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To the Inhabitants of the Parishes of St. John, St. George the Martyr, and All-Hallows on the Walls, in the City of Exon.

BRETHREN,

TH

HE following Treatife contains the Subftance of feveral Difcourfes delivered to you from the Pulpit. The Subject of it is undeniably moft Ufeful, and of the greateft Importance to our eternal Welfare: And the more I confider of it, the more I am perfuaded of its Moment. And because it is a Matter of Difficulty too, and requires more lafting Attention of the Mind, than any Perfon (how well foever difpofed) can give to Sermons when Spoken, I thought fit to publifh it, that fo you might have thefe Directions always, before you, which I hope may fomewhat affift you in the Performance of fo great a Work. And as a Teftimony of my great Refpect, and an Acknowledgment of the many Obligations I have received from you, I have dedicated them to you: The

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The Epiftle Dedicatory.

ther, hoping that you will the more seriously and earnestly apply them. Whatever Defects there are in this Treatife, I hope my Sincerity will be a fufficient Protection to the Meanness of my Endeavours. All my Aim being to contribute to your Spiritual, and eternal Advantage: Which is, and fall be always, Part of the conftant and earnest Prayer of

I I

Your daily Orator at the
Throne of Grace,

WILLIAM CHILCOT.

Exon, May 2.

1698.

A

Practical Treatise

CONCERNING

EVIL THOUGHTS.

MATTH. XV. 19.

For out of the Heart proceed Evil Thoughts

AM now entred upon a Subject which demands more than ordinary Attention of the Read

er. The Government of the Thoughts is what I intend to discourse on from thefe Words: Which, as it is a Matter of the greatest Importance, fo it is a Thing of no fmall Difficulty. Few Medicines can reach internal Wounds, and he is an Artist indeed that can cure them. 1 But notwithstanding the Difficulty, I have attempted it; and fhall lay before you the beft Method that I can, in order to the well-governing of the Thoughts. Which when

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when attained, is an Atchievement above those of the greatest Conquerors, and deferves Trophies beyond the most famous Exploits of Victory that ever were made. The wifeft of Men telling us, That he that ruleth his Spirit, is better than be that taketh a City, Prov.xvi. 32.And our own Experience confirms this Sentence of the wife Man. For there is nothing a more common Obfervation than that great Generals and Captains, who have carried their Arms through diftant Nations, and have done Wonders, and even brought the World into Subjection, have yet been Slaves to their own felves; tamely yielding to their own corrupt and wicked Hearts,and have not obtained aConqueft over their own Thoughts. They have not avoided foiling their Triumphs with their Vices, and afperfing their glorious Actions with a wicked Life. As if the Reward of their best Actions were to be their worst, and as if it were a Crown to their Arms to be diffolved in Luft, and all manner of Impieties: As if the Bleffing of fuccefs were Riot and Intemperance, and the greatest of Sins to be their Heralds. What can be a greater and truer Reflection than this? which as it takes off from the Credit and Applaufe of the nobleft Actions, fo it ferves to fhew us, that 'tis a more difficult Task to conquer

conquer our own Thoughts than the most potent Adverfaries; to fubdue our Hearts and Souls than whole Battalions; and that Man is the greatest Enemy to himfelf: For out of the Heart procced evil Thoughts- He that fearcheth the Heart, and knoweth the Thoughts, fpake thele Words.

The Occafion on which he spake them fhall be the First Thing which I fhall confider.

Secondly, I fhall fhew the vast Advantage of well-governing our Thoughts, in order to the Purpofes of Religion in gene

ral.

Thirdly, That evil Thoughts arife out of the Heart, and proceed from thence; which lays an Obligation on us of restrai ing them; and how far we are able so to do.

Fourthly, I fhall lay down fome general Rules and Directions for our eafier and better performing of this great, and difficult, and abfolutely neceffary Work, of well-governing the Thoughts. And,

Fifthly, I fhall felect fome fpecial kinds of evil Thoughts, and fhall discourse more particularly and diftinctly of them, and what are the proper Remedies against them.

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