" own thoughts. The thing itself is unquestionably true, and that you are not of yourselves sufficient to think any thing that is good, as of yourselves; and so you may truly enough say, that you cannot think any thought at all without God, or so much as draw a breath. Only, as besides your natural dependence on God for the support of your natural life and being, there must be that course taken, and those things done, by which, in an orderly course of providence, you may live; so, for the maintaining of your spiritual life, which very much stands in delight and joy in God, you must join a spiritual dependence for that special influence and concurrence which are necessary hereto, with the doing of such things as by God's appointment and prescription are to serve this end. They who complain, therefore, they cannot attain to delight in God, or that their delight in him is faint and languishing,-while in the mean time they use no endeavour to bend and direct their thoughts towards him,-make as idle a complaint, as he who says, he is in a miserable starving condition, and that nothing nourishes him, yet is so wretchedly slothful, that he will be at no pains to prepare, or so much as eat, his own necessary food. You may not imagine, you have all that is needful, for the well governing of your spirits, in your own hands and power: nor ought you therefore to think, that what is simply needful is not to be had. God is not behind-hand with you; He is no such hard task-master, as to require brick and allow no straw: but may most righteously say, ye are idle, and do therefore only complain like the sluggard in his bed, whose hands cannot endure to labour. You dare not deliberately go to God, and tell him-you do all you can to fix the thoughts of your hearts on him, and yet it will not be, or that he will give you no help. Though he can be no way indebted to you, but by his own free promise, he giveth meat to them that fear him, being ever mindful of his covenant,-yea he doth it for ravens and sparrows; he will not then famish the souls that cry to him, and wait on him; their heart shall live, that seek God. It is becoming and suitable to the state of things between him and you, that he should put you upon seeking, that you may find; your reasonable nature and faculties—especially being already rectified in some measure, and enlivened by his grace and spirit,―require to be held to such terms. It is natural to you to think; and there is nothing more suitable to the new creature, than that you apply and set yourselves to think on him, and that your thoughts be set and held on work, to enquire and seek him out. Know, therefore, you do not your parts, unless you make this more your business. To be more particular : Solemnly set yourselves on chosen times to think on God. Meditation is of itself a distinct duty, and must have a considerable time allowed it among the other exercises of the christian life. It challenges a just share and part in the time of our lives: and he in whom we are to place our delight, is, you know, the prime and chief object of this holy work. Is it reasonable that he who is our life and our all, should never be thought on, but now and then, as it were by chance, and on the by? "My meditation on him shall be sweet." Does not that imply, that it was with the Psalmist a designed thing to meditate on God, that it was a stated course? It was become so customary to him, and so much his ordinary practice to appoint times for meditating on God, that he promises himself satisfaction and solace of soul herein. Let, then, your eyes herein prevent the night-watches. Reckon, you have neglected one of the most important businesses of the day, if you have omitted this, and that to such omissions you owe your little delight in God. Wherein therefore are you to repair yourselves, but by redressing this great neglect? Think often of him amidst your other affairs. Every one, as he is called,-be his state or way of living what it will, be he bond or free,—is required therein to abide with God." And how is that, but by often thinking of him, as being a great part of what is meant by this abiding? How grateful a mixture would the thoughts of God make with that great variety of other things, which we are necessarily to be concerned in, while we are in this world! If they be serious and right thoughts, they will be accompanied with some relish of sweetness, and at least tend to keep the heart in a disposition for more delightful solemn intercourses with God. It is a sad truth, that whatsoever there is, a 1 Cor. vii. 24. either of sinfulness or uncomfortableness in the lives of those who have engaged and devoted themselves to God, proceeds in greatest part from their neglect to mind God;-a thing (if due heed were taken of it) so easy, so little laborious, and so sure to be recompensed with unspeakable pleasure, that their being so often lost in darkness, drowned in carnality, buried in earthliness, and overwhelmed with miseries and desolations of spirit, is all for want of a right employing of their thoughts; they set their thoughts upon things that tend either to corrupt and deprave their spirits, or to disquiet and afflict them. At this inlet, and by the labour of their own thoughts, sins and calamities are brought in upon them as a flood; which very thoughts, if they were placed and exercised aright, would let in God upon them, fill them with his fulness, replenish their souls with his light, grace, and consolations. How much more easy an exercise were it, to keep their thoughts employed upon one object that is ever full, delectable, and present, than to divide them among many, that are to be pursued with anxiety, toil, and very often with disappointment, or to be enjoyed (if they be things that have an appearance of good in them) with much danger and damage to their spirits, and with little satisfaction,-or (if they appear evil) to be endured with pain and sorrow! So that the labour of their thoughts, among those many things, brings them in torture, when their rest upon God alone would be all pleasure, a delight, and joy. Here their souls might dwell at ease, (or, as those words import, rest in goodness,) with that quiet repose which men are wont to take by night, after weariness from the labour of the foregoing day. And if no such sweet and pleasant fruit were to be hoped for from the careful government and ordering of our thoughts, is the obligation of God's law in this matter nothing with us? Are we not bound so much as to think of him, whom we are bound to fear and love, to trust and obey above all things? What is loving God with all our mind, so expressly mentioned in that great summary of our duty towards him? Or what can it mean, after the required love of all the heart and all the soul, adding so particularly "with all thy mind,"-when the mind, we know, is not the seat of love? Surely, at least, it cannot but imply, that our thoughts must be much exercised upon God even by the direction of our love, and that our love must be maintained by thoughts of him that our minds and hearts must continually correspond and concur to the loving of God; and so our whole soul be exercised and set on work therein. : What doth it mean, that our youth is challenged to the remembrance of him? Is our riper age more exempt? Do we, as we longer live by him, owe him less? Does it signify nothing with us, that the wicked bear this brand in the Scriptures," They that forget God," and that a Psal. xxv. 13. b Eccl. xii. 1. C c Psal. ix. 16. |