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
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
of men are enclined to six their thoughts upon matters according to their disposition education place or company nothing possesseth the brains of some but toyes fancies humours fashions discourses of Robin-Hood tales of Southamptons Beavis c. or that Athenian disposition and unwearied desire to hear news of others with an idle invention how to utter the same complementally to others some minding gameing and sports hawking hunting c. Others new fashions good-fellowship mirth and jestings which are not convenient These vain thoughts are especially appropriated to the worser sort of men and women yet the best of Gods children want not some out-runnings in this kind But it would be considered that these thoughts are vain imaginations indeed for they neither lift the soul to communion with God upward nor have reference to the setling of the souls peace inward nor direct the soul to the performance of any warrantable action in its course downward Such are all the daughters of this imaginary vanity If it be here objected that God hath granted thoughts recreatory for the souls wearinesse as well as exercise for the bodies relief it is true indeed but these thoughts must be squared by these rules or else they be not exempted from vanity 1. The object of recreatory thoughts must be things that are in their own nature truly indifferent for we are herein subject to be partial our thoughts blinded by affection rather than led by judgement out of the Law of God What we think to be no hurt may be and often is no lesse poisonful than Hen-bane 2. We must admit them as underlings to our better and more necessary thoughts lest servants ride on horseback and Princes go on foot 3. They must not take up over much time lest instead of fitting the minde thereby to better thoughts they exclude good thoughts altogether 4. We must be wary lest under pretense of these indifferent things for the mindes recreation Satan do not fasten upon us some deadly temptation for these recreatory thoughts are not seldome the bands to bring in some other filthy sins wherefore if those which thou callest recreatory thoughts be sinful if they take up a disproportionable time if they fasten upon thee any wicked temptation if they enfeeble thy mind from better thoughts be thou assured they have a measure of vanity in them What though some plead for these things as are the thoughts so is the man The servants of Christ shall find that when they give way to such thoughts the holy courses of their souls are interrupted their peace which ought to be dear unto them is endangered their pretious and unredeemable time spent and their inward man seldom sends them away without disturbance Let the thoughts therefore of vain matters passe for vain thoughts The second vanity of thoughts is the unstayednesse or levity of them which is a kind of shuttlenesse or sicklenesse of our thoughts the mind in this respect whether conversant about good or evil may not unfitly be compared unto the unstable eyes of the Adulterer which be in every corner of the house now in heaven soaring aloft immediately in hell diving beneath or like the lightning which flasheth in a moment out of the East into the West These may be called wandering imaginations our mindes being naturally subject in this manner to stray out of their appointed limits as Dinah out of her fathers house with no lesse danger than she found shame This vanity the Apostle seems to note unto us when describing the blindnesse of the Gentiles hearts he tells us That they walke in the vanity of their mindes having their understandings darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Eph. 4. 7. 18. They had walking imaginations but they were in the dark and therefore wandred in uncertainties Such roving unsetled thoughts there was in the people of Israel when sometimes they were in their thoughts for Egypt sometimes for Assyriah which occasioned the Prophet to complain of them Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast of Assyriah Jerem. 2. 36. This Errour as all others began from the fall of Adam before which the mind being assured of its chief good was moved in a stable manner about that Center as the Stars equally about the Pole but thenceforth losing her enjoyment of the chief good and instead thereof having the fruition of infinite seeming goods it became like a Planet or wandring Star carried unstayedly or uncertainly about the same These Roveings are especially in sanguine men and such as are most removed from undistempred melancholly for doubtlesse melancholly persons in their best temper have the most solid and fixed imaginations as the sanguine and cholerick the most moveable but the wanderings of imagination they breed a disturbance in every action about which the mind is employed a disturbance sensible to any who carry about them an observant eye Yet Gods servants find the most apparent harme by such thoughts when they set themselves about heavenly businesse suppose prayer or meditation or hearing c. Gen. 15. 11 If Abraham be about his sacrifice the birds come down and trouble him till they be frighted away so while we are about Gods worship these kind of thoughts do most of all molest us It is a hard matter to keep the soul to a stable motion of thoughts but most difficult when 't is exercised about supernatural duties For now the Devil who envies our good and the glory of God in such duties casteth into our mindes vain and impertinent thoughts Besides our mindes themselves are unhandsome and indisposed to such work naturally and though where grace is there may be a willingnesse of spirit yet there is also a weaknesse of flesh But it may be some will be so far from accounting this an errour that they will rather call it variety of invention quicknesse of wit sharpnesse of understanding and the contrary no better than dull melancholly or blockish stupidity I answer these There is a wide difference betwixt this unstayed course of thoughts and true and quick or sharp invention or wit For first this levity of thoughts is from an intercourse of impertinent imaginations hindering if not frustrating the maine intendment whereas variety of inventions and quicknesse of wit truly so called is a quick minding and managing of thoughts suitable to the project intended Again unstayed thoughts disable the heart from resolutions propounded for bringing forth actions But quicknesse of understanding is the best Midwife for speedy delivery of the soul from the hard labour of unresolvednesse into an estate of liberty to act freely and stoutly The third vanity of thoughts is when as to the end propounded or which ought to be they are unprofitable Some have working imaginations never idle alwayes busie but as good never a whit as never the better Some think themselves to be wise above other men but they
thoughts nor at the persons of Gods sending to administer spiritual help unto us In this matter we should say with Samuel Speak on Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam 3. 10. or as that devout Cornelius to Paul We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10. 33 3. He that would have good thoughts let him pray let him intreat the Lord to enrich his soul by his sanctifying spirit for by multiplyed acts the spirit doth renew our minds God saves us but not by works of Righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost pray for that therefore that ye may be wased and saved Tit. 3. 5. The fourth meanes to get good thoughts into thy mind is to accompany Gods Saints be thou as much as conveniently and without prejudice of thy calling in the company of them that are godly whose communion will edge the good motions that are upon thy spirit as Iron sharpens Iron 2 Pet. 3. 1. Peters Epistles had power in them to stirre up the pure minds of holy men there is a power also in the interloquutories and familiar conferences of holy persons when they meet face to face Paul had a great desire of many years to see not so much the City of Rome in her then glory as the brethren at Rome Rom. 15. 23 24. that he might be filled with their company we believe a communion of Saints and shall we not desire to be assistants one to another to impart and receive some spiritual gifts interchangeably God himself is seen in the congregations of holy men and therefore as Manoah and his wife when they had seen an Angel thought they had seen the face of God So when we shall see the face of Gods people let us think we behold the face of God in them for they are the liveliest pictures of Gods image their conversation will administer thoughts of imitation their conferences will season our unsavory meditations their discourse will draw out waters of life so that we may perceive the deep things of our salvation flowing out of their bellies unto us and though Satan in the company of wicked men do beget upon their imaginations a company of wicked thoughts yet the spirit of God is as plentiful in producing good motions in godly minds by the company of sanctified men do but observe the issues of thy mind after thy fill of their company how barren dost thou return from the tables of those where thou hast not seen the face of God nor heard any talk of heaven and if amongst them Satan have but whistled an horn-pipe how is thy soul dulled or grieved or turned out of the way or unfitted for heavenly thoughts But on the contrary when thou hast been praying fasting mourning or it may be feasting with Gods Saints how cheerful will the soul be it seems to have fed upon some dish like Elijahs meat in the strength whereof thy thoughts goe a long journey in holy meditations therefore be sure of a holy man to thy friend and the more the better and make much account of him or them it 's a wonder to see what force is in the company of godly men to stirre up good thoughts and lamentable to see how Satan strangles good thoughts in some when they are ready to appeare in action by evill company so that those thoughts never live to see the light 5. He that would get good thoughts and store his heart with them must make much of them when they come they are quick movers they come suddenly and they are gone as soon if they be not kindly entertained they will not stay long at the dore knocking nor scraping for acquaintance they are the messengers of Gods Spirit and they bring good newes to the soul that bids them welcom but the non-entertainment of them or the slight entertainment of them is a grieving of the holy Spirit of God that sent them If Davids messengers be unkindly entreated by Nabal or frowned upon they will back to their Lord and acquaint him with their usage and do not thou think but. thy carriage towards holy thoughts will be carried to Gods ear But if thou give kind entertainment to good thoughts they will stay with thee to counsell and comfort thee and they will bring with them home to thine heart many more of their own kind to lodge with thee for God himself will send them in plentiful manner who loves to furnish such an host with the best commers Good thoughts in this respect are something like unto riches they come to them in most plenty who esteem them most the world must be courted and gracious thoughts must be much made of And consider good thoughts are worthy entertainment they are to be reckoned amongst our better friends a man can hardly make too much of them Ps in the multitude of these thoughts the comforts of God refresh our soules Make much of them for first they are good in themselves the births of gracious minds begotten upon them by the Spirit of God for we are not able of our selves to think a good thought Secondly these have been kind to us and done us many a good turn witnesse our solitary nights and tedious houres of sicknesse imprisonment afflictions travailes from place to place while no comforters have been our companions but God and our good thoughts We may say with David We have remembred thy name in the night and have kept thy Law Psal 119. 55. our solitary and night thoughts have benefited us for the keeping of Gods Law and have administred unto us songs in the dayes of our pilgrimage 54. Thirdly our good thoughts are likely to do us good hereafter and it may be at such a time when we shall have more need of them then ever we have had yet it was Hezekiah's great comfort in his sicknesse to think how he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and he beseecheth the Lord also that he would remember him in this behalf 2 Kings â— 3. if bonds or afflictions remain us if we be cast into the Dungeon or be wounded in battail or lye upon sick-beds good thoughts will be unto us our sweetest companions Make much of good thoughts they will season the rooms where they come and make the heart the house of God But here a word of admonition to them that have not good thoughts or rather to them whose good thoughts make offer of departure Suspect beloved your entertainments of them have been harsh or distastful use them more kindly entreat their stay offer them violence keep them by force if it be possible that they go not over the threshold from you Imitate herein Jacobs bold wrestling with God hold them fast let them not go lest ye lose a blessing 6. He that would get good thoughts into his mind must have a great care to keep his
at the root of godlinesse That thoughts are free or that they are sins not much markable or of heinous consequence yet let me speak the truth as it is in Christ Evil thoughts are sins of special note and dangerous because they are primary sins ns and leaders of other sins in and out out of the heart proceed evill thoughts Mat. 7. 18. as the thoughts of Adultery Murder c. The best action in the world if it proceed not from a well-ordered and disposed thought is not commendable and doubtlesse an evil work premeditated and thought upon is so much more sinfulnful and damnable Simon Magus did not give money for the holy Ghost though he offered it because there were none that would receive it yet Peter perceived him in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity yet Peter denounceth Thy mony perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of the holy Ghost may be purchased with mony Act. 8. 18. 23. others sins are sinsns at second hand and as some think so far forth dangerous as they have residence in the heart 3. Evil thoughts are the occasions of sin and therefore require a strict hand to be kept over them wicked doings and wicked sayings begin at wicked imaginations An unjust man deviseth mischief upon his bed and then sets himself in a way that is not good Psal 36. 4. when God gave up the Gentiles to a reprobate mind they did things which were not convenient they were filled with all unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 28 29. if the heart be filthy within the mouth will speak out of the abundance thereof it cannot be but a foul heart and mind should be attended with a foul life or a very hypocritical The Gentiles of whom even now had vain minds and they walked in the vanity of their minds Where there is vanity in the mind there will be wickednesse in the walk Eph. 4. 17. 4. God will punish evil thoughts Salomon pronounceth The thoughts of the the wicked are an abomination to the Lord but God will punish abominations Prov. 15. 26. Our Saviour brings the thoughts of unadvised anger and the desires of Adultery within the compasse of sin and of judgement too The actions of the soul though discontinued from transiency into apparent aberrations are both sinful and punishable by the Law of God indeed the lawes of men in their animadversions and punishments reach but to word or deed but here is the breadth and purity of Gods Law that it forewarnes and punisheth the evil of thoughts wherefore look to your thoughts And if but any of those inward parts be wickednesse pray that the thoughts of your hearts may be forgiven Acts 8. 22. 5. Good thoughts are pleasing unto God My son give me thy heart saith wisdom Prov. 23. 26. without the heart all the works of thy hand are nothing worth with God God loves the spiritual sacrificer one that worships him in spirit and in truth and what more spiritual service unto God then to offer him our thoughts these are the first-born of our soules Joh. 4. 23. the prime productions of the mind whereinto no eye pryes but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun in his clearnesse This close sacrificer is by so much more pleasing unto God as he is without base respects to impaire his worth There is no witnesse of what passeth betwixt God and a thinking soul none present but God taking and accepting and the soul-offering In these attendancies of the soul upon God there is no Law-enforcements by punishments or shame which carry them forward nor censure of enemies nor flatteries or rewards of the world And when God finds a pure progeny of holy and unforced thoughts proceeding freely from himself their progenitor and directed to him as their chief good God takes the persons to him as Jacob did Ephraim and Manasseh and bestowes upon them the priviledge of having his name named upon them Gen 48. 16. A righteous man whose thoughts are just is so pleasing unto God that God keeps a Bill of his name that he may remember him in due time God keeps a book of remembrance before him wherein are written They that fear the Lord and that think upon his name Malac. 3. 16. 6. Good thoughts unite us unto God so many good thoughts as we have so much acquaintance we have with God so much as our thoughts are turned unto God so much is God turned unus holy thoughts and heavenly meditations are our Communions with God A man in divine meditations if fixed and active is in a sort slipp'd out of the world and his own body to keep company and to speak with God Happy soule whose thoughts immediately carry him unto God or but immediately thinks of God in the creatures we should let no thought passe unlesse God be at one end of it or have reference to it the Apostle James saith of speeches can one fountain send forth both sweet water and bitter Jam. 3. so of thoughts let me speak can one heart send out thoughts uniting unto God and at the same time thoughts tying us unto the Devill make us one with the world and heaven with the spirit and the flesh no in no sort therefore look that your thoughts keep correspondencie one with another and all with God 7. Good thoughts are comfortable to our soules and therefore we had need to govern our thoughts justly our thoughts in some sort are more comfortable then either good words or works a man may take the truest measure of his gracious stature by his own thoughts It is our joy and Crown of rejoycing before men and Angels if we can say with Paul we have lived in all good conscience toward God Acts 23. 1. To have such an even course in morality honesty charity as gives satisfaction to the good and stoppes the mouths of gain-sayers and to have such a government of words as may teach many hurt none profit all is a great mercy yet this will not satisfy nor give true warrant of comfort to the soul no nor make our outward obedience acceptable to God till we have purified our hearts and set in order our thoughts from whence words and works do arise A man may keep a fair Quarter with the world obtain a good reputation for commendable morality be well esteemed for outward rites of Religion yet have thoughts as black as hell filthy as Sodom he that said hail Master to Christ and kissed him was the Traytour among the twelve and while a soule is so filthy within what comfort can she have of any thing outwardly done Oh when a soule is stung with fiery Serpents and the great red dragon hath wrapped the poor wretch under him Where shall he find comfort and peace Dost thou think to find comfort in thy works Comfort is not there for they were done but in formality and hypocrisy passe to thy words Comfort is not there for words are wind
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.
condition which being the state of a travailer betwixt earth and heaven he should be like the Pilot in his ship oculus ad coelum manus ad clavem lifting up his eyes to heaven and laying his hand upon the Card when the husband-man can at the same time lay his hand on the Plough ad stivam aliquid Davidicum sing Davids Psalms with Davids heart there is a sweet mixture of thoughts in him God indeed hath allowed unto man one kinde of thoughts for his work another for his devotion yet when we are at our labour we may easily perceive our minds are more nimble to think then our hands to work so that in all the businesse of our calling there are certain spaces for holy thoughts so Abrahams servant was sent out to take a wife for his young Master and stood watering the Camels at the Well he found a space for that prayer Oh Lord God of my Master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindnesse unto my Master Abraham Gen. 24. 12. 9. Rule Let the Righteous mans thoughts have their seasons and successions there is a time for mixtures and yet the season of every thing must be regarded all thoughts of mirth make us secure all musing upon judgement is the high way to desperation All our thoughts upon priviledges and enjoyments may possibly lift us up and all thoughts of sin and judgement may make us unprofitable to men and uncomfortable to our selves here mixture is convenient yet seasons must be observed and successions There is a time for all things and he that is able to discern the time and season of his thoughts is a wise man the mind is an active Agent and hath almost infinite things to think of yet being it self of a finite and limited possibility must of necessity take seasonable opportunities as the means to produce actions in an orderly succession where thoughts have not their allotmenss of suitable time they will be disorderly confused interrupted and impertinent Where this is not observed two inconveniences do usually trouble the righteous man First when he should mind the duties of holinesse the thoughts of his calling break in upon him Secondly when he should tend the businesse of his calling his religious duties are to do which should have been done before both these inconveniences are avoyded by setting our thoughts to their time and keeping them to their orderly successions But here I must commit the Reader to his own spiritual wisdom which may direct for the time and season of his own thoughts and which should be first and which should be last better then any other can do Yet herein I will give my advice let him imitate wise States-men who hear and dispatch businesses of greatest concernment first and then those that are of lesser concernment usually spiritual thoughts are meet to be dispatched first for they are of the highest concernment next the thoughts of our calling and lastly thoughts of recreation yet I confesse this advice is not generall for all purposes and for all persons general Rules have their exceptions and so hath this heavenly thoughts are without controversie our best thoughts yet worldly thoughts and recreatory thoughts have their use and in case of extreme necessity of the body must have the first place and be done first if my neighbours Oxe or his Asse be fallen into a pit I must lift him out though it be on the Sabbath day If my house be on fire I must think to quench it rather then to go into my Closet to prayer or into the Pulpit to preach or into the Church to hear If my brother be ready to starve for want of cloathing to famish for want of food my almes is more seasonable then my Counsell my cloth then my good word goe and learn what that meanes I will have mercy and not sacrifice 10. Rule In the government of all thy thoughts be careful thou have no violent passion of what kind soever upon thy spirit a passionate man cannot be a just governour of his own thoughts passion of what kind soever if violent is the great enemy to a welsettled order of good thoughts Who that saw David in his unlawful love to Bathsheba in his grief for Absolom and in his rage against Nabal would have called him a man after Gods own heart or a man of composed thoughts Passions disorder the whole man as the sudden incursion of a wing of Horse dis-ranks a Company of Foot-men and puts them into such confusion that every one is ready to fall foul upon his fellow Do passions break in upon thy thoughts what an altered man thou art thy mind like an Eden before them replenished with variety of good thoughts but behind them a barren Wildernesse uneaven and rough and over-grown with unpleasant and unprofitable intentions and resolutions tending to evil Oh the miserable estate of our souls when they are hurried along upon the wheels of passion and how unperceived are a mans descents to wickednesse in those his fits and after the storm of them is a little over what a trouble it is to look back upon his miscarriages what a labour to gather up his scattered good thoughts again Wherefore if thou desire to settle the government of thy thoughts in peace and safety look well to thy passions that they be not too strong for thee I may not say all passions are utterly unlawful in a Christian we are all men of passions and even Elijah that great Prophet was a man subject to like passions as we are Jam. 5. 17. said a great Apostle Prophets and Apostles had their passions and Holy and Just men have them still and I could tell you that they are sometimes of great use to carry on Religious desires as zeal in Christ himself moved him to whip buyers and sellers out of the Temple But I must not follow this Precept to the full lest I should insert another discourse I will therefore commit this rule and all else that hath been writen in this matter to your Christian care in the use of them and your souls to the direction and protection of God who lives for ever FOUR SERMONS Viz. The Right ordering of the Conversation Being two Sermons on Ps 50. vers ult A Funeral Sermon on Ps 39. 5. A preparation to the Communion on 1 Cor. 11. 28. By John Angell TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The Lady Elizabeth Darcye BARONESSE At her house at Aston in York-shire these humbly presented Dear Madame I Present you the Notes transcribed with mine own hand of the two Sermons preached before you and your Honourable Husband at Fulbeck wherein I hope I have at once both fulfilled mine owne promise and satisfied your Ladiships desire they came unto me later then I purposed but they are drawn out more fully and largely according to the Original draught as you heard them delivered I doubt not of your favourable acceptance of them such as they are Your
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
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
faith goes beyond things visible unto those things that are not seen and fetcheth evidence home to the soul Heb. 10. 1. Presumption will be confident in prosperity but faith will rely and rest upon God when God seems to kill when sense and reason can see nothing but death and hell yet faith will believe God a Father and Heaven prepared for the poor soul The 4th act of Faith is application by it we do appropriate Gods general promises unto our own souls and claim a particular right and interest in Christs blood saying with Paul Gal. 2. 20. VVho loved me and gave himself for me with Thomas My Lord and my God Joh. 20. For the trial of our right application take this one Rule A right application doth not onely bring home Gods grants and promises unto us but the conditions also that are required on our part He that will be saved must not onely believe with the heart but also confesse with the mouth Ro. 10. that without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. The want of this was the fault of the Pharisees Mat. 3. 8 9. They laid hold on Gods Covenant made to Abraham and his seed but never observed Gods conditions imposed upon them The Baptist adviseth them not to say they had Abraham to their father but to do the workes of Abraham to perform the condition on their parts and to bring forth fruits meet for Repentance Thus must our faith be examined and there is great need so to examine our selves because 1. God enjoynes it 2 Cor. 13. Prove your selves whether that ye be in the faith 2. Because without it there is no pleasing of God Heb. 11. 6. 3. Because it is the chief instrument we are to use in the Sacrament for the applying of Christ and all his benefits It is the eye by which we see Christ the hand by which we receive him the mouth and the stomack by which we feed upon him The third Grace to be examined is Repentance a needful grace to be examined First because we come to the Lords Table to receive by seal as it were the forgivenesse of our sins and therefore 't is fit we repent of them and be sorrowful for them Prov. 28. 13. He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy 2. Penitents finde acceptance at Gods Table as those that are dressed and apparelled for a Feast and usually according to the measure of our humiliation do we receive the measure of consolation 3. Repentance will quicken our appetites for the Lords Table and the use of it as sower herbs did for the Passeover Now in Repentance we shall finde two parts first a mournful recantation of our former errours secondly a chearful reformation of our future lives It beginneth in sorrow it ends in joy The first part is set down Joel 2. 9. A turning unto the Lord with weeping and mourning The second part Mat. 3. 8. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance Humiliation without Reformation is a foundation without a building Reformation without Humiliation is a building without a foundation And where sorrow for sin is sincere it hath these 4. properties it is 1. Godly for the nature 2. Hearty for the measure 3. Constant for the continuance 4. Quickening for the effect Concerning the first there is a godly and a worldly sorrow as the Apostle distinguisheth 2 Cor. 7. 10. It is termed godly sorrow because respect unto God causeth it When grief in us doth spring from this that we have offended a God that is most holy in himself as a God that hath been so many wayes good and gratious unto us Whereas worldly sorrow is occasioned by some worldly respect of shame or fear of danger Secondly It must be hearty for the measure the heart must be rent Joel 2. the spirit must be broken Psal 51. 17. We must lament for our sins as a man mourns for the losse of his own child Zech. 12. 10 11. a slight and superficial grief will not serve the turn Thirdly It must be constant for continuance not for a time but renewed every morning and evening Davids sins were ever before him Psal 51. 3. yea if it were possible we should so grieve for sins past that we should never sin hereafter but spend our lives in sorrow and contrition for sins already done Fourthly It must be such a sorrow as quickeneth to holy duties as prayer hearing of the word and the like Worldly sorrow makes us lumpish but spiritual and godly sorrow suppleth the heart and makes it nimble to run the wayes of Gods Commandment 2 Cor. 7. 11. Behold this same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge Mark here are seven gratious effects of sincere Repentance Further we may try our Repentance by those ordinary steps or staires of Repentance by which Gods children ascend to this grace 1. The searching and trying our wayes Lam. 3. 40. 2. Sight of sin after searching Psal 51. 3. I know mine iniquities 3. Feeling of the burden of them after sight this is to be weary and heavy laden Mat. 11. 28. 4. Humbly confessing of them with grief of heart and shame of face Dan. 9. 4 5 6 7. 5. Hateing and detesting them resolving never to commit them any more so Hosea 4. What have I any more to do with idols Lastly Power and conquest over them for the time to come Psal 18. 23. I kept my self from mine iniquity The fourth Grace to be examined is Charity The necessity of our examination of this Grace appeareth 1. Because God will not have us offer the Sacrifice of Piety upon his Altar until Reconciliation be made with our brother Mat 5. 23. 2. We are forbidden to keep this Feast with the leaven of malitiousness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5. 8. Now for the right examination of our Charity First It must be especially affectionate to the soul of our brother My hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved Rom. 10. 1. Be we never so rich in almes-deeds courteous and inoffensive in our outward carriage yet never truly charitable to men till we affect and seek their spiritual good Secondly True charity is to the outward man as well as to the inward It joyneth beneficence to benevolence it doth not onely wish well but do well 't is bountiful externally as well as inwardly affectionate Jam. 2. 15 16. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto them depart in peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body What doth it profit Thirdly True love is affirmative as well as negative that is to say doing good as well as