The right government of thoughts, or, A discovery of all vain, unprofitable, idle, and wicked thoughts with directions for the getting, keeping, and governing of good thoughts, digested into chapters for the ease of the reader : whereunto are added four sermons / by ... John Angel ...

CHAP. IV.

I Have proved that the getting and governing of his thoughts is necessary to the well-being of a just mans life; let me proceed to declare the common errours and exorbitancies of the Chri∣stians thoughts: which though it be a thing difficult considering the variety and multiplicity of the souls unkind progeny of evil thoughts: yet by Gods grace, I will adventure in the humility of my soul, to give you my thoughts in this matter.

The soul is the nobler part of man, fitted of God unto the greatest workes; to wit, the contemplation of himself, and of heavenly things; or the framing of our actions to earthly subjects, with reference to Gods glory, and its own salvation; yet sometimes, it leaves off its noble work, and contrary to her essential being, thinkes of nothing at all, or contrary to its well-being, thinks

of that which is unprofitable: in both these respects, the thoughts of men and women, are not just.

The first common errour of our thoughts may not unfitly be called, dulnesse or drowsinesse of thoughts, when imagination is dull and thinks of nothing at all, or but sleepily: it sometimes happens that the mindes of men are as it were dead within them;

a spirit of heavinesse comes upon them;

Isa. 61. 3. so

Ezra sate astonished until the even∣ing sacrifice, like a clock that stands when the plummets are down, or as a man in a deep sleep, or amazement;

Ezra. 9. 4. 5. the soul thinks not of what it hath to do. A Christian hath businesse at home in himself, and abroad in the world, yet oftentimes he forgets himself, and thinks not at all, or but sleepily of what he hath to do, say (beloved) Is it not sometimes thus with you? Do you not sometimes find a damp upon your spirits, so that ye had need to pray unto God to quicken them? My soul cleaveth to the dust, quicken me accor∣ding to thy word.Psal. 119. 27. This is a fault of imagination, against the nature of it,

which tends to its perfection by con∣tinual action.

The second errour of our thoughts, is when our imaginations are busie, but they act not to any profitable end to our selves or others, for prevention of evil, or attainment of good; and too often they act to wicked ends, to the harme of our selves and of others. The first of these two we may call the vanity of thoughts; the other the wickednesse of thoughts.

First, there is a very vanity in some mens thoughts; so the Gentiles be∣came vain in their imaginations, ha∣ving

their foolish hearts darkened,

Rom. 1. 21. they could not know God as God, and therefore they conceive him in their mindes, in the similitude of four-footed beasts, of creeping things, and of flying fowles. This I may call a vanity of minde, in regard of object, or the thing thought upon. The A∣postle notes it a fault, in that he forbids it. Refuse vain and old wives fables, and exercise thy self rather unto godli∣nesse. 1 Tim. 4. 7

It would be an endlesse labour to

tell you in what variable manner the mindes of men are enclined to six their thoughts upon matters, according to their disposition, education, place, or company; nothing possesseth the brains of some, but toyes, fancies, humours, fashions, discourses of Robin-Hood, tales of Southamptons Beavis, &c. or that Athenian disposition, and unwearied desire to hear news of others, with an idle invention how to utter the same complementally to others; some mind∣ing gameing and sports, hawking, hunt∣ing, &c. Others new fashions, good-fellowship, mirth, and jestings, which are not convenient.

These vain thoughts are especially appropriated to the worser sort of men and women; yet the best of Gods chil∣dren want not some out-runnings in this kind. But it would be considered that these thoughts are vain imaginations in∣deed; for they neither lift the soul to communion with God upward, nor have reference to the setling of the souls peace inward, nor direct the soul to the performance of any warrantable action in its course downward. Such are all the

daughters of this imaginary vanity.

If it be here objected, that God hath granted thoughts recreatory for the souls wearinesse, as well as exercise for the bodies relief; it is true indeed; but these thoughts must be squared by these rules, or else they be not exempted from vanity.

1. The object of recreatory thoughts, must be things that are in their own na∣ture truly indifferent; for we are here∣in subject to be partial, our thoughts blinded by affection, rather than led by judgement out of the Law of God. What we think to be no hurt, may be, and often is, no lesse poisonful than Hen-bane.

2. We must admit them as under∣lings, to our better and more necessary thoughts, lest servants ride on horse∣back, and Princes go on foot.

3. They must not take up over much time, lest instead of fitting the minde thereby to better thoughts, they ex∣clude good thoughts altogether.

4. We must be wary, lest under pre∣tense of these indifferent things for the mindes recreation, Satan do not fasten

upon us some deadly temptation; for these recreatory thoughts are not sel∣dome the bands to bring in some other filthy sins; wherefore if those which thou callest recreatory thoughts be sinful, if they take up a disproportion∣able time, if they fasten upon thee any wicked temptation, if they enfeeble thy mind from better thoughts; be thou assured, they have a measure of vanity in them. What though some plead for these things? as are the thoughts, so is the man. The servants of Christ shall find, that when they give way to such thoughts, the holy courses of their souls are interrupted; their peace which ought to be dear unto them is endangered, their pretious and unre∣deemable time spent, and their inward man seldom sends them away without disturbance. Let the thoughts there∣fore of vain matters passe for vain thoughts.

The second vanity of thoughts is the unstayednesse or levity of them; which is a kind of shuttlenesse or sicklenesse of our thoughts; the mind in this respect, whether conversant about good or evil,

may not unfitly be compared unto the unstable eyes of the Adulterer, which be in every corner of the house; now in heaven soaring aloft, immediately in hell diving beneath; or like the light∣ning, which flasheth in a moment out of the East, into the West. These may be called wandering imaginations, our mindes being naturally subject in this manner, to stray out of their appointed limits, as Dinah out of her fathers house, with no lesse danger than she found shame.

This vanity the Apo∣stle seems to note unto us, when de∣scribing the blindnesse of the Gentiles hearts, he tells us, That they walke in the vanity of their mindes; having their understandings darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them.

Eph. 4. 7. 18. They had walking imaginations, but they were in the dark, and therefore wan∣dred in uncertainties. Such roving unsetled thoughts there was in the people of Israel, when sometimes they were in their thoughts for Egypt, sometimes for Assyriah: which occa∣sioned the Prophet to complain of

them:

Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou shalt be a∣shamed of Egypt,as thou wast of Assy∣riah.

Jerem. 2. 36.

This Errour, as all others; began from the fall of Adam, before which, the mind being assured of its chief good, was moved in a stable manner about that Center, as the Stars equally about the Pole; but thenceforth losing her enjoyment of the chief good; and in∣stead thereof having the fruition of in∣finite seeming goods, it became like a Planet, or wandring Star, carried un∣stayedly, or uncertainly about the same.

These Roveings are especially in san∣guine men, and such as are most remo∣ved from undistempred melancholly; for doubtlesse melancholly persons in their best temper, have the most solid and fixed imaginations, as the sanguine and cholerick the most moveable: but the wanderings of imagination, they breed a disturbance in every action a∣bout which the mind is employed, a disturbance sensible to any who carry about them an observant eye. Yet

Gods servants find the most apparent harme by such thoughts, when they set themselves about heavenly businesse; suppose prayer, or meditation, or hear∣ing, &c.Gen. 15. 11 If Abraham be about his sa∣crifice, the birds come down and trouble him, till they be frighted a∣way: so while we are about Gods worship, these kind of thoughts do most; of all molest us. It is a hard matter to keep the soul to a stable motion of thoughts: but most difficult when 'tis exercised about supernatural duties; For now the Devil who en∣vies our good, and the glory of God in such duties, casteth into our mindes vain and impertinent thoughts. Be∣sides our mindes themselves are unhand∣some and indisposed to such work na∣turally; and though where grace is, there may be a willingnesse of spi∣rit, yet there is also a weaknesse of flesh.

But it may be some will be so far from accounting this an errour, that they will rather call it variety of inven∣tion, quicknesse of wit, sharpnesse of understanding: and the contrary, no

better than dull melancholly, or block∣ish stupidity.

I answer these; There is a wide difference betwixt this unstayed course of thoughts, and true, and quick, or sharp invention, or wit: For first this levity of thoughts is from an inter∣course of impertinent imaginations, hindering, if not frustrating the maine intendment; whereas variety of inven∣tions, and quicknesse of wit, truly so called, is a quick minding and managing of thoughts suitable to the project in∣tended. Again unstayed thoughts dis∣able the heart from resolutions pro∣pounded for bringing forth actions. But quicknesse of understanding is the best Midwife for speedy delivery of the soul from the hard labour of unresol∣vednesse, into an estate of liberty to act freely and stoutly.

The third vanity of thoughts is, when as to the end propounded, or which ought to be, they are unprofit∣able. Some have working imagina∣tions, never idle, alwayes busie; but as good never a whit, as never the better. Some think themselves to be wise

above other men;

but they imagine vain things, and the Lord knowes the thoughts of those wise men that they are vain.

Psal. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 3. 20. The Jews in Pauls time were wholly bent to the maintenance of Moses Ceremonies; which yet the Apostle taxeth as

unprofitable to those that were occupied in them: for (saith he) there is a disanulling of the Com∣mandment going before, because of the unprofitablenesse thereof.

Heb. 7. 18. Those foolish Questions about the Law edifie not; but rather turn to the subversion of the hearers, and by consequence are not profitable in Apostolical judgement. There are that trouble themselves a∣bout Questions, and strife of words;1 Tim. 6. 4. but mark what Mark the Apostle puts upon them:

They are proud, knowing nothing, men of corrupt mindes:

ver. 5. if their mindes were not corrupt, they would not trouble themselves about such matters.

This errour is most common in these forward times, wherein the most refined wits, and sharpest inventions, are un∣profitably taken up with needlesse di∣sputes, fruitlesse, and curious, if not

cursed arts, foolish speaking, witty jeastings, and a thousand such unneces∣sary impertinencies, not destinated unto any good end, the accomplishment whereof never brings any true content to the party, nor any profit to the bre∣thren. This fault, howsoever many make small account of, as thinking it a great glory to be accounted knowing or witty: or thinking it a sufficient per∣fection, not to be idle, or in the inten∣tion of their thoughts not to be hurt∣ful; yet those that know all their acti∣ons should be respective unto some good, and content not themselves with a bare negation of evil, cannot but abhor the unprofitablenesse of their thoughts.

And is it not pitty to see men spend such pretious time, and lay out such un∣valueable gifts, as some have acquired, in purchasing that which profits no∣thing? Its pitty such wine as is con∣tained in some vessels, should run at waste, and do no man good. And this is so much the more to be regarded and pitied, because where this unprofitable vanity of the mind reigns, it fills the ap∣prehensions

of men with such vain de∣light, in their frothy undertakings, that they become utterly uncapable of any course of study, or endeavour to do good unto the Church of God. Of our thoughts therefore as of our actions, let this be a general rule: They must be destined unto some good end: for it matters not with what earnestnesse or with what eagernesse we pursue them, unlesse directly, or by consequent they be in some way profitable.

The fourth vanity of our thoughts appears, in the disorderlinesse, or con∣fusion of them; it sometimes happens that the Devil cannot fasten upon us a deadnesse of thoughts, nor lodge vain imaginations in our hearts, nor cause us to wander in uncertain cogitations, nor cast our minds into the mould of unpro∣fitable inventions: but that by the grace of God we are in some measure freed from all these; and then he la∣bours to make confusion and disorder amongst our most profitable and neces∣sary inventions, and resolutions: for though the thoughts of a good man be warrantable in themselves, and intended

for a good end; yet the order of them may be so confused, that the good in∣tended is impeded, if not disappointed. As in a course of speech long and often parentheses, darken the speakers mean∣ing, and hinder the apprehension of the hearer: So in thoughts, and in things of continued action, impertinencies and out-runnings, disgrace the course and speedy performance. When the thoughts of a mans mind are double, the man is a tottering thing: and there∣fore if Satan can bring a man to double-mindednesse, he knows he will be unstable in all things, political or re∣ligious: for

a double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes:

Jam. 1. 8. and then he hath gotten much advantage of him, by this wile.

Behold this thing in thy self: first what an unpleasant accident, in thy soul (when formerly well setled) is this confusion of thoughts, though good in themselves: as when amongst thy di∣vine meditations and spiritual cogita∣tions, there creep into thy minde thoughts of profit, lawful pleasures, or necessary labours, which howsoever

they be not onely permitted, but also commanded of God to have a place in our thoughts, at their times, and in their order; for there is a time for all things: yet rushing in at the time of thy devotions, they put all out of order.

further as they are unpleasant, so they are disturbant: A devoted heart cannot indure interruption in spiritual duties, by worldly attendance, or other occasions from without.

While Christ was about his Fathers businesse, he likes not the importunity of brothers or sisters, that stand without to speak with him.

Suppose a soul upon some extraordinary occasion, resolve upon a course of thoughts to humble himself; How troublesom are cogitations of joy and rejoyceing?

Who would not now shut the door upon them, as intruders unsent for, and unwelcome; like water in a ship, or like snow in har∣vest?

3. God requires a season for our thoughts; and therefore likes not a hudling confusion of them: as the Lord hath appointed labour to fit every

person, and to fit every time; so he hath appointed suitable thoughts for every occasion. When we are about Sa∣crifice, God hath appointed one sort of thoughts to possesse our minds, and when we are about our Callings ano∣ther. Our minds must have their changeable suites, as well as our bo∣dies: the working day hath his thoughts, and the Sabbath his: vain thoughts are no more lawful on the Sabbath, than vain words are. He that said,

Thou shalt not speak thine own words, nor do thy own workes, said also, Thou shalt not think thine own thoughts.

Isai. 58. 13.

What we are about, if it be war∣rantable and seasonable, God would have our hearts and hands to intend it: otherwise disorder cannot be a∣voided. The phansie of men that is but natural, left to its own wilde way of working, and not modera∣ted by reason, will make strange compositions and mixtures, and lo∣cations of things presented to it by the senses, as we see in dreames:

and if grace moderate not, there will be strange confusions in the thoughts of men. If therefore our thoughts be confused: I cannot reckon them among the thoughts of the Righteous,

whose thoughts are just.