A Di{cour[e of Divine Me.ditatiort, ~aCov~ Man fetsup anlmageofGold, and~d~~rfhips i~ Chap. 6. thoughts, and this is very delighttul and pleafing to him, becaufe the World is JJis ~God. And thus Pleafurable Perfons fet up Images of Vanity, and thefe they look upon with the greateft Delight and Contentment ; becaufe Pleafure is their God : So.an :h'lsb:~~~su~iSs ~~~~~ht;~~ft1 Jtti:~:tu:~·n~e;l;~~~~~~b!a0:te~~~~u?i~!;is; ~: Now a Gracious Heart looks upon things Spirit~al, as thofe chiefly that deferve his affeEtions, for his thoughts run upon them. · · 4· Our thoughts are the continued aEts of the Soul. There is nothing fo Profufe in all the World as the Soul of Man; it is alwayes [pending of its felf. The Sun is not fo full of Beams, as the Heart is of thoughts. Now where the Te)llper of the Soul is Carnal, there is a vile expenc:e of our thoughts upon bafo Inferiour ObjeEts; but where the Soul is changed and renewed, there's a conflant Tendency of the Soul towards God, there the thoughts by Troops run up to Heaven, and unbofome themfelves in God. Thefe are the refined aEts ol the Soul, and therefore they do the moft fully reprefent the difference that is between a Carnal and a Spiritual Man. Thore are only thefe three Cautions I will fix to this Tryal ; poffibly many of you may Fan~ ~;i~~r;~~st~~~~fo~~ ~1k"ent~~~ .. ~ao~t?~~s~~·~~~f~:\::~id::s;r~~r•ve good thoughts I. Confider there is a difference between Good thoughts that afcend from the frame ofour Heart ; and thofe that are injeEted fro!Il' without. For inflance; A Gracious Man's holy thoughts afcend from the Spiritual Frame that is in his Soul : But now a ~ii~~t~ ~~fc~aao~hv~o~~~k~h~u~~~ ;c~~it~;~ d~d: :he a~~~io~ ~fh~~:~ i~~!; thoughts, argue the frame of his Heart Spiritual and Holy. When he bath been hearing a warm Sermon, then he thinks with himfelf, Heaven deferves his Choice aud Eager purfuits; this is but from without, and therefore doth not argue that he is Spi1 eor. 4· s. ~~~~r:~it ~r·:~; 1~~~~~!t~t~~:nc:;~t~otfd:~;r:~·;;~ ' ttf~k' ~~~.h~h:~~~:~:: :~: frame dftlly Spirit to be~hanged ;. but .ifitbe meerly an Inje6tion, thou mayeft be in a Natural State. I w1ll !lluftrate 1t by 1ts contrary ; a grac1ous Heart may have evil thoughtscaft into him, there may be a Rape committed upon his Undedianding; yet neverthelefs he may not be a Carnal Perfon : So thou mayeft have good thoughts caft into thee, yet this doth not arife from the Frame and Temper of thy SouL Bad ~~~Y!t~nlJredui~~n~fc~,~~~~nbu~~~fsha~a~0a~~t ~:eft ~~:;e ;l~n~~~. 1~h~:~~ not arife from the Frame of their Hearts, 2. Confider whether thefe Holy thoughts which fometimes are in thy Soul, are Cherifhed there as in their proper place and Center. In the 17th of :fob v.11. there's an ~~~r:~~d fio;~i~;sir~t~~rOtr?~~~t"~n~il ~~i'.~~~~~:;d ~o{(:[';:;:,.t.':::of~~~r;J~ie~~ Now have Spiritual thoughts their refidency there? Are they fixed there as in their Natural Soil ? Are they in thy Heart as Me.at in the Stomach, which is received in its Proper place, and fo turned to Food and Nourifhment ? Good thoughts in a wicked Man, are like Wind in the BowelsoftheEart~, which is never Qlliet till it hath made an Eruption; orliJ<e Tliunderin a Cloud; 1 that breaks fgrth in violehce. 3· Are thefe Spiritual thoughts in thy Heart, produfrive of Holinefs in thy Life? then 'tis an argument the frarhe efthy Soul is right : Our thoughts are implicite words, and our aEtions are explicite thoughts; therefore if thou find the Power of Meditation in thy Life, this is an argumcn~, thofe tho~hts which are in 1 thy ~ul, are Natural. ll -· ., l V .cHAP• • r1J '. ' r·
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