Chapter 12: Concerning Occasional Meditations

1. Occasional and 2. deliberate.

1. Occasional Meditations, such as are taken up upon any sudden occasion. There is nothing almost doth occur, but we may presently raise some Meditation upon: as a good Herbalist doth extract the Spirits and quintessence out of every herb, so a Christian may from every emergence and occurrence extract matter of Meditation. A gracious heart like fire, turns all objects into fuel for Meditation. I shall give you some instances: When you look up to the heavens, and see them richly embroidered with light, you may raise this Meditation, if the Footstool be so glorious, what is the Throne where God himself sits? When you see the Firmament bespangled with Stars, think, what is Christ, The Bright Morning Star? Revelation 22.16. Monica, Augustine's mother, standing one day, and seeing the Sun shine, raised this Meditation, Oh! If the sun be so bright, what is the Light of God's presence? When you hear music that delights the senses, presently raise this Meditation, What music like a good conscience? This is avis paradisi, the bird of Paradise within, whose chirping melody doth enchant and ravish the soul with joy; he that hath this music all day, may take David's Pillow at night and say, with that sweet singer, I will lay me down in peace and sleep, Psalm 4. 8. How blessed is he that can find heaven in his own bosom? When you are dressing yourselves in the morning, awaken your Meditation, think thus, but have I been dressing the hidden man of the heart? Have I looked my face in the Glass of God's word? I have put on my clothes, but have I put on Christ? It is reported of Pambo, that seeing a Gentlewoman dressing herself all the morning by her Glass, he fell a weeping: O, saith he, this woman hath spent the morning in dressing her body, and I sometimes spend scarce an hour in dressing my soul. When you sit down to dinner, let your Meditation feed upon this first course, how blessed are they that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God? What a Royal Feast will that be which hath God for the Founder? What a Love-feast where none shall be admitted but Friends?

When you go to bed at night, imagine thus, shortly I shall put off the earthly clothes of my body, and make my bed in the grave. When you see the Judge going to the Assizes, and hear the Trumpet blow, think with yourselves (as Jerome did) That you are still hearing that shrill Trumpet sounding in your ears, Surgite mortui, Arise ye dead and come to judgment. When you see a poor man going in the Streets, raise this Meditation, here is a walking Picture of Christ, He had no place where to lay his head. My Saviour became poor, that I through his poverty might be made rich. When you go to Church, think thus, I am now going to hear God speak, let me not stop my ear; if I refuse to hear Him speaking in his Word, I shall next hear him speaking in his Wrath, Psalm 2.5. When you walk abroad in your Orchard, and see the plants bearing, and the herbs flourishing, Think how pleasing a sight it is to God to see a thriving Christian; how beautiful are the Trees of righteousness, when they are hung full of fruit, when they abound in faith, humility, knowledge. When you pluck a Rose bud in your Garden, raise this contemplation, how lovely are the early puttings forth of grace; God prizeth a Christian in the bud, he likes the bloomings of youth rather than the sheddings of old age. When you eat a Grape from the Tree, think of Christ the True Vine, how precious is the blood of that Grape? Such rare clusters grow there, that the Angels themselves delight to taste of. It is said of Augustine, he was much in these ex tempore Meditations. A gracious heart like the Philosopher's Stone, turns all into Gold. It is all the year stilling-time with a Christian, he stilleth out heavenly Meditations from earthly Occurrences, as the curious Alchemist when several metals are mingled together, can by his skill extract the Gold and Silver from the baser metals. So a Christian by a Divine Alchemy, can extract golden Meditations from the various objects he beholds. Indeed it argues a spiritual heart, to turn everything to a spiritual use, and we have Christ's own example for these occasional Meditations, John 4.7, 10, 13, 14. While he sat on Jacob's well he presently Meditates on that [non-Latin text] and breaks forth into a most excellent discourse concerning the Water of life. So much for occasional Meditations.

2. Be exhorted to deliberate Meditations, which are the chief: set some time apart every day, that you may in a serious and solemn manner converse with God in the mount. A Godly man, is a man set apart, Psalm 4.3. As God sets him apart by Election, so he sets himself apart by Meditation.