5. Keep a constant watch over your hearts. 1David desires God to set a watch before the door of his lips; much more should we desire that God would keep the door of our hearts. We should have grace stand Sentinel there especially; for words have an outward bridle, they may disgrace a man, and impair his interest and credit, but thoughts are unknown, if undiscovered by words. If a man knew what time the Thief would come to rob him, he would watch. We know we have Thieves within us to steal away our hearts; therefore when they are so near us, we should watch against a surprise, and the more carefully, because they are so extraordinary sudden in their rise, and quick in their motion. Our minds are like idle School-Boys, that will be frisking from one place to another, if the Master's back be turned, and playing instead of learning. Let a strict hand be kept over our affections, those wild beasts within us;2 because they many times force the understanding to pass a judgment according to their pleasure, not its own sentiment. Young men should be most intent upon their guard, because their fancies gather vigour from their youthful heat, which fires a world of squibs in a day; (which mad-men, and those which have hot diseases are subject to, because of the excessive inflammation of their brains): and partly because they are not sprung up to a maturity of knowledge, which would breed and foster better thoughts, and discover the plausible pretences of vain affections. There are particular seasons wherein we must double our guard; as when Incentives are present, that may set some inward corruption on a flame. Timothy's Office was to exhort younger, as well as elder women:3 and the Apostle wisheth him to do it with all purity or chastity, that a temptation, lying in ambush for him, might not take his thoughts and affections unguarded. Engage thy diligence more at solitary times, and in the night; wherein freedom from business gives an opportunity to an unsanctified imagination, to conjure up a thousand evil spirits: whence perhaps it is that the Psalmist tells us, God had tried him in the night, and found him holy.4 The solitary Cave tainted Lot with Incest, who had preserved himself fresh in the midst of the salt lusts of Sodom. In ill company, wherein we may be occasionally cast, there is need of an exacter observation of our hearts;
5. Keep a constant watch over your hearts. 1David desires God to set a watch before the door of his lips; much more should we desire that God would keep the door of our hearts. We should have grace stand Sentinel there especially; for words have an outward bridle, they may disgrace a man, and impair his interest and credit, but thoughts are unknown, if undiscovered by words. If a man knew what time the Thief would come to rob him, he would watch. We know we have Thieves within us to steal away our hearts; therefore when they are so near us, we should watch against a surprize, and the more carefully, because they are so extraordinary sudden in their rise, and quick in their motion. Our minds are like idle School-Boys, that will be frisking from one place to another, if the Master's back be turned, and playing instead of learning. Let a strict hand be kept over our affections, those wild beasts within us;2 because they many times force the understanding to pass a judgment according to their pleasure, not its own sentiment. Young men should be most intent upon their guard, because their fancies gather vigor from their youthful heat, which fires a world of squibs in a day; (which mad-men, and those which have hot diseases are subject to, because of the excessive inflammation of their brains): and partly because they are not sprung up to a maturity of knowledge, which would breed and foster better thoughts, and discover the plausible pretences of vain affections. There are particular seasons wherein we must double our guard; as when Incentives are present, that may set some inward corruption on a flame. Timothy's Office was to exhort younger, as well as elder women:3 and the Apostle wisheth him to do it with all purity or chastity, that a temptation, lying in ambush for him, might not take his thoughts and affections unguarded. Engage thy diligence more at solitary times, and in the night; wherein freedom from business gives an opportunity to an unsanctified imagination, to conjure up a thousand evil spirits: whence perhaps it is that the Psalmist tells us, God had tryed him in the night, and found him holy.4 The solitary Cave tainted Lot with Incest, who had preserved himself fresh in the midst of the salt lusts of Sodom. In ill company, wherein we may be occasionally cast, there is need of an exacter observation of our hearts;
- 1Psal. 141.3.
- 2[Greek or Hebrew]. Plato.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plato.
- 31 Tim. 5.2. [Greek or Hebrew].1 Tim. 5.2. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- 4Psal. 17.3. Gen. 19.30. Cellulam mearum cogitationum pertimescebam. Hieron.
