en; only put forth the hand of faith, and feed upon them, and rejoice and live. The Lord saith to thee, as to Elijah, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee. Though it be not long, yet the way is miry; therefore obey his voice, arise and eat, and in the strength of that meat thou mayest go to the mount of God; and like Moses, die in the mount whither thou goest up; and say, as Siemon, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; for my eye of faith hath seen thy salvation.* 18. (III.) Concerning the fittest place for heavenly contemplation, it is sufficient to say, that the most convenient is some private retirement. Our spirits need every help, and to be freed from every hinderance in the work. If in private prayer, Christ directs us to enter into our closet, and shut the door, that our Father may see us in secret,† so should we do in this meditation. How often did Christ himself retire to some mountain, or wilderness, or other solitary place? I give not this advice for occasional meditation, but for that which is set and solemn. Therefore withdraw thyself from all society, even the society of godly men, that thou mayest a while enjoy the society of thy Lord. If a student cannot study in a crowd, who exerciseth only his invention and memory; much less shouldest thou be in a crowd, who art to exercise all the powers of thy soul, and upon an object so far above nature. We are fled so far from superstitious solitude, that we have even cast off the solitude of contemplative devotion. We seldom read of God's appearing by himself, or by his angels, to any of his prophets or saints in a crowd; but frequently when they were alone. But ་ observe for thyself, what place best agrees with thy spirit; whether within doors, or without. Isaac's example, in going out to meditate in the field, will I believe best suit with most. Our Lord so much used a solitary garden, that even Judas, when he came to betray him, knew where to find him: And though he took his disciples thither with him, yet he was withdrawn from them for more secret devotions:* And though his meditations be not directly named, but only his praying, yet it is very clearly implied; for his soul is first made sorrowful with the bitter meditations on his sufferings and death, and then he poureth it out in prayer. So that Christ had his accustomed place, and consequently accustomed duty, and so must we ; he hath a place that is solitary, whither he retireth himself, even from his own disciples, and so must we; his meditations go further than his thoughts, they affect and pierce his heart and soul, and so must ours. Only there is a wide difference in the object; Christ meditates on the sufferings that our sins had deserved, so that the wrath of his Father passed through all his soul: But we are to meditate on the glory he hath purchased, that the love of the Father, and the joy of the Spirit, may enter at our thoughts and revive our affections, and overflow our souls. § 19. (IV.) I am next to advise thee concerning the preparations of thy heart for this heavenly contemplation. The success of the work much depends on the frame of thy heart. When man's heart had nothing in it to grieve the Spirit, it was then the delightful habitation of his Maker. God did not quit his residence there, till man expelled *John xviii. 1, 2 Luke xxii. 41. Mark xiv. 34, 35 him by unworthy provocations. There was no shyness or reserve, till the heart grew sinful, and too loathsome a dungeon for God to delight in. And was this soul reduced to its former innocency, God would quickly return to his former habitation; yea, so far as it is renewed and repaired by the Spirit, and purged from its lusts, and beautified with his image, the Lord will yet acknowledge it his own; Christ will manifest himself unto it, and the Spirit will take it for his temple and residence. So far as the heart is qualified for conversing with God, so far it usually enjoys him. Therefore, with all diligence keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.* More particularly, 20. (1) Get thy heart as clear from the world as thou canst. Wholly lay by the thoughts of thy business, troubles, enjoyments, and every thing that may take up any room in thy soul. Get it as empty as thou possibly canst, that it may be the more capable of being filled with God. If thou couldest perform some outward duty with a piece of thy heart, while the other is absent, yet this above all I am sure thou canst not. When thou goest into the mount of contemplation, thou wilt be like the covetous man at the heap of gold, who, when he might take as much as he could, lamented that he was able to carry no more; so thou wilt find as much of God and glory, as thy narrow heart is able to contain, and almost nothing to hinder thy full possession, but the incapacity of thy own spirit. Then thou wilt think, "O that this understanding, and these affections, could contain more! It is more my unfitness than any thing else, that even this place is not my heaven. God is in this place, and I know it not. This mount is full of * Prov. iv, 23, chariots of fire, but mine eyes are shut, and I can. not see them. O the words of love Christ hath to speak, and wonders of love he hath to shew, but I cannot bear them yet! Heaven is ready for me, but my heart is unready for heaven." Therefore, reader, seeing thy enjoyment of God in this contemplation much depends on the capacity and disposition of thy heart, seek him here, if ever, with all thy soul. Thrust not Christ into the stable, and the manger, as if thou had better guests for the chief rooms. Say to all thy worldly business and thoughts, as Christ to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. Or as Abraham to his servants, when he went to offer Isaac, Abide ye here, and will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. Even as the priests thrust king Uzziah out of the temple, where he presumed to burn incense, when they saw the leprosy upon him; so do thou thrust those thoughts from the temple of thy heart, which have the badge of God's prohibition upon them. 21. (2) Be sure to set upon this work with the greatest solemnity of heart and mind. There is no trifling in holy things. God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him.* These spiritual, excellent, soul-raising duties, are, if well used, most profitable; but when used unfaithfully, most dan.. gerous. Labour therefore to have the deepest apprehensions of the presence of God, and his incomprehensible greatness. If queen Esther must not draw near, till the king hold out the sceptre; think, then, with what reverence thou shouldest approach him, who made the worlds with the word of his mouth, who upholds the earth as in the palm of his hand, who keeps the sun, moon, and stars * Lev, *. 3. in their courses, and who sets bounds to the raging sea. Thou art going to converse with him, before whom the earth will quake, and devils do tremble, and at whose bar thou and all the world must shortly stand, and be finally judged. Othink! "I shall then have lively apprehensions of his majesty. My drowsy spirits will then be awakened, and my irreverence be laid aside; and why should I not now be roused with the sense of his greatness, and the dread of his name possess my soul ?" Labour also to apprehend the greatness of the work which thou attemptest, and to be deeply sensible both of its importance and excellency. If thou wast pleading for thy life at the bar of an earthly judge, thou wouldest be serious; and yet that would be a trifle to this. If thou wast engaged in such a work as David against Goliah, on which the welfare of a kingdom depended; in itself considered, it were nothing to this. Suppose thou wast going to such a wrestling as Jacob's, or to see the sight which the three disciples saw in the mount; how seriously, how reverently, wouldest thou both approach and behold! If but an angel from heaven should appoint to meet thee, at the same time and place of thy contemplations; with what dread wouldest thou be filled? Consider then, with what a spirit thou shouldest meet the Lord, and with what seriousness and awe thou shouldest daily converse with him. Consider also the blessed issue of the work, if it succeed; it will be thy admission into the presence of God, and the beginning of thy eternal glory on earth; a means to make thee live above the rate of other men, and fix thee in the next room to the angels themselves, that thou mayest both live and die joyfully. The |