888 A Difcourfe of Divine Meditation, a;f=-Meditate upon the promifes.of the Gofpel ; At firft it may be -;;star begi;;;;, ap· P· ~ · pear, a httle Light conveys 1t felf ro thy heart ; but go forwards and then thou wilt ~find when rhy thoughts are Amplyfied and Ripened, there will be a clear Lighr more ~~~~~~fp~~~I:J~i:h ~~~;;f~s1 ~s ~~a~e;~~~~~~;s:;~J a~~~~~~tth~e ~r~F;a~~~~ Thirdly, For the Seafons of Meditation. To thar Ianfwer, there is no ti'?e in ir felfbut is alike pleating roGod,and there are no hours that are Am.'fs ro a Graci~us Spmt. Yet neverrhelefs ~here are fame particular Seafons, wherem our Affetl10ns are more Smart and VIgorous, wherein our tho'fllhts are more lively, and more difpofed for this Duty of Contemplation. Now J;akso~~-d chufe rhefc Seafons. I will inftance in fame Seafons which the Scripture Firft, The Morning,after the Body bath been Cumpoied by the 1\veetnefs of Reil then is a lit time for Meditation, and there's a double reafon for it. ' 1. Becaufewe fhould Confecrate the firfi Fruirs ro God. We lhould pitch our Virgin thoughts upon him, and upon Spiritual things, before they are opened to rhe Im; br~cements of Inferiour ObjeCls. When you awake in rhc Morning. you have many Smtors that attend your thoughts. Now have a care that It be nor With you as it was in the Inn of Bethlehem; Strangers took up the Rooms in the /nn,and Chrijl was excluded, andputtoa Manger. So in the Morning, vain Worldly thoughts take up the Room of your Souls, bur God and Chrift are excluded. We fhould honour the Lord with the firft ofour Subftance, and with the firft of our thoughts and Alfetlions. 2 . In the Morning Meditate upon this Account, becaufc the Influence of the Duty will be vifible in your Lives in the Succeeding parts of the Day. Thar where- ~!~;~.~~~:ll~a~~~.s;~~~~~~~r;gu:e~~~~~~go~:v~~~ .. ~~~l~~~uf;a;~ it;Ti;~~~Z Prov. 6 • ,,. ~:Jle~Jt%~:;.mow~~~;o'cl~:~~\:~~nf 'fs t;r;:~s~~~~~~ t~?:~:ft".;swt~~~eut,~: ing, and receive Rules from them, how they fl1all direCl: their Buflnefs in the Day : So a Gracious Heart takes DireClions from tl>e Law of God, in the Morning how he Gon. '4· 63. fhould Manage himfelf all the following parrs of th_e Day. Pfal.16. , . Secondly, Another Se~Jim for Meditation, is the Ev,ening. For this we have the example of Jfoac Recorded m Scnpture, that he went out to Meditate at the Even·tidt. soJsh~~rid ~: 'i'<~~f.';: i~e:t;B:r:~0of~~l~;1!e~~M~~ft~~~n:~~·h~~~,t~~~~~~ mand of the Lord for this, Commune ,.ithyour own Hearts upon your Beds and be Still. And there is a Double Argument which may move you to this Night-Meditation. 1 • Bccaufe then our Souls are fequefier'd from the Bufinefs of the World ; they are Retired from all the N oife and Tumult of things here below, they are nor difiratled with the Incurflons of fenfible Objeas; and at fuch a time as rhat is, we are befr fitted for Meditation. Secrecy, filence and Reft, Difpofc the Soul for meditation; and all thcfe we enjoy in the Night Scafon; then we are excluded from Company, Motion, and Bufincfs. 2. Becaufe when the Curtain ofVarknefs is drawn over the \11orld, our Hearts are apt to be filled with a Religious Fear of God, our Souls arc more Compofed in the Night, and we have more Awful apprchenfions of God. And therefore obfervc the Connexion,ftand tn Awe .snd{ln not, Comm11ne IVith your own Ht-arts upon your Bedr. The Bed is an Image'tmd a Reprefentation of the Grave,and at fuch a time as that is aMan may be more ferious and Compofed in this Work. . David fays, My Reins a/fo injlr.fl me in tllf Night Se.Jon, the meaning is David's mward Thoughts did then Read a LeClurcof Di,·inity to him. 4· The Sa!b.rh.DaJ> is a Seafon for Meditation. This fhould be the Tem; er ofevery Chrifiian to be in the Spirit on rhc Lords Day. On that Day when our Saviour did arife from the Earth, our Souls !lJoul Afccnd to Heaven. Confider with your fclves, the Lares Day is a Type of Heaven, and Contemplation is the Work of Heaven. The Relt ofth ' Sabbath IS but an Abndgment of that long Eternity which the Saints !hall enJOY with God; and the Imploymcnt of HC~~~~I~~
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