Part 1 › Chapter 6 › Tit. 1. Directions against evil and idle Thoughts., A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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§. 14. Direct. 13. Take •eed l•st any practical error corrupt your understandings: or lest you be engaged ¹in any ill design: For these will command your thoughts into a course of sinful attendance and service to their ends. He that erreth and thinks his sin is his virtue or his duty, will indulge the thoughts of it without control: Yea he will drive on his mind to such cogitations; and steal from the authority and word of God, the motives and incentives of his sin: As false prophets speak against God in the name of God, and against his word as by the pretended authority of his word; so an •rring mind, will fetch its arguments from God and from the Scripture, for those sinful thoughts which are against God and Scripture. And if evil thoughts will so hardly be kept out when we plead the authority of God and his word against them, and do the best we can to hinder them; how will they prevail when you plead the authority of God and the sacred Scriptures for them, and take it to be your duty to kindle and promote them. For instance; all the sinful thoughts by which the Romish Clergy are contriving, the support of their Kingdom of darkness in the world, and the continuance of their tyranny in the Church, are but the products of their error, which ••lls them that all this should be done, as pleasing to God, and profitable to the Church. All the bl••dy thoughts of persecutors, against the Church and holy ways of Christ, have been cherished by this […] thought, John 16. 23. The time cometh that whoever killeth you, will Think that he doth God service: and th•se things they will do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me. All P•uls bloody contrivances and practices against the Church, did come from this: Act. 26. 9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth: which thing I also did—All the scornful and reproachful thoughts and speeches of many of the ungodly, against a holy life are hence: 1 Pet. 4. 4. They think it strange that you run not with them t• excess of ry•t, speaking evil of you: The vain babbling of hypocrites, who cheat their souls with idle lip-labour, instead of the spiritual service from the heart, and the sacrifice of fools, who offer God some outward thing, while they deny him their hearts, and holy obedience, do proceed from this;

§. 14. Direct. 13. Take •eed l•st any practical error corrupt your understandings: or lest you be engaged ¹in any ill design: For these will command your thoughts into a course of sinful attendance and service to their ends. He that erreth and thinks his sin is his virtue or his duty, will indulge the thoughts of it without controul: Yea he will drive on his mind to such cogitations; and steal from the authority and word of God, the motives and incentives of his sin: As false prophets speak against God in the name of God, and against his word as by the pretended authority of his word; so an •rring mind, will fetch its arguments from God and from the Scripture, for those sinful thoughts which are against God and Scripture. And if evil thoughts will so hardly be kept out when we plead the authority of God and his word against them, and do the best we can to hinder them; how will they prevail when you plead the authority of God and the sacred Scriptures for them, and take it to be your duty to kindle and promote them. For instance; all the sinful thoughts by which the Romish Clergy are contriving, the support of their Kingdom of darkness in the world, and the continuance of their tyranny in the Church, are but the products of their error, which ••lls them that all this should be done, as pleasing to God, and profitable to the Church. All the bl••dy thoughts of persecutors, against the Church and holy ways of Christ, have been cherished by this 〈…〉 thought, John 16. 23. The time cometh that whoever killeth you, will Think that he doth God service: and th•se things they will do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me. All P•uls bloody contrivances and practices against the Church, did come from this: Act. 26. 9. I veril• thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Iesus of Nazareth: which thing I also did—All the scornful and reproachful thoughts and speeches of many of the ungodly, against a holy life are hence: 1 Pet. 4. 4. They think it strange that you run not with them t• excess of ryt, speaking evil of you: The vain babling of hypocrites, who cheat their souls with idle lip-labour, instead of the spiritual service from the heart, and the sacrifice of fools, who offer God some outward thing, while they deny him their hearts, and holy obedience, do proceed from this;

1Direct. 13.

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§. 16. Direct. 15. When you find that some thoughts of sin and vanity are following you still, for ¹all that you can do, you must not therefore plunge your souls into so much solicitousness, fear and trouble as may discourage and distract your mind; but wait on God in the complacential and obediential way of cure. It is the Tempters method to keep sinners utterly careless of their thoughts, and senseless of any sin that is in them, as long as he can; and when that hope faileth him, he will labour to make a humbled obedient soul so sensible of the sin of his thoughts, and so careful about them, as to confound him, and cast him into melancholy, discouragement, and despair; and then he will have no command of his thoughts at all; but they will be as much ungoverned another way; and feed continually upon terror. The end of this temptation is to distract you and confound you: The pretence of the Tempter will be contrary to his end: For while he driveth you with terrors to think of nothing else, but what you have been or are thinking on, and to make your own thoughts the only or principal matter of your thoughts, he will confound you, and make you undisposed to all good, and unable to govern your thoughts at all: But if you principally study the excellencies of God and Godliness and take the course which tends to make Religion pleasant to you, and withal keep up an awful obedience to God, this Complacential obedience will best prevail.

§. 16. Direct. 15. When you find that some thoughts of sin and vanity are following you still, for ¹all that you can do, you must not therefore plunge your souls into so much sollicitousness, fear and trouble as may discourage and distract your mind; but wait on God in the complacential and obediential way of cure. It is the Tempters method to keep sinners utterly careless of their thoughts, and senseless of any sin that is in them, as long as he can; and when that hope faileth him, he will labour to make a humbled obedient soul so sensible of the sin of his thoughts, and so careful about them, as to confound him, and cast him into melancholy, discouragement, and despair; and then he will have no command of his thoughts at all; but they will be as much ungoverned another way; and feed continually upon terror. The end of this temptation is to distract you and confound you: The pretence of the Tempter will be contrary to his end: For while he driveth you with terrors to think of nothing else, but what you have been or are thinking on, and to make your own thoughts the only or principal matter of your thoughts, he will confound you, and make you undisposed to all good, and unable to govern your thoughts at all: But if you principally study the excellencies of God and Godliness and take the course which tends to make Religion pleasant to you, and withall keep up an aweful obedience to God, this Complacential obedience will best prevail.

1Direct. 15.

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§. 17. Direct. 16. Therefore deliver up your hearts to Christ in Love and duty, and consecrate ¹your thoughts entirely to his service, and keep them still exercised on him, or in his work: and this ²will most effectually cure them of vanity and sin. If you have a friend that you love entirely, you will not feed swine in the room that must entertain him: You will not leave it nasty and unclean: You will not leave it common to every dirty unsuitable companion, to intrude at pleasure and disturb your friend: So Love and Pleasure will be readily and composedly careful, to keep clean the heart, and shut out vain and filthy thoughts; and say, This room is for a better guest; Nothing shall come here, which my Lord abhorreth: Is he willing so wonderfully to condescend, as to take up so mean a habitation, and shall I straiten him, or offend him, by letting in his noisome enemies? Will he dwell in my heart, and shall I suffer thoughts of pride, or lust or malice, to dwell with him, or to enter in? Are these fit companions for the spirit of grace? Do I delight to grieve him? I know as soon as ever they come in, he will either resist them till he drive them out again, or he will go out himself: And shall I drive away so dear a friend, for the love of a filthy pernicious enemy? Or do I delight in war? Would I have a continual combat in my heart? Shall I put the spirit of Christ to fight for his habitation, against such an ignominious foe?—Indeed there is no true cure▪ for sinful, vain, unprofitable thoughts, but by the contrary: by calling up the thoughts unto their proper work, and finding them more profitable employment: And this is by consecrating the Heart and them, entirely to the Love and service of him, that hath by the wonders of his Love, and by the strange design of his purchase and merits, so well deserved them. Let Christ come in, and deliver him the Key, and pray him to keep thy heart as his own, and he will cast out buyers and sellers from his temple, and will not suffer his house of prayer to be a den of thieves. But if you receive Christ with reserves, and keep up designs for the world and flesh, marvel not if Christ will be no partners with them, but leave all to those guests, which you would not leave for him.

§. 17. Direct. 16. Therefore deliver up your hearts to Christ in Love and duty, and consecrate ¹your thoughts entirely to his service, and keep them still exercised on him, or in his work: and this ²will most effectually cure them of vanity and sin. If you have a friend that you love entirely, you will not feed swine in the room that must entertain him: You will not leave it nasty and unclean: You will not leave it common to every dirty unsuitable companion, to intrude at pleasure and disturb your friend: So Love and Pleasure will be readily and composedly careful, to keep clean the heart, and shut out vain and filthy thoughts; and say, This room is for a better guest; Nothing shall come here, which my Lord abhorreth: Is he willing so wonderfully to condescend, as to take up so mean a habitation, and shall I streighten him, or offend him, by letting in his noysome enemies? Will he dwell in my heart, and shall I suffer thoughts of pride, or lust or malice, to dwell with him, or to enter in? Are these fit companions for the spirit of grace? Do I delight to grieve him? I know as soon as ever they come in, he will either resist them till he drive them out again, or he will go out himself: And shall I drive away so dear a friend, for the love of a filthy pernicious enemy? Or do I delight in warr? Would I have a continual combat in my heart? Shall I put the spirit of Christ to fight for his habitation, against such an ignominous foe?—Indeed there is no true cure▪ for sinful, vain, unprofitable thoughts, but by the contrary: by calling up the thoughts unto their proper work, and finding them more profitable employment: And this is by consecrating the Heart and them, entirely to the Love and service of him, that hath by the wonders of his Love, and by the strange design of his purchase and merits, so well deserved them. Let Christ come in, and deliver him the Key, and pray him to keep thy heart as his own, and he will cast out buyers and sellers from his temple, and will not suffer his house of prayer to be a den of thieves. But if you receive Christ with reserves, and keep up designs for the world and flesh, marvel not if Christ will be no partners with them, but leave all to those guests, which you would not leave for him.

1Direct. 16.
2Si•ut •gnis in aqua durare n•n potest, ita neque •urp•s cogitatio in Dei amante: Quoniam omnis qui Dei amator est, etiam laboris amans est: Caeteru• labor volun•arius, naturaliter voluptati inimicus existit. Marcus Ere•.

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§. 1. Direct. 1. Understand well your own Interest and great Concernments, and be well resolved what ¹you live for, and what is your true felicity and End: and then this will command your Thoughts to ²serve it. The End is it that the Means are all chosen for, and used for. A mans estimation directeth his Intention and designs: And his Intention and designs command his thoughts. These will certainly have the first and chiefest, the most serious, and practical, and effectual thoughts; though some by thoughts may run out another way: As the Miller will be sure to keep so much water as is necessary to grind his grist, though he may let that run by which he thinks he hath no need of: As you gather in all your Corn and Fruit for your selves at harvest, though perhaps you will leave some scatterings which you do not value much for any that will to gather: so whatever a man taketh for his ultimate end and true felicity, will have the store and stream of his cogitations, though he may scatter some few upon other things, when he thinks he may do it, without any detriment to his main design. As a travellers face is ordinarily towards his journeys end, though so far as he thinks it doth not stop him, he may look behind him or on each side: so our main end will in the main carry on our thoughts. And therefore unholy souls that know not practically any higher end, than the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh, and the plenty and honour of the world, cannot possibly exercise any holy Government over their thoughts; but their minds and consciences are defiled, and their thoughts made carnal as is their end: Nor is there any possibility of curing their vicious wicked thoughts, and of ordering them acceptably to God, but by curing their worldly carnal minds and causing them to change their designs and ends. And this must be by understanding what is their interest. Know well but what it is that is most Necessary for you, and Best for you, and it will change your hearts, and save your souls. Know this, and your Thoughts will never want matter to be employed on: nor will they be suffered to wander much abroad. Therefore it is that the expectation of death, and the thought of coming presently to judgement, do use more effectually to supply the mind, with the wisest and most useful thoughts, than the learnedst Book or ordinary means can.

1Direct. 1.
21. Our own Interest, and End.

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That which tells a man best, what he hath to do, doth best tell him what he hath to think on: But the approach of death, and the appearance of eternity, doth best tell a dull and fleshly sinner, what he hath to do: This tells, and tells him roundly, that he must presently search his heart and life, and judge himself as one that is going to the final judgement; and that it is high time for him to look out for the remedy for his sin and misery, &c. And therefore it will command his thoughts this way: Ask any Lawyer, Physician, or Tradesman what commands his Thoughts; and you will find that his Interest, and his Ends, and work command them. Know what it is to have an immortal soul, that must live in Joy or Woe for ever, and what it is to be always so near to the irreversible determining sentence, and what it is to have this short uncertain time and no more, to make our preparation in, and then its easy to foretell which way your thoughts will go. A man that knoweth his house is on fire, will be thinking how to quench it: A man that knoweth he is entering into a mortal sickness, will be thinking how to cure it. There is no better way to have your Thoughts both furnished and acted aright, than to know your Interest, and right End.

That which tells a man best, what he hath to do, doth best tell him what he hath to think on: But the approach of death, and the appearance of eternity, doth best tell a dull and fleshly sinner, what he hath to do: This tells, and tells him roundly, that he must presently search his heart and life, and judge himself as one that is going to the final judgement; and that it is high time for him to look out for the remedy for his sin and misery, &c. And therefore it will command his thoughts this way: Ask any Lawyer, Physicion, or Tradesman what commands his Thoughts; and you will find that his Interest, and his Ends, and work command them. Know what it is to have an immortal soul, that must live in Joy or Wo for ever, and what it is to be alwayes so near to the irreversible determining sentence, and what it is to have this short uncertain time and no more, to make our preparation in, and then its easie to foretell which way your thoughts will go. A man that knoweth his house is on fire, will be thinking how to quench it: A man that knoweth he is entring into a mortal sickness, will be thinking how to cure it. There is no better way to have your Thoughts both furnished and acted aright, than to know your Interest, and right End.

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§. 2. Direct. 2. Know God aright, and behold him by the eye of an effectual faith, and you shall never ¹want matter for holy thoughts: His Greatness and continual presence with you, may command your² thoughts, and awe them, and keep them from masterless vagaries: His wisdom will find them continual employment, upon the various, excellent and delectable subjects, of his natural and supernatural revelation: but no where so much as upon himself: In God thou mayest find matter for thy cogitations and affections, most high and excellent, delighting the mind with a continual su•vitv, affording still fresh delights, though thou meditate on him a thousand years, or to all eternity: Thou mayest better say, that the Ocean hath not water enough for thee to swim in, or that the Earth hath not room enough for thee to tread upon, than that there is not matter enough in God, for thy longest Meditations, and most delighting satisfying thoughts. The blessed Angels and Saints in Heaven, will find enough in God alone, to employ their minds to all eternity: O horrid darkness and atheism that yet remaineth on our hearts! that we should want matter for our thoughts, to keep them from feeding upon air or filth? or want matter for our delight, to keep our mind• from begging it at the creatures door, or hungering for the husks that feed the Swine! when we have the Infinite God, Omnipotent, Omniscient, most good and bountiful, our life, and hope, and happiness to think on with delight.

§. 2. Direct. 2. Know God aright, and behold him by the eye of an effectual faith, and you shall never ¹want matter for holy thoughts: His Greatness and continual presence with you, may command your² thoughts, and awe them, and keep them from masterless vagaries: His wisdom will find them continual employment, upon the various, excellent and delectable subjects, of his natural and supernatural revelation: but no where so much as upon himself: In God thou maist find matter for thy cogitations and affections, most high and excellent, delighting the mind with a continual su•vitv, affording still fresh delights, though thou meditate on him a thousand years, or to all eternity: Thou maist better say, that the Ocean hath not water enough for thee to swim in, or that the Earth hath not room enough for thee to tread upon, than that there is not matter enough in God, for thy longest Meditations, and most delighting satisfying thoughts. The blessed Angels and Saints in Heaven, will find enough in God alone, to employ their minds to all eternity: O horrid darkness and atheism that yet remaineth on our hearts! that we should want matter for our thoughts, to keep them from feeding upon air or filth? or want matter for our delight, to keep our mind• from begging it at the creatures door, or hungring for the husks that feed the Swine! when we have the Infinite God, Omnipotent, Omniscient, most good and bountiful, our life, and hope, and happiness to think on with delight.

1Direct. 2.
22. God.

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§. 3. Direct. 3. If you have but an eye of faith, to see the things of the unseen world, as revealed ¹in the sacred Word, you cannot want matter to employ your thoughts. Scripture is the glass in which² you may see the other world: There you may see the Ancient of Days, the Eternal Majesty shining in his Glory, for the felicitating of holy glorified Spirits: There you may see the humane nature advanced above Angels, and enjoying the highest Glory next to the uncreated Majesty; and Christ ⟨p. 299⟩reigning as the King of all the world, and all the Angels of God obeying, honouring and worshipping him: you may see him sending his Angels on his gracious messages, to the lowest members of his body, the little ones of his flock on earth: you may see him interceding for all his Saints, and procuring their peace and entertainment with the Father▪ and preparing for their reception when they pass into those mansions, and welcoming them one by one as they pass hence: There you may see the glorious celestial society attending, admiring, extolling, worshipping, the Great Creator, the Gracious Redeemer, and the Eternal Spirit, with unceasing, glorious, and harmonious Praise: you may see them burning in the delicious flames of holy Love, drawn out by the Vision of the face of God; and by the streams of Love which he continually poureth out upon them: you may see the magnetic attraction of the uncreated Love, and the felicitating closure of the attracted Love of holy Spirits, thus united unto God by Christ, and feasting everlastingly upon him: you may see the ravishments of joy, and the unspeakable pleasures, which all these blessed Spirits have in this transporting Sight, and Love, and Praise. You may see the ecstasies of Joy which possess the souls of those that are newly passed from the Body, and escaped the sins and miseries of this world; and find there such sudden ravishing entertainment, unspeakably beyond their former expectations, conceivings or belief. You may see there with what wonder, what pity, what loathing and detestation, those holy glorified souls, look down upon earth, on the negligence, contempt, sensuality and profaneness of the dreaming and distracted world! You may see there, what you shall be for ever, if you be the holy ones of Christ, and where you must dwell, and what you must do, and what you shall enjoy.

§. 3. Direct. 3. If you have but an eye of faith, to see the things of the unseen world, as revealed ¹in the sacred Word, you cannot want matter to employ your thoughts. Scripture is the glass in which² you may see the other world: There you may see the Antient of Dayes, the Eternal Majesty shining in his Glory, for the felicitating of holy glorified Spirits: There you may see the humane nature advanced above Angels, and enjoying the highest Glory next to the uncreated Majesty; and Christ ⟨p. 299⟩reigning as the King of all the world, and all the Angels of God obeying, honouring and worshipping him: you may see him sending his Angels on his gracious messages, to the lowest members of his body, the little ones of his flock on earth: you may see him interceding for all his Saints, and procuring their peace and entertainment with the Father▪ and preparing for their reception when they pass into those mansions, and welcoming them one by one as they pass hence: There you may see the glorious celestial society attending, admiring, extolling, worshipping, the Great Creator, the Gracious Redeemer, and the Eternal Spirit, with uncessant, glorious, and harmonious Praise: you may see them burning in the delicious flames of holy Love, drawn out by the Vision of the face of God; and by the streams of Love which he continually powreth out upon them: you may see the magnetick attraction of the uncreated Love, and the felicitating closure of the attracted Love of holy Spirits, thus united unto God by Christ, and feasting everlastingly upon him: you may see the ravishments of joy, and the unspeakable pleasures, which all these blessed Spirits have in this transporting Sight, and Love, and Praise. You may see the extasies of Ioy which possess the souls of those that are newly passed from the Body, and escaped the sins and miseries of this world; and find there such sudden ravishing entertainment, unspeakably beyond their former expectations, conceivings or belief. You may see there with what wonder, what pity, what lothing and detestation, those holy glorified souls, look down upon earth, on the negligence, contempt, sensuality and profaneness of the dreaming and distracted world! You may see there, what you shall be for ever, if you be the holy ones of Christ, and where you must dwell, and what you must do, and what you shall enjoy.

1Direct. 3.
23. The world to come.