CHAP. VI. ~ Chap. 5. ~ A UfeofTryal. The difFerence between Holy Men dnd others,Jhewnhytheir Thoughts: which are the Immediate Ijfoes of the Heart, and the Invijible, Delightful, Continued A[fs ofthe Soul. Necef{ary C.zutions. A difference between Voluntary and Inje[fed Thoughts. ·Gpod Thoughts plea[ant to U6, and Produ[five of Holinefs : elfe no Sign of ou~ritual State. ' , Vft I. FIRST by way of Tryal. This Alfertion of David, eo~ rains the CharaCter of a Man that is truly Gracious. Oh ho111 love I thJ Law.! It u m1 Mediution.alt the DaJ. And it is that which i• the Original dillin8:ion between a Carnal anrl aGracious frame of Hean ; a Gracious Mans Soul is the Chamber of Prefen" for the Hoi:J Spirit. The Soul of a Carnal Man, is the Devil's thorough-fare: Temptations are let in, and Corruptions arc let out. You know a Painter may draw the External Reprefentation of a Man, but he cannot fer forth :~: .~i'~;~~~'~~1afc~:~f~r~~~,:~;~sl'c:;~!\\~~:c~'~r~~~hebin~v~::li~~~fo~~t~~~'~ Underllanding, and the working of the Affections, cannot be reprefented by a wkked Man. If you take the whole World of Unregenerate Men,and look intotheir Brealls ; you will fi nd that fome of them like the Came/ion, feed upon the Air of Honour; and others like the Serpent, feed upon the Dull of Profi.t ; and moft like the Swine fatisfie themfelves with the will of Carnal Pleafures. This is the Temper of their· Souls, and thefe are the Obje8:s about which they exercife their Thoughts. But now take a Gracious Man, he Subftantiates Heaven by his Fore-thoughts of it; if the Breafi of a Gracious Man were Tranfparent, you would find a Line drawn from hisSoul towards God. Herein is a great difference between thefe two fo.rts of Men: There's an Exprcffion of So/(;mo,, concerning the Temper of a Fool ; (now So!om.ons Fool is the wicked Man.) As he thi;nktth in his H.art, fo he is. The thoughts of"•'· '3· 7· the Soul <l.ifcover moll Naturally the Frame and Temper of the Heart. For.the opening ofthis a little more, confider thefe four particulars in reference.to our Thoughts and Meditation, and they will clear up the difference between a Godly Man, and one that yet is but in his Natural .State. · r . Confider this, that the thoughts whereby Meditation<is managed, are the immediate Ilfues of the Heart and therefOre the beft difcoveries of a Man. There are many interpoling CircumG:aoces betwe.en our Atl:ions and our Affections many times; bU< there is no Interpofition between the Heart aod the Thoughts. Our of the Heart M•t. rs. •9· {;J:::~ ~;i:~::5~:~lycrr~~ ~~r~~;, ?n~t~~: ~~~~di~a~~~:~~fi.~at~~~r'!~~e ;~:· ~?n~ of the Earth (ome Miles ; for fo it lofcth its Brackifhnefs. So he that would pafs an Eftimate upon the State and Frame of .a Man, mull Judge of his thoughts which immediately arifc fro!ll the Soul : For you cannot Judge of him (many rimes)" by his external Ail:ions. Therefore by wl1at your continued Meditation is upoo, you may conclude your ·sure G.ood or,Bad. • 2. They are the Invifible Produ8:ions of the Soul; and that's another thing which makes them the better to.difcover our Temper: they are neither fubje8: to the knowledge, nor to the Cenfure of the World; fo that a Mao cloth atb moll Naturally in them. Fear and Shame are two great Checks and re{traiots from Evil Ail:ions. ~:t a~~a~n~~f.s·h:~~\;~ft~~~~~ ~~t:~~~~~ ~~n.g0c;raif~~~~s, J~~t~~~r:~~fte~0 t~~~k~~ Good. llu : now thoughts are neither capable ofthefe rellrainrs, nor of thole attractives ; becaufe they are not fub)ecttothe Eye of the World. And this is the Reafon why many that dare nor Steal with the Hand, yet dare Steal with rbe Eye; and fo thole that dare not defile anothers Body; yet date Pollute their own Souls with Spe~ culative Wickednefs, becaufe their thoughts are invifible, not feen by the Eye of the World ; aocl this Fortifies and Strengthens this difference. l · Our thoughts as they are the Invifible produCtions of the Soul, fo they· are tho moll Delightful acts of the Soul : Our thoughts proceed from our affe8: ions; and therefore you may find the Temper of the Heart by t hem: And this is the reafon why tile difforent thoughts of Men, llream forth in various and di"llerent Ways. As
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