The Use and Benefit of Divine Meditation, Sermon

The Use and Benefit of Divine Meditation · Sermon

THE USE AND BENEFIT OF Divine Meditation, In two SERMONS Preached by that Reverend and Fathful Minister of Gods Word,

WILLIAM FENNER, B. D. sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late Minister of Rochford in Essex.

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LONDON, Printed by E. T. for John Stafford, at the Signe of the George at Fleet-Bridge. 1657.

p. 1A SERMON OF The use and benefit of Divine MEDITATION.

HAGGAI 1. 5.

Now therefore saith the Lord of Hosts, Consider your wayes.

THe Prophet reproveth the people because they could find in their hearts to mind their own houses, and yet were careless of the house of the Lord: the Lord had sent a drought & a famine, and sundry punishments upon them for this thing, and yet they laid it not to heart; and therefore he sends Haggai the Prophet unto them to call them to repentance; and (which is an admirable course, and little thought of in the world) he begins with holy meditation and consideration: Now therefore thus saith the Lord, consider your wayes; that is, both in regard of the course of them, your wicked wayes; and also in regard of the bitter fruit of them, your wretched and unprosperous wayes. Here be two things very remarkable according to the Text;

1. The repetition and inforcing of it again; for he urgeth it again, Consider your wayes, in the seventh verse.

2. The benefit that came by it; it brought them to repentance; for they p. 2all obeyed the voice of the Lord, and the words of the Prophet, verse, 12. So that the Doctrine from hence is this, That

Serious meditation of our sins by the Word, is a speciall means to make men Doct. 1 repent.

Meditation is a setled exercise of the mind for a further inquiry of the truth, and so affecting the heart therewith, and therefore their be four things in meditation.

The first is an exercise of the mind, not barely closing with the truth, 1and assenting unto it, and seeing it, and there rests, but it looketh on every side of the truth: I thought upon my wayes, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies, Psal. 119, 59. saith David; that is, I looked on my wayes on both sides, above and beneath; it's taken from curious works, which are the the same on both sides, so that they which work them, must often turn them on every side; used Exod. 38. 33. as being works with two faces, as one well observes, so it was with David, I turned my wayes up-side down, and looked every way upon them: thou never meditatest, unlesse thou look on thy wayes on both sides with all circumstances. An elegant phrase we have, Dan. 12. 4. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall abound, and be increased, [Run to and fro] what is that? It is not the bodily removing of man from one place to another so much, as busie stirring of the mind from one truth to another, so that it seeth the whole selvedge and compasse of the truth: thou wilt never get the truth to be meditated of, till thou run to and fro in it, meditate it on this side, and meditate it on that side, look on it in every nook of it. Meditation is like perambulation, when men go the bounds of the Parish, they go in every part of it, and in every skirt of it: so meditation is the perambulation of the soul, when the soul looks how far sin goes, how far the flesh goes, how far the wrath of God against it goes.

Secondly, as it is an exercise, so it is a setled exercise, it is not a sudden 2flash of a mans conceit, but it dwels upon a truth. When a man is in a deep meditation upon a thing he neither sees, nor hears, nor attends any thing else; the stream of the heart is setled upon the truth received; The word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the world, 1 John 2. 14. How came these young men to overcome Satan? not by looking into the word, or only thinking of the word; but by letting the word abide in them. When a man hath been offered an injury, his heart is alwayes setled upon it, when he eats, his mind runs on the injury; when he walks, and talks, still his mind runs on the injury: so thy heart must go on the truth, 2. Tim. 3. Continue in things thou hast learned: that is, take up thy mansion house in them. A wicked man may turn into the word sometimes to think of it; but it is as a man goes into another mans house: there is not his dwelling.

Thirdly, it is to make a further inquiry. Meditation doth not only settle upon the truth known; but it also would fain know more of those 3truths, that are subject to it; as a man without may see the out-side of the house, but he cannot see the rooms within, unlesse he come nigh, and draw the latch, and come into the house, and go into the rooms, and look about them; Meditation pulls the latch of the truth and looks into p. 3every closet, and every cupboard, & every angle of it. Here is my sin, here is my uncleannesse, and here is Gods anger, here is the woful evil that will follow upon it, and here is a remedy against it. Meditation searches into all the lofts and closets of the truth. The entrance of thy word giveth understanding unto the simple. Ps. 119. 30. The ingress (as one expounds it) or going into thy word, gives understanding; the wicked stand looking upon the truth without the doors, but it is the ingresse, or going into the truth, that gives understanding. Indeed the truth is like a neat Palace, (saith Chrisostome) the Spirit of God is like the light of the Sunne that shineth into it; the wicked they stand without, like fools peeping in at the windows, and there be many thousand of pearls that are not manifest unto them: the house seems dark to them that stand without. Thou must enter into the word, and into every particular truth in it, and go up stairs, and down stairs, and have an eye into every room. There thou shalt find humility, there contrition, there conversion, there Christ and his Spirit in one closet, there all his Jewels in that, and that box; all is manifest within doors.

Fourthly, it labours to affect the heart; it doth not only labour to know more and more of the truth, but also it labours to bring it home to the 4heart. The good woman considers a field and buys it, Prov. 31. 16. This is (saith Ambrose) the good Christian soul, if in civility, then much more in Divinity, he considers the truth and buyes it, he taketh it as his own, and appropriates it unto himself; Lo this (saith Eliphaz) we have searched out, so it is, hear it, and know it for thy self, Job 5. 27. When thou canst say of the truth, lo this is it, we have searched it out; I have dived into it, perused it, so it is, even so indeed: all this is, that thou mayest apply it unto thy self, and know it for thy good.

The first Reason is, because meditation musters up all weapons, and gathers all forces of arguments for to presse our sins, and lay them heavy upon Reas. 1 the heart: This usury is Spirituall and good, when meditation, like usurers, who grind and suck the blood of the needy, and are not content with their Principal, but will have consideration for every pound they lay out; yea for every shilling, and that for every week, and every monethmonth, and every quarter, and every yeer: the poor man could be content to pay the principall; but to exact use upon use, this kills him; so meditation exacteth upon the soul, and holdeth it to use upon use. You have committed evil in a corner, but you shall not carry it away so. Item, it was against the knowledge of God revealed; Item, against many mercies received; Item, against many Judgements threatned, against many checks of conscience, against many Vows and Promises; remember that, O my soul, Item for that, and Item for this; Item for every lust, and every circumstance, thus oft, and in this place and at that time, in that manner So meditated the prodigal. Look Luke. 5. 17.Luke 5:17as it is in warrs, were there but many scores come against an Army, they might be conquered; or many hundreds, they might be resisted; but if many thousands should come against a smal Army, it would be in danger indeed. Meditation leadeth a whole Army of arguments, a whole Army of curses, miseries, judgements, commandments against the soul, how ever one misery or plague will not knock it down, but the soul may p. 4brook it, and goe away with it: but meditation brings a great Armado of arguments, and tels the soul, God is against thee, and against thy wayes: God is against thee where ever thou art, or what ever thou doest. Then the heart begins to cry out, as Elisha his servant did, Master, what shall we do? 2 Kings 6. 15. So many horses against us, so many charets, and so many men against us? Master what shall we do? so many sins, and so heinous; so many judgements and so heavy; and so many evils, and spiritual maladies! Oh, what shal I do to be saved! that I should commit sin against a God that hath damned innumerable Angels, millions of Kings, Princes, and Nobles! that I should commit it against this God, so mercifull to me, so gracious, so patient, so good to my soul! that I, wretched rebel, should for a cup of drink refuse heaven! for a lust not worth a straw under my foot, cast off Christ, and grace, and all! how shal I do? Then the soul stands in a maze.

The second Reason is, because meditation having hundled up all Items against the soul, and brought it in all bils of account, it fastens sin upon the soul; I mean it makes the soul feel it, so that it must needs be convinced without any evasion. Meditation deals with a man as Elisha dealt with the messengers of the King Joram; the murderer he was coming to do mischief to the Prophet, and the prophet did shut the door, and held him fast at the door, 2 Kings 6. 32. and then he made him know that the evill was from the Lord, before he could stirr: so meditation, when the soul would fain out of doors into its old course again, it shuts the door upon it, and holds it fast: Meditation tels the soul, this evil is from the Lord upon thee, O my soul, if thou stirr in or out upon this or that lust any more, this evill, that course, that vengeance and damnation; if ever thou stir forth, thou losest thy mercy, thou losest Christ, thou losest all possibility of comfort. Stir not out, if thou dost, thou wilt rue it. Sometimes when men hear the Word, they go away touched, they resolve not to commit sin again as they have done; yet when they are gone, it works not, but the heart recoyls again, and turns to its old passe, The reason is, because they meditate not upon the Word, they fasten it not upon their consciences.

It is with the word as it is with a salve: if a man that hath never so good a salve, that will heal any thing in four and twenty hours, if a man should do nothing but lay it to the wound, & take it off, lay it on and take it off, it will not heal the wound: and no marvel, Why? he will not let it lye on, the best salve will not heal the soare, nor eat out the corruption, unlesse it be bound on and let lye: so it is with the Word, many a soul hears it; heart, conscience, affections, all toucht: but when he is gone out of the Church, all is gone, his affections dye, his heart dyes, and his conscience becomes unfruitful: Why? he is still removing of the salve, and will not let it lye on, and therefore the Word over-powers not his corruptions; the Word is like the salve; conviction of conscience is like the laying on of the salve; meditation the binding of it to the soare.

St. James compares a slight hearer to a man that looks into a glasse, who soon forgets his visage, but a good hearer doth two things: First, he stoops down and looks into it, to take a perfect view of his estate; Secondly p. 5he continues looking into it, Iames 1. 25. he doth not leave the glasse behind him, but he carrieth away the glasse with him: This man shall be blessed in his deed.

If the pills be never so bitter, yet let a man swallow them speedily, there is no great distaste; but if a man chew a pill, it will make him deadly sick. Thy sins are like those pills, they go down very pleasingly, because thou swallowest them: thou swallowest down thine oaths, lies, ignorance, pride, thou swallowest down the threats of the Lord, but if thou wouldest chew these bitter pills, and meditate and ruminate, and chew the cud, drunkennesse would be as bitter as hell; swearing and security, and Saboath breaking, would be as bitter as worm wood; thou durst not go on in them, they would make thee look sourely upon them for ever: like a man that hath chewed a pill, he can hardly ever see a pill, but his stomack riseth against it. Behold, I wil hedge up thy way with thorns, Hos. 2. 6. I wil not be so precise (saith the heart) I wil go on as I have done, I wil go after these and these courses; I will hedge up thy way with thorns (saith God,) meditation is Gods instrument, and sets a thorn in the way to every sin, to bring the heart back again. Would the heart lash out into luke-warmnesse? Meditation sets a thorn in the way; God will spue thee out of his mouth. Would the heart sally forth into any sin? Meditation sets a thorn in the way, Cursed art thou if thou dost err from Gods Commandements. The heart cannot step forth into any lust, but meditation meets it with a thorn, this curse, and that curse, this plague, and that plague. Would the heart reach at mercy in its sin? Meditation pricks it; merciemercy is vengeance unto thee, so long as thou hankrest after sin. Would the heart reach after Christ in his sin? Meditation pushes it back with a thorn: no Christ for thee, but a severe judge, so long as thou itchest after thy vanities.

What shal we think of them then, which are loth to practice this duty? Most men are loth, though they be willing enough to meditate on their Ʋse 1 worldly affairs. The Mariner meditates and considers his course by his Compasse, or else he might soon runne on the quick-sands; a Pilgrim is full of thoughts, what? am I in my right way? He never comes to a doubtfull turning, but he stands in a study and muses, O which is my right way? The Merchant meditates, and his mind runs on his Count-book, or else he is soon bankrupt: The voluptuous man his thoughts run on his pleasure: the drunkard on his cups, the proud man on his credit. But it is one thing to look to that which is thine, and another thing to look to thy self, Take heed to your selves, saith the Lord, Deut. 11. 16. Deut. 12. 30. Deut. 4. 9. Exod. 34. 12. as if he should say, think on thy self, & of thy poor soul; let thy Meditation run on thy poor soul. The heart is untoward unto this duty, and as unwilling as a Bear to be brought to the stake: the Bear would rather be rambling abroad then be baited: so men had rather let their hearts ramble about any thing, then bait them for their sins; yea men scoff at it, saying, shall we alwayes be poring on our sins? shall we run mad? shall we drive our selves to despair? cannot men keep themselves well while they are well?

The poor man he hath no time for this tedious duty: the rich man he needs it not, the wicked they dare not; so no man will, No man repented p. 6him of his wickednesse, saying, What have I done? Jer. 8. 6. no man would meditate and think with himself, what is my case? how stands my condition before God? what evil have I done? in the Ark and in the old Law if there were any beast that chewed not the end, it was a sign of an unclean beast: the word implies the bringing up of their meat into their mouths again, and sitting down to chew it again. But now men like unclean beasts, swallow down the food of their souls unchewed, and will not meditate thereof, that it may turn to good nutriment; but like Cormorants, they take it down by whole-sale, and are never the better. So the Word is to them as the Quails to the Israelites, while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them, and smote them them with a very great plague, Num. 11, 33. So the Word of God sticks in their teeth, ere they chew it, or meditate upon it, the wrath of God falls upon them, and strikes them with a very great plague of hardnesse of heart, and leanness of soul. But the truth is: you that will not now see your sins nor meditate on them, you shall see them, and meditate on nothing but on fear, Lord when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they shall see and be ashamed, Isaiah 26. 11.

Now the Lets of serious meditation are, First, vain company. When Let. 1 Peter saw the people touched, Acts 2. 37. he said unto them, Save your selves from this untoward generation, verse 40. as if he should say, If you love your selves, God hath touched your hearts, suffer not Satan and these wicked instruments, to steal away these impressions of terrour from your Souls If ever you love your souls. sort not your selvs with this untoward generation. See, as it humbles you, so let meditation follow upon it, so that it may still humble you. Ill company brings a man to the gallows (as the proverb is) and ill company will bring a man to hell (say I) and meditation cannot be admitted to it. David would not have a wicked man to abide in his sight, when he was to meditate he wisht that there were never a wicked man in the world; much less would he keep company with them My meditation of him shall be sweet; let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more: Bless thou the Lord, O my soul, Ps. 104. 35.

The second Let is, multitude of worldly businesses. A dream (saith Solomon) Let 2 comes through multitude of businesses, Eccles. 5. Multitude of businesses causeth the mind so to run on them, that they do even dream of them in their sleep, as Lucretius, Seneca, Claudian, and many others of the heathens hauehave observed. He that over-imploys himself, his meditations of heaven are dreaming meditations; his thoughts, dreaming thoughts, he can never seriously meditate on the good of his soul. Many ingrosse businesses into their hands never thinking they have enough, they are so greedy after the world, and so carelesse of heaven. So they make their hearts like high-way-ground: the word sown in their hearts, is like seed sown in the high-way, where is such a throughfare, and a broad Carriers road of earthly affairs, that all the word and meditation thereof is trodden down as the grasse in the high-way, which cannot grow, so neither meditation in a busie-bodied heart. For a good meditating mind, (Nemo ad illam pervenit p. 7occupatus, saith Seneca) no man ever came to it surfeited with imployments. David although he had abundance of State-affairs, both his hands ful, yet he would not to be over-charged, but that he might meditate in Gods word: My hands also (not all down to businesse only in the world, but also up to thy Law) will I lift up to thy commandements, which I have loved, and I wil meditate on thy statutes. Psal. 119. 48. Take not too much upon thee, like those grasping worldlings, that wil have a finger in a hundred things: Marth a, Martha, thou art cumbred about many things, but one thing is needfull, and Mary hath chosen the better part, Luke 10. 41. and what was that one thing? Mary was sitting and meditating in, and pondring Christs words, not (as Theophylact expounds it) as if we would say, Martha, Martha, thou art cumbred about many dishes, but one thing is needfull only, only one dish, though indeed so it be, yet he here speaks not only of one dish, but of many cares which hinder that one necessary duty of hearing and meditating of the word of God.

Thirdly, ignorance. A man cannot meditate of a thing he knows 3not; nor thou of thy sins, if thou be not skilful in Gods Catalogue of thy sins; nor of mercies and promises, if thou beest not verst in them; nor of his Precepts, if thou be not expert in them. the Psalmist proveth that he had more knowledge than all his teachers: Why? because he used to meditate. I have more understanding then all my Tutors, for thy testimonies are my meditation, Psal. 119. 99.

Fourthly, aversnesse of the heart: The heart is like the swine, meditation 4is like the yoke: the Hogge would fain get into forbidden fields for to grub them; the yoke that hinders him; but he cannot abide it; every step he takes, he lifts up his foot to strike it off if he could; so the heart would fain break through hedges, and get into forbidden wayes, and if thou wouldest meditate, it would every moment lift up it's heel to put thee besides it. If it cannot put thee besides it, it wil mar it if it can, and therefore David praid to God to settle his heart upon the right, and put his yoke upon him, orit would never be stedfast else upon meditation. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be ever acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer; Psal. 19. 14.

This aversnesse of the heart consists in three things: First, in the carelesnesse 1of the heart, the heart prizeth not meditation, nor the things of grace that are to be meditated on; it will not be at the cost and charge, nor at the pains for them. To what end is a price in the hands of a fool, seeing there is no heart to get wisdom? Prov. 17. 16. The heart will not be brought to Gods price? it would fain have the wares at a cheap rate.

Secondly in runnings of it: the heart is like a vagrant rogue, he would 2rather be hanged, than tied to his parish. Thou canst not bring it to prayer, but it will be a gadding on by thoughts: thou canst not bring it to a Sermon, but it will be roving after wandring imaginations; thou canst not bring it to a meditation, but it will be a gossipping forth. When Christ came to bind men with his blessed cords, and bind their hearts to him, Psal. 2. they fall a meditating afterwards, but p. 8it was meditating and imagining vain things, verse 1. and when they saw they were to be tyed up, Tush (say they) let us break their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us, verse 3. What, do Ministers call us to such strictnesse, thinking to imprison our hearts in their stocks? away with their bonds, no, we will have none of it.

Thirdly, in the wearisomness of the heart: It is as weary of meditation, as 3a Cur is of the whip, and the chain; Oh how it barks and maunders till it be loose! yea, though it be never so eager upon it at the first, it's jaded presently. When God called the Jews to sanctifie his Name, they thought in their hearts; O, what a wearinesse is this! and ye have snuffed at it (saith the Lord) ye brought which was lame, and torn and sick, Malac. 1. 13. What a wearinesse is it to meditate? saith the heart; it snuffs, it is untoward; it is lumpish; it would fain tear off a piece of the duty, or bring it wanting a leg, or without soundnesse and sincerity; yet some of them (saith Calvin) were so humbled, that they thought on the name of the Lord, Malac. 3. 16. they thought, and meditated, and forced their hearts to consider throughly.

This may serve for terror unto all those, who for all this that hath been Ʋse 2 spoken, dare sit down without it; yea, the world will not beleeve these things, nor meditate therein: yea, they blame Gods messengers, that call so sore upon them. Habakkuk was so served; he preached the mercies of God to the humble, and the judgements of God to the wicked: they ask him why he was so mad? well (sayes the Prophet) I will stand upon my watch, and see what the Lord sayes unto me, that I may answer to them that reprove me, Hab. 2. 1. What did the Lord tell him? Write the vision, and make it plain upon Tables, that he may run that reads it, verse 2. Will they not beleeve? Will they rove? Will they not meditate steadily upon these things? Will they not let their hearts stay and meditate and consider? The vision shall be so plain, that he that runs may read it. If thou wilt not stay, and meditate herein, the word is so plain to thy condemnation, that if thou didst not but think of it with a running thought, thou maist read thine own vengeance, thine own woes, in regard of the multitude of them. He that runnes by a way full of holes and pits, though he stand not meditating where are the pits, yet he may run and see them. The book of God is full, leaves and cover, and all, of woes against thee, Lam. 2. 10. It is written without, there thou maist read thy sins written; it is written likewise within, there thou maist read thy plagues.

Secondly, in regard of the greatnesse of them, he that runnes along, and loe a great town on fire, though he stay not to meditate on it, what or where it is, yet he may run and read it: so is the curse of sinners a great curse, Zeph. 1. 10. he that runs may read it.

Thirdly, in regard of the proximitie and neernesse of them. He that runnes, if a sword come out at his throat, though he doth not stop to meditate, what is this at my throat, yet he cannot but see it. Behold the Judge standeth before the door, James, 5. 9. Take heed how thou grudgest, or sinnest in any particular; behold the Judge standeth before the p. 9door; be hold it and meditate on it with thy heart; if not, he is nigh enough, thou canst not step out of doors unto any sin, but though thou runnest, thou must needs see the Judge that will Judge thee, Iteming thy sins, noting thy wayes, observing thy courses, ready to unhasp the door on thee, to hale thee unto hell in thy sins. Whose end is destructions Why? Even those that mind earthly things, Phil. 3. 19. If thy mind and meditation run more on thy ground, cattel, goods, kitchen, house businesse, earthly talk, discourses, thoughts, more than of heaven, thy end is destruction. If thy thoughts will not stay here, do but runne, and thou maist read it: Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I am come to fulfill them, Matthew 5. 17. Some (saith Chrisostome) might think now Christ is come, it is no matter though we not be so strict, Christ is enough. Think not thus (saith Christ) but rather think and meditate that I am come to fulfill it my self, and to see it fulfilled in those I mean to save, so as to make it a rule of their lives. Themistocles said, he could not sleep in his bed for continual thinking and meditating on Miltiades his Tryumphs; And how canst thou sleep in thy bed, if thou wouldest but meditate on these places of Scripture? Retire thy self apart, there is no casting up of mans account in a croud: Let me alone, I am busie; so we use to say, when we would be private.

Thou must do with thy soul as Ehud did to Eglon, who said, I have a Meanes 1 secret errant to thee, O King, and so all went out, and he said: I have a message from God to thee, and so stabd him at his heart, Judges 3. 19. So (for Ehud was a type of Christ, saith Lavator) I have a secret errant to thee, O my soul, and so let all go forth: I have a message from God to thee, a message of wrath for thy Pride, a message of wrath for thy vain hopes: Thus, saith the Lord; Cursed art thou, O my soul; stab it to the heart with this spirituall Dagger, wound it with the blade and haft and all, till thou have let out the fat and the dirt, the filth and iniquity all out. The Prophet speaking of mens looking on Christ whom they have pierced, this meditating and laying to heart that they have crucified the Lord Jesus, saith that they shall mourn every one in private, the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the house of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; every family apart, and their wives apart, Zach. 12. 2.

The second meanes, if thou wouldest meditate aright, observe the Meanes 2 times of privacy,

First, the morning, that is the best time for study: David chose the morning for meditation, Psal 5. 1. 3. Let them hear this, (saith Chrisostome) that arise betimes in the morning to serve their Hoggs and their Doggs, their bellies and their backs, before they serve God in meditation or prayer, unlesse it be the mumbling and roaring a few [Lord have mercy upon us] that pray not till after many other businesses, it may may be, not then neither. David prayed and meditated in the morning. In the morning thou washest thy face and thy hands, but thy soul hath more need, which thou washest not: in the morning thou puttest thy cloathes on thy body, but thou puttest not on afresh the new man upon thy soul; in the morning thou shakest off sleepinesse from thine eyes, p. 10but thou shakest not off drousinesse from thy soul. Thou lookest into the glasse in the morning, to see if thy face be as it should be; but thy soul is not composedly looking into the glasse of Gods word. In the morning loook up in prayer, look up in thansgiving, look up in meditation.

Secondly, the night too; O Lord, I meditate on thee in the night watches, 2Psal. 93. not as carnall ones doe, when they cannot sleep, then their mind runs on their Cow and their Calf, their markets and vanities, this neighbour and that neighbour, like Petronius his dogge, that was hunting while he lay asleep in his kennel.

Thirdly, In the evening; I prevent the night watches, that I might meditate, 3Psal. 119. 148. he did not as wicked men doe, sleep like a horse in the stable on his litter, with his neck tyed to the manger: they did go to bed with their hearts roped to the world, worldly thoughts, this thought and that thought, and God knows what.

Fourthly, when the heart is touched at a Sermon or Sacrament, or observing 4of any judgement or mercy, or act of Gods providence, it is best striking when the Iron is hot; David, when his heart was touched at the reproches of the wicked, then he meditated, Psall. 119. 23. When the Instrument is in tune, then it is good playing upon it; when a Churl is in a good mood, then it is sittest to deal with him. Oft will thy heart be out of tune, oft churlish, and in an ill mood: if thou lettest the good opportunity goe, thou knowest not when thou shalt have such another. When the fish is nibling at the bait, then it is good twiching at the angle-rod, when the heart is a nibling at grace, then gave a pluck at it by meditation. See Acts 17. 11. now while the time lasts, see thou maist get into heaven.

Thirdly, Rub up thy self and thy memory; call as much to mind as thou Means 3 canst, what evill thou hast done ever since thou wast born, what in the womb, what in the cradle, childhood, youth, age; what a servant, what a Master; what as a servant, what as a son, what as a neighbour, what as an inferiour, what as a superiour; either in thought, or word or deed; how often thou hast omitted good duties, or done them by halvs; Item for this; and Item for that. They shall remember themselves and turn unto the Lord, Psal. 22. 27. First, they shall remember themselves, and say, what have I done, O wretch! how carelessely have I lived! Secondly, so meditating, they shall turn unto the Lord. Many say, Oh! they cannot remember their sins. They lye in a thousand particulars: for they can remember to commit them well enough. See Lam. 3. 19. 20. 21. our Greek translation turns it, I spake to my self, and meditated: as if they should say, O what a rebell have I been! how unthankfull, how unprofitable under all the means of grace! I may thank my sins for all the plagues of the Almighty that are upon me: if he had damned me, I had been well served. What follows? The heart bowed, and was humbled, as it is in the text.

The fourth means. Rouze up thy heart. As it is with the eye of the body, so it is with the eye of the Soul: when a man would look wistly Means 4 upon a thing, as if he would look thorow it, he sets his eye on it, as p. 11Paul set his eyes on Elymas, Ah thou child of the Devill, thou, &c. Acts 13. 9. Meditation is the setting of the eye of the soul upon a thing: set thine eye upon thy selfe, and say, Ah thou childe of the wicked, why hath Satan filled thy heart! O wretched heart! whence hadst thou thy selfe-love? hadst thou not it from the Devill? God might do well to send thee to the Devill, if thou lovest so to be his Broker. Set thine eyes stedfastly upon thine own wayes, and thou shalt see infinite hellish evils in thy sins.

The third Use is for Reprehension. What is more usual than this, Ʋse 3 that men make slight account of their sins? Nay, when God tels them in their hearts, Thou shalt not do this, thou shalt not doe that, yet they meditate and think, Why may I not? Samuel bid Saul stay for directions from him, before he sacrificed unto God. It seems that God spoke to his heart. Stay till Samuel comes to direct thee: yet Saul forced himselfe to disobey, and to do Sacrifice, 1. Sam. 13. 12. he was bold, as Vatable turns it; he confirmed himselfe, as Pagnin translates it: he thrust himselfe upon the doing of it; God forbad him, he would do it: God urged him in his conscience not to doe it, yet he would do it: God again whispered to him not to do it, yet he forced himselfe to do it; as if he should say, I hope I may do it, I have stayed seven days wanting an hour, or a piece of an houre; and a little piece breaks no square: No? God rejected Saul for that venture; God would have forced him by meditation, O no, doe it not by no means: he made him think, Oh, it is against Gods commandements, I may not do it. No, but neverthelesse he forced himself to do it. Thus God deals with thousands and millions in the world: Be not a drunkard; God flings the meditation into the conscience, yet a drunkard thou wilt be. Be not a drunkard again; a drunkard notwithstanding thou wilt be: Be not again; they force themselves, they will go to the Ale-house. And so of all other sins. If men wil cast off this work of meditaion darted into their souls, they cast off their own mercy. God tels them, pray not, hear not, offer not without directions from me; they dread not the commandment, they will: I trust prayers are good, I will say them. Thus they will not meditate, or if they do, they break it off before it comes to any strength or perfection: yea, Gods own servants, that desire to look towards Sion, is not this your complaint oft? I cannot finde sinne heavy: I confesse the word discovers it to me, but I cannot be troubled for it. Look as it is with men in the world, if five hundred pound weight be laid upon the ground, if a man never pluck at it, he shall never feel the weight of it. Your sinnes are not many hundreds, but many thousands, yea many ten thousands: selfe-love, security; hardnesse of heart, base fears, &c. it is impossible to reckon them. The least vain thought that ever you imagined, the least vaine word that ever you uttered, were weight enough to presse your souls down to hell; Therfore what are so many sins and so great, and so often committed? What are they? they are as heauy as rocks and mountains; yet ye feel them not so heavy. Why? Ye weigh them not; if ye did, yee should finde them heavier than the sand, as David did when his sinne was ever before him (Psal. 51. 3.) that p. 12is, his sinne was ever in his thoughts, and in his meditation, his sin was ever like a huge Milstone before him, and he was ever tugging and pulling to remove it out of his way.

I, but you will say, How shall I come to feel my burden? Object.

I answer, three things are here to be discovered;

First, the ground upon which our meditation must be raised. Answer.

Secondly, the manner how to follow it home to the heart.

Thirdly, how to put life and power into it.

The ground I referre to these foure heads:

First, meditate on the goodnesse, patience, and mercy of God, that hath 1been abused by any of your sins: the greater they have been to you, the greater is every sinne: this maketh them out of measure sinfull, because God is out of measure mercifull. There are many sinnes in one, when a man sinnes against many mercies, See Judg. 2. 2, 3. Why have ye done thus? I, have done thus and thus mercifully unto you, why have yee done thus unthankfully to me? Why was my mercy abused? Why was my goodnesse sleighted? Why was my patience despised? as if the Lord should say, I speak to your owne conscience, think of it, meditate of it, why have ye done this? Doe ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy Father? Meditate of it first, and tell me then. For it is a question put to thy meditation to answer. Do ye thus requite the Lord, ye foolish people? Wert thou ever in want, but God supplyed thee? Wert thou ever in weaknesse, but God strengthened thee? Wert thou ever in straits, but God delivered thee? When thou wert in sicknesse, who cured thee? when thou wert in poverty, who relieved thee? when thou wert in misery, who succoured thee? Hath not God been a gracious God to thee? Every soul can tell, never poor sinner hath had a more gracious God, than I poor sinner have found to my soul. All my bones can say, Lord, who hath been like unto thee? This heart hath been heavy, and thou hast cheered it: this soul hath been distressed, and thou hast eased it: many troubles have befallen me, and thou hast given me a gracious issue. This poor man (saith David, pointing to himselfe,) this poor man cryed, and the Lord heard him, Psal. 34. 9. And shall I thus reward the Lord? shall I sinne against his goodnesse? Then what shall I say? Hear, O heavens, and hearken, O earth; Sunne, stand thou still, and thou Moon be amazed at this, and be avenged on such a heart as this. The Oxe knows his owner, and the Asse his Masters Crib; but here is a heart that will not remember to know the Lord. Hear, O heavens, this villany cryeth so loud, that your ears may hear it. Hear all ye Angels add be astonished, here is villany to make your ears glow: yea, hear hell, hear Devils, if ever there were worse committed by you. When men are but ingenuous, if they hauehave received any kindenesse from a friend, they were never in want but he relieved them: never harbourlesse, but he housed them; never to seek, but he found them: Let a man deal thus kindly with a man, if this man should deny him any ordinary favour; he will be ashamed of himselfe, ashamed to come into his presence. What will he think? his house was mine, his cupboard was mine, and his purse was mine, and his friends p. 13were mine, and that I should deal thus unkindly with him, even nature rebukes me. This serious meditation will help to break thy heart.

The second ground of meditation is to mediate on the justice of God: God is a just God as well as mercifull. Speak all ye Devils in Hell, Doe ye not feel that he is a just God? Speak Sodome, Speak Gomorrah, your fire and brimstone can testifie that he is a just God: Speak Adah, Zillah, and all ye that were drowned in the old world, your deluge can testify he is a just God, His judgements are all in the world, 1. Chro. 16. 14. What is become of drunken Nabal, and swearing Saul, and covetous Ahab, and proud Jesabel, and mocking Jehu, and envious Shimei? What is become of all blind Jebusites, and parting, cavilling Diotrepheses? Justice hath taken hold on them. What is povertie? What is nakednesse? What is famine, sicknesse, the gout, the stone, Feaver, plague? These are the little arrows of Gods justice. What is shame, disgrace, crosses, afflictions, unseasonable rains, dangerous weather, wars, rumours of wars? What are all the evils under the Sun? They are the little finger of Gods justice. Thou spiest them here and there, in every Town, and in every Parish, in every Country do they not all witnesse that he is a just God? Read Psalm 7. 11, 12, 13. God hath bent his bow already (saith David) the arrow is ready to flie out of the string: It wil not be long before it hit thee, if thou meditate not upon amendment: God is angry with the wicked every day, as an angry man useth to say, I will be revenged on thee. Wilt thou not give over thy sins? I will be revenged on thee. Read Psal. 11. 5, 6, 7. Meditate on this; he will neither spare King nor subject, nor rich, nor poor, nor noble, nor base, nor Judges, nor Justices: yet Judges and Justices may spare, but God will not spare: they may be bribed to pardon, but God will not be fee'd to spare them that go on in their wickednesse; and do I think to escape? Nay, my soul, thou canst never escape, except thou obeyest.

The third ground is, Meditate on the wrath of God; O! what wrath is it? Can I stand against it? It burns like an oven, and all the proud, and all that doe wickedly shall be as stubble, and the day of wrath shall burne them up. Behold this, saith the Text, Malac. 4. 1. Behold it, and meditate on it. Can I goe naked in a hot fiery Oven? Can I lift up my hands against it? My hands will be scorched. Can I kick against it? My legs will be baked. Can I blow upon it with my mouth? My mouth is fiered. Did I ever see lime burned? were I in the limes room, could I endure that boyling? and yet if I live in my sinnes, I shall be as the burning of lime, Isay 33. 12. Let thy heart meditate terror: Who among us shall be able to dwell (that is the meaning of it, as Montanus sheweth) who among us shall dwell with devouring fire? who among us shall burn with everlasting burning? verse 14. Gods merciemercy shall say, Take him wrath: I would have converted him, but he would not. Gods goodnesse shall say, Take him wrath I would have been kinde unto him, but he hath abused me; Gods patience shall say, Take him wrath: I have suffered him a great while, that he might have time of repentance, but he repented not in that time. God smote Aegypt in their first born: Why? For his p. 14mercy endureth for ever God overthrew Pharaoh and his hoast: Why? For his mercy endureth for ever. Psal. 136. 15. He smote great Kings, Sihon a King, and Og a King: for his mercy endureth for ever. So will God damn thee that art a drunkard: Why? for his mercy endureth for ever. God will confound thee that art a worlding: Why? for his mercy endureth for ever. God will be revenged on thee that art a Luke-warmling: Why? for his mercy endureth for ever. This may well make thee teare the hair off thy head, rather than let thee go on in thy sinnes. See Ierem. 7. 29. Meditate on this.

The fourth ground: Meditate on the constancy of God. As the Lord 4was an enemy to wicked men, so he continues the same God still, a constant enemy to them still. As the Lord would not endure sinne heretofore, so he is constant, he still will not endure it. Did the Lord once say, Weep and howl ye drunkards? Joel 1. 5. he is constant, so he faith still. Did the Lord say, he would burn up sabbath-breakers? Jer. 17. 27. he is constant; so he saith still. Who ever hardned his heart against the Lord, and prospered? Job 9. 14. as if he should say, I put it to thee to meditate of it: canst thou shew me a president? did ever any man harden his heart against Gods Word, in his sinne, that prospered? Did Senacherib prosper in his will-worship? Did Judas prosper in his covetousnesse? Did Jeconiah prosper in his stubbornnesse? Where is the Scribe? Where is the disputer? Where is he that counted the towers? Your fathers, where are they, saith Zachariah? Did not my words take hold of them? and are they not all now in hell, that have ever lived and died in their sin, from the beginning of the world? Thou canst not shew me one drunkard, or one mocker, or one prophane person, or one formall professor, from the day that man was created upon the earth, that is not now in hell, if he be dead. Meditate on this, how canst thou expect to be the one onelyonly in all the world that shall escape, if thou livest and dyest in thy sins? If hell were opened, and the bottomlesse pit were lookt into, thou shouldest see every soul that ever lived, and died in their sins, even every soul; there is not one soul missing. Meditate on this; when I dye, do I think I shall not be there? nay, I shall be there too, unlesse aforehand I enter into the strait gate, and walk in the narrow way of newnesse of life.