A Difcourfe of Divine Meditation. 903 you tha;-;;;:;cj1rilhans fhould confiderthis,--;;;;d-;;ccordin~y fhou~xcitedt~ difcharge of this Duty. Chap. 8. Secondly, Let me prefs this Duty upon you from the example of the Lord Jefus. ~ Pfal. 16. 8. I h.c11e (et tbe Lord lfiJVa}J before me. V avid fpeaks that con::crning him· felf by way of Type, 'ris fpokcn of the Lord· Jcfus principally as appears by Ails 2. 2~. Our Saviour Chrift when he was upon the Earth, he was in Heaven, not only in regard of the Refidcncc of his Deity, but in refpecr of his thoughtS and affcaions. The dwughts of Chrifi were as numerous as the Stars, and they were all in 0rder as the Stars; they were all Spiritual and Heavenly. Now there Jhould be a Conformity between the Members and the Head ; it's the Apoltles Ex· hortation. Let the fame Mind he in you which was in ChriJt. Therefore as you defire to Phi!. 2· S• be Conformed to him, fo be frequent in the exercife of this Duty. Thirdly, Confider the example of wicked Men, how their thoughts are all fixed upon the Earth, and let this be a motive to you. Take but the Covetous Worldling, and what are his thoughts upon, bur Gainful Contrivances, how he may recruit his Eltate, how thofe that deal with him may be Lofers, and he may be a Winner? You may read it in the expreffion of the Fool in the Gofpel. I n·i/1 pl11ck do1vn my Luk. 12 ' 28 • ~~~rtdJ~ ~:;1o~:''{r;o~~~m'!r~eie~~f~~th~~:,'~~~fo~~W~~~i~r~1,1; t~~o~g\~t~su~~~~~ ~peo~d~f: ;" ~~~tf,~t:~yt~~;~fiee \~i~e~~r~~l ~~~fe~:gi,o~~dh: 11~1~~ ~~~g~~~o~ifir%'f~~ the Flefh. And if you come to a Proud Perfon, what are his thoughts bent upon? He drean,s of a Ladder, whereby he may Climb up to the Top of Honour. Now !?,~\~~r~~: ;P~~itfr[~~n:o;;~h~~~h~~hu~~nrl~~dS~~~ ~~'~flt:u~~/~~~i•:r,e~l~i~~:~} Eternity? Shall a wicked Man by his Meditations draw forth as it wererheQJintef.. fence of Earth ; ane.; £hall not we extra£\: for the good ofour Souls, the ft1arro'v of tht Promifts and the Su;eetnefs of Religion? Fourthly, There's a n;vineNatureconveyed ro you, which difpo!Cth you for this Duty. Indeed ~tis no wonder that aCarnal Man is always Meditating upon Worldly things, for he hath only in him that which is conveyed from the firft Adam. Now the firfi Adam was of the E4rth, EArth!,. But a gracious Soul hath a new Nature: now that's an aEtive Principle, and enables the Soul to Spiritual things. This is the Glory of the Chrill~an Religion, rhat it changeth the thoughts of Men ; and whereas your Papifls mumble over their Prayers hy number, and your Carnal Perfons, Moral Protcfiants are only Converfanr about the externa) ACl:s of Religion: Regeneration changeth the Frame of our thoughts, and maktth us to mount upwards. Gracio~:Js Souls are difpo!ed for it ; what Chrilt fpake concerning Leaven in the Gofpel, it raifcth the Meal and Swells it: So when Grace is put into thy Soul, it iniinuates it felfinto thy Thoughts, into thy Difcourfes, into thy ACtions. Thofe tlm are Regenerated can in fame meafUre perform this Duty Naturally and eafily; it is as eafi.e for the Flame to afcend, as for a Stone to defcend. A Vine doth with as much eafe Produce Grapes, as a I hilt le or a Thorn doth Prickles: and therefore thy Heart may produce Spiritual Meditations with almolt as much eafe as a Carnal Man fhall produce !cnfual corrupt vile thoughts ; if thou do not inJure the Divine Nature, bot ex~rcife it io fend· ing up Holy thoughts towards God. Fifthly, Confidcrthat this Duty of Meditation, is one of the choicelt Inltruments of our Communion wid1 God. Communion with God is managed by Duties on our Part, ami by Donatives on Gods Part : by the afcents of our Minds to God, and by thedefcemsofGod to our Minds. Now Meditation is that Duty whereby the Soul doth mount upwards towards God. By Meditation a Chriltian i' able to difcourfe with the Inhabitants of the invifible World: By Meditation he is able to walk with God, to Eye God in all his Wayes' By Meditation he is able to draw from God, thofecom· forts which eve ry attribute doth promi[e and bring forth to the Soul. This is that great Duty whereby we Manage Communion with him: and this know by the way , thofe Chriltians which are malt neglecrive of this Duty, will find a fenfible declination borh in their affeCtions and in their PraCtice, becaufe they negleCt Communion with God. For all the Progrefs both ofHolinefs and Joy that we make, it's ground· . ed upon our Communion with him ; and therefore the negleCt of it will be a breach in our Communion, and confequehtl y will bring a Dearth, both in refpecr of our Graces and our Comforts. - Sixrhly, Confider by the Serious performance of this Duty, thou wilt procure for thy Soul an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of Glory. Such a Ghriltian doth ' Y y y y y ' ' enter
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