' HolV to make good Thotr,hts ejfeHt~al. Dire[/. 2 o. 9· 20. Direct. 20_. If all theft do not fufficiwtly fumifh your meditation/ , .look.. through the world, :2.o. Tle mik- and fee what" multiwde of mifer~b~e fou/J do eaU for your cumpaffion a~d ~at!y pr~yeu for their relief. r:.b\c fin!ul Think on the many nations that he mthedarknefs of Idolatry and Intidehty ! It JS not pall tbe fixth wcr!J. part of the world that are Chrifiians, of any fort. The other tlve parts are Heathens and Mlhorne– tans and fame few Jews. And of this fixth parr, its bur a fmall part that arc Reformed from Pope– ry and filch corruptions as the Eaflern and Southern Chriaians alfo are too much defiled wjth. Anti in the Reformed Churches, how cernmon is profanenefs and worldlinefs, and howfew are acquainted with rhe power of Godlincfs ! What abundance of ignorant, and ungodly perfons be there who hale the power and prafrice of that Religion which they profefs th;mfe.lves they hope to be fa;ed by, ( as if they hoped to be faved for haung, perfecutmg and d1fobeymg 1t ) . And among thofe that feem more fcrious and obedient, how many are hypocrites? And how many are polfefi with pride and felf– conceitednefs, which breaketh f0rth into unrulinefs, contentions, and uncharitablenefs, factions, and divifions in the Church? How many Chrifiians arc ignorant, paffionate, weak, unprofitable, and too many fcandalous? And how few arc judicious, prudent, heavenly, charitable, peaceable, humble mcck,laborious and fruitful,who fet themfelves wholly to he goodand to do good?And of thefe few ho,; few are there that are not exercifed under heavy afHid:ions from God,or cruel perfecutions from u;god.. ly men! what tyranny is exercifed by the Turk without, and the Pope within, upon the fincerell fol– lowers of Chrifi. Set all this together and tell me, whether thy compaffionate Thoughts or thy Prayers do need to go out for want of fewel, or matter to feed upon from day to day ? ' Dirt<l. I • Dire/1. 2· Dire[/. 3· Tiq. 1.>ireHions bozv to make good Thoughts ejfeHtt.a!: or, Gmeral 1.>ireHion~ for Meditaticn. , HEre fome Dire[/ioJU are preparator], and fome about theWork,. it felf· 9· I· DireCt. r. Be fiere that Reafon maintain its authority in t!Je command and g~trnmmt of y our tboughu ; <~nd th.Jt they bt not left ma{ftrltft to fancy 4nd psffion, and obje[fs to carry them which way they pleaJi. Difeafed melancholy and crazed perfons have almoft no power over their own <fboHghtJ : They cannot command them to what they would have them exercifed about, nor call them olffrom any thing that they run out upon; but they are like an unruly horfe, that hath a weak rider or hath call the: rider ; or like a maficrlefs dog, that will not go or come at your command. w here: as our 1houghts Chould be at thedirtflionofour Rea[on, '3nd the command of the wiU, to go and come olfas foon as they are bid. As you fee a j/udmt can rule his <fbot~gbu all day : he can appoint them what they thall meditate on and in what order, and how long : So can aLawyer, a Phyficion, and aiJ forts of men about the matters of their arts and ca1lings. And fo it fhould be with aChrifiianabout the matters of his foul: All Rules of Dire[Jion are to little purpofe, with them whofe K.a[on hath loll its power, in governing their thoughts. If I tell a man thar is deeply melancholy, ThU< and thU< y oze mujf order yoHr thougbu ! Hewill tell me that he cannot : His thoughts are not in his power. If you would give never fo much he is not able, to forbear thinking of that which is his difiurbance, nor to command his thoughts to that which you direct him, nor to think.. bot as he doth, even as his difeafc and trouble movetl1 him. And what good will precepts do to fuch? Grace and doctrine and exhortation work by Rea{o11 and the comma11ding will. If a holy perfon could manage his practical heart-raifing mtditations, but as orderly, and confiantly, and cafily as a carnal covetous Preacher can manage his tbougiJts in fiudying the fame things, for carnal ends (to make a gain of them or to win applaufe) how happily would our work go on? And is it not fad to think that carnal ends lhould do fo much more than tpiritual, about the fame things? 9. 2· Direct. 2. Carefully avoid the difeafe of melancboly : for that derhmwh Reafon, and difableth it 10 rule tht tho~tghtJ. Dij!ra/iwn wholly difableth: but melancholy difahleth only in part, according to the meafure of its prevalencic : and therefore Jeavcth feme roE:Im for advice. 9· 3• Direct. 3· 'Ia~ lm d of jloth and negligence of the will, whmby the dire/iwnJ of Reafon rriUbi unexecuted, far want of Re[alutio11aJJd command ; and fo every ttmptatio11 wiU carry away the thoughts. A lazy coachman will let the horfes go which way they lift, becaufe he will not flrive with them ; and will break his neck to favc his labour. If when you feel unclean or worldly thoughts invade your minds, you will not give your wiUs the allarm, and rife up againfl them, and Rcfolutely com– mand them out ; you will be like a lazy perfon that lieth in bed while he feeth Thieves robbing his houfe, and will let all go rather than he will rife and make refillance (A fi11n that he hath no great riches to lofe, or clfe he would ftir for it ) : And if you fee your d~tty, on what your Thought/ lhould be employed, and will not rcfolutcly call them up, and .command them to their work, you will be like a tluggard that will let all his fervants lie in bed, as well as he, becaufe he will not fpeak to call them. You fee by daily experience, that a mans '1houghtr are much in the power of his wiU, and made t~ obey ic : If mouey andhonour or the delight of k._nowing can caufe a wicked Pre~cher t~ co~mand h1s own thoughts, un good things, as aforefaid; you may command yours to the fame thmgs, 1f you will but as refolutely exercife your authority over them• .:"''
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