Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of the Ends of Meditation.
MEditation we deſcribed to be an inſtitution of Chriſt, and duty of a Chriſtian, wherein the Mind acts upon ſpiritual things, or other things in a ſpiritual manner, by a due conſidering of them, and this to holy ends or ſpiritual uſes only: Now the Ends of Meditation are three.
Three great Ends of our Meditating.
1. Such as refer to the moſt high God.
2. Such as reſpect our ſelves.
3. Such as relate to others.
1. Such as refer to the moſt high God. Meditation is to be the motion of the heavenly ſpirit, Heavenward; to carry it up to Heaven and keep it a time there: A looking of the Eye of the mind, and a lifting up of the heart, a making a ſtay, and taking a ſpiritual ſolace in Heaven with God.
All Duties we perform muſt be done to the living God, Heb. 9.14. to ſerve the living God. If otherwiſe, our Duties are but dead works, loathſome as dead Carkaſſes. A living work muſt have for its ſupreme end the living God. God that is the firſt and beſt, muſt have the firſt aim and levelling to.
They ſay in Philoſophy, the laſt end muſt have the firſt intending: The firſt looking at, as the firſt ground and mover to any work. And as they ſay in Opticks (the peculiar Art that treats about the nature of ſeeing of Objects) Quod primo radiat, eſt primo viſibile; that which firſt irradiates, ſends forth that which through the Medium firſt conveys it ſelf to the Eye: This is firſt viſible, and that is light.
The firſt thing the Eye of Meditation ſhould fix upon, is that which is the light of lights, and that is God, who is all Light, Beauty, and Glory. Meditation ſhould be chiefly acted to ſee God, and to aim at glorifying of God above all, 1 Cor. 10.31. Whatſoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
The Gentiles wiſe men, and great Philoſophers, becauſe their ſpeculations were not acted to the glory of God, were vain imaginations, Rom. 1.
Whatſoever the aim be, if the glory of God be not the real ſcope; nay if it be not the maſter mark, the work is miſcarried; and but a ravelling out of Time, a loſing of Labour: Meditation muſt make ſure of the right method, and order of aiming the glory of God, like the Sun in the Heavens that outſhines all other Lights below and above, and that which is to be ſeen before, and above all others; ſo this muſt be eyed and aimed at likewiſe, far before all other.
Three things to be eyed. Ah we ſhould eye, 1. The Infinite Glories and Reſplendencies of the Eternal and All-ſufficient God. 2. The infinite diſtances and heights he is in above us. 3. And the infinite Obligations that ever lie upon us, to exalt him beyond all.
As in the making of our whole man, whereby he is total owner of us, and proprietor in us. And in our preſerving, whereby we are yet more highly bound. And in the proviſions for our Eternal happineſs, which is far beyond all the former.
Therefore there's an abſolute neceſſity of this Method and Order, of ſtill firſt aiming every Duty, and Acting at this grand mark; and then to make it the ſtriving and preſſing hard of our Spirits to it. O that in my thinkings, in the aſcendings of my thoughts, this glory of the great God may ever ſtill aſcend: For no thoughts nor actings can truly aſcend, if they go not up to the bleſſed God and this glory of God; if God goes not up higher in our thinkings, they then go not higher than ſelf, and which is but indeed downward, and not upward at all. Nay, 'tis a worſe deſcent than that alſo, 'tis Deſtruction and Hell-ward whatſoever is Self-ward, and is not to the advanceing of the great God. Meditation is not only to be acted to God as a Duty, but as this Duty, in its peculiarity and propriety, as being a peculiar ſtreight line to God, as a ſingular way for our taking aim, this high aim at exalting the praiſes of God.
Thus did that rare mark-man, holy David, as it is admirably conſpicuous in the Pſalms, in Pſal. 103.12. In the very entrance he lays a ſtrict, a repeated command upon his Soul and all that is within him, to bleſs, and bleſs, and praiſe God: Yea not only lays his Meditation level to the mark; but raiſes up his ſpirit to take the pureſt, the fulleſt aim; this both by a ſelecting and improving of ſpiritual reaſons, the ſtrongeſt he could find, and the moſt quickning Motives he could apply, all that his heart might carry up (in a heavenly flame) the higheſt praiſes of God. Thus you ſhall ſee him very frequently acting his Meditation up with the greateſt fervour to this exalting highly of God.
Meditation is a peculiar viſit made to the great God; a Mind, a Thought viſit, wherein as to a great friend, the Soul, as it were, comes and ſaith to God, Lord, I come to ſee thee, I now come purpoſely to ſee thee, to ſpend ſome fit portion of time with thee, and I come for that high Honour and Obſervance I am infinitely obliged to tender to thee: Every Meditation is giving a freſh viſit, and thereby a new tender of higheſt Honour we own to this beſt of Friends, This is the firſt end.
2. The next end, is our highly pleaſing of God, which by Meditation we are to intend: God will be both obeyed and pleaſed with our reſpecting and acting of every appointed way; Meditation is the beſt way, the moſt pleaſing way of thinking. Col. 1.11. We are to walk worthy of the Lord to all pleaſing. Therefore this muſt be performed to an intended pleaſing, a due ſerious thinking, a pondering and dwelling of the thoughts upon heavenly things, and chiefly upon the infinite Beauties and Excellencies of God who is the perfect Thought and Heart-knower, the exquiſite Searcher and Obſerver of Soul-actings: But then moſt, when purpoſely pleaſing is deſigned: This muſt very highly pleaſe him, when we eſpecially deſign pleaſing, with our moſt wiſhly eyings of him, yea, to intend the doing our beſt to pleaſe him, and this, O how ſhould it greatly alſo pleaſe us! David, Pſal. 19. laſt v. prays for pleaſing God, Let the Meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy ſight, O Lord my ſtrength and my Redeemer. So it is not only to be prayed for, but made the holy aim of Meditation with our utmoſt care. Favourites to great Princes, what induſtries do they uſe to pleaſe them, eſpecially that their thoughts offered in Counſels may be acceptable? Thus, how did Philotas, who was Alexander the Great's Favourite; and Meeenas, Auguſtus his Favourite? and ſo among our ſelves divers. But how near goes it to them. if their Counſels pleaſe not? as with Achitophel when his Counſel pleaſed not Abſalom; and on the contrary with Huſhai, when his Counſel pleaſed. So when Hamans Counſel was rejected; and how contrary with Mordecai, when his Counſels were reſented? Pleaſing of a Prince is a great encouragement: But pleaſing of a God, is a ſweet Soul Contentment; it is moſt worthy ſtriving after: O how unſpeakably ſweet will the finding and feeling of this, prove in thy heart, when Meditation is performed purpoſely to pleaſe thy God; when it runs in a pure ſtream, when thy ſpirit reflecting on its actings in Meditating, makes diſcovery of this holy aim of high pleaſing the moſt high God? As the Scripture commands pleaſing, the Saints are peculiarly commended and greatly honoured for it. As with wiſe and well bred people (obliging and pleaſing in good things) great pleaſing is a great praiſe. As Abel, Enoch, and others from this character of pleaſing God. It is a heavenly ambition to earneſtly deſign pleaſing, as in all others, ſo in this walking with God in Meditation.