given them for the Government of their Thoughts. And I cannot blame them, because their Thoughts are certainly very Troublesome: But truly, if we should fpeak pertinently to their Cafe, instead of giving them Advices for the regulating their Thoughts, they should rather be advised to look after their Bodies, and by the help of good Prescriptions to get rid of those Fumes and Vapours, which occafion these Fancies. When the Cause is removed, the Effect will foon ceafe. I do not in the leaft doubt, whatever thefe People may think of their own Cafe, but that this is as properly a Bodily Difeafe as a Fever, or Fits of the Falling Sickness.

In the mean Time, while they are in this Condition, whatever Rules are proper to be given to other Perfons, for the Government of the Thoughts, of all People living, thofe Rules do the leaft concern them. For thofe Thoughts which they complain of, do not at all fall un der Regulation or Government; because they are fuggefted to their Minds, whether they will And for my Part, I think it a great deal more advisable (if it could be) to neglect and defpife them; than to be perpetually ftruggling and difputing with them, and vexing themselves about them.

or no.

But, you will fay, If Men be fuch Slaves to their Thoughts, and are thus neceffarily paffive under them, where is the Freedom of Thought? To this I Anfwer,

In the Fourth Place, out of thefe Three Cafes I before-mentioned, we have.Liberty of Thinking, and may chufe our own Thoughts. And that Liberty and Freedom we have in Thinking, doth

doth, to my Apprehenfion, mainly confift in this, viz. That all of us (who are not in the Circumftances I have been hitherto fpeaking of) can, if we please, apply our Minds more vigoroufly to one fort of thing than to another; and accordingly, as we do thus apply our Minds, fo will the most of our Thoughts be.

It is in our Power, among the multitude of Objects, which prefent themfelves to our Mind, (as for Inftance, God, Vertue, Holiness, Heaven, Wealth, Power, Greatness, Preferments, Fine Cloaths, Splendid Equipage, Senfual Pleafures, Recreations, Divertisements, Knowledge, Learning, Arts, and the like;) I fay, that among all this multitude of Objects, that prefent themselves to our Minds, it is in our Power to determine ourselves, which of them we will dwell upon, and make a Bufinefs of. And accordingly, when at any Time we have pitched upon any of them, as a Business, it is in our Power to mind that Bufinefs either more or lefs diligently. And if it be fuch an one, as that we mean in good earnest to concern ourselves about it, it will then fo fill our Minds, as that by attending to that, we fhall either prevent, in a great measure, other Thoughts from coming into our Heads; or if they do come in, they will not long ftay there, but will very speedily give place to that which is our main Business at that Time.

And the Reason of this is plain; because our Natures are of that Make, that Two Things at once cannot well poffefs our Minds; and therefore if we be intent about one thing, we cannot have much room or leifure for Thoughts of another Nature.

But then Fifthly and Laftly, Though this that I have faid, be the true Nature of that Power we have over our Thoughts, as to the directing them to a particular Object: Yet there is another Power we have over them, that ought here more efpecially to be confidered; because in it are laid the very Foundations of Vertue and Vice, and upon account of it, all our Thoughts become either morally Good or Evil.

That which I mean is this; The' we cannot in many Cafes, think always of what we would; nay, though we cannot hinder abundance of Thoughts from coming into our Minds against our Will; yet it is always in our Power to Affent to our Thoughts, or to deny our Confent to them. And here it is that the Morality of our Thoughts begins; according as we Affent or Diffent to the Motions that are made in our Minds, fo will our Thoughts have the Notions of Vertuous or Sinful Thoughts.

When any Temptations are prefented to us from without, we cannot perhaps (as I faid before) avoid the feeling an irregular Paffion, or Motion, or Inclination ftirring within us, upon occafion thereof; but yet at that very Time it is in our Power, whether we will comply with thofe Paffions and Inclinations, or not; whether we will confent to them, or not; whether we will purfue them further, or not. Now if we do not confent to them, but, endeavour to ftop, and ftifle, and refift them, as foon as we are aware of them, there is yet no Harm done. Our Thoughts, how undecent or irregular foever they were, are rather to be accounted the Infirmities of our Corrupt Nature, than our Sins properly fo called,

And

And thus it is likewife as to our Wandering Thoughts in our Prayers. If we strive against them, and endeavour to keep our Minds in a Devout Compofed Temper, and attend as well as we can to the. Duty we are about: I say, if we do this, I hope thofe Distractions and Wanderings will never rife up in Judgment against us.

And as for the frightful Blafphemous Fancies, which, as I told you, fome, even Pious Perfons, are tormented with; as to them, I fay, they, of all other irregular Thoughts, have the leaft Danger of Sin in them, tho' they be not fo folemnly and formally difputed with, and contested againft. Becaufe, indeed, they are fo terrible in their own Nature, that no Man in his Wits, and that hath any Sense of God or Goodness, can be fuppofed to consent to them. They are, indeed, great Infelicities, but by no means any Sin, any farther than we approve of them; and to approve of them, for any tolerable good Man, is impoffible.

But then on the other fide, If we consent to any wicked Motion or Inclination that we feel in ourselves; let it come in how it will, never fo fuddenly, never fo unexpectedly; if we clofe with any Thought that prompts us to Evil, fo as to be pleased with it, to delight in it, to think of pursuing it, till it be brought into Action: In that cafe we are no longer to plead our Original Corruption; for in that very Inftant we become Actual Sinners, Actual Trangressors of the Law of God, the Obligation of which reaches to our very Hearts and Thoughts as well as our Actions. Though yet we are not fo great Tranfgreffors, fo long as our Sin is only in Thought,

Dd 4

1

Thought, or Defire, or Purpose; as if it had proceeded to outward Action.

All this is taught us for true Divinity, by no less an Author than St. James, in the first Chapter of his Epistle, v. 13, 14, 15. Let no Man Jay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God tempteth no Man. But every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Luft, and inticed. Then when Luft hath conceived,it bringethforthSin, and Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth Death. Which Paffage of the Apoftle, doth plainly contain these Three Propofitions.

First, That no Man is drawn to commit Sin, by any State or Condition that God hath put him into; no, nor by any Temptation, either outward or inward, that is prefented to him. It is not a Sin to be tempted; no, nor to feel that we are tempted by fome diforderly Inclination that arifes in our Minds thereupon.

But, Secondly, then our Sin begins, when we yield to the Temptation, when we are drawn away by our own Lufts, and enticed, when they get the Victory over us, and we do eonfent to them. Then Luft hath conceived, and bringeth forth Sin.

But, Thirdly, Though the very confent of our Wills to a Temptation, be a Sin in us; yet that Sin is not fo great, as it will be afterwards, if it be brought to Action. Sin in the Defire or Purpofe, is but an Embryo; it is but the firft Rudiments of Sin, but when it comes to be acted, it is then a Sin in its full dimenfions; and the Confequences of it may be fatal without Repentance. Sin when it is finished, bringeth forth Death.

Having thus given fome Account, how far our Hearts or Thoughts do fall under Govern

ment;