my self, and my self in God.”^35 He confesses the difficulty of restraining his desire
requesting, “[n]ow begin that Hallelujah on earth.”^36 Strikingly these last two
examples reveal how meditation within the context of spiritual marriage can lead to
contemplative experiences of love, intimacy, and ravishing enjoyment of God.
Historical Roots of Ambrose’s Understanding of Meditation
After reading a few Puritan manuals on meditation one soon discovers a
certain commonality to them. It has been previously indicated that Ambrose was
greatly indebted to Bishop Hall’s Arte of Divine Meditation. However, he was hardly
the only one. Edward Reynolds declares no one has written on meditation in his day
except our “Christian Seneca, the learned and Reverend Bishop Hall.”^37 Ambrose
employs the same appellation calling Hall “our Divine Seneca.”^38 According to
Knott, Hall influenced Baxter, Downame, Rogers, Ambrose, and Calamy.^39 However,
none of these writers borrowed from Hall without making their own revisions and
adaptations. Ambrose simplified Hall’s approach by reducing his ten steps to seven
in the understanding section and combining two steps into six for stirring up the
affections. Calamy simplified Hall’s complex method even further.^40 However, it
must be recognized that most of these writers, including Ambrose, understood that
they were offering flexible guidelines and not rigid rules to be followed.^41 Further,
35
36 Ambrose, Media (1657), 268-9.^
37 Ambrose, Watson, Saints DelightMedia (1657), 272., To the Reader, [6].^
(^38) Ambrose, Communion with Angels, 320. cf. Downame, Guide to Godlynesse, 637,
who refers to him as the “ 39 divine English Seneca.”
Knott, Sword of the Spirit, 68-70. cf. Kaufmann, Pilgrim’s Progress in Puritan
Meditation, 121. Thomas White also borrowed from Joseph Hall but Nathaneal
Ranew appears to have been one of the few who did not. 40
41 Kaufmann, Pilgrim’s Progress in Puritan Meditation, 132.^
Meditation Ambrose, , 90, 116; and Calamy, Media (1657), To the ReadArt of Divine Meditationer, [8, 6-7]; Joseph Hall, , 177. Arte of Divine