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Wherefore, next to God's book, which gives light and rule to your conscience, read often the book of your conscience. See what is there written for or against you. When you find that your heart and life are according to the rule of God's word, hold that fast to your comfort; but, wherein you find yourself not to be according to this rule, give yourself no rest, until in some good measure, at least in endeavour, you do live according to it.

I have insisted the more largely on this point of meditation, because of the great necessity and profitableness of it; many of God's people omit it, because they know not how to do it; and because they know not their need, nor yet the benefit which they may receive from it.

Motives to meditation.

(9.) The necessity and use of meditation will appear, if you consider, 1. That reading, hearing, and transient thoughts of the best things leave not half that impression of goodness upon the soul, which they would do, if they might be recalled, and fixed there by serious thought. Without this meditation, the good food of the soul passes through the understanding, and either is quite lost, or is like raw and undigested food, which doth not nourish those creatures that chew the cud, till they have fetched it back and chewed it better. Meditation is instead of chewing the cud. All the outward means of salvation do little good in comparison, except by meditation they are thoroughly considered, and laid up in the heart.

2. The great usefulness of meditation appears in that, (1.) It does digest, ingraft, and turn the spiritual knowledge gained in God's word and ordinances, into the very life and substance of the soul, changing and fashioning you according to it, so that God's will in his word and your will become one, choosing and delighting in the same things. (2.) Meditation fitteth for prayer, nothing more. (3.) Meditation also promotes the practice of godliness, nothing more. (4.) Nothing does perfect and make a man an understanding Christian more than this. (5.) Nothing does make