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fer our felves entirely to his Wife Counfels, and to trust in his Mercy for all that is come.

Great, indeed, and wonderful, are the Promifes that are made to those that put their Trust in God. Curfed (faith the Prophet) Jer. 17. 5be the Man that trufteth in Man, and maketh Flefb his Arm: But, Bleffed is he that trufteth in the Lord, and whofe hope the Lord is. Many Sor-Pfal. 32. rows (faith the Pfalmist) fhall be to the Wicked: But whofo trufteth in the Lord, Mercy fhall embrace him on every fide. And again, O tafte and fee, 34.8. how gracious the Lord is: Bleffed is the Man that trufteth in him.

If now we believe thefe Things, (and if we be Christians, we do and muft believe them) confider, I beseech you, the Use we are to make of them.

What have we all to do? Let our late Difappointments have put us into never fo bad a Humour; let our present Circumstances be entangled with never fo many Difficulties; yet what have we all to do but to Rejoice in GOD, and to Trust in his Mercy?

All is well, and all will be well for Ever, to them that Love God, and put their Trust in Him.

Sing we therefore unto the Lord a new Song: Let the Congregation of Saints praife him. Let Ifrael rejoice in him that made him: And let the Children of Sion be joyful in their King. God is the King of all the Earth, let us fing Praifes with Understanding. The Lord hath Pleafure in his People: He will for Ever help the meek-hearted: For his delight is in them that fear him, and that put their Trust in his Mercy. He is our Help and

Strength,

10.

Strength, a very prefent Help in Trouble: therefore will we not fear, though the Earth be moved, and though the Hills be carried into the midst of the Sea: Though the Waters thereof rage and fwell, and the Mountains bake at the Tempest of the fame. Even in that Cafe, the Rivers of the Flood there of fball make glad the City of God. All the Blufterings and Storms that threaten God's People, fhall turn to their Advantage, and fhall really, at length, prove Matter of Rejoicing to them, how terrible and dreadful foever they appeared at firft: For, as it there follows, God is in the midst of her, therefore shall be not be removed: God will help her, and that right early. God will be with his Church, and will deliver his People, whenever it is proper and seasonable so to do.

Nay, let the Worst come; though we were reduced even to the utmoft Extremities; which, yet, God be thanked, we neither are, nor, I hope, ever fhall be; yet even in that Cafe, the Confideration that God is our King, ought not only to fupport us, but to fill us with Joy. Even in that Cafe, every Good Man fhould bear his Part in the Song of the Prophet Habbakkuk, (3. 17.) with which I conclude.

Although the Fig-tree shall not bloffom, neither fball Fruit be in the Vine: Although the Labour of the Olive ball fail; and the Fields ball yield no Meat: Although the Flock be cut off from the Fold, and there be no Herd in the Stalls; Tet will I Rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation.

SER

SERMON XIV.

Preached before the

KING and QUEEN,

AT

WHITE-HALL.

PROV. iv. 23.

Keep thy Heart with all Diligence, for out of it are the Illues of Life.

T

HE Argument with which this Audience was entertained the last Lord's Day, being the Government of the Tongue; I cannot think it improper or unfeasonable for me, who have the Honour to come next, to treat about the Government of the Thoughts: There being a near Relation between thefe Two, and a neceffary Dependance of the one upon the other.

Our Words, indeed, are more eafily governed than our Thoughts, because they are more in our Power. But it will be impoffible, either to govern our Words, or our Actions, as we fhould, unless we first bring our Thoughts in fome measure under Government.

I

I must confefs, this Argument of the Government of the Thoughts, though it be a very ufeful, yet it seems alfo a very nice and difficult one, thro' the great variety of Cafes, arifing from Mens different Tempers, which will not come under the fame Rules, and yet ought to be provided for. But however, this fhall not dif courage me from undertaking this Argument; it shall only make me more careful, as to what I say about it; that is, to have respect, as much as I can, to all forts of Tempers, and to deliver what I have to fay, with fo much Plainnefs, that every Body may go along with me.

The Words, upon which I ground my Dif course, are thofe of Solomon, which I have read unto you, and which contain one of thofe Precepts that he lays down for the Religious Conduct of our Lives: Keep (faith he) thy Heart with all Diligence, for out of it are the Iflues of Life.

Not to trouble you with what others have faid upon this Text, I take the true Meaning of it to be this;

By the [Heart] here, which we are exhor ted to keep, we are to understand the Inward Thoughts, and Motions, and Affections of our Souls or Spirits; all which, in the infpired Writings, are conftantly faid to be feated in the Heart. This undoubtedly is the Scrip

ture-Notion of the Heart.

And, when we are here bid to keep our Hearts with all Diligence, I think there is no Question to be made, the Meaning is, That we fhould diligently attend to the Thoughts, and Motions, and Affections of our Minds;

that

that we should watch them narrowly, left at any Time we should give our Confent to fomething we ought not. This is the Meaning of keeping our Hearts with all Diligence.

And then a Reafon is added, why it concerns us thus to keep them; and that is this, Because out of the Heart are the Iffues of Life, What is the Meaning of that Phrafe? Plainly this; The Iffues, the Fruits, the Effects that are fhewn in our Lives and Converfations, do certainly proceed from the Heart, and therefore, accordingly as that is well or ill guarded or kept, fo will our Lives and Conversations be. The Goodness or Badness of our Lives, doth altogether depend upon the attending or not attending to the Thoughts, and Motions, and Inclinations of our Minds. As our Caution and Watchfulness in this Point, is greater or lefs, fo will our Courfe of Life be better or worse. And therefore it concerns us all, that mean to live well, to be infinitely careful in this Matter.

This is a plain Account of the Advice that is here given us. So that you see, if I mean to discourse pertinently to my Text, my Argument must be (what I faid) the Care, and Management, and Government of our Thoughts, as they fall under a Religious Confideration.

In treating of this Argument, there feems to me Two Things needful to be done :

Firft, To give an Account, What Power a Man hath over his own Thoughts.

Secondly, To fhew, Wherein the Art of Governing of them doth confift.

It is, indeed, this Second Thing which my Text naturally leads me to speak to: But I can

not

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