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always quiet and serene: it is hard climbing up the rocky hill of meditation, but when we are got up to the top, there is a pleasant prospect, and we shall sometimes think ourselves even in heaven. By holy meditation the soul doth, as it were, breakfast with God every morning; and to be sure his breakfast is better than his dinner. When a christian is upon the mount of meditation, he is like Peter on the mount when Christ was transfigured, Matt. xvii. 4. he cries out, Lord, it is good to be here :" he is loth to go down the mount again. If you come to him, and tell him of a purchase, he thinks you bid him to his loss: what hidden manna doth the soul taste now! how sweet are the visits of God's Spirit! When Christ was alone in the wilderness, then the angel came to comfort him; when the soul is alone in holy meditations and ejaculations, then not an angel, but God's own Spirit doth come to comfort him. A christian that meets with God in the mount, would not exchange his hours of meditation for the most orient pearls or sparkling beauties that the world can afford. No wonder David spent the whole day in meditation, Psal cxix. 97. Nay, as if the day had been too little, he borrows a part of the night too; When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches," Psal. lxiii. 6. When others were sleeping, David was meditating. He who is given much to meditation, shall, with Samson, find a honeycomb in this duty: therefore let not the difficulty discourage. The pleasantness will infinitely countervail the pains.

Having removed these two objections out of the way, let me again revive the exhortation to "meditate in God's law day and night." And there are two sorts of meditation which I would persuade to.

CH. XII.-Concerning occasional Meditations. 1. OCCASIONAL, and 2. Deliberate.

1. Occasional meditations; such as are taken up on any sudden occasion. There is hardly any thing doth occur, but we may presently raise some meditation upon as a good herbalist doth extract the spirits and quintessence out of every herb, so a christian may from every emergence and occurrence extract matter of meditation. A gracious heart, like fire, turns all objects into fuel for meditation. I shall give you some instances. When you look up to the heavens, and see them richly embroidered with light, you may raise this meditation: If the footstool be so glorious, what is the throne where God himself sits? When you see the firmament bespangled with stars, think what is Christ the bright Morning Star! Rev. xxii. 16. Monica, Austin's mother, standing one day, and seeing the sun shine, raised this meditation: Oh! if the sun be so bright, what is the light of God's presence! When you hear music that delights the senses, presently raise this meditation: What music like a good conscience; this is the bird of paradise within, whose chirping melody doth enchant and ravish the soul with joy; he that hath this music all day, may take David's pillow at night, and say with that sweet singer, "I will lay me down in peace and sleep," Psal. iv. 8. How blessed is he who can find heaven in his own bosom! When you are dressing yourselves in the morning, awaken your meditation, think thus, But have I been dressing the hidden man of the heart? 1 Pet. iii. 4. have I looked at my face in the glass of God's word? I have put on my clothes, but have I put on Christ? It is reported of Pambo, that seeing a gentlewoman Cressing herself all the morning by her glass, he fel

a weeping: Oh, saith he, this woman hath spent the morning in dressing her body, and I sometimes spend scarce an hour in dressing my soul! When you sit down to dinner, let your meditation feed upon this first course, How blessed are they who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God! What a royal feast will that be which hath God for the founder! What a love-feast where none shall be admitted but friends!

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When you go to bed at night, imagine thus: Shortly I shall put off the earthly clothes of my body, and make my bed in the grave. When you see the judge going to the assizes, and hear the trumpet blow, think with yourselves, as Jerome did, that you are hearing that shrill trumpet sounding in your ears, Arise ye dead, and come to judgment." "When you see a poor man going in the streets, raise this meditation: Here is a walking picture of Christ, "He had no place where to lay his head," Matt. viii. 20. My Saviour became poor, that I through his poverty might be made rich. When you go to church, think thus: I am now going to hear God speak, let me not stop my ear; if I refuse to hear him speaking in his word, I shall next hear him speaking in his wrath, Psal. ii. 5. When you walk abroad in your orchard, and see the plants bearing, and the herbs flourishing, think how pleasing a sight it is to God to see a thriving christian; how beautiful are the trees of righteousness when they are hung full of fruit, Phil. i. 11. when they abound in faith, humility, knowledge! When you pluck a rosebud in your garden, raise this contemplation: How lovely are the early puttings forth of grace! God prizeth a christian in the bud, he likes the bloomings of youth rather than the sheddings of old age. When you eat a grape from the tree, think of Christ the true vine; how precious is the blood of that grape! such rare

clusters grow there, that the angels themselves delight to taste of them. It is said of Austin, that he was much in these extempore meditations. A gracious heart, like the philosopher's stone, turns all into gold. It is stillingtime all the year with a christian; he stilleth out heavenly meditations from earthly occurrences. As the curious alchymist, when several metals are mingled together, can by his skill extract the gold and silver from the baser metals; so a christian, by a divine alchymy, can extract golden meditations from the various objects he beholds. Indeed it argues a spi

ritual heart, to turn every thing to a spiritual use; and we have Christ's own example for these occasional meditations, John iv. 7, 10, 13, 14. While he sat on Jacob's well, he presently meditates on that, and breaks forth into a most excellent discourse concerning the water of life. So much for occasional medi

tations.

2. Be exhorted to deliberate meditations, which are the chief. Set some time apart every day, that you may, in a serious and solemn manner, converse with God in the mount. A godly man is a man set apart, Psal. iv. 3. as God sets him apart by election, so he sets himself apart by meditation.

CH. XIII. For the right timing of Meditation.

Quest. 1. What is the fittest time for meditation ? Ans. For the timing of it, it is hard to prescribe, because of men's various callings and employments. But, if I may freely speak my thoughts, the morning is the fittest time for meditation. The best time to converse with God is, when we may be most private ; that is, before worldly occasions stand knocking as so many suitors at the door to be let in: the morning is, as it were, the cream of the day; let the cream be

taken off, and let God have it. In the distilling of strong water, the first water that is drawn from the still is more full of spirits, the second drawing is weaker; so the first meditations that are stilled from the mind in a morning are the best, and we shall find them to be most full of life and spirits. The morning is the golden hour. God loved the first-fruits; "The first of the first-fruits thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord," Exod. xxiii. 19. Let God have the first-fruits of the day; the first of our thoughts must be set upon heaven. The student takes the morning for his study. The usurer gets up in the morning and looks over his books of account. A christian must begin with God in the morning. David was with God before break of day; "I prevented the dawning of the morning," Psal. cxix. 147.

Quest. 2. But why the morning for meditation?

Ans. 1. Because in the morning the mind is fittest for holy duties; a christian is most himself then. What weary devotion will there be at night when a man is quite tired out with the business of the day! he will be fitter to sleep than to meditate. The morning is the queen of the day; then the fancy is quickest, the memory strongest, the spirits freshest, the organ of the body most disposed, having been recruited by sleep. It is a sure rule, then is the best time to serve God, when we find ourselves most in tune. In the morning the heart is like a viol strung and put in tune, and then it makes the sweetest melody.

2. The morning thoughts stay longest with us the day after; the wool takes the first dye best, and it is not easily worn out. When the mind receives the impression of good thoughts in the morning, it holds this sacred dye the better; and, like a colour in grain, it will not easily be lost. The heart keeps the relish of