VirginiaHuguenot
Puritanboard Librarian
Robert Bolton, General Directions for a Comfortable Walking With God, pp. 78-80:
III. ON SOLITARY SEASONS OF MEDITATION.
In thy solitary seasons, 1. Single out some special, profitable choice matter to meditate on all the while; thereby both to prevent the ordinary intrusion of many vain, foolish, noisome thoughts, impertinent wanderings, and woful trifling cut thy precious time; and also to keep thy spirits and the powers of thy soul at work, lest, as millstones wanting grist grate and grind one another, they waste themselves in a fruitless, barren melancholy. When canst thou be alone, and not have just cause either to busy thy mind about some lawful affairs of thy calling; or wrestle with some corruption, which troubles the peace of thy conscience; or breatk out into the praises of God, or some other holy passage of heavenly meditation, whereof there is great variety and store?
2. Watch and withstand, with all godly jealously and care, two dangerous evils:
(1.) Thoughts of pleasures from thy youthful sins and unregenerate time, which at such seasons are ready to make re-entry, and very eagerly, being aided by the devil's cunning and the heart's corruption, to re infect and pollute thy soul again with sensual lusts, and renewed guiltiness. And in this point take heed lest the devil in the glory of an angel, or, by the flashes of his counterfeit light, cast into thy heart his secret wildfire and sparks of lust. For in thy solitary musing thou mayest resume into thy memory the abominations of thy former life, especially of that sin which was thy minion delight and darling pleasure, upon purpose to bewail and detest them; and yet, without a very vigilant eye, the devil will insinuate some secret temptations of wonted sinful sweetness, and that which was intended for an exercise and increase of repentance, may end in the iteration and re-enjoyment of old sensual pleasures.
(2.) Take heed, also, at such times, of acting any new sins, from sensual suppositions and imaginary plots; as of worldliness, lust, speculative wantonness, ambition, revenge, dishonouring God's providence, by an unnecessary distrustful forecasting of fearful accidents upon thyself, family, goods, posterity, the state, &c. Some sons of Belial there are who encourage all manner of uncleanness (horrible impurity in the inward parts!) by the mere work of imagination. When they cannot compass and attain the real accomplishment of their furious and sinful projects in outward acts, and upon objects abroad, their abominable desires rebounding, as it were, with an impetuous and unsatisfied rage upon their heated and envenomed passions, act and execute any kind of villany upon the invisible forge of a cursed contemplation. It is strange to consider how many, who carry a counterfeit heaven in their outward behaviour, should harbour such execrable hells in their hearts.
3. Let not pass such a golden opportunity for thy spiritual good, without some sweet comfortable conference with thy God in secret. Call and cry out towards heaven for some special graces, by which thou mayest be most enabled to glorify God, and to keep in thy breast a cheerful and heavenly spirit, as for precious and incomparable jewels to be purchased with the loss of ten thousand worlds, but not to be parted with for as many worlds as thou hast hairs upon thy head. Beg with great earnestness, and extraordinary intention of spirit, for mortifying grace, and spiritual strength for the crushing and conquering of those special lusts and unruly passions that most haunt thee, and hurt the peace of thy conscience. Let a sorrowful survey of all thy sins draw from thee some hearty groan and fervent ejaculations for mercy and pardon; or a summary view of God's blessings and favours towards thee, fill thy heart with many joyful, lowly, and most thankful thoughts, &c. Thus, or in the like manner, let some part of thy solitary time be sure to be seasoned with holy musings and talk with God.
