A Plain Discourse on Vain Thoughts, Doctrine 1 · Part 20
DIRECTIONS follow.
Direct 1. LET us be jealous of our own hearts. Self-Jealouſy is a good preventive of Deluſion. Our hearts are naturally Deceitful above all things, Jer. 17.9. If we be not exceeding watchful we ſhall eaſily be deceived by them: They are apt to flatter us, and to ſuggeſt to us, that all is and ſhall be well with us, when it is far from being ſo. Thus it was with the Church of Laodicea, Rev. 3.17. Thou ſayeſt, I am rich and increaſed with goods, and have need of nothing; and knoweſt not that thou art wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Our Deceiving hearts incline us to take up too favourable an opinion of our ſelves, and to think our ſtate and ways good, when they are not ſo. It is therefore great folly to truſt to the judgment of our own hearts, without an impartial and thorow Examination of the grounds it goes upon; Prov. 28.26. He that truſteth in his own heart is a fool. It is our Wiſdom not to be too Credulous, when our hearts ſpeak well of the Thoughts we entertain, and the practices we allow our ſelves in▪ There will be more of Wiſdom, and leſs of Danger, to ſuſpect our own hearts, than to be haſty in believing them: There can be no harm in being afraid leſt we ſhould be deceived by them. We are more apt to err on the hand of Indulgence than of Severity; and there is more danger in ſelf-Confidence, than ſelf-Jealouſy: If we are jealous of our ſelves, it will only make us more concerned to be better, which will be no inconvenience to us. But if we are ſelf-confident, we are in danger of being Secure without due concern to amend what may be amiſs. Let us then put the ſame queſtion to our ſelves, as was once put by Jehu, 2 King. 10.15. Is thy heart right? Let us enquire whether our hearts be right in the judgment they paſs upon the Notions which we eſpouſe, and the ways we walk in. He that is thus inquiſitive, is in an hopeful way not to be Deceived by Vain Thoughts.
Direct. 2. LET us Labour to get a well-informed judgment. Vain Thoughts proceed ordinarily from an erroneous Mind, Eph. 4.17, 18. Walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, having the underſtanding darkned. Rom. 1.21. They became vain in their imaginations, and their fooliſh heart was darkned. Vain Imaginations concerning GOD, and other things, proceed from blindneſs of Mind. We ſhould therefore labour to get our Minds inlightned with the light of Truth. This will ſerve to rectify our Thoughts, and prevent Vain Thoughts. To this end we muſt Study the Scriptures which are a Light to diſcover to us the way of Truth and Error. If we Conſult thoſe Holy Oracles of GOD, they will inform us what Thoughts are Right and what are Vain. If then we would not be left to call Good Evil, and Evil Good, let us be Converſant with the Word of GOD, which is the only Rule whereby to know Good or Evil. Underſtanding in GOD's Precepts, will diſcover to us Every falſe way, Pſal. 119.104. As ever then we deſire not to be Deceived, let us acquaint our ſelves with the unerring Word of GOD; and let us bring every Thought which we entertain to that Word, and thereby try whether it be a Vain Thought or not. If we Diligently and Conſcientiouſly thus do, with a deſire to come to the Knowledge of Truth and Duty, we may hope that we ſhall not be left to the deceiving power of Vain Thoughts.
Direct. 3. BE earneſt in Prayer to GOD. Unto ſelf-jealouſy and diligent ſearching the Scriptures, we muſt add fervent Prayer to GOD: This is a Duty in all Caſes uſeful and neceſſary, but eſpecially in thoſe Caſes which d… mons immediately reſpect the Eternal ſafety of our Souls; and ſuch is the Caſe before us.