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panions, when they should raise their Minds to God and Heaven. As you love your Souls, Make not Provifion for the Flesh, to fulfil the Lufts thereof (h); but remember, to be carnally minded, is Death; because the carnal Mind is Enmity against God, for it is not fubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the Flefh cannot please God. Therefore, Brethren, we are Debtors, not to the Flesh, to live after the Flefb. For if ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye fball live (i). There are a few, who much hinder their heavenly Joy, by denying the Body its Neceffaries, and so making it unable to serve them: If fuch wronged their Flesh only, it would be no great Matter; but they wrong their Souls alfo; as he that fpoils the House, injures the Inhabitants. When the Body is fick, and the Spirits languifh, how heavily do we move in the Thoughts and Joys of Heaven?

(h) Rom. xiii. 14.

(i) Rom. viii. 6--8, 12, 13.

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CHAP.

CHAP. XIII.

The Nature of heavenly Contemplation; with the Time, Place, and Temper fitteft for it.

1. The Duty of heavenly Contemplation is recommended to the Reader, $ 2. and defined: § 3-6. (1) The Definition is illuftrated: § 7. (II) The Time fittest for it is reprefented, as, §8. (1) ftated; $9-12. (2) frequent; § 13. and (3) feasonable, every Day, and particularly every Lord's Day; § 14-17. but more efpecially, when our Hearts are warmest with a Sense of divine Things; or when we are afflicted, or tempted; or when we are near Death: §18. (III) The fittest Place for it, is the most retired: $ 19. (IV) And the fittest Temper for it, is, § 20. (1) when our Minds are maft clear of the World, § 21. (2) and moji folemn and ferious.

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NCE more I intreat thee, Reader, as thou makest Confcience of a revealed Duty, and dareft not wilfully refift the Spirit; as thou valuest the high Delights of a Saint, and the Soul-ravishing Exercife of heavenly Contemplation; that thou diligently ftudy, and fpeedily, and faithfully practice, the following Directions. If, by this Means, thou doft not find an Increase of all thy Graces, and doft not grow beyond the Stature of common Chriftians, and art not made more ferviceable in thy Place, and more precious in the Eyes of all difcerning Perfons, if thy

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Soul enjoy not more Communion with God, and thy Life be not fuller of Comfort, and haft it not readier by thee at a dying Hour; then caft away these Directions, and exclaim against me for ever as a Deceiver.

§ 2. THE Duty which I prefs upon thee fo earneftly, and in the Practice of which I am now to direct thee, is, "The fet and folemn Acting of all "the Powers of thy Soul in Meditation upon thy "everlasting Reft." More fully to explain the Nature of this Duty, I will here illuftrate a little ther Defcription itself,then point out the fittest Time, Place, and Temper of Mind for it.

§ 3. (I) It is not improper to illustrate a little the Manner in which we have defcribed this Duty of Meditation, or the confidering and contemplating of spiritual Things. It is confefled to be a Duty by all, but practically denied by moit. Many that make Confcience of other Duties, eafily neglect this; they are troubled, if they omit a Sermon, a Faft, or a Prayer in publick or t 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 improved, and by which the Soul digefteth Truths for its Nourishment and Comfort. It was God's Command to Joshua, This Book of the Law fball not depart out of thy Mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein Day and Night, that thou mayft obferve to do according to all that is written therein (a). As Digeftion: turns Food into Chyle, and Blood, for vigorous Health; fo Meditation turns the Truths received and remembered into warm Affection, firm Refolution, and holy Conversation.

§4. This Meditation is, the Alting of all the Powers of the Soul. It is the Work of the Living, and not N 3

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(a) Joshua, i. 8.

of the Dead. It is a Work of all. others the most fpiritual and fublime, and therefore not to be well performed by a Heart that is merely carnal and earthly. They must neceffarily have fome Relation to Heaven, before they can familiarly converfe there. I fuppofe them to be fuch as have a Title to Reft, when I perfuade them to rejoice in the Meditations of Reft. And fuppofing thee to be a Christian, I am now exhorting thee to be an active Chriftian, And it is the Work of the Soul I am fetting thee to, for bodily Exercife doth here profit but little. And it must have all the Powers of the Soul, to diftinguish it from the common Meditation of Students; for the Underftanding is not the whole Soul, and therefore cannot do the whole Work. As in the Body, the Stomach muft turn the Food into Chyle, and prepare for the Liver, the Liver and Spleen turn it into Blood, and prepare for the Heart and Brain; fo in the Soul, the Understanding muft take in Truths, and prepare them for the Will, and that for the Affections. Chrift and Heaven have various Excellencies, and therefore. God hath formed the Soul with different Powers for apprehending thofe Excellencies. What the better had we been for odoriferous Flowers, if we had no Smell? Or what Good would Language or Mufick have done us, if we could not hear? Or what Plea fure fhould we have found in Meats and Drinks, without the Sense of Tafte? So, what Good could all the Glory of Heaven have done us, or what Pleafure fhould we have had in the Perfections of God Himself, if we had been without the Affections of Love and Joy? And what Strength or Sweetness canst thou poffibly receive by thy Meditations on Eternity, while thou doft not exercife thofe Affections of the Soul, by which thou must be fenfible of this Sweetnefs and Strength? It is the Miftake of Chriftians,

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271 to think that Meditation is only the Work of the Understanding and Memory; when every School Boy can do this, or Perfons that hate the Things, which they think on. So that you fee there is more to be done, than barely to remember and think of Heaven; as fome Labours not only ftir a Hand, or a Foot, but exercife the whole Body, fo doth Meditation the whole Soul. As the Affections of Sinners are fet on the World, are turned to Idols, and fallen from God, as well as their Understanding; fo muft their Affections be reduced to God, as well as the Understanding; and as their whole Soul was filled with Sin before, fo the whole must be filled with God now. See David's Defcription of the blessed Man, His Delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law doth he meditate Day and Night (b).

§ 5. This Meditation is fet and folemn. As there is folemn Prayer, when we fet ourfelves wholly to that Duty; and ejaculatory Prayer, when in the Midft of other Bufines we fend up fome inort Request to God: So alfo there is folemn Meditation, when we apply ourfelves wholly to that Work; and tranfient Meditation, when in the Midft of other Bufinefs we have fome good Thoughts of God in our Minds. And as folemn Prayer is, either fet, in a conftant Course of Duty; or occafional, at an extraordinary Seafon; fo alfo is Meditation. Now, though I would perfuade you to that Meditation, which is mixed with your common Labours, and alfo that which fpecial Occafions direct you to; yet I would have you likewife make it a conftant ftanding Duty, as you do by hearing, praying, and reading the Scriptures; and no more intermix other Matters with it, than you would with Prayer, or other stated Solemnities.

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(b) Pfalmi. 2.

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