“My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord”
—Psalm civ, 34.
Meditation is essential to devotion. He who does not think cannot be wise. The thoughts well employed enrich the mind. A mind well stored with heavenly wisdom is a rich mind, and a rich mind is the best of all riches. “God hath chosen the poor rich in faith.” It is better to have a rich heart and a poor pocket than a rich pocket and a poor heart. An aged pilgrim, with a heavy load on his back which caused him to stoop, passed two ladies, when one sympathetically said to the other, “Poor old soul!” to which he immediately replied, “Poor body, but rich soul! “This poor man’s mind was filled with rich thoughts — thoughts of his spiritual and eternal wealth. His meditation was sweet; he could pity his pitiers.
First, notice the Object of sweet meditation — the Lord. There is no other person whose life, labours, and death we can study with such unmingled sweetness. There are so many failings in
the best of men that the study of their lives, if fully known, calls forth sorrow and grief. Not so with the life of Christ. Whether His Person, His teaching, His labours, or His sufferings and death be under consideration, it was alike without fault. There was no error in His teaching nor half-heartedness in His work. Though “tempted” in all points, yet without sin.” What a wondrous Person! He is true God and very man. How great the grace that God should come to us, and dwell among us, in a body like our own! He was made flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, with truth to manifest our state and condition, and with grace to change it, and for ever deliver us from it. So gracious was Jesus that John made a pillow of His breast (John 13:23). So glorious was He that the same disciple fell at His feet as dead, (Rev. 1:17). What He was He still is — “the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever” — full of power and compassion. His power makes us revere Him. His compassion causes us to love Him. The mind to adore and the heart to love are both from Himself, for, although He is altogether lovely, till He opens our eyes we behold no beauty in Him so as to make us desire Him. How strange, and yet how true, “He is despised and rejected of men;” still, notwithstanding, He is the only Person who has both the will and the power to do them real good. But “My meditation of Him shall be sweet.” “How pleasant art Thou, O Love, for delights!” I will meditate of Thee in the night watches. To my soul Thou art precious, and they that know Thy name will put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings, for health, peace, and safety are in Thy wings. With Thee the poor and the afflicted find mercy. Shall I also go away? No. To whom shall I go? O, whither shall I go from Thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
How gloriously complete the work of which He said, “It is finished!” How far-extending in its soul-saving effects! It reached back to Abel; it has been extended even to me. How complete will the triumph be when the last wandering sheep has heard the Shepherd’s voice, and, following Him, is safe in the one fold — the fold of heavenly bliss! There will be no soul-piercing temptations there, no heartrending dissensions. Thy hand shall put down every enemy, and Thy hand shall wipe away tears from off all faces. I will meditate of the work of Thy hands, till I behold the King in His beauty, face to face, and see the land that is far off.
Second, consider contemplation. Pure and spiritual minds love to dwell upon pure and spiritual matters. Isaac went out into the field to meditate. Meditation, prayer, and praise are closely joined, and can never be severed. He who spiritually meditates will pray, and he who can find it in his heart to pray shall soon find in his heart
cause for praise. Praying breath cannot be spent in vain, although it be but the breath of deep heart-sighing. He regards the prayer — yea, the sighing — of the needy and the prisoners. Wait but a little and thou shalt have a new song put into thy mouth. Remember it was when Isaac was in the field that Rebekah came, and while Daniel was in prayer Gabriel was sent to him. Meditation is the ground, prayer the seed, praise the harvest. Bring the day of thy death near by meditation, the help of God near by supplication, and no calamity shall ever come to thy vexation. If thou hast a place in thy heart for Him, He has a place in His house for thee. He will fill His own house and thy heart soon.
“Meditate on these things.”
(From old Magazine).