Remedies against Vain Thoughts
Remedy 1. First you must get your heart furnished and enriched with a good stock of sanctified, heavenly knowledge in spiritual and God-given truths. A “good man” has a “good treasure” in his heart (Mat 12:35). That is, a good man has all graces, so many precious truths, which are as gold in the ore. And his thoughts, as the mint, coins this gold, which then is brought forth into words. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things.” But if there are no mines of precious truths hidden in our hearts, it is no wonder if our thoughts do not coin anything more than dross, frothy and vain thoughts. We are then lacking the materials from which the mind is to be fed. A wicked man, says Solomon, is always forging, minting, hammering out wickedness and evil (Pro 6:14). If a man has a store of natural knowledge, but lacks useful spiritual knowledge, he may bring forth some very good speeches in company with others, but when he is alone his thoughts will not run on good things. Take a place in Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, which shows that laying up the Word in the heart, and being made conversant in it, and getting knowledge out of it, is an effectual means to keep our thoughts well-exercised when we are alone. For it is said that the reason why those of the Law are to be laid up in the heart, is that we might teach them to others (Deu 11:18-20). But note this also, that it is so that we might have them with us when we are retired and alone, “these my words” shall be with you “when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” When a man is riding, or walking, or lying down, or rising up (which are often and usually our most retired times for thoughts and are wholly spent in them), yet then, He says, you shall talk of the word. And since he that is alone cannot be said to talk, therefore the talking there meant is not an outward conference with others (though intended as occasion of talking with others is given, as with your bedfellow, your companion, etc.). But if you have no companion with you, then talk of the word to yourself, for the thoughts are the talking of the mind. So, comparing Proverbs 6:22 with this place, it appears that Solomon exhorts us to the same duty of binding the word to the heart with this motive, which is the fruit of it, that when you awake, it will talk with you—that is, by your thinking of it, it will talk with you when you and it are alone. You shall not need a better companion; it will be putting in and suggesting something to you all the time. Remedy 2. Endeavor to preserve and keep up lively, holy and spiritual affections in your heart. Do not let them cool. Do not fall from your first love, fear, or joy in God. Or if you have grown remiss, endeavor to recover those affections again. For as your affections are, so your thoughts will be, and they incline the mind to think of such or such objects that will please them. That is why David says, “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psa 119:97). It was his love which made him think of it so frequently. So those who “feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” are joined together (Mal 3:16). For what we fear, we often think and speak of. It is added, they spoke “often one to another,” because fear made them think much of His name, and thinking of it made them speak of it. It is true that thoughts and affections are the mutual causes of each other, as it is written, “While I was musing, the fire burned” (Psa 39:3)—the thoughts are the bellows that kindle and inflame the affections. And then when they are inflamed, they cause thoughts to boil. Men newly converted to God, having new and strong affections, can with more pleasure think of God than any. Remedy 3. Get your heart possessed with deep, strong and powerful apprehensions and impressions of God’s holiness, majesty, omnipresence, and omniscience. If any of our thoughts have the power to fix and draw in our minds, they are the thoughts which we have of Him. Why do the saints and angels in Heaven never have a vain thought, no, not in all eternity? His presence fixes them; their eye is never off Him. Even wanton, loose-spirited man will often be held in the presence of a feared superior. Job was careful not to look awry, because, he said, “Does not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4). This drew in and fastened David’s thoughts (Psa 139:1-17). That is why we have found by experience that we can avoid distractions in prayer by enlarging our thoughts beforehand, by considering God’s attributes and relations to us. It will and it does make us serious. Remedy 4. Especially determine to speak with God when you first awake, as David did, “When I awake, I am still with thee” (Psa 139:18). To prevent vain, windy, frothy thoughts from taking possession of your heart when you first awake, first fill your heart with thoughts of God. Observe it, if you will, when you first open your eyes in the morning, many suitors will be attending upon you. Like clients waiting at lawyer’s doors, many vanities and businesses will be seeking to rush into your thoughts. But you must speak with God first; He will say something to your heart that will settle it for all that day. Do this before the crowd of businesses come in upon you. Some heathen, it is said, worship as their god that which they first see in the morning. So it is with the idols of men’s hearts. Let God be first in your thoughts! Remedy 5. Have a watchful eye. Guard your heart all day long. Though they crowd in, yet observe them; let them know that they do not pass unseen. If a man wants to pray aright, he must watch who comes in and who goes out. Where a strict watch is kept, where the officers are diligent to examine every vagrant person, you will have few vagrants there. So it is with the swarms of vagrant thoughts which will come upon him who does not keep a strict watch against them. Then if they pass through anyhow, yet you should complain of them, whip them, etc. Remedy 6. Be careful not to please your fancy too much with vanities and curious sights. This engenders vain and worthless thoughts. That is why Job said that he “made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1). Remedy 7. Be diligent in your calling. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecc 9:10). Put to it all the intention and strength of your mind. Let all the stream run about your mill; the keeping of your thoughts to that channel will keep them from overflowing into vanity and folly. Those that do not labor are apt to be busybodies (2Th 3:11). Those that are called idle and wandering in 1 Timothy 5:13, are not only called idle because they were not busy about the things that they should do, but they are also called idle because they are busy about the things they should not do. If you let ground lie fallow, what weeds will there soon be growing on it! God has given us our callings to entertain our thoughts, and to find work for them in the interims between the duties of His worship—because the spirit and thoughts of men are restless and must be busy some way. Kings keep those men with active spirits in continual employment, lest their heads should be working and plotting amiss. And God appointed (even in Paradise) that man should have something to keep him busy. God hedges in a man’s thoughts in this way, sets them in a narrow lane, knowing that if they are unconfined they will be like wild asses snuffing up the wind (Jer 14:6). But be careful not to encumber your mind with too much business, more than you can grasp. It made Martha forget that “one thing…needful” (Luk 10:42). This breeds cares which distract the mind, divides it, causes wandering thoughts, so that the mind is not itself. This weakens it, enervates it—you will be as Jethro said to Moses, You will fade away like a leaf (Exo 18:18). Even the juice which should be left for good duties will be exhausted. As dreams come through multitudes of business (Ecc 5:3), so do a multitude of thoughts come from a cumber6 of business. Remedy 8. In your calling and in all your ways, commit your ways to God. “Commit thy works [ways] unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established [or, ordered]” (Pro 16:3). Keep back from that confusion and disorder, those swarms of cares, which others are annoyed with. A few thoughts of faith would save us many thoughts of cares and fears as we go about our business. And such thoughts are vain, for they do not forward the business we intend. When such thoughts toss the heart and stir it up into turmoil, when the winds of passion are up, then a few thoughts of faith will calm the heart and fix it upon the Anchor of the soul once more.
Remedy 1. First you must get your heart furnished and enriched with a good stock of sanctified, heavenly knowledge in spiritual and God-given truths. A “good man” has a “good treasure” in his heart (Mat 12:35). That is, a good man has all graces, so many precious truths, which are as gold in the ore. And his thoughts, as the mint, coins this gold, which then is brought forth into words. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things.” But if there are no mines of precious truths hidden in our hearts, it is no wonder if our thoughts do not coin anything more than dross, frothy and vain thoughts. We are then lacking the materials from which the mind is to be fed. A wicked man, says Solomon, is always forging, minting, hammering out wickedness and evil (Pro 6:14). If a man has a store of natural knowledge, but lacks useful spiritual knowledge, he may bring forth some very good speeches in company with others, but when he is alone his thoughts will not run on good things. Take a place in Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, which shows that laying up the Word in the heart, and being made conversant in it, and getting knowledge out of it, is an effectual means to keep our thoughts well-exercised when we are alone. For it is said that the reason why those of the Law are to be laid up in the heart, is that we might teach them to others (Deu 11:18-20). But note this also, that it is so that we might have them with us when we are retired and alone, “these my words” shall be with you “when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” When a man is riding, or walking, or lying down, or rising up (which are often and usually our most retired times for thoughts and are wholly spent in them), yet then, He says, you shall talk of the word. And since he that is alone cannot be said to talk, therefore the talking there meant is not an outward conference with others (though intended as occasion of talking with others is given, as with your bedfellow, your companion, etc.). But if you have no companion with you, then talk of the word to yourself, for the thoughts are the talking of the mind. So, comparing Proverbs 6:22 with this place, it appears that Solomon exhorts us to the same duty of binding the word to the heart with this motive, which is the fruit of it, that when you awake, it will talk with you—that is, by your thinking of it, it will talk with you when you and it are alone. You shall not need a better companion; it will be putting in and suggesting something to you all the time. Remedy 2. Endeavor to preserve and keep up lively, holy and spiritual affections in your heart. Do not let them cool. Do not fall from your first love, fear, or joy in God. Or if you have grown remiss, endeavor to recover those affections again. For as your affections are, so your thoughts will be, and they incline the mind to think of such or such objects that will please them. That is why David says, “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psa 119:97). It was his love which made him think of it so frequently. So those who “feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” are joined together (Mal 3:16). For what we fear, we often think and speak of. It is added, they spoke “often one to another,” because fear made them think much of His name, and thinking of it made them speak of it. It is true that thoughts and affections are the mutual causes of each other, as it is written, “While I was musing, the fire burned” (Psa 39:3)—the thoughts are the bellows that kindle and inflame the affections. And then when they are inflamed, they cause thoughts to boil. Men newly converted to God, having new and strong affections, can with more pleasure think of God than any. Remedy 3. Get your heart possessed with deep, strong and powerful apprehensions and impressions of God’s holiness, majesty, omnipresence, and omniscience. If any of our thoughts have the power to fix and draw in our minds, they are the thoughts which we have of Him. Why do the saints and angels in Heaven never have a vain thought, no, not in all eternity? His presence fixes them; their eye is never off Him. Even wanton, loose-spirited man will often be held in the presence of a feared superior. Job was careful not to look awry, because, he said, “Does not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4). This drew in and fastened David’s thoughts (Psa 139:1-17). That is why we have found by experience that we can avoid distractions in prayer by enlarging our thoughts beforehand, by considering God’s attributes and relations to us. It will and it does make us serious. Remedy 4. Especially determine to speak with God when you first awake, as David did, “When I awake, I am still with thee” (Psa 139:18). To prevent vain, windy, frothy thoughts from taking possession of your heart when you first awake, first fill your heart with thoughts of God. Observe it, if you will, when you first open your eyes in the morning, many suitors will be attending upon you. Like clients waiting at lawyer’s doors, many vanities and businesses will be seeking to rush into your thoughts. But you must speak with God first; He will say something to your heart that will settle it for all that day. Do this before the crowd of businesses come in upon you. Some heathen, it is said, worship as their god that which they first see in the morning. So it is with the idols of men’s hearts. Let God be first in your thoughts! Remedy 5. Have a watchful eye. Guard your heart all day long. Though they crowd in, yet observe them; let them know that they do not pass unseen. If a man wants to pray aright, he must watch who comes in and who goes out. Where a strict watch is kept, where the officers are diligent to examine every vagrant person, you will have few vagrants there. So it is with the swarms of vagrant thoughts which will come upon him who does not keep a strict watch against them. Then if they pass through anyhow, yet you should complain of them, whip them, etc. Remedy 6. Be careful not to please your fancy too much with vanities and curious sights. This engenders vain and worthless thoughts. That is why Job said that he “made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1). Remedy 7. Be diligent in your calling. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecc 9:10). Put to it all the intention and strength of your mind. Let all the stream run about your mill; the keeping of your thoughts to that channel will keep them from overflowing into vanity and folly. Those that do not labor are apt to be busybodies (2Th 3:11). Those that are called idle and wandering in 1 Timothy 5:13, are not only called idle because they were not busy about the things that they should do, but they are also called idle because they are busy about the things they should not do. If you let ground lie fallow, what weeds will there soon be growing on it! God has given us our callings to entertain our thoughts, and to find work for them in the interims between the duties of His worship—because the spirit and thoughts of men are restless and must be busy some way. Kings keep those men with active spirits in continual employment, lest their heads should be working and plotting amiss. And God appointed (even in Paradise) that man should have something to keep him busy. God hedges in a man’s thoughts in this way, sets them in a narrow lane, knowing that if they are unconfined they will be like wild asses snuffing up the wind (Jer 14:6). But be careful not to encumber your mind with too much business, more than you can grasp. It made Martha forget that “one thing…needful” (Luk 10:42). This breeds cares which distract the mind, divides it, causes wandering thoughts, so that the mind is not itself. This weakens it, enervates it—you will be as Jethro said to Moses, You will fade away like a leaf (Exo 18:18). Even the juice which should be left for good duties will be exhausted. As dreams come through multitudes of business (Ecc 5:3), so do a multitude of thoughts come from a cumber6 of business. Remedy 8. In your calling and in all your ways, commit your ways to God. “Commit thy works [ways] unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established [or, ordered]” (Pro 16:3). Keep back from that confusion and disorder, those swarms of cares, which others are annoyed with. A few thoughts of faith would save us many thoughts of cares and fears as we go about our business. And such thoughts are vain, for they do not forward the business we intend. When such thoughts toss the heart and stir it up into turmoil, when the winds of passion are up, then a few thoughts of faith will calm the heart and fix it upon the Anchor of the soul once more.
Comments
Post a Comment