VirginiaHuguenot
Puritanboard Librarian
Richard Greenham, A Profitable Treatise, Containing a Direction for the Reading and Understanding of the Holy Scriptures:
Now followeth the properties that must follow our readings: whereof, the first is meditation, the want of which makes men depart without fruit, though they read or hear diligently. Meditation makes that which we have read to be our own. He is blessed which meditates in the law day and night. Ps 1:2.
Meditation is either of the:
A. Mind and understanding
B. Heart and affections
Meditation.
Meditation of the understanding, is when reason discourseth of things read, or heard, which the wife of the heathen call, the refining of judgment, the life of learning. They that want this, how much soever they have heard or read, yet shall they never have found and settled judgment. And for this cause it is said, that the greatest clerks are not the wisest men.
Meditations of the affections, is when having a thing in judgment, we ever digest it and make it work upon our affections. It is a continual searching of our selves, and laboring to lay up all things in the treasures of our hearts. The other will go away expect this be joined with it: for judgment will away except we frame our affections unto it.
Meditation in judgment goeth before: then this must follow, that we may be found in judgment before we either fear or cheer up our hearts, lest we have false fears, or false joys. Many are of sound judgment, and yet have not their hearts purged and touched: they can give counsel to others, but cannot follow themselves, because they join not affection with judgment. Meditation without reading is erroneous, and reading without meditation is barren.
