No Max can be at a lofs in this Learned Age, for felect Entertainments of his Mind in Reading. The naufeous Strains of a lewe, or atheistical Poet, are not forced upon us by Neceflity, or a Scarcity of Wit: But upon Inquiry, I believe it will (at least generally) be found, that the moft lovely and charming Stile, the most lofty and affecting, Language goes along with the most useful and beneficial Subjects.

The Book of God, the Holy Scriptures, affords greater Variety of Elegance, Delight, and Advantage, than all the Writings in the World. And there is no Man that rightly understands the Scriptures, but must esteem it a moft bleffed and perfective Thing, To delight in the Law of the Lord, and in that Law to exercise himself Day and Night, Pfal. cxix. What fublime and lofty Theorems! what useful Things, and abfolutely neceffary to the eternal Happiness and Salvation of our Souls, do we meet with in the facred Volume! There we are entertain❜d with the Hiftory of the Creation of Man, and the Beginning of this vifible World. There we are inform'd of the Methods and Difpenfations of the Almighty towards Mankind; and by what Steps, and Advances his Church through all Ages, grew to be

what

what it is now. There God hath been pleafed more clearly to reveal himself, than any where befides. There we have the great Mystery of Divine Love, in the Redemption of the World by Chrift Jefus, our Lord, made known to us. The Excellencies of Piety and Virtue defcrib'd in the most affecting Language. The trueft Perfection, and the extremeft Mifery of Man, explain'd. Rules for obtaining eternal Life and Bleffedness laid down, and moft gracious Promifes, and unfpeakable Rewards, to encourage us in our Endeavours after it. All which Things, Even the Angels defire to look into, and admire the Divine Goodnefs, which impregnates all. And if we would but make this Word of God our Study, and be diligently converfant in reading the Scriptures, we fhould more and more be fenfible, that there is no Book like this; and that an excellent Expedient to keep wicked Thoughts out of our Hearts, would be to read the Scriptures much and often, with Meeknefs, Prayer, and Attention: Inftead of thofe vain, foolish, and unprofitable, or else profane, wicked, or obfcene Writings of fuch as call themselves the Wits of the Age.

The Mind of Man is combuftible; the Thoughts of his Heart are meer Tinder

to

to the Sparks of an obfcene Saying, lewd Fancy, or but fo much as an impure Hint. And therefore I am apt to think that few Men in the World (how ftrong foever their Prejudices may be, or how much foever they may prefume upon their own Strength) are able to govern their Thoughts well, without they have a fpecial Regard to this Rule, and Admonition alfo.

V. Another Rule, which is proper for the well-governing of our Thoughts in general, is, frequent Self-Examination. Without often looking into ourselves, and examining our own Propenfions and Inclinations, and what is that Sin which doth fo eafily befet us, it is hardly to be imagined how we should be able to govern our Thoughts aright. There is nothing which a Man is more a Stranger to than himSelf, though there is nothing in which he ought to be more skill'd: And that is one great Reason of the Irregularity of his Thoughts. For without we well confult our own Temper and Conftitution, and what the ladentia and juvantia are, and and narrowly obferve the Tendency of our Paffions, and the Frame and Difpofition of our Souls, we cannot conquer our 'Thoughts. "Tis impoffible, unless we know ourselves, that we should govern our

felves.

be

felves. Sometimes a Man's ev Thoughts may run chiefly upon Luft, and Uncleannefs; and fometimes Covetousness may his darling Sin. Sometimes Ambition may be his Dotage; and at other Times Revenge his Favourite. Now how can it be imagined that a Perfon can govern and fubdue his Thoughts, as to any of these, without a frequent Inquiring into his own Soul, and accurate Knowledge of himfelf? Nay, which way can a Man be convinc'd, and perfuaded of the great Evil and Sinfulness of wicked Thoughts, without Self-Examination? How can he be made truly fenfible of their pernicious and polluting Nature, and that they are fo highly difpleafing to God as they are, without a diligent Search into himself? Or how can he be poffeffed that it is his Duty to restrain, and exercife a Govern ment over his Thoughts, and that much is in his own Power, in order to it? I fay, how can a Perfon be rightly fenfible of any of thefe neceflary Things, without he_frequently and skilfully practife this Duty of

Self-Examination? Which as it is of abfolute Ufe, in order to Religion in general, fo it is to this part of it efpecially, (viz.) the well-governing our Thoughts. Befides,

How

How my Men are too apt to imagine, that as for Thoughts, they fhall never be laid to our Charge, fo long as they don't break out into Actions? That the Theory of Sin fhall pafs, without the least Notice of the Almighty Judge; and that only the Practice of it fhall be observ'd, and cenfur'd. That as for Thoughts, they are either in the Nature of thefe ddúvata, Impoffibilities, which cannot be brought under any good Order or Government, in regard of their Infinitenefs and Variety; and fo they claim a Privilege of invinci ble Liberty, because they can't be fubdu'd: Or else that they are fuch flight and small Escapes, as that they carry their Pafport and Pardon with them; that they shall never be punish'd, and that therefore they are no Sins. And that also because the Law of Man takes no hold of them, and because likewife it is impoffible altogether to avoid thefe Thoughts, as was faid before. Certainly (fay they) we fhall never be call'd to account for our Thoughts, because they come oftentimes fo fuddenly, and unexpectedly, that no Reason can be given of them: And they do No-body any hurt; what Evil therefore should there be in them? Why fhould we be accountable for them? This is indeed the comon Strain of the Civil, Honest, Moral

Ma