Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI. Of the ſecond ground of this ſo neceſſary Duty of Meditation.
HEavenly things ſhould have not only a meer ſeeing and knowing, but a minding and meditating, from their obliging and challenging excellencies (Prov. 8.6. and 22.20. Excellent things, have I not written to thee excellent things, ſaith Solomon. Phil. 3.8. For the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt, &c.) their ſo far tranſcending excellencies, their rare objective excellencies, give me leave to call them ſo; that is, they are not only excellent things in themſelves, though never known or ſhewn to us, but they are made to be excellent objects for our obſervation and minding: All made to be minded; but ſome of them more peculiarly made and prepared, made great, made high, deep, and large, fil'd brim full, yea running over, with both native excellency, and likewiſe ſutableneſs for us, ſutableneſs for our ſpirits to act and make their chief abode of ſeriouſeſt thoughts upon; for a ſpiritual and holy eye to fix upon, and be pleaſed in. As in Philoſophy they reaſon, if there be objectum ſenſibile, an object of the outward ſenſe (and that which eſpecially is excellent) if there be Odours and rich Scents; if ſounds, excellent ſounds; or if there be rare Colour, Feature, Motion; and that ſo excellent object Light, eſpecially ſuch glorious Lights as the ſeveral Stars, the Moon, and the moſt glorious Sun; there muſt be thoſe Senſes of ſmelling, hearing, ſeeing, which may perceive their objects and receive the pleaſure and benefit of them, otherwiſe they muſt be all in vain. If there were no Creatures with any Senſes to perceive theſe Objects of Colour, Light, and the reſt, to what end were any of them?
What uſe would Colour or Light be of, without any eye to behold it? The omniſcient God he cannot need it: The Angels and Spirits being without bodies, they do not need it: Creatures blind, and Creatures made without ſenſe; Elements, as Earth, Water, and the other: Elementaries, ſuch as Stones, Metals, Trees, and ſuch like inſenſitive things, they need it not; neither need any ſmells, ſounds, or taſtes, only the ſenſe is ſuted to the Object, and the Object to the ſenſe: The Object is made or manifeſted and ſhewn for the ſenſe.
So if there be ſpiritual Objects, and no ſpiritual eye fitted for them, and if ſpiritual Objects be held forth and ſhewn, and there were never any eying of them, they then in that reſpect (as to their holding forth) would be in vain: And the ſpiritual eye would be in vain, as if the eye had no Object to behold, it would be in vain, and as no eye at all.
Therefore doth God in Scripture call ſo oft for a beholding of the things of Heaven, becauſe of their excellencies purpoſely ſhewn for that end: Joh — Behold the Lamb of God. 1 Joh. 3.1. Behold what love the, &c.
Therefore when there are ſuch abundance of ſpiritual and heavenly things, ſet out in ſuch rare Colours and proportions, ſhining in ſuch high ſplendour and glory: When ſo many moſt bright and beauteous, when ſo great and extenſive rarities and excellencies, beam forth and ſhine ſo gloriouſly in heavenly and ſpiritual things, there then needs muſt be an Eye, a ſpiritual Eye, for theſe ſo excellent Objects, to behold them and be exerciſed about them.
Yea, when there is ſuch a height, depth, latitude, and length, and vaſtneſs every way, of dimenſions of excellency ſhining in them; and this purpoſely, that they may be viewed and admired, and alſo improved; therefore there muſt be an anſwerable eying and conſidering.
1. A real ſincere acting of minding and meditating, to anſwer their moſt real worth.
2. A deep ſearching of thoughts, to anſwer their height and depth of excellency.
3. An abode and dwelling and enlarging of thoughts, to anſwer the latitude and extenſiveneſs of excellency in them, that all their glory and excellency, ſo near as can be, may be known and taſted.
The excellencies therefore of ſpiritual things are for eying and pondering, the greatneſs of their excellencies for great eying and earneſt Meditating.
Therefore we find that great Artiſt in Meditation, the holy Pſalmiſt, ſo buſying his thoughts and meditating in ſeveral things; as about God and his Glory, Greatneſs, Holineſs, Righteouſneſs, Truth, Mercy, Severity, and Power, Pſal. 104. Pſal. 12.6. About the Word of God, in thoſe ſhining rays of its infallible Truth, Purity, Perfection, mighty efficacy, and glorious excellencies, Pſal. 19.7, 8. Pſal. 119. And ſo about the works and ways of God, 2 Tim. 3.16. The bleſſed Apoſtle Paul was ſo acted in his thoughts about the Word of God and the Goſpel, Chriſt and Free Grace, the fullneſs of Chriſt, Epheſ. 2.4, 7. the workings of his Spirit, and the whole myſtery of godlineſs, 1 Tim. 3.16. Thus other Saints in Scripture, Prophets, Apoſtles, and divers elſe.
The wiſe hearted will have their eyes thus exerciſed, they think bare knowing, without due Meditating, is an undervaluing of ſpiritual things.