A TREATISE OF MANS IMAGINATIONS SHEWING His naturall euill thoughts His want of good thoughts The way to reforme them Framed and preached By M. Wil. Perkins Matth. 12. 33. Either make the tree good and his fruit good or els make the tree euill and his fruit euill PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuer sitie of Cambridge 1607. And are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Crowne by Simon Waterson ¶ To the right worshipfull S. Thomas Holcroft knight with the vertuous Lady Elizabeth his wife grace and peace THat waightie charge of Salomon Right worshipfull to euery sonn of wisdome for the keeping of his heart aboue all watch and ward may well perswade vs that some matters of great importance depend thereon Among many because my gates may not be great before so small a citie I will touch one There is a strange desire not of earthly but of spirituall powers after the possession of mans heart God saith my sonne giue me thy heart and to him indeed the right belongs Yet thorough mans transgressioÌ„ Satan hath got such hold therof that vnlesse it be by diuine power hee will not be kept out though we heare not Satans voice yet his dealing bewraies his meaning that aboue all things in man he desires the heart Once hee stroue about a dead mans body but doubtles his purpose therein was to haue set vp an Idoll for himselfe in the hearts of the liuing But what is mans heart that it should be so desired Surely in substance little but for imployment almost infinite It is a Treasure whereout man bringeth all his actions good or evill It is a temple wherin is either the Arke of God or Dagon for the Deuill Yea it is a pallace wherein dwelleth and a throne whereon sitteth either Christ or Satan the king of glory or the prince of darknes and he that keeps possession will there excercise dominion Neither may we thinke that one heart wilsuffer both these no man can serue two masters God will haue all or none if any part be shared from him in high dispeasure he leaues the rest and so the whole falls to the deuil Now sith the case standeth thus with mans heart doth it not neerly coÌ„cerne euery one to know his owne estate in this behalfe to wit what kind of treasury whose Temple whose pallace and throne his heart is that if all be wel he may reioyce so keepe it for the Lord if otherwise then seeke redresse betime To this purpose serues this present treatise wherein as in a glasse may first be seene the fearfull state of mans naturall heart full frought with euill thoughts void of good consideration and so most fit for Satan Then after doe those blessed meanes appeare whereby mans naturall heart may be reformed to become the temple of God the seat of grace and a bed of spices for the welbe loued to feed vpoÌ„ And these are points of that importance that whosoeuer neglecteth them may say farewell grace bid adue to god himselfe for in the hart if at all in man â—ust these be seated Now the publishing hereof being coÌ„mitted vnto me I present the same vnto your worships and vnder your protection desire to commend it to the church of God It would too much enlarge my gates to annex the manifold reasons which mooue me to this choise on your behalfe onely this I pray that seeing it is the first fruits of my labours in this kind wherein I had full power of free choise in my dedicatioÌ„ it may intimate to you both mine vnfained hearts desire of that ever-lasting good I wish vnto your soules and also testifie in part my thankful mind for your manifold fauours to me and mine who depend vpon you Now God Almighty blesse your worships with your children and familie according to your seuerall necessities of his mercie and goodnes for soule and body in this life and for euer Cambridge Aug. 20. 1606. Your worships in the Lord Thomas Piersonn To the Reader KNow good reader that for my furtherance in the publishing of this tract at I had the authors owns draught of the plat-forme of it beside two perfect copies of all his sermons I haue for plainesse sake devided it into Chapters and sections for the better effecting whereof I was constrained to transpose two of the vses otherwise I doubt not but euery one that heard it preached will iudge me to haue dealt faithfully with the Godâ—y author The Lord blesse it to thy good ¶ The Contents of this treatise CHAP. I. The vnfolding of the text whereon the treatise is grounded pag. 1. CHAP. II. The Illnesse of mans naturall thoughts and how they may be knowen pag. 19. CHAP. III. Mans naturall euil thoughts concerning God pag. 30. CHAP. IV. Mans naturall thoughts concerning his neighbour pag. 101. CHAP. V. Mans natural thoughts concerning himselfe pag. 122. CHAP. VI. Mans naturall want of good thoughts or consideration with the fruit thereof pag. 152. CHAP. VII The vse of the doctrine of mans natural ImaginatioÌ„s pag. 165. CHAP. VIII Rules for the reformation of evill thoughts pag. 184. CHAP. IX Of spirituall considerations concerning God pag. 201. CHAP. X. Of spirituall consideration concerning our selues pag. 218. Gen. 8. 21. And the Lord said in his heart I will henceforth curse the earth no more for mans cause for the Imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth CHAP. I. The vnfolding of the text by way of preparation to the Treatise IN the former part of this chapter Moses hath faithfully related the drying of the waters after the stood and Noahs sacrificing vnto God with Gods acceptance thereof Now in this verse and the next he recordeth such lawes and decrees as God made with Noah touching the restauration of nature perished by the flood as well for the sparing of the creatures from such like destruction as for the continuance of his prouidence in needefull times and seasons meete for their future preseruation These wordes containe the first of these lawes wherein we may obserue three points Moses his preface to this law the law it selfe and the reason thereof I. The preface And the Lord said in his heart These words must not be taken properly for God hath not an heart as man hath neither speaketh he as man doth but hereby is meant that God determined and set downe with himselfe this law and decree In this phrase of speech note this one thing If it had pleased him God could haue spoken to man by a voice the hearing whereof would haue confounded him but as here we see he doth abase himselfe and as it were lay aside his honour and might and speaketh vnto vs after the manner of men euen to the capacitie of the most simple Which teacheth vs that it is the good will and pleasure of God that not onely the learned but euen the vnlettered
submit my selfe vnto his lawes Christ shall not raigne ouer me This is plaine and manifest by mens behauiour when they are reprooued for their sinnes Tell the couetous man of his auarice the swearer of his blasphemy the druÌ„kard of his drunkennes c. will he humble himselfe in conscience of his sinn Nothing lesse but his heart will swell against thee as his furie and impatience will soone be wray and the reason is because he neuer thinketh of his owne estate how by creatioÌ„ he oweth homage vnto God as to his creator for his purpose is to goe on in sinne and when he is reprooued for the same his desire is crossed which he can not abide and therefore rageth shewing thereby manifestly that in his heart hee saith he will not obey Gods commandements For the examination of our hearts touching this thought whether did we euer thinke thus with our selues I will not obey Gods commandements Doubtles euery man wil answer for himselfe that he abhors this thought And yet after iust triall it will appeare that generally this thought is rife among vs for though we heare the word and receiue the Sacraments the pledges of our saluation and will be counted the meÌ„bers of Christ yet what 's the cause that there is so little knowledge of God and obedience to his word And why doe men in their callings shew forth so small loue so little mercie iustice and good conscience The truth is that though some haue these things in them in some measute yet the bodie of our people is generally void of these good vertues and fruits of the spirit he that hath but halfe an eye may see it for where is that religious keeping of the Sabboth that should be where is that serious performing of worship vnto God which ought to be All which argue that the heart is corrupt and deceiueable and saith indeed to God I will not obey thy word Lord depart from me What man almost is there that saith with himselfe Oh miserable man what haue I done The Vse By this wicked imagination we may see how hard a thing it is truly and soundly to conuert a sinner vnto God and how easily a man may deceiue his owne soule and beguile the world by hypocrisie for a man by long exercise in the word may haue a great measure of knowledge and withall good wit and memorie and with them vtterance and by a common gift of the spirit be ableâ—e we mustâ— word truly and to conceiue prayer to good purpose and withall haue a cankred heart towards God poisoned with this damnable thought I will not obey the word of God for euery man that hath inwardly in him a purpose to liue though but in one sinne his heart is not vpright with God neither be Gods graces as faith and repentance sound in his heart for true repentance is a purpose and resolution to leaue all sinne and to please God in all things Sect. 4. Of this thought It is a vaine thing to worship God The third wicked imagination of maâ—â— heart concerning 〈…〉 thing to worship God This Iob sheweth to be true bringing in the wicked man saying what profit shall I haue if I pray vnto God we must not thinke that hee said thus with his mouth but in his heart And the prophet Malachie bringeth in the Iewes saying It is a vaine thing to serue God and what profit is it that wee haue kept his commandement that we walked humbly before the Lord of hostes Yea righteous Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was ouertaken with this euill thought when he said certenly I haue cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in Innocencie whereby it is plaine that this is a naturall evill thought in every man Yet here we must remember that this evill thought comes not into the mind of man at all times but onely at such time when occasioÌ„ is offered as namely when a man is called on to the seruice of God which vpon some occasion he is desirous to omitte Then will his mind range about for libertie from Gods seruice and so will he bethink himselfe of the wicked mans estate who neuer serued god and yet is in better case outwardly then the godly man is And herevpon hee begins to say in his heart doutbles It is a vaine thing to serue God For the examination of our hearts touching this thought after iust triall it will be found among vs as the state of all sorts of families will declare Among the poorer sort you shall see men labour from morning to Evening and take great paines to prouide for the world but in the meane time where is the worship and seruice of God where is prayer and thanksgiuing morning and euenning Surely it is neglected the reason is because they thinke thus in their heart so that I may haue prouision for the world it is no matter whether I serue God or not Come to the rich mans house there you shal see them spend their time in eating drinking gaming and such delightes but the worship of God is not regarded for thus they thinke with themselues If they may haue their pleasure all is well Come reason with ordinary men and exhort them to vse the meanes of saluation and shew forth loue vnto religion sincerely Their answer is they will doe as they haue done and as their forefathers did before them they trust their soules are as good to God-ward as the best And for ought they see none are worser then those that haue so much preaching and therfore they hope to bee saued though they doe not follow it so much And this also coÌ„meth froÌ„ this euill thought It is in vaine to serue God Marke also in those places wher the Gospel is preached If any seeme to make more conscience of sinne and of seruing God then others they are made a by-word and a mocking stock and their profession is turned to their reproach which argues plainely that mans thought is this It is a vaine thing to serue God Nay take a vew of the whole world and you shall see euery wher men giue themselues to will-worship No nation is so barbarous as to denie vnto God all worship but doe they giue vnto him that which he commanded in his word Nothing lesse It is either the meere invention of men or altogether stayned therewith This is most euident with the Turke the Iew and the Papist yea our common sort of protestants haue their will-worship for generally they content themselues with the mumbling ouer the words of the Creede the Lords Prayer and tenne Commandements perswading themselues that by the bare rehearsall of the words they haue sufficiently serued God Now would wee know the cause hereof as also why men are so slack and cold in praier so carelesse and vnreuerent in hearing Gods word Surely it is nothing but this vile Imagination bewitching our soules that it Is a vaine
them off from beeing a people And let the name of Israell be no more in remembrance Now as this was their thought so is it the thought of all men naturally for that which was the disposition of Babel Edom Moab and Amnon against Gods Church is the disposition of all men naturally for looke how generall the hatred of man is so generall is the purpose of mischiefe against those that professe religion for all men by nature are haters of Gods Church people so Christ saith to his disciples yee shall be be hated of all nations for my names sake Yea whosoeuer killeth you shall thinke that he doth God good seruice and therefore this thought of doing mischiefe is as general euen in the minde of euery man by nature This further appeareth by the continuall persecution that hath euer beene raised agaiust Gods poore Church since the beginning of the world It began at Abell soone after the giuing of the couenant of grace to our first parents and hath continued to this day shall abide vnto the end so that if carnall men could look into their owne hearts they should there behold this murdering thought against Gods people This murdering thought commeth from another wicked imagination set downe by S. Peter who bringeth in the wicked of this world thinking it a strange thing that Gods children doe not as they doe and runne not with them vnto all excesse of riot liuing in drunkennes fornication and such other abhominations for this cause doe they cōceiue hatred and purpose mischeife against Gods people and so will continue till God giue them grace to repent If any shall say this thought is not generall for Nabuched-nezer an heathen man shewed fauour to Daniell and highly aduanced him I answer it is true he did so but that was a worke of Gods speciall providence who procured him fauour and disposed the kings heart to affect him as he did also the heart of the chiefe Eunuch Otherwise Nabuchad-nezzer naturally did nothing but intend mischeife against Gods Church as his rage against the three children did euidētly bewray Dan. 3. 19. A third example of this murthering thought I adde which every minister of gods word may obserue by daily experience and that is this when mens faults are particularly rebuked in the ministery of the word and the quicke as it were touched by applying the word to the cōsciēce then will the heart of a naturall man thus conceiue of the minister that reprooueth sinn This man meaneth me he hath some spyte and mallice against me that he thus reprooveth my particular faults when as the minister knew them not to be his personall sinnes but it is the power of the word that ransaketh the sinfull heart this is the fault of all carnall hearers who will heare quietly till their faults be rebuked but then they thinke maliciously of the preacher Thus Herod dealt with Iohn Baptist he heard him gladly for a while Mark 6. 20. but when he was rebuked for his brother Phillips wife then he cast Iohn in prison Luk. 3. 19. 20. And if conscience might bee iudge many an hearer would be found to haue an Herods heart towards Gods minister Sect. 3. Of thoughts of Adulterie theft disgrace The third thought of man touching his neighbour is the thought of Adulterie which is the thought with consent to any vnchastitie Such a thought had Iudah cōcerning Tamar his daughter-in lawe when he iudged her an whore and desired to lie with her And with such thoughts was Ammons heart so sore vexed that hee fell sicke for his sister Tamar This makes a man an Adulterer in heart before God though actually he commit not the fact Mat. 5. 28. The fourth is the thought of Theft which is the thought with consent of beguyling or wronging another in his goods or substāce This is that Imagining of iniquitie and working of wickednes vpon their beds in coueting of fields against which Micah pronounceth a woe And this thought also possesseth their hearts that with the wicked Israelites wish the time were come wherein they might make the Epha small and the Shekell great that is lessen the measure and inhance the pryce and falsifie the weights by deceit The first euill thought is a thought of disgrace which some way tendeth to the reproach and debasing of our neighbours good name as when a thing is well done to thinke iudge it to bee ill done or when a thing is a misse to iudge it worse then it is Thus Elie thought disgracefullie of Hannah deeming her to bee dronke saying put away thy dronkennes when shee prayed deuoutly from a troubled soule to the Lord Thus Eliab Dauids eldest brother thought disgracefullie of Dauid when he shewed himselfe willing to encounter with Golyah that reuiled the hoast of the liuing God saying I know the pride and mallice of thine heart that thou art come to see the Battell when as indeede the spirit of God put that motion into his heart to take away the shame from Israell as the happie euent declared plainly So when our sauiour Christ spake most comfortably to the sicke of the Palsie saying be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee then the cursed hearts of the wicked Pharisies thought thus in themselues u this man blasphemeth And when the gift of the holie Ghost was sent vpon the Apostles causing them to speake strange tounges to the great admiration of men of diuers nations then some of the malicious Iewes thought they were dronke saying scoffingly they were full of newe wine And this thought of disgrace is in euery man naturally bringing forth continually the fruits of disgrace as Enuie Strife Emulations Dissentions and Debates for loue thinketh not euill but naturally true loue is wanting in all men and therfore they cannot but thinke euill of others We see the fiue euill thoughts of mans naturall heart against his neighbour touching which two things are yet further to bee skanned to wit when these euill thoughtes doe arise in the minde and in whome they are For the first it is true that they doe not at all times arise in mens mindes but then onely when occasion is giuen at which time they arise so soone as it is giuen for mans heart is like to tinder or drie wood which burneth not of it selfe but so soone as fire is put to it then presently it kindleth When you come to talke with a naturall man it may be for the present hee thinketh not to lie but giue him occasion to lie and then hee soone bethinkes himselfe therof will not spare to vtter it if it may make for his aduantage And the like wee may say of malice Adulterie Theft disgrace or any other sinne against our neighbour Doe but minister occasion there about to the naturall heart of man he thinketh of them and without Gods grace restraining or renuing him will bring forth
the same in action The second point In whom are all these euill thoughts Answ. In all men naturallie without exception till they be renewed by Gods speciall grace Yea the truth is these thoughts doe euery where abound for looke what men doe practise that first of all they thinke for the thought is the beginning of euery action But in the worlde all sins against the second Table doe abound as the practise of Dishonour of Murther Adulterie Thefts and Disgraces and therefore these euill thoughts from whence these actions come must needes be common Vse By this wee may see what a huge masse of corruption the naturall heart of man is without gods special grace for thoughts of dishonour make a mans heart a pallace of prid like the table of Adoni-bezek Also thoughts of crueltie make mans heart a slaughterhouse Thoughts of Adulterie make it a most filthie stewes Thoughts of theft make it to become a denne of theeues wherein all manner of fraud and bad dealing is plotted devised And lastly thoughts of Disgrace makeâ— it a fountaine of backbyting debate slander and reuiling And therfore howsoeuer the outward life may be ordered ciuillie yet without Gods grace mans heart is most vile And those that pleade their good nature and good meaning are heere confuted for naturally the heart thinkes all euill against his neighbour CHAP. V. Of mans naturall thoughts concerning himselfe Sect. 1. Mans proud thought of his owne excellencie THe third kinde of mans naturall euill thoughtes are such as concerne himselfe they are principally foure The first may fitlie bee termed a thought of Pride wherby euerie man naturallie thinkes himselfe most excellent and far to exceede all other men whatsoeuer thus the Prophet Isay bringeth in BabyloÌ„ speaking in her heart that is thinking I will ascend into heauen and exalt my throne aboue or besides the stars of God as if shee should thinke with her selfe I am farre more excellent then any other what soeuer therefore I am to bee exalted from the earth to heauen and to bee matched with God himselfe And the Prophet Zephame bringeth in Niâ—iue speaking thus in her heart I am and there is none besides me And so the proud Pharisie in his priuate and secret prayer to God sayeth I thanke thee Lorde that I am not as other men meaning that he is more excellent And the whore of BabyloÌ„ is brought in saying of her selfe I sit as a Queene and am no widdowe and shall see no mourning All which places shew this to bee the nature of man to exalt himselfe in his owne heart aboue all others If any shall say heereby no more can bee prooued but that this thought is in some proud and insolent persons I adde therfore that as our first Parents in the beginning did learne that proud lessoÌ„ of the divell Ye shall be as Gods so we being in their loynes when they sinned and descending from them by ordinarie gineration doe together with our nature receiue that corruption from them whereby wee thinke thus proudly of our selues that we far excell others and are as little Gods on earth in respect of others Indeede the most will say for themselues wee abhorre this proude thought neither did wee euer finde it to bee in vs But we must know that the lesser we discern it in our selues the more it reigneth in our hearts and the more wee discerne and bewaile it the lesser place it taketh in vs. Now touching this thought of pride two things must bee obserued the danger and the highest degree of it For the danger of this thought The outward affecting of strange fashions in apparell is a wonderfull pride But the most vile and wretched pride of all is that spirituall pride of the heart whereby a man despiseth all other in regarde of himselfe and thinketh himselfe far better then any This I manifest by sundrie reasons as first from the fruites of this inward pride for hence doe slowe many damnable sinnes in mens liues and conuersations as first Ambition whereby men are not content with that estate wherewith God hath belssed them but doe seeke by all meanes to bee advanced to higher dignitie estate Secondly Presumption whereby men dare enterprise things beyond their calling and aboue their power taking vppon them more then they are able for Thirdly boasting wherby a man speaks of himselfe more then is seemely extolleth himselfe aboue his desert Fourthly Hipocrysie when a man pretendeth he hath that grace and religion which indeed he hath not or els maketh shew of more grace then is truly in him Fiftly Obstniacie when a man persisteth in an errour will not yeeld to the truth though it be manifested vnto him Sixtly Contention wherby men striue one against another in word or deed without relenting And lastly Affectation of Novelties especially in outward attyre for when a mans coÌ„ceiues so highly of himselfe then withall he thinkes no manner of attyre good enough to bewtifie and adorne his body and so begins to deuise and affect strange and forraigne attyre Secondly the danger hereof appeareth hence that where this thought of pride raigneth as it doth in all men naturally there the spirit of grace dwelleth not Mary in her song saith well God scattereth the Imaginations of the proud that is of those which haue this coÌ„ceit of their owne excellencie aboue others and S. Iames God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble yea thus saith he that is high and excellent he that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is the holy one I dwell in the high holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble But he that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him Habak 2 4. Thirdly such is the danger of this sinne that when all other sinnes die in a man this thought of pride dyeth not nay when other sinnes are mortified and Gods graces come in stead thereof yet this will then reuiue and make the graces of God matter whereon to worke as when an ignorant person attaines to some knowledge this pride will take occasion from that gift of God to puffe vp the heart yea when a man in true humilitie of heart shall renounce the actions of pride yet theÌ„ wil pride be working for this is a fruit of pride to thinke well of our selues because we are not proud II. Point The highest degree of this pride is when a man thinketh himselfe to bee equall with God This is a most notorious nay an abhominable height of pride and yet the truth is some men haue come herevnto Thus the king of Babel thought of himselfe when he said in his heart I will ascend aboue the height of the clowdes and will be like the most high It may seeme strange that men should thinke thus of themselues but we must know that men may doe it two waies first
and most ignorant should knowe and vnderstand the holy Scripture for els he would neuer haue penned them in a phrase style that doth so well accord to the capacitie of the simple II. Point The decree it selfe I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause This is the peremptorie lawe of God touching the restauration of nature wherein are contained two things first what God hath done secondly what God will not doe hereafter The thing that God hath done is the cursing of the earth for he saith I will curse no more implying that he once cursed it In this obserue that God may truly be said to be a cause of curses and to curse his creatures not onely for that he doth ordaine and decree all curses but also because he inflicteth them vpon the creatures yet so as the same is alwaies most iustly deserued by sinne before it be inflicted of the Lord. And so must Gods cursing of the earth be vnderstood in this place as a fruit of his wrath for the sinne of man accordingly God is said directly to create euill because whatsoeuer afflictions curses and punishments are in the world they are ordained and inflicted by God vpon the creatures for the sinne of man This plainly confuteth the common opinion of ignorant people who hold that all good things as peace wealth ioy and felicitie come from God but all euill as affliction calamitie curses iudgements come from the deuill and God onely suffereth theÌ„ This is a most erroneous and blind conceipt which filleth many a soule with much anguish and impatience for what comfort can he haue in the time of trouble that is perswaded it commeth wholly from the deuill and the hand of God is not therein We therefore must learne to reforme this opinion and know that crosses and troubles come from God This Dauid knew well and therefore when Shemi cursed him and railed on him he forbad Abâ—shai to touch him because saith he what if or it may be God hath bid him curse Dauid so Ioseph telleth his brethren who most traiterously sold him into Egypt that the Lord sent him before them Secondly here consider the impulsiue cause that moued God to curse the earth by a flood it was not in the earth but in men I wil henceforth curse the earth no more for man that is for mans sinnes In the newe Testament there are two especiall sinnes recorded for which God sent this curse first carnall securitie They were choaked with worldly cares and drowned in earthly pleasures in the daies of Noah they did eat and drinke marrie and giue in marriage Matth. 24. 38. Secondly the contempt of the Gospell in the ministerie of Noah who preached an hundred and twentie yeares vnto them while the Arke was in building but they were disobedient as S. Peter saith following their owne pleasures and delights Whereby it appeares that these two sinnes Securitie and contempt of the Gospel are most grieuous sinnes for these brought destruction not onely vpon all mankind Noah and his familie excepted but euen vpon all creatures that liued by breath Now looke as these sinnes were in the old world euen so are they rife in this last age according to the prophecie of our sauiour Christ as it was in the daies of Noah so shall it bee in the daies of the son of man and as this is the state of the whole world so it is the state of this our Church most men are drowned in the pleasures of this world choked with the cares thereof for howsoeuer they will heare the Gospell preached yet few apply their hearts to beleeue the same shewing forth the power therof by repentaÌ„ce froÌ„ dead works amendment of life in new obedience But we must know that if these two sins brought a curse euen destruction vpon the old world then no doubt they will bring a fearfull curse vpon this age though not by water yet some other way that shall countervaile the flood and therefore we must lay these things to our hearts that vnles we abandon securitie and worldly lustes and withall doe repent and beleeue at the preaching of the gospell we shall see that gods heauie curse will fall vpon vs for if we match the old world in sinne wee must not looke to come behinde them in iudgements The second thing in this decree is what God will not doe hereafter Namely curse the earth any more this must be vnderstood of that particular curse which the Lord laide on the earth by waters when he drowned the world for the generall curses that were laid vpoÌ„ the ground and on mankind for Adams sinne remaine still and shall not be taken quite away till the end of the world so that the meaning of this lawe is that the Lord will no more drowne the whole earth for the sinne of man by a flood Here then wee see the cause why the sea being as raging and stirring as euer it was doth notwithstanding keepe it selfe within it boundes and not ouerflow the world and why the clowdes beeing as full of water as euer they were doe not powre downe more floods vpon the earth to destroy it Surely it is by vertue of this particular lawe and decree of God whereunto the sea and clowds become obedient I will henceforth curse the earth no more And here we haue iust occasion to take knowledge and veiw of our owne wretched and damnable estate how we are sold vnder sinne for howsoeuer we were created blessed and happie yet by our fall in Adam we are become far worse then any earthly creature for each creature in his kind as the sunne the moone and starres the sea cloudes all other obey the commandement of God but man of all creatures hauing lawes giuen him of God to keepe rebelleth in breaking the same and to him it is meate and drinke by nature to liue in the transgression of gods commandements Thus by comparing our selues with the brute creatures we may learne to humble our selues and to be abashed when we see them which were made to serue vs to goe before vs in obedience to the lawes of our creator III. Point The reason of gods decree in these words for the Imagination of mans heart is euil euen from his youth At the first this reason may seeme very strange that God should no more curse the earth for man because the Imagination of his heart is euill In all likelihood God should haue saide the contrarie I will still curse the earth because the Imaginations of mans heart are euill for so he saith Chap. 6. vers 5. 6. that seeing all the Imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were onely euill continually therefore hee would destroy the man from the earth and from man to beast euery creeping thing Howe can both these stand together Ans. Thus In the sixt chapter the Lord saith he wil once destroy the world by water because of the
wickednes of the Imaginations of manâ— heart and here he saith he will not proceed to curse the earth againe and againe by the same punishment because the Imaginations of mans heart are euill euen from his youth as if hee should say I haue once drowned the worlde for the wickednes of mans inventions but if I should thus proceede to deale with man according to the wicked imagination of his heart I must bring euery yeare a new flood vpoÌ„ the earth because I see the frame of mans heart is euill continually Here then obserue that God in the preseruation of mankind doth temper and moderate his iustice by mercie for if he should deale according to mans deserts hee should euery day bring curses vpon him yea so soone as a man is borne hee should be destroyed but God dealeth not so rigorously hee mingleth mercy with iustice whereby the whole frame of heauen and earth the state of man and all societies doe stand That which Habacuke prayed for In iustice or wrath remember mercie the Lord hath performed euer since the flood yea since the fall of Adam There bee three great and weightie causes which mooued God to temper iustice with mercie for the preseruation of mankinde and other creatures first that hereby hee might shew his patience long suffering towards the vessells of wrath as the Apostle speaketh that is towards such as will not repent that at the last day they may bee most iustly condemned Secondly that there may bee a companie of men vpon earth which may worshipe God for God hath speciall care of his owne glorie among men and therefore tempers iustice with mercie in their preseruation that they might glorifie him Psal. 130. vers 4. there is mercie or pardon with thee that thou maist bee feared that is wheras oh Lord thou mightest in iustice throwe all men to hell suddenly yet in mercie thou pardonest the sinnes of some for this end that they might worship thee feare being put for worship and obedience Thirdly and principally that the elect and chosen of God might bee gathered for God in his eternall counsell and decree hath appointed and set downe a certaine number of men vnto whom hee will giue eternall life and for their cause doth hee spare the whole worlde from daylie destruction but when that number shall bee accomplished then shall heauen and earth goe together and the worlde shall bee no more And here by the way this third cause of the continuance of nature must teach vs our dutie to wit that seeing it pleaseth God in mercie to giue vs liberty to liue a space of time in this worlde some twentie some thirtie â—ome fourtie or fiftie yeares and that for this ende that heerein wee might bee fitted for his kingdome when as in the rigour of his iustice hee might haue cast vs to hell in our mothers wombe or so soone as we were borne wee therefore must bee carefull not to despise this long-suffering patience of God but rather labour in the feare of God that it may become salvation vnto vs by our conscionable endeauour in all such meanes vnto the ende as hee hath sanctified for the working of the graces of life in the hearts of his children And thus much for the reason in generall CHAP. II. Sect. 1. The illnesse of mans naturall cogitations THat wee may the better perceiue in this reason the state of man in respect of his naturall Imaginations the words are more particularly to be vnfolded For the Imaginations of mans heart c. The heart in Scripture is taken sundrie waies sometimes for that fleshie part of man in the middle of the bodie which is the fountaine of vitall blood sometime for the soule of man sometime for the faculties of the soule and sometime for the middle of any thing as the heart of the sea the heart of the earth that is the middle thereof Heere it is taken for the vnderstanding facultie of the soule whereby man vseth reason which S. Paule calleth the spirit of the minde By Imaginations hee meaneth the frame or framing of the heart And this is taken two waies of some for the naturall disposition of the vnderstanding after the fall of man of others for that which the minde and vnderstanding by thinking frameth plotteth and deuiseth that is for the effect thereof Wee may take it both waies yet I rather approoue the latter for Chap. 6. 5. the Lord saith Hee wil once destroy all flesh and giueth this reason for the frame and thought of mans heart is euill continually Where by thoughtes or Imaginations can nothing else bee meant but that which is deuised and plotted in the thoughtes of mans heart so Salomon speaking of an heart which God hateth saith it is framing or thinking thoughtes of wickednes Prov. 6. 18. By mans heart we must not vnderstand the heart of some particular persons as of those that liued in the old world alone but of all men generally man beeing put for whole mankind Is euill that is it imagineth and thinketh that which is against the lawe of God From his childhood that is so soone as he beginneth to thinke to reason or conceiue of any thing so soone doth hee imagine conceiue that which is euill so that the whole meaning is this The minde vnderstanding part of man is naturally so corrupt that so soone as he can vse reason he doth nothing but imagine that which is wicked and against the lawe of God The words thus explaned containe in them two maine points touching the frame of mans heart by nature The first is this The imagination and conceite of euery man is naturally euill This appeareth not onely in this place but else where Rom. 8. 5. The wisdome of the flesh is not an enemie but emnitie against God Againe such as the fountaine is such are the streames that flowe thence But our minde and vnderstanding the fountaine of our thoughts is by nature sinfull To the impure their mindes and consciences are defiled And againe of our selues we are not able to thinke a good thought and therefore the thoughtes that come from thence must needes also bee corrupt Mans imagination stands in thoughts the vnderstanding deviseth by thinking And these thoughts of the Imagination are all naturally wicked from the heart saith Christ proceede evill thoughts and Salomon saith the thoughts of the wicked as all men are by nature are an abhom nation to the Lord. Sect. 2. Howe the naturall thoughts of man may be knowne Seeing that naturall Imagination is practised by euill thoughtes wee must something consider of the naturall thoughts of man And herein handle these two poynts Fâ—rst whether the thoughtes of man may bee knowne secondly what the naturall thoughts of man be For the first there are two waies to knowe mans thoughts either directly without meanes or indirectly by meanes The first way is proper to God alone for no creature in
hath not true repentance in his heart Thirdly we must seeke to reforme our minde of euill thoughts this is a further matter then reformation of life And it is expressely commanded by the holy ghost Be ye renued in the spirit of your minds that is in the most inward and secret part of your soules euen where the thoughts and imaginations are framed and cōceiued This duty must be remembred for Christian religion consisteth not in outward shewes and behauiour though thereby we may giue comfortable testimony of Gods inward graces but it standes principally in the mind and in the heart which must therefore be reformed with the powers and faculties thereof CHAP. VIII Rules for the reformation of our euill thoughts Sect. 1. Our thoughts must be brought into obedience to God FOr the reformation of our thoughts sundrie rules must be obserued first That we bring all our thoughts into the obedience of God Euery man will grant that words and actions must be in subiection but I say further euery thought in the mind must be conceiued in obedience to God and no otherwaies Salomon saith establish thy thoughts by counsell which may admit this meaning that a man must not conceiue a thought in his minde vnlesse he haue counsell and warrant from the word of God so to thinke And S. Paul saith The weapons of our warrefare speaking of the preaching of the gospell are not carnall but mightie through God to throw downe holds casting downe the Imaginations and every thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ giuing vs to vnderstand that those who submit themselues to the ministrie of the word must be of this mind not onely to be conformable therevnto in word and action but in every thought of their minde euen those must bowe the knee to Christ howsoeuer with men we say thought is free yet with God it is not so And indeed he which hath effectually receiued the grace of Christ will endeauour to yeild obedience as well in thought as in word and action Whatsoeuer things are true saith Paul Whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust pure and pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise he saith not onely doe these things but thinke on these things where the commandement is plaine that a mans thoughts must be holy pure iust and of such things as are praiseworthy and of good report that so they may be conceiued in obedience to God Sect. 2. Of the guarding of our hearts The second rule for the reformation of our thoughts is giuen by Salomon keepe or countergard thy heart aboue all watch and ward that is guard and keepe thy heart more thē any thing that is watched or guarded whether citie house treasure or such like and the reason adioyned sheweth the necessities of the rule for out of it come the issues of life In the right guarding of the heart three duties must be performed first we must couenant with our outward senses resoluing fully with our selues by Gods grace that none of them shal be the instruments the beginning or occasion of any sinne in heart or life This couenant Iob made with his eies not to looke vpon a maid to lust after her And David prayed the Lord to direct and keepe his eies from beholding vanitie Now looke how these holy men dealt with their eyes so must wee proportionably deale for all the outward senses of our body bynding them all after their example from being the meanes of prouocation to any sinne This dutie is most necessarie for the outward senses be the doores windowes of the soule and vnlesse good care be had thereto the deuill will enter in by them and fill the soule with all corruption Secondly we must obserue our euill thoughts and at their first arysing stop and restraine them not suffering them to take any place in our hearts this is a speciall meanes to preserue and guard the heart for frō the thoughts proceede all bad desires corrupt affections euill words actions the minde must first conceiue before the will can desire or the affections bee delighted or the members of the bodie practise any thing so that whatsoeuer is of a loose life and bad behauiour it commeth from the prophanesse of his heart in evill thoughts neither can it bee hoped that any man should reforme his life that will not guard his heart and keepe his mind from wicked imaginations the deuill cannot worke his will vpon mans affections or preuaile ouer mans will but by thoughts therefore it is necessarie that the first motions of euill in the minde bee restrayned at the beginning Thirdly wee must with all care cherish and maintaine every good motion of Gods spirit that is caused in vs by the ministerie of the word or by the aduise of Gods children for these are the sparkes and flames of grace which Paul meaneth when he saith quench not the spirit Sect. 3. Of the eleuation of the heart to God Thirdly for the reformation of our thoughts wee must often vse eleuation of minde and heart to heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father Thus did Dauid vnto thee oh Lord doe I lift vp my soule And Paule saying of himselfe other Christians that they had their conversation in heauen signifieth thus much that not onely their studies and meditations but also their dealings in the worlde were heauenly S. Iames bids vs drawe neere to God nowe which way should a poore wretch here below drawe neere to God but by lifting vp his heart to the throne of grace in heauen that so God in mercie may drawe neere vnto him by grace The Lord hath instituted in his Church the vse of his last supper wherein the giuing and receiuing of bread and wine doth represent and seale vp vnto vs our communion and participation of the bodie and blood of Christ giuen for our redemption Now the principall action on our behalfe therein required is this Eleuation of the heart vnto God as well for the contemplation of Gods infinite mercie in Christ of Christs endlesse loue to vs as for the application of his merits to our owne soules by the hand of faith as also for the spirituall resignation of ourselues in soules and bodies by way of thankfulnes to him that hath redeemed vs. Further touching this Eleuation wee must remember that it ought to be our continuall and ordinarie action vnto God for as it is with him that keepes a clocke vnlesse hee doe euery day winde vp the weights which are alwaies going downeward the clocke will stand so it fareth with vs our hearts are euer drawing towards the earth and the thinges heere below by reason of that bodie of sinne which hangeth on so fast and presseth downe and
bringing further iudgements with it God hath sundry times sent his iudgements among vs generally by plague and famine and particularly on sundrie families and persons but who regardeth them Wherefore vnlesse wee will double Gods iudgements vpon vs let vs remember our dutie and seriously thinke vpon them And that this consideration may be profitable vnto vs we must doe three things first we must carefully obserue marke and remember them Psal. 119. 52. I remember thy Iudgements of old O Lord. The Lords people were much wanting therein as Psal. 78. 11. 42. Secondly we must apply them to our owne person in particular so as the thought thereof may make vs afraid though they befall others When Habakuck in a vision saw the iudgements of God which were to come vpon the Chaldeans the consideration thereof was so powerfull with him that it made him tremble and quake In a familie when the father beateth his seruant the child feareth and when one child is beaten then all the rest crie euen so when God our father powreth downe his iudgements though vpon the heathen yet wee must feare but when any of his children are afflicted it must strike soare to our hearts Thirdly we must make vse of Gods iudgments that light vpon others by applying them to our selues When certaine men brought newes to our Sauiour Christ of an heauie iudgement vpon some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their owne sacrifices immediately our Saviour labours to bring them that told him to make vse thereof for their owne good saying that thereby they ought to be mooued to repentance for they that were slaine were no greater sinners then the rest and therefore except they who told that newes did amend their liues they should also perish So that whensoeuer we see or heare of any iudgement of God vpon others wee must thereby be mooued to repent and thus doing we shall come to a right consideration of gods Iudgements Sect. 3. The consideration of Gods word The third consideration concerning God is of his word Dauid maketh it the propertie of a blessed man to meditate in the law of God day and night and he professeth of himselfe that it was his meditation continually yea oftentimes he promiseth to meditate in Gods precepts to delight in Gods statutes This is Maries praise that shee kept in her heart sundrie things which Iesus spake And so ought euery child of God high or low daily and continually to meditate in the word of God But alas this dutie is little knowne and lesse practised men are so farre from meditating in Gods word that they are ignorant of it Among many families you shall scarse finde the booke of God and such as haue it for the most part doe little vse it The statutes of the land are by very many searched out diligently but in the meane time the statutes of the Lord are litle regarded oh that men knew the sweete comfort of the Scriptures then certenly they would account their meditation therein the ioy and reioycing of their heart Now the right consideration of Gods word consists in three things first we must obserue the true sense and meaning of that which wee heare or read secondly we must marke what experience we haue had of the truth of the word in our owne persons as in the exercises of Repentance Inuocation of Gods name and in all our Temptations this is a speciall point in this meditation without which the former is nothing Thirdly we must consider how farre forth we haue beene answerable to Gods word in obedience and wherin we haue beene defectiue by transgressions Againe in the word of God there bee both commandements and promisses The consideration of Gods commandements is a notable meanes to direct moderate not onely our words and deedes but also our secret thoughts and desires for if before we thinke before we will or speake any thing we would first consider that god cōmands vs to think to will and speake thus and thus this would mightily stay and suppresse in vs all corrupt Thoughts and desires all euill words and actions The promisses of God likewise duly cōsidered would greatly further vs in good Thoughts for to them that think on good things shall be mercie and Truth Prov. 14. 22. The cause then why many that know the will of God so much faile in particular obedience is because that with their knowledge they doe not ioyne this serious consideration of Gods commandements and promisses and apply the same to their occasions Sect 4. The consideration of Gods workes The fourth consideration cōcerning God is of his workes for as Dauid saith The workes of the Lord are great and ought to be sought out of all that loue him This consideration bindeth vs to enquire and search what be the workes of God toward vs his worke of creation his providence preseruation with all other his workes of mercie and Iustice in vs and vpon vs whether ordinary or extraordinary The prophet Isay denounceth a woe against those that had the harpe and vyoll Timbrell and Pype and wine in their feasts and regarded not the worke of God nor considered the worke of his hands whereby we may see that the neglect hereof is a grieuous sinne and yet it is the commō sinne of this age Now for the better performance of this dutie wee must thus proceede first we must consider our creation how the Lord gaue vs being when we were nothing and how he made vs reasonable creatures not brute beasts yea he created vs in his owne image when as he might if it had so pleased him haue made vs Toades Serpents Secondly we must consider his good providence ouer vs howe he hath preserved our life from time to time and saued vs from many dangers And his great patience must not be forgotten how he hath spared vs from the righteous Iudgements of our sinnes hee might haue cast vs into hell in our mothers wombe or so soone as wee were borne for our originall sinne But hee hath giuen vs a large time of Repentance Heere also wee must consider his exceeding fauour in the time and place of our birth and life hee might haue suffered vs to haue beene borne among Infidels but behold wee were borne in the bosome of Gods Church hee might haue depriued vs of the meanes of our saluation his holie worde and Sacraments but in his tender mercie hee hath vouchsafed them vnto vs to bring our soules to life Hee might haue hardned our hearts against his feare and blinded our eies against his light but yet he hath enlightned our mindes to knowe his truth and softned our hearts causing vs to crie vnto him for the pardon of our sinne he might haue giuen vs vp to a reprobate sense when wee swerued from his testimonies and reguarded not the knowledge of his will but loe as a louing father he hath often