One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on Psalm 119

but that which fasteneth them upon the heart, is our own thoughts; and so we come to be wiser, to see more clearly and practically as to our own case, than he that preacheth; we see a farther use than he was aware of. So for prayer, What we take in by the word, we digest by Meditation, and let out by prayer. These three Duties help one another. What is the reason men have such a barren, dry and sapless spirit in their Prayers? it is for want of exercising themselves in holy thoughts. Psal. 45. 1. My heart inditeth a good matter, and then my tongue is as the pen of a ready writer. It alludeth to the Mincah, the Meat-offering, the Oil and Flower was to be kneaded together, and fried in a pan, and so offered to the Lord. When we come with raw dough-baked offerings, before we have concocted and prepared our thoughts by mature deliberation, we are barren or tumultuary in our prayers to God. Prayer is called by the name of ⟨p. 92⟩Meditation, because it is the product and issue of it, as Psal. 5. 1. Give ear to my words, oh Lord, consider my meditation. So Psal. 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight. Implying, that prayer is but the vent and expression of what we have deliberated and meditated upon. So David findeth his desires more earnest after grace, the more he mused and meditated. Psal. 143. 5, 6. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all thy works, I muse on the works of thy hands, I stretch forth my hands unto thee; my soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land. Well then, it is the life and strength of other Ordinances, without which, how slight and perfunctory are we! I might instance in Conference, the stream of good discourse is fed by serious thoughts. The Lords Supper a duty which is mainly dispatched by our thoughts; there we come to put Reason to the highest use, to be the Instrument of Faith and Love; of Faith in believing-applications; of Love, in resolutions of Duty and Thankfulness. In that one Ordinance there is an union of mysteries, which we take abroad in holy and serious thoughts. To have an unfruitful understanding then, is a great damp and deadness to the heart. Now we shall never enlarge our selves in pertinent and savoury thoughts, unless we use to meditate;