The art of divine meditation, or, A discourse of the nature, necessity, and excellency…

2. You must join reading with your meditation; understand me aright, I propound this to weak Christians that want a stock of knowledge; there are some Christians that are a ⟨p. 119⟩Walking-library, they are Books themselves, they need not a Book to help them to meditate. But you that are weak Christians, my advice is this, that you would join reading with your meditation. As for example, would you meditate of Christ? go and take the Bible, and read the History of his Passion; and when thou readest any thing remarkable, lay thy book aside, and meditate seriously of that passage. As for example, when thou comest to read of Christ sweating drops of blood; that Christ in a cold Winter night upon the cold ground for thy sake should shed drops of blood: lay thy book aside, and meditate of these drops of blood; Oh the wrath of God that he then suffered! and so when thou comest to read what Christ suffered upon the Cross, when he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me! lay aside thy Book, and meditate of the love of Christ, that was forsaken for thy sake, in regard of outward comfort, I mean not in regard of union; He was forsaken that thou mayest not be forsaken. So likewise, wouldest thou meditate on the Promises? if thou be a weak Christian, take a Book that treats of the Promises, and when thou readest any Promise that is suitable to thee, lay the Book aside and meditate of that Promise till thy heart be affected with it, and labour that it may take impression upon thy soul. Saith Bernard, Long ⟨p. 120⟩reading without meditation, never made a good Scholar, it is always barren. And Meditation without reading leads many a weak Christian over to error. And therefore when you set a time apart for Meditation, join prayer and reading with your meditation.

2. You must join reading with your meditation; understand me aright, I propound this to weak Christians that want a stock of knowledg; there are some Christians that are a ⟨p. 119⟩Walking-library, they are Books themselves, they need not a Book to help them to meditate. But you that are weak Christians, my advice is this, that you would join reading with your meditation. As for example, would you meditate of Christ? go and take the Bible, and read the History of his Passion; and when thou readest any thing remarkable, lay thy book aside, and meditate seriously of that passage. As for example, when thou comest to read of Christ sweating drops of blood; that Christ in a cold Winter night upon the cold ground for thy sake should shed drops of blood: lay thy book aside, and meditate of these drops of blood; Oh the wrath of God that he then suffered! and so when thou comest to read what Christ suffered upon the Cross, when he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me! lay aside thy Book, and meditate of the love of Christ, that was forsaken for thy sake, in regard of outward comfort, I mean not in regard of union; He was forsaken that thou maist not be forsaken. So likewise, wouldest thou meditate on the Promises? if thou be a weak Christian, take a Book that treats of the Promises, and when thou readest any Promise that is suitable to thee, lay the Book aside and meditate of that Promise till thy heart be affected with it, and labour that it may take impression upon thy soul. Saith Bernard, Long