harder to be cured, that the œconomy of the soul and spirits may be so broken and shattered, that the power of thinking is become very weak and impaired; and that the lassitudes of the soul are as great almost as those of the body. But yet I think there are few cases, but a man can do something in order to a regular thinking. Few men are arrived to so great a degree of either, as to be able to do nothing towards it; though it must be granted some can do much more than others. Our Blessed Lord, when He was upon earth, did not give useless descriptions of things, and deal with men otherwise than rational creatures; and therefore I cannot but suppose that when He shews them that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, it was to this end that they should endeavour to govern and subdue them.

Now we may lay down this as a certain truth,

(viz.) that evil thoughts, whatsoever they be, do not endanger our eternal salvation further than we comply with them. They are not our sins further than we indulge them. But totally to hinder them I think is a thing impracticable. It is impossible but that such offences will come.1 And I believe the holiest men find it so, so long as they are in a world where there are so many objects, and in a state where there are so many imperfections. But yet when wicked thoughts arise in our minds, we may certainly choose whether we will harbour and embrace them or not. This

we may do, as long as we have any liberty of will left. So much is unquestionably in our power. Though it is confessed they will make frequent returns upon us, and every now and then with great importunity present themselves to us, though but the last moment we thrust them out. Like an importunate creditor, or an impertinent guest, they will obtrude themselves upon us, do what we can, and if we tell them we have never so great and weighty business, they will still be troublesome and haunt us, while we are actually engaged in it; nay, will pursue us even to the sanctuary, and assault us at the altar of God. Yet if we as often thrust them out as they return, they will never be charged upon us.

For it

non tamen nisi volentem ad peccatum adducere." Gregory, "Debilis est hostis qui non vincit nisi volentem." Augustin, "Diabolus quidem suggerit consilium, sed Deo auxiliante necessarium est eligere vel refutare quod suggerit." -Gemma Præd., ibid.

is a giving them encouragement, and a compliance with them, that makes us criminal. Then alone thoughts will be imputed to us as our sins, when we are pleased with them, or when we do not abominate and cast them out as soon as they come into our minds, as soon as we have power to discover that they are sinful. It is true the Devil may continue to disquiet and disturb the peace and tranquillity of our consciences, by his wicked injections, and putting into our minds evil thoughts; but though they are our grief and molestation, yet they (being resisted) are his sins, and God will judge him for them, and spare and pity us. God knows whereof we are made, and remembereth that we are but dust. The Blessed Jesus assumed our nature, and therefore well knows how to compassionate us in such circumstances. He was Himself solicited by the accursed Tempter, Matt. iv., but He did not

yield to him, but resisted him; and if we follow our Lord's example, and do so too, if he doth not presently flee from us, yet it is not our sin, but unhappiness, to be infested with him. And this certainly we are able to do, we may undoubtedly choose whether we will consent to wicked thoughts, and approve them, or not. If they do indeed meet with a kind entertainment at our hands, no wonder that they grow bold, and familiar; but if we deny them admittance, and shut them out, we shall at length be rid of them, or at least they will not be charged upon us. Even the Devil is put to flight by resistance, as St. James tells us, Chap. iv. 7. He remembers his apostasy; he trembles at the Name of Jesus; and when a Christian behaves himself bravely against him, he doth not care to abide the combat. If we give the same reply to all his suggestions as our Blessed Lord did, our trouble is

greater than our danger. If we would but be watchful over ourselves, and have as much care as we can of our thoughts, I am apt to think, we should not complain so much of them as we often do. It is much for want of a due observation of ourselves, and keeping our hearts with all diligence, that so many evil thoughts proceed from thence. The malignity or folly of our imaginations is much owing to ourselves, to our own sloth and carelessness, to idleness, or to an habit of sin, or some such cause; and when it is so, we ought to repent of them, and look on them as our sins. Though the corruption of our nature, and the malice of the Devil, be many times the cause of them, yet we ourselves are often more chargeable with them, than either of these; and if we narrowly and truly examine ourselves, we shall find it so.

Upon the whole, it is sufficiently plain, that out

are

From

of the heart proceed evil | thoughts; the soul is the soil where this hemlock is sown. There wicked thoughts are conceived; they owe their original either to the corruption of the soul itself, or thrown in by the instigations of the Devil. thence they proceed; and therefore it must be acknowledged that there doth lie an obligation on us of well-governing them; that we are not altogether unable to do anything in order to it, but something is in our power.3 3 Coleridge tells us (Table-Talk,

We can choose whether we will cherish them or not; we can either bid them welcome, or bid them be gone.

And besides we can use other helps and assistances, and follow these rules and directions, which are necessary to the wellgoverning our thoughts. And what they are, is the subject of the following chapter.

p. 61, ed. 3) that the great Bishop Butler "was all his life struggling against the devilish suggestions of his senses, which would have maddened him if he had relaxed the stern watchfulness of his reason for a single moment."

THE

HE rules and directions which we are to follow, in order to the better performance of this great work (viz.) the virtuous and religious government of our thoughts, are divided into

I. general

And II. particular.

The general will have relation to all kinds of Evil Thoughts, whatsoever they be. The latter will concern chiefly these

sorts of them hereafter mentioned.

The general rules and directions then are these following.

I. First Prayer; constant and fervent prayer. This is a catholicon, a sovereign remedy for every ail and indisposition of the Soul. It is very powerful with God, Gen. xxxii. 28, and availeth much, James v. 16. It is a preservative from the violence of temptations, and a defence against all kinds of evil thoughts. Prayer, as it engageth the Divine favour, and the protection of Almighty God in all cases, SO it naturally cleanseth and purifieth the heart, keeps it in a due frame, and religious temper. The soul is thereby prompted and disposed to that which is good, and ponderates towards God. It gives a relish of Divine and Spiritual things, and makes the soul more and more averse to all evil, vain, or silly thoughts and imaginations. And therefore if we desire to be

preserved from wicked thoughts, to keep our hearts in due temper and government, we should be constant and earnest in our approaches to the throne of grace daily, and fervent in our prayers to God for His Grace, to assist us in conquering the stubbornness and irregularity of our thoughts and imaginations. That He would be pleased to take possession of our souls by His Holy Spirit; and by Him to govern, subdue, and sanctify all the motions, powers, and faculties of our souls. That no unclean spirit may inhabit there; but that they may be swept and garnished in the best sense, and ever prepared to receive the visits of Heaven, and the benign influences of the Holy Ghost.

Be sure then that you omit not the observance of this first Rule, in order to the well-governing your thoughts; for without this, all the rest will signify nothing.

II. Secondly, the next