Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
— Psalm 1:1-2
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
— 1 Timothy 4:15
I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
— Psalm 77:12
The Excellency of Meditation, by Thomas Watson. The following contains Chapters Sixteen and Seventeen of his work, “A Christian on the Mount.”
XVI. Aristotle places felicity, in the contemplation of the mind. Meditation is highly commended by Augustine, Chrysostom, and Cyprian—as the nursery of piety. Hierom calls it his Paradise. With what words shall I set it forth? Other duties have done excellently—but “you excel them all.” Meditation is a friend to all the graces, it helps to water the plantation. I may call it in Basil’s expression, the treasury where all the graces are locked up; and with Theophylact, the very gate and portal by which we enter into glory. By meditation the spirits are raised and heightened to a kind of angelic frame. Meditation sweetly puts us in heaven, before we arrive there. Meditation brings God and the soul together, 1 John 3:2.
Meditation is the saints’ looking glass, by which they see things invisible. Meditation is the golden ladder by which they ascend to paradise. Meditation is the spy they send abroad to search the land of promise, and it brings a cluster of the grapes of Eshcol with it. Meditation is the dove they send out, and it brings an olive branch of peace in its mouth. But who can tell how sweet honey is, save they that taste it? The excellency of meditation I leave to experienced Christians, who will say the comfort of it may be better felt than expressed. To excite all to this so useful, excellent (I had almost said angelic) duty, let me lay down some divine motives to meditation; and how glad would I be, if I might revive this duty among Christians.
XVII. Divine MOTIVES to Meditation.
1. Meditation manifests what a man really is. By this he may take a measure of his heart, whether it be good or bad. Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart—so he is.” As the meditation is—such is the man. Meditation is the touchstone of a Christian, it shows what metal he is made of. Meditation is a spiritual index. The index shows what is in the book—so meditation shows what is in the heart. If all a man’s meditations are how he may get power against sin, how he may grow in grace, how he may have more communion with God; this shows what is in his heart—the frame of his heart is spiritual. By the beating of this pulse, judge of the health of your soul. It is made the character of a godly man—that he fears God, “and thinks on his name,” Mal. 3:17. As are the thoughts—such is the heart.
But the thoughts of the ungodly are taken up with pride and lust. “Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,” Isa, 59:7. When vain sinful thoughts come, ungodly men make much of them, they make room for them, they shall eat and lodge with them. But if a good thought happens to come into their mind, it is soon turned out of doors, as an unwelcome guest; this argues much unsoundness of heart. Let this provoke to holy meditation.
2. The thoughts of God, as they bring delight with them—so they leave peace behind them. Those are the best hours which are spent with God. Conscience, as the bee, gives honey. It will not grieve us when we come to die—that we have spent our time in holy soliloquies and meditations. But what honor will the sinner have, when he shall ask conscience the question as Joram did Jehu, 2 Kings 9:22, “Is it peace, conscience, is it peace?” And conscience shall say as Jehu, “What peace, as long as the whoredoms of your mother Jezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many?” Oh how sad will it be with a man at such a time? Christians, as you desire peace, “meditate in God’s law day and night.”
This duty of meditation being neglected, the heart will run wild, it will not be a vineyard—but a wilderness.
3. Meditation keeps the heart in a good spiritual health. It plucks up the weeds of sin, it prunes the wasteful branches, it waters the flowers of grace, it sweeps all the walks in the heart, that Christ may walk there with delight. For lack of holy meditation, the heart lies like the sluggard’s field, Proverbs 24:31, all overgrown with thorns and briars—with unclean, earthly thoughts. It is rather the devil’s hog stye, than Christ’s garden. It is like a house fallen to ruin, fit only for unclean spirits to inhabit.
4. The fruitlessness of all worldly meditations. One man lays out his thoughts about laying up money; his meditations are how to raise himself in the world, and when he has arrived at an estate, often God blows upon it, Hag. 1:9. His care is for his child, and perhaps God takes it away, or if it lives, it proves a cross. Another meditates how to satisfy his ambition, “Honor me before the people,” 1 Sam. 15:30. Alas, what is honor—but a meteor in the air; a torch lighted by the breath of people, with the least puff blown out! How many live to see their names buried before them? When this sun is in its meridian splendor—it soon sets in a cloud.
Thus fruitless are those meditations which do not center upon God. It is but to carry dust against the wind. But especially at death; then a man sees all those thoughts which were not spent upon God, to be fruitless, Psalm 146:4. “In that very day his thoughts perish.” I may allude to it in this sense—all worldly, vain thoughts, in that day of death perish, and come to nothing! What good will the whole globe of the world do at such a time? Those who have reveled out their thoughts in impertinences, will but be the more disquieted; it will cut them to the heart, to think how they have spun a fool’s thread!
A Scythian captain having, for a draught of water, yielded up the city, cried out, “What have I lost!” So will it be with that man when he comes to die, who has spent all his meditations upon the world; he will say, “What have I lost! I have lost heaven, I have betrayed my soul!” And should not the consideration of this fix our minds upon the thoughts of God and glory? All other meditations are fruitless; like a piece of ground which has much cost laid out upon it—but it yields no crop.
5. Holy meditation is never lost. God has a pen to write down all our good thoughts, Mal. 3:5. “A book of remembrance was written for those who thought upon his name.” God has all our meditations written in his book. God pens our closet devotion.
6. See the blessedness affixed to the meditating Christian.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2. Say not it is hard to meditate. It brings much blessedness. Lycurgus could draw the Lacedemonians to do anything, by giving them rewards. If ungodly men can meditate with delight on that which will make them cursed; shall not we meditate on that which will make us blessed? nay, in the Hebrew it is in the plural, blessednesses, we shall have one blessedness upon another.
7. Delightful meditation in God’s law is the best way for a man to prosper in his estate. Josh. 1:8. “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth—but you shall meditate therein; for then shall you make your way prosperous.” I leave this to their consideration who are desirous to thrive in the world; and let this serve for a motive to meditation.
The next thing remaining, is to lay down some rules about meditation.
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