long fhall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Pfal.49.11. Their inward thought is, that their houfes fhall continue for ever, their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

Pfal.119.59. I thought on my waies, and turned my feet unto thy teftimonies.

Prov.16.3. Commit thy workes unto the Lord, and thy thoughts fhall be established.

Prov.4.23. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the iffues of life.

Secondly, Watch over thy Affections, the motions and ftirrings of thy will, the out-goings of thy heart.

Rightly to order our Affections, is one of our principall bufineffes, in this life. When they are rightly ordered, and governed, they do much further & help on our courfe in Godlineffe. Whereas difordered paffions blind the judgment, hurry away the will, fill the heart and mind with difquiet, and interrupt prayer,, and other holy duties. Keep an especial watch therefore over thy Affections: Be careful they be not fet on wrong objects; nor fuffered to grow unruly, and exorbitant, Grace doth not extinguish, but rectifie affections. Chrift (who was free from all fin) was not without affections: He was angry, did grieve, rejoyce. Let it be thy care therefore to look to the right regulating of R 4

thefe

thefe powers, and these affections that God hath placed in thee.

And to help thee in this work, obferve these Directions.

T

1. Beg of God, a found mind, aright underStanding, a dear judgment, that thou maist be able rightly to difcern between good and evil; and maift not take fhews and appearances for rea litics. There is great danger in mifapprehenfi ons; for as the apprehenfions of the mind are weaker or stronger, fo the affections are better or cooler.

2. Labour to bring thy will, fenfe, and ap petite under fubjection to right reafon. If fin do feem pleasant to thee, (as the forbidden fruit to Eve) let reafon tell thee 'tis forbidden fruit; and therefore thou must not touch it. A man is Lord of himself, when reafon rules him: but his own flave, when wilfulneffe, appetite, or paffion bear fway in him. When the Coachman cannot rule the hories, but is hurried vio-" lently away with them, there is nothing but confufion to be expected; fo it is with a man whofe reafon is overborn, or hurried away by his headstrong paffions. Affections are like fire and water; good fervants, but very bad Masters: Fire does well while 'tis kept in the chimney; & water is ufeful, while 'tis kept within its banks; if they break out, they are very mifchievous Elements: Affections (while they are modera

ted,

ted,& kept within their due bounds) they are very serviceable; but if they overflow those banks and bounds, what a world of mischief follows?

3. Labour to foresee such things before they come, which may prove great provocations to thee, and are like to kindle and excite thy paffions. Ufe precaution, and wifely avoid fuch occafions as much as thou canft. Paffions are far more easily prevented, than moderated: And here premeditation is of fingular ufe, whereby the mind may fortifie & Arengthen it felfagainst the exorbitancy of paffion, before it arife; by confidering the unreasonablenesse of it, and the bitter fruits and effects of it.

4. Refift evil affections at the beginning, before they grow high and headstrong; Dash Babylons brats against the wall: If they once get ftrength, they may be too hard for thee. Lufts, and vile affections let alone, do often end in .groffe fins, There are works of the flesh, that follow lufts of the flesh, Gal.5.19. Love of pleafure, if uncontrol'd, may end in drunkenneffe, or uncleanneffe. Envy, and malice, if uncheck'd, end in murder, or violence. Fudas allowing himselfe in Covetoufneffe, that brought him to deny his Master.

may

5. Temperance, and keeping under the body is an excellent means to mortifie lufts, paffions, and vile affections. He that pampers his flesh, feeds his enemy. And how much better

is it to endure the pains of mortification here, than the horrours of everlasting darkneffe hereafter?

6. Remember, that when thy blood and Spirits are moved, and thy paffions are up, whatever is prefented to thy imagination, tends to the delufion of thy foul. Paffions like fome kind of glaffes, reprefent things falfely: fom times of a mountain, they make a mole-hill; and fomtimes a mole-hill, they magnifie into a mountain. Therefore if it be poffible in paf fion make no refolutions. Let it be one of thy main cares, then to fuffer thy fpirit and blood to cool, and thy paffions to fink, and melt away, and then thou wilt come to right ap prehenfions. Many have grievoufly overhot themselves in paffion, and repented of it at lei

fure.

7. Confider the root of all inordinate passi on is felf-love. The larger the branches of paffion, the deeper the root of Jelf love. Therefore labour to dig up the root, and do not only lop off the branches. Inordinate felf-love ought to be fubdued, and mortified.

8. Meditate often on the abafings, fufferings, death, and paffion of our Lord, and Saviour. Chrift fuffered for us, leaving us an example, faith the Apostle, 1 Pet.2.21. that we should follow his feps. Was he crucified for us? and fhall not we crucifie our vile affections for him?

Did he renounce his own will, to accomplish our falvation? and fhall not we deny our wills for him? our corrupt wills? The wills of the flesh and of the mind, as the Apoftle calleth them, Eph.2.3. The luftings of the lower and the upper foul. Was he made of no reputation for us? and fhall we be proud? Did he lay down his very life for us his enemies and fhall not we forgive an enemy for his fake? O labour from the confideration of Chrifts fufferings to mortifie thy lufts and vile affections.

9. By earneft Prayer,even the prayer of Faith, feek for fuccour from Heaven, against all chine inordinate affections. Humbly plead that promife before the Lord, Rom.6.14. Sin fhall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace.

10. Take the fword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, Eph.6.17. and therewith labour to flay thy inordinate affections. Apply the Commands and Threatnings of Gods Word to thy felf, when thou findeft any ftrong paffion or luft ftirring in thee: As fuppofe Anger be up in thee; take that fword of the Spirit thou wilt find Eph.4.26,27. Let not the Sun go upon your wrath; neither give place to the devil. If hatred against thy Brother be working in thee, take that word, i Fohn 3.15. Whoever hateth his Brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. If thy

down

heart