one as ourselves; if his Eye could not penetrate any deeper than ours, but were fallible and weak; if he could not fee into our Breafts, and difcover the Secrets of our Hearts; then there might be fome Reafon for us to imagine that he did not regard our Thoughts, fo our visible Behaviour were fmooth and untainted. But fince he is an All-feeing and an All-knowing God, and profeffedly declares himfelf fuch in the facred Scriptures, Pfal. cxxxix, the reason of Man cannot submit to fuch an idle Fancy as this, viz. that he hath no Respect to a Man's Thoughts; but on the contrary, muft believe, that he hath an efpecial Eye to them, and will affuredly call us to an Account for them at the Day of Judgment.

For though our Saviour's Difcourse, Mat. xxii. 36. extends only to every idle Word, yet in the very Verfe before he fhews that the Heart is principally regarded, and therefore to be observed by ourfelves. And more fully and clearly in his divine Sermon on the Mount, Mat. v. 20. For I fay unto you, that except your Righteousness ball exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, ye ball in no cafe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Ye have heard that it was faid by them of old time, thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall

kill

kill fhall be in Danger of the Judgment : But I fay unto you, that whosoever is angry with bis Brother without a Caufe. fhall be in Danger of the Fudgment. And ver. 27. Ye have beard that it was faid by them of old time, thou shalt not commit Adultery; but I fay unto you, that whofoever looketh on a Woman to Luft after her, bath committed Adultery already with her in his Heart. From all which it plainly appears, that if a Man could indulge himself in all manner of licentious Thoughts without any further Danger, yet that, God knows, is Evil fufficient, becaufe the Thoughts of the Heart are principally regarded by Almighty God. But indeed it is hardly poffible to imagine how any Perfon that is careless of his Heart, fhould be otherwise of his Life'; or how he that is vain, filthy, or any way vicious in his Imaginations, can be pure and holy, fober and religious, in his Ĉonverfation and Practice. Upon both which Accounts we fee the vast Advantage that we shall infallibly reap by being diligent and careful in the well-governing of our Thoughts. But,

Thirdly, That which will ferve to make us further fenfible of the great Advantage of well-governing our Thoughts, is this, viz. That we shall ever be in a Preparation for the best and most weighty Duties by this

means.

means. We fhall not only be able to refift and repel the Fury of Temptations, but be ready for the Performance of every Duty. Thofe Men that have fot inur'd themselves to an Habit of Thought, and conftantly exercised a strict Regimen over the Motions of their own Hearts, will require a great deal of Time to recollect and order their Thoughts, and reduce them into a proper Frame and Pofture. Those that carelefly give their Minds a loose, as foon as any folemn and weighty Duty is over, and fuffer their Thoughts to return to the old Subject of the World, or any other of their Vanities, the fame Difficulty will attend them to bring their Thoughts into a due Frame again which did at firft. So that they will thereby be mightily hindered in their Advances in Religion. Their Progrefs in Holiness will be much retarded. They labour in a Circle. Or at beft they will move but flowly on, in the way to Heaven, in Comparison of those that keep a conftant and trict Government over their Thoughts. These latter will be able always to fay with the Pfalmift, O God my Heart is ready, my Heart is ready, Pfal. cviii. 1. And what an happy and defirable Temper of Soul is this? What fpiritual Comforts and Benefits do these enjoy, which others

for

for want of a due Care and Watchfulfulness deprive themselves of? Thefe only want an Opportunity of ferving God and performing Holy Duties: Others want a due Temper and Difpofition when they have an Opportunity. While the Thoughts of others are juft fluttering above the Ground, theirs are in the Third Heaven. While they are tuning their Souls and putting them in Frame, these are joyning in Hallelujahs with the Angels. In a Word, these who have attain'd to this happy Government of their Thoughts may be refembled to the Wife Virgins, who had their Lamps burning, and entred in with the Bridegroom to the Marriage, whilft the foolish Virgins were but trimming of theirs; Mat. xxv. 6. fo great the Advantage which they have above oher Chriftians.

is

Fourthly, The Advantage of this great Duty of well-governing our Thoughts is great upon this Account also, viz. Becaufe nothing fo much conduceth to quiet the Thoughts, and compofe the Mind, as this doth. The greateft part of our Trouble and Perturbation proceeds from Want of a due Care of, and Watchfulness over our Thoughts. And many times our Troubles are fo great that they convince us of the abfolute Neceflity of this Duty;

becaufe

because then we find that nothing else can give us Eafe under them, or quies our Spirits. Now Peace and Tranduility of Mind is a very confiderable Help to Religion. When a Man's Soul and Thoughts. are quiet, he goes fmoothly on, seems to enjoy that glorious Liberty of the Sons of God, which the Apoftle fpeaks of, Rom. viii. 21. He hath a true Relish of the Sweets of Religion; his Soul is dilated and enlarged, and he is able to run the Ways of God's Commandments. Whereas there is but a flender Furtherance in Good, but fmall Improvements, when the Thoughts are hurried, the Imaginations tumultuary, and the Soul in an unhappy Disorder, by any domineering and contrary Lufts, or any o ther Caufe. The Soul of any wicked Man is a meer dražía, Disorder and Confufion, and all the Powers and Faculties of his Mind are as it were up in Arms against each other. There is no Peace, Ifa. xlviii. there cannot be, but all is Mif-rule and Uproar. And could we but behold it with our corporeal Eyes, never fuch a confused Scene as that is reprefented itself to our View. "Tis an Emblem of Hell itfelf. He can scarcely enjoy the Benefit of one calm and fedate Thought. Luft, Anger, Revenge, Ambition, and a thousand more, would every one of them be Kings,

and