Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. A perſwaſion to all ſuch who never accuſtomed themſelves to this work of Meditation.
IF Meditation be ſo neceſſary a Duty, let this then prevail with every one that hitherto hath done nothing in it as yet, or that which hath been to no purpoſe. O that this ſin can be laid to thy ſouls charge, that yet thou art to begin to meditate of the great things of thy God, and thy own ſoul. That thou ſhouldeſt have ſo rare a power in thy ſoul, of thinking and meditating, a power alſo that is ſo active and buſie continually, and yet never employed aright; ſo great a Talent entruſted for uſe, and either hid up in a Napkin, or waſted and ravelled out in vanities, impertinencies, and wickedneſs.
1. Seriouſly, I beſeech thee, conſider, thou canſt be no good Chriſtian, no truly godly perſon (whatſoever thou or others think of thee) that haſt been, and art no complier, but a refuſer in this particular. Ah, this ſtrikes thee home to the heart, daſhes quite thy confidence and hopes, grounded on thy calling thy ſelf a Chriſtian.
That clear paſſage proves it undeniably, Pſal. 1.2. The bleſſed man meditates in the Law of God day and night: The leaſt that this place can hold forth, muſt be a doing this duty in a courſe and way; he that is a bleſſed man, is not only one that pretends to Religion, but practiſeth and uſes Meditation, hath an inward delight in the Law of God, and from delight in it, meditates on it, in a conſtancy and ordinarineſs; not acts a now and then bare thinking, when others mention it, Miniſters preach on it, or in the reading of it; to think of it then when it cannot well be avoided; but a ſerious and purpoſely meditating, a keeping up a conſcientious and complacent conſtancy in it.
If therefore continual Meditation of the Law of God, his Word, and the Excellencies in it, be the character of a godly perſon, think well of it and thy own condition; flatter not thy ſelf with that kind of falſe godlineſs, which falls ſhort of the true character of true bleſſedneſs.
2. Conſider thou canſt be no true ſubject of Jeſus Chriſt, that doeſt not ſubmit to this Law of Chriſt, this Meditation: It is in Scripture made one of the imperial Laws of the King of the Church, who gives every ſubject of his this charge, lays this command indiſpenſibly, and repeats it frequently, records the examples of the Saints, who practiſed it diligently, as David and others; therefore thou diſowneſt this Law, thou diſowneſt the Law-giver Chriſt, and ſo he takes it.
3. Ah then what is it that reigns in thy heart, that ſits in the throne and ſways, but the Tyrant ſin, ſin that hath dominion over thee, ſin that is the great obſtruction and hinders thee, ſin that is the great Biaſs of diverſion that draws thee quite another way?
1. It is meerly the vanity of thy mind, in which thou walkeſt, that keeps thee from walking this way.
2. It is thy ſinful folly; the wiſe in heart will muſe and conſider, and moſt conſider things of the moſt concernment, what is it which hath made all the ſpiritual fools, but ſin? The Scripture fool is the ſinner, and wherein is the folly ſeen more, than in not conſidering things moſt conſiderable?
3. Thy not meditating, it is from the tydes and currents of unmortified luſts; luſts in dominion and reign, luſts that ingroſs thy thinkings, luſts that engage and ſet thy thoughts on work, and intend them.
In every predominant luſt there is a predominant ſcope and tendency, an end and aim that gives the rules and laws; as therefore the luſts aim lies, ſo all the thoughts and ſeriouſneſs are levell'd; as the luſt-aims and marks are, ſo are the mindings: If luſts of ſenſuality, riot, drunkenneſs, uncleanneſs, and voluptuouſneſs; if theſe or any of theſe be predominant, all the ſtrength of the mind and its muſings run out at that leak, that paſſage.
If covetouſneſs and worldly mindedneſs be predominant, all the ſtudyings and thinkings run down, and are carried away by that outlet.
If pride, vain-glory, and affectation of honour bear ſway, then the thoughts and contrivances act up all that way, climb up that Hill.
Thy ſerving luſts and pleaſures, being inſlaved by them, is the ground of thy thoughts ſubſerviency to them; they ſet up an excluſive of good thoughts, ſhut the door againſt all godly ſeriouſneſs, turn the Engine of the thinking power into an inſtrument and forge, for themſelves to act a ſinful ſeriouſneſs, to farther only the ſatisfying of them.
I have read in Pliny, that the Romans attempting a diſcovery of ſome more unknown places of Africa, could not proceed and ſucceed in it by reaſon of the innumerable ſorts of Serpents and poyſonous creatures, which filled the Country. Thy heart is like that Country, full of dangerous luſts, which overrun it; there is the true reaſon why thou wilt not, canſt not meditate, becauſe the predominant luſts in it engroſs and enſlave the whole thinking power, luſts rule thy lookings, thy hearts ſinfulneſs hath ſeiſed thy ſeriouſneſs, ſweeps all thoughts in to it ſelf and ſervice. One luſt ſhares now one proportion of thoughts, another luſt goes away with another part, and ſo among them all, who take their turns in thy heart, they gather up, and appropriate all thy ſeriouſneſs and vigour of thoughts, all that are to any purpoſe; all other thinkings are ſo ſhort, ſlight, ſeldom acted in compariſon, that they amount to nothing, millions of them make no more than motes in the Sun would contribute to make a Mountain, becauſe there's commonly nothing of ſeriouſneſs in them; when they are acted toward things ſpiritual, they are but ſmoke or chaff that flies away: And conſider why luſts have thy thoughts ſo enſlaved to them, it is becauſe luſts and ſin have that Empreſs of thy heart, thy love; for as thy love is, ſo are thy thinkings; thou pretendeſt thou loveſt God, and with all thy heart, but 'tis no ſuch thing; that which hath the love moſt, hath the eye moſt, Ʋbi amor, ibi oculus, as the common ſaying is; who ever could truly ſay they loved any perſon moſt, and thought of that perſon leaſt, but of other things every day and hour more?
O conſider this well, how evil it is thou meditateſt not by reaſon of thy reigning corruptions and luſts that will not let thee meditate; and luſts have thy thoughts from having thy love.
4. Why as to thy own frame of ſpirit is there a neglect of this holy Duty? it is from ſin reigning in the reliſhing part, the palate of thy ſoul; ſin that takes away thy taſte, and makes godlineſs unſavoury: Thoſe that are after the fleſh, ſavour the things of the fleſh, Rom. 8.5. Ah, not to meditate from ſuch a ſad cauſe, from a not ſavouring the things of God! finding no ſutableneſs, no ſweetneſs, no pleaſantneſs in ſpiritual things! none in the Word and ways of God, in the precious promiſes, heavenly graces, glorious priviledges, given to the Children of God! none in an infinitely ſweet and bleſſed God, Father, Son, and Spirit! none in the things above, but all in the things below, not becauſe they have no ſavour or ſweetneſs in them, but becauſe thy carnal heart hath no principle of ſavouring of them!
5. Nay is it not from ſin that lodges and breeds in thy boſom a helliſh enmity againſt any thing is holy? Rom. 8.7. The carnal mind is enmity to God, and ſo againſt every thing that comes from God. Ah but ſinner, this is the blackeſt thing in thine or any boſom, this is the loathſomeſt thing in all the world, 'tis the chief feature and lineament in the face of Satan, the moſt abominable part of Satans heart, and the very worſt thing in all Hell; nothing is, or will be more evil in Hell, than their enmity, boiling up, and running over continually againſt God.
6. But who is he that hath unhinged thy heart, in reſpect of this Duty of Meditation, that acts thee to this awkneſs, and bars the door againſt it? is it not Satan that dwells and rules within? Satan that is thy ſouls implacable Enemy, and the great adverſary to this Meditation? And what is his reaſon of hindering thee, his grand reaſon, but that he knows this to be the way of coming to a mans ſelf, and converting to God?
Of all ſuch things that are diſpoſitive and aſſiſting to Converſion and Faith, Satan is the grand enemy to this conſideration and meditating of a mans ſpiritual condition; if thou wilt do Satans will, and gratifie him the beſt thou canſt, if thou wilt give him the beſt ſecurity of utter undoing thy ſelf, let him ſee and know thou wilt not conſider and muſe on thy ſouls concerns, but look quite another way.
7. Whither do thy thoughts ſink and ſoak, but into the baſe Earth, and in the baſe things of it; he that looks with his bodily eye, if he looks not upward, may look many other ways than downward, right forward, on the right, or left hand; but thy ſoul's eye, if it look not to things above, it looks downward to the things below, Col. 3.5. the baſe dry earth drinks up all thy thoughts.
8. When wilt thou begin to think, to think to any purpoſe indeed, when will that time be? ſhall it be when thou art moſt timeleſs and heartleſs? when thou haſt leaſt leiſure, leaſt fitneſs, bodily fitneſs and diſpoſition, of eaſe, ſtrength, ſpirits, and ſenſes? when thou haſt leaſt heart-fitneſs, of deſires and willingneſs, which with time will wear away and be leſs?
The longer thou diſuſeſt thy ſelf to good and ſetious thinkings, the leſs fit and diſpoſed thou wilt every way be, and the more will vanity of thoughts grow upon thee, dye thy mind into the grain Colour of habitual vanity; the more will thy heart grow up and ripen in an averſneſs from all good thoughts, harden and grow more ſinfully and deſperately ſet againſt ſeriouſneſs, all ſuch meditating as is neceſſary to true repenting.
9. Wilt thou defer thinking and conſidering till it be too late, till time and the ſeaſon of grace ſhall be no longer, till life, and ſoul, and Heaven be irrecoverably loft? Wilt thou loſe this ſhort time here, till thou comeſt to an Eternity of time, to think of thy neglects of thinking? to muſe when it will do no good, when muſing on thy not muſing and meditating, will turn into torturing and tormenting thee for ever?
Ah, therefore now while it is call'd to day, now while thinking may do thee good, good to converting and ſaving; ah now bemoan thy ſelf, and ſad, ſo ſad, dreadful, and dangerous ſtate; never reſt or be quiet till thou becomeſt a ſerious perſon, one that uſeth his thinking power to the right end, and in the right manner, to meditate thy ſelf home, as the Prodigal did home to his Fathers houſe, to be received with great joy.
1. Conſider therefore, this is one part of wiſdom indeed, of wiſdom for thy ſelf, when thy ſoul concerns have their allowance of due conſideration.
2. Never expect a cure of that worm, that Wolf in thy breaſt, of thoſe gnawing, grinding pains, and terrours of conſcience, until thou by conſideration come to convert and turn to God.
3. Never wilt thou taſte of peace of conſcience, joy that is unſpeakable and full of glory, until thy thoughtvanity be healed, and thou becomeſt a ſeriouſly meditating perſon.
1. Therefore begin at that firſt Meditation of thy unſpeakable miſery under ſin, Gods wrath for it, death eternal awaiting thee, and which by deaths ſoon coming may ſeize thee, and ſeal thee up in it for ever.
2. Labour, that conſideration may rightly iſſue in an awakening thee out of thy deep ſecurity, in a contrition of Spirit, and a right preparative humbling, daſhing thy pride and carnal confidence.
1. To fear exceedingly, for thy ſo great miſery and danger, by being under ſo great wrath of a God, and the curſe of his Law, Act. 16.29.
2. To ſorrow and mourn deeply for this thy miſery, thy mirth and laughter being turned into heavineſs, Jam. 4.9.
3. To deſpair of help in thy ſelf, ſee the inſufficiency of thy own goodneſs and righteouſneſs, and of thy own ability of wiſdom to deviſe, will to chuſe, or any power of thine to ſave thee.
4. To come from former careleſneſs and negligence, to an earneſt care and deſire to be caſed and delivered, Act. 2.37.
2. Then being weary and heavy-laden, endeavour the ſecond conſideration of the way of relief and help.
1. By pondering the infinite love of God, his willingneſs to receive broken-hearted ſinners to mercy, pardon, reconciliation, adoption, and full ſalvation.
2. The fullneſs of Redemption in Chriſt freely offer'd to all.
3. By pondering the Promiſes of ſalvation, righteouſneſs, ſo perfect and glorious pardon, ſo full of all graces and happineſs: Chriſt muſt be received in the Promiſes, reſted upon as ſure, good, and free.
4. By earneſt, often praying for grace, faith, and other graces, a new heart, and new principles, which will introduce a new power, and make godlineſs in all the duties of it, and this of Meditation, ſweet and eaſie.