The Sacred Mystery of the Government of the Thoughts, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
HAuing by Gods merciemercy, commended vntounto the Church of God, a Godly directiō for a ſetled courſe of ſanctification, in the First part of the Chriſtian Dayly Sacrifice, and endeuouring to be a Law vntounto my ſelfe: wherein I hauehave deſired to preſcribe lawes vntounto others: among other impediments, which I hauehave found verie forcible to interrupt and coole that gratious reſolutio … I hauehave had experience in nothing more, then in the want of ordering of thoſe manifold and vnruly Thoughts, wherewith the minde is diſtracted, and ſo oppreſſed, and miſerably enthralled. For as theſe are the beginnings of all Actions: ſo it vſually falleth out, that according, either to the well ordering, or neglect hereof, the conſtant practiſe of ſanctification, is either furthered or hindered. And yet ſuch is the Policy of Sathan herein: that the outward practiſe of ſanctification being viſible to men, and ſo drawing to an affectatiō of preſent fruite, euen ſuch as the world affoords, as pleaſure, profite, credite, applauſe, &c. doth thereby withdraw from the inward triall of the heart, before the Lord, and ſo procures a neglect of the Thoughts and inward motions, wherby we ſhould eſpecially approue our ſelues vntounto God, and ſo be approued of him, in the vprightneſſe of our hearts. Which ſeeing it is a maine occaſion and ground of hypocriſie:
Firſt, of that which is priuie, when wee thinke our ſelues better then we are, becauſe wee meaſure not our ſelues by the inward man: or elſe, indeede by neglect of our owne thoughts, we can not diſcerne thereof. And ſo may bee an occaſion of Groſſe Hypocriſie: euen to make ſhewe of that which wee would not bee, as being that in ſhew, which wee are not in thought, and purpoſe: therfore hauehave I eſpecially laboured in this inquiſition of the Thoughts: Both to the furtherance of that conſtant and ſincere worſhip of God: as alſo for the purging and preuenting of all priuie and groſſe Hypocrſie.
And the rather hauehave I been induced herevnto, becauſe that, as yet, none hath rayſed anie Building vponupon this Foundation. So, the neglect of our Thoughts, and ignorance in the diſcerning of the holie gouerning of thē, hath both on the one ſide beene an occaſion of thoſe many diſtractions and deſertions which the weake Chriſtian is daylie ſubiect vntounto, and alſo on the other ſide of that deſperate prophaneneſſe, and licentiouſnes, wherevnto the common ſort of profeſſors is giuē ouer in theſe euil times. For, wheras, the truth and power of Sanctification, rather depends vponupon the inward purpoſe and ſway of the heart, which is ſeen & approued of God, duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page then vponupon the outward conuerſatiō, which is obuious to men: hereupon it falleth out that the weake Chriſtian fayling dayly in the outward courſe, beeing not now able to diſcerne of the inward purpoſe of his hart: or if he do diſcerne it, yet not beeing wiſe to iudge of the tincture and truth therof: is thereby ſubiect to manifold diſtractions. As, either to thinke the worke of grace not yet truly begun becauſe it breakes not out into eminent and conſtant fruite, and ſo to queſtion the truth of it Conuerſion: or elſe if it be begun, yet becauſe in the outward courſe it is ſubiect to many interruptions and decayes, therefore it is ready to cōclude to the chalenge of Gods faithfulnes, & cōfuſion of all it hopes, that the work begun is vndon & aboliſhed: whereas if it were able to meaſure the truth of the worke begun, by the inward purpoſe of the heart, and holy temper thereof: as it ſhould hereby be ſatisfied in regard of outward weakneſſe, that the Lord requires no more then he giues: that he looks not ſo much to the outward man, as to the hart: that if there bee a willing minde, hee accepts it according to what wee hauehave, and not according to what wee hauehave not. 2. Cor. 8.12. So might this alſo fully ſettle againſt all ſuch interruptions and decayes which accompany all our proceedings in CHRIST.
For whereas the worke of grace begunne in vsus meerely of Cods merciemercy, for his glorie, muſt ſo be led along in his wiſedome, that his power ſhall bee ſeene in our weaknes, & perfited in our infirmities, that he may hauehave the onelyonly glorie thereof: Therefore, howſoeuer the Lord may leaue his children to outward faylings, for their owne humiliati…n, and aduancement of his glorie, yet ſtill doth his faithfulneſſe appeare in this, that although they ſleepe, yet theyr heart is euermore awake, to diſcouer their faylings, to condemne the ſame, to giuegive them no reſt till they hauehave recouered againe; So that as, while they fayle, they hauehave this comfort, that the Euill they doe, ſhall not bee imputed vntounto them: becauſe theyr hearts (beeing purifyed by Faith) doe aſſure them therby of the acceptance of their perſons aboue theyr worth, and of the Truth of Gods grace, preuailing in them, becauſe the euill they doe, they would not, and therefore they may anſwere, It is not I, but ſinne that dwelleth in me. Rom. 7.19. ſo though they fayle, yet the holy ſeede abiding in them, giues them both aſſurance of their recouery again, and enables them ſtill by faith, to laye holde vppon Chriſt in whom the Worke begunne, ſhall bee vndoubtedly perfected, and that, if they can wiſely diſcerne the pulſe of the heart, in their greateſt failings, and faintings therupon, and ſhall bee able to make vſe of ſuch helpe as it affordeth vntounto them for recouery, they may by Gods merciemercy finde a gratious iſſue out of their greateſt tentations: eyther in that by Faith, they can looke backe into former experience, and ſo may conclude from the faithfulnes of God, that he that hath begun the work, will perfit it in them. Phil. 1.6. or, in that by Faith, they can looke forwards, within the vaile, whervnto the forerūner IESVS CHRIST their head, is entred in before them: and ſo thereby may certainely conclude, that he will draw them vp all after him, that their head beeing now at reſt, and in perfect glorie, they, the members alſo ſhall be more then conquerours in and with him, and when Chriſt which is their life ſhall appeare, they ſhall alſo appeare with him in glory, whoſe liues are now hid with Chriſt in God. Thus the diſcouery of this great Myſterie of the Thoughts, ſhal be much auaileable to aſſure the weak Chriſtian of the truth of his calling, and alſo to ſatisfie and recouer him in, and out of any ſuch rubs or faylings as are incident therevnto his further growth.
And ſo alſo ſhall it ſerue to diſcouer and conuince the ſecret Atheiſme of the times, and ſuch groſſe prophanenes as iſſueth from the ſame,
For, wheras, the Root of al Atheiſme, eſpecially that which is ſecret and concealed from the eye of man: Is this, The foole ſaith in his hart there is no God. Thogh the Lord be in their lips, yet he is not in their reines. In their thoughts they denie him, though they confeſſe him with their lips, God is not in all his thoughts. Pſal. 10.4. Therfore if once, it ſhal bee made good, that our Thoghts are to be ordered & brought into ſubiectiō: this will proue a gracious means to conuince and confound this ſecret Atheiſme.
And ſeeing, when once we giuegive the bridle to our looſe & wicked thoughts, as if the Lord had no power ouer them: wee are hereby iuſtly giuen vp by the Lord to all open prophanenes, who wil hauehave al, or none: who vſually confounds ſuch hypocriſie, with deſperate prophanes: ſo that if we deny him in the heart, to giuegive him ſpirituall worſhip, he will deny vsus before men, in leauing vsus to all groſſe euils for the confuſiō of our Atheiſm: what better remedy can wee miniſter hereunto: then firſt to purge the fountaine, that the ſtreames may be wholſome. That by the rectifying of the heart and ſubduing the imaginations thereof, the whole man may bee brought into ſubiection to the obedience of Chriſt. And thus ſhal this holy gouernement of the thoughts prooue a bleſſed meanes to purge out the ſecret Atheiſme of the heart, and ſo to procure a blameleſſe and vpright conuerſation before men.
But of theſe things more fully in the concluſion of the Treatiſe. Meane while, as this may ſerue to diſcouer the ſcope of this Treatiſe, ſo for the Method there of take theſe few directions, that ſo wee may the better profit thereby. Concerning the method. Take firſt this direction, that ſeeing ſpirituall experience eſpecially of mine owne, and other eſtates hath beene the chiefe ſpring, that hath yeelded theſe meditation: ſo it muſt be the touchſtone to make triall thereof. As this ſubiect is a myſterie to the carnall man, ſo it is he only that can plough with my Heifer, that ſhall make true benefite thereby. And therfore labor to be found in Chriſt, and thou ſhalt be able to vnfold this ridle: thou ſhalt find the comfort of theſe wholſome obſeruations.
And therefore ſeeing in theſe experimentall collections, that may bee conſonant to faith which is contrary and aboue the reach of reaſon: and ſo many times croſſeth the ſtreame of Art: therefore let this bee thy ſecond direction for profite herein, that thou ſtumble not at ſuch fayling in Art, which I profeſſe my ſelfe herein not ſtrictly to hauehave ſtood vponupon: as in the Deſcriptions, Diuiſions, &c. but rather that thou make vſe of ſuch heauenly Experience as is couered vnderunder a ruder forme, and ſo bleſſe God, for any true light reuealed in theſe euill times, to further thee in ſanctification: and the rather in that the infirmities of man ſhall make more to his glory.
Laſtly, that thou mayſt not fayle to make vſe hereof: Compare what here thou ſeeſt in a glaſſe, with thine owne perticular eſtate ſee how face anſwers face, and ſo the heart of man it ſelfe, and ſo by experience of thine owne particular, thou ſhalt be able to diſcern the truth of ſuch obſeruations as are here layd down, and make application thereof to thy ſelfe, for thy better reformation.
Aboue all; vſe earneſt prayer to thy God to open the eyes of thine vnderſtanding, that thou maiſt diſcern this great Myſterie of the gouernmēt of thy thoughts That thy heart may be opened, and ſubdued to the approbation and practiſe thereof. Prayſing God for any light thou receiueſt hereby, & praying for grace and libertie, for the ſupply of further light to build thee forward to perfection.