exalted and sanctified c. Now we must be wise and wary how we conceive of these Metaphoricall Attributes for if we frame any conception of God that is not sutable to his Spirituall Being we are guilty of the highest Idolatry in our thoughts 1. God is sayd to rest the seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quievit cessavit Gen. 2. 2. He Sabathised that is kept Sabath for of this Hebrew Shabath it is called the Sabath or Rest-day We must not conceive that God was wearied with any labour for he worketh without labour but that from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbathum cessatio requies Buxtorf Quies non est vera motus privatio sed finis seu peâ—fectio persecti day God rested or ceased from making more kind of creatures that besides those that he had made on the six dayes he did not create any new kinds Exod. 20. 7. Heb. 4. 5 though as touching the preserving ordering and governing of the world the Father worketh hitherto and Christ worketh Ioh. 5 17. 1. This resting is spoken of God after the manner of men and implies not any wearinesse in him for the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary Isa 40. 28. 2. Gods Sabbath was also his rejoycing in his glorious works and this the Psal 104. 31. Chaldee Paraphrast observes here saying and God delighted the seventh day in his works that he had made and rested 2. God is said to be exalted when his height of glorious excellency might Exod. 15 2. Psal 34 3. Psal 30. 2. and 118. 28. Psal 145 1. Isa 25. 1 and 30. 18. and Majesty is manifested to us 2. When God is in our thoughts inclinations and affections as he is in himself most high We must not think that God can receive any exaltation from his creatures he is infinitely above all our exaltings and extollings men are then said to be exalted when they are lifted up from a low degree to a height of honour power and authority but the Lord God hath 2 Sam. 5. 12. Psal 89 19. the highest height of all honour power and excellency of and from and in himself but now when we set up the will of God as the onely Rule of all our actings his honour as the onely end of all we do the power of his might as our onely strength then are we sayd to exalt God 3. God is said to sanctifie himself and to be sanctified by men he doth sanctifie Ezech. 38 23. Levit. 10 3. 1 Pet. 3 15 Isa 8. 13 14. Ezek 28 â—2 himself when he manifesteth his omniscience power righteousnesse and holinesse in the eyes of men and thereby freeth himself from those blasphemous aspersions and imputations that are cast upon him by evil men sinners do conceive that God is like to themselves that he seeth not Psal 10. that he hath Psal 50. 21. Ezek. 8 12. Psal 10. 13. forsaken the earth that he will require no account of them they think that he cannot do much for them or against them that it is in vain to serve him Now when God graciously accepts Mal 3. and openly rewardeth his own servants and when he punisheth them Ezek. 20. 41. that transgresse with visible judgements Jehovah then declares that he is a Ezech 20. 41. powerfull all knowing righteous Holy God and thereby takes off all those reproachfull imputations which sinners blasphemously cast upon him Ezek. 28. 22. They shall know that I am Jehovah when I shall have executed judgements in her and shall be sanctified in her Ezek. 38. 16. 23. our God is known to be Jehovah a God who gives being to his threats promises in his executing jugdment men Psal 9. are thereby drawn to confesse that Jehovah is a holy God as those did 1 Sam. 6. 20. 2. The Holy God is sanctified of men when they acknowledge his infinite holinesse by fearing him in their hearts and framing all their thoughts and 1 Pet. 3. 4. 15. wayes by divine Rules as in his sight 4. Gods holy name is said to be polluted or prophaned by men Ezek. 36. 20. 21. when they speak any thing that strikes through any of Gods glorious excellencies as that he takes no notice of mens works that he regards not his people that there is no ruling providence in the world c. 2. When men do that which may occasion the enemies to blaspheme Gods name truth and wayes 5. God is said to be justified by men Math. 11. 19. Luke 7. 29. When he is acknowledged to be righteous gracious mercifull abundant in goodnesse and truth 6 Gods sitting in the heavens And on a Psal 2 4. Ps 15. 2. 11 12 2 Chr. 18. 18. Esa 6. 1. Dan. 7. 1. Rev. 20. 11. Throne Ps 9. 5. 8. signifies both Kingly authority and the acting or executing thereof 2. His high exaltation and raigning over all creatures 7. The all glorious God is said to be glorified by men John 15. 8. Psalm 50. Math. 5. 1 Pet. 4. 11. when they acknowledge his glorious excellencies in their hearts words and wayes we must not conceive that men or Angels are able to make the least addition or augmentation of Gods essentiall glory by all their services all the glory that we can give unto God is to acknowledge him to be as he is in himself and in his actings of grace and mercy towards us 8 God is said to be comforted Ezek. 5. 13. when judgements are fully executed and his own justice satisfied 9. God is said to be wearied when he hates and rejects any thing as a man who is weary with bearing a burden casts it off 10. He is said to sleep Psal 44. 24. when according to the sense and apprehension Esa 1 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—ssus fuit 〈◊〉 teste Kimchi ad faâ—gâ—tionem cogâ—â—â—â—â—onum in â—â—â—us quas quis â—aâ—â—â—dit of the fleshly part in men he comes slowly to relieve those that are in extremity of sufferings these things are spoken of God after the manner of men for properly he that keepeth Israel slumbreth not nor sleepeth Psalm 124 4. 11. God is said to be silent when he seemeth to us not to hear our Prayers Psal 28. 1. when he ceaseth to speak to us and answer us These attributes are taken from man there are others that are taken from other creatures As I wings are attributed to God whereby we must conceive his protection and defence of his people whom he gathers and hides under the wings of salvation as a bird doth cherish Deut. 32. 11. Râ—â—h â— 12 Psal 17. 8. Psal 9â— 4 Exod. 19. 4. Thus the Greek and Chaldee here translates it and shelter her young ones under her wings and protects them from the snares of the devil and evil men He beareth them as upon eagles wings Exod. 19. 4. the eagle flying high her young ones being on her wings are
they are but vain shadows vanishing shows empty appearances they are but a meer fancy Thus the great pomp of Agrippa and Bernice is called a fancy they came with great phantasy or vain show as the word Act. 25. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall properly signifies But this speculative feeding upon carnall contentments in thoughts only is but a fancy of these fancies a shadow of shadows it is vanity of vanities when men can take pleasure in the shadow of empty shadows 4. This acting of sin in the thoughts by way of speculation is a most sinfull wicked way of sinning for 1. It argues that the hearts of men are possess'd with a greedy desire after sinfull pleasures and a desperate delight in sinning in that when they want opportunities and meanes of committing sin actually yet they will act it in their own thoughts when they cannot enjoy sensuall pleasures in their outward objects they will enjoy them in their imaginations when they cannot possess earthly riches in reality yet they will imagine themselves rich and therin solace themselves it is a sign that their hearts do impatiently thirst after the fulfilling of their lusts 2. This delighting our selves in the thoughts of sinfull pleasures is an incestuous defilement which is the most hatefull adultery this speculative feeding upon sensuall contentments in mens thoughts is a committing adultery with their own children Thoughts are the issues coming out of the loyns of their own minds they are Mark 7. 21 22 begotten and conceived by their owne hearts 5. This thought pollution is a prevailing way of sinning ir doth exceedingly take and overtake mens corrupt hearts and over-abounds in their minds There be four waies wherby this speculative wickedness is commonly acted in the thoughts of men 1. They delight to be musing and thinking of those creature comforts worldly excellencies and preheminencies which they have in present possession they think with themselves what riches honours earthly possessions and priviledges they enjoy how eminent they are in gifts and name in wisdom learning and esteems of others and how happy they are in all these Thus Haman felicitates fills himself with the thoughts of all the glory of his riches and all the Hester 5. 11. things wherein the King had promoted him Nebuchadnezar solaceth himself Dan. 4. 30. in the thoughts of the glory of his Majesty and his great Babell Dives blessed himself in the thoughts of his goods layd up for many years These sensuall earthly thoughts do fill mens hearts with pride and vanity 2. They exceedingly provoke God against them as is evident in his Judgments upon the fore-named worldlings for Dives was sentenced for a fool and struck dead that night Nebuchadnezar was struck with madness and brutishness whiles the word was in his mouth and the thought in his heart and Hamans high honour did quickly end in the highest shame Quest But may not we think of creature comforts inward endowments and outward enjoyments Answ We may if we observe these three Rules 1. These thoughts must arise from a spirituall sense of Gods goodness and bounty and our own unworthiness 2. We must propose this spirituall end to our selves that by these thoughts our hearts may be raised to humble acknowledgments and praisefull admirations of the glorious Giver 3. They must quicken us to serve God with all chearfulnes and faithfulness for these good things we receive from him Deut. 28. 2. Men are guilty of acting sin in their thoughts in respect of things to come How do they delight themselves with the fore-thoughts of those profits pleasures and Creature-enjoyments which they expect hereafter as namely that such a time they shall have such a pleasant journey such a merry meeting of friends such a gainfull bargain hear such and such news c. these things they think off withmuch affection these thoughts wake with them in the morning and walk with them in the day upon these they feed much thus those worldlings in Jam. 4. 13. do delight themselves in the thoughts of their future Profits of going to such a City and there getting gain So those wicked ones in Isa 56. 14. do feed upon the thoughts of those sensuall pleasures which they promised themselves the next day yea worldlings do solace themselves with the thoughts of that honour which they promise to their houses and posterity to the worlds end Their inward thoughts are their houses shall continue for ever Theâ—e earthly Psal 49. 11. thoughts sit neerest to their hearts as the Hebrew word importâ— They proclaim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their names on lands or they call their lands as the Greek explainâ— it by their own names Thus thinking to make their names and memory everlasting 2 Sam. 18. 18. Carnall men fill and feed their hearts with the thoughts of those earthly comforts profits and pleasures which they hope to enjoy even whilst they are a far off this is their wickedness and folly for when they come to the actual enjoyment of these things which their fancies fed upon before hand they find them to be stale empty lying vanities Isa 29. 6. no way answering their thoughts and large desires and this fills them with vexation of spirit 3. Men are guilty of this speculative acting of sinne in their thoughts in respect of things past they are apt to sport themselves in the thoughts of those sinfull and sensual pleasures which they have formerly injoyed in actions long since past they recall and revive their former dead works and they think upon the Circumstances of their old defilements with a new delight Those sinnes which sinners have long since committed they act over again in their thoughts every day thus adulterers delight to be calling over their former unclean acts and feeding in their thoughts upon the froth and filth of their former sensualities vain glorious persons take pleasure to be musing upon speeches of applause and admiration given them by others So that whereas sinners should think upon their former pollutions and vanities with sorrow self abhorrency and hatred they rather run over them in their thoughts with a fresh delight and herby they continually commit the same sins again with the same pleasure extract a new sweetnes out of old vanities This delightfull acting over sinne in the thoughts is the height of wickednesse 1. It is a signe of a heart deeply hardened and desperately wicked it is an argument that men are greatly in love with their sinnes and inseparably wedded to them when they commit adultery with their own sinfull Acts formerly acted It is impossible for contrite Converts to act this speculative wickednesse ordinarily though they may be overtaken through infirmity they are filled with bitter sorrowful thoughts sighs and shame in the review of their old sinfull pleasures and vanities as is evident in the repenting Romans who were now ashamed of their former filthy wayes Rom. 6. 21. so when
therefore if our Thought-transgressions be a burden to us if we do really loath these sinnes and our selves for them if there be a sincere striving to mortify every evil thought know assuredly that we ought to cast our selves upon the greatnesse and freenesse of Gods mercy and believe the pardon of all our thought-pollutions 3. Seeing there are the seeds of all kind of wicked and abominable thoughts Vse 3 in mans corrupt nature and these are so ready to assault and beset us continually we may see then what great cause we have to look to our thoughts that they be not over-run with vanity nor over ruled by sinfull corruption we should never trust our thoughts alone without Jobs Covenant Job 31. 1. without Davids bridle the mind of man is the mouth of the soul thoughts are the speakings of the mind Psal 14. 1. let us keep this mouth of our souls as with a bridle The great God gives us a very strict command to look to our thoughts Prov. 4. 23. above all keeping keep thy heart that is above all strive and study to keep thy thoughts pure in a holy heavenly frame without spot and defilement These words do clearly import that there are many things given us in charge to be kept but above all our hearts and thoughts we are commanded to keep our selves unspotted of the world 2. To keep the words of Christs patience 3. To keep a good conscience 4. To keep holy the Lords day 5. To keep our brethren 6. To keep the works of Christ to the end 7. To keep that which is committed Revel 2. 26. to us 8. To keep the doore of our lips 9. To keep all the commandements of God but above all keeping keep thy heart and in it thy thoughts above all this is the true import of the Hebrew text 1. Keep thy thoughts more than all things that are to be kept our chiefest care and greatest caution must be spent in keeping our thoughts we must guard them night and day and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. prae omni custodia plus quam omnia custodienda Piscator with a fourfold watch and ward We must keep our thoughts as a City or strong Castle is kept with all kind of fortifications and as rich men keep their treasures with looks and barres The word in the originall as one Servavit observavit custodivit munivit curavit Significat etiam seris vectibus qu◠claudere observes is borrowed from the affairs of warre Let us imagine a City not onely begirt with a straight and dangerous siege of vigilant and blood thirsty enemies but also within full of secret commotioners that are ready to betray the City How greatly would it concern that City with all vigilant policy to stand upon its guard day and night for prevention of danger thus it is with our hearts 1. Satan is ever waiting opportunity to throw in his fiery darts 2. Worldly sensuall objects from abroad are ready to insinuate themselves and to ensnare our thoughts 3. There is the flesh from within which raiseth many inward commotions and rebellious stirrings in our own hearts Now godly wisemen are sensible of all this danger and by their own experimentall knowledge are acquainted with the many wounds and breaches made in the soul both by these open enemies and secret Rebells which rise up within their own bowels and therefore they have daily need of much heavenly wisdome holy care and conscience in guarding and keeping their hearts Thus we are expresly commanded to observe and fortify our thoughts against all assaults and to keep them from all pollution with all possible diligece now to quicken us to this duty let us seriously consider 1. That this is the great commandement of God it is the fundamentall comprehensive command the keeping of our thoughts is a keeping all the commandements fundamentally all purity and true piety begins in the thoughts 2. This keeping of our thoughts is a keeping all the Commandements virtually because every divine precept requires a thought obedience 2. If our thoughts be holy our affections and actions will be holy also 2. A holy frame of thoughts sends forth actions of life that do manifest the glorious life of Christ in us Prov. 4. 23. out of it are the issues of life the actions and outgoings of lives of that new heavenly life which is eternall living words and works are issues of gracious thoughts but dead defiled actions and speeches are the outgoings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of evil thoughts Thoughts are spring actions and streams as our thoughts are so are the actings of our affections so are our prayers and all our performances therefore it concerns us above all keeping to keep our thoughts Thirdly consider that mans heart of it self is sufficient to bring forth all kind of evil thoughts and that without any injection from Satan and instigation from outward objects the Devil may cast in any thought into our heart but all the powers of darknesse cannot fasten the guilt and spot of any one sinne upon our thoughts without our entertainment and closing with the sugestion but the corrupt heart of men hath a sufficiency to beget and conceive any wicked blasphemous thoughts and to corrupt the whole man with all kind of sinfull thoughts and works as having in it self the ground and spawn thereof 2. Mans cursed heart is exceeding prone to think evil continually 3. It invites and inticeth Satan to suggest and greedily entertains whatsoever he injecteth 4. All outward objects serve as occasions to stir up evil thoughts in us therefore our chiefest care must be to look to our thoughts 4. God is the onely Lord and Ruler of our Thoughts he layes claim to them as his sole right and peculiar Royalty and he hath a Soveraignty over the whole soul and all its powers Earthly powers take upon them to govern our tongues hands and visible actings but God onely challengeth a power and principality over our thoughts therefore by turning Libertines in our thoughts we turn God into an Idol of our own fancy denying his Soveraign dominion over our thoughrs and knowledge of them and so we rob him of his chiefest Royalty 5. The observing ordering and keeping our thoughts within due bounds is the glory and strictnesse difficulty and singularity of the true Religion above all others in the world If we look to our speeches and actions what singular thing do we did not the Pharisees do as much meer mortall men do the same Wherein stands the difference between true hearted Israelites and all hypocrites it is mainly in the purity and piety of the Thoughts Phariseees and formalists may mumble over their prayers morning and evening and keep from open notorious evils they may be blamelesse in their visible conversations Phil. 3 4 5 6. Hypocrites may appear in glorious outsides talk strictly pray and discourse to admiration but their thoughts are overrun with vanity and earthlinesse That
and care of his children of his omniscience omnipresence justice c. Thoughts of deferring duties slighting Ordinances Thoughts against the necessity of circumspect walking c. When these Ephes 5. 15. and such like Atheisticall thoughts and principles of Satans doe take place in mens hearts they keepe out good thoughts and block up their soules against the entrance of soule-saving truths and do corrupt all their thoughts and wayes 4 Sanctifying Grace sets a watch over our thoughts in the performance of all holy duties 1 To keep out all loose wandring wicked thoughts that they doe not enter into distract and disturb us in Gods work therefore we are commanded to watch unto prayer and in prayer to watch and pray We must watch in hearing Gods word set a strong Guard at the doore of our hearts and the windowes of the soule that no worldly distracting thoughts come into take off the attention and intention of our minds in good performances 2 To keep out unseasonable impertinent good thoughts in religious performances Thoughts materially good when they break their ranks and come into the mind disorderly out of their due season and place are sinfull We are apt to think of good things unseasonably and unsuitably to the present service as when we are in the act of hearing Gods word or prayer some good thing that we had heard or read formerly some good note that we had forgotten will now readily offer it selfe to our thoughts whereby our minds are distracted diverted and carried away from the present performance and our good works weakned and corrupted 2 This mis-placing of good thoughts proceeds from our corrupt Natures whereby we are apt to fix our thoughts upon any thing rather then what God at present calls unto 3 It is the grand policy of our adversary the Devil to cast in good things into our minds unseasonably in hearing the word or prayer thereby to take off the attention of our minds from the present duty and so to lame our sacrifice He knowes that wicked thoughts will be abhorred and rejected by godly men but good things injected may more easily have admission and reception with them 5 Grace teacheth us to watch over our hearts continually that we may be ready to give a wise and humble entertainment to the holy motions of Gods blessed spirit There be good houres and good messengers of Gods sending golden opportunities wherein he useth to give a meeting to his Children and breaths good thoughts into them these we must embrace and cherish for as carnall men doe freely admit and embrace earthly corrupt thoughts but they reject and suppresse good motions and stirrings that tend to repentance and mortification so renewed men strive to shut out vaine thoughts but they sincerely desire with speciall reverence and all holy greedinesse to entertain all good motions put into their hearts by Gods Spirit howsoever occasioned whether by the Ministry of the word reading the Scriptures Christian admonition or by some extraordinary mercy or affliction any way at any time they highly esteem all good motions grounded on the word of God they feed and improve them to the utmost with meditation prayer practice If men begin once to neglect godly motions by degrees they grieve the blessed Spirit at length they quench the Spirit God doth often punish mens slighting of these heavenly motions by leaving them to the vanity of their own thoughts and to Satans horrid injections 15 Grace begets a holy jealousie and suspition of our owne hearts and thoughts and this doth exceedingly quicken and strengthen our spirituall vigilancy There is still much deceit in Jer. 17. 9. our hearts so far as they are carnall and though we have taken up resolutions to watch over our thoughts yet sin is apt to break in and captivate our thoughts if we be selfe-confident They that are most suspitious of their owne hearts are least overtaken with evill thoughts because such are much in prayer unto God and resting upon God from whom they receive strength to stand and withstand sinfull thoughts and Satanicall injections 16 Sanctifying Grace raiseth high and holy thoughts for the advancement of Gods glory and the spirituall advantage of our owne and others soules The thoughts of gracious persons are ordinarily working for the promoting of Gods service and good causes for the procuring of true good to their brethren especially in spiritualls for the encreasing of Grace in themselves and spirituall assurance and comfort against the day of triall for the keeping of a good conscience in all things and the acting of self-deniall But the Thoughts of carnall men are all for self-self-ends and selfe-satisfactions how to get great things for themselves in this world and to be great in the opinion of others and to fullfill their fleshly lusts They that spend their Rom. 13. 14. thoughts and studies for selfe how they may satisfie their owne sinfull affections and attain their carnall ends are superlative sinners they are Masters of the Art of sinning We have an elegant expression in Prov. 24. 8. The man that thinketh to doe evill they Prov. 24. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall call him a Lord of wickednesse so the words are in the Hebrew That is the man that bends his thoughts to fullfill his owne sinfull desires and corrupt affections shall be called a Lord that is the chief and greatest of sinners 2 A Possessor of all wickednesse a most wiced man in whom is a confluence of all sin Lastly Sanctifying Grace puts us upon a carefull constant use of all holy means that God hath appointed for the preserving of us from the prevalency and pollution of all evill thoughts Prov. 4. 23. God commands men to keep their hearts above all keeping That is in the diligent use of all good means to strive to keep their hearts from entertaining and lodging evill thoughts to keep them from all thought-defilement Thus David Resolves to use all holy helps and means for the ordering of his thoughts according to Gods will Psal 19. 15. What speciall means hath God in his word directed us to use for the preserving Quest of us from the prevailing power and pollution of evill thoughts There be divers precious Preservatives Answ that may be helpfull to us in keeping of our Thoughts The First Preservative 1 LAbour to settle a holy Government in our fancy to keep our imaginations within the compasse of Divine Rules Mans imagination must be cast downe before his thoughts can be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Imaginations are properly the operations of the fancy which is a power of the soule placed between the senses and the understanding The phantasie is the imagining power as the mind is the thinking power in man Fancy is that which the learned call Imagination and opinion Phantasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aliter dicitur imaginativa Alstedius Mans imagination of it selfe if ungoverned is a wild
1 Sam. 2. 3. eye He seeth and knoweth all the Creatures that we make in our hearts our thoughts and imaginations When vaine ungodly thoughts doe assault us we should think thus with our selves God is present he stands by and look on he seeth my thoughts This apprehehension will be a powerfull means to fence our thoughts against evill We have an excellent place for this Job 31. if we compare vers 1. and v. 4. together it is one continued speech I have made a Covenant with mine eyes why then should I thinke of a Job 31. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maid Doth not he see my wayes and number all my steps What was the reason that Job durst not yield to a vaine impure thought Because God seeth it saith he he beholds my wayes That is the secret wayes of my heart my thoughts God takes notice how many thoughts I think and what they are So that Job's eye was fixed upon Gods eye and this fixed and overpowred his thoughts that he durst not take liberty in his thoughts 1 Let this impression be alwayes upon our hearts that God stands by and takes a strict view of our thoughts and will call us to a reckoning for them This will be an excellent means to keep us from the prevalency of those evill thoughts that assault us 2 Consider that God doth not stand by as a meer looker on but he takes such notice of all the thoughts that passe through mens hearts that he ponders and weighs them as it were to give them the fruit of their thoughts Mens sinfull thoughts are laid in one ballance and the righteous judgements of God in the other To his Children he gives correction but he weighs out punishment wrath and damnation to wicked ones 3 Let us consider who it is that knows our thoughts it is the all-knowing all-powerfull God whose eyes are as flaming fire and his feet like brasse There is no man but needs an increase of faith in this truth for if the infinitenesse of Gods presence and knowledge were firmly believed it could not be but that we should be more carefull and eyefull of our thoughts and wayes then we be Therefore for a clearer conviction and plenary perswasion of this truth I will present two eminent places one is in Ephes 4. 6. One God who is above all and in you all and through all 1 God is above all he looks down and beholds all that men think and doe on earth as a man that stands above in a high place can see all that is done below But it may be objected though a Object man be above yet there may be some corners dens and caves wherein men may hide themselves from the eyes of him who is above them God is said to be above all and through Answ all and in you all he is in us in our hearts and spirits by his all-knowing eye and all-searching presence God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeth every corner of our hearts every thought and secret of our hearts He looks through us through our hearts as a man looks through a clear glasse This is more plainly held forth Psal 139. 1 2. O Jehovah thou hast searched me and knowne me thou knowest my downe-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My familiar thoughts my neerest and most inmost thoughts as the Hebrew imports Jehovah knowes the thoughts of men afar off because he knowes the Principles that are within their hearts and what they would act if occasion were offered As a man that knowes what roots are in his Garden he can say this and this will come up in the spring though no Flower appear for the present Oh therefore let us labour to keep this apprehension alwayes present with us that God beholds and takes notice of all our thoughts The Tenth Preservative 10 WEE must be mainly carefull to give up our first thoughts to God at our awaking in the morning This will be a good means to keep our thoughts close to God all the day following This was Davids constant practice as appears Psal 139. 17. When I awake I am still with thee That is in my thoughts I am still meditating of thee When we awake we should first fill our minds with the thoughts of God 1 Of his greatnesse and goodnesse of his mercy that is renewed every morning 2 Of his presence with us his all-searching eye that is over us and his mighty hand that is with us to assist us in doing his work and to resist all evils and enemies for us 3 We should fix our first thoughts every day upon that great and glorious end for which we have our life and being and how every thing we doe and that befalls us may be reduced ordered and made serviceable to this high end Gods glory The setting of our thoughts in a holy order every morning will much conduce to the right ordering of our thoughts it will prevent and keep out those earthly sensuall vanities which doe attend at the door of our hearts to make the first entry and to take up our thoughts for all the day Those objects that doe first take possession of our thoughts in the morning do much prevaile with our thoughts the day after The perfuming of our spirits with some gracious meditations at our first awaking will much sweeten our thoughts all the day It is a thing much to be lamented and laid to heart that Christians who professe themselves Heires of Heaven having matters of that weight and excellency to exercise their hearts upon should spend their thoughts upon trifles vanity and nothing as all earthly things will ere long appear Now one chief cause why mens hearts and heads are so fill'd with earthly sensuall thoughts is because they doe not season and strengthen their minds with thoughts of God and heavenly things at their first awaking The Eleventh Preservative 11 IT will be a precious means to keep us from evill thoughts if we be constant in holy fore-thoughts and after-thoughts every day 1 In the morning fore-thinking and resolving in the strength of Christ Jesus to watch over our thoughts all the day and to keep our hearts above all keeping that we offend not in our thoughts 2 We must keep a strict watch over our hearts the day following and though vaine vagrant thoughts doe crowd in yet take notice of them abhor and repell them complain to God against them 3 At night we must try examine our thoughts call them to account what they have acted how they have carried themselves the day past Take that course with our thoughts that men doe with idle Servants they set them their task in the morning and at the end of the day they call them to a reckoning this makes them carefull to doe their work The Twelfth Preservative 12 IF we would be kept from idle impure thoughts we must keep our bodies and minds close to the
humbled souls in believing the pardon of their thought-pollutions 3. Gods thoughts of mercy to repenting sinners are as far above their highest thoughts and apprehensions that they have of Gods mercy as the heavens are above the earth this is evident by the testimony of the God of mercy Isa 55. 8 9. as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than yur wayes and my thoughts higher than your thoughts It is spoken of Gods thoughts and wayes of pardoning mercy to returning sinners as is apparant by verse 7. there Jehovah promiseth to show mercy and to multiply pardons answerable to the multitudes of their thoughts and evil wayes Now there be two grand objections that some sorrowfull souls are apt to make against their closing with mercy offered 1. Their Thoughts have such an heighth of malignity and sinfulnesse by reason of their horrid nature and numberlesse swarms that they cannot think how God should pardon them 2. That their wayes have been so highly injurious and offensive to God that if any man should do but the thousand part of that trespasse to them that they have done against God they could not forgive them how hard is it for us to passe by small injuries c To both these objections God answers my thoughts of pardoning mercy saith he are as far above all your apprehensions thereof and my wayes of mercy are as far above all your wayes of forgivenesse to men as the heavens are above the earth When ye think thus with your selves we could not possibly forgive any man in case of so great wrong and ye cannot conceive any reason why I should forgive you yet know that my thoughts and wayes of mercy are as infinitely above all yours as the heaven is above the earth Men are revengefull in their dispositions and will not forgive but Jehovah is a God of mercies and ready to forgive he hath the mercies and power of a God an infinite incomprehensible mercy and power and therefore he can pardon where men cannot yea beyond what they can possibly think and conceive Jer. 3. 1. The heart of man being inlarged and raised by divine grace is able to think of high and admirable mercies yet when the most inlarged hearts have gone as high as is possible for a created heart to rise in conceiving of Gods mercies yet even then Gods thoughts of mercy to Repentants are infinitely above and beyond their largesthoughts It is very observable that God sayes not that his wayes and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his wayes and thoughts of mercy are as far above mans as the heavens are above the earth indeed as God is above men which is infinitely The great God argues from the immense heighth of his mercy purposely to heighten and strengâ—hen the faith of bruised souls who cannot think how God should pardon such a world of wickednesse as they have acted in their thoughts oh therefore when our thoughts are at a stand in apprehending and conceiving mercy let us learn to believe above all our own thoughts 4. The mercies of God have a heighth above all that is or can be written of them exceeding high and glorious things are spoken of Gods mercies in the holy Scriptures but the heighth thereof is above all that tongue or pen can possibly expresse as there are Curses written and not written for disobedient sinners Deut. 28. that is the curses and miseries prepared for wicked men are farre greater than are written in the Scriptures so there be mercies written and not written the Scriptures cannot hold and contain all that mercy that is in God for his people because his mercy is infinite and incomprehensible Secondly there is an unsearchable depth in the pardoning mercy of God beneath the deepest guilt that can be found in mans thoughts Psal 86. 13. Thy mercy is great towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes David The heavy weight of our thought-wickednesse sinks our souls as deep as the lowest hell in respect of demerit but the great depth of Gods mercy raiseth believing souls out of the deepest hell to the highest heavens The judgements of God are a great deep Psal 36. 7. but his mercies are a greater depth they are a bottomlesse sea sufficient to swallow up mountains of thought-pollutions as well as mole hills Micah 7. 19. Gods pardoning mercy is compared to the depths of the sea he will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea 1. Observe There are many depths in this sea of mercy if we fear that one depth will not be enought let us consider that there are manifold depths 2. God promiseth to bury all the sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In profunda maris of his people in the depths of mercy which must needs include all the sinnes of their thoughts and wayes though never so many and great Thirdly there is a boundlesse breadth in the mercy of God a latitude beyond all limits Psal 103 12. as far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our Transgressions from us by his pardoning mercy What a vast distance is there betwixt the East and the West of all visible latitudes this is the greatest now suppose that there be an exceeding great breadth of evil in our Thoughts yet there is a breadth in the mercy of God beyond it there is a latitude and largenesse of power in his mercies to remove all this evil farre from us Fourthly the mercy of God hath an immeasurable length beyond all times mercy is extended and stretched out at length Psal 36. 10. extend thy mercy to them that know thee draw out thy mercy at length as the word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extraxit protraxit protendit signifies and as it is in the margine in this sense the word is used Psal 85. 6. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever wilt thou draw out thine anger to generation and generation 1 God extends and draws out his mercy towards his people unto thousands of generations as is evident Exod 20. 5. 6. compared with Exod. 34. 7. Doing mercy unto thousands of them that love me c. that is to the thousand generation yea to many thousand generations the Hebrew word is plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Generation is not in the Hebrew neither Exod. 20. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in the fifth or sixth verse but is supplied in the Greek and Chaldee version There is the like phrase in Exod. 34. 7. keeping mercy for thousands that is as Thargum Jerusalemy explains it for a thousand generations Luk. 1. 50. his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation Here generation is expresly mentioned This world shall not continue to thousands of generations we are now in the last dayes of this
world The time shall be when this world and time shall be no more but the mercy of God to his people hath no end no interruption 2. Mercy is drawn out to eternity this is confirmed by six and twenty everlasting that are spoken of the mercy of God in one Psalm to make the deeper and stronger impression upon the hearts Psal 136. of the faithfull the mercy of Jehovah is to everlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. The length of this divine mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear God Psal 103. 17. he had thoughts of mercy from eternity in his Electing love in Christ Oh what strength of comfort may be drawn out of this immense length of mercy that which greatly troubleth poor souls is the lengthening of the iniquity of their thoughts Oh say they we have lived in thought-pollutions in the inward acting of speculative filth and folly in vain wanton wicked thoughts these forty yea threescore years we have drawn out the sinnes of our thoughts to a very great length therefore how can we believe that there is any mercy for us This Consideration should lengthen our sorrows and heighten our self abhorrency yet know that there is an incomparable greater length in divine mercy then can be in mans thought defilements the length of Gods mercy is from eveâ—lasting to everlasting now what is the length of threescore years to eternity Secondly as the mercy of God is greatly extended in all the dimensions thereof so it is greatly powerfull As there is a power in the wrath of God that passeth our knowledge Psal 90. 11. so there is a power in his pardoning mercy passing all created understanding this mighty power of Gods mercy appears herein that he is able by a word speaking to pardon the greatest height of sinne Now for the clear understanding of this glorious mystery we must know that in the justification of a sinner remission of sinnes and righteousnesse is given by an act of Royall Prerogative and power in God he speaks and pronounceth a sinner pardoned he saith unto him live Ezech. 16. 6. It is an act of omnipotency to pardon sin the superlative greatnesse of Gods power is manifested in forgiving his people as is most evident Numb 14. 17 18 19. And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying the Lord is long suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according to the greatnesse of thy mercy in showing great pardoning mercy God shows great power This is the exceeding greatnesse of Gods Prerogative and transcendent power of his mercy that he can take men that are most ungodly in themselves and speak them the most righteous men in the world if he do but reckon and declare a sinner pardoned and justâ—fied he is really pardoned and justified from all his sinnes Thâ—s doth infinitely manifest and magnifie the power of Gods free grace and mercy in Christ that if he do pronounce a sinner forgiven he is fully and for ever acquitted from the guilt of all his sinnes if God be pleased to account and reckon a man righteous by the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus imputed he stands compleatly righteous in Gods sight this is the highest declaration of the omnipotency of Gods mercy that he is able to pardon the greatest sinner by a word in the word of this King of Kings there is power Infinite power Oh therefore let repenting souls consider that though the sinnes of their thoughts be exceeding great and innumerable heightned with all the aggravations that Satan and their own distrustfull hearts can put upon them yet there is that infinitenesse of power in Gods mercy that if he be pleased but to speak the word onely they shall be fully cleansed from the guilt of all their thought-sinnes The seventh Consideration Seventhly There is an All-sufficiency in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse the foulest sinners from all the iniquities of their thoughts 1 John 1. 7 9. with him there is plenteous redemption Psal 130. 7. 1. Consider that all the iniquities of our thoughts and wayes were laid upon Christ our surety Isa 53. 2. He hath suffered all that wrath and punishment which was due to the sinnes of all his people and thereby he hath made a plenary satisfaction to divine justice for the same he hath payed all their debts to the utmost farthing 3. God the Father hath accepted of this satisfaction of Christ for his people and manifested this acceptation in that he raised him again from the dead let him out of prison took off the bonds of death and received him into glory Rom. 8 33 34 4. Christ Jesus by his sufferings hath obtained a plenary redemption and remission of sinnes for all believing sinners Heb. 9. Eph. 17. 5. If our hearts be really broken for and from our evil thoughts the God of mercy will multiply his washings of us in the blood of Jesus Christ Psal 51. 2. David prayeth for a multiplied washing Psal 51. v. 4. according to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his iniquity multiply wash me much wash me that is throughly wash me again and again in the blood of Christ Rev. 7. 14. 1 John 17 9. Jer. 4. 14. the Hebrew Hereb or Harbeth signifies properly to multiply and doth most fitly suit Davids present case who had so multiplied his iniquities in the matter of Vriah Objection but now some perplexed Object souls will be ready to object and say these are precious grounds of comfort were we but sufficiently qualified we now begin to see that the mercies of God are great and manifold sufficient in themselves to pardon the multiplied multitudes of our thought-transgressions but we are most vile wretches not worthy of the least crumb of mercy we can do nothing that can please God that can move him to shew mercy we have not a broken frame of spirit we cannot be so bitterly affected and afflicted in spirit for all the wickednesse of our Thoughts as we desire had we but that depth of humiliation and heighth of spirituall qualifications that we see in some Saints we could then believe the forgivenesse of all our evil thoughts were our hearts so inlarged in duties and carryed with that over-powring strength against the the corruption of our thoughts and works as they should be we might then have some hopes of pardoning mercy but when our spiritual wants are so great our humiliation so little our strength against sinne so weak how dare we think that any mercy belongs to us how can we venter upon these precious mercies Whereunto I answer 1. Who made this a condition of the Answ Gospel-covenant that men must have such a heighth of Contrition and mortifying strength so great inlargements in graces and performances c. before they may lay hold upon pardoning mercy surely this condition is not of Gods