Father Brakel on Christian Meditation

Status
Not open for further replies.

VirginiaHuguenot

Puritanboard Librarian
Wilhelmus a'Brakel, The Christian's Reasonable Service, Vol. 4, Chap. 78, pp. 25-30:

Spiritual Meditation

In addition to solitude, we wish to consider the practice of holy meditation or spiritual reflection. This is a spiritual exercise in which a godly person -- having a heart which is separated from the earth and lifted up toward heaven -- reflects upon and engages his thoughts toward God and divine things with which he was already previously acquainted. He does so in order to be led further into divine mysteries, to be kindled with love, to be comforted, and to be stirred up to lively exercises.

Spiritual Meditation: A Religious Exercise


Spiritual meditation is a religious exercise. It neither consists in idleness, nor is it a passive disposition in which we are but recipients, permitting ourselves to be illuminated about the divine perfections and divine mysteries -- just as a mirror is irradiated by the sun. Instead, it is an activity in which the soul is occupied in reflecting upon and reasoning about these matters, approving of them, delighting in them, is astonished about them and quickened by them.

Occasionally the Lord will manifest Himself to a person without the individual having prepared himself for this. The soul, perceiving this manifestation, will then allow herself to be led into this quietly, will follow gently, and will be active with it. At other times we may resolve to occupy ourselves with meditation, and will either go for a walk or seek another place of solitude to engage ourselves as such. Some are still small in grace, and since they do not know much as yet, there is also not much for them to meditate upon. Others would be able to meditate more, but they close the door at the very outset, being desirous to have at the beginning that which comes last. At the very outset they wish to have clear light, sensibility, enjoyment, and sweetness; even though these are matters in which meditation culminates, and are the very purpose for which one engages in meditation. Those who have wisdom in this area, however, will bring to mind the perfections of God, His operations in the realm of nature and of grace, as well as His dealings with them. They do this as if they were reading it in a book and permit themselves to be influenced thereby. They reason about these matters in a holy conversation with God. At one moment they give thanks, then they pray, and then again they rejoice. Then they will ask, anticipating an answer, and then again they will strengthen their faith thereby. It is thus that they occupy themselves and intensely involve themselves in doing so. If one thing escapes their attention, they will begin to reflect upon something else. If they have occupied themselves with matters too high for them, darkness coming upon them as a result, they will descend from this level and begin to reflect upon their previous experiences and the way in which God has led them.

It is a requisite for meditation that the heart be separated and be lifted up on high. It does not merely suffice to have selected a place of solitude for the regular practice of meditation, but the soul itself must be disposed toward being in solitude, that is, she must be separated from all that is upon earth and be lifted up toward invisible things -- as if she were alone with God in this world. During that time we must lay aside all cares, desires, and earthly engagements and turn heavenward toward God. This does not mean that we shall immediately be in such an elevated frame, but we shall be striving for this. There will be ejaculatory sighs with varying intensity for the manifestation of light and grace. While thus striving to attain to a fit frame for this, we shall begin to think and meditate. The soul being empty, seeks to be filled with substance whereby, while meditating, she may be nourished. She offers herself, opens herself, yearns, anticipates, and is active.

The Person who Meditates

The one who meditates must be a godly person. As the heart is, so will be the thoughts. An unconverted person -- a natural person -- will also have reflections, but these are consistent with his nature. "He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things" (Prov. 16:30); "An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations" (Prov. 6:18). He reflects upon his previous ungodly deeds in which he finds renewed delight. Reflecting upon how his neighbor has wronged him, he becomes by renewal wrathful and bitter. He neither knows God nor His gracious operations. He also has no desire for them, and therefore he neither can nor is willing to reflect upon them. His best mental activity consists in being occupied in the acquiring of knowledge of the Word; however, his objective in doing so is not sound, for it is his objective to be esteemed as a wise man, to be knowledgeable like others, and to be able to converse well. We dealt with such natural meditation in chapter 43.

Instead, spiritual meditation is the activity of a godly person who has spiritual light and life -- the one less and the other more. He knows God and has a desire after God; this is the reason why his heart is repeatedly drawn to God. It was so sweet and delightful to him to have seen and tasted something of God that he could not forget it. Time and again it comes to mind and he desires to experience this again in a greater measure. Such meditation gives this experience a new sense of sweetness and stirs up his desires.

The Object of Meditation

The object of such meditation is divine matters of which he has prior acquaintance. There is, furthermore, an inquisitive thinking about and meditation upon those matters with which one is not yet acquainted but, nevertheless, desires to be acquainted with. However, the meditation in question here is a practical reflection upon matters with which we are acquainted and concerning which we wish to be inwardly moved again by way of meditation. He who is desirous to engage in spiritual meditation will sometimes pursue what comes to mind, and thus follow the Spirit indiscriminately from one subject to the next. If he wishes to be selective and to focus upon one subject, it will be without effect and there will be no progress. We therefore must merely follow and yield to those inner motions which flow forth out of such meditation -- prayer, thanksgiving, love -- and to follow up what we have resolved to do. At times the heart is empty and does not yield any food for thought; this could result in wandering thoughts. Then we are to select subject matter for meditation, and it is advisable initially to select an easy subject matter, such as the way in which the Lord has led us since childhood; that is, the parents from whom we were born, what transpired in our families, how we were raised, how we conducted ourselves, where we attended school or labored and what has transpired there, the sins committed in our youth, how things progressed after that, and how we conducted ourselves during our teenage years. One could also meditate upon the prosperity and adversity we have encountered, the ways in which the Lord has led us unto the means of salvation, what initially moved us to repent, and how -- by way of falling and rising -- this came to pass. If we thus proceed from season to season, from experience to experience, from location to location, and from encounter to encounter, it will time and again stir special motions within us. While thus meditating, however, our heart must remain focused upon the Lord, and we must reflect upon each matter by relating it to the hand of God. In our scheduled devotional times we can also consider the work of redemption, beginning with eternal election, proceeding to the fall, from there to the promise of the Surety and Mediator and forward to the coming of Christ in the flesh -- His life and deeds, and His suffering and death. In doing so we must focus upon each aspect to see whether it stirs up a motion within us. Hastiness in meditation will rob us of its fruitfulness. We can also consider the work of creation: its preservation and government, how all things are executed with precision by way of divine providence, and how each matter relates to one or more of God's attributes as they reveal themselves in His works.

Spiritual Meditation: A Work of God's Spirit

Spiritual meditation is a work of God's Spirit. The believer in and of himself is not capable of this. In addition to being known from personal experience, Scripture also teaches this: "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God" (2 Cor. 3:5). God initially grants life to the soul, and He quickens that life time and again whereby she desires and seeks for food. He causes matters to come to our mind and governs our thoughts to meditate upon them in a spiritual manner. When a man once possesses spiritual life, this life cannot be idle; it will be active by way of meditation. Since this life originates in heaven, it will also gravitate toward heaven. If it were not repressed by natural corruption, this life would always, without impediment, be exercised in holy meditation. Since spiritual life is repressed, however, it wrestles with this corruption and will break forth unto holy meditation. "My heart is inditing a good matter" (Psa. 45:1). To that end it is time and again needful that there be the influence of the Holy Spirit whereby He lifts up and maintains life. Such is the manner in which the regenerate man meditates; however, he is moved to that end by the Spirit of God.

The Objective of Meditation: Growth in Grace

The all-encompassing goal and objective of meditation is the building up and growth of spiritual life. More particularly, it will be our objective:

(1) to acquaint ourselves with God and to have communion with Him, since that constitutes the felicity of the soul;
(2) to rejoice and delight ourselves in God -- in the beholding of whose countenance there is fullness of joy;
(3) to be kindled with love toward God, to believe in and sense God's love, and by renewal to be sweetly moved in love toward God;
(4) to be comforted when we are downcast, for by meditation upon former days and the works and perfections of God, the soul will generally find comfort and refreshment;
(5) to be quickened in sanctification, for by way of such spiritual meditation and reflection, as well as a communing with God in solitude, the soul will acquire a good habitual disposition. She has experienced how good it is to be near unto God and she knows that sin will rob her of this. She has understood something of God's holiness and that He is worthy to be obeyed and she has increased in her love toward God. Thus, meditation renders her more zealous to walk in the way of the Lord's commandments.

These are indeed the matters we shall be striving for, and the Lord will at times also manifest Himself upon such meditation -- however, not always. It frequently happens that meditation is very lifeless, and that one neither finds delight nor sweetness in it so that needs to desist. Such can occasionally be God's wise and sovereign dispensation. At times this can be the result of meditation not being a habitual practice, as well as a lack of experience in this heavenly art. At other times it can be caused by our listlessness toward this work, and the fact that the soul is ill-disposed toward this work. We must therefore not neglect this work, however, but resume it at another time. And if our occuption with this cannot be lengthy, we need to make it shorter -- and we shall indeed experience that it is not in vain.

Believers Exhorted

Therefore, you who are lovers of God and of holiness, learn this secret art which is practiced but little, for:

First, God commands it; and since you are both obligated and willing to be obedient unto God in other matters, such must also be the case toward this duty. Consider the following injunctions: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Josh. 1:8); "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness" (Deu. 8:2).

Secondly, meditate upon the examples of the saints and let them be examples for you. There is the blessed virgin Mary: "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). There is David: "When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches" (Psa. 63:6); "O LORD, consider my meditation" (Psa. 5:1); "Let...the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight" (Psa. 19:14). And consider Asaph: "I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my songs in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search" (Psa. 77:5-6).

Thirdly, it is the very nature of God's children to be desirous for this. Your heart is inclined toward this and you deem those happy who are thus engaged. Why then do you oppose the new man? Beloved, yield to your new nature. Consider in this respect Psalm 1:2: "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night."

Fourthly, the very essence of sweetness is to be found herein, and it is profitable work. "My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD" (Psa. 104:34); "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee" (Psa. 139:17-18). How much profit there is to be found in this! It consists in having fellowship with God, to enjoy His intimate affection, to receive a foretaste of heaven, to be changed into His image, to be adorned with the luster of His glory, and to enjoy all that your soul finds delight in. What more could you wish upon earth? Therefore, engage yourself in this exercise and become accustomed to it. Even if it is a difficult and arduous task at first, it will subsequently become more delightful, and the Lord will not permit you to seek Him in vain.

I do not wish to prescribe rules to you. Begin with it and you will experience yourself which way is best for you. Only make sure that you separate yourself fully, doing so with the intention and the desire to think of nothing else during that time. Let your heart go out in prayer for the reception of the Spirit, for quickening grace, as well as for guidance. If you perceive that you cannot make a beginning with this, then read a portion in the Word of God or sing a psalm.
 
A "Sabbath a'Brakel" from Nathan Eshelman:

Engage much in holy contemplation and meditation. Reflect upon who and what you are, the ways the Lord has led you hitherto, and upon your former mourning, seeking, and tears. Reflect upon the comforts and deliverances which the Lord has frequently given you, upon the benefits of the covenant of grace (each individually), and upon future glory and all that the soul will forever enjoy there. This is suitable to cause the soul quietly to rejoice. "My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD" (Psa. 104:34).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top