I have showed you, in my "Treatise of Walking with God," how much man's thoughts are regarded by God, and should be regarded by himself; and what agents and instruments they are of very much good or evil: this therefore I shall suppose and not repeat; but only direct you in the governing of them. The work having three parts, they must have several directions. 1. For the avoiding of evil thoughts. 2. For the exercise of good thoughts. 3. For the improvement of good thoughts, that they may be effectual.
_Tit._ 1. _Directions against Evil and Idle Thoughts._
_Direct._ I. Know which are evil thoughts, and retain such an odious character of them continually on your minds, as may provoke you still to meet them with abhorrence. Evil thoughts are such as these: All thoughts against the being, or attributes, or relations, or honour, or works of God: atheistical and blasphemous, idolatrous and unbelieving thoughts: all thoughts that tend to disobedience or opposition to the will or word of God; and all that savour of unthankfulness, or want of love to God; or of discontent and distrust, or want of the fear of God, or that tend to any of these: also sinful, selfish, covetous, proud studies; to make a mere trade of the ministry for gain; to be able to overtalk others; searching into unrevealed, forbidden things; inordinate curiosity, and hasty conceitedness of your own opinions about God's decrees, or obscure prophecies, prodigies, providence, mentioned before about pride of our understandings.
All thoughts against any particular word, or truth, or precept of God, or against any particular duty; against any part of the worship and ordinances of God; that tend to unreverent neglect of the name, or holy day of God: all impious thoughts against public duty, or family duty, or secret duty; and all that would hinder or mar any one duty: all thoughts of dishonour, contempt, neglect, or disobedience to the authority of higher powers set over us by God, either magistrates, pastors, parents, masters, or any other superiors. All thoughts of pride, self-exalting ambition, self-seeking covetousness: voluptuous, sensual thoughts, proceeding from or tending to the corrupt, inordinate pleasures of the flesh: thoughts which are unjust, and tend to the hurt and wrong of others: envious, malicious, reproachful, injurious, contemptuous, wrathful, revengeful thoughts: lustful, wanton, filthy thoughts: drunken, gluttonous, fleshly thoughts: inordinate, careful, fearful, anxious, vexatious, discomposing thoughts: presumptuous, and secure, despairing, and dejecting thoughts: slothful, delaying, negligent, and discouraging thoughts: uncharitable, cruel, false, censorious, unmerciful thoughts; and idle, unprofitable thoughts. Hate all these as the devil's spawn.
_Direct._ II. Be not insensible what a great deal of duty or sin are in the thoughts, and of how dangerous a signification and consequence a course of evil thoughts is to your souls. They show what a man is, as much as his words or actions do: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he," Prov. xxiii. 7. A good man or evil is denominated by the good or evil treasure of the heart, though known to men but by the fruits. Oh the vile and numerous sins that are committed in men's thoughts, and proceed from men's thoughts! O the precious time that is lost, in idle, and other sinful thoughts! Oh the good that is hindered hereby both in heart and life! But of this having spoken in the treatise afore-mentioned, I proceed.