The Sacred Mystery of the Government of the Thoughts, Chapter 4 – Chapter 5
CHAP. IV. Of good Thoughts, and ſuch temptations as are incident hereunto.
VVHat good Thoghts are: Namely, The ſole and immediate Motions and Operations of the Spirit of God, illightning the vnderſtanding with knowledge of good things, and ſo ſtirring vp Thoughts and Motions to affect and embrace the ſame, and ſo to conſtant practiſe herein.
I ſay, they are the ſole & immediate motions and operations of Gods ſpirit: thereby to diſtinguiſh them from all euill motions, which ariſe from corrupt Nature and ſo to ſtrip Nature of any intereſt in them, and to giuegive the Glory of all good in vsus vntounto God, in whom we liue and moue, and hauehave our being: whoſe it is, to giuegive the will and the deede, of whom is our ſufficiency euen to the thinking of a good Thought. 1 Cor. 3.5.
2. I adde, how they are wrought in vsus by Gods Spirit, namely, by illightning the vnderſtanding with the knowledge of good things: Expreſſing therin the materiall cauſe of theſe thoughts: Namely, that they are bred of the knowledge of good and holy things: not that naturall diuine knowledge remayning in corruption, which neither at all reacheth to the Deere knowledge of the true good; neither enable; the knowledge of what it tenders, to bee particularly conceiued, and applyed of vsus; but a ſpirituall knowledg from the perfect light: wherby it conceiues the will of God, and what concernes the ſame, and ſo
As it followeth, prouokes the Thoughts to an actuall & conſtant approuing, and practiſing of the will of God: And herein they are differenced from all the Thoughts of Hypocrites which are but Flaſhes, and Taſts; neuer enabling to action: at leaſt not to conſtancie therein.
Of the diuers kinds of good Thoughts.
Theſe are generally Two 1. Extraordinarie, ſuch as were occaſioned by Reuelations, Dreames, as to the Prophets and Apoſtl s of old: and theſe, either concerning their owne eſtates, or the generall condition of the Church, as to Eſay, Ieremie, &c.
And alſo to peculiar and priuate men, as to Princes, Dan. 2. and 4. Geneſ. 41. ſo Ioſeph. Luk. 1. Mat. 1.
And theſe good Thoughts are common to good and bad: As being ſent of the Lord, either to warne them, and bring them to repentance, or elſe to make them without excuſe, as may appeare in the caſe of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Ieremie, &c.
Secondly, theſe Thoughts are ordinarily rayſed by the bleſſed Spirit of God, guiding the heart, and ſtirring vp therein good motions: and theſe alſo are diuers according to the different working and meaſure of the Spirit in diuers ſubiects. For either the Spirit onelyonly illightens the minde with ſome ſupernaturall knowledge, and ſo thereupon offers motions, and ſtirs vp Thoughts, and ſo deſires and affections to the truth. And theſe may bee in the wicked, and vnregenerate as ſeruing to puffe vppe, to entertaine worldly ends, to benefit others, and happily further their ſaluation, to make our ſelues without excuſe. Or elſe,
The ſpirit heales and renues the heart, and ſo kindles in it Thoughts, and motions to ſerue God, to embrace him as the chiefeſt good: which though by tentation, or neglect, they may bee choaked, and in a manner to our ſenſe extinguiſhed; yet by the power of Grace, they are reuiued againe, and ſo continued to prouoke vsus to perfection & to comfort vsus in our faylings: And theſe are proper to the Regenerate.
And theſe are diuers, according to the diuers occaſions of them: which are Generally two. Eyther Occaſions of Ioy, in regard of particular or publike, inward or outward proſperity, and theſe occaſion Thoughts of ioy, thankefulneſſe, triumph, &c.
Or Occaſion of Sorrow, in reſpect eyther of our owne or the Churches inward or outward diſtreſſe: and theſe occaſion thoughts of ſorrow, perplexity, &c.
And both theſe, though contrary in themſelues; yet both good; beeing Ieuelled to their proper Obiects, & kept within their true and holy Bounds.
And both theſe according to their ſeuerall obiects are alſo differenced more particularly, yea extend themſelues innumerably according to their occaſions.
The ſingular benefite and aduantage of good Thoughts.
Generally, They are notable euidences of the ſinceritie of the heart, as only knowne to God, and by the pureneſſe and holy temper, and ſwaying of the Thoughts, ſo knowne vntounto vsus, as that thereby wee are ſenſible of Gods preſent grace, and hungrie after a greater meaſure: for as our Thoughts, ſo are our deſires after heauenly things.
Particularly, they are gracious trials, and warrants of the ſincerity of all priuate dueties performed ſecretly to our God; who ſeeeth the heart, that not ſo much with the lippes, as with the motions of the mind, and wraſtlings of the inward Thoughts, wee combate with the Lord; and figh and groane vntounto him, who ſees in ſecret, and will reward it openly: So did Moſes, Dauid, Anna, and the reſt of the Saintes, approue themſelues vntounto God. Exod. 32. 1. Sam. 2.
Secondly, they are ſound Tryals of the ſincerity of all Outward duties. It is not ſo much what we doe, as what wee mind; not what the eye or eare attends, as what the Thought and Affection faſtens on. The Lord loueth truth in the inwarde parts, and regards the outward ſeruice according to the inward intention. And ſo they proue gracious meanes dayly to humble vsus in the performāce of our beſt duties: ſeeing at the beſt, howſoeuer we may carry the duety currantly in the outward Action before men; and ſo being approued and aduanced of them, are thereby ſubiect to pride and vaine glory; and ſo to hypocriſie; as to reſt in the outward worke done: yet if wee conſider the manifold wandrings of the hart, thoſe blaſphemous and prophane thoughts, that doe accompany them, diuerting the mind therein from God, and hindering the conſtant ſincerity therof: how ſhall this but exceedingly humble vsus vnderunder the mighty hand of God? who trieth the thought, and iudgeth according to the ſway and temper of the heart: ſhall not this diſcouer the imperfection and pollution of our beſt actions, euen to be no better then a menſtruous cloath? Eſay, 64.6.
And hence ariſeth another gracious Benefite, namely, that beeing priuie to this inward corruption, wee ſtand not vponupon our owne righteouſneſſe to bee iuſtified thereby, but ſtill renounce our ſelues, that wee may bee found in Chriſt: that by his vertue wee may bee enabled to more ſincere and vniuerſall obedience.
And this produceth another gracious Benefite, namely, that in the ſenſe of our imperfection, cōuinced by the obliquitie of our Thoughts; wee are ſtill prouoked to forget what is behind and to haſten to that which is before, euen for the prize of our high calling in Ieſus Chriſt.
Laſtly, becauſe the conſcience of inward corruption is a ſpeciall occaſion to Sathan to challenge of hypocriſie, & ſo to diſcourage in our proceeding: We hauehave out of this conſideration of our inward purpoſes, as a gracious euidence of the truth of our harts, becauſe we thinke and endeauour more then wee can doe: and ſo on the other ſide, a ſure pledge of the ſincerity of our thoghts; becauſe wee diſcerne and mourne for our inward faylings, and ſo hauehave a notable comfort of the acceptance of our Actions, not ſo much from the vprightnes of our hearts, as from the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt: whereby his Spirite being conuayed into our hearts: doth thereby ſtill conuince vsus of ſuch euill, which the world knowes not of: and ſo withall, approues vsus to bee in Chriſt, not hauing our owne righteouſneſſe, in that we ſtand not vponupon our owne Iuſtification, which is confounded by this ſenſe of the corruption of our thoughts; but that ſtill wee take hold of Chriſt, and labour to bee found in him, that ſo wee may grow vp in him to perfectneſſe: as hauing thereby not onelyonly an euidence of the Acceptance of our perſent, and ſo of our Endeauours for the preſent: but hereby alſo reaping a comfortable euidence of our aſſurance to continue, & perſeuere vntounto the end, ſeeing our Chriſt wil not quēch the ſmoaking flax, nor breake the bruiſed reede: but will ſtill ſhew his power in our weakeneſſe, and perfect his worke by our infirmities, that hee may hauehave the only glory of his Merite, and we in him may attaine the full meaſure of the age of Chriſt, growing vp to bee perfect men, wanting nothing.
CHAP. V. Generall Rules for the wel ordering of the Thoughts
1 THat wee ſpend our time moſt in Meditation of Gods Maieſty and goodneſſe: and ſo wholy ſeaſon our thoughts therewith, and with the fruites thereof, namely, the hope and holdfaſt of eternal life.
2 That we withdraw our ſelues as much as may bee from worldly vanity.
3 That we beginne the day with holy Thoughts and Meditations, not ſuffering our ſelues to bee interrupted by any vnneceſſary occaſion.
4 That wee take occaſion in the night, to exerciſe our thoughts on God, and ſuch occaſions as then ſhall be ſeaſonably offered, breaking our ſleepe not vnwillingly to this end.
5 Rectifie we our thoughts dayly by Reading the Word, and often priuate prayer.
6 Call wee often our Thoughts to an account, and let not an idle thought paſſe without a Cenſure of the Word.
And condemne wee the Deceitfulnes of our hearts: which miniſter occaſion of ſuch infinite thoughts, and contra…ie.
8 Meditate wee often on the day of iudgement, whē inquiſition ſhall bee made for our Thoughts.
9 And forget wee not, that Infinite Sacrifice of the Sonne of God, who knowes our thoughts, which wee are ignorant of: and hath performed a plentif…ll Redemption for them all.
9 GiueGive wee not the leaſt way to our wandring and fooliſh Thoughts, but ſuppreſſe we them preſently, and
10 Exerciſe wee ſome Speciall of our Thoughts, and put them in practiſe, becauſe Idlenes is the nurſe of theſe vaine Thoughts.
11 Striue wee eſpecially againſt Pride and Couetouſnes, which miniſter moſt cō mon and dangerous matter of fearefull and wounding thoughts.
12 Obey wee the checkes of Conſcience, conuincing theſe Thoughts, and labour wee to ſharpen it, that it may cenſure more.
13 Diſcerne wee wiſely betweene our Thoughts, 1. ſuch as are vnneceſſary, nicke wee them in the head, & cut wee them off preſently, 2. Such as are neceſſary, diſcern wee of the moſt neceſſary, & laying aſide thoſe, purſue we theſe.
Thirdly, yet ſo, as that wee wiſely ſingle them out, not confounding our mindes and memories with many at once, but purſuing one, and bringing it to ſome head and vſe.
4 Yea though a more neceſſary Thought come in the way, yet hold wee on in our choiſe, till wee hauehave brought it to ſome iſſue.
5 And whereas wee muſt looke for of…en interruptions from Sathan: ſo entertaine we theſe, as that wee giuegive not ouer without ſight of conqueſt, and then return we to the purſuit of our former ſubiect.
14 Bee we conſtant in pe…forming the Dayly Sacrifice, and reſtraine wee our thoughts to ſuch particular duties, as are incidēt to each ſeaſon and occaſion.
And herein auoyde we wiſely al curious Speculation, and diuing into hidden miſteries, as being a maine occaſiō to ſtirre vp & encreaſe blaſphemous Thoughts. And ſo alſo carefully auoyde wee curioſity & prying into others affayres: looking home eſpecially, & minding our own buſines, that ſo we may preuent a world of enuious & cenſorious thoughts.
Eſpecially be we carefull of keeping the Sabboth, ſpiritually confining our Thoughts to holy thinges: and this ſhall bee a meanes to better them at all other occaſions.