Of the Sabbath and Lord's Day

THERE now remains but one thing more to be added to what has been said concerning daily meditation, namely, the meditation relating to that eminent day of God, first the seventh day of the week, now in the New Testament times changed to, and called the first day of the week, and the Lord's Day.

1. As to rise,nature, ends and advantages of the Sabbath in the Old Testament, and the Lord's Day in the New, it is the best day ever the world saw, or shall be seen on this side heaven.

2. It was and is that day wherein the infinite glories and excellences of a God have shined brighter and warmer on the spirits of men than in any other day beside- namely, His infinite wisdom, power, love, goodness, mercy, and riches of free grace.

3. The Sabbath, as some judge, hat its rise so early as in Paradise, or when man was in state of innocence: it must then be of very great antiquity, and a rarity of great worth. And,

4. Then it must be that only holy day which man in state of innocenc had- possibly , if he had stood, should ever have had afterward. 

5. After the first institution it had the most glorious and tremendous promulgation and sanction, such a delivery and ratification, as no other law (except those that were spoken at the same time) ever had, namely, by God's so wonderful and most astonishing appearance on Mount Sinai, in the sight of six hundred thousand persons. There it was one of the then words spoken by God's own mouth, by God first spoken in the ears of all that so prepared and awakened numerous multitude, and after in the mount was written with the finger of God, written on the first table of stone, before the six commandments of the second table. This commandment thus written was with the others reserved in the golden ark or chest, made purposely by Moses from God's command to keep the tables, and then by God's appointment was to be preserved in the glorious tabernacle made by Moses, and there it was to be with highest honor preferred to be kept in the holy of holies.

6. Though some yield it not, yet a vast majority judge the Sabbath had its change from the seventh to the first day of the week by the Lord of the Sabbath, Christ Himself, or at least by His apostles from His authority.

7. However it be changed, yet it is looked upon as grounded on that so amazing part of our redemption, Christ's glorious resurrection on the third day after His passion.

8. The Sabbath formerly was the Old Testament church's fixed time to behold as in a mirror the glory of God the Creator, His eternal Godhead, power, wisdom, goodness, and most glorious excellences, in the so admirable frame of heaven and earth, and the so various and curious pieces in it, all most exquisitely wrought and finished. It was the peculiar time for setting up the ladder of the creatures by contemplation to climb from earth to heaven with. But now changed into the first day of the week, it is the Christian church's time for beholding, as in a mirror, the glory more peculiarly of God the Redeemer- now not in humiliation, but in His appearing and begun exaltation in the His glorious resurrection from the dead, that His concerned people might joy with highest an most heavenly rejoicing, for this rising of the Sun of righteousness, to be under the warmest and most vivifying beams of His infinite love.

9. Let me meditate of this day, as the time afforded for largest spiritual advantages, no day being so eminent for me and my soul as this day.

10. Let me meditate of this day as that happy season wherein the ordinances of Christ do run in fuller, higher, and stronger current. More is offered me on this great soul-mart day than on other common market-days, other weekday opportunities; it is the day whereby in some respects I have far better ordinances, the public; in communion with Christ, in the midst, among those that are gathered together in His name. And then by public I have better advantages for the private, to perform them better. Private duties having a better time and better helps, I must thereby be minded of my better performance.

11. It is the eminent day of meeting with God in His upper walks of more solemn ordinances.

12. The day of days for our best speaking with our God, and of highest familiarity with Him.

13. It is the great time of our hearing from God, and having Him most eminently speak to us. There are no hearings from God like this day's hearings, no such voice, no such efficacy can be expected as on this day.

14. It is the day wherein God sits out, and is most to be seen- the great day of seeing God's goings in the sanctuary, seeing His power and His glory, Psalm 63:2. No such day for this as the Lord's own day.

15. A day of feeding more on the "feast of fat things full of marrow," Isaiah 25:6. Of being brought into the King's banqueting-house, having the banner of Christ's love spread more amply over us than at other times, it being the day wherein the highest flamings-up of His unspeakable love appeared, in that He not only died, but rose again from the dead, without which all His other labor and sufferings had been lost, and our souls been lost also.

16. It is a day dropped down from heaven, may serve to give a taste of the Sabbath and day kept there, and to set a copy for us here to write after, in our holy restings and actings, attended with heavenly refreshings. God that made all things, when He had finished His work, He then rested on the seventh day, and with His example of resting, gave the precept of sanctifying the seventh-day to the church of the New Testament, as some think, which therefore they say is called the Lord's day, Revelation 1:10, as the ordinance of the supper is called the Lord's supper, as instituted by Him.

17. It is the day of resting the body from labor, or respiting the mind from worldly thoughts and cares, and of refreshing the spirit with heavenly manna, which rains down now on this day more plentifully, and with water of life, that runs more abundantly in the pure channels of holy ordinances.

18. Meditated on it should be, as the season of the best reciprocations, mutual actings between earth and heaven, wherein the soul has the advantage of acting higher and more vigorously, to glorify and please God, and wherein God commands the blessing more, and affords assistances more usually than or any other days, as experience proves.

19. It is a time to come from sweeter and fuller communion with God in Christ (whose blessed day it is), to come with our faces shining and hearts flaming, made better to be on earth, fitter to live in heaven: and hereupon,

20. To leave upon the spirit a more eager longing fully to enjoy the Lord of the Sabbath, and have time turned wholly into eternity.

These or such-like meditations may be suitable and quickening for improving the great opportunity of this day of Christ, and we cannot think too much or too seriously for this great occasion.


Nathanael Ranew
Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, pp. 80-83 

Rules About Meditation

Every Christian is to awake with God in the morning: as David when he awoke was ever with God, Psalm 139:18, at his awaking times in the night, by thinking of God; so chiefly when he awoke last, when the night was past, with all the dangers of it, and the day dawned, then the morning-star of meditation arose in his heart. The first work in the morning is to awake with God, and the noble thinking faculty, which upon awaking will instantly awake and begin to stir,  begin to act: let it be awakened into this sweet way of self-entertainment by engaging of it in holy meditation. Look we that the heart be first of all seasoned, sweetened, and perfumed with heavenly thoughts.

Begin with serious reflections upon the great goodness and tender mercies of God in our preservations from Satan's malice and mischiefs; what affrightments, in noises and appearances, in violence and harms, would he exercise, if he were let loose upon us! What other harms from wicked men, usually taking the advantage of the dark and still night, when all are at rest, besides harms from accidental occasions that we are liable to! There is also the great mercy of beds to lie on, rest without tossings, ease without torments, sleep without holding our eyes in awaking, having our sleep sweet, awaking with refreshing, having our formerly weary bodies and decayed spirits revived and cheered, and we ourselves under a new adaptation and fitness for the succeeding day's occasions. There should be also a stand and abode of thoughts upon anything in the night which is more signal and remarkable, that comes down from heaven as a brighter beam of favor to take the eye with, that is let down as a more peculiar hand to take up our thoughts to heaven by, that is sent as a more special love-token, stamped with more legible characters of the care and kindness of a God toward us.

When the night's past mercies have had some due reflections and musings, had a down-weight of improvement endeavored for warming and enlarging the heart toward our good God; if then it conveniently may be, nothing to the contrary interposing and that justly may hinder, the next thing then for the way of our thoughts should be to look forward to the day coming on, and the spiritual concernments of it; or if it then cannot at the present be, yet so soon as we can to set to and engage in this so useful meditation.

The more particular rules we may use for this daily meditation, are these following:

1. Meditation of setting up the master mark, the glorifying of the most high God.

2. Next unto it, meditation of eternal happiness in the enjoying of God.

3. Meditating then after it of the sure and adequate means for attaining them both.

And these are therefore to be meditated upon:

Meditating on, 1. Jesus Christ, the only way to the Father by His work of redemption.

Meditating on, 2. The Holy Spirit, the great applier of Christ and His redemption.

Meditating on, 3. The holy ordinances of God, the usual ways of the Spirit's coming to apply Christ by.

Meditating on, 4. The word of God, chiefly the promises of the gospel: these on God's part.

Meditating 5. On our part, by our use of the ordinances, and the word and promises, and that faith and holiness whereby we come to union and communion with God, glorify Him, and obtain salvation; faith as the instrument of receiving Christ, and both faith and holiness, or the graces of Christ, as our principles of life and power, to live unto God, and growing up to perfection against all opposition.

1. The first thing according to the rule of best wisdom, which lays the surest foundation in any course, is first to take into most serious consideration the supreme and chief end, and to act a fresh setting up before us that master mark and scope of the most high God, and the glorifying of Him, to be continued as we can through the whole course of the day.

Meditation of this glorifying God, for pure, lively, and highest advancings of it-- this is the soul's best operation, and runs most parallel to the perfect work of heaven. Heaven's higher acting is contemplation of the most blessed God, for the most transcendent exaltings of His glory: the rule of Scripture is to do all to the glory of God, 1 Corinthians 10:31. And this rule must therefore have its place and power here; therefore this daily meditation must take it in and set it up. It must be everyone's wisdom to bottom or day meditation, with the still eyeing of and aiming at the glorifying of the most high God. To begin with the fresh thoughts, and also the warmest frame of spirit, for furthering the supreme end, the glory of God, and with it, as fit to be annexed unto it, that which is wrapped up with it: our own eternal happiness.

In a watch, and diverse artificial motions, the evenness and expediteness of the motion is from evener or unevener, stronger or weaker drawing of the spring, the first mover. Thus is it in godliness, a Christian's motions are answerable to his eyeings more or less of the main end. Christians complain of their daily dead-heartedness and unevenness; it much arises from the so little or listless lockings at the main mark. Paul looked earnestly, and he pressed hard. In archery, those who eye the mark most earnestly and steadily hit the oftenest and fullest.. The wisest Christian is the most earnest, equal eyer of the main end. There be many particulars in this head, which according to prudence and leisure may have their seasons of ponderings.

The variety will produce delight, and set an edge upon the spirit, apt to grow heavy and weary. They are such as these: as the considerations of the most high God in all His infinite glories and perfections: His all-sufficiency, in His knowledge, wisdom, holiness, righteousness, and the rest but chiefly in His so infinite and unchangeable love, and riches of free grace: the infinite obligations eternally lying upon us, for glorifying and exalting of Him: the infinite excellences and fullness of the second Person, and His infinite love, in undertaking with His Father to redeem lost sinners: and the infinite love of the third Person, the Holy Spirit, the applier of redemption. Some most serious meditation of God, and glorifying Him, to give down into the heart a glowing heat and liveliness for all the following day is still fit in some measure to be practiced.

The next should be some serious musing on that next end, our own salvation and eternal happiness, further to be wrought out, to be our day labor, by the opportunity of a new begun day, a day which will bring us nearer to the ocean of eternity.


Nathanael Ranew
Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, pp. 61-64
 

Of the Ends of Meditation

MEDITATION we described to be an institution of Christ, and duty of a Christian, wherein the mind acts upon spiritual things, or other things in a spiritual manner, by a due considering of them, and this to holy ends or spiritual uses only. Now the ends of meditation are three:

      1. Such as refer to the Most High God.
      2. Such as respect ourselves.
      3. Such as relate to others.

1. Such as refer to the Most High God. Meditation is to be the motion of the heavenly spirit heavenward; to carry it up to heaven and keep it a time there: a looking of the eye of the mind, and a lifting up of the heart, a making a stay, and taking a spiritual solace in heaven with God.

All duties we perform must be done to the living God, "to serve the living God," Hebrews 9:14. If otherwise, our duties are but dead works, loathsome as dead carcasses. A living work must have for its supreme end the living God.
God, that is the first and best, must have the first aim and leveling to.

They say in philosophy, the last end must have the first intending, the first looking at, as the first ground and mover to any work. And as they say in optics in treating about the nature of seeing of objects, that which first irradiates sends forth that which through the medium first conveys itself to the eye: this is first visible, and that is light. The first thing the eye of meditation should fix upon is that which is the Light of lights, and that is God, Who is all light, beauty, and glory. Meditation should be chiefly acted to see God, and to aim at glorifying of God above all: "Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God," 1 Corinthians 10:31.

The Gentiles, wise men, and great philosophers, because their speculations were not acted to the glory of God, were vain imaginations: see Romans 1. 

Whatsoever the aim be, if the glory of God be not the real scope, nay, if it be not the master mark, the work is miscarried, and but a raveling out of time, a losing of labor. Meditation must make sure of the right method and order of aiming at the glory of God, like the sun in the heavens that outshines all other lights below and above, and that which is to be seen before, and above all others; so this must be eyed and aimed at likewise, far before all other.

Three things to be eyed:

      1. The infinite glories and resplendencies of the eternal and all-sufficient God;
      2. The infinite distances and heights he is in above us;
      3. The infinite obligations that ever lie upon us, to exalt Him beyond all.

As in the making of our whole man, whereby He is total owner of us and proprietor in us. And in our preserving, whereby we are yet more highly bound. And in the provision for our eternal happiness, which is far beyond all the former. 

Therefore there is an absolute necessity of this method and order, of still first aiming every duty and acting at this grand mark; and then to make it the striving and pressing hard of our spirits to it. Oh, that in my thinkings, in the ascendings of my thoughts, this glory of the great God may ever still ascend. For no thoughts nor actings can truly ascend if they go not up to the blessed God and this glroy of God: if God goes not up higher in our thinkings, they then go not higher than self, and which is but indeed downward, and not upward at all. Nay, it is a worse descent than that also: it is destruction and hell-ward whatsoever is self-ward and is not to the advancing of the great God. Meditation is not only to be acted to God as a duty, but as this duty, in its peculiarity and propriety, as being a peculiar straight line to God, as a singular way for our taking aim, this high aim, at exalting the praises of God.

Thus did that rare marksman, holy David, as it is admirably conspicuous in the Psalms. In Psalm 103:1-2, in the very entrance he lays a strict, a repeated command, upon his soul and all that is within him to bless, and bless, and praise God: yea, not only lays his meditation level to the mark, but raises up his spirit to take the purest, the fullest aim- this both by a selecting and improving of spiritual reasons, the strongest he could find, and the most quickening motives he could apply, all that his heart might carry up (in a heavenly fame) the highest praises of God. Thus you shall see him very frequently acting his meditation up with the greatest fervor to this exalting highly of God.

Meditation is a peculiar visit made to the great God- a mind, a thought visit, wherein, as to a great friend, the soul, as it were, comes and says to God, "Lord, I come to see you, I now come purposely to see you, to spend some fit portion of time with you, and I come for that high honor and observance I am infinitely obliged to tender to you." Every meditation is giving a fresh visit, and thereby a new tender of highest honor we owe to this best of friends.

The next end is our highly pleasing of God, which by meditation we are to intend. God will be both obeyed and pleased with our respecting and acting of every appointed way; meditation is the best way, the most pleasing, a due serious thinking, a pondering and dwelling of the thoughts upon heavenly things, and chiefly upon the infinite beauties and excellences of God, who is the perfect thought- and heart-knower, the exquisite searcher and observer of soul actings.. And then most, when purposely pleasing is designed: this must very highly please Him when we especially design pleasing, with our most wishly eyeings of Him, yea, to intend the doing our best to please Him; and this, oh, how should it greatly also please us! David, in Psalm 19:14, prays for pleasing God: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." So it is not only to be prayed for, but made the holy aim of meditation with our utmost care. What industries do the favorites to great princes use to please them, especially that their thoughts offered in counsels may be acceptable! Thus, how did Philotas act, who was the favorite of Alexander the Great; and Maecenas, the favorite of Augustus; and so diverse among ourselves! But how near goes it to them if their counsels please not! As with Ahithophel, when his counsel pleased not Absalom; and on the contrary with Hushai, when his counsel pleased. So when Haraan's counsel was rejected; and how contrary with Mordecai, when his counsels were adopted! Pleasing of a prince is a great encouragement, but pleasing of a God is a sweet soul contentment; it is most worthy striving after. Oh, how unspeakably sweet will the finding and feeling of this prove in your heart when meditation is performed purposely to please your God- when it runs in  pure stream, when your spirit, reflecting on its actings in meditating, makes discovery of this holy aim of high pleasing the Most High God! As the Scripture commands pleasing, the saints are peculiarly commended and greatly honored for it. As with wise and well-bred people (obliging and pleasing in good things), great pleasing is a great praise. As Abel, Enoch, and others, from this character of pleasing God. It is a heavenly ambition ti earnestly design pleasing; as in all others, so in this walking with God in meditation.


Nathanael Ranew 
Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation, pp. 38-41  

 

Meditation is a Dwelling of Thoughts

MEDITATION includes a dwelling of the thoughts upon the object, drawing out the golden thread of holy thinking to its due length, giving the mind its full scope and allowance of abode on the meditated matter. Meditation is, in Scripture, and often particularly in the book of Ecclesiastes, expressed by the phrase of "considering."

In consideration, there is: 
1. Application of the mind to an object;
2. Intention upon it;
3. Pondering of, or searching into it; And this,
4. thing, the dwelling of the thoughts for some due space of time, for viewing and reviewing, for second thoughts, bettering of thoughts, and better completing this great soul affair of meditation. This meditation needs must have that allowance that all great musings and considerings have. Such are rare artists, exquisite engineers, deep philosophers, and great statesmen, all noble and ingenious ways must have for their times of studyings: they must have their due space of time for thinking, and lengthen out their mindings in that time-- to make, as we say, no more haste than good speed. A staying awhile will make an end the sooner, make the work the surer.

Meditation is not a hasty hurry of thoughts: that is precipitation, not meditation. IT is not gathering half-ripe fruit, that which has not its time for the influence of heaven to come down upon it, and its own internal principle and power of its nature, to produce a kindly maturation, a kindly ripening. We will not have (for want of time) our bread dough-baked, or meat raw-roasted, knowing that what is not rightly prepared for the body may breed distempers, if it bring not death. It is not the way to thrive, look well, and be strong, lively, and cheerful: why should we gather our soul's precious fruits half-ripe? Feed our souls with dough-baked bread for want of a little time? Some things must have infusion for taking forth the spirits and tinctures of colors; others a due time for percolation and straining, for a separating of the finer parts from the feculent and dreggy; and some things a longer space, in a slow and constant fire in the operation, or the cost and labor is lost. Intentions for effecting things greatly beneficial and admirable are most freely allowed a larger proportion of time, both for frequencies and repetitions of musing seriously. But, oh, how too ordinarily do the best of saints fall short of the actings of rare artists in their higher operations, in their stands and abodes of thoughts for more curious observations, and intellectual satisfactions! Usually we are too hasty and eager to have duties over. The soul is in pain till it be delivered of them. In meditation it is hard (sometimes at least) to take off the thoughts for it from pre-engagements of other thinking, and apply them to the duty; but harder to become duly serious in acting in it; harder yet to dive and ponder; and hardest of all to hold up an abiding of thoughts and dwell long enough, and after views to make reviews, to react the same thinkings, to taste things over and over when the freshness and newness is past, when by long thinking the things before us seem old: we are ready to grow dead and flat in a performance, except we stir up ourselves often in ti. It is hard to hold on and hold up unless we hold up a wakeful eye, a warm affection, a strong and quick-repeated resolution; yea, and without often lifting up the soul to Christ, for fresh recruits of strength to hold on. David, that so excellent artist in this way, says he will meditate, often says he will. See Psalm 119. Doubtless he not only said I will, when he was to make his entrance into this hard work; but likewise for continuance in it, to keep up his heart from flagging, till he well ended his work. It is not the digging into the golden mine, but the digging long, that finds and fetches up the treasure. It is not the diving into the sea, but staying longer, that gets the greater quantities of pearls. To draw out the golden thread of meditation to its due length, till the spiritual ends be attained- this is rare and happy attainment.


Nathanael Ranew
Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, pp. 28-29

Meditation Must Be a Searching and Scanning

THIS meditation, besides application of the mind to the object, and intention or seriousness on it, includes a searching and scanning, or diving deep, an extension of thoughts, a looking about or endeavor of comprehensiveness in respect of the object, so far as we can. To make as perfect and full a view of it, and to see into the dimensions and extents of that we think on. Thus when a man studies a thing, he endeavors an extensive and a comprehensive seeing and having the fullest view. He sets it not before him to see a little, but the most he can.

In pondering, there is both first the mind's applying itself to a thing, and the intending its acting, and then this third, of an acting, of searching and diving into it, or knowing what we can of it.

"Pondering" is an expression taken from goldsmiths and tradesmen, that desire to know the full weight of a thing and thereby the value or worth for their profit and use. Thus the merchant weighs his merchandise, the goldsmith weighs his silver and gold, the jeweler weighs his rich pearls, rubies, and diamonds, to know them more exactly. There is exceeding great weight and worth in heavenly and spiritual things. Meditation must hold the scales to weigh, so well as we can, these so rich and precious things, these diamonds, and pearls of heavenly treasure- yea, weigh them as things that unspeakably surmount all other things. As Proverbs 2:4, Wisdom must have a searching for as for hid treasures: as the searching for and searching in the gold and silver mines, in which there is not only great earnestness of search, till the rich vein is discovered, but being once found, there is a following it with exactest industry, and utmost curiosity, to find not a part or quantity of the treasure, but all the riches scattered over the whole mine, part after part. A Christian in his exercise of meditation must act the part of the exquisite miner, to dig deep, dig over all the mine, and gather up the riches of it, the lesser and greater quantities, as they come to view, in the mines of spiritual treasure. Travelers tell us that in the Persian, at a certain season of the year, great store of a kind of shell-fish is to be found near the shore, in which shell-fish they find the precious pearls bred in their shells. But the way of finding them is by diving: there are men that have an art of diving down to the bottom of the sea and bringing up their baskets filled with these shell-fish; the shells being opened, they find and take out the orient and rich pearls, of several proportions, some of them very great and rich; whereby they greatly enrich themselves and those that deal in them. Meditation is the spiritual merchant's art of trading for heavenly riches, pearls of great price; but there must be a diving deep. If we have not this art of diving, we shall lose the rich pearls: the deepest diving down in the practice of meditation comes up with the greatest returns of soul enrichments.

Solomon,  in Ecclesiastes 7:25, has a very emphatical expression to hold forth this we are upon: our translation has it, "I applied my heart," but the Hebrew has it, "I compassed," and "My heart that is compassed" to search and seek out wisdom-- or, "I and my heart compassed," so in the margin we have it There is coming upon a thing, and a compassing a thing; the heart in meditating is to compass in a thing as well as it can. They say in philosophy that wisdom lies in perspection, introspection, and prospection-- that is, in viewing thoroughly all over, viewing inwardly, and viewing what may be eventually, what may be the issues of things: it pries into a thing, and looks round about a thing; makes the mind endeavor an extensive and comprehensive knowing, as was said. Meditation in spiritual things should be like Nehemiah when he came to Jerusalem, and would go view it; he went and viewed first one part, and then another, till he had gone round. So meditation looks largely-- views what it can take in and consider.

As God took Moses to the top of Mount Nebo, showed him all the land of promise, part after part round, Deuteronomy 34:1, thus when we go up this mount of meditation, we must search, view, look round, take in as large a prospect as we can.


Nathanael Ranew
Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, pp. 26-28

Of the Requisites in Meditation

There are three things I shall mention as the requisites for holy meditation as a duty:

1. What I call a foundation, or preparative to it.

2. Those things that are for the forming and framing it as to the parts and proportions.

3. The things that finish it up.


1. As to the foundation, or preparative to it, this must be laid above in heaven by the dispositive or preparative work of fervent prayer. The foundation of this soul affair ,must be, as a learned man says of the foundation of the world: The foundation of the world, he says, is the third heaven which is of a "constant, incorruptible nature, of no preexistent principles, and so not liable, as other things are, to corruption and resolution; and which, as to the convex or outward superficies, or the highest part, is only bounded or terminated by its own limits, or terms of essence and quantity; but in its concave or hollow superficies, or the lowest part, contains all inferior things, and is fixed immovable." If the foundation of the great world is laid by the third heaven, the foundation of this great work of holy meditation must be laid in heaven, laid by the soul's strong mounting up thither and fixing itself there by fervent prayer, as the great preparative to this meditation. Fervent prayer: the word in Hebrew used for meditation signifies also prayer-- prayer and meditation being so near akin, and the one helping mutually the other.

(1.) To begin with a bringing the soul into the glorious and tremendous presence of the great God, and under His so pure and all-seeing eye.

(2.) To act the soul, and lay it as it were to steep in self-abasings and humblings for its former miscarriages and failings in, and present unfitness and indisposedness for, what is now undertaking.

(3.) To exercise fresh self-denyings as to any sufficiency of ability to perform any thing therein acceptably and profitably.

(4.) To act vigorous and strong recumbencies on Jesus Christ, for both His teachings and touchings of our spirits, and up holdings likewise in the work.

(5.) To procure and beget a warm temper in us, such as may make the  heart to glow all over in the duty.


2. As to the forming of the duty in the parts and particulars of it:

(1.) It must be founded on, and rise from, the spring and great principle of motion and action, which is the will, in a both free choice and firm purpose. a reservedness and rooted purpose: thus David, "I will meditate in your statutes," and "I will meditate in your precepts," Psalm 119, 48. The evil heart says, I will not meditate; Satan says (so far as he can hinder), You shall not; and the profane world says, You need not. But the holy heart says, I will meditate. This is my free and firm purpose, and nothing, by Christ's assistance, shall divert me.

The philosopher says that in every virtuous action there must be a choice of will; it must come free from the spring of the will and run in resolution, otherwise it is not a virtuous action.

The Scriptures, for all religious actings, call for willingness: "Your people shall be willing in the day of your power," Psalm 110:8--- or, as it is in the Hebrew, "a people of willingness, your people," --- and in diverse places call for readiness in what we perform to God. No work in the world can challenge such an intense degree of readiness and freeness as Christ's work, and such ways as have a clear and lively stamp of His royal will and command. No higher character is given in Scripture of real godliness than freest choice of will and readiness. To choose the good part, Luke 10:42; to choose the things that please God, Isaiah 56:4; and as in abundance of places is to be seen.

A carnal heart acts from carnal wisdom and self-interest, of from passion and self-biasing affection, but not from pure freeness and deliberate choice of will. This is not the spring of his duties, as it is in a good and holy heart. A good heart acts from purpose, a well and deep-set purpose: with purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord, Acts 11:23; and Psalm 119:106, "I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep your righteous judgments." So the will, for holy duties, must put forth in purposes, firm purposes, varieties of fresh purposes; act all the still needful and conducing purposes, any duty in any respect calls for. There are many rare and rich attendants and properties, ingredients and excellencies, divine and heavenly beauties, appertaining to holy duties, which the will must intend and make its free, firm choice of, which the purposes of the will must lie level to and make after, as the proper and proportionate marks of higher tendencies.


WHAT THE WILL MUST INTEND IN MEDITATION

I shall name five particulars; there must be:

1. An aim and firm purpose to make the duty a right work, to make sure it be made true.

2. A free and full purpose of a wise work, to have it a work of spiritual wisdom.

3. A firm purpose for a vigorous and spirited performing.

4. A strong purpose of watching and earnest striving against all diversions and interruptions.

5. In a firm purpose of utmost endeavour of success and having the right and kindly end and fruit of the duty.


1. A right work. The will's purpose and intendment must be to make the duty of meditation a right work- to make sure it be made true and sincere, John 4:24. Not a carcass, not a painted piece, without soul and substance, a formality without power. Not a mere work performed, as it were to flatter God, who looks for a duty, as they in Psalm 78:36-37 are said to flatter God with their lips, but their heart was not right with Him. We are ready to flatter Him with our modes of meditation and fashions of thinkings, with our formalities, without realities and truth and the work's being sincere. It must not be a flattering of God but a true pleasing Him, from being true itself. It must not be a work daubed over with the untempered mortar of our own heart's self-deceitfulness, setting up a thing to show like it, and be something near it only, and putting thereby a cheat upon ourselves. Nor must it be a thing only to stop the mouth of our consciences, keep them from calling on and challenging of us; but we must design it strongly and firmly, to purpose, through God, to proffer to and please Him with a sincere work. "walk before Me, and be perfect," Genesis 17:1/. This must be understood, certainly, of every walk and path we go in: not a walk in some one way, or diverse, and not all; but in every walking sincerity must be a property, a qualification designed and firmly resolved; and we must not be satisfied unless it be right meditating, such as Scriptures requires, and saints in Scripture practiced; yea, that they told God Himself that they performed, Psalm 119:23. And doubtless David dared not tell the heart-searching God he meditated if he had done it formally and hypocritically, and not been sincere and upright in it.

2. The intendment of the will must be for the making this duty a wise work, to make it a work of spiritual wisdom. The apostle, in Ephesians 5:17, says, "Be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." And in 2 Timothy 3:15, there is mention of wisdom to salvation, and in Proverbs 9:12, wisdom is called on for ourselves.

(1.) Wise in respect of God. Certainly, as Solomon did things of great excellence to show himself very wise, so when the most high God's honour is concerned, and when He will be present at our performances and comes as it were purposely to them, shall we present Him with any foolish piece- not design a wise work, and not be seen acting wisely?

(2.) Wise in reference to ourselves. Should we not also strongly purpose to make this duty a wise work, a work for sure wisdom for ourselves, and lay it fully level to the grand mark of eternal salvation for ourselves? Solomon, in Proverbs 17:21, says, "The father of a fool has no joy" So the parent of a foolish acting will have no joy; it is the godly, prudent acting, whose fruit is peace, and which issues in heavenly joy. Oh, how sweet and comfortable is that duty, in which we have acted up to the rule of sound wisdom!

(3.) A spirited and lively work. There must be a firm and strong purpose and ntendment for a vigorous and spirited, a lively and warm, work. "Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord," Romans 12:11. in every duty we must have a purpose of striking fire, of making the heart burning hot: it must not be lukewarm, in an indifference that is but lazy; nor blood-warm, that is but low; but the soul's purpose and design must be for the highest heat and fervency, the greatest vigour and activity. As artists in some high operations, seek for the hottest fire.

As warmest preaching and warmest hearing, as the disciples' hearts burned within them when Christ opened the Scriptures, Luke 24:32; and so warmest reading and warmest meditating. In David's heart, while he mused the fire burned, Psalm 39:3. So when we meditate, we should intend a warm work, to be very warm at the heart.

4. A striving against all lets. In a strong purpose of earnest striving against all lets and interruptions. The whole work of a Christian here must not only be vigorous and sedulous, but striving and contentious. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," Luke 13:24. Every single and particular duty must bear a part of striving to enter in at the strait gate; for this is to be applied to every particular duty, though Christ speaks only in general, bidding us strive.

     Two things make up the notion of striving:
   
    (1.) Intention and earnestness.

    (2.) Contention against opposition. When a man strives, he acts earnestly; and when he strives after or for a thing, he strives also with that which is against him. Striving is against something that lets or opposes. In all soul work, and peculiarly in this of meditation, the throng of difficulties is great, the oppositions are many; therefore the purposes and resolutions of heart must be strong and high. None ever carry on their work well who are not first well resolved, and still renew and link one firm purpose to another, to hold on their course to the last.

5. A purpose for the kindly issuing of meditation. The will must purpose firmly to endeavour still the kindly issue and success of the duty. Look, says the apostle, you lose not the things wrought, 2 John 8. Who would set up at the labor in vain? Christ's sweet promise is, "The seed of the blessed of the Lord shall not labor in vain," Isaiah 65:23. The way, among others, of having it performed is by grounding our endeavours in strong and rooted resolutions for that running and pressing on, and looking after our duties doing; until the work winds up and issues in the spiritual ends, in the sweet success it is appointed unto, such as increase of holiness and grace, and improvement of communion with God. Success sets the crown on the head of the work: resolve to get the crown still set on the head of every duty, that it may shine in the glory of success.

These are the five special branches this root of resolution should put forth; these, as so many precious corner-stones, should lie at the bottom of this building, the better to bear it up. These should be as so many great arteries branching forth from the heart, to convey vital spirits into the body of this heavenly duty of meditation, and keep it alive, and warm, and improvingly active.


Nathanael Ranew
Solitude Improved By Divine Meditation, Chapters 4 and 5

 

Improving Solitude by Divine Meditation

A pious heart has three happy was of self-entertainment in solitary, three rare ways of being least alone when most alone. 

The first way of self-entertainment is the ordinance of reading and searching the Holy Scriptures, the pure, perfect, and infallible word and will of Christ concerning us. There Christ has prepared His rich feast of fat things full of marrow, and His royal banquet of heavenly truths. There He sets forth the great varieties of sure directions, precious promises, high examples, rare experiences, and the help of all His holy ordinances, to feed and satiate the hungry and thirsty spirit.

The second way of self-entertainment is divine meditation, by either pondering of spiritual things, for improving knowledge and exciting practice, or by a weighing all other things whatever, for reducing them to a spiritual end and use.

The third way of self-entertainment is private praying, such as is both founded on and bounded by Christ's will in His word; such as is both prepared and assisted, made wise and warm, by serious meditation.

Meditation stands between the two ordinances of reading and praying as the grand improver of the former and the high quickener of the latter, to furnish the mind with choice materials for prayer, and to fill the heart with holy fervency in it.

Natural philosophers observe that to uphold and accommodate bodily life, there are diverse sorts of faculties communicated, and these among the rese 
1. An attractive faculty, to assume and draw in the food.
2. A retentive faculty, to keep it, being taken in.
3. An assimilating faculty, to concoct the nourishment.
4. An augmenting faculty, for drawing to perfection.

1. Meditation is as the attractive faculty, to help to assume and take in spiritual food. This it does by helping to act judgment, wisdom, and faith, to ponder, discern, and credit the things which reading and hearing supply and furnish.

2. It is like the retaining faculty, by assisting and corroborating the memory, helping to lock up the jewels of divine truths sure in that treasury. Meditation makes a rational memory of things, which is the surest. There is in man a sensitive memory, in which he participates with sensitive natures such as beasts; they have a kind of memory. There is also an intellectual or rational memory, wherein man partakes of the like nature with angels; they have their faculty of memory. Meditation superadds to the sensitive memory the help also of a rational memory, whereby spiritual things are secured as under double lock: what we rationally remember is best remembered.

3. It is like the assimilating or digesting power, by helping to concoct spiritual food and turn it into spiritual nourishment. This it helps to effect by being instrumental to work things more powerfully on the will, in a free choice, firm purpose, and ready obedience of the excellent truths of Christ; and likewise by working on and into the affections of love, joy, and the rest, to cleave unto and be inflamed toward the things of Christ. A spiritual digestion is not by head work, but heart work, when the will deliberately and resolvedly chooses, and the affections earnestly embrace heavenly things. Meditation highly conduces to this spiritual digestion by its pondering, proposing, and edging efficaciously such reasons and incentives as work the heart into compliance and obedience.

It is like lastly, the augmenting and growing faculty, to help the good heart to grow better and shoot up higher heavenward. The true Christian must grow all this lifetime. Natural things grow by new assumed nourishment, acted upon by the inward growing power. The real godly man has an inward growing power, implanted by the new life given to him- but this, as by other means, so by frequent meditation is much assisted and carried on. Meditation waters and cherishes the plants of heavenly graces. It helps them to root deeper, shoot higher, and grow stronger. Such Christians as meditate most will grow most, be growing to the end.

What in all Christianity is there that meditation is not a furtherance to? 
That saying is excellent, worthy of duest weighing: "The meditating mind is the beginner of all goodness." On a sinner's part, it is the rise of his initial returning to God, of his first converting. In the saints and persons converted, it is their way to progressive converting and renewed repentance, Ezekiel 18:28. "I considered my ways, and turned my feet unto Your testimonies," Psalm 119:59. The more consideration, the more conversion. The great inlet of man's first apostasy (besides infidelity and pride) was his incogitance. Our first parents lost all for want of due thinking-- not want of acting imagination, or any thinking, that could not be-- but for want of that consideration which should have been. They did not consider all things to be considered.

The overflowings of impiety, aggravated by impenitence, and men's rushings into sin so eagerly and boldly have been greatly from want of consideration. "No man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turned to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle," Jeremiah 8:6. Their not-returnings were from neglect of self-reflectings. In any nation, when God intends to work great returnings, He stirs up that people to self-bethinkings: "If they shall bethink themselves," 1 Kings 8:47. He reminds them of considering to bring them to returning. So a particular person, when he first comes in to God, he comes first to himself, and that is by consideration and self-bethinking, as the prodigal, Luke 15:17.

In natures rational, the first mover is the mind, by consideration; in grace, the first moves is the mind, by holy meditation. The Christian that would set all the wheels of the soul going and improve-- that would do great things and have great attainments, great things effected on the heart and in the life, much light and wisdom, much warmth and fervor, high resolution and courage, large proficiency in godliness--must be much in meditation.

The greatest scholars in the world have not been only great readers, but great students in musing and pondering. The most eminent saints in all ages have been this way excellent: as Job, David, Solomon, and others in the Scriptures; as Cyprian, Ambrose, Augustine, and other saints in succeeding ages...

The present age is full of books: there are books too many, and yet too few. Knowledge and wisdom will never in this world be perfect, yet we must ever tend to perfection and press hard to the mark.



Nathaniel Ranew
Excerpted from the Introduction to Solitude Improved by Divine Meditations