on the 119.PJalme. 14.9 with muchreading haue vied muchmuting andpra&tifing.None eytherinpeaceor warre Meditation. haueeuer gouernedexcellentlie,but they weregreat mufers, anddid often fequefterthem felues fromcompanie, thenmorefreehe to attendeonmedication. This do&trine(hall bee taught in a contrarie thing. We know there is a fpeciall kinde of mnfing, wherebySaban Both often teach and communicate things tomany ingreater meafure,then they canre- ine byallthe bookes in the world; fo allothere isa fpeciallmeditating,whereby the fpi- rit of God communicated'to vs moreheauenlie things then eytherweheare or reade. As whenSathanwill polifhamanswittoanyeuill, hewillhauehimtowaiteonhim:foGod would hauevs tofill our judgements in theparticular meditation of things heard , to fee how allcircumftances hold and faile. This is then the wit which experience confirmed], thatwhen weare taught any thing,whichbyreafonisconceiued ,wee can adde,ifthis bee xoi(, true,then that isfait; ifit holdethin thelefier,thenit holdeth in thegreater. On this forte letanyman hearewith meditation , hee(hallfindefomethingby thegenerali ruleheard: " hailing thefpirit of God forhisteacher, whichthePreacher hadnot, or faw not,or feéing» exprrffednot. Doetheythen molt profit,whoafterhearingdoe meditate, and feemore by 2, theminifterie ofthefpirit,then by theinmifterieofthePaftor? Letvs marke it then bythe bleffing of God vponit,and let vsnotethe contrarie by Gods curfevpon it. What is the caufe that there is fo littleprofitby the ordinaricminitterieoftheword,and fogreat fruits ,, arife,where it is more feldomevied; but becauitmeditation is the life oflearning, and the deathofthings conceiued is the want of muting. . Mansminde is infinite,which nothingcan fatiffiebut God orthe diuell,andcontinual- Themindscf lie rolletheyther in good or ill. Inchat lieaddeth,thy reifimonies aremymeditation,we muff Man. note,that tohauearound meditation, weemull be circumfcribed within the limits of the word, otherwife it will beerronious, but beeing ioynedwith knowledge, it finethour knowledge,and teachech the vieof it. IfPhilofopüers fawthatamans life was amedita- tion ofdeath,wherebyas they abftained frommany pleafures, theybecame neuertheleffe very vaine-glorious , yet could theynot atteine to any found comfort,becaufe they were delticute ofthehopeofabetter life. ButGods children meditating on the Taft iudgement daymakea confcienceof many thingespaft,pareaway many prefent corruptions, and figli for the remembring of their poyloned temptations to come. How godlie people haue excelledtheirteachers,it needeth not longproofe outof theScriptures. Mofer excelledall thelearned men in -Egypt,Danielfurrpaflèd allthe Magicians inBa- Schollersvvi- bylon, Paul excelled Instead=Gamaliel, becaufethough theÆgypcians werelearned, &f ethentheir theBabyloniansprofound; yetMofesand Daniel fined their knowledge (humane) with teachers. theftudy of Gods word. AndPaule beingbrought vpin thedoétrine of the Iewesvnder Gamaliel,afterhecarne to meditateon thegofpellofChrift,excellednotonlyhis teachers, butouer-reached all other ofthe Apoftles, inheauenly knowledge. Wee may then blufh at thegreat knowledgein timespaft,but herein weemay bee comforted, becaufe theyas theywere wife,were alto wicked:But wemay be as wirevfiug their meanes,and inuregod- lymeditatingon the word,whichcutteth offallerrors indobtrine,and corruptionsof life. Againe,Elie brought vpSamuel,who prouedwirer thenElie by his.continuall meditation. Salomon excelledDauidby ftudie and prayer, vntill bee forgettinghimfelfe, gane himfelfe towomen. Paulewas taught of Ananias the principles of religion,but he excelled himas farre inthe learning ofthe fpirit,ashe furpaffed Gamalielin the do&trine ofthe Lewes. Let vs marke then the bleflingsoftpirituallmeditations, which makevs in wifedome toadmonifh,and in the fpirit of confolation tocomfort. For inmy iudgement; their wife- dome which depend on generail rules, is in their bookes, andmutt bee fetched from their teachers;but meditationsmaywellbe calleda readiemother ofknowledge,and a nutting motherof wifedoine. Ifmen then will whet their wits,andhelp theirmemories,theymuff vfemeditation,be- caufewhen Gods word hath taught vs,welhall neuer need to confúltwith ourbooke,nor take aduifeofour teacher. Vert
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