A Plain Discourse on Vain Thoughts, Title page
A Plain Diſcourſe ON Vain Thoughts, WHICH Are great Hindrances of Men's being SAVED,
From JER. IV. 14.
—How long ſhall thy … thoughts lodge … thee?
By Nehemiah Walter M. A.
BOSTON in New England: Printed by B. Green, For B. Eliot, and Sold at his Shop in King Street. 1721.
Vain Thoughts ARE Great Hindrances Of Mens being SAVED.
JEREMIAH IV. 14.
—HOW long ſhall thy Vain Thoughts lodge within thee?
IN this Chapter the Prophet Jeremiah threatens the Jews with the Babyloniſh Captivity. He Exhorts ther… to Repentance, if by any means the threatned Judgment might be prevented. The Exhortation is given to them in the former part of this Verſe▪ O Jeruſalem, waſh thine heart from wickedneſs, that thou ma…t …e ſaved, i. e. Not only Temporally, but alſo Spiritually and Eternally. The Prophet is not only concerned for the Salvation of their …od…s bu… alſo of their Souls, And the …aty which he calls them to, is proper for the Salvation of both. He then Expoſtulates with them about harbouring ſuch Thoughts in their breaſt which might be an Obſtruction to their Repentance and Salvation, How long ſhall thy Vain Thoughts lodge within thee? Theſe Vain Thoughts might be their thoughts of having Aſſiſtance from other Nations, whereby to ſecure them againſt the King of Babylon. Or their Thoughts might be, that there was to need of waſhing their hearts from Wickedneſs, as the Prophet here Exhorts them; for they were an Hypocritical Nation, Iſa. 10.6 A People not concerned about heart-purity, but contenting themſelves with the bare external Performance of Worſhip. Or their Thoughts might be that them was no Danger of the Deſolation threatned, ſeeing they had the Temple of GOD, and Ordinances of His Worſhip, in the midſt of them Jer. 7.4. Truſt ye not in lying Words, ſaying, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are theſe. They were apt to think that GOD would never ſuffer the Babylonians to Demoliſh that magnificent Houſe, which was built by His own ſpecial Direction, and which He had Honoured with the Tokens of His Glorious Preſence, and which was the ſtated place of His Holy Worſhip. Some ſuch Thoughts as theſe they had, which the Prophet declares to be Vain Thoughts, that would meet with Diſappointment at the laſt, and that were for the preſent an impediment unto their attending the Right Method for ſecuring their Salvation. The DOCTRINE then from the Words may be,