Chap. 14.] HEAVENLY CONTEMPLATION. 231 his soul, and sometimes with God ! The apostle bids us "speak to ourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs ;" and no doubt we may also speak to God in them. This keeps the soul sensible of the divine presence, and tends greatly to quicken and raise it. As God is the highest object of our thoughts, so our viewing him, speaking to him, and pleading with him, more elevates the soul and excites the affections, than any other part of meditation. Though we remain unaffected, while we plead the case with our- selves ; yet, when we turn our speech to God, it may strike us with awe; and the holiness and majesty of him whom we speak to, may cause both the matter and words to pierce the deeper. When we read, that " Isaac went out to meditate in the field," the margin says, " to pray ;" for the Hebrew word signifies both. Thus, in our meditations, to intermix soliloquy andprayer, sometimes speaking to our own hearts, and sometimes to God, is, I apprehend, the highest stepwe can advance to in this heavenly work. Nor should we ima- gine it will be as well to take up with prayer alone, and lay aside meditation ; for they are distinct duties, and must both of them be performed. We need one as well as the other, and therefore shall wrong ourselves by neglecting either. Besides, the mixture of them, like music, will be more en- gaging; as the one serves to put life into the other. And our speaking to ourselves in meditation, should go before our speaking to God in prayer. For want of attending to this due order, men speak to God with far less reverence and affection than they would speak to an angel, if he should appear to them ; or to a judge, if they were speaking for their lives. Speaking to the God of heaven in prayer, is a weightier duty than most are aware of.
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