THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY, ΤΟ MY LOVING FRIENDS, THE ALDERMEN, THE ESQUIRES, AND THE REST OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE PARISH OF STEPHEN'S WALBROOK, IN THE HONOURED, ANd Beloved, My heart's desire for you is, that you may be saved. It hath been a long time in my thoughts, after the many signal demonstrations of your love to me, to show my gratefulness in return; such as I have, give I you. I do here dedicate this manual to you, as a standing testimonial of that real respect, and zealous affection which I bear towards you. The subject of it you will find to be a christian's delight and meditation in God's law. I have purposely for your sakes laid down several heads, or particulars, for your meditations to dilate and run upon, as the attributes, the promises, the love of Christ, &c. If he who by often looking on a ring with a death's head, at last grew sober, who knows but by often meditating on these things your hearts may be brought into a more serious and heavenly frame? Meditation is a holy kind of usury; it is putting out sermons to use, which brings in no small profit at the year's end. Meditation is a duty which carries meat in the mouth of it; "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, while I meditate on thee," Psal. lxiii. 5, 6. There is little written, so far as I know, upon this subject. Most discourses of this nature digress into ejaculations. I |