The Saints Delight, Treatise · Chapter 7 – Chapter 10
CHAP. VII. Shewing the neceſſity of Meditation.
It is not enough to carry the book of Gods lawabout us, but we muſt Meditate in it. The neceſſity of Meditation wil appear in three particulars. 1. The end why God hath given us his word written and preached, is not onelyonly to know it but that we ſhould Meditate in it. The word is a letter of the great God written to us, now we muſt not runne it over in haſt but meditate upon Gods wiſdom in inditing, and his love in ſending it to us. Why doth the Phyſician give his patient a receit? is it that he ſhould onelyonly read it over duplicate page duplicate page and know the receit, or that he ſhould apply it? The end why God communicates his Goſpel receits to us is, that we ſhould apply them by fruitful meditatition: would God (think we) ever have been at the pains of writing his lawwith his own finger only that we ſhould have the Theory and notion of it? is it not that we ſhould Meditate in it? would he ever have been at the coſt to ſend abroad his miniſters into the world, to furniſh them with gifts, Eph. 4. and muſt they for the work of Chriſt be nigh unto death *Phil. 2.30.that Chriſtians ſhould onelyonly have an empty knowledge of the truths publiſhed? is it only ſpeculation or meditation that God aims at?
2. The neceſſity of meditation appears in this, becauſe without it we can never be good Chriſtians; a Chriſtian without meditation is like a ſoldier without arms or a workman without tools. 1. Without Meditation the truths of God will not stay with us, the heart is hard and the memory ſlipery, and without meditation all is loſt; meditation imprints and faſtens a truth in the mind, it is like the Selvedge which keeps the cloath from ravelling. Serious Meditation is like the engraving of letters in gold or marble which endure. without this allour preaching to you is but like writing in ſand, like pouring water into a ſieve, like throwing a bur upon chryſtal which glides off and doth not ſtay. Reading and hearing without Meditation is like weak Phyſick which will not work; want of Meditation hath made ſo many ſermons in this age to have a miſcarrying womb and dry breſts.
2. Without Meditation the truths which we know will never affect our hearts, Deut. 6.6. Theſe words which I command thee this day ſhall be in thine heart. How can the word be in the heart unleſs it be wrought in by Meditation? as an hammer drives a nail to the head, ſo Meditation drives a truth to the heart. It is not the taking in of food but the ſtomacks concocting it, which makes it turn to blood and ſpirits, ſo it is not the taking in of a truth at the ear but the Meditating of it (which is the concoction of it in the mind) makes it nouriſh. Without Meditation the word preached may encreaſe notion not affection. There is as much difference between the knowledge of a truth, and the meditation of a truth, as there is between the light of a Torch and the light of the Sun: ſet up a Lamp or Torch in the garden, and it hath no influence. The Sun hath a ſweet influence, it makes the plants to grow, and the herbs to flouriſh: So knowledge is but like a Torch lighted in the underſtanding, which hath little or no influence, it makes not a man the better; but Meditation is like the ſhineing of the Sun, it operates upon the affections, it warmes the heart, and makes it more holy. Meditation fetcheth life in a Truth. There are many truths ly, as it were, in the heart dead, which when we Meditate upon, they begin to have life and heat in them. Meditation of a Truth is like rubbing a man in a ſwoon, it fetcheth life. Tis meditation makes a Chriſtian.
3. Without Meditation we make our ſelves guilty of ſlighting God and his word. If a man lets a thing lie by, and never mindes it, it is a ſign he ſlights it: Gods Word is the book of life, not to meditate in it, is to undervalue it. If a King puts forth an Edict or Proclamation, and the Subjects never minde it, it is a ſlighting the Kings Authority. God puts forth his Law as a Royal Edict, if we do not Meditate in it, it is a ſlighting his authority, and what doth this amount to leſſe then a Contempt done to the Divine Majeſty.
CHAP. VIII. Shewing the reaſon why there are ſo few Good Christians.
USE 1.
IT gives us a true account why there are ſo few good Chriſtians in the world, namely, Ʋſe 1 Inform.becauſe there are ſo few Meditating Chriſtians: we have many that have aures bibulas, they are ſwift to hear, but ſlow to meditate. This duty is grown almoſt out of faſhion, people are ſo much in the Shop, that they are ſeldom on the Mount with God. Where is the Meditating Chriſtian? Diogenes, in a full Market, was ſeeking up and down, and being ask'd what he ſought for, ſaith, hominem quaero. I ſeek for a man, that was to ſay, a wiſe man, a Philoſopher; among the croud of Profeſſors, I might ſearch for a Chriſtian, videl. A Meditating Christian. Where is he that Meditates on ſin, hell, eternity, the recompenſe of reward, That takes a proſpect of heaven every day? where is the Meditating Chriſtian? Tis to be bewail'd in our times that ſo many who go under the name of Profeſſors, have baniſhed good diſcourſe from their Tables, and Meditation from their Cloſets. Surely, The hand of Joab is in this.
The Devil is an Enemy to Meditation, he cares not how much people read and hear, nor how little they Meditate; He knowes that Meditation is a means to compoſe the heart and bring it into a gracious frame: Now the Devil is againſt that, Satan is content that you ſhould be hearing and praying Chriſtians, ſo that ye be not Meditating Chriſtians, he can ſtand your ſmall ſhot, provided you do not put in this bullet.
CHAP. IX. A Reproof to ſuch as do not meditate in Gods Law.
Uſe 2.
Ʋſe 2 IT ſerves to reprove thoſe who Meditate indeed, but not in the Law of God: ReproofThey turn all their Meditations the wrong way; like a man that lets forth the water of his Mill which ſhould grind his corn into the highway, whereit doth no good: So there are many who let out their Meditations upon other fruitleſs things, which are no waies beneficial to their ſouls.
1. The Farmer Meditates on his acres of land not upon his ſoul: his Meditation is how he may improve a barren piece of ground, not how he may improve a barren minde: he will not let his ground lie fallow, but he lets his heart lye fallow: There is no ſpiritual culture, not one ſeed of grace ſown there.
2. The Phyſitian meditates upon his receits, but ſeldom on thoſe receits which the Goſpel preſcribes for his ſalvation, Faith and Repentance. Commonly the Devil is Phyſitian to the Phyſitian, having given him ſuch ſtupifying phyſick that for the moſt part he dies of a Lethargy.
3. The Lawyer meditates upon the common Law, but as for Gods law he ſeldom Meditates in it either day or night: the lawyer while he is Meditating on his clients evidences often forgets his own; moſt of this Robe have their ſpiritual evidences to ſeek, when they ſhould have them to ſhow. The tradeſ-man is for the moſt part Meditating upon his wares and drugs: his ſtudy is how he may encreaſe his eſtate and make the ten talents an hundred. He is cumbred about many things; he doth not Meditate in the book of Gods law but in his account-book day and night. At the long run you will ſee theſe were fruitleſs Meditations, you will find that you are but golden beggars and have gotten but the fooles purchaſe when you dye, Luke. 12.20.
5. There is another ſort that Meditate onelyonly upon miſchief, who deviſe iniquity, Mic. 2.1. they Meditate how to defame; and to defraud; James 8.5. they make the Epha ſmall and the ſhekel great. The Epha was a meaſure uſed in buying, the ſhekel a weight uſed in ſelling, they know how to collude & ſophiſticate Christians who ſhould ſupport too often ſupplant one another; and how many Meditate revenge? tis ſweet to them as dropping honey (as Homer ſpeaks) Their hearts ſhall meditate terrour, Iſaiah 33.18. the ſinner is a fellon to himſelf and God will make him a terrour to himſelf.Jer. 20.4.
CHAP. X. An holy perſwaſive to Meditation.
USE. 3.
I Am in the next place to exhort Chriſtians to this ſo neceſſary duty of Meditation. If ever there were a duty I would preſs upon you with more earneſtneſs & zeal, it ſhould be this, becauſe ſo much of the vitals and ſpirits of Religion lies in it. The plant may as well bear fruit without watering, the meat may as well nouriſh without digeſting, as we can fructifie in holineſſe without Meditation. God provides the meat, Miniſters can but cook and dreſſe it for you, Meditation muſt make the concoction; for want of this you may cry out as the Prophet, Iſa. 24.16. My leanneſs, my leanneſs, wo unto me. Oh let me perſwade ſuch as fear God, ſeriouſly to ſet upon this duty. If you have formerly neglected it, bewail your neglect, and now begin to make conſcience of it: Lock up your ſelves with God (at leaſt once a day) by holy Meditation Aſcend this Hill, and when you are gotten to the top of it, you ſhall ſee a fair proſpect, Chriſt and heaven before you. Let me put you in minde of that ſweet ſaying of Bernard, *O ſancta anima, fuge publi cum, fuge domeſticos, an neſcis te verecundum habere ſponſum, & qui nequaquam ſuam velit tibi indulgere praeſentiam, praeſentibus caeteris: Ber: ſerm. 40. in Can.O Saint knoweſt thou not that thy husband Chriſt is baſhfull and will not be familiar in company? retire thy ſelf by meditation into the cloſet, or the field and there thou ſhalt have Chriſts embraces. Cant. 7.11, 12. Come my Beloved, let us go forth, into the field, there will I give thee my loves, O that I might invite Chriſtians to this rare duty. Why is it, that you do not Meditate in Gods Law? Let me expoſtulate the caſe with you: what is the Reaſon? My thinks I hear ſome ſay, we are indeed convinced of the neceſſity of the duty, but alas there are many things that hinder. There are two great objections lye in the way, I ſhall remove them, and then hope the better to perſwade to this duty.