Authors index
This page provides a brief introduction to the authors whose work appears in the archive, and links to their works.
Further information about these authors and seventeenth century English Puritanism is available in the
Backgrounds portion of this site.
As much as possible, this archive preserves the capitalization, punctuation and spelling of the original works. Please note that editorial additions to the texts, such as subheadings or notes, appear in brackets.
Ambrose, Isaac "Of the nature and kindes of Meditation" 1667
Ambrose (c.1600-c.1640) authored Media: The Middle Things which discusses a number of aspects of a godly life, and includes
a chapter about meditation. The chapter contains six sections.
The first defines meditation; the second deals with "circumstantials" such as time, place and possible subjects;
the third and fourth examine occasional and deliberate meditation, respectively,
and the final two each provide an extended example of a deliberate meditation.
Ambrose's instructions and explanations regarding meditation are similar and closely aligned with many of the other writers,
though his presentation is more brief.
Yet he differs slightly by providing a sort of outline upon which one can base deliberate meditations -
and, indeed, upon which he based his two examples. His model, which employs Ramist elements of dialectical analysis,
helps the meditator to begin by using the understanding and then to move from that to the affections.
For this reason, one should consider the following about a given topic: its description, distribution, causes, effects, use,
properties, opposites, comparisons, and Scriptural testimonies, though he warns
"the end of this Duty is not to practise Logick, but to exercise Religion, and to kindle Piety and Devotion: Besides, every theme will not afford all these places..."
"Of the nature and kindes of Meditation" -Not yet available
Ball, John A Treatise of Divine Meditation, 1660
Ball (1585-1640) authored this treatise, which was (like many of his other works) published posthumously by his friend Simeon Ashe.
His book is fairly straightforward, generally written in a list-based style with brief explanations for a number of items under a given heading,
and often utilizes a question-and-answer format. The first 138 pages of this work address meditation in general from a standpoint of
instruction-giving, while the latter of Ball's 284 total pages contain example meditations and applications of meditations on a variety of subjects.
A Treatise of Divine Meditation (Available in part, for download as a PDF)
Bridge, William Christ and the Covenant, the Work and Way of Meditation... 1667
Bridge (1600/01-1671) authored the sermons in this collection, two of which address meditation. Bridge's work is first noteworthy in comparison with these other works
because he begins the first of this series of two sermons with an examination of the "sweet" nature of meditation (using Psalm 164:34 as his text).
Many of the other manuals begin with an exhortation toward meditation as a duty, or an explanation of the nature of the practice;
yet Bridge chooses to begin with an exhortation toward meditation because of its sweetness and benefits.
Although the other authors would likely agree that the "sweet" or delightful aspects of meditation are important, and although Bridge's work
is in line with these others in regard to the nature and parts of the discipline, this focus brings a somewhat different feel to Bridge's work.
In regard to organization, Bridge's work is more clearly organized than Calamy's, and in general the types of explanations and
illustrations he includes are different than Fenner's and Calamy's, which tend to be similar.
Further, Bridge does not only begin with an examination of the sweetness of meditation; rather, this is the framework through which he views the practice as a whole,
and as such his terminology in referring to meditation can be different; he calls it, for instance, heart-warming, a friend to certain spiritual duties, and a great help to others.
Only after all this does he begin the second sermon, which describes meditation more in terms of duties and particulars;
he begins by pointing out that even with all number of reasons to meditate there remains a tendency for Christians, even him, to be lax in this duty.
"The Sweetness and Profitableness of Divine Meditation" -Not yet available
"The Work and Way of Meditation" (part 2)
Calamy, Edmund The Art of Divine Meditation, 1680
Calamy (1600-1666) authored this collection of ten of his sermons, which were published posthumously.
He had connections through politics, religion, print, and society with a number of other authors on meditation.
Unlike the other collections of sermons, Calamy's work appears to have been gathered together specifically for a print edition;
that is, unlike the works of Fenner and Bridge, it is difficult to tell where one of Calamy's ten sermons ends and another begins.
Although there are a number of passages which repeat earlier ideas as if reminding his hearers of something from a previous messagedivisions are unclear.
Neither is his work divided into chapters, as the manuals are; indeed, Calamy's table of contents is quite circuitous,
having an outline with an unclear hierarchy and several nested lists.
Even so, his work on this topic is strong: his prose is clear, his explanations are sound, his examples and illustrations are useful,
and his pastoral care for his audience is evident.
Though less passionate and drawn to extremes in his discourse than others such as William Fenner, Calamy's presentation is nonetheless full of entreaty,
appealing variously to mind, heart and conscience. Even while providing important information about this topic,
he attempts to win also the hearts and emotions of his audience, that they may hear, understand, and obey God's call to the duty of divine meditation.
The Art of Divine Meditation
Fenner, William The use and Benefit of Divine Meditation, in Two Sermons, 1665
Fenner (c.1600-c.1640) authored two sermons on meditation, which were published posthumously. Fenner's style is fervent and emphatic.
Fittingly, repetition and parallel construction, which lend themselves well to this sort of address, are frequent and noticeable.
In addition, Fenner makes abundant use of examples and illustrations to make certain complicated points clear and memorable for his audience.
These illustrations, which derive from sources as diverse as (for example) Aesop's tales, Scriptural narratives, the church fathers, and the natural world,
are in addition to his main prose narrative exhortation. Further, he employs specific Scripture passages from which he draws his doctrine and practice,
and makes frequent use of lists.
"A sermon of the use and benefit of divine meditation"
"The second sermon of the use and benefit of divine meditation"
-available in incomplete form
Manton, Thomas Sermons on the XXIV. Chapter of Genesis, 1693
Manton's ten sermons on meditation, each based upon Genesis 24:63, appear as part of a much larger collection of his sermons.
While each of these ten could stand alone, they link closely together as a series which develops a full theology of meditation.
The first five sermons explain the doctrine and practice of meditation, and the final five provide examples of how to meditate on certain subjects.
Uniquely, Manton subdivides deliberate meditation into dogmatical and practical categories, although his understanding of this discipline is in line with the other authors.
Manton, a D.D., has a style more unadorned and academic than many of these other sermon writers, lacking their frequency and creativity of examples and illustrations;
Manton s prose remains much closer to biblical passages that he references, and often takes his illustrations directly from the Bible rather than from his daily life.
Often digressing into discussion of Latin or Greek, and occasionally also Hebrew, he presents his argument via copious biblical cross-references and careful hermeneutical evaluation,
divided into many numbered lists. Through such techniques, he presents material in a plain but nevertheless earnest and accessible way.
He also discusses meditation in regard to the Lord 's Supper in a notably extensive way.
"Sermons on the XXIV. Chapter of Genesis"
Ranew, Nathanael Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, 1670
Ranew (1602?-1677) initially composed this work for the use of Mary Rich, Countess of Warwick.
At the urging of friends, he revised it and had it published for public use. His son, also named Nathanael, was the publisher.
In its entirety, Solitude Improved is considerably longer than any other Puritan works on meditation; this is largely due to Ranew's blending
of a more verbose style of writing common to sermons with an inclusiveness of topics common to manuals.
Because of the length, inclusiveness,
and accessible style of Ranew's work, this book is an excellent place to begin a study of Puritan meditative theology and practice. The most recent edition of this book,
published in 1995 by Soli Deo Gloria, is out of print but may be available through used book sellers.
Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation -available in incomplete form
Watson, Thomas A Christian on the Mount: Or, a Treatise concerning Meditation, 1657
Watson (d. 1686) composed this work on meditation, which was reprinted a number of times in various collections of his writings.
His text contains a comparatively large amount of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and he also cites regularly from various church authorities throughout history,
both Catholic and Protestant. These traits are in line with his academic bent: at Emmanuel College (from which he received a B.A. and M.A.)
he was "noted for being a hard student" and was also known at large as one with "considerable learning."
Many of the manuals or treatises on meditation provide some large number of pages dedicated to providing examples of meditations or specific help for meditation.
Although Watson s chapter six explains a number of topics that are profitable for meditation and takes up a disproportionately large part of the text,
it differs from these other examples of meditation. Rather than providing examples from which to meditate, Watson focuses on describing these topics in relation to
why meditation on each of them is profitable. The subjects include such things as God s attributes, the vanity of the creature, the excellency of grace, the
"fewness of them that shall be saved" and many more.
Watson s work is easy to follow and is clearly based in Scripture and doctrine.
As the following selection illustrates, he is also quite capable of blending the academic knowledge that he clearly appreciated with a lively and simple prose designed to benefit a lay audience.
A Christian on the Mount: Or, a Treatise concerning Meditation -available in incomplete form
White, Thomas A Method and Instructions for the Art of Divine Meditation with Instances of the several Kindes of Solemn Meditation, 1655
White (fl. 1655) is a rather obscure figure. In 1713, the historian Edmund Calamy (grandson of the Calamy above) listed White as an ejected minister,
but in 1727 noted that he had misattributed the parish of St. Bride's to him. Yet Calamy's second parish attribution is also incorrect.
Scholar A. G. Matthews found no evidence that White was a nonconformist. Nevertheless, Because of White's traditional recognition as one in the Puritan tradition,
and because his work is similar in doctrine and style to the others here, his work appears in this archive.
White defines the term "divine meditation" so as to include only set meditation and to exclude many other types of thinking and reflection, both religious and otherwise;
in this way, he excludes occasional meditation from this category, although he seems to believe that it nevertheless has a use or proper place.
He sets up a number of distinctions between the two, for example,
"The Subject from which occasionall Meditations arise, are very frequently things artificiall, civill or naturall, indeed any thing that we see or hear;
but the Subjects of [Divine] Meditation are onely spirituall." Although similar to Ball's style in that his explanations are driven by numbered lists and are moderately brief
(if it is possible to thus characterize any Puritan publication), White's work is less catechetical than Ball's, and is instead divided into topical chapters;
yet White does provide possible objections and answers to his points.
Richard Allestree, an Arminian and regius chair of divnity at Oxford, closely adapted White's teachings about meditation in a 1694
work about meditation.
A Method and Instructions for the Art of Divine Meditation with Instances of the several Kindes of Solemn Meditation
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