One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on Psalm 119

2. Affection, that is a great friend to memory. What we esteem most, we best remember. Omnia quae curant senes meminerunt: An old man will not forget where he laid his bag of gold. Delight and Love will renew and revive the object upon our thoughts. Here in the Text we have this Truth asserted, I will delight my self in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Affection to Truths cometh from the application. In a public Edict a man will be sure to carry away what is proper to his case.

2. Affection, that is a great friend to memory. VVhat we esteem most, we best remember. Omnia quae curant senes meminerunt: An old man will not forget where he laid his bag of gold. Delight and Love will renew and revive the object upon our thoughts. Here in the Text we have this Truth asserted, I will delight my self in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Affection to Truths cometh from the application. In a publick Edict a man will be sure to carry away what is proper to his case.

3. Meditation. We must be often viewing and meditating of what we have laid up in the memory. It availeth not to the health of the body to eat much, but to digest what is eaten. Tumultuary reading and hearing, without Meditation, is like greedy swallowing much meat. When little is thought on, it doth not turn to profit. This concocteth and digesteth what we have heard. The more a thing is revolved in the mind, the deeper impression it maketh.

4. Beware of inuring the mind to vain thoughts; for this distracts it, and hindereth the impression of things upon it. The face is not seen in running-waters; nor can things be written in the memory, unless the mind be close and fixed. Lead is capable of engraving, because it is firm and solid; but Quicksilver, because it is fluid, will not admit it. An inconsistent wandering mind reapeth little fruit from what is read or heard.