The Saints Delight, Treatise · Chapter 15 – Chapter 16
CHAP. XV. Concerning the uſefulneſs of meditation.
HAving anſwered theſe queſtions, I ſhall next ſhew the benefit and uſefulneſs of Meditation.
I know not any duty that brings in greater income and revenue then this. 'Tis reported of Thales, that he left the affairs of State to become a contemplating Philoſopher *Diog. in vitâ Thal.. Oh did we know the advantage which comes by this duty, we would often retire from the noiſe and hurry of the World, that we might give our ſelves to Meditation.
The benefit of Meditation appears in ſeven particulars.
1. Meditation is an excellent means to profit by the word: reading may bring a truth into the head, meditation brings it into the heart; better meditate on one Sermon than hear five; I obſerve many put up their Bills in our Congregations, and complain that they cannot profit, may not this be the chief reaſon, becauſe they chew not the cud, they do not meditate on what they have heard. If an Angel ſhould come from heaven, and preach to men, nay if Jeſus Chriſt himſelf were their Preacher, they would never profit without meditation. 'Tis the ſetling of the milk that makes it turn to cream; & it is the ſetling of a truth in the mind, that makes it turn to ſpiritual aliment: the Bee ſucks the flower, and then workes it in the Hive, and makes honey of it. The hearing of a truth preached is the ſucking of a flower, there muſt be aworking it in the Hive of the heart by meditation, then it turnes to Honey. There is a diſeaſe in children called the Rickets, when they have great heads, but their lower parts are ſmall, and thrive not. I wiſh many of the Profeſſors in London, have not the ſpiritual Rickets, they have great heads, much knowledge, but yet they thrive not in godlineſs, their heart is faint, their feet feeble, they walk not vigorouſly in the waies of God, and the cauſe of this diſeaſe is, the want of meditation. Illumination without meditation makes us no better then Divels. Satan is an Angel of light yet black enough.
2. Meditation doth make the heart ſerious and then it is ever beſt, Meditation doth ballaſt the heart; when the ſhip is ballaſted it is not ſo ſoon overturned by the wind, and when the heart is ballaſted with Meditation it is not ſo ſoon overturned with vanity. Some Chriſtians have light hearts, Zeph. 3.4. his Prophets are light. A light Chriſtian will be blown into any opinion or vice, you may blow a feather any way: there are many feathery Chriſtians, the divel no ſooner comes with a temptation but they are ready to take fire; now meditation makes the heart ſerious, and God ſaith of a ſerious, Chriſtian as David of Goliahs ſword, there is none like that, give it me. Meditation conſolidates a Chriſtian; ſolid gold is beſt; the ſolid Chriſtian is the only metal that will paſs currant with God. The more ſerious the heart grows, the more ſpiritual, and the more ſpiritual the more it reſembles the Father of Spirits. When a man is ſerious he is fitteſt for imployment. The ſerious Chriſtian is fitteſt for ſervice, and it is meditation brings the heart into this bleſſed frame.
3. Meditation is the bellows of the affections, meditation hatcheth good affections, as the hen her young ones by ſitting on them; we light affection at this fire of meditation, while I was muſing the fire burned, Pſalm. 39.3. David was meditating of mortality, and ſee how his heart was affected with it verſe. 4. Lord make me to know mine end and the me aſure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am. The reaſon our affections are ſo chill and cold in ſpiritual things is, becauſe we doe warm our ſelves no more at the fire of meditation. Illumination makes us ſhining lamps, meditation makes us burning lamps. What is it to know Chriſt by ſpeculation and not by affection? It is the proper work of meditation to excite and blow up holy paſſions. What ſparklings of love in ſuch a ſoul! When David had meditated on Gods law, he could not chuſe but love it, Pſalm. 119.97. O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day. When the ſpouſe had by meditation viewed thoſe ſingular beauties in her beloved, white and ruddy Cant. 5. ſhe grew ſick of love verſ. 8. Galeatius Caraccialus, that famous Marqueſs of Vico, who had been much in the contemplation of Chriſt, breaks out into a holy Pathos, let their mony periſh with them who eſteem all the gold in the world worth one hours communion with Jeſus Chriſt!
4. Meditation fits for holy duties. The muſician firſt put his inſtrument in tune and then he plaies a leſſon; meditation tunes the heart, and then it is fit for any holy ſervice: as the ſails to the Ship, ſo is meditation to duty, it carries on the ſoul more ſwiftly.
1. Meditation fits for Hearing, when the ground is ſoftned then it is fit for the plough and the ſeed: when the heart is ſoftned by meditation, now is a fit time for the ſeed of the word to be ſown.
2. Meditation fits for Prayer, Prayer is Spiritualis pulſus, the ſpiritual pulſe of the ſoul, by which it beats ſtrongly after God. There is no living without prayer; a man cannot live unleſs he takes breath, no more can the Soul unleſs it breathes out its deſires to God. Prayer Ʋſhers in mercy, and prayer ſanctifies mercy; *1 Tim. 4.5.; it makes mercy to be mercy: prayer hath power over God, vincit invincibilem *Luther.. Hoſea 12.4. Prayer comes with Letters of mandamus to heaven, Iſa. 45.11. Prayer is the ſpiritual Leech, that ſucks the poiſon of ſinne out of the ſoul. What a bleſſed (ſhall I ſay duty or) privilege, is prayer! Meditatio nutrix ora tionis. Gerſon.Now meditation is an help to prayer: Gerſon calls it the nurſe of Prayer. Meditation is like oyl to the lamp; the lamp of prayer will ſoon go out unleſs meditation cheriſh and ſupport it: meditation and prayer are like two Turtles, if you ſeparate one, the other dies; A cunning angler obſerves the time and ſeaſon when the fiſh bite beſt, and then he throws in his angle: When the heart is warmed by meditation, now is the beſt ſeaſon to throw in the angle of prayer, and fiſh for mercy. After Iſaac had been in the field meditating, he was fit for prayer when he came home. When the Gun is full of powder, it is fitteſt to diſcharge. So when the minde is full of good thoughts, a Chriſtian is fitteſt by prayer to diſcharge, now he ſends up whole volleys of ſighs and groans to heaven. Meditation hath a double benefit in it, it powres in, and poures out; firſt it poures good thoughts into the mind, and then it poures out thoſe thoughts again in prayer; meditation firſt furniſheth with matter to pray, and then it furniſheth with a heart to pray, Pſalm 39.3. I was muſing (ſaith David;) and the very next words are a prayer, Lord make me to know my end; Hinc utilitas meditationis conſpicitur quia animum Davidis ad pre candi ſtudium erexit. Calvin.and Pſalm 143.5, 6. I muſe on the works of thy hands, I ſtretch forth my hands to thee; the muſing of his head, made way for the ſtretching forth of his hands in prayer. When Chriſt was upon the mount then he prayed: So when the Soul is upon the mount of meditation, now it is in tune for Prayer; Prayer is the Child of meditation: meditation leads the van, and prayer brings up the Rear.
3. Meditation fits for Humiliation. When David had been contemplating the Works of Creation, their ſplendor, harmony, motion, influence, he let the plumes of pride fall, and begins to have Self-abaſing thoughts, Pſalm 8.3, 4. When I conſider the Heavens, the Work of thy fingers, the moon and Starres which thou haſt ordained, What is man that thou art mindfull of him?
5. Meditation is a ſtrong antidote againſt ſinne; moſt ſin is committed for want of meditation: men ſin through incogitancy, and paſſion *Omnis paſſio inclinat cum impetu. Tho. Queſt. 155. art. 2.; would they be ſo brutiſhly ſenſual as they are, if they did ſeriouſly meditate what ſin is? Would they take this viper in their hand, if they did but conſider before of the ſting? Sin puts a worm in to conſcience, a ſting into death, a fire into hell; did men meditate of this, that after all their dainty diſhes, death will bring in the Reckoning, and they muſt pay the Reckoning in Hell, they would ſay as David in another ſence, Let me not eat of their dainties, Pſalm 141.4. The Devils apple hath a bitter kore in it. Did men think of this, ſure it would put them into a cold ſweat, and be as the Angels drawn ſword to affright them. Judg. 22.23.Meditation is a golden Shield to beat back ſin. When Joſephs miſtreſs tempted him to wickedneſs, meditation did preſerve him, How ſhall I do this Evil, and ſinne againſt God? Meditation makes the heart like wet tinder, it will not take the Devils fire.
6. Meditation is a cure of Covetouſneſs. The covetous man is called an Idolater, Col. 3.5. Though he will not bow down to an Idol, yet he worſhips graven images in his coyn. Now meditation is an excellent means to leſſen our eſteem of the World. Great things ſeem little to him that ſtands high, if we could live among the ſtars, the earth would ſeem as nothing. A Chriſtian that ſtands high upon the pinacle of meditation, how do all worldly things diſappear, and ſeem as nothing to him; he ſees not that in them which men of the world do. He is gotten into his Tower, and Heaven is his Proſpect. What is ſaid of God He dwells on high, he humbleth himſelf to behold the things done on the earth, Pſal. 113.6. I may allude to with reverence, The Chriſtian that dwelleth on high by meditation accounts it an humbling and abaſing of himſelf to look down upon the earth, & behold the things done in this lower Region. Saint Paul, whoſe meditations were ſublime and ſeraphical, looked at things, foreign, which were not ſeen, 2 Cor. 4. ult. How did he trample upon the World, how did he ſcorn it? I am crucifled to the world, Gal. 6.14. As if he had ſaid it is too much below me to mind it. He who is catching at a crown will not fiſh for gudgeons, as Clopatra, once ſaid to Mark Anthony. A Chriſtian that is elevated by holy meditation, will not ſet his heart there where his feet ſhould be, upon the earth.
7. Holy meditation baniſheth vain and ſinful thoughts it purgeth the Phancy *foreign Chryſoſt.. How long ſhall vain thoughts lodg within thee? Jer. 4.14. The mind is the ſhop or work houſe where ſin is firſt framed. Sin begins at the thoughts. The thoughts are the firſt plotters and contrivers of evil. The mind & fancy is a ſtage where ſin is firſt acted; the malicious man acts over ſin in his thoughts, he contemplates revenge. The impure perſon acts over concupicence in his thoughts, he contemplates lust. The Lord humble us for our contemplative wickedneſs. Pr. 30.32. If thou hast thought evil lay thy hand upon thy mouth. How much ſin do men commit in the chamber of their imagination? now meditating in Gods law would be a good means to baniſh theſe ſinful thoughts. If David had carried the book of the law about him and meditated in it, he had not looked on Bathſheba with a laſcivious eye, 2. Sam. 11.2. Holy meditation would have quenched that wild-fire of luſt. The word of God is pure, Pſalm. 119.140. not onelyonly ſubjective but effective. Tis not onelyonly pure in it ſelf, but it makes them pure that meditate in it. Chriſt whip't the buyers and ſellers out of the temple. John. 2.15. Holy meditation would whip out idle and vagrant thoughts and not ſuffer them to lodg in the mind: what is the reaſon the Angels in heaven have not a vain thought? they have a ſight of God, their eye is never off him. If the eye of the ſoul were fixed on God by meditation, how would vain impure thoughts vaniſh? As when that woman Judg. 9.52. was in the tower and Abimelek came near to the tower to have entered, ſhe threw a milſtone out of the tower upon him and killed him: ſo when we are gotten into the high tower of meditation, and ſinful thoughts would come near to enter, we may from this tower throw a milſtone upon them and deſtroy them. And thus you have ſeen the benefit of meditation.
CHAP. XVI. Setting forth the excellency of meditation.
ARistotle placeth Felicity in the contemplation of the mind. Meditation is highly commended by Austin, Chryſostome, Cyprian, as the nurſery of piety. Hierom calls it his Paradiſe *Dixit Hieronimus oppida & urbes videri ſibi tetros carceres ſolitudinem Paradiſum Epiſt. 72.with what words ſhall I ſet it forth? other duties have done excellently, but Thou excellest them all. Meditation is a friend to the graces, it helps to water the plantation. I may call it in Baſils expreſſion foreign, Baſil.the treaſury where all the graces are locked up. And with Theophylact, the very gate & portal by which we enter into glory. By meditation the Spirits are raiſed, foreign.and heightned, to a kind of angelical frame; meditation doth ſweetly anticipate happineſs, it puts us in heaven before our time. Meditation brings God and the Soul together, 1 Joh. 3.2.
Meditation is the Saints perſpective Glaſs, by which they ſee things inviſible. It is the golden ladder by which they aſcend Paradiſe, it is the ſpy they ſend abroad to ſerch the land of promiſe, & it brings a bunch of grapes with it; it is the dove they ſend out, and it brings an Olive branchof peace in its mouth; but who can tell how ſweet hony is, ſave they that taſt it? The excellency of meditation I leave to experienced Chriſtians, who will ſay, the comfort of it may be better felt then expreſſed.
To excite all to this Pancreston, to this ſo uſeful, excellent (I had almoſt ſaid Angelical) duty, let me lay down ſome divine motives to meditation; and how glad ſhould I be, if I might revive this duty among Chriſtians.