A method and instructions for the art of divine meditation, with instances of the severall kindes of solemne meditation. / By Thomas White minister of Gods word in London.

Affections and Resolutions.

1. Admire the love and good∣nesse of God; O blessed God from the beginning of the world men have not perceived by the hear∣ing of their ear, nor have they seen with their eyes, nor have any understood, save only thou O God, what thou hast prepared for them that love thee; how hast thou commended thy love to us, that we are thy Sons, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be; O the length, and breadth, and height, and depth of thy love that cannot be known; Lord, what are our duties, or what are our per∣sons that thou shouldst so highly reward them and us; our best

righteousnesse is as filthy rags, and for us we are worms, nay, a generation of vipers; Is it not enough that thou dost not shake us off from thine hand of provi∣dence into hell fire, but that thou shouldst lay such Vipers in thy ho∣some, and warm us with thy love; Is it not enough for thee to for∣give us our rebellions, but that thou shouldst give us such bles∣sings: were it not a miracle of bounty and goodnesse, for thee to bid us seriously to consult and think what to ask of thee, and thou wouldst give it us, though it were to the half of thy King∣dom, but that thou shouldst set thy wisedom on work in prepa∣ring, and thy liberality in bestow∣ing such incomprehensible rewards that we could neither ask nor think, but as farre as the heaven

is above the earth, so are thy thoughts of love above our thoughts; For thee to give thy Kingdom, thy Christ, thy self, these are acts of goodnesse; that art infinitely above us, yet wor∣thy of thee, that delightest to magnifie thy goodnesse, that re∣joycest over thy people as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride.

Despise the World, What are the things of this world O my Soul, what is there here to be de∣sired but sinne and misery, snares and temptations, vanity of vani∣ties, and vexation of spirit, one hours communion with God, and the joys of the holy Ghost, that he hath given to his people in this world, are worth more then the world can know of; Why do we spend our strength and money for

that which is not bread, and our labours for that which doth not satisfie: O vain world, God hath outbidden thee, thou offerst tri∣fles, he offers me heaven for my love and service, though my love be unworthy, too little for him, yet it is too much too good for thee.

3. Long for and breathe after heaven; As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God, My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God, when shall I be deli∣vered from my absence from thee, and from mine ignorance of thee; Make haste O my beloved, and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Spi∣ces: The Spirit saith Come, and the Bride saith Come, and the

Bridegroom saith, Surely I Come quickly, even so come Lord Je∣sus, come quickly.

4. Encourage and stir up thy self to the love and service of God; Come O my Soul, Let us be stedfast and unmoveable, al∣waies abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord; Let us not be weary of well doing, nor of the labour of love, for we shall reap if we faint not; We have known and in some measure endeavoured to serve God thus many years, were it not a sad thing for the want of continuing one year, one moneth, it may be but one week, or one day more I should lose all my hopes and expectations of glory: God forbid; O my Soul, Let us encourage our selves in the Lord,

we are not kept by our own but by the mighty power of God through faith to salvation; and be thou assured of this that the first minute thou art in heaven, thou shalt have such full measure, pres't down, heapt up, and running over, that thou shalt break forth in the Songs of joy and praise to all E∣ternity, magnifying, admiring and adoring God that ever he gave thee leave and grace to serve him, then shalt thou see, and so thy ex∣perience shall make thee confesse with joy and wonder, that the light afflictions and labours of love that thou endurest in this life, are not worthy to be compared to the joys that shall be revealed in thee; When at any time thou beginnest to be weary look to the price of thine high calling, and when thou comest to heaven thou

shalt admire, when thou seest how abundantly thou art over-recom∣pensed, and thou wilt have just cause to say, Lord, what is this that thou hast done for me, alas, what were the things that I either did or suffered in thy service, what were my filthy rags that thou shouldest give me such a robe and Crown of glory; O my Soul, what if we do weep, now the time is at hand when God will wipe all tears from our eyes.

O my Soul, these things cannot be beleeved and slighted, and un∣derstood and neglected; If thou dost not beleeve them, what is the reason? Are they too glorious things for God to bestow upon such wretched sinners? why dost thou set bounds to the goodness of God, and say, Hitherto thou shalt go and no further, nay, doubt∣lesse

since God hath said that he will do that which shall glorifie his goodnesse to his people, the in∣credibility of it makes it more cre∣dible, but if thou art convinced of the truth, why art thou not af∣fected with the excellencies of these joys? dost thou not rellish them? well, For the time to come I will meditate more of these things, I will by giving to the poor lay up my treasures in hea∣ven, I will part with such and such vain delights for it, I will spend more time and communion with God in praising, admiring, and adoring of him, that if it be pos∣sible by frequent performing of these duties, I may at last taste and rellish the incomprehensible sweetnesse of them, that I may be enamoured more of heaven, and because all my endeavours are

in vain, if the Lord reveals not these things unto me, therefore I will beg of God that he will dis∣cover the riches of his goodnesse to me, I have not been carefull enough nor sensible enough of sins of omission, when I have had no just thing to take up my thoughts, yet I have not thought of thee; henceforth when my heart is affected with thy excellencies, thy love, thy mercies, I will praise thee, when it is not, I will pray to thee that it may, and for my Ma∣ster-sinne mine iniquity, I will be most frequent in those duties that are most contrary to it; I will e∣specially in my reading of Scri∣pture, take notice of, and write down those places and those ex∣amples that are most proper for the cure; I will speak against my iniquity, that if it may be I may

thereby the more engage my self to leave it.