The Saints Delight, Treatise · Chapter 1 – Chapter 5
CHAP. I. The opening of the words, and the propoſition aſſerted.
GRace breeds delight in God, and delight breeds Meditation. A duty wherein conſiſts the eſſentials of Religion, and which nouriſheth the very life blood of it; and that the Pſalmiſt may ſhew how much the godly man is habituated and inured to this bleſſed work of Meditation, he ſubjoynes, in his Law doth he meditate day and night *foreign; not but that there may be ſometimes intermiſſion; God allows time for our calling, he grants ſome relaxation, but when it is ſaid, the godly man meditates day and night, the meaning is, frequently; he is much converſant in the duty. 'Tis a command of God to pray without ceaſing *foreign., 1 Theſe. 5.17. The meaning is, not that we ſhould be alwayes praying (as the Euchites held) but that we ſhould every day ſet ſome time apart for prayer; ſo Druſius and others interpret it. We read in the old Law it was called the continual ſacrifice *Juge ſacrificium. Num. 28.24; not that the people of Iſrael did nothing elſe but ſacrifice, but becauſe they had their ſtated houres every morning and evening they offered, therefore it was called the continual ſacrifice; thus the godly man is ſaid to meditate day and night, that is, he is often at this work, he is no ſtranger to meditation.
The Propoſition that reſults out of the Text, is this, Doct. That a good Chriſtian is a meditating Chriſtian, Pſalme 119.15. I will meditate in thy precepts, 1 Tim. 4.15. Meditate upon theſe things. Meditation is the chewing upon the truths we have heard; The beaſts in the old Law that did not chew the cud were uncleane; the Chriſtian that doth not by meditation chew the cud, is to be accounted unclean. Meditation is like the watering of the ſeed, it makes the fruits of grace flouriſh.
For the illuſtration of the point, there are ſeveral things to be diſcuſſed.
1. I ſhall ſhew you what meditation is.
2. That meditation is a duty.
3. The difference between meditation and memory.
4. The difference between meditation and ſtudy.
5. The ſubject of meditation.
6. The neceſſitie of meditation.
CHAP. II. Shewing the nature of Meditation.
IF it be enquired what meditation is, I anſwer, What meditation is.meditation is the ſouls retiring of it ſelfe, that by a ſerious and ſolemne thinking upon God, the heart may be raiſed up to heavenly affections. This deſcription hath three branches.
1. Meditation is the ſouls retiring of it ſelf; a Chriſtian, when he goes to meditate, muſt lock up himſelfe from the world. The world ſpoiles meditation; Chriſt went apart into the Mount to pray, Mat. 14.23. So, go apart when you are to meditate. Iſaac went out to meditate in the field, Gen. 24.63. he ſequeſtred and retired himſelf that he might take a walk with God by meditation. Zacheus had a minde to ſee Chriſt, and he got out of the crowd, He ran before, and climbed up into a ſycamore-tree to ſee him, Luke 19.3, 4. So when we would ſee God, we muſt get out of the crowd of worldly buſineſſe, we muſt climb up into the tree by retiredneſſe of meditation, and there we ſhall have the beſt proſpect of heaven. The worlds muſick will either play us aſleep, or diſtract us in our meditations. When a more is gotten into the eye, it hinders the ſight; when worldly thoughts, as motes, are gotten into the minde (which is the eye of the ſoul) it cannot look up ſo ſtedfaſtly to heaven by contemplation. Therefore, as when Abraham went to ſacrifice, he left his ſervant and the Aſſe at the bottom of the hill, Gen. 22.5. So when a Chriſtian is going up the hill of meditation, he ſhould leave all ſecular cares at the bottome of the hill; that he may be alone, and take a turne in heaven. If the wings of the bird are full of lime, ſhe cannot …i…: Meditation is the wing of the ſoul, when a Chriſtian is belimed with earth, he cannot ſhe to God upon this wing. Saint Bernard when he came to the Church-door, uſed to ſay, ſtay here all my worldly thoughts, that I may converſe with God in the Temple; ſo ſay to thy ſelf, I am going now to meditate, O all ye vaine thoughts ſtay behind, come not neare. When thou art going up the mount of meditation, take heed the world doth not follow thee, and throw thee down from the top of this pinacle. This is the firſt thing, the ſouls retiring of it ſelfe; lock and bolt the doore againſt the world.
2. The ſecond thing in meditation, is, a ſerious and ſolemn thinking upon God. The Hebrew word to meditate *foreign, ſignifies with intenſeneſſe, to recollect and gather together the thoughts: Meditation is not a curſory work, to have a few tranſient thoughts of Religion. Canis ad Nilum; like the dogs of Nilus, that lap and away; but there muſt be in meditation a fixing the heart upon the object, a ſteeping the thoughts; carnal Chriſtians are like quick-ſilver, which cannot be made to fix; their thoughts are roving up & down, and will not fix; like the bird that hops from one bough to another, and ſtays no where. David was a man fit to meditate, O God my heart is fixed, Pſ. 108.1Pſalme 108.1. In meditation there muſt be a ſtaying of the thoughts upon the object; a man that rides poſt through a Town or Village, he mindes nothing; but an Artiſt or Limner that is looking on a curious piece, views the whole draught and pourtraiture of it, he obſerves the ſymmetry and proportion, he mindes every ſhadow and colour. A carnal ſlitting Chriſtian is like the traveller, his thoughts ride poſt, he mindes nothing of God; a wiſe Chriſtian is like the Artiſt, he views with feriouſneſſe, and ponders the things of Religion, Luke 2.19. But Mary kept all theſe things, and pondered *foreign dicitur de ai… quo ſecum diſſertante. Grotius in loc.them in her heart.
The third thing in meditation is the raiſing of the heart to holy affections. A Chriſtian enters into meditation, as a man enters into the Bath, that he may be healed. Meditation heales the ſoule of its deadneſſe and earthlineſſe; but more of this after.
CHAP. III. Proving Meditation to be a duty.
MEditation is a duty lying upon every Chriſtian, and there is no diſputing our duty. Meditation is a Duty,Meditation a duty.
1. Impoſed.
2. Oppoſed.
1. Meditation is a duty impoſed; It is not arbitrary; there is a jus divinum in it. The ſame God who hath bid us beleeve, hath bid us meditate, Joſh. 1.8. This book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate therein day and night. Theſe words, though ſpoken to the perſon of Joſhuah, yet they concerne every one; as the promiſe made to Joſhuah concerned all beleevers, Joſhuah 1.5. compar'd with Heb. 13.5. So this precept made to the perſon of Joſhuah, thou ſhalt meditate in this book of the Law, takes in all Chriſtians; it is the part of an hypocrite to enlarge the promiſe, and to ſtreighten the precept. Thou ſhalt meditate in this book of the Law; the word Thou, is indefinite, and reacheth every Chriſtian; As Gods Word doth direct, ſo his will muſt enforce obedience.
2 Meditation is a duty oppoſed. We may conclude it is a good duty, becauſe it is againſt the ſtream of corrupt nature; as he ſaid, you may know that Religion is right which Nero perſecutes; ſo you may know that is a good duty which the heart oppoſeth. We ſhall finde naturally a ſtrange averſeneſſe from meditation. We are ſwift to heare, but ſlow to meditate. To think of the world, if it were all day long, is delightful, but as for holy meditation, how doth the heart wrangle and quarrel with this duty! It is doing of pennance; now truly, there needs no other reaſon to prove a duty to be good, than the reluctancy of a carnal heart. To inſtance in the duty of ſelf-denial. Let a man deny himſelf, Mat. 16.24. ſelfdenial is as neceſſary as heaven, but what diſputes are raiſed in the heart againſt it? What to deny my reaſon, and become a fool, that I may be wiſe; nay, not only to deny my reaſon, but my righteouſneſſe? What, to caſt it over-board, and ſwim to heaven upon the plank of Chriſts merits? this is ſuch a duty that the heart doth naturally oppoſe and enter its diſſent againſt. This is an argument to prove the duty of ſelf-denial good; juſt ſo it is with this duty of meditation; the ſecret antipathy the heart hath againſt it, ſhews it to be good; and this is reaſon enough to enforce meditation.
CHAP. IV. Shewing how meditation differs from memory.
THe memory (a glorious faculty) which Ariſtotle calls the ſouls ſcribe, ſits and pens all things that are done. Whatſoever we read, or hear, the memory doth regiſter; therefore God doth all his works of wonder that they may be had in remembrance. There ſeemes to be ſome Analogy and Reſemblance between Meditation and Memory. But I conceive there is a double difference.
1. The meditation of a thing hath more ſweetneſſe in it than the bare remembrance. The memory is the cheſt or cupboard to lock up a truth, meditation is the pallate to feed on it; the memory is like the Ark in which the Manna was laid up, meditation is like Iſraels eating of Manna. When David began to meditate on God, it was ſweet to him as marrow, Pſal. 63.5, 6. There's as much difference between a truth remembred, and a truth meditated on, as between a cordial in a glaſſe, and a cordial drunk down.
2. The remembrance of a truth without the ſerious Meditation of it will but create matter of ſorrow another day. What comfort can it be to a man when he comes to die, to think he remembred many excellent notions about Chriſt, but never had the grace ſo to meditate on them, as to be transformed into them: A Sermon remembred, but not ruminated, will only ſerve to encreaſe our condemnation.
CHAP. V. Shewing how Meditation differs from Study.
THe Students life looks like meditation, but doth vary from it. Meditation and ſtudy differ three ways.
1. They differ in their nature. Study is a work of the braine, meditation of the heart; ſtudy ſets the invention on work, meditation ſets the affection on work.
2. They differ in their deſigne. The deſigne of ſtudy is notion, the deſigne of mediation is piety: The deſign of ſtudy is the finding out of a truth; the deſigne of meditation is the ſpiritual improvement of a truth; the one ſearcheth for the vein of gold, the other digs out the gold.
3. They differ in the iſſue and reſult. Study leaves a man never a whit the better; it is like a Winter Sun that hath little warmth and influence: Meditation leaves one in a more holy frame. It melts the heart when it is frozen, and makes it drop into teares of love.