Right Thoughts, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Sheweth how Self Diſcovery is to be had and made: bewails Self-Ignorance; Perſwades to Self-ſtudying and Self-acquaintance.
Sect. I.
COgito, ergo ſum, Thinking the Evidence of Being.is a prime Concluſion with the modern and ingenious Philoſopher. Thinking is the ſureſt proof of Being. For ſince Operation doth certainly ſuppoſe Eſſence, Man doth moſt certainly conclude his Being from that Operation that he is moſt certain of. I cannot ſo ſurely conclude I am, becauſe I walk, or talk, or eat, or drink, or ſee, or hear; for I may be deceived as to theſe Operations; ſenſes are not ſeldom deluded; Phantaſie obtrudes falſity; A man dreams and thinks he eats (ſaith the Prophet) and awakes and his ſoul is empty: Iſa. 29.8.Man is not ſo ſure he eats when he thinks he eats, as he certainly knows he thinks, when he thinks he thinks; and if he be ſure he thinks, he is ſure he Is, for Thinking is an Operation and flows from Being.Right-thoughts of a right-Spirit Acts 8.21. Pſal. 51.10 Prov. 23.7
And as naked Thinking is the ſureſt argument of meer Being, ſo is well-thinking (if our Text be true) an Evidence of Well-being, Right Thoughts (as this Scripture calls them) of a Right Heart and a Right Spirit (as other Scriptures call it,) for (ſaith the Holy-Ghoſt) As a man Thinketh in his heart, So is He.
Sect. II.
Self-ſight how to be had. 1 Cor. 2.11 Epheſ. 5.13NOw this Self-ſight or Self-diſcerning, as it is only to be had and made in the Looking-glaſs of thine one Thoughts, ſo only by the Eye of thine own ſoul, for what man knows (ſaith the Apoſtle) the things of a man, ſave the Spirit of man that is in him? Yet muſt that Light, that makes manifeſt, be held rightly to thee, even the Word of God which is quick and powerfull and is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: Hebr. 4.12. 2 Cor. 2.10ſo alſo muſt that Spirit, that ſearcheth all things, give thee viſive power, and help thee in the ſearch, (as David ſaith,Pſ. 193.23 Search mee, O God, and know mine heart, try me, and know my thoughts.) For this is the Spirit of Wiſdome and Revelation (ſaith the Apoſtle) not only in the knowledge of God, Epheſ. 1.17 and 18but alſo for our ſelves; that the eyes of our underſtandings being enlightned, we may know not only what is the hope of his calling, but alſo what is his working in us. Wherefore, Reader, though the Author know not what thy ſpiritual ſtate is, yet for the loves ſake he bears thy ſoul which he knows to be ineſtimably pretious, moſt earneſtly deſirous he is to meet and help thoſe ſelf-diſcovering Thoughts of thine, by theſe few Thoughts of His, here preſented to thy view, and to thy value no farther than they carry the Evidence of that Word which ſhall judg thee at the laſt day; Jo. 12.48.Praying that as thou readeſt,1 Jo. 2.20. thou may'ſt receive an unction from the Holy One, that knowing all things, thou mayeſt not be ignorant of thy ſelf.
Sect. III.
TH Scripture ſaith,Eccleſ. 2.14. Pro. 17.24. The wiſe mans eyes are in his head, but the fools eyes are in the end of the earth. How many How do …ou's do many make (for which they will one day make a ſad account) without beſtowing one poor hour in a MonethMonth or year in a profitable How do You upon their own ſouls, which if thou thy ſelf neglecteſt, though I might ſay (with the Prophet) Who ſhall pitty thee? Jerem. 15.5who ſhall bemoan thee? Who ſhall go aſide to ask thee, How thou do'ſt? yet (me thinks) it greatly pitties me for the multitude of Our Wandring Jews (miſcalled Chriſtians) that gad like Dinah, Gen. 34.12.or rather flee from themſelves, and the preſence of the Lord like Cain, whoſe feet abide not in the houſe, their own heart,Pr. v. 7.12. Pſal. 78.33 nay ſcarcely their own home; but their dayes are conſumed in vanity (as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks) betwixt making and ſhewing themſelves fine and brave. But Oh, have not ſuch heard,Jude 13 have they not known that for wandring Stars (though they glitter like them for a ſeaſon) there is yet reſerved a blackneſs of darkneſs for ever; ſurely the Lord will ſay to ſuch as now depart from themſelves depart from me; to ſuch as know not themſelves,Mat. 7.23 I know you not.
O how diligent is the Tradeſman in his Counting-Houſe? Pro. 27.13.and the Country-Man in knowing the ſtate of his Flocks? How anxious are Thouſands about Titles, Evidences, Bills, Bonds, in matters of dirty Mammon, yet prodigiouſly careleſs as to what Scripture calls pretious; Faith, (2 Pet. 1.1.) Promiſes, (2 Pet. 1.4.) Souls, (Pſalm 49.8.) Chriſt, (1 Peter 2.7.) Never ſo much as asking themſelves, or others, for any Evidences for Heaven, or what they might do to be ſaved? like thoſe that prepare a table for a Troop, but forget Gods Holy Mountain; Iſaia. 65.11 Luke 10, 41, 43Our thoughts are with Martha, cumbred about many things, But O when ſhall we make choice of Maries part? What looking amongſt others of the naturall face in a glaſs? Mean while Gods glaſs thrown by;James 1.23 the Souls complexion never enquired after; Its ſtate not ſearched into, even though the moſt offenſive excrements of nature are diligently examined for the diſcovery of the vile bodies condition,Phil. 3.21 when threatned with the leaſt hazarding diſtemper; and the Soul, the Soul of man drudging at all this.Cant. 1.6. Ah poor Soul who made thee the Keeper of all theſe Vineyards, wh le thine own is unkept? What ſpending of time amongſt others,Acts 17.21 Athenian like, in hearing and telling ſome new thing? who, mean while are never acquainted with the Old Man, Eph. 4.22who hath ſo long dwelt in their own boſoms. What looking (like the Mother of Siſera) out of their windows (and like that curſed woman the wife of Ahab) yet not in at their hearts? Judg. 5.28 hearts looking out, not looking in. 2 Kings 9.2 Iſaiah 48.4 John 21.11 Jerem. 8.6There, are open Caſements; here, are brazen ſhuts, and Iron ſinews to keep all cloſe, even from their own eyes: What buſie inquiries by unconcerned Idlers after Alien and Forraign things, like his in the Goſpel, And what m…ſt this Man do? yet I hearkened and heard, but they ſpake not aright, no man repented him, ſaying, what have I done? or how ſhall I do? Intelligencers from abroad are gladly received, thoſe in mens own breaſts are checked and choaked. What will become of ſuch and ſuch Intereſts? what will times come to? what will become of Trade? ſuch and the like are frequent Inquiries, What will be the iſſue of this mans Conteſt, and the other mans Law ſuit, Nay of this Cock-Fighting, or that Horſe-race, of this Game at Cards, or that Caſt at Dice? But where ſhall I meet the Man or Woman that ſeriouſly, that ſeaſonably cryes out, but what will become of my own Soul, my immortal Soul to all eternity? What will you do in the end? Jer. 5.35.this is a Query of Gods putting to us, and methinks (amid all other our Inquiſitiveneſs and Curioſity) we ſhould not neglect to put this to Our ſelves.
Alas! how deplorable and lamentable a thing it is that Man that would be wiſe, ſhould be ſo vain? Job 11.12he …reedily drinks in the knowledge of all about him, yet is willingly ignorant of himſelf. If man do but meet a Ghoſt (if his mettle will ſerve him) he preſently cries ou…, In the name of God what art thou? yet carries a Spirit about him every day, whereunto he never moveth that Queſtion. Miſerable man that thou art! Is thy Conſcience ſuch a Fiend to thee, and thi…e own Soul ſuch a gaſtly Ghoſt, that thou dareſt not ſtay to talk with it? Put thy ſelf to it: Temptation will put thee to it, Affliction will put thee to it: Death and Judgment will put thee to it, and ask thee plainly what thou art? Ask thy ſelf beforehand, that thou mayeſt know what to anſwer them that ask thee.
Sect. IV.
SUrely that Antient, Apoſtolick,Self-knowledge neceſſary. 2 Cor. 13.5 may paſs for a Catholick challenge foreign; Know you not your own ſelves? you know your conditions and outward concernments, do you not know your ſpiritual ſtate? you know your Herds, do you not know your Hearts? you count your Coin, take you no account of your Conſci nces? you try your Gold, do you not prove your Faith? nay more, you are acquainted abroad, and know others, know you not your own ſelves? Muſt that needs be true of you, that is ſaid of the Witch in the Fable, that ſhe wore eyes when ſhe went abroad, and ſtill laid them by when ſhe came at home? you take upon you to judge one another, to know the hearts, and fore-know the ends and future ſtates of others, and know you not your own ſelves? ſurely God may ſay to that his Officer (though a bribed one) that ſelf-diſcerning power and faculty, that he placed in mans breaſt, as ſometimes he did in another caſe,Iſa. 42.19, 20 who is blind as my ſervant, or deaf a my Meſſenger, that I ſent? ſeeing many things, but tho… obſerved not the one thing that more concerns thee than all other things. But God knows thee, though thou know not thy ſelf; and will tell thee what thou art (as Ahijah did Jeroborams wife) whether thou make or take thy ſelf to be another; 1 Kin. 14.6And that bribed Officer will (one day) do his office, and will make thee, too late, to know thy ſelf, when thou wilt not know what to do with thy ſelf.Luke 16.24 Thy tormented tongue will then tell thee, what this little Treatiſe would fain acquaint thee with in a better ſeaſon, and more to thy profit, yea and thoſe very thoughts of thine that thou wilt by no means put thy ſelf upon the trouble now to reflect upon, will turn upon thee, and fly in thy face, and gnaw at thine heart as ſo many never dying worms and roundly tell thee then, what they might have told thee before, even before thou hadſt come into that place of torment. Thoſe thoughts that are now thy pulſe, thou mayſt try thy ſelf by them, will then be thy pain, thou wilt torture thy ſelf with them. Son remember, Verſe 25.ſaid Abraham to Dives, Oh thy Memory will then be thy miſery, and thy thoughts thy tormen…. Thoſe thoughts of thine that might now make a Jury, whilſt, if thou be caſt, thou haſt time before thee to ſue out thy pardon, if thou empannel them not for this better ſervice, they will then turn thy Executioners, when there will remain neither help in thy ſelf, nor hope in God,Pr. 5.11.12 Jer. 2.5 Pſal. 50.21. Think now what thy eternal thoughts will be if thou miſcarry. for thee. O then thou wilt think of thy Soul, thy Sin, thy miſery, means neglected, mercies abuſed.
Reader, pauſe here, and think of what is paſt, before thou proceed (a whet's no let.) Thou canſt not endure to ſpend a little time now in the unpleaſing work of ſelf-Reflection, whilſt ſelf-reflection might do thee good; And can thine heart endure to ſpend an Eternity in the ſame work to a worſe end, ſave that Eternity can never be ſpent? My heart is enlarged to thee, O Reader, fearing thine may be ſtraightned towards thy ſelf, yet do but promiſe me that thou wilt well weigh this one word, what the work of thy thoughts will be to all Eternity; (if thou ſhouldſt miſcarry) I ſay to Eternity; And I will leave the porch of my diſcourſe (built larger for thy ſake then was intended) and ſo lead thee to its principal parts.