The mount of holy meditation: or a treatise shewing the nature and kinds of meditation the subject matter and ends of it; the necessity of meditation; together with the excellency and usefulnesse thereof. By William Gearing minister of the gospel at Lymington in the county of Southampton.

THE MOUNT OF Holy Meditation. Geneſis 24.63.

And Iſaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide.

Chap. I. The porch or entrance into this Work.

AFter the death of Sarah, Abraham feeling himſelf wholly broken with old age, and ready to go the way of all the earth, reſolved to ſeek a match for Iſaac his ſon; and for that end he calleth the ſteward of his houſe, and moſt faithfull ſervant, and having commanded him to lay his hand on his thigh, he conjured him by the Name of Jehovah, to ſeek a Wife for his Son in the Land of Haran; which being done, this wiſe Nuntio began his journey in order to the fulfilling his Maſter's commands; and departing from Beerſheba, he went directly to Meſopotamia, carrying with him ten large Camels laden with the choiceſt things that the houſe of Abraham could afford: In ſhort time he arriveth at the City of Nahor, ver. 10. meditating with himſelf of the readieſt means for the expedition of what had been given him in charge; and firſt he repaireth to a place without the City, where women in their turns uſed to draw water, there reſting his Camels, waiting upon God's providence for the opportunity he deſired; during which expectation he powreth out his requeſt to God, begging him propitiouſly to favour the deſigns of his Maſter; which he had ſcarce ended when Rebeckah appeared with an earthen pitcher under her arm to draw water; of whom no ſooner had Eliezer deſired a little drink, but Rebeckah preſently aſſented, doing all that which charity and curteſie required ſhould be done to a ſtranger: Eliezer ſeriouſly weigheth all the actions of Rebeckah, as being one in whom he was to diſcern the footſteps of God's conduct concerning his Maſter and his Maſter's Son.—This prudent Embaſſadour having preſented ſome ear-rings and bracelets to Rebeckah, takes occaſion to inform himſelf of the conveniences that were in her Fathers houſe for himſelf and thoſe that were with him, together with his Camels; and being well inſtructed of the alliances of the Damſell, and being aſtoniſhed that all ſhould fall out ſo ſoon and ſo even with his deſires; throwes hsmſelf on the ground to render thanks to God, adoring his inexpreſſible goodneſſe to his Maſter: Rebeckah haſtens to her Parents, to let them know what had hapned; which her Brother Laban underſtanding, he repaireth immediatly to the well from whence Rebeckah came; & finding Eliezer, he earneſtly entreated him to follow him to his Father's houſe; and having brought him thither, he gave hay and ſtraw to his Camels, and water to waſh his feet, and the feet of thoſe that were with him; and meat being ſet before him, as a truſty ſervant, he is more carefull to fulfill his Maſter's buſineſſe, than to fill his own belly; then he openeth his Commiſſion which he had from his Maſter, and declareth the artifices himſelf had uſed to bring this buſineſſe to good effect, labouring thereby to know the will of God that Rebeckah ſhould be a Wife to Iſaac; then orderly and exactly he declareth, how his Maſter was bleſt by God, and honoured by men, that he was rich and wealthy, and that Iſaac was heir to all his ſubſtance: the ſilence of Rebeckah teſtified her conſent thereunto; and B • thuel and Laban readily yeelded to the diſpoſition of didine providence: at length the promiſe of marriage being given on both ſides; Eliezer brings forth Jewels of ſilver and Jewels of gold, and of raiment, and preſenteth them to Rebeckah, and giveth to her Mother and Brother pretious things; and after a little time ſpent in doing thoſe duties which honour & nature required, Rebeckah takes leave of her parents and kinred, and gets up upon the Camels, and with Eliezer and the men that were with him, advanceth with the beſt ſpeed that could be made, to arrive at Abraham's houſe: Iſaac, who was alwaies in expectation, firſt receiveth the news of Rebeckah's arrivall: Abraham's ſervant praies by the way when he went out, and praies and meditates at the end of his journey, and Iſaac praies and meditates as they come home: And Iſaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and behold the Camels were coming.

Iſaac goes out to meditate, and to meet with God, and there he meets with God and Rebeckah too, and Iſaac receiving her, brings her into the ſame Tent, which Sarah had while ſhe lived, and immediately the marriage of Iſaac with Rebeckah was accompliſhed according to the decree of Heaven and the deſires of Abraham. But to return to the words of my Text: in them you have divers Circumſtances conſiderable: 1. The name of the perſon [Iſaac.] 2. His work [meditation.] 3. His preparedneſſe to it [he went out. 4. The place where [into the field.] 5. The time when [at eventide.]

1. For the perſon, it was Iſaac, a child that came by miracle into the world; one that was the joy of his aged parents; he that was a child of tears and deſires, and now become an object of raviſhing joy; the lively picture of Abraham and Sarahs vertues, in whoſe ſeed all the Nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed.

2. The work of Iſaac, to meditate: the Chaldee renders it to pray; Hierom expounds the Hebrew word Suach, to ſpeak in prayer, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Orare. Chald. ad Orandum, Onkelus. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Hebr. viz. with muttering and whiſpering, the words not being fully and diſtinctly uttered; as 1 Sam. 1.16. Hannah ſaith; I have ſpoken out of the multitude of my grief,Loqui in oratione ſubmiſſe quaſi muſſando loqui. Hieron. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Symmach. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Aquii. Sive ſecum ut meditabundi faciunt. Vatablus. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , exerceri, meditari, Lorinus. whenas ſhe ſpake in her heart, onely her lips moved. Symmachus renders it, to ſpeak, as if he went out into the field to ſpeak with his ſervants about ſome worldly buſineſſe: Aquila, to ſpeak with himſelf, as thoſe do that are about to meditate. The Greeks render it by a word that ſignifieth ſometime the exerciſe of the body, ſometime the exerciſe of the mind; but chiefly it denoteth the exerciſe of the mind, I will meditate in thy precepts, ſaith David, Pſal. 119.15. The greek renders it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , In mandatis ſuis exercebor; In Scripturis eſt continua quaedam exercitatio; & meditari idem eſt, quod continuò exercitati. Suidas. Exiit in campum à domeſticis curis abalienare. Ambroſ. de Iſaac. c. 1. De rerum naturalium contemplatione praeſertim caeleſtium. Toſtat. & Lyran. Gaules votiu. ſpecul. I will exerciſe my ſelf in thy Commandements. Ambroſe renders the words of my Text thus; he went out in the field to ſequeſter himſelf from worldly cares and buſineſſes; and moſt probable it is, that Iſaac went out into the field to contemplate of things naturall, and eſpecially of heavenly things. We may conceive that Iſaac went out to meditate what good he had done that day, what evill avoided, what dangers eſcaped, what ſinnes committed, what good he had omitted, what grace and bleſſings he had received; or as one noteth, what a promiſe God had made, what a wife his father had provided, what a journey his ſervant had undergone, the time when he departed, and when alſo he would return: and while his thoughts and meditations had foreſeen them, his eyes are upon them; he lifted up his eyes, and behold the Camels were coming.

3. Conſider his preparedneſſe to it; he went out to meditate: The Scripture ſets out the intenſeneſſe of a man's ſpirit upon ſome ſerious buſineſſe, by the phraſe of going out: The ſower went out to ſow his ſeed, Luk. 8.5. So Chriſt ſaid to the people concerning John Baptiſt; What went ye out in the wilderneſſe for to ſee? Luk. 7.24. So Iſaac went out to meditate; he did not ſet upon ſo pious a work without ſerious preparation, and when he goes out in the field he makes it his buſineſſe to meditate, he comes out with a ſpirit bent like a bow, ready furniſht for this heavenly exerciſe.

4. The place, in the field.] He withdraws himſelf into a ſolitude for devout retirement; his ſpirit being enlarged, could not confine himſelf within the covert of a narrow tent, therefore he goes out into the field, a place advantagious for the work of meditation,Grata eſt ſolitudo meditantibus, & ipſa deambulatio admodùm juvat animum meditationibus deditum. Muſcul. ad loc. where he might caſt his eyes on various objects, and behold therein the wiſedom, power, and providence of God: Solitude is gratefull to thoſe that meditate, and field-walks are very refreſhing to the mind given to meditation.

5. The time when Iſaac went out to meditate; at the eventide, when the day had well nigh run her courſe, when the affairs for his calling were for that day diſpatched;Egreſſus veſperi propter commoditatem refrigerationis, quae poſt diurnum aeſtum illis in locis omnium ſolet eſſe gratiſſima. Idem. he is not ſo tired with worldly buſineſſes, as to make himſelf unfit for holy exerciſes, but in the evening of the day, and at the end of his outward imployment, he cometh to an higher imployment, his ſpirit is ripe for pious thoughts and heavenly meditations; the active and the contemplative life go together.

Chap. 2.

Sect. 1. Shewing that meditation is a duty that concerneth men of all ranks, and conditions.

From this Text thus opened, I ſhall gather this point of Doctrine; Doct. Quotidie certa tempora recitandis precationibus, & piis meditationibus tribuenda ſunt. Chytraus ad locum.

That it is the duty of every Chriſtian to ſet apart ſome time and place every day for holy meditation: ſome time muſt be allotted day by day for prayer and meditation, ſaith Chytraeus: meditation is a duty of Religion, commanded by God. Joſh. 1.8. This Book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate therein night and day: the word [Thou] is indefinite, and concerneth every Chriſtian as well as Joſhua, it belongs to men of all degrees, high and low, Miniſters and people, young and old.

1. This exerciſe of meditation doth well befit the Nobility and Gentry of our Land; who have more time and opportunities than others for this heavenly exerciſe: how ought they to take heed of the ſnares of great places and great confluences, which are great hindrances to the compoſing of the mind for holy meditations, cauſing them to entertain converſe only with ſuch fantaſtick ſpirits, from whom no other profit can be derived, than what vanity hath ſuggeſted, and the conceit of a deluded fancy hatched: it lies upon you to meditate much on your inward cure: reſtrain your eyes from thoſe outward objects that may any way darken the proſpect of your inward houſe; it is one of your great cares in Architecture, Hippolit. de Collib. that your houſes have a pleaſant ſite, and be dilated to fair proſpects; you will not endure any man, whoſe dwelling is near you, upon any new ſuperſtructure, or new raiſed ſtory, to darken the light of your windows, Oh then ſuffer not any thing to incroach upon the liberty of your higher rooms, theſe glorious ſtructures of your ſouls: let not pride over-top the • uminaries of your ſouls, let not covetouſneſſe ſtop and ſtraiten them, let not intemperance put out the eyes of your ſouls, let not luſt deface them, nor anger lacerate them, nor envy obſcure them, nor idleneſſe and wantonneſſe blemiſh them. Noble Gentlemen, reflect on your own worth, Gentility is not known by your ſtately garb, your ſumptuous houſes, and train of attendants, as by your noble vertues; let inward ornaments be your chiefeſt care, and the renewing and repairing of them your higheſt cure; take a turn with God every day upon the Mount of meditation, here you may find ſuch choice flowers as will more refreſh your ſouls, than any viſible odours or fragrant flowers are delightfull to your ſmell; you will then ſcarce think any earthly object worth beholding, when you frequently converſe with heavenly things: this will teach you to contemn the vanities of the earth, to know the worth of time, and to redeem your precious hours for the higheſt imployment, to conquer death it ſelf, and to aſpire to eternal excellencies; you will then be careleſſe obſervers of vain faſhions, which is the affectation of this fantaſtick age and deſire to be cloathed with the wedding garment, and be adorned with inward beauty, that the Lord Jeſus may take pleaſure in you, and marry you to himſelf for ever: it will be more to your honour that you have redeemed time, than that you have followed the mode and vain faſhions of a ſinfull time: It is ſaid of the Palm-tree, Plin. Nat. Hiſt. that when it grows dry and fruitleſſe, aſhes are applied to the root of it, and it ſoon recovereth: and that the Palms of your generous minds may be alwayes green and flouriſhing, and your branches be ever bloſſoming, and never wither, renew them daily with ſome ſweet and ſoveraign meditation, that when you ſhall return to the earth from whence you came, thoſe that ſucceed and ſurvive you, may collect how you lived while you were on earth, by making thoſe high imployments of yours, patterns for their perpetuall imitation.

Meditation is a work you ſee well becoming men of high degree; Joſhua Joſh. 1.8. • great Commander is commanded to • ake it his daily practice; and David • great King tells us, that meditation • as his work all the day. Pſal. 119. • 7. Mine eyes, ſaith he, are ever towards the Lord. Pſal. 25.15. Thou haſt • oſſeſſed my reins: Thou haſt covered me • n my mothers womb: I will praiſe thee, • or I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous are thy works, and that my • oul knoweth right well, &c. How precious alſo are thy thoughts unto me O God, how great is the ſumme of them? if I ſhould count them, they are moe in number • han the ſand: when I awake, I am ſtill with thee, Pſal. 139.13, 19.

2. Meditation alſo may be practi • ed by men of low degree,Biſhop Hall's Contemplat. as by men of the higheſt rank; A low man, ſaith one, if his eye be clear, may look as high as the talleſt, the leaſt Dwarf may from the loweſt valley ſee the Sun or Stars as fully, as a Giant upon the higheſt mountain: he that ſtands by, may ſee as far into the Milſtone as he that picks it: Chriſt is now in Heaven, it is not the ſmalneſſe of any man's perſon, nor the meanneſſe of his condition can let him from beholding him; the ſoul hath no ſt • ture, nor is God a reſpecter of pe • ſons, if God be but pleaſed to clear t •• eyes of any man's ſoul, he ſhall high enough to behold him: a po • man by holy meditation become poor in ſpirit, and rich in grace; b • meditation on the Scriptures he fin • eth his condition to be an holy Aſylu • that heaven hath promiſed a particul • protection to the poor;Evangelizare pauperibus miſit me. Luk. 4. that Chri •• came down from Heaven to inſtru •• them; that he hath pronounced th • bleſſed in his Sermons, choſe ſuch f • his Diſciples, hath made them the o • jects of his love, and deſigned the • for his favours. All outward goo • though precious cannot eſcape the di • aſters that threaten them: cunning violence may rob us of them, the i • nocent loſe their honour as well as t • criminall; Senault. Treat. 8. diſc. 3. the rich are as much afra • of ſickneſſe as the poor, nor are Kin • more ſecure from death than the Subjects; but be thou outwardly • ver ſo poor, yet if rich in faith, gra • is a good which cannot be taken fro • thee, no violence can plunder thee it.

3. This exerciſe of meditation ought chiefly to be practiſed by Miniſters and Scholars: there are three things that make a compleat Miniſter ſaith Luther, Luther. viz. temptation, prayer, and meditation; their hearts are alwayes to be inditing of a good matter,Pſal. 45.1. that their tongues may be the pens of ready writers: Plin. Nat. Hiſt. when the people of Rome heard that the fields of ſome of their Colonies waxed barren, their advice was, that the Husbandmen ſhould meliùs arare & minùs ſerere, plow better and ſow leſſe: ſo when Gods field waxeth barren, by reaſon of a negligent kind of preaching of the Word; it were better ſuch Preachers ſpent more time in meditation, though they were leſſe ſeen in the Pulpit than they are; (I ſpeak only againſt frothy preaching:) if they have fiſhed all night and caught nothing, it were not amiſſe, ſaith one,Jer. Philip • Serm. that they ſhould ſit down a while upon the ſhore, and mend their nets, afterwards with Gods bleſſing they may fiſh with better ſucceſſe: Paul exhorts Timothy to give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine; Meditate, ſaith he, upon theſe things, give thy ſelf wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear unto all, 1 Tim. 4.13, 15. Miniſters and Scholars muſt diligently watch not only over the actions of their hands, the wordes of their mouthes, but alſo over the meditations of their minds; becauſe they (of all men) are moſt buſied with meditation, they muſt meditate on that which is good, and meditate upon truth,Pſal. 2.1. leſt they imagine a vain thing, or meditate on hereſie, whereto all men by nature are prone, which ſpreadeth it ſelf ſo far,2 Tim. 2.17. and eateth a • doth a Gangreen.

4. Meditation is an exerciſe that well becometh young men, who are ſtrong and vigorous;Non ſufficit operandi moleſtia, niſi etiam accedat meditandi, cogitandi, conſiderandi, ac deliberandi induſtria. Muſculus. they are commanded to remember their Creatour in the dayes of their youth, Eccleſ. 12.1. In the morning of thy youth ſow thy ſeed, Eccleſ. 11.6. And it may be obſerved, that the wiſe man ſaith not in the years of thy youth, but in the dayes of thy youth, that is to cut off all occaſions of delay: Some idle headed Mathematician might have made an Almanack of it, dividing it into four quarters, allotting the firſt to idleneſſe, the ſecond to wantonneſſe, the third to covetouſneſſe, and the laſt (if any) to piety, devotion, and meditation: but Solomon by requiring us to remember our Creatour in the dayes of our youth, cuts off theſe idle diviſions, requiring the young man to ſpend the flower of his age in meditating on God.Exod. 22.29. Exod. 24.19. L • v. 23.10. Under the Law the firſt-born and the firſt fruits were to be ſanctified to the Lord, they muſt offer a ſheaf of the firſt fruits, not an handfull of the gleanings; let us not think if we offer the flower of our youth to the Devil, God will be contented with the bran of our old age; he that is Alpha and Omega will have the beginning of our age, and the ſtren • th of our affections and meditations devoted to himſelf. Every man ſhould likewiſe be carefull that his children may be ſo brought up, as they may be fit to preſent unto the Lord betimes, as Samuel was, whom his mother offered to the Lord very young; and who miniſtred before the Lord in his ſide-coats, 1 Sam. 1.28. They which plant, do it in the ſpring time; youth is the ſpring time of ou • age, the fitteſt for holy meditation and as a new earthen Pot retaineth th • ſent of that whereof it firſt took a taſt • ſo the mind being ſeaſoned with piou • meditations in youth,Quò ſemel eſt imbuta recens ſervabit odorem. Teſta diù— will ever kee • the ſavour thereof: though for wan • of experience (the daughter of time) a young man cannot attain to tha • height of wiſdome in act, whereunto thoſe of riper years are grown, ye • notwithſtanding if he daily meditat • on God and his Word, he will every day adde ſome augmentation; fo • now is he for vigour of mind and ability of body fitteſt to take pains, and ableſt to endure labour and ſtudy whereby wiſdome is attained, and increaſed by practice: Wherewithall ſhal • a young man cleanſe his way, and b • brought to yeeld obedience to the Law o • God, but by taking heed thereto according to the Word? Pſal. 119.9.

5. Meditation is an exerciſe for ol • men as well as young: As for holy meditations wherewith the ſoul is raviſhed, and tranſported above th • cloudes, they require not grea • bodily ſtrength; but on the contrar • when the good old man cannot without great pain ſtir hand or foot, and lies bed-red, he comforteth and cheareth u • his ſpirit with divine meditations fitting to his age;Monſ. Goulart. Viell. and while debaucht and wicked wretches confound themſelves in ſinfull delights and carnall pleaſures, he is privately converſant with God, gives great attention to him inwardly ſpeaking unto him, as one well obſerveth: what though a holy man for age hath loſt his bodily ſight, yet then may the eyes of his ſoul be opened to behold the wonderfull myſteries of heavenly knowledge; the ſoul can then penetrate and enquire into things that be divine, when the eye of the body is ſhut and ſeeth nothing: with this Anthony the Hermit, Sozom. l. 3 c. 14 ſaid to Didymus the blind man of Alexandria, a very devout and holy perſon, and of ſingular learning (as Sozomen reports of him) Thou oughtſt not, friend Didymus, to hold it grievous to have loſt thy ſight, which Mice, Linxes, and other bruit beaſts have very quick and piercing, but rather to be glad, and judge thy condition happy, that thou haſt eyes like the eyes of the holy Angels, by whoſe help thou beholdeſt the Lord, and doſt perfectly ſee and diſcern the cauſes of his works: What is the cauſe of the impatience and waywardneſſe of many old men, but this, that they have, forgotten thoſe many and great favours which God hath beſtowed upon them, having mercifully drawn them out of their mothers belly, tenderly brought them up, protected them from infinite dangers, upon the meditation whereof they will have great cauſe to praiſe God at all times, as David exhorteth them by his example, in the 34, 71, and 1 18, Pſalms.

Sect. 2. That meditation is conſtantly to be practiſed.

Now as meditation is to be practiſed by perſons of all ranks and ages whatſoever, ſo we are to be conſtant in it; it is the character of a godly man, that he meditateth in the Law o • God, and exerciſeth himſelf therein da • and night, Pſal. 1.2. which muſt b • underſtood either literally and naturally for the preſence and abſence o • the Sun in our Hemiſphere, as Gen 1.16. or elſe morally, for the time of proſperity and adverſity, as 2 Kings 7.19. Luke 2.11. in youth and age, in all eſtates and conditions of this life, as before hath been noted: this duty ought every one to practiſe day by day without intermiſſion: no time ſo well ſpent as that:Quocun que Deum nòn cogitaver is, pura te tempus illud perdid ſſe. Caſſiodor. in Pſalm. what time ſoever thou haſt spent not thinking of God or godlineſse, think that time but loſt, ſaith Caſſiodorus: this meditation (ſo it be of good matters) is an exceeding good companion; it is as Tully ſaid of friendſhip, nunquam intempeſtiva, nunquam otioſa, never untimely, never out of ſeaſon or troubleſome: if we accuſtome our ſelves to it, we may ſay as Scipio, that we are nunquàm minùs otioſi, quàm cùm otioſi, nec minùs ſoli, quàm cùm ſoli, never leſſe idle than when free from buſineſſe, and never leſſe ſolitary than when we are alone and by our ſelves; but this caveat at muſt alwayes be remembred, viz. that we meditate on good matters, as David ſpeaks,Quod animo inſculptum eſt niſi cum vitâ eripi nòn poteſt Gaſſ. Severus. Pſal. 45.1. for if by continuall meditation we make a deep impreſſion of evil things on our minds, we may ſay as Caſſius Severus, that what is printed on the mind is not eaſily extinguiſht while life laſteth: and therefore when his Books were burnt by the command of the Senate; he is reported to have ſaid, Nùnc reſtat ut ipſe comburerer qui ipſos edidici, Now it remaineth, that I alſo be burnt who have learnt them by heart; therefore it is not enough to meditate, but we muſt alſo meditate on the thing that is good, and be conſtant in it. Meditation ſaith one, Fenner de meditat. is a courſing of the heart, like a blood-Hound's courſing a Hare in the ſnow, making her to ſtop here and leap there, and to go forward and backward, hunting it out of every ſtarting hole, till it fix where it would have it.

Chap. 3. Of the difference between meditation and contemplation.

The work of meditation is to ſearch after things that are hidden, the work of contemplation is to admire things that are c • nspicu •• ſaith Hugo: • editationis • ſt perſeruta • occulta, • ontemplitio • is eſt admi • ari perſpicua. Hu • o in lib. de • rca myſtica. Mountagues • ſſayes. Contemplation, ſaith another, is a clear intuition, and a delightfu • l admiration of perſpicu • us verities, whereby the ſoul d • th not lightly taſt, but largely glut it ſelf with ſpirituall delights; it is a voluntary exile from the earth, and an holy violence offered to Heaven; it makes Heaven to ſtoop, and earth to aſcend to us; it is an antepaſt of eternal felicity: Contemplation is called by the Hebrews and Academicks a precious death, Bodin. de Repub. l. 5. for that it draws the ſoul out of this earthly body clearly to behold heavenly things; but meditation is an exerciſe more painfull and difficult in matters pertaining to God; contemplation is more ſweet to them that have had the exerciſe thereof:Unio intellectus cum re intellectâ. Contemplation is a work of our underſtanding, after a ſort uniting our wills to the will of God; the Schools tell us there is an union of the underſtanding with the things underſtood; meditation uniteth the heart to holy objects, Pſal. 86.11. The ſweetneſſe of heavenly delights is not altogether in contemplation, but alſo in an affectuous meditation: the underſtanding doth not give ſuſtenance to our ſouls, but only prepareth the meat that our ſouls are fed withall; but the underſtanding and the affections together do miniſter food to the ſoul: Did ac. Stella de contemp. mundi. part 2. White's art of meditat. there is no pleaſant taſt nor ſavour in preparing that which muſt be eaten, but in eating • f that which is prepared, ſaith Stella: Meditation, ſaith, one, is the blowing up of the fire, and contemplation is the flame of that fire: Some are exerciſed only in the intellectuall part, and not in the effectuall part of this work, not labouring to have the love of God and holy objects kindled in their hearts, but only to have curious ſpeculations of the heavenly Majeſty: Contemplation is an outgoing power of the ſoul to heavenly things, there is no ſeperation of the ſoul from the body before death ſo real; but meditation makes uſe of all mediums whereby to gain Heaven; that which leads us the ſafeſt way thither is the beſt; nor is a Chriſtian at any time nearer to his happineſſe, than when he is in the way that ſooneſt leads him thither; and were a man in the ſuburbs of Heaven; if all his exerciſes and actions be not ordained for the love of God, as well as to have the knowledge of him, he may like Moſes, have a view of the promiſed Land (as he had of the earthly Canaan) but never enter in thereat.

Chap. 4. How ſtudy and meditation diff •• .

Every trade and calling in the world requireth ſtudy in it, and reaſon hath its proper work in every ſcience, and every Mechanick that ſeems moſt excluded from it, hath his own diſcuſſive thoughts, and ſtudieth about the ſeverall parts and branches of his profeſſion, and how he may bring every piece of work he takes in hand to its juſt perfection: and more liberall profeſſions think it their element: but Divinity claims it as her property: men of other callings are ſtudious, but they keep ſtill within their limits, and at their higheſt reach they go no higher than the earth: Though Aſtronomers ſoar aloft, and contemplate the nature of the Stars and Planets, the courſe of the Sun, and the revolutions of the Heavens, yet their ſpeculation is not heavenly but earthly, becauſe it ſpringeth only from a naturall power, and leads to a naturall end: but meditation is properly, and only about things that concern our eternall welfare: Study is the beating of the brains, the work of the head; meditation is a work of the heart, a rouzing up of the heart, and a fixing it upon its object: Study is the work of the underſtanding, meditation of the heart and affections: the underſtanding o • man ſince the fall of Adam is of the ſam • nature with the earth, it is fruitfull only in briars, and thorns, and thiſtles; if the heart be not broken up by the Plough of meditation, and tilled by the labour of this ſpirituall husbandry; it is fertile only in errours, and is delivered of nothing but doubts and ſcruples which rather fight againſt truth, than defend it; his ingeny ſerves him for no other end but to raiſe difficulties; his light is alwayes mixt with darkneſſe; and as if he were of the nature of Spiders, extracts nothing from the firſt Maxims of Religion, but that which doth perplex him.

Chap. 5. Of the gate of meditation.

This is nothing elſe but to propound to a man's ſelf by imagination the matter or Subject whereon to meditate, or wherein to exerciſe our thoughts; as the objects of our imagination muſt be good, ſo we muſt labour to preſent them as good and profitable to the ſoul▪ this carries on the will after them with delight; our affections are ſuitable to our imaginations and apprehenſions o • the object; affections raiſe the ſpirits, the ſpirits raiſe the humours, and ſo the whole man is moved; thence it is, if a thing be preſented as evil to the imagination, it works ſtrongly upon us; imaginary and conceited evils have the ſame effect as reall: Jacob was as much affected with the imagination of Joſeph's death, as if he had been really dead in his houſe, though fancy be but a frothy thing, yet it produceth reall effects; the force of imagination we ſee in other creatures:Gen. 30.38, 39. Jacob takes rods of green Poplar, and of the Haſell, and Cheſnut-tree, and pilled white ſtrakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods, and ſet the rods before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs, &c. and the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth Cattle ring-ſtraked, ſpeckled, and ſpotted. Auſtin gives this very reaſon wherefore in Aegypt there is never wanting a white ſpotted Oxe, Aug. de civit. Dei. l. 18. c. 5 which they call Apis, and worſhip for a God: Hypocrat • s Hypocrates. hath written a learned Diſcourſe of the power of imagination; the looking upon outward objects doth much affect the inward ſenſes, ſo that the imagination is made as it were like unto them: Imagination is a ſtrong conceit of the mind touching any thing whatſoever it be, Perkins diſcourſe of Witchcraft. and by reaſon of the communion that is between body and ſoul being together, it is (as one obſerveth) of great force to work diverſly within the man that imagineth:

Hence it is that Papiſts and ſuperſtitious perſons are full of cruelty, becauſe ſuperſtitious devices are the brats of man's imagination; like Nebuchadnezzar's golden image,Dr Sibs ſouls conflict. wherein he pleaſed himſelf ſo, that to have uniformity in adoring the ſame, he compelled all under pain of death to fall down before it: therefore that our imaginations may do us no injury, we muſt propound and preſent reall and ſubſtantiall things unto them; as the true excellency and abaſement of the ſoul, the true and falſe riches, the true happineſſe and reall miſery of the ſoul; if falſe objects are preſented to them, falſe conceits will ariſe therefrom, and falſe meditations and diſcourſes will ariſe within us: as the taking in wholeſome food expells flatuous diſtempers out of our bodies, ſo when ſerious objects are preſented to the ſoul, when the mind feeds on nouriſhing truths, it is a way to expell windy fancies and vain imaginations.

If thou wilt meditate of Chriſt on the Croſſe, imagine thy ſelf to be on Mount Calvary, and to ſee all that he did and ſaid in his paſſions and ſufferings, in that manner that the Evangeliſts have ſet down, for by ſuch imaginations we incloſe our ſpirits within the bounds of the myſteries whereon we meditate, and keep them from roving excurſions, for there is nothing ſo wandring as imagination, it is like to Theramenez Shooe, fit for all feet, it is as the matters are that are preſented to it. Philo the Jew ſaith, Philo Jud. the uſuall practice of the faithfull (who lived in Alexandria, and made their moſt holy meditations on the Scriptures) was, that they tyed themſelves to the terms of the Hebrew Alphabet, and ſo paſſed into the moſt ſpirituall ſenſe, there to ſee and underſtand the verities which were in a manner veiled:Ogni medaglia ha il ſuo riverſcio, Ital Every outſide hath his inſide, ſaith the Italian Proverb: meditations thus formed, do pour good motions into the will, and holy affections into the ſoul; as the love of Go • and our brethren; longing after Heaven and eternall happineſſe; the imitation of the life of Chriſt; rejoycing in God and his mercies; an admiration of his wonderfull works; a fear of offending God; the conſideration o • Heaven and Hell; the laſt judgement, an hatred of all ſin; a confidence in God's goodneſſe; a confuſion at the thoughts of a miſpent life: in theſe and the like, our ſpirits are to be dilated and poured forth as much as ma • be.

Chap. 6. Of the kinds of meditation; an • firſt of rapt meditation.

I now proceed to treat of the kinds o • meditation; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , repentè inventa comparat que compoſitio. Budaeus. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , confidentèr animum ad aliquam rem appellere, cum re praeſenti deliberare. Quintil.

Meditation is of two ſorts,

1. There is a rapt meditation which is both ſuddain and occaſionall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; a ſuddain invention no compoſed by ſtudy, whereby a min • both pious and ingenious, ſpiritualize • every object about which it is converſant, or meets withall: Thus did ou • Saviour, when he was upon eart • when he called his Diſciples from the nets, he applied that vocation to a ſpirituall ſenſe: Follow me, and I will make you f ſhers of men; they ſhould not alter their Trade, but only change ſome circumſtances of it; as they were fiſhers before, ſo they ſhould be ſtill; but whereas before they caught unreaſonable, now they ſhould catch reaſonable fiſhes; as before with hooks and nets they caught fiſhes for themſelves, ſo now by the net of the Goſpel they ſhould catch men for God: As David that was a ſhepheard, was taken from the ſheep-fold, and from following the Ewes great with young, was brought to feed Jacob, God's people, and Iſrael his inheritance, and though called to be a King was a ſhepheard ſtill, Pſal. 78.70, 71. ſo they called to be Apoſtles, are fiſhers ſtill. When the multitude followed Chriſt for the loaves, he makes a ſpirituall, uſe of it, exhorting them not to labour for the meat that periſheth, Joh. 6.27. but that which endureth to everlaſting life. How often did our Saviour upon a ſuddain teach his hearers by ſimilitudes and parables, and what are his parables, but ſimilies, comparing of things, and explaining of ſpirituall things? So Chriſt compared the Kingdome of Heaven to leaven; to a grain of Muſtard-ſeed; to a Merchant-man; to ten Virgins; to a net caſt into the Sea.

Pet. Mart. A parable, ſaith a good Divine, is nothing elſe but a ſimilitude or example taken from other things to illuſtrate the matter in hand; it is very ordinary for the Spirit of God in Scripture to uſe parables: I will open my mouth in a parable, Pſal. 78.2.Mr Hieron. The Learned ſay, that in a parable there are three things, Cortex, Radix, Fructus.

1. Cortex, the rinde or bark; that is, the words and terms wherein it is delivered.

2. Radix, the root, which is the ſcope to which it driveth.

3. Fructus, the fruit which is to be gathered from it.

When the bark or rinde is well pu • aſide, and the root diſcovered, it wil • ſoon be ſeen what the fruit is that grow • thereon.

1. This way of teaching and illuſtration is very profitable, it is a grea • help to the ſenſes, and from things that are more known, we proceed to things that are leſſe known, ſaith Ariſtotle. Ariſtot.

2. It is profitable likewiſe to the memory, helping us to remember manythings that otherwiſe would be forgotten.

3. It makes things delightfull and pleaſant, it is the beſt way whereby the ignorant are made to underſtand; for it is the eaſieſt, readieſt, and plaineſt manner of inſtructing.

4. It hath a great influence upon the heart, it worketh much upon the affections, for what can quicken the hearts of people more than to hear and ſee? then may we ſay with David; Pſal. 48.8. As we have heard, ſo have we ſeen: we hear by doctrine, we ſee by ſimilitude and example.

Some have ſpoken againſt this manner of meditation and inſtruction, ſaying, that herein we let out our thoughts upon every baſe creature; but I ſay, unleſſe a man will be wilfully blind, this way he will he made to underſtand; and God would not that we ſhould look on earthly things without a holy and ſpirituall application; here each man in his Trade may learn ſomething for his ſalvation.

Art thou a Ploughman, meditate on the Parable of the Sower, Mat. 13. When thou art ploughing up thy ground, and turneſt up the furrows of the earth, this ſhould put thee in mind of ploughing up the fallow ground of thy heart; and when thou art breaking the clods of the earth, remember that God calls for a broken and contrite heart; when thou putteſt thy hand to the Plough, take heed of backſliding; remember that of our Saviour, Luk. 9.61. No man having put his hand to the Plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdome of God; remember Lot's wife: the ſon of Syrach (after Iuniu • his tranſlation) puts a grave queſtion concerning him who holds the Plough, and ſuch perſons who maintain the ſtate of the world;Eccluſ. 28.26. Junius ad loc. the queſtion is, Whereby ſhall a man he made wiſe? At the laſt Verſe of the Chapter in the Latin tranſlation he anſwereth; By nothing, unleſſe he be ſuch a one who will apply his mind and meditation on the Law of the moſt High▪ Woodw. child's • atrimony. The Husbandman in that place, may ſeem to have (as he reads and ſ • pleads his caſe) a diſpenſation for his groſſe ignorance, but it is nothing ſo: That Scripture ſaith, that the holding the Plough, ſhews him the conſtancy of a holy profeſſion, as before I hinted; that his plowing up the ground ſhews him as in a glaſſe the ſoreneſſe of afflictions,Pſal. 129.3. Jer. 4.3. how the wicked plow upon the backs of the righteous, and make long their furrows; and what pains he ſhould take alſo with his own heart, ſo preparing it for the true ſeed, the Word of life; and when he caſteth in the ſeed in the ſeaſon, he might underſtand his own ſeaſon; and look that the ſeed of the Word ſown in his heart riſe up with great increaſe; and as that which thou ſoweſt is not quickned except it die; ſo the body of man after it dies and rots in the earth ſhall riſe again; and he that ſeeth not ſo much in the ſowing and reaping his grain,1 Cor. 15.36 is a fool in the Apoſtles ſenſe: he that thus meditates at the Plough, ſhall never be without a Sermon before him, every furrow being a line or ſentence, and every grain of Corn that he ſoweth a leſſon whence he may learn ſomething of God.

Furthermore art thou a Vine-dreſſer, meditate on that Parable, Luk. 13.7, 8. of a certain man that had a Fig-tree planted in his Vine-yard, and he came and ſought fruit thereon, and found none: By this certain man we muſt underſtand God himſelf, who in many places of Scripture for our capacity and comfort, is compared to a man, to draw them with the cords of a man, and the bands of love, Hoſ. 11.4. whereby he ſignified, that he uſed his people, not like beaſts or ſlaves, Genevenſ. ad loc. but lovingly and kindly, as men do, or ſhould do one to another.

Had a Fig-tree planted in his Vine-yard] that is, had a people whom he had choſen to himſelf, and both planted, pruned, and watered by his Word and Sacraments; by the Vine-yard was meant the Church of the Jews, Iacob de valentia in Cant. 8. or the Land of Iury; and by the Fig-tree, the inhabitants thereof, and people contained therein; and this is no new thing either for the Church in the whole world, or more particularly, for the Church of the Jews to be compared to a Vine-yard, Cant. 8.11. Iſa. 5.1, 7. Yea of God's particular dealing with this people, and planting this Vine, we read Pſal. 80.2. where the Lord ſaith, that God brought a Vine out of Aegypt, caſt out the Heathen, planted it, prepared room for it, and cauſed it to take deep root, ſo that it filled the Land, the hills were covered with the ſhadow of it, and the boughes thereof were like the goodly Cedars; therefore whenſoever thou walkeſt like Adam among the trees of the garden, and beholdeſt the Vine, think of that myſticall union that is between Chriſt and his Church, that he is the Vine, his people the branches, Ioh. 15.5. and that whoſoever abideth in him, and he in him, the ſame bringeth forth much fruit: that the Church of God alſo is a Vine-yard of red wine, Iſa. 27.2, 3. that the Lord doth keep it and water it every moment; and leſt any hurt it, he will keep it night and day.

And as the Church is compared to a Vine-yard; ſo alſo men be compared to trees, as in Iotham's parable, who compareth Abimelech to the bramble, a baſe plant, uſurping authority, when the more noble trees, the Fig-tree, the Olive, and the Vine refuſe it, Iudg. 9.7, 16. men in Scripture are compared to trees; All the trees of the field ſhall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree; i. e. all the people of the world ſhall know. Sometime you ſhall find him compared to the Olive-tree, and his children to the Olive-branches round about his table, Pſal. 128. ſometime to the lofty Cedars of Lebanon; ſometime to the Oaks of Baſan; ſometime to the low ſhrubs in the valley of Suecoth; in a word, the good man is compared to the green tree, and the wicked unto the dry tree.

Again, art thou a traveller in this world; meditate with thy ſelf, how the world is like a forlorn wilderneſſe.

1. Becauſe it is a ſtrange Land, a ſolitary place, a forſaken Countrey, diſertus; ſo that Chriſt ſaith, He is not of this world, nor prayes he for it, Joh. 17.9.

Si recogitemus • pſum magis mundum carcerem eſſe, • xiiſſe nos è carcere intelligemus. Tertul. ad Marcion. 2. It is a Land of darkneſſe: This gave Tertullian occaſion to compare the world to a priſon; a priſon is the receptacle of darkneſſe, the Sun darteth no beams there; the world lyes in ignorance, all men are born blind, and if the glorious Sun of righteouſneſſe enlighten them not, they live and die in groſſe darkneſſe.

3. It is like a wilderneſſe, a place full of dangers, full of enemies; the people of Zion cry out, Our perſecutors have laid wait for us in the wilderneſſe, Lam. 4.19. The world is full of ſtinging Serpents, of lying vanities, a filthy deceiver; Chriſt hath foretold that in the world we ſhall have tribulation, Joh. 16.33. How ſhould the meditation hereof make us to ſay with Abraham, I am a ſtranger; and with David, I am a ſtranger with thee as all my fathers were: and not to look for delights in a roaring wilderneſſe; nor for meat where no Corn grows; nor a dwelling houſe or an abiding City where no building is; and though we groan ſometimes under the weight of our travels, yet to acknowledge that the perſecutions of the world are not ſo tragicall as its careſſes are.

Chap. 7.

Of ſet and ſolemn meditation, the definition and branches of it. Sect. 1.

Having ſpoken of rapt and occaſionall meditation, I ſhall in the next place treat of ſet and ſolemn meditation, and ſhall thus define it;

Meditation is a holy retirement of the ſoul,Definit. and a fixed exerciſe of the heart upon ſpirituall objects, that the heart may be affected with them, and bettered by them.

1. I ſay, it is a holy retirement of the ſoul:

A retirement from the world.

A retirement from our own paſſions.

Mens noſtra • d contem • anda inter • a nòn perdu • itur, niſi ab • is, quae exte • ùs implica • ur, ſtudioſè • ubtrahatur. Greg. Moral. • . 5. Nemo ad meditationem pervenit occupatus. Senec. 1. A retirement from the world: Stars which have leaſt circuit are neareſt to the Pole, and men who leaſt perplex themſelves with worldly buſineſſe are neareſt to God: Devout Bernard confeſſeth, he learnt much of his Divinity under the trees of the Wood: When Elijah was in the wilderneſſe far from his own habitation, and the company of men, then the Angel ſpeaks unto him; when we are alone ſequeſtred from worldly cares and diſtractions, then God opens his mind unto us, and reveals many things to us, which he will not do, when he finds our hearts taken up with the cares and troubles of worldly buſineſſe; God is a Spirit, and therefore when we converſe with him, he requireth not only a bodily but alſo a ſpirituall retirement: Thus God call • Ezekiel Ezek. 3.22. into the plain, that he might there talk with him; and allures the Church into the wilderneſſe, that he might ſpeak unto her heart: Privacy (as one obſerveth) is the ſeat of contemplation, Brathwait Engl. Gent. though ſometimes made the recluſe of temptation; from which the Cell is no more exempted than the Court; but to a pious heart privacy is a great advantage to meditation; Mihi oppidum carcer; ſolitudo Paradiſus. Hier. Epiſt. ad Ruſtic. Eraſm. Tom. 5. de contemp. mundi. The City to me (ſaith Ierom) is a priſon, and ſolitarineſſe is a Paradiſe: Eraſmus hath written much concerning the liberty, tranquillity, and pleaſure of a retired life: and the Pſalmiſt bids us to commune with our own heart upon our bed, or within our chambers, as ſome tranſlate, and be ſtill, Pſal. 4.4. Be ſtill from the world, yet then muſt the heart be ſtirring towards God: they that ſail at Sea, to the end to attain to the land, they look more up to the Heaven than down to the Sea; carnall men are drowned in fleſhly delights and worldly cares, their hearts are not purged or elevated to converſe with God.

2. A retiring from our own paſſions: the heart muſt be ſetled and well compoſed, before it aſcend the hill of meditation; God requireth a ſpirit ſetled for ſo high a work; In quietneſſe and confidence ſhall be your ſtrength, If a man do not firſt diſcharge both himſelf and his mind from the burden that presseth her, removing from place to place will preſſe her the more; it is not enough for a man to have ſequeſtred himſelf from the concourſe of the people; a man muſt ſequeſter and recover himſelf from himſelf. Montaign Eſſayes. l. 1. c. 38. Iſa. 30.15▪ Be ſtill and know that I am the Lord, Pſal 46.10. We can never ſavingly know him, till our hearts be free from theſe perturbations: therefore when we come to meditate, we muſt as well retire from the perturbations of our hearts, as from the world: Waſps and Drones make more noiſe than the Bees, but make no honey, but waxe only; ſo they whoſe hearts are troubled and perplexed, are very unfit for ſo high an exerciſe of the ſoul: the ſhowers that fall gently make Corn and graſſe abound, but falling violently much endanger the Corn and meadows: it is not enough we are ſeperated from men, if we are entangled with our own paſſions; and indeed herein conſiſteth one of the moſt aſſured means of our ſpirituall improvement; therefore he that will meditate on holy objects, muſt call back his ſpirit very frequently into the preſence of God, and conſider what God doth, and what himſelf is doing crying out to God, O Lord why do I not alwayes look toward thee? Why doſt thou think on me ſo often, and I on thee ſo ſeldome; our proper place is to be with thee? Thrice happy is that ſoul, that can lift up himſelf to God, and can truly ſay, Lord thou art my dwelling place, my refuge, my ſhadow againſt all temptations; it is good for Chriſtians to retire frequently into the loneneſſe of their heart: yea when they are in company with others, for then thy heart may be alone with God: ſo ſaith David, I am continually with thee, Pſal. 73.23. I have ſet the Lord alwayes before mine eyes, Pſal. 16.8.

2.Actus religionis, ſeu exercitium ſpirituale. Jer. Turner Serm. in Prov. 4.23. The ſecond branch of meditation is, that it is a fixed exerciſe of the heart upon ſpirituall objects.

1. It is an exerciſe of the heart. 2. A fixed exerciſe.

It is an exerciſe of the heart; therefore one defines it to be an act of Religion or ſpirituall exerciſe; it is an heart-imployment, therefore may well be called a ſpirituall exerciſe; not only bec • uſe the matter of meditation is alwaye • ſome ſpirituall thing, but alſo becauſe the act of meditation is a meer ſpirituall act, proceeding from the ſpirituall part of man, as being an act of the heart: other parts of man are taken up in other things; the eye in ſeeing, the ear in hearing, the hand in touching and working, the tongue in ſpeaking; the heart is only exerciſed in meditation; therefore Davids meditations are called the meditations of his heart, Pſal. 19. ult. My heart ſaith he, was inditing of a good matter, Pſal. 45.1. Meditation is the heart of devotion, the ſoul of piety, by which we ſound the depths of divine love, whereby we apply our ſelves really to God, and communicate much of his grace and comfort; it fills the heart with ſweet odours and ſpirituall refreſhings, that it reſembleth a pillar of ſmoak from Aromaticall wood, kindled with Myrrhe, and all the ſweet powders of the heavenly perfumer.

2. It is a fixt exerciſe of the heart; the heart muſt be fixt on God that will meditate upon him, Pſal. 57.1. Therefore when we begin this exerciſe, we muſt then reſolve that our minds ſhall not wander from him; we muſt lift up our hearts to God in the Heavens, Lam. 3 • Pſal. 25.1. Chriſt was transfigured on a mountain, and often withdrew himſelf into a mountain to pray and meditate, not only for privacy, but to note unto us, that a man that will meet with God, muſt aſcend higher in his ſpirit. God was at the top of Jacob's ladder, where Angels were aſcending and deſcending: to this purpoſe Ambroſe ſaith, No man can ſee Jeſus, while he ſtandeth upon the earth: Zacheus could not ſee Jeſus till he climbed up a Sycamore-tree:Nemo poteſt videre Jeſum conſtitutus in terra. Ambroſ. the compoſition of our bodies is ſuch, as a man cannot look up to Heaven with one eye, and down to the earth with the other, to teach us to look up to Heaven fixedly with both.

Pliny Plin. Nat. Hiſt. l. 8. c. 3. reports ſtrange things of bruit beaſts; he ſaith, There was an Elephant not ſo capacious of inſtruction as the reſt of his fellows, to learn what was taught him by his Keeper; whereupon being oftentimes beaten for that ſtupidity of his, he was found in the night (after his manner) to be as it were conning and ſtudying thoſe feats, which he had been taught in the day: and Plutarch Plutarc. de ſolert. animal. tells of a Pye, that to learn certain tunes which ſhe heard Minſtrels play, waxed dumb many dayes after; at length upon a ſuddain, ſhe brake forth into t • e ſame tunes which thoſe Minſtrels had played before, to the aſtoniſhment of all that heard her. Meditation is that which in the old Law was ſignified by the chewing of the Cud: tranſient ſpeculation • of things do but little good, let in bu • little light, unleſſe we chew thē Cud, and exerciſe the mind about them: holy things are like unto leaven, to Corn, to rain; now unleſſe the leaven be put into, and by ſtirring and working, as it were incorporated into the dough, it cannot ſeaſon it; and though the Corn be ſown in abundance, yet if it meet not with apt ground, tilled and prepared, but fall among thorns, by the high-way ſide, or in ſtony places, it bringeth forth no fruit; and though the rain fall plentifully, yet if it light ou • hard and hilly Countreys, it is not received, it makes not ſuch places fruitfull; ſo fareth it with holy things: let a Miniſter beſtow never ſo much of the leaven of the Word, yet if the hearers hide it not in their hearts, like leaven i • the meal, it will never ſeaſon them and make them fit manchet for th • Lord's table: let never ſo much goo • ſeed be ſown, yet if it take not roo • downwards in our hearts, it will neve • bring forth fruit upwards in our lives let the words of God's meſſengers drop as the rain, and diſtill like the dew, or like the ſhowers upon the herbs and tender graſſe, yet if the heart receive it not, if it dwell not in the heart richly, it will profit us nothing: indeed it is almoſt as much to find our own heart in a duty, as to find God in it.

Sect. 2. Of the ends of ſolemn meditation.

The end of meditation is both to affect the heart with the objects on which we meditate, and that the heart may be made better thereby.

1. I ſay, one end of meditation is to affect the heart, it is very delightfull to thoſe that are converſant in it: he that hath changed his mind or opinion upon meditation never accuſeth her of tyranny; meditation is very perſwaſive, clearing our judgements, calming our paſſions, and gaining our conſent to that which is good; it far ſurpaſſeth eloquence, and like a Soveraign raigns without arms; it hath no need of our ears to win our hearts: by it ſelf it tranſmitteth it ſelf into the inmoſt receſſes of our ſouls; finds out reaſon in • er throne; carries more light into • he mind, and kindleth in the will a more fervent love to God,Qui audit mel eſſe dulce, & nòn guſtat, nomen mellis ſcit, gratiam & ſaporem neſcit: guſtate ergo, & videte quam ſuavis ſit. Dominus Bonavent. making a man in love with what he formerly hated. Meditation oppoſeth the charms of grace againſt the allurements of ſin▪ and ſo ſweet and powerfull is holy meditation, that it blots out all earthly cogitations; it ſets before the eyes of our ſouls ſuch taking and alluring objects, which are more prevalent than thoſe of ſin, and by theſe holy delights our hearts are raviſhed, and grace eaſily prevails againſt the corruptions of nature: theſe are the firſt fruits of thoſe everlaſting pleaſures the Saints ſhall reap in the Kingdome of Heaven, whereby thoſe that feed on God and his promiſes by holy meditation here, do taſt one part of that felicity which the bleſſed do feed upon in Heaven; this hath ever been very affecting to the Saints: My meditation of him, ſaith David, ſhall be ſweet, Pſal. 104.34. or my word of him ſhall be ſweet; it ſignifie • a word ſecretly ſpoken, Symonds fixed eye. as one obſerveth: the heart ſpeaks of God in meditation, and thoſe words are muſick in the ſoul; the word imports a ſweetneſſe with mixture, like compound ſpices or many flowers mixt together; ſuch variety of ſweetneſſe this meditation of God yeeldeth to him, whoſe mind is upon him, whoſe heart is toward him: the operation of the mind makes up a ſweet delight; there is more content in meditating on the love of God, more refreſhing to the heart, than wine can give to the body; his love is better than wine: We will remember thy l • ve more than wine, Cant. 1.2, 4. David tells us that the thoughts of God are precious, Pſal. 139.17. they are ſo to a heart that is in a right frame; and ſaith he, My ſoul is filled as with marrow and fatneſſe, when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches, Pſal. 63.5.

MeditationMeditatio co • memoriae. is the rubbing up of the memory, and may not unfitly be called the whetſtone of memory; for even as a whetſtone or grindſtone addeth an edge to the Knife or other inſtrument which is whetted thereupon; ſo this ſharpeneth our memories, and gives us occaſion to call that to mind, which otherwiſe would have been forgotten; or it may be compared to the ſteel and ſtone of a Tinder-boxe, neither of which ſeverally will yeeld any fire, but being ſmitten together, the fire cometh forth incontinently; ſo fareth it with men that are of good capacities, that can conceive much at the inſtant, but remember little, becauſe they uſe not their memories, and exerciſe not themſelves in pious meditations: Meditation is the heart, life, and ſoul of remembrance, making whatſoever we read and hear to abide with us, and be our own, elſe it will away: meditation with (Philip's Page) muſt daily knock at the doors of our hearts, and cauſe us to call to mind what we have learnt, elſe by corruption we ſhall ſoon forget it; this made Periander King of Corinth to ſay, Meditatio totum. It is an undoubted maxime, that a thing be it never ſo good and excellent, yet it is not very deſireable of us, till it begit to affect our hearts, though it hath more charms than beauty, and more luſtre than outward glory, more invitations than ſecular profits; yet if it convey not pleaſure into the will, it knows not how to beget love unto it.

2. Meditation alſo bettereth the heart as well as affects it: It is ſaid that King Mythridates having found out Mythridate, he ſo ſtrengthened his body, that endeavouring to poiſon himſelf, to avoid the ſervitude of the Romans, he could by no means effect it: ſo whoſoever ſhall feed on holy objects by meditation, and uſe it frequently, ſhall ſo fortifie his heart, that it ſhall not be poiſoned with any evil affections.

Meditation is a heart-warming duty; ſtudy only warms the brains, but meditation warmeth the heart; therefore when holy truth falls upon a prepared heart, it hath a ſweet and ſtrong operation: Luther Luther. Melch. Ad in vit. Sta • confeſſeth, that having heard Staupicius a grave Divine to ſay, that that is kind repentance which begins from the love of God, ever after that time the practice of repentance was ſweeter to him: another ſpeech of his likewiſe did much affect Luther, viz. that in doubts of predeſtination we ſhould begin from the wounds of Chriſt, that is, from the ſenſe of God's love to us in Chriſt; therefore the warming of the brains in ſtudy, without the warming the heart by meditation, is but a dead and cold ſpeculation: ſerious meditation puts lively colours upon common truths, which operate ſtrongly upon the heart to make it better.

Chap. 8. Of the ſubject of Meditation.

Sect. 1. Of medita • ion on the works of God.

I now proceed to diſcuſſe the ſubject-matter of meditation;firſt ſubject • editation, works of 〈◊〉 . and here I am launching into a great Ocean, but like the dogs of Nilus, I ſhall but lick and away.

The firſt ſubject of meditation is God's works of Creation; a fit matter for our ſerious meditations: I remember the dayes of old, ſaith David, I meditate on all thy works, I muſe on the work of thy hands, Pſal. 145.5. He looketh up to the Heavens, and conſidereth the work of God's fingers, meditating on all thoſe works that were viſible to the eye of man, • al. 102.25. Pſal. 8.3. called elſewhere the work of his hands. Iſa. 48.13. My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the Heavens; it is for that they are of ſuch excellency, as if they had been his handywork indeed, which yet were made by his word only, as Moſes, and St John do declare, Gen. 1.6. Joh. 1.3. That great advancer of learning hath an excellent paſſage ſuitable hereunto;Sr Francis B • con's advanc • ment of lear • ing. l. 1. p. 27 It is to be obſerved, ſaith he, that for any thing which appeareth in the Hiſtory of the Creation, the confuſed maſſe and matter of Heaven and earth was made in a moment, and the order and diſpoſition of that Chaos or maſs was the work of ſix dayes; ſuch a note of difference it pleaſed God to put upon the works of power, and the works of wiſdome: wherewith concurreth, that in the former it is not ſet down that God ſaid, Let there be Heaven and earth, as it is ſet down of the works following, but actually, that God made Heaven and earth, the one carrying the ſtile of a Manufaction, the other of a Law, Decree or Councell. It is not enough that we barely look on the works of God, but we muſt meditate upon them; for if we do no more than ſee them, the Oxe, the Bull, and the Horſe, do as much as we: If we ſee nothing in the Heavens, Dearing Heb. Lect. 5. c. 1. verſ. 10. ſaith a grave Divine, but that they are lightſome, and above our reach, the Horſe and Mule ſee this as well as we; if we ſee nothing in the earth, but a place to walk in, or to take our reſt upon it, the beaſts and fouls ſee this as well as we; if we ſee nothing in our gorgeous apparell, but the pride of a goodly colour, the Peacock ſeeth that in his feathers; if in all our refreſhment from the creatures we know nothing but the pleaſure and ſweetneſſe of our ſenſe, the Swine hath as great a ſhare herein as we; if hearing, ſeeing, ſmelling, taſting, feeling, be all the comfort we can find in the works of God, the dumb creatures have theſe ſenſes more exquiſite than we, and we have turned the hearts of men into the hearts of beaſts, who with wiſdome and reaſon can do nothing, • . Iſidor. • uſiot. l. 2. • ſt. 135. and the words of the Prophet are fulfilled in us, Man being in honour underſtandeth not, and is like the beaſts that periſh, Pſal. 49.20. therefore the ſight of God's works muſt affect us more than ſo, elſe ſhall we be but as the beaſts, and follow them.

Now you are to meditate how God brought forth all his works in the ſpace of ſix dayes, before he finiſht them; he did not create the world all at once, but took time for the Creation of it, to teach us to take ſpeciall time duely and orderly to conſider and meditate on the works of God: if he that could have made the Heavens and the earth, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and all creatures, in a moment; yet it pleaſed him to take time for the creating of them; this ſhould teach us to ſelect ſome ſpace of time for the meditation of them: we muſt not think it enough to look upon them at one view, but to paſſe from part to part, from one creature to another, and in every creature to admire the workmanſhip, power, wiſdome and goodneſſe of the Creatour, as we are taught, Pſal. 92.4, 5. Thou Lord haſt made me glad through thy works, and I will triumph in the works of thy hands: O Lord how great are thy works, and thy thoughts are very deep: a bruitiſh man knoweth not, neither doth a fool underſtand this; which Pſalm as the Title tells us, was a meditation penned for the Sabbath day: therefore I ſay, God would ſpend ſix dayes about the Creation of the world, whereas he might have done it in an inſtant, and in a moment of time, to the end that we might the better meditate upon it from point to point, for which purpoſe he preſently ordained the Sabbath: Thus Job Job 36.24 tells us, that we muſt not idly behold the work, • upellex or • ata hominem • guit, & mun • us Deum. • inut. Faelix. • ctav. but muſt magnifie the workman; Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold; this we will do coming into the Shop of an excellent Artizan. The eternall power and Godhead is ſeen by the things that are made; but moſt of us have great cauſe to be aſhamed, that we have ſpent ſo little time in meditating on the works of God; yea who can truly ſay, he hath ſpent ſo much time in meditating on God's works, as God ſpent in making them? how few are there that have ſet apart ſo much time ever ſince they were born, as (if it were all laid together) will make up ſix dayes one entire week? what a ſhame is it for man whom God made on purpoſe to view his works, • ria ſunt ge • era meditati • num; unum • creaturis; • num in Scri • turis; unum • n moribus: • rimum ſurgit ex admiratione; ſecundum ex lectione; • ertium ex circumſpectione. Hug. medit. and by them to glorifie him, not to ſpend ſo much time in meditating upon them, as God ſpent in making of them; therefore we have great cauſe to become more carefull and ſtudious readers of this great Book of nature for time to come: There is a threefold Book into which a Chriſtian is to make inſpection,

The Book of nature, or of the creatures.

The Book of the Scriptures.

The Book of conſcience.

The Book of the creatures hath a powerfull conviction; meditate upon it, and obſerve God's power, or thou art an Atheiſt.

The Book of the Scriptures hath a power of converſion; meditate on it, and learn the will of God out of it, ſo to ſerve him, or thou art an hypocrite.

The Book of conſcience hath a power of accuſation; meditate on it, or thou art an Infidel.

The Book of nature hath God ſpread wide open, and before us,Seculum ſpeculum. that he that runs may read; Auſtin calls the world Gods Book in folio; every creature ſhould be to us a page in this Book, and every part of a creature a line in this Book: How carefull ſhould we be to take theſe things into our thoughts: our Saviour ſaith, Matth. 24.15. When ye ſhall ſee the abomination of deſolation (sp • ken of by Daniel the Prophet) ſtand in the holy place, who ſo readeth, let him underſtand: So ſay I, let him that readeth in this great Book of nature, underſtand to what end theſe creatures were created, even to the end that we might view them, and in them glor • fie the Creatour.

And ſeeing God hath not only acquainted us, in the groſſe, what he di • in generall, but hath condeſcended ſ • far, as to tell us, what he did eve • day; what he did the firſt day, wh • he did the ſecond day, &c. I da • boldly affirm, that it were very convenient and expedient every day to • apart ſome time on that day, to meditate on the works that were created • that day; it is as convenient a method, as any I can imagine, for it is following of God in the Creation this being conſidered, together with th • dulneſſe of our apprehenſions, an • how apt our thoughts are to turn aſid • to vain and unprofitable objects, th • order will be found to be very neceſſary.

I ſhall give you a taſt of ſuch kinds meditations, from one of the dayes o • the week, the firſt day of the wee • called the Lord's day: on this day ſe • apart ſome time to meditate on th • works that were on that day created firſt, the works of the evening, th • the works of the morning.

1. The works of the evening; as the • reating that huge body of the Heavens: when we ſee that vaſt body, and how God ſtretcheth out the Heavens as a curtain; the greatneſſe of the Heavens • hould teach us to meditate on the greatneſſe of the infinite Jehovah: if • he Heavens do ſo far exceed our • houghts, how great then is he whom • he Heaven of Heavens are not able to contain: if the earth be ſo glorious (as • t is in the ſpring time) how unſpeakably glorious are the Heavens which far • xceed the earth; and here we may • dmire his greatneſſe, who was able to • et up ſuch a rich canopy and covering over the earth; and here alſo let us meditate on the unſpeakable goodneſſe of God to man, that he hath made for man not only a rich dwelling here be • ow, but alſo provideth for him a dwelling place in the Heavens, there • o ſit down with him in his Throne, Rev. 3.20. That man that is but duſt and aſhes, a lump of earth here below, • hould be exalted to the higheſt place of the Creation: this ſhould check us or our folly, in ſuffering the earth to • teal away our hearts from God, as if there were no greater happineſſe to b • had than here below: what ſtupi • creatures are we to ſpend more time i • getting a few white and red pieces o • earth, than in getting a glorious poſſeſſion of the Kingdome of Heaven, fo • the attainment whereof we ſhoul • think no time too much, no pains to • great, no affections too ſtrong.

Furthermore, bring your meditations to the earth, created on the ſam • day alſo, that which yeelded matte • and ſtuffe for the making of all cre • tures here below: conſider, that th • earth was a formleſſe lump before Go • beautified and adorned it, it was • meer nothing: Painters can draw 〈◊〉 pictures without colours; Architect • raiſe no buildings without materials and if you take away Marble or Po • phiry from Engravers, they can car • neither Images nor Statues; Senault. Treat. 5. diſc. 8. It is o • God that actuateth nothing, that formeth being out of a non-entity, as one well • teth: the earth receiveth its being, • beauty, and all it hath from God.

The meditation hereof ſhould • ſuffer us to let any thing in the ear • to withdraw our hearts from God: • ſore God made the earth it was nothing; • ilt thou ſet thine eyes upon that which is • ot? Prov. 23.5. Why ſhould that which is no • hing draw away our hearts from God who is full of all perfection; the earth • lſo at firſt was a confuſed maſſe of • hings, without form, and void:Rudis indigeſta que moles. Ovid. this • hould draw out from us this meditati • n; to make us to conſider, that we • hat are of the earth are altogether pol • uted in ſin, lying in our bloud, our • ouls being all ſtained with ſin, and without any form of holineſſe and • ighteouſneſſe, yea void of all the ſa • ing graces of Gods Spirit: In me, • aith Paul, that is in my fleſh, there • welleth no good thing: and as darkneſſe was then upon the face of the dee • , ſo • arkneſſe is upon the face of our ſouls; • man may ſee, hear, read, but can • ave no true diſcerning of ſpirituall • hings, till the day-Star ariſe in his • eart, for ſpirituall blindneſſe is upon • he face of his ſoul.

Here then is condemned the folly of • hoſe that think ignorance the mother • f devotion; but while men remain in • heir naturall blindneſſe, they can per • rm no pleaſing ſervice to God; blind ſervices may be acceptable to • Prince of darkneſſe,God made Heaven for himſelf principally, the earth for us: let us conſider our condition by Creation, affection, dispoſition; then ſhall we ſay with Abraham, we are but earth, duſt and aſhes, Gen. 18.27. but they are abominable to the Father of lights: lig • was the firſt thing that God ma • in the Creation; and when there w •• light, the earth lay for ſome dayes dead and ſenſleſſe lump, and could n • ſo much as bring forth one graſſe o • herb, till the Spirit of God moved • on the face of the waters: ſo in • new Creation, when there is ſo • light wrought in the underſtandin • yet canſt thou not bring forth one ple • ſant fruit of holineſſe, till the Spirit▪ God flutter over thee, and by a divin • heat and warmth move and ſtir th • ſoul, and enable thee to perform a • ceptable obedience to God.

2. I come to the work of the mo • ing: then he created the light on th • firſt day of the week, commanding t •• light to ſhine out of darkneſſe; now us ſet apart ſome time to meditate this excellent creature, the light, which the glory of God is greatly m • nifeſt: there was nothing before • utter darkneſſe; then the Lord crea • the light without the Sun, in w • the power of God is admirable; ſhould greatly wonder at midnight to ſee a great light to ſhine forth, and expell the darkneſſe of the night: this may lead us to this meditation; that as God cauſed on this firſt day of the week light to ariſe, and break out of darkneſſe; ſo on this firſt day of the week alſo, he cauſed his own Son the light of the world, to ariſe out of the grave of darkneſſe, who ſhined through many dark thoughts and apprehenſions, into the hearts of his diſconſolate Diſciples; for his own Diſciples did then • egin to doubt; We truſted, ſaid they, • hat it had been he which ſhould have redeemed Iſrael, Luk. 24.21 Here alſo we may meditate on the excellency of heavenly knowledge; that wiſdome • xcelleth folly, Eccl. 2.13. even as light excelleth dark • eſſe: Light is comfortable, and ſweet it • to behold the light of the Sun, Eccl. 11.7. Darkneſſe makes men ſad and time • ous: ſo wiſdome makes a man's face • o ſhine, but ignorance is uncomforta • e: light manifeſteth things as they • e, but darkneſſe hides them: light • ſtinguiſheth one thing from another, • rkneſſe confounds things all alike: ſo • nowledge gives us a right diſcerning of things, but ignorance overwhelms us with horrour and amazement: light directs a man in his way, but darkneſſe miſguids him: ſo wiſdome ſhews us the true way, whereas the ignorant wander in by-paths, and fall into the bottomleſſe pit. I ſhall conclude this Section,Clamant dupliciter, 1. Oſtendunt dignitatem. 2. Oſtendunt bonitatem. Quocun que te vertis, veritas veſtigiis quibuſdam quae operibus ſuis impreſſit, loquitur tibi, & te in exteri ora relabentem, ipſis exteriorum formis intùs revocat. Aug. de libero arbitrio. with that meditation of Auſtin, Heaven and earth, ſaith he, and all things therein contained, do make a continuall cry round about me, that I ſhould love thee; O Lord they ſhew thy worthyneſſe, and declare thy bounty; ſuch a world; ſuch Heavens; ſuch an Ocean; ſuch an earth; ſuch earthly creatures; inſenſible; ſenſible, reaſonable; and all wonderfully framed▪ Lord how mighty, how wonderfull, how wiſe art thou that madeſt them, and therefore worthy our love; and being thus made thus to bleſſe, to continue, to encreaſe, t • multiply them: yea more, to fill us with them; and therefore thy bounty, thy ſuper abundant bounty muſt needs make us to lo • thee.

Sect. 2. Of meditating on the Word of Go •

The ſecond ſubject of meditat • that I ſhall lay before you, is the Wo •• of God:The ſecond ſubject of meditation, the Word of God. It is ſaid of the godly • that he meditateth in the Law of God night and day, Pſal. 1.2. How often doth David profeſſe he will meditate in God's ſtatutes, Pſal. 119.48.Pſal. 119 97 and it was his practice, verſ. 23. The Law of God was his meditation all the day long. Meditation faſtens the Word upon the heart; the ſoul for want of meditation retaineth but little ſpirituall food; the Word of God by holy meditating upon it, produceth the ſame effects upon our ſouls, as MannaManna nò • ſolum ſanitatem, ſed & animum Judaeis conferebat. Joſephus. did upon the Iſraelites; for ſome Writers ſay that it reſtored health; infuſed ſtrength; and inſpired courage into them; that they owed thoſe formidable victories they gained from their enemies, to this meat that came down from Heaven; ſo pious meditation on the Word changeth the qualities of men, making them of a ſound mind, producing courage and aſſurance in the hearts of thoſe, that before were full of weakneſſe, fears and doubtings; the Devils fly ſuch men who lodge the Word of God, the ſword of the Spirit in their ſouls, beholding their Judge ſeated in their hearts as upon his Throne: this heavenly bread it was that animated the Martyrs to the flames, that gave them courage to daunt their executioners; the ſame food that nouriſheth them, defends them, and that which cures their maladies, ſubdues their enemies; its ſtrength no way hinders its ſweetneſſe, there are charms in it, that make it pleaſant to every Palate, that by faith and meditation taſteth thereof.

1. Meditate on the tranſcendency of the Word: that it is a tranſcendent rule of holineſſe: every Nation hath its Laws, and there is none ſo barbarous, whom nature or cuſtome hath not furniſht with ſome polity: the Greeks lived according to the Laws of their ſages; the Romans followed the twelve Tables; and thoſe that had neither Kings nor Lawgivers, had the Law of nature for their guid: the Jews were governed by the Law of Moſes, chiefly by the Law of the two Tables, Senault. Treat. 7. diſc. 5. which if it gave them not ſtrength enough to reſiſt ſin, it gave them light enough to know and avoid it, as one well noteth: for ſaith the Apoſtle, By the Law cometh the knowledge of ſin; now the whole Word of God both Law and Goſpel, is a moſt tranſcendent and moſt holy rule; God is holy in his works, but moſt holy in his Word, Pſal. 138.2. in it ſhineth the purity of his nature, not capable of the leaſt imperfection: the Angels (though as fine gold) yet are unclean in his ſight, ſaith Bernard; Bernard. how much more the ſons of men, who are but clods of earth, and worms: this meditation makes the holieſt man to tremble at his preſence, and cry out with the Prophet that he is undone: they that by derivation from him are moſt holy, in compariſon with him are moſt unholy, ſaith Auſtin; yea the Angels themſelves, when they draw near unto him, cover both their feet and faces: if Angels that ſtand at the Mercy-ſeat do tremble, oh what ſhall ſinners do that ſtand at the bar of juſtice?

2 Meditate on the exactneſſe of the Word of God; the Law forbids all ſin, commands all obedience; every paſſage in the life of man is ordered in it; as Theodoret obſerveth of the Ceremoniall Law, and the furniture of the Tabernacle, that every particular thereof was exactly preſcribed by God: Theodoret. now if the Ceremoniall Law were ſo accurate and preciſe, how ſtrict is the Law of Morall holineſſe; the Law of the Lord is perfect: we read that the meaſures and weights of the Sanctuary, were double as much as the ordinary meaſures; a man's actions may carry weight and be allowed among men in common converſation, Aug. which will be found too light, being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary of God, ſaith Auſtin: bring we our actions to this ſtandard, and our defects will ſoon be diſcovered, and that which will ſeem warrantable and commendable before men, will appear ſinfull and abominable before the Lord.

3. Meditate on the ſpirituality of God's Word; it requireth exactneſſe of ſoul and ſpirit; it aweth the thoughts, and judgeth of externall actions according to the heart: I the Lord ſearch the heart, to give to every man according to his works, Jer. 17.10. The naturall heart (it may be) will be content with Herod to do many good things, ſo he may have a diſpenſation in one raigning ſin; and it may be to ſuffer a little; to do penance with a Papiſt, and then ſin again, this it could brook well enough; but to be reſtrained in every thing, this fleſh and bloud cannot endure; but whatſoever liberty the fleſh can deſire, whether in thinking, ſpeaking, or doing, contrary to that duty which belongeth to a man's place; as he is inferiour or ſuperiour to others; or contrary to the good of the perſons, or chaſtity or good name of others, though it be but in ſecret corruption, or ſecret working of heart, ſtill the Word of God doth oppoſe it in every thing: the Phariſees forbad the outward act of uncleanneſſe, but the Law of God forbids the impurity of the thoughts; they make the Law like John Baptiſt, who had a leathern girdle about his loins; but the Goſpel repreſents Chriſt to have a golden girdle about his Paps; they repreſented only the firſt riſings and motions of ſin: this makes the Saints mourn for the firſt conceptions of ſin, though they prove abortive, ſaith Chryſoſtome, Chryſoſt. making them to pray with David, to be purged and freed from ſecret ſins, and ſinfull cogitations.

4. Meditate upon the operativeneſſe of the Word; it is not a dead letter, but hath a quick power in it to work upon the heart; the Spirit of God accompanies it, making it active, and mighty in operation: as in the frame of a man's body, under every vein there runs an artery full of ſpirits; ſo under every vein of truth in the Word of God, there is an artery of Spirit, quickning, ſearching, cutting, diſcovering, condemning: What's the reaſon moſt mens ſpirits riſe up againſt the Word; it is becauſe as the Elephant troubleth the waters before he drinketh, that he may not ſee his ugly viſage; ſo the Word of God troubleth the mind of a ſinner; it terrifies his conſcience, making his ſin appear very ſinfull to him; it makes a man a burden to himſelf; theſe ſpectacles are too true for the ſinners falſe eyes: Ahab cannot endure to talk with Michajah, nor meet with Elijah; men can endure the generalities of the Word well enough; but when it comes near them, toucheth their Copyhold, corrupt hearts run away from it, becauſe for want of ſerious meditation, they are unacquainted with the ſpirituall nature of the Word of God: Oh ſtudy I pray thee, • regor. Moral. ſaith Gregory, and daily meditate on the words of thy Creatour, and learn the mind of God in his Word, that thou maiſt look up to eternall things; for ſo much ſhall thy reſt be the greater in Heaven, by how much the more it hath been even now from the love of thy Creatour here on earth.

Sect. 3. Of meditating on Man;The third ſubject of meditation is man; his Creation, his body, his ſoul, his priviledges. his Creation, his body, his ſoul, his priviledges.

Man cometh in the next place, as a fit ſubject for our meditation and conſideration: man was the laſt of God's creatures, as the end of his Creation; all made for him, and all repreſented in him; the reſt by his word commanding; whereas his body by his handworking, and his ſoul by his breath-quickning, became alive: and here let us meditate firſt on man's Creation, who is, as Plato ſaith,Plato. the miracle of all miracles, and as it were the ſoul of this world; and you will ſee how every circumſtance ſheweth the Creatours goodneſſe, and man's many obligations.

Let us begin with the meditation of man's body, which is, as one ſaith, More's demonſtrat. the pattern of the univerſall world.

1. Meditate on the proviſion God made for man before he made him; God ſets up an houſe, and furniſheth it; then puts man into this houſe ready furniſht to his hand: other things are but as eſſayes of God's power, man the perfection: Adam the laſt of all God's works, and the Lord and ſoveraign over them, under his ſoveraign Lord; Heaven would have nothing wanting to man, that he might wholly mind the things of Heaven.

2. Meditate on God's proceeding hereunto: the Father as it were calls a Councell; God deliberateth upon the enterprize of this work, and the Councell is held in the conclave of the moſt holy Trinity; Let us make man, Gen. 1.26. Adam is buſineſſe for the whole Trinity: all were imployed about this creature, to the end that being created, he might be wholly imployed about the ſervice of God.

3. Meditate on the form of man's body: God hath neither made us to lye along on the earth as beaſts, • truth. Obſer • at. 36. Cent. 2. or ſtick on it as trees, but by upright stature ſet our head to Heaven, and our feet to the earth, as one obſerveth.

Os homini ſublime dedit, coelum que videre Ovid. Juſſit, & erectos ad ſidera tollere vultus. God with a lofty look did man endew, And made him Heavens tranſcendent glory view.

God hath given us an upright ſtature, not like other creatures that look downwards to the earth, to teach us to look up to Heaven by holy meditations, and to look up to the hills whence our ſalvation cometh; our face is toward Heaven, to teach us that our hearts ſhould not be nuzzeling in the earth: man hath one muſcle in his eyes more than any other creature, which may teach him ſtill to look up toward Heaven.

4. Meditate on the matter of man's Creation:Ad coeleſtia magis rapiatur, ad terreſtria minùs capiatur. Columella l. 5. c. 9. Ecce pulchrum lapidem, putre cadaver tegentem. Gasp. in Heraclito. Homo bis creatus, 1. Seminaliter, ſeu cauſaliter. 2. Formaliter, ſeu viſibiliter. Aug. de Geneſ. he was made of the duſt of the earth; ſo as howſoever we appear beautifull and amiable in the eye of man, which is fixt only on the externall part; yet when the oyl of our lamp is conſumed, and we reduced again to our firſt originall matter, there will be left us no better Epitaph than this, Behold here a ſpetious ſhrine covering a ſtinking corps: man is twice created, ſaith St Auguſtine; Seminally or cauſally, Formally or viſibly.

The firſt according to his ſoul: the ſecond according to his body: man's body of earth doth repreſent whatſoever is between Heaven and earth; yea the very Heavens themſelves are figured; all naturall cauſes contained; and their ſeverall effects produced therein.

The three Heavens are reſembled by the body of man; the lower ſerving for generation and nutriment, are like the loweſt Heaven, within the compaſſe whereof the elements are found: for as from them all beaſts, plants, trees, and other things have being, receive nouriſhment, growth, motion and ſenſe: ſo of four humours there engendered, all the members are made, fed, moved and augmented, the ſame agreeing in nature and number with the elements, and producing effects in all anſwerable to them: the upper part which is the ſeat of the heart, may be compared to the middle Heaven, the eighth ſphere wherein the Stars are fixt, which holding one even and conſtant motion, giveth light and life to the world beneath, through its rayes and comfortable influences: ſo the heart being ſtill in motion, preſerveth the whole body in life and health, by ſending forth the vitall ſpirits, diſperſing themſelves into all the parts by veins and arteries: Laſtly, the head, the higheſt part of the body, and nobleſt ſeat of the ſoul, where ſhe acteth her higheſt operations; and as it is the nobleſt part, ſo it is placed neareſt to Heaven, and is as the third and higheſt Heaven; there ſits the mind as in a Tower, beholding, governing, and directing all the actions of the whole body, cauſing it to move, to reſt, to act, and to forbear; even as God from his high ſeat moveth the Heavens, directeth the Stars, and preſerveth all things within the compaſſe of the world: God hath formed all the parts of the body together; opening the eyes; boring the ears; faſhioning the noſe; lengthening the arms; extending the ſhoulders; faſtning the legs; and perfecting all together.

2. From the meditation of man's body, let us proceed to the meditation of man's Creation in reſpect of his ſoul: man was made laſt of all the creatures, becauſe he was to be the creature of the world, Lumb. ſent. l. 1. diſtinct. 3. as the Maſter of the ſentences calls him; either propter excellentiam, by reaſon of the excellency that he hath above all other creatures, excepting the Angels; or propter convenientiam, by reaſon of the agreement he hath with them, participating ſome thing o • them all, and communicating in ſome things with them all; and that he is ſo ſtiled in Scripture, ſee Mar. 16.15. And indeed Philoſophers ſay, that man is Microcoſmos, a little world, being as it were a compendium of the greater world: men can repreſent the world in maps, but God hath drawn Heaven and earth together in the map of every man.

1. Man hath his eſſe and being, common to him with liveleſſe creatures, which only have a bare being, and no more.

2. He hath his vivere to live, common to him with herbs, and plants, and trees, which be animata, but not animalia.

3. He hath his movere & ſentire; to move from place to place; to ſee; to hear; to taſt; to ſmell; common to him with bruit and unreaſonable creatures.

4. He hath his intelligere, his reaſon and underſtanding, and diſcerning faculty, common to him with Angels.

As man's body is a fair picture of the world, ſo his ſoul is a lively image of God, the ſame dwelling in that earthly Tabernacle, as God ſitteth in his heavenly Throne: man is not the bare • ootſteps only, but the very image of God; reaſon is as it were a ſpark of the Divinity; our faculties a manifeſt em • lem of the Trinity: this image of God in Adam conſiſted partly and principally in exact knowledge: now one ſpeciall part hereof, as an ancient Philoſopher hath obſerved, conſiſteth in the knowledge of our ſelves; therefore he wrote over his School door, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , called afterwards a golden ſentence, being written in golden letters: and Cicero interpreting that precept of Apol • o, ſaith,Nòn credo id praecipit, ut membra noſtra aut ſtaturam figuramve noſcamus; ne que nos corpora ſumus; ne que ego tibi dicens hoc, corpori dico; cum igitur corpus quaſi vas eſt, ut aliquid animi receptaculum, ab animo quicquid agitur, id agitur à te. Cicer. Tuſc. quaeſt. 1. I do not think he commandeth • hat to the end, we ſhould know the ſtature • r feature of our outward parts; for bodies • e are not; neither I ſpeaking this, do • peak to thy body; when then he ſaith, know • hy ſelf, he ſaith, know thy mind; for the • ody is but as a veſſell or receptacle of the • ind, that which of thy mind is done, is • one of thee, for the mind of every man is • very man: but becauſe theſe men ſaw but through nature's dim ſpectacles, a • by Moon-ſhine; therefore Calvin in the beginning of his Inſtitutions, Calvin Inſtitut. divideth true wiſdome into two parts, viz. The true knowledge of God, and The knowledge of our ſelves. Both which were in Adam after a tranſcendent manner: God heaped in together in one veſſell formed out o • clay and duſt, all the treaſures of wiſdome, righteouſneſſe and holineſſe▪ his head was ſtored with all ſciences▪ and his heart with vertues and graces his underſtanding was great, being able to impoſe a name upon every creature agreeable to its nature, Gen. 2.19, 20. his will and affections were every way correſpondent, and no way out of joyn • or frame, but in all points both we compoſed; his mind was free from cares, fears, grief and ſorrow: Th • made Auſtin break out into this rapſo • of ſpirit, Aug. Solilo qu. c. 9. Thy hand O Lord could have ma • me a ſtone, or a bird, or a ſerpent, or fo • bruit beaſt; but it would not for thy goodneſſe ſake: This alſo made Anſelm Anſelm. meditat. walking in his Garden, and beholding a little worm creeping upon the ground break forth into this meditation, De • Lord, thou mightſt have made me like this crawling deſpicable creature; but thou wouldſt not, and it was thy mercy that thou wouldſt not: Oh! as thou haſt ennobled me with the image of thy ſelf, make me conformable to thy ſelf, that of a worm I may become an Angel; of a vaſſall of ſin, a veſſell of mercy; of a ſhell of corruption, a ſtar of glory in thy heavenly manſion.

3. Let us meditate on man's priviledges in his Creation, that were conferd upon him; a priviledge of power: Adam Lord Paramount over every living creature: Princes on earth acknowledge no ſuperiour in their own dominions; ſcarce was Adam created, but he found himſelf in a Paradiſe; and from the morning of his birth, placed under the moſt delightfull Climate that nature could afford; he is put under the ſhelter of the tree of knowledge and immortality; he treads upon beds of roſes and lillies; the ſight of Lions, Bears, Tigers, and other furious beaſt • do not affright him; God hath give • him power to rule over them, and al creatures give reſpect unto him, he being created to be Lord and ruler over all the creatures: and had man continued in his integrity, he ſhould have wrought, as appeareth, Gen. 2.15. but never have been weary; it ſhould have been a pleaſure, not a pain to him; he might have faſted, but ſhould never have fainted or been feeble; he ſhould have lived ſtill without head-ach, or ſo much as gray hairs; all the creatures ſhould have continued their ſubjection to him; the earth ſhould have been fertill and fruitfull in all good things, there ſhould have been no briars, and thorns and thiſtles, nor any thing hurtfull and noiſom; the woman ſhould never have had ſorrow and pain to bring forth, nor yet trouble and care to bring up her children: In a word, they ſhould have been warme without cloathes; naked without ſhame, for ſo they were before their fall. This doctrine of man's Creation may help us to divers frutfull meditations.

1. A meditation of our originall; to look to the rock whence we were hewen; a man's principles prove not his worſt inſtructions to humility: O man whatever thou now art, thou wa • once little enough; thy Creation implies a non-entity; thy beginning ſmaller than duſt; he that ſeriouſly meditates on his firſt nothing, will ever afterwards hardly conceit himſelf to be any great matter.

2. Art thou God's creature; then meditate thus with thy ſelf when thou art in afflictions, that God takes no pleaſure in the deſtruction of his workmanſhip: preſervation is a greater mercy than a ſimple being; God will not leave any of his moſt excellent works done to halfes, but perfect what he hath begun.

3. Let the meditation of thy Creation ſpur thee on in the ſervice of God: even by nature we tender him our ſervice, from whom we receive our being, ſaith Aquinas: Aquinas. in the firſt age of the world there was no thought of any idolatry: bleſſings are then moſt taking with us, and work moſt upon us, while they are freſheſt in memory; man came then but newly out of his Makers hands, and could not ſo ſoon forget him. When we conſider likewiſe that the creatures were made to ſerve us, let us alſo conſider, that the end why he created man, was for the ſervice of himſelf: Excellent was his meditation, who imagined the beaſts to intimate thus much to man, Qui fecit me propter te, fecit te propter ſe; He that made me to ſerve thee, made thee to ſerve himſelf: if therefore the creatures that were made to ſerve us, do now (as many times they do) annoy us, and rebell againſt us; this ſhould put us in mind of our rebellion againſt God by ſin; for had not Adam, from whoſe loins we are all deſcended, and who was God's Viceroy, and the firſt created Ruler on earth, been diſobedient to his Maker, and broken the Laws of the ſoveraign Lawgiver of Heaven unrulineſſe had not broken forth; neither of ſubjects againſt their Princes▪ nor of the inferiour creatures againſt man their ſuperiour. Marvell 〈◊〉 ſaith Auſtin, Mirari noli, ſi ea quae deſeruit ſuperiorem, paenas patitur per inferiorem. Aug. de verbis Apoſtol. Serm. 12. Bp Pilkington in Haggai. Vide Theodor. Graecor. affect. curat. Serm 4. if that creature [man who forſook his ſuperiour, be puniſhed 〈◊〉 his inferiour: There is not a Horſe, a Dog or an Oxe, or any other living creature but it muſt have many ſtripes, before it wa • be brought to any good order to ſerve us, Biſhop Pilkington obſerveth: In word, our diſobedience to God, w • the cauſe of the diſobedi • nce of oth •• creatures to us; ſo that when we 〈◊〉 any diſorder in nature, in what kind ſoever, we muſt neither blame God nor the creatures, but only thank our ſelves and our ſins.

Sect 4. Of the fall of Adam.

The next ſubject of our meditation is the fall of Adam: The fall of Adam the fourth ſubject of meditation. Compurationes multas. Arias Montan. in Latina verſione. Adam and Eve were happy in their Creation; but alas! this happineſſe is not long laſting: Man being in honour abideth not, Pſal. 49.20. God made man upright, but man ſought out many inventions; many computations, as one renders, Eccl. 7. ult. ſeeking what in him lay to mar God's workmanſhip, and deface his image: Eve being overcome by the Serpent, eats of the forbidden fruit; and Adam overcome with the perſwaſion of his Wife, takes from her hand that fatall Apple that choaketh all his poſterity, which being done, he is ſmitten with ſudden fear, ſeeth his nakedneſſe and is aſhamed, and hides himſelf; and his eyes are now opened to ſee evil by experience; for before his fall, he had no experience of the evil of ſin, and of the curſe of God: therefore he brake the command of God and did eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; he ſinned becauſe he knew not the miſcry of ſin; but after his fall he ſeeth the difference between grace and ſin; what he is himſelf; and what he was before▪ and all the future miſeries that are like to befall his poſterity; and he that before treated him as a ſon, cannot no • look upon him but as a ſlave and vag • bond: Adam blames his Wife; E •• the Serpent; and inſtead of pleading guilty to their inditement, to ſweeten the rigour of the Judge, they frame excuſes to inflame his anger, and to render themſelves more uncapable of pardon: Ah how far more wiſely had both of them done, Aug l. 11. ad lit. c. 3. ſaith Auſtin, if proſtrate o • the ground with tears in their eyes, o • ſighs from their hearts, and humbe confe • ſions from their mouthes, they had crie • out, Lord pity us and all our miſerable p • ſterity: Cauſin. Hiſtor. ſacr. It was for this, ſaith Gregory, th • God called them, and his voice as it we •• ſollicited them to humble them by the ſwee • accents of his fatherly goodneſſe; but alas they are inſenſible; God paſſeth a ſevere doom upon them; the woma • ſhall conceive with pain, and in ſorrow bring forth children; the ma •• to eat his bread in the ſweat of his • rows, and put his hand to the Plough, and be the companion of beaſts in tilling of his ground, which though he trod • nder his feet, he could not ſubdue without the labour of his hand; and throughout his whole life (which is a • ife of ſorrows) he is to combate with all diſtempers, never ſuffering him to be at reſt, till he return into the bo • ome of the earth from whence he • ame; and immediately a flaming Cherubim bars up the gate of Paradiſe, and ſhuts it for ever againſt theſe miſe • able exiles.

And now he that was the Monarch of the world; the father of all mankind; the firſt; the richeſt; and • reateſt Lord that ever was on earth, he began the fray, whereof all his mi •• rable poſterity have felt the blows; his fall being their foil; and his puniſhment the pattern of their pain and mi • ery; and now his heart is the fountain which powrs out its qualities into the ſubſtance of his childrens ſouls;Rom. • ▪ • 0▪ 〈…〉 8. and • ver ſince this infection hath paſſed • rom father to ſon, as by hereditary • ght; and now man is naturally void of all goodneſſe and righteouſneſſe, and become a vaſſall of ſin, Joh. 8.34. a ſlave of corruption, 2 Pet. 2.19. a ſlave of Satan, Eph. 2.1, 2, 3. and liable to eternall death: that we are all by nature ſtained with ſin, appeareth, Job 15.14. where Eliphaz ſaith,This is that which our fabulous Poets have ſhadowed unto us, in the tale of Pandora's Box, which ſhe opening through her curioſity, filled the whole world full of all manner of diſeaſes. What is man that he ſhould be clean, and he that is born of a woman that he ſhould be righteous▪ and the Kingly Prophet makes this dolefull ditty to a lamentable Elegy and ſad plain-ſong, Behold, I was ſhapen in iniquity, and in ſin did my mother conceive me; and what he ſaith of himſelf in particular, Paul affirmeth of all men in generall, Rom. 5.12. ſaying, that by one man ſin entered into the world, and death by ſin; whereby he underſtandeth the bitter root of originall corruption which daily and hourly brings forth the curſed fruits of actuall tranſgreſſions, whereby we become culpable and liable to eternall ruine.

Sin and death are two twins born at a birth; yea howſoever ſin be the elder Brother in time, becauſe it's the cauſe of death, yet in nature they come ver • near each other; for as ſoon as eve • ſin was committed, death entered, according to the commination of God to Adam, Si nòn peccaſſet Adam, nòn erat expoliandus corpore, ſed ſuperveſtiendus immortaliter. Auguſt. Gen. 2.17. Had it not been for the ſin of man, nothing had ever diſcompoſed his quiet; the ſeaſons had not been irregular; nor the Elements waged warre againſt him; the earth had been fruitfull without the labour of man; no thorns or briars had ever covered the face thereof; no drowning deluges; nor ſcorching drought; nor raging peſtilence; nor devouring ſword; nor waſting famine, ſhould ever have made any devaſtation upon an innocent ſtate; the two parts that compoſe man had not been ſeperated; nor the maſter-piece of the Creation been ruined, as Auſtin ſpeaks; and the ſoul reigning with Angels, had not beheld her body devoured by worms: of all the ſtrings of the worlds great Inſtrument, Adam's only brake, and cauſed a jar; and having run from God, hath drawn all his poſterity after him: the ſin of Adam is the fountain of all the evils and miſeries that befall his poſterity; we ſinned in him, becauſe we lived in his perſon; and the offence of one man is become the obliquity of whole nature, becauſe it was included in him, as the tree in the kernell: Ball's Treatiſe of meditation. now that man enriched with ſo many graces and priviledges, ſhould in ſuch a place as Paradiſe; and in the ſight of the tree of life; and having familiar converſe with God; and leave to eat of all other trees of the Garden; yet that he muſt taſt of the only forbidden tree, having power from God to have reſiſted the temptation of the Devil, theſe are great aggravations of Adam's ſin, as a judicious Divine hath well obſerved.

Sect. 5. Of the nature of ſin; the number of our ſins; with the aggravations of them.

〈◊〉 fifth ſubject meditation is 〈◊〉 nature of 〈◊〉 &c. Order will require that we ſhould now meditate on the nature of ſin; the number of our ſins; together with their aggravating circumſtances: ſin came not into the world by Creation, but was the Devil's bird, brought in afterwards by corruption, Gen. 3.1, 2, 3. Jam. 1.13, 14, 15. where the manner of ſins conception and birth is deſcribed.

Now for the nature of ſin conſider,

1. That ſin is a ſpot, 〈◊〉 • s a ſpot. ſtaining the ſoul; the mind and conſcience is defiled by ſin, Tit. 1.15. things that are unclean, clean, are vile and loathſome, ſo is ſin; it is very odious; it makes a man like filthy Swine; like a ſpotted Leopard; it corrupts him as the flies did Aegypt, Exod. 8.24. ſo as the Lord ſaith, they are become filthy or ſtinking, Iſa. 64.6. Thence it was that ſo many waſhings and purgations under the Law were appointed: We are all as an unclean thing, ſaith the Prophet, and all our beſt righteouſneſſe is but filthy rags: thence it is that holy men have been ſo earneſt with God to cleanſe them, and waſh them from the filthineſſe thereof, Pſal. 51.2. We have need of waſhing and cleanſing, • rom the ſole of the foot to the crown of the head, there being nothing whole • herein, nothing but wounds, bruiſes, • wellings and putrifying ſores:Ad incu • iendam horrorem a peccato, tanquam à re immundâ. Muſculus. This Metaphor is uſed in Scripture, ſaith Muſculus, to ſtrike terrour into a man to • un ſin, and fly from it, as an unclean • ing: They that are all clean, have need 〈◊〉 waſh their feet, ſaith our Saviour; to • hich devout Bernard alluding, hath his meditation, That though we chooſe •• r way, and cull out our paths to walk in, • oiding the mire and dirt, yet in the beſt •• d cleaneſt wayes our feet will gather ſome

2. Sin is in Scripture called by the name of folly;Sin is folly. ſin is the greateſt folly of all other: a good underſtanding have all they that do Gods Commandments, Pſal. 111.10. therefore ſin being the tranſgreſſion of the Law of God, the ſinner is the greateſt fool: to call a wilfull ſinner a fool will bear no action of ſlander in the Court of Heaven:1 Sam. 25.25. thus Abigail ſaid of her Husband, Nahal is his name, and folly is with him: thus Job calls his Wife, Job 2.10. and God calls all Atheiſts ſo, Pſal. 14.1. and Chriſt calls the rich man in the Goſpel ſo, Luk▪ 12.20. Who dares call a rich man a fool; yet ſo doth our Saviour call him that is rich to the world, and is not rich towards God: Every one bereft of reaſon and judgement is a fool,He doth not • ean that ſin had aboliſhed the ſubstance of their hearts, ſecundum eſſe naturale, but perverted and spoiled the qualities thereof, ſecundum eſſe morale. ſo be ſinners: there be ſome ſins that take away the heart. Hoſ. 4.11. Ephraim is a ſilly dove without heart; the ſinner like a fool ſeeks after trifles, and lets go things of the greateſt importance; he prefers a Counter before a piece of gold, and will not leave his bable (according to the Proverb) for the Tower of London; he knowes not where a good bargain is to be had, like children running up the hill to catch the Moon, ſweating and toiling themſelves to catch Butterflies; ſo the ſinner chooſeth vain things that cannot profit him.

Sinners like fools are fool-hardy, and will not be corrected or reclaimed, being ſtruck by Aaron's rod, or reproved by the Spirit of God; and as fools mock at wiſe mens actions, ſo do the wicked ſcorn at the wayes of the godly. Fools only care for a little meat and drink for the preſent, pins and points, and ſuch like traſh, but look not after an inheritance; ſo ſinners are creatures of ſenſe, and like bruits are altogether for preſent eaſe, and preſent contentments.

3. Sin is called a burden:Sin is a burden. Mine iniquities, ſaith David, are gone over my head; as a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me, Pſal. 38.3. The Prophet Zachary compares it to a talent of lead, the heavyeſt of all mettals: the women that are led aſide by ſeducers, are ſaid to be ſilly women laden with ſins, 2 Tim. 3.6. Salt, ſand and a lump of Iron, Eccluſ. 22. is eaſier to bear, than an unwiſe, fooliſh, and ungodly man, ſaith the ſon of Syrach; and it's proved to be a burden, by the effects of hanging on and preſſing down, Heb. 12.1. We ſee this made good by the example of Jonah, that the ſin of one private perſon is likely to ſink a Ship in the Sea; for he being laden with a Commiſſion for Nineveh, and disburdening himſelf of this Meſſage of God, became ſuch a burden to the Ship, that though the Mariners had caſt out all their wares into the Sea, yet the greateſt burden was behind, the ſin of Ionas: Peter thought it of force to ſink more than one Ship, Luk. 5. for when two Ships fraught with Fiſh were ready to ſink, he fell down at the knees of Ieſus, and ſaid, Go from me O Lord, for I am a ſinfull man, thinking that his ſin had ſo endangered them.

Queſt. Though ſin be as heavy as Salt, ſand, Lead, Iron, of ſufficient weight to ſink Ships, yea burden enough to ſink the world; what may the reaſon then be, that many ſinners are ſo merry, and go ſo lightly away with it?

I anſwer with St Auſtin,Resp. that the cuſtome of ſinning hath taken away the ſenſe of ſ • n, and ſo becoming ordinary, it's therefore not odious or irkeſome, by reaſon of cuſtome, and the help which Satan lends the ſinner; it ſeems no burden; he feels not the weight of it; ſin ſetling it ſelf in the heart it doth quieſcere in propria ſede, reſt in its proper place: It is an axiome in Philoſophy,Elementa in loco proprio nòn ponderant. that the Elements are not heavy in their own proper place; as the air is not heavy nor any burden to the birds; the water to the fiſhes; the earth to worms or moles, becauſe they are in their proper places; no more is ſin heavy to a ſinner, ſetling it ſelf in the heart where the element of ſin is, it weighs light; and except the wrath of God fall upon the conſcience, (ſin lying in its Region) the ſinner never cries out like Cain, Oh my ſin is greater than I can bear: Iudas his heart was laden with hypocriſie, treaſon, malice, and covetouſneſſe, enough to ſink him down; yet it was no burden to him, till the wrath of God touched his conſcience, then it preſſed him down to his own place.

4. Sin is a debt,Sin is a debt. and the ſinner is a debtor to God's Law and juſtice: I have read of Auguſtus Ceſar, that hearing of a ſale of goods belonging to a Gentleman of Rome, that was deeply indebted;Sueton. be demanded if the party uſed to ſleep well, ſaying, that if he did, he would buy his bed, whatever it coſt him, for ſurely there was ſome extraordinary vertue in it: and if Ceſar thought a man could not ſleep being indebted to men ſuch as himſelf, who at the moſt were able but to ſeize on his body; then what may ſinners think of themſelves, that are indebted to God more than they are able to pay, and who is able to lay them faſt, and puniſh them in ſoul and body, and that for ever; and yet it may be feared, that many men never break an hours ſleep, nor abridge themſelves of any pleaſure that cometh in their way for the matter: the reaſon hereof is, becauſe they never caſt about what it may coſt them, before they commit it; being like a man riding croſſe ſome great River, or arm of the Sea, with his face towards his Horſe tail, ſo as he never ſeeth nor feareth the danger he is to paſſe, Vega in Pſal. 32. but only looks back to the banks from whence he came, and whither he will not return, and ſo at length his Horſe failing him, being tyred, and able to ſwim no further, both be drowned. It is good therefore every day to look over our Debt-book that we may prevent running our ſelves into further arrear a •• s for time to come, and to ſpend all our time on the great buſineſſe of our ſalvation: he is a thriftleſſe Farmer that ſuffers the debt of one year to run in another; Struth. obſerv. Cent. 2. every day hath its own burden, and how ſhall that crop diſcharge two years, that payes not one? By theſe Metaphors we ſee ſomething of the nature of ſin.

2. Let us meditate on the number of our ſins: David that had not ſinned ſo frequently as we have done, yet when he takes a ſurvey of the number of his ſins, he gives up this account, Mine iniquities are moe in number than the hairs of my head; they were ſo many that he could not count them: upon which place Saint Auſtin hath this devout meditation;Auguſt. David ſaith he, had little ſins, little and ſmall as hairs, but yet multiplying and encreaſing as the hairs of his head: and thus Chryſoſtome compareth ſins to rags, Chryſoſt. to ſhew that as rags the longer they be worn, the more they be encreaſed; ſo ſin the more it is practiſed, the further it is enlarged: and Bernard Bernard. gives this advice, When thou draweſt near to God, conſider O Chriſtian, whether thou canſt meet him with ten thouſand ſins repented of, that cometh againſt thee with twenty thouſand ſins that thou never thoughteſt of? Pſal. 19.12. Who can underſtand his errours, ſaith the Pſalmiſt? Who knows the nature of all his actions, whether they be erronious or no; warrantable or no? indeed for the ſubſtantiall duties of a Chriſtian, he deſerves not the name of a Chriſtian that knows them not; but for many particular Caſes of conſcience, many Queſtions incident to the life of a Chriſtian, who can reſolve them? Some actions indeed are notoriouſly evil, ſins of the firſt magnitude, ſuch as are taxed and made manifeſt by the very Moon-light of nature; ſome are o • weaker evidence, as ſins of infirmity; ſome not diſcerned, and ſcarce known as ſins, as ſins of ignorance and incogitancy; you may ſee them repreſented in three Parables, Luk. 15. of the loſt Son, the loſt ſheep the loſt piece of ſilver; now draw, out thy meditations, and examine thy ſelf, ſee whether thou art not like the loſt Son; haſt not thou often run away from thy Fathers houſe by wilfull rebellion? and if not ſo, yet mayeſt thou be as the loſt ſheep, gone aſtray from thy God by a ſin of infirmity? and if not that, yet who hath not been as the loſt piece of ſilver? have not many of thy actions ſlipt out of thy hand by incogitancy and ignorance?

3. Meditate on the aggravations of your ſins; a ſin that at firſt ſight ſeems little, yet by aggravation becometh exceeding ſinfull; though the ſubſtance of mens actions be good, and their intentions good, yet they may have ſome malignant circumſtances that may blemiſh them. Job reſpecting the ſubſtance of his actions, and the good intentions of his heart, cryes out, O that I were weighed in a ballance; but if he take in the erring circumſtances, then if he will be weighed, he muſt follow Bernards advice, The beam and ſtandard muſt be the Croſs of Chriſt, and the worth of his merits muſt help down the weight or elſe it will be too light. Gather together all the aggravating circumſtrnces of thy ſins, meditate thus with thy ſelf, Such a ſin I committed at ſuch a time, in ſuch a place, when I ſhould have been better imployed, I a man of ſuch a Calling, a Magiſtrate, a Gentleman, a Miniſter, a profeſſour of Religion, a Father of children, a Governour of a Family, a Maſter of ſervants; and ſo my example hath been an occaſion of ſtumbling to many; I did it at ſuch a time, after confeſſion of ſin, and ſorrow for ſin, after I had renewed my Covenant againſt ſin, after ſome grace and ſtrength received to reſiſt ſin; theſe and ſuch like aggravations will make a ſmall ſin to become exceeding ſinfull: Now the ſerious meditation of our ſins is very profitable.

1. It brings us to a true ſight of our ſins, and makes us to hate ſin ſo much the more, and to groan under the burden of ſin bringing us to Chriſt, with a deſire to be eaſed of its burden.

2. Like Peters Cock it will be our awakener, and bring us to weep bitterly, it will wound our conſcience, and lead us to bitterneſs in ſpirit, who by our ſins have wounded ſo ſweet a Saviour.

3. It is a great advantage to humility, that man cannot be proud that daily meditateth upon the nature and number of his ſins.

4. It makes us ply the Throne of Grace more earneſtly, wherein we ſhall finde matter enough to beg daily for the pardon of ſin, and matter of praiſe to God upon the meditation of many by-paſt ſins remitted to us.

5. It is the beſt ſalve againſt all our ſores, knowing we have no reaſon to complain of our ſufferings, when we meditate on the number and greatneſs of our ſins; and that we ſuffer juſtly, becauſe we ſuffer for our ſins, and ſo ought to kiſs the rod, and quietly to bear the indignation of the Lord, becauſe we have ſinned againſt him.

Sect 6. Of the Sufferings and Death of Chriſt.

The next ſubject of meditation I ſhall treat of is,The ſixth ſub- of meditation, the ſufferings and death of Chriſt. the Sufferings and Death of Chriſt, who was wounded for our tranſgreſsions, whoſe ſoul was made an offering for our ſins. The ſufferings of Jeſus began with his life, he had enemies, as ſoon as he had ſubjects; when the w • ſe men were doing him homage at his Cradle, Herod at the ſame time was conſpiring his death, he commits his ſafety to his flight, and ſeeks a Sanctuary in Egypt, paſſing his minority in a Country where his people had long before for four hundred and thirty years been in bondage; his whole life varied little from his beginning, he was not in ſecurity but while he was unknown, he never was at reſt, but while he got his living by daily labour: No ſooner did this glorious Sun appear to the world, but he was perſecuted; the Phariſees hate him for his Doctrine, and envy him for his Miracles, they plot his death, when he had raiſed Lazarus from death to life, and never ceaſe till they bring him to his Croſs, and his Grave.

The matter of his ſufferings were all the miſeries whereunto the life of man was ſubject, whether we mean pains of body, or grief of heart, and ſorrows of minde, he ſuffered them all in an extraordinary meaſure and manner, as I have elſewhere more largely declared.

The ends of his ſufferings (wherein alſo I may include the form thereof, ſc. his meritorious ſatisfaction for the ſin of man) may be diſcuſſed; for had not the firſt Adam ſinned, the ſecond Adam had not ſuffered; and whatſoever he did by his active obedience, or ſuffered by his paſſive obedience, was to make up that rent and breach which was made by Adams tranſgreſſion, as Au • in tells us,Nos in Adamo immortalitate malè uſi ut moreremur; Chriſtus mortalitate benè uſus eſt ut viveremus, Aug. We all in the firſt Adam, behaving our ſelves ill, in a ſtate of immortality forfeited it, and became liable to eternal death, therefore Chriſt the ſecond Adam behaving himſelf well in a ſtate of mortality, recovered again for us, and reſtored again to us th • right of eternal life. Joh. 1.29. John Baptiſt calls him the Lamb of God that takes away the ſin • of the world; and Paul tells us, how he was delivered to death for our ſins, Rom. 4.25. He was apprehended, arraigned, condemned and crucified, that we might be acquitted, pardoned and diſcharged; the Death of Jeſus Chriſt is the laſt teſtimony of his love, his wounds are ſo many bleeding mouthes breathing forth his love unto us.

And this is very admirable, his power was encreaſed by his death, he was never more abſolute than upon the Croſs, ſpoyling Principalities and Powers; this Sun never darted forth more rayes than when he was in an eclipſe; nor did the Lord Jeſus ever more triumph over his enemies, than when they upbraided him with his infirmities, and made a mock of his ſufferings, then was it, that he conceived the Church in his wounds, giving his children life by his death, and founding his Church with his blood: His Church coſt him much more pain and trouble than Eve did the firſt Adam; his Spouſe never broke his ſleep,Sicut dormientis Adae coſta detrahitur, ut conjux efficiatur, ita & Chriſto morienti de latere ſanguis effunditur, ut eccleſia conſtruatur communicantes namque corpori & ſanguinis efficimur eccleſia Chriſti conjux Auguſt. riſing from his ſide without any pang or violence, he awoke from his ſleep into a Marriage with her that was a piece of himſelf; but Jeſus Chriſt laid down his life to give it to his Church, his body was pained, and his heart pierced to form his Bride, this Spouſe was to be ſought for in the bowels of her Father, yet even then did our Lord Jeſus in his loweſt abaſement act like a Soveraign; he pardoned Delinquents, when himſelf was numbred among tranſgreſſours; he gives eternal life, when they bereft him of a temporal life; he diſpoſeth of an heavenly Kingdome, when they diſputed his Kingdome on earth; he made his power appear in his weakneſs, his glory in his ſhame, his innocency in his execution, his grandeur in his reproaches; and now was the Son of man glorified upon the Croſs, making his innocency manifeſt at his death, that to the confuſion of the Jews, the Judge that condemned him ſhould plead his excuſe, that the Theeves that dyed with him ſhould publiſh his Soveraignty, that the Souldiers that nailed him to his Croſſe ſhould become his adorers; yea that the Sunne (the great eye of the world) ſhould hide his head, and whole nature be in mourning for him, lamenting his death who was the Prince and Lord of life; and however Chriſt was accounted of, yet the Robes of Kings are not to be compared with the rags of Chriſt, nor the Thrones of Princes with the croſs and thorns of our Saviour; Joh. Wall Serm. in Heb. 9.12. upon which conſideration, one breaks forth into this meditation, O Lord if thy ſhame be glorious, what is thy glory? how ſhall we be advanced by the ſtrength of thy power, that are ſo dignified by the weakneſs of thy ſufferings?

1. This may teach us in our meditations to diſtinguiſh between Chriſts ſufferings, and the ſufferings of all Saints and Martyrs whatſoever; for theirs were private, and profited onely themſelves, but his were publick, and the vertue thereof extended and redounded to all the faithfull his members, he being the head of the Church; for,

1. Their ſufferings were chaſtiſements and loving corrections to bring them to the ſight of their ſins, to be ſorry for them, and forſake them; or,

2. For trials of their faith, patience and conſtancy to ſuffer for his ſake, they were no way meritorious and ſatisfactory either for themſelves or others, as Leo ſometime Biſhop of Rome affirmed, contrary to the Doctrine of the preſent Papacy, The juſt by their ſufferings received Crowns themſelves, but procured none for others, Acceperunt juſti, nòn dedere coronas, & de fortitudine fidelium nata ſunt exempla patientiae, nòn data dona juſtitiae. Leo. and that from their conſtancy in ſuffering, others might receive examples of patience, but no rewards for other mens righteouſneſs: But Chriſt being a publick perſon, and our Surety, and having no ſin of his own to ſuffer for, his ſufferings were in regard of himſelf works of ſupererrogation and therefore not needing them himſelf, he might beſtow them upon us, as the Apoſtle tells us, he did, Gal. 3.13.

3. Hence we may meditate on that infinite hatred that God hath againſt ſin, ſeeing he will lay the puniſhment of it upon his onely Son, rather than ſuffer it to eſcape, and go unpuniſhed,Chriſts wounds are blew with grief, and ſhining with love, therefore by the opening of his wounds we ought to enter into the ſecrets of his heart, Gerrard Meditat. 7. Lev. 44.29. The Papiſts uſe the meditation of Chriſt's paſſion to move them to hate the Jews, let us uſe it rather as a motive to make us loath and leave our ſins; for had it not been for them, one hair of his head had not fallen to the ground; nay all the Jews in the world, and all the Devils in hell could have done nothing againſt him; every ſin of ours was as • thorn to his head, a nail to his hands and feet, a ſpear to pierce his tender ſide: Let us therefore look upon him whom we have pierced, and mourn heartily for our ſins the cauſes of his ſufferings: But alas! Chriſt's death is often the occaſion of the fall of many, who perſwade themſelves that he that bought them, is too much concerned in their ſalvation to deſtroy them; upon this vain hope they give up themſelves to all wickedneſs, and turn this precious antidote into poyſon.

4. Let the meditation of Chriſt's ſufferings make us patient in all our ſufferings; if the meditation of the ſufferings of the Fathers, Confeſſors, and Martyrs of the Church will cauſe us to endure afflictions patiently, ſhall not much more the meditation on the ſufferings of Jeſus Chriſt, who is as well tam ſpeculum patiendi, Bernard in Cantic. quam proemium patientis, a perfect glaſs to ſhew us how to ſuffer, as a ſure reward for thoſe which do ſuffer; for, what will not the ſervant ſuffer willingly for his Maſter, when his Maſter hath patiently endured,Nil adeò grave eſt, quod nòn aequanimitèr toleretur, ſi Chriſti paſſio ad memoriam reducatur, Gregor. things not onely wonderfull and grievous, but (conſidering Chriſts perſon) things unworthy to be ſuffered Geſsit mira & pertulet dura, nec tantùm dura ſed etiam indigna, ſaith Auſtin, hath Chriſt willingly endured all this for us, and ſhall not we patiently endure a little for him? therefore if the water of afflictions ſeem bitter to thee, caſt in that ſweet Tree the Croſs of Chriſt, and it wil ſoon be very pleaſant; he that came into the world without ſin, went not out of the world without ſuffering, and yet he patiently endured the ſame, ſhewing that we that came into the world full of ſin, and have ever ſince lived in ſin, ſhould deſervedly look for correction, and when it cometh, endure it patiently. Martial's Flye plaid ſo long under a tree, till it was wrapt in amber,Sic modo quae fuerat vita contempta manente, Funeribus facta eſt nunc pritioſa ſuis. Martial. congealed in the drops that came from the boughes; the beſt of us are but as worms, let us not deſpiſe to to be as this Flye, ſtill hovering about the Tree of the croſs, and the ointment of his blood, till we be entombed and encloſed in the precious amber of his bleeding wounds, and the ſacred gum that grows in the Tree of Life; For if we ſuffer with him, we ſhall alſo reign with him; and if we be conformed to the image of his death, we ſhall be transformed to the image of his glory.

Sect. 7. Of the Reſurrection of Chriſt.

Now it is requiſite that we ſhould meditate on the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead:The ſeventh ſubject of meditation is the Reſurrection of Chriſt. The Diſciples of Chriſt before his Reſurrection had not learnt their own Creed, which they were taught, not ſo much by our Saviour, as by his Sepulchre, whoſe opening mouth when it ſent forth Chriſt the word of God, pronounced his Reſurrection which is the Epitaph of God: Joſeph's devotion beſtows a Tomb upon our Saviour, but our Saviour at his Reſurrection beſtows it upon death, which ever ſince hath been buried his Tomb: If the eye of our faith will adventure to ſee the active horrour of the grave, behold Jonas herein a type of Chriſt, and his quick Tomb made a Tomb of ſalvation to him; three or four days he lay in his new night of amazement, as if he had found an Egypt in the Whale, at laſt the grave by unacquainted inſtruction caſt up the living; the Whale was no longer a Sepulchre, but a Fiſh, and Jonas no longer a Corſe, but a Prophet; he had ſurely dyed, had he not been buried, and here was a reſurrection, though not a reviving, a reſurrection from diſobedience and the Whale: Thus this rare Anchorer, and his Tomb were both alive; but the Tomb of our Saviour was as deſperate as his death, what could be expcted from a grave, and a carkaſs, yet behold this carkaſs reviveth into a man, nay into a God, he aroſe when night ariſeth into morning, and at that ſeaſon when Winter is quickned into a Spring; it was on the firſt day of the Jews week, a week well begun, and it was the firſt day of the Chriſtian creation. The Angel made a little Earthquake in the grave when he removed the mighty ſtone with which the vain Jew tried to oppreſs our Saviour after his death, as if he would have ſealed him up to an impoſſibility of a reſurrection; but ſince the Angel hath opened the Tomb for us, ſhall we go and ſee the place whence Chriſt is riſen, yet ſhall not we make ſuch haſte, but that the ſpeedy devotion of the two Maries will be there before us, whoſe feet were as ſwift as their love, and their love as ſwift as time, nay more than time which hindred them by the delay and command of their Sabbath, a Sabbath indeed only to their bodies, which while our Saviour lay in his grave, were but the Sepulchres of their ſouls, which found no Sabbath till they found the Lord, they came with prepared ſpices and oyntments for him whoſe Divinity p •• vented balm, who eſteemed their piety of more value than their oyntments; but alas! they are no ſooner at the Sepulchre, but they finde it as empty of our Saviour as full of wonder, and inſtead of the body of the Lord they behold the Angel of the Lord ſitting upon the ſtone which be had conquered to obedience, his rayment white as ſnow, his countenance like lightning; but that which was more wonderfull I the fearfull women were encouraged by the Angel, and their innocence, while the guilty Souldiers beholding the ſame ſight with them, were full of faintneſs, being at once almoſt diſarmed of their weapons and ſouls, they became as dead men, and were rather the priſoners than the keepers of the grave; but in the mean time the Angel comforteth and inſtruct • th the women, who are now his Diſ • iples, and receiving a Commiſſion • o preach the Reſurrection of our • aviour, they haſten out of the • omb with the confuſed expedition • fear and joy was not this a ſtrange • grimage to run from the Sepulchre of the Lord, whenas multitudes of Popiſh Votaries travell to his pretended Sepulchre? but yet it was more ſtrange, they ſeek the Diſciples and find Chriſt; here was a comfortable miſtake, and indeed he comforted them with his preſence and ſpeech, when immediately they fall upon their knees, at his knee whoſe reſurrection theſe female Evangeliſts are again ſent to teach, and the firſt Scholars they muſt teach muſt be Chriſt's own Diſciples, who ſhew their obedience as ready as their love, and ſpeedily find Peter and Iohn for their hearers; here was zeal and tenderneſſe; the fierceeſt and mildeſt of the Apoſtles, and theſe no ſooner hear their words, but they ran as faſt to the Tomb, as the other ran from it: Iohn came firſt unto it, but Peter went firſt into it; love was ſwifteſt, but zeal was boldeſt; where they were no ſooner entered, but they find Chriſt's victory, and his ſpoils of death.

And here let us meditate on the accidents that hapned at his reſurrection, before his aſcenſion into Heaven: the Evangeliſt tells us, he came into the houſe where the Diſciples were met, when the doors were ſhut, Joh. 20.19. We are not bound to believe it was at the beginning, or firſt ſhutting in of the evening, but the night might be well ſpent before he appeared to them; nor are we ſure it was very late, for they might go to ſupper betimes, and the two Diſciples going before to Emmaus, making haſt might come to Jeruſalem before the dead time of the nigh • and whereas it is ſaid, Luk. 24 33. that they found the eleven, whenas it is evident Thomas was not among them; it's a Synecdoche, ſetting down all for the greater number, as Ioh. 20.12. Thomas one of the twelve; whereas they were then but eleven in all, for Judas had leſt them, and hanged himſelf, and Matthias was not yet choſen, and added to the number Act. 1.

The main Queſtion is about the manner of Chriſt's coming in, for St: Iohn Joh. 20.19. tells us, he came in the doors being ſhut: Divers are the opinions of the learned about this point.

1. Some think it probable enough that ſome body within might unbolt or unbar the door, though the reſt of the company took no notice thereof, nor the Evangeliſts mention it, ſo Marlorat: Marlorat. ad loc. Aretius. Boetius. So he came in when the doors were ſhut, that is, very late, when it was time the doors ſhould be ſhut, ſay others.

2. The Papiſts ſay, he came through the doors, as they alſo ſay, he came out of his mother's womb, clauſo utero; that his body is really preſent at • he Sacrament in an inviſible manner; but they only ſay it, but prove it not:Dr Fulk. A learned man ſaith, Some incredulous Iew perhaps will not be perſwaded, that St. Peter's ſword went between Malchus his ear and head, it wa • ſo ſoon healed again: ſo ſome perhaps will not believe that the doors were at all opened, they were ſo ſoon ſhut again; but it's clear, though the • were ſhut preſently before and afte • his paſſage, yet they were open 〈◊〉 the inſtant of his paſſage, elſe ſha • we grant a penetration, or th • there were two ſolid bodies at 〈◊〉 ſame time in one place, which 〈◊〉 not be; for ſo Auſtin ſaith even 〈◊〉 glorified bodies, Tolle spacia corporibus, & corpora nòn erunt.

3. The ſoundeſt opinion is to acknowledge, that he came in, Creatura ceſſit Creatori, Beza. Calvin. Cyril. Polan. Synt. p. 419. Calv. Inſtit. l. 4. c. 17. Sect. 19. in a moſt miraculous manner, clauſis januis, but not per clauſas januas, ſo that there was not penetratio ſed ceſſio corporum ſolidorum: he came not through the wood, iron and ſteel of the door, but the door opened to him of its own accord, or by his divine power, as Act. 5.19. Act. 12.10. the • reature gave place to the Creatour.

And that they might not doubt of his reſurrection, he proveth it by an • vident demonſtration, bidding • hem behold his hands and his feet, and • ells them it was he, Luk. 24.29, 30. 〈◊〉 if he had ſaid, a spirit hath not parts • ad members and dimenſions as I have; • erefore you may aſſure yourſelves, •• at it's my very body which you • that was buried, that is now riſen • in: We may obſerve further, • t Chriſt bids them make uſe not • y of their eyes to ſee, but alſo of • r hands to feel him; and unleſſe 〈◊〉 had done ſo, it had not given ſatisfaction to incredulous Thomas, whoſe faith lay in his fingers, and will believe no more than he ſeeth and feeleth, to whoſe infirmity our Saviour condeſcendeth.

Queſt. Here then a Queſtion may ariſe, whether the ſcars remained in Chriſt's body after his reſurrection or not?

Reſp. I anſwer, It ſeemed they did, how elſe could Thomas ſee and feel them, as he is bid for his full ſatisfaction to do, Joh. 20.27. If it be demanded whether they be blemiſhes or not; I anſwer, they were no ſigns of defect, Vulnerum ſigna, virtutum inſignia. Aquin. Euſeb. Emiſſ. Perkins in Symbol. but enſigns of victory; but that it's not likely they now remain in Heaven, or ſhall be ſeen at the laſt day, Mr Perkins ſheweth, ſaying, that we may as well think that the veins of his body ſhall be empty, and without bloud, becauſe they were ſo upon the Croſs, as that the ſcars in his body ſhall then appear, becauſe he had them, when he appeared to Thomas.

Object. But how cometh it about that he • loweth that to Thomas and the 〈◊〉 which he will not afford to Mary M • dalen, ſc. to touch him, notwithstanding he loved her very well. Joh. 20.27 He ſaid unto her, Touch me not; • e bi • Thomas not only touch him, but alſo to put his finger into his ſide, which is more than to touch him.

1. Some ſay, Resp. ſhe believed the reſurrection by ſeeing him, therefore needed not this further confirmation by feeling; but Thomas would not believe, unleſſe he both ſaw and felt, Joh. 20.25. the reſt are ſo affrighted, that they know not what to make of it.

2. Others ſay, Marlorat. ad loc. he would not then be toucht of her, to intimate to her, that ſhe came with too much a carnall mind to touch him, a mind too low in regard of this glorious occaſion, Chriſt being now riſen and glorified, for his reſurrection was the firſt degree of his glorification: it did not ſatisfie her to anſwer, Rabboni, but ſhe runs to him, and claſpeth him, and clingeth about him, as the affection of love did dictate to her: but ſaith Chriſt, Touch me not in • uch a manner;Dr Sibs Serm. on Ioh. 20.16. Vide Bp Andrews Serm. in loc. this is not a fit man • r for thee to touch me in, now I • m riſen again: She thought to con • erſe with him in that familiar manner, as ſhe did, while he was on earth, when ſhe powred ointment upon his head; though he were the ſame perſon, yet his condition was changed; he was before in the ſtate of abaſement, now in a ſtate of glorification; and that ſhe muſt not touch him carnally, Aretius ad loc. nor any longer expect his bodily preſence upon earth, but follow him in her heart and affections to Heaven, but touch him by the hand of faith, when he was aſcended to his Father, as Auſtin ſaith, Mitte fidem in coelum, & tetigiſti, Send up thy faith to Heaven, and then thou toucheſt Chriſt.

Calv. ad loc.3. Others ſay, it was not an abſolute peremptory prohibition of touching him at all, but only of immoderate embraceing, for both ſhe and other holy women afterwards took him, and held him by the feet, Mat. 28.9. Oh how glorious are the feet of the Lord of the Goſpel?

4. Cardinall Bellarmine Bellarm. hath a conceit, that perhaps may be ſound enough, that it was not a perpetuall prohibition, but only to be in forc • for the preſent time, which he conjectureth from the reaſon, for I am not yet aſcended, or aſcending; I am not yet leaving you, but have yet many dayes wherein I am to be converſant with you, during which you ſhall have time and leiſure enough to touch me, and therefore forbear now at this time, and do that firſt which is moſt needfull, Go to my brethren, and tell them that I am riſen, and that I aſcend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.

1. The meditation on the Reſurrection of Chriſt, may teach us that Chriſt aroſe as a publick perſon, and therefore all the faithfull ſhall riſe again; the Reſurrection of Chriſt is a certain pledge of their reſurrection; as in the firſt fruits all the reſt were ſanctified, ſo by Chriſt all the harveſt of the faithfull is conſecrated to a joyfull reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15.20. Hence Chriſt is ſaid to be the firſt begotten from the dead, becauſe he is the cauſe of the reſurrection of all the faithfull, Joh. 11.25. Col: 1.18.

That God by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, doth teſtifie to all the children of God, that the guilt of their ſins is taken away; for if there had been any ſin that Chriſt had not ſatisfied for, he ſhould have lyen in the grave to this day, 1 Cor. 15.17.

3. That the vertue and power of our Regeneration in this life, cometh from the power and vertue of Chriſt's Reſurrection, Eph. 4.8, 10. This confuteth the Socinians, that hold Chriſts Reſurrection onely exemplary, and the Pelagians that ſay we have power to raiſe our ſelves, therefore every one of us ſhould labour to know the vertue of his Reſurrection, by an experimental and practical knowledge, according to that of the Apoſtle, Phil. 3.8, 10. and becauſe we cannot have this knowledge of our ſelves, let us pray to the Lord to give it us, Eph. 1.19.

1. Let us labour to know the power of God in raiſing up Chriſt from the dead, our faith and hope is grounded upon the power of God, 1 Pet. 1.21. that raiſed him from the dead, that therefore he will beſtow all good things upon us: And here we muſt conſider the will of God, for his power is effectual when it is according to his will, Joh. 6.39, 40. God hath promiſed to be our God, and to beſtow all good upon us; thus conſidering of the power of God, as it is an effectual and working power joyned with his will, it is a means whereby our faith and hope cometh to be in God.

2. Let us meditate on the goodneſs of God in raiſing Chriſt from the dead; we call him our Father, and Almighty Father, for otherwiſe if we conſider the power of God without his goodneſs, it will make us to flye from him, rather than to truſt in him; this goodneſs of God is manifeſt in that God raiſed him up, and gave him glory, and all for us, and our glory.

Sect. 8. Of meditation on Death.

The next ſubject of our meditations is is Death:The eighth ſubject of meditation is death. Life and Death are common accidents to all living creatures ſaith Ariſtotle, God made not death, but death crept and entred into world through the envy of Satan, and man's diſobedience: If God had made death, he would not with tears have bewayled dead Lazarus, whom therefore he reſtored to life, that the Devil might ſee, it is but loſt labour, with rage to purſue the children of God to take them out of the world, foraſmuch as thoſe whom men may deem utterly loſt and deſtroyed do live unto God.

The meditation of Death belongeth to all ſorts of perſons, ſeeing it is appointed to all men once to dye, and that by reaſon of ſin, Rom. 6.23.

Obj. The Pelagians ſay, That Adam ſhould, and muſt have dyed, though he had not ſinned, even by the neceſſity of nature, and by the condition of his creation, being made of corruptible, or mutable matter, and with a mortal body.

Reſp. I anſwer, That as ſome things are mutable, which nevertheleſs ſhall never be changed, as the good Angels might have fallen (as the evil did) before they were confirmed, ſo there may be ſomething mortal, which yee for all that need not dye; for as theMortale duplicitèr vocatur; viz. vel quod naturae neceſſitate mori oportet, vel quod peccati merito mori poteſt. Quod quicunque dixerit, Adam primum hominem, mortalem factum, ita ut ſi • è peccaret, ſive nòn peccaret, moreretur in corpore, hoc eſt, de corpore exiret, non peccati merito ed neeſſitate naturae, Anathema ſit, Concil. Melevit. cap. 1. Learned have obſerved, A thing may be called mortal two wayes, either that which muſt dye by the neceſſity of nature, or that which may dye by the deſert of ſin.

For the firſt, Adam's body was not ſo mortal, that it muſt have dyed by condition of his creation, for he was created to live, and not to dye, being made in the Image of God, whereof immortality is a part; and therefore it was directly concluded by one of the Councils, that whoſoever ſhould ſay, that Adam the firſt man was made mortal, ſo that he ſhould have dyed corporally, whether he had ſinned, or not ſinned, that is, that he ſhould have gone out of the body, not by the deſert of ſin, but by the neceſſity of nature, let him be accurſed; and God doth not make it the cauſe that Adam ſhould dye, becauſe his body was made of the duſt of the earth, as the Pelagians falſely collect from, Gen. 3.19. but becauſs he had diſobeyed the voice of God, hearkning to the voice of his ſeducing wife,Vid. Polan. Syntagm. Satan's Inſtrument to tempt him, and ſo took and eat the forbidden fruit, as appeareth verſ. 17. therefore he ſhould dye; and that which cometh afterward, doth not declare the cauſe why he ſhould dye, but onely let him underſtand,Lumb. Sent. lib. 2. Diſtinct. 9. that there was no impediment but that he might dye; and that his body which was before onely mortale, of that nature that it might dye, he now by ſin had made morti obnoxium, ſubject and liable to death; thus Paul tells us plainly, that ſin brought in death as the wages thereof.

Object. It may be demanded, ſeeing Jeſus Chriſt hath aboliſhed death, and that by him we are reconciled to God to obtain eternal life, how is it then that we are ſubject to death?

Resp.St. Auſtin anſwereth, that heretofore death came and was by ſin brought into the world; but now death takes away our temporal life, to the end we ſhould ceaſe from ſin, and that the meditation of our death doth keep us in our duty, and ſo by Gods mercy the puniſhment of ſin is become a ſhield againſt our ſins. Chryſoſtome cenſureth thoſe wretches, who fear death, and fear not ſin wherein they are inſnared, nor the unquenchable fire which gapeth for them; to fear death is an evill more dreadfull than death it ſelf: Stella de contempt mundi. A wiſe mans life is the meditation of death, ſaith Stella: Good reaſon it is that we ſhould betimes meditate on death, and think upon the freedome, liberty, life and immortality which enſue; he giveth death a joyfull welcome, who is before hand prepared for it: Shall any man think that death doth not approach becauſe he thinketh not of it, or ſhall he think it draws nearer becauſe he meditateth upon it; Gerrard Meditat. 43. Whether thou thinkeſt upon it or no, ſaith one, it hangeth alwayes over thy head, life was lent unto thee, not given thee as a freehold. Verily, the meditation of death is not irkſome, nor ought we to defer it from one year to another, but on the contrary, to think that nothing doth ſo much ſafeguard us in the midſt of adverſities and dangers as the meditation of death; it is that which makes us ſober in proſperity, and ready prepared for all events; death would be vanquiſhed as ſoon as it ſhould come, if it were well thought on before it cometh; and indeed he is unworthy of comfort in his death, who in his whole life is forgetfull of death.

Guericus hearing thoſe words out of Gen. 5. read in the Church, And all the dayes that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, Drexel. conſiderat. de aeternit. and he dyed; and all the dayes of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he dyed; and all the dayes of Methuſelah were nine hundred ſixty and nine years, and he dyed, &c. Hearing, I ſay, theſe words read, the very thoughts of death wrought ſo ſtrongly upon him, that he gave up himſelf wholly to a devout life, that he might dye the death of the righteous, and attain to eternal life: I have read a ſtory of one that gave a coſtly Ring to a young gallant with a death's head in it, upon this condition, that for ſome weeks he ſhould ſpend one hour every day in looking and meditating upon it; he took the Ring in wantonneſs, but performed the condition with diligence; but it pleaſed God, after a frequent view and meditation thereof, it wrought a notable change upon him, ſo that he became an excellent Chriſtian; well were it, if men of all ranks would frequently meditate on death; and then by the grace of God they would finde a great change upon their lives;Nil ſic revocat a peccato, quam frequens mortis meditatio, Auguſt. Nebriſſens. Dec. 2. lib. 3. cap. 1. there is nothing doth ſo effectually call a man back from ſin as the frequent meditation of death. Lewes the eleventh King of France did on his death-bed reſtore two Counties to the heirs of John King of Arragon, to which before in his life time he would never condeſcend.Cùm igitùr mortem nòn meditamur, moleſtior vitae finis expectandus nobis eſt. Diogenes in Epiſt. ad Monemum. Death is the clock by which we ſet our life in an order, and the memory thereof doth reſtrain our immoderate love to worldly things; did we frequently meditate on death, we ſhould finde a bitterneſs in thoſe things which now ſeem ſweet unto us; the meditation hereof cleanſeth the heart, as a ſtrainer cleanſeth all the liquor that is poured into it: A man is never more heavenly minded, then when he meditateth on his own frailty,Sicut cibis omnibus panis utilior eſt & magis neceſſarius, ita praeſtat omnibus operibus mortis cogitatio. Climacus Grad. 6. de diſcret. and thinketh that he muſt ſhortly dye. Let us herein take heed of the arrogance of the Stoicks, and the vain confidence of the Epicures, who never think on death, but think they are in league with it, perſwading themſelves, it ſhall be eaſie for them to put by the blows of death; and let us have no part in their effeminency,Monſ. Goulart. Viel. who are affrighted at the very name of death, not thinking that in death it ſelf there is ſo much evil, as in the ſolicitudes and fears with which many times in a day they kill themſelves, without any eaſe to their unbeleeving hearts. Such meditations of death are fooliſh and unprofitable, ſeeing as the Prophet tells us, There is no man living that ſhall not ſee death, and be able to ſave his life out of the hand of the grave, Pſal. 89.90.

Sect. 9. Of the fewneſs of them that ſhall be ſaved.

The ninth ſubject of meditation, The ſmall number of them that ſhall be ſaved.In this Section, the ſubject of our meditation ſhall be the ſmall number of them that ſhall be ſaved: Chriſt's flock in Scripture is called a little flock, Luke 12.32. the number of the Elect is but ſmall, and by conſequent, there are but few that ſhall be ſaved: Thus much one of the Fathers collecteth out of the deſtructions mentioned in the Old TeTeſtament, Auguſt. de verb. Domini in Mat. 13. whereby they ſay ſignified the manner of the laſt judgement, which they make types thereof; thus at the general Deluge commonly called Noah's Flood, a very few eſcaped, and a ſmall number were preſerved, but eight perſons, Gen. 6.18. At the deſtruction of Sodome there eſcaped fewer, but three onely, viz. Lot, and his two Daughters, Gen. 19. and at the deſtruction of Jericho not many preſerved, but onely Rahab and her houſhold, as was promiſed, Joſh. 2. and performed Joſh. 6.2 Eſdras 8.1. An Apocriphal Writer tells us, That the moſt High made this world for many, but the world to come but for a few: he illuſtrateth the point by a plain familiar ſimilitude, ſaying, As the earth yeeldeth much matter for pots, but little for gold, ſo there be many created, but few that ſhall be ſaved; yea Chriſt himſelf affirmeth, That the gate is wide, and the way broad that leadeth unto life, and there be but few that finde it, Matth. 7.13, 14. and St. Paul out of the Prophet Iſaiah tells us, That though the number of the children of Iſrael be as the ſand on the Sea, yet a remnant onely ſhall be ſaved.

A Learned man divideth the worldPriorw. into thirty parts, and he ſaith, bu • eleven parts only have the means of grace, the reſt remain in darkneſſe; or that have not had the Goſpel purely preached unto them: now without faith there is no ſalvation, and without the Word preached, ordinarily no faith; and then how many Jews, how many Turks, Pagans, Infidels muſt needs periſh? for as out of Noah's Ark there was no ſafety from the Floud, ſo out of the Church, no ſalvation, or eſcaping of eternall deſtruction, Act. 4.12. And

Vide Aquin. Ainſw. & Moller. in Pſal. 14.1.1. Among thoſe that profeſſe themſelves to be Chriſtians, how many ſecret Atheiſts be there, who perhaps are afraid or aſhamed to ſay it with their tongues, yet never bluſh to ſay it in their hearts, yea to proclaim it by their lives, that they believe there is no God; for, if they confeſſe his Eſſence, at leaſt they deny his providence, thinking that he never provideth Heaven for the godly, nor Hell for the ungodly; all which perſons be of the fraternity of fools.

2. How many Hypocrites be there, who be like Nebuchadnezzar's image, Dan. 2.22, 23. whoſe head was of gold, the breſt and arms of ſilver, the belly and thighs of braſſe, the legs of iron, but the feet partly of iron, and partly of clay; a fit emblem of the retrograde courſes of ſome ſeeming good Chriſtians, whom the longer a man is acquainted with, the worſe he will like them; for many times they have holy words and hollow hearts, not caring to be good, but only to be thought ſo.

3. All ſuch perſons as turn piety into policy, make profeſſion of Religion only for preferment, and other by-reſpects; howſoever they be in the Church, yet they be not of the Church, Joh. 2.19. Now if all theſe and their like be cut off from the account, we ſhall ſee that Chriſt's flock is but a little flock, and that there are but few that ſhall be ſaved.

But it may be ſaid, Object. that our Saviour ſaith, Mat. 8.11. Many ſhall come from the Eaſt, and the Weſt, and from the North, and from the South, and ſhall ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob in the kingdome of Heaven; and we read likewiſe, Rev. 7.4. that there were twelve thouſand ſealed out of each tribe of Iſrael, except the tribe of Dan, all which put together make an hundred forty four thouſand, beſides thoſe numberleſſe numbers that come out of other Nations in long white robes, in token of their inn • cence, and palms in their hands, the enſigns of victory over worldly vanities; and Chriſt is ſaid to be the firſt-born among many brethren, Rom. 8.29. how then doth it hold, that Chriſt's flock is but a little flock, and there are but few that ſhall be ſaved?

Resp.1. You are to know, that all things in the Scriptures are not ſpoken, or to be taken ſimply, but ſometime by way of compariſon: as for example, when Iacob is brought before King Pharaoh, and queſtioned by him about his age, he told him, that his dayes had been but few and evil, which muſt be underſtood in compariſon of his anceſtors, for otherwiſe an hundred and thirty years had been a fair age, Gen. 47.9. ſo Chriſt's flock is but little in compariſon of the Devil's drove, and there are but few that ſhall be ſaved, in compariſon of the multitude that ſhall be damned. Thus Auſtin expounds the words of our Saviour on Mat. 13.Multi ſalvabuntur, & pauci, multi ſimplicitèr, pauci comparativè, pauci comparatione periturorum, multi in ſocietate Angelorum. Aug. Serm. 32. de verb. Domini. Many ſhall be ſaved, yet but few; many ſimply, few comparatively; few in compariſon of thoſe that periſh; there are many in the ſociety of Angels: the diſtinction may be made plain by this ſimilitude; If a man ſhould ſuddenly ſee a thouſand or two thouſand armed men in the field, he would ſurely think them a great Army, but if (but turning his head) he ſhould ſee ten thouſand or twenty thouſand in another company, he would alter his opinion, and think the firſt company but ſmall, even an handfull only in compariſon of the latter: the Prophet complaineth of the number of God's elect, to be like the ſummer fruit, and as the grape gleanings of the vintage, Mic. 7.1.

2. They are many in relation to Chriſt their Head; for he is a King, and a King is not attended with a few; he is a Saviour, and his bloud was ſhed for many, Mat. 26.28. By his obedience he hath juſtified many, Rom. 5.19. God the Father is alſo Maſter of a great Family, as the Devil who is the God of this world hath many vaſſals, ſo God hath many Sons and Daughters that muſt be brought to glory, Heb. 2. • 0 they are a numberleſs number that are to follow the Lamb whereſoever he goes, Rev. 14.1. In this reſpect the Elect are many; yet (as I ſaid before) compared with the multitude that ſhall periſh, they are but a very ſmall number.

1. Here we may meditate on the folly of the Papiſts, in making univerſality a note of their Church, the conſent of the multitude, a note of true Religion; whereas Chriſt himſelf tells us, His flock is but a little flock: all Abab's falſe Prohets are againſt Michajah, all Zedekiah's Courtiers againſt Jeremy, all Darius his Nobles againſt Daniel, all the Scribes and Phariſees againſt Chriſt and his Apoſtles; all the Arrians againſt Athanaſius: In a word, if number and multitude might carry it, neither the Papiſts, nor the Proteſtants would have 〈◊〉 Church, but the Turks would take it from us both.

2. The meditation on the ſmall number of them that ſhall be ſaved, will make us take heed of following the multitude, and doing as the moſt do, leſt we go to the Devil for company; as it is reported of a King of Friezeland, that being like King Agrippa, almoſt perſwaded to be a Chriſtian, Gualter. in Luk. 13. and demanding of the Biſhop that was to have baptized him, what he thought was become of all his Anceſtors, that dyed unbaptized, and unconverted to the faith; who anſwering modeſtly, That it was not meet for them to dive into the ſecret counſel of God▪ who might ſave ſome of them extraordinarily, but for any thing that was revealed in the word, he could not ſee but they muſt be damned; but that He was infinitely bound to God in reſerving him till that time, making known to him the means of ſalvation, which was hid from them; whereupon my Author ſaith, he pluckt back his foot in a rage, ſaying▪ That he would alſo follow them, and go to Hell likewiſe for company: The meditation on the ſmall number that ſhall be ſaved, ſhould make us ſtrive to be of that ſmall remnant.

Greg. Nazianz. ad Arian. & de ſeipſo. Orat. 24. Nazianzen ſpeaking of his own time, ſaith, Where are they now that upbraid us with our poverty, and boaſt ſo much of their own wealth, who define a Church by multitude, and contemn a ſmall ſheepfold? that is not alwayes the ſafeſt way to go where many go: Eſteem not of their number ſaith Auſtin, Aug. in Pſal. 39. I grant they are many, who is able to number them? few they are that go the ſtrait way; bring me hither the ſcales, begin to weigh, ſee what a deal of chaffe is hoiſed up in one ſcale againſt a few balney corns in the other: And Chryſoſtome ſaith, What profit or advantage is it, to be rather a great deal of chaffe, than a few precious ſtones? Thus the Fathers: and yet ſaith Bellarmine Bellarm. de Eccleſ. milit. l. 4. c. 7. One note of the Church is multitude of beleevers.

Sect. 10. Of meditation on Hell.

Let us now draw forth our meditations on Hell,Hell the tenth ſubject of meditation. and firſt let us conſider the names of the place prepared for the damned: It is called Tophet, Iſa. 30.33. whence Jerome ſaith, the Latine word Gehenna cometh, ſometime it is called Utter darkneſs, Matth. 22.13. ſometime it is called Infernus, a place beneath, a place moſt oppoſite and furtheſt remote from Heaven,Nunquàm erit homini pejus in morte, quam ubi erit mors ſine morte. to ſignifie the moſt deſperate and dejected eſtate of the damned, who ſhall be even trod upon and trampled under the feet of the godly, Malac. 4.3. Thus they that now would put their hands under their feet, becauſe there is yet hope they may do them good, ſhall then be ſo far from pittying, as they ſhall praiſe God for plaguing and puniſhing them; its called alſo a burning lake, the ſecond Death or Hell.

2. Conſider we the ſorts of the puniſhments of the damned.

1. They ſhall be tormented with the worm of conſcience, the never dying worm: this worm that ſhall gnaw the wicked in hell, is nothing elſe but the guilt of an evil conſcience, thoroughly awakened in hell; called a Worm, becauſe as worms proceed from putrefaction, and do torment by biting and gnawing; ſo this worm proceedeth from the putrefaction of ſin, afflicteth by gnawing and tormenting the ſinner for ever: Though the conſciences of wicked men are ſometime aſleep in this life; and though they commit many notorious ſins, and they have a dull and ſleepy conſcience, and having no ſenſe of what they do; and though ſometime they put out the eye of conſcience, and cannot diſcern between moral good and evil; and though they have a ſecure conſcience which thinks not of any penal evil, and ſo they ſeldome think of Hell torments; and though ſometime they put a muzzle upon conſcience, and labour to ſtop its mouth; and though ſometime their conſciences are cauterized, and become altogether ſenſeleſs, yet when they come to dye, but eſpecially when they go into Hell, their conſciences ſhall be perfectly awakened and that for ever; then wicked men will even gnaſh their teeth, becauſe conſcience did no ſooner uſe its teeth, they will then gnaw their tongues for ſorrow, becauſe conſcience had no tongue to ſpeak, nor they no ears to hear what it ſpake till it was too late: Conſcience hath a reflecting power, and when ſinners come into hell, all the evils that ever they have done ſhall come freſh to their remembrance; as the glorious Saints do remember all the good that ever they have done here, for their comfort; ſo the wicked in hell ſhall remember all the evil that ever they have done for the aggravation of their miſery; they ſhall then call to minde all the evil they have done, and all the good they have left undone, the means of grace that hath been offered them, and they have ſlighted, the thoughts whereof ſhall ſting them for ever.

2. They ſhall be tormented with fire: where we may note,

1. The univerſality of it, every part muſt go into it, and be tormented in that infernal fire; we ſee many here pained many wayes; one cries out of his head; another of his teeth; another hath a pain in his bladder; another in his ſtomack; another in his belly; and theſe pains pinch ſo for a time, as many had rather die than long endure them: now if the ſtone or gout taking and holding us but in ſome one member, be thus terrible to us, what would it be to feel them altogether? ſurely not ſo much as a flea-bite compared with the torments the wicked endure in Hell; for they feel intolerable pain in all their ſenſes, both outward and inward, in all the powers and faculties of their ſouls, in all the parts and members of their bodies: wanton eyes ſhall then be affrighted with fearfull ſhapes of ugly Devils;A certain Ruffian oft aſſaulted a chaſt Lady to ſatisfie his luſt, with many proteſtations that ſhe was the only creature whom he loved ſo well, as for her ſake he would undertake any task, though never ſo tedious: and being earneſt with her to try him, ſhe bade him, but one hour hold one of his hands in the flame of the candle, that was burning before her: hearing his doom, he diſcontentedly replied, that the requeſt was unreaſonable; is it ſo ſaid ſhe an unreaſonable ſuit that you for my ſake ſhould endure but an hours pain, and hazzard but one limb, and is it not more unreaſonable, that I for your ſake ſhould hazzard the finall loſſe of my ſoul and body to be tormented in Hell fire for ever. delicate ears with the hideous noiſe of damned ghoſts; the curious taſt afflicted with hunger that never ſhall be ſtaunched, and thirſt that never ſhall be quenched; the nice ſmell with the noiſome ſavour of fire and brimſtone; and all the ſenſes ſhall feel the fury of an angry God.

2. The extremity of it, it ſhall be in fire: ſuch is the heat of our elementary fire, made for our uſe and • omfort, as a man would hardly be • ired to hold one hand in it an hour, • o gain a Kingdome; how then ſhall • he wicked be able to endure their whole bodies in that fire, which is much hotter, and created only for • orment?

3. It's everlaſting fire: if a man were laid upon our fire, it would in • hort time conſume his body to aſhes, • nd put an end to his miſery; but men's bodies ſhall then be immortall, • o that they ſhall ever be burning, • ut never conſumed; yea when they have been there as many thouſand years, as they have been dayes or hours upon the earth, they be never the nearer the end of their pain; and • o ſtrait is the allowance of that place, as nothing ſhall there be obtained, as might give them the leaſt hope of eaſe or refreſhment: the rich glutton whoſe • ody hath been finely clad, delicately • ed, and ſoftly lodged, is now in a ſcorching ſurnace of fire; that • ongue of his that was wont to be de • ied no ſawce, to make his meat reliſh, and go down merrily,Dives in inferno cogente inopia, uſ que ad minima petenda perductus eſt, qui ſua tenacitate ad minima neganda pauperibus reſtrictus eſt. Gloſſ. in Iob 27. Ibi dolor permanet, ut affligat, & natura perdurat, ut ſentiat, quia utrum que non deficit, nec poena de ficiet. Aug. Et ſic morientur damnati, ut ſempèr vivant, & ſic vivent, ut ſempèr moriantur. Bern. meditat. c. 19. cannot now come by one drop of water to cool it ſelf; what leſſe thing could he have deſired, yet this little he is denied? There ſaith Auſtin, doth pain remain, that it might alwayes torment and there doth nature endure, that i • might ever feel the pain; and becauſ • neither of theſe be wanting, therefor • the puniſhment can never have a ceaſing ſo ſhall the damned die, that they may alwayes live, and ſo live, thae they may be alwayes dying: then thoſe whoſe iniquities could not b • conſumed with the vehement flame • of God's burning love, ſhall be fo • ever frying in the everlaſting burnings: and the hearts of thoſe tha • would not be mollified with the refreſhing dews of God's bleſſings o • earth, ſhall be hardened to endur • the vengeance of eternall fire.

Damaſcen tells us of a certain King who was deſirous to breed up his So • in continuall pleaſures; for whic • purpoſe he cauſed him to be educate • in a Pallace, which ſeemed to b • conſecrated to all kinds of paſtime • all which nature and art could do 〈◊〉 delight the ſenſes, was here incloſed, Suetonius reports of Tib. Ceſar, that being ſought to by an offender to haſten his puniſhment, he anſwered him, Nondum tecum in gratiam redii: ſo if one of the damned, after many thouſand years burning in Hell ſhould entreat for a speedy death, God would anſwer him in the ſame manner. nothing was permitted to be preſented before his eyes, that might any way diſpleaſe him; in the end this happy creature was troubled at his golden cage, and delightfull priſon, and deſired to leave it, and take a view of the world: Oh then what a horrible bondage will it be to be in a fiery lake, in an ugly, ſtinking and loathſome pit of darkneſſe, where he ſhall have Devils tormenting him for ever.

4. Meditate on the contrariety of thoſe torments in reſpect of their qualities: there is a perpetuall flaming fire, and yet an horrid miſt of darkneſſe; heat continually boiling; and yet cold continually congealing, the fire alwayes burning, yet no light appearing: thus ſaith Gregory, Hell torments in the deſtruction of the wicked do diſagree from their natures, becauſe while the wicked lived upon earth, they diſagreed from the will of their Creatour.

The ſerious meditation of Hell is of ſingular uſe to us: Chryſoſtome ſaith, that nothing is more profitable for people, than that Miniſters preach often, and people meditate much on Hell fire, and that the ſureſt way to be freed from Hell, is to meditate much upon the torments of Hell: and ſaith he to his people offended thereat; If you be troubled at the hearing of the torments of Hell fire, how would you be able to feel the torments of it: and he addeth; Whether I preach of it, or you think of it or not, the fire burneth, and to think often of it is a ſoveraign remedy for the ſoul: and let me adde; You that will not now meditate on Hell fire, a time ſhall come that you ſhall have nothing elſe to do but to think of it; you that will not now think of Hell to prevent it; a time ſhall come that you ſhall have ſuch thoughts as theſe; Once I had a day of grace; God gave me ſpace for repentance, but now there is none; once this miſery might have been prevented, but now neither eaſe nor end of this miſery is to be expected; then wilt thou cry out againſt thy ſin that brought thee to this place of torment; then wilt thou ſee the wickedneſſe of depraved nature; the deceitfulneſſe of thy luſts; and that all the worlds enticements have been meer inchantments. To think ſeriouſly and frequently of Hell here, Kempis de imitat. Chriſti. preſerveth a man from falling into Hell; have a care to repent while yet there is time for pardon; what elſe ſhall the fire devour but thy ſins; the more thou heapeſt up ſins, the more matter thou layeſt up for the fire.

Sect. 11. Of meditation on the glory of Heaven.

The laſt ſubject of our meditations here, ſhall be the glory of Heaven:The laſt ſubject of Meditation, the glory of Heaven. wonderfull and unſpeakable is that glory, ſuch as all the Kings and Emperous in the world cannot give; they can leave their Kingdomes but to one of their ſons, the reſt muſt be put off with Dukedomes, and other dignities; as the children of Abraham by Keturah and his Concubines, muſt take their portions and be gone; Iſaac only muſt be his heir, Gen. 25. but all God's children ſhall be heirs, and crowned Kings, Rev. 20.6. and inherit ſuch a Kingdome as the world never ſaw nor dreamed of: it is ſometimes called the Kingdome of Heaven, Mat. 8.11. ſometimes a boſome, a place of reſt and ſweet refreſhment, Luk. 16. ſometimes Paradiſe, in alluſion to the earthly Paradiſe, a place of all delights and pleaſure, where our firſt Parents lived before their fall, Luk. 23.43.

I dare not undertake to deſcribe the joyes of Heaven, but by circumſtances we may gueſſe ſomething at the greatneſſe thereof.

1. Let us conceive of it by this world which we ſee, and wherein we live; which is enlightned from the Sun, Moon and Stars; covered with the fair Canopy of the Heavens; invironed with the Sea; interlaced with many winding Rivers; repleniſht with variety and plenty of Cattell, Fowls and Fiſh, for the uſe and ſervice of man; and why was this world built, but to be a reſting place for man, to ſtay in for a ſhort time: if then God hath given us ſuch a cottage to be Termers in, what ſhall we think of our eternall Manſions, where we muſt abide for ever? yea if God hath afforded ſuch entertainment to his enemies here, what may we think he layes up for them that love him?

Some conjecture at the joyes of Heaven, by comparing the three places of man's abode together, ſcil. his mother's womb; this world, and the Kingdome of Heaven: and they affirm, that the third, viz. the Kingdome of Heaven, as far excelleth this world in largeneſſe, beauty, and all manner of delights, as the whole world doth the womb of one woman; yea as much, and more than the mightieſt and wiſeſt man on earth, doth exceed a poor Infant or Embrio in the mother's womb, in ſtrength, beauty, wit, underſtanding, &c. doth the leaſt and meaneſt Saint in Heaven, exceed the wiſeſt and mightieſt man on earth: yea leſſe compariſon is there between the nine moneths abode of a child in his mother's womb, and the oldeſt man's life on earth, than between the age of Methuſelah, who lived nine hundred ſixty nine years, and the time of our abode in Heaven; or between the thing that is finite, • nd that which is infinite, there is no • roportion.

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When Ahaſuerus that reigned in Aſia over an hundred twenty ſeven Provinces, even from India to Aethiopia, was diſpoſed to make a Feaſt to all the Princes of his Kingdomes, Eſth. 1. no doubt but it was a royall Feaſt, and moſt bountifull Banquet; but yet ſurely but a ſcambling, if we compare it with that Feaſt which the Lord of Hoſts will make in his holy Mountain, it muſt needs far ſurpaſſe the Feaſt of Ahaſuerus in all things.

1. For continuance of time: that was to laſt an hundred and eighty dayes, and then to have an end; but this more than an hundred and fourſcore thouſand years, even for ever and ever without end.

2. For the ſervitours: Ahaſuerus Feaſt was to be ſerved in by men, who might miſtake and miſplace ſomething, or commit ſome overſights; but this is to be ſerved by the Angels, who know how to do all things in the beſt faſhion: yea to let the gueſts ſee how wonderfull welcome they ſhall be, the Son of man himſelf, though he be maker and Maſter of the Feaſt, yet will gir • himſelf, and ſerve, Luk. 12.37.

3. For the company at Ahaſuerus Feaſt: though it were great; yet a great part of it was not very good; but here ſhall be none but God and good company, viz. Angels and Saints.

4. For the proviſion, it far exceedeth: for that was but what ſome few parts of the world, whereof he had the command, might afford; but this ſhall be to open the treaſures, and ſhew forth the goodneſſe and greatneſſe of the Almighty, who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; yea whoſe riches and revenues more exceed thoſe of Ahaſuerus, than his did the pooreſt man's living. Aug. Soliloq. c. 35, 36. Aug. Mannal. c. 7, 8. Bern. Medit. c. 4. Many are the things that the Ancients have written in commendation of this heavenly inheritance: the Scripture compares it to a City moſt abſolute, wherein is wanting neither beauty of building, nor order of government, nor plentifull proviſion of all things. In a word, we muſt admire it in ſilence, for it cannot be expreſſed by humane or Angelicall eloquence: the joyes of it are ſo great, that they cannot enter into the poſſeſſours; therefore they muſt enter into them. Mat. 25.21. Chriſt will ſay to all his friends, enter into your Maſter's joy, enter friends, and take your comfort; enter ſervants, and take your wages; enter children, and take your patrimony; enter brethren, and take your portion; enter all ye that ſeek the Kingdome of Heaven, and take your Crown: The poor, ſaith one, Jo. Wall. Serm. in Mat. 25.21. is not ſhut out for want of money; the rich is not turned back for the abundance of his comforts; the weak is not thruſt out for want of ſtrength; nor the mighty refuſed for the danger of their Forces, but every one that hath right to it, takes poſſeſſion of it.

And though there be degrees of glory in Heaven, Mat. 18.28. Dan. 12.3. yet is it true what Auſtin tells us, that they that have leaſt ſhall have no want, to make them grudge or murmure againſt them that have more than themſelves; and they that have much ſhall have nothing too much, to move them to ſcorn or contemn thoſe that have leſſe than themſelves: for even as divers veſſels of divers ſizes being caſt into the Sea, though all be full of water, yet all cannot hold and contain the like quantity and meaſure of water; ſo it may ſeem that thoſe perſons that hold moſt grace on earth, ſhall have likewiſe moſt glory in Heaven: but there ſhall be no complaining occaſioned through want, nor any contempt by reaſon of abundance; for that inheritance being infinite like God himſelf the giver, is tanta omnibus, quanta ſingulis, not leſſened or diminiſhed by the number of heirs; therefore we may conclude with David, In thy preſence is fulneſſe of joy, and at thy right hand are pleaſures for evermore, Pſal. 16.11.

Here our knowledge is mixt with darkneſſe; we ſee God but in Aenigmaes; the very ſpecies that diſcover him, conceal him; theſe glaſſes are too ſcant fully to repreſent his greatneſſe to us, and our ſpirits are too weak to bear the ſplendour of his glorious Majeſty; but in Heaven the mind ſhall loſe her darkneſſe, and be fortified with a capacity to behold the King in his glory: O bleſſed ſight to ſee God in his glory; to ſee God in us, and us in him, ſaith Bernard. O beata viſio, videre Deum in ſeipſo, videre Deum in nobis, & nos in ipſo. Bern.

There are three things in this world which oppoſe our happineſſe, and hinder us from knowing God perfectly.

The firſt is his greatneſſe which aſtoniſheth us: therefore he is ſaid to dwell in light to which no mortall can approach, and the darkneſſe is ſaid to cover him, and hide him from our ſight.

The ſecond is his abſence: for though he be in every place, yet when he pleaſeth, he hideth his face, and withdraweth his preſence from us.

The third is our impotency, which cannot here abide a full manifeſtation of the glorious preſence of God: but in Heaven all theſe hindrances ſhall be taken away from the bleſſed; God's Majeſty is no longer terrible; his greatneſſe which here is aſtoniſhing to us, ſhall then give being to our felicity; and the love of God having caſt out all fear from our hearts, we ſhall then treat with our Soveraign as our beloved friend; we ſhall not then lament the abſence of the chiefeſt good, but be poſſeſſed by him whom we poſſeſſe; we ſhall be as full of God as our hearts can hold or deſire.

And as the knowledge, ſo alſo the love of the Saints to God in Heaven ſhall be compleat: here our love to him is very ſlender; it is faint, becauſe we poſſeſſe not the higheſt good which we moſt ardently affect, and being ſeperated from him, we are as well his Martyrs, as his lovers; Tùnc implebuntur vota: but then ſaith Bernard, ſhall our longing be ſatisfied, and our deſires accompliſhed: here our love is divided, becauſe ſelf-love is not yet extinguiſhed; and the more we indulge our ſelves, the more we rob God of his due: we love not God ſo purely, as not to ſeek our ſelves when we pretend to ſeek his glory: we are here more earneſt with him for riches and honours, than for graces; but in Heaven our love ſhall be free from ſuch imperfections: our love ſhall not then be blind, becauſe we ſhall ſee him whom we love; and the ſplendour of God's glory that enlightens us, is a ray that ſhall diſpell all the darkneſſe of our underſtandings: our love to God in Heaven ſhall not languiſh, nor ſpend it ſelf in its own longings, becauſe then we ſhall poſſeſſe what we love, and being infinitely united to the fountain of happineſſe, we ſhall never be ſeperated from him: our love then ſhall not be divided; for the ſouls of the bleſſed ſhall then be purified, when they ſhall quit their bodily priſons: the glory of the great King ſhall be the end of all their deſires; yea in Heaven it ſelf, the Saints ſhall not ſeek ſo much their own happineſſe, as God's glory: St Auſtin ſaith, that the knowledge and love of God, Tantum gaudebunt beati, quantùm amabunt, tantùm amabunt, quantum cognoſcent Deum. Aug. ſhall be the two grand imployments of the Saints in Heaven: the bleſſed in Heaven ſhall ſo rejoyce in God, as they ſhall love him, and ſo love him, as they ſhall know him: the good works which the godly did on earth, ſhall be baniſht from Heaven: there ſhall be no need of mercy, in eſtate where miſery cannot approach: there ſhall be no need of viſiting the ſick; for ſickneſſe and death cannot annoy thoſe that dwell in the Land of immortality: there ſhall be no burying of the dead in the Land of the living: no need ſhall be of Hoſpitals, becauſe no pilgrims ſhall be there: there ſhall be no need of cloathing any of Chriſt's members, who ſhall be all cloathed with long white robes, dipt in the bloud of the Lamb: there ſhall be no trouble about reconciling enemies, becauſe peace ſhall eternally raign in Emanuel's Land.

The miſeries of this life, ſaith one, Senault. Treat. 8. Diſc. 8. compell men to build houſes; to protect them from the injury of wind and weather; to make cloathes to keep them from ſhame and cold; to till the earth for their •• triment; but there ſhall be an end put t • all theſe imployments, where God ſhall be all in all to all his people: they ſhall then fear nothing, where the poſſeſſion of all good neceſſarily produceth the excluſion of all evil: we ſhall not then dread hunger and thirſt, becauſe we ſhall lodge in the houſe of a great Lord, where is plenty of all • hings, where we may bathe our • elves in the rivers of his innocent de •• ghts: neither heat nor cold ſhall annoy us, becauſe the Sun of righteouſneſſe that warms us with the beams of his ardent love, ſhall alſo refreſh us with his ſhadow: wearineſſe ſhall not make us faint, becauſe God ſhall be our everlaſting ſtrength: there ſhall be no labour that ſhall need repoſe; nor ſhall the night ever draw a curtain over the day: there ſhall be no traffick or commerce, becauſe in God all things ſhall be poſſeſſed: there ſhall be none in ſervitude, becauſe all the Subjects of this Kingdome are crowned Kings: If you ask me, ſaith Austin, what ſhall we do then in a place, whence pain and trouble are baniſhed? I ſhall anſwer with the Prophet, Vacate & videte, quoniam ego Deus ſum, Be ſtill and ſe • that I am God: this meditation ſhall wholly take them up, and that fo • ever. This is that glory, ſaith tha • devout Father, which the Angels admire, which obſcures the Sun; ye • which (could it appear to the ſouls of th • damned) would like the ſweet tree in th • bitter waters, make even Hell it ſe •• ſeem a Paradiſe of pleaſures.

Now let us draw out our medit • tions on the Heavens: they are the moſt glorious part of the Creation, and their very pavement is more beautifull, than all the earths glory: neither Art nor nature can produce, nor man can think of ſuch things as they contain: if the under part of that pavement be more glorious than this lower houſe of the world, how glorious ſhall that houſe above be? if the viſible Heavens do ſo affect us, what will the Heaven of Heavens do; and above all God himſelf, the glory of the Heavens? When God would ſtir up Abraham to obedience, he bids him lift up his eyes,Gen. 13.14, 15 and look from the place where he was, Eaſtward, Weſtward, Northward, and Southward, and ſee the Land which God would give him, and his ſeed: ſo ſay I to you that hear me this day, lift up your eyes, and behold the Heavens that God hath provided for your ſouls, for which God requireth you to leave your pleaſures, profits, credit, goods, good name, or whatſoever elſe is dear unto you.

Again, Would'ſt thou be freed from the arrows of bitter tongues, meditate on Heaven, and look u • thither: if thou canſt but once get thither, thou art ſafe, and ſhalt be ſecretly kept in a pavilion, from the ſtrife of tongues.

Would'ſt thou fain be rich? art thou diſcontented with thy poor and mean eſtate? meditate on Heaven, there is riches enough for thee: be thou never ſo poor in the world, if rich in faith,Heb. 10.34. thou art an heir to a Kingdome: your ſubſtance on earth is little and periſhing, but in Heaven ye have a better and more enduring ſubſtance: you that are godly poor, that have ſcarce an houſe to put your heads in, that cry out for want of room on earth, meditate on Heaven, there is Rehoboth, room enough for you all: Thus Chriſt comforteth his Diſciples,Joh. 14.2. In my Fathers houſe are many manſions: it was the place whence he came, and whither he was going before them, to take poſſeſſion of it, and to prepare places for them there; therefore they might be contented to want his bodily preſence on earth, and be a little ſtraitned here below, they ſhould have room enough in Heaven. Yea meditate on Heaven, and look up thither with an eye of faith, and thou maiſt with Stephen, ſee Chriſt ſitting there at the right hand of God; Chriſt thy Head, thy Husband, thy Advocate, thy friend, thy Saviour, there making interceſſion for thee to his Father, preſenting his own merits continually before him. Let theſe meditations chear thee up, and comfort thee againſt all diſtracting thoughts, and dark apprehenſions, and refreſh thee in the midſt of all croſſes and wants. It was a comfortable ſpeech which the Emperour uſed to Galba in his minority, when he took him by the Chin, and ſaid, Thou Galba ſhalt one day ſ • t upon a Throne: Tu Galba quando que imperium deguſtabis. and let this meditation chear the Saints of God, how little ſoever they are in the worlds eye, that one day they ſhall ſit upon Thrones: though now they lye among the Pots, and like Job upon the dunghill, yet one day they ſhall be gathered with Princes, with the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: therefore we ſhould not think our ſelves Citizens of the world, as the Heathen Philoſophers did, but Burgeſſes of Heaven, as all the faithfull have done, as Paul profeſſeth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , our City-like converſation is in Heav • n, Phil. 3.20. and then let us cry out, Quouſ que Domine, How long Lord, make haſt, make no long tarrying? Lord thou haſt been the ſtrength and food of all that travell by the way,Cibus viatorum, ſalus beatorum. Fulgent ſo be now the Crown and glory of all that are come to the end of their way.

Chap. 9. Of timing our Meditations in the beſt manner.

1. It is good to begin every year with holy meditations: men uſually handſell the year with ſome newyears gifts; let us look higher, even to God: certainly this is our beſt newyears gift, to give a heart to God, fraught with heavenly meditations. To this purpoſe, ſuch meditations as theſe are uſefull; namely, to try one year by another; whether grace thrive or decay in us; to ſee according to our years, what progreſſe we have made in the way to Heaven; if for every year of our life, we are paſſed a ſtation of the wilderneſſe of this world, to the heavenly Canaan; if as our outward man decayes, our inner man be renewed day by day: it is of great advantage to Chriſtians, to begin the year with ſuch meditations; and better it is to fill our minds with theſe, than our bellies with dainty food: this work of meditation is a part of our yearly Rent to be paid to God: every new year we renew the leaſe of our lives again of God; and therefore pious meditations are a task anſwerable to ſuch a time: the new man in the beginning of the newyear, is to meditate on his over year ſins, and heartily bewail them, and repent of them; to meditate on the renewing his Covenant with God for new obedience; and according to the work of grace in him, to ſtrengthen his communion with God.

2. It is good alſo to begin every day with meditation: In the morning ſow thy ſeed, Eccleſ. 11.6.Pſal. 130.6. David's meditations did prevent the morning watch; his ſoul was flying to Heaven before the Sun was up, or the morning got out of its bed: and ſaith he, Pſal. 139.18. When I awake, I am ſtill with thee: to which Ambroſe Ambroſ. in Pſal. 36. It is good to ſet our ſouls in order every morning, perfuming our spirits with ſome holy meditations. Dr Sibs. alluding, ſaith, Let a devoted spirit prevent the morning, that it may be enlightned by Chriſt, before the earth be illuminated by the riſing of the Sun. We bend our heart to God in the morning, when we lift our heart to God, and give him our firſt thoughts and affections; then ſhall he fill us with his mercies in the morning, that we may rejoyce all the day long. Cicer. Tuſc. quaeſt. l. 4. Demoſthenes was troubled, that a Smith ſhould be at his Anvil, before himſelf could be at his Study; much more ſhould it grieve us to be prevented by them.

Seaſon your minds in the morning with ſuch meditations as theſe:

1. Meditate on the great favour which God hath vouchſafed to thee the night paſt; and if thou haſt not remembred God upon thy bed; nor thy reins inſtructed thee in the night ſeaſon; and if God hath not been in all thy thoughts, think of humbling thy ſelf before him, and crave his pardon.

2. In the morning meditate thus with thy ſelf: this day is given me to give all diligence, to make my calling and election ſure; to obtain eternall life; to take a firm reſolution to imploy my whole life to that purpoſe; and to think ſeriouſly of the reckoning I muſt give to God.

3. Meditate upon what affairs thou maiſt meet with the day following, as helps or hindrances to thee in God's ſervice: uſe the beſt means offered to promote thy ſervice of God; and think how thou maiſt carefully reſiſt, and overcome whatever is contrary to God's glory, and thy ſalvation.

4. Meditate how unable thou art to perform any pious reſolutions, be they either to ſhun the evil, or do the thing that is good; and offer up thy heart in the morning, with all thy holy purpoſes, to the heavenly Majeſty, praying him to take it and them into his gracious protection.

5. Think with thy ſelf every morning: this day for ought that I know, may be my laſt day; how ought I then ſo to ſpend this day, as though death were preſently to arreſt me. By theſe or the like morning meditations, all that ſhall be done the day after, may be bedewed with the bleſſing of Heaven.

As in the morning you are to take a ſpirituall repaſt by meditation; ſo in the evening 'tis neceſſary to take a devout and ſpirituall collation. Iſaac in my Text went out in the evening to meditate: One adviſeth, that meditation be our key to open the morning, and our lock to cloſe the evening withall. Get a little leiſure after all your wordly imployments, to call up your ſpirits to the conſideration of ſome holy object, which thou maiſt preſent to thy ſelf ſimply, by an inward caſt of thy thought, kindling the fire of meditation in thy heart, by a few holy inſpirations and ejaculations to the Lord, either in repeating, what thou haſt beſt reliſhed in thy morning meditations, or by ſome other as thou beſt likeſt.

Now ſuch meditations as theſe in the evening, before our going to bed, may not be unprofitable.

1. To meditate on God's great goodneſſe, in preſerving thee the day before, from many troops of dangers, that lay in ambuſcado againſt thee.

2. To meditate and examine thy ſelf, how thou haſt carried thy ſelf in every part of the day; which to do the more eaſily, you are to conſider with whom, and in what imployments you have been buſied.

3. If a man hath done any good, to think of praiſing God for it; if any ill, in thought, word, or deed, to be humbled, and ask pardon for it, with a reſolution carefully to amend it.

4. So to end the day in holy duties, that by our morning exerciſe, we may open the windows of our ſouls to the Sun of righteouſneſſe, and going to take ſuch reſt as is neceſſary for us, we ſhut them up againſt the Prince of darkneſſe.

Meditation is alſo a good night companion. David would remember God upon his bed, and meditate on him in the night watches, Pſal. 63.6. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy Word, Pſal. 119.148. The night, ſaith Chryſoſtome, Chryſoſt. ad popul. Antioch. Hom. 42. was not made to this purpoſe, that we ſhould ſleep all the time, and lye lolling on our beds; the manuary Trades, and Horſekeepers, and Merchants, can witneſſe as much unto us▪ Riſe thou at midnight as doth the Church; mark the motion of the Stars, the deep ſilence of all things then being, their reſt they then enjoy, and admire the providence of God above; then is thy ſoul more pure, more light and ſubtil, more lofty and quick; the very darkneſſe it ſelf, and that great ſilence may induce thee to much contemplation: and ſaith he further; Look toward the City, and thou ſhalt hear no noiſe at all; caſt thine eye on thine houſe, and all thy family ſhall ſeem as if they lay in their graves or ſepulchres; all this may ſtir thee up to high and heavenly meditations: and ſaith the ſame Father elſewhere; Chryſoſt. in Gen. Hom. 30. In the night no body is troubleſome to us; then have we a great tranquillity of our thoughts, when our buſineſſes are not troubleſome, when there is none that can hinder us from having acceſſe to God, when our mind knittin • it ſelf together, is able diligently to mak • reference of all to the Phyſitian of ſouls. I ſhall not preſcribe which of theſe is the fitteſt time for meditation, but to me the morning ſeemeth to be the fitteſt; but no time comes amiſſe to a prepared heart.

Chap. 10. An Exhortation to Meditation; ſhewing alſo the neceſſity thereof.

Let me now exhort you to ſet about, and to be frequent in this neceſſary duty of meditation: Be often retiring your ſelves to God, and breathing after him: queſtion him daily about thy ſalvation: give him thy heart: lift up thy ſoul to God: caſt thine inward eyes on his mercies; give him thy hand as a little Child doth to his Father, that he may lead thee and guid thee: plant him in thy heart, that God may be in all thy th • ughts: make many motions in thy ſoul after him: from every thing in the world, may be preſented many pious meditations, and profitable diſcourſes: unhappy are they that uſe • he creatures in turning them to ſin, and happy they that turn them to the meditation of God, and his goodneſſe. This exerciſe of meditation is very neceſſary:

1. Becauſe much of the work of holy devotion conſiſteth in it: it is that which may ſtand in ſtead of many other things, but the lack of this can hardly be ſupplied by any other means; for without this, reſt is but idleneſſe, pain taking but vexation.

2. Meditation is neceſſary to beat down the fleſh, and to keep the ſenſuall appetite in ſubjection to the Law of the Spirit. It is a great miſchief, ſaith Auſtin, to enjoy thoſe things we ſhould but uſe, and but uſe thoſe things we ſhould enjoy; we ſhould enjoy spirituall things, and but uſe corporall, which when the uſe is turned into enjoying, our reaſonable ſoul is turned into a bruitiſh and beaſt-like ſoul.

Animae viaticum eſt meditatio. Bern. 3. Meditation is neceſſary to concoct the Word of God in our minds: There are ſome that feel ſome tenderneſſe of ſpirit, that will weep at a Sermon, that one would think their hearts full of devotion; but when it comes to the triall, we find that as the ſudden ſhowers in the heat of Summer, falling in great drops enter not, but bring forth Toadſtools or Muſhromps; ſo theſe tears falling on a vitious heart, a heart not mollified by conſtant meditation, the Word works not upon it, but becomes unprofitable: meditation ſoftens the heart, and fits it for any holy impreſſion. This made David cry out, O Lord, how ſweet are thy words unto my taſt; they are ſweeter than honey, and the honeycomb: and certainly the leaſt comforts of the Word, wrought in the heart by holy meditation, are more worth than the moſt pleaſing recreations in the world; they that have taſted of them, hold all other conſolations to be but gall and wormwood in compariſon of them. Oh that now I could perſwade men to this neceſſary duty of meditation: withdraw your ſelves from your worldly affairs at leaſt once a day, for the exerciſe of meditation. O holy ſoul, ſaith Bernard, O ſancta anima, fuge publicum, fuge domeſticos, an neſcis te verecundum habere ſponſum, &c. Bern. ſhun publick places, and the company of thoſe of thy houſhold; knoweſt thou not that Jeſus Chriſt thy Husband is baſhfull, and will not be familiar in company: Come my beloved, let us go forth into the field, there will I give thee my loves, Cant. 7.11.

Chap. 11. Objections againſt ſetting about the practice of Meditation, anſwered.

Object. 1 But here ſome will be ready to ſay, We are convinced that meditation is a neceſſary duty, but it is a duty ſtrange to us, and that with which we are altogether unacquainted.

Reſp.The light though fair and pleaſant to the eyes, yet dimmeſt then, after one hath been long in the dark: before one cometh to be acquainted with the Inhabitants of any Countrey, they will ſeem ſtrange at firſt, be they never ſo courteous; ſo upon the change of thy life, thou ſhalt find ſome inward alreration, and in this generall adieu thou ſhalt give to the world, and to all thy ſins and fooliſh toyes, thou ſhalt have ſome touch of grief and diſcontent: but have but a little patience, it is but a little aſtoniſhment the novelty brings thee; paſſe that by, and thou ſhalt receive many comforts and cordiall delights, ſo pleaſing and contenting, that thou wilt eſteem all other as nothing to them; he that hath throughly taſted of this heavenly Manna, cannot reliſh any worldly pleaſures, nor ſet his affections upon them: the delights of holy meditation are the foretaſts of thoſe immortall delights, that God gives to the ſouls of thoſe that ſeek him.

Oh but ſaith the ſoul, this mountain Object. 2 of meditation is very high, and the work is difficult, how ſhall I be able to climb up this holy hill? I am weak and unable for ſo high an exerciſe.

The work indeed ſeems harſh and difficult at firſt,Resp. but when we are exerciſed therein, it will be familiar with us. The young Bees at firſt are called Nymphs, and live on the honey that is in their Hives; but when once their wings are grown out, they fly abroad, and gather honey for themſelves, on the flowers of the field, and on the mountains. It is true, we are all Nymphs and worms in devotion at firſt, not able to aſcend this hill of meditation; but when once we be formed in our deſires and reſolutions, we then put fort • , and ſo may hope to become ſpirituall Bees, and then to fly higher and higher in our meditations; in the mean time to feed on the honey of God's Word, and of holy inſtructions, praying to God to give us the wings of a Dove, that we may ſwiftly and ſpeedily fly unto him. The greateſt difficulty is in the firſt beginning of this exerciſe of meditation, it being as one ſaith, Io. Downham's guid to godlineſſe. ſo harſh to corrupt nature, and ſo croſs to carnall principles; but the conſtant practice of it will make it eaſie to us. He that goes to learn a language, finds it difficult at firſt, but the Nut-ſhell being broken, they ſoon taſt the ſweetneſſe of the kernell: Doctrinae radices amarae, fructus dulces: The roots of learning are bitter, but the fruits are ſweet; ſo the thoughts of the benefit we ſhall receive by meditation, will take away the thoughts of tediouſneſſe.

Object. 3 But I am dry and barren, and have no matter for meditation.

This is no ſufficient pretence • gainſt the practice of meditation.Resp. Look but upon an earthly minded man, W. Strong. Serm. at Weſtminſt. 1652. ſaith one, and he will have matter enough to meditate upon in worldly things; ſtrange then it is, that any man ſhould object want of matter. Thou complaineſt of dryneſſe and barrenneſſe; look to the cauſe whence this evil cometh; we are oft the cauſe of our own dryneſſe and barenneſſe: when we neglect to gather the fruits of the love of God, then doth he take it from us, as from the Iſraelites, who not gathering their Manna in the morning, found it all melted when the Sun was up: and if thou art ſenſible of thy dryneſſe, bewail it before God; acknowledge thine unworthineſſe and miſery, ſaying, Alas, what am I! how am I left alone? I am nothing but a piece of dry ground, rent in every part, witneſſe the drought I have of heavenly dew: In this caſe cry unto God, Blow upon my Garden, O thou gracious wind of refreſhment, and take this dry wind from me; then ſhall my ſpices flow forth, and give out the odours of their ſweetneſſe. As God gives theſe heavenly dews, ſo ſometime he takes them away, to the end to teach us to eat dry bread, and to be more firm in pious devotion, inured by the triall of diſtaſts and temptations; and then we muſt patiently bear thoſe drineſſes, when God hath ordained them for our triall: but if we have conſtant recourſe to God's ſtorehouſes, we ſhall ſoon find our hearts more fruitfull in meditation; if we gape and pant for God, he ſhall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth, Hoſ. 6.3.

Sometime this barrenneſſe ſprings from indiſpoſition of body: as when by much faſting, watching, and labour, a man is overcome with weakneſſe, drowſineſſe, and other infirmities, which though they be incident to the body, yet fail not to hurt the ſpirit, by the ſtrait bond that is between them: The remedy therein is, to fortifie the body by lawfull comforts and delights; and though one ſhould be long afflicted with theſe drineſſes and diſheartnings, yet if we ſtrive againſt our indiſpoſitions, God will in the end and in an inſtant, give us ſweet refreſhings.

Some will not go to meditation, except devotion bring them to it, ſaith Gerſon; Gerſ de monte contemplat. part 3. c. 43. and all ſeems unprofitable to them, except the duty affects them, aad goes to their hearts: Theſe kind of men, ſaith he, are like him that is ſtiffe with cold, and will not go to the fire, except he were firſt warm; or like one that is ready to ſtarve with hunger, and will not ask meat, except he be firſt filled; for why doth any man give himſelf to meditation, but that his heart may be more inflamed with the heat of God's love, or repleniſht with his gifts and graces. They are very much miſtaken, who think the time loſt in meditation, if they preſently be not refreſhed with a ſhower of devotion: and ſaith he, if they ſtrive for this as much as in them lieth, doing their duty, and are in continuall fight againſt their own thoughts, being displeaſed becauſe they depart not, not ſuffering them to be quiet; ſuch men are more accepted, than if the heat of devotion had come to them ſuddenly, without any ſuch conflict: the reaſon is, becauſe they go to warfare for God, as it were at their own coſt and charges, and ſerve him with greater pains and labour.

Chap. 12. Setting down the Rules about Meditation.

The next thing I ſhall do, is to lay down ſome Rules concerning meditation.

Rule 1 Before thou goeſt to meditate, ſee that thy nature be changed; that thou art renewed in the ſpirit of thy mind; it is only the good man that hath a good treaſure in his heart;Mala mens, malus animus. an evil mind cannot meditate well: before the heart be renewed, the judgement of man is wholly depraved about his laſt end, ſeeking happineſſe where it is not to be found; wickedneſſe proceedeth from the wicked, according to the Proverb: were the apprehenſions of ſinners as large as Satan's, yet if they have not new wills and affections, they will buſie the imagination, in deviſing ſatisfaction to themſelves: the will is ſtirred up by the imagination; and as the will is • ffected, ſo operates the imagination: now when God by his Spirit writes his Law upon our hearts, ſo that there is an holy compliance between our hearts and God's Law, then the heart hath a ſtrong inclination to holy thoughts and meditations.

Labour to have the love of God Rule 2 and holy things rooted in your hearts: Amantium mos eſt de amato ſempèr loqui & meditari, ſaith Auſtin; The lover is ever ſpeaking and thinking on the thing beloved:Pſal. 119.97. O how love I thy Law! it is my meditation all the day; our affections are our wings, and our will is our guid to conduct us to Heaven. You think perhaps, Iter tuum ad coelum voluatas tua, gradus tui, affectus tui: ambulas affectibus, nòn pedibus, accedis ad Deum amando, recedis negligendo; ſtans in terra in coelo es ſi diligas Deum. Auguſt. ſaith Auſtin, you muſt build a Tower to aſcend thit • er; that the Angels muſt be invited down to aſſiſt you; or that the wings of an Eagle muſt be borrowed to carry you thither: but your love is your Pole-ſtar; by your deſires you ſcale thoſe heavenly regions; by your negligence you ſtand at a diſtance from them; and loving God upon the earth, you may boaſt your ſelves already in Heaven: for it is not with the ſoul as with the body; this cannot ſtir without changing of place, but that needs only change her affection,Sicut in aquis ignis durare nòn poteſt, ita nequè turpis cogitatio in corde Dei amante. Marcus Heremita. and in a moment ſhe aſcends into the hill of the Lord, and ſtands in his holy place, and is where ſhe would be; and we can never be better, than when we are with him in our meditations, whom nothing can equall in goodneſſe; thither we go not walking, but loving; and God is ſo much the nearer to us, by how much our love is more pure and vigorous: then he brings in God ſpeaking thus, I command you to love me, and I aſſure you, that in doing ſo, you ſhall enjoy me; ſinners poſſeſſe not all they love: there are ſome greedy worldlings that ſigh for gold, and yet are poor: ambitious perſons that are paſſionate for glory, and yet are deſpicable: but every one that loves me, finds me; I am with him that ſeeks for me; his love makes me preſent in his ſoul; as ſoon as he longs for me, I am in his embraces.

Rule 3 Let not your hearts be overcharged with worldly cares; they are great hindrances to us in heavenly meditation. The Angels have care of our preſervation, As in a race one Charet hindreth another in the way ſtopping the path, even ſo earth • y cogitations hinder heavenly when they have gotten the ſtart. Macarius. Ita ſarcina ſeculi veluti ſomno aſſoler, dulcitèr premebar, & cogitationes quibus meditabar in te, ſimiles erant conatibus expergiſci volentium, qui tamèn ſuperati ſoporis altitudine remerguntur. Auguſt. and endeavour it diligently, yet are they not perplex't about it, for their care proceeds from charity: carking cares about the things of the world, trouble a man's reaſon and judgement, ſo that he cannot meditate on God as he ought; the Waſps and Drones make more noiſe than the Bees, but make no honey, but waxe only. I was overwhelmed with worldly cares, as with a deep ſleep, ſaith Auſtin, and the meditations I lifted up to Heaven, were like the vain endeavours of men ſtriving to awake, who beaten down with the weight of drowſineſſe, fall aſleep again at the very inſtant they awake. It is impoſſible he ſhould be heavenly minded, that dotes upon earth; or have any paſſionate longings for Heaven, who is ſtrongly wedded to the things of this world.

Spend not too much of your time Rule 4 in recreations. It is neceſſary ſometimes that we recreate both our bodies and ſpirits; as to walk abroad; to take the air; to entertain our company with ſome pleaſant diſcourſes; to ring; to play on ſome inſtrument; theſe are recreations ſo innocent, that to uſe them well, needs nothing but diſcretion, that gives to every thing its order, time, place, and meaſure: but here we muſt beware of exceſſe; for if we imploy too much time therein, it is no more a recreation, but an occupation, that neither recreates the body, nor the ſpirits, but rather dulls and diſtracts them: and above all take heed of ſetting your affections on any of them; for let our recreations be never ſo lawfull, it is vitious to ſet our affections on any of them; to long after them; to ſtudy on them; or vex our ſelves about them: there are ſome recreations indeed, that as they are commonly uſed, tend to much evil; there is (as Phyſitians ſay of Muſhromps) a quality of poiſon in them, though never ſo well cooked; they are ſpungious, and full of pores, and eaſily draw any infection to them, and if Serpents be about them, they take poiſon from them: ſo ſuch recreations are very dangerous; they divide the ſpirit from pious meditations; cool charity; and awaken in the ſoul many ſorts of ill cogitations. Therefore when you are in the uſe of any recreations, labour to wind up thy heart to Heaven; uſe ſome godly meditations; think how thy time paſſeth away, and death draws on; ſee how it calleth thee to his dance, where the muſick ſhall be elegies and lamentations; that thou ſhalt make but one ſtep from life to death.

When thou goeſt to meditate, fix Rule 5 not thy thoughts on many things at once:Cogitatio vaga inceſſa ſemper hùc & illùe divertit. Hugo in lib. de Area myſticâ. variety of thoughts are like many men in a crowd or throng, where all are ſtopt, and none can get out: variety of meats, if the ſtomack be good, do alwayes offend it; if weak, it overthrows it: fill not thy ſoul with the thoughts of many things at once, for theſe will trouble and diſtract thee: a ſoul that feels it ſelf much purged from evil humours, hath a great appetite after ſpirituall things, and as half famiſhed, the thoughts run upon many exerciſes of piety at once; and this is a good ſign to have ſo good an appetite; but thou muſt look how thou canſt digeſtall that thou deſireſt to eat; take every thing therefore in order, and feed on them moderately, that thou maiſt digeſt them, and not be cloyed with them.

Rule 6 Let examination and meditation go hand in hand together: without examination meditation will be ineffectuall; as for inſtance, when thou haſt been meditating of the graces of God's Spirit, examine whether thoſe graces are ſeated in thy heart: meditate on the beauty of heavenly graces: make compariſon between graces and vices, in themſelves contrary: what ſweetneſſe in meekneſſe in regard of revenge; in humility in regard of pride; in charity in regard of envy; and all the graces have this to be admired in them, that they affect the ſoul with incomparable delight and comfort, after they are practiſed; whereas the vices leave us diſtracted and ill entreated: and as for vices they that enjoy them in part, are never content, and they that have them in abundance, are much diſcontented; but as for graces, they that have the ſmalleſt meaſures of them, yet have they content, and ſo more and more as they do encreaſe.

When thou meditateſt on ſin, examine how ſtands thy heart affected towards ſin: haſt thou a reſolution in the ſtrength of Chriſt, never to commit any ſin? haſt thou any inclination to ſmall ſins, or any affection to any of them?

When thou meditateſt on God's Commandements, examine thy heart: doth it find them to be good, ſweet, and amiable, and agreeable? as he that hath an exquiſite taſt, and good ſtomack, loveth good food, and refuſeth the bad.

Examine how thy heart ſtands affected to ſpirituall exerciſes: doſt thou love them, or are they tedious to thee? do they diſtaſt thee? to which of them doſt thou find thy ſelf more or leſſe inclined? to hear God's Word, or to diſcourſe about it; to pray; to meditate; to fly up to Heaven, &c. and what in all theſe is thy heart againſt? and if thou find any of theſe, to which thou art not inclined, examine whence this diſtaſt ariſeth, and what is the cauſe thereof.

Examine what is thy heart toward God himſelf: is it a delight to thee to think on him? doſt thou feel a particular taſt of his love? doſt thou delight in meditating on his power, his goodneſſe and mercy? if the thoughts of God do come into thy mind in the midſt of buſineſſe, and worldly imployments, when it cometh, doſt thou give place thereto? doth it ſettle in thy heart? doſt thou perceive thy heart to lean that way, and in ſome meaſure to prefer it before any other thing? doſt thou love to ſpeak to God, and of God? is his honour and glory dearer to thee than all other things? doſt thou love his children, and the glory and beauty of his worſhip and Ordinances? for want of this examination, meditation doth often come to nothing.

Rule 7 Both begin and end this exerciſe of meditation with prayer: Meditation without reading is erronious; without prayer unfruitfull, ſaith Bernard. Meditatio ſine lectione erronea, ſine oratione infructuoſa. Bern. Let prayer go before it: go to God, and beg of him to inſpire thee with holy meditations; it is God that with his own hand puts them into our mouthes, Noah is commanded to make a window in the top of the Ark, and a door in the ſide of it, a window is for the eye to look out at, a door is for the whole body to go out; and he that will ever be a good Christian, muſt not only make a window for contemplation, as Daniel did, at which he prayed thrice a day, but a door for action, as Abraham did, at which he ſate once a day: at the window of meditation he muſt contemplate with a good heart, at the door of action, he muſt go out to bring forth fruit with patience. Matt. Stiles. for of our ſelves we are not ſufficient for one good thought: prayer of it ſelf lifts up the ſoul to God, who is our only joy and comfort; as is the ſight, ſo will the affection be; and as the affection is, ſo will the deſire be. Pray at the end of your meditations, as David doth, Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy ſight, O Lord my ſtrength and my Redeemer, Pſal. 19.14. Pray that God would keep theſe things for ever in the imagination of your thoughts, 1 Chron. 29.18.

The laſt Rule is, that all our meditations muſt be reduced to practice: Thou ſhalt meditate in this Bo • k of the Law, that thou maiſt obſerve to do according to all that is written therein, Joſh. 1.8. the end of meditation is practice: I thought on my wayes, and turned my feet unto thy teſtimonies, Pſal. 119 59. In paſſing from our meditations, we muſt reſolve carefully to put them in execution, without which meditation is not only unprofitable, but rather hurtfull to us; for vertues meditated on and not Rule 8 practiſed, are apt to puff up the ſpirit, in taking our ſelves to be ſuch as we reſolved to be; therefore we muſt joyn practice to meditation. To conclude, as they that go into a goodly Garden, go not out without gathering of ſome Flowers to ſmell to long after; ſo our ſouls having by meditation fallen upon ſome pleaſing points, muſt take two or three moſt fit for our furtherance in piety, to think on the reſt of the day, and as it were ſpiritually to ſmell unto.

Now as it is neceſſary that all theſe be ſetled in our hearts; ſo in withdrawing our ſelves from our meditations; we muſt paſſe very gently to other affairs, for fear leſt the liquor of our reſolutions (the reſult of our meditations) do leak out, and not penetrate into all parts as it ſhould, even into our hearts and ſouls; yet all muſt be done without violence, either of body or mind.

Object. But who is able to put his meditations into practice, the directions and exerciſes thereof being ſo many?

Reſp.If one were to put them all in practice every day, he ſhould do nothing elſe, it would take up his whole time; but that is not required, but as time and place ſhall ſerve, and as occaſions ſhall offer themſelves. Renew thy reſolutions often, and ſay with David, I will meditate in thy precepts, and have reſpect unto thy wayes, Pſal. 119.15. I will for ever keep thy Word; and when thou faileſt herein, take in hand thy proteſtation, and offer it with thy whole heart to God. This free confeſſing of our deſire to ſerve God, and to be wholly conſecrated to him by a particular affection, is very pleaſing to him.

Chap. 13. Of the excellency and uſefulneſſe of Meditation.

Having given you Rules about meditation, I ſhall in the next place ſhew you the excellency and uſefulneſſe thereof.

1. Meditation breeds knowledge, ſc. the knowledge of God and his benefits, and our ſin and unworthineſſe. As there is no moment, wherein man uſeth not God; ſo ought there to be no moment, wherein he hath him not preſent in his memory:Sicut nullum eſt momentum in quo homo nòn utatur Deo, ſic nullum eſſe debet momentum, quo eum praeſentem nòn habet in memoriâ. Hugo l. 3. de anima. Babingt. in Num. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Clem. Alex. Aug. de civ. Dei l. 21. c. 6. Aquin. in Joh 5. this continuall meditation on God and his mercies, is that bleſſed union of our ſpirits with God, which holy men ſo much regarded in their times: a man given to meditation, is a man that walketh not in darkneſſe, nor in the ſhadow of death, as thoſe do that ſeldome or never think of him. Clemens of Alexandria calls the meditations of holy men, Candles that never go out, like the Candle which was among the Pagans, in the Temple of Venu • , which was called inextinguiſhable, as Austin relateth: without this men are but ſnuffs in respect of their uſe and ſervice, as Aquinas ſaith. Meditation doth not reveal any divine truth unto us, that only is the work of God; but after God hath revealed them, faith apprehends them: then meditation illuſtrates to the ſoul what faith believes, and ſo our knowledge is encreaſed: many ſhall run to and fro, and knowledge ſhall be encreaſed. Fenner de meditat. Dan 12.4. It is not ſaith one, the bodily removing of man from place to place, ſo much as the buſie ſtirring of the mind from one truth to another by meditation, that encreaſeth spirituall knowledge.

2. Meditation rectifies the affections of the ſoul: it oppoſeth ſerious conſiderations againſt vain imaginations; and becauſe our imagination is apt to raiſe falſe objects, and thereby falſe conceits and diſcourſes in us, therefore meditation propoundeth true objects for the mind to work upon, from the meditation whereof, the ſoul rightly conceives of things, and diſcourſeth upon true grounds of them, meditating thus with himſelf; if things be thus and thus in reality, then muſt I live according to theſe principles: this is the ſpring of all holy affections in the ſoul, as the true love of God; the true joy and delight in him and his wayes. Meditation is like the player on an Inſtrument, who by touching of the ſtrings, finds them that are out of tune, winding them up, or letting them down; ſo after meditation hath examined the love, the hate, the fears, the hopes, the griefs, the joyes of our ſouls, if it find them out of tune in expreſſing their harmony, which is the glory of God, it then puts them in tune again.

3. Meditation fills the heart with joy: My meditation of him ſhall be ſweet; I will be glad in the Lord, Pſal. 104.34. When the Spirit of God doth open the eyes of the ſoul, and it is brought forth into the light, then doth meditation clear up to the ſoul thoſe grounds of joy, which are exceeding comfortable. Holy meditation ſhews the ſoul the face of God reconciled; his pardon ſealed; an entrance into the everlaſting Kingdome; the heart of God opened toward him; and his name written in Heaven.Activa vira habet ſolicitum curſum, contemplativa gaudium ſempiternum. Prosper. l. 1 de contempl. virâ. Meditation clears up the promiſes to him, that he never ſaw before: he ſaw them before as by Candle-light, by common light and reaſon; but now he ſeeth them in another complexion. Meditation clears up their intereſt in God and his promiſes; and this is great matter of rejoycing. Meditation works in the ſoul a frame of heart, ſuitable to the Goſpel; what is more ſuitable to the Goſpel, than the joyes of the holy Ghoſt? therefore when meditation works thorowly upon the heart, it yeeldeth comforts ſuitable to the Goſpel. It is good for Chriſtians to meditate much in God's promiſes, which do convey much joy into the heart: then doſt thou improve the promiſes, when thou doſt ſo reliſh them, as to rejoyce in them, according to that ſweetneſſe that is revealed and contained in them.

4.Quae alii di • pariendo levia faciunt, ſapiens levia facit diù cogitando. Charron. de ſapient. Pſal. 119.150, 151. Holy meditation is a great ſupport to the ſoul under afflictions: when trouble is near, it repreſents God as near, or nearer than any trouble can be: ſuppoſe it be trouble of ſpirit, that is very near indeed, for that is in the vitals, it is a ſoul-ſickneſſe; but meditation ſhewes them: though Satan may draw near to them to devour them, yet God is nearer to them; a God nearer to ſave, than any michievous enemy to deſtroy. Meditation labours to affect the heart with the ſenſe of God's continuall preſence with it: this is indeed our great weakneſſe, and our great unthankfulneſſe, that we are apt to muſe more upon God's afflicting of us, than of God's perpetuall preſence with us: there is a ſavour in the ointments of the Lord Chriſt, ſufficient to perfume any ſoul that comes near him.

5. Frequent meditation on God, makes a man more holy, more like unto him; it ſees ſo much beauty and goodneſſe in him, that it makes a man caſt away every unſavoury luſt, and all thoſe affections that have a ſtrong ſent of the fleſh, that they may be made like to God in holineſſe. Thoſe Flowers that grow in the Sun, are far more beautifull, and fragrant, and pleaſant, than thoſe that grow in the ſhade; but if we ſuffer our ſouls to be over-ſhadowed with carnall thoughts and affections, theſe dark bodies will interpoſe between God and us, and hinder the influences of his love upon us: If the Needle that is but toucht with the Loadſtone, ſtands Northward; then the ſoul that is toucht with God, will ſtand Heavenward, and labour to be conformed more to him in holineſſe.

6. Meditation is a great help to perſeverance in well-doing: the ſerious and frequent meditation of this promiſe,Pſal. 94.12, 14. that the Lord will not caſt off his people, nor forſake his inheritance, makes them to cleave faſt unto him. This is the foundation of a peoples bleſſedneſſe, that God will not forſake them, when he doth moſt ſharply correct them; that the ſame priviledge that belongs to the whole Church, belongs to every member of it; for it is as poſſible for God to caſt off his people, and his whole inheritance, as to caſt off any one particular member of it: for, for God to caſt off his people, were to diſinherit himſelf; God would have his people to meditate hereof. Thus ſaith God to Jeremy, Ier. 33.24, 25, 26. Conſidereſt thou not what this people have spoken, ſaying, the two families which the Lord hath choſen, he hath caſt them off: but in the words following, ſee how God doth aſſert his unchangeable Covenant, againſt this falſe aſſertion: If my Covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of Heaven and earth, then will I caſt away the ſeed of Jacob, &c. as if he had ſaid, If ever you knew a day, that had not a night ſucceeding it, and a winter without a ſummer, and ever found the Laws of Heaven abrogated, then may you give way to your unbelief, and think that I will caſt off my people; but if you ſee a perpetuall interchange of day and night, though ſome dayes be more bright than others, then will I never caſt off any people, that I have taken for my own. The meditation hereof, is a ſpeciall means to keep us cloſe to God, even then when the foundations of the earth are ſhaken.

Meditate ſeriouſly on ſuch things as may ſerve actually to convince thee of the unfitneſſe and unreaſonableneſſe of thy yeelding to the ſin to which thou art tempted, and of the miſchief that may come by yeelding. When we muſter up ſuch thoughts, we levy ſtore of good ſouldiers which will fight with us, and for us, and do us good ſervice while we are under temptation: by this means alone (with God's grace accompanying) have many ſervants of God held their own, when the Devil would have killed them. Hoord. Serm. in Epheſ. 4.30. 7. Meditation is a ſtrong barricado againſt the temptations of Satan: the ſoul finds ſo much ſweetneſſe in God, that it ſtrongly guardeth the heart, will and affections, againſt temptations to ſin; it finds ſuch delight in the meditation of God, that it loaths the ſweeteſt ſin. He that is uſed to choice meats and drinks, can very ill brook unſavoury things; ſo a man that is heavenly minded, is brought to diſreliſh thoſe ſins, that others drink down like water with greedineſſe: meditation makes the heart very tender, and ſenſible of leſſer ſins, and ſtirrings of corruption. In a ſtill, ſilent, clear night, a little ſound will be eaſily heard, which will not be taken notice of in the day time, when there is much buſineſſe in hand; ſo when Chriſt and the ſoul do reſt, and converſe together, the ſoul is very quick of hearing: if the old Serpent doth but hiſſe never ſo little, Satan then finds the ſoul upon its guard, and that it hath a wakefull enemy. A ſoul that is conſtant in the meditation of God, is like a bright clear ſhiny day, when any little cloud will be taken notice of, at the firſt riſing; and like a calm Sea, where a little ſtirring of the water will be diſcerned, when the water firſt ariſeth.

Chap. 14. The Motives to Meditation.

I ſhall now proceed to lay down divers Motives to meditation.

Meditation is delightfull to God. Motive 1 It was the ſaying of an Heathen, If God took delight in any felicity, it was in contemplation. God delights in holy meditations, becauſe in them we come neareſt to the purity and ſimplicity of God: in nothing do we more converſe with him, than in our pure and active meditations: by theſe when we are as it were abſent in body, we are preſent with him; for when the body lyes upon its bed, and takes its reſt, the devout ſoul ſolaceth it ſelf with God.

2. This exerciſe of meditation may be done, when other duties cannot. When we want an opportunity to hear the Word, to read, to pray ſolemnly, we may have liberty to confer with God by holy meditations.

3. The Lord heareth the meditations of his people. David prayes to God not only to conſider his words, but alſo to conſider his meditation, Pſal. 5.1. As our ears, ſaith Auſtin, Aug. in Pſal. 48. Hom. 16. Aug. in Pſal. 41. are to our words, ſo are God's ears to our thoughts: and in another place ſaith he, We hear not one another, without the benefit as of our lungs, ſo of our tongues; but Cogitatio tua clamor eſt ad Dominum, thy very thoughts are ſhrill in the ears of God: and elſewhere he ſaith, Aug. Confeſ. • 0. c. 2. My confeſſion, O my God is made in thy ſight ſecretly, and yet not in ſecret; Tacet enim ſtrepitu, clamat affectu, it makes no noiſe at all by way of ſound, and yet it is clamorous by reaſon of her love. Gregor. in Iob. They are not our words, but our deſires and thoughts, that yeeld a moſt forcible ſound in the moſt ſecret ears of God. There is, ſaith Peter Martyr, Pet. Mart. in 1 Sam. 1.12. no need at all of voice, when we make our private prayers to God, in regard that God heareth our hearts and minds.

4. Meditation brings the ſoul to reſt it ſelf in God. One ſaith, Struth. Obſerv. 87. Cent. 2. that contemplation is both the labour and the reſt of the devout ſoul: it carries up the ſpirit of man into the boſome of God's love; it exalts a man ſo high, as to make him look down upon theſe ſublunary things with contempt, as Peter, James, and John, Luk. 9.33. following Chriſt to the Mount, where he was transfigured, ſeeing ſome of his glory, cried out, Maſter it is good for us to be here: ſo when a Chriſtian follows Chriſt upon the Mount of meditation, he is where he would be; he cryes out, it is good for me to be here.

5. A man given to meditation, is a growing Chriſtian. As holy meditations do thrive with us, and abide in us; ſo doth the grace of God increaſe in us: holy meditations are good tokens of preſent grace, and do enkindle ſtrong deſires after more grace: the man that is barren in meditation, is barren and unfruitfull in grace.

6. Meditation is a great evidence of ſincerity. As men may know us by our actions, as the tree is known by his fruit: ſo a man may know himſelf by his conſtant thoughts; for as he thinketh in his heart, ſo is he, Prov. 23.7. And God looks not ſo much upon what we do, as upon what our hearts are moſt upon; not ſo much upon what is uttered by the lips, as upon what the heart indites: by this we draw vertue from God himſelf, and are full of the life of God.

7. Meditation is a Chriſtian's Heaven upon earth. This is, as one ſaith, the meaſure that God gives in this life; a beginning that ſhall be finiſhed; an earnest that ſhall be followed with the full ſumme. The ſoul that keeps daily intercourſe with God in holy meditations, is in patriâ, Contemplatio dicitur cibus in hâc vitâ, ubi in ſudore veſcimur pane noſtro; potus in futurâ, ubi liberè & ſine dolore ſumitur; ebrietas in ultimâ, cùm animo recepto corpore congaudebit. Bern. Sent. when he is in viâ, at home when he is in the way: he quits earth to live in Paradiſe; the love and Magnificats he beſtows on God, are his chiefeſt imployment; in this one object he finds all his happineſſe, and his diverſion; his heart is no longer in the earth; he mounts up to Heaven by his deſires, and converſeth more with Angels, than with men, and hath already a large taſt of the ſweetneſſe of heavenly pleaſures▪

FINIS.