1. Meditation is the souls retiring of it self; a Christian, when he goes to meditate, must lock up himself from the world. The world spoils meditation; Christ went apart into the Mount to pray, Mat. 14.23. So, go apart when you are to meditate. Isaac went out to meditate in the field, Gen. 24.63. he sequestered and retired himself that he might ⟨p. 62⟩take a walk with God by meditation. Zacheus had a mind to see Christ, and he got out of the crowd, He ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore-tree to see him, Luke 19.3, 4. So when we would see God, we must get out of the crowd of worldly business, we must climb up into the tree by retiredness of meditation, and there we shall have the best prospect of heaven. The worlds music will either play us asleep, or distract us in our meditations. When a more is gotten into the eye, it hinders the sight; when worldly thoughts, as motes, are gotten into the mind (which is the eye of the soul) it cannot look up so steadfastly to heaven by contemplation. Therefore, as when Abraham went to sacrifice, he left his servant and the Ass at the bottom of the hill, Gen. 22.5. So when a Christian is going up the hill of meditation, he should leave all secular ⟨p. 63⟩cares at the bottom of the hill; that he may be alone, and take a turn in heaven. If the wings of the bird are full of lime, she cannot ••i•: Meditation is the wing of the soul, when a Christian is belimed with earth, he cannot she to God upon this wing. Saint Bernard when he came to the Church-door, used to say, stay here all my worldly thoughts, that I may converse with God in the Temple; so say to thy self, I am going now to meditate, O all ye vain thoughts stay behind, come not near. When thou art going up the mount of meditation, take heed the world doth not follow thee, and throw thee down from the top of this pinnacle. This is the first thing, the souls retiring of it self; lock and bolt the door against the world.
1. Meditation is the souls retiring of it self; a Christian, when he goes to meditate, must lock up himselfe from the world. The world spoiles meditation; Christ went apart into the Mount to pray, Mat. 14.23. So, go apart when you are to meditate. Isaac went out to meditate in the field, Gen. 24.63. he sequestred and retired himself that he might ⟨p. 62⟩take a walk with God by meditation. Zacheus had a minde to see Christ, and he got out of the crowd, He ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore-tree to see him, Luke 19.3, 4. So when we would see God, we must get out of the crowd of worldly businesse, we must climb up into the tree by retirednesse of meditation, and there we shall have the best prospect of heaven. The worlds musick will either play us asleep, or distract us in our meditations. When a more is gotten into the eye, it hinders the sight; when worldly thoughts, as motes, are gotten into the minde (which is the eye of the soul) it cannot look up so stedfastly to heaven by contemplation. Therefore, as when Abraham went to sacrifice, he left his servant and the Asse at the bottom of the hill, Gen. 22.5. So when a Christian is going up the hill of meditation, he should leave all secular ⟨p. 63⟩cares at the bottome of the hill; that he may be alone, and take a turne in heaven. If the wings of the bird are full of lime, she cannot ••i•: Meditation is the wing of the soul, when a Christian is belimed with earth, he cannot she to God upon this wing. Saint Bernard when he came to the Church-door, used to say, stay here all my worldly thoughts, that I may converse with God in the Temple; so say to thy self, I am going now to meditate, O all ye vaine thoughts stay behind, come not neare. When thou art going up the mount of meditation, take heed the world doth not follow thee, and throw thee down from the top of this pinacle. This is the first thing, the souls retiring of it selfe; lock and bolt the doore against the world.
