Man; (as he calls himself) and the formal Hypocrite, to draw near unto God with his Lips, when his Heart is far from hinz; to be under no Concern for his Thoughts, but only to take care with the Harlot, to wipe his Mouth clean; and with Pontius Pilate, to wash his Hands; and with the Scribes and Pharifees to cleanfe only the Out fide of the Cup, or the Platter. This is all the Religion of too many, who make it to confift in Senfe, and not in the Heart, as if the Defign of it were to be not the Reformation of the inward, but an Accomplifhment of the outward Man. As if indeed Christianity were no more than a meer Complement. And now what is the true Cause of this? what is the Reafon of fuch dangerous Errors and Mistakes about our Thoughts, as that they are free, finlefs, and unpunishable? I fay, what is the Caufe of all this, but Ignorance of our own felves, Ignorance of the fad and prevailing Corruptions of our Nature,and their greedy Propenfities and Inclinations to Evil; and Ignorance of the Law of God too, which if we would look into, it would plainly fhew us the deteftable Sinfulness of Thoughts, and that the main end of Religion is an internal Change and Purification of the Heart and Soul, of all the Thoughts and Imaginations. And now an excellent means to difpel this Ignorance,

s this Rule, which I am preffing you to the Obfervance of (viz.) Self-Examination : Without which it will be an impoffible Thing to attain a right Government of our Thoughts in general.

VI. This Rule muft alfo be followed with another, if we would govern our Thoughts aright, And that is that you make a Covenant with your Eyes, and other Senfes; keeping them from carnal or unlawful Objects, or not letting them dwell upon them. This will be a very proper Means in order to that great End, which is the Scope of this Treatise.

There is no preserving a Castle or Fortrefs from being taken by the Enemy, but by having a special care of the Avenues and Breaches. Now the Senfes are, as it were, the Avenues of the Soul, the Inlets of all Evil into the Mind: And therefore there is a Neceffity that we keep a strict watch over our Senfes, if we would have our Thoughts pure and unpolluted. For there is not a Senfe that we have, but may betray and ruin us. An Eye, an Hand, &c. may prove our utter Destruction. As that Advice of our Bleffed Lord implies: Wherefore if thy Hand or thy Foot offend thee, cut them off, and caft them from thee: It is better for thee to enter into Life balt and maimed, rather than having two Hands,

Hands, or two Feet, to be cafinto everlasting Fire. And if thine Eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caft it from thee; it is betted for thee to enter into Life with one Eye, rather than having two Eyes to be caft into Hell-Fire. Mat. xviii. 8. Our own Eyes may ruin us, as fure as those of a Bafilisk; and 'tis Our own Eye, which puts Witchcraft into that of others, and conveys back certain Hurt and Mifchief into our Thoughts and Souls. There are a great Variety of enfnaring Objects in the World, that present themselves to us. The World, the Flesh, and the Devil, confpire how to entrap us. Which way foever we turn, we find fome Object or other to entice us. As the Hermite faw in his Vifion, the whole World is hung all over with Nets. The Devil well knows that the best way to fubdue the Spirit, is by the Flesh; and that there is no fuch effectual way of conquering the Soul, as by firft making his Attacks upon the Outworks, the Senses: And therefore he firft endeavours to take them. 'Tis of abfolute Neceffity therefore that we keep a clofe guard upon every one of our Senfes, if we would not be invaded by wicked Thoughts. For any one of them left unguarded, may prove our Ruin. And we must acknowledge that 'tis giving too great a Liberty to our Senfes, which is

the

Occafion of fo many vile and wicked
Thoughts filling our Minds.

VII. Again: In the next Place, we are
to take care, that if any evil Thoughts (of
what kind foever they be) arise up in our
Hearts, not to let them remain in us; but
presently to make resistance against them;
turning the Heart immediately to a con-
trary Subject; humbling our Souls by
fpeedy Repentance for the fame. Let not
vain Thoughts lodge in us, Fer. iv. 14. tho'
they may glance upon us.
'Tis dwelling
upon a wicked Thought, that makes it
prevailing, and domineering over us. If
we habitually indulge it, it will get
ground of us; and at length grow obsti-
ftate and unruly, and much more diffi-
cult to be conquered. Whereas an im-
mediate Refiftance of it would be degrees
fo weaken it, as 'tis probable we should at
length be quite rid of it. Though this
may be thought a very troublesome, yet it
is as likely a way as any, of avoiding evil
Thoughts. When any wicked Imagina-
tion therefore prefents itself, the best way
to repel it would not be to argue and
difpute long with it, but to catch away
our Minds from it prefently, and like a
Man that accidentally treads upon an Ad-
der, start back immediately, and strive
to make no more Approaches to it again.

It is poffible, nay likely, that it will return upon you often in a little time; but do you labour as often as it doth fo, to thrust it out, and be not weary of fo doing. And because this is not so easy a Matter neither, (though this or nothing must be granted to be in our Power) it would be expedient, in order to the 'diverting our Minds effectually, that we propofe to our Minds fome one or other of the most awful Subjects; and fuch as is apt more than ordinarily to take up, and fix our Thoughts. As for Inftance: The Crucifixion of our Saviour Chrift: Imagining that we saw his tortured Body bleeding upon the Crofs; and heard the doleful Cries which he uttered, when he made the great Attonement and Satisfaction for the Sins of the World; and beheld the portentous Eclipfe, the præternatural Darknefs, the Renting of the Rocks, the opening of the Graves, and the reft of the tremendous Circumftances which attended the Death of the Son of God. Or elfe, let it be the last Judgement, and the Mifcellaneous Horror and Exultation of that dreadful Day: Wherein the Heavens being on Fire, fhall be diffolved, and the Elements shall melt with fervent Heat; The Sun be turned into Darkness, and the Moon into Blood; the Powers of Heaven be shaken, and the Stars

fall