White Salt, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
MEditation is, in general, of great uſe. And we ſhould firſt meditate of the uſe of it. There be three things, as is obſerved, which make a good Scholar; reading, conference, meditation. Reading (parts being ſuppoſed) makes a full ſcholar. Conference, a ready ſcholar. Meditation makes a deep ſcholar. So alſo in ſome proportion, Meditation makes a good and ſolid Chriſtian; Reading makes him know what is the letter of Gods will. Conference with others may help him to know the ſenſe of it diſtinctly, and to apply it to caſes. Meditation works all into the minde, and roots it in for uſe.
Meditation at large hath many objects. It may have reference to God in his Eſsence: but this exceeds the minde of man. In an Infinite beeing there is nothing to terminate the Intellect; becauſe it is infinite. It may have reference to God; as One ſingular Eſsènce is communicated to three Perſons, the Father, the Son, the holy Ghoſt. But this doth more ſwallow up our contemplation, becauſe it doth more tranſcend reaſon. For if the principles of reaſon, which are not negative to the beeing of a God, ſhould alſo clearly extend to the diſcerning of one excluſively; they would be more puzled at this, how that one Divine Eſſence ſhould be communicated to three, and yet there ſhould be but one. And therefore ſaith the Father, When I think upon one, there comes into my minde three: and when I think upon three, there comes into my minde one. And therefore this myſterie is rather to be admired then meditated: becauſe the conceits thereof, ſuch as we can make, are not to be expatiated, but ſquared and fixed according to ſuch apprehenſions thereof as we have in Scripture.
But meditate we may and ought of God in regard of his effects; in Nature, and in Providence. For his effects in Nature do give us occaſion to praiſe his excellent Attributes; his wiſdom in the beauty of them; his power in the greatneſs of them; his goodneſs in the uſefulneſs of them, as St. Baſil meditated in his Book upon the ſix days work. And reaſonably is it thought that one of the chief ends of the Inſtitution of the ſeventh Day to the Jew for a Sabbath, was this, that man might be at leiſure that day to reflect upon the creation, and to give God the honour thereof; of all; great, and alſo of thoſe which are not great, in quantity: for God is magnus in minimïs, as he ſaid, great in that which is leaſt.
And we have cauſe to meditate of him in his providence towards that which he hath created, and doth ſuſtain every moment by the word of his power; His Providence is either towards good or evil; namely, the good or evil of condition. By the former he engageth us to obedience; by the latter to repentance: And this affliction we have need of. It is St. Peters expreſſion in his 1. Epiſtle, 1.6. Though now (if need be) you are afflicted with divers trials. It is as neceſſary to us as our dayly food: nay more. We may live for ever without that food: but it may be we ſhould not live for ever without this adverſity.
This is a meditation of the ſeaſon, becauſe we are now ſo full of puniſhment; and ſurely we have the more, and are like to have the more, becauſe we have not thought, as we ſhould have done, of this: as in Ieremies time the Iews, ſo we now, Ier. 8.6. No man ſpake ought; no man repented him of his wickedneſs, ſaying, What have I done? Every one turned to their own race, as the horſe ruſheth into the battail. How many have how much complained that they are undone, undone! but how few have at all complained of what they have done! We would have our Fathers bleſſing, but will not be brought upon our knees. And we would have the rod removed before it be kiſſed. Not that we ought to approve what man hath done; but what God hath done; to quicken us in our obedience to him. Therefore it is well ſaid, That which man doth fooliſhly, God doth wiſely. We ſhould ſubmit in patience, to his correction; but we are to follow his will revealed, in our obedience. By diſpenſations of providence he affordeth us trials, whereby we are proved, whether, when a croſs lies in the way of duty, we will leave the plain way, that we may decline the croſs. Oh that we had as great a diſaffection to ſinning, as to ſuffering! And yet which is more evil, or indeed which is evil, but that of fault? Oh that that which firſt moved God to puniſh, were firſt removed! Oh that ſin could not be done, becauſe it ſhould not!
Such meditations we might goe further in, were there not four other things, which, becauſe they are laſt (quatuor noviſſima, as they are called) ſhould be firſt thought upon, heaven, hel, death, judgment. Canſt thou believe there is an heaven, and not think upon it? Canſt thou look up to Heaven; and not conſider the place of happineſs? Is thy treaſure there, and not thy heart? Or is thy heart there, and not thy thoughts? or are thy thoughts there; and yet inordinately upon the world? Impoſſible. Why ſhould we not have a deſire of as many thoughts of heaven, as there are ſtars; and every thought greater then theſe ſublunaries?
Chriſtian, where is thy minde? Is not heaven worthy of thy contemplations? whither doth thy uncorrected phanſie gad and ramble amidſt the variety of theſe temporal unſatiſfactions? Call them back, and bid them home. Thou haſt ſurely nothing better then heaven to reſerve thy minde, and thoughts and affections for. Nothing more natural to thy ſoul; more proper to thy capacity. Nothing but this is homogeneous to thy end, and thy perfection. If the reſt and center of our deſires be not above, man was made in vain.
And whatſoever is neceſſarily connexed with thy end, thou doſt naturally deſire in order thereunto; for, where one is for one, there is but one; as the rule is. And what can be more influxive, nay intrinſecal into thy happineſs, then the ſight of God, with ſuch injoyment, as cannot be expreſſed here, ſince it cannot be comprehended there, as it is, but as we are able. There is no more to be ſaid of it; becauſe never enough. Here, on earth, how much pleaſure is there in the converſe, though ſhort, with one real Chriſtian? There God; there our Head Chriſt; there the Holy Ghoſt; there Angels confirmed; there Saints glorified: and for ever.
Or, if it be nothing deſirable to be poſitively happy; is it any boot to thee to be certainly miſerable?
Sink and fix thy meditations a while then upon the valley of lamentations, which is below, this valley of tears; where there is ſorrow and mourning to no end, without end.
No man can deſire to be miſerable, becauſe it is contrary to his will. And if any could be ſo fond as to wiſh it, it would be upon a phanſy of pleaſing himſelf in a wilde conceit of happineſs by that which is miſery. Whether it be better not to have been then to be in miſery, is made a queſtion: but to be ſure, to be in miſery is not far from not being; becauſe every one that is would not be miſerable. And what miſery is that like to be which is by God prepared for thoſe who would not let him have the honour to ſave them by his mercy? What vexation is like to come upon thoſe who had a Commandement to be happy and would not? Let not Satan or the world by thy fleſh delude thee with a ſeeming felicity and ſhort; that thou mighteſt loſe a real felicity and everlaſting. And take up the Bible, and read and ſee if there be not in perpetual torments ſufficient to fright thee out of that lethargy, wherein thou doſt forget thy ſelf more then he that forgat his own name. Advance ſome ſober apprehenſions of that endleſs calamity, before thou art in it, and imagine whether the remembrance of all thy irregular pleaſures will, in hell, make any abatement; or will not rather make a reinforcement of ſenſe and loſs. If thou couldſt live without the bliſsful enjoyment of God, and that incomparable ſuperilluxion of thoſe quinteſsential joys, which he hath deſigned in himſelf for thoſe who are his children of adoption; yet canſt thou live in unquenchable flames? and canſt thou conflict with everlaſting vengeance?
Bethink then thy ſelf while thou art on this ſide of that calamity, and every ſtep thou takeſt in thy natural life, make a thought of eſciping the wrath of God, and recovering of his favour; which thou art made capable of by Chriſt. How often haſt thou been warned to flee from this wrath to come? Take good counſel in time.
For how little a time is gone before we are gone! Therefore alſo thirdly ſet apart ſome moments (upon which depends Eternity) to reminde thee in what a readineſs thou art in to dye, before thou art ready for it. Snapp'd we are on a ſodain how many? And who hath exempted thee from the number of this poſſibility?
Let death then enter into thy thoughts, before it enter into thy body. If thou wilt ever be wiſe; now. For every minute of neglect doth ſet off ſo much of the account of thy wiſedom; which is not be valued by a poſſible deferring of the ruine, but by a conſtant preparation againſt it, in omnem eventum; whatſoever happens. We may ſoon be at our home in miſery, before we think of it, if we do not think of it. Our natural principles of body are in the duſt: and how far then have we thither? How preſently may we come into our inheritance of earth; which no body can hinder us of? And man returns to [his] earth, as Pſal. 146.4. ſuch earth, as the word is, as Adam was made of; and ſuch earth as Adam conveighed to us by his lapſe. He hath no earth ſo proper to him as this: This he came of; this he comes to. Duſt to duſt is own to own. This is intailed to us by our Forefather; and this Intail cannot be cut off.
Some do not live any longer then to be born; and no time betwixt that which was preſent and paſt. Yea, ſome come dead into the world; ſtil-born; ever dead. And all from the time they live they dye, by a natural Conſumption. We have as it were one foot in the grave before we can go: and when by age we are paſt going, we then are ſwifteſt in our paſſage home.
God hath ſet death a day to come for thee, by a private warrant; and when it will arreſt thee, thou knoweſt not. Be always prepared, for death will not ſtay when it cometh. If Deaths ſervant, or Serjeant ſtayeth any while with thee; yet when Death comes, there is no delay. The time and man is expired together. And whither then? Alas whither? whither goeſt thou? Were we to be only, after death, in that ſtate we were in before life, of negativeneſs, it were not ſo full of horrour to think of going into our firſt infinitude, (as we may call it) of nothing: but to loſe our beatifical good, and to be overwhelmed in ſuch a puniſhment, ſhould not this be ſet to our breaſt, as a thorn to prick us, and awaken us, leſt we fall into ſuch a ſleep as we awake out of in hell.
If after ſome millions of years we might have any hope of deliverance and recovery, there would be ſome light in hell by comfort of hope; which being preſent to the minde, although the time were long, would alleviate our ſorrow: but ſuch weeping and wailing and gnaſhing of teeth for ever, for ever, it may ſooner be avoided then expreſſed.
Take up then betimes. See how much of thy ſand is run out. Make up thy account ſpeedily; which is never done too ſoon. How thin a bulwark is thy latthie fleſh, to keep out any bullet which may be ſent into thee by any of Deaths weakeſt ſouldiers? How apt and preſt is thy nimble ſoul to leap out of thy crazy tenement? Or if thou haſt a maſs of fleſh as much as thou canſt waddle under, a diſeaſe will have more hold on thee, and make a deeper impreſſion; and more entertainment for worms. No man hath received a Commandement to provide for worms, but thou haſt taken care that they ſhould not ſtarve.
Alas, for how little a time is this curious frame of the Divine architecture of this body of man raiſed! In how ſmall a revolution of time doth it fall into pieces! He cometh up upon the ſtage, and walks a few turns, and acts a ſhort part, whether tragical or comical; it may be applauded, it may be not; it may be plays the part of a religious man, in the old notion of an hypocrite; then retires, untires; and is not. Like a variegated tulip, by degrees which opens, and then blazeth a ſmall ſpace, and then rolls and ſhuts it ſelf up again: Even ſo this man cometh out of the ſame bed; riſeth and ſpreadeth, and by and by dwindles and withers, and goeth to bed again.
Man is as a continual miracle, that all the gimmers ſhould any time conſiſt: and when he ceaſeth, he ceaſeth not to be admired in the conſequences of one exhalation. How many curious imaginations were neſted and breeding in his brain, which he hoped in good time would have been flegge, and would have come out of their cauſes to good effect; and on a ſodain all dead in the neſt! What a vaſt diſtance is there made in an inſtant betwixt himſelf by the change? What a muſs and ſcramble doth this evaporation of life make amongſt thoſe who minde other mens deaths more then their own; who watch to catch what they can, when a tree fals that hath any fruit upon it; if it be near them? If we live to age, we have the more time and longer death. For then death, as Plato ſaith, foreign, takes ſecurity of us for the whole by an Eye or an Ear; takes away our ſight, or our hearing. But who can promiſe himſelf to run through ſo many providences to that time, which every one would come to; and when they are at it, they are weary of? Indeed, as the Heathen ſaid, We have not little time, but do loſe much. Nothing ſo pretious as that which ſo many take care to drive away. Time follows the motion of heaven: our time ſhould. We cannot ſpend it better, nor improve it, then for Eternity.
Is not this great Babel which I have built for the houſe of the Kingdom by the might of my power, for the honour of my Majeſty? ſaid Nebuchadnezzar: but what then? Nay, that is all can be ſaid of it, or him. All makes but great confuſion. And the greateſt condition is the greateſt vanity. What is this to a man, (not to ſay to a Philoſopher, much leſs to a Chriſtian) what is this to a man, that he hath been ſome body in the the world, and hath ſtrutted it here, and taken up ſo much ground as if he would not have his neighbours walk by him? What is all this? What will it come to? Wherein will it be reſolved? One meditation of death is better then all the world. For that may bring in alſo good works, which will follow one after death; ſo the Poet alſo;
foreign — Only this godlineſs goes along with men in death; whether men live or dye, it periſheth not. Godlineſs is profitable for all thigs, and hath the promiſe of this life and of that which is to come; as St. Paul, 1 Tim. 4.8. This life that now is; is now, and but now, for ought we know. Every moment we change a poſſibility of death with life. Therefore let us not trouble our ſelves for much proviſion; for there is another life in the promiſe, and this life is very ſhort. Let us make it longer by doing more good, leſt when we die nothing follow us, neither good words on earth, nor good works to heaven; nothing but ſorrow without a virtue, after judgment without mercy.
Take notice of a day of judgment. God hath appointed a day, wherein he will judge the world in righteouſneſs by the man, whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given aſsurance unto all men in that he raiſed him from the dead, Act. 17.31. When we ſtand before this judge, what ſhall we ſay? How ſhall we anſwer? Who ſhall anſwer for us? Thou ſhalt anſwer for me O Lord my God, as the Pſalmist ſpeaks.
There is no ſuch anſwer as Chriſt doth make. For he anſwers by ſatisfaction and payment of that puniſhment which was due to us, and of that obedience which was due from us. The hand-writing (of works) which was againſt us he hath blotted out, hath taken away, hath nailed unto his Croſse, Coloſſ. 2.14. Chriſt hath made ſure of this bond. It is blotted out. It is taken away. It is nailed unto his Croſſe. And it is nailed with ſuch a nail, as he was nailed with; ſuch a nail as makes it immoveable; for this nail was above all price.
We are not like to be aſhamed of our hope in Chriſt, when he cometh to be our Judge. He that is the Judge, is our Advocate, our Jeſus, our Saviour. He will not paſſe ſentence againſt his own pleading and ſatisfaction. Therefore Grotius when he was dying, had his full underſtanding, when (for his laſt words almoſt) he ſaid to him that reminded him of Christ for ſalvation, thus (as it is recorded of him) In ſolo Chriſto omnis ſpes mea repoſita est, all my hope is repoſed only in Chriſt. He could not die well without Chriſt his ſatisfaction. He cannot anſwer without it at the day of judgment.
But yet our actions will be diſcuſſed, though they be pardoned; that thoſe who ſhall ſee others to have committed as great ſins as they, may by reflexion be more puniſhed, becauſe they did not repent and believe: and that thoſe, who have repented and believed, may ſee the fruit of their virtues, when others who have not done worſe are condemned, and that they may glorifie God for that grace which hath diſcerned them.
If we would have this ſevere tribunall in our thoughts, we ſhould more conſider what we are doing, and what account we ſhall be able to give of it then, when our own conſcience (if Chriſt who is God did not know it) ſhall bear witneſs againſt us in that judgment, unto the expectation whereof it hath privately prepared us. Did we think upon theſe things as we ought, would we adventure ſo dreadfull a reckoning for ſo little, ſo ſhort pleaſure, or profit, or honour? Would we throw away our immortall ſouls upon a preſumption that what we do may be lawfull; if we did perpend and ponder it within us, that this would be called over again in that ſupreme judicature, wherein we ſhall be ſentenced not according to our opinion of it, which blind lust hath impetuouſly huddled up; but according to the proportion it doth beare to the law of God, which we are bound to know?
Weigh it then beforehand, whether thy ſubtil diſtinction will bear any weight in that even balance of the high Court of juſtice. Will not thy waxie diſtinction melt at the fire of that great day? Will this waſhie diſtinction have any ſubſtance and depth, when it ſhall be openly brought into the examination and deciſion of him who knows his own law and thy heart?
In the courſe of thy ſecular affaires, the debate in thy ſoul betwixt intereſs and duty goeth thus; by carnall reaſon which ſpeaks for intereſs, thou art adviſed thus; If I goe this way, I ſhall get much, and I ſhall live ſplendidly, I ſhall be made: then conſcience which is for God and duty, adviſeth otherwiſe; If thou doeſt thus, thou doeſt undoe thy immortall ſoul; and thus it ſticks a while, peradventure. But then carnall reaſon, which is eager to ſatisfie the appetite inordinate, deviſeth how to ſatisfie conſoience about the lawfulneſs in ſuch caſes, and either puts it off with eaſie arguments, or determins tumultuouſly againſt it. Alas! poor Chriſtian! how long will the pleaſure of this reſolution hold? untill the heat of the appetite, and of the advantage be over. Then conſcience returns and doubles the ſorrow of guilt, and when the lust of thy intereſs is cooled, filleth thy ſoul with nothing but horrour. Or if thy conſcience by thy habit of ſin and Gods judgment be layed faſt aſleep; yet remember there is a trumpet which will awaken thee, and it. Think upon it and that great Aſsize; and before thou doeſt conclude what to do in a caſe of doubt, meditate with thy ſelfe, which part Affirmative or Negative is neareſt unto virtue; and which thou wilt wiſh thou hadſt taken, when thou doſt appear at the Iudgment ſeat of Chriſt; and do accordingly. Wherefore hath God put in thee an ability of flying back, in thy mind, upon time and actions paſt unto repentance, and ſo alſo of running forwards in the thoughts of what is to come, but that by the preſenſation of that formidable tryall, thou mighteſt prevent repentance, and condemnation; repentance now; condemnation then?
Thou haſt a ſmall voice within thee to direct thy practice, and to check thy errours, and to threaten thee with another manner of proceeding at the day of judgment.
There is another voice without thee; the voice of the Miniſter, who is to lift up his voice like a trumpet (as the Prophet was bidden) to tell thee of thy ſins, and what thou muſt expect, when the judge cometh, if thou doeſt not mende. Do not ſilence the firſt voice, nor the ſecond. Refuſe to hear neither of theſe. But if thou doeſt, there is another great voice of a Trumpet of the Arch-angel, which at laſt will ſound and will awaken thee. Think, as the Father did, that thou doeſt hear alwayes ſounding in thy ears, the Trumpet, Ariſe ye dead, and come to judgment.
This Supreme and laſt Court will examine, and judge, and ſentence our thoughts, our words, our actions; will cut up and lay open all our plots and deſignes and private haunts, and undeliberated motions, and will ſentence them in their guilt, though it doth not redound to the perſon through Chriſt, unto thoſe who are in him accepted unto life and glory. O ſweet ſentence! Come ye bleſſed!
But what confuſion and amazement will fall upon the wicked then, when the univerſe ſhall be diſſolved by that terrible conflagration; when conſcience ſhall then loudly accuſe, Chriſt ſhall everlaſtingly condemn, and Satan ſhall take them home to be puniſhed with him, becauſe they have been obedient to him againſt the law of God, the dictates of conſcience, the tenders of grace and reconciliation. So juſt it is with God to appoint Satan for their Executioner of puniſhment, whom they have ſerved as a Tempter in their ſin, as Aquinas notes.
O that diſmall ſentence, Goe ye curſed! Goe then into thy cloſet, and think ſeriouſly of theſe things. Adventure all rather then the loſſe of thy immortal ſoul in an everlaſting death.
Make peace with thy God through Chriſt betimes, before there is no peace to be made. Conſider the differences of thoſe two places; but two; there is no place for a third. And if thou beeſt tempted of Satan through the world by the fleſh, with hopes or fears to forſake God, or Christ, or the truth, or righteouſneſs; ſay as the Martyr ſaid, (whom St. Baſil ſpeaks of) that they cannot threaten thee with any thing ſo bad as Hell; and they cannot offer thee any thing ſo good as Heaven: thou art worſe threatned, and better offered. Be as wiſe now, as thou wilt wiſh thou hadſt been when that day cometh.