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jostle out those good thoughts whereon you were thinking, before you have thought of them sufficiently.

3. When your thoughts of worldly business are with greater intention of mind, than the thoughts of things spiritual and heavenly.

4. When they last longer than such as immediately concern the glory of God, and the good of your soul: or hold you too long upon them.

5. You may know it by the ends which you propose to yourself in your thoughts of worldly business; are the ends you propose, only, or chiefly, that you may prevent poverty, or that you may have wherewith to satisfy your natural desires? If you propose not other, and more spiritual ends, your thoughts of them at that time, are worldly: But if your thoughts of your worldly business, be to the end that you may lay them to the ride of God's word, that you may not offend him in your labour and care about them; or that you might crave God's direction and blessing upon your said care and labour, you being spiritual in thoughts of worldly business, then your thoughts of lawful business are not distempered with worldliness.

II. To remedy these distempered thoughts; 1st, Let a sound and clear judgment discern what is good, what is bad; also what is best, and what is least good; preferring things spiritual, heavenly, and eternal, incomparably before those which are earthly and temporal. Make those best things your treasure, Matt. vi. 21; then your heart will be chiefly set, and your thoughts will chiefly run on them; and you will be moderate in thinking of those things which are less needful.

2. Do as a wise counsellor at law, or as a master of requests, who must hear many clients, and receive and answer many petitions. Consider whose turn it is, and what is the most important suit; and despatch them first. Let thoughts of worldly business be shut out, and made to stand at the door, till their turn come to be thought upon, and let the more excellent, and more needful be despatched first.