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A59552 A sermon about the government of the thoughts, preach'd before the King & Queen, at White-Hall, the 4th of March being the 2d Sunday in Lent, 1693/4 / by ... John, Lord Archbishop of York. Sharp, John, 1645-1714. 1694 (1694) Wing S2980; ESTC R5119 13,482 36

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THE Archbishop of YORK's SERMON About the Government of the Thoughts Before the King Queen At Whitehall March iv 1693 4. A SERMON About the Government of the Thoughts Preach'd before the King Queen AT WHITE-HALL The 4 h of March being the 2 d Sunday in Lent 1693 4. By the Most Reverend Father in God IOHN Lord Archbishop of YORK Publish'd by Their Majesties Especial Command LONDON Printed by Tho. Warren for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIV A SERMON About the Government of the Thoughts Preach'd before the King and Queen PROVERBS IV. 23. Keep thy Heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life THE Argument with which this Audience was entertained the last Lord's Day being the Government of the Tongue I cannot think it improper or unseasonable for me who have the Honour to come next to treat about the Government of the Thoughts There being a near relation between these two and a necessary dependence of the one upon the other Our Words indeed are more easily governed than our Thoughts because they are more in our power But it will be impossible either to govern our Words or our Actions as we should unless we first bring our Thoughts in some measure under Government I must confess this Argument of the Government of the Thoughts though it be a very useful yet it seems also a very nice and difficult one through the great variety of Cases arising from Mens different Tempers which will not come under the same Rules and yet ought to be provided for But however this shall not discourage me from undertaking this Argument it shall only make me more careful as to what I say about it That is to have respect as much as I can to all sorts of Tempers and to deliver what I have to say with so much plainness that every body may go along with me The Words upon which I ground my Discourse are those of Solomon which I have read unto you and which contain one of those Precepts that he lays down for the Religious Conduct of our Lives Keep saith he thy Heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Not to trouble you with what others have said upon this Text I take the true Meaning of it to be this By the Heart here which we are exhorted to keep we are to understand the Inward Thoughts and Motions and Affections of our Souls or Spirits all which in the inspired Writings are constantly said to be seated in the Heart This undoubtedly is the Scripture-Notion of the Heart And when we are here bid to keep our Hearts with all diligence I think there is no question to be made the Meaning is That we should diligently attend to the Thoughts and Motions and Affections of our Minds that we should watch them narrowly lest at any time we should give our Consent to some thing we ought not This is the Meaning of keeping our Hearts with all diligence And then a Reason is added why it concerns us thus to keep them And that is this Because out of the Heart are the issues of life What is the Meaning of that Phrase Plainly this The Issues the Fruits the Effects that are shewn in our Lives and Conversation do certainly proceed from the Heart and therefore accordingly as that is well or ill guarded or kept so will our Lives and Conversations be The Goodness or Badness of our Lives doth altogether depend upon the attending or not attending to the Thoughts and Motions and Inclinations of our Minds As our Caution and Watchfulness in this point is greater or less so will our Course of Life be better or worse And therefore it concerns us all that mean to live well to be infinitely careful in this matter This is a plain account of the Advice that is here given us So that you see if I mean to discourse pertinently to my Text my Argument must be what I said the Care and Management and Government of our Thoughts as they fall under a Religious Consideration In treating of this Argument there seem to me Two things needful to be done First To give an account what Power a Man hath over his own Thoughts Secondly To shew wherein the Art of governing of them doth consist It is indeed this second thing which my Text naturally leads me to speak to But I cannot speak to that to any purpose till I have made way for it by clearing the first It is in vain to give Rules about the Government of our Thoughts till we know how far we have Power over them how far they fall or do not fall under our Conduct and Management And I must needs say that most of those I have met with that have discours'd about the Government of Thoughts by not enquiring into and setling this Point have been so far from benefiting all their Hearers that desired to receive benefit by their good advices that to several of them they have done harm Because as to them their advices have been perfectly unpracticable Now those that by their own Experience found them to be so instead of considering that the Teacher might be in a mistake or that He did not sufficiently weigh and examine the Case of all Persons he gave his advice to have peremptorily concluded that they themselves were in the fault and therefore they were in an evil condition because they found themselves not able to live up to what was advised them The first Question then is How far a Man hath power over his own Thoughts There is not indeed any single Answer to be given to this Question that will fit all Men. For that is impossible It would be as unreasonable to demand it as it would be to require of a Workman to make a Garment that should fit all sorts and sizes of Men. Some Men by the very Principles of their Make and Constitution are much better able to govern their Thoughts than others Some that are naturally weaker have by long use and many tryals obtained a greater power over their Thoughts than others Again the same Persons that at some times have a greater Power over the motions of their Minds may at other times have a less Command over them and this according as their Health or their Business or a hundred Contingencies of outward things do affect them So that all that can be done as to this matter is to lay down some general Propositions which every Body is to apply to himself as there is Occasion And Five of this kind I have to offer and which I think will take in all or the greatest part of what belongs to this Argument The first Proposition I lay down is this That the First Motions of our Minds are very little if at all in our Power By the first Motions of our Minds I mean those sudden Thoughts or Apprehensions or Passions or Desires which are excited in our Minds by any Object