Section 2
The second subject of meditation, is, Meditate upon the promises of God. The promises are flowers growing in the paradise of Scripture, meditation, like the Bee sucks out the sweetness of them. The promises are of no use or comfort to us, till they are meditated upon. For as the Roses hanging in the garden, may give a fragrant redolency, yet their sweet water is distilled only by the fire; so the promises are sweet in reading over, but the water of these Roses, the spirits and quintessence of the promises are distilled into the soul only by meditation. The Incense, when it is pounded and beaten, smells sweetest. Meditating on a promise, like the beating of the Incense, makes it most odoriferous and pleasant; The promises may be compared to a golden Mine, which then only enriches, when the gold is dug out; by holy meditation we dig out that spiritual gold which lies hid in the Mine of the promise, and so we come to be enriched. Cardan says, there's no precious stone, but has some hidden virtue in it. They are called precious promises, 2 Peter 1:4. When they are applied by meditation, then their virtue appears, and they become precious indeed. There are three sorts of promises which we should chiefly meditate upon.
1. Promises of remission; I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins, Isaiah 43:25. Whereas the poor sinner may say, alas, I am deep in arrears with God, I fear I have not filled his bottle with my tears, but I have filled his book with my debts; Well, but meditate on this promise, I am he that blotteth out, etc. The word there in the original to blot out, is a Metaphor alludes to a Merchant, who when his debtor has paid him, he blots out the debt, and gives him an acquittance. So says God, I will blot out your sin, I will cross the debt-book. Ah, but may the poor soul say, it may be a great while first, I may be a long time under the convulsions of conscience; I may even pine away, and my life draw nigh to the grave; No, in the Hebrew it is in the participle of the present [word]. I am blotting out thy transgressions. I have taken my pen, and am crossing out thy score. Oh but may the sinner say, there's no reason God should do this for me? Well, but acts of grace do not go by reason, I will blot out thy sins for my name sake. Ah, but says the sinner, will not the Lord call my sins again to remembrance? No, he promises an Act of Oblivion, I will not upbraid thee with thy sins, or sue thee with a bond that is cancelled, I will remember thy sins no more. Here is a sweet promise to meditate upon; it is an Hive full of the honey of the Gospel.
2. Meditate upon promises of Sanctification. The earth is not so apt to be overgrown with weeds and thorns, as the heart is to be overgrown with lusts; now, God has made many promises of healing, Hosea 14:4, and purging, Jeremiah 33:8. Promises of sending his Spirit; which for its sanctifying nature, is compared sometimes to water which cleans the vessel; sometimes to wind, which is the fan to winnow and purify the air; sometimes to fire, which does refine the metals. Meditate often on that promise, Isaiah 1:18. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Scarlet is so deep a dye, that all the art of man cannot take it out; but behold here a promise, God will lay the soul a whitening; he will make of a scarlet sinner, a milk-white Saint. By virtue of this refining and consecrating work a Christian is made partaker of the divine nature; he has an idoneity and fitness to have communion with God for ever; Meditate much on this promise.
3. Meditate upon promises of remuneration: The Haven of rest, Hebrews 4:9. The beatifical sight of God, Matthew 5:8. The glorious Mansions, John 14:2. The meditation of these promises will be as bezoar-stone to keep us from fainting under our sins and sorrows.
