1. Look to the matter of your meditation. Let it be some truth, which will assist you in reviving some languishing grace, or fortify you against some triumphing corruption; for 'tis our darling sin which doth most envenom our thoughts†. As if you have a thirst for honour, let your fancy represent the honour of being a child of God and heir of Heaven. If you are inclined to covetousness, think of the riches stored up in a Saviour, and dispensed by him. If to voluptuousness, fancy the pleasures in the ways of wisdom here, and at God's right hand hereafter. This is to deal with our hearts as Paul with his hearers,2 to catch them with guile. Stake your soul down to some serious and profitable mystery of Religion; as the Majesty of God, some particular Attribute, his condescension in Christ, the love of our Redeemer, the value of his sufferings, the virtue of his blood, the end of his ascension, the work of the Spirit, the excellency of the soul, beauty of holiness, certainty of death, terror of judgment, torments of Hell, and joys of Heaven. Why may not that which was the subject of God's innumerable thoughts, be the subject of ours? God's thoughts and counsels were concerning Christ, the end of his coming, his death, his precepts of holiness, and promises of life; and that not only speculatively, but with an infinite pleasure in his own glory, & the creatures good to be accomplished by him. Would it not be work enough for our thoughts all the day to travel over the length, breadth, height, and depth of the love of Christ? Would the greatness of the journey give us leisure to make any starts out of the way? Having settled the Theme for all the day, we shall find occasional assistances, even from worldly businesses; as Scholars, who have some Exercise to make, find helps in their own course of reading, though the Book hath no designed respect to their proper Theme. Thus by employing our minds about one thing chiefly, we shall not only hinder them from vain excursions, but make even common objects to be oil to our good thoughts, which otherwise would have been fuel for our bad. Such generous liquor would scent our minds and conversations all the day; that whatsoever motion came into our hearts, would be tinctured with this spirit, and savour of our morning thoughts:
1. Look to the matter of your meditation. Let it be some truth, which will assist you in reviving some languishing grace, or fortifie you against some triumphing corruption; for 'tis our darling sin which doth most envenom our thoughts†. As if you have a thirst for honour, let your fancy represent the honour of being a child of God and heir of Heaven. If you are inclined to covetousness, think of the riches stored up in a Saviour, and dispensed by him. If to voluptuousness, fancy the pleasures in the ways of wisdom here, and at God's right hand hereafter. This is to deal with our hearts as Paul with his hearers,2 to catch them with guile. Stake your soul down to some serious and profitable mystery of Religion; as the Majesty of God, some particular Attribute, his condescension in Christ, the love of our Redeemer, the value of his sufferings, the vertue of his blood, the end of his ascension, the work of the Spirit, the excellency of the soul, beauty of holiness, certainty of death, terror of judgment, torments of Hell, and joys of Heaven. Why may not that which was the subject of God's innumerable thoughts, be the subject of ours? God's thoughts and counsels were concerning Christ, the end of his coming, his death, his precepts of holiness, and promises of life; and that not only speculatively, but with an infinite pleasure in his own glory, & the creatures good to be accomplished by him. Would it not be work enough for our thoughts all the day to travel over the length, breadth, height, and depth of the love of Christ? Would the greatness of the journey give us leisure to make any starts out of the way? Having settled the Theme for all the day, we shall find occasional assistances, even from worldly businesses; as Scholars, who have some Exercise to make, find helps in their own course of reading, though the Book hath no design'd respect to their proper Theme. Thus by imploying our minds about one thing chiefly, we shall not only hinder them from vain excursions, but make even common objects to be oyl to our good thoughts, which otherwise would have been fuel for our bad. Such generous liquor would scent our minds and conversations all the day; that whatsoever motion came into our hearts, would be tinctured with this spirit, and savour of our morning thoughts:
- †Prov. 23.7. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
- 2The heads of the Catechism might be taken in order, which would both increase and actuate our knowledge. Psal. 40.5.The heads of the Catechism might be taken in order, which would both encrease and actuate our knowledge. Psal. 40.5.
