of the Lord is most seen there is not one wrong thought and certainly the more the heart is under the â—â—we and affecting apprehensions of his Presence and Excelency here on earth the less 〈◊〉 evil thoughts get admittance inâ—â— it God is not in all a wickâ— mans thoughts and therefore sin â— so much in them Shall the thing framed entertain thoughts dishonourable to him that framed it Shall the mind work wickedness whilest its Maker standeth by observing it Shall you before whom his goodness in his Son hath so eminently and evidently passed no more fear the Lord and his Goodness than to give way to thoughts that wander from and war against him Joâ—â—1 1 2 3. Joh would not think unchastly of a Maid for God saw all his wayes even thâ— inward wayes of his heart 2. Second Help Take a true measure of thâ— exceeding evil and sinfulness oâ— sin It is said of learning that if iâ— could be beheld with bodily eyes all men would love it surely if sin were seen with spiritual eyes all the beholders would loath it How can you find in your hearts to think evil and so sin Judge of the cause by the effects The burning of Sodom the drowning of the World the torments of Hell yea the sufferings of the Son of God are all the fruits of sin Judge of the Malady by the Remedy The stain of one evil thought is so deep that nothing short of blood no blood short of that which is called the Blood of God being the blood of that Person who was and is God can fetch it out There is no such thing as a sin that is absolutely little 3 Abandon and abhor that false but frequently recited Principle That thoughts are free The Commandment of God is exceeding broad Psal 119.96 binding the mind and inward There is so much more evil in evil thoughts because they are less bewailed and resisted And without controversie one reason why men so easily perswade themselves that their thoughts do not displease God is because they so highly please them Facile credimus quod volumus They soon believe what they would have to be true 4. Bear still in mind the corruption of your natures whence evil thoughts have their rise This impure spring will not run less it is likely to run more when you lose the sight of it This root of bitterness is still ready to send forth its branches The more you trust your own deceived and deceitful hearts Prov. 28.2.6 the more you incur the black brand of folly This should keep yoâ— humble watchful and dependanâ— on Divine Grace for healing Thâ— lust which is in you is still apt to conceivâ— and bring forth thaâ— which is dishonourable to God 〈◊〉 your hearts are not only infected James 1.13 14. but withall infectious 5. Consider the dreadfulness of Divine displeasure which for your former evil thoughts might in justice have been executed on you The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. last even that death which is opposed to eternal life That which is due to sin as sin is due to every sin even to thought-sins Have you not already too too often laid your selves in the mouth of ruine If Gods Patience and Grace had not interposed you had long ago been where the Worm never dieth but ever gnaweth Dare you still give way to those thoughts against which the wrath of God is revealed 6. Keep a strict and constant guard over your senses Evil communications corrupt good manners and draw forth the seeds of evil which are in the hearts of those who hear them If you cannot stop others mouths from vain and vile speeches yet stop your own ears from giving audience to them Learn at holy Job Job 31.1 to make a covenant with your eyes Pray with holy David Psal 119. that God would turn away your eyes from beholding vanity What troops of evil did enter in by his eyes when he suffered them to gaze on a Woman that was washing her self 2 Sam. 11. 7. Above all keeping keep your hearts At the door of every room or faculty set a careful Porter See that the light that is in your understandings be clear representing to you the gloriousness of God the loveliness of heart-purity the hatefulness of filthineâ— of spirit See that your memories set before you your holy profession and high obligations thaâ— your Consciences are truly tender rising against the first risings oâ— sin that your wills stand fully benâ— towards conformity to God thaâ— your affections be pitched Gol. 3.1 and fixed on things above 8. Get an addition to and increase of your stock of habitual Grace The more strong and vigorous the new Man is the less can thoughts which are contrary thereunto get admittance Mat. 12.35 When there is a good treasure in the heart good things will be brought forth most plentifully and evil things be stifled most successfully Covet earnest as the best gifts so the highest degree of graces attainable The more you love fear and delight in the Lord the less can vain thoughts lodge within you 9. Inure and accustom your selves to holy Meditation Your thoughts will be at work Find them still fit edifying subjects to dwell upon Have you not a large field to walk in Let the Attributes Works and Word of God be much in your minds Psal 104.34 So shall your meditation be sweet and you will neither be at leisure for nor yet have an allowance of evil musings 10. Maintain communion with and dependance on the Holy Ghost Though you are not sufficient as of your selves to think well or to prevent evil thinking 2 Cor. 3. â— yet he who proceedeth from the Father and the Son to be a Sanctifier of the very thoughts of the heart is Alsufficient You may do all things and in particular resist evil thoughts Phil. 4.13 so as to find favour with God through the Spirit strengthening you I am apprehensive that learned and diligent Readers are furnished with excellent and enlarged Treatises about the ordering of their thoughts yet I living near to thousands into whose hands these elaborat pieces are not likely to come and believing that small vessels have their use and that the way of the plain is fittest for dim-sighted ones to travel in have communicated these slender thoughts which I shall follow with my prayers that the Lord who seeth mens thoughts would help men to see the evil which hath already been in them and the absolute necessity their Souls stand in of being washed from that wickedness of being supplied from the free full Grace of God in Christ Jesus that their thoughts may carry a sutableness to their profession of Christianity and to their expectation of glory A BRIDLE FOR THE TONGUE Matthew 12.36 But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment SEntences and Sayings
only evil continually This we may write of that forbearance of those in whom evil thoughts lodge will be no acquittance of them The secrets of men shall be produced and laid open Eccles 12. last He who will bring every work into judgment will therewith proceed upon every secret thing Male judicata non judicata Mr. Burgess on the day of judgment Two sorts of things God will be sure to judge things that on earth were mis-judged and things which there were not judged Will not mens faces gather blackness and their hearts be filled with horrour at the great day if all their evil thoughts be charged on them Supposing and hoping that the hearts of some will smite them whose hearts used to entertain thoughts of the worst sort without remorse yea with delight and that they begin to cry out What shall we do What course should persons in our case take I shall leave with them the ensuing Directions 1. Humble your selves as iâ— the fight of the Lord Psal 139 2 3. who hatâ— seen your evil thoughts afar ofâ— even when they were but firâ— forming and conceiving Puâ— your mouths in the dust seeinâ— there is yet hope Let youâ— mourning be free full and coâ—stant not a fitt only but a framâ— That you may nourish your soâ—row let the streams of evâ—thoughts lead you to the spring 〈◊〉 your most evil and polluteâ— hearts cry out that you are unclean unclean guilty and filthâ—â— beyond expression Oh wretcheâ— men and women that you are bâ— reason of a whole body of sinâ— whereof evil musings are members 2. Do not imagine that yoâ— can in the least by your greateâ— sorrows services or sufferings sâ— your selves right in the account 〈◊〉 the Law and Justice of God Can the poor finite payments of your tears answer the demands of Gods infinite Justice which by your thinking evil you have engaged against you It was not washing in Abanah and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus that could cure Naaman of his Leprosie Neither can any such waters as your weepings though very good in their proper place cure your souls and free them from the guilt of sin Your unrighteousness makes you to need a Mediatour your own righteousness if set up in the place of this one and only Mediatour makes you uncapable of benefit by him See Mâ—rton's Orthodox Evangelisâ— on Justification Isai 64.6 All your righteousnesses are but as filthy rags if compared with the exactness of the Law and first Covenant Can rags cover you Can filthy rags cleanse you 3. Run yea fly to the Refuge set before you Cleave to and clasp the arm of Faith about theâ— Lord Jesus Christ and present your selves to his Father throughâ— him He never thought amiss and he hath made such compleat satis faction for those who have thought amiss that upon their union to him and interest in his merit they shall be acquitted His blood cleanseth those who by consent and covenant are his peculiar ones from all sins and so from thought-sins 1 John 1.7 9. Whereas convinced humbled persons because they have multiplied sins of that sort are apt to question whether upon their forsaking them they shall find mercy he hath given them assurance that he will abundantly pardon Isai 55.7 8. and that as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are his thoughts higher than their thoughts 4. Wait and beg hard that the blessed Spirit of God would renew you in the spirit of your minds and having renewed you that he would rest upon you Thoughts and musings do call the Mind Mother Mat. 12.35 Whilest there is an evil treasure there will be a bringing forth of evil thoughts If the root be unholy such will the branches be Till the mind be sound and pure the thoughts will be rotten and impure till the mind be humble and heavenly the prevailing thoughts will be proud and earthly And until the heart be the Temple wherein the Holy Ghost doth reside and reign vain evil thoughts will lodge within you I shall in the last place apply my Doctrine to those who though they have daily and sad experience of their offending in thought yet they can say and say truly that Vain thoughts are intruders and not invited and welcome guests Psal 119. though they have them yet they hate them and dare not harbour them though they sometimes 〈◊〉 make a through-fare and pass through their hearts they dare not lodge them at any time they have a prime care of their first and last their morning and evening thoughts they would as a worthy one prased it shut their hearts with a golden bolt when they sleep and open them with a silver key when they awake they are afraid of thinking their own thoughts on Gods holy day they make conscience of keeping their hearts above all keeping and withall have respect as to this so to all the rest of Gods Commandments Such persons as I have last described may and should chear themselves and whilest they do well in their humiliations they should not do ill in giving way to those dejections which lead to desperation 1. Wherein their case is sad yet it is not singular Evil was present with blessed Paul Rom. 7. even when he would do good Holy David who hated vain thoughts did not say that he had none of them As the Fowls came down upon the Carcases when the Father of the Faithful was sacrificing so do flying and wandring thoughts come down upon or rise up in the spirits of the faithful whilest they are offering spiritual Sacrifices 2. Though others thought-sins are more and greater than theirs yet they are without a sight and sence thereof their thinking evil is sin but their bewailing and watching against evil thoughts is from Grace A room is as full of dust in the night as in the day but it is the day or Sun-light that makes discovery thereof The hearts of godly Mourners abounded with vain and vile thoughts whilest they were in their unregeneracy but their groaning under them and going to the God of Grace for power against them other things being sutable thereto is a consequent of their regeâ—â—â—ition 〈◊〉 Though evil thoughts do 〈◊〉 and disturb them yet 〈◊〉 Lord hath provided a state â—â—herein they shall be wholly rid of them Heaven is that priviledged place where no thing no thought that is unclean can enter The spirits of just men are there made in all points perfect 〈◊〉 12. â—3 Because comfort and duty go best hand in hand and it is by sundry observed that the same word in the Greek doth signifie both though I cannot promise to any that they shall never think evil I shall present before all you whose hearts are set against such thinking several helps which through Grace will prove highly helpful to you Meditate on the infinite Glory and Perfection of God First Help who hath forbidden evil thoughts In Heaven where the Face
affable inviting obliging carriage 3. All speeches that are recreational and tend to the chearing of those with whom we converse must not have idleness laid to their charge Judges 14.12 Sampson had sundry faults but his putting forth a Riddle to his Companions was none I know very many need a bridle to curb them not a spur to hasten them in this particular It is not an ordinary thing for persons to be both merry and wise at once Jesting doth usually border upon foolish talking and accordinglâ— the holy Ghost by the Pen of Paâ—â— doth draw a black line over theâ— both Ephes 5 4. See Bishop Davenant on the Colossiâ—â— page 297 390. and one of the Fathers iâ— quoted as holding Jests in thâ— whole kind abhorrent from thâ— rule of the Church and anotheâ— affirming Nugae in ore facerdotis sunt blasphemiae See Reyner's Rules page 224 225 Rom. 15.2 3. that trifles when in thâ— mouth of a Priest are blasphemies Yet I question not but pleasanâ— speeches may carry profit in them when used sparingly and warily As Pills may be wrapped up in Sugar so wholesom advices and reproofs may be given to some in more delightful language who would not otherwise take them and we may please our neighbours so far as may be to their profit and edification Having shewed on what words the brand of idleness is not to be set Positively I shall shew what words do deserve that brand to wit Words that have no worth in them Maldonate neither can it be reasonably expected that any good effect should flow from them Quae nullam aut audienti aut dicent edificationis utilitatem afferunt Doctor Spurstow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Words that are apparently worse than silence words that neither advantage him that speaks nor them that hear them A learned man observed in mine hearing many years ago that the Greek word translated idle was used among the Jews to denote the year of release the year wherein they neither sowed nor reaped and withall to signifie money which lay by and brought no profit to the owner Though some words considered in the general may be counted indifferent Ieanes second part page 51. yet if in their particular use they be not referred to some good end if they be not in some sort needful or helpful they will be found idle My next work is to evidence that Gods proceeding in judgment against persons for idle words is very reasonable and equitable 1. Reason Idle words are real trangressions they do merit the namâ— and partake of the nature of sinâ— and this appears in that 1. In speaking them person forget and do not intend thaâ— noble end for which they werâ— created and created with such 〈◊〉 choice capacity and ability as thaâ— of speaking is See Doctor Roberts upon Psal 16.9 It is usually noted that the same word in the original which signifies tongue doth signifie glory A mans tongue should be his glory and not his shame and then it is his glory when in its use it is directed to Gods glory 2. In idle speaking there is no little loss or mispending of precious time Ephes 5.16 that golden sand should not run out at waste Time is not to be wasted but wared and husbanded carefully What I have said will serve to justifie the Almighty in his judging men for their idle speeches That which â—s sin though men count it a small sin hath death due to it Rom. 6. ult There is moisture in a little drop of water and heat in a little spark of fire so there is contrariety to the nature and will of God in that which is esteemed a lesser sin Causes of decay of Pity page 140. An elegant Pen hath written that sin is so mortal a venom that the least dose of it is deadly Hell is as certainly acquired and Heaven as certainly forfeited by one sin as many 2. Reason Idle speaking speaketh the heart from which it doth ordinarily issue to be in a sinful state and frame Mat. 12.34 35. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Words are truly said to be to the heart what an Index is to a Book they shew the principal things that are contained in it Si trabs in oculo silva in corde Doctor Spurstow Who can contradict him who cried out If there be a Beam of evil in the tongue there is a Wood in the heart It is said That diseases in the body may be discovered by spots on thâ— tongue to be sure diseases anâ— distempers of the soul may bâ— thereby discerned Vanity iâ— speaking is fathered upon strangâ— children Psal 144.11 upon such as are not savingly acquainted with God 3. Reason The use of idle and vaiâ— speeches doth lay open to anâ— make way for speeches that arâ— notoriously vile and evil Theâ— who would have no corrupt communication proceed out of theiâ— mouthes Eph. 4.29 must take care that theiâ— speech communicate grace to those that hear it Sin is as onâ— saith a speedy graduate Causes of decay page 127. Little Theeves put in at the window seâ— the doors open to all the rest Sin is as a precipice or steep placeâ— where if we once begin to fall Leviter volat Bernâ—â—di floâ—es p. 709. iâ— will not be easie for us to stop Iâ— once the tongue be let loose God only knoweth how far it will run 4. Idle words tend to the hurt of those who hear them The heart of fallen man is very prone to gather vanity to it self and vain discourse doth greatly further it in that bad way it doth draw forth that sin which in the seeds of it before lay hid They who come or talk not together for the better do it for the worse They who gain not by conference are in danger to lose by it Use 1 From the Doctrine which I have taught we may be informed in sundry particulars Branch 1 If idle words be sufficient matter for mens condemnation then idle persons can in their present state look for no other then to be condemned Why stand you all the day idle is a question that should startle the guilty The light of nature hath discovered the evil of idleness Idleness is called the Devils Cushion surely then they that are called to be Saints should be afraid to lye or lean on it Adam when he was in innocency was not to be out of imployment Gen. 2.15 Idleness was one of the sins of Sodom Ezek. 16.49 Idle persons do even tempt the Tempter The Sun shining the Heavens moving the Earth bearing the Waters flowing do all of them accuse the slothful In the sweat of their faces either of their brows or of their brains are all men to eat their bread See the Gentlemans Calling 1 Thes 4.11 2 Thes 3.11 The Gentleman is by a most neat hand lead unto