Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Another particular cauſe of humbling, for ſo long neglect of Meditation.
3. improvement. FOR humbling greatly every Chriſtian, in that at the beſt and ſooneſt we began ſo late this ſeriouſneſs of thoughts, this Duty of Meditation, which challenges of all the very firſt conſideration and pondering; the very firſt buddings out, and firſt bloſſomings of the conſidering power, ſhould begin with our ſpiritual concernments, not letting it act blindly, ignorantly, evilly, and impertinently, but knowingly, wiſely, and in a right manner; the rule allows not taking the firſt ſtep, nor any other after wrong. Ah how long hath it been, how long have the beſt of Saints, the ſooneſt bloſſoming and ripen'd young Chriſtians, how long was it before conſideration and meditation began in their hearts, before the Scepter of Jeſus Chriſt, held forth in the Laws and Commands of Meditation, was attended, would be yielded to? How long e're that any of our fond and froward ſpirits would ceaſe their vanities and wildneſs, follies and impertinencies of thoughts? When wiſdom in any one begins to act, then conſideration begins; no hopes of young heads, till they begin to put forth and act conſideration, then begin they to be wiſe, or give hopes of a being hereafter wiſe, when they prove conſiderate; then begins that which is wiſdom for thy ſelf, when thou comeſt to conſider, when thy ſpirit begins to beat the Golden path of Meditation.
Ah then let it humble us, it was ſo long before the firſt and fundamental Meditation or Conſideration, before that firſt engaging the heart to ſeriouſneſs and a due minding, that initial and introductive conſidering for true turning to God with the whole heart.
Formerly in one of the grounds of this point we mentioned the neceſſity of conſideration, and pondering our unſpeakable miſery by ſin and God's diſpleaſure, in order to converſion to God.
As all that are truly converted are truly humbled, ſo all truly humbled and converted are made firſt truly ſerious and ſelf-bethinking, reduced to this Meditation of their inexpreſſibly miſerable condition.
Converſion to God ſtands as it were on two feet, comes about by a double inlet, of a twofold Conſideration or Meditation.
1. A ſerious Meditation of now ſeen and felt unſpeakable miſery, that load and burden of ſin and Gods wrath laid on, and this muſt be deep, ſink down into the ſoul and preſs it, and ſoak through the ſoul, in ſorrowings, in meltings, in wearineſs of ſpirit, and in willingneſs to be eaſed of the preſent preſſure.
2. Then a moſt ſerious Meditation and Pondering of the rich free grace of God the Father, reconcilable in a full Saviour, offer'd in a free firm Covenant and Promiſe of ſalvation, to every ſinner without exception.
Theſe two great conſiderations are the foundations and inlets of the great heart-mutation and converſion: Therefore theſe are of the greateſt concernment of all other conſiderations; yea theſe are ſuch conſiderations, that no other are to be reckon'd upon, till they have been performed effectually.
Ah therefore how exceedingly ſhould this humble all perſons whatſoever, for their former ſo long neglect of this introductive and fundamental conſideration: Hoſ. 8.5. God crys out, How long will it be e're they attain to innocency? Ah how long was it with any, with the very earlieſt ſelf-bethinker, before he uſed the eye of his mind in conſideration? Conſideration to view, not that was far off, but that was, of all others, the neareſt; to ſee himſelf, and himſelf alſo in his neareſt concern of all others, that eternal condition of his immortal ſoul.
Ah what an humbling charge ſhould this bring up to every ſpirit, to every boſom! O how ſhould it ſhame thee and me, and every one, to think how long it was before we began to do that might be called thinking, before I once began to think to any purpoſe, how long my thinking and conſidering power was meerly abuſed by me, was both diverted and debaſed by a continual running like Water beſide the Mill, ravelling out like a golden Thread, ſpoil'd as faſt as ſpun, by a neglect of winding up and right uſing? Ah how ſad and ſelf-abaſing reflections ſhould this often occaſion to us? Ah, think we ſadly, how long ſo noble a faculty as the underſtanding is, how rare an acting the acting of its conſideration is, how high a concern eternity of happineſs is! how neceſſary, in order to happineſs, converſion is! and how needful conſideration to converſion is! And yet to loſe all the right and beſt uſe of this conſidering power, this meditating, by ingaging it in impertinencies and very nothings, meer ſhells and ſhadows, inſtead of realities and things of worth, true worth and excellency; to be ſo long like the Prodigal before we came to our ſelves, were ſeen ſitting in our right mind, entring upon Meditation for that great ſoul-affair, Converſion.