DircfJ. 13• Dirc{/.14· Nearer DireElions for ejfeElual Meditation. tually and llaredly alfo, under the fenfe and power of your far greater motivu, as alwayes per~ ceiving how much it dorh concern you, for your (elves and orhers, .and the honour of God, this would be a conHant poife and fpring, which being duly wound up, would keep the wheels in equal motion. §·13· Direct. 13. 1htuyou muft malzt tht [trvice of )'OurMaftrr, andtht faving ofyour jilvua;zd otherJ, )•our bufincji in the world, which J•ou f uUow daily aJ your ord~nary_caUing, and then it will carry on yoxr t!Joughu. Whereas he that ferverh God but on the by With {orne occafional fervice, will 1hinlt on him or his ":ork but on the by, with fome occafional tiJoughtJ, A clofe and diligent cour[e of holy living, ts the bell hdp to a conllant profitable cour[e of boly thin~i•g· 9· 14. Dirtd. J 4· 1he chief point of 1kj.U ~tnd holy wifdom, for thiJ and otber religiout duties, i1, to ta~e that courfe which tt1td1 to make Religion pleaflmt, and to draw yo1tr fouli to delight iJI God ; and to tak.f bred of that whicb would make aU grievouJ to you. It will be eafie and fwcet to think of that which you take plcafure in. Bur if Satan can make all irkforne and unpleafanr to you your thoughts will avoid it , as you do a Carrion , when you fiop your nofe and hall~ away. P[al. 104· 3+• [aich the P[almill, My mtditation of him fhaU bt fwm ; I wiU b, glad in tht Lord! Dir<{iionJ about 'tht worl; it fiif· I>ird1. 1. §. 15· D:reCl:. 1. Ar you mHj! ntvtr bt unfurnijhcd of holy ftort, fo you muj! prudently makt choi" •f yoHr particular fubjt&. As the choice of a tit Text is half a good Sermon; fo the choice of the firtclt matter for you, is much ofa good meditation. Which rc:quireth fome good acquaintance both with the Truth, and with your filver. DirelJ. 2· 9· 16. Direct. 2· 1o thj1. wd y'~u muft k,_now in their feveral degreu, ~hat JitbjetiJ are in them[elve1 ~ mojl exceYtnt to bt llztditated on. A• the tirll and highell is the moft blrfftd God him [elf, and the glo· The order rious perfon of our Redeemer, and the New ]trufalem, or Heaven of Glory where he is revealed to ofSubjc~s to his Saints: And then, the bleffid {ocitty which there enjoyeth him, and the holy Vifion, Love and be mednhc:d Joy, by which he is enjoyed : And next is the wonderful work of mans Redemption, and the Covenant ~;;c~le~~;. Cir of Grace, and thefanflifying operations of the Holy Ghoft, and all the Graces rhat make up Gods image on the foul! And then is, the llate and priviledges of the Chrtrch, which is the Body of Chri!l, tor whom all this is done and ·prepared. And next, is, the work of the GoJPtl by which this Church is gathered, edified and faved: And then, the matter of our oiPn falvation, and our jiate of gracr, and tray to life. And then, the falvation of others: And then the common publicJt good, in ttmpural reCpeCl:s : And then our perfonal bodily wtlfare : · And next, the Bodily welfare of our -mighbourr : And lallly, thofe things that do but remotely tend to thefe. This is the order of dejirablen,ji and worth, which will tell you what thould have ejlimativt precedency, in your thoughts and prayers. Dire(]. 3• §· '7· Direct. 3· You mu{! alfo !;,now what JitbjefJ is then mnft fea{inablt for yoor thoughtr, and refufe tven an unftafonable good. For good may be ufed by tmfeafonabltmfr to do hurt. Ir may be thruft in by the Temprer, on purpofe to divert you from fome greater good, or ro mar forne orhcr duty in hand: So he will oft put in feme good meditation to turn you from a better, or in the midti ofSermon, or Prayer : or if he fee you out of temper to perform a duty of meditation, or that you have no leifure, without neglecting your more proper work, he will then drive you on, that by the itfue he may diCcourage and hurt you, ·and make the duty unprofitable and grievous m you, and make you more avcrfe to it afterwards. Untimely duty may be no duty, bur a fin, which is covered with the material gQod. As the Phari[ees Sabboth·rell was, when Metcy called them to violate it. Dire{]. 4• §. 18. Dire6t. 4• Ex:mineweY, a11ddmrmint oF the End a11d V[t of your meditations before you {et -ttpoJI them, and tbm labour to fit thtm to that jpecial End. The End is firfi in the intention, and from the Lwe of i.t the means -are cbofen and uje/. If it be k,_nowledge that you are to cncreafe, it. is evidrnce of Truth, with the Matter to be known; in a convincing identifical way, that you mufi meditate on : If it be Divine belief that is to be encreafed or exercifcd, it is Divine Revelations, bo'h m~ttttr and tvidwce of credibility which you have to meditate on: If you would excite the Ftar- uf Gvd, you have his Grcatnefs, -and terrib1enefs, his Jufiice and threatnings to meditate on: If J'OU would excite the Love ofGod, you have hisGoodnefs, Mercy, Chrill and promi[es to medi– tate on: If you would prepare for death and judgement, you h.ave your hearts to try, your lives to repent of, your graces ro difcover, and revive, and exercife, and your fouls difeafes to feel, and the rt:rnedies to apply: fo when ever you mean to make any thing of a fet meditatioo, de~ termine firfi of the end, and by it of the- means. Dirtl1· S· 9· 19. Direct. S· Clear up the Truth of1hings to your Minds a1 yqu can, before you talte muchpains -lo ~orJt them on )'our affeaio11J, lrft you find after that yost did bm mif.inform your ftlvu, and be~ jfow aY your laboHr in.vaiu, to mak,.e delttding images on your mind1, and bring your affeC1ionJ to bow before them. As manylhave clone by efpoufing errors, who have laid out their zeal upon th~m ma– ny years together, and made them the reafon of hatred, and contention and bitter cenfurmgs of oppoting·brethren ; and have made parties, and divHlons, and difiurbanccs in the Church for them,. and after fo m:Jny years zealous finning, have found, them to be but like Michol's image, a man ot · ihaw inllead of David, and chat they made all this filthy 'pudder but in a dream. • 1' §· 20·
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