2. It is a great help to our graces. (1.) Faith takes root by medi- tation : Mat. xiii. 5, ' The seed forthwith sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth/ A careless slight heart is no fit soil for faith to
80 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLXVI.
grow in. (2.) Hope is made lively by consideration of the thing hoped for. (3.) Charity is inflamed by the sight and frequent view of divine objects in their beauty and amiableness.
3. The duties of religion, reading and hearing, are effectual by meditation.
The use is for exhortation, to press you to meditation ; it is the mother and nurse of knowledge and godliness, the great instrument in all the offices of grace, otherwise we take up things by hearsay ; this digests them, and maketh them our own.
1. It preventeth vain thoughts, both as it stocketh the heart with truth, for good seed thick set and well rooted destroyeth the weeds, and as it seasoneth the heart with a gracious disposition, and inureth it more to holy thoughts ; whereas those that do not use to meditate, how are their minds pestered with swarms of vain thoughts, which wholly divert it and turn it aside from God? Man is mindless of holy things, and if they turn into the heart by accident, their enter- tainment is cold and careless, as a man would be used that cometh into a house full of enemies.
2. How great an affront is it to God to omit this part of communion with him ; it is irksome to think of him. Saints find it otherwise : Ps. civ. 34, * My meditation of him shall be sweet.' Some, God is said to be near in their mouth, and far from their reins, Jer xii. 2 ; fre- quently spoken of, but seldom considered by them. That soul that hath a sincere and unfeigned love to him will take some time to solace itself with him alone ; to be sure God taketh it kindly at our hand : Mai. iii. 16, ' A book of remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name ; ' that have frequent and high thoughts of God in their hearts, without which, love will presently languish and grow cold.
3. What a neglect it is of God's messages of love that you will not consider them : Mat. xxi. 5, 'And they made light of it;' and Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.' He hath laid out all his eternal thoughts upon a way of salvation, and manifested it to you, and you entertain it with so much scorn that you will not set your minds to it, and think it worthy a few sad and sober thoughts. What ? Is it so tedious to think a thought of your own greatest con- cernments ? Surely man is strangely depraved to refuse this.
4. What a likely means meditation is to do you good. I know it is the Lord inclineth the heart, and our thoughts work no further than God is in them, yea, he giveth us to think, 2 Cor. iii. 5. But as it is our duty, so it is a very proper means to improve our graces and our comfort ; for a constant, steady, continued view of truth surely will work more than a glance. A transient view cannot leave such an impression upon us as a steady view. We taste things better when they are chewed than when they are swallowed whole. Meditation goeth over things again and again, and prieth into every part. And as it is a constant light, so it is an argumentative consideration of things. When one scale is not heavy enough, we put in weight after weight till we gain our point ; bring off the heart from such a vanity, engage it to such a pursuit by our own arguings with ourselves : Prov. xii. 14, ' A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his own
VER. 148.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 81
mouth ;' Acts xvii. 11, 12, 'And these were more noble than they of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.' Therefore many believed, because they had searched with all readiness of mind.
5. This is an argument should prevail with God's children, that we may know our growth in grace, by the frequency, continuance, and efficacy of holy thoughts. At first good thoughts are few and rare, the heart is so crowded with vanity, that there is no room for God or his word ; for these things keep their interest in the heart and draw the mind after them, so that days pass over our heads and we forget God, Ps. x. 11 ; or if they arise in our minds, they find little entertainment there, but are gone as soon as they come. It is the policy of the enemy of our salvation to draw our minds from one thing to another, that good thoughts may pass over without fruit and benefit ; or if we force ourselves to continue, they do not warm the heart, only weary the brain. But now when truths are ever with us, they improve us : Ps. cxix. 98, ' Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me ; ' Prov. vi. 22, ' When thou goest it shall lead thee, when thou sleepest it shall keep thee, and when thou walkest it shall talk with thee.' We have them always ready and at hand. They that are sound at heart can pause with delight on heavenly things. It is a good note of some progress, it is a sign the heart is heavenly, carried out with a strong and prevailing love to heavenly things, that earthly profits and vain pleasures have not such a hand over us as they were wont to have. You have gotten the mastery •over your thoughts, that the best and dearest of them you can employ for God, with great fervency and continuance : other matters do not find better welcome, nor so easily jostle them out of doors. By all this it appears it is a most profitable duty.