A Difcourfe of Divine Meditation, 891 He that Meditates aright concerning Jefus Chrilt, ~cl1e Author, the Object~ theendoftheSacrament, he that confiders with himfelf, what Rich TeltimoniesChap. 4· there are of Grace to the Worthy Receiver, and what fure marks of Vengeance to~ the Unworthy Receiver, how will this difpofC his Soul for coming to this Ord inance? He that Meditates of his Infinite Mifery out of Chrilt, and of his Felicity in Chrilt, How will this fharpen his defires to come to the Lord Jefus ? So in Receiving, we lhould then Meditate upon theSufferings of Clu·ilt; For the Sacra"'' t is the Abridgment of ChriJI's Agony ; and upon the Affeaions of Chrilt, for the Sacrament is the Copy of His Love. And he that Receives the Sacrament with fuch Meditations, will find his Graces to be better and ltronger, than the Graces of others who negleCl this Duty. The Sacrament is Food, and fa you mult Receive it with an Appetite, with firong deGres, and it mult be Concocted by Meditation. Thirdly, The Third Advantage, the Graces of the Soul Receive likewife an Increafe, and an Advantage by Meditation. Graces and Meditation are reciprocal caufes ofeach other; as Food maintains our Life, and our Life difpences our Food, fo here Meditation maintains Grace, and Grace exercifcth Meditation. The: re are Three Graces I will inltance in, which all receive fupport, and ltrength from this Duty. 1. The Grace of Faith. Our thoughts arc the purveyors of our Faith; when Faith t~~~~~i~~d~~~~~i~~~r~~l~~~u:h~~~~~; :~d r;!~tl:~~e~~~0 v~t~~s it~t~et~it::~~~ upon the Grace of God, and upon his Power, is the m oft eminent fupporter of Faith "' in all our Temptations. Meditation upon the Grace of God. When a bleeding Soul conlidcrs thus, God hath promifed Mercy, not to thofc who deferve it1 but to thofC who want it ; the Promifes are not built upon Goodnefs within me, but upon Grace without me: This raifeth Faith, and produceth Life and Spirit into it. So for the Power of God, when we arc in the midfi of External Wants and many Dangers and Hazards. When the Soul !hall meditate thus;, that God by one Joiat, by one Word, gave being to the World, that his Power is infinite, How doth this 'Vnderprop our Faith? We have examples of this r~corded of Abraham1 'Tis fai~ that Abraham _accounted that.God.Heb. 11 • 19 • w.ss able to raife him up even from the Dead. How dtd Abraham's Fatth become V tao.. rious ? God commanded Abraham to offer his Son lfim. Now the Promife was this, Jn Jfoac Jball tl'l Sml be called. Now how did he preferve his Faith ? Conlidering or Meditating, that God w,;s able to raifo htm ttp even from the .De.cd. .Abr11.ham con... fidered thus much, there is fuch a Power in God, that rather than the Prom1fe fhould be made void, the Refurrection of Jfoac lhall be more Miraculous than his Birth, God is able to raifc my Son from the A01es of a Confumed Sacrifice ; and theretore Abraham offers up his Son willingly, as to his difpofition and frame. So Meditation of the Truth of God, that he is the Father of Lights, in whom there is no fhadow of Change, the Holy one of Jfrael that cannot lie, that his Life ami Honour arc engaged for the performance of all his Promifes ; this Supports and Underprops all our declinmg Faith, and makes it ViCtorious. 2. Hope, which is another Grace in the Soul that Thrives, and Flourifhes by the help of Meditation. Faith is confirmed, and Hope is enlarged by it. The Chriftian who ·Meditates upon theiHncomparable (but inviliblc) things that belong to another World : Oh this will enlarge his Hope and make it the more Generous and the more Aaive. If a Chriltian would but by Meditation conlider all thofe inamouring Nations of Heaven, and Blelfednefs which the Scripture lays down : Ifhe would confider it as his Portion, as a Treafure, as a Crown of Glory, How would this in large his Hope? Experience tells us, that Men of low thoughts have Barren Hopes; the weakoels of our Hope, and the lownefs of it proceeds from the neglect of Meditation. l· The Grace of Love that is begun and refined by Meditation in the Soul of every true Believer ; there's a Love of defire towards God, and a Love of com_Piacency in Him. Now .Meditation doth fire both thefe; there's a Love of Defire in lum towards God, there's an af!eaionate Longing after him : A Thirlty Love in the Soul, that Longs for an Intereft in Chrilt. Now what doth it proceed from? but from this, from a Confideration of our infinite want of Chrilt, from a ferious Meditation of t hofe Treafures of Grace that are i11 the Lord Jefus. And then for the Love of Complacency, that flows from this. As the Love of de lire flows from the Meditation of Chrifts Henefits: So the Love ofComplacency arifes from the Meditation of his Excellencies alfo. The Pcrfon ofChrift is Invelted with the molt Attrarfive Glory, he is the Image of his
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