SERMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV- C3. 277
3. It is an advantage to the fruits of grace in the life ; it maketh the heavenly life more easy, more sweet, more orderly and prudent.
[1.] More easy, because it calleth in all the rational help that may he, Eeason, which otherwise would serve the senses, and be enslaved to appetite and worldly desire, now is employed in the highest and purest use ; and therefore when reason is gained, which is the leading faculty, the work cometh on more easily. Meditation putteth reason in authority, and rescueth it from being prostituted to sense : 2 Cor. x. 5, ' Casting down imaginations,' Xoyca-fiov';, reasonings, ' and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.' And then for sense, it maketh our eyes to furnish us with matter : Job xii. 7, 8, ' But ask now the beasts, and they will teach thee ; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee : or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee ; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.' Every element giveth in an help ; he that doth not want an heart cannot want an object ; the air, the sea, the earth giveth fuel for wisdom and spiritual advantage. But for want of consideration a man is worse than the beasts : Prov. vi. 6, ' Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her ways, and be witic.'
[2.] More sweet. It bringeth the heavenly life into more liking with us. Duty to worldly men is irksome and unsavoury, because they lose the sweetness and blessedness of communion with God : Ps. xxvi. 3, ' For thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes ; I have walked in thy truth.' This constraineth and enforceth to holiness, and gives encouragement to it. Others only attempt this work, but do not con- sider the fruit of it.
[3.] More orderly and prudent. Others do good duties by chance : Phil. iv. 8, ' Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any vii'tue, and if there be any praise, think of these things.'
III. That which I am now to do is to give you the rules to guide you in this weighty affair of the christian life. There are rules to be observed to fit the soul, but those I shall handle under the term of helps. I handle such now as must guide the soul.
1. Whatever you meditate upon must be drawn down to application : Job V. 27, ' Lo this, we have searched it, so it is ; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.' In meditation our aim and design is to promote the good of our souls. The heathen Emperor Antoninus had observa- tions, which he called ra ek i/xavrov, ' things for myself ; ' that is the proper end of this exercise, things for ourselves. In conference we aim at the good of others, but the end of meditation is to fall directly upon our own souls. All the while we stay in generals we do but bend the bow ; when we come to application we let fly the arrow, and we hit the mark when we come to return upon our own souls. Now this application must b*r partly by way of trial, partly by way of charge.
[1.] The first reflection upon ourselves must be by way of trial. This should always be the close of all, How is it wntli thee, oh ! my soul ? or, Is not this my state ? When the apostle had taken a view
278 SRRMONS UPON GENESIS XXIV. 63.
of the doctrine of justification, he shutteth np all witli a practical return upon his own heart: Rom. viii. 31, ' What shall we then say to these things ? ' How am I concerned in this truth ? So Nazianzen in his 41st Oration saith his custom was aTro'^^oyprjaac Qeoi ro fjuKpov, to go aside to converse with God, hut always in the course of the duty he did eavrbv l-Tnaixe^^raa-QaL, search himself.
[2.] By way of charge and command. You should charge your- selves to serve God with greater care. Meditation is as it were the heat of the cause, and after the debate you should give sentence, and issue forth a practical decree, as David ; now I see ' It is good for me to draw nigh to God,' Ps. Ixxiii. 28. When he had been meditating of the providence of God in punishing the wicked, now, 0 my soul ! thou seest what is best for thee, even to keep close to God. So in two psalms, when lie had been meditating of the mercy and power of God, he layeth a charge upon his soul to bless God for his mercy : Ps. ciii. 22, ' Bless the Lord all his works, in all places of his dominion ; bless the Lord, 0 my soul ! ' Of his i)Ower : Ps. civ. 35, * Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more ; bless thou the Lord, 0 my soul ! praise ye the Lord.'