A77360:742
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
Sermons › Sermon 7: The Sweetness and Profitableness of Divine Meditation. SERM. VII.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First, It is a sweet thing for a good and gracious man, to meditate on God, and the things of God, because it is natural to him. Natural works are pleasant works: It is a tedious and an irksome thing to row against the stream of Nature; but Natural works are pleasing works. Now as it is a natural thing for a worldly man, to think and meditate on the world, and the things thereof; so it is natural to a gracious man, to think and meditate on God, and the things of God. I pray, What is the reason, that wicked men take so much delight in thinking, and meditating, and musing, on their sins and sinful ways, but because sin is natural unto them: Why, a good man being made partaker of a Divine nature, 'tis natural to him therefore to think on God, and the ways and things of God; and therefore pleasant, therefore sweet.
First, It is a sweet thing for a good and gracious man, to meditate on God, and the things of God, because it is natural to him. Natural works are pleasant works: It is a tedious and an irksome thing to row against the stream of Nature; but Natural works are pleasing works. Now as it is a natural thing for a worldly man, to think and meditate on the world, and the things thereof; so it is natural to a gracious man, to think and meditate on God, and the things of God. I pray, What is the reason, that wicked men take so much delight in thinking, and meditating, and musing, on their sins and sinful wayes, but because sin is natural unto them: Why, a good man being made partaker of a Divine nature, 'tis natural to him therefore to think on God, and the wayes and things of God; and therefore pleasant, therefore sweet.
But secondly, As it is natural to a gracious man to think on God, and the things of God, so 'tis suitable to him. As 'tis a natural work, so 'tis a suitable work: suitable things are pleasant; the more suitable any ⟨p. 420⟩thing is unto us, the more it pleaseth us, all pleasure and delights, arises from the conjunction of sutables: If you have never so great an estate, if it be not suited to your heart, you have no delight in it. If you have never so small an estate, if it be suitable to your heart, you are delighted and pleased in it. Now, what in all the world, so suitable to a gracious soul as God? Is the Object of a man's understanding Truth? God is truth. Is the Object of his Will Good? God is good. Is the object of his Affections Love? God is love. Is the soul of a man Immortal, Immaterial? God is so, an Immortal, and an Immaterial Being. Is the Soul of a man Eternal, a part post? God is so, God is eternal and unchangeable. Are our desires infinite? God is Infinite. What is there that the soul of man can want, but it's answered in God? A suitable good he is surely, therefore it must needs be a sweet thing to meditate on God, and the things of God.