. Told you Luther, “Prayer, learning, urge, and you will reflection make good minister.” And they also make and you may primary an excellent Religious. Meditation to your soul, matches digestion for the human body. The fresh new psalmist David think it is thus, which he had been frequently employed inside the reflection, inside the night seasons. Nothing but those people pleased souls that happen to be familiar with this divine employ, can tell just what a privileged promoter of one’s divine lives, meditation was. Writes David, “Although the I found myself musing, this new flames kindled.” And whilst believer was musing towards works and you may term out of God, specifically that work from performs, you to ask yourself of wonders, one to secret out-of godliness, “Jesus manifest regarding the tissue,” the brand new Mutton from Goodness slain on sins around the world, the guy apparently seems new fire from divine like kindle, in order for he or she is obliged to speak with their language, and you will talk about this new loving-kindness of the Lord in order to his spirit. Getting frequent thus when you look at the reflection, all of the ye you to definitely want to keep up and keep a close and you will uniform go with higher Goodness.
I discover plus out-of Isaac’s meeting for the industries to help you reflect at night; or, since it is about margin, to help you pray
Fourth, believers carry on with the stroll which have Goodness, because of the detailing His providential transactions together. If we believe the scriptures, we must believe what our Lord hath declared therein, “That the very hairs of his disciples’ heads are all numbered; and that a sparrow does not fall to the ground, without the knowledge of our heavenly Father.” Every cross has a call in it, and every particular dispensation of divine providence has some particular end to answer in those to whom it is sent. If believers, therefore, would keep up their walk with God, they must from time to time hear what the Lord has to say concerning them in the voice of His providence. “For a little hint from providence,” says pious Bishop Hall, “is enough for faith to feed upon.” And as I believe it will be one part of our happiness in heaven, to take a view of, and look back upon, the various links of the golden chain which drew us there; so those ????that enjoy most of heaven below, I believe, will be the most minute in noting God’s various dealings with them, in respect to His providential dispensations here on earth.
To own meditation is a kind of silent prayer, in which brand new spirit is usually as it was in fact carried out out of in itself so you’re able to Jesus, along with a qualification generated for example unto those people privileged Oakland dating service spirits, who by the a type of immediate instinct always behold your face in our heavenly Father
5th, to help you go directly which have Goodness, His people cannot merely view the newest actions regarding God’s providence without them, nevertheless the actions and additionally out-of His privileged Soul within minds. As many as are the sons of God, are led by the Spirit of God’, and give up themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, as a little child gives its hand to be led by a nurse or parent. It is no doubt in this sense that we are to be converted, and become like little children. And though it is the quintessence of enthusiasm, to pretend to be guided by the Spirit without the written word; yet it is every Christian’s bounden duty to be guided by the Spirit in conjunction with the written word of God. Watch, therefore, I pray you, O believers, the motions of God’s blessed Spirit in your souls, and always try the suggestions or impressions that you may at any time feel, by the unerring rule of God’s most holy word: and if they are not found to be agreeable to that, reject them as diabolical and delusive. By observing this caution, you will steer a middle course between the two dangerous extremes many of this generation are in danger of running into – ENTHUSIASM, on the one hand, and DEISM, and DOWNRIGHT INFIDELITY, on the other.