THE other thing I propos’d to mention, as that which discourages many from the addicting themselves to make Occasional Meditations, is a fancy, That to practise this kind of thinking, one is oblig’d to the trouble of writing down every Occasional Reflection that employs his thoughts; and they conclude it far easier to forbear making any, than to write down all: But, to do this, were to undertake a task no less unnecessary than tedious. Those Meditations indeed that have some Excellency in them, that fits them to instruct others, should for that purpose be kept from perishing, and those that were not conceiv’d without some extraordinary Affection in a man’s self, should be carefully persued, as Bellows to blow or rekindle Devotion, by reminding us of the devout thoughts the like Objects had excited in us. But for the rest of our Occasional Reflections, though they fill our heads, they need not employ our hands, as having perform’d all the service that need be expected from them within the mind already.
Nor would I have any man be discourag’d from this way of thinking, that cannot express so much wit or eloquence in Occasional Meditations, as perhaps he may aspire to. For, besides that much subtilty of wit is not to be expected, or at least exacted, in this kind of composures, where we commonly make use of things rather out of haste than choice, as frequently being but the first thoughts we meet with, not the best we have; besides this, I say, that which ought most to indear this sort of Reflections to a Christian, is rather that they cherish piety, than that they express wit, and help to make the man good, whether or no they make his style be thought so. ‘Twere injurious to nature to fancy, that the Fig-tree derives no benefit from the Rain and Sun, because they do not make it, like other Trees, flourish with Blossoms, more gaudy than necessary, though without praevious Buds it brings forth welcome Fruits. Not to add, that the difficulty of framing Occasional Meditations, need not be estimated by that which we find when we first addict our selves to the making of them; for practice will by degrees so much lessen that difficulty, that after a while we shall find, that Occasional thoughts will need but small invitation to frequent those minds where they meet with a kind entertainment. And though men should be reduc’d to purchase this habitude at the rate of a little difficulty, I doubt not but they will find the benefit of it, when gotten, richly to recompense the trouble of acquiring it. Nor will the practice, that must contribute to the attainment of a reasonable degree of skill in making them, be half so troublesome when those Exercises but make up the habitude, as they will prove facil and delightful when they flow from it.
← The Discourse, Section 2, Chapter 3 · Contents · The Discourse, Section 3, Chapter 1 →