A Di(cour(e of Divine Meditation. ~iliemfelvclherefore cleanfe your Soul~earty Applicatio~fChrill's BJ;d Chap. I· if you defire to be fit for this Duty. ' ~ 2. Rule L abour for a Psre Heart, The former Rule refpcEled the Guilt of Sin, this the Defilement. Meditation is founded in the Purgative part of Religion Jt'~-fi ~ ~sa.~d'~~~~aer~~~f.r ~i~~r1.J·dJ~G1~i~fJ:"f~ ~~~.~~~~~~t;~~.~~~e~?~~~~'g; So when the Heart is Soy led with the filth of Sin, it's not lit for this Duty, Pa~tly upon this account, becaufe Sin as it tdarkens the U nderllanding, fo it unfits the Soul to receive any Benefit by_ this Duty. That Cloth which is White is receptive of any Colour, but that wluch" Black wtll not change. Sa here, when the Heart is clean[. ed and Purified from the Stains ofSin, it will be mouldedinto the Form of any Truth the Soul Meditates upon ; but when the blacknefs of Sm JS there, 't!S not Receptive of any Colour, or very difficultly. Gerfon makes the lirllllep of Meditation, to be an bumble Repentance, upon this account, becaufe it cleanfeth the Soul. ~- Rule. Treafore up in yosr Souls a Stock of Spiritual Truths. Truth is the Food of the Soul, upon which itexercifeth its digellion and depallion ; when a man bath laid in, he may lay out. Mar. 12. ~S · there's an excellent exprellian, A go'a Man out of the good Treajure of his Heart brmgeth forth gooa thi11gs. Truths in the Soul are like Gold in the Oar: Meditation Coynes the Gold and brings it forth, in Holy DifCourfes and pious Aaions. Whereas where there are no Spiritual Mines of Truth in the Soul, 'tisno Wonder the thoughts Coyn Drofs and Vanity. Ignorance is that which doth impoverilh the Soul, and caufeth us to he Barren in this Duty of Meditation. M~it~ti~~. s;~~ly j:;, ~fJiler!o~~le~:;:1Z r~~~:f{• of ~shea~:r~~·~~~~eh~rl~~ or the Pleafures of the World; for an excefs intbefe difCompofes the Mind, and unfits th:jl~d~~~~~~;soSf.il~~tW~~:Y;a fpeak of that lirft, will unlit us for the Duty of Meditation. When the mind Afcends this Hill, it muft be light and free, and the ~~'TI~~~~~~~a~~~hl~\t~~;~~d;~;dfurr~h~; (ef~ .~~t ,~·:~c~n:~;·fli~~ternt~e~h~?rg; ~/i~~!~ i:o~~:~e~, ~~nh~~~}t';s1~~~t:I:~~dta~!tl~s 1Y o~;~rn:~~:~~o~~P~~~t'ts;~~ therefore we have an expreffion in the Canticles, C~rill: fpcaks to his Spoufe, Come Omt. 7· 11 ' my Spouji let us go forth znto the Fttld, which imports a Retreat and Sequeftratian from the Bufinefs of the World, and a Retirement from the Hurry of Worldly Affairs. · And as the Bufinefs of the World, fo the Pleafures of this World likewife exceedingly unlit us for this Duty. When Childrens minds are fet upon play, they arc very unwilling to go to School; fo when mens minds are fet upon Pleafure, this Alienates their Hearts from fuch fevere exerctfes as Medttatton. I have read concerningJerome, hecomplainsofhimfelf, that although he was in a defo!at~Wiidernefs, yet his Fancy conveyed htm to the Dances of the Roman LadJCs. So tt IS wtth PleafUl·able Perfons, let them fi:queller themfelves from th.e vifible Company of men, yet their Fancies are filled with Corporeal Refemblances :Carnal PJeafures make the heart ~:C~i~~~~~ ~ft~~ ~~f.~,s~~ ~ ~."bj~fi~Ke~o~fJ ~~~7~~f;,ci;~sa~sh~~i~~:!~t J: j:t~hd ofa~i Creatures; this is very applicable to this Duty of Meditation, And therefore as you defire to he free and vigorous in this Duty or exercife, dif-intangle your felves from the Cares and Pleafures ot the World. S· Rule. Labour for Fervent Love to Spiritual things, and this will he an excellenthelpfor the pcrformanceofthis_Duty.. Holy and Lively Affeaions do both Incline and Chain the thoughts to Spmtual Objeas. As all Rtvers proceed from the Sea , and return to the Sea ; fa our thoughts _pr?ceed from our Affections, and our AffeUions areinkindled by our thoughts. Tlus IS the reafon why the Mafler Corru ption, doth Ingrofs our thoughts, hecaufe our Love is fet upon it. Thoughts and Affections are Reciprocal caules of each other.As the Body conveys heat to the Cloaths, and the Cloaths preferve the warmth of the Body ; fo our thoughts are excited by our :Affdli0ns, and then our Affeaions do call f?rth their llrength and_efficacy upon our tho"ghts . Our thoughts enkindle our Affea10ns, and when the AfleC:bans are kmdled they caufc our thoughts to Boyle over, Pfatm ~9 · ~· Wlnle I rvas mufing, the Ftre 1lurJted, and David fays in the Text, Oh horv Love I th) Larv! It IS my Medtwton ~lltbel.>aJ. S"ondf;; ·
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