God and saying Glory to God in the highest on Earth PEACE and GOOD WILL towards men On Earth Peace no Peace for Hell Goodwill towards Men Yet Christ is for fallen men not Angels Hebr. 2.16 but not Devils for Christ took not on him the Nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham O this is that the thought whereof is such matter of Admiration to the good Angels and such horrour and Confusion to the fallen Angels whose eye towards us is so much the more Evil because Gods hath been so good And shall not all this procure God thy good Thought of him Why were there no more but this that Salvation is Possible for Thee but not so for Them this were something to be thought of But now that Salvation is Proffered and laid in thy very way that thou canst not if thou wouldest step towards Hell without trampling upon Gods bowels of Mercy Hebr. 10.13 and treading under foot the Son of God and blood of the Covenant where all is Free to Thee Covenant of Grace gives what it requires Isaiah 1.16 Ezek. 35.25 and 18.31 with 13.26 how ever dear to Christ and the Yoke easie the Covenant being GRACE Requiring onely what it hath to give and giving what it requires saying Wash you and make you clean c. and again I will powre clean water upon you and you shall be clean and from all your filthiness will I cleanse you c. Saying make you a new Heart and a new Spirit c and again a new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them c. Having such Grace Slighting of Gospel-Grace a sin of Men not Devils I say proffered us as the Devil never had let us think what will become of us if we sin such a SIN as the Devil never did who never had a pardon tendered him to sling it back into God's face who never had a Christ or a Covenant of Grace preached unto him but was forced to speak truth in that though he be a lyar that he hath nothing to do with Jesus Matth. 8.29 Isaiah 9.6 except it be to his Torment But saith the Scripture To us is the Child born to us is the Son given It saith not to Angels but to us Though we may well think that Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 as the Apostle calls them are so in Him but if Christ be their Head yet not so as he is Ours Men otherwise concerned in Christ then Angels 1 Pet. 1.12 A head of Confirmation to them of Redemption to us and so born to us And shall He be so much thought of by Angels and not thought of by us Nay 't is our Concernment that the Apostle saith the Angels do so much desire to prie into Dan. 9.23 Eph. 3.10 and They are advantaged herein by the Church as the Angel Gabriel by Daniels Prayer To the intent saith the Apostle that now unto the Principalities and Powers in beavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God Sect. XXXII COncernment is wont to be the greatest Conducement to thoughts Our concern Men will mind their own Business when anothers shall be out of their Thoughts and this is our great nay our onely Concernment for there is but One thing needful Luke 11.42 Christ Ours Heb. 1.12 Luke 9.2 Matth. 1.23 Immanuel God with us Make all ours Greatness John 20.17 for thus we may think if Christ be not Ours there is nothing Ours for Christ is Heir of all things nay We have lost our selves and are cast away But if Christ be Ours All is Ours for his Name is Immanuel which is by Interpretation God with us and if God be with us well may our Thoughts be with God and surely they cannot but be well if they be with God Gods greatness is amazing but when his goodness hath made it Ours how comforting I go saith Christ to my Father and your Father and to My God and Your God Gods JUSTICE is terrible Justice but his Justice paid off satisfied attoned reconciled Justice befriending how amiable God is faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness 1 John 1.9 if we confess our sins what a word is there If we burthen our selves with them â—s the matter is ordered in the Covenant of Grace Justice it self will befriend us by discharging us of them if we be but so honest and candid as to own them and to own him that hath owned them and paid for them who is mentioned there by the Apostle but a verse or two before God is so just as to pardon them 1 John 1.7 Deliver him Job 33.24 saith God I have found a Ransom Justice disclaims a double payment Holiness The holiness of God what a dreadful thought is it and how may it make a poor sinful man to cry out as the men of Beth-shemesh 1 Sam. 6.20 Rom. 8.3 Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God But then to think again that this Holy God is become Man and in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin that he might condemn Sin in the Flesh 1 Cor. 1.30 and that He is made unto us of God not onely Righteousness but Sanctification this may make us to give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness Psalm 30.4 as it is in the Psalmist Highness Gods HIGHNESS what an awful thought is it to Us that are at such an infinite distance from Him But to think withall that though the Lord be high yet He hath respect to the lowly Psalm 138.6 and 136.23 and regard to our low estate and hath so far humbled himself as to embrace our Dunghil to cloth himself with our Flesh to lodge in a Womb without abhorrence in a Manger in a Grave nay by his Spirit in a Sinners heart so that We may say with the Psalmist Psalm 113.5 6 7. Who is like unto our God who dwelleth on high yet HUMBLETH himself to raise up the Poor out of the Dust and the Needy out of the Dunghill for Christ's HUMILIATION and Condescention is our Exaltation O what cause is here to rejoyce in his highness as the Prophet speaks And if greatness Isaiah 13.3 Cant. 1.3 Cant. 2.4 and holiness and justice are made such Repast by a Covenant of Grace to our Thoughts well may We remember his LOVE more then Wine Here O here Wee should muster up our Thoughts and bring them into a Full Body and lay Gods Commands upon them to stand to their colours for the BANNER over us is LOVE Sect. XXXIII ANd here let me charge thee O Reader LOVE 1
yet was alive once without the Law and gives this as the Reason He did not by all their Doctrine know LUST He knew not that thought-sins were such sins untill the Commandment came in another manner and by another kind of teaching then ever he had from them For this was our Saviours great business in that Incomparable Sermon upon the Mount to vindicate the Spirituality of the Law from their carnal and corrupt Dotages they put the great stress of the Rule upon the outward man He puts it upon the Heart also Poverty in spirit he begins with that He layes the breach of the Sixth and Seventh Commandments in heart and thought as well as outward Act He condemns carking cares Anxiety of Thoughts 'T is strange indeed they should be so blinded seeing the very last of Gods Ten Words goes down to the very bottom of the mind and thought Thou shalt not COVET so that when the scales were but fallen from the Apostles eyes He could easily-see in the light of that Law that THOUGHT was Sin He knew LUST to be SIN then He knows now that the Law is Spiritual Yea and thus he Schools others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That ye might learn not to think above what is written Gods written WORD is the measure of mans Right THOUGHTS yet even some Heathens had some glimmerings of this Deut est animus therefore mente colendus God it a Spirit and requires mental worship and conformity to his will And this is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our reasonable Service when the Internal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THOUGHT and mind serve the Law of God Sect. I. Secondly AS a man must have a right Rule for his Thoughts Right thoughts of the Rule James 4.11 1 Cor. 2.14 so he must have Right Thoughts of the Rule The Apostle speaks of some that Judge the Law Take we heed that we do not misjudge it Therefore it is necessary that we look on the Spiritual Law with a Spiritual eye To carnal Thoughts the Right wayes of the Lord seem crooked and unequal Gods right Rule why seems crooked to men not that the Law is so but because the medium is such through which it is looked upon as if a man put part of a strait staff into the water it appears crooked because of the inequality of the medium All Gods Rule to David Psal 119.228 All right But now a right heart hath right thoughts of the Rule I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right So we Read it but the Text is I esteem all thy Precepts to be all right every one and every way Right 'T is true There may be some kind of approving the things that are excellent Rom. 2.18 Some approve some excellent things As Herod Mark 6.20 And yet the Heart not be Right But if there be not an approving of excellent things the Heart cannot be Right A bad Heart may think good of many good wayes as Herod but a good heart thinks good of every good way as David Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Psal 119.6 But David all Gods Laws Universal respect fair evidence 1 Tim. 3.16 Men may have a fair respect to many of Gods Laws yet have hard Thoughts of some But an universal respect is a fair Evidence of Sincerity For ALL SCRIPTURE is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness c. THE Second Part. Contents of the II. Part. AN Introduction of particular Instances of Thoughts suited to their several Subjects according to Scripture Rule .. 1. In thinking of Scripture it self 2. Of Our Selves 3. Of others 4. Of Creature-comforts 5. Of Ordinances 6. Of Sin 7. Of Holiness 8. Of Afflictions 9. Of Temptations 10. Of Persecutions 11. Of the present Condition of Life 12. Of the present Time of Life 13. Of Death 14. Of Judgment 15. Of Eternity 16. Of Angels Evil Good 17. Above all in Thinking of GOD. To have High Thoughts and Sweet Thoughts but in all points Regular and Scriptural Of his Being Highness Holiness Unshangeableness Unity yet Trinity in Unity Eternity Omnipresence Omniscience Omnipotence Invisibility Terribleness and just Severity Truth Verity Loveliness and Goodness not only in his sparing Mercies and means of Grace but even in His Judgments and Destruction of the ungodly in the First Covenant especially in the New Covenant of Grace richest Theme for thoughts CHRIST the Objeâ—t of Gods Eternal thoughts and of all good mens of Old and of Angels though Men otherwise concerned in Him than They. Immanuel God with us makes All in God Ours Justice Holiness Highness c. Gods Love in Christs Incarnation Suffering The Necessity and Excellent Vertue of Christs Death Right thoughts of Christs righteousness Imputed High thoughts of Christ sweet thoughts of Christ Holy thoughts of Christ as tho great Enemy of Sin though Friend of Sinners right thoughts of God the Holy Ghost High thoughts of God the Spirit in his Essence Subsistence and Operations Sweet thoughts of him and our high Obligations to Him the finishing work in mans Salvation the Spirits Holy Ghost the great Promise of the New Testament as Christ of the Old Fruits of the Spirit sweet Thoughts For God must be Scriptural as well as Of God Conclusion Exhorting to Self-reflection by and upon Our thoughts Giving Motives and Rules for keeping thoughts RIGHT THE Second Part. WHICH Contains an Induction of particular Instances of Thoughts suited to their several Subjects according to Scripture-Rule and concludes with an Exhortation to self-Reflection and Motives and Rules for keeping Thoughts Right NOw then supposing a Man have a right Rule for his thoughts and right thoughts of the Rule The great inquiry for the tryal of thoughts is whether they be suited to their several Subjects according to that Rule Right thoughts of Scripture Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem Tertul. cont Hermog See B. Tayler's Dissuasive from Popery 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. John 5.39 As for Example Sect. I. IN thinking of SCRIPTURE that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All divinely inspired and a sufficient Rule in all things pertaining to God and our Souls Able to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished to every good work able to make wise to Salvation and therefore to be searched by every one that desires to be Saved Search the Scriptures saith our Saviour for in them ye think to have Eternal Life and they are They that testifie of Me. Now to think otherwise of Scripture then we are taught by it is to think strangely of it which is a thing the great God takes strangely at their hands that do it a dishonour done to our Spiritual MAGNA CHARTA the great Charrer of our Salvation I have WRITTEN to Him saith God the GREAT THINGS of my Law Hosea 8.12 but they counted them as a strange thing Great things indeed
of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace Rom. 14.17 1 Cor. 2.11 and Joy in the Holy Ghoâ—t and truly to be desired to make one Wise for the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Verse 12.13 now we have received not the Spirit of this World but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God which things also we speak not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual and therefore He is called the spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Eph. 1.17 18. that We might know the hope of his Calling and the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints The Fruit forementioned was of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Gen. 2.19 Eph. 5.7 In all goodness and truth but the Fruit of the Spirit is in all GOODNESS Righteousness and TRUTH Here is ALL Good and No Guile So then if Goodness it self be Good if Righteousness be Desirable for We through the Spirit wait for the hope of Righteousness by Faith if Truth be amiable Gal. 5.5 for He is also called the Spirit of Truth John 15.26 and 16.13 Eph. 3.16 2 Cor. 3.18 Phil. 2.1 and said to guide into All Truth In a word if according to the Riches of the Glory of God We are strengthened with might in the inner man by the Spirit changed into the same Image from glory to glory by the same Spirit If there be any Consolation in Christ or comfort of Love joyned with the fellowship of the Spirit If God be a good Guest for Ye are the Temple of God if the Spirit of God dwell in you 1 Cor. 3.16 Or if Heaven be worth having or that it be good for us that dwell in this Tabernacle to be clothed upon 2 Cor. 5.4 that Mortality might be swallowed up of Life the Earnest whereof is the Spirit Verse 5. Surely well may the Fruit of the Spirit be said to be in All Goodness As Mony answers All things in temporal Respects Eccles 11.19 Spirit answerâ— all good things so where one Evangelist saith how much more shall your Father give good Things c. The other reads How much more shall he give the holy Spirit to them that ask him so that the Holy Spirit answers All good Things Drunkards quench this Spirit Isaâ—ah 28.1 2 Thes 5.19 Hosea 4.11 Eph. 5.18 Luke 21.38 And here I cannot but lament the Drunkenness of our Ephraim who by abusing good things sin away the Best Thing quenching the Spirit with strong Drink which as it takes away mans heart so it keeps away Gods Spirit as Scripture saith be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit for that clean Spirit can not dwell in an Heart especially overcharged with Surfeiting Drunkenness and odious excess Sect. XLV Pray for the Spirit Psal 143.10 51.11 12. Acts 1.4 Survey his Workings Rom. 8.20 WHerefore good Reader say as David Thy Spirit is good and Pray as David O take not thy holy Spirit from me but uphold me with thy free Spirit Pray and wait for the Spirit having put the Promises in suit by Prayer Survey his daily workings and work thou with him for the Word himself useth as to his helping our Infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Metaphor taken from two that lift together one over against another at the same stone or piece of Timber to lay it in the Building Prize his Witnessings Verse 16.17 Acts 9.31 Moreover prize his Evidence for as he worketh so he witnesseth with our Spirit that We are the Children of God and if children then Hens c. walk in the comfort of the Holy Ghost as Scripture speaks even of his Evidence who is both Earnest Seal and Witnesse Listens to his motions Revel 22.10 Listen to the Spirit who never bids us to our hurt the spirit saith come take of the water of Life freely His Charmings are Wise his Reproofs an excellent Oyl his Convictions Kindness and all his motions James 3.17 Rev. 2.7.10 29 Chap. 1.6 13 22. Dictates and Counsels are first pure and then peaceable He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches 't is six times over in two Chapters it seems We are dull of hearing when Our best friend is speaking We could hear the Serpents first hissing listen to Satan when he doth but whisper to us but when the Spirit speaks so loud that All should hear even to the churches He finds deaf ears growing upon our Hearts and when he comes unto us by his sweet insinuations we treat this Heavenly Messenger as Hanun did King Davids 2 Sam. 10.4 cutting off his motions in the middle and so we send him grieved back to the high provocation of God that sends him But the Spirit is as his Fruit is Long-suffering or else He would not so long strive with Man with froward and stubborn man but yet think He will not alwayes do it as God roundly told the Old World But Wo Wo unto thee if thou Sin away the Spirit Psal 51.11 for casting away from Gods presence is inseperably annexed to the taking away his holy Spirit as it is in the Psalmist and those Spirits are sad proofs of it 1 Pet. 3.18.19.20 to whom God went and Preached by this Spirit in the dayes of Noah for being then disobedient they are now in Prison And sure We cannot but think it just and reasonable that we carefully hearken to him when ever he comes on Gods Errand to us Who if ever we would speed must go on Our Errand to God and make Intercession for us Rom. 8.26 Grieve not the Spirit Eph. 4.21 to 25.26 How that may be By Commissions And oh how disingenuous and injurious must we needs think it on the other hand to grieve him that Comforts us which the Apostle saith we do when we put not off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to deceiptful Lusts and put not on the new Man c. when we put not away lying corrupt Communication undue courses for a Livelihood instead of diligence in our lawful Calling anger Bitterness Evil-speaking and all Malice even by All such undue Affections Words and Actions Nay that We should Vex yea Resist him Isai h 63.10 Acts 7.51 as the uncircumcised in Heart and Ears nay quench the Spirit with excess of Wine c. as is said before put him quite out as Saul said God is departed from me 1 Sam. 28.15 and answereth me no more now Fire is put out as effectually by not putting on of Fuel as by putting on of Water and the holy Spirit quenched by Sins of Omission as of Commission Omission by Contempt and wilful neglecting of holy Duties Means and Ordinances
and therefore Pray without ceasing give thanks in every thing is put into the front and Despise not Prophesyings comes up in the rear of that Apostolical grand Caveat Quench not the Spirit 1 Thes 5.17 18 19. Revel 5.10 Rather let us as made by Christ Priests unto God keep alwayes burning upon our Hearts this holy Fire and stir it up by meditation How to cherish the Spirit Psalm 39 3. Psal 143.10 Revel 1.10 while I was musing saith David the Fire burned and blow it up by Prayer Teach me to do thy will O God thy Spirit is good c. Especially let us Pray and watch and wait as the Primitive Disciples for the Lords Spirit on the Lords Day And let us add the Fewel of diligent and industrious Observation to all his fervent motions when we hear the sound of his goings 1 Sam. 5.24 Hebâ— 5 3. then let us bestir our selves When the Holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice let us not harden our hearts nor put him off till to morrow for the Spirit is as the Wind that bloweth where and when he listeth John 3.8 Rev. 2â— 17 Harbour no base thoughts of the Spirit Acts 8.19 20. Acts 5.9 when the Spirit saith Come let the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come Let us not harbour any Carnal Low base Thoughts of this glorious Spirit this was Simon Magus his sin Especially let us not by close Hypocrisie or secret dissimulation agree to lie to the Holy Ghost and so to temâ—t the Spirit of the Lord this was Ananias and Saâ—hira's sin and it cost them dear and they are peculiarly said to tempt the Spirit because it is his peculiar work to search All things 1 Cor. 2.10 Sect. XLVI The wonderful condesceâ—tion of the Holy spirit in the work of Mens salvation Mat. 6.9 3. Rom. 16.24 1 Cor. 16.23 Gal. 6 13 Phâ—l 4.23 ANd now to shut up all what Holy Fear and Love of this Holy Spirit may at once fill Our THOUGHTS when we consider that although HOLINESS be the â—eculiar Attribute of the Spirit from which he receives his Denomination even as Greatness is peculiarly ascribed to the Father who is therefore said to be in Heaven and Kingdom Power and Glory to be his and Grace to be the Sonâ— in respect of which special property of the Spirit All sin against God is said in a special manner to Vex the Spirit 2 Thes 3.18 yet such is the rich Mercy of this Holy Spirit in Condescention to poor mans Salvation that He undertakes it as his peculiar Office and Work to come into mans Heart unsitted and unfurnished when Zijm Ochim and lim have dwelt there when vain Thoughts have lodged there into a very sink of sin a house without windows a heap without order a very Hell of cursed Confusion and of every hateful and hurtful lust and that when there was none to go before him or to prepare for him Whereas though herein God commended his love to us in that while We were Enemies Christ dyed for us yet would not the Son be born to die or lodge in a Womb or come into the world till this Spirit went before him Hebr. 10.5 As in the Margin to prepare a place for him and to fit a Body to him for so may the word be rendred a Body hast thou prepared me or a Body hast thou fitted me O sweet spirit what Tongue can praise or heart prize thee according to thy glorious Grace to poor sinners Genesis 2.7 When God first breathed into man the breath of Life He was a lump of innocent Clay but when thou comest to breath the breath of New Life into sinful man thou breathest into a noysome Carkasse an heart full of Rottenness 1 King 8 28. 2 Chron. 6.29 and takest up thy Dwelling in that very part where his Plague sore runs And now seeing Thou dost not shun those that have the Plague of the heart Come in thou blessed of the Lord to this Heart of mine Mat. 3.11 Isaiah 44.3 Thou art a Fire that can purge my Dross and not be impaired a Water that can wash away all my filth and not be defiled Now to thee Blessed spirit with the Father and the Son be Glory for ever Amen Sect. XLVII FINALLY As our Thoughts of God Thoughts for God must be by Scripture Rule See Bp. Andrews on the second Commandment Image and Imagination Cogitation Col. 2.23 Mat. 15.9 Sâ—e Bishop Taylors Dissuasive pag. 48. Isa 29.13 14. 2 Sam. 7.2 2 Chron. 3.3 and 29 25. so our Thoughts For God are onely Right when agreeable to Scripture Rules For as the second Commandment forbids all IMAGES so also all IMAGINATIONS in the things of God that are not warrantable by the Word of God The Hebrews express both by one word for Thoughts are the Images of things in our minds What the Apostle calls Will-Worship Our Saviour calls Vain-Worship though the things may have a shew of wisdom and humility where the fear towards God is taught as in Popery by the Precepts of Men. When David took up thoughts of Building God an House he consulted Nathan the Prophet which when Solomon was allowed to accomplish it is said Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the Building of the House of God which when Hezekiah did restore 't is said also he set the Levites in the House of the Lord with Cymbals with Psalteries and with Harps according to the Commandment of David and of Gad the Kings Seer and of Nathan the Prophet for so was the COMMANDMENT of the LORD by his Prophets Rom. 10.2 Zeal without Knowledge is Heat without Light which is so like Hell that it cannot be pleasing to the God of Heaven Mark 9.44 Mat 25 3â— for Hell is a Fire that never goes out and yet Outer Darkness Wherefore Reader when ever thou thinkest to do any thing for God Ask his Word first whether it will be well taken How lamentable is it to think how perniciously Our Thoughts for God may miscarry for want of this John 16.2 Acts 26.9 2 Sam. 6 6 7. Bp. Taylors Preface to his Dissuasive The Roman Church can never justifie her self from Idolatry yet if it were but suspitious God is jealous and will not endure any causes of suspition or motives of jealousy Things like Idolatry can no wayes be excused Bp. Tay ors Dissâ—asive from Popery pag. 57. Some kill Gods Saints yet think they do God good service and saith Paul I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Poor Uzzah no doubt thought to do God a good piece of service when He put forth his hand to stay the Ark when the Oxen shook it but God smote him for his Errour that he died A severe punishment may some man think and a slender errour especially considering that the Man
their hearts Judg. 5.28 hearts looking out not looking in 2 Kings 9.2 Isaiah 48.4 John 21.11 Jerem. 8.6 There are open Casements here are brazen shuts and Iron sinews to keep all close even from their own eyes What busie inquiries by unconcerned Idlers after Alien and Forraign things like his in the Gospel And what mâ—st this Man do yet I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him saying what have I done or how shall I do Intelligencers from abroad are gladly received those in mens own breasts are checked and choaked What will become of such and such Interests what will times come to what will become of Trade such and the like are frequent Inquiries What will be the issue of this mans Contest and the other mans Law suit Nay of this Cock-Fighting or that Horse-race of this Game at Cards or that Cast at Dice But where shall I meet the Man or Woman that seriously that seasonably cryes out but what will become of my own Soul my immortal Soul to all eternity What will you do in the end Jer. 5.35 this is a Query of Gods putting to us and methinks amid all other our Inquisitiveness and Curiosity we should not neglect to put this to Our selves Alas how deplorable and lamentable a thing it is that Man that would be wise should be so vain Job 11.12 he â—reedily drinks in the knowledge of all about him yet is willingly ignorant of himself If man do but meet a Ghost if his mettle will serve him he presently cries ouâ— In the name of God what art thou yet carries a Spirit about him every day whereunto he never moveth that Question Miserable man that thou art Is thy Conscience such a Fiend to thee and thiâ—e own Soul such a gastly Ghost that thou darest not stay to talk with it Put thy self to it Temptation will put thee to it Affliction will put thee to it Death and Judgment will put thee to it and ask thee plainly what thou art Ask thy self before-hand that thou mayest know what to answer them that ask thee Sect. IV. SUrely that Antient Apostolick Self-knowledge necessary 2 Cor. 13.5 may pass for a Catholick challenge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know you not your own selves you know your conditions and outward concernments do you not know your spiritual state you know your Herds do you not know your Hearts you count your Coin take you no account of your Consci nces you try your Gold do you not prove your Faith nay more you are acquainted abroad and know others know you not your own selves Must that needs be true of you that is said of the Witch in the Fable that she wore eyes when she went abroad and still laid them by when she came at home you take upon you to judge one another to know the hearts and fore-know the ends and future states of others and know you not your own selves surely God may say to that his Officer though a bribed one that self-discerning power and faculty that he placed in mans breast as sometimes he did in another case Isa 42.19 20 who is blind as my servant or deaf a my Messenger that I sent seeing many things but thoâ— observed not the one thing that more concerns thee than all other things But God knows thee though thou know not thy self and will tell thee what thou art as Ahijah did Jeroborams wife whether thou make or take thy self to be another 1 Kin. 14.6 And that bribed Officer will one day do his office and will make thee too late to know thy self when thou wilt not know what to do with thy self Luke 16.24 Thy tormented tongue will then tell thee what this little Treatise would fain acquaint thee with in a better season and more to thy profit yea and those very thoughts of thine that thou wilt by no means put thy self upon the trouble now to reflect upon will turn upon thee and fly in thy face and gnaw at thine heart as so many never dying worms and roundly tell thee then what they might have told thee before even before thou hadst come into that place of torment Those thoughts that are now thy pulse thou mayst try thy self by them will then be thy pain thou wilt torture thy self with them Son remember Verse 25. said Abraham to Dives Oh thy Memory will then be thy misery and thy thoughts thy tormenâ— Those thoughts of thine that might now make a Jury whilst if thou be cast thou hast time before thee to sue out thy pardon if thou empannel them not for this better service they will then turn thy Executioners when there will remain neither help in thy self nor hope in God Pr. 5.11.12 Jer. 2.5 Psal 50.21 Think now what thy eternal thoughts will be if thou miscarry for thee O then thou wilt think of thy Soul thy Sin thy misery means neglected mercies abused Reader pause here and think of what is past before thou proceed a whet's no let Thou canst not endure to spend a little time now in the unpleasing work of self-Reflection whilst self-reflection might do thee good And can thine heart endure to spend an Eternity in the same work to a worse end save that Eternity can never be spent My heart is enlarged to thee O Reader fearing thine may be straightned towards thy self yet do but promise me that thou wilt well weigh this one word what the work of thy thoughts will be to all Eternity if thou shouldst miscarry I say to Eternity And I will leave the porch of my discourse built larger for thy sake then was intended and so lead thee to its principal parts CHAP. II. Damneth this licentious principle that Thoughts are free Sect. I. ANd now that we might make a right Judgment of our selves by our thoughts Thought 's Free a damned Principle it will be necessary that we first Judg aright of our Thoughts and therefore we must come in the first place to damn that hell-born Principle to the place from whence it came That Thoughts are Free for hardly can I think a more evident token of a Reprobate mind as the Apostle calls it then for a man to think of his thoughts as some will say of their words Rom. 1.28 Our lips are our own who is Lord over us Psal 12.4 But I may say to all those that promise liberty to their thoughts as the Apostle speaks in another case 2 Pet. 2.19 Whilst they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of Corruption for as we shall finde the first stirrings of grace are in thou hts 't is as true that the first motions of Corruption are there also James 1 15 for Lust concerves saith the Scripture and then brings forth sin Thouâ—ht is the Cockatâ—ice Isai 59.49 Egg as the Prophet calls it that Breaks forth into a Viper And thus are they miserably requited by their
all the week as St. Paul saith to me to live is Christ Phil. 1.21 for 't is one thing to prove our parts to men and another thing to approve our hearts to God neither are we so much to desire to evidence to others a Proof of Christ speaking in us as the Apostle speaks as to find a proof of Christ living in our selves least while we preach to others 1 Cor. 13.3 Chap. 9.22 We our selves prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is unapproved So then for a man to think that his Thoughts are Free that is that he is unaccountable to God for his thoughts according to which God especially judgeth men is to admit a contradiction not only to all Scripture but to all Right Reason Sect. III. Evil thoughts like Devils LEt me freely tell thee O Reader whosoever thou art whose thoughts are not right thine heart is but an hell and thy thoughts are but so many Devils and worse then Devils to thee for First In their Original As Angels the most Excellent of Gods Creatures became odious Devils by departing from God so that our Thoughts that in their own nature are the Off-spring of the noble and most excellent Mind of man should become Iniquity to us Isa 59.7 Prov. 15.26 Hebr. 3.12 and an abomination to God This is from our evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Nature spiritual wickedness Eph. 6.12 Luke 22.3 Ezek. 18.10 Mat. 23.27 In high places And as Devils for their nature are called spiritual wickednesses can enter into men 't is said Satan entered into Judas and fill their hearts as in Ananias his case why hath Satan filled thy heart so also Evil thoughts are said to come into mens minds and fill their hearts Inwardly they are full of rottenness saith Christ And as Devils for their pride and power are called spiritual wickednesses in high places so also evil thoughts are said to be those high things that exalt themselves against God 2 Cor. 10.5 and against Christ Casting down Imaginations and every high thing c. and bringing into captivity every thought of the heart c. Number Legions Mark 5.9 Luke 8.30 Mat. 17.34 And as Devils for their number made the possessed man cry out My name is Legion for we are many so may Evil thoughts say for these are called the abundance of the heart Like the swarmes of Flyes in Aegypt as if they were of Beelzebubs Army who by the Etymology of his name is Lord of the Flyes and by the account of the Pharasees Prince of the Devils And as Devils for their agility Agility made answer to God when he demanded Satan whence comest thou From going in the Earth to and fro Job 1.7 and from walking up and down in it Just so may evil Thoughts say for the wandring of the desire is by the Thoughts they go where we cannot Israelites in the Wilderness Eccles 6.9 Acts 7.39 yet in heart went back to Aegypt And as Devils for their Vigilancy Vigilancy 1 Pet. 1.8 Psal 104.20 21. are said to walk about as roaring Lyons which are stirring when we are sleeping as the Psalmist observes Therefore saith the Apostle be vigilant so the worldlings thoughts are at work while himself is asleep for as his dayes are sorrow so his heart taketh not rest in the Night Eccles 2.23 Chap. 5.8 for a dream comes through the multitude of business And oh how often cause have we to be troubled when we awake for the Thoughts of our sleep Daniel 4.1 as Nebuchadnezzar was with his Thoughts in his sleep And Devils for disturbing in good Duties Disturbing in Good Mat. 13.4 1 Sam. 1.13 are called the Fowls of the Air that steal away the word such are evil thoughts and so do they As when Hannah was a Praying Elie's thoughts were running upon that that was neither charitable nor true viz. that she was drunk And when Simon should have been minding what Christ was a saying his Thoughts were wandring He said within himself Luke 3.37 if this man were a Prophet he would have known who and what manner of Woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner Vain thoughts can dog us when and where vain company cannot come at us even in our closest places and performances And as Devils are signalized for disturbing us in what is good so for tempting to evil Tempting to evil Math. 4.3 James 1.14 therefore Satan is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Tempter so every man is tempted saith the Apostle when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed so that Evil Thoughts are our Tempters as much as He and we should belie the Devil should we say otherwise for they have made ready their heart like an Oven Hoseâ— 7.6 saith the Prophet What though Satan bring the Fewel yet men put it into the Oven and stir it about by their own Thoughts in their own hearts so that if He like a cunning Baker seem to sleep all night as 't is there expressed yet he knows that they will tend it and so look to it that in the morning it shall burn like a flaming fire And then accusing And as Devils when they have been Tempters will be sure to be Accusers so that as many men are called by such a name Alias such a name so Satan is called Tempter Rev. 12.10 alias the Accuser so also are Evil Thoughts Their thoughts mean while accusing c. as the Apostle speaks Rom. 15.2 And tormenting Mat. 18.34 Luke 16.25 And as Devils are Tormenters as well as Tempters and Accusers so also the Thoughts of the damned shall be a principal part of their torment Son remember c. saith Abraham to Dives that is bethink thy self c. And thus have we seen that Evil Thoughts are as bad as Devils Yea worse then Devils to us yea that they are worse then so we shall now make appear in a few lines and so conclude this head And that In themselves First in themselves in some respect Let me tell thee O Reader that thy thoughts may be guilty of such a sin as Satan himself is not nay cannot be guilty of Psalm 14.1 For saith the Psalmist The Fool hath said in his heart that there is no God whereas the Apostle saith expresly James 2.10 that the Devils believe and tremble And Oh that we could tell how to bewail it sufficiently that there should be more Atheisme in one heart upon Earth nay in one thought than in all the Devils of Hell We pitty others when possessed with Evil Spirits how much more should we lament bitterly over our own selves when possessed with Evil thoughts in some sort worse then the worst of spirits II. As to those whose thoughts they are And to us For these are the Heifers wherewith Satan Ploweth whose Temptations could only diâ—turbâ—
not destroy us If our Thoughts did not take them in as the Trojans in the Story the deceiptful Horse and make them ours so that our Destruction is of our selves as the Prophet speaks Hoseâ— 13.9 for if Satan cannot know our Thoughts without us much less can He force them But as Christ saith in one place You are of your Father the Devil John 8.44 Jerem. 7.44 Chap. 9.14 Chap. 11.8 and 13.10 and his Lusts will ye do so the Prophet saith in many places that in and after the imaginations of their own hearts they do and will walk So that as Christ saith the Devil is the Father the Apostle makes mans heart to be the Mother which receives the Temptation and Thought the Womb that Conceiveth and Hatcheth it when he saith James 1.15 Lust when it hath conceived brought forth sin whereas were there a Cordial crying out as by the forced Damosel in the Law Deut. 22.24 25. Rom. 7.24 or the Apostle in the Gospel Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me God would lay the sin upon Satan and not upon the Soul disturbed by and afflicted with it Now then since Evil Thoughts are as so many Devils and worse then Devils to us let us dread them as we do the Devil resist them as we ought to do Him and Pray against them as we would against Him and when they break into our hearts which are such unruly and untamed Evils let us serve them as the People of a Country Village would a ravenous Wolf or cruel Bear that should break into thâ—â—r Town all the Town would be after them either to kill them in or to force them out of it Prov. 23.26 And since the heare is the thing that God Principally requires and that out of it are the Issues of Life Let us keep the heart with all keeping Prov. 4.23 Mal. 3.16 17. and be choice of our Thoughts as of Gods Crown-Jewels Phil. 4.8 And now finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pâ—â—e whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise Think of these things CHAP. III. Sheweth the Thoughts of man to be the Souls Pulse and that they evidently discover his Inward Estate Sect. I. YOu see then where this wisdom is to be found Thoughts the Souls pulse and where is the place of self-understanding Reader Thou art before the Lord dost thou unfeignedly desire to know thy self truly then say not in thine heart who shall ascend or who shall descend to tell thee whether of the two Heaven or Hell shall be thy place and portion As the words are nigh thee Romans 10.6 7 8. even in thy mouth so the Thoughts are nigh thee even in thy mind for what Christ saith of thy words I may say of thy Thoughts Mat. 12.37 Verse 34. By thy words saith the text and by thy thoughts saith the reason of the text Thou shalt be justified and thou shalt be condemned For out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak If then thy Thoughts be Right Thou art Right The thoughts of the Righteous are Right All the Righteous have Right Thoughts and All whose Thoughts are Right are Righteous 'T is a Laudable fairness in our Law Thoughts our Neighbourhood that it puts All Tryals for Life and Death upon God and the countrey that is the Neighbourhood This little Book allowes thee the Birth-right of thy Native Law in thy greatest tryal more Important then for Life and Death 'T is for Salvation or Damnation Tryal by them fair Thy Thoughts are thy Neighbourhood they walk and talk with thee they know thy lying down and thy rising up Put thy Soul tryal upon God and them and God send thee a good deliverance Sect. II. Instances of churlishness 1 Sam. 25 26. Isaiah 32.5 Isaiah 32.5 Isaiah 31.8 Liberality A Nabal-like Heart may seem sometimes to put forth a liberal hand and make a Feast like a Prince yet shall not a Churl be the more called liberal The liberal man deviseth liberall things He onely is the liberall man that hath the liberall mind whose thoughts are free in a better sence then the old saying hath it T is not the drawing of the Purse to the Poor though that must be too where there is a Purse but the drawing out the Soul to the Hungry that is true Charity Isaiah 58.10 Mark 12.21 Two mites bestowed with one truly Generous and Liberal thought is a righter Almesgiving then the giving of the two Hemispheres of the whole world would be without it Sect. III. Envy Prov. 26.25 Psal 55.21 THe Envious may carry smooth and speak fair yet never a whit the more to be trusted if there be seven abominations in the heart The Oyl of smooth words may float at top whilst Waters of strife are at bottome war in his heart His words kind his thoughts Cruel now He is what his thoughts are 'T is not said as a man speaketh with his tongue but as a man thinketh in his heart so is He. Nay such are Evil whose thoughts are so though God turn the fruit of their heart to good to those to whom they intend evil Gen 50.20 as in Josephs case Ye thought Evil against me saith He But God turned it to good and to His own Glory Isaiah 10.7 to whom they intend dishonour as in the Assyrians howbeit He meaneth not so neither doth He think so Goodness He was what his thoughts were on the other hand Joseph was a good Brother to them that had been otherwise to him though his carriage were course and his speaking rough for He thought them good and meant them well And thus God himself Isaiâ—h â—0 3 when He sheweth his People hard things and it may be incurs their hard thoughts yet then he approves himself to be a merciful Father and a tender Friend by his gracious thoughts and tender purposes I know the thoughts that think towards you Jer. 29.11 thoughts of peace And as He thinks in His Heart so is he though they think hardly of him his thoughts are of Peace and He is the God of Peace Rom. 15.33 Sect. IV. THe Impatient are not alwayes Clamorous Impatience but sometimes like froward Children that declare their doggedness by not speaking at all Job 36.19 Prov. 23.39 as well as by speaking doggedly 'T is said of the Hypocrites in Heart they cry not when God bindeth them He strikes them yet they will not be thought sick and beats them yet they seem not to feel they have not grieved Jerem. 5. â— they make their face harder then a Rock yet are never the more quiet never the more patient for mean while Habak 2.4 their minds fret their thoughts boil within them their Hearts are lifted up therefore
they are not upright Their thoughts are froward and so are they for as a man thinketh in his Heart so is he Prov. 19.3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way and his Heart fretteth against the Lord. He frets in Heart and thought though not in word Patience On the other hand you have heard of the Patience of upright Job yet how often did His Impatience like some Mens sickness break out at his lips when the distemper had made no mortal seisure upon his heart for search but his Heart and his History to the bottom and you shall find it full fraight with thoughts of Penitence of Patience of Piety of Humility full of God-exalting self-abasing thoughts thoughts of calmness and sweetness towards God and onely of bitterness and Indignation against sinful self Job 40.4 and 42 2 3 6. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee and again I know that no thought can be with-holden from thee who is be that hideth Councel without knowledge I have uttered that I understood not wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Sect. V. Uncleanness Prov. 30.20 Prov. 7.14 Verse 18. SOlomons strange woman keeps a stir about wiping of her mouth whilst she never regardeth the cleansing of her thoughts She can talk of Pe ce-Offe ings and of Her paying her Vows in the day and think the same moment of pleasing her bruitâ—sh Lust all the night Come let us take our fill of loves till the morning Her thoughts were unclean and so was she Whatever mens garbes and pretensions are how demure soever their deportments Rom. 13.14 and 8.5 Chastity Job 31.1 how mortified soever their appearances they whose profoundest thoughts are how to make provision for the Lusts of the Flesh are fleshly and they that do mind the things of the Flesh are after the Flesh On the contrary Chast Job will not only make a Covenant with his Eyes but will not allow himself so much as to think upon a Maid His thoughts were Chast and clean and so was He. Sect. VI. Covetousness THe Covetous walk not alwayes in open and naked view for every one to see perhaps not for themselves but often wear a Cloak as the Apostle calls it a Cloak of zeal and seeming sanctity as Iehu 1 Thes 2.5 John 12.10 and others Their thoughts boil but the fervour of their spirit is for the serving of themselves not the Lord Jesus Christ Judas talks of the Poo but he thinkâ— of the Purse 2 Pet. 2.1 and of his Prey yet he carryed it so plausibly that the Eleven suspected themselves more than Him Mens Hearts may be exercised with covetous practices Jer. 23.31 Jer. 22.17 whilst their hands seem not so They come and sit before the Lord as his People but their hearts run after their covetousness nay their hearts are not but for their covetousness as the Prophet smartly expresseth it They may talk of better things but their thoughts are for no other their tongues may run of heavenly things but their thoughts still run after their eâ—vetousness Their thoughts are for to morrow Mat. 6.31 Psal 49.11 what they shall eat and what they shall drink and wherewith they shall be cloathed Their Inward thoughts are that their Houses and Inheritances are to them and their Heirs for ever Such are the thoughts that they drown their Souls in and bury themselves in alive working like Moles under-ground Phil. 3.19 and if they sometimes app ar above ground they are not in their Element till rooting in the earth again Mat. 10.17 they mind earthly things The young man in the Gospel His tongue ran of Heaven What must I do that I may inherit Eternal life but his thoughts ran after Earth if I go with this Christ I must forgo my Estate if I cleave to Him I must leave that Deut. 15.7 He went away sorrowful for he had large Possessions But saith God to his People Beware there be not in thy wicked heart a thought c. which he there cautions in this case of Covetousness A Covetous thought reigning in the heart Allowed Loved Liked Maintained customarily entertained there is the Evidence of a wicked heart of a bad man for as a man thinketh in his Heart so is He. Sect. VII THe Proud person may be tryed by his Thoughts Pride be he never so much in the disguise of his voluntary humility Isaiah 58.53 His thoughts do swell and rise high whilst He cringeth low like those in Isaiah who hung down their heads like Bulrushes yet their Hearts were lifted up in proud thoughts against God as if He were in their Debts for their formal devotions wherefore have we fasted say they Luke 18.11 and thou takest no notice The Pharisee was the worse for his good thoughts of himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men Yea and thousands in the world have cause enough to think ill of themselves if they had no more then their thinking too well of themselves God will punish the fruit of mens stout hearts Isaiah 10.18 compared with the 12. now the fruit of the stout heart is in the same place explained to be the proud Thought The Psalmist complains the wiâ—ked through the pride of their countenances will not seek after God Psal 18.4 Ezek. 28.16 God is not in all their thoughts He fetcheth proof of their wicked pride from their Godless thoughts The proud Prince of Tyrus did set his heart as the heart of God in high thoughts of Himself as the Sequel there shews Humility But the best Men on the contrary are least and lowest in their own thoughts Thus Abraham Gen. 18 27. and 23.10 Psal 22.6 Psal 73.22 Prov. 30.2 Isaiah 6.5 1 Cor 15.9 Col. 3.12 Mat. 11.29 but dust and ashes Jacob less than the least of Gods mercies David a worm and no man Asaph a beast before thee Agar more bruitish then man Isaiah a man of unclean lips Paul the very least of the Apostles but the chiefest of Sinners Put on humbleness of mind saith the Apostle The Humble man is humble in mind and lowly in heart and thought as Christ was for as a man thinketh in his heart so is He. Sect. VIII Purity Matth. 5.3 BLessed are the pure in heart saith our Saviour they shall see God Are thy thoughts holy then thou art happy In a good mans heart there is a good treasure Mat. 12.35 Psal 139.17 and 10.4 Prov. 10.20 and the Psalmist tells you what it is How pretious are thy thoughts O God unto me But for the wicked God is not in all his thoughts therefore the heart of the wicked is little worth and he whose Heart is little worth is wicked Sect. IX To draw this head towards a conclusion let me perswade thee O man but to judge of thy self which thou canst by the same way that thou wouldst judge thy
its languishings Grace may languish soul pulse intermit as the natural But good Thoughts never quite die as well as Nature and the souls pulse to its Intermissions as the bodies is whereof more hereafter only the Pulse of Nature may cease totally nay it must because Nature it self must expire But Grace is a Caelestial an Heaven-born principle an Immortal Fire which can never be extinguished but burns brightest when Nature goeth out Psal 146.4 as in Jacob and Joseph when they lay a dying so good thoughts do usually most flourish in that very day when other Thoughts perish Heb. 11.21 22. the day of Death and after Death especially And thus much for the first Tryal of Thoughts whether Right or no from their Original II. Tryal Sect. I. Secondly THoughts are to be known to be right by their ROOT as Plants are 2. Tryal Thoughts are to be known or no by their root especially in Winter-season now this is as it were the Winter-state of Grace We have seen in the first Tryal that Right Thoughts are to be discerned by their Soil They grown not in the Wild or common Field of corrupt Nature but in the Garden of Grace so now in the second Tryal by the occult and inward manner of their growth which I call their Radication This I say then If good thoughts be our deep thoughts if good Thoughts be thy DEEP Thoughts if as we say the best be at bottom thy thoughts are then Right and thou art Righteous for as the deep thoughts of Worldlings are worldly thoughts and the deep Thoughts of wicked men are wicked thoughts so the deep thoughts of good men are good Thoughts 'T is a notable observation of the Holy Ghosts concerning worldly men That their INWARD THOUGHT is Psal 49.11 that their Houses shall continue for ever c. Why is there any Thought that is not an Inward Thought No But the meaning is that though they have some floating Thoughts of their mortality and the vanity and transitoriness of all worldly things swiming as it were on the top yet they do not suffer such Thoughts to sink into their Hearts or to go to the bottom But the Thoughts that lodge there are such as His who is said by our Saviour to have thought within himself Luke 12.17 Verse 19. Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years Take thine ease eat drink and be merry Note the phrase he thought within himself There are other kind of thoughts that sometimes knock at the door of the worldings Heart Nay sometimes look in at his windows as Pauls Sermon began to press in upon Felix his Heart Acts 24.25 and to set him a Trembling but there are other Thoughts within which if they cannot keep good Thoughts quite out they will keep them off from making any due or deep impression upon the Heart Now these Thoughts that nestle themselves as it were at the very Heart-roots to keep others out from reaching thither these deep thoughts are they which the Scriptures call the inward thoughts Psalm 64.6 according to that of the Psalmist the inward thoughts of every one of them and the heart is deep And so if thy inward Thoughts and deep Thoughts be good thoughts Rom. 2.19 't is a good signe Thus He is a Jew that is one inwardly When God has put wisdom in the inward parts as it is in Jeremiah Jer 21.33 Psalm 5 9. Luke 11.39 Jerem. 9.8 as 't is said of the wicked that their inward part is very wickedness and that their inward part is full of Ravening and wickedness even when he speaketh peaceably with his mouth yet in Heart he layes his wait Now the Reason of this Rule is this Reason of the Rule because as corruption like the Worm at Jona's Gourd loves to lie at the Root to wither all so Grace to work out Corruption loves to lie at the very Hearts root as it were and the work of Grace being to fix the Heart aright as David saith My Heart is fixed O God my Heart is fixed like a wise Master Builder Psalm 108.1 Grace goes to the bottom and looks especially to that the Foundation being that that fixeth all the building The Latines do very elegantly express heighth and depth by the same word thus altas radices agere Good thoughts build high therefore must be bâ—â—tomed low Acts 16.30 is to take deep Root and yet we call it the Altitude of a Star He that will build high must dig his Foundation deep and low Now Grace where it comes never aims lower then the Raising of the Thoughts as high as Heaven Sirs what must I do to be saved saith the â—ayler A Converts first Thoughts are for no less than SALVATION and therefore Grace layeth them in the very depth of the heart Thus Gracious Thoughts are called the good Treasure not of the Head for a Toad they say may have a Pearl there A wicked man may have excellent notions and speculations like Balaam Numb 24.34 whose Heart is full of Poyson But the good treasure of the Heart Our Saviour comparing Gods Word to Seed Math. 13.4 Verse 5. Mans Heart to Soil Thoughts and purposes to a springing up of that Seed in the Soil expresly saith of the stony ground in opposition to the good ground that is Luke 8.14 the good and honest heart as himself explains it that therefore it was that all came to nothing Maâ— 13.56 because there was no depth of earth for the Seed and they that sprung up had no root and therefore they withered away Mat. 25.1 And in the Parable of the Virgins where he designedly puts the difference between the sound Believer and the Hypocrite He denies not the foolish to have Lamps and Lights and Oyl in their Lamps to keep them burning for a season but denies them to have any Oyl in their Vessels as the Wise had The Lamps were the Outside and shallow appearances of splendid Notions and Professions but the Vessels are the very inwards and depths of the Heart and therefore it s said Prov. 13.9 The light of the righteous rejoyceth but the Lamp of the wicked shall be put out The Light of the Righteous which may be understood of their good Conversation according to that Let your light so shine before men that th y may see your good works hath a Vessel within full of Oyl to keep it burning perpetually and therefore it rejoyceth but the Lamp of the wicked hath not so and therefore time shall put it out And when he represents the Grace that he gives by a Well of Water in a man springing up to everlasting life John 4.14 Good thoughts a well-spring This Phrase is most accurately to be attended to our present purposes We are not in judging of a man so much to consider what may be put into a man or what may for some time float
at top nay flow from a man but what the SPRINGINGS UP are that are IN A MAN And so the Apostle James also puts the Tryal upon what the FOUNTAIN yields James 3.11 Verse 14. whether it be sweet water or bitter salt water or fresh which expression he doth enough explain when he saith Verse 12. If you have bitter envying or strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth Mark that IN YOUR HEARTS that is when these bitter waters are the springings up of the inward Fountain glory not and lie not sweet words and pleasing professions shews and appearances will be no good Testimony for you when these BITTER springings up within you bear witness against you In Nature there are Springs or Wells of diverse sorts the diligent observation of which will much clear the scope of these Texts of Scripture and the thing in hand I shall only instance in such as I have seen There is the salt spring at Nantwich where the springings up are naturally salt Now let never so much fresh water be poured into it though it may for the present abate its saltness and make its present waters the less brinish yet that which springs up will in some time work out all the fresh water and will continue as before perfectly salt Again there is the generous and famous Spring called the HOLY WELL in Wales that is perpetually boiling up with an admirable activity so that if never so much salt water should be poured into it though all the waters for the present would tast salt or brackish yet give it time and it would certainly work out all that Heterogeneous mixture and retain its sweetness and as I may say its Native excellency and purity This then is a grand Rule for the tryal of Right Thoughts if thy good thoughts be such as continually springing up do work out evil thoughts which sometimes do seem to defile and deprave thee 't is a good Scripture-Evidence both of thy thoughts and state for this is that which the Apostle calls a clearing of our selves which he saith expresly that Godly sorrow worketh where it worketh Repentance to salvation 1 Cor. 7.10 11. this self same thing saith be that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort Behold what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves c. Now this Godly sorrow haâ—h its spring in the Thoughts as the Evangelist saith of Peter when he thought thereon he wept Mark 14.7 As the Jews in their Captivity wept when they remember Zion so Peter in his spiritual Captivity Ps l. 137.1 wept when he remembred Sin But a little before the stoods of the ungodly had overwhelmed the good man and the waters of bitterness had come into his soul And had we but tasted of his spirit by what came from him in the High Priests Hall we should have been apt to have concluded him in the gall of bitterness when with swearing and cursing he denied that ever he knew Jesus and all this issuing from the Thoughts and apprehensions of his imaginary danger that his sorry sinful slavish fear suggested to him in case He had held fast the profession of his Faith without wavering these were the Thoughts that were uppermost and so nearest his tongues end to influence that under this surprise of Temptation and little doubt but at that very time his deep and bottome Thoughts were full of real kindness to his Lord and Master which shortly after by their springing up discover themselves For these Thoughts work him to Godly sorrow as the Text affirmeth and godly sorrow to a clearing of himself of that which had now so sadly stained the Glory of his Profession so that we read after of his dying for Christ but never more word of his denying him Sect. II. Instances of good thoughts deepest Gen. 25.25 AS this therefore is the grand trouble of many gracious Persons that they find many strong and boisterous and evil Thoughts like rugged Esau that present themselves first to view and seem to be strongest and most impetuous yet this may be a comfort if they can find good Thoughts like another Jacob taking those other thoughts as it were by the heel Verse 26. and continually labouring to supplant them for instance If you look on David a Gracious man and one of a very tender spirit as He first appears under Nabals provocation David 1 Sam. 25.21 22. you find all the waters as it were turned into blood and nothing meditated but Cruelty and Revenge But when Davids deep and bottom Thoughts are set on work How quickly do they work out all that Cruelty The waters return to their proper nature and right colour and now all becomes goodness meekness gentleness And David said to Abigail Verse 32.33 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent thee this day to me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with my own hand So that whereas there was a Root of bitterness springing up which would have brought trouble enough upon himself and others there is also a deeper root of sweetness supplanting the former and yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness And by the way the Reader may remark that they whose Thoughts are right and good Note well are very apt to Think well of those that set them right as any prudent serious Travailer that hath been out of his way will be O blessed Sermon Sickness Person Providence will such a one say that hath been an occasion or means to set me clear of such a Temptation or from such or such wicked proud or passionate or unclean or worldly Thoughts that have so disturbed and distempered me Take another instance in good King Hezekiah Hezekiah whom when God had raised up the Text saith presently his Heart was lifted up 2 Chro. 32.25 so that there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem His heart swells with proud and haughty thoughts Notwithstanding saith the next Verse Verse 24. Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the dayes of Hezekiah Here was Humility at the bottom His lowly Thoughts were his lowest Thoughts and his deepest Thoughts which did wear and work out the former Thus holy Asaph Asaph Psal 73.16 17. what dark and discontentful Thoughts had he concerning the prosperity of the wicked in this world and the equitableness of divine providence therein When I thought to know this Verse 21. saith he it was too painful for me But when he comes into the Sanctuary Verse 23. and applyes himself to the due use and help of Holy means and Ordinances how plenteously do better thoughts then the former spring up and work out the former and how doth his Heart presently flow not only with truly penitent Thoughts like