306 Chap. 3 r. An Expofition upon the Book.e of J o B. Verf,r, And indeed confcience of and about our thoughts, is the Great C;hara&er and difcovery of a Godly man. He that takes leave to thinke what he will, would gladly have leave to doe what he will. Orr thoughts are leaf knowne to others but we may HI knon. our (elves by our thought ; a ,d he who is afraid (as every Godly man is) to thinkeamiffe.will much more feare todoe amifTe. Lafly Obf rve ; It P,f an excellent meaner to keepe our laves from fsnfull a . kecpe ourfelves from Jinfull thinking:. matt not act, we muff not thinke, unleffe it be how bet§ be preferved from acting it. That man can never ri,':tance enough from doing what is unfit, who doth not ( here did ,) hold his heart at a due diftance from thinking of what is unfit. There are many things to be done, that we may not dbe evil!. Firft, we mull be fober in the ufe of the creature; Secondly, we mull be diligent in ourcallings ; Sa- tan will quickly findus worke, if we find not our owne ; Third- ly, we mutt meditate much in the Word; Fourthly, we mull fludy the vanity of the creature; Fifthly, we muff be much in prayer; Sixthly, we molt admire the beauty of holynes, the in- valuable worth ofa pure and cha l minds ; Seaventhly, we Inuit live much in the thoughts of our owne death, but efpecially in the thoughts of the death of Chrift. Now as all thefe things fhould be done, that we may be preferved from doing evil!; fo, many things muff be avoyded, that the fame end may be attain- ed, chie£ely thefe foure; Firft, we mutt avoyd wanton fpeeches, tuff comes often in at the care ; Secondly, wantondaunces and dalliances, luft is much provoked by the Touch ; Thirdly, wan- ton fpec4acles, luft is furred by the fight ; Fourthly, wanton thoughts, luft is fomented by the heart. All thefe, doubtlefe, holy and chaff ?cb avoyded, the two latter are expreffed in the text, while he fayd, Ihave made a covenant With mine ejes , why then; ioxldI thinks upon a maide JOB 3r.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=