Joseph Hall (1574–1656) was an Anglican bishop in Norwich, England. McClintock and Strong’s religious encyclopedia describes him as a “man of very devotional habits,” observing that “intense was his ardor in the pursuit of intellectual and spiritual improvement.”[1] Hall’s 1607 book, The Art of Divine Meditation, was one of the most influential books of its day. In this Puritan devotional classic, he discussed and illustrated the use of ten questions helpful in meditating on Scripture. A twentieth-century writer[2] asserted that Hall’s questions were already well-known to ministers by the time The Art of Divine Meditation popularized them, noting that a similar form of them was published more than fifty years earlier.[3]
I find meditation on Scripture simpler, and yet more fruitful when guided by Hall’s questions. I have modified and expanded them slightly to make them clearer to contemporary readers.
- What is it you are meditating upon? (Define and/or describe what it is.)
- What are its divisions or parts?
- What causes it?
- What does it cause, that is, what are its fruits and effects?
- What is its place, location, or use?
- What are its qualities and attachments?
- What is contrary, contradictory, or different to it?
- What compares to it?
- What are its titles or names?
- What are the testimonies or examples of Scripture about it?
The first question is the most important, for the answer becomes the “it” referred to in the rest of the questions. So if you were meditating on Romans 8:28, one possible answer to question one (“What is it?”) might be something like, “God’s control of all things for the good of His people.” This is a summary, the essence of Romans 8:28. Now you have “it,” and that’s what you refer to as you answer the rest of the questions. So the “divisions or parts” (question two) of “it” would include “God’s control,” “all things,” “the good,” and “His people.” After you meditate and briefly elaborate on what each of these parts means, you answer the next question.
I think you’ll discover that often each question can provide so much to consider that you may not be able to answer all the questions in one devotional sitting. As a result, you may decide to use your daily time in Scripture meditation over several consecutive days employing the Joseph Hall questions to reflect on just one verse.
You might find it useful to keep a copy of these questions in your Bible, day planner, phone, or on your desk.
By asking these brief questions, numberless believers since the days of the English Puritans have generated enormous amounts of valuable insights into the texts they meditated upon. So can you.
[1] John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. IV, H-J. (Repr., Harper and Brothers, 1867 – 1887; Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1981, p. 80.
[2] U. Milo Kaufman, The Pilgrim’s Progress and Traditions in Puritan Meditation (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1966), p. 123.
[3] Thomas Wilson, Rule of Reason, London, 1553.
