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minds are filled by 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 immor- tality, or glory, can ever be attained.
The design of conviction is to put a stop unto 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. And this alone will for a season make a great change in the thoughts, especially it will do so when assisted by superstition directing them unto other ob- jects. These two in conjunction are the rise of all that de- votional religion which is in the papacy. Conviction labours to put some stop and bounds unto 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
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tree must be made good before the fruit ^vill be so. The other is, to turn their streams into new channels, putting new aims and ends upon them, fixing them on new objects; so shall we abound in spiritual thoughts ; for abound in thoughts we shall, whether we will or no.
To this purpose is the advice of the apostle, Ephes. v. 18, 19. * 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 unto an excess, they make it quickly evident, what vain, foolish, ridiculous imaginations it filleth their minds withal. In opposition hereunto, the apostle ad- viseth 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, unto what purpose, should they desire such a participation of him, to be so filled with him ? It is unto this end, namely, that he by his grace may fill them with holy spi- ritual thoughts, as on the contrary men drunk unto an ex- cess, are filled with those that are foolish, vain, and wicked. So the words of ver. 19. do declare, for he adviseth us to express our abounding thoughts, in such duties as will give an especial vent unto 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 unto the principal inquiry on this head ; namely, what measure we ought to assign hereof, how we may know when we abound in spiritual thoughts, so as that they may be an evidence of our being spiritually minded.
I answer in general, among other Scriptures read over Psal. cxix. with understanding. Consider therein what David expresseth of himself, as unto 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 ; examine 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 unto him, at least not to be equal with him. But
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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 Scripture, how the saints of God ex- press 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 ne- cessary that it should be so with us. These things are not written in the Scripture to shew what they were, but what we ought to be. All things concerning them 'were written for our admonition ;' ICor.x. 11. And if we have not the same deliglit 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 com- munication unsavoury, and sometimes corrupt, their lives at best uneven and uncertain, as unto 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;' Zech. xii. 8. 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 unto this direction by example.