Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. Of ſolace and ſpiritual pleaſure, another end of Meditation.
2. AS it is a way of ſingular communion with God, ſo it is for a heavenly walk, of great ſoul-ſolace and delight; a path of pleaſantneſs, to walk, turn, and recreate thy ſpirit in; as Solomon, Prov. 3.17. Her ways are ways of pleaſantneſs, all her ways; all the particular paths in thoſe ways, and therefore this way; and it is made purpoſely by Chriſt, for his people to walk and turn in: One of the ſtately large high walks in the King of Glories Garden, for thy walk and ſweet refreſhings. Travelling abroad to ſee ſundry Countries, Towns, Cities, and the great varieties of Objects there, is counted a rare ſight, a great pleaſure and contentment.
Travelling with the Eye of Reaſon, amongſt the great myſteries and rare ſecrets of Nature; and by ſearching, curious exquiſite ſearching, to make new, ſtrange diſcoveries of Natures implanted excellencies; the makings and framings ſo admirable, the properties and efficacies ſo ſtrange and amazing in ſo many ſorts of things. This travelling in theſe cloſe walks, theſe hidden ways ending in new, rare and uſeful experiences, is a very ſingular pleaſure to many, but peculiarly to elevated, and refined parts and wits. But travelling with a ſpiritual eye, among ſpiritual, holy, and heavenly Objects, and to ſee this whole proſpect, take a view of all the varieties of heavenly beauties and glories, meeting us in our walk; this is a raviſhing ſolace indeed, beyond all others, as far as Diamonds tranſcend the dirt, or the glorious lights of Heaven do clods of Earth or Dunghils.
In Pſal. 119.14, 15, 16. the Pſalmiſt tells what in Meditation-walks he met with, more ſolace than in all riches, of which he had ſo great abundance, a Kingdom of his own, and the rich ſpoils of other Kingdoms alſo.
Carnal and ſenſual perſons, ſtudy ſometimes, and act great curioſity to heighten and enlarge pleaſures, and to find out new, rare pleaſures, not taſted before: Oft they are at a loſs, and diſcompoſed, for a not having ſome new pleaſures, as being cloyed with the old. But here is a way for a heavenly ſpirit, of unwearied walking, of ever taſting larger pleaſures: Of ever finding freſh and higher, more pure, more permanent pleaſures, ſuch pleaſures that enlarge the heart, and then enlarge themſelves in it; ſuch pleaſures that come fuller, freſher, ſweeter in, and then there fix and dwell.
Joh. 15.11. Our Saviour tells us of a full joy, and of a remaining joy: who can tell you ſuch happy tidings, where elſe any ſuch joy is to be both felt and fixt? But in ſuch ways where Jeſus Chriſt, the water of life, ſprings forth and flows; the Saints meet with it, drink of it abundantly; meditate to drink, meditate and drink: They meditate, and in their walking meet with rare, rich things, ſurpaſſing ſweet: Pſal. 104.34. David faith his Meditation of God was ſweet; certainly it was ſo, and he means unſpeakably ſweet; meditation on the word and works of God, were abundantly ſweet, O how ſweet muſt meditation of God himſelf be?
Meditation brings in, and gives down ſweeter and more ſurpaſſing pleaſures, than all earthly carnal things can; ſo much beyond them, as Manna from Heaven is beyond baſeſt bread, meaneſt fare; as the Wine of Chriſt's miraculous making, beyond the water it was made of.
Three things eſpecially make pleaſures excellent.
1. When the pleaſurable things are rich and excellent, as Nature yields them, as rare fruits, rich ſpices, and the like.
2. When they are rare and excellent, as Art redutes them, as Art meliorates and perfects them.
3. When they have a right and curious, an exquiſite receiver, and perceiver: As when pureſt Fountain Waters are fetcht freſh, in a pure clean Veſſel, and have a curious Taſter: Or as the richeſt Grape, by the beſt art, is made into Wine, put into the beſt Cask, and hath beſt ordering, and then comes to an exquiſite Palate: Or ſome excellent Fleſh or Fiſh is by the beſt art prepared, and by the exquiſitely right and curious Taſter diſeerned.
1. Meditation it hath thoſe kinds of Objects, which in their own Nature are moſt tranſeendent, pureſt Springs and Rivers of Water of life, the things moſt ſoul-ſatiating, and unſpeakably delighting; the moſt glorious God, the unſearchable riches of Chriſt, the holy Spirit the great Helper and Comforter, the pure and perfect Word, the precious promiſes, heavenly Ordinances, glorious Grace, and eternal happineſs. Theſe are in themſelves moſt excellent, and therefore the higheſt ground for our Meditations walk, for ſolace, and pleaſure, and he higheſt.
2. They have the moſt excellent means of preparing and fitting them for a right taſte; the Art and skill of the bleſſed Spirit, 2 Pet. 1.21. Prov. 8.9. by his fitting them, and ordering them to the beſt ſutableneſs for us, both for our minds and hearts, underſtandings to know them, wills and affections to cloſe with them: They are made plain and perſpicuous, perſwaſive and operative; they have a ſuitableneſs conferr'd by an infinite wiſdom of a God that knows how beſt to deliver them, as he hath done it in the Scriptures.
3. They have the beſt ways of receiving and perceiving, namely the higheſt kind of wiſdom, a rectified and elevated underſtanding, with a ſtamp and rare principle of ſpiritual judgment, 1 Cor. 2.7. and heavenly mindedneſs, diſcerning and ſavouring of ſpiritual things, in allowing and approving of them, 1 Cor. 1.15. He that is ſpiritual diſcerneth, Phil. 1.1. Approve things that are excellent.
So the Will and Affections they receive, and have the excellent principle of reliſhing, and ſavouring ſpiritual things, in chuſing and complacency, in love and joy: O how I love thy Law, Pſal. 119.97. Thy Teſtimonies are the joy and rejoycing of my heart, Pſal. 119.111. This is from the principle of Grace, that gives in an ability of reliſhing the ſweet and ſavoury things of Heaven.
But when all theſe concur, as it is in a holy heart, and in reference to it, the pleaſure is moſt ſurpaſſing, far beyond others, where the nature of the pleaſures is lower, the preparation lower, and the receiver and faculty of taſting, of either outward or inward ſenſe, or of a meer natural and carnal heart, in its beſt wiſdom and moral excellencies, is far lower. Meditation is the rare way to ſoul-ſolaces, and ſweeteſt pleaſures, as bringing in the moſt excellent delicacies, and ſtirring up the holy heart to act its principles in the Mind, Will, and Affections, of taſting and reliſhing them, and ſo to have let in the ſweet pleaſures and refreſhments of them.
The rareſt hours, and richeſt ſoul Banquets have been prepared and come to, uſually by this way of Meditation: when the ſpirit goes up to Heaven by holy Contemplation, Heaven comes down to us by rich Conſolation. Heavenly comforts meet us balf way, fill us brim full, and ſometimes to ſuch runnings over, as we know not how to bear up under the glorious fulneſs of them: Never doth any ſenſualiſt or any ſinner, in his way, taſte of ſuch pleaſures; Prov.— Meddles not with Saints joy.
It is not poſſible that ſenſual and brutiſh pleaſures ſhould be ſuch as intellectual; nor intellectual in meerly ſinful ſpirits, ſuch as ſpiritual and heavenly Meditation, being a ſpiritual operation acts higher, returns the pureſt, higheſt and moſt raviſhing pleaſures. Let the Saints Experience give in evidence; and if ſinners try upon heart changing and elevating Grace, they then will find, that no ſenſual, nor any pleaſures of moſt raiſed Fancies, or higheſt notions can hold proportion with ſpiritual pleaſures let into the heart, and taſted from this Divine Meditation.
There are many other high advantages I may add; as particularly,
1. As for brightening and clearing of knowledge, this was mentioned on a former occaſion.
2. Meditation ſerves for improving the judgment; the moſt judicious Chriſtians are ſuch as meditate moſt: Perſons of a ſhort ſpirit, whoſe thoughts are not full length, not well ſized, where thoughts touch as a perfect round thing, on a perfect plain; as lightening paſſes through the Air, and ſtays no time: Not like the Sun that not only ſhines but ſtays, that ſtaying of his light makes the beſt diſcoveries of things; ſo when things are ſtayed, and have fuller length of time; this is the way to be a judicious Chriſtian, to attain a ſpirit of judgment; the ſhorter you think, the ſhorter will you be of a judiciouſneſs in the things of Heaven.
3. Meditation keeps up and improves an awakened and tender conſcience, as bringing in more plenty of light, and acting it more upon the ſpirit, acting ſtronger reflections, deeper ſearchings, fuller diſcoveries in reſpect of the frame of the ſpirit within, and the converſation without: They that ſtudy themſelves moſt, will be moſt awakened to greater ſenſibleneſs, care, and fear, and ſet the ſtrongeſt watches upon their deceitful hearts.
4. Meditation makes a Chriſtian keep up his actirity and livelineſs; the beſt actings are bottom'd on the heart, put beſt in frame by raiſed elevated, and moſt ſpiritualized thoughts: It is greatly conducing to greateſt growth; ſouls if we would have them fat and flouriſhing, Pſal. 92. have the Garden of Graces, and the Beds of Spices flouriſh and flow forth, they muſt have as the other helps of heavenly Ordinances, ſo the hand of a conſtant Meditation to water them: he that beſt orders the firſt Wheel, the firſt Mover, will have all the following move more regularly and exactly.
The ſpiritual diſadvantages muſt needs be great where holy Meditation is neglected and never uſed, or but ſeldom, or ſlightly uſed. The advantages may be the rule of judging the diſadvantages; but I ſhall in particular mention ſome of the ſpiritual diſadvantages, and then come to the improvement of all that hath been ſaid.
1. The firſt diſadvantage, and that is a prejudice to purpoſe a total neglect of Meditation, or an uſual doing it ſlightly and formally, not ſeriouſly and diligently, is a great and principal ground of mens abiding in a ſtate of vanity, a living wholly to no purpoſe, but utterly beſides the grand end that man was made for, that ſupream end, the infinitely wiſe God, the maker of man, and thereby the total and abſolute proprietor in, and owner of his all, and that end of living to God, and glorifying him; vanity, I ſay, in a wholly miſſing his end and chief mark: For who can take aim at any mark, that eyes it not, or looks not earneſtly and evenly at it; that either looks quite another way, or looks with a regardleſs eye at the beſt? The bleſſed Apoſtle tells us, he lookt with another eye, Phil. 3.13. with an eye that lookt not off, or lookt eaſily; but the beſt mark had the beſt aim, he lookt for life.
The Scripture calls a ſinner a vain man, Jam. 2.20. for his living beſides his main end, ever in every thing miſſing that chief end; which riſes from being wanting in aiming right, and that want of aiming is for want of minding. Never can aiming, which is an act of the Will (intending is an act of the Will, aiming is the intending of a mark) never can aiming be right, unleſs conſidering or meditating be right, be due and earneſt, with evenneſs and conſtancy: That heart which comes not to be reduced to minding its chief end, will miſs it utterly at laſt.
The reaſon why there is ſo much vanity in the beſt, is partly, yea greatly upon this little minding, this ſlight, uneven, and ſeldom looking wiſhly and well at the main mark of God and happineſs.
2. Diſadvantage, ſinful ſecurity, a ſleepy ſoul ſtate, and heart hardning, a ſinking and decaying in godlineſs, is grounded much upon diſuſe of meditating, eſpecially Meditation of review and ſelf-reflections.
Jer. 8.6. No man repented, every one ruſheth into his courſe: Not conſidering, bottoms both ſinners, and Saints ſecurity, and growings worſe.
If faln aſleep, if falling and in a declining ſtate, awakening and recovery muſt be by ſelf-bethinking, 1 King. 9.47. No wiſe man but hath need of frequent reviews, and weighings again over and over, of the beſt of his doings, much more of the Errata, the Errors of them.
3. Givings way to evil and vain thoughts, will follow your neglect of good thoughts.
The mind will be ever buſie, if not in good, then in that is evil; giving way to vain thoughts is very dangerous; men by giving way to vain thoughts provoke God to leave them, to give them up to a walking in the vanity of their minds, Epheſ. 4.17. and at laſt as to a cuſtomary vanity of mind, God may give them up to judicial diſ-reliſhing, and abhorring holy things, and the thinkings of them, and ſo periſh in them.
O let therefore the good hand of my God, ſo ſtay up and act my weak and warping ſpirit, with the ſtrongeſt and moſt efficacious Reaſons and inducements, in this ſo greatly important and neceſſary, ſo ſweet and bleſſed an Ordinance, this heavenly meditation, that I may ever prove a better Artiſt in it, a better Chriſtian by it!
Having now diſpatcht the reaſons and grounds of this ſo great and neceſſary Duty of Divine Meditation, with thoſe things which concern the nature, and ſeveral ways or ſorts of it; I muſt now come to the fourth and laſt propounded particular, namely the right improvement of the Doctrine or aſſertion of the neceſſity on all, to meditate upon heavenly and ſpiritual things, to exerciſe themſelves in this ſo concerning, advantageous, and bleſſed buſineſs.