was the Practice of a devout Perfon, Cum me pulfat aliqua turpis cogitatio, ftatim recurro ad vulnera Chrifti, & fanabor; i. e. When I am affaulted by any impure Thoughts, I have immediate recourfe to the Wounds of Chrift, and I fall be healed.

Therefore when any filthy Imagination comes into thy Heart, let thy Mind prefently divert from it, to Chrift Jefus hanging on the Crofs. Imagine that thou faweft his precious Blood streaming forth, and pray to God that thy Soul may be cleanfed therein.

Efpecially fly to the Bethesda of his Blood in the Sacrament, for all the Dif cafes of thy Soul; but this of unclean Thoughts in particular.

The Sacrament is a Purifying and ftrengthening Ordinance, if we come to it rightly prepared. And 'tis moft commonly for want of a devout Preparation, that we find not the happy Effects of it. The Sacrament is our Spiritual Armour against all the Darts of the Devil, against all his impure Suggeftions and Temptations. And if

we come to it with a truly penitent, fincere, and humble Heart, though this kind of wicked Thoughts, or any other, fhould infeft us even while we are at the Lord's Table, yet our merciful and gracious God will accept our fincere, tho' mean Endea

vours;

vours;

and at length grant us that Purity which we are fo fenfible we want, and fo earneftly pray for that we may be able to ferve him without Distraction, and worfhip him with our whole Souls, and unmixed Affections.

VI. Another Remedy against Impure Thoughts, and Lustful Imaginations, which I fhall recommend to you, is, the serious : Confideration of the Purity of God. The Almighty is a God of infinite Purity and Holinefs. He hates all Uncleannefs, and cannot look upon the leaft Sin, or Pollution, ・even of our Thoughts, with Approbation. -And it will be a means of avoiding fuch unclean Thoughts, to have this Confideration frequently in our Minds; (viz.) That God is infinitely Pure and Holy, and hates all Kinds and Degrees of Filthiness and Uncleannefs. This questionlefs was that which made good Jofeph refift the Sollicitations of his wanton Mistress with, How can I do this great Wickedness, and Sin against God? Gen. xxxix. 9. The Lord will dwell in a clean Habitation, or none. And if even the wicked Spirits will have their House fwept and garnished, before they will enter in, furely God will not dwell in a worfe then they, Mat. xii. 44.

To the Pure Heart alone he makes Dif coveries and Communications of himself.

To

To the Clean Soul he affords his Grace and Comforts. Thefe alone he bleffeth with his Prefence here, and admits into his beatifick Prefence hereafter. Thefe only can enjoy God; for thefe alone are qualified to enjoy him. Hell is the ftinking Lake of all Uncleanness, where impure Spirits and ugly Fiends wallow in the Steam of their horrid Pollutions. But Heaven is the Habitation, of pure, chafte, and Virgin Souls: The Region of Innocence; the Kingdom of the Lamb; Where there is no manner of thing that defileth. And he that hopes to come thither, and to dwell with God everlastingly, He (I fay) that bath this Hope, purifieth himself even as he is Pure, 1 Joh. iii. 3. Who (faith the Pfalmift) fhall afcend into the Hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his Holy Place? He that bath clean Hands, and a pure Heart, and hath not lift up bis Mind into Vanity, Pfal. xxiv. 4. And to this internal Purity of the Soul and Thoughts, is that glorious Beatitude of the Vifion of God annexed: Bleffed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall fee God, Matt. v. viii.

Now befides thefe, there are feveral ether Rules to be obferv'd, for the avoiding this kind of evil Thoughts; which cannot conveniently be enlarg'd on in this Treatife as the fhunning Idlenefs, and

vain

vain and lafcivious Converfation, loofe Sports, and Theatrical Shews, &c. which I leave to your own Care and Obfervation to difcover.

R

CHA P. VII.

Evengeful and malicious, or uncharitable Thoughts, are another kind of Evik Thoughts, which deferve our diftinct Confideration. For they do many times domincer and tyranize in the Souls of Men, to the effectual Hindrance of their Duty.. Whatever favourable Opinion Men may have of, or whatever excufes they may pretend for them, 'tis undeniable that the Chriftian Religion makes it our Duty to be kind and charitable, loving and forgiving to all the World, even our worst Enemies. But (fpeaks our Lord) I fay unto you, love our Enemies; bless them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that defpitefully use you, and perfecute you, Mat. v. 44. And (Mat. v. 21.) Ye have heard that it was faid by them: of old Time, Thou shalt not kill, and whofoever shall kill, shall be in danger of the Fudg ment: But I fay unto you, that wke foever is: • angry with his Brother, without a Caufe, Spall be in danger of the Judgment; and who

foever fball fay to his Brother Racha, (i. e. Thou empty, or defpicable Fellow, or the like) fhall be in danger of the Council: But whosoever shall fay, thou Fool, fhall be in danger of Hell-Fire. From which it is plain, That the Chriftian Law doth forbid all Malice and Revenge: Not only actually doing hurt to any; but all contumelious Language, and cherishing even the leaft Revengeful Thought..

But yet how apt is Human Nature to retain the Memory of a fuppofed Injury? How prone is a Man to have a Grudge in his Heart against his Brother? Perhaps he will carry a fair fhew of Charity: But yet his Confcience tells him there lurks Rancour, or at least a Grudging in his Heart: And 'tis a difficult Matter to bring him into a better Mind. But he must be of a beter Mind, if he will be a Chriftian indeed; and he must not only forgive an Enemy, but forget him too.

This (as is very probable) hath been the true Caufe of keeping many Perfons from the Lord's Table; who rather than they will lay afide fome little Punctilio or other, and be clothed with that Humility, 1 Pct. v. 5. which becometh Chriftians, in order to a Reconciliation, they will obstinately deprive their Souls of that inestimable Benefit. This now being diametrically op

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