Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A32824
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A practical treatise concerning evil thoughts wherein are some things more especially useful for melancholy persons / by William Chilcot.
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Chilcot, William, 1663 or 4-1711.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing C3847; ESTC R6628
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61,347
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294
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our thoughts the better when we have more liberty for the World How inconsiderable soever this Rule may seem to any yet I doubt not but a great part of the vanity and evil of our Thoughts and Imaginations is owing to a careless and remiss observation of the Lords-day Neither can I think that that glorious Promise any more than the Morality of the fourth Commandment is stinted to the Jewish oeconomy alone tho' it may primarily concern that Isa 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Being watchful over our selves when we are alone is another Rule which we are to observe in order to the well governing of our Thoughts in general Solitude is a season when our Thoughts are very apt to rove and then to light upon ill objects When a Man is by himself he is not secure from his spiritual enemies and with respect to the multitude of vain and evil Thoughts that Then are apt to come into his Mind it may be truly said of him Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus Upon which account it was that the Devil chose that opportunity to tempt our Saviour when he was in the wilderness alone Because he well knew that at such a time as that the Mind of Man being at leisure his Thoughts will be more relaxed and wandring and so more easy to be won by his suggestions and to comply with his Temptations A Monastick Life doth not secure a Man from evil Thoughts but in some sort makes him the more obnoxious to them The Devil will pay his unwelcome visits to us in our Privacy as well as in Conversation And the Hermite in his Cell hath as much reason to look well to his thoughts as he that is in the Croud of this World And Therefore I take it to be very advisable that at any time when we are alone we suffer not our thoughts to scatter and flie at random for unhappy conjunctions oftentimes prove the consequence of such erratical motions but to confine them to some certain bounds and determinate subjects Such as the Power or Goodness of Almighty God or the like which will sweetly imploy our thoughts and refresh our minds And the more profitably to think on any such subject we may when we are alone likewise think on our own sinfulness be judging our selves confessing our sins and laying open our hearts before God which will make the goodness of God more illustrious and admirable and also keep us from being assaulted with any dreadful and terrifying thoughts with any filthy and profligate thoughts and our hearts from being deadn'd and stupify'd with Mopishness and drowsiness c. which at such a time we are more especially prone to Again In the next place let us be very careful to entertain the good motions of God's Holy Spirit to obey his Heavenly Inspirations to bowe to his sacred suggestions when at any time we are blessed therewith Every good thought should be made well-come and cherish'd and improv'd by us and by that means we shall not only avoid evil thoughts but in time arrive at an happy temper and habit of good thoughts which is one of the most desirable things in the world and most of all prepares the Soul for the purity and ravishment of the Contemplation of God and the Joys of Heaven Let us therefore always improve every good thought or motion that comes into our Minds and entertain it as an Embassy from God as a spark of the Celestial fire And let us diligently attend and listen to the counsels and monitions of our own Consciences by no means resist their checks or stifle their Advertisments To draw to a Conclusion of this Chapter If we would attain to this great Thing viz. the due government of our Thoughts let us be careful to preserve our selves innocent and harmless to do no hurt or evil at any time willingly Let us make Religion and the Fear of God our Business Let us make use of God's wonderful Works both of Mercy and Judgment which at any time occur in the World seasoning our Hearts with an Holy Meditation of them There are a great many more excellent Rules in order to the Well-governing our Thoughts As applying our selves to our proper Teachers and Spiritual Guides for comfort and Assistance when our Hearts are oppressed with wicked Thoughts or prevailing corruptions Avoiding unwarrantable Curiosities and prying into hidden Mysteries and unnecessary Speculations Contentment Temperance Humility Trust and Affiance in God and abundance more which are in that large field of Discourse which such a subject as this affords and which if I should enlarge upon as I have done on the former Heads would swell this Treatise into a much bigger Book than I design'd it I shall therefore content my self and the Reader with these Principal Rules and Directions for the well-governing of the Thoughts in general which have been treated of in the fore-going Pages Which well put in practice will I doubt not by the blessing of Almighty God prove in a great measure effectual to the end design'd And that if we not slightly and indifferently but closely and in earnest apply our selves to them we shall thereby prevent Evil Thoughts and attain that happy and desirable Government over our selves which either sloth or ignorance makes some Men think to be Eutopian and impossible Only adding this one particular more which must by no means be pass'd over and that is The deep and serious consideration of the last Dreadful Judgment Consider seriously with your selves then That there is a day a coming when not only all the Actions and more known passages of our Lives but even our most Private and Retired Thoughts shall be accounted for When God shall judge the Secrets of Men by Christ Jesus Tho' Men cannot see our Thoughts yet an All-knowing God can and doth and will assuredly judge us for them In that day when these that have labour'd to approve themselves unto God by an Internal purity and sincere Obedience not regarding the eye of the World or the silly applauses of mortal Men but the favour of God and Conscience of their duty shall be crown'd with eternal honours and all their secret Piety be rewarded openly And these that have hypocritically carried a fair outside and pass'd for civil honest moral Men whilst their inward parts were very wickedness and their Hearts full of all uncleanness shall be laid open and expos'd to the shame of all the World and they banish'd from the presence of
refines and purifies the Soul to the utmost will not allow Men in a loose or an Evil Thought much less grant them Indulgences for all manner of Lewdness and dispence with such things as are not fit to be named among Christians But it 's only Design and Intention is to make Men like Angels and the pure Celestial Spirits and qualify them for their Society and Happiness to everlasting Ages This plainly shews us the excellency of the Christian Religion above any other Institution in the World powerfully recommends it to our choice and convinceth us of the necessity of being good and holy if we would be eternally happy and of the great importance of our serious and Religious Application and Improvement of these words of the eternal Son of GOD For out of the Heart proceed Evil Thoughts I conclude with that apposite Advice of the holy Apostle St. Paul Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things FINIS THE PRAYER FOR A Melancholy Person O Eternal most gracious most holy Lord God! Thou Father of Lights and Fountain of Good Thou art infinitely and essentially happy and blessed in thy self and diffusest the beams of thy Favour and Goodness throughout the whole World I am a Monument of thy Mercy and Forbearance and when I consider what I have been and done I cannot but wonder at thy loving Kindness O Lord I lye prostrate at the Throne of Grace in an humble sence and acknowledgment of my own vileness and in a sorrowful confession of my Sins which have been exceeding many and grievously provoking I have deserved Eternal punishment and horrour and therefore do not repine at my present Affliction Why should a living man complain a Man for the punishment of his sin But O Lord thou art our FATHER and to whom should we lay open our wants but to a Father Look therefore upon my affliction and misery and forgive me all my sins Thy hand is heavy upon me day and night and my moisture is like the drought in summer My heart also in the midst of my Body is even like melting wax I am cast down O Lord I am beset with fears and terrours encompassed about with thick clouds of sadness But yet I hope to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Lord sanctify this great affliction to me And let not any of the Devil's temptations prevail with me to let go my hope in Christ. Grant me I beseech thee trust and affiance in thy Mercy and let me not make Sin my refuge or seek comfort and redress from any indirect means But patiently wait on thee O GOD who alone bringest down and raisest up who killest and makest alive O Lord be pleas'd to pardon and forgive me all my sins and to heal all my Bodily weaknesses and infirmities and to quiet and compose my Spirits O Lord speak peace unto me thy servant give thy servant the Blessing of peace Thou searchest me out and knowest me Thou understandest my thoughts long before Thou art about my path and about my bed and seest in what sadness I pass the day and the night O Lord send down the Holy-ghost the Comforter to enlighten and comfort my poor Soul and to sanctify and hallow all the faculties and powers thereof Cleanse it of all prophane impure revengeful wandring or desponding Thoughts and all other evil Imaginations and let not my Heart be inclined to any evil thine Vouchsafe I beseech thee O Lord to direct sanctify and govern both my Heart and Body in the ways of thy Laws and in the Works of thy Commandments that among all the changes and chances of this mortal Life I may ever be defended by thy most gracious and ready help And O Lord God Almighty unto whom all Hearts be open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the Thoughts of my Heart by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit that I may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy Name Thou seest O Lord that I have no power of my self to help my self keep me therefore both outwardly in my body and inwardly in my Soul that I may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the Body and from all Evil Thoughts which may assault and hurt the Soul And at last bring me to that blessed state where I shall serve love and worship thee without fear or distraction and be out of the reach of all my Spiritual Enemies and enjoy consummate tranquillity and bliss And all I most humbly and earnestly beg in and through the meritorious Agonies and Death of Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen Our Father c. Books printed for and sold by Charles Yeo John Pearce and Philip Bishop Booksellers in Exon. A Sermon preached in the Cathedral Church of St. Peter in Exon April 4. 1697. being Easter-day and Assize Sunday By William Chilcot M. A. Select Hymns each fitted to two Tunes to be sung in Churches The Beauty of Holiness or A short Defence and Vindication of the pious Decency Regularity and Order of Reading the Communion-Service at the Communion-Table offered to a dissatify'd Neighbour from his Minister A Form of Prayer for Married Persons for the most part taken out of the Liturgy In the PRESS DAnmonii Orientales Illustres or The Worthies of Devon Printed by way of Subscription price in Sheets Sixteen Shillings and Six pence the first Payment eight Shillings All Gentlemen that are willing to take the Advantage by Subscribing are desired to send in their first payment with all speed to the Undertakers Charles Yeo John Pearce and Philip Bishop Prov. 16. 32. V. 2. Mark 7. 11 12. Mat. 13. 31. Jam. 1. 13 14 15. Rom. 6. 12. Mat. 26. 70 72 74. Isa 1. 11. Psal 139. Psal 108. 1. Mat. 25. 1. Rom. 8. 21. Isa 48. â— 1 Pet. 2. 11. Psal 51. 6. Rom. 7. 24. Psal 51. 10. Acts 2. 3. Exod. 12. Mat. 4. James 4. 7. Gen. 32. 24. James 5. 16. Prov. 24. 30 30. Mat. 26. 41. Psal 19. 1. 1 Cor. 11. 33. Ephes 4. 29. Psal 119. Mat. 18. 8. Jer. 4. 14. 2 Pet. 3. 12. Acts 2. 20. Mat. 24. 29. Mat. 4. â— Rom. 2. 16. * A Crest is a Dagger Psal 119. 105. 1 Joh. 2. 15. Job 2. 9. Mat. 4. 10. Ver. 11. Phil. 2. 10. Mat. 11. 28. James 1. 5. Mat. 8. 2. Mat. 17. 21. Mat. 16. 24. 1 Cor. 9. 25 c. Gen. 34. 1 2. 1 Sam. 11. 2. Gen. 39. 9. Mat. 12. 44. 1 Joh. 3. 3. Psal 24. 4. Mat. 5. 8. Mat. 5. 44. 1 Pet. 5. 5. 1 Joh. 8. v. 16. Mat. 5. 23. Eccles 5. 1 2. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Exod. 3. 5. Gen. 28. 12 16. Col. 3. 5. Matth. 6. 31 c. Matt. 21. 12 13 c. Luke 10. 40. Matth. 6. 5. Matt. 13. Luke 15. Matt. 11. 28. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Luke 2. 14. Rom. 4. 25. Matt. 11. John 3. 16. 1 Pet. 5. 8. James 5. 13. Psal 50. 15. Psal 42. ult Psal 73. 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. 1 Sam. 16. 23. Eccles 12. 11. Hos 6. 6. Jam. 1. 25. Ephes 4. 30. Gal. 4. 9. Gal. 3. 24. Deut. 4. 11. Phil. 4. 8. c.