\ 100 \ The uf rt of'Dirvine Meditation. il------- C KH. I X. A of•h• c:.. IF Romthe qualities ofrhe Perfon,we defceod towards the atlion it fclfe : where c!.lmrll~nt;r;f I fi'dl: we mcc:r wHh thofe circumflances which arc: nt'cdfary forour prtdtfpofi~ Mcdn 3uon. ttOO rorhe workr; Plact, TiJ~~t, SlttofthtbodJ• And <hmin, Slltwineffe ofPlace is firreft for Medirouon. Retire thy fdfe from others, ifrhou F,nof <h< wouldft talke profitably with thy fdle. So )efus meditates alonein rhe Mount, lfm P1"'· in the fields, John Gaptijl in the Ddart, Da'!lid on his bed, chryfojlome in rhe Bath, each in feverall places ; but all folitary. There is no place freo from God, none to which he is more tied; one finds his Clofet moft convenient, where his eyes bdng limited by the knowne walls, call the mind after a fort from wandring abroad. Ano- B ther finde<h his foule more free,when it beholdcth his heaven above and obout him. Sccondly,of the dme. It matters not fo we be folitary and fiknt. It was a wirrie and divine fpeech of Bern4Td that the Spoufe of the foule, Chrift )efus, is balhfull, neither willingly commetl; to his Bride in rhe prefence ofa multitude. And hence is that lweet invitation wliich we find o "her: Come m1 ~t~elle/oveJ, ltt ru K" forth infl !hefitld~ : ltt 114 lodge intbe vtBagts : L<t w gee •p early t1 the Yr•ts: ltttu[<e tftht f/mejlonrifb, "'htJhtrit h•thdtfd•[<dthe ftrfl GrApt,or whttbtr the P••t.r•••ttJ bi•JJ•mt ;thm .,;HI givt thtt "'J love. Abandon therefore all worldly focierie, that thou maift change ir Jor the corn. pany ofGod and his Angels; the fociety, I fay, ofrhe world, not outward ondy but inward alfo. There be many that fequdler rhemf<lvesfrcm the vifible companyof men, which yet carry 3world within them; who bringalone in body, are haunted with a throng offancies: as I mm<, in his wild<fi Dcflrt, found himldfe too oft in C his thoughts amongft the dances ofthe Roman DJmes.This compaoy is worferhen the other ; for it is more pol!ible fvr fome rhoughrfull men to have a folitary mind in themidft of a market,then for a m~n thus difpofed to be alone in awilderne1fe.Both companies are enemies to Medit3ttans: whirher Jendeth rhat ancient counfdl of a great Mafterin this Arr,ofthreethings requifite ro th~s bufineffo_,secrtey,Silentt,Rtfl: whereofthe firft excludeth company, the f<eond norfe, the third motion.It c~nnot be fpoken how fubjetr we are in this work<, to diftral!lion, like S•l•moru oldman whomthe noifo of every bird wakeneth : fenfuall delights we are not drawnc fro.; with the three.fold cords ofJudgment;burour fpirirual pleaforesareealilyhindered Make choife therefore ofthat place, which {hall admitthe fcweft occafions of with~ D drawing rby foule from good thoughts : wherein alfo even changeofplaces is fame. what prejudiciall; and I know not how it falls our, that we find Gcd neerer us in the place where we have beene accuftomed tamiliarly to meet him :not for that his profence is confined tn one place above others, but that our thoughts are, through eo. Oome more eafilygathered rothe placewherewe have ordinarily coverfedwith him. C HA P. x. ONe Timt c~nnot be prefcribed to all: for neither is Cod bound to houres oeither doth the contrary difpofirion ofm<n agree in one choyceof oppor~ ruoities: the golden houres ofrhe morning fome find firteft for Meditation when the bodynewly raifed, is well c. lmed with his I are rcft, and the foule bath 00~ E as yet had from thefe outward things any motives ofalienation. Others find it bcft to learne wifdomeof thdr rdnes in the night; hoping with Io~, that their bed will bring them comfort in their Meditation; when both all other things are Gill ~nd themfelves,wearied with rhcfe earthlycares,doeout of3 contemptofthem gro~ into greater likin~ and love.of heavenll:' things. I have ever lound Ifuu ti~e fitttft, whowent out rn the evemng, ro meditate. No precept, no pratlile ofothers can prefcribe to us in this circumftance. It !hall be enough, that firft we fer our fdves a time : fecondly, ~hat w~ fe~ apart ~bar time, wherein we are aptdl for rhis fervicc. I And as no trme IS pr<Judteed With unfitneffe , but every·day is Without differeQcc feafQilable for this worke, fo efprcially Gods Day. No day is barren of grace
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