The Saints Delight, Treatise · Chapter 13 – Chapter 14
CHAP. XIII. For the Right Timing of Meditation.
Queſt. 1. WHat is the fittest time for meditation?
Anſw. For the timing of it, it is hard to preſcribe, becauſe of mens various callings and imployments. But if I may freely ſpeak my thoughts, the morning is the fitteſt time for Meditation. The beſt time to converſe with God is, when we may be moſt private, that is, before worldly occaſions ſtand knocking as ſo many Suiters at the door to be let in: the morning is, as it were the cream of the day, let the cream be taken off and let God have it. In the ſtilling of ſtrong water, the firſt water that is drawn from the Still is more full of ſpirits, the ſecond drawing is weaker; So the firſt Meditations, that are ſtill'd from the minde in a morning, are the beſt, and we ſhall find them to be moſt full of life, and ſpirits. The morning is the Golden hour. God loved the firſt fruits, Exod. 23.19. The first of the first-fruits thou ſhalt bring into the houſe of the Lord. Let God have the firſt-fruits of the day; the firſt of our thoughts muſt be ſet abroach for heaven. The ſtudent takes the morning for his ſtudy *Aurora muſis amica.. The Uſurer gets up in the morning, and looks over his books of account; a Chriſtian muſt begin with God in the morning. David was with God before break of day, Pſalm 119.147. I prevented the dawning of the morning.
Queſt. 2 Queſt. 2. But why the morning for Meditation?
Anſw. 1 Anſwer 1. Becauſe in the morning the mind is fitteſt for holy duties. A Chriſtian is moſt himſelf then; What weary devotion will there be at night when a man is even tired out with the buſineſs of the day. He will be fitter to ſleep then to meditate. The morning is the queen of the day, then the fancy is quickeſt, the memory ſtrongeſt, the ſpirits freſheſt, the organ of the body moſt diſpoſed, having had its recruits by ſleep. Tis a ſure rule, then is the beſt time to ſerve God when we find our ſelves moſt in tune. In the morning the heart is like a viol ſtrung and put in tune, and then it makes the ſweeteſt melody.
The morning thoughts ſtay longeſt with us the day after, the wool takes the firſt die beſt, and it is not eaſily worn out. When the mind receivs the impreſſion of good thoughts in the morning, it holds this ſacred dye the better, and like a colour in grain, it will not eaſily be loſt. The heart keeps the Reliſh of morning meditations, as a veſſel that receives a Tincture & ſavor of the Wine that is firſt put into it *Quo ſemel eſt imouta recens ſervabit oderem teſta diu.; Or as a Cheſt of ſweet Linnen, That keeps the ſent a great while after. Perfume thy minde with heavenly Thoughts in the Morning, and it will not loſe its ſpiritual fragrancy; Wind up thy heart towards heaven in the beginning of the day, and it will go the better all the day after: It is with receiving thoughts into the minde as it is with receiving Gueſts into an Inn, the firſt Gueſts that come fill the beſt rooms in the houſe, if others come after, worſe rooms will ſerve them; So when the mind entertains holy Meditations for its morning-Gueſts, if afterwards earthly thoughts come, they are put into ſome of the worſt rooms, they lodge loweſt in the affections. The beſt roomes are taken up in the Morning for Chriſt. He that loſeth his heart in the morning in the world, will hardly finde it again all the day after.
3. It is a part of that ſolemn Reſpect and Honour we give to God, to let him have Aurorae filium, the firſt thoughts of the day; we give perſons of quality the precedency, we let them take the firſt place. If we honour God (whoſe Name is Reverend and Holy) we will let the thoughts of God take place of all other. When the World hath the firſt of our thoughts, 'tis a ſign the world lies uppermoſt, we love it moſt. The firſt thing a covetous man meditates on in the morning is dea pecunia, his money; a ſign his Gold lies neareſt to his heart. Oh Chriſtians let God have your morning Meditations. He takes it in diſdain to have the world ſerved before him. Suppoſe a King, and a Yeoman were to dine in the ſame room, and to ſit at two Tables, if the Yeoman ſhould have his meat brought up, & be ſerved firſt, the King might well take it in an high Diſdain, and look upon it as a contempt done to his perſon. When the world ſhall be ſerved firſt, all our morning thoughts attending it, and the Lord ſhall be put off with the Dreggs of the day, when our thoughts begin to run low, is not this a contempt done to the God of Glory?
4. Equity requires it, God deſervs the firſt of our thoughts, ſome of his firſt thoughts were upon us, we had a being in his thoughts before we had a being, he thought upon us foreign, Epheſ. 1, 4. Before the foundations of the World. Before we fell, he was thinking how to raiſe us. We had the morning of his thoughts; Oh what thoughts of Free grace, What thoughts of Peace hath he had towards us! We have taken up his thoughts from eternity: If we have had ſome of Gods firſt thoughts, well may he have our firſt thoughts.
5. This is to imitate the Pattern of the Saints. Job roſe early in the morning, and offered, Job 1.5. David when he awaked was with God, Pſalm 139.17. and indeed this is the way to have a morning bleſſing. In the morning the dew fell, Exod. 16.13. The dew of a bleſſing falls early; now we are likelieſt to have Gods company. If you would meet with a friend, you go betimes in the morning before he be gone out. We read that the Holy Ghoſt came down upon the Apoſtles, Acts 2.3, 4. and it was in the morning, as may be gathered from Peters Sermon, verſe 15. 'twas but the third hour of the day; the morning is the time for fruitfulneſs, In the morning ſhalt thou make thy ſeed to flouriſh, Iſaiah 17.11. by morning Meditation, we make the ſeed of grace to flouriſh.
I would not by this wholly exclude evening Meditation. Iſaac went out to meditate in the Eventide, Gen. 24.63. When buſineſs is over, & every thing calm, it is good to take a turn with God in the Evening. God had his Evening Sacrifice, as well as his Morning, Exod. 29.39. as the cream in the top is ſweet, ſo the Sugar at bottom; in two caſes, the Evening Meditation doth well.
1. In caſe ſuch hath been the urgency of buſineſs that thou haſt time onelyonly for reading and prayer; then recompenſe the want of the morning with evening Meditation.
2. In caſe thou findeſt thy ſelf more inclineable to Good thoughts in the evening, (for ſometimes there is a greater impetus upon the heart, a greater aptitude and tuneableneſs of minde) dare not neglect Meditation at ſuch a time: who knowes but it may be a quenching the ſpirit; do not drive this bleſſed Dove from the Ark of thy Soul; in theſe caſes evening Meditation is ſeaſonable; but I ſay, if I may caſt in my verdict, the morning is to be preferred; as the flowr of the Sun opens in the morning to take in the ſweet beams of the Sun, ſo open thy ſoul in the morning to take in the ſweet thoughts of God. And ſo much for the timing of Meditation.
CHAP. XIV. How long Christians ſhould be converſant with this duty.
Queſt Queſt. 2. BƲt how long ſhould I meditate?
Anſw. For the quamdiu, Anſw. the how long, if we conſider how many houres the world hath, it is hard if we cannot give God at leaſt one hour every day. I ſhall only ſay this for a general rule, Meditate ſo long till thou findeſt thy heart grow warm in this duty. If when a man is cold, you ask, how long he ſhould ſtand by the fire? Sure, till he be throughly warm, and made fit for his work. So, Chriſtian, thy heart is cold, never a day, (no not the hotteſt day in ſummer) but it freezeth there; now ſtand at the fire of Meditation till thou findeſt thy affections warmed, and thou art made more fit for ſpiritual ſervice. David muſed till his heart waxed hot within him, Pſalm 39.3. I will conclude this with that excellent ſaying of Bernard, Domine nunquam a te abſque te recedam. Bern.Lord, I will never come away from thee without thee. Let this be a Chriſtians Reſolution not to leave his Meditations of God till he finde ſomething of God in him; ſome moving of bowels after God, Cant. 5.4. Some flamings of love, Cant. 6.8.