When you go to bed at night, *imagine thus, shortly I shall put off the earthly clothes of my body, and make my bed in the grave: when you see the Judge going to the Assizes, and hear the Trumpet blow, think with your selves (as Hierom did) That you are still hearing that shrill Trumpet sounding in your ears, Surgite mortui, Arise ye dead and come to judgment. When you see a poor man going in the Streets, raise this Meditation, here is a walking Picture of ⟨p. 219⟩Christ, He had no place where to lay his head*. My Saviour became poor, that I through his poverty might be made rich: When you go to Church, think thus, I am now going to hear God speak, let me not stop my ear; if I refuse to hear Him speaking in his Word, I shall next hear him speaking in his Wrath, Psalm 2.5. When you walk abroad in your Orchard, and see the plants bearing, and the herbs flourishing, Think how pleasing a sight it is to God to see a thriving Christian; how beautiful are the Trees of righteousness, when they are hung full of fruit*, when they abound in faith, humility, knowledge. When you pluck a Rose bud in your Garden, raise this contemplation, how lovely are the early puttings forth of grace; God prizeth ⟨p. 220⟩a Christian in the bud, he likes the bloomings of youth rather then the sheddings of old age. When you eat a Grape from the Tree, think of Christ the True Vine, how precious is the blood of that Grape? Such rare clusters grow there, that the Angels themselves delight to taste of. It is said of Austin, he was much in these ex tempore Meditations; A gracious heart like the Philosophers Stone, turns all into Gold; It is all the year stilling-time with a Christian, he stilleth out heavenly Meditations from earthly Occurrences, as the curious Alchemist when several metals are mingled together, can by his skill extract the Gold and Silver from the baser metals: So a Christian by a Divine Alchemy, can extract golden Meditations from the various objects he beholds; ⟨p. 122⟩Indeed it argues a spiritual heart, to turn every thing to a spiritual use, and we have Christs own example for these occasional Meditations, John 4.7, 10, 13, 14. While he sat on Jacob's well he presently Meditates on that [Greek or Hebrew] and breaks forth into a most excellent discourse concerning the Water of life. So much for occasional Meditations.
When you go to bed at night, *imagine thus, shortly I shall put off the earthly clothes of my body, and make my bed in the grave: when you see the Judge going to the Assizes, and hear the Trumpet blow, think with your selves (as Hierom did) That you are still hearing that shrill Trumpet sounding in your ears, Surgite mortui, Arise ye dead and come to judgment. When you see a poor man going in the Streets, raise this Meditation, here is a walking Picture of ⟨p. 219⟩Christ, He had no place where to lay his head*. My Saviour became poor, that I through his poverty might be made rich: When you go to Church, think thus, I am now going to hear God speak, let me not stop my ear; if I refuse to hear Him speaking in his Word, I shall next hear him speaking in his Wrath, Psalm 2.5. When you walk abroad in your Orchard, and see the plants bearing, and the herbs flourishing, Think how pleasing a sight it is to God to see a thriving Christian; how beautifull are the Trees of righteousness, when they are hung full of fruit*, when they abound in faith, humility, knowledge. When you pluck a Rose bud in your Garden, raise this contemplation, how lovely are the early puttings forth of grace; God prizeth ⟨p. 220⟩a Christian in the bud, he likes the bloomings of youth rather then the sheddings of old age. When you eat a Grape from the Tree, think of Christ the True Vine, how precious is the bloud of that Grape? Such rare clusters grow there, that the Angels themselves delight to taste of. It is said of Austin, he was much in these ex tempore Meditations; A gracious heart like the Philosophers Stone, turns all into Gold; It is all the year stilling-time with a Christian, he stilleth out heavenly Meditations from earthly Occurrences, as the curious Alchymist when several mettals are mingled together, can by his skill extract the Gold and Silver from the baser mettals: So a Christian by a Divine Alchymy, can extract golden Meditations from the various objects he beholds; ⟨p. 122⟩Indeed it argues a spirituall heart, to turn every thing to a spiritual use, and we have Christs own example for these occasional Meditations,
