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Neglect of Meditation by Thomas Manton (1620-1677)

What the Bible says about Godly Meditation through the Word
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Want of love to God and holy things.—Men are loath to come into God’s presence for want of faith, and to keep there for want of love. Love fixeth the thoughts, and drieth up those swimming toys and fancies that do distract us. We ponder and muse upon that in which we delight. Were our natural hatred of God and of the means of grace changed into a perfect love, we should adhere to him without distraction. We see, where men love strongly, they are deaf and blind to all other objects; they can think and speak of no other thing. But because our love to God is weak, every vain occasion carrieth away our minds from him. You find this by daily experience; when your affections flag in an ordinance, your thoughts are soon scattered; weariness maketh way for wandering; our hearts are first gone, and then our minds. You complain you have not a settled mind; the fault is, you have not a settled love; for that would cause you to pause upon things without weariness. “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:2.) “O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97.) David’s mind would never run upon the word so much, if his heart were not there. Thoughts are at the command and beck of love: where love biddeth them go, they go; and where love biddeth them tarry, they tarry; the saints first delight, and then meditate.

Nichols, J. (1981). Puritan Sermons (Vol. 1, pp. 408–409). Thomas Manton, How We May Cure Distractions in Holy Duties, Wheaton, IL: Richard Owen Roberts, Publishers.

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