A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.

CAP. XVI.

Containing answeres vnto diuers obiections made against this exercise of Meditation.

§. Sect. 1 The obiection of difficulty acknowledged and answered.

ANd thus I haue spoken more largely of the profit & necessity of this holy exercise, then some, perhaps, will think either ne∣cessary or profitable; because I well knew how auerse & back∣ward our corrupt nature is vnto it. In which regard, we no more need to be instructed in the knowledge of it, how we may doe it aright, then strong motiues & inducements to inforce the pra∣ctice of that we know. For when our iudgmēts are inlightened in the right vse of this exercise, we are still ready to frame excuses, to blind and delude our reason, and to stop the cry of our consciences, when they accuse vs for the neglect of so necessary a duty; and euen when wee are ready to goe about it, our sloth and security pretendeth such necessary impediments, and casteth such stumbling blockes in our way, that wee are discouraged from proceeding in it. As first, we are ready to alleadge, that it is a matter of great difficulty for vs that are in the world, to sequester our mindes wholly from worldly things, that they may be wholly taken vp with those which are spirituall and heauenly, and are so farre out of the reach of our naturall abilities. And surely it cannot be denied, but that this duty, as all other things excellent, is hardly atchieued; for being but children in knowledge, and weakelings in grace, it is no more easie to attend any seri∣ous exercises, profitable for our soules health, then it is for boyes to banish out of their mindes childish vanities, and to apply themselues wholly to their studies, that they may get learning, and become good schollers. But this must not make vs to neglect this exercise, but considering how excel∣lent, profitable, and necessary it is, we must be so much the more earnest in our resolutions, and diligent in our indeuours, to set our selues seri∣ously about it, by how much it appeareth to be of greater difficulty. To which purpose, let vs know, that as children finde most discouragements, and greatest difficultie in attaining to learning in their first entrance, but afterwards, when they are come to some proficiency, finde it more easie, and tasting the sweetnesse of it, goe on in their studies, with cheerefulnesse and delight: so the greatest difficulty is in the first beginnings of this holy exercise; seeing vse and practice will make it easie and familiar; and the sweetnesse which we shall find in it to our spirituall taste, and the fruit and benefit which we shall reape by it, richly recompencing all our labour, will take away all tediousnesse, and make vs to performe it with all cheereful∣nesse. And as those which haue beene trained vp in the delightfull studies of Poetry, Philosophy, and History, in the Vniuersities, can hardly apply themselues to the study of the Law, yet doe at the first bend, and euen in∣force their minds to it, being incouraged with golden hopes, and after∣wards comming to practice, proceed with delight, when they become sensible of the gaine; so our mindes, hauing beene inured to wander about earthly things, which are most pleasing to our carnall appetite, can hard∣ly apply themselues to spirituall and heauenly Meditations, which are

harsh and vnpleasant to our corrupt nature; but euen then we must with an holy violence bend our minds vnto them, being incouraged with our more then golden hopes; and then without doubt, when we haue made some good proceedings in our spirituall practice, the sensible sweetnesse which we shall rellish in it, and the manifold benefits, and plentifull fruits which wee shall reape by this exercise, will incourage vs to proceed in it with much comfort and delight.

§. Sect. 2 The obiection of naturall want and weakenesses in performing this exercise answered.

Secondly, we are apt to pretend our naturall weakenesse and imbecil∣lity to performe so high and hard a duty, as the ignorance of our mindes, the auersenesse of our hearts, the coldnesse of our zeale, deuotion, and such like. But these wants and inabilities should not discourage vs from this exercise, but mooue vs to vse it so much the rather, because it is a chiefe meanes ordained of God to increase our strength, and to bring vs to more perfection. We doe not, because we are weake and sickly in our bodies, abstaine altogether from food and Physicke, but the rather vse them, that we may recouer our health and strength. Yea, when our appetite is small, we force our selues, that by eating a little at once, we may get a stomake. We doe not shut the windowes, because the house is darke, and wee dim∣sighted; but are ready the sooner to open them, to let in the light, of which we stand in need more then others, in respect of our naturall defects, that we may the better dispatch our businesse; and the colder wee feele our selues, the more necessary we thinke it to come vnto the fire, or to vse some exercise, that we may recouer our naturall heate. And so in like manner, the sight of these defects should not hinder vs from this exercise; seeing it is the meanes to inlighten our mindes with more knowledge, to get spi∣rituall health and strength, whereby wee may be inabled to performe this and all other good duties daily in more perfection; and to warme our cold and frozen hearts, that we may performe seruice vnto God, with more heate of godly zeale and feruour of deuotion. Besides, though we be not able of our selues, so much as to thinke a good thought, yet if in obedience to God we vse this his holy Ordinance, he will inable vs vnto it, being all∣sufficient to make vs both to thinke and do whatsoeuer he requireth at our hands.

§. Sect. 3 Their obiecti∣on answered, who pretend want of matter to meditate vpon.

Thirdly, we are ready to obiect want of matter to meditate vpon, and that we are so barren in our inuention, that the fire of our deuotion is rea∣dy to goe out as soone as it is kindled, for want of this fuell to nourish and preserue it. But this is to excuse one negligence with another, seeing the Lord hath set before vs, and euen put into our hands the large Volume of his Creatures, and the Booke of holy Scriptures, in both which, there is abundant matter of Meditation, if we had but the hearts to view and reade them; besides, the consideration of our owne misery, our manifold sinnes and corruptions, wants and imperfections, Gods manifold mercies, and innumerable blessings vouchsafed vnto vs, the administration of his iudge∣ments, and such like, of which I shall haue occasion to speake more heere∣after. And therefore there being no want of good seed, we haue no cause to complaine of any thing but the barrennesse of our hearts, and their auersenesse to good things, if they bring not foorth, in this kind, plentifull fruits. The which, as it is to be bewailed with true sorrow, that wee who

haue matter enough to thinke and meditate vpon in vvorldly things, for a whole yeere together, though none be prepared to our hands, being heere∣in such quick Workemen, that wee can both gather our straw, and burne our bricke in full tale, should bee so barren of matter, when wee come to thinke of things spirituall and heauenly; so it must mooue vs with so much the more diligence and earnestnesse to reade and study the Scriptures, and to obserue the workes of God, and finding our emptinesse, to resort to Gods store-houses (like the Egyptians to Iosephs) that wee may be filled with such prouision as hee hath made for vs, and haue no more cause to complaine of want.

§. Sect. 4 Other hinder∣ances remoo∣ued.

Fourthly, wee are hindred from performing this duty by manifold di∣stractions both inward and outward. Of the former kinde is the indisposi∣tion of our hearts to spirituall and heauenly things, and their readinesse to be carried away from them (when they take them into their considera∣tion) after worldly vanities. The which so much discourageth many, that they neglect this duty altogether, because they finde themselues so vnfit to performe it. But our vvants and vveakenesses should not driue vs further from God, but make vs rather dravv neerer vnto him, and by earnest prayer to craue the gracious assistance of his holy Spirit, that we may be inabled thereby to serue him better. Neither must our imperfections and distractions in performing Christian duties, mooue vs to neglect them al∣together, for this is that which the deuill would haue: and if wee thus farre yeeld vnto him, wee shall be sure to performe nothing that is good, seeing he will neuer let distractions and discouragements to bee wanting vnto vs; but being thorowly humbled in the sight of our infirmities, and bewailing our wants, let vs labour daily after more perfection. And to this end let vs vse due preparation before wee vndertake this exercise, of which I shall speake afterwards. Secondly, let vs keepe the Christian watch, before spoken of, ouer our hearts, and repell these distractions at their first entrance. Thirdly, let vs pray against them, and desire the Lord to strengthen vs, that they may not preuaile to pull away our hearts from him. Fourthly, wee must at other times restraine our hearts and minds, that they may not wander whither they list, and keepe them vnder some command, that they may not be to seeke when wee would imploy them a∣bout holy duties. Fifthly, we must fit the length of our Meditations to the strength of our deuotion, and let them be inlarged as it increaseth. Which meanes, when we haue vsed, let vs set vpon this exercise; and if our distracti∣ons are so great and many, that they would giue vs leaue to thinke vpon nothing else, let vs make them the matter of our Meditation, accusing our hearts for their loosenesse and worldlinesse, their deadnesse and backward∣nesse to all good duties, that so we may bring them to vnfained repentance.

§. Sect. 5 That company and worldly busines should not hinder vs from this exer∣cise of Medi∣tation.

The outward distractions, which are alleadged as necessary impedi∣ments of this holy exercise, are the company of friends, who comming to visit vs, take vp that time which should bee spent about it, the multitude of businesse, which affordeth vs no leasure, and want of conuenient place, wherein we might be priuately by our selues, to performe this duty which cannot bee done in the company of others. But for the first; no company should be so deare vnto vs, as that it should cause vs to breake off our com∣munion

and society with God. Or if to auoyd inciuility and giuing of∣fence, we doe intermit this exercise, and put it off to another time: this must not make vs to neglect it altogether, but wee must set our selues a∣bout it when our company is gone, and redeeme this losse by doubling our diligence in this holy exercise. And for our businesse and imploy∣ments, we are, according to our Sauiours counsell, to thinke this one thing * 1.1 necessary, and to be preferred before all other, and first to seeke the King∣dome of God, and his righteousnesse, esteeming no businesse so necessary, as * 1.2 the inriching of our soules with spirituall grace, and vsing the meanes which may further and assure vs of our saluation; accounting those im∣ployments worldly, carnall, and not worthy our paines, which shoulder and thrust out spirituall exercises. And yet if our important businesse should wholly take vs vp, and that the necessity of our estate and calling should so strictly at all times bind vs vnto them, that wee had no leisure for religious duties, there were some colour (and but a colour) of excuse: but the fault is not in the multitude of our imployments, but either in our want of wisedome and prouidence, that wee doe not rightly dispose of them, and allot to all sorts of duties their seasonable times; or in our worldlinesse and immoderate loue of earthly things, which maketh vs thinke all time lost that is not spent about them, and that we are quite vn∣done, if but a little while we intermit our diligence in seeking of them. For God by one Commandement doth not crosse another, nor bringeth vs into such straits, but that we may (if it be not our owne fault) haue sea∣sonable time of yeelding our obedience to them all. Hee would haue vs looke to our state, and prouide for our families, but he would not haue vs so immoderate in our care and labour, that we should mind nothing else, and haue no leisure for religious duties, seeing hee is both able and wil∣ling to prouide all necessaries for vs and them, if casting our care vpon him, and relying vpon his prouidence, wee set apart seasonable time for both. And therefore he would not exempt Ioshua (though as a man would * 1.3 thinke, wholly taken vp in the warres, and in the gouernment of a migh∣ty people) from spending some good part of his time in this duty of me∣ditation. And we see that Dauid himselfe, though wonderfully imployed in warre and peace; the gouernment of a whole Kingdome, and the care of his owne family, did yet much exercise himselfe in this religious duty. Yet say (which we ought not to doe) that our worldly businesse must haue the precedence; if wee would not haue it appeare to be a false, friuolous and carnall pretence, deuised of purpose to hide our vtter neglect and contempt of religious duties; let vs at least allot vnto them some of that time which we can spare from our worldly and necessary imployments, and set our selues about this exercise when our businesse is ouer. Or sup∣pose they will take vp the whole day, let vs allot to this vse some small part of the night, and make bold to borrow some little time from our sleepe, that we may not by the vtter neglect of this duty sleep in sin, and so much intend the refreshing of our bodies, as that we suffer our soules to droope and languish, by with-holding from them their spirituall food, and the comfort of their communion and secret conferences with God. For if wicked men are so vigilant and diligent in plotting and perfor∣ming

euill towards others and themselues, that they are content to allot the time of their rest, to labour in these workes of darknesse, and as Dauid saith of them, deuise mischiefe vpon their bed. Yea, if their minds bee so in∣tentiue, * 1.4 and their hearts so wholly set vpon it, that vnlesse they haue de∣uised or executed some mischieuous designe, their sleepe departeth from * 1.5 them, as Salomon speaketh: how much rather should wee bee willing to spare some time from our sleepe, that we may spend it in some such holy and heauenly meditations, as may inrich vs with spirituall grace, inable vs to Gods seruice, and helpe vs forward in the way of saluation? Finally, suppose that we are so wholly diuided betweene businesse and sleepe, that neither night nor day we can finde any time for this holy exercise; yet we haue no colour of excuse, if wee doe not set apart some time vpon the Lords Day, which may be spared from publike duties in the Congrega∣tion, and priuate with our families, to be spent in meditations, seeing then in what state soeuer we be, whether bound or free, Masters or seruants, rich or poore, we cannot reasonably pretend any such excuses of distracti∣on by our worldly businesse, all which we are bound to set apart, and to consecrate our selues wholly, our actions, words, and secret thoughts to the seruice of God, and to vse all good meanes which may inrich vs with grace and further our saluation; and this especially among the rest, for though our case and state may be such, that wee are necessarily restrained from Gods publike seruice in his holy assemblies, as we see in the example of Dauid, and of captiues and prisoners, the sicke, and seafaring men, and * 1.6 some seruants; yet all men, and in all conditions, may on this day spend some time in holy meditations, vpon some things which they haue ob∣serued out of Gods Word, or workes. As for that last pretence of wan∣ting a fit and priuate place for meditation, by reason that we are straiten∣ed in our dwellings, and haue alwayes some with vs in the same roome, who would hinder vs in this exercise; it is of so small waight, that it is scarce worth the answering. For there is no man that earnestly desireth to performe this duty, who may not at one time or other, find some con∣uenient place for the doing of it. For if hee haue no roome in the house, he may with Isaac, walke abroad into the fields: or if dwelling in the City he be debarred of this priuiledge, hee may as Dauid exhorteth, commune * 1.7 with his owne heart vpon his bed, and be still; of which his precept hee pro∣poundeth himselfe for an example in diuers places of the Psalmes, where∣in, as thinking the day too short, or too much taken vp with other imploy∣ments, he professeth that he spent also some part of the night in diuine meditations. And so much concerning the reasons which may mooue vs to this exercise, and the impediments which hinder vs from vndertaking and performing it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luk. 10. 42.
• * 1.2

  Math. 6. 33.
• * 1.3

  Iosh. 1. 8.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 36. 4.
• * 1.5

  Prou. 4. 16.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 42. 1, 2. and 84. 1, 2, 3.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 4. 4.