The Spiritual Chemist, Meditations · Meditation 30 – Meditation 31
Meditation XXX. VponUpon the palpitation of the heart.
THe Pearl which in the Oyſter is a diſeaſe, in the Cabinet is a Jewel of rich value, and in the Ear an Ornament of an orient beauty: and ſuch a thing is this trembling or palpitation of the heart; in the body it is a ſad malady, in the ſoul it is an heavenly grace: They who are afflicted with the one, ſeek earneſtly to the Phyſician for a Cure: And they who want the other, importune God to obtain it from him as a bleſſing when once they know the excellency and worth of it. Who is the Favourite of heaven, with whom the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth Eternity, will dwell? And to whom he will look with an eye of protection, with an eye of care and delight? Is it not to him that is of a contrite heart, and that trembleth at his word? Who is the beſt Saint on Earth? Is it not he who uſeth moſt diligence to work out his ſalvation with fear and trembling? All duties are beſt done when accompanied with this holy trembling. Prayer and Confeſſion of ſins are never better made, than when we imita…e thoſe Penitents in Ezra, who ſate trembling in the ſtreet of the Houſe of God. The Word is never more awfully received as the Will and Command of a Great King, than when received as the Elders of Bethlehem did Samuel, who trembled at his coming. O methinks I cannot without wonder read how Paul lived among the Corinthians, in fear and much trembling, as ſenſible of the weight of his Miniſtry, and how they again received Titus, Pauls Meſſenger, with the like affection, not entertaining him with coſtly banquets, with Court-like Salutations, but with fear and trembling, which is the higheſt reſpect that can be ſhowen to the Doctrine of Chriſt. Yea, the Supper of the Lord it ſelf, though it be a Feaſt of Love, in which Chriſt qui est totus amor eſt caput coenae, who is all love, is the chief and onelyonly diſh, that a Soul hath to feed upon, is beſt Celebrated with a Divine trembling, which may correct our joy, and keep it from degenerating into a carnal mirth. The ſparkling raies of light which are reflected from the poliſhed Diamond, are much beautified by thoſe tremulous motions which the eye beholds in the Stone: And ſo ſpiritual joy receives no little addition of luſtre and ſweetneſs by the mixtures of trembling that appear in it. How great then is the folly and wickedneſs of thoſe Sons of Belial, who ſcoff at the awfull behaviour which any exerciſe in the Servi…es of God? as Michal did at Davids dancing before the Ark, as if it were nothing but Pu…illanimity, which would beſeem Children better than Chriſtians, who ſtartle often at their own groundleſs Imaginations: But are the Angels Cowards, which tremble in the preſence of God? Is it any thing unbecoming them who continually ſtand in his preſence to expreſs a fear of him, as well as love unto him? How then can it be indecent for worthleſs Creatures to ſerve the great Jehovah with a holy awe and fear of his Majeſty? O God, I am conſcious unto my ſelf how little all my duties have been intervened with this divine grace. I have prayed before thee, but not trembled, I have received a Law from thy mouth, but I have not feared thee, the Great Law-giver, nor trembled at thy Commands. I have heard often of thee by the hearing of the Ear, yet I have not abhorred my ſelf. And therefore I humbly beg of thee, that thou wouldeſt help me to ſanctifie thy name in my heart, and to make thee my fear, and my dread; that ſo I may neither abuſe thy mercy, nor yet provoke thy Juſtice.
Meditation XXXI. VponUpon the Shadow of a Man.
HOw abſolute, as well as general is Davids aſſertion, Surely every man walketh in a vain ſhew, or Image, leading an imaginary rather than a real life: Fleeing away as a ſhadow, rather than abiding as a ſubſtance. How ſhall I therefore fix a Meditation upon the ſhadow of a ſhadow? Or hint ought that may be uſeful to any man, which grows only from ſo ſlender a principle as his own ſhadow? And yet if it be true which Lorinus ſaith, that the Art of Imagery was ex umbris nata, firſt learned from a due obſervation of thoſe reſemblances, and proportions, which the ſhadow bears unto the body; why may not ſome moral Conſiderations be ſuggeſted unto us from the different motions, oppoſite variations, ſudden vaniſhings, which every man may dayly behold in his own ſhadow? Are not theſe genuine thoughts for a man to conceive, that it is with him, and with every Chriſtian, as it is with thoſe who walk with their faces towards the Sun, the dark ſhadow is quite behind them, but when they turn from the Sun, it forthwith changeth its place and comes before them. When they travel with their faces to the Sun of Righteouſneſs, their paths are full of light and comfort; but when they turn from him, what dark Images of death? What gaſtly apparitions of hell and deſtruction do go before them every ſtep they tread? Yea, the farther they wander from God, how doth their te…cu… encreaſe, and their fears multiply, which are ſtretched out like the ſhadows of the Evening, untill at length they be ſwallowed up in the black darkneſs of the night? O that Apoſtates would think of this, who after they have ſet their faces towards Heaven, do again turn them toward… Hell; who, after they have known the way of righteouſneſs, depart from the holy Commandment delivered unto them. Can your hearts endure thoſe diſmal ſpectrums, that you ſhall continually behold? Will you not, like the Hypocrites in Zion, at length cry out, Who ſhall dwell with devouring fire, and everlaſting burnings? O that the Children of light and of the day would conſider this, what great changes are made in their Eſtates and Comforts by their averſions from God? Have they not cauſe to ſay and wiſh as Job did? O that I were as in the daies when God preſerved me; when his Candle ſhined upon my head. When his favour was like the Sun in the Zenith, which caſts its Beams ſo directly, as that it makes no ſhadow at all. Surely, they will find, that the ſhades of ſin are far more diſmal than the darkeſt nights of affliction; and that unleſs the light of Gods favour, which like the Sun on the Dyal of Ahaz, hath gone down many degrees, do return back again as many, they cannot, like Ezekiah, have any comfortable aſſurance that they ſhall live and not dye. O Lord therefore hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footſteps be not moved, and let me alwaies be rather as thoſe whoſe faces are towards Zion, though I go weeping, than as thoſe who turn the back upon thee, and conſider not that their ſteps go down to the Chambers of death.