A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Conclusion
THE CONCLUSION Of the VVhole, With Motives & Rules for the keeping of Thoughts RIGHT.
S…ct. I.
Exhort… …to ſelf re… …ion by and …pon our ThoughtsANd thus having given Rules for the Tryal or …houghts, and certain Schewes of ſuch Thoughts as are according to Rule; Let me earneſtly Exhort Thee, O Reader, to think ſeriouſly of thy Thought, That Thou mayeſt know what to think of thy Self, and what God thinks of Th…e.
For as man Excel…s not other Creatures in ſeeing, hearing,For, No… Aper Auditu, Sphynx viſu, fimia guſtu, &c. Pro. 12, 26 Verſe 5 taſting, &c. but in Thinking; So therefore is the Righteous ſaid to be more Excellent then his Neighbour, in this ſame Chapter where the Thoughts of the Righteous are ſaid to be Right; for …herein a Good man excells Another, more then another excells a Beaſt, For even man th t is in honour and conſidereth not, is like the Beaſts that periſh, Pſal. 49, 29ſaith the Pſalmiſt. Therefore ſaith he to God Conſider my Meditation, and if God conſider our Thoughts, Pſalm 2, …it concerns us ſure to Conſider them; And therefore ſaith alſo of Himſelf, The Meditation of my Heart ſhall be conſideration, Pſal. 49, 2or Anim-adverſion (for ſo the word ſignifies as well as understanding) and ſo may refer to the Reflex Acts of the mind upon it ſelf,ab eâdem Rad. as well as its direct Acts upon other Things.
Sect. II.
ANd yet alas ſuch is the Corruption of mans Mind by Nature, that few can be found free to think of their Thoughts, except it be corruptly to think them FREE:
But yet They that are Partakers foreign of a Divine Nature, (to ſpeak with Scripture) will bear ſome Reſemblance of the Divine Mind which begets in it ſelf the expreſs Image of it ſelf (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) by ſelf-Reflexion.2 Pet 1 4 Hebr: 1 3And as the Internal begotten WORD was the Eternal Delight of the DIVINE MIND,Prov. 8:30 (I was daily his DELIGHT.) So if Thou make it thy Daily Buſineſs conſcientiouſly to converſe with the hidden man of thine Heart, 1 Pet. 3, 4in this Excellent way of ſelf Reflexion;Levit. 11, 3 This will be not onelyonly as the Chewing of the Cuà in the Levitical Law, a ſigne unto thee of a clean Heart, but will alſo embalm thy Soul, as it were, with a certain Divine delight, a Caeleſtial ſerenity and ſatisfaction.
Sure I am that the beſt Chriſtians do find themſelves ſhorteſt fed with Spiritual Ioy, when through Sin, Sloth, or Diſsuetude they are leaſt Wont or willing to turn in to themſelves by this ſelf-R flexion.
The hidden Manna is meat for the hidden Man, Revel. 2 1…and thou muſt turn in there if thou wouldeſt taſt of Gods Daintyes. Chriſt will not ſup with Thee, except He find thee at home,Revel: 3.20 I will come in to Him (ſaith Chriſt) and ſup with him; And therefore if Thou wouldeſt ſup with Chriſt, Thou muſt alſo turn in to Thy ſelf. The ſtranger (to God and the stranger to himſelf) doth not intermeddle with this Ioy.Prov. 14, 1…
And now hopeing, good Reader, that this little Treatiſe will find thee thus at home, and All well there; I ſhall onelyonly adde a few helps for the keeping Thoughts Right, (for it is not enough that the Watch be well ſet, but it muſt be well kept.)
1. In ſome moving Notional Conſiderations.
2. In ſome practical Rules.
Of each of theſe very briefly, and ſo we ſhall ſhut up all.
I. Motive to Right Thoughts.
1. Motive to Right Thoughts Pſal. 146 3COnſider that as thy Pulſe ſo thy Thoughts will be always Stirring to thy Dying D…y. Now what is alwayes in Motion had need be well Ordered.Thought… will be always ſtiring If thy Thoughts boyl not up with a good matter, Pſalm 57, 21as the Pſalmiſts did, they will be as the Raging Sea that cannot reſt, Iſaia. 57, 20but is ſtill …aſting up Mire and Dirt. Iſaia 57 20Though Thou canſt not always … waking, yet thou canſt Sin ſleeping, becauſe thou canſt Think ſleeping, and we have ſeen that the very thought of fooliſhneſs is ſin. As in the Law,Prov: 24, 9 a Man might be unclean by that which happened in the Night, Deut. 23:10ſo our Thoughts may drop defilement upon our Conſciences when we are aſleep in our beds: And Oh let this Conſideration awaken us to Repentance even for Thought-ſins of our ſleep!
'Tis the Policie of Princes to keep working HEADS well imployed, and ſo muſt we deal with our working HEARTS.
II. Motive.
NExt Conſider what a Clorious Theme for thy Thoughts,2. Motiv… Gl…rious Theme for thy Thoughts God hath provided (even All GOOD in One) in that ſhort and ſweet Rule, Heb: 12, 2, 3CONSIDER JESUS (in whom are hid all the Treaſures of Wiſdom and Knowledge.Coloſ. 2, 3
Astronomy doth but ſurvey a Dung-hil, for Stars are but Dirty Clods in compariſon of that Glory that lyes within Reach of the ASTROLABE of thy Thoughts if thou do but Rightly conſider JESVS.
Truth is, 'tis a wonder a Chriſtian can much think of any thing for thinking of his Chriſt, but that we are ſo much Corruption, and ſo little Chriſtian. Saint Paul could hardly do it; perhaps He forgat his Cloak at Troas, when he left it behind him; yet he had not, good man, much elſe to think of but the Cloaths to his back. But however, we are ſure that we find him wrapping himſelf up, almoſt every other line, in the warm Thoughts of a JESUS. Bleſſed Soul! ſtrip him to the Back, or rip up his Boſom,Gal. 6, 17 there you ſtill find the marks of the Lord JESUS. And here methinks I could even forget my ſelf, As 'tis ſaid Cal…is might have been read in Qu. Ma…yes heart if it had it been ript upand run along in my Thoughts with this ſweet Apoſtle, but that I muſt not forget my Reader, for 'tis time to be haſtening towards a Concluſion.
III: Motive.
AGain▪ Conſider that to keep thy Thoughts Right,3 Motive Ke…p Right Th…ugh…s & they will keep thee right: is the way to keep Thee ſo. My Life for thine, He that keeps his Thoughts Right, ſhall never die Traitour to God or the King. Not to the King; for Curſe not the King no not in thy Thought, ſaith the Rule of Righteouſneſs. Not to God, for Right Thoughts will yield the Fruits of Righteouſneſs. Fruits of the Lips, My Heart is Inditing a good matter, Pſal. 45, 1I will ſpeak of the things I have made touching the King, my Tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer, Pſa: 119, 15ſo ſaith the Pſalmiſt. And the Fruit of good living; I will meditate (ſaith He▪ in thy Precepts, and have Reſpect unto thy Wayes. and again, I have remembred thy Name, Verſe 55,and have kept thy Law.
IIII. Motive.
4. Motive Right Thoughts will yield peaceable FruitANd laſtly Conſider, That Right Thoughts will yield as the Fruits, ſo the Peaceable Fruits of Righteouſneſs. For theſe are thy fair Evidences that thou art in Gods Books (as we ſay proverbially of One highly favoured) that Thou art one of his Iewels; Mal. 3, 16for a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that Thought upon his Name; And they ſhall be mine, Verſe 17ſaith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my Jewel…. And how ſhould We count and ke…p that as Our peculiar Treaſure, in reſpect of which God counts Us ſo.
And therefore in the II. place to Direct thee.
I. Practical Rule.
THe Firſt Practical Rule for the Keeping of Right Thoughts,1. Practical Rule. is Diligent and daily R…pentance of Evil Thoughts,Repent of evil Thoughts, what ſaith the Apoſtle? Repent & pray God if perhaps the Tho…ghts of thine heart may be forgiven Thee, Acts 8, 22And O what cauſe of deep Humiliation for our Thought ſins is here, that the very Thought of a mans Heart may bring a Man to a peradventure or a Perhaps whether ever He may be forgiven.
What ſaith Iohn Baptist? Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for Repentance, Matth. 3, 8and think not to ſay within your ſelves, &c. Hence thus much is Evident, that where Fruits mee… for Repentance are brought forth, Evil Thoughts are expelled and caſt forth. Now as nothing can baniſh Darkneſs but Light, ſo can nothing expell Evil Thoughts but Good Thoughts.
And as the Ablaqucation and laying of the Roots bare in the time of year, is the way to make Trees bring forth Fruit well in their ſeaſon; ſo the laying Our Hearts bare in the ſight of God by Confeſsion, Compunction, Contrition, deep Humiliation for our Evil Thoughts is one way to be fruitful and abounding in Good ones.
II. Practical Rule:
2 Practical Rule 2 Sa. 13, 20 Make the evil of thine heart ſubſervient to thy good thoughtsNExt, as the Iſraelites went down to the Philiſtines to ſharpen every man his Share, and his Colter, and his Axe, and his Mattock, becauſe they would not ſuffer a Smith in Iſrael; So deal with the Corruption of thy Nature, that would not ſuffer One goo Thought in thy Soul. Whet thy Thoughts for good by that very Contrariety that is in thee to good, For inſtance.
Thou complaineſt that ſuch is the corruption of thy Nature, that thou canſt not of thy ſelf think one Good Thought; Why, Think then of the Corruption of thy Nature, and even this Thought well followed, ſhall be a Good Thought in Thee, and a Good Thought for thee.
Thou complaineſt that thou canſt not think of Heaven for the thoughts of Earth, and of things below; why, think of theſe things, onelyonly think of them aright (viz;) as Gods Word, and thy Reaſon and thy Senſe tell thee,Pſalm 8, 6 as what God hath placed under thy fe…t (as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks) Let me tell thee that Right Thoughts of Earth, and of things below, may help not hinder thy thoughts of Heaven.
In Nature, the ambient Winter-cold makes Springs in the Bowels of the Earth, (they ſay) the hotter. Mans Heart is a Spring, and Thoughts are its flowings, and thus David (we have ſeen) waxed hot with muſing, Pſa. 39, 1, 3while the wicked were before him. God can make Corruption of Nature ſubſervient to Grace; as Ioſhua ſaid of the Canaanites, they are Bread for us, Num: 14, 9God can make the very Evil of our Hearts to be Food and Fewel to our Good Thoughts.
III: Practical Rule.
NExt,3 Practical Rule Heave at thine h…art Num. 15, 20 Heave daily at thine Heart, for our Thoughts are our Heave Offerings. Lift at thine Heart as they do at a great Stone or piece of Timber which is, by raiſing, to be laid into the Buildi… VntoUnto thee O Lord, do I lift … Soul ſaith holy David.)Pſal. 25, 5
But then ſtill Remember that of thy ſelf thou art not ſufficient to think any thing (aright) as of thy ſelf Therefore Pray in aid of the Spirit, But not in thine own ſtrength,pray for the Spirit to help thee to right Thoughtswhoſe work it is (as in Prayer ſo) in Meditation foreign to lift with us, and to help us to lift. And Pray in Faith of that Promiſe, the Holy-Ghoſt, John 14 2…whom the Father will ſend in my Name, ſhall bring All things to your Remembrance, that is, Good Thoughts to your minds. And here let me deſire thee carefully to Remember this, That, if Gods Spirit do not,Acts 5 3 Satan will be filling thine Heart.
The very Firſt Petition in the Lords Prayer teacheth us to pray for Right Thoughts, for by theſe we ſanctify the Lord God in our Hearts. Iſaia. 8.13 1 Pet. 3:15And therein alſo to pray for the Sanctifying Spirit, whom God hath promiſed to give to them that ask him.Lu…e 11, 13
be thankful for right thoughtsAnd further, be ſure to be thankful to God, when he helps thee to be thoughtful of that which is Good; in this ſenſe, Give thanks at the Remembrance of his Holineſs, Pſalm 30, 4even when he helps thee to Remember it. Humble thankfulneſs for what we have is a cleanly way of begging for more.
And that thou mayeſt always be full of good thoughts, Labo…r for holy a fectionsImplore Gods Grace to fill thee with thoſe ſanctifyed Affections that carry the Key, and command of the Thoughts, (viz.) Holy Fear and Love.
For the Firſt of theſe,Fear even ſlaviſh Fear can carry the thoughts before it (the Mariners in a ſtorm can eaſily think of their Danger) And ſhall not an holy and Filial fea…? they feared the Lord, Jonah 1, 5Malac. 3, 16and (ſaith the Text) they thought upon his Name.
And as for Love, and Loveas the Holy Fire under the Frying pan made the Oyl of the Oblation to bubble and boyl up, Levit 2.7 Cacabus à Rad. Hebr. ebullivit,(which is the Pſalmiſts very word) Holy Love is this Fire that makes Thoughts boyl up, for the very firſt word of that Pſalm which is entitled a Song of Love, Pſalm 45, …is this, My heart boileth up with a good matter.
Experience tells us that the affectionate and tender Mother can leave her thoughts behind her at home with her ſucking Child when ſhe goes abroad.Animus eſt non ubi animat, ſed ubi amat. Thus worldly Love will have worldly thoughts, and Gracious Love will have Gracious thoughts. Oh how I love thy Law! Pſ ….19, 97it is my Meditation all the day. And 'tis a ſigne Holy Love is but weak and feeble, when holy thoughts are but faint and few.Deut…. 6, 5
And here let the Reader moſt carefully obſerve, that where Moſes layes down the First and great Commandment, thou ſhalt Love the Lord thy God, onelyonly in three words, with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Might (or ſtrength.) Our Saviour (repeating the Law) ads a Fourth,Mat 22, 37 Mark 17 30 Luke 10, 27 (viz.) foreign, ex omni Cogitatione (ſo Bez. & vulg. &c.) with all thy Thought or Mind, plainly enough ſuggeſting unto us, that the Strength of the Heart cannot be reckoned as engaged to the Love of God, where the Thoughts of the Heart are not drawn Out by it.
And therefore labour to aſcertain and to clear up thine Intereſt in God, and Chriſt,Mark 12.30 and Heavenly things daily more, and more, for Chriſt ſaith not where Anothers, but where your treaſure is, there will your heart be alſo, Luke 10. …7for as Intereſt raiſeth Love, Love hath power to leavy Thoughts, and to keep them in readineſs for its uſe and ſervice,Luke 12, 34 ſo that if thy Treaſure be in Heaven, there will thine heart be alſo.
IIII. Laſt Practical Rule,
Laſtly,4 Practical Rule, Begin thy Dayes and Weeks with Right thoughts Exod. 12, 1 As the Iſraelites were to reckon their Beginning of Months from the time of their Deliverance, ſo let the Thoughts of thy DELIVERER ſtill begin both thy Weeks and thy Dayes; John 20 …for it was both upon the Firſt of the Week, and of the Day, that our Bleſſed Lord Roſe again from the Dead, and We muſt imp …our Thoughts, if we would help their flight,Colloſ. 3, 1 upon the wing of Our Saviours Reſurrection.
Revel. 1, 10S. Iohn was in the Spirit on the LORDS-DAY, that is, on the Firſt of the Week, for it is generally confeſt that the Firſt day of the Week was as well known, by the Primitive Chriſtians in the Apoſtolical Age, by the Name of the Lords-Day, as any other day was or is, by Iews or Gentiles, known and diſtinguiſhed by any other Name.
Thus did the dear Diſciple begin the Week, and thus did Holy David ſtill begin the day, whoſe conſtant courſe was to take his flight for Heaven on the wings of the Morning, (when I was awake (ſaith he to God) I am ſtill with thee.)Pſa. 139, 18 And thus ſhould the Firſt-…ings of the flock of our Thoughts befor God ſtill,Geneſ 4, 4 ſtill; Firſt ſeek the Kingdom of God, that is, not onelyonly above All, but alſo every Week,Matth 6, 33 and every Day, firſt of All.
Of all the Ten there is but One Commandment that begins with a REMEMBER, O forget not t…at.Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. This is the ſtanding Law, commanding one Day, or Seaventh part of the Week, (bleſſed of God above all the reſt) to be set a part for God, for ſo alſo the Commandment ends, the Lord Bleſſed the Sabbath Day, Verſe 11and hallowed it. The Perpetual obligatorineſs of which Law is ſtrongly aſſerted by the Learned Hooker, Hookers eccleſi…ſt…al Policie▪and declaredly owned by the Church of England, there being ſubjoyned to the publick reading of this fourth Commandment, as well as of the reſt,See alſo the Hom. of …e Place and Time, &c. a Lord have mercy upon us, and encline our Hearts to keep this Law. And if in Words we confeſs this Law, O let not our Works deny it.Titus 1, 16
Now as the SON of God, being Maker both of the Firſt Creation and Sabbath, for by Him were All things made, John 1, 3and without Him was nothing made that was made, (as we have already ſeen) Firſt Bleſſed that Day wherein He first Reſted, for the Commemoration of that Firſt and Glorious work of his; So after that He became the SON of MAN, being ſtill LORD of the SABBATH,Mark 2, 28 He hath dignifyed the Firſt Day of the Week with the glorious Title of the LORDS-DAY, having Reſted therein from a greater work (viz.) the Suffering and ſtate of Death, which was the laſt and Finiſhing Work of his ſtate of Humiliation, and therein bleſſed & hallowed it for our Commemoration of the more glorious work of Redemption. For as the glory of the latter Temple, Mag… 2, 9was greater then that of the former, becauſe Chriſt was more manifeſtly to appear in it, it may be (as truly & for the ſame reaſon) ſaid of Gods Wormanſhip, Ephe…: 2, 10created in CHRIST IESUS unto good works, that the glory of the New Creature excells that of the Old, for the more manifeſtation of Chriſt, ſtill the more Glory, till at laſt He ſhall come to be perfectly glorifyed in his Saints, and admired in all them that believe; 2 Theſ, 1, …0For herein hath he obſignated, and given an undubitable pledge of that REST or SABBATISM,Hebr: 4, 9 that remains for the People of God, when (upon the general Reſurrection of their Bodyes) they ſhall Eternally reſt from Sin and Death, for Christ is Riſen as the Firſt Fruits of them that ſleep, 1 Cor 15, 20and therefore (ſaith He) thy Dead Men ſhall live, Iſaia. 26, 19together with my Dead Body ſhall they ariſe, for becauſe I LIVE,John 14, 10 Ye ſhall live alſo.
To allude then to that Word of our Saviour,John 12, 32 When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to me (and indeed when the King is up & gone, 'tis not for the Courtiers to loyter and lag behind) O methinks this Reſurrection of Chriſt ſhould DRAVV All our Hearts & thoughts to him. Coloſ. 3, 1If we then be Riſen with Chriſt (ſaith the Apoſtle) Let us ſeek thoſe things that are above, Pſalm 24, 7and then eſpecially when He aroſe Then Lift up your heads, O ye gates, Pſal. 110, 7and be ye lift up ye Everlaſting Doors, for this day did your deareſt Lord lift up that head from the Conquered Grave,Iohn 19.30 which He bowed before upon that bitter Croſs, that as his Death was the Death of our Sins, ſo his Reſurrection might be the life of our Souls. This, this is the day that Our Lord hath made, Pſal 118, 24We will Rejoyce and be glad in it; Every other Sun-Riſing can make another Day,…lac. 4, 1 but it is onelyonly the Riſing of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, with healing in his wings, that made the Day we ſtile the LORDS DAY, and therefore when the Burthen of the Week (for ſufficient to every day is the Evil thereof) hath made our ſh…ulders ſh…ink,Mala 16, 3 and gall'd our back, this bleſſed Day takes off the Burthen, and layes on the Balm, heals the aking Heart, Relieves the weary Thoughts, and (in a word) it brings Heaven half down to us, and takes us half up to Heaven.
Wherefore, good Reader, let thine Early Thoughts and Spicie Meditations begin every morning of this bleſſed Day (as the good Women in the Goſpel) with a gracious and holy viſit of thy Saviours Sepulchre, Luke 24.1, 6till the Heavenly Ordinances of that Day proclaim to thee, as the Angels to them, He is not here, but is riſen, John 14, …and is gone before thee, to prepare a place for thee, that he may come again and receive thee, that where He is, there mayeſt thou he alſo.
And as the Firſt day of each Week thus employed will ſanctify unto thee the reſt of the Week, ſo will the First of each day, the reſt of the Day; When by a Sun-beam thou canst climbe to God, We bert in Temple,as Divine Herbert moſt ſweetly expreſſeth it.
And now having found thee with Him and Holy David in the Morning,Cloſe thy dayes with good thoughts I would chuſe to leave thee with Iſaak in the Evening, who was wont at that time to go out to MEDITATE, That as God is Alpha and Omega of all things, He may be the Beginning and the End of thy Thoughts, for with Him it is that this little Book both deſignes and deſires to leave Thee.
Amen, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Faithful Teate, A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs (1666)