A Difcourfe of Divine Meditation. b93 is the E.x<hequtrofthe~ndthe~TreafurY7(iods Commands-:;;;;;~ ditation goes into that Treafury, and draws forth frefh Arguments againlt every Chap. 4· Temptation, and therefore if you defire to be Holy in your Lives, perform this Duty,~ and be ferious and Coofcientious in the difcharge of it. What an Orator fa id in another Cafe when he was asked, what was moll eminent in Rhetorick and Oratory, gave this anfwer, Pronunciation, Pronunciation, Pronunciation ; fo if I fhould be asked what do I think is the belt means and way to advance the Faculties, to make the Ordinances Fruitful, to increafe Grace, to inlarge our Comfort, to Produce Holinefs and the like, I fhould anfwer, Meditation, Meditation, Meditation. CHAP. V. Of Rules for the managi11g Meditation to Advantage RulES which refpeEl the Perfon. Freedom from t/Je Guilt of Sin. Purity ofHeart. A Treafure of Divine Truths. Sobriety in the ufe ofWorldly things. A11d fervent Love to Spiritual ones. Rules which refpeEl the Object. It /hould be what has a Tendency to adva11ce Holinefs, fuitable to our prefent State and Temper. Rules which refpeEl the Duty. We /hould be as Methodical, a11d Particular tl6 may be.. . Difcharge our{elves of Worldly things. Beg the Aji.ftance of the Spmt. Stop the jirft excu~/ions of our Thoughts: which will fix our Minds. We muft Meditate by way of Argument, Comparifon, Emijfion in Complaints and Defi.res, a~d by Imprejions Charg,- ing and Checking our own Souls : whzch wtll warm our Affections. THE Rulu, I !JJall reduce to thefe Three General Head~. I. Thofe whicli concern the Perfon, that is to exercife tllis Duty. II. Thofe which refpca the Choice ofour Objetl:. Ill. Thofe Rules which may direct us how we>fhould Meditate on the Object with Succefs, and Advantage. There are Five Rules, which refpc8: the Perfon, that is to perform this Duty. 1. Rule. Labo.r to have thy Hurt deanfed from the Guilt of Sin. A Tumultuous Confcience is very unfit for fo Calm and Sedate tn Exercife as Meditation. 'Tisfaid, that when aoElephant comes to the Water, itdifiurbsthefiream that it ~:~ ~~~~~ !~~!:~~ef:~al~0~h0: ~;~r,:~ ii.~IT~;io~~d\~e;i%~¥~1tha~~~r~\~~~e~r their Native Form. We read concerning the Devils when they were near Chritl, ~}~:YLa3~~~~g~~fG~~~~~ea~1~re~e~~e~~f~r~0 ~~;e:;~ ~~~ff!aor~tt~~e~~ifa~: ~h~:J! with the Devil ; Depart from 111 we dejire not the !(now/edge of ti1J n~ayes. He that hath the fence of his Guilt upon him, when he Meditates on God, this brings to his Re- )ob."· ,,. membrance the Holincfs, the Jufiice, the Truth ofGod; and this reminds him of his Ruine, and fo makes the Duty very unpleafanr to him. And by the way, take Notice, this is the Reafon why wicked men arc always either carried away with the pleafures orthebufinefsofthe World, fo that they may not have time 10 make inward Re Rea ions upon their own State and Meditate on thcir own Condition. As it is with a Mill, if you do not put Corn imo it, 'twill Grind it felf; fo they fill their, . minds with the Vanities and Bufine[es of the World, that they may not Grind upon · themfelves
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