Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Of the fifth End of Meditation to kindle and enflame the Affections.
5. MEditation hath not only its excellent ends and uſes, relating to the underſtanding and mind, but alſo is of ſingular uſe relating to the Affections. Meditation is that which keeps alive the fire on the Altar, and helps to make it burn: It is that which both gathers the ſticks, the fuel, and materials for keeping the fire from going out, and that which kindles them, blows upon them, and makes them burn and flame up to Heaven.
In the Levitical Law, the fire upon the Altar muſt never go out, but it was kept burning by the Prieſts continual minding it: If they had not minded that fire continually, it would have gone out. The fire in the holieſt heart it muſt be kept in, kept burning continually by Meditation and conſtant mindings: Meditation is a great Heart-warmer, it renews and encreaſes ſpiritual heats, drives away dulneſs and dead heartedneſs, brings a new life, ſtrength and vigour into the ſpirit, when it faints and flags.
They ſay of the Loadſtone (that wonder in Nature) when either by careleſneſs in keeping it, or by ſome accident it loſes its virtue, yet by laying it ſome good ſpace of time in the filings of Steel, it will again recover its virtues; when the ſpirit of a Chriſtian by not looking well to it, loſes of its heavenly heat and livelineſs, the way of recovery is by laying it aſteep in this ſo warming and quickning Meditation. O how burning and flaming may we often obſerve the ſpirit of the holy Pſalmiſt David, in his acting of Meditation? As Pſal. 39.3. My heart waxed hot within me, and while I was muſing the fire kindled or burned; Muſing made him hot, yea burning hot at the heart. Thus oft in the beginning of a Pſalm we find his heart low and diſcouraged, but as this Muſing was acted and heightened, his ſpirit grew hotter, and at laſt flies all on a flame, flies up to a very high pitch of heavenly heat. O how do all the conſcientious Practiſers of Meditation, ever and anon experience theſe happy heavenly heats, and heart-enlargements! Ah if all the Saints ſo glorious heart-quickenings were gathered together, what a rich Chain of Pearls, Pearls of rare Experiences, would they make up of the heart-warming Efficacies of Meditation?
Meditation is a mighty Engine to kindle cooling hearts, and make them flame in fervency: The Rule of effecting a buſineſs, eſpecially entangled in difficulties, is firſt as they ſay Removendo prohibens, & applicando promovens. That is, by removing the Obſtacles firſt, and then applying furtherances. Meditation is inſtrumental to heart-warmings and quicknings: Firſt by making a grand inqueſt into the occaſions of heart-coolings, and helping to remove them. Then ſecondly, by ſtirring up to the efficacious means of warmth and quickening; its a rule among the Schoolmen, that every Negative is founded in an Affirmative; that is, every not doing is founded in ſome poſitive act of doing ſomething elſe. And as to the like purpoſe, we ſay in Philoſophy, The intention of one thing is the diſ-intending of another: Meditation makes an enquiry, and thereby a diſcovery of that which hinders ſpiritual heat: The extinguiſhing of fire and heat in Nature, is either by caſting on much water, or ſmothering it, by either throwing on much incombuſtible matter, or hindering the airs openneſs, and its free coming to it, which choaks it, or by withdrawing the Fuel upon which it feeds. 1. Meditation finds heart-coolings to proceed from a giving way to and the preſent prevailing of ſome corruption or luſt, that like water quenches the fire. They ſay that ſome rich ſpirits and rare extractions, if taken in ſome acid or ſour Liquor, the ſowr Liquor turns the edge of thoſe ſpirits, and fruſtrates their operation: As cold clammy humours at the head of the Nerves or Sinews, ſtop the courſe of the Animal ſpirits, and occaſion the Numm, or dead Palſey: Or as ſome cold Poiſon taken in, quenches the vivifical heat and ſpirits, endangers if not induces death: So a corruption or ſin let out and given way unto, chills, and cools, and quenches the heart-heat, and the longer yielded to, the cooler will the affections grow.
A Sin given way unto, damps the heart-warming Ordinances, quenches the heart-warming ſpirit, obſtructs thy communion with a heart-quickening Chriſt. Hoſeah— Whoredom and Wine, and new Wine take away the heart: what is there ſpoken of a more total taking away the heart in evil men, is true of a gradual taking away the heart, the heat and livelineſs in godly men.
2. Meditation on due Enquiry finds heart-coolings to ariſe from Chriſtians ſmothering their heat with heaping up buſineſſes and troubles upon themſelves, launching too far into the Seas of worldly Affairs and over-carings. The thorny ground had the word choaked by cares and affairs of this life: what cares and buſineſs doth to the Word, it doth to the hearts warmth; can thou entangle thy ſelf in the matters of the World, and thou wilt cool apace. The farther a man Travels from the Sun Northward, the cooler he is: Turn your face from Heaven to the World, go far, and you come to not only cool, but freeze. Or as ſhe in the Roman ſtory that out of a deſign to enrich her ſelf, contracted with the Enemy to betray the Caſtle, for that which the Souldiers had on their left arm (meaning their Golden Bracelets) but the Souldiers, inſtead of their Bracelets, threw their Shields on her, whereby ſhe inſtead of being enriched was ſmothered.
To engage in a throng is the way to be ſmothered: The world will ſmother thee if thou engageſt too far, it will ſtill cool thy heart-heat, make thee of a warm and lively, a cool dead-hearted Chriſtian.
There is a Fiſh call'd the Torpedo, if you touch it with your bare leg, or hand, it preſently nums that Limb that toucht it: Touch with thy heart upon the world, it will leave it num; there's no ſuch way to keep in thy heat, as to keep out the world, avoid the danger of a Crowd of buſineſſes and cares.
3. Meditation upon ſearching, diſcovers the decay of heat is from decay in heart-warming Ordinances, where the Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhines warm upon thee, whereby the Soul-heat is both preſerved and encreaſt.
Abatings of heavenly heat, ariſe from drawing away the fuel of heavenly duties, or thy own remiſsneſs and negligence in them.
If a man ſhall caſt away his Cloaths, leave his food, and decline the means of preſerving heat and life, he muſt needs grow cold, if he be not quickly kill'd. If a man reads not, meditates not, prays not, hears not, or is negligent and formal herein, he muſt needs like a dying man grow cold: It much depends upon the lively performance of holy duties, that you keep Heart-warm, or that you decay in your fervour by careleſneſs in the means: Meditation will mind you of this, and put you upon mending it in time.
The Angel of the Church of Epheſus, Rev. 2. forſook or left his firſt Love, his Heart-heat; and Chriſt intimates, he had left off his firſt works.
2. Meditation is inſtrumental to ſpiritual vivacity and warmth, applicando promovens, by helping to apply the things, that recover and promote heat and livelineſs. I will name but two things in this, 1. Meditation mightily helps here, by being a great inſtrument of ſearching out, applying and working home the Scriptures Heart-warming conſiderations, ſuch as the quickning Spirit, the inditer of the Scriptures, that knows what things are moſt proper and proportionate for recovering or increaſing heat, what he hath left upon record to uſe in this caſe.
As conſideration is the firſt mover in the ſoul, ſo warm conſiderations are the firſt warmers: O what a latitude and fullneſs hath Meditation to fetch heart-warming conſiderations from! If the Eye looks up to the Heavens, what abundance of Heavenly bodies, for conveyance of light and heat it ſoon diſcovers? But if the eye of Meditation looks into the Scriptures, what a proſpect of various rare and glorious paſſages is there to be found of Conſiderations? Like abundance of richeſt Spirits, higheſt Cordials, and preparations of all ſorts, in Artiſts Shops and Cloſets. O what heart-warming conſiderations can Meditation fetch and apply from the infinitely bleſſed God, his infinite Excellencies, Eternal Love, ſweetneſs unſpeakable, of the ſenſe of his Favour, and the like: Ah what heart-warming conſiderations from Jeſus Chriſt, to behold him and view him all over, in all he is in his unexpreſſible Glories? In all he hath done, whereby he hath out done all that ever was or ſhall be done?
What warming conſiderations in reſpect of the Holy Spirit, the grand and mighty applyer of Redemption, by his habitation and operation? What in reſpect of the Word, the Precepts, Promiſes, Threatnings, and Examples in it of ſundry ſorts, all for our help and comfort? What of the Covenant of Grace, ſo ſure and ſweet? What in reſpect of our ſelves, ſouls ſtate, and all the great concerns of it in ſalvation? Meditation can never want heart-warming conſiderations, can bring ſtores of Arguments of all ſorts, and blow upon them, to make the heart kindle and flame, although it was chill and dead, and never ſo low brought.
Laſtly, this Engine of heavenly Meditation produces heart-warmth and vivacity, by taking thee out of the ſhade and cool, and leading into the Sunſhine of Heart-warming Ordinances, wherein the Sun of Righteouſneſs ariſes, and ſhines warm, and his quickning ſpirit breathes warm upon thee, Rev. 2.5. As a cure of cooling and decaying Love, Chriſt counſels the Angel of that Church of Epheſus; firſt to repent, and then to do his firſt works. Negligence in holy Duties, omiſſion of them, or remiſneſs in them, introduced a cooling of his Love; therefore what was loſt by not doing, muſt be recovered by ſuch a doing as the firſt was; that his firſt works done again, might be a rekindler of his firſt Love: Diſuſe of Exerciſe abates the natural heat and vigour, but returning to it, will again recover it. Meditation when it finds the failure and defect, will provoke and engage to the juſt Remedy and Relief.
I have now diſpatcht at length this ſecond End of Meditation, its being for quickning the Affections. The next follows.