A77360:747
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.
3. As Meditation is a great help to memory, so it ⟨p. 422⟩is an Heart-warming work, a Friend to warmth of heart. If a thing be cold, you chafe it, if a mans body be cold, you chafe it, and rub it; and by chafing and rubbing of a cold part, you put life and warmth into it: Meditation chafes the soul, and rubs the soul with a truth. And what's the reason that our hearts are no warmer by what we read, or hear, or observe, but because we meditate no more on't. Meditation is a heart-warming work.
4. As it is an heart-warming work, so it is that which will keep your hearts, and souls, from sinful thoughts. When the Vessel is full, you can put in no more: If the Vessel be full of puddle water, you can't put in Wine; if the Vessel be full of wine, you cannot put in puddle water. If the heart be full of sinful thoughts, there is no room for holy and heavenly thoughts; if the heart be filled with holy and heavenly thoughts by Meditation, there is no room for evil and sinful thoughts. And what's the reason that mens hearts are so full of sinful and evil thoughts, but because their hearts are no more full of God; they think no more, they meditate no more of God: Thereby (I say) you will be kept from sinful thoughts.
4. As it is an heart-warming work, so it is that which will keep your hearts, and souls, from sinful thoughts. When the Vessel is full, you can put in no more: If the Vessel be full of puddle water, you can't put in Wine; if the Vessel be full of wine, you cannot put in puddle water. If the heart be full of sinful thoughts, there is no room for holy and heavenly thoughts; if the heart be fill'd with holy and heavenly thoughts by Meditation, there is no room for evil and sinful thoughts. And what's the reason that mens hearts are so full of sinful and evil thoughts, but because their hearts are no more full of God; they think no more, they meditate no more of God: Thereby (I say) you will be kept from sinful thoughts.