The Right Government of Thoughts, Tract · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
I Shall ſtay no longer upon this Remedy againſt idle and ſleepy thoughts: by urging to bodily or mental imployment. The next errour of thoughts (as I have obſerved) to be remedied, falls in here, which is a lightneſſe or vanity of our thoughts, in buſying themſelves upon vain objects: ſuch as old wives fables, fictions of Poets, nothings, or things that are nothing worth.
The Remedy is, to chooſe out reall and better things for imagination to work upon: for as are the thoughts, ſo is the man. The body grows into likeneſſe with thoſe things whereon it uſually feeds: So do ſouls into ſimilitude with thoſe things which the imagination daily thinks upon: that man muſt needs be a vain man, whoſe ſtudies and cogitations are vaine: Wherefore as he that would expel wind out of the ſtomack, muſt feed upon ſome wholeſome nouriſhment, which hath vertue in it to expel wind: So he that would expel windy phanſies out of his mind, muſt propound to his conſideration ſome ſerious truths worthy of his Chriſtian thoughts. In this caſe, ſome have thought meet to propound to our conſideration thoſe quatuor noviſſima, Death, the day of Judgement, the joyes of Heaven, and the torments of Hell, to remedy our vain imaginations; and doubtleſſe, thoughts upon ſuch ſerious truths as theſe, would take off our minds from vain things. What if I ſhould beſeech you to think upon the infiniteneſſe of God, the love of Chriſt, the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt? What if I ſhould entreat you to think upon thoſe great works of God, Creation, Providence, Redemption, Sanctification, Preparation and Donation of the Kingdom of Heaven? Would not the thoughts of theſe things force out of your minds, the thoughts of ſtrange gods, ſtrange religions and worſhip? What ſhould the thoughts of heathen gods, as Baal, Moloch, or Aſhtoreth do among theſe: what ſhould Chriſtians ſtudy Romances, Playes, Interludes, Faſhions, vain hiſtories, who have Bibles to look into, and the myſteries of ſalvation to ſtudy, and the duties of Religion to learn and practiſe: hear the Apoſtles advice,Phil. 4. 8. and receive it as an Antidote againſt all vain imaginations: whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are juſt, whatſoever things are pure, whatſoever things are lovely, whatſoever things are of good report: if there be any vertue, and if there be any praiſe, think on theſe things: all things that are true, and honeſt; and juſt, and pure, and lovely, and of good report: vertuous, or praiſe-worthy, are objects of a righteous mans juſt thoughts.
The next vanity of our thoughts to be remedied, is the unſtaiedneſſe, or wandrings of the mind, whereby theſe actions of the mind are unſetled, and whirling from one thing to another without any certainty, like men that ſhoot their arrowes at rovers. The remedy hereof is to fix the mind upon that which is good; when the things we think of are meet for meditations, and contemplative thoughts, the ſoul muſt make a ſtay upon them: it is true, that too much poreing upon one thing, puts our meditations and inventions upon impertinencies, and barrenneſſe, but light and ſhort thoughts vaniſh into nothing, and never produce good effects: this vanity is not ſo eaſily perceived in things natural or civil, as it is when the mind is about things divine; as prayer, hearing of the word of God, meditating thereon, receiving the ſacraments. In theſe things it is moſt difficult to keep to the point, or ſtand at the mark; both by reaſon of Satans cunning and craft, and the ungainneſs and indiſpoſition of the mind unto the buſineſſe, therefore let the wiſe Chriſtian endevour to fix his thoughts upon ſpiritual occaſions. So when the Pſalmiſt was purpoſed to ſing and give thanks, he ſaith, My heart is fixed oh God, my heart is fixed: Pſal. 57. 7. Many heard the ſhepherds relating what was told them by the Angel concerning the Babe Chriſt; and they wondred at the words that were told them, but Mary kept all theſe things, and pondered them in her heart: Luke 2. 18, 19. it is not enough to wonder at Gods words and works, we muſt let him have ſome reaſonable time to ſtay upon our minds, that they make impreſſions: tranſient views, and haſty ſights of things that paſſe by, leave no ſpecies or faſhion of things upon the eye, to transferre to the phantaſie; no more do our ſuddain and haſty thoughts of things, carry any true intelligence of them to the underſtanding, or repreſent them, as they are to the will: the eye that ſeeth things truly, muſt be held to its object, and the mind that profits by things ſpiritual, muſt make a competent ſtay of the thoughts, upon the matter in hand.
And thus when a Chriſtian can in things divine reclaim the mind from wandrings in ſome meaſure, and keep his thoughts to the point, he ſhall by Gods grace prevent with eaſe this errour of unſtayedneſſe, in the matter of his calling: wherein theſe outrunnings, of the thoughts are not ſo dangerous, nor ſo worthy obſervation.
Here let me put in a Caveat, while I labour to remedy the unſtayedneſſe of thoughts, I do not in any wiſe patronize a deadneſſe or drowſineſſe of mind, either in devotions, or in matters civil, I have condemned that as an errour already: living and active thoughts are needful in prayers, and all duties to God; and working imaginations do more often produce honeſt and honourable actions among men: ſtayedneſſe of thoughts is not deadneſſe of them, but reſtraint laid upon their wildeneſſe.
The third vanity of thoughts is, when they are buſied, but to no profitable end; many there are whoſe thoughts are wonderful buſie about the things they intend: yet all to no purpoſe. God is not honoured, the brethren are not edified, themſelves are no way nearer heaven for all their labours: and this vanity appears not only amongſt wicked, and worldly minded men, but alſo amongſt them that would ſeem to be religious, and too often among them that are truly gracious: this may appear in the meetings, and communions of the beſt men, and women, who account their fellowſhip to be good, if harmleſſe; though otherwiſe unprofitable for publick or private good: and if this fault through the cunning of Satan do creep ſo ſlyly into our outward communions, how much more into our inward cogitations: it is a vanity amongſt all kinds of people more or leſſe; to digge to themſelves Ciſterns, that hold no water, to ſow the wind, and to reap chaffe.
For the remedying of this evil of thoughts, look over and examine your thoughts how they look at Gods honour, the good of men, the benefit of thy own ſoul; whatſoever thoughts make not out towards one, or ſome, or all theſe ends, directly, or by conſequent, they are not juſt thoughts: here is much ſpiritual wiſdom required, that a man may ſee to the end of his thoughts, and know what profit is like to come in by them: the Preacher notes it,Eccleſ. 2. 14. that a wiſe mans eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkneſſe: ignorant and wicked men, follow their own imaginations, and as they that are in darkneſſe, they walk on, and know not where they ſhall fall, but a Righteous man turns again upon his own thoughts, and Queſtions, Cui bono? to what end are theſe thoughts within my heart? will they bring in any glory to God, any good to the Church, any peace or comfort to my ſelf, here or hereafter: if none away with them, why ſhould my unprofitable thoughts cauſe me to offend? if they will be honourable to God, and Religion, profitable to myſelf, and others: my heart ſhall ſtay upon them, and I will purſue the accompliſhment of them unto the end.
Wherefore when thoughts ariſe in thy mind, examine them, whither they would, if they be bound for heaven let them go on, yet look to them, that they keep the way: for many ſet out towards heaven in their morning thoughts, but loſe themſelves and their way before night; it will not be amiſſe oftentimes to demand of thy ſelf (whether in the riſings or progreſſions of thy thoughts) are theſe thoughts ſuch as make for my ſalvation: ſhall I be of the ſame mind, hereafter as I am now: is God of my mind, is my opinion now according to the rule of Gods word: would I judge thus, think thus, be of this mind; if I were now to anſwer, and give up my laſt account unto Jeſus Chriſt, the righteous Judge of quick and dead, who will render unto every man according to the things done in the body: thoſe thoughts which wil not endure this arraignment, ſuſpect them that they will prove unprofitable to thee in the end; and reſolve them into better.
Saint Paul ſaith, that charity thinks no evil,1 Cor. 13 5 a righteous man is a charitable man, and therefore will not imagine or deviſe any thing that is unprofitable, or hurtful to his brother: the thoughts of the righteous are juſt, and therefore he deviſeth liberal things, for God, and for them that are Gods; his thoughts are juſt to God, giving him honour, juſt to man, giving to every man that which is his due: juſt to himſelf; not ſo much taking careMat. 6. 31. 33. for what he ſhall eat, or drink, or wherewith he ſhal be clothed, as ſeeking the kingdom of heaven, and the righteouſneſſe thereof.
But here an admonitition may be ſeaſonably put in (though by what hath been ſaid already; the judicious may take cognizance of it) which is, that righteous men muſt not think only how they may profit themſelves: he that thinks in his thoughts to pleaſe himſelf only, will not truly endeavour in his courſe to profit all men: in this caſe 'tis good advice,Phil. 2. 4. look not every one of his own things, but every one on the things of others: ſo the Apoſtle more purpoſely.1 Cor. 10. 33. I pleaſe all men in all things; not ſeeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be ſaved.
Again, let others be admoniſhed, that they do not think their endeavours and ſtudies to be unprofitable unleſſe they be ſingular, and above others of their own rank. Surely, if we would labour to know with ſobriety, we ſhould be more profitable to others, and leſſe troubleſome unto our ſelves: an affectation of ſingularity, is but the pride of a mans heart, and ſuch uſually to get applauſe for ſomething of rare invention neglect the more profitable employment of their thoughts, about their calling.
And now we will proceed and preſcribe a remedy to the fourth vanity of thoughts, which appears in their confuſion and diſorder.
The remedy muſt be to ſuit and order our thoughts according to our buſineſſe, with reſpect to time and place, and perſons, the imagination is infinitely fruitful: and to order all her conceptions, conſervations, compoſitions, ſeperations, creations of new ſpecies, productions of them into thoughts and propoſitions of them to the mind and will, would be a labour too buſie for me to meddle with, in this caſe I muſt leave the work to every judicious Chriſtian, to conſult with the rule of Gods word, according to the emergencies of his thoughts, yet I humbly conceive that this remedy preſcribed againſt the confuſion of thoughts, may be of much uſe and benefit.
Conſider then what is the buſineſſe thou art about, humane or divine; and let thy thoughts be compoſed to attend upon it: divine thoughts ſuit with divine works: and humane thoughts with humane buſineſſe, while all things are done to the glory of God: to this purpoſe, referre that of Salomon; Eccleſ. 9. 10. whatſoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.
Conſider the time, whether holy by divine appointment, by publick or private deſtination, or permitted to common labours of thy calling.
Let not Sabbaths and dayes of humiliation be prophaned with common thoughts; holy thoughts are for holy Sabboths: thoughts of mourning are for dayes of faſting and prayer; thoughts of rejoycing in the Lord, for dayes of feaſting, and thankſgiving: and thoughts of thy calling, for dayes of work, and trading.
So for holy places and aſſemblies, holy thoughts are ſuitable, and in all things which thou haſt to do, conſider thy own calling, and chiefly mind thine own buſineſſe,2 Theſ. 3. 11. a buſie body in other mens matters, is of no good report in the Scriptures; the thoughts of ſuch perſons are as confuſed and diſorderly, as the buſineſſe of their lives; attend what thou doſt, and what is meet for thee to do, in time and place, and I am perſwaded thy thoughts will be leſſe confuſed and more orderly.