The Power of Godliness, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the Second Operation of Man, viz. Memory. Wherein it consists. Upon what things the Memories of the godly are to be exercised. What it is to remember things after an holy manner, with the Benefits of such a Remembrance. The course to be taken for the obtaining an holy Memory. And what the Sinnes, that are opposite thereunto, which m…st be shunned.
Question, WHat is a Second Operation of man?
A. Memory or remembrance, whereby we keep things known,Nihil prodesse potest homini innatam esse re… percipiendae potestatem, nifi haberet etiam ejusdem retinendae facultatem. Vis memorativa pendeta virtute formatrice imaginum in mente. Bonus & accuratus intellector facit felicem memoratorem. Verbaque praevisam rem non invita sequentur. or call to mind what we had forgotten. As in all things the force of conserving doth depend upon the force of getting and laying up: so also in man the force of keeping doth wholly depend of the force of forming and judging that Image, which ought to be conserved: and therefore the memory is never happy, where there hath not gone before a good understanding. If things be not laid up well in the Chest, they can never be kept well in the Chest. He can never have an happy memory, who hath not a good understanding. It is a good part of memory, to understand the matter throughly, distinctly, explicitely; then order causeth that what hath once overslipped, to be easily recalled. Memory standeth specially in three things; Understanding, Order, Care. In order of nature memory of words, doth depend upon memory of the things: and they do happily remember words, and the propriety which is in severall words, who have obtained the understanding of the things, and by the things do commit the words to memory. The memory of things is conserved and strengthened by the same meanes, or places by which the knowledge of things is obtained: for memory doth answer unto and depend upon the understanding. He that excelleth with a wit explicative and probative, he doth happily call to remembrance things forgotten, and that speedily and upon every light occasion. And this is done by the essentiall vertue of order, which by it own nature doth further remembrance, as light of it self is visible, and needs not to be enlightened of any other thing. The causes of remembrance of things forgotten; are, First, Diligent disquisition made by the causes, effects, adjuncts, and reasonings from one thing to another. Secondly, Restauration or recovery of the conceit of the thing formerly understood, which before was lost, or at least obscured. The furtherance of it is consideration of the circumstances, specially of the time past, wherein we know or apprehended such a thing as we desire to call to remembrance.
Q How are the Memories of the godly to be exercised?
Deut. 11.18. & 6.6. Luk. 2.19, 51. De t. 24.1…. Heb. 2.1. Deut. 32.7. Psal. 36 1. P…ov. 3.1. 1 Thes. 3.6. 1 Cor. 11.2.A. In the holy and safe keeping and recalling of what we know concerning God, his Law, Works and Ordinances; our own sinnes, frailties, wants and infirmities; the distress, misery, and prosperity of Gods Church, and such like, that it be in readiness for use as occasion and opportunity requireth. It shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the Commandements of the Lord, and do them, Numb. 15.3940. Let thy heart retain my words: keep my Commandoments and live. Get Wisdome, get understanding, for get it not, Prov. 4 4, 5. Wise men lay up knowledge, Prov. 10.14. & 2.1. & 7.1. I will not forget thy Word, Psal. 119.16. We will remember thy love more then Wine, Cant. 1.4. I will remember the loving kindness of the Lord, Esa. 63.7. I will remember the Works of the Lord: surely I will remember the Wonders of old, Psal. 77.11. Remember this day, in which ye came out of Aegypt, out of the house of bondage, Exo. 13.3. Remember and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the Wilderness, Deut. 9 7. Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Aegypt, Deut. 16.12. Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, Deut. 24.9. By the Rivers of Babylon, there we sate down, ye we wept: when we remembred Sion, Psal. 137.1, 5, 6. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is a more blessed thing to give then to receive, Act. 20.35. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, Heb. 13.3. By these and such like passages of holy writ, we learn, what things are specially to be carried in minde of them that intend to live godly.
Q. What is it to remember these things after an holy manner?
A. 1. To minde them in season when fit occasion and opportunity is offered. 2. So to remember them, as to be affected with them according to the nature of the thing it self, and condition of the time. To remember the Law as to obey it; to remember God, is to trust in him, to walke before him in truth and uprightness; to remember his Judgments, is to fear and stand in awe of his Highness; To remember Sion in heaviness, is to sorrow with her, and to commend her state unto God.
Q. What is the Profit or Benefit of this Remembrance?
A. 1. It withdraweth the heart from carnall confidence, be the present aide or strength never so great, and raiseth it in confidence against fears, be the danger in likelihood never so apparent. Some trust in Chariots, and some in Horses: but we will remember the Name of the Lord, Psal. 20.7. If thou shalt say in thy heart, These Nations are more then I, how can I dispossess them? Thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shalt remember, what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Aegypt, Deut. 7.17, 18. 2. The safe keeping of what we know, is the best meanes to increase and grow rich in spirituall understanding. Christ is the onelyonly Alchimist. Men of small gettings grow to great substance by continuall saving, holding together what they have gotten, and adding somewhat to it daily. Should one have never so great takings, if one should filch out his gaine as it came in he should never increase in substance. If men spend as they get, let the Sea of wealth flow in upon them, yet they shall never have but from hand to mouth: So it is with Christians that hear much, lay up nothing, they cannot thrive in grace or knowledge: but who so keepeth what he hath received, and addeth somewhat to his former store, he shall increase abundantly. 3. The remembrance of God and his works doth sweetly sustaine and refresh the soul in bitter agonies and inward distresses. I remembred God, and was humbled: I have considered the daies of old, the years of ancient times. Psal. 77.3, 5, 6. Ver. 10.11. Psal. 143.4, 5. Psal. 119.52.I call to remembrance my Song in the night. I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. My heart within me is dessolate; I remember the daies of old. 4. Serious remembrance of God, his Word, and Works; of our sinnes, and the temptations of his Church, is of speciall use to keep the heart in an heavenly tenderness, and holy disposition to free and willing obedience, and fitteth the heart to mourne, pray, praise unfainedly. Psal. 119. It causeth departure from iniquity, keepeth in awe of the Commandements of the most High, [and driveth unto God at all times to seek refuge, and rest under the shadow of his wings.] 5. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting, to such as keep his Covenant, and to those that remember his Commandements to do them, Psal. 103.17, 18.
Q. What course should be taken to obtain an holy Memory?
A. 1. Boisterous passions and ungodly lusts must be subdued and brought into subjection: as anger, fear, immoderate shame, &c. Envy, covetousness, pleasure, &c. for the truth cannot make impression in a distempered heart, no more then the face can cause reflection in troubled waters. Besides, as with a sponge men blot out what they have written in Tables, so doth passion what is engraven in the understanding. 2. Things that we would keep sure, must distinctly, soundly, explicitely be understood.Mens distincta melius apprehendit, quam confusa. Prompta recordatio, a perfectā rerum memorandarum intellectione, magná exparte provenit. Methodus catena memoriae. Good Lessons do easily fall from us, because we leave off to study them before we well conceive the truth: whereas if we would dwell longer in the search of what we slightly apprehend, we should the better keep what we have found, and recall it as occasion requireth. 3. He that would faithfully retain what he hath learned, must be instructed in the principles of Religion, that he may be able to referre what he heareth, observeth, and hath seen, to some head. Order is to Memory, as light to the eye. The Merchant that knowes not where to finde any thing, so long as his Wares lie confused in an heape, can readily shew every thing when they be sorted into their places. Ye are dull of hearing, because ye have need to be taught what are the first principles of Religion, Heb. 5.11, 12. The man that is well catechised, is best able to lay up and keep safe what he hath received. It is not to be thought that by this meanes we can obtain the remembrance of every word in each sentence, but the generall sense and substance of matter we shall keep in minde. 4. Sinister cogitations and by-thoughts must be forgotten, when we would commit any thing to memory: for forgetfulness is such a beginning of memory, as privation is of Generation. The minde distracted with vaine cogitations, cannot seriously fasten the stampe or impression of things received upon the retentive faculty. Thou must succinctly gather thy self together, and gird up the loynes of the minde. The face is not seen in running waters: nor can things understood be written in memory, if the powers of imagination be not united close and fixed upon it. Lead is capable of engraven Charectars, because it is firme and solid▪ Quick-silver, because fluid, will not admit them: In like manner an inconstant wandering minde, which is carried into new, strang, divers cogitations, can reape small fruit by what he readeth or heareth. 5. In reading or hearing thou must diligently observe the matter intreated of, the ground of the Discourse, the Arguments whereby it is confirmed, the Methode in which it is handled, and the Similitudes wherewith it is illustrated. If the Methode be exact and perfect, it doth most availe to the remembrance of the whole: for what went before, will give light to that which followeth; and one thing draw on another. And as for Similitudes, as they convince, affect, and give light, so do they much further Memory by their perspicuity, familiarity, and powerfull operation. 6. The chief heads of what we read or hear, must briefly, yet heedfully be runne over, before one thing have driven out another. But in recalling the principall points already delivered, we must take care, that what is spoken for the present, do not over-slip us. And if we cannot readily call to minde some Head propounded, whiles we are busied in hearing, we must not stand long to discourse about it, but pass forward to some other things, and return again to enquire after it as opportunity is offered. 7. Delight and care is a great stay to memory. Old men remember what they regard. The shortest wit can call to minde where he laid his Gold. I will delight my self in thy Statutes: I will not forget thy words, Psal. 119.16. 8. Work the heart to a lively sense of what we hear, read or apprehend. Whatsoever doth affect with more then ordinary joy or sorrow, that is not easily blotted out. Why do men remember their wrongs received, sicknesses felt, travels undertaken, and apparent dangers escaped? because they are sensible of them. The Doctrine that doth affect kindly, will stick fast by us. 9. Take speciall notice of that which thou hast not learned or heard before, think upon it often and seriously: for things before learned and digested, will more easily return into memory upon the hearing or repitition. 10. Experience is a great prop to Memory. We can with much ease call to minde what paine we endured in sickness, what meanes we used for recovery: Once repetition is sufficient to present all this afresh unto the understanding. Get experience of the Word, and finde the truth of it in thy self, so will it easily be borne in remembrance. What is there almost in the whole Book of God, whereof a Christian renewed by grace, may not have experience in himself, if he will take paines to become acquainted with his own soul, and to get possession of the Word? What the Scripture saith of the miserable and sinfull estate of man by nature, he findeth and feeleth in himself: and if we discerne not the work of Grace, enjoy not the comfort of the Promise, temporall and spirituall, all is not as it ought to be. 11. Meditation is the chief help of Memory: for it doth concoct and digest what is heard, that it may be laid up with more safety. The manner of Meditation is (1.) To learn by parts what we would commit to memory; that is, we must call to minde and busie our thoughts upon one part after another, till the whole be runne over; and then repeate the whole in the same order and methode in which it was delivered or set down. (2.) If the minde be fluid and wandering, it is not amisse to use the helpe of a mild, moderate voice, and to learn by heart with a still noise or murmuring, that the memory may be holpen with the double motion of repeating and hearing, and the heart kept from straying and roving up and down. But if the mind be firme and stayed, it is a more expedient way and stronger to imprint notions, to repeate them with silence, in thought without the use of the voice. (3.) If any point or memorable part have over-slipped us, we must by diligent search and enquiry labour to finde it our, calling to mind what went before, what followed after, to what place or Head of Divinity we referred it in hearing, considering what might be spoken in that matter more then we remember to be delivered, what we have read or observed in others. If by this meanes thou canst not recover it, aske of thy companion or familiar friend with whom thou art lincked in society; for by his assistance that may be regained, which of thy self thou canst not finde. (4.) What thou hast learned or observed in the day, that repeate at night before thou betake thy self to rest, that what is lightly imprinted in the minde by day thoughts, may be firmely sealed by night cogitations. And it is wonderfull to be spoken, and not easie to be unfolded, what firmeness, the silent resting of the minde upon a matter all night without distraction, doth bring to Memory. (5.) As soon as sleep is shaken off, and thou hast made thy self ready, before thou settest upon other studies or business, recall to minde in the morning, what thou hast meditated over-night. For it profiteth little to meditate before sleep, unless thou ruminate upon it after sleep. (6.) The fittest time to begin this Meditaion, is immediately after thou hast heard or read what thou desirest to be laid up, before the minde be called from it by other occasions, or Satan have stolen the Word out of the heart. Good Husbands cover their Seed with the Harrow as soon as they cast it into the ground, least the fowles of Heaven should devoure and pick it up. (7.) Because a vehement and bent inclination of minde is required in Meditation, which doth much weaken the spirits, we must take heed that we spend not too much time in Meditation, least the edge of the minde be dulled therewith. And because we assigne but little time to Meditation, we must take heed that we lose no moment of that time: but when it is necessary to meditate, do that willingly, and without tediousness, which is necessary. 12. The minde is to be exercised daily in the learning and recalling some thing that is good and profitable, that by the use and exercise of remembring, Memory might be perfected. For as the strength of body is increased by continuall labour and exercise, but diminished by sloth and intermission of labour: so the vigour of mind is revived by exercise and daily study, by intermission and sloth it is withered and drieth up. And as frequent disputation makes a skilfull Logician, and frequent declaiming a skilfull Oratour: so the frequent practice of committing things to memory, doth make a more prompt memory. For there is nothing that doth more rejoyce in labour and work, nothing that is more easily corrupted, and gathereth rust with rest and idleness, then Memory. Use makes the Work-man. 13. Read and hear the Word of God with application, and labour to make that thine own; for if we joyn confession, prayer, supplication, intercession and thanksgiving, as occasion is given from those things we hear or read, we shall not onelyonly remember them better, but we shall edifie our conscience. And if the stamp of the truth be fixed upon our hearts, and appeare in our conversation, it will not be hard to recall it, because looking upon our selves we shall finde it engraven in our breasts, and shining in our practice. 14. Divine aide is to be craved by earnest and continuall prayers, that by his grace he would sanctifie our hearts. For the influences of Divine grace poured of God into our hearts, do much recreate and refresh them.
Q What sinnes are opposite to this remembrance which must be shunned?
A. First, Forgetfulness of God, his Word, his Workes, our sinnes,Prov. 3.1. Psal. 116.16. Psal. 44.19, 20, 21, 22. and the distresses of his Servants: which ariseth from negligence, security, earthly-mindedness, delight in vanity, pride, and such like. Beware that thy heart be not lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt, Deut. 8.14. According to their pasture, so were they filled: they were filled, and their heart is exalted: therefore have they forgotten me, Hos. 13.6. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his Benefits! Psal. 103.2. I will not forget thy Precepts, for by them thou hast quickened me, Psal. 119.93. Vers. 61. Secondly, Slight remembrance, when we can think and speak of the Word and Works of God, but are not affected with them as is meet. Vanishing knowledge is great ignorance, and dull empty remembrance, is gross forgetfulness. God is not remembred, when his Commandements are not obeyed, when he is not loved, trusted in, feared, worshipped as he hath prescribed.Psal. 50.22. Deut 8.11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his Commandements. They made a Calfe in Horeb and worshipped the molten Image: Psal. 106.19, 21. & 44.19, 20. Psal. 9.17. Psal. 119 83. Deut. 32.18.They forgat God their Saviour: Who had done great things in Aegypt. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the Nations that forget God. I have not forgotten thy Satutes. Of the Rock that begat thee, thou art unmindfull, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. My zeal hath consumed me: because mine enemies have forgotten thy Law, Psal. 119.139. Can a maide forget her Ornaments, or a Bride her Attire? yet my people have forgotten me, daies without number, Jer. 2.32. Thus sinnes are forgotten, when we be not humbled; kindnesses, when we be not thankfull; former mercies, when by them we learn not more confidence in God. Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your Fathers, and the wickedness of the Kings of Judah, &c.? They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my Law, Jer. 44.9, 10. Remember these (O Jacob and Israel) for thou art my servant, I have formed thee: thou art my servant, O Israel, shew not thy self forgetfull of me, Esa. 44.21. & 57.11. Having eyes, see ye not? and having eares, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? Mar. 8.18. Thirdly, Unseasonable remembrance, when things are not called to minde till opportunity be past, or when the heart should be set upon other matters. Fourthly, Exercise of the memory in a sinfull manner, treasuring up vanity and earthly things, neglecting the safe custody of what is worthy to be retained; recalling the thought of sinnes past with delight, and rejoycing in the miseries of the Church. Fifthly, Tumultuary reading or hearing, without Knowledge or Meditation. For, as it availes not to the health of the body to eate much, but to digest well what is eaten: so deliberate reading and meditation is more profitable to the minde, then greedy scambling over much, when little is thought upon. Sixthly, It is a fault to let that slip away, which for a time we kept and did affect, whether it was for comfort, direction or humiliation; for the treasure of the Word should be kept safe continually. I meane it not of the Words and Syllables which are as a Vessel to convey it: but of the pith and substance which endures for ever.