Chapter 17: Containing Divine Motives to Meditation
Motive 1. Meditation does discriminate and characterize a man; by this he may take a measure of his heart, whether it be good or bad; let me allude to that Proverbs 23:7. for as he thinks in his heart, so is he; as the meditation is, such is the man. Meditation is the Touchstone of a Christian, it shows what mettle he is made of. It is a Spiritual Index; the Index shows what is in the book: so meditation shows what is in the heart. If all a man's meditations are how he may get power against sin, how he may grow in grace, how he may have more communion with God. This shows what is in his heart, the frame of his heart is spiritual; by the beating of this pulse, judge of the health of your soul. It is made the character of a godly man, he fears God, and thinks of his Name, Malachi 3:17. Whereas if the thoughts are taken up with pride, and lust, as are the Thoughts such is the heart; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Isaiah 59:7. When vain sinful thoughts come, men make much of them, they make room for them, they shall diet and lodge with them; if a good thought chance to come into their mind, it is soon turned out of doors, as an unwelcome Guest; What need we further witness? This argues much unsoundness of heart; let this provoke to holy meditation.
Motive 2. The thoughts of God, as they bring delight with them, so they leave peace behind: those are the best hours which are spent with God. Conscience, as the Bee, gives honey; it will not grieve us when we come to die, that we have spent our time in holy Soliloquies and ejaculations. But what horror will the sinner have when he shall ask Conscience the question as Joram did Jehu, is it peace Conscience, is it peace? and conscience shall say as Jehu, What peace as long as the Whoredoms of your mother Jezebel, and her Witchcrafts are so many? O how sad will it be with a man at such a time? Christians, as you tender your peace, meditate in God's Law day and night.
Motive 3. This duty of meditation, being neglected, the heart will run wild, it will not be a vineyard, but a Wilderness *.
Neglectis urenda filix innascitur agris.
Meditation keeps the heart in a good decorum. It plucks up the weeds of sin, it prunes the luxuriant branches, it waters the flowers of grace, it sweeps all the walks in the heart, that Christ may walk there with delight. For want of holy meditation the heart lies like the sluggard's field, Proverbs 24:31. all overgrown with thorns and briars, unclean earthly thoughts. It is rather the devil's pigsty, than Christ's garden. It is like a house fallen to ruin, fit only for unclean spirits to inhabit.
Motive 4. The fruitlessness of all other meditations; one man lays out his thoughts about laying up; his meditations are how to raise himself in the world, and when he has arrived at an estate often God blows upon it. His care is for his child, and perhaps God takes it away, or if it lives it proves a cross. Another meditates how to satisfy his ambition, Honor me before the people, 1 Samuel 15:30. alas, what is honor but a meteor in the air; a torch lighted by the breath of people with the least puff blown out; how many live to see their names buried before them? When this Sun is in the meridian, it does soon set in a cloud.
Et stultus labor est ineptiarum — Martial.
Thus fruitless are those meditations which do not center upon God. It is but portare pulverem contra ventum, as Jerome speaks. But especially at death, then a man sees all those thoughts, which were not spent upon God to be fruitless, Psalm 146:4. In that very day his thoughts perish. I may allude to it in this sense; all worldly, vain thoughts, in that day of death perish, and come to nothing: What good will the whole globe of the world do at such a time? Those who have raveled out their thoughts in impertinences will but be the more disquieted, it will cut them to the heart to think how they have spun a fool's thread. A Scythian Captain, having for a Draught of water, yielded up the City, cried out, quid perdidi, quid prodidi? What have I lost? What have I betrayed? So will it be with that man, when he comes to die, who has spent all his meditations upon the world, he will say, what have I lost, what have I betrayed? I have lost heaven, I have betrayed my soul. And should not the consideration of this fix our minds upon the thoughts of God and glory? All other meditations are fruitless; like a piece of ground which has much cost laid out upon it but it yields no crop.
Motive 5. Holy meditation is not lost. God has a pen to write down all our good thoughts. Malachi 3:5. a book of remembrance was written for them that thought upon his name. As God has all our members, so all our meditations written in his book. God pens our closet devotion.
Motive 6. The sixth motive is in the text namely the blessedness affixed to the meditating Christian, Blessed is the man, et cetera verse 1. say not it is hard to meditate. What think you of blessedness? Lycurgus could draw the Lacedemonians to any thing by rewards; If men can meditate with delight on that which will make them cursed, shall not we meditate on that which will make us blessed nay in the Hebrew it is in the plural blessednesses; we shall have one blessedness upon another.
Motive 7. Lastly, delightful meditation in God's law, is the best way for a man to prosper in his estate, Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous. I leave this to their consideration who are desirous to thrive in the world; and let this serve for motive to meditation.
The next thing remaining is to lay down some rules about meditation.
