morning meditations, as a vessel that receives a tincture and savour of the wine that is first put into it; or as a chest of sweet linen, that keeps the scent a great while after. Perfume thy mind with heavenly thoughts in the morning, and it will not lose its spiritual fragrancy. Wind up thy heart towards heaven in the beginning of the day, and it will go the better all the day after. It is with receiving thoughts into the mind, as it is with receiving guests into an inn: the first guests that come fill the best rooms in the house; if others come after, worse rooms will serve them: so, when the mind entertains holy meditations for its morning-guests, if afterwards earthly thoughts come, they are put into some of the worst rooms, they lodge lowest in the affections. The best rooms are taken up in the morning for Christ. He that loseth his heart in the morning in the world, will hardly find it again all the day after.

3. It is a part of that solemn respect and honour we give to God, to let him have the first thoughts of the day we give persons of quality the precedency, we let them take the first place. If we honour God, whose name is reverend and holy, we shall let the thoughts of God take place of all other. When the world hath the first of our thoughts, it is a sign the world lies uppermost, we love it most. The first thing a covetous man meditates on in the morning, is his money; a sign his gold lies nearest to his heart. O christians, let God have your morning meditations! It displeases God to have the world served before him. Suppose a king and a yeoman were to dine in the same room, and to sit at two tables; if the yeoman should have his meat brought up, and be served first, the king might well be displeased, and look upon it as a contempt done to his person. When the world

shall be served first, all our morning thoughts attending it, and the Lord shall be put off with the dregs of the day, when our thoughts begin to run low, is not this a contempt done to the God of glory.

4. Equity requires it. God deserves the first of our thoughts. We had a being in his thoughts before we had a being; he thought upon us "before the foundations of the world," Eph. i. 4. Before we fell, he was thinking how to raise us. We had the morning of his thoughts. Oh! what thoughts of free grace, what thoughts of peace hath he had towards us! we have taken up his thoughts from eternity: if we have had some of God's first thoughts, well may he have our first thoughts

5. This is to imitate the pattern of the saints. Job rose early in the morning, and offered, Job i. 5. David when he awaked was with God, Psal. cxxxix. 18. and indeed this is the way to have a morning blessing. "In the morning the dew fell," Exod. xvi. 13. The dew of a blessing falls early; now we are likeliest to have God's company. If you would meet with a friend, you go betimes in the morning before he be gone out. We read that the Holy Ghost came down upon the apostles, Acts ii. 3, 4. and it was in the morning, as may be gathered from Peter's sermon, ver. 15. it was but "the third hour of the day." The morning is the time for fruitfulness, 66 In the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish," Isa. xvii. 11. By morning meditation, we make the seed of grace to flourish.

I would not by this wholly exclude evening meditation. Isaac went out to meditate in the even-tide, Gen. xxiv. 63. When business is over, and every thing calm, it is good to take a turn with God in the evening. God had his evening sacrifice, as well as his morning, Ex. xxix. 39. As the cream at the top is

In two

sweet, so likewise the sugar at the bottom. cases, the evening meditation doth well. 1. In case such hath been the urgency of business, that thou hast time only for reading and prayer; then recompense the want of the morning with evening meditation.

2. In case thou findest thyself more inclined to good thoughts in the evening; for sometimes there is a greater impetus* upon the heart, a greater aptitude and tuneableness of mind; dare not neglect meditation at such a time. Who knows but it may be a quenching the Spirit! Do not drive this blessed dove from the ark of thy soul. In these cases evening meditation is seasonable. But I say, if I may cast in my verdict, the morning is to be preferred. As the flower of the sun opens in the morning to take in the sweet beams of the sun, so open thy soul in the morning to take in the sweet thoughts of God. And so much for the timing of meditation.

CH. XIV.-How long Christians should be conversant with this Duty.

Quest. 2. But how long should I meditate?

Ans. If we consider how much of our time is given to the world, it is hard if we cannot give God at least one half hour every day. I shall only say this for a general rule. Meditate till thou findest thy heart grow warm in this duty.

If, when a man is cold, you ask how long he should stand by the fire? Surely, till he be thoroughly warm, and made fit for his work. So, christian, thy heart is cold; never a day, no, not the hottest day in summer, but it freezeth there. Now stand at the fire of

* Desire, ardour, force.

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meditation till thou findest thy affections warmed, and thou art made more fit for spiritual service. David mused till his heart waxed hot within him, Psal. xxxix. 3. I will conclude this with that excellent saying of Bernard, Lord, I will never come away from thee without thee." Let this be a christian's resolution not to leave off his meditations of God till he find something of God in him: some ardent desires after God, Cant. v. 4. some "flamings of love," Cant. v. 8.

CH. XV.-Concerning the usefulness of Meditation. HAVING answered these questions, I shall next show the benefit and usefulness of meditation.

I know not any duty that brings in greater income and revenue than this. It is reported of Thales, that he left the affairs of state to become a contemplating philosopher. O! did we know the advantage which is gained by this duty, we would often retire from the noise and hurry of the world, that we might give ourselves to meditation.

The benefit of meditation appears in seven particulars.

I. Meditation is an excellent means to profit by the word. Reading may bring a truth into the head; meditation brings it into the heart. Better meditate on one sermon than hear five. I observe many put up their bills in our congregations, and complain that they cannot profit; may not this be the chief reason, because they chew not the cud, they do not meditate on what they have heard. If an angel should come from heaven, and preach to men, nay, if Jesus Christ himself were their preacher, they would never profit without meditation. It is the settling of the milk that makes it turn to cream; and it is the settling of a truth

in the mind, that makes it turn to spiritual aliment. The bee sucks the flower, and then works it in the hive, and makes honey of it: the hearing of a truth preached is the sucking of a flower; there must be a working it in the hive of the heart by meditation, before it will turn to honey. There is a disease in children called the rickets, when they have great heads, but their lower parts are small and thrive not. I wish many of the professors in London have not the spiritual rickets, they have great heads, much knowledge, but yet they thrive not in godliness, their heart is faint, their feet feeble, they walk not vigorously in the ways of God; and the cause of this disease is, the want of meditation. Illumination without meditation makes us no better than devils. Satan is an angel of light, yet black enough.

II. Meditation doth make the heart serious, and then it is ever best. Meditation doth ballast the heart: when the ship is ballasted, it is not so soon overturned by the wind; and when the heart is ballasted with meditation, it is not so soon overturned with vanity. Some christians have light hearts, "his prophets are light." Zeph. iii. 4. A light christian will be blown into any opinion or vice; you may blow a feather any way: there are many feathery christians; the devil no sooner comes with a temptation, but they are ready to take fire. Now meditation makes the heart serious, and God saith of a serious christian, as David of Goliath's sword, "there is none like that, give it me." Meditation consolidates a christian. Solid gold is best; the solid christian is the only metal that will pass current with God. The more serious the heart grows, the more spiritual; and the more spiritual, the more it resembles the Father of spirits. When a man is serious, he is fittest for employment. The serious