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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	know_v	8,213	5	4.2899	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23734	The government of the thoughts a prefatory discourse to The government of the tongue / by the author of The whole duty of man.	Allestree, Richard, 1619-1681.; Pakington, Dorothy Coventry, Lady, d. 1679.; Fell, John, 1625-1686.; Sterne, Richard, 1596?-1683.	1694 (1694)	Wing A1131; ESTC R16378	90,774	192

shall be Established Prov. 16.3 and by filling thy Soul with such happy thoughts as constant Meditation or God's Word will furnish thee And Wisdom as a Monitor advises thee Ecclus. 6.37 Let thy mind be upon the Ordinances of the Lord and meditate continually on his Commandments he shall establish thine Heart and give thee Wisdom at thine own desire Overcome thine own Mind and in every thing as much as possibly thou canst subject it to right Reason and let not Affection or Passion master it 12. SET thy Mind ever upon some good to prevent the rising of evil Thoughts that the Tempter may never find thee at leisure to entertain him The Mind is naturally active and prone to thoughts Even when thou lyest Dormant it hath its Motions Imploy it then in some Business it cannot be Idle As the Earth neglected for want of Culture bringeth forth noisom Weeds so will the Mind evil and vain extravagant Thoughts if it be not duly Cultivated Often the light of Reason is Eclipsed by the mischievous interposition of vicious Thoughts Yet perplex not thy Mind with too much or too weighty Affairs Proportion thy undertakings to thy Strength The Mind requireth some intermissions and rest which otherwise like the Fields with perpetual Bearing will grow Fruitless The Unballanced Ship is easily Overset with every gust of Wind And too much Burden Sinketh her 13. THERE is an Ark of God's secret Counsel which our thoughts must not pry into There are also admirable Mysteries from whence God calleth out of the fiery Bush Exod. 3.2 5. Come not nigh hither put off thy Shoes from off thy Feet c. Resign thy Thoughts to God's Immensity It is enough to believe his Truth tho thou canst not examine his incomprehensible Secrets If thou wilt play with these Flames thou wilt burn thy Wings God hath revealed suficiently enough to make thee Happy Ambition of knowing more destroyed Mankind 14. COMMUNE with thine own Heart concerning that which may advantageously make thee Happy Divine Soliloquies are Heavenly Raptures and the Soul's prepossession of that Blessedness Inure thy Heart to ponder on good and heavenly things and such will thy Thoughts Words and Actions be The Heart of the Wise teacheth his Mouth says Solomon Prov. 16.23 Custom grows habitual therefore also the Wise man saith Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath Vnderstanding Prov. 14.33 If the Wicked the worst of Fools have any notion thereof it can no more rest with them than Lightning in the Air. 15. TAKE the Prophet's advice Jer. 17.10 To set God ever before thee as a Searcher of hearts And that which thou wouldst detest to speak before others abhor to think with thy self Thoughts are the words of the Heart which God heareth who therefore saith Matt. 9.4 Wherefore think you Evil in your hearts And Solomon gives us this Charge Eccles. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy Thought Thou must be pure in Heart if ever thou meanest to see God Let not thy Heart dissent from thy Tongue neither desire to appear more Holy than thou art if thou intendest to please him who is Omniscient 16. PRAY and beseech the Lord with the earnest Supplication of the Psalmist to Create a clean heart and to renew a right Spirit within thee Psal. 51.10 To encline thy heart unto his Testimonies Psal. 119.36 Then Pray with the Prophet Jer. 24.7 That God would give thee a heart to know him To prepare thy Heart that thou mayst truly fear him Meditate on him and Love him above all And That he who cast out the tumultuous Rabble from Jairus's House would also be pleased to cast out of thy Soul and Mind all those thoughts which offend him or hinder the raising up thy Soul to the life of Grace here whereby it may be fit for the life of Glory hereafter CHAP. VI. Of the affections of Love and Delight FOR the right governing the Thoughts arising from some particular Affections or Passions which usually discompose and render the Mind less apt for the Service of God and less comfortable to our selves we must ever have in mind the General Rule before laid down that extream and violent Passions of any kind are Distempers of the Soul which at best befool a Man if not as Hypocrates thinketh maketh him Lunatick they are like a Deluge which rather overflow and drown than refresh the Mind they are like an enraged Sea full of hazard they disturb the Intellectuals and distract the Will Behold how all things in troubled Waters seem wreathed and disordered which in the still are clearly seen so is it here The calm Affections are more fit for God's Service and our own 2. LOVE and Delight are great Actors in this present Life and every Man hath some share in them Now our main skill is to fix 'em on right Objects as God Psal. 37. and upon heavenly Things as St. Paul directs us Col. 3.1 By this means we cannot fall into any Excess but shall be undoubtedly happy that we pervert not the Order we must not delight in or love any object but God let him be our first and chief Love and Delight and we shall have Felicity in all that is subordinate 3. LET no inferiour Love or Delight allure us away from him who is perfect Love Tho there is a time place and measure for Secular Delights so far as they are subordinate to God's Will which may make us fit for his Service and administer occasion of Expressions of Thankfulness to him But if on the contrary they prove hurtful to us if God loves us he will take that away from us which else would wean us from him A necessary Rule for them to consider who too impatiently bear the loss of that they so much loved or delighted in 4. LET us neither love nor delight in any temporal things otherwise than to hold it with a loose Hand and let us follow the Apostles advice 1 Cor. 7.31 To use this World as not abusing it for the fashion of this World passeth away And St. John commands us in his first Epistle chap. 2.15 That we should not love the World nor the things that are in the World We must be contented to part with all when God in his good pleasure sees convenient It was Job's Resolution chap. 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the name of the Lord. CHAP. VII Of Joy CONCERNING Joy Rejoicing and Mirth the Rules are That God would not have us disconsolate but to rejoice and be cheerful in him evermore 1 Thess. 5.16 Melancholy Dejectedness worldly Sorrow bitterness of Spirit and secret repining against God's Providence are dangerous Symptoms of Incredulity For if as the Apostle says Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have peace of Conscience and cheerful access to God through Christ there will be joy in the Holy Ghost We shall rejoice in hope and glory in our Tribulations being assured of a blessed issue

God has promised Remission of Sins Grace Glory and all things necessary for this present Life and the future and the instrumental Motive is justifying Faith from whence it springs for the Apostle tells you Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for The supream end God's Glory the subordinate our own Salvation and present Comfort whereby we may effectually offer up our Thankfulness to God to who begetteth us again to a lively hope in Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 8. St. John tells you in his first Epistle 3.3 That he which hath this Hope is purified and the Psalmist animates you saying It is an Expulsion of servile Fear Psal. 5.6.4.5 As also a dependance on God and casting all our Care upon him a Fortitude in bearing Afflictions and a Joy in Adversity The Subject of this Hope are God's Saints Faith and Hope accord in the Cause and God's Spirit giveth both and in the certainty as we believe so we hope All they differ in is this That Faith begetteth Hope whereby Faith hath the Preference Secondly Faith beholdeth the the verity of God's Promises Hope on the Goodness of them as Faith can entertain nothing but infallible Truth for its Object so Hope can enjoy nothing but Goodness Faith apprehendeth the Truth and Hope patiently expects the fulfilling of it Now the Object of this Hope hath four Qualifications Good Future Difficult and Possible 9. GOOD Whatsoever is contrary to it may be an object of Fear which has no coherence with this Hope Now whereas there is a real Good so there is an appearing or seeming one which being not sincere creates a vain or impious Hope as if a Man hopes for Ease Pleasure Riches and Honours These are not Verities nor good of themselves but in their use and so their hopes may be vain and of no duration A Man hopes a Revenge on his Enemy a Satisfaction of his Lusts or the like This Hope is impious and not durable and must in the end render a Man unhappy But if we hope for the Glory of God our Soul's Health and Comfort or what is really good in it self this is true Hope and shall attain to that heighth of Perfection tho to transitory Eyes it seems not to be durable as when we invocate for some Temporal Things which Omnipotency discerneth not to be agreéable to our Necessities or for him to grant as when Christ prayed that the Cup might pass from him and when Moses hoped to go into Canaan Christ was heard and Moses not defeated of his hope because in both God decreed that which was best and that is ever consistent with true Hope which gives not the Deity Prescriptions but confidently expecteth either what it hopeth or something better 10. FUTURE Rom. 8.24 25. Joy is of things Present or so represented as when we rejoice in Hope Rom. 12.12 Hope maketh that present by a Prepossession of that which is to come for Hope acts contrary to that which is present Difficult Such are all things Excellent perhaps deluded Hope makes it an easie step to Heaven and Salvation But they that indeed go that Path shall find it narrow and inviron'd with a World of Difficulties Lastly Possible That which is impossible to Carnal Reason may be hoped for because 't is possible to God therefore Abraham believed above Hope And we expect the Resurrection of the Dead and some things which sinful Men think possible are impossible 11. ALL things are possible to Omnipotence which he 'll perform and he will perform what he has Promised But some things he disannuls and so are impossible Omnipotency will not lie nor be unjust for that importeth Impotency and is a declining of his Attributes To hope that those Asseverations God hath pronounced concerning Supine Sinners shall not be accomplished is a Hope altogether vain and fruitless for it is impossible for the Divine Majesty to be untrue To be resolute in Sinning and yet to hope for Pardon is a frivolous Hope because it is impossible for God to be unjust a severe Lesson for Presumptuous Sinners who resolve to enjoy their Lusts and Pleasures glut themselves with Revenge and yet hope when this Life's Scene is ended the few Petitions of their Epilogue shall purchase favour 12. IF thou goest on in this Career thou wilt be guilty of a gross Absurdity for if thou resolvest to Sin and invocatest the Almighty to be Merciful thou dost in effect beseech God to unthrone himself of his Justice and to be indulgent to an Impenitent Sinner This being impossible it concerns thee to arise from sleep and shake off all vain and deluding Hopes that thou mayst fix on the true and never failing which is the Anchor of the Soul a laying hold on the Land of the Living it is the ease of Sorrows Grief's Asswager Affliction 's Comforter and Despair's Antidote Again it is Faith's Perspective the Nebo where we take a view of the Promised Rest and the Faithful Spy to discover the Holy-Land bringing us the Tastes from Escoll the Fruits of the Spirit the Possession which they hold who enjoy no more and yet are Rich in all Things CHAP. XVII Rules to govern our Hope IN order to this Governance endeavour to fortifie thy Mind with Resolution and Sobriety which will guide to Purity of Life For every one that hath this Hope purgeth himself as he is pure 1 John 3.3 A true Hope with a Resolution to persist in any known Sin is incompatible The Devout Man's Hope never faileth of which Seneca could say That Fortune hath often deserted the Innocent but good Hope never Hope to the End for the Perfection of that Virtue is Perseverance We must wait for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body Rom. 8.23 Though deferred Hope disturbs the Heart Though it tarry wait for it shall surely come Hab. 2.3 What ever Tryals we undergo let us put on Job's Resolution Chap. 13.15 Though he stay me yet will I trust in him We belong to him that Redeemed us If we hold fast the Confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the End Heb. 3.6 2. THOUGH through Humane Frailty thou sometimes art assaulted with Fear yet be confident and pursue the Psalmists Rule who expresses What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Psal. 56.3 Fear and Hope may inhabit together especially where the fear of the Lord doth not abrogate Faith's Confidence but Carnal Security Treasure up the Promises of God to that intent were they written and divulged That we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 Fix not thy rest on this World or place thy Confidence on any thing in it it is but comparable to a broken Reed a slack Rope on the raging Sea or a false Friend in Adversity and like the Quick-Sands on which infatuated Builders lay their Foundations As Moses told Israel Ye are not come to your rest Deut. 12.9 3. ALL temporal Enjoyments are liable to Vicissitudes

which denominates tempting or proving As you will find in Exod. 15.25 and Ch. 16.4 Deut. 8.16 and Chap. 13.3 Psal. 26.2 1 Pet. 1.7 And there is a Temptation of seducement which is a Solicitation to defection and falling from God by sinning and committing evil 1 Tim. 6.9 1 Thes. 3.5 So that God tempteth that he may Discipline us but the Devil that he may destroy us 3. SOME Temptations spring from the Corruption and Sin Inherent in the Flesh St. James 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lusts such as are mentioned Gal. 5.19 20. Some are suggested by the Tempter who being a Spirit hath power to insinuate and convey his impious notions into our minds Suggestion between Spirits are as Contiguity and touching of Bodies for whereas he cannot discover the unuttered secrets of the heart it being the Almighties peculiar Prerogative but he observes mens natural inclinations and habits by their Words and Actions and so prepares Baits accordingly thus he fishes in these depths till he perceives his Suggestions are swallowed and the Sinner taken And by this means he presenteth such Thoughts as he conjectureth will take by that which is obvious to the Senses of men As he fitted an opportunity of Treason to impious Judas by the malice of the high Priests Of Lust to Amnon of venturing on the cursed thing to Achan of the Revenge to Cain of Idolatry to Ahaz by the Altar of Damascus 2 Kin. 16.10 c. 4. OF Temptations there are four degrees by which it ariseth to full Maturity First Suggestion Secondly Delight therein Thirdly Consenting Fourthly Acting the same As St. James tells ye Chap. 1.14 15. Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lusts and enticed then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when it is finished bringeth forth death The first of these a bare Suggestion is not our Sin if there be no delight or consenting to it For Christ was tempted Mat. 4.1 Luke 4.2 in all points as we are yet without sin Heb. 4.15 The Sin is Satans when ever he Suggesteth evil The Second as the Third and Fourth is Sin in its degree for every delight in evil declares a Mans inclination to be such A declining from Good and a proneness to consent and act evil 5. A tryal of Temptation to the Just is but as Fire to Gold it purifieth and createth a valuation in God's Esteem as the Psalmist tells ye Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and the Apostle informs ye 1 Pet. 1.7 That the tryal of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold which perisheth though it be tryed with Fire might be found unto praise c. And that mirror of Patience is Comforted Job 23.10 When he hath tryed me I shall come forth as Gold Temptation therefore burneth out the dross and is as a Winnowing Wind For Satan by a Temptation winnowed St. Peter Now Consider with thy self can the Refiner of Gold take that Care that he will not lose it in the Furnace Can the Husbandman so opportune the Wind that he will not lose the Corn but cleanse it from the Chaff And canst thou think that the Almighty will suffer thee to be lost by permitting thee to Temptations No assure thy self he cannot err He measureth all Is Faithful and will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able 1 Cor. 10.13 He knoweth how to deliver his out of Temptations 2 Pet. 2.9 Therefore God commands us not to fear any of these things which they should suffer whom Satan should cast into Prison Rev. 2.10 6. THERE can be no Conquest gained without an Enemy nor no Crown without a Conflict No Faith without Troubles nor no Combate without some Adversary When the Almighty puts thee to Tryals he stedfastly beholds how thou entertainest the Enemy and as thou standest the Shock he supplieth thee with fresh aids as necessity requireth and in the mean time prepareth the Crown Many by a long and secure peace grow Impotent and for want of Experience unable to resist an enemy when he invadeth perhaps their own Pride born out of self-ignorance overcometh them or fulness may debauch them whereas Exercise makes them Vigorous and Temptations humble Lest I should be Exalted above measure saith Saint Paul There was given to me a Thorn in the Flesh the Messengers of Satan to buffet me 2 Cor. 12.7 And indeed Conscience of a Sin and fear of punishment makes the Regenerate more Religious and is much the firmer Faith which Repentance storeth up That ye Sorrowed after a Godly sort what Carefulness it wrought in you 2 Cor. 7.11 7. THE Spiritual Pharoah most eagerly pursueth those who are departing out of his Kingdom He passeth by his own as Captives And chaseth those in whom he perceiveth Christ liveth When he must be cast out then he teareth most furiously Luke 9.42 So that his rage against thee is no Argument of Despair but rather of great Affiance that Satan himself finds thou art none of his Disciple were he secure of thee he would let thee go unmolested to destruction and never disquiet thee lest any agitation should bring thee to Repentance and him to loss This Lesson our Saviour taught When a strong Man armed keepeth his Palace his Goods are in peace Luke 11.21 8. CONSIDER well that the best have been and the best that live are tempted The Jebusites were left in Jerusalem for an Exercise of Vertue 2 Sam. 5.6 The Apostle wrapt up into the third Heaven was buffetted by Satans Messengers 2 Cor. 12. 12. EVERY day dedicate thy first and last 2 7. Once for all Christ in whom was no sin was tempted Heb. 4.15 That thou are tempted is no inference of Despair It seems a Paradox how Heaven and Earth are here so annexed we being partly Spirit and partly Flesh that we cannot appear as we would Gal. 5.17 We find an irksome Law in our selves opposing us Our Reparation is something and Supernatural but so short of that which shall be that our selves like the Israelites in Ezra's time sound a discordious Concord of sharps and flats joy and sorrow Ezra 3.13 We must expect perfection in Heaven for our present freedom from sin is rather a desire to be free than our being so 9. NEXT let us consider that God's Grace who at his pleasure chaineth up the Tempter is sufficient for thee Rev. 20.1 2 Cor. 12.9 He restraineth him so much that he cannot be a lying Spirit in the Mouths of Ahab's Prophets untill he have leave to tempt him out to his destruction from him who justly permitteth to strong Delusions that they should perish in believing Lies who receive not the love of the Truth that they might be saved Omnipotence knows best how far he will suffer thee to be tempted and accordingly measureth out a sufficiency of Grace to all the Regenerate Why he suffered David so

Medium carry such an even temper as that Prudence may claim that priviledge to fit at the Helm without the Interruption of either Extreams Take the Prophets Counsel Isai. 8.13 Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts and let him be your Fear and your Dread and he shall be your Sanctuary But fear not their Fear who say a Confederacy The present fear of God Createth us an Eternal Security Fear him and he will banish all other fears from thee Behold the Psalmist how he is fortified Though I walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil for thou art with me Psal. 23.4 And Psal. 118.6 The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me And in Conclusion the fear of the Lord immergeth all other fears 3. IN every danger impress on thy heart the Omnipotency of God and endeavour to have an Affiance in him He that pursues this Rule shall act safely When a Fiery-Furnace was threatned Shadrach Meshac and Abednego answered the Incens'd King Our God whom we serve is idle to deliver us Dan. 3 17. And David tells you Psal. 34.7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them And when our Enemies seem most formidable there are more for us than can be against us As it appeared in the case of the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings 6.16 It animated the Royal Prophet to cry out In the Lord put I my trust how say ye then to my Soul flee as a Bird to your Mountain Psal. 11.1 All Confidence in Men even their Councels or an Arm of Flesh is unhappy and must come to nothing but God endures to all Eternity Which made the Psalmist declare Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed And though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea 4. TAKE Solomon's Counsel and hearken unto the Word of God Pro. 1.33 Whose hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil And Prov. 3.23 34. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid Herein shall be made manifest Gods Power Truth Providence Mercy and Justice that thou mayest trust in him according to the Expression of the Psalmist They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Psal. 9.10 Love the Lord thy God with a sincere heart And the more thou lovest him the more thou wilt rest assured of his Love and Protection and the more perfect thy love is the more it casteth out fear 1 John 4.18 5. TAKE Job's advice Chap. 22.24 Depart from iniquity and say of it as the Princes of the Philistines said of David Let him not go down with us to the Battle lest in the Battle he be an Adversary to us 1 Sam. 29.4 Fix thy self to seek the Lord as Jehosaphat did when the Armies were upon their March towards him against whom he Atchieved a Glorious Victory 2 Chron. 2.3 Entertain a good Conscience it shall be a Wall of Brass unto thee The safety of that makes a man assume the Courage of a Lyon But if we perceive the smoak of Infernal Brimstone ascend there we must needs faint like the men of Ai when they beheld their City on Fire Josh. 8.20 Guilt of Sin in the Conscience creates Sordidness in Men they may possibly express Transcendent Words who possess a Timerous Conscience but as one said of the fearful Dog He must needs fear who hath no peace in himself 6. CONSIDER with David Psal. 37.37 The end of the Saints and Apostles sufferings which hath ever been happy and they are the more Partakers of Christ's Glory for bearing a share in his sufferings Consider how long they have suffered and then thou canst not fear any of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that you may betryed be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 True it is Flesh and Blood claims Allowance for its Infirmity but the more we can apply to our hearts the end of the Saints and the quiet fruits of Righteousness to them that are exercised the less we must needs be sensible of the Malignity of any Creature 7. ENDEAVOUR for Peace with God give him no rest till he speaks unto the Voice within thee thy Conscience And firmly resolve not to let him go untill he Bless thee and assure thee of thy Remission in Christ Jesus He hath nothing to fear or molest him whose sins are forgiven When the sting of Death is taken out who would not be Valiant Which occasioned St. Paul to express himself 1 Cor. 15.57 But thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And St. John says in his first Epistle Chap. 5.4 And this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith 8. IN thy greatest Fears pray most fervently Even so did our Saviour being in an Agony He prayed more earnestly So did Jacob in fear of his Brother 's long studied Revenge Gen. 32.9 Pray and beseech God that he would illuminate and open thine Eyes to behold his saving Health God many times sounds his Allarm to awaken our drouzy Souls and open our Mouths to earnest Prayer which in Prosperity are too prone to the Spirit of Slumber and Coldness Fear hath many Tongues and can open the Mouth of the Dumb Even Jonahs Mariners in their Fear will pray and instigate others to the same Duty That one Example of Athis Croesus's Son sheweth what the violence of Fear can do he who before was dumb on a sudden cryed out O Cyrus spare my Father and by our Misfortunes learn that thou also art but a Man A Prayer against Fear O Almighty Lord God who art in thy Wrath and Indignation dreadful against Sinners I humbly acknowledge and confess that there is not one of thy Judgments but what the Guilt of my Sins have long since deserved even the miseries of this Life terrors of Death and future Condemnation But O thou great God of Consolation assure me of a full and free Pardon and a remission of all my Sins and Seal my Peace with thee through the Blood of a Crucified Jesus Fill my Heart and Affections with that measure of thy Love as may exclude all servile fear Give me the testimony of a good Conscince to comfort me against all vain fears of the Wicked Lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me and give me that assurance that thou art and will be my Defence and Confidence 2. AND O thou who rulest in Heaven and Earth from the Angel to the Worm the lowest of Creatures and from the swayer of the Scepter to the drawer of Water Thou art Omnipotent and canst do what thou pleasest and no other God besides thee can Deliver after this sort Lord let it be thy Divine will and