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

But 2. on the contrary if any strong lust, or violent passion be up, then our thoughts are too fixed and intent, and run in so far into such sinful objects, that they cannot be pulled out again, or any way diverted or taken off: which is another vanity. For our thoughts and our understanding part was ordained to moderate, allay, and cool, and take off our passions, when they are a ⟨p. 58⟩playing over, to rule and govern them. But now our thoughts are themselves subjected to our affections, and like fuel put under them, do but make them boil the more. And although our thoughts do first stir up our fears, joys, desires, &c. yet these being stirred up once, chain, and fix, and hold our thoughts to those objects, so as we cannot loosen them again. Therefore says Christ to his Disciples, Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts: For perturbations in the affections cause thoughts like fumes and vapours to ascend. Thus ⟨p. 59⟩if a passion of fear be up, how doth it conjure up multitudes of ghostly thoughts which we cannot conjure down again, nor hide our eyes from? But which haunt us, and follow us up and down, where ever we go, so as a man runs away pursued by his own thoughts, the heart then meditates on terror: As Isay 33. 18. So when sorrow is up, how doth it make us study the cross that lights upon us? which to forget, would be an ease unto the mind. But a mans passions makes his thoughts to con it, and to say it by heart, over and over again, as if it would not have us forget ⟨p. 60⟩it. So when love and desire is up, be the thing what it will, we are taken with, as preferment, credit, beauty, riches, it sets our thoughts awork to view the thing all over, from top to toe (as we say) to observe every part and circumstance, that doth make it amiable unto us: as if a picture were to be drawn of it. So when joy is up, we view the thing we rejoice in, and read it over and over, as we do a Book we like, and we mark every tittle, we are punctual in it; yea so inordinate are we herein, as often we cannot sleep for thinking on them. Eccles. 5. 12. Abundance of riches ⟨p. 61⟩