THE POWERS AND CONTESTS OPPLESH AND SPIRIT. 2lk . tation in the healthful and waking hours of life : Let us carefully shun all those practices that have any tendency to discompose the brain, or introducedisease or disorder into that part of our animal powers ; lest if we bring these inconveniences upon ourselves by our own guilt or negligence, ive expose ourselves to more just censure and punishment, for the unhappy effects. and attendants of such a disordered imagination. And there is another reason too why we shoúld take care at all times to employour thoughts and our time aright; and that is, that we may introduce a better habit into animal nature, and provide better against those sea- sons wherein either the daily course of nature, or the afflicted providence of God, may seem to give the pow-. ers of the flesh an excessive or superior influence over the 'faculties of the mind. Let us never indulge the corrupt appetites, the unlawful desires, or the sinful passions that work within us : Let us be watchful against every rising enemy, and subdue the vicious propensities ofna- ture, byholy diligence in our proper duty, and byearnest . addresses to the throne of grace : Let us treasure up in our imagination the sacred histories of the bible, and fill our memory with the things of religion; that the ideas of better things than riches, honours, and pleasures, may be ever ready to start up and appear to the soul, when it- is at leisure from other necessary business. This might happily furnish out safer and sweeter scenes to entertain fancy at midnight-hours, or when the brain labours under worse disorders by reason ofsome bodily distemper. The wise man tells us, " that a dream cotneth through the multitude of business;" Eccl. v. 3. And by the multi- tude of thoughts that pass through the mind, and are entertained with delight, in the vigorous and wakeful parts of life, the animal powers offancy and passion will generally be in some measure influenced and regulated. The best way then to cure covetous, or ambitious, or :uxurious dreams, is to fight against the workings of these iniquities when we are awake ; for a very pure fpuntain, even under some casual disturbance, will not send forth its streams so much defiled, and so muddy, as where the spring is filthy or corrupt, and under some dis- t irJ. lce toQ;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=