manifest impressions on the brain. The pure contemplative, they say, have no need of meditation, as seeing all things in God at a glance, and without any reflection. See BEGUINS and QUIETISTS.

which are only figuratively ascrib- the understanding, whereby our ed to the Deity, are, in our great thoughts are fixed on the observaMediator, thoroughly realized. tion of spiritual things, in order to Farther, were he God, and not practice. Mystic divines make a man, we should approach him great difference between meditawith fear and dread; were he tion and contemplation: the former man, and not God, we should be consists in discursive acts of the guilty of idolatry to worship and soul, considering methodcally and trust him at all, Jer. xvii, 5. The with attention the mysteries of faith plan of salvation, therefore, by and the precipts of moralty; and is such a Mediator, is the most suit-performed by reflections and reaable to human beings that possibly sonings which leave behind them could be; for here "Mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other," Psal. Ixxxv, 10. The properties of Christ as Mediator are these: 1. He is the only Mediator, 1st Tim. ii, 4. Praying, therefore, to saints and angels is an error of the church of Rome, and has no countenance from the scripture.-2. Christ is a Mediator of men only, not of angels; good angels need not and as for evil angels, none is provided nor admitted.-3. He is the Mediator both for Jews and Gentiles, Eph. ii, 18. 1st John ii, 2.-4. He is Mediator both for Old and New Testament saints. 5. He is a suitable, constant, willing, and prevalent Mediator; his mediation always succeeds, and is infallible. Gill's Body of Div., vol. i, oct., p. 336; Witsii Econ. Fad., lib. ii, c. 4; Fuller's Gospel its own witness, ch. 4, p. 2; Hurrion's Christ Crucified, p. 103, &c.; Dr. Owen on the Person of Christ.

I. Meditation is a duty which ought to be attended to by all who wish well to their spiritual interests. It ought to be deliberate, close, and perpetual, Psal. cxix, 97. Psal. i, 2.-2. The subjects which ought more especially to engage the Christian mind are the works of creation, Psal. xix; the perfections of God, Deut. xxxii, 4; the excellencies, offices, characters, and works of Christ, Heb. xii, 2, 3; the offices and operations of the Holy Spirit, 15th and 16th ch. of John; the various dispensations of Providence, Psal. xcvii, 1. 2; the precepts, declarations, promises, &c., of God's word, Psalm cxix; the value, powers, and immorality of the soul, Mark viii, 36; the noble, beautiful, and benevolent plan of MEDITATION is an act by the gospel, 1st Tim. i, 11; the which we consider any thing close- necessity of our personal interest ly, or wherein the soul is employed in and experience of its power, in the search or consideration of John iii, 3; the depravity of our any truth. In religion it is used nature, and the freedom of Divine to signify the serious exercise of grace in choosing, adopting, justiVOL. II.

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fying, and sanctifying us, 1st Cor. meek man mansuetus, 'qu manu vi, 11; the shortness, worth, and assuetus, used to the hand; which swiftness of time, James iv, 14; alludes to the taming and rethe certainty of death, Heb. ix, claiming of creatures wild by na27; the resurrection and judg-ture, and bringing them to be ment to come, 1st Cor. xv, 50, tractable and familiar, James iii, 7, &c.; and the future state of eter-8: so where the grace of meeknal rewards and punishments, ness reigns, it subdues the impetuMatt. xxv. These are some of ous disposition, and learns it subthe most important subjects on mission and forgiveness. It teaches which we should meditate.-3. To us to govern our own anger whenperform this duty aright, we should ever we are at any time provoked, be much in prayer, Luke xviii, 1; and patiently to bear the anger of avoid a worldly spirit, 1st John ii, others, that it may not be a pro15; beware of sloth, Heb. vi, vocation to us. The former is its 11; take heed of sensual plea- office, especially in superiors; the sures, James iv, 4; watch against latter in inferiors, and both in the devices of Satan, 1st Pet. v, 8; equals, James iii, 13. The excelbe often in retirement, Psal. iv, 4; lency of such a spirit appears, if embrace the most favourable op- we consider that it enables us to portunities, the calmness of the gain a victory over corrupt namorning, Psal. v, 1, 3; the so-ture, Prov. xvi, 32; that it is a lemnity of the evening, Gen. xxiv, beauty and an ornament to human 63; sabbath days, Psal. cxviii, beings, 1st Pet. iii, 4; that it is 24; sacramental occasions, &c. obedience to God's word, and con1st Cor. xi, 28.-4. The advan-formity to the best patterns, Eph. tages reculting from this are, im- v, 1, 2. Phil. iv, 8. It is producprovement of the faculties of the tive of the highest peace to the soul, Proverbs xvi, 22; the af- possessor, Luke xxi, 19. Matt. xi, fections are raised to God, 28, 29. It fits us for any duty, Psalm xxxix, 1, 4; an enjoy-instruction, relation, condition, or ment of Divine peace and fe- persecution, Phil. iv, 11, 12. To licity, Phil. iv, 6, 7; holiness of life is promoted, Psal. cxix, 59, 60; and we thereby experience a forestate of eternal glory, Psal. lxxiii, 25, 26. 2d Cor. v, 1, &c.

obtain this spirit, consider that it is a Divine injunction, Zeph. ii, 3. Col. iii, 12. 1st Tim. vi, 11. Observe the many examples of it: Jesus Christ, Matt. xi, 28; AbraMEEKNESS, a temper of mind ham, Gen. xiii. Gen. xvi, 5, 6; not easily provoked to resentment. Moses, Num. xii, 3; David, Zech. In the Greek language it is ga xii, 8. 2d Sam. xvi, 10, 12. Ps. quasi pa facilis, easiness of spirit, cxxxi, 2; Paul, 1st Cor. ix, 19. and thus it may be justly called; How lovely a spirit it is in itself, for it accommodates the soul to and how it secures us from a vaevery occurrence, and so makes a riety of evils. That peculiar proman easy to himself, and to allmises are made to such, Matt. v, about him. The Latins call a5. Isaiah Ixvi, 2. That such give

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that the things themselves were nature or in the sound of the formerly real and present. When word.-6. We should think of it we remember with little or no ef- before we go to sleep at night, and fort, it is called remembrance sim- the first thing in the morning, ply, or memory, and sometimes when the faculties are fresh.-7. passive memory. When we en-Method and regularity in the deavour to remember what does things we commit to the memory not immediately and of itself oc- are necessary.-8. Often thinking, cur, it is called active memory, writing, or talking, or the subjects or recollection. A good memory we wish to remember.-9. Ferhas these several qualifications: 1. vent and frequent prayer. See It is ready to receive and admit Watts on the Mind, chap. 17; with great ease the various ideas, Grey's Memoria Technica; Roboth of words and things, which gers's Pleasures of Memory; Reid's are learned or taught.-2. It is Intell. Powers of Man, 303, 310, large and copious to treasure up 338, 356. these ideas in great number and MENANDRIANS, the most variety.-3. It is strong and du- ancient branch of Gnostics; thus rable to retain for a considerable called from Menander their chief, time those words or thoughts said by some, without sufficient which are committed to it.-4. It foundation, to have been a disciis faithful and active to suggest ple of Simon Magus, and himself and recollect, upon every pro-a reputed magician. per occasion, all those words or thoughts which it hath treasured up. As this faculty may be injured by neglect and slothfulness, we will here subjoin a few of the best rules which have been given for the improvement of it. 1. We should form clear and distinct apprehensions of the things which we commit to memory.-2. Beware of every sort of intemperance, for that greatly impairs the faculties. 3. If it be weak, we must not overload it, but charge it only with the most useful and solid no-gions, to succour the souls that tions.-4. We should take every opportunity of uttering our best thoughts in conversation, as this will deeply imprint them.-5. We should join to the idea we wish to remember, some other idea that is more familiar to us, which bears some similitude to it, either in its

He taught, that no person could be saved unless he were baptized in his name; and he conferred a peculiar sort of baptism, which would render those who received it immortal in the next world; exhibiting himself to the world with the phrenzy of a lunatic more than the founder of a sect as a promised saviour; for it appears by the testimonies of Irenæus, Justin, and Tertullian, that he pretended to be one of the æons sent from the pleroma, or ecclesiastical re

lay groaning under bodily oppression and servitude; and to maintain them against the violence and stratagems of the dæmons that hold the reigns of empire in this sublunary world. As this doctrine was built upon the same foundation with that of Simon Magus,

the ancient writers looked upon religious orders that had sprung him as the instructor of Menan-up after the council held at Rome, der. See SIMONIANS. in 1215, under the pontificate of MENDICANTS, or BEG- Innocent III, were suppressed;

CING FRIARS, several orders of religious in popish countries, who, having no settled revenues, are supported by the charitable contributions they receive from others.

and the extravagant multitude of Mendicants, as Gregory called them, were reduced to a smaller number, and confined to the four following societies or denominations, viz. the Dominicans, the This sort of society began in the Franciscans, the Carmelites, and thirteenth century, and the mem-the Augustins, or hermits of St. bers of it, by the tenor of their Augustin. institution, were to remain entire- As the pontiffs allowed these ly destitute of all fixed revenues four Mendicant orders the liberand possessions; though in pro-ty of travelling wherever they cess of time their number became thought proper, of conversing a heavy tax upon the people. In- with persons of every rank, of innocent III was the first of the structing the youth and multitude popes who perceived the necessi-wherever they went; and as those ty of instituting such an order; monks exhibited, in their outward and accordingly he gave such mo- appearance, and manner of life, nastic societies as made a profes- more striking marks of gravity sion of poverty the most distin- and holiness than were observable guishing marks of his protection in the other monastic societies, and favour. They were also en- they rose all at once to the very couraged and patronized by the summit of fame, and were regardsucceeding pontiffs, when experi-ed with the utmost erteem and veence had demonstrated their pub-neration through all the countries lic and extensive usefulness. But of Europe. The enthusiastic atwhen it became generally known that they had such a peculiar place in the esteem and protection of the rulers of the church, their number grew to such an enormous and unwieldly multitude, and swarmed so prodigiously in all the European provinces, that they became a burden not only to the people, but to the church itself. The great inconvenience that arose from the excessive multiplication of the Mendicant orders was remedied by Gregory X, in a general council, which he assembled at Lyons, in 1272; for here all the

tachment to these sanctimonious beggars went so far, that, as we learn from the most authentic records, several cities were divided or cantoned out into four parts, with a view to these four orders; the first part being assigned to the Dominicans, the second to the Franciscans, the third to the Carmelites, and the fourth to the Augustins. The people were unwilling to receive the sacraments from any other hands than those of the Mendicants, to whose churches they crowded to perform their devotions while living, and were