1. Occasional Meditation is an act by which the soul spiritualizeth every object about which it is conversant. A gracious heart is like an Alembic, it can distil useful thoughts out of all things that it meeteth with. Look as it seeth all things in God, so it seeth God in all things. Thus Christ at Jacobs Well discourseth of the Well of Life, Joh. 4. at the Miracle of the Loaves, discourseth of Manna, Joh. 6. and Joh. 7. at the Feast of Tabernacles, of living waters; at the Pharisees Supper, discourseth of eating bread in the Kingdom of God, Luke 14. 15. There is an holy Chemistry and Art that a Christian hath to turn water into wine, brass into gold, to make earthly occasions and objects to minister spiritual and heavenly thoughts. God trained up the old Church by types and ceremonies, that the things they ordinarily conversed with, might put them in mind of God and Christ, their duties, and dangers, and sins. And our Lord in the New Testament taught by parables and similitudes taken from ordinary functions and offices amongst men, that in every Trade and Calling we might be employed in our worldly business with an heavenly mind; that whether in the Shop, or at the Loom, or in the Field, we might still think of Christ, and Grace, and Heaven. There is a parable of the Merchant-man, a parable of the Sower, a parable of the man calling his servants to an account, &c. that upon all these occasions we might wind up our minds, and extract some spiritual use from our common affairs. Thus the creatures lift up our minds to the Creator. David had his night-meditation, Psal. 8. 3. When I consider the heavens, the work of thy hands, the moon, and the stars which thou hast ordained, &c. the Sun is not mentioned. When he was gone abroad in the night, his heart was set on work presently. And Psal. 19. 5. there is a morning-meditation, for he seemeth to describe the Sun coming out of his Chambers in the East, and displaying his beams like a cloth of gold upon the world. An holy heart cannot want an object to lead him to the meditation of Gods Power, and Goodness, and Glory, and wise Providence, who hath made and doth order all things according to the counsel of his will. There is a great deal of practical Divinity in the very bosom of Nature, if we had the skill to find it out. Job biddeth us, Ask the beasts, and they shall teach thee;
1. Occasional Meditation is an act by which the soul spiritualizeth every object about which it is conversant. A gracious heart is like an Alembick, it can distill useful thoughts out of all things that it meeteth with. Look as it seeth all things in God, so it seeth God in all things. Thus Christ at Iacobs Well discourseth of the Well of Life, Ioh. 4. at the Miracle of the Loaves, discourseth of Manna, Ioh. 6. and Ioh. 7. at the Feast of Tabernacles, of living waters; at the Pharisees Supper, discourseth of eating bread in the Kingdom of God, Luke 14. 15. There is an holy Chymistry and Art that a Christian hath to turn water into wine, brass into gold, to make earthly occasions and objects to minister spiritual and heavenly thoughts. God trained up the old Church by types and ceremonies, that the things they ordinarily conversed with, might put them in mind of God and Christ, their duties, and dangers, and sins. And our Lord in the New Testament taught by parables and similitudes taken from ordinary functions and offices amongst men, that in every Trade and Calling we might be imployed in our worldly business with an heavenly mind; that whether in the Shop, or at the Loom, or in the Field, we might still think of Christ, and Grace, and Heaven. There is a parable of the Merchant-man, a parable of the Sower, a parable of the man calling his servants to an account, &c. that upon all these occasions we might wind up our minds, and extract some spiritual use from our common affairs. Thus the creatures lift up our minds to the Creator. David had his night-meditation, Psal. 8. 3. When I consider the heavens, the work of thy hands, the moon, and the stars which thou hast ordained, &c. the Sun is not mentioned. When he was gone abroad in the night, his heart was set on work presently. And Psal. 19. 5. there is a morning-meditation, for he seemeth to describe the Sun coming out of his Chambers in the East, and displaying his beams like a cloath of gold upon the world. An holy heart cannot want an object to lead him to the meditation of Gods Power, and Goodness, and Glory, and wise Providence, who hath made and doth order all things according to the counsel of his will. There is a great deal of practical Divinity in the very bosome of Nature, if we had the skill to find it out. Iob biddeth us, Ask the beasts, and they shall teach thee;
