you torment now; if it be, it will give you greater hereafter. None is a greater selftormentor than a malicious and revengeful man, who turns the poison of his own temhimself (x). per in upon (5.) Drive from the mind all filly, trifling and unreafonable thoughts; which fometimes get into it we know not how, poffefs it before we are aware; and hold it in empty, idle amusements, that yield it neither pleafure nor profit, and turn to no manner of account in the world; they only confume time, and prevent a better employment of the mind. And indeed there is little difference whether we spend the time in sleep, or in these waking dreams. Nay, if the thoughts, which thus infenfibly fteal upon you, be not altogether abfurd and whimsical, yet if they be impertinent and unseasonable, they ought to be difmiffed, because they keep out better company. (6.) Caft out all wild and extravagant thoughts, all vain and fantaftical imaginations: fuffer not your thoughts to roam upon things that (x) Malitia ipfa maximam partem veneni fui bibit. Illud venenum quod ferpentes in alienam perniciem proferunt, fine fuâ continent. Non eft huic fimile; hoc habentibus peffimum eft. Sen, Epift. 82. that never were, and perhaps never will be; to give you a visionary pleasure in the prof pect of what you have not the least reason to hope, or a needlefs pain in the apprehenfion of what you have not the least reafon to fear. The truth is, next to a clear confcience and a found judgment, there is not a greater bleffing than a regular and wellgoverned imagination; to be able to view things as they are, in their true light and proper colours; and to distinguish the false images that are painted on the fancy, from the reprefentations of truth and reafon. For how common a thing is it for men, before they are aware, to confound reafon and fancy, truth and imagination together? To take the flashes of the animal fpirits for the light of evidence ? and believe things to be true or false, when they only fancy them to be fo, which they do, because they would have them fo? Not confidering that mere fancy is only the ignis fatuus of the mind; which often appears brightest, when the mind is moft covered with darkness; and will be fure to lead them aftray, who follow it as their guide. Near a-kin to these are, (7.) Romantic and chimerical thoughts. By which I mean that kind of wild-fire, which the brifknefs of the animal fpirits fometimes fometimes fuddenly flashes upon the mind, and excites images that are so extremely ridiculous and abfurd, that one can scarce forbear wondering how they could get admittance. These random flights of the fancy are foon gone; and herein differ from that caftle-building of the imagination beforementioned, which is a more settled amusement. But these are too incoherent and fenfeless to be of long continuance; and are the maddeft fallies, and the most ramping reveries of the fancy that can be.-I know not whether my reader understands now what I mean; but if he attentively regardeth all that paffes through his mind, perhaps he may hereafter, by experience. (8.) Repel all impure and lafcivious thoughts; which taint and pollute the mind; and though hid from men, are known to GOD, in whose eye they are abominable. Our Saviour warns us against these as a kind of fpiritual fornication*, and inconfiftent with that purity of heart, which his Gospel requires. (9.) Take care how you too much indulge gloomy and melancholy thoughts. Some are difpofed to fee every thing in the worst light: A black cloud hangs hovering over * Malt. v. 28. their their minds; which, when it falls in showers thro' their eyes, is dispersed; and all within is ferene again: this is often purely mechanical; and owing either to fome fault in the bodily conftitution, or fome accidental diforder in the animal frame. However, one that confults the peace of his own mind will be upon his guard against this, which fo often robs him of it. 10.) On the other hand, let not the imagination be too fprightly and triumphant. Some are as unreasonably exalted, as others are depreffed; and the fame perfon, at different times, often runs into both extremes, according to the different temper and flow of the animal fpirits; and therefore the thoughts, which fo eagerly crowd into the mind at fuch times, ought to be fufpected and well-guarded; otherwise they will impofe upon our judgments, and lead us to form fuch a notion of ourfelves and of things, as we fhall foon fee fit to alter, when the mind is in a more fettled and fedate frame. Before we let our thoughts judge of things, we must fet reason to judge our thoughts; for they are not always in a proper condition to execute that office. We do not believe the character which a man man gives us of another, unless we have a good opinion of his own; fo neither fhould we believe the verdict which the mind pronounces, till pronounces, till we first examine whether it be impartial and unbiaffed; whether it be in a proper temper to judge and have proper lights to judge by. The want of this previous act of Self-judgment, is the cause of much felf-deception and falfe judgment. (Laftly,) With abhorrence, reject immediately all profane and blafphemous thoughts, which are fometimes fuddenly injected into the mind, we know not how, tho' we may give a pretty good guess from whence: and all thofe thoughts, which are apparently temptations and inducements to fin, our Lord hath, by his example, taught us to treat in this manner * Thefe, then, are the thoughts we should carefully guard against.-And as they will, especially fome of them, be frequently infinuating themselves into the heart, remember to fet reafon at the door of it to guard the paffage, and bar their entrance, or drive them out forthwith when entered; not only as impertinent, but mischievous intruders. * Matt. iv. 10. But, |