_ 902, A Difcour{e of Divine Meditation, ~~ They negleCt and dir:;;-f~1is Dut~. That~~large~;;;d~rid;; Cljap. 8. · between our Performances of Med!tat!O.D, 1t lhould llrikc us with Fear and Sor- ~row. The mort Chrifiians are apt to look uron Meditation, and thofe other Duties which arc wholly Spiritual, as Melancholly Interruptions of their Peace and quiet and thereupon are very baclnyard in the difcharge of them. . ,, · ' z. When we do perform them, how weak and how !·cmifs arc our thoughts -2 Our thoughts aie lil<can Arrow which is fi10t from a Bow that's weakly bent, they will not reach their Mark, tl)ey die in their. ~cry Birth, _and lofe their Life before they have performed any tlung. How lhould tillS fill us With Sorrow? As 1t is with the Pegs of an Inrtromcnr, when you are winding them up they Oip dowr. between ;~~i~~~i'rg~;is; ;:~f, ~v~~·,~~~~~~~~~~ h~~~~nl~'~eJ~atio~u;e ,ei:~~·,:;~;;. ;,~·i[~~tlih::~~ they ll1de down; and when we have lifted them up m fomc meafure, how foon do they fall to the Earth again! This i~ .a great Sin and Crime of a high Nature. Coofider firrt, what an unkind recompence is this to God, that you fhould fpend your thoughts but fcldom upon him ? His thoughts were fixt from evcrla!ting upon you, and will not you fend up your thoughts for a lhort time to htm? HIS thoughts are ~r:r. :~~,~~nF.i~~~~":t;~~1 ~io:J~Jih~~d Y.~~r~hy':~:~,~l~o~k, '.~1~:l~~o~,'i~) done, and thy thoughtJ to liS ward, t,bey cannot be reckontd up in order to thee: If I would declare 4!fd ]peak of tbem, they dre more than cttn be numbred. He hath from Eternity fpent his thoughts upon you, and they ace every moment going forth to· wards you; there fi1ould be a continual return of our thoughts to him. Nay he bath given his Son to you, and will you not give your thoughts to him ? 'Tis the mo!t U~Jkind recompence to neglect this Duty of Meditation. z. Confider it is a real difiJaragement to God, when we !hall turn our Meditation from him to Sinful ObjeCts. When we fi1all prefer carnal fweets before him. If the Eye doth not abide upon the ObJeCt, it's either becaufe the ObJeCt difpleafeth, or becaufe the Eye is taken off by fame thing that's better ; fa if our Meditations are fo fleeting and unftcady in reference to God, what's the rcafon ? either God cloth not plca!e m, or fomething better that pleafeth us draws our Eyes off from him · and this carts a real difparagement upon God. Oh that we fhould for fake the Foun~ tain of Living Waters for broken Ci!lerns, that can hold no Water ! CHAP. VIII. A Ufe of Exhortation. Frequency a1ul Conftancy in Meditation prejfed upon Holy Men. This is the best Vfe of our Vndersrand· ings. An Imitation of Chrisr's Example. Wicked Mens Thoughts being Jo ji.ud on the World, /hould provoke us to it. Holy Men have a Divine Nature diJPofing them to this Duty. 'Tis one of the b<;ft lnsrruments of Communion with God. And makes way for an Abundant Entrance into Heaven. Vfq. By way of Exhortation. To all thofe that are truly Gracious, let me prefs uron them, the conrtam and frequent difcharge of the Duty of Meditation : And that I !hall urge by thefe Arguments. Firjl, Confider, This Duty refiores thy Underrtanding to its Primirive Authority, it puts thy Reafon to the Purer! and bell ufe; therefore thou lhoulde!l be frequent and ferious in the difcharge of it. This is that which Vindicates and Re!Cues our Under!landing from its Captivity to the Flefh, and rertores It from Its proll1tut1on to our Senfes; It refines our rea!bn, it advanced! it. This fhould be a Powerful Argument to perfwade you to the Performance of it. Our thoughts are Wmged ft:!f.!f;"''N~!t ~~drr~tf~nm?su~f,a~b~~~;h:haii~~;: ~=~ct~"r~cirg~e~'~r~~s ~~~ lhould our thoughts inherit the Curfe of the Serpent, to cleave to thc~ J:<artll, and feed upon Afi1cs, when there is fuch a Duty wherein we may cxercife them? Therefore you
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