Chapter 11: The Answering of Objections
Objection 1. I Have so much business in the world, that I have no time to Meditate.
Answer. The World indeed is a great enemy to Meditation. It is easy to lose one's purse in a crowd, and in a crowd of worldly employments, it is easy to lose all the thoughts of God. So long as the heart is an Exchange, I do not expect it should be a Temple; but to answer the objection. Have you so much business that you have no time for Meditation? As if Religion were but by the by, a thing fit only for idle hours: What? No time to Meditate! What is the business of your life but Meditation? God never sent us into the world to get riches (I speak not against labor in a calling) but I say this is not the end of our coming hither. The errand God sent us into the world about is salvation, and that we may attain the end we must use the means, namely Holy Meditation, Now have you no time to Meditate? Just as if a husbandman should say truly he has so much business that he has no time to plough or sow; why, what is his occupation but plowing and sowing? What a madness is it to hear Christians say they have no time to Meditate? What is the business of their lives but Meditation? Oh take heed lest by growing rich, you grow worth nothing at last. Take heed that God does not sue out the Statute of Bankruptcy against you, and you be disgraced before men and Angels: no time for Meditation? You shall observe that others in former ages have had as much business as you, and public affairs to look after, yet they were called upon to Meditate. Joshua 1:8. You shall Meditate in this book of the Law. Joshua might have pleaded an excuse, he was a Soldier, a Commander, and the care of marshalling his army lay chiefly upon him, yet this must not take him off from Religion, Joshua must Meditate in the book of God's law. God never intended, That the great business of Religion should give way to a shop or farm, or that a particular calling should jostle out the General.
2. Objection. But this duty of Meditation is hard. To set time apart every day to get the heart into a Meditating frame is very difficult; Gerson reports of himself, that he was sometimes three or four hours before he could work his heart into a spiritual frame.
Answer. Does this hinder? To this I shall give a threefold Reply.
1. The price that God has set heaven at is labor; our salvation cost Christ blood, it may well cost us sweat. The Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, Matthew 11:12. It is as a garrison that holds out, and the duties of Religion, are the taking it by storm: a good Christian must offer violence to himself, (though not self natural, yet self-sinful.) Self is nothing but the flesh, as Basil, Hierom, Theophylact, and Chrysostome, do all expound it. The flesh cries out for ease, it is a Libertine; It is loath to take pains, loath to pray, to repent, loath to put its neck under Christ's yoke, now a Christian must hate himself, no man ever yet hated his own flesh, Ephesians 5:29. Yes, in this sense he must hate his own flesh, The lusts of the flesh. He must offer violence to himself by mortification and Meditation; say not it is hard to meditate, is it not harder to lie in Hell?
2. We do not argue so in other things: Riches are hard to come by, therefore I will sit still and be without them. No, difficulty is the whetstone of industry. How will men venture for gold, and shall we not spend and be spent for that which is more precious than the gold of Ophir? By Meditation we suck out the quintessence of a promise.
3. Though while we are first entering upon Meditation it may seem hard, yet when once we are entered it is sweet and pleasant. Christ's yoke at the first putting on may seem heavy, but when once it is on it becomes easy. It is not a yoke but a Crown. Lord (says Austin) the more I Meditate on thee, the sweeter thou art to me. According to that of holy David, My Meditation of thee shall be sweet, Psalm 104:34. The Poets say the top of Olympus was always quiet, and serene: It is hard climbing up the rocky Hill of Meditation, but when we are got up to the top there is a pleasant prospect, and we shall sometimes think ourselves even in heaven. By holy Meditation the soul does as it were breakfast with God every morning; and to be sure his breakfast is better than his dinner. When a Christian is upon the mount of Meditation he is like Peter on the mount when Christ was transfigured, Matthew 17. He cries out, bonum est esse hic, Lord, it is good to be here: he is loath to go down the mount again. If you come to him and tell him of a purchase, he thinks you bid him to his loss: what hidden manna does the soul taste now? How sweet are the visits of God's spirit? When Christ was alone in the wilderness then the Angel came to comfort him; when the soul is alone in holy Meditations and ejaculations, then not an angel but God's own spirit does come to comfort him: a Christian that meets with God in the mount would not exchange his hours of Meditation for the most orient pearls or sparkling beauties that the world can afford. No wonder David spent the whole day in Meditation Psalm 119:97. Nay as if the day had been too little, he borrows a part of the night too, Psalm 63:6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and Meditate on thee in the night watches. When others were sleeping, David was Meditating. He who is given much to Meditation shall with Samson find a honeycomb in this duty. Therefore let not the difficulty discourage. The pleasantness will infinitely countervail the pains.
Having removed these two objections out of the way, let me again revive the exhortation to Meditate in God's law day and night. And there are two sorts of Meditation which I would persuade to.
