A Goodly Heritage

True meditation, thus proceeding from filial love and sympathy , brings the soul into intercourse and communion with its object . Devout and holy reflection upon God introduces man into the divine presence , in a true and solid sense of these words . Such a soul will know God as the natural man does not , and can not . " Judas said unto him , not Iscariot , Lord , how is that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us , and not unto the world ? Jesus answered and said unto him , if a man love me , he will keep my words : and my Father will love him , and  we will come unto him  and make our abode with him ."In the hour of spiritual and affectionate musing upon the character and  attributes of God - and especially upon their  manifestation in the Person and Work of Christ - their is a positive impression upon the heart , directly from God . In what other mode can we get near to the Invisible O ne . here on earth , than by some mental act or process? In what other way , than ...

True meditation , then , being practical , and thereby bringing the subject of it into communion with the object of it , is of necessity sanctifying. For the object is Infinite Holiness and Purity . It is He in whom is centered and gathered and crowded  all possible perfections . And can our minds muse upon such a being and not become purer and better? Can we actually and affectionately commune with the most perfect and high God in the heavens and not become sanctified ? The spirit of a man takes its character from the themes of its meditation . He who thinks much upon wealth becomes avaricious; he whose thoughts are upon earthly glory becomes ambitious ; and he whose thoughts are upon God becomes godlike

All merely speculative thinking is inquisitive , acute , and wholly destitute of affection for the object.  But all practical thinking is affectionate , sympathetic , and in harmony with the object . When I meditate upon God because I love Him, my reflection is practical. When I think upon God because I desire to explore Him , my thinking is speculative. None therefore but the devout and affectionate mind truly meditates upon God ; and all thought upon that Being which is put forth merely to gratify the curiosity and pride of the human understanding forms no part of the Christian habit and practice which we are recommending . Man in every age has endeavoured "by searching to find out God ." He has striven almost convulsively to fathom  the abyss of the Deity, and discover the deep things of the Creator. But because it is from the love of knowledge rather than from the love of God , his efforts have been both unprofitable and futile. He has not sounded the abyss , neither has ...