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the thoughts of the heart, as well as the outward man; nor from his Fuftice, which will call us to account for our finful thoughts, nor from the rebukes and fcourgings of an awakened Confcience, which are no fmall punishments.

3. Let it be thy care to fuppreffe, and crush bad thoughts at the very firft rifing: Do not at all confent, or comply with them; but abhor, and abandon them prefently, and cry out unto the Lord for help against them: Take heed of reprefenting, or acting fin in thy thoughts. If thou wouldst keep thy foul pure, beware of [peculative finfulnes.

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4. Be carefull to have a stock of good materials alwaies in readineffe for thy thoughts to work upon. Have fome good fubjects ready to prefent and offer to thy mind, to entertain thy thoughts with. A good man hath a good treasure in his heart, out of which he bringeth forth good things, Mat. 12.35. Let thy mind therefore have alwaies fome good heads to meditate on: As the evil and danger of fin, the neceffity of converfion; thy abfolute need of Chrift, the vanity of the creathe hortaeffe and uncertainty of this life; the everlastingness of thy future ftate, &c.

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5. Avoid Idleneffe, and allow not thy felf in melancholy. If thou doft not employ thy mind about that which is good, it will bufie it felf about evil: The mind of man ifit be not well emploied, will be ranging, and roving all over

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the world, and will be intent on things it should not. The spirit of man is active, and reftieffe; 'Tis like a mill; it will be either grinding of that which is put into it, or else working upon it felf, wearing, and wearying it felf in foolish, fruitless, and unconcerning thoughts. Idleneffe is a grand occafion of impure and impertinent thoughts: 'I'is the devils hour,in which he takes advantage to fill and defile mans mind with wicked fuggeftions; and melancholy difpofeth the mind to ftrange, abfurd, incoherent, anreasonable ima ginations; to many fad, perplexing, afflicting thoughts. Man di(quieteth himself in vain, faith the Pfalmift, Pfal.39.6. framing many imagi nary evils and grievances to himself, which God hath not really laid upon him.

Let it be thy care therefore to keep thy mind well employed, either in the duties of Piety, or the works of thy particular calling. When thou doft relax thy mind at any time, from being intent on ferious things, for thy necessary refreshment, be careful to allow thy felf onely in innocent cheerfulnesse, When the loines of thy mind are ungirt, and thy thoughts let loose to run at random, and have not Confcience fet over them as a Governour, thou art in great danger of finning against God.

6. Do not cumber thy felf with too much worldly bufineffe, that will overcharge thy mind with felicitude, and force too many earth

ly thoughts upon it: it will fill thee with diftracting, disturbing thoughts, and torturing cares. When Martha was careful, and troubled about many things, the neglected the one thing neceffary, Luke 10.41,42.

7. Learn to fpiritualize earthly objects, and to raise holy meditations from them. This will be an excellent and advantageous employment for thy mind. This was our bleffed Saviours practife, and canft thou follow a better example?

8. Learn to divert and put by bad thoughts, by introducing and bringing in fome good thoughts that are contrary to them into their roomes: Thus overcome evil thoughts by good though:s. Iffelf magnifying thoughts come in; bring in felf abafing: It distrustful; put thy foul upon thinking of Gods Faithfulneß: If revengefull; think how much thou needeft forgiveneffe from God: Thus let one wedge drive out another.

9. Beg of God to new mould thy mind, and to put it into fuch an holy and heavenly frame, that it may be fit to produce good thoughts, as a good tree doth bring forth good fruit. Beg That Grace may be the Law of thy mind Rom.7.23. Pray earnestly, act Faith, and put thy trust in the power, and promife of God, for the cafting down of all finful imaginations in thy foul, and Jubduing thy thoughts to the obedience of Chrift.

10. If thou wouldst keep bad thoughts out of thy mind, be ready to entertain the gracious mations of the bleffed Spirit of God, Rev. 3.20. Behold I ftand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will fup with him, and he with me. O do not grieve this holy Spirit, do not repell fo bleffed a guest, who knocks at thy heart in many a fermon, and by many a providence, and fues for entrance that he may make thee happy. What! fhall the devil, with his wicked fuggeftions be let in, and fhall the King of glory with his train of Graces, be shut out? O let it not be.

11. Remember that if thou willingly entertainest, and lodgeft in thy mind wicked thoughts now, (and dieft in an impenitent and unconverted state) thy thoughts will be thy executioners and tormenters in Hell. As light as thou makeft of evil thoughts now, they will then prey upon thy foul as so many vultures, and be a never-dying worm in thy Confcience.

And the more to quicken thee to practise thefe directions; Confider,

This will be a great argument of thy fincerity, and of the truth of Grace in thee, if thou art con fcientiously watchfull over thy thoughts. Many reftraints lie upon the outward man to over-awe it and keep it from evil; but the of power Grace does then much appear,when it commands R 3

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the inward man, and laies reftraints upon our thinking faculty, that we dare not allow our felves in any finful thoughts.

Pfal.119.97. Oh how love I thy Law! it is my meditation all the day.

V.113. I hate vain thoughts, but thy Law do I love.

Mat.12.35. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things.

Mat.15.19. For out of the beart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falfe witness, blafphemies.

V.20. These are the things that defile a man. Ifa. 55.7. Let the wicked forfake his way,' and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy apon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Pfal.63.5. My foul shall be fatisfied as with marrow and fatneffe; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.

V.6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Pfal.94.11. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Jer.4.14. 0 Ferufalem, wash thine heart from wickedneffe, that thou maist be faved; how

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