The vanity of thoughts discovered with their danger and cure. By ThoThe vanity of thovghts discovered with their danger and cvre. By Tho

IN these words he compares the heart unto some house of common resort, made as ⟨p. 2⟩it were with many and large rooms to entertain and lodge multitudes of Guests in; into which, before conversion, all the vain, light, wanton, profane, dissolute thoughts, that post up and down the World (as your thoughts do) and run riot all the day, have free, open access, the heart keeps open house to them, gives them willing, cheerful welcome, and entertainment; accompanies, them, travels o'er all the world for the daintiest pleasures to feed them with; Lodgeth, harbours them, and there they, like unruly Gallants, and roisters, lodge, and revel it ⟨p. 3⟩day and night, and defile those rooms they lodge in, with their loathsome filth and vomits. How long, says the Lord, shall they lodge therein? Whilst I with my Spirit, my Son, and train of graces, stand at the door and knock, Rev. 3. 20. and cannot find admittance; of all which filthiness, &c. the Heart this house must be washed; wash thy heart from wickedness. Washed, not swept only of grosser evils (as Matth. 12. 43. the house, (the unclean spirit re-enters into) is said to be swept of evils that lay loose and uppermost) but washed, and cleansed of those defilements which stick ⟨p. 4⟩more close, and are incorporated, and wrought in, into the Spirit. And 2. those vain and unruly guests must be turned out of doors, without any warning, they have staid there long enough; too long; How long? and the time past may suffice, as the Apostle speaks, they must lodge there no more. The house, the soul is not in conversion to be pulled down, but only these guests turned out; and though kept out they cannot be, they will still enter whilst we are in these houses of clay, yet lodge they must not: if thoughts of anger and revenge come in, in the morning or ⟨p. 5⟩day time, they must be turned out ere night, Let not the Sun go down upon your wrath, Ephes. 4. 26