The Right Government of Thoughts, Title page 1 – Tract

The Right Government of Thoughts · Title page 1 – Tract

The Right GOVERNMENT OF THOUGHTS: OR, A Diſcovery of all vain, unprofitable, idle, and wicked THOUGHTS; With Directions for the Getting, Keeping, and Governing of good THOƲGHTS. Digeſted into Chapters for the eaſe of the READER. Whereunto are added four Sermons: By the Reverend JOHN ANGEL, ſometimes Lecturer at Leiceſter.

Prov. 4. 23.

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it, are the iſſues of life.

London, Printed for Nath. Ekins, and are to be ſold at his Shop, at the Sign of the Gun in S. Pauls Church-yard, 1659.

CHRISTIAN READER.

THe Almighty wiſe God hath in divers and ſundry manners ſpoken unto men, that they might know him and his Sonne Jeſus Chriſt, and knowing, might believe in, him, and worſhip him according to his will, to the ſaving of their ſoules: To this purpoſe we have the Scriptures, which are Gods written Rule of Faith, and Life unto us; the miniſtery of men (not of men, but by men) as a ſtanding Ordinance in the Church untill Chriſt come; and the writings of godly and induſtrious men, as adjutory helps. But men have ſought out ſtrange inventions, and that naturall imagination (bordering betwixt ſenſe and reaſon) which is in all men, works out it ſelf in various wayes of oppoſition to revealed truth.

This diſcourſe aymes, to give a ſtop to our walking contrary unto God, in our firſt ſettings out to Sin; which (on this ſide naturall corruption) begin at our thoughts.

I have ſometimes wondred to ſee how buſie Satan is in his inſtruments, whoſe Fancies comply with his ſuggeſtions, to ſubvert the truth once delivered to the Saints. But I check my ſelf again, when I conſider that he is Satan, an adverſary to God and Chriſt, and the ſalvation of men, and that mens imaginations are fruitful wombes, impregnated by Satan, and numerous in their births, as the Serpents in their ſpawne. Amongſt other his wiles, I would immind every good Chriſtian, that in nothing, to my apprehenſion, the enemy and his party have prevailed more againſt the truth, and with the fancies of men in our late times, then by diſputing the many doctrines of the Goſpel, in Pulpit, in preſſe, in open, and private Aſſemblies, and that in an irregular way, betwixt weak defendants, and wrangling Sophiſters (it may be) Jeſuites, or men of Jeſuited principles; for in an orderly way, by them that know how to diſtinguiſh, and before them that are wiſe, I am no oppoſer of diſputations, that the truth may be manifeſted, and not ſubverted. But otherwiſe, theſe are the Civill warres raiſed in the Church, and fomented by the ſeditious, to divide the Kingdom of Chriſt againſt it ſelf, and bring it to nothing. By this way of contention (eſpecially before them that are weak) we have ſeen heaps upon heaps: It's time to grow wiſe for the cauſe of Chriſt, and for our ſelves, leſt we ſuffer theſe ſtumbling ſtones to lye ſo long in the way of weak Chriſtians, that at laſt they be bedded, as in their proper place, and will not be removed with all our might: Ye have ſometimes ſeen a ſtone caſt into a poole, move a little Circle at the fall, which after multiplies, and widens it ſelf to the bank ſide. We ſometimes find the original of errour to be very ſmall, like a very Center, which inlargeth it ſelf to a circumference, ſuch as imagination will make it; and ſuch ſtrange thoughts are lodged in mens minds, by theſe means, that they are haunted ever after with them, as ſome houſes are ſaid to be with ſpirits of the night. Sober men wiſh that ſome proviſions were made, for the ſafety of ſoules againſt theſe ſpirits: its poſſible, if they that are in power, would be carefull in ſuch a work, their own lives might be bound up in ſuch a proviſion.

But, Gentle Reader, Thou ſhalt not need to fear any ſuch queſtions of doubtful diſputation in this ſhort Treatiſe: here is nothing but ſober and uncontroverted truths, ſuch as may adminiſter Grace unto thee, by the bleſſing of God upon thy reading: Thou ſhalt have nothing here leading to a ſtrange God, or another worſhip, but that which may be profitable to all Chriſtians, though of divided intereſts, whoſe minds are not blocked up with prejudice againſt the ſober writings of men. This tract teacheth the government of thy own thoughts aright; a government of principal concernment to all men; for hence ariſe, as from their ſpring-head, both words and works of men, and the whole frame of Chriſtian Converſation: if therefore this fountain be clean, the iſſues will be more pure, and if any can ſo purge himſelf of all filthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit, that his very thoughts are juſt, it muſt be granted, that ſuch an one hath a Virgin-ſoule, and is perfect, pro ſtatu viatoris, as a travailer to heaven, though not as one actually poſſeſſed in heaven. And for this end I commend this book to thy reading, and meditating thoughts. Beſides, it is an argument rarely handled in print (for ought I know) ſome indeed have brief and accidental notions upon it, but purpoſed tracts of this ſubject, are few in our Engliſh Tongue; and therefore let it be thought the rather uſeful to the Church of God, and a ſubject more fit for that accompliſhed ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt, to appeare by in the world again: now he is abſent from the body, and preſent with the Lord.

The Authour of this ſmall Tract was Mr. John Angel, who had been twenty years together Lecturer at Leiceſter, and approved by all that knew him, to be a man mighty in word and doctrine, though at laſt clouded by ſome malevolent aſpects upon him, occaſioned (as it is ſaid) not for vice or hereſie, but non-engagement; yet Governments, as men, have their mortalities; and God, who knew to uſe his ſervant in ſeveral places, ſtirred up the hearts of a religious people at Grantham in Lincolnſhire, to ſet him up a Candleſtick there, where he ſhone as a burning light, untill God tranſlated him, to ſhine above as a ſtar for ever and ever.

Here, moreover, are no high ſwelling words to amuſe the Reader, but a grave and a plain ſtile ſuited to all, but eſpecially to them that are of lower forms in the School of Chriſt, for the government of their thoughts. I commend it? therefore, to thy reading for the Authours ſake, and for thy ſafety in the reading of it; as alſo for the rarity of the ſubject, the general concernment that it is of, and for the plainneſſe of the matter and method thereof. And I leave thee to the Grace of God the Father, and of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.

By him who is a Servant of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and of all that love him in ſincerity, T. B.

THE CONTENTS.

p. 1The right GOVERNMENT Of THOUGHTS.