A Divine Message to the Elect Soul, The preface
The Authors Preface upon theſe enſuing Sermons.
THE cauſe of that little heavenlines which is in the profeſſion of Chriſtianity, is the want of Meditation. Many can meditate curſorily, but that is not enough: it muſt be a ſticking Meditation that muſt affect the heart. That place in 2 Pet. 2.8. is marvellous pregnant, it was the means why Lot was ſo touched with the abominations of Sodome: That righteous man …welling amongst them, in ſeeing and hearing their ungodly deeds, vexed his righteous ſoul from day to day. Many heard and ſaw too, beſides Lot, and were not vexed. Why? Other matters ſtuck in their thoughts, they never throughly meditated on it; but he vexed himſelf, that is, the meditation of thoſe evils, and bringing them home to his ſoul, vexed him. The word is a fit word, implying two things: Firſt, the ſearching and examining of a thing, his meditating heart examined their ſins; how many they were, how grievous, how damnable, how likely to pull down ſome vengeance or other upon them. Secondly, the wracking or vexing upon trial; ſo it was with Lot, he obſerved all their evils, and weighed them in his ſoul, & then he wracked his ſpirit with the conſideration of them. The Evangeliſt uſeth this very word for toſſing: this word that is here put for vexing, he puts for toſſing of a ſhip in the ſeas, Matt. 14.24. The ſhip was toſſ'ed with the waves: ſo meditation did toſſe his ſoul with vexation, ſometimes down to the deep: O miſerable wretches that we are! or, How brutiſh, how beaſtly, and how helliſh are our ſins? Sometimes up; O that the Lord would humble us and ſpare us! Sometimes over head and eares in the ſtorme, O fool that I was to chuſe my dwelling amongſt ſuch men! Theſe meditations vexed hi… ſoul: Many have ſtudied meditations, and yet are not acquainted with this cordiall meditation: Many Miniſter… that ſtudy Divinity all the day, that ſtudy the Word all the week, that ſtudy their Sermons all the year, may yet for all this, be carnall Miniſters. Why? Becauſe their meditation is but inventing and mentall meditation; thi… meditation is a practicall meditation, the thing meditated feeds the heart: that meditation is like a fluttering Pheaſant that flutters before their eyes▪ it feeds their eyes indeed, but never feeds the ſtomack, as long as they neither catch nor eat it. The ſaving myſteries of God flutter before their eyes, and before their underſtandings, they feed their eyes with knowledge, but never feed their ſouls unto everlaſting life, unleſſe they fowle for it, dreſſe and digeſt it in their hearts. There is an apt word, Gen. 24.63. Iſaac went out to meditate in the field: the originall hath it, to ſignifie mutuall conference, his mind conferred with the truth, and the truth with him, a mutuall working he wrought upon the truth, by meditating of it, and it wrought upon him; by leaving an impreſſion upon his ſoul: this is a rare practice in the world, and yet as neceſſary as moſt, it is the art of the ſoul in being heavenly, it is the inuring of thee to every good duty: for by meditation a man comes to have his mind and heart fixed upon every thing that he would: Would he pray? he that hath inured his heart to meditate, his mind is fixed in his prayer. Would he receive the Sacrament? He that hath inured his heart by meditation, his mind is fixed in the Ordinance. David that was excellent at meditation, had a fixed heart, Pſal. 57.7. Pſal. 112. 1.7.