and calls them over into its wonted converse with them.

CHAPTER IV.

Other evidences of thoughts about Spiritual things, arising from an internal principle of Grace, whereby they are an evidence of our being spiritually minded. The abounding of these thoughts, how far, and where

in such an evidence.

II. THE second evidence, that our thoughts of spiritual things proceed from an internal fountain of sanctified light and affections, or that they are acts or fruits of our being spiritually minded, is, that they abound in us. We may say of them as the apostle doth of other graces, "If these things are in you and abound, you shall not be barren." It is well, indeed, when our minds are like the land of Egypt in the years of plenty, when it brought forth by handfuls; when they flow from the well of living water in us with a full stream and current. But there is a measure of abounding, which is necessary to evidence our being spiritually minded in them.

There is a double effect ascribed here to this frame of spirit: first, life, and then peace. The nature and being of this grace depends on the former consideration of it, namely, its procedure, from an internal principle of grace, the effect and consequence of which is life. But that it is peace also, depends on this degree and measure of the actings of it in our spiritual thoughts. And this we must consider.

It is the character of all men in the state of depraved nature and apostacy from God, "that every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts is only evil continually. All persons in that condition are not swearers, blasphemers, drunkards, adulterers, idolaters, or the like. Those are the vices of particular persons, the effects of particular constitutions and temptations.

But thus it is with them, all and every one of them: "All the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts are evil, and that continually." Some as to the matter of them, some as to their end, all as to their principle; for out of the evil treasure of the heart can proceed nothing but what is evil. That infinite multitude of open sins which is in the world, gives a clear prospect or representation of the nature and effects of our apostacy from God. But he that can consider the numberless number of thoughts which pass through the minds of every individual person every day, all evil, and that continually, he will have a farther comprehension of it.

A

We can, therefore, have no greater evidence of a change in us, from this state and condition, than a change wrought in the course of our thoughts. A relinquishment of this or that particular sin, is not an evidence of a translation from this state. For as was said, such particular sins proceed from particular lusts and temptations, and are not the immediate universal consequence of that depravation of nature which is equal in all. Such alone is the vanity and wickedness of the thoughts and imaginations of the heart. change herein is a blessed evidence of a change of state. He who is cured of a dropsy, is not immediately healthy, because he may have the prevailing seeds and matter of other diseases in him, and the next day die of a lethargy: but he who, from a state of sickness, is restored in the temperature of the mass of blood and the animal spirits, and all the principles of life and health, to a good crisis and temperature, his state of body is changed. The cure of a particular sin may leave behind it the seeds of eternal death, which they may quickly effect. But he who hath ob tained a change in this character, which belongs essentially to the state of depraved nature, is spiritually recovered. And the more the stream of our thoughts is turned, the more our minds are filled with those of a contrary nature, the greater and more firm is our evidence of a translation out of that depraved state and condition.

There is nothing so unaccountable as the multiplicity of thoughts of the minds of men. They fall from

them like the leaves of trees, when they are shaken with the wind in autumn. To have all these thoughts, all the several figments of the heart, all the conceptions that are framed and agitated in the mind, to be evil, and that continually, what a hell of horror and confusion must it needs be! A deliverance from this loathsome hateful state, is more to be valued than the whole world. Without it, neither life, nor peace, nor immortality, nor glory, can ever be attained.

And

The design of conviction is to put a stop to these thoughts, to take off from their number, and thereby to lessen their guilt. It deserves not the name of conviction of sin, which respects only outward actions, and regards not the inward actings of the mind. this alone will for a season make a great change in the thoughts; especially it will do so when assisted by superstition directing them to other objects. These two in conjunction are the rise of all that devotional religion which is in Popery. Conviction labours to put some stop and bounds to thoughts absolutely evil and corrupt; and superstition suggests other objects for them, which they readily embrace; but it is a vain attempt. The minds and hearts of men are continually minting and coining new thoughts and imaginations. The cogitative faculty is always at work. As the streams of a mighty river running into the ocean, so are the thoughts of a natural man, and through self they run into hell. It is a fond thing to set a dam before such a river, to curb its streams. For a little space there may be a stop made, but it will quickly break down all obstacles, or overflow all its bounds. There is no way to divert its course, but only by providing other channels for its waters, and turning them thereinto. The mighty stream of the evil thoughts of men will admit of no bounds or dams to put a stop unto them. There are but two ways of relief from them; the one respecting their moral evil, the other their natural abundance. The first, by throwing salt into the spring, as Elisha cured the waters of Jericho ;

that is, to get the heart and mind seasoned with grace for the tree must be made good before the fruit will be so. The other is, to turn their streams into new channels, giving new aims and ends to them, fixing them on new objects; so shall we abound in spiritual thoughts; for abound in thoughts we shall, whether we will or not.

To this purpose is the advice of the Apostle, " And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.' When men are drunk with wine to an excess, they make it quickly evident, with what vain, foolish, ridiculous imaginations, it filleth their minds. In opposition to this, the Apostle adviseth believers to be filled with the Spirit, to labour for such a participation of him as may fill their minds and hearts as others fill themselves with wine. To what end, to what purpose should they desire such a participation of him, to be so filled with him? It is to this end, namely, that he by his grace may fill them with spiritual thoughts; as on the contrary, men, drunk to excess, are filled with those that are foolish, vain, and wicked. So the words declare; for he adviseth us to express our abounding thoughts, in such duties as will give an especial vent to them.

Wherefore, when we are spiritually-minded, we shall abound in spiritual thoughts, or thoughts of spiritual things. That we have such thoughts will not sufficiently evidence that we are so, unless we abound in them. And this leads us to the principal inquiry on this head; namely, What measure hereof we ought to assign, how we may know when we abound in spiritual thoughts, so that they may be an evidence of our being spiritually minded.

I answer in general, among other scriptures, read over Psalm cxix. with understanding. Consider therein what David expresseth of himself, as to his constant delight in, and continual thoughts of the law of God, which was the only means of divine revelation at that season. Try yourselves by that pattern; ex

amine yourselves whether you can truly speak the same words with him; at least, if not in the same degree of zeal, yet with the same sincerity of grace. You will say, That was David. It is not for us; it

is not our duty to be like to him, at least not to be equal with him. But as far as I know, we must be like him, if ever we intend to come to the place where he is.. It will ruin our souls, if, when we read in the Scriptures, how the saints of God express their experience in faith, love, delight in God, and constant meditations on him, we grant that it was so with them, that they were good and holy men, but it is not necessary that it should be so with us. These things are not written in the Scriptures to show what they were, but what we ought to be. All things concerning them "were written for our admonition." And if we have not the same delight in God as they had, the same spiritual mindedness in thoughts and meditations of heavenly things, we can have no evidence that we please God as they did, or shall go to that place whither they are gone. Profession of the life of God passeth with many at a very low and easy rate. Their thoughts are, for the most part, vain and earthly; their communication unsavoury, and sometimes corrupt; their lives at best uneven and uncertain, as to the rule of obedience; yet all is well, all is life and peace. The holy men of old, who obtained this testimony, that they pleased God, did not so walk before him. They meditated continually in the law; thought of God in the night seasons; spake of his ways, his works, his praise; their whole delight was in him, and in all things they followed hard after him. It is the example of David in particular that I have proposed. And it is a promise of the grace to be administered by the Gospel, that he "who is feeble shall be as David.' And if we are not so in his being spiritually minded, it is to be feared we are not partakers of the promise. But that we may the better judge of ourselves therein, I shall add some few rules to this direction by example.

1. Consider, what proportion your thoughts of spiritual things bear with those about other things. Our