1Jire8ians far goad Thoughts. See the DireCtions ro, Tit. 2. :DireBialls to fumijh t!Je Milld JVitiJ goad Thoughts. Pnyer,He<~r· ing, Re::u:lin,, and the SJcra~ · ment. T11m.1. Tb have the mind well furnifhcd with Matter for holy and profitable thougbu, is necelfary to all that have the ufeofReajim, th011gh not to all alike: But! fhall here prcfmt you only with [.eh m:~teria!J as are neccffary to a holy lite, and to be ufed in our daily walk with God ; and not meddle with fuch as are proper toPafiors, MagiHrates, or other fpccial callings, though I may give fome general Directions alfo for Student.r in the End of this. Diretl. 1 , §· I· DireCt. 1. Vnderftand well your own Interej~ and great Conccrnmentt, and be weU refolved what 1 • Our own yozt live for, and wiJat is yoter true felicity and End: and then thir wiU command your Tboughu to Inrerell, and ftrve it. The End is it that the Me11nJ are all chofeu f or, and uftd for. A mans eftimatUm direct.. End. erh his Imentio11 and dejjg11r: And his Intention and tkfigns command his thougbt,. Thefe will cer· tainly have the firjl ana cbirfejl, the mofi{<riouJ, and pra[fical, and rffeuual thoughts; though fome by·tho•ghts may run out another way ; As the Miller will be fure to keep fa much water as is nccelfl– ry to grind his grill, though he may let that run by which he thinks he hath no need of: As you .gather in all your Corn and Fruit for your felves at harvetl, though perhaps you will leave fame {cattcrings which you do not value much for any that will to gather : fa wha.ever a man taketh for his ultimate md and true felif'ity, will have tht: ftore and Jlre.Jm of his cogitations, though he m<~.y fcatter fame few upon othtr things, when he thinks he may do it, without any detrirnc:nt ro his main delign. As a traveUcrt face is ordinarily towards his journeys end, though fa far as he thinks it doth noc fiop hitn, he may look behind him or on each fide : fo pur main end will in the main carry on o~r thoughts. And therefore unholy fouls that know not pra6tically any higher end 1 than the profpenty and plcafure of the fle(h, ond the plenty and honour ot the world, cannot poffi– bly exercife any hrly Government over their thol\ghts; but their minds and confciences are deft_led} and theirthought.r made carnal as is their end: N€lr is there any poJTibility of curing their vi(;ious wicked thoughts, and of ordtring them acccpt<~tbly to God, but by curing their worldly/carnal mind.r and caufing tt,em to change their dejig1t1 and ends. And this mufi be by undc~Qanding wha1 is their inttreft. Know well bur what it is that is moft Necrffary for you, and Bejl: for jou, and it wi.Uchange your beartt, and fave your fouls. Know this., and your Thoughts will never want matter to ht em.. l'loyed on: nor will they be futfered to wander much abroad. Thertfore it is that the expectation of death, and the thought of coming pcel<ntly to judgement, do ufe more elfeCl:ually to fupply the mind, with the wi(efi and moll llfcful thoughts) than the learnedfi Bcok or ordinary means can. That which tells a man bt!l, wlm be hath to du, dmn befi tell him what he hath to thin~ 011 : But the approach of death, and the appearance ot eternity, doth befi tell a dull and fleChly finner, what he bath to do: This telis, and tells him roundly, thar he mull prefently fearch his heart and life, and judge himfelf as one that is going m the final j~edgement ; and that it is high rime for him to look our for the remedy for his fiu and miftry, &c. And therefore it will command his thoughts rhis way : Ask any Lawyer, Phyiicion, or Tradefman what commands his Thoughts ; and you will tind ·that his Interejl:, and his Endt, and work.. command them. Know what it is to have an immortal foul, that rnufi live in Joy or Wo for ever, and what it is ro be ahvayes fo near- to rh:e irrevertible determining fentence, and what it is to have this Chore uncertain time and no more, to makeour preparation in, and then its cafie to foretell which way your thoughtt will go. Aman that knowerh his houfc is on fire, will bethin!:jng how to quench it: A man that Jt~towuh he is entring into amor~ tal ficknefs, will be tbil:k,_Ntg how to cure it. There is no better way ro have your 'thougbtJ borh fur~ ftijhed and a[ied aright, than to know your Imere(l:, and.rf~bt EJtd. Dirru. 2· 9· 2· Dire&. 2· Kn,wGod aright, a11d bebold him by the rye of an rffruual faith, andyou jhall nevtr 2.. God. want matter for bo"ly tboughu: His Greamefi and comimul prefe,zce wirh you, may command your thoughts, and awe them, and keep them from maUcrlefs vagaries : His wifdam will tind them con• iinual employment, upon the various, excellent and delectable fubjeCls, ol his narur,d and fuperna· rural revelation : bur no where fo much as upon himfdf: In God thou maifi tind matter for thy co– gitations and affeCTions, mol\ high and excellent, delighting the mind with a contimul (ul.vity, af– fording flill frdh delights, though thou meditate on him a thoufand ye:us, or to all eternity: 7hou ~i{\ better fay, that the Ocean hath not water enough for thee to fwim in, or rhat the Eauh h:nh not room enough tor thee to tread upon, than that there is not matter enough in God, for thy longeji Meditationi, and mofi delighting fatisfying thoughts. The bklftd Angds and SJints in Hea~ ven, will find enough in God alone, to employ their minds. to all eternity : 0 horrid darknefs and atheifin that yet remainet~ on our hearts ! that we lhould want matter for our thoughts, to kc:ep rhem from feeding upon air or filth? or want matter for our delit_l>t, to keep our minds tram begging it at the creatures door, or hungring for the husks tha:t feed the Swine! when we have the Infinite Gad, Om~ / nipotent, Omnifcl.ent,mnjf good and boumiful, our life, and hope, and happi11e[t to think ou witbdeJight. Direlt. 3• 9· 3• DtreCt. 3· Jf yo~e h~ve bm an tye of foit/;, to[te the thingt Of tbe nnfe~n world, at. rcvea_led J· The world iJt the [acred IYord, you cannot r.Jant matter to employ you/' thought!. Scripture IS the glafs m wh1ch to come. you may fee the other world; There you may fee the ·Antic:nt of Day.cs , the E(ernal Majd1y fhining in his Glory; for the felicitating of holy glorified Spirits: The1·e you may ii:e the humant nature advanced above Angels, and enjoying the highe!l Glory next ro the uncreat<d Majefiy; and Chrill teigning
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