Richard Baxter wrote about contemplation in A Christian Directory and The Saints’ Everlasting Rest.

Following Baxter distinguishes between the contemplative life and the active life:

‘Every active christian is bound to somewhat of contemplation; and all contemplative persons are bound to obedience to God, and to so much of action as may answer their abilities and opportunities. But yet some are much more called to the one, and some to the other; and we denominate from that which is most eminent and the chief. We call that a contemplative life, when a man’s state and calling alloweth and requireth him to make the exercises of his mind on things sublime and holy, and the affecting of his heart with them to be his principal business, which taketh up the most of his time. And we call that an active, obediential life, when a man’s state and calling requireth him to spend the chief part of his time in some external labour or vocation, tending to the good of ourselves and others.’

Some, indeed, are called to give themselves almost wholly to the contemplative life.

Baxter does not, however, draw any clear distinction between contemplation and meditation.  When he refers to ‘contemplation’, he is clearly not thinking of an emptying of the mind of thoughts and words, but a filling of the mind with holy truth.

In A Christian Directory, Baxter writes:

‘Though christians therefore must study themselves, and keep up a care of their own salvation, yet must they much more study God, his greatness, wisdom, and goodness, as shining in his works, and word, and in his Son, and as foreseen in the heavenly glory; and in this knowledge of God and Christ is life eternal. And nothing more tendeth to the holy advancement and perfection of the soul, than to keep continually due apprehensions of the divine nature, properties, and glorious appearances in his works upon the soul, so as it may become a constant course of contemplation, and the habit and constitution of the mind, and the constant guide of heart and life.’ (Emphasis added)

Baxter writes at length about contemplation in The Saints Everlasting Rest.  Specifically, it is contemplation of heaven (conceived as the life to come; the new heavens and the new earth) which he is commending.

He offers the following steps for such contemplation:

1. You must go to the memory, which is the magazine or treasure of the understanding; thence you must take forth those heavenly doctrines which you intend to make the subject of your meditation: for the present purpose, you may look over any promise of eternal life in the Gospel; any description of the glory of the saints, of the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting: some one sentence concerning those eternal joys, may afford you matter for many years’ meditation; yet it will be a point of wisdom here, to have always a stock of matter in our memory, that so, when we should use it, we may bring forth out of our treasury things new and old…

2. …your next work is to present it to your judgment. Open there the case as fully as thou canst; set forth the several ornaments of the crown, the several dignities belonging to the kingdom, as they are partly laid open in the beginning of this book: let judgment deliberately view them over, and take as exact a survey as it can; then put the question, and require a determination. Is there happiness in all this, or not? Is not here enough to make me blessed? Can he want any thing who fully possesses GOD Is there any thing higher for a creature to attain?…

3. But the great work, which you may either premise or subjoin to this as you please, is, to exercise thy belief of the truth of thy rest; and that both in respect of the truth of the promise, and also the truth of thy own interest and title. As unbelief doth cause the languishing of all our graces; so faith would do much to revive and actuate them, if it were but revived and actuated itself.

If we did soundly believe, that there is such a glory; that within a few days our eyes shall behold it; O what passions would it raise within us! Were we thoroughly persuaded, that every word in the Scripture concerning the inconceivable joys of the kingdom, and the inexpressible blessedness of the life to come, were the very word of the living GOD, and, should certainly be performed to the smallest tittle, O what astonishing apprehensions of that life would it breed! How it would actuate every affection how would it transport us with joy, upon the least assurance of our title…O, Sirs, you little know what a thorough belief would work.

Matt Searles notes:

‘How far from some contemporary views of meditation this is. Far from emptying the mind, Biblical meditation involves filling it – with Biblical truth – in order to mull it over, reflect and ponder.’