thereof much lesse the holy ordinances of God But as to the pure all things are pure so the holy heart may safely partake of the holy things though others defile them nothing becomes impure vnto vs but by reason of that which proceedes from vs. If it bee sanctified all things are become new not sinne excepted 2. Cor. 5 15. All things worke together for the best vnto vs Rom 8.18 11 By this doct ine of the gouernement of the Thoughts are cast to ground all those conceites and Pleas of goodnesse arising from Ciuill Honesty and Morall Righteousnesse For seeing it is the well ordering of the heart which God requires Pro. 26. seeing true holines beginnes from the heart and proceedes by the dayly purifying and cleansing thereof from inward euils Therfore whatsoeuer holinesse consisteth onlie in outward actions and such onely as concerne rather our owne present then future good not ayming at all at obedience to God or at his glory This is farre from truth and soundnesse And therefore seeing the ciuill honest man makes no conscience of duties vnto God But if hee doe any such eyther hee doth them not from a sincere ground in obedience to God nor by an holy manner as direction from the Word but his owne good meaning nor to an holy end the glorie of God and his owne saluation but onely for his owne sake that he may prosper in the World haue the credit of what indeed he doth not that hee may deceyue others by his shews and so deceiue himselfe of the true end It followes necessarily that hee is farre from true grace and so farthest of all other from saluation because he flatters himselfe in his estate and through the drowsines of his conscience lyes securely a sleepe therin 12 This doctrine of Thoughts condemneth also all those shewes of wisedome in the world to meane one thing doe another to equiuocare reserue that in the mind which we vtter not with the lippes or vtter the contrarie as proceeding from an heart and so arguing a deceitful and abominable heart iudging and confounding it self in the doing of what it seemes by this doubling to excuse and defend A second generall vse of this Treatise of Thoughts is for Instruction and that many wayes First for the right information of iudgement As first here is confirmed the doctrine of the Fall of man and his vtter inability to any good seeing his thoughts which are and should bee the beginning of good are onely euill continually and therefore euill whatsoeuer proceedeth from them 2 Hereby is iustified the Doctrine of the Immortalitie of the Soule so the Resurrection of the Dead and day of iudgement The Qualitie and condition of our Thoughts beeing so various so operatiue when the bodies are bound and senseles therof being so euil as that they must come to iudgement doing necessarily all these 3 This confirmeth the Doctrine of the Nature and power of God in the gouernement of his children That seeing our Thoughts and imaginations which are spirituall are subiect to his knowledge and controlment therefore seeing our Conscience condemneth vs and our Thoughts doe accuse vs then surely God is greater then the conscience and iudgeth all things he is a Spirite that can thus iudge of the motions of the Spirit 4 Iohn Hee that will be worshipped in spirite is a Spirit 4 Seeing our thoughts are not only polluted themselues but are the grounds of all euill in vs. Therefore our God is holy and so no cause of sinne nay maruaylous wise and mercifull that can gouerne and turne sinne to our good 5 Seeing the ground of the beginning and consummation of sinne is in our selues Wee forsake God first before hee forsake vs he made vs first righteous but wee haue sought many inuentions Eccl. 7. and so haue brought vpon our selus by our willing reuolte from God an inability to all good and proues to all euill therefore our God is iust in punishing sinne with sinne and so with eternall vengeance 2 For direction to sanctification 4 Hereby wee are taught where to beginne our regeneration namely the heart which is wholly auerse from God must first be purified by faith in Christ the thoughts and imaginations thereof renued that so wee may worship God which is a spirit in spirit and truth 5 Hereby wee may also learne how to goe forward in the power of Godlines Namely by the lowly gouernement of our thoughts and mastery of them For the more our hearts and vnruly affections are brought in subiection the more readie shall we be to all holy dueties the more spirituall in the doing of them and the more constant to perseuere and abound in the same 6 By this doctrine of thoghts is discouered vnto vs the true state measure of that grace which wee may build vpon in this life not that wee haue already attayned or were already perfit Phil. 3.12 But that indeed wee are trauayling to perfection that we may hasten thither are exercised with this combate betweene the flesh and the spirite especially manifested in the rebellion and interruption of our thoughts whē we doe our best or intende the same Condemning that conceit of grace which feels not this combate such as is in the ciuil honest man who neuer doubted in all his life performes outward duties of religion without any such wrastlings challengeth this combate as a confusion of grace 2 Confounding the Popish dreame of perfection merit seeing the inconformitie and repugnancie of our thoughts challēgeth our workes of much imperfection and infirmitie 3 Refuting also their conceit of thoughts as if they were veniall seeing they are the cause as themselues confesse of mortall sinne 4 Confounding the Libertine who iustifieth his interest and hold in Christ by the deadnesse of his conscience not conuincing him of sinne not reprouing for righteousnesse 5 And reiecting the dreame of ciuill honestie that fancieth the perfection of his estate in the ignorance or drowsinesse of his heart approuing falsly of his wayes 6 This iustifies the power of the word as being the searcher of the thoughts and confounder of them to conuince the prophane conceit of it as if it were a dead letter and to prouoake vs to yeeld vp our thoughts and hearts to the obedience thereof to assure vs of the effectuallnesse therof into our conuersion because it is able to purge the fountaine of corruption and to dig vp sinne by the roots and so to informe vs to rest wholly thereupon for our effectuall calling and to teach vs to iudge thereof by the spirit not the letter to bring spirituall hearts to profit thereby 8 And so hereby we may discerne the grounds of all those combustions and separations which haue beene in and from our Churches in these dayes Namely that they haue proceeded from the presumptuous thoughts of our hearts as puffed vp with singularity and enflamed with enuie and discontent practising separation vpon conceit of impuritie and
haue not the spirit Is it not iust with God to fill such with the fruits of their owne dreames giuing them vp to strange and fearefull imaginations to endlesse conceits in diuine worship to fearefull censurings of their brethren to enuious imaginations at the prosperitie of the Churches to desperate slandering of the beautie of Sion and so in the ende to fearefull speculations and actions of most grosse and abominable sinnes These may be some speciall causes of these vaine and wandring Thoughts And these Thoughts are of diuers kindes according to the seuerall occasions of them As 1. Sometimes idle and sottish meeting with our formall and carnal worship our lip-labour c. 2 Otherwiles obscene filthy sutable to our ends in the worshipping of God which is to satisfie the flesh Col. 2 23. 3 Eftsoones they are prophane and Atheisticall blasphemous and horrible meeting with our Pride and confidence in well doing 4 Yea sometimes they seem to be Diuine and Angelicall replenished with ioy and yet being vnseasonable seeme to meete with our reioycing in the flesh and so to interrupt vs in the present occasion 5 Sometimes they are profound and mysticall such as neither our selues nor others can tell what to make of Answerable to our curious and presumptious spirits desirous to prie into hidden mysteries and to roue after dreames and reuelations to confound our vaine trust and confidence therein 6 For the most part they are carnall and full of worldlinesse according to the common ayme of profession which is currant in the world namely for profite pleasure c. as iustly conuincing our want of preparation and intention thereto and arising either from our owne vnstable hearts or Sathans malice to diuert vs from what we haue in hand 8 And so according to our ignorance or vnsettled iudgement in the matter manner of diuine worship they are full of vncertaineties and wandrings full of feare distraction and inconstancie The Effects of these kinds of Thoughts are At the best they interrupt the intention of the heart in the worshippe of God and so hinder the worke of the Spirite in the power thereof and depriue the coÌ„science of much comfort of the same But if they bee in any sort giuen way vnto they may proue occasioÌ„s of prophanesse in the heart and secret Atheisme And also of hypocrisie and carnall worshippe yea if they be not speedily qualified suppressed they may bee occasions by t ckling the affections and procuring consent thereto to breake out into grosse euils to the reproch of profession and wounding of the conscience Nay doth it not fall out that when as these vaine and wandring Thoughts accompanying vs in diuine worship occasioned from our want of preparation thereto and conscience therof to make vs more holy carefull therein yet by these thoughts wee may oft times measure the worshippe of God and so grow eyther to conceiue basely thereof and thereby fall to plaine formality and customaâ—inesse therein or else on the other side conceiuing the worshippe of God to bee so heauenly and our selues so carnall and vnable to performe the same through a scrupulous feare of defiling the same and so making it vnprofitable vnto vs we grow at length to this resolution not to deale with such edge-tooles lest wee not onely not profite but rather may bee further confounded hereby Is not this a tentation incident to many weake ones in the day of their desertions when comfort should be ministred to them from the ordinances of God That they belong not to them they dare not presume to meddle with them their hearts are so full of vanitie ignorance they haue so abused them hereby before that now they canne looke for no better from them but a sauour of death they may make the ordinaÌ„ces of God worse but they are like to be little better by them their harts are so choaked and forestalled with all abomination The Remedies hereof are 1 An holy preparation to all duties 1 By consideration of our inabilitie and vnworthinesse to performe them 2 By meditation of the Maiestie and holinesse of God to whom wee are to performe them 3 By renuing our estates in Christ by faith and repentance in whom wee may performe them acceptably 4 In the doing thereof we must especially looke to the intention of the heart setling it in the presence of the great and allseeing God and fixing it constantly vpon him alone 3 Hereunto furthers constancie in keeping our times and occasions for holy duties because the neglect hereof prouokes the Lord to leaue vs to be buffeted with these wandring thoughts that so we may be humbled in our failings and be prouoked to more constancie 4 Especially be we carefull of the dueties of the Sabaoth not so much to stand vpon the worke done as vpon the binding of our thoughts and affections to prosecute the same more intirely and this shall proue a gratious preseruatiue against such wandring thoughts all the weeke after 5. And hereunto also shal serue very profitably the confining our thoughts and affections in worldly occasions That our conuersation therein be without discontent couetousnesse distrust c. for hereby wee shall be lesse pestered with vaine and carnall thoughts when wee intend spirituall dueties And therefore labour wee here to prosecute our ciuill affaires with heaueÌ„ly minds beginning them with prayer accompanying of them with subiection to Gods will not measuring his goodnesse by them or propounding absolutely successe in them And so shall wee be lesse encombred with such thoughts in the worship of God And bee wee frequent in the meditation of heauenly things draw wee our selues apart often into Gods presence to haue priuate familiarity with his Holinesse that so wee may bee more ready and spirituall when we come to set dueties Especially labour we daily to renue our Repentance dayly for all known sinnes that so wee may more boldly appeare before the Lord in his worshippe and may more freely and entirely conuerse with him therein because sinne vnrepented of will bee sure to haunt and interrupt vs when wee are about to doe most good as to defile the same so in the wise mercy of God to prouoke vs to the clearing of the score lest if we regard Iniquitie in our hearts the Lord will not heare our Prayâ—rs Psal 66.18 And therefore as wee are to beginne al holy exercises with Confession and deprecation for our sinnes especially such particular as lye vpon vs that so they may not flye in our faces when wee seeke the face of God in his worshippe so if wee conclude all holy duties with confession of our faylings therein especially of the vanity of our minde and wandring of our affections wee shall hereby be better stored with holy Thoughts and affections therein and lesse interrupted with the contrary To this end it is now fitt also that we Make a Couenant with our outward man with our eyes eares harts that so in the worshippt of God
vpon pretence to better themselues and avoyde these offences forsaken our assemblies and refused their true guide and light to know God and themselues by and so indeed by the iustice of God haue bene giuen vp to all vanitie and peruersnesse of error and endlesse wandrings Not onely condemning our Communion as abominable and monstrous and yet still chopping and changing their iudgements therein sometimes we are a Church sometimes no Church but a Synagogue of Antichrist heare vs they will but not ioyne with vs But herein also iustly condemning themselues in condemning vs as renouncing that conuersion which if euer they had any as themselues vndertake they had they had it among vs And so condemning all truth of Gods former graces in them as no better then hypocrisie and so beginniâ—g againe with Rebaptization New constitutions And â— t still as wee to beginne as euer not knowing what to hold euery day affoording a new conceit according to the giddines of their spirits and iustice of God especially giuing them vp to endlesse mazes and coyning of new fangled conceits and so insteed of broaching conceits of puritie and perfection haue bene giuen vp to fearefull errors of Atheisme and Libertinisme and so thereby giuen vp to all licentiousnes and grosse prophanenesse As herein the iustice of God is admirable in meating vnto them such recompence of error as is meet so hath it bin my instruction to bee wise with sobrietie And finding sufficient in our Churches to saluation to set vp my rest herein in all humilitie and thankfulnesse and so to labour the improuing of such gifts and meanes which are plentifully offered herein for the seruing of my selfe and others And thus the rather haue I bene resolued in when I obserue others though at the first stumbling at corruptioÌ„s in regard of the tendernesse of conscience and happily being carryed through ignorance with the faire shewes of such as haue gone out froÌ„ our societie haue the rather conceited of their way least they should proue vncharitable in iudging them by not siding with them yet now vpon some experience of their way better discerning of things haue grown by Gods mercy to a setling of their iudgements in subiectioÌ„ to the light that shines amoÌ„g vs so by the blessing of God vpon their labors persons haue bene approued therein to God and to the Churches As this hath bene a further confirmation vnto me to labour the Peace of the Churches and submit with all conscience thereunto so it hath affoorded much more peace to my soule and comfort in my labours And therefore as I haue found that wauering and vnsetlednesse of iudgement is a principall ground of all such vanitie and peruersenesse of thoughts that do pester vs in diuine worship so I may safely conclude that where the minde once is setled in what it should doe and how to perform the same this is a gratious euidence of the cleansing of this corrupt puddle This shall make our thoughts affections more pure and intentiue in the worship of God And therefore howsoeuer we may yet be troubled with the same when wee know what we do endeuour after the best manner to perfâ—rme the same yet herein is our comfort that the Lord will not be seuere to mark what is done amisse if there bee a willing minde in his seruice that we iustifie God in doing his will thogh therein we iudge our selues for our fayling therein As considering that in this life wee are labouring to peâ—fection and haue not yet attained and therefore as it is our perfection then to see our Imperfection because thereby we euidence our hold in Christ and not in our selues who is our righteousnrsse and sanctification that hee that reioyceth may reioyce in the Lord 1. Cor. 1.30 So by the dayly sense of our faylings conuinced by the imaginations and dayly rebellions of our hearts wee shall bee prouoked dayly to renue our â—ight in Christ Iesus and so receyuing daily new strength and grace from that fountaine we shal bee enabled thereby to proceede in grace and in euerie good worke that so wee in him may attaine to perfection and follow hard after the marke for the price of our high calling in Christ Iesus our Lord Phil. 3.12.14 As remembring that this life is the Time of combating and wrastling with corruptions not of full victorie ouer them And therefore if wee striue lawfully we shall obtaine if we giue not ouer them they in the end will giue ouer vs. And therefore if now we can still groane to bee disburthened of these trouble-houses and sigh to bee pertakers of the heauenly communion where wee shall bee freede from all these noysome guests This is our Euidence that already wee haue got the better of them and in the end shal be quite ridde of them Especially for the healing of this Fluxe of vaine and wandering thoughts labour wee to receiuc the Word and all other duties as the Worde of God as in the presence of God propounding the maine end which is our conformity to God our obedience to his Will being wise to trye the Spirites and holde that which is good so shall our hearts bee set vpon the Lord in holy duties so shall they not roue at any by-obiects eyther of the Minister his faylings to stumble at therein or at any other vaine complement that may distract vs. Aboue all bring faith to the practise of all Gods ornances namely a perswasion that God commaunds them 2. an euidence that wee doe them not to merite but in obedience to God in thankefulnesse to him for his vnspeakeable loue in Christ that by the power of Christ wee are enabled thereto that through the merite of Christ we shal bee accepted and so shal this immoderate Fluxe be graciously healed Vses of these wandring thoghts both for The tryall of our mastery ouer them and also for our comfort in regard of such remaindure as will necessarily accompany vs in this our Pilgrimage Howsoeuer we haue vndertaken to prescribe a remedie against these wandring thoughts encumbring of vs in the worship of God yet lest wee might bee discouraged in the vse of the remedie as imagining it to be altogether ineffectuall so may question the truth of Gods grace in vs. Consider we first that as it is impossible so long as corruption remaines to bee quite free from such noisom guests but that whatsoeuer meanes we vse we shall bee molested with them continually because our life is a conâ—inuall warfare between the flesh and spirit wee are yet in the state of growing so of imperfection so wee are not therefore to dispayre that we haue done no good because wee haue not attayned what this life cannot affoord Onely herein may bee our comforte that in obedience to Gods will wee maintaine the combate vsing such remedies as are prescribed thereunto and this shall bee our euidence that wee still walke within our bounds and so may bee sure of Gods
The spirit heales and renues the heart and so kindles in it Thoughts and motions to serue God to embrace him as the chiefest good which though by tentation or neglect they may bee choaked and in a manner to our sense extinguished yet by the power of Grace they are reuiued againe and so continued to prouoke vs to perfection to comfort vs in our faylings And these are proper to the Regenerate And these are diuers according to the diuers occasions of them which are Generally two Eyther Occasions of Ioy in regard of particular or publike inward or outward prosperity and these occasion Thoughts of ioy thankefulnesse triumph c. Or Occasion of Sorrow in respect eyther of our owne or the Churches inward or outward distresse and these occasion thoughts of sorrow perplexity c. And both these though contrary in themselues yet both good beeing Ieuelled to their proper Obiects kept within their true and holy Bounds And both these according to their seuerall obiects are also differenced more particularly yea extend themselues innumerably according to their occasions The singular benefite and aduantage of good Thoughts Generally They are notable euidences of the sinceritie of the heart as only knowne to God and by the purenesse and holy temper and swaying of the Thoughts so knowne vnto vs as that thereby wee are sensible of Gods present grace and hungrie after a greater measure for as our Thoughts so are our desires after heauenly things Particularly they are gracious trials and warrants of the sincerity of all priuate dueties performed secretly to our God who seeeth the heart that not so much with the lippes as with the motions of the mind and wrastlings of the inward Thoughts wee combate with the Lord and figh and groane vnto him who sees in secret and will reward it openly So did Moses Dauid Anna and the rest of the Saintes approue themselues vnto God Exod. 32. 1. Sam. 2. Secondly they are sound Tryals of the sincerity of all Outward duties It is not so much what we doe as what wee mind not what the eye or eare attends as what the Thought and Affection fastens on The Lord loueth truth in the inwarde parts and regards the outward seruice according to the inward intention And so they proue gracious meanes dayly to humble vs in the performaÌ„ce of our best duties seeing at the best howsoeuer we may carry the duety currantly in the outward Action before men and so being approued and aduanced of them are thereby subiect to pride and vaine glory and so to hypocrisie as to rest in the outward worke done yet if wee consider the manifold wandrings of the hart those blasphemous and prophane thoughts that doe accompany them diuerting the mind therein from God and hindering the constant sincerity therof how shall this but exceedingly humble vs vnder the mighty hand of God who trieth the thought and iudgeth according to the sway and temper of the heart shall not this discouer the imperfection and pollution of our best actions euen to be no better then a menstruous cloath Esay 64.6 And hence ariseth another gracious Benefite namely that beeing priuie to this inward corruption wee stand not vpon our owne righteousnesse to bee iustified thereby but still renounce our selues that wee may bee found in Christ that by his vertue wee may bee enabled to more sincere and vniuersall obedience And this produceth another gracious Benefite namely that in the sense of our imperfection coÌ„uinced by the obliquitie of our Thoughts wee are still prouoked to forget what is behind and to hasten to that which is before euen for the prize of our high calling in Iesus Christ Lastly because the conscience of inward corruption is a speciall occasion to Sathan to challenge of hypocrisie so to discourage in our proceeding We haue out of this consideration of our inward purposes as a gracious euidence of the truth of our harts because we thinke and endeauour more then wee can doe and so on the other side a sure pledge of the sincerity of our thoghts because wee discerne and mourne for our inward faylings and so haue a notable comfort of the acceptance of our Actions not so much from the vprightnes of our hearts as from the righteousnesse of Christ whereby his Spirite being conuayed into our hearts doth thereby still conuince vs of such euill which the world knowes not of and so withall approues vs to bee in Christ not hauing our owne righteousnesse in that we stand not vpon our owne Iustification which is confounded by this sense of the corruption of our thoughts but that still wee take hold of Christ and labour to bee found in him that so wee may grow vp in him to perfectnesse as hauing thereby not onely an euidence of the Acceptance of our persent and so of our Endeauours for the present but hereby also reaping a comfortable euidence of our assurance to continue perseuere vnto the end seeing our Christ wil not queÌ„ch the smoaking flax nor breake the bruised reede but will still shew his power in our weakenesse and perfect his worke by our infirmities that hee may haue the only glory of his Merite and we in him may attaine the full measure of the age of Christ growing vp to bee perfect men wanting nothing CHAP. V. Generall Rules for the wel ordering of the Thoughts 1 THat wee spend our time most in Meditation of Gods Maiesty and goodnesse and so wholy season our thoughts therewith and with the fruites thereof namely the hope and holdfast of eternal life 2 That we withdraw our selues as much as may bee from worldly vanity 3 That we beginne the day with holy Thoughts and Meditations not suffering our selues to bee interrupted by any vnnecessary occasion 4 That wee take occasion in the night to exercise our thoughts on God and such occasions as then shall be seasonably offered breaking our sleepe not vnwillingly to this end 5 Rectifie we our thoughts dayly by Reading the Word and often priuate prayer 6 Call wee often our Thoughts to an account and let not an idle thought passe without a Censure of the Word And condemne wee the Deceitfulnes of our hearts which minister occasion of such infinite thoughts and contraâ—ie 8 Meditate wee often on the day of iudgement wheÌ„ inquisition shall bee made for our Thoughts 9 And forget wee not that Infinite Sacrifice of the Sonne of God who knowes our thoughts which wee are ignorant of and hath performed a plentifâ—ll Redemption for them all 9 Giue wee not the least way to our wandring and foolish Thoughts but suppresse we them presently and 10 Exercise wee some Speciall of our Thoughts and put them in practise because Idlenes is the nurse of these vaine Thoughts 11 Striue wee especially against Pride and Couetousnes which minister most coÌ„mon and dangerous matter of fearefull and wounding thoughts 12 Obey wee the checkes of Conscience conuincing these Thoughts and labour wee to sharpen it
and chearefull in well doing and so vsing them as furtherances for our exercise in holinesse and weakning of the body of sin hereby wee shall know that they are sanctified vnto vs that wee haue obtained a gratious conquest ouer natureâ— and a good measure of Grace Vses of these Melancholy Thoughts It serueth first to aduance the singular goodnesse of our God that seeing we may be so farre transported by these melancholick fitâ— as to speake yea to act sometimes strange things against our seiues yet where Grace preuayleth these are all brought about to the aduancement of his glory The Lord doth not account of vs as wee are transported by this pestilent humour but according to his owne purpose and ende to which he hath ordained vs. 2 We are hereby taught wisely not to excuse sinne by these Melancholicke moods Because indeede it secures to do the sinne in that it becomes a cloake to defend the same As he that in his drunkennesse kills a man is guiltie of a double offence the one that he committeth murther the other that he did it in that humor so is it in this case of Melancholy And yet here is exceeding comfort to such as are troubled in minde and through distemper breake out into fearefull courses and speeches that seeing the Lord will not impute vnto them what they aduisedly intend not therfore because Melancholy may father that on them which they did not or further them to what they did not entend The Lord will not impute what they did not or what in their best aduice they would not CHAP. X. Of vaine wandring thoghts intruding into and interrupting holy dueties HItherto concerning blasphemous and melancholy Thoughts extraordinarily and not so commonly troubling the saints together with their seuerall Causes effects and Remedies There remaineth yet to consider of another troupe of Thoughts ordinarily and frequently molesting the Saints in the worship of God as tending to chalenge the same of hypocrisie or least so to interrupt coole the sence as that either they are depriued altogether of the present comfort thereof or at the least they are hindered thereby of such intire coÌ„munion with God therein as they heartily desire so receiue much discomfort and confusion thereby therfore very necessarie is it Both 1 To know what these Thoughts are 2 To discerne the occasion and true causes thereof 3 To discouer the effects thereof 4 To prescribe the remedies against the same because though we cannot be altogether free from the same yet wee may both gratiously lessen and subdue such Thoughts and also may make profitable vse of such as doe necessarily accompany vs therein Examine we therefore first the nature of these Thoughts What these are They are vnseasonable and disorderly Thoughtes arising from our corrupt nature occasioned by outward obiects and sometimes iniected by Sathan contrarie and besides the businesse wee haue in hand tending to interrupt and confound vs therein which makes vs that wee may not rest in our owne righteousnesse but wholy rely vpon the merite of Christ First I say they are vnseasonable and disorderly as not sorting with the present occasion not leading vs along therein not accompanying the same and so if they bee euill or good they are disclaymed 2 I adde that they eyther spring from our corrupt Nature which is but in part regenerate so necessarily yeeldeth store thereof in that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit that so wee may haue a tâ—yall of the truth â—f what wee doe by this combat of the flesh and conquest thereof Or 2 they are occasioned from outward obiects affecting the senses whereof wee are generally too carelesse prodigall 3 Or they are cast in by Sathan in our most serious intentions to interrupt and so depriue vs of the comfort of them Lastly I discouer the end hereof that hereby beeing conuinced of our imperfection herein wee may bee sent vnto Christ Or else hereby we might bee made inexcusable if yet wee shall stand vppon the worth of our well doing The Causes hereof Are principally Sathan diuing into our very inward man and either stirring vp such vaine Thoughts from naturall corruption and such speciall sinnes as wee are most subiect vnto or else prouoking the same vpon occasion of some outward obiect affecting the senses and so thereby violently to distract driue vs from the duetie we haue in hand Secondly there may bee causes hereof in our selues As these 1 Want of preparation to holy dueties And 2 Want of intention and setling of the minde on God in the performance of them 3 Or thirdly a dissolute and inconstant course and practise of holy duties may occasion the same when we keepe not a set course and order therein 4 Or contrarily too much relying on the outward forme and times hereto as if this were the maine may proue occasion of such idle Thoughts 5 Or some speciall sinne not sufficiently repented of may occasion the same the thought whereof will bee still presenting and intruding it selfe when wee are about to do good 6 Or some touch of vaine glory may tickle vs in the holy action which vsually remits the minde and so giues way to such vnseasonable Thoughts 7 Or wee may giue too much libertie to our senses in holy duties by letting the eye roue the eare wander after pleasing obiects these may be occasions to cloy the heart with such kinde of carnall Thoughts and affections 8 Hitherto also much auayleth pompous and vain ceremonies in the worship of God such I meane as are too ordinarie in Poperie which beeing in them a wilworship intended to satisfie the flesh and to norish the heart in the ignorance of it selfe doth by the diuine iustice herein proue it owne confusion as bewitching the heart with a conceit of carnall happinesse and secret Atheisme as if God were not a spirit that hee were like vnto man to be pleased with thousands of Rammes and ten thousand riuers of oyle that either hee were asleepe or in pursuite of his enemies and so must be awakened and charmed with such chantings and brutish noyse in an vnknowne tongue and so thereby is iustly giuen vp of the Lord to be pestered with carnall and vaine Thoghts for the confusion of it wisedome 9 Adde we herevnto that common disease which worldlings are too much possessed withall Namely Couetousnesse and greedy desires of worldly gaine who measuring happinesse hereby doe therefore giue the bridle to these immeasurable desires and so making this their maine to the maintenance of sinne no maruaile if when they come before the Lord and sit before him as his people doe yet they heare the word and will not doe it nay indeed cannot so much as intend the same because their hearts wander after their couetousnesse Ezech. 33.31.32 No maruaile if the the word prooue no better vnto them then a Iesting song or a pleasant voyce onely to tickle the eare because their hearts are taken vppe with their
of God so we shal by Gods mercy make good aduantage of them So that though wee may not expect ordinarilie any such extraordinary Reuelation by dreames yet if it please God as who can restraine his power and goodnesse herein to acquaint vs hereby with some occasions to come which may tend to our owne and the generall good wee may so farre stand vpon these as to vse ordinarie means by Prayer the Word and the like for the preparing of vs to the issue and so no doubt it may proue comfortable to vs howsoeuer Wherin as we may behold the mercy of God in teaching vs this by dreames in the night So may wee haue hence a liuely euidence of our sincerity euen by the holie temper and motion of our minds in the night and so are directed to walke honestly in the day that so our mindes may become pure and holy in the night making a Couenant with our eyes and other senses that so the mind may bee lesse troubled wâ—th the representation thereof in the night And labouring especially to make euen with our God dayly by repentance That so our sleepe may bee more comfortable and our thoughtes peaceable and holy Especially make wee vse of such dreames as arise from the execution of generall callings as when we dreame that we preach pray aduize grieue for sin as not beeing without the motion of Gods spirit to confirme vs therein or to humble vs in the neglect therof or to trie the sincerity of the same and so to enable vs the better therevnto It being apparant that euen in the night our affections haue and may be more powerful in holy duties theÌ„ sometimes in the day Conclusion of the whole WHEREIN Of the seuerall Vses of this Doctrine of Thoughts As first To conuince the Hypocrisie and the Atheisme and prophanesse of the times 2 To confirme the weake Christian in the truth of his calling And also To rayse him vp in all such outward faylings and inward faintings of the Spirit which doe arise from the same CHAP. XVI OF THE VSES of this Treatise 1 IT serues for reproofe And that 1. of the Atheist which sayth in his heart There is no God seeing his thoughts doe eyther accuse him or excuse him 2 It condemnes all conceit of Nature abilitie and Free-will to goodnesse For if there must be a rectâ—fying of the Thoughts then surely they are defectiue and degenerate from what they should be and so if the Thoughtes then much more the wordes and actions which issue from the same 3 It conuinceth all Popish Religion to be no better then Atheisme and a meere Idoll seeing it whole current consists in bodily seruice not so much as requiring knowledge in the heart much lesse Faith to subdue the Imaginations thereof to the obedience of Christ 4 It confoundeth all Hypocrisie and carnal worshippe whatsoeuer since it is not the outward man but the heart and Thoughts which God respects not what wee doe but what wee meane and how wee do it 5 It condemneth all Epicures and Sadduces that deny the Immortality of the Soule For as this infinite variety of Thoughts imaginations euen when the body is most bound and senselesse of any operation doth plainly euideÌ„ce it to be a differeÌ„t thing from the body so it also proues it to be immortall and diuine as being of a spirituall nature expressed by this sudden and swift motion of such various and infinite thoughts And so not ending with the bodie as being actiue without the vse of it as exercising such actions in the body which extend to the compasse of another life namely accusing and excusing for sinne which is a plain euidence of this day of iudgement and so of the immortalitie of the soule 6 The very consideration of the Nature of thoughts argues them not to be Free that is such as are not sinfull such as we may iustifie For seeing they proceede actually from vs therefore they are corrupted Seeing they are sodaine exorbitant without present cause and deliberation therefore they are sinfull because all good is froÌ„ fit means from deliberation from knowledge from direction allowing and commanding the same Seeing they are contrary to themselues therefore they are euill seeing it is the nature of goodnesse to build vp not to destroy it selfe Nay seeing when we are about to doe good euill is present that is our thoughts will rise vppe to hinder the same this is a plain euidence that they are euill Rom. 7.10.20 8 It confoundeth all those excuses and pretences for sinne which are ordinary among men naturally to lay the blame vpon Sathan he enticed them vpon the world as if it were so poyson some and contagious that wee could not deale with it but we must bee defiled yea sometimes vpon God himself as if he compelled vs to euill Seeing the trueth is our corrupt nature is the ground and fountaine of all euill our very thoughts the first motions thereof are onely euill continually yea these are occasions and enticers of Sathan and the world to further sinne yea these as a filthy breath poyson the ayre the world and all that is about them and so the creatures being subiect to vanitie by our sinne proue occasions by diuine iustice to further the consent and act thereof as ministring such matter vnto vs as may tickle the sense and allure the will to consent and giue oportunitie and meanes to act the same 9 This condemneth their conceit and delusion that teach abstinency from mariage and the different vse of meates as if some were euill some good as if that which entred into man did defile him Where as indeed it is that onely which proceedes out of man namely his euill thoughts and imaginations which as they are polluted themselues so as a filthie leprosie they defile all other things and so to the impure all things are impure in that their consciences are defiled 1. Thes 15. where as indeede all things by creation were good and by a sanctified vse may be made good vnto vs. 1. Tim. 4.5 onely they become euill by our corruption and abuse of them 10 This also reproueth the ricenesse and superstition who vpon a conceit of pollution by the euils of others doe either most presumptuously fancy such a state of a visible Church which may be with out all corruption and imperfection both in regard of it outward forme as also in respect of the particular meÌ„bers and theâ—â—fore separate from all Churches and so indeede must goe out of the world to find such a perfect modell and temper of communion 1. Cor. 5. as pretending them to be polluted so necessarily defiling and polluting all that communicate with them whereas indeed neither can such a congregation bee found in this life neither doth a visible militant church require such perfection because this belongs onely to the triumphant Church It is not the euill of others which can defile me so I consent not and approue