~~jO~ftpendi~ 'oncer~in.{filtJ ~ heart is ·evil, the word figqifies every Fig.; ment,Creature,or workn1aofhip that rhe mind bammers wi~hin it ,fe~f, as in a Forge,,Minr,. or on an Anvtl; for thoughtsare as it were (pupout of our.O\Vn bowels , they are Eggs qf ot~r own laying, Webs of our own weaving, for thoughts can work of 'them"' · felves when there's no outward objeCts pre- . ' · fented. . Now my defign is to furniili and reaifie thefe internal operations of the bearr, :lnd to belp the{oul wicb [uch fubjecb and objects ~s~ may finde it profitable work when it bathno · creature to converfe with, that the thoughts' maybeholy, fweet, {avoury, and heavenly; Now there are four qualifications dfentially requifite to theconfiirutionofgood thoughts et I, They muft be materially good, not 'em– ployed about finful or trifling things , 'that do either prejudice , or not at all profit the' foul, but exercifed in fame fpiritual, fuirable meditations about God, Chrifl, the Word, or what may tend to edification. 2. Theymuft , · be formt~lly gootl, i. e. 'regulated by the Wor~ ~ of God, as the Rule thereof, to fquare and N · order the thoughts, both for Principle, Man- . ner,'and End. 3·. They m·uff 'be feafonably _ good ,every thing is beautiful in its feafon :J _.;~~· a thingmay begoGd in jts own_nattlte ,, .Y~t .-r\i .~ ' ·~ nor good as td thofe c1rcumftances of ttmc ,I • ·.' ~ 21~d ocher refpeas wherwith it may be cloath~ ·~· , ~ ~ _ed. ·4· They muO: be e.~enrually good, as ~o · .. ~ '-.._ the fruit,.eff~~' iti)prdllon of thefe thoughts, . ~. "\.··. \ he that·thinks$1houldaim', at Gods gloty and ~~~ . . . his ~.~ tWJJJZJ Wli:V. ·,.
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