Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 3 – Chapter 5
CHAP. III.
HEre the more particular Rules we may uſe for this daily Meditation, are theſe following. I ſay, the Rules we may uſe for the particulars of daily Meditation, and for Method herein, may be ſuch as theſe following.
1. Meditation of ſetting up the Maſter Mark, the glorifying of the moſt high God.
2. Next unto it, Meditation of Eternal happineſs in the enjoying of God.
3. Meditating then after it of the ſure and adequate means for attaining them both.
And theſe are therefore to be Meditated upon.
Meditating on 1. Jeſus Chriſt, the only way to the Father by his work of Redemption.
Meditating on 2. The Holy Spirit the great applyer of Chriſt and his Redemption.
Meditating on 3. The holy Ordinances of God, the uſual ways of the Spirits coming to apply Chriſt by.
Meditating on 4. The Word of God, chiefly the Promiſes of the Goſpel: Theſe on Gods part.
Meditating 5. On our part, by our uſe of the Ordinances, and the Word and Promiſes, and that Faith and holineſs whereby we come to union and communion with God, glorifie him, and obtain ſalvation; Faith as the inſtrument of receiving Chriſt, and both Faith and Holineſs, or the graces of Chriſt as our principles of life and power, to live unto God, and growing up to perfection againſt all oppoſition.
1. The firſt thing according to the rule of beſt wiſdom, which lays the ſureſt foundation in any courſe, is firſt to take into moſt ſerious conſideration, the ſupream and chief end, and to act a freſh ſetting up before us, that Maſter-Mark, and ſcope of the moſt high God, and the glorifying of him, to be continued as we can through the whole courſe of the day; I ſay, this ſo high incumbency and duty of looking ſtill at, and levelling all to the glory of God.
Meditation of this glorifying God, for pure, lively, and higheſt advancings of it, this is the Souls beſt operation, and runs moſt parallel to the perfect work of Heaven. Heavens higher acting is Contemplation of the moſt bleſſed God, for the moſt tranſcendent exaltings of his glory: The Rule of Scripture is, To do all to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10.31. And this Rule muſt therefore have its place and power here; therefore this daily Meditation muſt take it in, and ſet it up. It muſt be every ones wiſdom to bottom our day Meditation, with the ſtill eying of, and aiming at the glorifying of the moſt high God. To begin with the freſh thoughts, and alſo the warmeſt frame of Spirit, for farthering the ſupream end, the glory of God, and with it, as fit to be annext unto it, that which is wrapt up with it, our own Eternal happineſs. Philoſophers and Divines have ſeveral Maxims about the Supream End: To mention ſome of them to help us here: As,
1. Finis ſummus, eſt maxime appetibilis; The chief End is of all things elſe the moſt deſirable, Pſal. 73.25. Matth. 6.9. If (as it is moſt ſure) it be moſt deſirable, then this, as was ſaid before, is the chief point of wiſdom, to chiefly eye and aim at this chief End: and then ſure it is moſt proper in the method of our daily Meditation, to mind this one of the firſt, and how to advance towards it anew, on the opportunity of a new day begun upon us.
2. Secondly, there is another Rule given, which is Finis ultimus praeſcribit Regulas totius vitae, ſed ipſi fini nonpraeſcribitur; That the laſt or chief End preſcribes or gives the Rules of the whole life, or courſe, but the laſt End hath no Rules preſcribed to it.
In all caſes the End of any thing, that gives the Rules to that thing.
Thus that hath profit and livelyhood for its End, that profit and livelyhood gives the Rules to the Trader, and all his actings are reduced and ordered to profit and ſubſiſtence.
That of mens particular or a Nations intereſt, as it is called. The particular intereſt of perſons in particular: Or the Publick intereſt and chief good, that gives the Rules to private men, or to States-men; their actings muſt be to their intereſt, the chief good or End: So the Souls grand intereſt, real higheſt End and Intereſt, gives all the Rules to all a Chriſtians wiſe, truly wiſe actings.
Thus in Phil. 3.13. I preſs hard to the Mark; firſt he ſet up the Mark, or that was ſet up before him to aim at: And this made him preſs hard, and run in the right way ſo earneſtly, made him uſe all the right means, and the due manner for attaining to it.
So this of eying the Supreme End, as the right ſure way, as the ſure wiſdom for a mans ſelf, Prov. 9.12. this ſhould be firſt taken in, and come under freſh conſideration. That which gives the firſt riſe to endeavour, that which muſt vitally influence, and ſtrongly inſtigate, yea fix and ſtabliſh our whole courſe.
The courſe riſes or falls, ſtrengthens or weakens, bears up or breaks off in evenneſs, or unevenneſs according to our more or leſs lively, and freſh lookings at, and ponderings of the chief End.
This we ſee in all undertakings, the manner, earneſtneſs, and evenneſs of any courſe, is from the manner, earneſtneſs, and evenneſs of mans eyings of his chief aim and intereſt deſigned in it.
In a Watch and divers artificial Motions, the evenneſs and expediteneſs of the motion is from evener or unevener, ſtronger or weaker drawing of the Spring, the firſt mover. Thus is it in godlineſs, a Chriſtians motions are anſwerable to his eyings more or leſs of the main end: Chriſtians complain of their daily dead-heartedneſs, and unevenneſs; it much ariſes from the ſo little or liſtleſs lookings at the main Mark. Paul lookt earneſtly, and he preſt hard: In Archery, thoſe who eye the Mark moſt earneſtly and ſteadily hit the ofteneſt and fulleſt. The wiſeſt Chriſtian is the moſt earneſt, equal eyer of the main End. There be many particulars in this head, which according to prudence and leiſure may have their ſeaſons of ponderings.
The variety will breed delight, and ſet an edge upon the Spirit, apt to grow heavy and weary; they are ſuch as theſe: As the conſiderations of the moſt high God, in all his infinite Glories and Perfections: His All-ſufficiency, in his Knowledge, Wiſdom, Holineſs, Righteouſneſs, and the reſt: But chiefly in his ſo infinite and unchangeable Love, and Riches of Free Grace: The Infinite obligations, eternally lying upon us, for glorifying and exalting of him: The infinite excellencies and fullneſs of the ſecond Perſon, and his infinite Love, in undertaking with his Father, to Redeem loſt ſinners: And the infinite love of the third Perſon, the Holy Spirit, the applyer of Redemption. Some moſt ſerious Meditation of God, and glorifying him, to give down into the heart a glowing heat and livelineſs, for all the following day, is ſtill fit in ſome meaſure to be practiſed.
2. The next ſhould be ſome ſerious muſing on that next End, our own ſalvation and Eternal bappineſs, farther to be wrought out, to be our day labour, by the opportunity of a new begun day, a day, which will bring us nearer to the Ocean of Eternity.
CHAP. IV. Of the next End, Salvation.
NExt to the higheſt Gods intereſt, muſt be muſed ſeriouſly upon this great ſoul-intereſt; Prov. 9.12. If thou art wiſe, thou art wiſe for thy ſelf. 2 Tim. 3.1. Wiſdom to ſalvation. This, becauſe ſelf is ſo near and dear, and the immortal Soul ſo unſpeakably precious, the heart being once ſtampt with a ſpiritual high ſtrong ſelf-love, will have a mighty influence of warmth abiding on the Spirit.
Here two things are to be attended and practiſed. 1. Meditation of Salvation in a more general Notion and Conſideration, works little or nothing, but the pondering of particulars in Salvation: It is a Rule in Oratory, and ſo in Preaching, that for moving and drawing the affections, generals and things in a confuſed manner ſpoken, they hit not, work not, draw not. It is the diſtinct ſeeing and viewing of particulars which moves and affects to purpoſe: So Meditation to be effectual muſt particularize the things compriſed, in ſome ſort, in this happineſs and ſalvation: As that ſo bleſſed freedom from ſin in the guilt, in pardon, and righteouſneſs, from the dominion of ſin, by power, life, image of Chriſt, and holineſs, and the glorious priviledges of a Chriſtian here, and Everlaſting Glory hereafter; and ſuch like.
2. There's another Rule among Oratours, that things moving the Affections, they do it either Magnitudine aut Praeſentia, by their greatneſs or excellency, or by their preſence or nearneſs: As the greatneſs of a perſon, or the preſence of a perſon; or the greatneſs of a good or evil, or the nearneſs and preſence of it.
1. The greatneſs, the ſurpaſſing greatneſs of Salvation, as Scripture ſets it forth, Heb. 2. That ſo unſpeakable deliverance from ſuch a height, breadth, and length of Miſery by ſin; and that inexpreſſible happineſs by union with Jeſus Chriſt. The ſo great things of this glorious ſtate, ſhould fall by our Meditation upon the Affections, and daily, like fire from Heaven, kindle them greatly.
2. Things move by their preſence or nearneſs: the remoter the Object is from the Faculty, as the Objects of the External Senſes, as Seeing, Hearing, and the reſt; or the farther a thing is apprehended to be, as any Place, or Time, or the like, the leſs it affects: But the preſence or propinquity of a thing moves moſt, as when a Poyſon or dangerous thing is near or preſent, as an Antidote or a help when near, when Death or Deliverance is at hand, when a Friend is preſent, or the like, this moves moſt. So the way of Meditation here, is by repreſenting ſalvation as preſent or near, 2 Cor. 6. 1, 2, 3. eſcaping Hell as now, being put into poſſeſſion of Heaven as now; if I were now dying, and my Soul ſitting on my lips, ready to take its flight as now; if now the laſt Trump were ſounding; now Jeſus Chriſt ſeen coming to Judgment; now the Sentence of Abſolution paſſing: Let me thus ſeaſon and ſtrengthen Meditation by this kind of repreſentation, ſeeing it as near, as preſent, now acting, now doing, or now having, and fully poſſeſſing this Salvation.
CHAP. V. Of the Means conducing to this chief End.
THE next thing in ſpiritual wiſdom, to be the Object of daily Meditation, is to give (as we can) ſome allowance of ſerious thoughts, of that which ſhould be the due and adequate means, conducing to the chief End, of Eternal life, with the glorifying of God, as formerly we have mentioned.
1. Chriſt the way. Therefore the next thing (being the higheſt and uppermoſt of all conducing Means to the Supream End) the next thing I ſay, to be the great Object of Meditation, muſt be Jeſus Chriſt, our way to the Father, and our higheſt way of glorifying him: None comes to the Father, ſaith Chriſt, but by me, John— Initial coming to God by Faith to Juſtification, Reconciliation and Union with God is by Chriſt: All other after comings, and glorifyings of God, are ſtill by Chriſt, as alſo all ſalvation is treaſured up in him: ſo it muſt be the beſt way for our Meditations method, to be daily acted in ſome meaſure upon our mighty Saviour, our great and only way to our great and chief End, ſo he calls himſelf the way, John—
Here what a moſt glorious and delicious Object hath the Eye of Meditation?
Chriſt, in Iſa. 65.1. calls, Behold me, behold me; ah what a Spirit muſt that be, that for ſuch an infinite Beauty cannot afford one caſt of the eye, one wiſhly look in the whole compaſs of a day; that can look every way freely, fixedly, and unweariedly, but Chriſtward?
The Spouſe in the Canticles, her Eye-walk was among the Excellencies and Beauties of her Beloved the Lord Chriſt, his pure Colours, White and Red, his moſt rare features and exact proportions of every part, his Head, Locks, Eyes, Cheeks, Lips, Hands, Legs, and all his glorious perfections, and then addes to fum up all, that he is altogether lovely: So lovely that her Eye affected her heart, and ſo beloved that ſhe fell ſick of love.
Ah when a heart is ſtrongly enflamed with a Love to Chriſt, the eye will be acted in moſt wiſhly lookings upon Chriſt; as the love grows, the earneſt lookings will grow.
Here then the Rule is, to Meditate in ſome due meaſure on this Glorious Object, ſo both infinitely excellent in himſelf, and ſo mighty a Saviour unto us. His infinite Riches and Preciouſneſs, in his Natures united, in his Offices conferred, in his graces fullneſs, perfect performances, moſt perfect Redemption, his infinite love, pity, willingneſs to ſave loſt Sinners: The ſo great free offers of himſelf, and giving himſelf to us, applying his whole Redemption to us, by his mighty operation in us: Some ſingular ſeriouſneſs and rigour of Meditation cannot but daily be due, as that firſt and chief means to the chief End. Chriſtians that leaſt look at Chriſt, and leaſt diſtinctly view him, will make the ſloweſt progreſs, and ſuch as ſtudy him moſt, will have the eaſieſt and moſt expedite coming up to the main Mark.