General Directiom for ejfe8ual Meditation. §. 4 , DireCt.-!-· Vfe not your !'bouf!.htr to take tbei: lib~rty, and be ungovered :. For u[e ~~ll makf tiJe"!' Direfl, 4 ·• btad-jfrottg and mt regard the vozce .uJ Rea{on; and Jt wzll m~Jte .]{el.l[o_tJ car_elcj1 and remijJ. Vfe_and mjl-ome harh great power on our mmds ; where we ufe IQ go our puh ts. plam; but where there 15 n() ~tft, there is uo wa)•· Where the warer ufoth to run there is a chand: Its hard ruling thole that arc 11 fcd robe unntly: If 11[e will do fo much with th~ to11gttc, (as we find in Come that ~,tfe ro curfc and fwcar and !peak vainly, and in others that ufe ~ofpeak fobcrly and religioufly ; in fome that by ufo can fpeak well in conference, preaching or praying many hours rogerher, when orhers that uft ic not can do almoll nothing that way); why may it noc much prevail wilh the tb.ortghu ? §. 5· Dinct. 5· TakJ lmd lrj1 tbe finjiJ and appetite grow too j1rong, a.nd majler Kea[on; for if tbcy Direli. 5 , do, tbey rviU at once difrffrfs it of tbe government of. tbe tbl.)ltgbll, and wiU b~ttitijhly u[urp the power tbemfelves. As when a n:bdlious army d!."pofc~h a Kmg, the¥ d.o not only caft otfthc,yo~k offub)celion thcmfclvcs, but diffolvc the Government as to all other lubJcCts, . and ufually ufurpe it thernfelves, and make themfelves Governors. If once you be ft:rvants to your ftefhly appetites, and fenfc, your Jhottglns will have other work to do,. and an?ther Way to go, when you call them to holy and ncceffary things: Efpecially when the entding objeCt:; are at hand. You mly as wdl exped: a cJod tQ afcend like tire, er a fwinc to delight in temperance, as a glutton, or drunkard, or fornica.tor to dtlight,. in holy contemplation. Re..{ on and Flcjb cann~t both be rhe Govern0rs. . 9· 6. Direct. 6. Keep undtr pafJio;rs, tbat they depofe not Reafo.n from the Government nfyour tboughtJ, Direa. 6. I told you b.:fore how they cauft evil tbougbu: and as much will they binder good : Four paflions are efpecial enemies to meditation: I· llnt,cr: 2· Perpkxing Grief: ;. Diliurbing Fear: 4· But above all, exccfs of Pleajitre in any worldly Hdhly thing. Who can thini~ that the mind is tit tOr h01y con– tcmplacion; when it fllmcsw.ith wratb, or is diltr~d:e"d with grief and care, or tremblet(l with fear, or is drunk with pletl{ttre? Grirf and fear are the moll h.~rmlefi of the four; yet all hinder Rea{on from governing· the thoughts. . . §. 7 . Direct. 7· Euit b•bits are a;tot!Jer..e.reat ln~ndrance of R~afoJU t:ontmand over our tho1lgbtJ: La- Dire{l. 7 • bor tlurcfore diligently for the cure nf tb~J difiafe. ~hough Habrts do not neu flitatt, they llr.ongly endine: And when every good t!Jought muti go agamfi a jlrong and co~flant inclination, it will weary Rea[on to drive on the {oul, and you can expeCt but finall fuccefs. §· 8. Direct. 8. Vtgent and opprr[Jing bu/jmft dotb almof! nrce[Jitate thetbougbu .~ Therefore avoid Direli, 8, a; nmch M you can fuch 1trgenciu when yo!f would be free for meditation. Let your thoughts have as little diverting matter as may be, a;,,.rho{e times when you would have them entire and free for God. . . ~· 9 . Diret . 9 • CrowdJ and iU c~mpa~y are n.o .fr~ends to _me~itation : Cboo{t tbtrefore the quieJneft Dirdl. 9~ ofjiJiitude when you 'f¥/ould do m~ech m tbu. As 1t IS Ill.Jtudyz~g m a cro~d.' and unfi:afonabJe btfore a multicude to be at fecrtt prayer (except fome fhort CJaculauons ) ; fo IS tt as unmeet a feafon for holy meditation. Themind that is fixedly employed with God, or about things fpiritual, had!need of all pofliblc freedom and peat:c, lO retire into it fclf, and abfiract it felf from alien things, and feri.. oufly intend its greatcf work. .~ . 9· 10. Direct. ro. Above all tak,! heed i{finful Interefts and defigns; for the{e are the garifon ofSat,m Dited. ;0~ a 11 d n::ljt be b:Jtttr£d donm before any holy cogitations. cart take pl.1ce. He that is{(:r upon a dcfign of zifing, or of growing rich, hath iorncthing elfe. to do, than to entertain thofc fober thoughts of things eternal, which are dcfi:ructive of hi.s carnal ddign. . 9· 1I· DirtC't. 11. 1he impediments of Reafons ttttthority being thut removed, diftinguijh betwemJ 9Rr DireO. 1 I; occafiontll, and j'O:tr frtJtcd ordin.1ry courfe 9[ tbo~tghts ! And M yo~tr bands have their ordinary jtated . co:trfc of [:lbour, a11d every day bath itt rmployment which you fore-expea, JOlet your Thoughts Jtnorp rrh,re is their proper cbancl, and tbeir eve~y da"it.[ worJt: and let holy prudence app~int out proportionable time and [crvice for tbcm. What a life will that man live that hach no known c:oUrfe of labour, but oHly !itch as accidentally he is c;~.lled to ? His work muft needs be uncertain, various, unprofitable, and uncomfortable, and next to none. And he th~t hath not a fiated courfe of einpldymcnt for his thoughts, will have them do him little fervice. Confider firU how much of the day is ufually to bC fpent in common bufynefs: And then confider, whether it be fuel}, as taketh up your tbougkts as well as yom 1Jand5, -or fuch as lcaveth your tb:mghu at liberty: as a Lawyer, a Phyficion, a Merchant, and mofl: Tr-adfcmen, mufi employ thtir Thougbu to the weU·daingof their work : And thefe rnuCt be the more ddi.rou" of a Ccafonable vacant hour for meditation, becaufe their tholiJghts muH be othcrwi!e employed all the_ rei\ ~>f the day : But a Weaver, a Taylor, and fome other Trad[emen,. and daylabourers, may do rhe11 work well, and yet have their thoughts free for better things, ~ great pai:t of rhe day:. Theft mutt contrive an ordinary way of employment for their thou~hts, when thei{ work doth uor n quire thtm: and they need no other time for meditation. The reil mull entertain fomc ·fhort- occafion..:~l m~:dimcions intcrrnixr with their bufyncfs ; but they cannot then have time: for mote folcmn meditation ( which ditfererh from the other as a fet prayer from a fhon ejaculation; or a Ser· mon from an occalional lliort difcourfe ): They that have more· rime for their tlioughts mufi befor~... hand prudently confider, how much time it is hdi tO fpend in rned~ratio.n, for the increafe of KnoryJtJ,e, and how much for the cxcrcife of boly ajfttfions ; and on whtJt fi~bjea, and in wh~t order ; and fo ~0 . , l know their ordinarywork. , . . . , 9· r2. Dir~..et. 12. Lay your [dues under the urgencie ofnecef!ity, attdthe pornr of tbnfl motives Wbie/J Direct. t2, {hould mojt eff•lhetJUy engage your thou.ghl!. In the forcfaid infiance, what is it that makes a wi.cked preacher thar he can Hu.dy Divine th~ngs orderly fsom year to }'ear, but that he is ilill under [he power of his C-'rn•l motiw, profit and honour and fame delight >And !f you wiil put your felve; habi· ' J( r ~ tuallf
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