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deed, in many Cafes, think always of what we would; nay, we cannot oftentimes hinder Abundance of Thoughts from taking Poffeffion of our Mind, whether we will or no; but this we certainly can do: We can affent to our Thoughts, or deny our Affent to them; when any Suggestion arifes in our Minds, we can obferve its Nature and Tendency, and accordingly cherish, or reject it. And here it is, that the Morality of our Thoughts begins; according as we affent or diffent to the Motion that is made in our Minds, fo will our Thoughts put on the Nature of Virtue or Vice.

When any Temptations are prefented to us from without, we cannot, perhaps, on fuch Occafions, but feel an irregular Paffion, or Inclination stirring within us; but yet, at that very Time, it is in our Power, whether we will comply with thefe Paffions and Inclinations or not; whether we will confent to them or not; whether we will pursue them any farther or not. Now, if we do not confent to them, but endeavour to ftop, and ftifle, and refift them, as foon as we are aware of them, there is no Harm done. Our Thoughts, how indecent and irregular foever they were, are rather to be accounted the Infirmities of our Nature, than any Sins of ours, properly fo called. But then, on the other Side, if we consent to any wicked Motion or Inclination, that we feel in ourselves, (let it come in how it will, never fo fuddenly, never fo unexpectedly) if we clofe with any Thought, that prompts us to Evil, fo as to be pleased with it, to delight in it, and to think of pursuing it, 'till it be brought into Action; in that Cafe, we are no longer to plead our original Corruption; for, in that very Inflant, we become actual Sinners, actual Tranfgreffors of the Law of God, whofe Obligation extends to our Hearts and Thoughts, as well as our outward Actions; though it must be allowed,

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lowed, we are not fo great Tranfgreffors, while our Sin continues in the Thought and Intention only, as when it proceeds to outward Action; for this is the Gradation wherein the Apostle has described it; Every Man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own Luft, and enticed; then, when Luft hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin, and Sin, when it is finifhed, bringeth forth Death.

II. This I take to be the true Measure of that Power and Authority, which God has given us over our Thoughts: And from hence we may, 1. In the first Place, lay it down for a certain Rule, that the Way to fecure the Government of them, is to be always upon our Watch, and attending to the first Motions and Workings of our Minds, that, whenever we find them tending to any Thing that is forbidden, we may ftop and restrain them as foon as we can. We cannot indeed (as we faid before) prevent irregular Paffions and Defires from arifing in our Minds upon fundry Occasions, but this we can do; as foon as we are aware of them, we can refuse our Confent to them, (and, in that Cafe, it is to be hoped, they will not be imputed to us as Sins) nay, not only fo, but we can restrain them from breaking out, or fhewing themselves in our Words and Actions; for the Motions of our outward Members are all at our Command, though the first Motions of our Minds be not. Here therefore will lie a great Point in the Art of governing our Thoughts. We cannot perhaps, for Inftance, prevent a fudden Paffion of Anger from rifing in our Minds, upon fundry Occafions; but, as foon as we feel this Paffion, we can feal up our Mouths, fo that it fhall not vent itself in unfeemly Words; and, if we withdraw the Fewel from the new-kindled Fire, it will extinguish of itself; whereas, if we fuffer it to break out into bitter Speeches and Expreffions, it

will flame beyond Measure. The like is to be faid of any impure Fancies or Defires, which may be excited in us occafionally. It was not perhaps in our Power to keep them from coming into our Minds, but it is in our Power to withdraw from the Temptation, that occafioned them, and to endeavour to direct our Thoughts to fome other Object, or, at least, not to proceed one Step in any outward Action towards the Accomplishment of them; and if we take this Course, the Disturbance of our Minds will foon abate, and we return to our ordinary Tempers again.

2. If ever we defire to keep our Thoughts under due Regulation, there are two Things that we muit have an especial Care to avoid, Idleness and loose Company; for both of thefe do strangely unhinge a Man's Mind, difarm it of that Severity, which is its best Defence against evil Thoughts, and expofe it, as an easy Prey, to every Temptation that will attack it. Whatever therefore Mens Circumftances and Quality may be, fome useful Way or other fhould be found out, whereby those many Hours, which, for Want of a fettled Business, might otherwife be loft or mis-spent, may be expended innocently at least, if not advantageously. And, believe me, what vaft Improvements in divers Parts of Knowledge might those Men make, who have Time at their Command, and may enjoy Privacy and Solitude, when, and as long as they please! This however would be the immediate Confequence : That, by keeping the Mind continually exercifed and employed, it would not be at leisure to admit unlawful Thoughts into its Prefence; whereas Idleness, and having nothing to do, is the Mother of those vain, unprofitable, and finful Fancies, wherein fome Men spend their Days. Temptations, alas too frequently come in our Way, whether we will or no, but the idle Man is forced

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to feek out Temptations for the Shipwreck of his Virtue; and therefore no Wonder, if, in a World stored with Variety of fuch, as are fuited to every one's Difpofition, the Man, that feeks for them, finds Abundance; and as he finds Abundance, fo he is left naked and defencelefs to every one that comes in his Way. I went, fays Solomon, by the Field of the Slothful, and by the Vineyard of the Man void of Understanding; and lo! it was all grown over with Thorns, and Nettles had covered the Face thereof: For, though the Words may be explained in a literal Senfe, yet, as it is ufual for the infpired Penmen to defcribe heavenly and fpiritual Things by fenfible Reprefentations; fo there is no Queftion, but that Solomon had a farther and more noble Design in thefe Words: Namely, to fhew us, that there is nothing more apt to choak and destroy the good Seed of Religion, or to contribute to the Growth of all Manner of Sin and Impiety, than an Habit of Idleness.

Corrupt Converfation, the other Thing we mentioned, ought to be particularly guarded againft. For it enervates a Man's Mind, and takes off the Edge and Vigour of it. And he who is fo unhappy as to liften to it, will, perhaps too late, find the Truth of the Apostle's Affertion, that evil Communications corrupt good Manners.

3. If ever we intend to order our Thoughts to good Purposes, above all Things we must be mindful to make that the Business of our Lives, which is indeed our greateft Concern, and ought therefore to be our principal Defign. What that is, we need no Detail of Arguments to prove, fince it is evident to every one, who believes he has an immortal Soul to fave, that the greatest Concern of all is to approve himself to God, who made him, who difpofes of all his Affairs, and who, accordingly as he endeavours, or not endeavours to ferve him, will make

make him inconceivably happy, or miferable to all Eternity. Now, if we be fo wife as really to propose the Service of God, and the Salvation of our Souls, as our main End, and refolve to mind and follow it accordingly, we have made a very confiderable Step towards the obtaining a Security to ourfelves, that the greatest Part of our Thoughts and Affections will be fuch, as are acceptable to God, and ought to be fatisfactory to ourselves. For fince our Natures are fo contrived, that they must always be thinking on fomething or other, and yet are fo contrived withal, that we think most on that, which is most in our Efteem and Pursuit ; whatever it is that we make our main Business, or place our chief Delight in, upon That will our Thoughts run, upon That will our Defires, our Inclinations, our Affections be fixed. The Man, for Inftance, that has fet his Heart on Money, and makes it the great Business of Life to become rich, finds it fo far from being difficult to keep his Mind fteady to his main Intereft, as he calls it, that the Difficulty lies in thinking of any other Matter. The Man, that is given up to Pleasure and Debauch, puts no Force or Violence upon himself, in thinking and contriving, all the Day long, how he may bring to pafs the Gratifications of his Lufts and Appetites. Did we but then make the Service of God, and the Attainment of Heaven and Happiness, as much our Business, our End, our Defign, as these Men make Wealth and Pleasures to be theirs, we fhould certainly be thus affected: The common Course of our Thoughts would naturally and easily, without the least Constraint or Violence, run upon thefe Objects. We cannot

fuppofe, that there are Charms in worldly and fenfual Things to attract a Man's Mind, and to bind down the Thoughts as it were with Fetters, and not allow, that there are the fame, or much

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