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happiness, to be infested with him. And this certainly we are able to do: We may undoubtedly chufe whether we will confent 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 fhut them out, we fhall at length be rid of them, or at leaft they will not be charged upon us. Even the Devil is put to Flight by Refiftance, as St. James tells us, Chap. iv. 7. He remembers his Apoftafy; he trembles at the Name of Jefus; and when a Chriftian behaves himself bravely against him, he doth not care to abide the Combat. If we give the fame reply to all his Suggestions as our Bleffed 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 fhould not complain fo much of them as we often do. "Tis much for want of a due Obfervation of ourselves, and keeping our Hearts with all Diligence, that fo many evil Thoughts proceed from thence. The Malignity or Folly of our Imaginations is much owing to ourselves, to our own Sloth and Careleffnefs to Idlencfs, or to an Habit of Sin, or fome fuck

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fuch Caufe; and when it is fo, we ought to repent of them, and look of them as our Sins. Though the Corruption of our Nature, and the Malice of the Devil, be many times the Caufe of them, yet we ourfelves are often more chargeable with them, than either of thefe; and if we narrowly and truly examine ourselves, we fhall find it fo.

Upon the whole, it is fufficiently plain, that out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts; the Soul is the Soil where this Hemlock is fown. There wicked Thoughts are conceived; they owe their Original cither to the Corruption of the Soul itself, or are thrown in by the Inftigations of the Devil. From 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 any Thing in order to it, but fomething is in our Power. We can chufe whether we will cherish them or not; we can either bid them welcome, or bid them be gone,

And befides we can use other Helps and Afliftances, and follow thefe Rules and Directions, which are neceflary to the well-governing our Thoughts. And what they are, is the Subject of the following Chapter.

CHAP.

TH

CHA P. IV.

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, whatfoever they be. The Latter will concern chiefly thefe forts of them hereafter mentioned.

The General Rules and Directions then are these following.

I. First Prayer: Conftant and Fervent Prayer. This is a Catholicon, a fovereign Remedy for every Ail and Indifpofition of the Soul, Gen. xxxii. 28 It is very powerful with God, and availeth much, James v. 16. "Tis a Prefervative 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 Cafes, fo it naturally cleanfeth and purifieth the Heart, keeps it in a due Frame, and religious Temper. The Soul is thereby prompted and difpofed to that which is good, and ponderates towards

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God.

God. It gives a Relish of Divine and Spiritual Things, and makes the Soul more and more averfe to all evil, vain, or filly Thoughts and Imaginations. And therefore if we defire to be preferved 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 affift us in conquering the Stubbornness and Irregularity of our Thoughts and Imaginations. That he would be pleas'd to take Poffeffion of our Souls by his holy Spirit; and by him to govern, fubdue, and fanctify all the Motions, Powers, and Faculties of our Souls. That no unclean Spirit may inhabit there; but that they may by fwept and garnished in the best Senfe, and ever prepar'd to receive the Vifits of Heaven, and the benign Influences of the Holy Ghost,

Be fure then that you omit not the Obfervance of this firft Rule, in order to the well-governing your Thoughts; for without this, all the rest will fignify nothing.

II. Secondly, the next Rule is that you avoid Idlenefs; that hateful Vice, which makes the Soul of a Man like the Field of the Sluggard, all over-grown with Thorns and Briars: Prov. xxiv. 30, 31. Full of

all

all manner of wanton Defires, evil Motions, and impure Thoughts. When a Man is idle and loitering, a thousand ill Things come into his Mind, which an honeft Industry would prevent. And the moft defirable Opportunity the Devil hath for injecting wicked Thoughts or Temptations fuccefsfully, is when a Man hath nothing to do. It is abfolutely neceffary therefore that we avoid being idle; and fo practise both Parts of our Bleffed Saviour's Advice: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into Temptation. Mat. xxvi. 41. Idleness is the Nurfe of Wickedness, Sin's Procurer, a Vice most odious in its felf, and leading into all others. It lays a Man open to all Affaults and Temptations, and expofeth him to the dangerous Sollicitations of a Legion of the Infernal Spirits at once. Whereas an industrious Man puts Satan to the Toil of a long Siege, as it were, the negligent and idle Perfon makes a Prefent and voluntary Surrender of himself to him. Thus much is fignify'd by that Parable of our Bleffed Lord's (Mat. xii. 43.) When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a Man, he walketh through dry Places, feeking Reft;

and find

ing none, he faith, I will return into my Houfe, from whence I came out: he is come, be findeth it empty, C 5

And when Swept and garnibed.

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