The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...

SECT. II.* 1.1

THe duty which I press upon thee so earnestly, I shall now de••scribe and open to thee: for I suppose by this time thou art ready to enquire What is this so highly extolled work?* 1.2 Why, it

is, The set and solemn acting of all the powers of thy soul upon this most perfect object [Rest] by Meditation.

I will a little more fully explain the meaning of this description, that so the duty may lye plaine before thee. 1. The general title that I give to this duty is [Meditation] Not as it is precisely distinguish∣ed from Cogitation, Consideration and Contemplation, but as it is taken in the larger and usual sense, for Cogitation on things spiritu∣al, and so comprehending consideration and contemplation.

That Meditation is a duty of Gods ordaining, not only in his written Law, but also in nature it self, I never met with the man that would deny: But that it is a duty constantly and conscionably practised even by the godly, so far as my acquaintance extends, I must, with sorrow, deny it: It is in word confessed to be a Duty by all, but by the constant neglect denyed by most. And (I know not by what fatal customary security it comes to passe, that) men that are very tender conscienc't towards most other duties, yet do as easily overslip this, as if they knew it not to be a duty at all: They that are presently troubled in minde, if they omit but a Sermon, a Fast, a Prayer in publique or private, yet were never troubled that they have omitted Meditation perhaps all their life time to this very day: Though it be that duty by which all other duties are im∣proved, and by which the soul digesteth Truths, and draweth forth their strength for its nourishment and refreshing. Certainly I think, that as a man is but half an hour in chewing and taking into his stomack, that meat which he must have seven or eight hours at least to digest;; so a man may take into his understanding and memory more Truth in one hour, then he is able well to digest in many. A man may eat too much, but he cannot digest too well: Therefore God commandeth Joshua, That the book of the Law depart not out of his mouth, but that he Meditate therein day and night, that he may observe to do according to that which is written therein, Josh. 1.8. As Digestion is the turning of the raw food into chyle, and blood, and spirits, and flesh: So Meditation right∣ly mannaged, turneth the Truths received and remembred, into warm affection, raised resolution, and holy and upright conversa∣tion. Therefore what good those men are like to get by Ser∣mons or providences, who are unacquainted with, and unaccustom∣ed to this work of Meditation, you may easily judge. And why so much preaching is lost among us, and professors can run from Ser∣mon

to Sermon, and are never weary of hearing or reading, and yet have such languishing starved souls; I know no truer nor greater cause, then their ignorance, and unconscionable neglect of Meditation. If a man have the Lientery, that his meat pass from him as he took it in; or if he vomit it up as fast as he eates it, what strength and vigor of body and senses is this man like to have? Indeed he may well eat more then a sounder man, and the small abode that it makes in the stomack, may refresh it at the present, and help to draw it out a lingering, lan∣guishing, uncomfortable, unprofitable life: And so do our hear∣ers that have this disease; perhaps they hear more then otherwise they needed; and the clear discovery and lively delivery of the Truth of God, may warm and refresh them a little, while they are hearing, and perhaps an hour or two after; and it may be it may linger out their Grace, in a languishing, uncomfortable, unprofit∣able life: But if they did hear one hour and meditate seven, if they did as constantly digest their Sermons as they hear them, and not take in one Sermon before the former is well concocted, they would finde another kinde of benefit by Sermons, then the ordina∣ry sort of the forwardest Christians do. I know many carnal persons do make this an Argument against frequent preaching and hearing, who do it meerly from a lothing of the word, and know far less how to Meditate, then they know how understandingly to hear: Only they pretend Meditation against often hearing, because that beeing a duty of the minde, you cannot so easily discern their o∣mission of it. These are sick of the Anorexia and Apepsy, they have neither appetite nor digeston: the other of the Boulimos, they have appetite, but no digestion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 2.
• * 1.2

  Description.