# “They thrive best that meditate most” by Thomas Manton

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2025/03/27/they-thrive-best-that-meditate-most-by-thomas-manton/
- Published: 2025-03-27T12:00:00-05:00
- Author: tollelege

“Meditation is a middle sort of duty between the word and prayer, and hath respect
to both.

The word feedeth meditation, and meditation feedeth prayer; we must hear that we
be not erroneous, and meditate that we be not barren.

These duties must always go hand in hand; meditation must follow hearing and precede
prayer.

To hear and not to meditate is unfruitful. We may hear and hear, but it is like 
putting a thing into a bag with holes:

> ‘_He that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes._‘ (**Hag.
> 1:6**)
> ‘_He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth
> himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was_.’(**
> James 1:23-24**)

Bare hearing begets but transient thoughts, and they leave but a weak impression,
which is rather like the glance of a sunbeam upon a wall.

There is a glaring for the present, but a man never discerneth the beauty, the lustre,
and the order of the truths delivered till he cometh to meditate upon them; then
we come clearly to see into the truth, and how it concerneth us, and how it falleth
upon our hearts.

David saith, ‘_I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies
are my meditation_.’ (**Ps. 119:99**)

The preacher can but deliver general theorems, and draw them down to practical inferences;
by meditation we come to see more clearly and practically than he that preacheth.

We see, in outward learning, they thrive best that meditate most; knowledge floateth,
till by deliberate thoughts it be compressed upon the affections.”

–Thomas Manton, [_**The Works of Thomas Manton, Vol. 17**_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1848719132?tag=toletaupanre-20)(
Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1870/2020), 17: 272.

[⌊The Works of Thomas Manton⌉⌊The Works of Thomas Manton⌉[

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