Thomas Watson, The Work and Way of Meditation
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[55] A
CHRISTIAN
on the
Mount:
OR, A
TREATISE concerning
MEDITATION.
Wherein the
necessity, usefulness, excellency of Meditation is at large discussed.
By
Thomas Watson, Minister of Stephens Walbrook in the City of LONDON.
Meditate
upon these things, 1 Tim.4.15. I thought on my wayes, and turned my feet
unto thy Testimonies, Psal.119.59.
Amans Deum sublimia petit sumptis alis,
& relicta terra in caelum volat. Phil.lib.de victimis.
LONDON, Printed by T.R. & E.M. for Ralph Smith a: the Bible in Corn-hill,
near the Royal Exchange. 1657.
[57] Psal.1.2.
And in his Law doth he meditate day and night.
Having led you through the chamber of delight, I will now bring you into the
withdrawing room of Meditation. In his Law doth he meditate day and night.
[58] CHAP. I.
The opening of the words, and the proposition asserted.
GRace breeds delight in God, and delight breeds Meditation. A duty wherein
consists the essentials of Religion, and which nourisheth the very life
blood of it; and that the Psalmist may shew how much the godly man is
habituated and inured to this blessed work of Meditation, he subjoynes
in his Law doth he meditate day ant night*, [margin: *[Hebrew characters]] not but
that there may be sometimes intermission; God allows time for our calling,
he grants some relaxation, but when it is said, the godly man meditates day
and night, the meaning is, frequently, he is much conversant in the duty.
'Tis a command of God to [59] pray without ceasing*, I Thes.5.17. [margin: *αδιαλειπσ[?]ωσ]
The meaning
is, not that we should be alwayes praying (as the Euchites held) but that we
should every day set some time apart for prayer; so Drufius and others
interpret it. We read in the old Law it was called the continual
sacrifice*, [margin: *Juge sacrificium. Num. 28. 24] not that the people of
Israel did nothing else but sacrifice, but because they had stated houres
every morning and evening they offered, therefore it was called the
continual sacrifice, thus the godly man is said to meditate day and night,
that is, he is often at this work, he is no stranger to meditation.
The Proposition that results out of [margin: Doct.] the Text, is this, That
a good Christian is a meditating Christian, Psalme 119.15. I will meditate
in thy precepts, I Tim.4.15. Meditate upon these things. Meditation is the
chewing upon the truths we have heard; the beasts in the old [60] Law that did not chew the cud,
were uncleane; the Christian that doth not by
meditation chew the cud, is to be accounted unclean. Meditation is like the
watering of the feed, it makes the fruits of grace flourish.
For the illustration of the point, there are several things to be discussed.
1. I shall shew you what meditation is.
2. That meditation is a duty.
3. The difference between meditation and memory.
4. The difference between meditation and study.
5. The subject of meditation.
6. The necessitie of meditation.
[61] CHAP. II.
Shewing the nature of meditation.
If it be enquired what meditation is, [margin: What meditation is.] I
answer, meditation is the souls retiring of it selfe, that by a serious and
solemne thinking upon God, the heart may be raised up to heavenly
affections. This description hath three branches.
I. Meditation is the souls retiring of it self, [margin: I.] 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 sequestered and retired himself that he might [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 mote 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 [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
flie: Meditation is the wing of the soul, when a Christian is belimed with
earth, he cannot flie 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.
2. The second thing in meditation, is, a serious and solemn thinking upon
God. The Hebrew word to [64] meditate* [margin: *[Hebrew characters]],
signifies with intensenesse, to recollect
and gather together the thoughts: Meditation is not a cursory work, to have
a few transient thoughts of Religion. Canis ad Nilum; like the dogs of
Nilus, that lap and away; but there must be in meditation a-fixing the heart
upon the object, a steeping the thoughts; carnal Christians are like
quick-silver, which cannot be made to fix; their thoughts are roving up &
down, and will not fix; like the bird that hops from one bough to another,
and stays no where. David was a man fit to meditate, O God my heart is
fixed, Psalme 108. 1. [margin: Ps. 108. 1] In meditation there must be a
staying of the thoughts upon the object; a man that rides post through a
Town or Village, he mindes nothing, but an Artist or Limner that is looking
upon a curious piece, views the whole draught and pourtraiture of it, he
observes the symmetry and proportion,[65] he minds every shadow and colour.
A carnal flitting Christian is like the
traveller, his thoughts ride post, he mindes nothing of God; a wise
Christian is like the Artist, he views with seriousnesse, and ponders the
things of Religion, Luke 2.19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered
* them in her heart. [margin: *συμβο[?]λ [unreadable Greek and Latin] de [unreadable]quo secuns differtante.[?] Grotius in loc.]
The third thing in meditation is the raising of the heart to holy
affections. A Christian enters into meditation, as a man enters into the Bath,
that he may be healed. Meditation heales the soule of its deadnesse and
earthlinesse, but more of this after.
[66] CHAP. III.
Proving Meditation to be a duty.
MEditation is a duty lying upon every Christian, and there is no disputing
our duty. Meditation is a
Duty,
{1. Imposed.
{2. Opposed. [Margin: Meditation a duty. I.]
I. Meditation is a duty imposed; It is not arbitrary; there is a jus
divinum in it. The same God who hath bid us beleeve, hath bid us meditate,
Josh. 1. 8. This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou
shalt meditate therein day and night. These words, though spoken to the
person of Joshuah, yet they concerne every one; as the promise made to
Joshuah concerned all beleevers, Joshuah 1. 5. compar'd [67]
with Heb. 13. 5. So this precept made to the person of Joshuah,
thou shalt meditate in this book of the Law, takes in all Christians; it is
the part of an hypocrite to enlarge the promise, and to streighten the
precept. Thou shalt meditate in this book of the Law; the word Thou, is
indefinite, and reacheth every Christian; As Gods Word doth direct, so his
will must enforce obedience.
[Margin: 2.] 2 Meditation is a duty opposed. We may conclude it is a good duty, because
it is against the stream of corrupt nature; as he said, you may know that
Religion is right which Nero persecutes; so you may know that is a good duty
which the heart opposeth. We shall finde naturally a strange aversenesse
from mediation. We are swift to heare, but slow to meditate. To think of
the world, if it were all day long, is delightful, but as for hourly
meditation, how doth the heart wrangle and quarrel with this duty! [68]
It is doing of pennance; now truly, there needs no other reason to prove a
duty to be good, than the reluctancy of a carnal heart. To instance in the
duty of self-denial, Let a man deny himself, Mat.16.24. self-denial is as
necessary as heaven, but what disputes are raised in the heart against it?
What to deny my reason, and become a fool, that I may be wise; nay, not only
to deny my reason, but my righteousnesse? What, to cast it over-board, and
swim to heaven upon the plank of Christs merits? this is such a duty that
the heart doth naturally oppose and enter is dissent against. This is an
argument to prove the duty of self-denial good; just so it is with this duty
of meditation; the secret antipathy the heart hath against it, shews it to
be good; and this is reason enough to enforce meditation.
[69] CHAP. IV.
Shewing how meditation differes from memory.
THe memory (a glorious faculty) which Aristotle calls the souls scribe, sits
and pens all things that are done. Whatsoever we read, or hear, the memory
doth register; therefore God doth all his works of wonder that they may be
had in remembrance. There seemes to be some Analogy and Resemblance between
Meditation and Memory. But I conceive there is a double difference.
[Margin: 1.] I. The meditation of a thing hath more sweetnesse in it than the bare
remembrance. The memory is the chest or cupboard to lock up a truth,
meditation is the pallate to feed on it; the memory is like the Ark in which
the Manna was laid up, meditation is like Israels [70] eating of Manna.
When David began to meditate on God, it was
sweet to him as marrow, Psal. 63. 5, 6. There's as much difference between a
truth remembred, and a truth meditated on, as between a cordial in a glasse,
and a cordial drunk down.
[Margin: 2.] 2. The remembrance of a truth without the serious Meditation of it will
but create matter of sorrow another day. What comfort can it be to a man
when he comes to die, to think he remembred many excellent notions about
Christ, but never had the grace so to meditate on them, as to be transformed
into them: A Sermon remembred, but not ruminated, will only serve to
encrease our condemnation.
[71] CHAP. V.
Shewing how Mediation differs from Study.
THe Students life looks like meditation, but doth vary from it. Meditation
and study differ three ways.
[Margin: 1.] I. They differ in their nature. Study is the work of the braine,
meditation of the heart; study sets the invention on work, meditation sets
the affection on work.
[Margin: 2.] 2. They differ in their designe. The designe of study is notion, the
designe of mediation [sic] is piety: The design of study is the finding out
of a truth; the design of meditation is the spiritual improvement of a
truth; the one searcheth for the vein of gold, the other digs out the gold.
F4
[72] [Margin: 3.] 3. They differ in the issue and result.
Study leaves a man never a whit
the better; it is like Winter Sun that hath little warmth and influence:
Meditation leaves one in a more holy frame. It melts the heart when it is
frozen, and makes it drop into teares of love.
CHAP. VI.
Shewing the subject of Meditation.
[Margin: The subject of Meditation.] The fourth particular to be discussed
is the subject-matter of Meditation; What a Christian should meditate upon.
I am now gotten into a large field, but I shall only glance at things, I
shall but do as the disciples, pluck some ears of corn as I passe along.
[73] Some may say, alas I am so barren I know not what to meditate upon; to help
Christians therefore in this blessed work, I shall shew you some choice
select matter for meditation. There are fifteen things in the Law of God
which we should principally meditate upon.
[15 things in the Law of God to principally meditate upon]
SECT. I.
[Margin: 1.] Meditate on Gods attributes. The attributes of God are the several beames
by which the divine nature shines forth to us; and there are six special
attributes which we should fix our meditations upon.
[Margin: 1.] I. Meditate upon Gods omisciency. His eye is continually upon us; he hath
a window opens into the conscience; Our thoughts are unvail'd before him. [74]
He can tell the Words we speak in our bed-chamber, 2 Kings 6. 12.
He is described with seven eyes to shew his omnisciency*. [margin:
*Rev. 5. 6 *Egyptii olim in sceptro Regio Oculum designarunt]
Thou numberest my steps, Job 14.16. The Hebrew
word * [margin: *[Hebrew characters]] signifies to take an exact account. God is
said to number our steps, when he makes a curious and critical observation
of our actions; God sets down every passage of our lives, and keeps as it
were a daybook of all we do, and enters it down into the book. Meditate
much on this omiscience.
The meditation of Gods omniscience would have these effects.
[Margin: 1.] I. It would be as a curben-bit to check and restraine us from sinne. Will
the thief steal when the Judge looks on?
Margin: 2.] 2. The meditation of Gods omnisciency would be a good means to make the
heart sincere*. [margin: *Marcellius Titul. 7 dist. sexta.] God hath set a
grate at ever mans breast, doth [75] not he see all my wayes?
Job 31.4. If I harbour proud, malicious thoughts,
if I look at my own interest more than Christs, if I juggle in my
repentance, the God of heaven takes notice. The meditation of this
omnisciency would make a Christian sincere, both in his actions and aimes.
One cannot be a Hypocrite, but he must be a foole.
[Margin: 2. Meditate on the holiness of God. Mirabilis Sanctitate.]
2. Meditate on the holinesse of God. Holinesse is the embroydered robe God
wears; [margin: 2. Meditate on the holiness of God. latin phrase] it is
the glory of the God head, Exod. 15. 11. Glorious in holiness: 'Tis the most
orient pearle of the crown of heaven. God is the exemplar and pattern of
holiness. It is primarily and originally in God as light in the Sunne; you
may as well separate weight from lead, or heat from fire, as holinesse from
the divine nature; Gods holiness is that whereby his heart riseth against
any sinne, as being [76] most diametrically opposite to his essence.
Heb.1.13. Thou art of purer
eyes than to behold iniquity. Meditate much on this attribute.
The meditation of Gods holinesse would have this effect, it would be a means
to transforme us into the similitude and likenesse of God; God never loves
us till we are like him*. {margin: *latin phrase] There is a story in
Teter Martyr, of a deform'd man, who set curious faire pictures before his
wife, that seeing them, she might have faire children, and so she had.
Jacobs cattel looking on the rods which were pilled, and had white strakes
in them, conceived like the rods, Gen.30-38,39. So while by meditation upon
the beames of holinesse which are gloriously transparent in God, we shall
grow like him, and be holy as he is holy. Holinesse is a beautiful thing,
Psal.110. It puts a kinde
Page 77.
of angelical brightnesse upon us; 'tis the only coyne will pass currant in
heaven, by the frequent meditation of this attribute, we are charged into
Gods image.
3. Mediate on the wisdome of God. He is called the only wise God, I
Tim.1.17. His wisdome shines forth in the works of providence; he fits at
the helme guiding all thigs regularly and harmoniously; he brings light out
of darkness; he can strike a streight stroke by a crooked stick; he can make
use of the injustice of men to do that which is just: He is infinitely
wise, he breaks us by afflictions, and upon these broken pieces of the ship,
brings us safe to shore; Meditate on the wisdome of God.
The meditation of Gods wisdom, would sweetly calme our hearts. I. When we
see things go crosse in the publick, the wife God holds the rains
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of government in his hand; and let who will rule God over-rules; he knows
how to turne all to good; his work will be beautiful in its season. 2. When
things go ill with us in our own particular, the meditation of Gods wisdome
would rock our hearts quiet. The wise God hath set me in this condition,
and whether health or sicknesse, wisdome will order it for the best. God
will make a treakle of poyson, all things shall be physical and medicinable
to me; either the Lord will expel some sinne, or exercise some grace. The
meditation of this would silence murmuring.
4. Meditate on the power of God. This power is visible in the creation.
He hangs the earth upon nothing, Job 26.7. What cannot that God do that can
create; nothing can stand before a creating power; [margin: *Creatio fit
irrisistibiliter] He needs no pre-existent matter to work upon; He needs no
instruments to
Page 79.
work with, he can work without tooles; He it is before whom the Angels vaile
their faces, and the Kings of the earth cast their crowns. He it is that
removes the earth out of her place, Job 9.6. An earthquake makes the earth
tremble upon her pillars, but God can shake it out of its place. God can
with a word unpin the wheeles, and break the axle-tree of the creation. He
can suspend natural agents, stop the Lions mouth, cause the Sunne to stand
still, make the fire not burn; Xerxes the Persian Monarch threw fetters into
the sea, as it he would have chain'd up the unruly waters; but when God
commands, the windes and sea obey him*. [margin: *Mat.8.27.] If he speak
the word, an army of stars appeare, Judges 5.20. If he stamp his foot, an
Hoast of Angels are presently in Battalia, if he lift up an ensigne, and
doth but hisse, his very enemies shall be up in armes to re-[venge]
Page 80.
[re-]venge his quarrel*. [margin: *Isa.5.56] Who would provoke this God!
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God*, Heb.10.31.
[margin: *latin phrase] as a Lion he tears in pieces the adversaries,
Psalms 50.22. Oh meditate on this power of God.
The meditation of Gods power would be a great stay to faith. A Christians
faith may anchor safely upon the rock of Gods power. It was Sampsons
riddle, out of the strong came forth sweetness*, [margin: Judg.14.14.]
While we are meditating on the power of God, out of this strong comes forth
sweetnesse. Is the Church of God low? he can create Jerusalem a praise*:
[margin: Is.65.18.] Is thy corruption strong? God can break the head of
this Leviathian: Is the heart hard, is there a stone gotten there? God can
dissolve it. The Almighty makes my heart soft*; [margin: Job 23.16.]
Faith triumphs in the power of God: out of this strong comes forth
sweetnesse, Abrahams
Page 81.
meditating on Gods power, did not stagger through unbelief, Rom.4.20. He
knew God could make a dead womb fruitful, and dry breasts give suck.
5. [margin: 5. Meditate on the mercy of God.] Meditate upon the mercy of
God; mercy is an innate disposition in God to do good; as the Sun hath an
innate property to shine, Psalme 86.5. Thou Lord are good, and ready to
forgive, and plentious in mercy to all them that call upon thee. Gods mercy
is so sweet, that it makes all his other attributes sweet. Holinesse
without mercy, and Justice without mercy were dreadful. Geographers write
that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is curiously situated, that the Sunne is
never out of sight; thought the Children of God are under some clouds of
affliction, yet the Sun of mercy is never quite out of sight. Gods justice
reacheth to the clouds, his mercy reacheth above the clouds. How slow is
God to
G
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anger. He was longer in destroying Jericho, than in making the world. he
made the world in six days, but he was seven days in demolishing the walls
of Jericho. How many warning-pieces did God shout against Jerusalem, before
he shor off his murdering-piece? Justice goes a foot-pace, Gen. 18.24.
mercy hath wings*; [margin: *Psal.57.8] the sword of justice oft lies a
long time in the scabbard, and rusts, till sinne doth draw it out and whet
it against a Nation; Gods justice is like the widows oyle, which ran a
while, and ceased, I Kings 4.6. Gods mercy is like Aarons oyle, which
refted not his head, but ran down to the skirts of his garment, Psalm 133.2.
So the golden oyle of Gods mercy doth not rest upon the head of a good
parent, but is poured on his children, and so runnes down, to the third and
fourth generation, even the borders of a religious seed. Of-[ten]
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[Of-]ten meditate upon the mercy of God.
The meditation of mercy would be a powerful loadstone to draw sinners to God
by repentance*. [margin: *Rom.2.4] It would be as a cork to the net to
keep the heart from sinking in despaire; behold a City of refuge to flie to;
God is the Father of mercies, 2 Cor.1.3. mercy doth as naturally issue from
him, as the childe from the parent. God delights in mercy, Micah 7.18.
Chrysostome faith, 'tis delightful to the mother to have her breasts drawn;
and how delightful is it to God to have the breasts of mercy drawn; mercy
finds out the worst sinner, mercy comes not only with salvation in its hand,
but with healing under its wings.
The meditation of Gods mercy would melt a sinner into tears; One reading a
pardon sent him from the King, fell a weeping, and burst out into these
wods, A pardon hath done
G2
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that which death could not do, it hath made my heart relent.
6. Meditate upon the truth of God; [margin: 6. Meditate on the truth of
God.] mercy makes the promise, and truth performes it. Psal.89.33. I will
not suffer my faithfulness to faile. God can as well deny himself, as his
Word. He is abundant in trut, Exod.34.6. What is that? if God hath made a
promise of mercy to his people, he will be so far from coming short of his
Word, that he will be better than his Word. God often doth more than he
hath said, never lesse; he oft shoots beyond the mark of the promise he hath
set, never short of it. He is abundant in truth. God may sometimes delay a
promise, he will not deny it. The promise may lie a long time as seed hid
under ground, but it is all the while a ripening. The promise of Israels
deliverance lay four hundred and thirty yeares hid under-ground; but
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whent he time was come, the promise did not go a day beyond its reckoning.
Exod. 12.41. The [margin: Exo.12.41] strength of Israel will not lie, I
Sam. 15.29. Meditate on the truth of God.
The meditation of Gods truth would, I. Be a pillar of support for faith.
The world hangs upon Gods power, and faith hangs upon his truth. 2. The
meditation of Gods truth would make us ambitious to imitate him. We should
be true in our words, true in our dealings. Pythagoras, being askt*,
[margin: *latin phrase] what did make men like God, answered, When they
speake truth.
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