RESOLUTION IV.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, to be always exercising my thoughts upon good objects, that the devil may not exercise them upon bad.

THE Soul being a spiritual substance, is always in action, and its proper and immediate act is thinking, which is as natural and proper to the soul, as extension is to the body. It is that upon which all the other actings of the soul are grounded; so that neither our apprehensions of, nor affections to, any object can be acted without it. And hence it is, that I think the soul is very properly defined "a thinking substance;" for there is nothing else but a spirit can think, and there is no spirit but always doth think. And I find this by experience to be so true and certain, that if at any time I have endeavoured to think of nothing, (as I have sometimes done) I have spent all the time in thinking upon that very thought.

How much, therefore, doth it concern me to keep my soul in continual exercise upon what is good: for be sure, if I do not set it on work the devil will; and if it do no work for God, it will work for him. I know sinful objects are more agreeable to a sinful soul; but I am sure, holy thoughts are more conformable to a holy God. Why, therefore, should I spend and revel out my thoughts upon that which will destroy my soul? No, no; I shall henceforth endeavour always to be employing my thoughts

upon something that is good: and, therefore, to have good subjects constantly at hand to think upon, as the attributes of God, the glory of heaven, the misery of hell, the merits of Christ, the corruption of my nature, the sinfulness of sin, the beauty of holiness, the vanity of the world, the immortality of the soul, and the like; and likewise to take occasion from the objects I meet or converse with in the world, to make such remarks and reflections, as may be for my advantage or improvement in my spiritual affairs. For, there is nothing in the world, though it be ever so bad, but that I may exercise good thoughts upon; and my neglect in this kind has been the real occasion of all those vain thoughts that have hitherto possessed my soul. I have not kept them close to their work, to think upon what is good, and therefore, they have run out into those extravagancies, which, by the blessing of God, in the performance of these resolutions, I shall endeavour to avoid.

It is, indeed, a singular advantage of that high and heavenly calling, in which the most High, of his wisdom and goodness, has been pleased to place me, that all the objects we converse with, and all the subjects we exercise our thoughts upon, are either God and heaven, or something relating to them. So that we need not go out of our common road to meet with this heavenly company, good thoughts. But then, I do not account every thought of God, or heaven, which only swims in my brain, to be a good and holy thought, unless it sink down into my heart and affections; that is, unless to my meditations of God, and another world, I join a longing

for him, a rejoicing in him, and a solacing myself in the hopes of a future enjoyment of him. Neither

will this be any hinderance, but a furtherance to my studies; for, as I know no divine truths as I ought, unless I know them practically and experimentally; so I never think I have any clear apprehensions of God, till I find my affections are inflamed towards him; or that ever I understand any divine truth aright, till my heart be brought into subjection to it.

This resolution, therefore, extends itself, not only to the subject matter of my thoughts, but also to the quality of them, with regard to practice, that they may influence my life and conversation, that whether I speak, or write, or eat, or drink, or whatsoever I do, I may still season all, even my commonest actions, with heavenly meditations; there being nothing I can set my hand to, but I may likewise set my heart a working upon it. Which accordingly I shall endeavour, by the blessing of God, to do. And, for the better ordering of my thoughts,

RESOLUTION V.

I am resolved, by the grace of God, so to marshal my thoughts, that they may not justle one another, nor any of them prejudice the business I am about.

My soul being by nature swift and nimble, and by corruption inordinate and irregular in its operations, I can never set myself to think upon one thing, but presently another presses in, and another after that,

and so on, till by thinking of so many things at once, I can think upon nothing to any purpose. And hence it is, that I throw away thousands of thoughts each day for nothing, which, if well managed, might prove very profitable and advantageous to me. Το prevent, therefore, this tumultuous, desultory, and useless working of my thoughts, as I have already resolved to fix my heart upon necessary, and useful, and good objects, so to prevent my thoughts rolling from one thing to another, or leaping from the top of one to the height of another object, I must now endeavour to rank and digest them into order and method, that they may, for the future, be more steady and regular in their pursuits. I know the devil and my own corrupt nature will labour to break the ranks and confound the order of them; what stratagem, therefore, shall I use to prevent this confusion? I shall endeavour, by the grace of God, whensoever I find any idle thoughts begin to frisk and rove out of the way, to call them in again, and set them to work upon one or other of those objects before mentioned, and to keep them for some time, fixed and intent upon it; and, considering the relations and dependencies of one thing upon another, not to suffer any foreign ideas, such I mean, as are impertinent to the chain of thoughts I am upon, to justle them out, or divert my mind another way. No, not though they be otherwise good thoughts; for thoughts in themselves good, when they crowd in unseasonably, are sometimes attended with very ill effects, by interrupting and preventing some good purposes and resolutions, which might prove more effectual for promoting God's glory, the good of others, and the comfort of our own souls.

These, and such like, are the methods by which I design and resolve to regulate my thoughts: and, since I can do nothing without the divine assistance, I earnestly beg of God to give me such a measure of his grace, as may enable me effectually to put these resolutions in practice, that I may not think and resolve in vain.

CONCERNING MY AFFECTIONS.

BUT whilst I am thus ranging my thoughts, I find something of a passion or inclination within me, either drawing me to, or driving me from, every thing I think on; so that I cannot so much as think upon a thought but it is either pleasing or displeasing to me, according to the agreeableness or disagreeableness of the object it is placed upon, or to my natural affections. If it come under the pleasing dress and appearance of good, I readily choose and embrace it; if otherwise, I am as eagerly bent to refuse and reject it. And these two acts of the will are naturally founded in these two reigning passions of the soul, love and hatred, which I cannot but look upon as the grounds of all its other motions and affections. For what are those other passions of desire, hope, joy, and the like, but love in its several postures? and what else can we conceive of fear, grief, abhorrence, &c. but so many different expressions of hatred, according to the several circumstances that the displeasing objects appear to be un