your hidden thoughts mufi ;one day be brought into the open light: S•y not that this is a thing impoffible, becaufe they are ~o. numerous : For God who {~erh them all at once, and ca~1f~th his fun to illuminate fo many mtlhons at once, can make you fee lhem all at once, and yet dttimctly; and fee the Chamc: and filthinefs of every one of them. .. 9· 1 6. Direct. 1 5· When you ji11d that fome tbougblf nfji11 and vanity arr following you jliU, for DireU 1 aU that you can. do, yJu mu)t ~~~ tbtrefore pfunge your fktdJ into J.o much [oL'icitou.(irrft , fear ~nd ' S• trouble M may di{courage and dijtral1 you.r mmd; but wau on God tu tbe c~mplactntzJt and obcdtentilll way nf mre. It is the Tempters method to keep fi.rmers "utterly carelefs of their thoughts, and fenfelefs of any fin that is in them, as long as he can ; and when that hope failcrh him, he will 1£- bour to make a humbled obedient foul fo fenfible of the fin of his tbOlfghtJ; and fo careful about them as to confound him, and cafi him into melancholy, difCouragemcnr, and dcfpair; anti then 'he will have no command of his thoughtJ at all; Out they Will be as much ungoverned another way; and feed continually upon terrOr. The end of this temptation is to difiract yOU and confound you : The pretence of the Tempter will be contrary to his end : For while he driveth you with terrors to tbinJt of nothing elfe, but what you have b·een or art tbinkJn?. on, and ro make your own thoughts the only or principal matter of your thought!, he will confoundyou, and make you nndifpofid to aY good, and unable to govern your thoughts at all : Bur if you principally fiudy the exceUmcitJ of God and Godlinefi and take the cour(e whtch tends to make Religion pleafant to you, and wi(hall keep up an aweful obedience to God, this Complacential obedience will befi prevail. • 9· 17 , Direct. r!i. Thmfore deliver up your heartt to Chrifl in L.vt and duty, and confecrate Dirt</. ,;s, yonr tbo 1 tg1Jtl entirely to bi1 fervice, and k.ffep them jlill exercifld on him, ()T' i1t hi1 worJv and tbi1 Sicut ignis in wiU moft tjftliuaUy cure them of vanity and fin. If you have a friend that you love entirely, you ;;~quidurare wilt not feed fwine in the room that mufi entertain him : You will not·leave it nafiy anti unclean: non pot~~, it:i You will not leave it common to every dirty unfuitable companion, to intrude at pleafure and ;f~rit~i~~~i~ difiurb your friend : So Love and Pleafore wtll be readily and compofidly careful, to keep clean amantc, Q!'<>' the heart, and Omt out vain and filthy thoughts; and fay, This room is for a better guefi ; No- niam o:nms ..~ thing (hall come here, which my Lord abhorreth: Is he willing fo wonderfully to condefcend, as qulD<uma-. to take up fo mt4~ a habitati_on, and fhall I fireighten him, or offend hi~, by letting in his noy- j~~:r~: 2~~~~ fome enemies? Wtll be dwell m my heart, and fhalll fuffer thoughts of pnde, or lufi or malice, to ~fl:: Czteru 111 · dwell with him) or to enter in ? Are thefe fit companions for the fpjrit of grace ? Do I delight ro l~bor vo!uma~ grieve him? I know as foon as ever they come in, he will either refill them till he drive them out r~us, Jutura: again, or he will go out himfel.f: ~nd fhal1 I drive away fo dear. a friend, fo~ the love of a filthy ~~~ic~u~~u pernicious enemy? Or do I dehght mwarr? Would I have acontmual combat m my heart? Shall I iAit. Mcr&fH, put tbe lpirir of Chrifi to jigbt for his habitation, againfi fuch an ignominous foe? --- Indeed Ertm.. 1 there is no true cur.~/or finfill, vain, unpro~table thoughts, but by the contrary: by calling up the thoughts unto rhm proper work, and hndmg them more profitable employment : And thi• is by Confecrating the Heart and them, entirel~ t~ the Love and[tr~ice of him, that bath by the wonders of his Love, and by the firange defign of hJS purchafe and menrs, fo well deferved them. Let Chrilt come in, and deliver him the Key, and 'pray him to keep thy heart as his own, and he will cafi out buyers and fellerS from his temple, and will not fulfer his houfe of prayer to be a den of thieves. But if you receive Chrill with refervcs, and keep up dtjign1 for the world and flefh , marvel not if ' Ch•ifi will be no partners with them, but leave all to thole guells, which you would not leave for !lim. Qq1 Tit.;:: ,. - '
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