Chapter 9: A Reproof to Such as Do Not Meditate in God's Law

Use two. It serves to reprove those who meditate indeed, but not in the Law of God: They turn all their meditations the wrong way; like a man that lets forth the water of his mill which should grind his corn into the highway, where it doth no good: So there are many who let out their meditations upon other fruitless things, which are no ways beneficial to their souls.

One. The farmer meditates on his acres of land not upon his soul: his meditation is how he may improve a barren piece of ground, not how he may improve a barren mind: He will not let his ground lie fallow, but he lets his heart lie fallow: There is no spiritual culture, not one seed of grace sown there.

Two. The physician meditates upon his receipts, but seldom on those receipts which the Gospel prescribes for his salvation, faith and repentance. Commonly the Devil is physician to the physician, having given him such stupefying physic that for the most part he dies of a lethargy.

Three. The lawyer meditates upon the common law, but as for God's law he seldom meditates in it either day or night: The lawyer while he is meditating on his clients' evidences often forgets his own; most of this robe have their spiritual evidences to seek, when they should have them to show. The tradesman is for the most part meditating upon his wares and drugs: his study is how he may increase his estate and make the ten talents an hundred. He is cumbered about many things; he doth not meditate in the book of God's law but in his account-book day and night. At the long run you will see these were fruitless meditations, you will find that you are but golden beggars and have gotten but the fool's purchase when you die, Luke twelve twenty.

Five. There is another sort that meditate only upon mischief, who devise iniquity, Micah two one. They meditate how to defame; and to defraud; James eight five. They make the Ephah small and the shekel great. The Ephah was a measure used in buying, the shekel a weight used in selling, they know how to collude and sophisticate Christians who should support too often supplant one another; and how many meditate revenge? It is sweet to them as dropping honey (as Homer speaks) Their hearts shall meditate terror, Isaiah thirty-three eighteen. The sinner is a felon to himself and God will make him a terror to himself.