One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on Psalm 119

The standing spiritual benefits of Meditation are many. It imprints and fastens a truth upon the mind and memory; deliberate thoughts stick with us; as a Lesson we have conned is not easily forgotten. Civet long kept in a Box, the scent remaineth when the Civet is taken out. Sermons meditated on, are remembered by us long after they are delivered. It sets the heart a work. The greatest matters will not work upon him that doth not think of them. Tell them of sin, and God and Christ, and Heaven and Hell, and they stir them not, because they do not take these truths into their deep thoughts; or if they be stirred a little, it is but a fit, while the Truth is held in the view of Conscience. We had need inculcate things, if we would have them to affect us. The Steel must beat again and again upon the Flint, if we would have the sparks fly out; so must the understanding bear hard upon the will, to get out any affection and respect to the ways of God. It showeth the beauty of Truths. When we look upon them in trance, we do not see half that is in them; but upon a deliberate view, it more appeareth: As there is a secret grace in some, that is not discerned but by much converse and narrow inspection. It helpeth to prevent vain thoughts: The mind of man is restless, and cannot lye idle; therefore it is good to employ it with good thoughts, and set it a work on holy things; for then there will be no time and heart for vanity, the mind being prepossessed and seasoned already; but when the heart is left to run loose, vanity increaseth upon us. Oh Christians, Meditation is all, it is the Mother and Nurse of knowledge and godliness, the great instrument in all the offices of Grace. We resemble the Purity and Simplicity of God most, in the holiness of our thoughts. Without Meditation, we do but talk one after another like Parrots, and take up things by mere hearsay, and repeat them by rote, without affection and life, or discerning the worth and excellency of what we speak. It is Meditation that maketh Truths always ready and present with us. Prov. 6. 21, 22. Bind them continually upon thy heart; when thou goest, ⟨p. 93⟩it shall lead thee; when thou wakest; it shall talk with thee. But I forbear.

The standing spiritual benefits of Meditation are many. It imprints and fastens a truth upon the mind and memory; deliberate thoughts stick with us; as a Lesson we have conned is not easily forgotten. Civet long kept in a Box, the scent remaineth when the Civet is taken out. Sermons meditated on, are remembred by us long after they are delivered. It sets the heart a work. The greatest matters will not work upon him that doth not think of them. Tell them of sin, and God and Christ, and Heaven and Hell, and they stir them not, because they do not take these truths into their deep thoughts; or if they be stirred a little, it is but a fit, while the Truth is held in the view of Conscience. We had need inculcate things, if we would have them to affect us. The Steel must beat again and again upon the Flint, if we would have the sparks flye out; so must the understanding bear hard upon the will, to get out any affection and respect to the ways of God. It sheweth the beauty of Truths. When we look upon them in trans, we do not see half that is in them; but upon a deliberate view, it more appeareth: As there is a secret grace in some, that is not discerned but by much converse and narrow inspection. It helpeth to prevent vain thoughts: The mind of man is restless, and cannot lye idle; therefore it is good to imploy it with good thoughts, and set it a work on holy things; for then there will be no time and heart for vanity, the mind being prepossessed and seasoned already; but when the heart is left to run loose, vanity encreaseth upon us. Oh Christians, Meditation is all, it is the Mother and Nurse of knowledg and godliness, the great instrument in all the offices of Grace. We resemble the Purity and Simplicity of God most, in the holiness of our thoughts. Without Meditation, we do but talk one after another like Parrots, and take up things by meer hearsay, and repeat them by rote, without affection and life, or discerning the worth and excellency of what we speak. It is Meditation that maketh Truths always ready and present with us.