.Againft elJil Thot~ghts. ~95 it under your feet, and out of your heart; and count all with Pattl,, but as lofs and dung, for the excellent knowledge of God in Chrill : For till the wor/J be. dead m you, your worldly thoughts will not be dead: But all will (bud fiill, when once th1s po&· IS taken off: Cruclfie u, and t~ts breath and pulfe will ceafc. So if your thoughts do run upon m~trer oi preferment or hon~~r, d1f. grace or contempt, or if you are pleafcd with your _own prehe~me~ce ~r applaufc; Mortih~ your Pritlr, and beg of God a humble felf-dcnying contntc heart•. For ull Pnde be. dead, you will ne– ver be quiet for it; but it willllir up f~arms of fe/ftx.J/tJng an? yet feJf-vexmg thottgbtl) wl11ch make you hateful in the eyes of God. So tf your thoughts_ be runnmg our upo.n_ your back and be~ly, what you {haU eat or drmk, or how to pleafe yo~r appett~e or fenfe ; ~ortJhc the fle{}l, and {u~ ·due its defires, and mafier your appetite, and bnng .them mt.o full obcdJence unto reafon, and ge~ 3 habit of temperance ; or elfe your thoughats will be fhll upon .your guts and throats : For they wil~ obey the ruling power: And a violent paf[io~~ and defire doth fo poweifully move them, that it is hard for the reafon and will to rule them. So tf your thoughts are wanton and fiiJhy, you muft clean[e that unclean and lullful heart, and get Chdtt to caH out the unclean fpirit, and become ·chafi within, before you will keep out your u~chall cogitations. So if y~u have confufion and va· "ity in your thoughu, you rnufi get a well-furm!hed and well-compofed mmd and heart, before you will well cure the maladie ofyour thoughts. 9· 5 , Dire do. 4 . Kerp at a f 11 fficient diftan:e from lhofe tempting objeat, rr>hich are the jHel and in- Dire[}. 41 ctntives nfy:;ur edl tbour,ht.r. Can you t:xpetf that the DrtmJtard fhould rule h1s Thoughu, wh1lfi he js in the A LE-houfe or Tavern, and feeth the drink ? Or that rhe Glttttoll thould rule his tfJOu~IJtl, wbile the pleafing di{h is in his fight? Or that the Luj/ful perfon fhould keep chafi his thoughts, in the pref~nce ot ~JS enamourmg toy? Or that the 'Wr'_atbfut perfo? rule h;~ thoughts, among contentious paf11onate words ! Or tha_t the Prou~ ~erfon. rule?~~ thoughts, m the ffi1dfi of honour and apphufe? Away with this fuel : fly from th1s mfc6t10us a1r 1f you would be fafe. . 9· 6. Direct. 5· At leajl, mak.! a Covenant with your fenfu, and k,ptp thtm in obedience, if you Dire[}. 1; will have obrdimt thought.r. t~or all know by ~xpcnt:ncc how potently the finfe.r move the thoughtJ: J ab b.irh I made a Covenant with my tye.r, why thm jhould I think., upon a Maid: Mark how the Covmant with his eye.r, is made the means ro rule hiJ· tbuughtJ, . Pray with David, Turn away my t)CJ from beholding va11ity : Pfalm 1 19· 37· Keep a guard upon your eyes, and ears, and tall, and touch, it you will kc::t:p a guard upon your thoughts: Let not that come into thefe outer parts, which ycu dcfirc 01ould r,o no fu:.'lher. Open not the door to them , if you would not let thcmin. & §. 7· Direct. 6. Remember bow nrar ~in the J.bougbt is to tbe deed; an~bat a tcndencie it bath to DfreCI. 6. it. Let Chrill himfdf tdl you, Matth.7. 22· But I Jay unto you 1bat -z:p{)(r{oever ii angry with hit brotbrr withom a caufi, jJ.>aU be in da11gcr of the Judgrmcnt; vtrf. 28. I fay umo you that whofoever lool:ph on a waman to lujf afur her, batb comt7tittcd adultery with ber already in hit heart. A malicious tlnlfght and a malicious dw:Larc from the fame fpring, and have the fame nature: Only the deed is rhe ripcrferpent, tha~ ca!l Hing another, when th~ 1bought is as the younger ferpcnt that hath only ' the vcnrmous nature m rt (elf. A ltljlful tiJ,:ught ts from the fame dthled puddle, as actual filthinefs: And the tbwgbt is but the p;3ff1ge to the aliion : lt is but the fzme fin in its minoricy, tending tO maturity. . 9· 8. Dirdt. 7· Kap olll, or qnic/& caft. out aU i11ordin1te poffioHJ: For Paffioll! do violently prefs Dire[}. 7• the thoughts) and ~OJcll>ly carry .them away. If anger, or grief, or fiar, or any c~rnal Love, or joy, or pleaf;tre be admmcd, they w1ll command your thoughts to 'run out upon thc:a feveral objects. Aqd when you rebuke your thoughts, and call them in, they will nor haer you, till you get them out of the crowd and noife of paffion. As in the heat of civil wars no Government is well exercifed in a Kingdom : And as violent ftorms difablc the marryners to govern the thip, and fave it and rhemfelves 1 fopaf!ionJ are too finrmy a Region for the Thought.r to be well Governed in : Till your fouls be redu~ ccd to a calm condirion~ your thougbts will be t_umulruating) and hurrycd that way that the rempeHs drive them. Till theft warr.r be ended, your 1boughtJ will be liccntiOIIf, and partakers in the rebeiJion. · 9· 9· D irect. 8. Keep your ji;u/J i11 a conjfant and careful obedience unto God: Obfervc his Law: Be Direct. s. continually fenfiblc that you are under his Government; and awed by his authority: Man judgeth !lot your 11Jou'l_btJ : If you are fubjeCl:: to man only your Thoughts mull: be ungoverned ; But the Heart JS the firft ObjeD of Godt Government, and that which he principally regardeth. His Laws extend to all your thoughts: And therefore ifyou know what Obedience to God is, you mufi know what the obedienu ofyottr.1bougbt.r ~o him is: For he that ubeyctb God :is God, will obey him in one thing as well asanother; and w11l obty hm1 as the Governor and Judge of Thoughts : The J>OWerful fcarching word of"(;hrift lS .a di.[ccrner ,,r the tboHghtt and inttntiont of tiJe h~a:t, and M a two·edged [word itjbarp and quick_., and Will puree .and cu: as dee~ ~s the very foul and Jpmt, Heb. 4· 12, 13· It cafteth down every imaginati· n~ and hrzngcth tnto capttv2ty every thought to the obedirnct (If Chrift. 2 Cor. ro. 5• Therefore David fa1th to God, fearcb me 0 God, and ~non:i my beart, try me and k.,now my thoughtJ; and fct if thtre be any rvickJd n:ay i11 ~e, a1td l1!ad me in th-e way everlajiing. P[alrn 139·. 23, 24. And you find Gods law 1 and rcproojt ;xtcndmg to the thought~ : Ifa. 59· 7• , Their thoughI! arc tboughu of iniquity. The foolt beart-atkeifm JS rebuked, Pf.zlm. 14· I · He reprovetn a rebeUzoJ~ ptople,· for wall<jng in a way that is not good after their own thougl,.,, Ifa. 65: 2. See how Chrift opencth the heart, Mattb. I 5· 9· He chargetlJa. ~hem, Deut. 1 5· 9· to beware that there be not a thougbt in their wick.,ed htartJ againH the mercy whlCh they muft !hew to the poor. Pfa/m 49- I Io He decetteth the inward thought of the Qq worldling, l
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