finite workings of the Soul, those innumerable Thoughts, Imaginations, Remembrances, Willings, Hatings, Defirings and Averfations, Hopes, Fears, Joys and Sorrows,that crofs and cut one another in endlefs Rencounters; in a Word, that the whole motion of the Soul,is nothing elfe but one general Concern, one various Thought, about Happinefs. This is the Result of all that paffes within the Soul, hither all her Motions and Operations tend which is a plain fign that 'tis this that first fets her on work, and is the principle of all her Motion. And indeed how can it otherwife be, but that the defire of Happinefs, which is the natural Bias of every Soul, fhould beget and excite in us a Thoughtfulness concerning it, and the Means whereby it may be attained?

But altho' our Thoughts take their first and neceffary Rife from the natural defire of Happiness, as a Clock does its motion from the weight that hangs on it; yet fo far do they degenerate from their Original, as to be themselves the cause of all our Mifery. For the whole Misery of Man is refolvible into Pain and Grief; and both these are caufed by our Thoughts. As for Pain, 'tis certain that 'tis the Soul alone that feels it, (as being the true feat of all Senfation,) and that 'tis by its Thoughtfulness that it does fo; for indeed Pain it self is nothing else but a difagreeable Modification of the Soul,an uneafie Thought occafioned by fome outward Bodily impreffion: But that is only the remote occafion; 'tis to our Thinking that we directly owe all our Pain. For let the impreffion

made

made upon the Body be never fo dolorifick or apt to excite Pain; yet if you will fuppose the Soul either not to think at all,or to have its Attention wholly withdrawn from the fuppofed impression, and intirely fix'd and ingaged upon fome other Object, there will be no fuch thing as that troublefom fenfation we call Pain; as by experience we find, in Men that either are in a deep Sleep that wholly filences their Thoughts, or in a Trance or Extafie that strongly diverts them. Accordingly we have Two Methods of dealing with Men in Pain, either by cafting them into a deep Sleep or Stupor, or by what we call Divertisement; by which it clearly appears,that our Thinking is the true cause of all our Pain. As it is alfo

Secondly,Of all our Grief.'Tis I confefs ftrange, that the Soul of Man which fo infinitely loves it felf,and whose whole Inclination is to Happiness, fhould be its own Tormentor; and yet 'tis moft certain, that all those innumerable Troubles and Difquiets, whereby her natural Reft and Tranqui lity is broken and disturb'd, arise from her own Thoughts. As these will be the Hell of Wicked Spirits hereafter, fo they are the prefent Rack and Affliction of the Soul here; and all the uneafinefs that the either feels and complains of in her felf, or pities in others, is derived from them. For indeed our Joy and our Grief, as contrary as they are, both in themfelves, and in their effects, proceed from one and the fame general Principle and are like Two Grafts of a contrary kind,that grow upon one and the fame Stock; they are both I 4

born

born within our felves, and proceed from our Thoughts.

From whence elfe fhould our Grief proceed? It cannot come from any thing without the Soul; for that which is without the Soul, cannot act upon it, confequently cannot any wife affect it, and confequently cannot grieve or punish it. It must be therefore from fomething within the Soul; and what can that be, but her own Thoughts? These therefore are the Inftruments of her Difquiet; nothing of all that is either thought,. said, or done in the World, can have any direct and immediate influence upon my Soul; fhe can only fuffer by her own Thoughts. The Thoughts of other Men may indeed impress certain Motions upon their own Bodies, and thofe Motions may be communicated to other Bodies, and this may work a change in external Nature; but what is all this to my Mind? And fo again the Words and Actions of Men, may make an alteration either in the Political or the Natural state of things; but ftill how is my Mind concern'd in all this, any otherwife than as the is pleased to interest her felf in it, and to take an occafion from this to vex and afflict her felf by her own Thought, by those uneafie Reflections the paffes upon either the Motions of the Natural, or the Events of the Moral World. This is that which truly wounds and pierces her, all other things drop fhort and cannot reach her. U

But to let in a little more light upon this, by an Inftance; Suppose I hear of fome ill Report

con

concerning me, fomething fpoken to my difadvantage; 'tis most certain that this is a thing wholly without me, and intirely separated from me; and therefore of it self can have no manner of effect upon me, fo as to make me really better or worse, more happy or more miserable how comes it to pass then, that I am troubled at fuch a Report? What does the Report do to me, or upon me? Does it of it felf immediately and directly wound or hurt my Soul? No, it does not fo much as touch it, as being altogether without it, and separate from it. How then come I to be disturb'd about it, but only because tho' that be really separate from me, yet my Soul fantaftically joins with it, and by a falfe imagination, takes it for a real evil; and fo disturbs her felf with her own Fancy. The thing in it felf can be no real evil to my Soul, becaufe 'tis without me, and I am not really the worse for it; but I give it the Appearance of an evil, and make an imaginary union with it in my own fancy, and fo vex and discompose my self: So that 'tis not the ill Report that goes concerning me, but my Fantastical Opinion about it, that gives the Trouble and the Disturbance. And the like may be conceived in all other cafes.

We may lay the Blame, and we generally do, upon things without, upon this or that Affront, or this or that cross Accident; but upon due examination it will be found, that we must come nearer home for the Authors of our Discontent, and that they that trouble us are of our own Family, and

are

are no other than our own Thoughts. So that now if a Man should put himself that Question of the Pfalmift, Why art thou fo troubled, O my Soul, and why art thou fo difquieted within me? The Anfwer is ready, thy Trouble is from thy felf, they are thy own Thoughts that disquiet p.132 thee.

16

!

And having thus opened the true Fountain of all our grief and uneasiness, I come now to apply the Remedy; which we need not go far to feek, fince the very next Clause of the Text directs us to it. And 'tis a Remedy that is as near us as the Disease, for in the multitude of my Thoughts within me, thy Comforts delight my Soul. When my own Thoughts trouble and difcompose me, then thy Comforts refresh and relieve me. So that the Divine Comforts are the proper Cure and Remedy of all that Sadness and discompofure of Mind, which is occafion'd by our own Thoughts The Divine Comforts; by which,I fuppofe, we may aptly enough understand these three things:

2.1. The Chearing and Refreshing Influences of the Holy Spirit.

2. The Joys and Satisfactions of Devotion,. and a Religious Life.

3. The Confiderations of the Nature and Perfections of God.

All thefe,I think,may very properly come within the notion of Divine Comforts; as being either fuch as proceed directly from God, or which refult from the Service we do to him, or which