《基督徒的全副军装》：阅读与默想The Christian in Complete Armor — Reading and Meditation

READING AND MEDITATION

William Gurnall

"Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine . . . Meditate
upon these things." 1 Timothy 4:13-15.

Meditation is to the sermon, what the harrow is to
the seed — it covers those truths which else might have been picked or
washed away.

An affectionate hearer will not be a forgetful
hearer. Love helps the memory: Can a woman forget her child, or a maid
her ornaments, or a bride her attire? No, they love them too well. Were
the truths of God thus precious to you, you would with David think of
them day and night. Even when the Christian, through weakness of memory,
cannot remember the very words he hears, to repeat them; yet, then he
keeps the power and savor of them in his spirit, as when sugar is
dissolved in wine you cannot see it — but you may taste it. When meat is
eaten and digested, it is not to be found as it was received — but the
man is cheered and strengthened by it, more able to walk and work than
before, by which you may know it is not lost. Just so, you may taste the
truths the Christian heard, in his spirit, see them in his life.

Until the heart is touched — the mind
will not be fixed. Therefore you may observe, it is said, God opened the
heart of Lydia "that she attended" (Acts 16:14). The mind goes of the
will's errand; we spend our thoughts, on what our hearts
propose. If the heart has no sense of its ignorance, or no desires after
God — no wonder such a one listens not what the preacher says, his heart
sends his mind another way. "They sit before you as my people," says
God, "but their heart goes after their covetousness."

When the soul stands upon this Pisgah of
meditation, looking by an eye of faith, upon all the great and
precious things laid up by a faithful God for him — it is easy to
despise the world's love and wrath. But, alas! it is hard for us to go
up there who are so short-winded, and soon tired with a few steps up
this mount of God. Would we but frequently retire from the world, and
bestow some of that time in secret waiting upon God, which we lavish out
upon inferior pleasures, and entertainments of the creature — we would
invite God's Holy Spirit to us.

Let a wicked man set up a lust for his thoughts to
dally with, and the devil will soon be at his elbow to assist him. And
shall we not believe the Holy Spirit as ready to lend His helping hand
to a holy meditation? Doubtless He is. Spread you your sails, and the
Spirit will fill them with His heavenly breath. Be careful to provide
fuel, gather matter for meditation, set your thoughts at work upon it —
and the Spirit of God will kindle your affections. "While I was musing,"
says David, "the fire burned" (Psalm 39:3).

Meditation fills the heart with heavenly matter — but
prayer gives the discharge and pours it forth upon God. Meditation is
prayer's handmaid, to wait on it before and after the performance. It is
as the plough before the sower, to prepare the heart for the duty of
prayer, and as the harrow to cover the seed when it is sown.

Deadness in the heart of a saint will damp his zeal,
if not cleared by daily watchfulness. Look, therefore, narrowly whence
your cooling comes; perhaps your heart is too much let out upon the
world in the day, and at night your spirits are spent, when you
should be in prayer. If you will be hotter in duty — you must be
colder towards the world.

Now, there is no better way for this, than to set
your soul under the frequent meditation of Christ's love to you,
your relation to Him, with the great and glorious things you expect from
Him. But if you let your heart continue soaking in the thoughts of an
inordinate love to the world — you will find when you come to pray, that
your hearts will be as a wet log at the back of a fire, long in
kindling, and soon out again.

Perhaps the deadness of your heart in prayer arises
from not having a deep sense of your needs, and the mercies you are in
need of. Could you but pray feelingly — you would pray
fervently. The hungry man needs no help to teach him how to beg.

Prize the word, feed on the word, whether it be in
public, or in a conference with some Christian friend, or in secret
reading and meditation by your solitary self. Let none of these be
disused, or carnally used by you. When your stomach fails to the
word, your faith must needs begin to fail on the word.

But you will say, If we had so much time to spare as
others, we would not be so unacquainted with the Scriptures. Could
God find heart and time to pen and send this love-letter to you — and
you find none to read and peruse it! Would the sick man take no time
to look on his physician's prescription! Would the condemned malefactor
fail to look on his prince's letter of grace, wherein a pardon is
signed!

Must the world have all your time and swallow you up
alive! Are you such a slave to your pelf, as to tie your soul to
your purse strings; and take no more time for the saving of it, than
this cruel master will afford you! Who gave you permission thus to
overload yourself with the incumbrance of the world? Is not God the
Lord of your time? "Why did you not read My word, and meditate
thereon?" will Christ say at that day. Dare you, then, be so impudent as
to say, Lord, I was overcharged with the cares, and drunk with the love
of the world — and, therefore, I could not read it! Well, if this be the
thief that robs you of your time, get out of his hands, lest it
also rob you of your soul!

What calling is more encumbering than a soldier's,
and of all the soldiers, the general's? Such a one was Joshua — yet he
had a strict command given him to study the Scriptures: (Joshua 1:8)
"This book shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate
therein day and night." Must Joshua, in the midst of drums and
trumpets, and distractions of war, find time to meditate on the law of
God — and shall a few trivial occasions in your private calling
discharge you from the same duty?

Take heed that you come not to the Scriptures with an
unholy heart. If ever you know the mind of God in His word — the Spirit
must impart it to you. And will He who is so holy, take you by your foul
hand, to lead you into truth? No, your doom is set, "None of the wicked
shall understand" (Dan. 12:10). If we have the truth for our guest, and
are acquainted with the mind and will of God — we must have a holy
heart for its lodging!

Go to God by prayer for a key to unlock the
mysteries of His word. It is not the plodding, but the praying soul —
that will get this treasure of scripture knowledge. God often brings a
truth to the Christian's hand as a return of prayer, which he had long
hunted for in vain with much labor and study: "There is a God in Heaven
who reveals secrets" (Dan. 2:28); and where does He reveal the secrets
of His word — but at the throne of grace? "From the first day," says the
angel, "that you set your heart to understand, and to chasten yourself
before your God, your words were heard"; that is for your prayer (Dan.
10:12). And what was this heavenly messenger's errand to Daniel, but to
open more fully the Scripture to him? as appears by verse 14 compared
with verse 21. This holy man had got some knowledge by his study in the
word — and this sets him a-praying — and prayer fetched an angel from
Heaven to give him more light.

"Your word have I hid in my heart, that I
might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11). It was not the Bible in his
hand to read it, not the word on his tongue to speak of
it; but the hiding it in his heart, that he found effectual
against sin.

"Quench not the Spirit, despise not prophesyings" (1
Thessalonians 5:19, 20). They are coupled together; he who despises one,
loses both. If the scholar is too proud to learn from the guide — he is
unworthy to be taught by the master.

"They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). Satan commonly stops
the ear from hearing sound doctrine, before he opens it to embrace
corrupt doctrine.