unwilling am I to bear the yoke of the Lord? Oh and oh the hardneſſe of my heart! oh that I could tell how to beat thee black and blue! Many men ſmite their hearts, but they ſmite them not often enough. When El…ſha bad Joaſh ſmite upon the ground, he ſmote thrice and ſta…ed. The man of God ſaid to him in anger, Thou p. 36ſhouldeſt have ſmitten five or ſix times, for then thou hadſt ſmitten Syria till thou hadſt conſumed them, where as now thou ſhalt ſmite Syria but thrice. 2. Kin. 13.19. So men ſmite their hearts twice or thrice or ſo, but they will not ſmite their ſins dead: it may be they break the head of their ſins, but they recover again, and grow ſtrong upon them, as at firſt. Thou muſt ſmite five or ſix times, yea fifty times five times, till thou haſt quite broken the impoſtume of thy heart. Meditate on the mercies of God, and with them ſmite it often and often: Meditate on the juſtice of God, and with it ſmite it again, and again: Meditate on the wrath of God, which is as a conſuming fire, and with it ſmite it ſoundly. Meditate on the truth of the Lord, this threatning and that threatning; this commandement, and that commandement; this promiſe and that promiſe; and with all theſe ſmite it to powder.

The forth manner; Anticipate and prevent thine owne heart: meditate what thy heart will one day wiſh, if it be not humbled, and tell thy ſoule as much; thou wilt one day wiſh, Oh that I had been humbled under the reproofes of the Lord! Oh that I had been wiſe to have underſtood mine owne merciemercy! Curſed bee the day that ever I neglected the means of grace; ſo the Lord brings in a fooliſh obſtinate ſinner, curſing and banning his owne ſoule, ſobbing and howling at the laſt, Oh how have I hated inſtruction, and my heart deſpiſed rep…oofe! and have not obſerved the voyce of my Teachers, nor inclined mine p. 73care to them that inſtructed mee? Pro. 5.12, 13. I had Miniſters to preach to me, but I would not come at them …or if I did, I cared not for their doctrine: I had friends that adviſed me wel, but woe is me damned wretch! I heeded them not. Thus thou wilt caſt the foole into thine owne teeth and fling a thouſand curſes into thine own face, becauſe of thy madneſſe. I might have learned. but I would not; I might have been humbled, but I would not: I was almoſt in all evill in the midſt of the aſſembly of the congregation, verſ. 14. I lived where the Saints of God were in whole aſſemblies, but I mockt them, I hated them, I miſliked them for being too preciſe. I was not aſhamed of my ſecurity, no not in thy ſight. Thus thou wilt cry out one day, if now thou wilt not yeeld unto meditation, which muſt make this as preſent with thee. Know thou, O my ſoul, the time of thy viſitation is at hand, thou wilt curſe thy ſelfe hereafter, if thou doeſt not now be moved by Gods mercies, thou ſhalt never ſee merciemercy more: Now be awaked by Gods judgements, or elſe thou ſhalt feel them for evermore, now or for ever thou ſhalt roare for them. Then thou ſhalt curſe thy gains and thy profits that bewitched thee, thou ſhalt curſe thy pleaſures and delights that beſotted thee, curſe thine own heart, and thine own ſoul, and thine own conſcience that have damned thee. Meditation may tell thee, thus it will be with thee, unleſſe thou obeyeſt now. Hear ye me now, oh ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth, ver. 7. hear p. 38the word now, and obey it, let it not depart out of thy meditation. Now be humbled with grace, o… then thou ſhalt be humbled with horrour: then thou ſhalt wiſh, Oh that I had been ruled! When thou art in hell, then thou ſhalt meditate, … it was good counſell that ſuch and ſuch a …ſter gave me; good counſell that ſuch a … and ſuch a brother gave me; but wretch … I was, I had not grace to follow it! I had more mind of my pleaſures, more mind of my vanities then of grace. Oh if it were to do again, I would not do ſo for a thouſand worlds: but alas, it is now too late. Therefore let Meditation preſſe this upon thee before-hand.

3Now follows the third thing, how to put life to Meditation. Foure duties are to be done to this purpoſe

11. Let Meditation haunt thy heart, let meditation dogge thee with the helliſh looks of thy ſins, and follow it with the dreadfull vengeance of God, haunt it with promiſes, haunt it with threatnings, haunt it with mercies, and haunt it with judgements, and haunt it with Commandments. The heart is like the Beaver, when it perceiveth it cannot poſſibly eſcape from the Huntſman, it cuts the member for which it is hunted, and ſlings it down, and ſo eſcapes (ſaith Aeſops:) So purſue thy heart with its ſins, with the hue and cry of Gods mercies; purſue it with the hubbub of Gods judgements; let meditation haunt it, and let thy ſoul ſee it ſhall never be rid of the haunt; at laſt it will be content to part p. 39with its luſts. Let meditation ſay, Wilt thou forſake thine own mercies? If thou liveſt thus and thus, if thou prayeſt thus and thus, dead-heartedly, thou kickeſt againſt thine own merciemercy, wilt thou ruſh upon the pricks? This merciemercy thou maiſt have, if thou wouldſt amend; that vengeance thou ſhalt have, if thou do not amend: Either cut off thy ſins, or elſe God will cut off thy ſoul. Return, O Shulamite, return, return, its the voice of Chriſt to thee: Let meditation ſay, Return, O my ſoul, return, return, and thou mayſt be ſaved; return, or elſe thou ſhalt be condemned. Now what was the effect of this haunting meditation? Or ere I was aware, my ſoul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab, verſ. 12. That is, my ſoul muſing and meditating on theſe and theſe commandments, it ſo humbled my ſoul, that it made me yeeld; yea, and made me run as faſt as the Chariots of Aminadab, freely and willingly to Chriſt.

Deal with thy heart as Junius his father dealt with him: he ſeeing his ſon was Atheiſticall, he laid a Bible in every room, that his ſon could look in no room, but behold a Bible haunted him, upbraiding him, Wilt thou not read me, Atheiſt? Wilt thou not read me? And ſo at laſt he read it, and was converted from his Atheiſme: So let meditation haunt thy heart, hold forth the commandments, promiſes, threatnings of the Lord, that thy heart may ſee them; let meditation haunt thee in thy luke-warmneſſe: prayeſt thou thus luke-warm? This prayer will break p. 40thy neck one day. Repenteſt thou? This luke-warm repentance will cauſe God to ſpue thee out of his mouth. Heareſt thou, ſpeakeſt thou, thinkeſt thou? Theſe luke-warm duties will confound thee ere long, if thou lookeſt not to it.

Let Meditation haunt thee, as they haunted Nehemiah with warnings, ten times (ſaith the Text) they ſent to Nehemiah, they will be upon thee, Nehem. 4.12. Beware of the danger, the enemy will be upon thee: ten times they warned him, never giving over till Nehemiah looked about him, verſ. 13. So do thou haunt thine own heart: they will be upon thee, this curſe, this wrath, that hardneſſe of heart, this ſecurity will be upon thee. Ten times, yea, a thouſand times ten times, never give over thine own ſoul, untill thou haſt made it to ſubmit. Indeed there be ſome, let God ſend Meditations to haunt them, and follow them, ſaying, Repent, leave this or that ſin, why wilt thou be damn'd with this ſin? Oh forſake it, preſently they will gagge the mouth of Meditation, and of conſcience, and ſtrike them ſtark dead: as Abner when Azahel would haunt him, and follow him, and turn neither to the right hand, nor to the left, but follow him at the heels. Turn aſide (ſaith Abner) but he would not turn aſide from following him. Turn aſide from me (ſayes Abner again) or I will kill thee, but he would not turn aſide, he would follow him cloſe: Then he up with his Spear and ſlew him, 2 Sam. 2.19, 20, 21, 22, 23 p. 41So many deal with the meditation of conſcience, when conſcience would dogge them, and weary them out of their ſins, they will not: when conſcience would haunt them, they will not be haunted therewith; when conſcience would follow them up with their deſperate wilfulneſſe, they gall and wound, and murder conſcience to be quiet. But David haunted his heart, and would have it haunted.

2The ſecond duty: Let Meditation trace thy heart, as it ſhould haunt thee, ſo alſo let it trace thee in the ſameſteps. So would the Church, Let us ſearch and trie our wayes, and turn again unto the Lord: Lam. 3.40. The word (in the originall, ſayes Buxtorf) ſignifies, track or ſteps, ſtep by ſtep: this ſtep was in the ditch, that in the mire, that ſtep awry: track them all, that we may ungo them all again, and turn unto the Lord. Never pray but let Meditation track thy prayer: this paſſage was right, that paſſage was amiſſe. Never keep a Sabbath but let Meditation track thy keeping of it; this duty was ſincere, that was rotten: Never do any thing but let Meditation track it. This thought, this word, this action was warrantable; that was out of the way: track thy heart, as the Lord tracted Eliah, he tract him in the wilderneſſe, he tracted him under the juniper tree, he tract him in the cave; What doſt thou here Eliah? go forth: 1 King. 19. What doſt thou here Eliah, go, return. He tract him in the mount, Go, return, what doſt thou here Eliah? this is not a place for thee. So let Meditation wait thee: what p. 42doſt thou here, O ſinner? what doſt thou here O drunkard? in thy covetouſneſſe, or in thy prophaneneſſe, what doſt thou here? this is not a place for thee, unleſſe thou mean to periſh. It may be thou art now ſcard out of theſe ſins, and art run into civill honeſty; let Meditation ſtill track thee. What doſt thou do here, O ſinner? Civilitie is not a caſe fit for thee, unleſſe thou wert better, thou ſhalt be torn in peeces. It may be thou art driven out of thy civility, and art gone further, to the profeſſion of Religion, though it be without the power of it: let meditation ſtill wait thee. What doſt thou here, O ſinner? this ſorry kind of profeſſion is not a race fit for thee: unleſſe thou be godlier then ſo, thou ſhalt be devoured with everlaſting fire.

Meditation is like the courſing of a hare in the ſnow; the hare fearing to be taken by the dogs, here ſhe ſtops, there ſhe leaps, here ſhe interleaps, there ſhe goes backward, and forward upward and downward, and all to deceive the dogs, that they may not find her; but they go ſmelling and maundring, winding and turning, and track her ſtep by ſtep, till they find her: ſo meditation in the courſing of the ſoul, the heart hath a thouſand fetches, a thouſand meanders and labyrinths, a thouſand croſſe windings, and compaſſings, and deceits, and all to puzle Meditation. But Meditation muſt track the heart, as God dealt with Job, he counted his ſteps, ſtep by ſtep: Job 14.16. Meditation is the ſouls blood-hound, it will never leave howling, the wrath of God, p. 43till it hath taken the hearts ſin for a prey; Meditation haunts it out of one ſin, and it runs into another; Meditation haunts it out of that, and it runs into a third: Meditation is a good purſevant, it proſecutes the ſinner, and attaches him.

Now becauſe the heart is moſt cunning, and hardeſt to be trackt by its ſent, when the heart hath taken up abundance of good duties, and attained unto ſundry graces, theſe good duties and common graces drown the ſent of the hearts wickedneſſe. As Huntſmen obſerve, that the hounds cannot well hunt in the Spring, as Theophraſtus, and Pollux, and others obſerve: the ſweet odors of the flowers and herbs (ſayes Oppian) hinder the hounds from ſmelling the hare: ſo it is with Meditation; it is hard for it to track the heart in the green Spring time of civill honeſtie and formalitie. And therefore let Meditation make diligent ſearch, ſaith he.Pſal. 77.16.Ps 77:16

The third duty: hale thy heart before God, and let Meditation bring it before his throne, and there powre out thy complaint againſt it before God, there out with all thy villany, and article againſt thy ſelf, and bring as many complaints againſt thy ſelf before heaven, as there be drops in a bucket full of water. So do the godly: I powred out all my complaints before him, (Pſal. 102. in the preface) I powred out my complaints, as a man powreth out water out of a veſſell; generally men are willing to call for merciemercy, but they are not ſo willing to bring complaints unto God againſt themſelves: ye ſhall p. 44have them whiſper after the Miniſter, as he is begging for pardon and merciemercy, but they will not do ſo, whiles he is complaining of their ſins; the helliſh and devilliſh abominations of their heart. Theſe are men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith, and ſhall never have merciemercy, till they be as forward to complain of their ſins, as to be plaintives for merciemercy.

When a man in Meditation meets with a hard matter, that he cannot ſufficiently dive into, he breaks it to another: ſo do thou to God; break all thy heart to God, tell him of thy hardneſſe of heart, of the pride of thy heart, of the deſperate prophaneneſſe of thy heart: but take theſe rules with thee.

Firſt, thy complaint muſt be full of ſorrow: Pſal. 55.

2Secondly, it muſt be a full complaint, of all thy ſins, and of all thy luſts; Lam. 2.18, 19. Poure ou… thy heart like water before the face of the Lord. Water runs all out of a veſſell when you turn the mouth downward; never a ſpoonfull will ſtay behind. The wicked will not complain of their ſins fully: they make hypocriticall profeſſions. If it be a ſin, I am ſorry for it; (ſaies one) if it be naught, I cry God merciemercy; (ſaith another) when their own conſciences tell them it is a ſin, yet they will not complain of it abſolutely.

3Thirdly, thy complaint muſt be with aggravation: thou muſt aggravate thy ſins by all the circumſtances, that may ſhew it to be odious, as Peter did: when he thought thereon, he wept p. 45Mark 14.72. the originall hath it, he caſt all theſe things one upon another. Wretch that I was, Chriſt was my maſter, and yet I denyed him; ſuch a good maſter, that he called me before any of my fellow Apoſtles, and yet I denyed him; I was ready to ſink once, he denyed not me: I was to be damned once, he denyed not my ſoul, and yet I denyed him; he told me of this ſin beforehand, that I might take heed of it, and yet I denyed him. I ſaid I will not commit it, nor forſake him, and yet I denyed him: yea, this very night, no longer ago, did I ſay and ſay again, I would not deny him, and yet I denyed him, yea, I ſaid, though all others denyed him, yet would not I; and yet worſe then all others, I denyed him with a witneſſe, before a maid, before a damoſel; nay, more filthy beaſt that I am, I ſaid I did not know the man; nay more, I ſware I did not know him; nay, more then all this, I did even curſe my ſelf with an oath, that I did not know him: nay more, all this evill did I, not above five or ſix ſtrides from my Lord and Saviour: nay more, even then, when if ever I ſhould have ſtood for him, I ſhould have done it then, when all the world did forſake him. Oh wretch that I was, I denyed him! he caſt up all theſe circumſtances together, and meditating on them, he went out, and wept bitterly.

Fourthly, thy complaint muſt be a ſelf-condemning complaint: thou muſt condemn thy ſelf, and lay thy ſelf at hell gates, and ſet the naked point of Gods vengeance at thy throat. p. 46Thus and thus have I lived, damned, caſt-away, as I have deſerved to be! So did Ezra in the behalfe of the Jewes, Ezra 9.

For, 1 He fell on his face; he did not bow down on his knees; but like a man aſtoniſhed, he fell on his knees, ready to feele on the ground in amazement.

2. He ſpread out his hands unto the Lord, verſe 5. as if he ſhould ſay, here is my heart-bloud. Lord here is my breaſt, Lord; we deſerve thou ſhouldſt ſtab us with thy wrath.

3. He bluſhes to look heaven in the face, verſe 6. ſo vexed to think on the ſinnes of his people, that he is even confounded to beg mercy.

4. He is (as it were) dumb and ſpeechleſſe before God: And now our God, what ſhall we ſay after all this? for we have forſaken thy commandements, verſe 10. Shall I excuſe the matter? alas! it is inexcuſable. What ſhall we ſay after all this? Shall we call for thy patience? We had it, and yet were little the better. Shall we call for merciemercy? Why we had it, and yet our ſtubborne hearts would not come downe. I know not what to ſay for our ſelves: for we have ſinned againſt thee.

5. He declares Gods truth, that he had warned them by his Prophet…, (verſ. 11.12.) but no warning can better us.

6. He ſhewes how God had puniſhed them, yet they would not be humbled: for all that God had brought upon them leſſe evils then they deſerved, and wrought deliverances for them, which p. 47they could not have expected; What ſhall we ſay, ſhould we for all this break thy Commandements? verſe 13, 14. What can we expect but hell and confuſion?

7. He is ſenſible of Gods judgements and righteouſneſſe: O Lord, thou art righteous: as if hee ſhould ſay, How canſt thou ſpare us for this ſinne? How can it ſtand with thy righteouſneſſe? How is it that ſuch hell-hounds as we are, ſhould live above ground, when thou art ſo righteous a God? It is a wonder that the earth opens not her mouth for to ſwallow us up quick: for, O Lord, thou art righteous.

8. He laies downe his ſoule, and all the peoples ſoules at Gods feet; as if he ſhould ſay, here we be, thou maiſt damne us if thou wilt; Behold, we are all here before thee in our treſpaſſes: for we cannot ſtand before thee, becauſe of this, ver. 15. Behold here we are: rebels we are: here are our heads and our throats before thee, if now thou ſhouldſt take us from our knees unto hel, & from our prayers unto damnation, we cannot aske thee why thou doeſt ſo: Oh it's merciemercy, it's merciemercy indeed, that we have been ſpared. Thus meditation muſt bring our hearts before God, and there complaine againſt them before heaven.

Meditation ſhould deale with the heart, as the Father did with his poſſeſſed child, who carried him to Chriſt; ſaying, Maſter, my child is poſſeſſed with a Devil, even a dumb ſpirit, and I ſpake to thy Diſciples that th…y ſhould caſt him out, but they could p. 48not Mark 9.18. Bring him to me (ſaith Chriſt) verſ. 19. How long is this agoe ſince this came to him? Of a child (ſaith the Father) and often it hath caſt him into the fire, and often into the water to deſtroy him; but if thou canſt doe any thing (as certainly thou canſt doe all things) have compaſſion on us, and help us. verſe 22. And then Chriſt helpt him. So let meditation drive thy heart to God, ſaying, Lord here is my heart (I beleeve) poſſeſt with a Devill; for it is a moſt abominable ſinful heart: I brought my heart to thy Miniſters to cure it, to Sermons to Prayer, to all other good duties, but they could not help me: my heart is a Devilliſh heart, ſtill my heart is wicked, and rebellious ſtill, the Devill, oh! the Devill is in it ſtill! Oh, how he tempts me! he holds me, hee caſts me into the fire of this luſt, and into the water of ever-flowing iniquity. Have thou compaſſion, come and help me; for my heart is miſerably vexed with Satan; when I pray, the Devill ſtuffes me with dead thoughts, and drouſie deſires▪ the Devill fills me with wandring Imaginations, and I know not what; when I hear the Word the Devil makes me to riſe up againſt it, or forget it, or not obey it; when the Sabbath is come, the Devill ſets me on thinking my own thoughts, and ſpeaking mine own words; when a Sacrament is come, the Devill hinders me in ſelfe-examination, the Devill diſappoints me of my preparation: Oh have thou compaſſion on me.

The fourth duty; let meditation, when it hath p. 49held thy heart before God, there caſt thee downe before him: when Meditation hath ſearched out thy caſe, and made it appeare how wofull it is, then let it lay thee along before God, with What ſhall I do to be ſaved? So it did with them in Acts 2.27. as if they ſhould ſay (ſaith Chryſoſtome) we have not one jot of hope to finde mercy, ſo long as we live as we do. What ſhall we do? Say what thou wilt, our ears are ready to hear it; command what thou wilt, our ſouls, what ever it be, are willing to do it: bid us ſuffer what ever thou pleaſeſt, tell us what it is, and we will endure it. They did not ſay, (notes Chryſoſtome) How ſhall we be ſaved, as wicked men do: they deſire to be ſaved, but their maine care is not to ſee what they muſt do, they are told what they muſt do, and yet refuſe to do it; but thy chiefe ſtudy muſt be, to caſt thy ſelfe down before God, with the good Jaylor, Sirs, what ſhall I doe to be ſaved? Acts 16.30. Firſt, what muſt I do? and then to be ſaved. Firſt, thy care muſt be what to do to get out of thy ſins, how to be rid of thy luſts, and then to be ſaved; as if he ſhould ſay, I ſee I am at a damned paſſe, and therefore I was a making away my ſelfe, the fire of hell did ſlay my ſoule: but now is there hope of ſalvation? is there indeed? Oh tell me, I am willing to do any thing, what muſt I do? Keep nothing back of all the will the Lord; be it puniſhments to ſuffer, tell me of it, I am ready to beare it; be it precepts for to do, though never ſo irkſome, O let me know p. 50it, and I will not refuſe it. What muſt I doe to be ſaved? When the heart is thus humbled upon ſound meditation, it's willing to do or ſuffer any thing. Jonah is willing to be caſt into the ſea, being humbled. Jonah 1.2. Here I am, Lord, deal with me as thou wilt.

Motive 1 The firſt Motive. Is it a folly not to meditate? Should a man walk on in a courſe, and not meditate whether it will tend? When he falls into miſcheife, what will he ſay? I never thought of this before, I never conſidered that this would be the end. Now it is the part of a fool to ſay, I never thought, as the Latin proverb hath it; when the Steed is ſto…len, if he ſhould then ſhut the Stable doore, what wouldeſt thou ſay? Hee ſhould have thought of that before. The rich man in the Goſpell had theſe meditations in his heart; he thought within himſelfe, What ſhall I do, becauſe I have no roome where to beſtow, my fruits? He ſaid in his heart, This will I do, I will pull down my barnes and build greater; and will ſay to my ſoule, Soule, ſoule, thou haſt much goods laid up for many yeares, eate, drinke, and be merry; Luke 12.17, 18, 19, 20. Thou fool (ſaid God) this night ſhall thy ſoule bee required of thee; then, whoſe ſhall theſe things bee that thou haſt provided? God ſaid thus unto him; not as if God ſpake thus familiarly unto him (ſaith Theophylact) but it is a parable, and God ſayes ſo in his word, Thou ſoule, this night ſhall they requir… thy ſoule of thee. In this night of thy blindneſſe, in this night of thy ſecurity, ſhall they require it: p. 51hee doth not ſay, I will require thy ſoule of thee, but they: he doth not ſay who, but they, the Devils in hell, God knowes who ſhal… come, thou ſhalt die, and they ſhall fetch away …hy ſoul to hell: they ſhall require it. A godly mans ſoule is not required, but …ather he requires God to take away his ſoule: he is willing to die, that he may be with Chriſt: but a wicked mans ſoule is required of him: hee would willingly not …ie, but that his ſoul is required of him and he muſt die. Doubtleſſe the rich foo…e now thought with himſelfe, I never thought that I ſhould have died ſo ſoone, and therefore now he …alls (it may be) to his Lord, Lord, and cries God merciemercy. But what will they ſay to him? Thou ſhouldſt have thought of this before.

The wiſe man ſhall inherit …lory, but ſhame ſhall be the promotion of ſo…es, …rov. 3.3. …he wi…e and prudent, thoſe that truely meditate of things before hand, ſhall have glory; but fools that hope to be promoted to glory and ſalvation, ſhame and confuſion of face ſhall be all their promotion▪ and when they come thereto, beſides their expectation; what will they ſay? We never thought it would be thus with us before; but fooles as we were, we thought to be promoted to heaven: like Haman, when King A…aſhuerus ſaid unto him, What ſhall be done to the man whom the King will honour? O thus and thus (ſaith Haman) for he thought, I am the man whom the King intendeth to honour, Eſther 6.…. but when Haman was preſently after to be hanged p. 52on a gallowes, he might rightly ſay, I never thought of this before. So what ſhall be done to the man whom the Lord will honour? Thus and thus ſayeſt thou, he ſhall have mercies, bleſſings, heaven: I, for thou thinkeſt I am the man that God intendeth thus to honour; but when thou art come to hell, what wilt thou ſay then? I never thought of this before, that ſo it would be.

Mot. 2 The ſecond Motive is, Thou wouldeſt be loth to have the brand of a Reprobate: Not to meditate, is that brand; The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not ſeek after God; neither is God in all his thoughts, Pſal. 10.4. He ſcornes to be ſo poring upon Bibles, to be ſo wracking his mind with his ſins; He hath ſaid in his heart, God will not require it, verſ. 13. God requires no ſuch ſcrupuloſity nor ſtrictneſſe.

Mot. 3 The third Motive is, Thou wouldſt be loth to roh God of his honour, and the maine part of his ſervice, whis is Meditation. Thou ſhalt love the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoule, Matth. 22.38. How can this bee true of them (ſaith Chryſoſtom) who become vain in their imaginations? Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, ſoule and mind: And ſo do I (ſaiſt thou:) So doſt thou? What, and not love God with all that is in thy heart? Thy thoughts are in thy heart, thy meditations are in thy mind; If thy thoughts then, and meditations be not of God, thou doſt not love God with all thy heart. David did not only pray, that the words p. 53of his mouth, but alſo that the thoughts of his heart ſhould be ever acceptable to the Lord, Pſal. 19.14. not only that he might be full of heavenly communication in his mouth, but alſo of holy meditation in his heart. Behold (ſaith he) thou requireſt truth in the inward parts, Pſal. 51.6. And meditation is one of the duties of truth in the inward parts.

Mot. 4 The fourth Motive: Thou wouldſt be loth that all the worſhip thou giveſt to God, ſhould be abominable: ſo it will be without meditation; meditation before it, meditation after it.

Firſt, Thou muſt meditate before thou goeſt about a duty of Gods worſhip: conſider before thou hear the word of God, meditate what thou art going about, Hearken O daughter, and conſider, incline thine eare, Pſal. 45.10. Firſt, conſider and meditate, and then incline thine eare. This is part of thoſe words often in Scripture, Be ready, be ready: Be ready and come up ſaith God, Exod. 34.2.) Be ready againſt the third day, Exod. 19. Gather your ſelves together, Zeph. 2.1. that is, prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael, Amos 4.12.

Secondly, meditate after the duty. When men part with men, they uſe to give one another a farewell, and not bluntly deliver their mind one to another, and ſo turn their backs one upon another. Lyſias could not write a letter to Felix, and break up abruptly, but he gave him a farewell, Acts 23.30. Neither may a man when a duty is done, go away bluntly from God, but give him a farewell by holy meditation. It's an unſeemly p. 54kicking of a duty, as moſt men do when they are come to the end of their prayers, to whom with the Father and holy Spirit, be aſcribed all praiſe and glory, Amen; Come, is dinner ready? or, what news do you hear? This is unmannerlineſſe towards the ordinances of God. A man that hath been at a …oo… dinner will ſit a while after it, or walke a while, he will not preſently run to his worke, that the meat may digeſt the better: So when thou haſt been at Gods dainties, ſit after it a while, pawſing and meditating thereof, as often as thou well mayeſt, let it have its working a while.

What is the reaſon thou haſt ſo many by-thoughts in prayer? Becauſe thou doſt not meditate before-hand and after. Hence it is that thine eyes are not directed to the duty, but like a blind Archer thou ſhooteſt but by aim; when the good Archer ſhoots, he muſt have the white in his eye ſtill, which he muſt levell at. My voyce ſhalt thou hear betimes in the morning, in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee, and will look up, …ſ. ….3. How came that? you may look on his meditations, verſ. 1. By meditation he was wont to direct and levell his prayer to God. Wicked men know that God is before them, as a blinde man may le…rne that the But is before him, but they ſee not God before them to direct their prayers unto him: they pray at rovers. Thou muſt uſe then to meditate of God, that thy prayers may bee directed: if thou prayeſt not thus, thy prayers are like them in the Prophet, who p. 55drew neer to God with their lippes, but their hearts were far from him, like an arrow beſide the But, or far from the mark, either wide or ſhort. They have not cried unto me with their hearts, when they howled upon their beds, Hoſea 7.14. They prayed, but they prayed not to me; (ſaith the Lord) as the White may ſay of a bungling Archer, hee ſhoots, but not at me: when he ſhooted, he ſhot another way. God counts all ſuch prayers no better then howling of Dragons and wild beaſts; (ſo the word ſignifies ſaith Scindler) God would as lief, and rather too, that a Dog, or a Wolfe, or Dragon ſhould howl in his hearing, then hear ſuch a prayer as this is. The onelyonly way therefore to performe duties of Gods worſhip purely, is cheifly meditation, meditation, meditation.