Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of divers other things for ſolemn and ſet Meditation.
6. SOlemn and ſerious Meditation, a very great and diligent conſideration, I ſhould often act in reference to that arch Enemy without, namely the Devil, who though he be an Enemy without, yet gains and maintains all he can, a correſpondency with corruption within me.
Satan I muſt conſider as fallen from God, and ſo from his primitive ſtation and happineſs, into damnation and Hell, fallen out implacably with God, and for his ſake with his beſt Creature on Earth, man. Out of his implacable hatred, his aim is to drown men in the ſame Perdition and Hell with himſelf, 1 Pet. 5.8. He ſeeks whom he may devour, Rev. 2.24. he hath his deceits, depths, methods, and arts of both tempting and troubling, 2 Cor. 2.11. And theſe acted with the pureſt enmity, keeneſt malice, utmoſt vigilancy, and unwearied diligence.
He hath the higher ground of us by far, as being a Spirit, and of the higheſt rank of Creatures, as to his Nature and Eſſence, and is thereby moſt wiſe and ſtrong and agile: He is immortal, never can dye, nor in any ſort decay, as we and other creatures decay in ſtrength, ſenſes, and exerciſing of our ſouls faculties, underſtanding, memory and others; as he is never dying, nor in the leaſt decaying, ſo he hath been, is and ever will be to the worlds end, trying and tempting. Trying and practiſing upon the innumerable ſorts of perſons, of all Sexes, all Ages, (that are capable in the leaſt degree to be tempted) of all ranks, conditions, relations, in all places whatſoever, through the vaſt inhabited earth. Job 1.7.
He alſo enlarges his experiences, puts ſtill freſh on his file; improves continually his arts of deceiving; and doth he not grow more bold, raging, and buſie, as his time grows ſhorter? Rev. 12.12.
Pondered well it ſhould be, that 'tis not one ſingle Devil to tempt us, but there are Legions, very many of them; and they are all one huge Army of Devils, under one great Head, The Devil and his Angels, Mat. 25.41. Rev. 12.7. His Angels are his aſſiſtants, which conſtantly and exactly comply and co-operate with him. The Devils never are divided, do not jar and act againſt each other, but are all of one intereſt of deſtroying Souls, and accordingly do harmoniouſly contend.
Oft in Scripture mention is made of Satan and the Devil, as if he were a ſingle one: But this may be to ſhew their unanimity and unity.
The Scripture hath ſufficiently warned us, and related his attempts and prevailings; as firſt upon Adam and Eve in their ſtate of innocency and perfection; yet he then (though they knew not only their own happineſs, but all their poſterities, though never ſo numerous, lay at the ſtake) he then by his Artifices, and ſubtlety prevailed.
After that, upon the ſecond man that ever was, upon the deceived Parents firſt born Cain, therefore 1 Joh. 3.12. Cain is ſaid to be of the wicked one; and on ſundry other wicked all along ſtill the current of time.
Yea prevailed he often hath upon the very beſt Saints that ever the world had; Job, David, Peter, and others, Job 3.1, &c. 2 Sam. 24.1. Mat. 26.3. he forbears none: Therefore it is very much to be conſidered, and how he is to be watched and warred with; and the Armour of proof is to be duly minded, and the putting of it on, Epheſ. 6.13.
He that hath conquered him, the Lord Jeſus, and that hath conquered him for his members; this glorious conqueſt muſt be meditated upon, as the ſtrongeſt Cordial in the caſe; and way of taking it, the Promiſe, with the way of acting by the Promiſe, Praying and other Ordinances given for our help, this need be often a great Meditation.
7. That Enemy the World ſhould have its due Meditation: Its allurements on the one ſide, its oppoſitions on the other: I muſt meditate on the diverſities of baits, the latitudes of Pleaſures, heights of Honour, heaps of Wealth, 1 Joh. 2.15. Friends, Relations, Company, Converſe, Cares, Buſineſs, and all my Lets, Diverſions, Entanglements, of all the evils; in Troubles, Forcings, Frauds, Plottings, and all ways of enſnaring and ruining me. Alſo the World (in ſo many reſpects being ſuited either to my natural inclination, or my cuſtomary readineſs for cloſing with it; or otherwiſe to my fears and cowardiſe, ſoftneſs and fickleneſs, weakneſs and wearineſs to withſtand or overcome it) Yet I muſt conſider how the Saints have overcome the world, by acting, as Moſes and others, their ſelf-denyal, looking to the recompence of reward, looking to him that is inviſible, and eſpecially to Jeſus, the Author and finiſher of our Faith; and by Faith and Patience both enduring and gloriouſly overcoming.
8. Sometimes I may very fruitfully meditate on the wants and weakneſs of my Grace begun in ſome meaſure, 2 Pet. 1.5. its often ebbings and flowings, its ſtops and ſtands: A little progreſs at the beſt my ſo carnal heart makes; alſo of the extream need I have of continual ſtirring up, and exerciſing Faith, Love, Hope, Fear, and other Graces, thereby to grow ſtronger, and put forth vigorouſly on all occaſions; minding alſo the helps I have in Chriſts holy Ordinances, encouragements in the precious promiſes, and ſupplies by the bleſſed Spirits operations out of the ſo great fulneſs of Chriſt.
9. Oft I ſhould apply my ſeriouſneſs to that ſo concerning particular, the continual and faſt running out of the golden ſands of my time, and ſpecial ſeaſons for working out of my ſalvation. The time is ſhort, faith the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 7.29. Pſal. 39.5. Behold thou haſt made my days as an handbreadth. Seaſons paſt can never be recall'd, ſeaſons preſent cannot be ſtopt from running out: Opportunity is the greateſt Talent, as the ſaying is, as that whereby we employ all other Talents.
Therefore we are ſo often earneſtly call'd upon, for redeeming time, as Eph. 5.16. Redeeming the time. Eccl. 9.10. Whatſoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might, for there is no work in the Grave, &c. Though time and ſeaſons, as the courſe of the Heavens may be made to ſtop, if the Sun as in Joſhua's time, ſhould miraculouſly ſtand ſtill, Joſ. 10.13. or as in Hezekiah's time go back, Iſa. ….8. yet mens particular time then did not go back, or ſtand ſtill; ſo our particular time of life cannot go back or ſtand ſtill, Job. 9.25. and 14.1, 2. and ver. 5.
Life every moment ſhortens, and is melting down into its appointed period.
Life is a thing of the greateſt contingency and uncertainty, there is no Enſurance Office ſet up for it.
It paſſes ſwiftly without pauſe or ſtop, this the Scripture both minds us greatly of, and furniſhes us with rare precedents of the Saints ſerious and moving Meditations about it.
O let me then look on them and do likewiſe I let me uſe and improve the patterns purpoſely there recorded, to help and quicken my forgetful dead ſpirit.
I next come to ſpeak of the four laſt things, as they commonly are called, Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven.