Rihgt [sic] thoughts, the righteous mans evidence a discourse proving our state (God-ward) to be as our thoughts are, directing how to try them and our selves by them, propounding schemes of right thoughts, with motives and rules for keeping thoughts right : in two parts / by Faithful Teat.

CHAP. III. Sheweth the Thoughts of man to be the Souls Pulse, and that they evidently discover his Inward Estate.

Sect. I.

YOu see then where this wisdom is to be found,* 1.1 and where is the place of self-understanding. Reader, Thou art before the Lord, dost thou unfeignedly desire to know thy self truly? then say not in thine heart, who shall ascend, or who shall descend to tell thee, whether of the two, Heaven or Hell shall be thy place and portion; As the words are nigh thee,* 1.2 even in thy mouth; so the Thoughts are nigh thee, even in thy mind; for what Christ saith of thy words, I may say of thy Thoughts,* 1.3 By thy words (saith the text) and by thy thoughts (saith the reason of the text) Thou shalt be justified, and thou shalt be condemned. For out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak; If then thy Thoughts be Right, Thou art Right. The thoughts of the Righteous are Right. All the Righteous have Right Thoughts; and All, whose Thoughts are Right, are Righteous.

'Tis a Laudable fairness in our Law,* 1.4 that it puts All Tryals for Life and Death, upon God and the coun∣trey; that is, the Neighbourhood. This little Book allowes thee the Birth-right of thy Native Law in thy greatest tryal, more Important then for Life and Death. 'Tis for Salvation or Damnation.* 1.5 Thy Thoughts are thy Neighbourhood, they walk and talk with thee, they know thy lying down, and thy rising up; Put thy Soul tryal upon God and them, and God send thee a good deliverance.

Sect. II.

* 1.6A Nabal-like Heart may seem sometimes to put forth a liberal hand, and make a Feast like a Prince, yet shall not a Churl be the more called liberal, The libe∣ral man deviseth liberall things. He onely is the liberall man that hath the liberall mind, whose thoughts are free in a better sence, then the old saying hath it; Tis not the drawing of the Purse to the Poor though that must be too where there is a Purse, but the drawing out the Soul to the Hungry that is true Charity,* 1.7 Two mites bestowed with one truly Generous and Li∣beral thought, is a righter Almesgiving then the giving of the two Hemispheres of the whole world, would be without it.

Sect. III.

* 1.8THe Envious may carry smooth, and speak fair, yet never a whit the more to be trusted if there be seven abominations in the heart, The Oyl of smooth words may float at top, whilst Waters of strife are at bottome, war in his heart: His words kind, his thoughts Cruel; now He is what his thoughts are. 'Tis not said as a man speaketh with his tongue, but as a man thinketh in his heart so is He. Nay such are Evil whose thoughts are so, though God turn the fruit of their heart to good, to those to whom they in∣tend evil,* 1.9 as in Josephs case, (Ye thought Evil against me, saith He, But God turned it to good), and to His own Glory,* 1.10 to whom they intend dishonour; as in the Assyrians (howbeit He meaneth not so, neither doth He think so,* 1.11) He was what his thoughts were: on the other hand, Joseph was a good Brother to them, that had been otherwise to him, though his carriage were course, and his speaking rough, for He thought them good, and meant them well. And thus God himself,* 1.12 when He sheweth his People hard things, and

(it may be) incurs their hard thoughts, yet then he approves himself to be a merciful Father, and a ten∣der Friend by his gracious thoughts and tender pur∣poses, I know the thoughts that think towards you,* 1.13 thoughts of peace; And as He thinks in His Heart so is he, (though they think hardly of him) his thoughts are of Peace, and He is the God of Peace.* 1.14

Sect. IV.

THe Impatient are not alwayes Clamorous,* 1.15 but sometimes like froward Children that declare their doggedness by not speaking at all,* 1.16 as well as by speak∣ing doggedly. 'Tis said of the Hypocrites in Heart, they cry not when God bindeth them, He strikes them, yet they will not be thought sick, and beats them, yet they seem not to feel, they have not grieved,* 1.17 they make their face, harder then a Rock, yet are never the more qui∣et; never the more patient; for, mean while,* 1.18 their minds fret, their thoughts boil within them, their Hearts are lifted up, therefore they are not upright. Their thoughts are froward, and so are they, for as a man thinketh in his Heart so is he.* 1.19 The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his Heart fretteth against the Lord. He frets in Heart and thought, though not in word.* 1.20

On the other hand, you have heard of the Patience of upright Job, yet how often did His Impatience (like some Mens sickness) break out at his lips, when the distemper had made no mortal seisure upon his heart; for search but his Heart and his History to the bottom, and you shall find it full fraight with thoughts of Penitence, of Patience, of Piety, of Humility, full of God-exalting, self-abasing thoughts, thoughts of calmness and sweetness towards God, and onely of bitterness and Indignation against sinful self.* 1.21 Be∣hold I am vile, what shall I answer thee? and again, I know that no thought can be with-holden from thee: who is be that hideth Councel without knowledge: I have ut∣tered

that I understood not, wherefore I abhor my self, and repent in dust and ashes.

Sect. V.

* 1.22SOlomons strange woman keeps a stir about wiping of her mouth, whilst she never regardeth the clean∣sing of her thoughts; She can talk of Pe ce-Offe ings, and of Her paying her Vows in the day, and think the same moment, of pleasing her bruit••sh Lust all the night, Come let us take our fill of loves till the morning. Her thoughts were unclean, and so was she. What∣ever mens garbes and pretensions are, how demure soever their deportments,* 1.23 how mortified soever their appearances, they whose profoundest thoughts, are how to make provision for the Lusts of the Flesh, are fleshly, and they that do mind the things of the Flesh are after the Flesh: On the contrary, Chast Job will not only make a Covenant with his Eyes, but will not allow him∣self so much as to think upon a Maid. His thoughts were Chast and clean, and so was He.

Sect. VI.

* 1.24THe Covetous walk not alwayes in open and na∣ked view for every one to see, perhaps not for themselves; but often wear a Cloak (as the Apostle calls it) a Cloak of zeal, and seeming sanctity, as Iehu,* 1.25 and others. Their thoughts boil, but the fer∣vour of their spirit is, for the serving of themselves, not the Lord Jesus Christ; Judas talks of the Poo, but he think•• of the Purse,* 1.26 and of his Prey; yet he carryed it so plausibly, that the Eleven suspected themselves more than Him. Mens Hearts may be exercised with covetous practices,* 1.27 whilst their hands seem not so, They come and sit before the Lord as his People, but their hearts run after their covetousness; nay, their hearts are not but for their covetousness, as the Prophet smartly expresseth it. They may talk of better things, but

their thoughts are for no other, their tongues may run of heavenly things, but their thoughts still run after their e••vetousness. Their thoughts are for to morrow,* 1.28 what they shall eat, and what they shall drink, and where∣with they shall be cloathed. Their Inward thoughts are, that their Houses and Inheritances are to them and their Heirs for ever. Such are the thoughts that they drown their Souls in, and bury themselves in a∣live, working like Moles under-ground,* 1.29 and if they sometimes app ar above ground, they are not in their Element, till rooting in the earth again,* 1.30 they mind earthly things, The young man in the Gospel, His tongue ran of Heaven, What must I do that I may inherit Eternal life? but his thoughts ran after Earth, if I go with this Christ, I must forgo my Estate, if I cleave to Him, I must leave that:* 1.31 He went away sor∣rowful, for he had large Possessions. But saith God to his People, Beware there be not in thy wicked heart a thought, &c. which he there cautions in this case of Covetousness. A Covetous thought reigning in the heart, Allowed, Loved, Liked, Maintained, custo∣marily entertained there, is the Evidence of a wicked heart, of a bad man, for as a man thinketh in his Heart, so is He.

Sect. VII.

THe Proud person may be tryed by his Thoughts,* 1.32 be he never so much in the disguise of his voluntary humility.* 1.33 His thoughts do swell and rise high, whilst He cringeth low; like those in Isaiah, who hung down their heads like Bulrushes, yet their Hearts were lifted up in proud thoughts against God, as if He were in their Debts for their formal devotions; wherefore have we fasted, say they,* 1.34 and thou takest no no∣tice? The Pharisee was the worse for his good thoughts of himself; God I thank thee, that I am not as other men; Yea, and thousands in the world have cause enough to think ill of themselves, if they had no more then their thinking too well of themselves: God

will punish the fruit of mens stout hearts;* 1.35 now the fruit of the stout heart is in the same place, explained to be the proud Thought. The Psalmist complains, the wi••ked through the pride of their countenances will not seek after God,* 1.36 God is not in all their thoughts. He fetcheth proof of their wicked pride from their Godless thoughts. The proud Prince of Tyrus did set his heart as the heart of God, in high thoughts of Himself, as the Sequel there shews.* 1.37 But the best Men on the contrary are least and lowest in their own thoughts. Thus Abraham,* 1.38 but dust and ashes; Jacob, less than the least of Gods mercies; David, a worm and no man. Asaph, a beast before thee. Agar, more bruitish then man. Isaiah, a man of unclean lips. Paul, the very least of the Apostles, but the chiefest of Sinners. Put on humbleness of mind, saith the Apostle. The Humble man is humble in mind, and lowly in heart and thought as Christ was, for as a man thinketh in his heart so is He.

Sect. VIII.

* 1.39BLessed are the pure in heart, saith our Saviour, they shall see God. Are thy thoughts holy? then thou art happy. In a good mans heart there is a good trea∣sure,* 1.40 and the Psalmist tells you what it is, How preti∣ous are thy thoughts, O God, unto me? But for the wicked, God is not in all his thoughts, therefore the heart of the wicked is little worth, and he, whose Heart is little worth, is wicked.

Sect. IX.

To draw this head towards a conclusion, let me perswade thee, O man, but to judge of thy self, which thou canst, by the same way, that thou wouldst judge thy Neighbor if thou couldst. If anothers thoughts lay as fair to thine eye, as his words do sound to thine ears, thou wouldest try his thoughts towards thee, be∣fore

thou wouldst too much trust his words, for the wise man observes, these too may be very wide each from other, Eat and drink saith he to thee, and yet his heart is not with thee. But God hath purposely lockt up thy Neighbours thoughts from thee,* 1.41 to correct thy curiosity and over eager propension to Censorious∣ness abroad, and hath said, Iudg not that ye be not Iudged,* 1.42 but hath made thee Tur••-k••y to thy own, because its best for the to turn often in at thine own door, for if we wo•••••• judge our selves we should not be judged. Mans Law doth what it can in the triall of those that are under Inquest, for discovery not onely nor chiefly of the Act, but the Mens ••••a, the Intent and thought of the Heart in the Act, whether a Traiterors, Malitious, Felo••i∣ous Intent, and of M••lice fore-thought or no? When smooth-tongued Simon Magus came with Honey in his mouth, and his well-tuned tongue had a fair free∣dom to make a plausible profession, he was received and Baptized,* 1.43 but as soon as the Apostle Peter came to discern his thought (Repent and pray God, saith he, if perhaps this thought of thine may be forgiven thee) he pre∣sently perceives that his heart was not right, and that his state was nought, for he saith not, I perceive that the ••a•••• of bitterness is in thee only, but that thou art in it a••d in th•• bond of Iniquity.* 1.44

Sect. X.

IN one word, as the Pulse so the Thoughts derive imme∣dia e••y from the heart, both as to Temper and Distem∣per, the one in a Physi••al, the other in a moral notion & respect, and wert thou but as careful and S••i••fu to observe thy flowing thoughts, as thy Physitian is to ex∣amine thy gliding pulse, thy Thou••hs would ••s••••s∣te•• deceive thee, then thy Pulse him, and thou nee∣dest not be so much at a loss as the most are for the knowledg of thy spiritual and everlasting state, have∣ing so fair as Index to Eternity so near at hand, Commune then with thine own hea••t upon thy b d, and be still.* 1.45 'Tis Scripture Councel, and it will never hurt thee to

take it. Thy thoughts may talk with thee when none else will, when none else can, when there is none but God, and thou, and they together. Thy faculty will be true to thee, if thou be so to it, thy Thought will not flatter thee if thou do not daub with them; but and if thou dost, God will not. And so I pass to the next.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Thoughts the Souls pulse.
• * 1.2

  Romans 10.6, 7, 8.
• * 1.3

  Mat. 12.37. Verse 34.
• * 1.4

  Thoughts our Neighbour∣hood.
• * 1.5

  Tryal by them fair.
• * 1.6

  Instances of churlishness. 1 Sam. 25, 26. Isaiah 32.5. Isaiah 32.5. Isaiah 31.8. Liberality.
• * 1.7

  Isaiah 58.10. Mark 12.21.
• * 1.8

  Envy. Prov. 26.25. Psal. 55.21.
• * 1.9

  Gen 50.20.
• * 1.10

  Isaiah 10.7.
• * 1.11

  Goodness.
• * 1.12

  Isai••h. ••0.3.
• * 1.13

  Jer. 29.11.
• * 1.14

  Rom. 15.33.
• * 1.15

  Impatience.
• * 1.16

  Job 36.19. Prov. 23.39.
• * 1.17

  Jerem. 5.••.
• * 1.18

  Habak. 2.4.
• * 1.19

  Prov. 19.3.
• * 1.20

  Patience.
• * 1.21

  Job 40.4. and 42, 2, 3, 6.
• * 1.22

  Uncleanness. Prov. 30.20. Prov. 7.14. Verse 18.
• * 1.23

  Rom. 13.14. and 8.5. Chastity. Job 31.1,
• * 1.24

  Covetousness.
• * 1.25

  1 Thes. 2.5. John 12.10.
• * 1.26

  2 Pet. 2.1.
• * 1.27

  Jer. 23.31. Jer. 22.17.
• * 1.28

  Mat. 6.31. Psal. 49.11.
• * 1.29

  Phil. 3.19.
• * 1.30

  Mat. 10.17.
• * 1.31

  Deut. 15.7.
• * 1.32

  Pride.
• * 1.33

  Isaiah 58.53.
• * 1.34

  Luke 18.11.
• * 1.35

  Isaiah. 10.18. compared with the 12.
• * 1.36

  Psal. 18.4. Ezek. 28.16.
• * 1.37

  Humility.
• * 1.38

  Gen. 18 27. and 23.10. Psal. 22.6. Psal. 73.22. Prov. 30.2. Isaiah 6.5. 1 Cor 15.9. Col. 3.12. Mat. 11.29.
• * 1.39

  Purity. Matth. 5.3.
• * 1.40

  Mat. 12.35. Psal. 139.17. and 10.4 Prov. 10.20.
• * 1.41

  Prov. 23.7.
• * 1.42

  Math. 7.1. 1 Cor. 11.32.
• * 1.43

  Acts 8.12. Verse 22.
• * 1.44

  Verse 23.
• * 1.45

  Psalm 4.4.