spirits sanctification in his own perswasion and the worlds reputation ought to have just thoughts and to be the Master or Governour of them he must endeavour to get them into his mind and having gotten them it is required that he rightly govern them for the orderly and seasonable producing of their effects in words and deeds The government of his thoughts is a righteous mans great businesse of great necessity and of much difficulty It 's day work and night work with him his meditations are alwayes upon it he so delights in the Law of the Lord that he meditates in it day and night Psal 1. 2. Some are careful of their actions that by them they give no offence to the weak nor lay stumbling-blocks in the way of them that are without These are commendable amongst the godly others go further they keep their lips as it were with a bridle and they are purposed that their mouths shall not transgresse Psal 39. 1. Psal 17. 3. yet few people go so far as to take heed to their thoughts It seems all men are not aware of it that their inward thoughts may be very wickednesse but a wise man thoroughly instructed and sanctified by the Spirit of God loves the Law of God with such vehemency that he hates those floating vanities of his thoughts which rise in opposition to it I hate vain thoughts said that righteous man but thy Law do I love Psal 119. 113. And every just man doth so govern his thoughts that they are generally good I do not say that every particular thought of a righteous man is just David had his exorbitancies in thoughts or else they had not so much appeared in his doings and yet his heart was right with God for the main And so it is with many of Gods dear children they have excurrent and sinful thoughts the knowledge whereof give many a secret prick upon their consciences though they have good meanings and good hearts generally It is written of Asa that the high places were not taken away out of Israel in his days neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2 Chro. 15. 18. A righteous man may sometimes think foolishly as well as speak unadvisedly with his lips or put his hands unto wickednesse Yet as his words and workes are for the main end regulated by the word of God so are his thoughts A righteous man is the master of just thoughts And though Master-workmen may sometimes mistake in their lines and measures and sorting their materials yet not like them that have no skill in building If a righteous man meditate in Gods precepts he will have respect unto Gods wayes Psal 119. 15. Take the reason of the righteous mans practise on this behalf First his thoughts are moved upon by the Spirit of God though God be not in all the thoughts of the wicked yet the righteous God leads by his Spirit and guides by his counsel There are many that are after the flesh and these mind the things of the flesh 〈…〉 they cannot think of higher things because they have no higher principle of life within them but there are some that are after the spirit these mind the things of the spirit for they have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God Rom. 8. 5 and therefore mind and think upon the things of God and their thoughts are just 1 Cor. 2. 11. Secondly a righteous man hath an holy principle of good thoughts within he hath grace inherent the new man is put upon him and he is renewed in the spirit of his minde and Eph. 4. ergo though he was sometimes darkness yet now he is Eph. 4. 8. light in the Lord. O the sweet and secret interviewes and consultations held betwixt God and the souls of his beloved ones they think upon God in the night-season while others lie upon their beds and sleep securely Their thoughts enter into his Pavilion while other mens thoughts rove and wander abroad amongst many vain things and know not where to make any stay to fasten themselves the spirit of life which is in them that are Christs quickens their mindes to think upon that which is just Rom. 8. 2. Having thus farre proved that the thoughts of righteous ones are just and that he which is a righteous man must have good and just thoughts my method shall be 1. To shew the necessity or needfulnesse of this government of the thoughts 2. The errours and exorbitances of mens thoughts 3. The remedies against these exorbitancies Generally Particularly 4. The meanes to get good thoughts 5. Rules to govern good thoughts gotten CHAP. III. FIrst the needfulnesse of the government of thoughts appears because thoughts are the fountain or spring of all humane actions whether they be good or evil A man ordinarily first thinks and after speakes out with his mouth or workes outwardly with the members of the body My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire kindled and I spake with my tongue Psal 39. 3. So the wicked devise devices against Jeremy and then smite him with the tongue Jer. 18. 18. Pharaoh thought to deal wisely and then commands to destroy the Hebrew children wherefore seeing actions good or evil issue from our thoughts we ought to take notice of that wise advice Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. The soul retains so much of its spiritual nature and native perfection that after the similitude of God it is in continual action though it be its imperfection to be in doing either good or evil Thoughts passe in the mind as currently as water in the livelyest fountain it is not like a watch in thy pocket which will not run without winding up it is a natural mover and is in uncessant motion towards good or evil Gods thoughts are good eternally but the best mens thoughts are to good and evil were they onely good and not evil the lesse care of prevention would serve in this government of thoughts But 't is the misery of our souls that the imaginative faculty whose perfection is alwayes to think should be taken up too often times with thinking evil The Holy Spirit notes this with a black coall The imaginations of natural men are evil continually though the thoughts of the righteous be just Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Grace and nature mixe in the regenerate man and because of these different principles his thoughts move within him to good and to evil as he said I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my Members Rom. 7. 22 23. This is one reason why our thoughts have need of government Secondly evill thoughts are sin Prov. 24. 9. The thought of foolishnesse is sin not the action only but the thought also is sin it is a loose opinion and strikes
and that if they can refrain such words and works as are of evil report and punishable then their peace is sound and themselves just though their thoughts be black as hell and conform to the works of the Devil And indeed thoughts are free from punishment by the Laws of men which onely reach to the outward man and a man is not bound by Law or any duty to reveale all his thoughts unto another Salomon tells us That a prating fool or a man of foolish lips shall fall Prov. 10. 8. But the good man must perswade himself that the Lord takes notice of abhors and will punish evil thoughts as the breaches of his Law therein extending more than the laws of men It is a known distinction among all that there are sins of thought as much as sins of word or of deed We read of some that erre because they imagine evil of some that sinned because they tempted God in their hearts Prov. 14. 22. Psal 78. 18. Psal 58. 2. of others that did work wickednesse in their heart Our Saviour gives a check to the Scribes for their evil thoughts Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts Mat. 9. 4. Yea in the Court of Conscience and in Gods sight evil thoughts are in some respect more sinful or lesse excuseable than either words or deeds What is that condemning sin of unbelief what that of hypocrisie whose punishment in Hell is the pattern how other sins shall be punished They are not sins of word they are not sins of work but sins of the inward parts of the mind and of the heart Consider further upon this matter and ye shall perceive 1. That evil thoughts are Ring-leaders to other sins all other uncleannesses begin at the heart Mat. 15. 18. whether they be blasphemies or false-witnessing which are sins of the tongue or murders and adulteries which are sins of deed From contemplative wickednesse we go on to actual so lust within when it hath conceived at temptation without brings forth sin Jam. 1. 15 Imagination is the great wheel of the soul if that move amisse all the whole man runs at random for as the phansie conceives the judgement concludes the will chooseth the affections pursue or eschew and the members of the body execute Wherefore in regard of precedency or causality sins of thought are more sinful or inexcuseable than either words or deeds 2. Our thoughts are more at liberty than our words or actions there is lesse byas hanging upon our thoughts than upon our outward man As these are more free from the shame of the World the censure of enemies the punishment of outward laws the reprehension of godly brethren so they are lesse swayed by hopes of favour from such we love or reverence or hope to rise by In evil times especially many things may afford excuse for miscarriages in our words or deeds Many dangers are following them that are of free language and open works which in this frailty of the flesh may put on our outward faults a mincing infirmity but none nor any of these can any way diminish the fault of our thoughts For notwithstanding all these our thoughts are freed from the byas of fear or favour Jonathan could love David as his own soul though he went in his Father Sauls Army which hunted him as a Partridge upon the mountains Obadiah thought reverently of the Lords Prophets and preserved many of them from the cruel rage of Jesabel though he lived in Ahabs Court But if the inward parts be wickednesse there is no faithfulnesse in those sinners There is no faithfulness in their mouth their inward part is very wickedness Psal 5. 9. It s possible God may have some whose hearts are right with him in evil times though they halt in their words and outward behaviour But if the thoughts of the heart and mind be evil whatsoever the outward appearance is there is no believing of such 3. The temptations of Satan have not such power over our thoughts as they have in our outward man in as much as the Devil is no searcher of hearts and therefore cannot so easily puddle these fountains as he doth by Gods permission our words and deeds I do not say Satan hath no power but not such power The Devil knows the constitution and temperament of mens bodies and can move the humours and by them he can stir up the affections he can represent false species by the senses unto the cogitative faculty and thereby disorder the thoughts But he hath not such an immediate illapse or entrance into the heart as into our outward senses and by how much our thoughts receive less violence and opposition from Satan by so much the sins of our thoughts are lesse excuseable as he is lesse a sinner that sins by temptation than he that sinneth without But thou wilt say Our words and deeds bring more damage unto others and breed a greater scandal amongst the good than our thoughts do I answer Yes and therefore God condemns outward actions that are sinful But the evil of our thoughts are as filthy in our selves and as open to the eyes of God as our actions are and God who especially respects our spirits whether in mortification to sin or in quickning to righteousnesse hath equally forbidden our thoughts as our words or deeds He that said Thou shalt not bear false witnesse Thou shalt not steal said also Thou shalt not covet Wherefore we ought to have a conscientious care of our evil thoughts as of our evil deeds we must account them sinful and punishable and take heed how we receive in thoughts hand over head Good thoughts indeed should be welcom'd when they come lest we be found to resist the Spirit of God for in a motion upon thy thoughts the Spirit of life may come into thy soul But on the other hand if evil thoughts do offer themselves we ought to keep them out I have insisted upon this remedy the longer because until this be cleared up to the judgement that thoughts are sins and punishable and we ought to make a conscience of them all other remedies of evil thoughts will be unprofitable and the mind wil be pestered with them The second General Remedy against evil thoughts is Let a man judge and condemn himself for evil thoughts there is no man living can say his heart is clean and 't is meet that a Christian feel a trouble and heavinesse within him wrought by that disorder and trouble that is in his thoughts Paul is our pattern crying out Oh wretched man that I am Rom. 7. 24. Let us think it expedient for us to cry out against that body of evil thoughts within us that God may deliver us from them Ps 51. we shall never have true and sound peace in our selves unlesse our hearts be clean created within us The Pharisee which cleanseth the outside of the platter hath no true comfort while his inward parts are full of ravening and wickedness Luc. 11.
The Right GOVERNMENT OF THOUGHTS OR A Discovery of all vain unprofitable idle and wicked THOUGHTS With Directions for the Getting Keeping and Governing of good THOVGHTS Digested into Chapters for the ease of the READER Whereunto are added four Sermons By the Reverend JOHN ANGEL sometimes Lecturer at Leicester Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life London Printed for Nath. Ekins and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Gun in S. Pauls Church-yard 1659. CHRISTIAN READER THe Almighty wise God hath in divers and sundry manners spoken unto men that they might know him and his Sonne Jesus Christ and knowing might believe in him and worship him according to his will to the saving of their soules To this purpose we have the Scriptures which are Gods written Rule of Faith and Life unto us the ministery of men not of men but by men as a standing Ordinance in the Church untill Christ come and the writings of godly and industrious men as adjutory helps But men have sought out strange inventions and that naturall imagination bordering betwixt sense and reason which is in all men works out it self in various wayes of opposition to revealed truth This discourse aymes to give a stop to our walking contrary unto God in our first settings out to Sin which on this side naturall corruption begin at our thoughts I have sometimes wondred to see how busie Satan is in his instruments whose Fancies comply with his suggestions to subvert the truth once delivered to the Saints But I check my self again when I consider that he is Satan an adversary to God and Christ and the salvation of men and that mens imaginations are fruitful wombes impregnated by Satan and numerous in their births as the Serpents in their spawne Amongst other his wiles I would immind every good Christian that in nothing to my apprehension the enemy and his party have prevailed more against the truth and with the fancies of men in our late times then by disputing the many doctrines of the Gospel in Pulpit in presse in open and private Assemblies and that in an irregular way betwixt weak defendants and wrangling Sophisters it may be Jesuites or men of Jesuited principles for in an orderly way by them that know how to distinguish and before them that are wise I am no opposer of disputations that the truth may be manifested and not subverted But otherwise these are the Civill warres raised in the Church and fomented by the seditious to divide the Kingdom of Christ against it self and bring it to nothing By this way of contention especially before them that are weak we have seen heaps upon heaps It 's time to grow wise for the cause of Christ and for our selves lest we suffer these stumbling stones to lye so long in the way of weak Christians that at last they be bedded as in their proper place and will not be removed with all our might Ye have sometimes seen a stone cast into a poole move a little Circle at the fall which after multiplies and widens it self to the bank side We sometimes find the original of errour to be very small like a very Center which inlargeth it self to a circumference such as imagination will make it and such strange thoughts are lodged in mens minds by these means that they are haunted ever after with them as some houses are said to be with spirits of the night Sober men wish that some provisions were made for the safety of soules against these spirits its possible if they that are in power would be carefull in such a work their own lives might be bound up in such a provision But Gentle Reader Thou shalt not need to fear any such questions of doubtful disputation in this short Treatise here is nothing but sober and uncontroverted truths such as may administer Grace unto thee by the blessing of God upon thy reading Thou shalt have nothing here leading to a strange God or another worship but that which may be profitable to all Christians though of divided interests whose minds are not blocked up with prejudice against the sober writings of men This tract teacheth the government of thy own thoughts aright a government of principal concernment to all men for hence arise as from their spring-head both words and works of men and the whole frame of Christian Conversation if therefore this fountain be clean the issues will be more pure and if any can so purge himself of all filthinesse of flesh and spirit that his very thoughts are just it must be granted that such an one hath a Virgin-soule and is perfect pro statu viatoris as a travailer to heaven though not as one actually possessed in heaven And for this end I commend this book to thy reading and meditating thoughts Besides it is an argument rarely handled in print for ought I know some indeed have brief and accidental notions upon it but purposed tracts of this subject are few in our English Tongue and therefore let it be thought the rather useful to the Church of God and a subject more fit for that accomplished servant of Jesus Christ to appeare by in the world again now he is absent from the body and present with the Lord. The Authour of this small Tract was Mr. John Angel who had been twenty years together Lecturer at Leicester and approved by all that knew him to be a man mighty in word and doctrine though at last clouded by some malevolent aspects upon him occasioned as it is said not for vice or heresie but non-engagement yet Governments as men have their mortalities and God who knew to use his servant in several places stirred up the hearts of a religious people at Grantham in Lincolnshire to set him up a Candlestick there where he shone as a burning light untill God translated him to shine above as a star for ever and ever Here moreover are no high swelling words to amuse the Reader but a grave and a plain stile suited to all but especially to them that are of lower forms in the School of Christ for the government of their thoughts I commend it therefore to thy reading for the Authours sake and for thy safety in the reading of it as also for the rarity of the subject the general concernment that it is of and for the plainnesse of the matter and method thereof And I leave thee to the Grace of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ By him who is a Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and of all that love him in sincerity T. B. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Containing the Preface Division Interpretation and scope of the Proverb fol. 1. CHAP. II. The Argument or matter subject of the whole that a man ought to have good thoughts and to be the Master and Governour of them 8. CHAP. III. The needfulnesse of good thoughts Eight Reasons 13. CHAP. IV. Of the Errours of
masked too often according to the judgement of thy betters the sway of the times thy own projects and designs in hand most men minding to put on a seemingnesse of good intentions as Herod did to worship the babe Christ few walking in the uprightness of their hearts and according to the simplicity of the Gospel If therefore thou wouldst find peace and comfort in times of temptation turn into thy own thoughts if thou findest them swept and garnished sweet and well disposed thou mayest assure thy self Christ hath been there Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile Psal 32. 2. a spiritual guilelesse mind is a comfortable evidence of Christ being in us So a man which would know the cleannesse and virtue of a water comes to the nearest issues that may be found because the lowest streames may be altered by the Channel or inundation of other sloods or foyled by the trampling of beasts so wouldest thou know thy self whether Christ dwell in thy heart or no Search thy thoughts and thy affections these are the immediate issues of thy soul and such as these are such is thy state of grace or nature 8. There is great need thou govern thy thoughts for God knowes all the thoughts of men when David prayed give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Psal 5. 1. he prayed in faith knowing that God did what he prayed him to doe God heares the words of his servants praying and considers the very meditations of the heart it is the Psalmists confession that God trieth the heart and reins Thou Psal 7. 9. knowest my down-sitting and my uprising Psal 139. 2 thou understandest my thoughts afar off those voces inconditae unformed and embryon actions of the soule are known unto God Thou even thou onely 1 Kings 8. 39. O Lord knowest all the hearts of the children of men There is nothing so inward and hidden in man that God should not see it openly Many miraculous believers came to Christ at Jerusalem upon the Passeover in the feast day but Jesus would not trust himself with them why but because John 2. 24 25. he knew all men he knew what was in them If the Scribes speak but within themselves Jesus knows their thoughts and reproves them wherefore think ye evill in your hearts Beloved remember what Job answers the Lord I know that thou canst do every Mat. 9. 4. thing and that no thought can be with-holden from thee Such a consideration Job 42. 2 as this will make you wary in the government of your thoughts nothing runs or stayes in your minds and hearts but God looks on it The good or evill of a mans thoughts lye in the dark to the eyes of other men unlesse evidenced by some further production of it in words or gesture or deed but God with whom we have to do seeth all things as clear as in the day for night and day are to him alike what avayles then to hide from men while God looks on who will one day be our judge And thus much concerning the great need which we have of the right government of our thoughts They are the fountains of all actions good or evill evill thoughts are sinne and the occasions of sinne and God will punish for them But good thoughts are pleasing unto God they unite us unto God they are comfortable to our own soules and God knowes all our thoughts therefore let us labour to be the Masters of good thoughts and to govern them aright I might adde that a man hath a good companion yea many good companions toward Heaven that hath alwayes good thoughts with him others sit solitary and complain for want of company but a man of a large heart and good thoughts is never less alone then when alone Those hours are comfortable and full of contentment wherein the thoughts entertain God the chiefest good and those dependancies which bring us to the enjoying of him CHAP. IV. I Have proved that the getting and governing of his thoughts is necessary to the well-being of a just mans life let me proceed to declare the common errours and exorbitancies of the Christians thoughts which though it be a thing difficult considering the variety and multiplicity of the souls unkind progeny of evil thoughts yet by Gods grace I will adventure in the humility of my soul to give you my thoughts in this matter The soul is the nobler part of man fitted of God unto the greatest workes to wit the contemplation of himself and of heavenly things or the framing of our actions to earthly subjects with reference to Gods glory and its own salvation yet sometimes it leaves off its noble work and contrary to her essential being thinkes of nothing at all or contrary to its well-being thinks of that which is unprofitable in both these respects the thoughts of men and women are not just The first common errour of our thoughts may not unfitly be called dulnesse or drowsinesse of thoughts when imagination is dull and thinks of nothing at all or but sleepily it sometimes happens that the mindes of men are as it were dead within them a spirit of heavinesse comes upon them Isa 61. 3. so Ezra sate astonished until the evening sacrifice like a clock that stands when the plummets are down or as a man in a deep sleep or amazement Ezra 9. 4. 5. the soul thinks not of what it hath to do A Christian hath businesse at home in himself and abroad in the world yet oftentimes he forgets himself and thinks not at all or but sleepily of what he hath to do say beloved Is it not sometimes thus with you Do you not sometimes find a damp upon your spirits so that ye had need to pray unto God to quicken them My soul cleaveth to the dust quicken me according to thy word Psal 119. 27. This is a fault of imagination against the nature of it which tends to its perfection by continual action The second errour of our thoughts is when our imaginations are busie but they act not to any profitable end to our selves or others for prevention of evil or attainment of good and too often they act to wicked ends to the harme of our selves and of others The first of these two we may call the vanity of thoughts the other the wickednesse of thoughts First there is a very vanity in some mens thoughts so the Gentiles became vain in their imaginations having their foolish hearts darkened Rom. 1. 21. they could not know God as God and therefore they conceive him in their mindes in the similitude of four-footed beasts of creeping things and of flying fowles This I may call a vanity of minde in regard of object or the thing thought upon The Apostle notes it a fault in that he forbids it Refuse vain and old wives fables and exercise thy self rather unto godlinesse 1 Tim. 4. 7 It would be an endlesse labour to tell you in what variable manner the mindes
39 40. For he that made that which is without made that which is within also There is no sweetnesse in that soul which is a whited tombe without and rotten bones within Dost thou look at that which is without and dost thou condemn thy self for any uncomelinesse there Thou dost well for God made the outside and Christ purchased the outside but forget not to look at that which is within and if any sinfulnesse be there judge and condemn thy self for it for God made the inside and Christ purchased the inside It is a Wise mans counsel If thou hast thought evil lay thine hand upon thy mouth Prov. 30. 32. evil thoughts should be stopped before they get out upon the tongue Surely the churming of milke brings forth butter Prov. 30 33. and the meditation and agitating of evil thoughts will bring forth sin Stop them up therefore and condemn thy self for them that they break not out to thy shame and danger Thirdly set your selves against evil and vain thoughts and be not quiet till ye have in some measure cleansed your minds of them Evil thoughts are not worthy to passe into your minds much lesse to keep house there Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from Jer. 4. 14. wickedness how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Evil and vaine thoughts are bold intruders they will come yet let them not stay to take up lodging with thee There are many birds that are unclean and some of them are swift of wing but they are not for sacrifice Thoughts are as swift as the birds of the air they flie more speedily and thou canst not hinder them from coming and hovering in thy mind yet 't is thy duty to keep them from building and nesting themselves if they be of an unclean kind If thou canst keep evil and vain thoughts out from getting entrance thou shalt quit thy self like a man but if they break in upon thee gather thy strength together and strive to beat them out again If men did begin betimes to enter combat with their sins whilst they are but thoughts how many wickednesses would be prevented upon the knees many of Satans temptations would be taken up and wasted betimes which suffered to grow into actions become strong and spreading wickednesse Friends set your selves in opposition against the evil of your thoughts this is the way to be more than Conquerors Know this he that thinks to waste grosse sins which waste the peace of his soul must begin to fight them within dores even in his own thoughts but he that thinks to beat sin out of action and leaves it in his thoughts begins at the wrong end it is an easie thing for sin to passe from the thought into action he that cuts off this passage may be secure of this conversation outwardly if therefore thou meet with any evil thoughts within thee declare thy self an enemy and cast them out A fourth general Remedy against evil thoughts is Have respect unto Gods word he that would hedge out evil thoughts must look into Gods word this is it which sets bounds to all vain thoughts the Psalmist propounds a question how may a young man cleanse his way Psal 119. 9. Psal 119. 9 a hard matter for any man but more hard in a young man who by reason of his perturbation and violence of affections the Philosophers accounted unfit for their Schools yet the means is prescribed by taking heed according to thy word the word of God gives wisdom unto the simple if they will hear it and give attendance thereunto if the law of God be in a mans heart none of his steps shall slide Psal 37. 31. men may account the word of God a weak defence and shelter against any annoyance but hear what the Apostle speaks of it from experience the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. mark that and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ high imaginations fall down before the word and before it every thought goeth into captivity The fifth general remedy against vain and wicked thoughts is prayer pray against evill thoughts This is a general remedy against all evills and we have need to make use of it against the exorbitances of our thoughts because they are so continually working to bring forth sin the body grows weary in acting those sins which require a concurrency of the members of the body but the mind is never without its contemplative wickednesses in one kind or other and therefore we alwayes stand in need of prayer to help those weaknesses of our thoughts if a clock be not every day wound up it will stand and not tell you the time of the day and so will our thoughts fall upon lower and looser objects unlesse they be pullyed and lifted up unto God by prayer the Apostle therefore bids us to pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17. not that we should do nothing else for the life of a Christian is a busie life and full of variety of work but that in all our businesse the thoughts of our hearts should have their short ejaculations and quick prayers unto God which hinder not but forward us in our labours with better successe the mind of man is of that speed in actions that the body cannot keep pace with it and therefore in all our bodily labours gaine time to dispatch a speedy prayer unto God but morning and evening do more especially require our prayers unto God that God being first in our thoughts in the morning may barre out all vain thoughts from entring in all the day and being last in our thoughts at evening we may lye down and take our rest while the Lord is entreated to sustein us by taking upon him our protection Sixthly set your selves in Gods eye I have set the Lord alwayes before mine eyes he is at my right hand Psal 16. 8. if men would set themselves alwayes in Gods sight and be perswaded that God is about their beds and about their paths and spyes out all their ways many a vain and wicked thought would not be so bold to make their appearance Bring your unruly and untrusty thoughts like unfaithful servants into the presence of God it may be and it usually happens that an evil servant hath private haunts to his Masters dammage yet in the eye of his Master he will behave himself demurely and orderly though Absolom have a traiterous heart and ambitious plot upon his Fathers kingdom yet in the presence of his Father he will carry himself as one of the Kings sons God thought upon as present awes our otherwise unruly cogitations into a kind of quiet behaviour Do not think within thy heart Tush God seeth not there is no impotency in Gods omnisciencie his eye is brighter then the Sun and breaketh into the most
judicious may take cognizance of it which is that righteous men must not think only how they may profit themselves he that thinks in his thoughts to please himself only will not truly endeavour in his course to profit all men in this case 't is good advice Phil. 2. 4. look not every one of his own things but every one on the things of others so the Apostle more purposely 1 Cor. 10. 33. I please all men in all things not seeking mine own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved Again let others be admonished that they do not think their endeavours and studies to be unprofitable unlesse they be singular and above others of their own rank Surely if we would labour to know with sobriety we should be more profitable to others and lesse troublesome unto our selves an affectation of singularity is but the pride of a mans heart and such usually to get applause for something of rare invention neglect the more profitable employment of their thoughts about their calling And now we will proceed and prescribe a remedy to the fourth vanity of thoughts which appears in their confusion and disorder The remedy must be to suit and order our thoughts according to our businesse with respect to time and place and persons the imagination is infinitely fruitful and to order all her conceptions conservations compositions seperations creations of new species productions of them into thoughts and propositions of them to the mind and will would be a labour too busie for me to meddle with in this case I must leave the work to every judicious Christian to consult with the rule of Gods word according to the emergencies of his thoughts yet I humbly conceive that this remedy prescribed against the confusion of thoughts may be of much use and benefit Consider then what is the businesse thou art about humane or divine and let thy thoughts be composed to attend upon it divine thoughts suit with divine works and humane thoughts with humane businesse while all things are done to the glory of God to this purpose referre that of Salomon Eccles 9. 10. whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might Consider the time whether holy by divine appointment by publick or private destination or permitted to common labours of thy calling Let not Sabbaths and dayes of humiliation be prophaned with common thoughts holy thoughts are for holy Sabboths thoughts of mourning are for dayes of fasting and prayer thoughts of rejoycing in the Lord for dayes of feasting and thanksgiving and thoughts of thy calling for dayes of work and trading So for holy places and assemblies holy thoughts are suitable and in all things which thou hast to do consider thy own calling and chiefly mind thine own businesse 2 Thes 3. 11. a busie body in other mens matters is of no good report in the Scriptures the thoughts of such persons are as confused and disorderly as the businesse of their lives attend what thou dost and what is meet for thee to do in time and place and I am perswaded thy thoughts will be lesse confused and more orderly CHAP. IX THus I have spoken of Remedies for the two first errours of thoughts to wit the dowsinesse and vanity of them in regard of object in regard of unstayednesse in regard of unprofitablenesse and in regard of confusion I shall now also say something for remedy against the wickednesse of thoughts which happens when our thoughts draw in our affection and will to desire and like of wickednesse and our minds to devise to bring it to passe I will not here give the remedies to these two errours severally but together and at once Expect not a remedy for every kind of wicked thoughts apart as erroneous heretical covetous ambitious revengeful proud c. for the objects of the affections are almost infinite and the evil imaginations of the mind working toward the accomplishment of wickednesse are so various who can know them Yet something I shall say to these for it will be expected by the Reader and I am bound to it by promise in this undertaking Here again I must leave much for the judicious to do of themselves in their own occurrencies of thoughts Yet thus for a help unto them that are weak Have thy thoughts drawn in thy likeing of that which is sinful and is thy mind plotting to accomplish it First give stop to these wicked affections and devisings at their first beginnings Sero medicina paratur Long and confirmed diseases are stubborne to yield unto medicine an infant-thought may take a check but if it grow man by continuance all the wit and strength thou hast will hardly bow him back The phansie will take fire at a temptation before we be aware like tinder which kindles at the least spark falling into it and 't is a mover as quick and spreading as fire The lightning is not quicker than thought we had need therefore to be speedy in giving stop to our wicked thoughts Job knew this and therefore made covenant with his eyes not to think upon a maid Job 31. 1. What the eye seeth or the eare heareth the heart may desire but unknown undesired If it be possible keep wickednesse from the eye and eare these are the two principal gates by which sin enters into our hearts if the watch were kept more strictly at these gates we should not so often find our enemy within us If David had looked better to his eyes adultery had not gotten into his thought nor could the whorish woman have come into the young mans heart had he kept her out of his eares it was with much fair speeches that she caused him to yield Prov. 7. 21 The eye and the eare are the out-works of the soul he that would keep out evil thoughts must barricadoe these gates Let evil thoughts receive a check at their first offer to enter for he that gives way to his imaginations shews that he would give way to wicked actions if they were as free from shame and punishment And a man may know much of his gratious state by his own using of his thoughts he that forbears evil out of a conscience of sin will forbear also to imagin evil in his heart but men of corrupt minds are not men of renewed spirits 2. If thou canst not stop them in their beginnings then thy care must be to divert them to some more profitable or pious object When the water hath gotten in upon us we make draines and water-courses to carry it some other way and so likewise must we do with our evil thoughts if they have broken in upon us we must turn them aside to some other matter As suppose coveteous or envious or proud thoughts be got into thy mind thou mayest divert them to liberal merciful humble thoughts Joh. 4. 12. The woman of Samaria was a great admirer of Jacobs Well ver 20. and the mountain of Samaria the one for water and
the other for the worship of God Christ diverts her opinion of Jacobs Well by telling her of a Well of water springing up unto everlasting life ver 14. and her opinion of Gods worship in Samaria by resolving her that salvation is of the Jews and diverting her to think of a worshiping of God in spirit and in truth ver 22 23. If I should prescribe one object in the multitude of your evill thoughts to turn them unto it should be God who is infinitely long and broad and wide beyond the extent of the souls desires or thoughts Kingdoms cannot satisfie ambition Gold as the dust of the street cannot satisfie covetousnesse pleasures to satiety and loathing content not the flesh and the mind is as unsatisfied with thinking and knowing onely God is of that infinitenesse and of that excellency that all thoughts and desires are terminated in him and all thoughts and desires that turn themselves unto God are bettered by looking upon him 3. If evil thoughts still presse in upon thee if they will not be stop'd nor diverted break them off with some violence if they be unreasonable and justle out better thoughts lay hands upon them 1 Cor. 9. 27. if the body grow unruly it must be kept under and brought into subjection Some thoughts are so wicked that they will not be cast out like those Devils without fasting and prayer If any thought within thee shall crosse Religion or reason resolve to crosse it There are some cursed imaginations which are the mother-roots of a multitude of sins as those which move Questions seriously of Gods Essence Personality Mercy Justice Power Providence and whether the Scriptures be the word of God whether the souls of men be immortal whether there be a Heaven or a Hell such thoughts as these should not be disputed withal muchlesse allowed but expelled or kill'd if but such thoughts as these be suffered and allowed within they will make a soul as desolate of grace as a City is without an inhabitant he that hath no rule over his own spirit certainly 't is true in this case is like a City that is broken down and without walls Prov. 25. 28. I shall never marvel that he is a wicked man whom I know to allow himself or others in such thoughts as these but I shal think grace is ruined in that man that disputes these things determines them against the Scripture 4. If wicked thoughts will not begone yet thou hast this remedy left call in help against them pray them away pray God in to thy help against them pray for a change of thine own nature of thine own thoughts Was not this the thing which David prayed for Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. 'T is plain it was Let us lift up our hearts in prayer against all our sinnes in thoughts but especially against them that are wicked ones heavy thoughts and vain thoughts are errours and not excuseable from sin but wicked thoughts are of a worser generation we must purge our selves from these with greater diligence I know foolishnesse is bound up in the heart of a child an evil heart cannot but think evil Prov. 22. 15. What can I look for from an Adder but her poison and her sting yet we may pray out foolishness out of our hearts And I believe Paul often used this help against the evils of his own heart for he saith When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things 1 Cor. 13. 21. It may be thou art a child in thy speaking in thy understanding in thy thinking pray that thou mayest become a man and be able to put away childish things Thus much of the evil of thoughts and how we may by Gods assistance remedy the same I beseech you Brethren apply these remedies to the severall errours of your thoughts and they will doe you much good Object not an impossibility for any to remedy the infirmities and sinfulnesses of thoughts what nature cannot do grace may and what man cannot do God can Every Christian who hath the spirit of God is enabled by that spirit within him to do all things Evangelically or with a Gospel allowance whereunto he is called of God If God would have the thoughts of a righteous man to be just God hath not made it an impossible work what nature within thee is averse to do and what grace within thee cannot do that the spirit within thee can do and the Righteousnesse of Christ without thee hath done wherefore despair not of the work but go about it CHAP. X. ANd now Beloved I am come to speak of good thoughts with the means how to get them and the manner of their government In the handling of this so needful a duty and so fruitful a subject I must premise some introductory particulars to shew the possibility and necessity of this work it is necessary or else God would not have commanded it it is possible or else God would not have promised assistance to performance 1. Hear how God commands this duty O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. What is that great Commandment in the Law is it not to love the Lord thy God But how Mat. 22. 37. is it not with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength Unlesse the mind and heart be in our love and obedience there will be no strength in them nor acceptance with God of them 2. God hath promised mercy unto all who willingly endeavour to turn away from all their evil thoughts and turn unto him with all their hearts God requires a heart washed from iniquity that the soul may be saved as ye read but now and God promiseth not onely to be abundant in mercy to pardon what is past but also to perfect the work begun Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon I may adde that it is a part of our regeneration to be renewed in our thoughts the Apostle urgeth it Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds Eph. 4. 23. And further that Gospel-light requires Gospel-thoughts it was prophesied of these dayes At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the name of the Lord to Jerusalem neither shall they walk any more in the imagination of their evil heart Jer. 3. 17. When God makes the Church his Throne and the Nations gather into it to worship the Lord then shall they leave off their wicked thoughts and walk no more after them We live in these
happy times of the Gospel wherein though every one hath not Eagles eyes yet he may see a glorious light risen and shining though through some clouds I suppose in former times such strict observance of our thoughts might have been slacked with lesse sin than now for God winked at those dayes of ignorance but now excuses for evil thoughts are as unpleadable as for evil deeds If now we walk in an evil way in a way that is not good after our evil thoughts God that spreads out his hands unto a rebellious people all the day long Isa 65. 2. will stretch out his arme against a wicked people to punish them because they will not be perswaded to amendment for they that will not be perswaded to rectisie their thoughts by the actions of Gods hand shall be confounded at the last by the force of his arm And now we are come to the Point where we shall first declare the means how we may attain good thoughts into our souls and after that the government of them All that hath been written hitherto may be referred hither And therefore where I shall have occasion to fall upon the same things again I shall either passe them over briefly or enlarge them with variety to avoid tediousnesse and nauseousnesse from the Reader 1. For the getting of good thoughts into thy mind it is needful that thou cleanse the mind of all vain and evil and drowsie thoughts so much as possibly thou canst he that would have good thoughts like the pillars of fire and smoke to lead his actions day and night in this dangerous wildernesse must in some measure cleanse the heart of its native corruption and of its contracted foulnesse for as we have no reason to expect sweet liquor out of a fusty vessel or good water out of a bitter fountain figs from thorns or grapes from thistles so we have as small ground to expect that an unmortified and unchanged heart should send forth a current of clean and purified thoughts The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things and the wicked man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things so all fruits are of the nature of the tree whereon they grow Our Saviour who knew how to refer every effect to his proper cause doth affirm That out of the heart cometh thoughts of Murder Adultery Blasphemies and sins of all sorts For the heart is evil above measure and casts into the thoughts continually that poison which either makes them black as Hell or muddles them with mire and dirt of fearful perplexities and worldly cares Wherefore as many as intend to get good thoughts into their minds let them give all diligence that the heart be cleansed from all evil ones But here I admonish him that will set upon this work that it is a work of more difficulty than many account it not so soon done as thought on 'T is not a few sighs and superficial groans 't is not a few proverbial notions nor yet the subduing of some notorious sin which is punishable and shameful in the world but a total and universal change of all the faculties and powers of the soul It is in the words of the Apostle A putting off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceiveable lusts and a renovation in the spirit of our minds by putting on that new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4. 22 23 24. And though we cannot attain the full measure and furthest degree of this cleansing at the first nor yet feel such a sensible apprehension of the same as we desire yet let us not give over endeavours nor be discomforted and disquieted in our souls if God give us a first-fruits he will in time give us a harvest Jam. 5. 7. The Husbandman waits with long patience for the pretious fruit of the earth until he receive the former and the latter rain and if we be patient and stablish our hearts God will give unto us hearts cleansed in some measure of all filthy thoughts In this case we are not without a promise After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Jer. 31. 33. And if we be once made masters of some good thoughts God will make us masters over more for him whom God finds faithful over a few things he will make Lord over many things and to him that hath it shall be given and he shall have abundance If any would know how to cleanse and purifie the heart he may consult Authors purposely written upon that Subject There are Treatises written thereof for more ample satisfaction wherein he shal find that God ordinarily in his first appearance to the soul useth the outward ministery of the Word and by his Spirit inwardly gives and applies that which is spoken unto the heart of the hearer whereby the heart sees its own corruption and misery and thereupon loaths and abhors it self and as a stomack surfeited with evil humours would willingly disgorge it self so it desires to be delivered of its sin and eased of its misery Then hearing and attending to the Promises of the Gospel of Jesus Christ it conceives hope by Christ that new and living way not onely to be discharged of sin and misery but also to be received into favour with God and then lies groaning at the foot-stoole of grace till God come in by his Spirit and say unto the poor soul I am thy salvation and thereupon it believes and purifies the heart of all noxious thoughts words and actions and beholding Christ in the glasse of Gods Word it is transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. but this briefly because I would not make too large an excursion if yet it be one out of my way 2. He that would have good thoughts in his mind let him attend the means of grace in Gods several dispensations let him give up his heart unto that form of Doctrine which hath been delivered unto the Saints and subject his soul in all humility unto the whole will of God revealed and openly urged by such as are sent upon his understanding wil and affections in the Ordinance of Preaching which being rightly managed is the power of God unto salvation Here I must admonish them that hear the Word of God that they would be patients to take what God prescribes for the cure of their thoughts That man wil never make a good Disciple and follower of Christ that is not content to deny himself a novice that is proud is not far from the condemnation of the Devil Naaman had almost lost the cure of his Leprosie by despising the waters of Jordan and preferring his own Rivers of Abanah and Parphar We must not quarrel at Gods way or method of cureing our
this glorious promise is annexed to a person qualified with holinesse because a holy conversation is a fruit and sign of faith and evidence of a person that is in Christ for whose sake we are saved and in whom all the promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. ch 1. ver 20. to the glory of God by us Reas 3 Lastly because God hath ordered matters so that grace should be the seed of glory as they are of the same kind and near of kin Gal. 6. 8. He that soweth to the spirit shall reape of the spirit life everlasting and all this is that so God might Crown his own gifts in us not our merits and that he might honour himself as wel as pleasure us To improve this Point to our best advantage first we may use it by way 1 Use of Exhortation of encouragement to excite and stir up all sorts of persons to be willing to set upon this Duty and to make conscience of the ordering of their conversations aright Oh be exhorted beloved to resolve to set upon it forthwith and henceforward to make it your businesse to walk worthy of the Lord in all well-pleasing being fruitful in every good work 1 Col. 9. and ever hereafter to order your thoughts words and actions according to the Rule of Gods sacred Word The pressing Considerations to set home the Exhortation on our souls may be these that follow First because it is a thing so highly 1 Consideratio prima pleasing to God that he hath in my Text annexed so great a recompense of reward to the performers of it that they shall see the salvation of God If salvation be dear unto us let us then go on kindly and strongly under the expectation of it against all difficulties whatsoever that lie in the way to hinder us Oh salvation is a sweet thing and for ever our pains about our conversation wil be but for a short time It were our duty to order our conversation aright though no salvation followed it How much more then when we know our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult The second encouragement I wil use Consideratio secunda shal be this because this wil denominate us blessed persons even while we live and who is there that would not be blessed Psal 119. 1. Blessed are they that are undefiled in the way and walk in the way of the Lord c. Without this all our profession of Christianity wil prove but vanity our faith wil be but a meer phansie and all our devotions but as so many glorious suns onely in the way of holinesse lyeth the beauty and comelinesse of all our perfections This is the Diamond in the Ring that graceth all our other parts accomplishments no true peace safety comfort or security is elsewhere to be found either in our life or death 2 Cor. 1. 12. All the wayes of wisdom are wayes of pleasure and all her paths prosperity Prov. 3. 17. and the fear of the Lord is the onely wisdom experiment it who pleaseth In other wayes he shal find a great deal of cragginesse and bitternesse in the end of all Thirdly consider Gods wayes to us Consideratio tertia all his wayes are mercy and truth to those that fear him Psal 25. 10. It is not said some of his wayes are mercy and some of his wayes are truth but all his wayes are both mercy and truth mercy in promising and truth in performing And why then should you think it much that all our wayes and dealings should relish of holinesse and obedience towards God all his wayes are to pleasure us and in equity all our wayes should be to please him Or consider Jesus Christ himself Phil. 2. 7 8. he came down from heaven to accomplish the work of our Redemption and shal not we come out of the world for his sake and have our conversations in heaven Christ emptied himself for us and took upon him the forme of a servant and humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse and all for our sakes It is written of him that he pleased not himself Rom. 15. 3. And shal we so ill requite our Lord and Saviour as to order our courses to please others or humour our selves to follow the guise of the times and so content our own lusts and not rather to please him in every thing we doe I pray you lay this meditation close to your hearts This in the fourth place is the one Fourth Motive thing necessary in all our life Luke 10. 42. this is that good part which whosoever chooseth it shall never be taken from him All other things are superfluous in comparison of this He that keepeth his way keepeth his soul saith Salomon Prov. 16. 7. The very life and soul lieth at stake in this businesse Suppose thou canst rightly weild an estate or drive thy trade wel so as to be master of it Suppose thou canst mannage thy actions fairly before men Suppose thou wert able to marshal an Army or to rule a City a Nation or Kingdom Suppose thou canst govern a family and order thy servants under thee Heathens have done all these and a man may go to hell that doth them But to manage thine own heart and life aright is a far more excellent thing and it wil certainly bring thee to Heaven it being such a thing as accompanieth salvation This is to live the very life of God himself to walke in the way that is called holy hereby the life of Christ appeareth unto us I conclude this with that of the Apostle James 3. 13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge amongst you let him shew out of a good conversation his workes with meekenesse of wisdom Mark first the frame of his conversation must be good secondly his works must flow out of the same and be made apparent thirdly the manner of the carriage of his works It must be in meekenesse of wisdom What should I need to presse you any further either that so doing you shall beautifie your Profession and adorn Religion or that hereby you shal stop the mouths of enemies and put them to a stand that they shal not be able with any face to speak evil of you or of godlinesse but all their pretenses shal be taken away or that hereby you shal much honour the work of God in your own hearts that that grace we speak so much of is not an empty sound or meer notion but there is a reality in it a life and power which wil make us do something more than the common spheare of mankind is able to effect You are in Covenant with God and being so are a Law to your selves Oh I beseech you let your actions be suitable to your principles you see the beauty of holinesse You are a holy nation a royal priesthood a precious people therefore shew forth the vertues of him that hath
called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. Let your conversation be such Phil. 1. 27. as becometh the Gospel such as may bring holinesse into credit and fashion and herein labour to exercise your selves to keep a clear conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men Acts 24. 16. The Second SERMON PSAL. 50. ult And to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God THe first Use was exhortatory and Second Use did serve to work mens hearts to a love and willingnesse to the duty The second is Directory and serves to make persons able and skilful in the right ordering of their conversation For this lieth upon us Ministers not onely to convince you of the necessity of your duties and to presse upon you the discharge thereof but also to shew you how and by what means you may be able to put them in practise and not to leave you to shift for your selves after we have acquainted you with the commands of God but to labour to guide your feet in the way of peace Now these Directions that I shal give you are either more general and introductive to the businesse or else more special And first of all It is to be supposed First Direction and premised that a man must first be a true Convert himself before it be possible for him to order his conversation aright the inward frame of his soul must first be rightly set within him which is the principle from whence issues the course of his thoughts words and actions He must first have a right spirit renewed in him before he can have a right conversation Psal 51. 10. this made David pray Renew O Lord in me a right spirit the instrument must first be stringed and set in tune before the musick it yieldeth will be sweet a wicked man and one that is unregenerate can never order his life aright a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of the evill treasure bringeth forth evill things Matth. 12. 33 34. First he must be a good man the tree must be good and then the fruit will be good Secondly he must have a good treasury and his heart must be the store-house of holy graces the mind must be renewed with saving knowledge which must guide him his heart must be seasoned with sanctified affections and so inabled to follow the minds directions and therefore the ground-work of all must first be laid right and we must labor for the grace of regeneration that so we our selves may be Gods workmanship created again in Christ Jesus to good works which he hath prepared for us to walk in Ephes 2. chap. 10. This being premised the next preparation The second direction to the work even in Converts themselves is in the right way to go to work and that is being sensible of their own inability to compasse so great a matter It being more difficult to govern the little world a mans self then to rule a City he must therefore begin the work at self-denial Jer. 10. ch 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps in whom then doth it lye In God therefore with David we must seek to him Psalm 119. 133. do thou order my steps in thy words this direction is fully given us both negatively and and affirmatively Prov. 3. 5 6. negatively Be not wise in thine own eyes lean not to thine own wisdom affirmatively but acknowledge God in all thy wayes and then thirdly we have his promise that he will direct our steps this shall be health to thy Navel and marrpw to thy bones the summe is that we must not enterprise this businesse out of a conceit of any self-wisdom or of our own sufficiency to effect it but being sensible of our own folly and impotencie we must acknowledge God in all and commend our selves and actions to his direction in the beginning to his inabling in the prosecution and to his benediction in the successe in faith and confidence relying upon him for all in humble prayer begging all from him according to that of the wise man Proverbs 16. 3. Rowle thy ways on the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established or ordered this is a silly direction as it seems to flesh and blood the wisest Moralists amongst the Heathen would but laugh at it humility is not within the lists of their moral vertues Seneca one of the wisest of them hath such strange expressions as these in one of his Epistles Beatae vitae causa fundamentum c. The cause and foundation of a blessed life is in our selves to trust in our selves to be confident in our selves Turpe saith he est Deos fatigare It is a shameful thing to weary the Gods with our prayers for that which lyeth in our own power He goeth on Quid votis opus est fac te faelicem what need supplications when thou canst make thy self happy I blush to speak this but this was the wisdom of these Moralists but we must learn a better lesson from the word of God even to become fooles to our selves that we may be wise in God and I am sure David maketh it his businesse to sollicite God in prayers all over that 119. Psalm Both for his direction and enabling Open mine eyes saith he that I may find or see the wondrous things of thy Law And again Make me to understand the way of thy precepts direct me the way that I shall go and I will keep thy word even to the end And again Order my steps in thy word c. 119. Psalm Yea and whosoever doth not this stumbleth at the very Threshhold and never let him look for good successe It is just with God to leave honest hearts to themselves as he left Peter to shew them their own weaknesse when once they relye on their own strength and abilities and Solomon is bold to say he that trusteth his own heart is a fool we must know that all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3. 5. the beginning progresse and end of all dependeth upon him who worketh the will and the deed in us of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. and he will have the glory of all to himself 1 Cor. 1. 30 31. that whosoever gloryeth should glory in the Lord. It shall therefore be our wisdom in the way of Gods Commandements our own spiritual duties to draw vertue and power from him by pleading his Covenant and resting on his Promise who hath engaged himself to put his Spirit in us and to give us a new heart and to cause us to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes as is clear Ezekiel 36. 27. and by this that hath been spoken you may by the way see the necessity of a morning sacrifice of prayer to
further accepted then as it cometh from the heart whatsoever we do in our particular calling let it spring from our general calling of Christianity and let us exercise our general calling in our particular Let worldly things be used by us with heavenly minds and as stars to mount up towards heaven 1 Cor. 7. 31. not as the main but as things upon the By still use them with spiritual references to better matters and then you shall have your conversations in heaven Phil. 3. 21. Take one rule for the regiment of your thoughts and keeping of them within their bounds Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are truth whatsoever things are honest that is fair grave and venerable whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise think on these things where you have eight boundaries to confine the subject matter of your thoughts unto you take another direction for your words and actions out of the Apostle James 2. 12. So speak ye and so do ye as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty The closing direction the last direction which shall close all is this That we are to call our selves to an ordinary account of our ways and the leading of our conversations a duty pressed upon us in the Word of God Lament 3. 40. Let us search our waies and turn again unto the Lord our God Psal 4. 4. Examine your selves upon your beds and be still The Prophet commands it Haggai 1. 5. Consider your waies he meaneth an after consideration of them as appeareth by the circumstances of place On the other side the opposite neglect of this is blamed as the cause of many and great evils Jer. 8. 6. I hearkned and heard and no man said what have I done c. Look as a curious Limner or he that draweth a picture exactly and to the life often reviews what is done where it agreeth where it misseth often compareth it and mendeth it as he seeth occasion even so must we that are to give an account of all our actions unto God take an account of our selves and our own waies and where we find any thing out of place and order there to place it aright and to undo it by true repentance that so our after paths may be made straight This was Davids practise Psalm 119. 59. I considered my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies nor indeed can there be any accurate leading of our lives without this self-reflection out of all which there resulteth one Use more of the Doctrine which time will not give leave now to prosecute namely a Use of Discovery upon the examination of our selves and our waies to wit that if we find that the course of our lives hath been drawn though imperfectly according to the forementioned rules that the bent of our hearts was that way and though we find not any absolute exactnesse in our carriages without any swerving yet if our consciences bear us witnesse that we did shoot at this mark this was our aim and that we were sorrie when we missed it if we find a sutableness and correspondency in our lives unto Gods word and humility of heart in our performance we may assure our selves that we are right Christians and that we shall see the salvation of God Gal. 6. 16. as many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God A Sermon preached at the FUNERAL of the Right Honourable JOHN Lord DARCYE August 27. 1636. Psal 39. 5. Surely every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Selah THe sweet Singer of Israel the Man after Gods own heart having in the former words desired of God that he would make him to know his end and the measure of his dayes what it was how fraile and fleeting the condition of his life was and thereupon duly acknowledging that his dayes were but a span long of four fingers breadth and his very age was nothing respectively to God Immediately thereupon inferreth this doleful conclusion out of the former premises Surely every man c. Giving us to understand thereby that the more any man doth seriously discern the frailty and fragility of his life the more certain and assured he will grow of mans vanity The Text I confesse is a most unpleasing but not unprofitable Subject it being a disgraceful deciphering of every man in his best condition and we love not you know to hear of any thing that tendeth to our disgrace or the vilifying of us in our own conceits yet it is very wholesome and medecinable the apprehension of our misery being the first step towards immortality Twice it is repeated in this Psalm for failing verse 5th and the 11th and in both places hemmed in with an asseveration of certainty Surely and a pathetical Selah of animadversion prefaced with the one pointed and sealed with the other the one prefixed to remove our incredulity in this matter for it is hardly credited The other annexed to prevent our negligence in the consideration hereof for it is but smally regarded both of them added to work a deep impression of the matter upon our souls Now for this Seraphical Selah the seal of this Divine Aphorisme it importeth in the true support thereof elevation as you would say elevate or loftily which because it is onely used in the sacred meeter of the old Testament some would have to be onely a musical note for the strayning and lifting up of the voice in singing as Ela is with us Others not confining of it to the extension of the voice take it to imply a deeper attention of the mind in pausing upon the thing delivered Selah as you would say See Lo Attend and Tremelius renders it Maxime as if it were a true and sure Maxime in Law The Chaldee Paraphrase and some of the Hebrews have translated for ever noting the matter contained to be of eternal and perpetual verity to the end of the world for ever and ever You may if you please take in all three and joyne them together and then are all instructed that the matter averred is a thing of weight and necessary consequence of infallible certainties not to be questioned and of most intentive consideration seriously to be meditated on and Gods Ambassadours may be encouraged to speak hereof confidently Surely as a point of undeniable infallibility and with a Selah too loftily lifting up their voices like trumpets for the better rousing up the secure hearts of the children of men that are so much set upon vanity The words are in themselves an entire Proposition very short but exceeding full the Proposition is universal in both parts both in respect of subject and of the predicate Omnis homo est universa vanitas so the vulgar or Omni modo vanitas so Tremelius man and vanity are convertible all man is all vanity and all vanity is in all and every
bitternesse The holy man might think with himself What have I done How great is my sin Did I not lately promise never to forsake my Master no not if all men else should forsake him yet I would never leave him And am I the man that denies him so soon I that am so near related to him as his Disciple so eminently preferred by him as his Apostle not compeld by any in authority but frighted to it by the demand of a woman servant Was not my sin great enough to deny him once but have I done it twice and thrice Might I not have denied him barely with sin enough but must I forswear him too I was not surprised at unawares but forewarned and but even now forewarned by my Lord and Master whose words I ought to have remembred c. Thus he called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him and he went out and wept bitterly Now the aggravating circumstances of sin are such as these First the dignitie of the person offending the more eminent the person the more vile the sin Now the dignity is either external or internal external in respect of some high place preferment authority employment or trust whereunto a man is advanced as to be a Magistrate Minister Father Master and should such a man as I fly said that good Magistrate Nehemiah its intollerable in one of my rank or place the Lord will look to be sanctified in those that draw near him in place and digninitie so likewise an internal dignitie of grace or gifts heightens the sin of any person a lighter sin in them whom God hath made his sons by adoption is in sme sot greater then in unregenerate men though Israel play the harlot yet Judah must not offend Hos 4. 15. The second thing that aggravates our sins is the specialties of Gods favour where God is more bountiful the sin is more inexcusable in that he is not drawn with the cords of Gods love and this you may see 2 Sam. 12. 7. Nathan brings in a Catalogue of Gods mercies and favours shewed to David God anointed him King over Israel delivered him out of the hands of Saul gave him his Lords house and his Lords wives into his bosom and thereupon infers the grievousnesse of his sin v. 9. Wherefore hast thou then despised the Commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight The third circumstance of aggravavation is outward scandal given by our sins when we have not onely sinned personally but given offence unto others if we sad the hearts of the righteous strengthen the hands of the wicked if we give occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme cause our profession to be evil spoken of corrupting some mens manners indangering others laying a stumbling block before the weak troubling their consciences perverting their judgements subverting them from the truth and these things make our sins scandalous Now this is certain the further corruption spreads and the more the sent thereof poysons others the more odious it is to God and should be more odious unto men no sinnes more damnable then theirs who enter not into the Kingdom of heaven themselves nor by their wills would suffer others to enter who allow others to go to hell which way they will and suffer them not to go to Heaven that way which they should The fourth thing which adds to the weight of sin is continuance and delight in sin unto some sins we give fuller consent of will we please our selves in them more we lye longer in them without repentance such were the sins of David in his murther and adulterie he committed many other sins but these his conscience did not chide him for of a long time these put his soul into a distemper and made such a spoil and havock of his graces that he stood in need of a new Creation a new and fresh infusion of grace Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. and they stripped him of the joy of the holy Ghost v. 12. Restore me unto the joy of thy salvation Continuance and delight in sin break down the fences of grace and lay all wast so that the whole man is out of frame he cannot set himself upon good duties but lies open unto sinne To these may be added as aggravations of our sin 1. Our own profession that we have made formerly 2. Our covenants and promises made unto God in baptism and many times since upon occasions of deliverance from danger of being heard in our requests of hope of mercy in our low estate this makes our trespasses double iniquity as being not onely sins against Gods precepts but also breaches of our own promises 3. The means of grace received for where grace is offered more plenteously and rejected sin is more sinful Luke 12. 48. these means are partly inward as wit memory knowledge capacitie and the like partly outward as the preaching of the word and other ordinances of God the light of good examples and other restraints from the laws of Christian Magistrates The fourth help to further us in the examination of our sins is to pray unto God to give us his spirit to be our remembrancer to call to our minds those sins which are slipt out of our memories to recal the sins of our youth and other ages which we have attained unto and as he shewed to the Prophet by degrees greater and greater abominations of the house of Israel Ezek 8. 6. 13. 15. even so that he would discry to us by little and little the abominations of our own lives so prayed that holy man Job 13. 23. How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin Thus much of the first head the examination of our sins now follows the second head concerning the examination of our graces The necessity whereof appears First because we must bring grace with us to the Sacrament or else we shall scarsely bring grace from thence we must come to Christs Table to have graces confirmed and enlarged now it behoves us to have them in us afore hand for there is no confirmation of that which is not resident in us Secondly because otherwise we may take the semblance of grace for substance and may be deceived with counterfeit shews and shadows for currant graces Now the principal graces whereof we are to examine our selves are four Knowledge Faith Repentance Charitie We are to examine our knowledge first for the substance of it secondly for the sincerity of it First for the substance Whether we know God whom to know is eternal life John 17. 2. whether we apprehend by faith what we cannot comprehend by reason the unity of the Godhead in Trinitie of persons John 5. 7. Whether we know his essence and essential properties Exod. 34. 6. What we know of Christ in whom we believe what of his natures as God and Man of his Person as the Son of God of his