Right Thoughts

Sect. I.

COgito, ergo sum, is a prime Conclusion with the modern and ingenious Philosopher. Thinking is the surest proof of Being. For since Operation doth certainly suppose Essence, Man doth most certainly conclude his Being from that Operation that he is most certain of. I cannot so surely conclude I am, because I walk, or talk, or eat, or drink, or see, or hear; for I may be deceived as to these Operations; senses are not seldom deluded; Fantasy obtrudes falsity; A man dreams and thinks he eats (saith the Prophet) and awakes and his soul is empty: Man is not so sure he eats when he thinks he eats, as he certainly knows he thinks, when he thinks he thinks; and if he be sure he thinks, he is sure he Is, for Thinking is an Operation and flows from Being.

And as naked Thinking is the surest argument of mere Being, so is well-thinking (if our Text be true) an Evidence of Well-being, Right Thoughts (as this Scripture calls them) of a Right Heart and a Right Spirit (as other Scriptures call it,) for (saith the Holy-Ghost) As a man Thinketh in his heart, So is He.

Sect. II.

NOw this Self-sight or Self-discerning, as it is only to be had and made in the Looking-glass of thine one Thoughts, so only by the Eye of thine own soul, for what man knows (saith the Apostle) the things of a man, save the Spirit of man that is in him? Yet must that Light, that makes manifest, be held rightly to thee, even the Word of God which is quick and powerful and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: so also must that Spirit, that searcheth all things, give thee visive power, and help thee in the search, (as David saith, Search me, O God, and know mine heart, try me, and know my thoughts. ) For this is the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (saith the Apostle) not only in the knowledge of God, but also for ourselves; that the eyes of our understandings being enlightened, we may know not only what is the hope of his calling, but also what is his working in us. Wherefore, Reader, though the Author know not what thy spiritual state is, yet for the loves sake he bears thy soul which he knows to be inestimably precious, most earnestly desirous he is to meet and help those self-discovering Thoughts of thine, by these few Thoughts of His, here presented to thy view, and to thy value no farther than they carry the Evidence of that Word which shall judge thee at the last day; Praying that as thou readest, thou mayest receive an unction from the Holy One, that knowing all things, thou mayest not be ignorant of thyself.

Sect. III.

TH Scripture saith, The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fools eyes are in the end of the earth. How many How do • ou's do many make (for which they will one day make a sad account) without bestowing one poor hour in a Moneth or year in a profitable How do You upon their own souls, which if thou thyself neglectest, though I might say (with the Prophet) Who shall pity thee? who shall bemoan thee? Who shall go aside to ask thee, How thou doest? yet (me thinks) it greatly pities me for the multitude of Our Wandering Jews (miscalled Christians) that gad like Dinah, or rather flee from themselves, and the presence of the Lord like Cain, whose feet abide not in the house, their own heart, nay scarcely their own home; but their days are consumed in vanity (as the Psalmist speaks) betwixt making and showing themselves fine and brave. But Oh, have not such heard, have they not known that for wandering Stars (though they glitter like them for a season) there is yet reserved a blackness of darkness forever; surely the Lord will say to such as now depart from themselves depart from me; to such as know not themselves, I know you not.

O how diligent is the Tradesman in his Counting-House? and the Country-Man in knowing the state of his Flocks? How anxious are Thousands about Titles, Evidences, Bills, Bonds, in matters of dirty Mammon, yet prodigiously careless as to what Scripture calls precious; Faith, (2 Pet. 1.1.) Promises, (2 Pet. 1.4.) Souls, (Psalm 49.8.) Christ, (1 Peter 2.7.) Never so much as asking themselves, or others, for any Evidences for Heaven, or what they might do to be saved? like those that prepare a table for a Troop, but forget God's Holy Mountain; Our thoughts are with Martha, cumbered about many things, But O when shall we make choice of Mary's part? What looking amongst others of the natural face in a glass? Mean while God's glass thrown by; the Souls complexion never inquired after; Its state not searched into, even though the most offensive excrements of nature are diligently examined for the discovery of the vile bodies condition, when threatened with the least hazarding distemper; and the Soul, the Soul of man drudging at all this. Ah poor Soul who made thee the Keeper of all these Vineyards, wh le thine own is unkept? What spending of time amongst others, Athenian like, in hearing and telling some new thing? who, mean while are never acquainted with the Old Man, who hath so long dwelt in their own bosoms. What looking (like the Mother of Sisera) out of their windows (and like that cursed woman the wife of Ahab ) yet not in at their hearts? There, are open Casements; here, are brazen shuts, and Iron sinews to keep all close, even from their own eyes: What busy inquiries by unconcerned Idlers after Alien and Foreign things, like his in the Gospel, And what m • st this Man do? yet I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright, no man repented him, saying, what have I done? or how shall I do? Intelligencers from abroad are gladly received, those in men's own breasts are checked and choked. What will become of such and such Interests? what will times come to? what will become of Trade? such and the like are frequent Inquiries, What will be the issue of this man's Contest, and the other man's Law suit, Nay of this Cock-Fighting, or that Horse-race, of this Game at Cards, or that Cast at Dice? But where shall I meet the Man or Woman that seriously, that seasonably cries out, but what will become of my own Soul, my immortal Soul to all eternity? What will you do in the end? this is a Query of God's putting to us, and methinks (amid all other our Inquisitiveness and Curiosity) we should not neglect to put this to Our selves.

Alas! how deplorable and lamentable a thing it is that Man that would be wise, should be so vain? he • reedily drinks in the knowledge of all about him, yet is willingly ignorant of himself. If man do but meet a Ghost (if his mettle will serve him) he presently cries ou • , In the name of God what art thou? yet carries a Spirit about him every day, whereunto he never moveth that Question. Miserable man that thou art! Is thy Conscience such a Fiend to thee, and thi • e own Soul such a gastly Ghost, that thou darest not stay to talk with it? Put thyself to it: Temptation will put thee to it, Affliction will put thee to it: Death and Judgment will put thee to it, and ask thee plainly what thou art? Ask thyself beforehand, that thou mayest know what to answer them that ask thee.

Sect. IV.

SUrely that Antient, Apostolic, may pass for a Catholic challenge 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; Know you not your own selves? you know your conditions and outward concernments, do you not know your spiritual state? you know your Herds, do you not know your Hearts? you count your Coin, take you no account of your Consci nces? you try your Gold, do you not prove your Faith? nay more, you are acquainted abroad, and know others, know you not your own selves? Must that needs be true of you, that is said of the Witch in the Fable, that she wore eyes when she went abroad, and still laid them by when she came at home? you take upon you to judge one another, to know the hearts, and fore-know the ends and future states of others, and know you not your own selves? surely God may say to that his Officer (though a bribed one) that self-discerning power and faculty, that he placed in man's breast, as sometimes he did in another case, who is blind as my servant, or deaf a my Messenger, that I sent? seeing many things, but though • observed not the one thing that more concerns thee than all other things. But God knows thee, though thou know not thyself; and will tell thee what thou art (as Ahijah did Jeroborams wife ) whether thou make or take thyself to be another; And that bribed Officer will (one day) do his office, and will make thee, too late, to know thyself, when thou wilt not know what to do with thyself. Thy tormented tongue will then tell thee, what this little Treatise would fain acquaint thee with in a better season, and more to thy profit, yea and those very thoughts of thine that thou wilt by no means put thyself upon the trouble now to reflect upon, will turn upon thee, and fly in thy face, and gnaw at thine heart as so many never dying worms and roundly tell thee then, what they might have told thee before, even before thou hadst come into that place of torment. Those thoughts that are now thy pulse, thou mayst try thyself by them, will then be thy pain, thou wilt torture thyself with them. Son remember, said Abraham to Dives, Oh thy Memory will then be thy misery, and thy thoughts thy tormen • . Those thoughts of thine that might now make a Jury, whilst, if thou be cast, thou hast time before thee to sue out thy pardon, if thou empannel them not for this better service, they will then turn thy Executioners, when there will remain neither help in thyself, nor hope in God, for thee. O then thou wilt think of thy Soul, thy Sin, thy misery, means neglected, mercies abused.

Reader, pause here, and think of what is past, before thou proceed (a whet's no let.) Thou canst not endure to spend a little time now in the unpleasing work of self-Reflection, whilst self-reflection might do thee good; And can thine heart endure to spend an Eternity in the same work to a worse end, save that Eternity can never be spent? My heart is enlarged to thee, O Reader, fearing thine may be straightened towards thyself, yet do but promise me that thou wilt well weigh this one word, what the work of thy thoughts will be to all Eternity; (if thou shouldst miscarry) I say to Eternity; And I will leave the porch of my discourse (built larger for thy sake then was intended) and so lead thee to its principal parts.

Sect. I.

ANd now that we might make a right Judgment of ourselves by our thoughts, it will be necessary that we first Judge aright of our Thoughts; and therefore we must come in the first place to damn that hell-born Principle, to the place from whence it came, That Thoughts are Free: for hardly can I think a more evident token of a Reprobate mind (as the Apostle calls it) then for a man to think of his thoughts as some will say of their words, Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? But I may say to all those that promise liberty to their thoughts as the Apostle speaks in another case, Whilst they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of Corruption, for as we shall find, the first stirrings of grace are in thou hts, 'tis as true that the first motions of Corruption are there also; for Lust concerves (saith the Scripture) and then brings forth sin. Thou • ht is the Cockat • ice, Egg (as the Prophet calls it) that Breaks forth into a Viper. And thus are they miserably requited by their own thoughts being themselves enslaved by them, to whom they proclaim a liberty.

In this discourse we shall soon see that thoughts are the test by which God will try us and we should try ourselves; Now as Thoughts are reckoned amongst the highest acts of the mind, so Reflexive thoughts are ranked in the highest order of Thoughts, and hence it will clearly follow, that thoughts are not right in specification, that as to this Principle are not so in reduplication, that is to say, That God will approve the thoughts of no man that thinks He is unaccountable to God for his thoughts, for if the thought, of the Righteous be right (as our Text speaks) it follows that he that thinks not in this very point aright of his thoughts, is unrighteous. And now let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts, even these unrighteous thoughts of his thoughts, for as Scripture mentions a judging of unrighteo • s thoughts, so this surely is an unrighteous judging of Thoughts, for any man to think that his thoughts are Free. No, no, but the very thought of foolishness is sin. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, is one of the seven things that the Lord hates, and it is placed by the wise man (as the Sun in the midst of the Plan • ts ) as that, from which all the rest do derive, what they have. Evil thoughts are iniquity to Those that harbor them. They conceive mischief, their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity (saith the Prophet;) And as they are iniquity to themselves, so the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, as Solomon saith. This was the Grand wickedness and great Condemnation of the old World. God saw that the wickedness of man was Great, for the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, and therefore it repented God that he made man, and it grieved him at his heart.

The evil thoughts of our hearts grieve God to his heart; and surely man hath great reason to repent of that, that made God to repent that he made man.

'It is a sad Complaint that God makes by his Prophet, I am broken, saith God, with their whorish heart, (as the Fountain of their whorish practices. ) Be not deceived, Iniquity is bitter, when it reacheth to the heart, and so must our sorrow for thought-sin be, if we ever be saved. If thou have thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, nay upon thine heart. Wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved, how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? If a man may think himself to Hell by vain thoughts, what shall we think of evil thoughts? for even vain thoughts lodged and allowed, are plagued and punished by such vile thoughts oft times as are abhorrent to nature, as it is said of the old Romans, they became vain in their imaginations, and God gave them up to vile affections.

Sect. II.

FOr the Truth is, that which most likely induceth Men to think that their thoughts are free, (viz.) that they seem, and in some sort are so in respect of Men, doth render them the less so in the sight of God, who understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts, more infallibly then Men do words and actions. I know their works and their thoughts (saith God in Isaiah ). We may know Men's works, but we know not what the thoughts were, that put them upon those works, whether for the glory of God, or to be seen of men; But God knows both.

What though man's eye cannot see, or his Law bind, or outward weights and plumbets force the thoughts of men (when threatenings or rewards may make men act against their minds, or speak what they do not think, yet all the world cannot make a man think what he doth not think; God that is himself an Independent Agent, doth the rather judge of the conformity of the minds of men to his own, by those Acts that have least dependency upon outward Inducements, or Inforcements.

A man may seem to do many Acts for God, and speak many words for God, and yet only make man his debtor, they do it (saith Christ) to be seen of men, and verily they have their reward; But he that lays out his thoughts upon God, and for God, he trusts God without a witness, and the Righteous God will place what we thus lend to his own Account, and will pay us again in our own Coin, but with infinite Interest; Holy David had many thoughts for God, and saith David, Many, O Lord my God, are thy thoughts which are to us-ward, they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee, If I would declare and speak of them, they are more then can be numbered, so that whilst the outward Actions, if they be no more then bare outward Actions, can look for no more then an outward Reward; there is upon good thoughts, which are a spiritual exercise, an Intail of spiritual blessings in heavenly places, for to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Here is Use upon Use, for what thou lendest to the Lord; Life and Peace, Salvation and Assurance, for what can be more an uncontrollable Evidence that the man is Spiritual then that the mind is so, which Scripture calls, the hidden man of the heart.

A Cudgel may make a Dog to let go a Bone out of his mouth, when it doth not go out of his mind; Laws of the Land, and shame of People (as we say) may keep a man from committing Adultery in the outward Act, but all the world cannot keep him from committing Adultery in his heart. But the fear of God in a Josephs heart could make him afraid to look upon a woman to lust after her, to lie by her, saith the Text, or to he with her; he dreaded all exterior incentives to adulterous thoughts; and so also in a Jobs, why then (saith he) should I think upon a Maid?

And again, Carnal self-love, if thou be a Preacher, may raise thy tongue to the high praises of Christ, and fill thy Pulpit with Hosannahs in the highest to the son of David, but it is only love to Christ that can make thee take him to bed and board with thee, to lay him all night between thy breasts, to remember his love more than Wine, and that not so much for that thou art to Preach upon it the Lord's-Day, as that thou art to Live upon it all the week, as St. Paul saith, to me to live is Christ; for 'tis one thing to prove our parts to men, and another thing to approve our hearts to God: neither are we so much to desire to evidence to others a Proof of Christ speaking in us (as the Apostle speaks) as to find a proof of Christ living in ourselves, least while we preach to others, We ourselves prove 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, unapproved.

So then for a man to think that his Thoughts are Free, that is, that he is unaccountable to God for his thoughts (according to which God especially judgeth men) is to admit a contradiction, not only to all Scripture, but to all Right Reason.

Sect. III.

LEt me freely tell thee, O Reader, (whosoever thou art) whose thoughts are not right, thine heart is but an hell, and thy thoughts are but so many Devils, and worse then Devils to thee, for First,

As Angels (the most Excellent of God's Creatures) became odious Devils, by departing from God, so that our Thoughts (that in their own nature, are the Off-spring of the noble and most excellent Mind of man) should become Iniquity to us, and an abomination to God. This is from our evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

And as Devils for their nature, are called spiritual wickednesses, can enter into men ('tis said, Satan entered into Judas,) and fill their hearts (as in Ananias his case) why hath Satan filled thy heart? so also Evil thoughts are said to come into men's, minds, and fill their hearts; Inwardly they are full of rottenness (saith Christ.) And as Devils for their pride and power are called, spiritual wickednesses in high places, so also evil thoughts are said to be those high things that exalt themselves against God, and against Christ, (Casting down Imaginations, and every high thing, &c. and bringing into captivity every thought of the heart, &c.

And as Devils for their number made the possessed man cry out, My name is Legion, for we are many; so may Evil thoughts say, for these are called the abundance of the heart, Like the swarms of Flies in Egypt, as if they were of Beelzebubs Army, who, by the Etymology of his name, is Lord of the Flies, and by the account of the Pharasees, Prince of the Devils.

And as Devils for their agility, made answer to God (when he demanded, Satan, whence comest thou?) From going in the Earth to and fro, and from walking up and down in it; Just so may evil Thoughts say; for the wandering of the desire is by the Thoughts; they go where we cannot, Israelites in the Wilderness, yet in heart went back to Egypt.

And as Devils for their Vigilancy, are said to walk about as roaring Lions, which are stirring when we are sleeping, (as the Psalmist observes) Therefore saith the Apostle, be vigilant, so the worldlings thoughts are at work while himself is asleep, for as his days are sorrow, so his heart taketh not rest in the Night, for a dream comes through the multitude of business; And oh how often cause have we to be troubled, when we awake, for the Thoughts of our sleep, as Nebuchadnezzar was with his Thoughts in his sleep?

And Devils for disturbing in good Duties, are called the Fowls of the Air, that steal away the word; such are evil thoughts, and so do they; As when Hannah was a Praying, Eli's thoughts were running upon that, that was neither charitable nor true, (viz.) that she was drunk. And when Simon should have been minding what Christ was a saying, his Thoughts were wandering, He said within himself, if this man were a Prophet, he would have known who and what manner of Woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a sinner. Vain thoughts can dog us when and where vain company cannot come at us, even in our closest places and performances.

And as Devils are signalized for disturbing us in what is good, so for tempting to evil, (therefore Satan is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The Tempter, ) so every man is tempted (saith the Apostle) when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed; so that Evil Thoughts are our Tempters as much as He, and we should belie the Devil should we say otherwise: for they have made ready their heart like an Oven, saith the Prophet; What though Satan bring the Fuel, yet men put it into the Oven, and stir it about by their own Thoughts, in their own hearts, so that if He, like a cunning Baker, seem to sleep all night, (as 'tis there expressed) yet he knows that they will tend it, and so look to it, that in the morning it shall burn like a flaming fire.

And as Devils, when they have been Tempters, will be sure to be Accusers, (so that, as many men are called by such a name, Alias, such a name, so Satan is called Tempter, alias the Accuser ) so also are Evil Thoughts, Their thoughts mean while accusing, &c. as the Apostle speaks.

And as Devils are Tormenters as well as Tempters and Accusers, so also the Thoughts of the damned shall be a principal part of their torment, Son, remember, &c. saith Abraham to Dives, that is, bethink thyself, &c.

And thus have we seen that Evil Thoughts are as bad as Devils; yea that they are worse then so, we shall now make appear in a few lines, and so conclude this head. And that.

First in themselves, (in some respect) Let me tell thee, O Reader, that thy thoughts may be guilty of such a sin, as Satan himself is not, nay cannot be guilty of; For saith the Psalmist, The Fool hath said in his heart, that there is no God; whereas the Apostle saith expressly, that the Devils believe and tremble. And Oh that we could tell how to bewail it sufficiently, that there should be more Atheism in one heart upon Earth, nay in one thought, than in all the Devils of Hell. We pity others when possessed with Evil Spirits, how much more should we lament bitterly over our own selves when possessed with Evil thoughts, in some sort worse then the worst of spirits.

II. As to those whose thoughts they are, For these are the Heifers wherewith Satan Ploweth, whose Temptations could only di • turb • , not destroy us, If our Thoughts did not take them in (as the Trojans in the Story, the deceiptful Horse, ) and make them ours; so that our Destruction is of ourselves (as the Prophet speaks, ) for if Satan cannot know our Thoughts (without us) much less can He force them; But as Christ saith in one place, You are of your Father the Devil, and his Lusts will ye do, so the Prophet saith in many places, that in and after the imaginations of their own hearts they do and will walk; So that as Christ saith, the Devil is the Father, the Apostle makes man's heart to be the Mother, which receives the Temptation; and Thought the Womb that Conceiveth and Hatcheth it, when he saith, Lust when it hath conceived, brought forth sin, whereas were there a Cordial crying out, as by the forced Damosel in the Law, or the Apostle in the Gospel, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? God would lay the sin upon Satan, and not upon the Soul disturbed by, and afflicted with it.

Now then since Evil Thoughts are as so many Devils, and worse then Devils to us, let us dread them as we do the Devil; resist them as we ought to do Him, and Pray against them as we would against Him, and when they break into our hearts (which are such unruly and untamed Evils, ) let us serve them as the People of a Country Village would a ravenous Wolf, or cruel Bear, that should break into th •• r Town, all the Town would be after them, either to kill them in, or to force them out of it.

And since the hear is the thing that God Principally requires, and that out of it are the Issues of Life, Let us keep the heart with all keeping; and be choice of our Thoughts as of God's Crown-Jewels.

And now finally Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are p •• e, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, Think of these things.

Sect. I.

YOu see then where this wisdom is to be found, and where is the place of self-understanding. Reader, Thou art before the Lord, dost thou unfeignedly desire to know thyself truly? then say not in thine heart, who shall ascend, or who shall descend to tell thee, whether of the two, Heaven or Hell shall be thy place and portion; As the words are nigh thee, even in thy mouth; so the Thoughts are nigh thee, even in thy mind; for what Christ saith of thy words, I may say of thy Thoughts, By thy words (saith the text) and by thy thoughts (saith the reason of the text) Thou shalt be justified, and thou shalt be condemned. For out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak; If then thy Thoughts be Right, Thou art Right. The thoughts of the Righteous are Right. All the Righteous have Right Thoughts; and All, whose Thoughts are Right, are Righteous.

'It is a Laudable fairness in our Law, that it puts All Trials for Life and Death, upon God and the country; that is, the Neighbourhood. This little Book allows thee the Birth-right of thy Native Law in thy greatest trial, more Important then for Life and Death. 'It is for Salvation or Damnation. Thy Thoughts are thy Neighbourhood, they walk and talk with thee, they know thy lying down, and thy rising up; Put thy Soul trial upon God and them, and God send thee a good deliverance.

Sect. II.

A Nabal-like Heart may seem sometimes to put forth a liberal hand, and make a Feast like a Prince, yet shall not a Churl be the more called liberal, The liberal man deviseth liberal things. He only is the liberal man that hath the liberal mind, whose thoughts are free in a better sense, then the old saying hath it; It is not the drawing of the Purse to the Poor though that must be too where there is a Purse, but the drawing out the Soul to the Hungry that is true Charity, Two mites bestowed with one truly Generous and Liberal thought, is a righter Almesgiving then the giving of the two Hemispheres of the whole world, would be without it.

Sect. III.

THe Envious may carry smooth, and speak fair, yet never a whit the more to be trusted if there be seven abominations in the heart, The Oil of smooth words may float at top, whilst Waters of strife are at bottom, war in his heart: His words kind, his thoughts Cruel; now He is what his thoughts are. 'It is not said as a man speaketh with his tongue, but as a man thinketh in his heart so is He. Nay such are Evil whose thoughts are so, though God turn the fruit of their heart to good, to those to whom they intend evil, as in Josephs case, ( Ye thought Evil against me, saith He, But God turned it to good ), and to His own Glory, to whom they intend dishonor; as in the Assyrians (howbeit He meaneth not so, neither doth He think so, ) He was what his thoughts were: on the other hand, Joseph was a good Brother to them, that had been otherwise to him, though his carriage were course, and his speaking rough, for He thought them good, and meant them well. And thus God himself, when He showeth his People hard things, and (it may be) incurs their hard thoughts, yet then he approves himself to be a merciful Father, and a tender Friend by his gracious thoughts and tender purposes, I know the thoughts that think towards you, thoughts of peace; And as He thinks in His Heart so is he, (though they think hardly of him) his thoughts are of Peace, and He is the God of Peace.

Sect. IV.

THe Impatient are not always Clamorous, but sometimes like froward Children that declare their doggedness by not speaking at all, as well as by speaking doggedly. 'It is said of the Hypocrites in Heart, they cry not when God bindeth them, He strikes them, yet they will not be thought sick, and beats them, yet they seem not to feel, they have not grieved, they make their face, harder then a Rock, yet are never the more quiet; never the more patient; for, mean while, their minds fret, their thoughts boil within them, their Hearts are lifted up, therefore they are not upright. Their thoughts are froward, and so are they, for as a man thinketh in his Heart so is he. The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his Heart fretteth against the Lord. He frets in Heart and thought, though not in word.

On the other hand, you have heard of the Patience of upright Job, yet how often did His Impatience (like some Men's sickness) break out at his lips, when the distemper had made no mortal seisure upon his heart; for search but his Heart and his History to the bottom, and you shall find it full freight with thoughts of Penitence, of Patience, of Piety, of Humility, full of God-exalting, self-abasing thoughts, thoughts of calmness and sweetness towards God, and only of bitterness and Indignation against sinful self. Behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee? and again, I know that no thought can be withholden from thee: who is be that hideth Council without knowledge: I have uttered that I understood not, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Sect. V.

SOlomons strange woman keeps a stir about wiping of her mouth, whilst she never regardeth the cleansing of her thoughts; She can talk of Pe ce-Offe ings, and of Her paying her Vows in the day, and think the same moment, of pleasing her brute • sh Lust all the night, Come let us take our fill of loves till the morning. Her thoughts were unclean, and so was she. Whatever men's garbes and pretensions are, how demure soever their deportments, how mortified soever their appearances, they whose profoundest thoughts, are how to make provision for the Lusts of the Flesh, are fleshly, and they that do mind the things of the Flesh are after the Flesh: On the contrary, Chast Job will not only make a Covenant with his Eyes, but will not allow himself so much as to think upon a Maid. His thoughts were Chast and clean, and so was He.

Sect. VI.

THe Covetous walk not always in open and naked view for everyone to see, perhaps not for themselves; but often wear a Cloak (as the Apostle calls it) a Cloak of zeal, and seeming sanctity, as Jehu, and others. Their thoughts boil, but the fervor of their spirit is, for the serving of themselves, not the Lord Jesus Christ; Judas talks of the Poo, but he think • of the Purse, and of his Prey; yet he carried it so plausibly, that the Eleven suspected themselves more than Him. Men's Hearts may be exercised with covetous practices, whilst their hands seem not so, They come and sit before the Lord as his People, but their hearts run after their covetousness; nay, their hearts are not but for their covetousness, as the Prophet smartly expresseth it. They may talk of better things, but their thoughts are for no other, their tongues may run of heavenly things, but their thoughts still run after their e • vetousness. Their thoughts are for tomorrow, what they shall eat, and what they shall drink, and wherewith they shall be clothed. Their Inward thoughts are, that their Houses and Inheritances are to them and their Heirs forever. Such are the thoughts that they drown their Souls in, and bury themselves in alive, working like Moles under-ground, and if they sometimes app ar above ground, they are not in their Element, till rooting in the earth again, they mind earthly things, The young man in the Gospel, His tongue ran of Heaven, What must I do that I may inherit Eternal life? but his thoughts ran after Earth, if I go with this Christ, I must forgo my Estate, if I cleave to Him, I must leave that: He went away sorrowful, for he had large Possessions. But saith God to his People, Beware there be not in thy wicked heart a thought, &c. which he there cautions in this case of Covetousness. A Covetous thought reigning in the heart, Allowed, Loved, Liked, Maintained, customarily entertained there, is the Evidence of a wicked heart, of a bad man, for as a man thinketh in his Heart, so is He.

Sect. VII.

THe Proud person may be tried by his Thoughts, be he never so much in the disguise of his voluntary humility. His thoughts do swell and rise high, whilst He cringeth low; like those in Isaiah, who hung down their heads like Bulrushes, yet their Hearts were lifted up in proud thoughts against God, as if He were in their Debts for their formal devotions; wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou takest no notice? The Pharisee was the worse for his good thoughts of himself; God I thank thee, that I am not as other men; Yea, and thousands in the world have cause enough to think ill of themselves, if they had no more then their thinking too well of themselves: God will punish the fruit of men's stout hearts; now the fruit of the stout heart is in the same place, explained to be the proud Thought. The Psalmist complains, the wi • ked through the pride of their countenances will not seek after God, God is not in all their thoughts. He fetcheth proof of their wicked pride from their Godless thoughts. The proud Prince of Tyrus did set his heart as the heart of God, in high thoughts of Himself, as the Sequel there shows. But the best Men on the contrary are least and lowest in their own thoughts. Thus Abraham, but dust and ashes; Jacob, less than the least of God's mercies; David, a worm and no man. Asaph, a beast before thee. Agar, more brutish then man. Isaiah, a man of unclean lips. Paul, the very least of the Apostles, but the chiefest of Sinners. Put on humbleness of mind, saith the Apostle. The Humble man is humble in mind, and lowly in heart and thought as Christ was, for as a man thinketh in his heart so is He.

Sect. VIII.

BLessed are the pure in heart, saith our Savior, they shall see God. Are thy thoughts holy? then thou art happy. In a good man's heart there is a good treasure, and the Psalmist tells you what it is, How precious are thy thoughts, O God, unto me? But for the wicked, God is not in all his thoughts, therefore the heart of the wicked is little worth, and he, whose Heart is little worth, is wicked.

Sect. IX.

To draw this head towards a conclusion, let me persuade thee, O man, but to judge of thyself, which thou canst, by the same way, that thou wouldst judge thy Neighbor if thou couldst. If another's thoughts lay as fair to thine eye, as his words do sound to thine ears, thou wouldest try his thoughts towards thee, before thou wouldst too much trust his words, for the wise man observes, these too may be very wide each from other, Eat and drink saith he to thee, and yet his heart is not with thee. But God hath purposely locked up thy Neighbors thoughts from thee, to correct thy curiosity and over eager propension to Censoriousness abroad, and hath said, Judge not that ye be not Iudged, but hath made thee Tur • -k • y to thy own, because its best for the to turn often in at thine own door, for if we woe ••• judge ourselves we should not be judged. Mans Law doth what it can in the trial of those that are under Inquest, for discovery not only nor chiefly of the Act, but the Men's •• a, the Intent and thought of the Heart in the Act, whether a Traiterors, Malitious, Felo • ious Intent, and of M • lice fore-thought or no? When smooth-tongued Simon Magus came with Honey in his mouth, and his well-tuned tongue had a fair freedom to make a plausible profession, he was received and Baptized, but as soon as the Apostle Peter came to discern his thought ( Repent and pray God, saith he, if perhaps this thought of thine may be forgiven thee ) he presently perceives that his heart was not right, and that his state was naught, for he saith not, I perceive that the • a •• of bitterness is in thee only, but that thou art in it a • d in th • bond of Iniquity.

Sect. X.

IN one word, as the Pulse so the Thoughts derive immedia e • y from the heart, both as to Temper and Distemper, the one in a Physi • all, the other in a moral notion & respect, and wert thou but as careful and S • i • fu to observe thy flowing thoughts, as thy Physician is to examine thy gliding pulse, thy Thou • hs would • s •• ste • deceive thee, then thy Pulse him, and thou needest not be so much at a loss as the most are for the knowledge of thy spiritual and everlasting state, having so fair as Index to Eternity so near at hand, Commune then with thine own he • t upon thy b d, and be still. 'It is Scripture Council, and it will never hurt thee to take it. Thy thoughts may talk with thee when none else will, when none else can, when there is none but God, and thou, and they together. Thy faculty will be true to thee, if thou be so to it, thy Thought will not flatter thee if thou do not daub with them; but and if thou dost, God will not. And so I pass to the next.

Sect. I.

WOuldst thou then, O Man, Try thyself by the same M asures that God will try thee, and judge of the state, as He judgeth of thee, who judgeth not according to the appra a ••• , but judgeth righteous judgment; Let me try thy thoughts and thee together again. For the Lord search th th • h • a t and t • y • th the reins, those reins the Psamist speaks of, My rein • s jest uct me in the night season, His solemn thoughts and setious self-reflections. Those are they that God tried, and thee by them. O Lord thou hast searched me and known me, thou understandest my thoughts afar of; As Christ said to Nathaniel, I may say to others in other cases, before that Philip called th • e, I saw th • e when thou wast under the Fig-tree, so before others called thee to the Ale-Bench, or into the • hore-ho • se, he saw thee, he knew the pr • p •• sions of thy Thoughts, the motions in thy mind, the tendency of thine heart, He understa • death the thoughts afa • off, and by these He dooms, sentenceth, and judgeth thee, though (to speak strictly) God judgeth of us or knows us by pure and simple intuition • abstractly as well from thought as from words and actions, that is, He needs no more any thought or thing, then he doth any man, to testify of man, for He knows, as what is in man, so what man is, by a more perfect way then discursive inference, or argumentation. He knows all things in their prin • iples before they operate, For known unto the Lord are all his works f • o • the beginning.

Sect. II.

THoughts have feet, they have a tendency, be they good or evil. The thoughts of the diligent tend to plenteousness, the Lord takes notice of the tendency of thy thoughts, and counts thee go • e the same way that they go. The Gentiles are said to walk not only after but in the vanity of their mind. And the wicked Jews not only after but in the imaginations of their evil Hearts. Thoughts can speak as well as go, Think not to say within yourselves, &c. and God hears them, ( thou hast heard all their imaginations against me, saith the Church) when the voice is not hard Hannah prayed in her heart, and her lipes moved, But her voice was not heard. Old Eli that measured her by the bare moving of her lipes, misjudged her; but God had an eye to the Motion of her Hea • t, Thoughts can Curse too, Curse not the King, no not in thy thought. The Heart of the wicked is said to utter perverse things. The Holy Ghost heard An ••• as thoughts tell the he before Peter and the rest heard his tongue do so, Why hath Satan filled thine Hea • t to lie unto the Holy Ghost; thou hast not lied unto men but unto God. Thoughts have Ha •• s too as well as Tongues and Feet in God's account. The he • t of the vile pe • son is said to work Iniquity, and to pra • tice hypo • risy. Therefore saith God of the false witness, thou shalt do to him, as he thought to do to his Brother. David thought to build God at House, and thus God reckons, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart. When Esau thought to slay his Brother if his Father were but once dead, (Esau said in his heart, the days of mourning for my Father are at hand, then will I slay my Brother Jacob); God Books it down, though he never did it. How are the things of Esau searched out, how are his hid things sought up? and so shall all men's be, for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.

Sect. III.

IF a man looking on a woman do but send after her an Impure thought, God writes down Adultery committed already, if he look, saith Christ, to Lust after her. If thou do but think profanely, he notes it, thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thyself, But I will reprove thee; I say, he observes it, and accordingly judgeth thee. If presumptuously, he dooms it, and thee for it. If a man hearing the words of this curse, bless himself in his heart (that is, in his own thoughts) saying, I shall have Peace, though I walk in the Imagination of mine heart: the Lord will not spare him, &c. If thy thought be vain and foolish, wicked and worldly, God will pronounce thee such as he finds that. The grounds of a certain rich man brought forth plenteously, and he thought within himself what shall I do, &c. I will say to my Soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry; But God said unto him, thou fool, &c. If thy thoughts be Viperous and Venomous, blasphemous and malicious against the Lord and His Christ. He will damn thee for such as he finds them. Jesus knew their thoughts, and said, O Generation of Vipers, &c. Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? they take Council against the Lord, and against his Anointed, &c. The Lord shall speak to them in his wrath, &c. The Consult, He condemns, they Think, and He Speaks; that is to say, speaks in judgment.

Sect. IV.

THis was the Condemnation of the old world, as we have seen, God's proof of man's wickedness was from the Thoughts of his heart, and the punishment thereof was proportioned thereunto, an over flowing scourge upon them for that superfluity of naughtiness that was in them. Yet were there many amongst these that because of their profession were called the sons of God. The sons of God saw the daughters of men, &c. 'It is not what our professions are, or what our Names are, but what our thoughts are that the Lord looks at, and accounts of us by. 'It is said of our Lord Jesus that though many believed on his Name, when they saw the Miracles which he did, yet did not Jesus commit himself to them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any man should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. The Text saith, he judgeth of Man, by what was In Man: Our words proceed out of us, our professions are on us, but our thoughts are in us; and these are they that the Lord Christ looks at, and was himself set (amongst other ends) for the manifestation of, That the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed.

Sect. V.

ON the other hand, those blessed Souls whom the Lord Crowns with so high a testimony, and so Honorable a Character of being his, whom he will spare, his Jewels which he will make up, for whom a Book of Remembrance was written before him, they are briefly thus described, such as feared the Lord, and that Thought upon his Name. 'Twas not the Name of God upon them, but the Name of God in them, 'twas not the bare speaking of his Name, though (no doubt) they did that too, (for they speak often one to another,) but their thinking upon his Name, that God Characterizeth them from; whereas be the wicked grossly such, or Hypocrites, they are stigmatized for such as forget God.

Sect. VI.

THere are two things that God is said to know afar off. The Pride of man, and the Thoughts of man. He hath it seems a severe eye upon each of these. I know their Imaginations which they go about (saith God of Israel) even now before I have brought them into the Land which I sware, and of Gog, thus saith the Lord, it shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought. God minds our thoughts before they come into our minds; and knows what we are about to think, before we think it; Then needs must he know what we think, when we think; and what to think of us too whilst we are a thinking, before we speak or act. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity, saith the Psalmist, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain, saith the Apostle. The variation in the version speaks thus much, Amongst all the vain Children of men, there is not one wise enough to hide his thoughts from being known to God, and himself by them. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. He cannot keep the noisome stench of them from the Almighty's nostrils; nor can God endure them without declaring his abhorrence of them. Who smells them at a distance (afar off) and abhors them, so they that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord, If thy thoughts be froward, though thy words (through thy subtle or hypocritical restraint of them) be not so; as appears by the Antithesis, but such as are upright in their way are his delight. You see then how God reckons men by their Thoughts.

Sect. VII.

WE value men according to their Possessions, and God according to their Thoughts: A man of mean parts, of low acquirements, of mean Possessions, we reckon a mean person: A man of high Improvements, of large Acquisitions, of great Possessions, we reckon a Great Man, a substantial person; now Men's thoughts a • e their Possessions; and 'tis observable that one word in the Hebrew expresseth both, therefore when the Text in Job reads, My purposes are broken off, even the Thoughts of my heart; The Margin (according to the Hebrew) reads the possessions of my heart. 'It is by patient thoughts that we possess our Souls, under Affliction: By Chast and pure thoughts that everyone should possess his vessel in Sanctification and Honor, 'It is by believing thoughts, we possess the Lord Jesus, put him on, dwell in him, walk in him having received him. On the other part; when Jobs thoughts were restless and unquiet, tossing and tumbling from morning to evening, from evening to morning, from week to week, from month to month, then it is said, God made him possess months of vanity, When God presented all his youth-sins (as so many frightful Ghosts) fresh to his Thoughts, then it is said, God made him to possess the iniquities of his youth. So when the Heart is full of good Thoughts, God calls that the good treasure; if of evil Thoughts, the evil treasure of the heart; and we value Men to be, as their treasures and possessions are.

Sect. VIII.

WE Judge men by their constant Companions. Noscitur ex socio qui non dignoscitur ex se. Now our thoughts are our eonstant Company, They are ever with us at Bed and Board. Company draws out answers from us (sometimes, when we have no great mind to speak,) so do our Thoughts. Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer said Zophar. These are as Rehoboams Counselors, that were brought up with him from his youth; so the Imaginations of man's heart are said to be; These are our Inmates and Intimates (be they good or evil, Divine or vain). They lodge • with us, nay within us; these are guests that never part with us, till we bid adue to ourselves. 'It is not till that very day, that our thoughts perish: no nor then neither in some sense, but they go with us into another World, and there God will judge them, and us by them. He that walketh with the wise (the word, Men, is not in the Hebrew) shall be wise. He that walks with God, who gives wisdom, and he that walks with the word of God which is able to make a man wise to Salvation. He that hath that dwelling richly in him, and dwells upon it by wise and holy Thoughts and Meditations (as the Psalmist saith, I have more understanding then all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation ) as well as he that converseth with wise and holy persons, shall be wise. If thou bind them continually upon thine heart, when thou goest it shall lead thee, when thou sleepest it shall keep thee, and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee, that is, wisdom shall. Under God thou canst not have better Company then good thoughts; nay, thou canst not have His without theirs. Thou mayst have his Company when thou canst not have good men's; but thou canst not have His, except thou have good thoughts. But the companion of fools (saith another Proverb) shall be destroyed; of foolish sinners without us, of foolish thoughts within us, (for even the thought of foolishness is sin. ) If we choose either for our Companions, especially the later, they will undo us, and bring us under that doom of Destruction. This made holy, David choice of his Company, but curious of his Thoughts▪ I have not sat • with vain persons, saith he, but I hate vain thoughts, when his Company was bad his thoughts were good; Even while the wicked was before him, his heart was hot within him, while he was musing, the Fire burned: his Thoughts inflame his affections with godly Zeal; and this Holy Fire, as by an Anteperistasis, burnt so much the hotter for the Frost of cursed Contrariety that was about it. When the careful Magistrates or Officers of a City break into a suspected house in the Night time, the great question is, what Company have you here? so when God breaks in upon our dark hearts, the Inquiry is, what Thoughts have you here? why do Thoughts arise in your Minds? Are ye not become Judges of evil thoughts?

Sect. IX.

FIrst, God made Man to think of his Maker, Remember thy Creator, there is Mans end and duty sumd up in short. God gave man a mind higher then oth • r Animals, that he might mind high • r then they; a mind above other things, that he might mind things above; An Heathen could say, Os ho nini sublime dedit, Cael • mque tu • ri jussit. We chiefly estimate things as they suite their Ch if end, as Fuel by its burning, a Knife by its Edge, an Horse by his good heels, &c. Otherwise though they look well, if they do not • urn well, or cut well, or go well, we like them not: So God will have none of thy ( Naphthali like) goodly words without Godly thoughts. We do not reckon Parrats or Mag pies men; because they are taught to talk; We know they have not Thoughts like Men, though they have words like Men; And is it possible that for a little professions sake, God should have good thoughts of thee, whose thoughts are not good? Let me tell thee once for all, He thinks better of thy Ox or Ass that in its kind minds thee its Owner, then of thee who mindest not Him whom thou callest thy Lord and Maker, (and so perhaps often swearest by him, when thou dost not once think of Him.) 'It is a dismal Charge and Challenge that, But my people do not consider; They call themselves Mine, but they MIND not Mo; Of the Rock that begat thee, thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee, And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his Sons and his Daughters. Alas, how little do Names, Titles, Privileges, Professions stand for in God's Account, where God Himself is not minded? As she said, How sayest thou that thou lovest me, seeing thy heart is not with me? how is it that thou pretendest to God, seeing thy mind is not with him, God is not in all thy thoughts?

As God's good will towards men in Scripture is called his being mindful, his remembering, his thinking upon them. He is ever mindful of his Covenant. Think upon me, O my God: Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom! So ours also to Godward. We have thought of thy loving kindness, O God! We will remember thy love more then Wine. • f we have forgotten thy Name, shall not God search this out? All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee; our heart is not turned back. Therefore it is said, thou meet st them that remember thee. A good God will be sure to be even with them: They remember him, and he minds them. He is in their thoughts, and they are in his. But on the other hand, Think not, O man, to be regarded by him that is forgotten by thee; or that God should have any good thoughts of thee, who never harbourest any good thoughts in thee, or that God should mind thy good, who never mindst God nor good? No, no, if God think upon thee, it will be to destroy thee, for not remembering him that made thee. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, And all the Nations that forget God; Now consider this all ye that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces while there is none to deliver you. Even such are the paths of all that forget God, and the Hypocrites hope shall perish. In vain is hope in God harboured where thoughts of God cannot be.

Sect. X.

Secondly,

GOd looks especially to man's thoughts, Because if there be any Grace, which is called the seed of God in Man, it first stirs there. The new-born babe (as the Apostles expression is,) it first breaths in Prayer, but it first stirs in thought, and its stirring (as in Nature ) is before its breathing. Nay even that privation, which according to the Old Philosophy ) is as it were a kind of principle of this Spiritual Generation, begins there. This is called a Casting down Imaginations, and a bringing of every thought of the heart into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Grace, I say, first stirs in the Thought. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy test monies. The Prodigal came to himself before he came to his Father. First, thought of his Fathers house, and then turned his feet thither-ward: Solomon in his Prayer (a Type of Jesus Christ our Lord in his Intercession) speaks thus, If they sin against thee, &c. Yet if they shall be think themselves, &c. and so return to thee, &c. Then bear thou their Prayer, &c. and forgive thy People, &c. First, they bethink themselves, and then return. Thus the Accomplishment of the new Covenant in the work of Grace is called the putting of God's Laws into men's minds, and the writing them in or upon their hearts. The Greek word signifies, I will give them into their Thoughts, and write them upon their hearts. Thoughts are the Gate and In-let to all the affections. Grace first knocks at this door. Therefore also the word of Grace, which is the great Engine for the foresaid Privation, and the very Seed of Regeneration is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a strict and curious observer of the thoughts and intentions of the Heart. And if God's Word be such, sure God is so.

Sect. XI.

THirdly, God principally requires the heart, and therefore especially looks at the Thoughts. Thoughts to the Heart are as motion to the Watch, Sailing to the Ship; and 'tis those that render these valuable. My Son give me thy heart. We must give God our Hand too, and our all, but out heart in All, and above All. Thus set your Hearts unto all th • words, &c. for is it not a vain thing for you, because it is your life. We must lift up our Hands too to God's Commandments (saith David ) but especially our Hearts and Thoughts, and therefore he adds, and I will meditate in thy Statutes. Our Thoughts can reach farther, than our Deeds can, and God requires and looks for our utmost. The poor Captivated Soldier when he cannot get to his party, he can think of his party. As the Captives in Babylon could think of Zion, nay, could not but think of it: the Apostle captivated to the Law of sin by the Law in his Members, did yet with his MIND serve the Law of God. And God minds carefully how your minds stand, which way they serve, to the World or Heaven, Sin or Holiness, Christ or Belial.

Sect. XII.

Fourthly,

THoughts are the primary productions of the Mind, and Heart, therefore God principally eyes these. Of old times, the first born were under God's especial eye. The Hebrews call sparks, the Sons of the burning coal, as you may see by comparing that Text in Job with the Margin. The Thoughts are the sparklings of man's Mind, the very Issue of it, if it be enkindled with Heavenly Fire, that inward Baptism, what numberless numbers of these Divine sparks are there daily flying upward; if with Fire of Hell (as the Apostle James speaks of the Tongue, ) thy very thoughts, as it were, stink of Brimstone, and look like Hell in God's eye; they are earthly, sensual, and Devilish, there is confusion, and every evil work. Thoughts, I say, are the proper Issue, nay the first born of the heart, for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, Murthers, Adulteries, Fornications, Thefts, Blasphemies; Mark, First Evil thoughts, and then all the rest. Evil Thoughts are the File-leaders, these stand in principal view. Evil Thoughts are the hearts first begotten, which no sooner are they born, but the heart incestuously begets on them again, Murthers, Adulteries, Thefts, Blasphemies, what not? Thoughts you see lie next to the heart; and if we would judge of a Fountain, we judge of it by the waters that flow next and immediately from the spring head; going farther, they may come to be altered from their natural taste or look. The waters of a salt spring by being distrained and percolated through the fresh earth may loose their brackishness. So that which is hatred in heart, and every Brine in the Thoughts may seem sweet in the mouth through the intermediation of the dissembling tongue of him, whose hatred is covered by deceit: he that hateth dissembleth with his lipes, maketh his voice gracious, so the Hebrew, Hail Master! may be in the mouth while Blood and Treason are in the thoughts, and the very Devil and All in the Heart. Contrariwise, the waters of a pure and wholesome Fountain may receive some other kind of tincture from the Channel they pass through, and thus too often Holy thoughts springing from an Heavenly heart, may seem lost as it were in the crowd of worldly occasions, temptations and perturbations. Thus Isaac went to MEDITATE in the Field in the evening tide, and behold the Camels. 'It is not said he went out to meet the Camels, and some good thought dropt in, (as a good Thought may now and then fall in a wicked man's way, as the Angel in Balaam's ) But he went out to meditate, and the Camels fell in. Rebekah, she thought (as she said) he came to meet her; but the Lord saith, he went out to meet God. God will take notice whether our hearts set rightly out with him, though after in the journey we may for some season loose our way. Thus, saith the Lord, I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine Espousals, when thou • entest after me, &c. Christ hath a dew of youth in a gracious heart, as well as Holy Church, and this Divine and early dew of precious thoughts is fairest when freshest, as from the Womb of the morning. God's Coin is brightest when it first comes out of the Mint-house of man's heart (for such is man's Mind, a Mint-house for thoughts ) when it passeth farther, it comes to be discoloured, to contract blackness, especially by lying for some time in the Earth, and so sometimes to grow suspicable to others, perhaps hardly discernible to ourselves, without much rubbing, &c. Repentance and Reformation; yet if it were right for metal and stamp at its first setting out, when we ourselves dare hardly trust it, yet God (that knows its Original) will own it. It is said of King Asa, that his heart was perfect all his days, perfect with the Lord, yet the poor man took many a wrong and wretched step, for a man of a right heart; yea how was God's stamp sometimes, as it were, worn off? little left of his Image or Superscription to be seen: for besides that the high places were not remo • ed, which was a blot upon his Government; In the business of Baasha, He relied on the King of Syria, and relied not on the Lord his God; And when he (that had eminent experience of God in the business of the Ethiopians and Lubims ) had done thus foolishly, and Hanani the Seer had reproved him faithfully, he was wroth, yea in a rage with him, and put him in Prison. and oppressed some of the people at the same time; nay, in the very evening of his days, and towards his very E •• t, 'tis said, that in his Disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the Physicians; yet there was something found at bottom notwithstanding all this. Contrariwise, Amazia did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but (saith God) not with a perfect heart. Like some count • se pieces now abroad, that being • ased or plated over with Silver, are observed to have fewer cracks and flaws in the Edges, perhaps than the Kings own Coin, and yet they are but Copper-hearted.

The gracious soul is the Spouse of Christ, who as she is attended with a number of Holy and Royal affections as so many Queens, so also with pure thoughts, as with Virgin without number; And our Heavenly Solomon eyes them most that wait next and immediately, as it were, upon his Queens person; now our thoughts, as you have heard, they he next to our hearts.

Sect. XIII.

Fifthly,

IT cannot but be granted, that God judgeth as man cannot, We look at each others outsides, and oftentimes are not deceived, for ordinarily the abundance of the heart will break out either some ti • e or other, by the tongues clinking what the heart thinks, (as the Proverb hath it,) or some way or other, so that the wary observer may come to discern the Potsheard, notwithstanding the covering of Silver dross: oft times, I say, but not always, That's God's, Prerogative; so: the Lord seeth not as man seeth, How then? for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. We hear men's words, He seeth their thoughts; we weigh their Actions and Appearances, the Lord ponders their hearts, and weigheth their spirits (as the wise man speaks.)

In the Levitical Law the Swan was pronounced unclean, a Bird whose Feathers are excceeding white, but her Skin black. God judgeth most by what is In-most. God can easily discern the trans-formed Devil, under the Angel of Light; the rottenness within, through the whited Tomb, and painted Sepulcher. We unto you Hypocrites, saith Christ, for ye make clean the outside of the Cup and of the Platter, but within they are f • ll of Extortion and Excess; Even so ye also appear outwardly righteous unto men, but within ye are full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity. Oh what horrid Spectacles were the most of men, even of many that desire to make a fair show in the flesh, as the Apostle speaks, if their Insides were but turned outside; But alas! They are all outside to him that is All eye.

Sect. XIV.

LAstly, That God sentenceth and Dooms us by our Thoughts, is hereby evident, in that Conscience, that is, God's Vicegerent in man's breast, doth so, which show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their Conscience bearing witness, and their Thoughts the mean while accusing, or excusing one another: it follows, In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel; God, and Christ, and the Gospel, they will judge men by their Consciences; and their Consciences they will judge them by their Thoughts in the great day; Judge we therefore ourselves now, as then we must be judged.

Sect. I.

[Objection.] BUt alas! may someone say, Is not Mans heart a great deep, and desperately wicked, and deceiptful above all things? I am afraid of Judging myself by my Thoughts of myself, least I should Mis-judge of myself, finding myself so apt to think amiss; doth not the Apostle speak of some that measuring themselves by themselves are not wise. There is so much Pride, Partiality, and Self-love, that almost every way of man will seem clean and right in his own eye, if his own Thoughts may but be his Judges.

Why all this is true; yet all that hath been said before true also, We never said that every man's Case is, as his thoughts are of himself, but yet by his thoughts that are In himself, he may come to discover his own state. For if a man Think himself to be something, (saith the Apostle) when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But yet let every man prove his own works, and then he shall have rejoicing In himself alone, and not in another. This he speaks in respect of Sincerity, not of Righteousness, or Justification in the sight of God, for of the later, he saith, we rejoy • e only in Jesus, and have no other Confidence; But as to the former, this is our rejoicing, even the testimony of our Conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, &c. so also he that believes on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself.

Nay in as much as the Apostle condemns him for a self deceiver, who is in some respect the worst kind of deceiver (as self-Murder is the worst kind of Murder), that thinks himself to be something when he is nothing; even this makes it evident, that his high thoughts of himself were evidences against himself, had he but rightly considered them.

Sect. II.

WHereas Reader, on the other hand, if thou be but honest in what thou pretendest, and not Hypocritically humble-tongued, as many men are, when thou complainest of thyself, and declarest thy jealous thoughts that thou hast of thine own heart; Here is something like a token for good; For even right jealousy falls much in with that Carefulness, Indignation, Fear, &c. that were approved signs of godly sincerity. But and if it be thus with thee, right gladly wilt thou go along with me in the following particulars, and say as David, O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me, and thou understandest my thoughts afar off; and yet again, search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts; Search me, O search me, thou blessed word of God, that canst not lie; Thou Messenger of Christ that darest not flatter me, O try me and know my Thoughts. Thou wilt receive God's spies with peace, as Rahab did) yea wilt willingly lend me the Candle of thine own Conscience to hold to thee, whilst we are together searching the secrets of thy own soul; for the spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. And the reason why so many Hearers and Readers of the most searching Books and Sermons, are yet ignorant of, or mistaken in themselves, is because they deny the Lord's servants the Lord's Candle to do his work by.

Sect. I.

First,

THen let us begin with thy Thoughts in their Original, and so judge the streams, as near as we 〈◊〉 to the Fountain head. Wouldst thou approve thy thoughts to be right Thoughts, such as indeed are the Righ co • s man's Evidence, let me ask thee plainly how th •• cam • st to thy Thoughts? have they their Rise in thyself? (why do Thoughts arise in your hearts?) then know they are but Carnal at best, for all that is born of the flesh is flesh. The heart I know is a Vine that is always bea • ing, a Fountain that is ever springing up: and Thoughts are called the Fruit of the heart, as we saw before, and (as it were) the streams of the Heart, they proceed from it, saith Christ; but, saith he, a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit, nor a Fountain well • , saith the Apostle James, salt water and fresh. Now every natural heart is a corrupt tree, a Vine of Sodom, and therefore its Crouds of thoughts naturally are but the Clusters of Gomorrah, a troubled Spring of Sea rather, that cannot 〈◊〉 , but is ever casting up mire and dirt. Amongst all the Unbelievers in the world, there is not one pure mind, therefore not one pure thought; for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? 'It is a vain and ignorant boasting that I have observed in some, that have thanked God that they were never troubled with evil thoughts in all their days: sayest thou so? then I dare tell thee that thou never yet wast owner of one good one, such as God will own and accept for such: That they think nobody any hurt, who never truly thought themselves or others any good: surely there are none greater strangers to good thoughts, than such as brag most of their good meanings, nay, that can tell you they hope to be saved by them, And how came they by them? why, they thank God, they have had them ever since they can remember, God forbid else. They have as good hearts to God, and think as well of Jesus Christ as the best of them, though they cannot speak so well. Yet do but ask these of the New birth, and you are unto them as a Barbarian, and speak as it were in an unknown tongue, (as our Savior to Nicodemus, ) and shall only receive a frump or a frown for your freedom; what do you think they stand in need to be Catechized? if you do, they thank you, they do not think so meanly of themselves, and this is one of their good thoughts.

Sect. II.

BUt let me plead with thee, O Man, thou that findest good Thoughts, as free as the Rode, and as Common and easy as the high way: Art thou greater than the • postle Paul, he saith expressly, that we are not sufficient of ourselves to Think anything of Our selves. Therefore we must be taken off of Our selves before we can possibly Think one Right Thought. But our sufficiency (saith the Text) is of God. As we cannot think at all Physically, nor exert one motion of the Mind in Thought, but by a sufficiency of God, working by Nature: so much less can we think Morally, Thoughts good in a spiritual notion, in the account of God, but by his own sufficiency working by Grace. To the unbelieving, (saith the same Apostle,) there is nothing pure, but even their very Mind is defiled; And if their Mind drop its uncleanness and defilement upon all about it, surely much more upon the thoughts, that lie next unto it. Some men think their thoughts are certainly good, because they never trouble them. They do not complain of blasphemous thoughts, and horrid injections, as many do; And alas! the only Reason why the thoughts, the Treasures of their H arts, their goods are in peace, is because the strong Man Arm'd keeps the Palace, the Devil is Lord and Master there. But if ever that stronger one than he, the Lord Jesus Christ, (by the weapons of that warfare that are spiritual and mighty through God,) had come and prevailed upon thee, 'tis strange if all would have continued so quiet in thee; thou wouldest likely have seen troubles, and heard amazing noises in thy own Soul, for there would have been the pulling down of strong holds, and this would have awakened thee sure to purpose, and raised Commotions in thy Thoughts: for the very First motions of Grace, as I said before, and stirs, would have appeared there. The casting down of some, the bringing in others into captivity to the obedience of Christ, who is set as for the rising and falling of many in Israel, so in the soul; the thoughts that thou wert best acquainted and pleased with, must have come tumbling down; and the thoughts, whose faces thou never sawest before, would have risen up in their room, own thoughts must have been unthoughts, Old thoughes amongst other things, must have past away, and all things must have become new. Let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts, His Thoughts, that is, Thoughts growing in corrupt natures Garden, for Regeneration is especially called, a Renewing in the spirit of the Mind. Search the Scriptures and if things be not thus, then blame me, and think as well as ever thou thou didst of thyself, and as ill as ever thou canst of the Author, for giving thy calm and quiet thoughts any needless trouble; But alas Reader! be not deceived, God is not mocked; but if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let me tell thee, thy thinking well of thy own thoughts, will no more make them good, than thy thinking thyself such, will make God to think thee so. And yet, believe it, I beseech thee, O Reader, that my end and design in all this is not to disturb, but to direct thee. The Apostle delighted not in making the Corinthians sorry, but that they sorrowed after a godly sort, It is no pleasure to me, to think that thy thoughts are wrong, but desirous I am to set them right, and to help thee how to judge rightly of them, and of thyself by them.

Sect. II.

SEeing then, Reader, that we are now at the very root of the matter, and have told thee once again, that the grace of God first stirs in the Thoughts. Give me leave to lay before thee a plain Scheme and Map of such Thoughts as Divine Grace doth usually work in true Penitents, of such Right Thoughts, as it doth first give in to those whom it will accept, and own as Righteous persons. And herein, that I may the more distinctly proceed, I shall premise something, (First,) Concerning the Season and Occasion, and the Method, (Secondly,) Of God's working such Thoughts as these in the Heart and Mind of Man. In all which, if thou wilt go along with me, I trust thou wilt find both Scripture Evidence and Christian Experience to bear thee Company.

Sect. IV.

FOr the Season that God takes to bring Sinners to Right Thoughts, 'tis such as the Physician takes, to bring mad men to Right Minds, (for even this great and Inward Change in Scripture is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a coming to our Right minds, so the word signifies) when they have them under Chains, and in the dark. If they be held in Cords of Affliction, and bound in Fetters; THEN he showeth them their work, &c. He openeth their Ear to Discipline, &c. For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not; But in a vision of the Night, (when he is chastened with pain upon his bed, as it there follows, &c. ) then he openeth the Ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, In the day of Adversity, saith God, Consider, when the Patriarchs were reduced to a sore strait, then they are brought to think seriously of their Sin against their Brother Joseph; And 'twas he that brought them into it, for that very end; so doth our heavenly Joseph, Jesus Christ, often do for the very same purpose; he sends troubles oft times on the outward, for the reducing of the inner man; and straitens the Garrison, that he may take it in. The Israelites by their Captivity must be taught to Bethink themselves, and so the Prodigal by his Famine. Or however, when the mighty God takes the weapons of the spiritual warfare into his own hand, and hews men by his Prophets, and stays them by the words of his mouth, and his Judgments are as the light that came upon Saul (in his full ca •• ar) and struck him to the ground, and a • oice from Heaven with it, that strikes him to the heart; Soul, soul, what dost thou mean by this hardening thy Heart again • t Heaven, and setting thyself against God? Are thy heels harder than his pricks? canst thou dwell with ever • asting burnings? The Commandment comes, Sin revives, the false conceited Righteous person is struck dead ( I died, saith Paul ) knows not what to think; w • o art thou Lord? nor what to do, Lord what wouldest thou have me to do? such, I say, is the season and occasion that God takes for reducing sinners to Right Thoughts.

I know indeed that Grace is a Sovereign agent, and works as it will: sometimes It slips the Lock of the hear, as Lydia 's, with little noise, and so makes • oom for Right Thoughts there, It may possibly steal into the heart, if I may say so, like Josephs cup into Benjamins sack, And he, that hath it, wonders when, or how, It first came thither. All women that do well too, have not the same troubles and pains in Child-bearing, that the most have; And so it is also in the new birth. And if thou be one that canst say indeed, that there is a Change in thee from what thou wast by Nature, one thing thou knowest that whereas thou wast born blind, now thou se • st, (as the man in the Gospel,) The grace of God hath brought t • ee to thy right sight, a Right mind, Right Thoughts; but by what Sickness, Sermon, Affliction, Conviction, it began with thee, thou canst not say; which is the case of some (especially some such that have been all their lives, much under the power of the restraining Grace of God, and of a strict and holy education), let me exhort thee rather to magnify that Grace that hath appeared to thee, and (taught thee to deny ungodliness, &c. then to repine because thou dost not know, or by what means and gradations, the work of God hath grown up in thy heart, or to deny what God hath done for thy Soul. But yet withal, this I must add, that as it is observed that the coming of the Cup into the Sack, in an unknown way, left them in the more trouble and perturbations afterwards, though it came from a friendly hand; And those women that have less fore-pains, then others, have many times greater After-pains, (as they call them). So they that have less signal Spiritual troubles preceding their conversion, and have known least of the terrors of the Lord, are by so much the more full of Anxiety many times, almost all their days, full of doubtful thoughts whether they were ever savingly wrought upon, because not wrought upon as such and such; Haunted, many times with Hideous thoughts, and Temptations to Atheism, Blasphemy, &c. which make them even weary of life, and afraid of death, and yet may be very precious in the sight of God, and dear to Jesus Christ.

Sect. V.

ANd as God's usual Season is the time of trouble, of spiritual trouble, to bring men to Right Thoughts: To remember God, to Consider the days of old, to commune with their own hearts, to make diligent search into their own spirits, to take notice of their Infirmities, to Remember the years of the right hand of the most High; to Remember the works of the Lord, and to meditate of his doings, &c. (All which is Right-Thought-work, and which the Psalmist was set upon in the day of his Trouble. ) So the Method that God ordinarily useth, Is, to bring to their thoughts someone particular Sin, and to present it to their Souls view in all its ugly shape and monstrous deformity, with its heightening circumstances, and hellish horror, that, (like the tail of a Pr • digious Comet ), it draws after it; now as Ghosts are most terrible and confounding when they appear in the Dark, so is Sin when it stares a man in the face in his time of trouble. Thus the Patriarchs were struck with the appaling thought of their savage cruelty to their innocent Brother when themselves were in Distress; no doubt, they had other Sins to trouble them, but this first flew in their face. Saul, with the thought of his furious persecuting of Jesus. Thus some for telling a known Lie, others for some Theft, or known Fraud, others for profaning the Lord's-Day, others for some profane Oath, others for Disobedience to Parents, And some, though few, like Mary Magdalene, for the foul sin that brings a wound and a dishonor, and a rep • oach that is hardly wiped away. So that as men ordinarily single out some one special Sin to set their heart upon, though they entertain and practice all the rest, so God singles out some special Sin to fix their thoughts upon, and thereby to bring them in due time to sight and sense of the whole Body of Death; nay sometimes when men (by a blameless appearance, and moral conversation) have got the good thoughts of other men, & their own much more, trusting (as Christ speaks) in themselves, that they are righteous, God suffers them to fall into some gross act of Sin, perhaps Drunkenness, perhaps making a mock at Godliness to please vile company, perhaps Perjury, or some other palpable act of wickedness, that by such a rising in the flesh, he may bring them to know, and to bethink themselves of the Plague of the heart that Scripture speaks of.

Indeed I have sometimes observed, some persons troubled with a strange unusual throng and crowd of Thoughts, Sermons trou • led them, and Sins troubled them, but their Thoughts w • re like that confused concourse in the Acts, of which no distinct account could be given, and the Assembly knew not why they were come together. And as such a crowd of thoughts have been thus in an uproar for some space of time, and they knew not distinctly why, so a little time hath brought it to they know not what, nothing for good hath come of it. And yet sometimes the All-wise and powerful grace of God, even out of such a Chaos of confusion, is pleased to draw a New-Creation, reducing things to their proper places, and thoughts to their right order.

Sect. VI.

BUt generally, when Grace first knocks at the door of the heart, and finds the Sinner in distress, wounded in Spirit that he cannot bear it, pricked at the very heart, (the pressing sense of Sin lies upon him, and goes over him as a burden too heavy for him; ) It brings him to speak within himself; Or, (which is all one) to think thus, or to this effect;

Sect. VII.

UNder such doleful thoughts as these, the pensive Sinners Life (for some part of it more or less, even as it pleaseth God) is spent with Grief; as David's, yea sometimes whole years with sighing, so that his very strength faileth because of his Iniquity, and his very bones are consumed. But then the working thoughts do not thus leave the spiritual mourner, But in such like sort as this they do proceed.

But let not thy heart say so, saith a contrary thought, And so flies (with indignation) in the face of the former; And behold a Troop cometh after it, which when it hath forced them to give some ground, This new Troop seizeth upon mine heart, and speaks thus to it.

Sect. VIII.

UNngrateful sinner! is this thy kindness to thy Friend (that herein commendeth his love to thee in that whilst thou wort an enemy he died for thee ) that thou art still listening to the cursed Off-spring of that old and evil heart of unbelief that ever was, and ever will be, for departing from the living God? who, had he had a mind to destroy thee, might have done it, and never have shewn thee such things as these. He took upon himself the form of a servant; And he still waiteth, that he may be gracious; He stretched forth his arms, to open thee a way to his Bosom love, upon the Cross; and he stretc • eth out his hands again to thee, in the Preaching of the word. It hath been said, Ask, and have; 'tis now, Take, and have; Take, eat, this is my body broken for thee: Salvation knocks, 'tis but thy opening and the work is done.

Sect. IX.

Sect. X.

LO here the Restless Mind of Man touched with the Load-stone of Divine Grace, tremblingly wavering, seeking rest but finding none, till the thoughts fix upon the Star out of Jacob, the Lord Jesus Christ! Lo, here the Heavenly conduct of Divine light (newly arisen in the mind of man) bringing his Thoughts from a far Country, and never leaving them till it leave them in the very place where the Holy Child lies, The sweet bosom of the Fathers love. Lo, here the Celestial Call, raising up the Righteous man from the East his Native Country, or (if you will) natural condition). And bringing him to God's foot, with full purpose, and fixed Thought of Heart, (should opportunity of returning into the old Country, The old state, The other God's on the other side of the Flood) serve never so fair, yet) never by the Grace of God, to return unto them more; cleaving to Christ for fear of leaving of him, or being left by him, Leaning on its beloved, that it may not be lost anymore in the old Wilderness, the perplexing maze of its old unbelieving thoughts; fastening itself upon him, that it may by no means be shaken off by him, with such mental speakings as these.

And thus have you seen the returning Shulamite; and what will you see in the Shulamite, but as it were the company of two Armies? On the one hand the strugglings of unbelief, on the other, the work of Faith with power till at length the house of Dav d grows stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grows weaker and weaker: Old thoughts pass away, and new prevail, the lame divides the spoil, the halting Jacob becomes a Prince with God, the mourner is comforted, the warfare accomplished, the sin pardoned, the bruised Reed lifts up its hanging head, the smoking slax breaks out into a flame; In one word, • n the multitude of the thoughts within, God's comforts they delight the Soul.

And thus the soul falling into a place where, all this while, two contrary Seas have met, runs at length a ground on the and of uprightness: where the sore-part, the Thought that presseth forward toward the Lord Jesus Christ, sticks fast and remains unremovable, while the hinder part is broken with the violence of waves, O blessed H • art-breaking, O blessed storm, that drives the tumbling Thoughts upon this shore! well mayst thou be glad because thou art quiet, for God hath brought thee to thy desired Haven.

O sweet serenity, Joy unspeakable, peace passing all understanding, that now keeps the heart and mind! yea the heart, by the MIND; flowing down like the precious Oyntme • t from the head of Aaron to the skirts of his garment, perfuming and embalming, by the thoughts of the mind, all the inferior powers of the Soul and affections of the heart; That the former can now present unto the later, even a deaths head without horror, nay with amiableness in its Aspect, whilst the Soul can think with Simeon, Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation. So that hardly could the Convert now be kept from impatient desiring to be disso ved and to be with Christ, but that he THINKS withal of something to be done for Christ before • e die, of teaching transgressors God's ways that sinners may be •• verted; of strengthening Brethren: of comforting others with the same consolations, and so be hasteneth to be doing, that he may also hasten to be dying.

Sect. XI.

BUt Alas! These Thoughts cannot always hold without interruption. This brood of Travailers dig up Wells as they go, and the Philistines follow after as fast as they can, to stop them up with earth and stones: worldliness and earthliness, deadness and dullness return and repossesses the Mind and Thoughts of the eager Convert, and threaten to undo whatever Grace hath been a doing. So that the confident young Christian (who thought that if he had but once gotten the Red Sea on his back, his Savior's blood betwixt him and his soul oppressors, there would be but a few days direct and easy journey, through the Wilderness of the World, to the Land of Canaan, ) falling amongst many fiery Serpents, violent and virulent temptations and lusts (not thought of at his first setting out) and being bitten by them, he proceeds as more heavily so more humbly; And his After-thoughts are such as these.

So then the Thoughts of the Righteous pick up encouragement, as the Good Spies, from their very difficulties, They are Bread for us; I will go with this man, saith Rebekah; I will go with this Jesus, saith the fixed Thought of heart; Though I go sadly, yet I will go, I will go though but softly in my souls bitterness all my years; But yet O Lord, by these things men live, And in all these is the life of my spirit, so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live (so saith the gracious Heart.) And thus is the soul fed with Manna, and led about many years, it may be, in the Wilderness of Anxiety; And all this to humble, to prove, to know what is in the heart, and to do it good in the later end.

And thus have I given you as briefly as I could, though more largely then I thought, a Scheme or draught, of such Thoughts in man as do ordinarily flow from the Grace of God, as I have received from that sure Word, that is a discerner of the Thoughts, and a discoverer as well as a discerner, and as I have known, and perhaps felt in some small experience, And the Holy Ghost, that knows all hearts, saith expressly, As in water, face answers to face, so the heart of man to man.

Sect. XII.

NOw because as I have said, The Regenerate man's thoughts are sparks from a new Fire, fruits of a new heart, stirrings of a new Nature, Therefore it must needs be, that they partake with all natural motions in these Three points.

I. Facility. Natural Acts and Motions, If Nature be not oppressed (as sometimes the New nature seems to be) are facile, yea pleasing and delightful, as to eat, to drink, to sleep, &c. So are right Thoughts to a Righteous person. When wisdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul, &c. A naughty heart is like a vicious stomach, those very thoughts that are as an honey Comb, or as pleasant bread to others, do make it turn, as it were, at the very sight of them; Go thy way Paul, for this time, I have no stomach to think of Righteousness or Judgment to come; No, no, Felix his Thoughts were another way, suitable to his Corruption; He thought (saith the Text) there was no money coming, and 'twas the thought of money that made Music in his Mind; But saith David of his God, not of his Mammon, My meditation of HIM shall be SWEET, I will be glad in the Lord. When the Miser receives his Mammon, Oh how it glads him? nay he loves the Thought of it, when he cannot come at it; Nay, he can Think with delight of the Bills or Bonds, he can lay them in his bosom, that do but Name it, Money is his God, and Worldliness his Nature: So doth a gracious heart with sweetness entertain the Thought of his God, nay hide his word in his very Heart; It goes down with him with delight, as his food when he is most hungry; Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were to me the joy and rejoicing of mine Heart. The Bar drinks in words, but it is the heart that eats them, by setting the Thoughts to chew upon them. And as it is with a man that is in health, if he want his set meals, so is it with a good Heart, kept in good order, without many gripes, and secret gnawings, it cannot want its set MEDITATIONS, And surely it would be better with most Christians then it is, were they but careful with Isaac, to set a part some little time of the day for Meditation, who are so little able to say with David, O how love I thy Law! It is my MEDITATION all the day. And this leads me to the

Sect. XIII.

II. ANd that is Frequency. A good pulse strikes many a good stroke in a day, and so doth a good heart, as you may see in David, when he was in a good state of soul health; you cannot think that he thought of nothing but God's Law in the whole day, when he says, It was his Meditation all the day; his Crown was lined with Cares, And his Head with Thoughts as other men's: But he would allow no Thought in the day contrary to the Law; He would order all his Thoughts in conformity and subordination thereto; And his Thoughts thereof were better pleasing to him then all other Thoughts, He was in his Element when in such Meditations; and reckoned so much of the day lost, as wherein he was hurried by Temptations, to any contrary cogitations: If a Bird fall into the water, 'tis not her Element, she neither useth nor delighteth to be there; If a Mole get above ground, he is not where he would be, or is wont to be. Ask thine heart seriously what Element it is that thy thoughts most use, and with most ease; (My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness when I think upon thee, when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate upon thee, &c.) And thereby discern whether it be a Bird of Paradise, or a mere Mole, for to be carrnally minded is death, but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace. A bad man may have a Thought of God now and then, and a Thought for God (or the most are very much mistaken.) But a David can say of his divine Thoughts, how great is the sum of them? God's Thoughts of him, and his Thoughts of God, and the reflection of his Thoughts upon God's Thoughts, for,

Sect. XIV.

III. THere is Perpetuity as well as Facility and Frequency in Natural acts and motions. The pulse beats not only all the day, but all a man's days: so do good thoughts in a Godly mind. What a blessed frame was holy David in when he could never awake, but he found his pulse beating Heaven-ward? when I awake I am still with thee. The blessed man's delight is in the Law of the Lord, and therein doth he meditate day and night. O happy He whose Thoughts are holy day and night, that is, continually.

I know Grace is liable to its languishings, as well as Nature, and the souls pulse to its Intermissions, as the bodies is, whereof more hereafter; only the Pulse of Nature may cease totally, nay it must, because Nature itself must expire; But Grace is a Caelestial, an Heaven-born principle, an Immortal Fire, which can never be extinguished, but burns brightest when Nature goeth out, as in Jacob and Joseph when they lay a dying: so good thoughts do usually most flourish in that very day when other Thoughts perish, the day of Death, and after Death especially. And thus much for the first Trial of Thoughts, whether Right or no, from their Original:

Sect. I.

Secondly, THoughts are to be known to be right by their ROOT, as Plants are, especially in Winter-season: now this is as it were the Winter-state of Grace.

We have seen in the first Trial, that Right Thoughts are to be discerned by their Soil, They grown not in the Wild, or common Field of corrupt Nature, but in the Garden of Grace; so now, in the second Trial, by the occult and inward manner of their growth, which I call their Radication. This I say then, if good Thoughts be thy DEEP Thoughts, if (as we say) the best be at bottom, thy thoughts are then Right, and thou art Righteous: for as the deep thoughts of Worldlings are worldly thoughts, and the deep Thoughts of wicked men are wicked thoughts, so the deep thoughts of good men are good Thoughts. 'It is a notable observation of the Holy Ghosts concerning worldly men, That their INWARD THOUGHT is, that their Houses shall continue forever, &c. Why? is there any Thought that is not an Inward Thought? No; But the meaning is, that though they have some floating Thoughts of their mortality, and the vanity and transitoriness of all worldly things, swimming, as it were, on the top; yet they do not suffer such Thoughts to sink into their Hearts, or to go to the bottom, But the Thoughts that lodge there are such as His who is said, by our Savior, to have thought within himself, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, Take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. Note the phrase, he thought within himself; There are other kind of thoughts that sometimes knock at the door of the worldlings Heart, Nay sometimes look in at his windows, as Paul's Sermon began to press in upon Felix his Heart, and to set him a Trembling, but there are other Thoughts within, which if they cannot keep good Thoughts quite out, they will keep them off from making any due or deep impression upon the Heart. Now these Thoughts that nestle themselves, as it were, at the very Heart-roots, to keep others out from reaching thither, these deep thoughts are they which the Scriptures call the inward thoughts, according to that of the Psalmist, the inward thoughts of everyone of them, and the heart is deep. And so if thy inward Thoughts and deep Thoughts be good thoughts, 'tis a good sign. Thus He is a Jew, that is one inwardly. When God has put wisdom in the inward parts, as it is in Jeremiah; as 'tis said of the wicked, that their inward part is very wickedness, and that their inward part is full of Ravening and wickedness: even when he speaketh peaceably with his mouth, yet in Heart he lays his wait.

Now the Reason of this Rule is this, because as corruption (like the Worm at Jonah's Gourd ) loves to lie at the Root to wither all; so Grace (to work out Corruption) loves to lie at the very Hearts root, as it were; and the work of Grace being to fix the Heart aright, (as David saith, My Heart is fixed O God, my Heart is fixed ) like a wise Master Builder, Grace goes to the bottom, and looks especially to that; the Foundation being that that fixeth all the building. The Latins do very elegantly express heighth and depth by the same word, thus, altas radices agere, is to take deep Root, and yet we call it the Altitude of a Star: He that will build high, must dig his Foundation deep and low; Now Grace, where it comes, never aims lower then the Raising of the Thoughts as high as Heaven, Sirs, what must I do to be saved (saith the • ayler.) A Converts first Thoughts are for no less than SALVATION; and therefore Grace layeth them in the very depth of the heart, Thus Gracious Thoughts are called the good Treasure, not of the Head (for a Toad, they say, may have a Pearl there.) A wicked man may have excellent notions and speculations like Balaam, whose Heart is full of Poison.) But the good treasure of the Heart.

Our Savior, comparing God's Word to Seed, Mans Heart to Soil, Thoughts and purposes to a springing up of that Seed in the Soil, expressly saith of the stony ground in opposition to the good ground, (that is, the good and honest heart as himself explains it) that therefore it was that all came to nothing, because there was no depth of earth for the Seed, and they that sprung up had no root, and therefore they withered away.

And in the Parable of the Virgins, where he designedly puts the difference between the sound Believer and the Hypocrite, He denies not the foolish to have Lamps and Lights, and Oil in their Lamps, to keep them burning for a season; but denies them to have any Oil in their Vessels, as the Wise had. The Lamps were the Outside and shallow appearances of splendid Notions and Professions, but the Vessels are the very inwards and depths of the Heart▪ and therefore its said, The light of the righteous rejoiceth, but the Lamp of the wicked shall be put out. The Light of the Righteous (which may be understood of their good Conversation, according to that, Let your light so shine before men, that th y may see your good works ) hath a Vessel within full of Oil, to keep it burning perpetually, and therefore it rejoiceth, but the Lamp of the wicked hath not so, and therefore time shall put it out.

And when he represents the Grace that he gives, by a Well of Water in a man springing up to everlasting life; This Phrase is most accurately to be attended to our present purposes; We are not in judging of a man so much to consider what may be put into a man, or what may for some time float at top, nay flow from a man, but what the SPRINGINGS UP are that are IN A MAN. And so the Apostle James also puts the Trial upon what the FOUNTAIN yields, whether it be sweet water, or bitter, salt water or fresh; which expression he doth enough explain, when he saith, If you have bitter envying, or strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth; Mark that, IN YOUR HEARTS, that is, when these bitter waters are the springings up of the inward Fountain, glory not, and lie not: sweet words and pleasing professions, shows and appearances will be no good Testimony for you when these BITTER springings up within you bear witness against you.

In Nature, there are Springs or Wells of diverse sorts, the diligent observation of which will much clear the scope of these Texts of Scripture, and the thing in hand; I shall only instance in such as I have seen. There is the salt spring at Nantwich, where the springings up are naturally salt; Now let never so much fresh water be poured into it, though it may for the present abate its saltness, and make its present waters the less brinish, yet that which springs up will in some time work out all the fresh water, and will continue (as before) perfectly salt. Again, there is the generous and famous Spring, called the HOLY WELL, in Wales, that is perpetually boiling up with an admirable activity, so that if never so much salt water should be poured into it, though all the waters (for the present) would taste salt or brackish, yet give it time, and it would certainly work out all that Heterogeneous mixture, and retain its sweetness, and (as I may say) its Native excellency and purity.

This then is a grand Rule for the trial of Right Thoughts, if thy good thoughts be such as continually springing up, do work out evil thoughts which sometimes do seem to defile and deprave thee, 'tis a good Scripture-Evidence both of thy thoughts and state: for this is that which the Apostle calls a clearing of ourselves, which he saith expressly, that Godly sorrow worketh where it worketh Repentance to salvation; this self same thing, saith be, that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort, Behold what carefulness it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, &c. Now this Godly sorrow ha • h its spring in the Thoughts, as the Evangelist saith of Peter, when he thought thereon he wept. As the Jews in their Captivity, wept when they remember Zion; so Peter, in his spiritual Captivity, wept when he remembered Sin. But a little before, the stoods of the ungodly had overwhelmed the good man, and the waters of bitterness had come into his soul; And had we but tasted of his spirit, by what came from him in the High Priests Hall, we should have been apt to have concluded him in the gall of bitterness, when with swearing and cursing he denied that ever he knew Jesus: and all this issuing from the Thoughts and apprehensions of his imaginary danger, that his sorry sinful slavish fear suggested to him in case He had held fast the profession of his Faith without wavering; these were the Thoughts that were uppermost, and so nearest his tongues end, to influence that under this surprise of Temptation; and little doubt but at that very time his deep and bottom Thoughts were full of real kindness to his Lord and Master, which shortly after (by their springing up ) discover themselves; For these Thoughts work him to Godly sorrow (as the Text affirmeth) and godly sorrow to a clearing of himself of that which had now so sadly stained the Glory of his Profession, so that we read after of his dying for Christ, but never more word of his denying him.

Sect. II.

AS this therefore is the grand trouble of many gracious Persons, that they find many strong and boisterous and evil Thoughts, like rugged Esau, that present themselves first to view, and seem to be strongest and most impetuous, yet this may be a comfort, if they can find good Thoughts, like another Jacob, taking those other thoughts, as it were, by the heel, and continually laboring to supplant them; for instance,

If you look on David (a Gracious man, and one of a very tender spirit) as He first appears under Nabal's provocation, you find all the waters, as it were, turned into blood, and nothing meditated but Cruelty and Revenge; But when David's deep and bottom Thoughts are set on work, How quickly do they work out all that Cruelty? The waters return to their proper nature and right color; and now all becomes goodness, meekness, gentleness. And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who sent thee this day to me; and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand. So that whereas there was a Root of bitterness springing up, which would have brought trouble enough upon himself and others, there is also a deeper root of sweetness supplanting the former, and yielding the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And, by the way, the Reader may remark that they whose Thoughts are right and good, are very apt to Think well of those that set them right, (as any prudent serious Travailer that hath been out of his way will be) O blessed Sermon, Sickness, Person, Providence, will such a one say, that hath been an occasion or means to set me clear of such a Temptation, or from such or such wicked, proud, or passionate or unclean, or worldly Thoughts that have so disturbed and distempered me.

Take another instance in good King Hezekiah, whom when God had raised up, the Text saith, presently his Heart was lifted up, so that there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem; His heart swells with proud and haughty thoughts; Notwithstanding, saith the next Verse, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah. Here was Humility at the bottom, His lowly Thoughts were his lowest Thoughts, and his deepest Thoughts, which did wear and work out the former.

Thus holy Asaph, what dark and discontentful Thoughts had he concerning the prosperity of the wicked in this world, and the equitableness of divine providence therein? When I thought to know this, saith he, it was too painful for me; But when he comes into the Sanctuary, and applies himself to the due use and help of Holy means and Ordinances, how plenteously do better thoughts then the former spring up, and work out the former? and how doth his Heart presently flow not only with truly penitent Thoughts, like Peters for his former distemper, Thus, saith he, my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins; but also with sweet serenity and Celestial satisfaction; for you instantly find him in the mount of contemplation, which becomes to him a Mount of Transfiguration, when he thus saith, Nevertheless I am still with thee; thou shalt guide me with thy Council, and afterwards receive me to glory: Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none in Earth that I desire besides thee. And thus you see in gracious Hearts, that gracious Thoughts are still the bottom thoughts.

On the contrary, How many are there that have many good thoughts, as to the matter of them, floating at top, but there is still some Evil, wicked thoughts at the Bottom, to worm and work them out? Thus Pilate had many thoughts that were good in themselves, He thought Jesus was a just person, and he thought it just in Himself to acquit and justify the innocent, and he had many thoughts and contrivances how to set him at liberty; but then the bottom thoughts of all, were base thoughts, and his Root thoughts were rotten thoughts, for he thought it better for him to displease God than the Multitude, and to offend his Conscience rather than Caesar; for this was the hinge upon which the whole matter turned, the Jews cried out, saying, if thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend; When Pilate therefore heard that saying, He brought out Jesus, &c. and delivered him to them to be Crucified.

Thus Agrippa, no doubt, had many good Thoughts and motions in his mind, when he cries out to St. Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And many of Christ's followers thought, no question, to have continued longer with him, at their first coming to him, and are therefore called his Disciples, from that time (saith the Text) Many of his Disciples went back, and walked no more with him. And so that rich young man that came running to him with so much eagerness, and kneeled before him with so much Devotion, thought (without all peradventure) that Christ was a most excellent person, and that it was a most desirable thing to be saved; But then his ultimate Thoughts were, that if He could not have Heaven and Earth too, it was best to venture the first, and to hold to that which he had in his Hand, and these thoughts carried him, (as the like Thoughts do thousands) away from Christ. And therefore the Antithesis to the Text is remarkable, The thoughts of the Righteous are right, but the Counsels of the wicked (that is, their Deep, Deliberate, Bottom thoughts) are deceit.

So then by this Rule we may discern what an Excellent Spirit there is, as 'twas said of Daniel, in the meanest Saint, take him at his very worst and lowest, that is not to be found in the most flourishing Hypocrite in the world when he is arrayed in all his Glory. A gracious heart, (like a faithful Soldier ) be it never so oppressed and trodden down by its Enemy, yet its bottom thoughts are still working at a Holy Revenge (as the Apostle saith yet what Revenge? ) contriving how it may cast off its Enemy, and having cast it off, to cut it off; for it is to every upright person in the World that the Holy Ghost applies that of the Prophet, thine heart shall MEDITATE TERROUR; Thou shalt be thinking how to kill this corruption, and how to Conquer that Lust, How to mortify this uncleanness, that inordinate affection, this Evil Concupisence, that Covetousness, how to be revenged of these uncircumcised Philistines for thy two eyes, for all that light of Holy Joy and Peace, they have deprived thee of. Whereas on the other hand the best Hypocrite, even whilst he seems to hold out the Garrison with greatest Gallantry and Resolution for God and Christ, yet even then his secret thoughts, his inward, deep, and bottom thoughts are trucking with the Enemy, to betray and yield up all, when He spyeth His season, and pleasing advantage; Thus Esau resolves to carry it most demurely during His Fathers life, but his Deep thoughts are all along, (Esau said in his heart saith the Text) the days of mourning for my Father are at hand, then will I stay my Brother. And Oh! How many are there that can palliate a foul and rotten heart, with the fairest pretences and appearances, whilst Godly Magistrates, Ministers, Parents, Guardians, Governors, continue with them, that all the while have a months mind, as we say, to the license that other debauched or vain persons take, and secretly please themselves with the thoughts thereof, which they purpose to themselves, when the Awe of such, as at present hinder them, shall be removed and taken away? A kin to these are those, who (though they will not sell Wheat on the Sabbath day, yet) are still thinking when will the Sabbath be over? So then the test of our Spirits is our Deep thoughts.

And thus also we have a reason of a Following Rule in this, for it cannot but be supposed that Right thoughts must needs be (not idle or unactive but) operative and abounding in fruit that are so happy in their Root, they take root downward, and therefore will bear fruit upward.

Sect. III.

NOw a grand Reason why I have desired to speak so fully and distinctly to this, is this, which I desire most heedfully may be observed. The THOUGHTS of men (whereof the word of God is (as hath been said) the great discerner, and to the touch whereof we have been bringing them in these trials ) I say, THOUGHTS of men's minds, which, in the manner of Exerting and putting forth their operations, do much depend upon the various Temperaments of those bodies wherein those operations are put forth, are to be considered with a special respect thereunto; for most certain it is, that neither Grace nor Corruption, neither Sincerity nor Hypocrisy find all men's minds, be they good or bad, to work alike, but according as their diverse workings are influenced by the diversity of bodily constitutions; Now some temperatures (being naturally more heavy, lumpish, and melancholic, more easily dispose their minds to greater measures of Resolution, stability and fixation of thoughts, when once the Thoughts are set, be the minds or matters good or bad; In worldly, nay wicked things some are of one mind, and who can turn them? truly none, but God Omnipotent; who, if God come once to set their Hearts aright, have a marvelous advantage in point of consistency, and as to the stability of their good thoughts even from their Natural temper; whereas some others in Constitution sanguine, and more symbolizing with the Air, their minds seem commonly volatile, and so their thoughts more fluid, and less fixed, be the habit of their Minds, or Objects of their Thoughts, good or evil: Now this difference of Natural constitution, occasions many mistakes in the spiritual judging of Men's Estates. A man may be very serious, yet not Religious, though John the Baptist was naturally ('tis probable) very austere, John came (saith Christ) neither eating nor drinking: and another man may be very pleasant, and yet not vain; and it would seem our Savior's Natural bodily temper was differing from the Baptists, and disposed him to a complaisant conversation, The Son of Man came eating and drinking (for even in that sense his delights were with the Sons of Men) Rejoicing in the habitable parts of the Earth: The Hebrew word signifies sporting, and so the Margin reads it, and yet he was the pattern of all Perfection. And as in Conversation, so in thoughts, the Natural temper may (if not attended) occasion dangerous mistakes in judging the spiritual state. Take an instance in two, whom I take to be Eminent Saints, King Solomon, and the Apostle Paul, concerning the later none doubt, nor dare I of the former, (who was God's Jedediah, from whom God, saith he, will never take his mercy. A Penman of Holy Writ, and so numbered by the Apostle among the Holy men of God, a grand Type of Christ, and one of those Prophets of whom Christ saith expressly, that all the Prophets are in the Kingdom of God, ) yet I suppose a vast difference in the Natural temper of these two excellent men: Paul, no doubt, was of great natural resolution, and fixation, I verily thought (saith he of himself before his Conversion) that I ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus, which thing also I did in every Synagogue. He never alters his mind (as we say,) never changeth his thoughts, never turns, nor ever would, had not God overturned him; but then when God called him by his Grace, and set the Watch right, Oh! this Natural temper of His was an Excellent Ballance, and kept the motion admirably: What do you mean (saith he) to weep and break mine heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but to Die for the Name of Jesus; And when he would not be persuaded (say they) we ceased, &c. You see He was fixed before Conversion, and fixed after; for Grace rather useth then altereth Nature, though it cures its corruption, But now Solomon, He was naturally (I question not) of a more Airy Constitution, and so of a more doubtful mind (as our Savior's Phrase is which He borrows from the Aiery Meteors, which are now here, and now there, and you can hardly find them fixed anywhere,) and so His thoughts more fluid and volatile, flying up and down from one thing to a contrary thing, from Wisdom, to Wine, to Women, to Madness, to Folly, yea from one thing to a thousand things, Even from the Cedar of Lebanon, to the Hyssop upon the Wall; and being naturally (like Reuben) unstable (as water) his Wives turned away his heart, and the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice; and yet there was a well of Water after all this, springing up in Him to Everlasting Life; for you may see what was in the bottom of his heart (what his deepest thoughts were) by what you find in the bottom of his Book of Penitence and Recantation; Let us hear (saith He) the CONCLUSION of the matter, FEAR GOD, and keep his Commandments, &c. Now All is well (We say) that ends well.

Sect. IV.

THis then (to shut up this scrutiny) is that which we are most accurately to observe amongst all that variety not only of Temptations, but of Tempers, and consequently of Thoughts, Purposes, and Resolutions, if (as David saith in another respect In the multitude of our thoughts within us, We can find Divine and gracious Thoughts to be deepest in our Soul. As to add to the instance forementioned, when our slight Thoughts of God, and slavish fear of Man, and thoughts of sinful security as to ourselves, are wrought out by our sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts, and making him our FEAR, as the Prophet speaks,

When ones high thoughts of himself, who is ready to say in his heart, My power and the might of my hand hath • otten me this wealth, are removed by remembrance of the Lord God, and that it is he that gives power to get wealth.

When our self-justifying, self-exalting thoughts are taken down and let fall (as Job's plumes were) by his thoughts of his black feet, behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee? &c.

When over-eager thoughts of the world are worn out by thinking on what He saith, who hath charged us to take no thought for tomorrow; and over-valuing thoughts of the World, by thinking that the world was not Crucified for Us, cannot deliver, or profit in the day of wrath, that laboring for the World, is but laboring for the Wind; whereof the more a man g • asps (for the most part) the greater are the gripes, that their end is Destruction that mind earthly things; but especially by Thinking that the Lord hath said, Love not the World, nor the things of the World; for if any man love the World, the love of the Father is not in him.

When Flesh-pleasing thoughts are supplanted by thinking that to be carnally minded is death; that living in pleasures upon the Earth, and being wanton, is but the nourishing of the heart as in the day of slaughter; that a St. Paul himself must 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , beat down his body, and bring it in subjection, least he himself should be cast away, or when thoughts of the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ come to make a man think other things to be but dogs meat, or dung, that he may win Christ; when the thoughts of the Rivers of pleasures, that are at God's Right hand for evermore, do challenge the Heart, What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihoi? what hast thou to do with the puddle pleasures of Sin, that are but for a season?

In a word, when the wandering Thoughts (like weary Travailers, ) take Heaven for their Home, and though they fetch too many a compass, yet still they ultimately are making thitherward: when they (like so many busy Bees have been flying about all day perhaps, yet never rest till they have housed themselves in God, as an Hive of sweetness, and there find satisfactory Repast, and sweet Repose, Thou mayst well say, Return to thy Rest, O my Soul, and that the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee, for this was it that the Church comforted herself in the thoughts of, that the desire of her soul was to the remembrance of God's Name, with her Soul she desired him in the night; even when other Lord's had dominion over her, &c. for though Temptations (which are called) the fiery Darts of Satan may sometimes make thee black, like the Spouse in the Canticles, and real mixtures of darkness may be found in thee, in respect of which thou mayst fitly be compared to smoke, yet if thy Thoughts, like h • rs, be like Pillars of smoke, still winding and working upward. Thou art black indeed, but yet beautiful in Christ's account. As in the Levitical Law the creeping things going upon all four, were unclean, yet, if they had legs above their feet to leap withal, as the Locust, or Grasshopper, they were clean in the Laws account.

Sect. I.

Thirdly,

COme we then to the Third Trial of Thoughts, ( viz, Right Thoughts have a natural Energy and influence unto the ordering of the Conversation aright, as the Scripture speaks: Now the reason of this Rule is this, The Grace of God which (as we have seen) first stirs in Thoughts, is called in the Scripture the seed of God, and therefore 'tis not possible that it should prove abortive: for if the evil Spirit worketh effectually in the Children of Disobedience, by working first upon their Thoughts ( why hath Satan filled thine heart? &c, Satan's work begins there. ) And if Lust when it hath conceived in the Thought, brings forth sin in the life, which is an Anomy or Transgression of the Law; True Grace when it conceives in the Thought, must accordingly bring forth Newness in the Life, (as Scripture speaks) which is a conformity to the Rule of the new Creature, the Law and the Tearms of the new Covenant, which first saith, I will put my spirit within them, and then they shall keep my judgments and do them, which is to be understood of Evangelical Obedience. First Grace works in us, and then it sets us a working; for after that it pleased God, who called me by his Grace, to reveal his Son in me, immediately, saith Paul, I conferred not with Flesh and Blood, &c. With whom then? why▪ Lord what wouldst thou have me to do? His thoughts were working in the verse before, and they see him a work in the verse following.

The works of God, which we call Providence, are All pursuant to the thoughts of God, which Scripture calls his Purpose. Thus God is said to perform all the thoughts and intents of his heart. Now Grace is called a partaking of the Divine nature, and therefore cannot spend itself in bare thinking. In Nature the motions of the hands and feet, without the command or express dictate of the Tongue, do readily pursue the thoughts and motions of the mind, and therefore it is said, that a man's heart deviseth his way; A man thinketh to go such a way, and goes it; He thinks to do such a thing, and does it. And it is so in corrupt Nature, they walk in a way that is not good, after their own hearts; And it is as truly so in Grace. I thought on my ways, saith David, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. Right Thoughts indeed may we well call them, when they are Rectifying thoughts, when they make us to do Right; as, the Apostle saith, He that doth Righteousness, is Righteous. 'It is said of the Wicked, They conceive Mischief, and bring forth Iniquity. And can We think it proper to Grace only to prove abortive? Woe to them, saith God, that devise Iniquity, and work evil upon their Beds; when the morning is light they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand. This is the Case and Character of the wicked, He first deviseth mischief upon his Bed, and then sets himself in a way that is not good; And thus the Sincere Convert, what good he thinks to do, when God holds him down on the Bed of sorrows (as Scripture phrase is) and in the Night of affliction, he will not therefore forbear doing, because God lifts up the light of his Countenance upon him, so far as it is in the power of his hand; but will rather say with David, with a little variation, thou laidst affliction upon our Loins, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place, I will pay thee my Vows, which my Heart hath purposed, and my mouth spoken when I was in trouble. 'It is true indeed, that in both cases the purpose of the Heart doth oftentimes outgo the power of the hand; A wicked man thinks to do more mischief then he can possibly compass; Thus, Esau purposed to kill Jacob, and Saul thought to make David fall by the Philistines: It is said, Sanballat and Geshem thought to do Nehemiah mischief, yet they could not do it: So a Child of God perhaps purposeth greater exactness, and more close walking with God. (in a sickness • , under a Sermon, or a Sacrament ) then he can possibly attain unto afterwards, by reason of renewing of Temptation, and remaining corruption, and then (it may be) he is ready to cry out,

Sect. II.

BUt for the right application of this Rule, and that the bruised Reed may not be broken, or the leaf that is driven to and fro, you must know that the right ordered Conversation before mentioned, as the genuine issue of Right Thoughts, is not to be estimated by Legal, but by Evangelical measures; and so the Thoughts themselves, not so much by the successfulness of attainment, as by the sincerity of endeavor, for (what the Apostle saith in another case, is true here) if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, not according to what he hath not; Now where this willing mind is, there will be reality of endeavor to do what it can, though it cannot do what it would, as the Apostle Paul saith, The good that I would do that I cannot; and again, not that I have already attained, either were already perfect, but one thing I do, I press forward, &c. there will, and there must be a pressing forward. Grace is a Warfare rather, then a Triumph, and a Plowing, rather then a Reaping, and therefore the Holy Ghost to right Thoughts adds diligence, and to that a tending to plenteousness; if plenty do not presently attend them, yet they intend it, and tend towards it; We say, He that will shoot high, must aim at a Star, though he cannot hit it. He therefore that purposeth Holiness, as God is Holy, whose careful and real endeavors in all holy means and ways are pursuant to his purposes; whose daily short comings are his daily burden and bitterness, who (unfeignedly bewailing them) humbly rowls his Penitent Soul upon the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (which was the case and practice of the Apostle in the place before quoted) is a complete man in Christ, and a Conversation thus ordered is a Scripture Evidence that the Thoughts are Right, and that the man is Righteous.

But then on the other hand, what the Scripture speaks of the day of Death, is fitly applicable to a state of spiritual Death, That all a man's Thoughts perish; for as Faith without Works is a dead Faith, so Thoughts without works may be said to be dead thoughts; Nay these are sometimes the Evidence of one whom the Scripture calls twice dead, plucked up by the roots, that is once dead as to his Natural sinful condition; and then again dead in regard of the motions and stirrings of thoughts and purposes which seemed to show some spiritual life, and yet after all come to nothing. Therefore, saith Solomon, if they bethink themselves and return, &c. For a man to bethink himself, and not to return is to add an high aggravation to his former Impenitency; 'tis sin enough to crucify the Son of God afresh, and not to bethink ones self what one is a doing; but to consider Jesus, and yet to trample his Blood under feet, (As They said, Come this is the Heir, let us kill him ) this leaves no room for that very Prayer of Christ, Father forgive them, they know not what they do; For a man to bethink himself of Heaven, as Esau of the Birthright, and yet to despise it, or to bethink himself of Hell, and yet to rush into it as the Horse into the Battle: This is as it were to deal cruelly with Christ in cold Blood, to bid defyance to the God of Heaven upon Advice and set Council, which too many do upon inadvertency, and non-consideration; or at least, like the vile Gadarenes, when Christ comes into our Thoughts, as he came into their Coasts, for our Swines sake, our filthy Lusts sake, to bese • ch him to depart out of our Country; nay, with the wicked Jews, when conviction puts it upon our Thoughts (as Pilate did upon theirs, shall I crucify your King? ) shall I Crucify the Lord Jesus, by continued Impenitency, and unbelief? When Barabbas and Jesus lie both before our Thoughts, deliberately to deny the Holy One, and to choose a Murderer. And Oh! how sad will it be to perish without Christ, under so many Thoughts of Christ? or to go to Hell with so many Thoughts and fruitless purposes of going to Heaven.

Sect. III.

YEt alas, how many are there that have many confident Thoughts of Heaven, because they have now and then a few cold, unactive, unoperative thoughts for Heaven; and carry these confident Thoughts with them to their very Graves, as the foolish Virgins, that roundly knock at Christ's door with a Lord, Lord, Open unto us, but the Answer is, I know you not. Foolish Ones, may I well say; for as in ease where prudence might foresee the Evil of Event, or Consequence, to a thought or purpose, we say, Stultum est dicere non putaram, 'tis a foolish thing to say, I never thought that this would have come of it, or else I would never have engaged in it, so in all cases where we have the Highest assurances from Religion and Reason that the understanding of a man is capable of, that our labor shall not be in vain in the Lord, stultum est dicere putaram, 'tis a foolish thing to say, I thought to have repented, and I thought to have believed, and to stick there, and go no farther, What doth it profit my Brethren, saith the Apostle, If a man say he have faith, and hath not works, can faith save him? So I may say, if a man say he have Thoughts, and hath not works, can Thoughts save him? If a man think over night to be so far onwards of his journey by such an hour in the morning, and sleep out the time he should go it in, can Thoughts carry him? If a Prince command his Servant in the morning (on pain of Death) to do such a thing, of most high importance to his Crown and Dignity, and that must be done that day or not at all, and promise him withal a munificent Reward in case of performance; suppose this servant goes forth of his Princes Presence, full of many busy Thoughts, and present purposes of going about the business; but by the way falls into evil Company, or into some other business, trivial & vain in respect of his Great Masters, but more pleasing to the wicked & slothful Servant; but returns at night, & (with Confidence shall I say, or Impudence? ) sues for his reward; shall the Princes bounty reward this man's vain purpose? or his just severity punish his inexcusable neglect of performance? Reader, what thinkest thou? Even so saith God, Cast ye he unprofitable Servant into utter darkness, there shall be • eeping and gnashing of teeth; He saith not the Servant that never purposed, but the Servant that never did what he should have done, and so never profited. And on the other hand, it is not said, well thought, or well meant, or well purposed, or well intended, but WELL DONE thou good and faithful Servant, thus David describing the Blessed man, saith not only that He meditates in the Law day and night, but also brings forth his fruit in his season: But, saith he, the ungodly is not so.

Sect. IV.

THis then is a sure Rule. His Thoughts are no ways Right and Good, whose ways are always grievous, as the Scripture speaks. There is no such thing as GOOD MEANINGS, (a Delusion that damns thousands) where there is no GOOD LIFE (as before explained) The libe • all saith the Prophet, deviseth liberal things, and by the liberal thin • s he shall stand. 'It is well when THOUGHTS and THINGS go together; otherwise the very Thoughts of GOOD, or of doing GOOD, or of becoming GOOD, are not GOOD, because they are vain, and Scripture reckons all VAIN THOUGHTS to be wickedness of heart, and such a One as the continuance whereof excludes from Salvation; Wash thine Heart from wickedness, that Thou mayst be saved, how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? Now, Thoughts are VAIN, not only when set upon vain Objects, but if they be placed upon the best objects in vain, or to no purpose, as our Phrase is, when a thing doth not reach its real or practical end, we say such a thing is to no purpose: and so purposes themselves may be said to be to no purpose. They say in Philosophy, Frustra fit potentia quae nunquam producitur in Actum, that power is vain that is never produced into Act; so may I say in Divinity, Those Thoughts are vain that are never produced into Exercise or Operation, as the Drunkard, who often thinks of amendment, but still turns like a Dog to his vomit, or the unclean Whoremonger, or Harlot in the Proverbs, that after her Vows and her Peace-Offerings, returns with the Swine that was washed to her wallowing in the mire, or as those in Malachi, of whom the Holy Ghost thus complains, and against whom he thus witnesseth, And this have ye DONE AGAIN, Covering the Altar of the Lord with Tears, with weeping and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering anymore, or receiveth it with good will at your hands. Not that we are therefore not to purpose, much less to purpose against purposing that which is good, but to take care to fulfil our purposes; for if they perish that go so far as this Text mentioneth, what shall be the end of those that come so far short of them, that come short of Heaven?

And so we come to.

Sect. I.

AS to the First, It was a sore spiritual Plague and Judgment, A black Vail upon the heart, upon the Jewish Rabbin's and Expounders of the Law, that they did not extend Its Rule to the Thoughts, but taught for Doctrine, what we have in the Proverb, that Thoughts were FREE, (even in that sense) Mans Thoughts from God's Laws; Some of them are observed to have given that cursed gloss upon that Text, If I regard Iniquity in my heart, God will not •• ar; God will not hear; that is, say they, If it go no further then my Thoughts, God will not mind, he will take no notice thereof, nor call to any account for it. And this made them think so well of themselves, because they thought no worse of their thoughts. Blessed Paul, though brought up at the feet of Gamaliel a Doctor of Law, yet was alive once, without the Law, and gives this as the Reason, He did not by all their Doctrine, know LUST; He knew not that thought-sins were such sins until the Commandment came in another manner, and by another kind of teaching then ever he had from them. For this was our Savior's great business, in that Incomparable Sermon upon the Mount, to vindicate the Spirituality of the Law, from their carnal and corrupt Dotages; they put the great stress of the Rule upon the outward man, He puts it upon the Heart also, Poverty in spirit, he begins with that: He lays the breach of the Sixth and Seventh Commandments in heart and thought as well as outward Act, He condemns carking cares, Anxiety of Thoughts. 'It is strange indeed they should be so blinded, seeing the very last of God's Ten Words, goes down to the very bottom of the mind and thought, Thou shalt not COVET, so that when the scales were but fallen from the Apostles eyes, He could easily-see, in the light of that Law, that THOUGHT was Sin; He knew LUST to be SIN then: He knows now that the Law is Spiritual, Yea, and thus he Schools others 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , That ye might learn not to think above what is written. God's written WORD is the measure of man's Right THOUGHTS, yet even some Heathens had some glimmerings of this, Deut est animus, therefore mente colendus, God it a Spirit, and requires mental worship and conformity to his will: And this is indeed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , our reasonable Service, when the Internal 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , THOUGHT and mind serve the Law of God.

Sect. I.

Secondly,

AS a man must have a right Rule for his Thoughts, so he must have Right Thoughts of the Rule. The Apostle speaks of some that Judge the Law, Take we heed that we do not misjudge it. Therefore it is necessary that we look on the Spiritual Law with a Spiritual eye. To carnal Thoughts, the Right ways of the Lord seem crooked and unequal, not that the Law is so, but because the medium is such through which it is looked upon; as if a man put part of a strait staff into the water, it appears crooked, because of the inequality of the medium. But now a right heart hath right thoughts of the Rule, I esteem all thy Precepts, concerning all things, to be right. So we Read it, but the Text is, I esteem all thy Precepts to be all right, everyone, and every way, Right. 'It is true, There may be some kind of approving the things that are excellent, And yet the Heart not be Right; But if there be not an approving of excellent things, the Heart cannot be Right; A bad Heart may think good of many good ways, as Herod, but a good heart thinks good of every good way, as David. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy Commandments. Men may have a fair respect to many of God's Laws, yet have hard Thoughts of some. But an universal respect is a fair Evidence of Sincerity. For ALL SCRIPTURE is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in Righteousness, &c.