Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 28 – Chapter 29
CHAP. XXVIII. Of other ends of this Meditation.
4. FOR all Duties and holy performances, there is great neceſſity of Meditation, in ſome due meaſure, for a due, wiſe, warm, lively, and ſpiritual acting them, acting from the right principle of Grace within, by the right rule eying the Word, and to the right mark and end, ſalvation: Real and vigorous performing in this ſort muſt have ſome good allowance of pondering what we are to perform.
This is very conſpicuous in holy David, ſo great a performer of holy Duties, Praying, confeſſing and praiſing; his prayings, and all things in that way, he calls his Meditation. Certainly, thoſe ſo excellent Pſalms of prayings and praiſings were no flaſhes of a meerly raiſed phanſie, or ſome haſty runnings over of a hot Brain; not an uttering what came next, but the paſſages ſo rare, ſpiritual, and heavenly, and ſo ſtrongly rational; as they had a touch from Heaven in the Spirits guidance and aſſiſtance, ſo they had a tincture from a wiſe holy heart within, laying them aſteep in conſideration, and acting them with it in higheſt heeds and mindings, concurring with their utterings. Things ſo well ſpoken, muſt be well weighed, eſpecially when they alſo were to be Scripture Records. For holy Prophets and Scripture Pen-men were to uſe their own natural gifts, and their graces, in their writings, though the Spirit of God infallibly guided, ſometimes raiſed and elevated them above themſelves: Duties of Religion ebb and flow, are more lively, ſpiritual, and heavenly, or more dead, carnal, and ſuch as run lower, according to their fomentings and feedings from the warm ſpring of Meditation; thus in our praying and other duties we may daily experience.
Chriſtians complain they are dead-hearted and cold, ſlight and perfunctory in performances; confeſſions are not accompanied with heart-meltings, ſhame, and ſelf-loathings; Petitions not with fervency, ſtrong cryings, and earneſt wreſtlings; Thankſgivings not with that flame of love, and joy, and high admirings of the ſo great goodneſs, and rich free Grace of God in his ways and diſpenſations toward us; commonly the cauſe is, the ſpring of Meditation is ſtopt, the ſoul runs not in ſuch a current of conſiderations and quickning reaſons as it ought, and uſed to do.
When any part or member of the body fails in heat, ſenſe, or motion; where there is actio laeſa, as the Phyſicians ſay, there's principium laeſum; that is, where is an action or acting hurt or hindred from its natural and uſual way, there the principle and feeder of that action hurt and failing, is hurt and failing it ſelf.
As when failing of ſence or motion in an Hand or Leg, it's num or cannot ſtir; this is from the cold clammy humors lying at, and obſtructing the heads of thoſe Nerves that did convey motive or ſenſitive ſpirits to that part is num or motionleſs. Now,
Meditation is a head or riſe of motions ſpiritual, Reaſons and Arguments are as the Nerves that convey and ſtir up heat, ſpirit, and motion into holy performances.
This is one very great cauſe holy Duties are no more lively and warm, the cure muſt be in removing the obſtructions, opening the ſpring-head of Meditation, making that run freſh and full in ſuch conſiderations as may warm and quicken: The wiſdom of Chriſtians therefore is to take as we ſaid, that great Artiſts way, the holy Pſalmiſt, that acted godlineſs ſo eminently; and among others upon this eminent acting ſtill of Meditation, he tells how he prayed day and night, and how he ſtill praiſed and highly rendred his thankſgivings and bleſſings, and he tells you how, he meditated day and night.
And he tells you his Meditation aſſiſted and contributed, as Pſal. 5. He tells you his Prayer was his Meditation, becauſe aſſiſted, quickened, and prepared by Meditation: If Chriſtians would uſe to Meditate more carefully and conſtantly, it would help to keep up better the vigour of Prayer, ſo would it likewiſe keep life and warmth in all other holy duties.
No Chriſtians are warmer at the heart, and livelier in holy ſervices, than thoſe who meditate moſt; but never expect the one without the other: Keep this Fountain open and ſtill running; this is the water to drive the Mill, the Wind that moves the ſails, the ſpring in the Watch that carries all the Wheels and keeps them going, I ſpeak as to that is to be done on our part, otherwiſe God does all in all.
5. Meditation is neceſſary to be an excluſive and keeper out of evil and vain thoughts, and to diſlodge them; naturally all the imaginations of the heart are evil, and only evil continually, Gen. 6.5.
Vain thoughts lodge and repoſe, as in a Bed, in a carnal heart: Jer. 4.14. How long ſhall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Epheſ. 4.17. Walking in the vanity of your minds: The way and walk is in the vanity of the mind. To diſlodge theſe lodgers, and ſhut them out, is by accuſtoming and exerciſing the mind to good thoughts, to be the excluders of bad thoughts. The Learned Sir Francis Bacon obſerves, as the cures of bodily diſeaſes are by applying things contrary to them, ſo the defects of the mind are helpt by contrary ſtudies: Poetry makes men witty, Hiſtory wiſe, the Mathematicks ſubtil, Natural Philoſophy deep, Moral Philoſophy grave, Logick and Rhetorick able to contend, theſe Arts help the defects of Nature, by working contrary habits proper for the cure of thoſe defects.
So in ſpiritual diſtempers and defects, there are ſutable cures and remedies, by applyings and actings of the contraries: So Rom. 8.13. If ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the ſpirit: All ſins, particular ſins are mortifi'd by thoſe Graces are contrary to thoſe ſins; ſo diſtruſt is mortified by holy truſting, paſſion and wrath by godly meekneſs, Pride by Humility, worldly affections by heavenly affections ſtill acted, and ſo evil thoughts by good, roving, wandring, and wild imaginations by Godly Conſideration and Meditation: which accuſtoming our ſelves unto, will work off cuſtomary, vain, and wandring thoughts; a holy principle of Meditation, the ſinful principle of evil thinkings.
It is not ſo much the ſtriving and tugging againſt corruptions to keep them down, though we muſt both watch and war againſt them, but the acting of the contrary Grace that beſt relieves us; to ſtrive after a bare ſuppreſſing of ſin and of evil thoughts in particular, comes to little.
This is a kind of being only upon the defenſive; for an obſerving and marking the riſings and ſtirrings of corruption and ſins, it may be with a good meaſure of grief and reluctancy, but this is rather a telling and reckoning the evil thoughts and ſtirrings, and lying expos'd ſtill to freſh aſſaults, leaving corruptions opportunity to return ſo oft as they will, than to abate and ſuppreſs them: It can do little unleſs we go this way to work: The beſt and neareſt way to diſlodge and exclude evil thoughts, is by lodging and acting good thoughts, in this way, this ordinance of Meditation, which will keep us: God keeps us, when we keep his and our way: The way when they come, as we ſhould againſt evil thoughts act deteſtation, but withal act diverſion; act not deteſtation alone, but diverſion: Let thy heart both turn inwardly againſt them, and turn alſo from them, by turning upon ſomething is both ſpiritual and ſeaſonable.
So ſoon as the Poyſon of evil thoughts would infect, take the antidote, the beſt preſervative of diverſion to, and acting of good and holy thoughts, the art of diverſion is better than meer acting ſtill of ſtriving and oppoſition.
Yea, Secondly, Meditation is to be exerciſed, not only as an excluſive of bad thoughts, but for an introductive of good thoughts, good thoughts in a way, for an arriving at habitual heavenly mindedneſs; for an introductive of heavenly mindedneſs, where there was formerly a walking in the vanity of the mind: Gen. 6.5. All the thoughts of the heart evil continually; cuſtomarily, habitually evil: for, I ſay, an introductive to heavenly mindedneſs; and likewiſe for an improver of heavenly mindedneſs daily.
In handling the Explication of the deſcription of Meditation, when the ends of it were mentioned, among other ends, this was one; Meditation muſt be performed to be a moulder and framer of habitual heavenly wiſdom, making the ſpirit of a Chriſtian habitually wiſe; ſo I adde now, Meditation is to be performed, to introduce, and after that, improve an habitual heavenly mindedneſs.
It is not only incumbent on thee to ſhut out evil thoughts, and endeavour good thoughts, to take up the old lodgings of the evil, and ſo thruſt and keep them out, but thou muſt by Meditation, by conſtant uſing it, endeavour habitual heavenly mindedneſs.
In all truly gracious hearts, a principle that inclines, that introduces a bent and tendency of ſoul heaven-ward; but this at the firſt is a tender bud, it is but weak and inclines weakly, acts feebly in compariſon of after time, when it's grown and ſtrengthened by exerciſe; when we exerciſe and uſe to meditate, this dips and dyes the ſpirit into the tincture and Grain Colour of habitual heavenly mindedneſs.
Though the firſt fundamental inclination, and bent of ſpirit heaven-ward, muſt be ſought till it be found, the carnal earthly mindedneſs changed into heavenly; yet this, if we were never ſo aſſured of it, muſt not ſatisfie; here no Chriſtian muſt ſet up: But to the now firſt principle and the fundamental habit obtained, this ſuperadded acquired habit, ſhould be this ſecond grand endeavour, and intenſion, firſt to have the ſpiritual habit, the new fundamental heart-tendency, then to have this inclination heightened, ripened, and corroborated, by habit attain'd upon frequencies and conſtancies of practice, and uſing this heavenly meditating. This David, the excellent example of actings in this high-way to Heaven, God ſays of him, when he was very young, when Samuel came to annoint him, he was one whoſe heart he lookt on as being principled with piety and real holineſs, he had a heart inclined, ſet for God and things heavenly; but he acted holineſs, exerciſed himſelf in it, and in this particular way of Meditation, till it ripened and arrived at habitual meditation, from holding up a conſtancy in it. This may be gathered from the character he gives of a godly man, and from his own ſtill practice; Pſal. 1.2. In the Law of the Lord he meditates day and night; when a man begins to be godly, hath the principle, this will incline him to begin this godlineſs, this meditation: But then godly wiſdom teaches to practiſe it, for to uſe meditating, to get a hand at this rare work, to come to an habitual heavenly mindedneſs: So David that was ſo wiſe, ſo excellently wiſe, as Pſal. 119.98, 99. he had acted the fundamental principle, Pſal. 119.112. He inclined his heart to keep all the Commandments alway; and he exerciſed meditation to babitual heavenly mindedneſs; for he tells us, Pſal. 119.97. Pſal. 63.6. he meditated all the day, meditated in the night watches; when he ſtill awoke he was ever with God. He gets the habitual heavenly mindedneſs, and then it was eaſie, and by being ſound eaſie, it was withal his delight Meditation at firſt, the burden and yoke of heavenly Meditation, lying on the weak ſhoulders of the new Convert, with only his new principle of grace begun, is a hard and heavy work; though the ſpirit be willing, yet to perform it is weak: But when this work is carried on, and daily practiſed, then by cuſtom and habit (an acquired habit) then it is eaſie, then 'tis the great ſoul-ſolace and delight. David's habitual beavenly mindedneſs, was the rare product and iſſue of his meditation; he found it ſo, and therefore followed the faſter: Therefore this ought to be a grand intendment: A heavenly mindedneſs, when 'tis habitual, when it is corroborated, and of a young tender Plant is grown to be a Tree of ſtrength, and yet is growing more; this is a rare excellency, and gloriouſly ſweet attainment; a heavenly minded man, how excellent is ſuch a one generally in all mens tyes?
This makes a Chriſtian ſtill with God, have his way above, his converſation in Heaven, Pſal. 139.18. Phil. 3.20. feed on Manna, fill with peace and joy, overflow and abound in ſingular fruitfulneſs towards others.
Out of the abundance of heart-heavenlineſs the mouth ſpeaks, and the whole converſation ſhines in an exemplary walking.
Therefore the heart muſt be meditating upon heavenly things, that it ſtill may be framing and fixing bigher in habitual thinkings. Meditate thy ſelf into heavenly mindedneſs, that ſo bleſſed and glorious frame. To conclude this third Reaſon: Therefore the Scripture holds forth Meditation in ſeveral ſorts. 1. Daily doing it in courſe. 2. Then occaſional meditating as a ſuperaddition. 3. And that of ejaculation, or ſhort and more ſudden darting up the thoughts to Heav'n, to come in as an Auxiliary & ſupply, when the other Meditation, more ſolemn and ſet, cannot be uſed; Ejaculations may oft interpoſe in our courſe. This is a wedge may be driven in, enter the throng and crowd of occaſions; when matters lie before us as tough and knotty pieces of wood, when they will not give way to meditation at large, but hinder it, this wedge may and will ever enter, if we apply it, to keep up the conſtancy of heavenly mindedneſs.
Ah how ſhould my ſpirit bleſs abundantly that God, who hath ſo fully provided for a lying open of … way to Heaven, that my ſoul may mount up … ſo frequently, and be either detained above by … Contemplation, or at leaſt to touch at Heaven by …
CHAP. XXIX. Of the fourth ground that ſupports this Duty of Meditation.
4. THE fourth and laſt ground to ſupport this weighty work of holy Meditation, is the conſideration of the great advantages or diſadvantages, ariſing from the careful performance, or careleſs neglect of it. Every Ordinance of Chriſt hath holy advantages attending it; thoſe who uſe them aright, daily experience how good it is to walk in the King of Heaven's high-ways.
1. The firſt I ſhall name, is that ſo glorious advantage of improving our communion and acquainunce with God, Job. 22.21. 1 Joh. 1.3. No communion we can expect, much leſs can we improve it, out of the uſe of holy Ordinances, whereby we draw neer to God, and God to us: Although God himſelf be not ſo tyed to theſe ways, but he may come to us, when and how he pleaſeth; yet we are tyed to Gods Ordinances, as our ways of acquaintance with him; and when in a holy manner we draw neer to God, he hath promiſed to command the bleſſing to us, Pſal. 133.5. Pſal. 24.5. He ſhall, &c. Meditation being then his Ordinance, it is a way of communion, a ſingular way of acting our ſpirits towards him, of acting our minds and thoughts in a way of reference to him, either more directly or leſs; ſometimes Meditation is acted on his infinite excellencies, in ſeeing his infinite beauty and lovelineſs, admiring and glorifying him; and by this Contemplation we come to an improvement of our knowledge, to underſtand more of him, an enlargement of affections, encouragement of our wills, chuſings of him, and aimings at his glorifying and exalting; excciting and ſtirring up the Graces of Faith, for ſtronger recumbencies on his All-ſufficiency, love to cleave more, humility to ſtoop and ſubmit more, patience to endure more willingly, and other Graces to act higher in their ſpheres and ranks; by all in the ways of exerciſing them, to own him and have him more to be our God. Meditation helps to move and carry the ſoul, and all that is of it and in it, towards God: And when we act upon him, open the doors of our hearts to him, Rev. 3.20. God he comes in and manifeſts himſelf in his Grace, Quicknings, Supportings, Comforts; he ſups with us, as Rev. 3.20. and we ſup with him, he is pleaſed and delighted with our Graces exerciſed towards him, and we ſup with him in his manifeſtations of himſelf to us, in his helpings of us, gladding and chearing our ſpirits, raviſhing our hearts with the taſtes of his love.