be our affections if our affections be full of earth and earthliness lust and loosness it is from the overflowing of all these in and from our thoughts the root and reason of worldly affections is some vile thought that is hidden in the heart Psal 49. 11. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever 3. Corrupt thoughts are the fountain Vitiosi sermones non nisi ex perversis Cogitationibus promanare possunt Cartwright in Proverb of corrupt speeches it is a principle proceeding from Truth it self that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks Out of the abundance of vanity and impiety which is in their thoughts men bring forth vain ungodly speeches continually whatsoever evil is spoken with their mouths is first spoken in and by their hearts When men are rebuked and convinced of their foolish filthy speeches they will excuse and extenuate their sin with this plea that they thought no evill whereas corrupt vitious speeches cannot flow but from corrupt impure thoughts as is evident Psal 10. 7. where t is said of the wicked man that his mouth is full of execration and deceits and fraud under his tongue is perversness and iniquity but the spring from whence all this evil-speaking ouerflows is the impiety prophanes and presumption of his thoughts as is most apparant vers 4. God is not in Psal 10. 4. all his thoughts or all his thoughts are that there is no God 4. Evill thoughts are the root out of which springs an evill eye and uncharitable Cogitationes malificiorum parentes semen sunt Carthwright hand Deut. 15. 9. Keep thy selfe lest there be a wicked thought in thine heart and thine eye be evill toward thy poor brother and thou givest not unto him whereby t is evident that all the unmercifulness that is in the eyes and hands of men proceeds from unmercifull thoughts there is the first rise it is their thoughts that corrupteth their eyes harden their hearts and shuts up their hands against the poor 5. The iniquity of mens visible actings proceeds from the ilness of their thoughts This I shall evidence from divers Scriptures as Psal 14. 1. The fool Look what men doe practise that first of all they think for the thought is the beginning of every action Mr. Perkins hath said in his heart there is no God they have corrupted themselves they have done an abominable work there is none that doth good The wicked man who is the greatest fool saith in his heart that is thinks and conceiveth in secret thoughts are the speakings of the mind the language of the heart so Psal 10. 4. and 5. 3. 2. his usuall thoughts are that there is no God no omniscient sin-revenging God no power or dominion of God on the earth as the Chaldee expounds it Observe how these abominable Atheisticall This word is used for Corruption both of Religion and manners by Idolatry and other vices Exod 32 7. Deut. 32. 29. thoughts lodging in mens hearts are the root of all corrupt Courses and casting off the thing that is good for it follows they have corrupted themselves they have corrupted their works as the Chaldee saith and all their ways by vile vitious practises And that which he spake before as of one sinner he now applies to all They Therefore in Psal 52. 2. it is guavel ovil which here is gualilah action Psal 10. have done an abominable practise meaning their evil actions not one of them doth any good work We have also a full text Psal 10. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. The Wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seeke after God God is not in all his thoughts his ways are always grievous Thy judgments Vers 5 are far above out of his sight as for all his enemies he puffeth at them he hath said in his heart I shall not be moved for I shall never be in adversity c. The wicked man stands here accused of very great crimes and crying abominations against God and man as 1. Slighing Whosoever is of base life it cometh from the prophaness of his heart in evill thoughts Perkins and contempt of God his waies and judgments He seeckth not nothing regardeth or careth for God or his will he desires no Communion with him or it may be translated The wicked inquireth not into the height of his anger that Vers 4 is he careth not nor feareth Gods anger 2. Greiving and vexing the poor His Vers 5 waies are alwaies grievous to the poor whom he persecuteth 3. Laying Snares Vers 8 9 10 and Traps to take the poor afflicted ones 4. His violence and cruelty towards them when drawn into his Net verse 9. The fifth sin is his malicious murthering the Innocent verse 8. Now the root from whence all these wicked Acts do rise are those abominable thoughts which the wicked man harbors in his heart God is not in all his thoughts that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not once think of God whilst he plotteth and acteth against the poor or His thoughts are there is no God Thus t is in the Margine of our Bibles and the Hebrew words may be rendred both these waies The sinner studies Atheisme he strives to six these thoughts in his mind that there is no all-seeing all-searching God The Chalde expounds it He saith in his heart that his thoughts are not made manifest before the Lord. He hath said in his heart That is these are his daily thoughts I shall not be moved from Generation to Generation I shall not be in evill That is I who am not now in trouble and misery shal◠never bee The Chalde gives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this sense I will not be moved from Generation to Generation from doing evill Wicked men do in their own thoughts promise a kind of Eternity in sinning and worldly prosperity to themselves The wicked man speaks thus in his Vers 11 heart That is he thinks God hath forgotten he hath hidden his face he will not see to Eternity and verse 13. He hath said thou wilt not require it God hath forgotten what I have done therfore he cannot call me to a reckoning for it yea he will never see or take notice of any thing that I do or if he see it yet he will not require any account of me therfore I shall escape wel enough wherby it is apparant 1. That wicked thoughts are the beginning and bottom of all those abominable evils that sinners do act verse 4. 2. They are at the end and close of their wicked deeds verse 11. This atheisticall thought that God doth not behold observe their waies raigns in the hearts of wicked ones and this conceit is the chief root from which all their cursed fruits do proceed and that which encourageth their hearts in doing evill this is evident from divers places of Scripture as Psal 94. 7. see what complaints are put
themselves to eating as bruit beasts as the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eathliness and epicurisme 5. They were abominable Apostates Ge 6. 4. There were Gyants upon the earth in those daies The Hebrew word Nephilim which is read Gyants hath the signification from falling as being Apostate fallen from God 6. They were Idolaters Gen 6. 11. The earth was corrupt That is the Inhabitants of the earth Gen 11. 1. Corrupting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nomen Hebraeum discendit a verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cadere sic appellantur vel quia a vero Dei cultu deciderunt c. Piscator is in speciall applyed to Idolatry and depraving of the true Service of God Exod 32. 7. Deut 32. 5. Judg 2. 19. as the people are said to do corruptly 2 Chron 27. 2. when they Sacrificed and burnt Incense in the high places 2 King 15. 35. 7. They were Tyrannicall Oppressors falling upon men and making them by fear and force to fall before them 8. The men of the old world broke out into cruell Robberies and Murders for which Calvin will have them called Gyants and this seems to be the opinion of Chrysostom Philo and Josephus Gen. 6. 13. Gen 6. 11. The earth was filled with violence violent wrong injurious and cruell dealing Rapines or Robberies as the Chaldee termeth it 9. They were full of gross infidelity and impenitency not beleiving Gods threats yea they hardned they hearts against all reproofs warnings waitings 1 Pet. 3. 20. Gen. 6. 3. Gigantes promiscuo concubitu polluebant faeminas puellus mulieres Pareus in Genes 6. and long-suffering of God 10. They abounded in abominable adultries and bodily pollutions 11. All Discipline lay trodden down publikely and privatly there was no humanity left amongst men but beastiall barbarisme in all places These and many more were the sins of the old world yet when God comes to pass sentence upon them hee doth not alleadge these open defilements as the chiefest cause of their destruction but their evill thoughts rather The greatest wickedness which was alledged against them Gen. 6. 5. was the thoughts of their hearts Because their thoughts were so many and so continually evill they provoked God more then all their other sins Simon Magus had many foul sins but the thought of his heart was his most provoking sin Hence it is that Peter adviseth him to pray God if it were possible Act. 8. 22. that the thoughts of his heart might be forgiven him as though there lay the greatest guilt and deepest stain before God 4. The sins of mens thoughts are past all number they are as the sand of the Sea innumerable How many thoughts do pass from them every hour yea every minute What man can possibly understand how oft hee offends in his Psal 19. thoughts every day This doth exceedingly heighten the evill of our thoughts and adds to their weight What is heavier then a Mountain Job 6. 7. of sand There be four aggravations which do make the wickedness of mans thoughts to rise up to a kind of Infiniteness the thoughts of carnall men and women are evill 1. From their Childhood yea from Gen. 8. 21. their birth as the great heart-searcher declares the Hebrew word includes not Exod. 2. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A pueritia ejus Ab eo momento quo fuit in lucem editus Schindler ex quo excussus est ex utero We are al transgressors from the Womb Esa 48. 8. Psal 51. 7. 58. 4. only mans age but Infancy or Childs age A Jewish Rabbin confesseth that the evill imagination is in man from the hour that he is formed 2. The thoughts of naturall men are evill continually every day and all the day long Gen 6. 5. as the Hebrew word imports the thoughts of man are alwaies acting even when the body sleeps the mind never lyes still day nor night Psal 140. 3. wicked men are said to think or imagne evils in their heart all the day 3. They are altogether evill only evill Gen. 6. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. Every thought that carnall men think is evil and therefore their evill thoughts must needs amount to a numberless summ the sins of mans thoughts are far more in number then all his other sins whatsoever 2. Vaine loose corrupt thoughts do make up the greatest part of that treasure of sin that sinners are heaping up against the day of wrath O what a vast treasure of wickedness is layd up in their thoughts All wicked men have their fulness of sin which they fill up before Gen. 15. they are cut off the greatest fulness of sin is in their thoughts Position 8. 8. Corrupt thoughts are disturbing evils Interrupters and Undoers of those good things that we do they exceedingly hurt and hinder us in all our performances loose worldly wandring thoughts do spoile us of two pretious things in our Prayers and Services 1. Of our hearts by drawing them another way and causing us to bring empty Oblations to God that wheras we should draw nigh to God with our hearts and keep them close to him in every performance our hearts by reason of our wandring and impertinent thoughts are far off from God The Lord Esa 29 16. complains against the old Jews That their hearts were going after their covetousness when they should have been intent and attent to the word their thoughts were then upon this present world their earthly Possessions Profits c. 2. Wandring and earthly thoughts do spoyl us of the acceptance of our holy things they are like a dead Fly in the Apothecaries Oyntment Position 9. 9. Corrupt thoughts are deadly destroying evils 1. They lead to the height of wrath and misery in this world Evill thoughts are the great leading begetting sins therfore in way of justice must needs bring forth the greatest punishments the greatest miseries that befall a people or Nation in this world as Sword Famine c. are said to be the fruits of their evill thoughts as is evident Jer 6. 19. Behold I bring evill upon this people In the drowning of the old World the Lord had great respect in that judgment to their wicked thoughts which were the root of all and therfore he mentioneth them as the cause of the Flood Gen. 6. 5. 7. Thus Mr. Perkins even the fruit of their thoughts The principall sin which brought that dreadfull deluge and desolation upon the old world was the wickednesse of their thoughts The thoughts of mans heart were evill and therfore God would destroy man and beast from the earth Of all visible Judgments that ever were on the face of the earth this upon the old world was the greatest it is not to be parallel'd by any judgment or vengeance on earth but that second deluge of fire at the last judgment for the waters cut off all man-kind except Noah and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
all by nature equally under sin and wrath therfore Ephes 2. there is no cause of swelling one against another 5. Let us cry mightily unto God to arise and scatter these proud enemies that rise up against him and to preserve us from the prevailings of these haughty thoughts Thus did David Psal 19. 14. Keep back thy servant from prides that is from al proud insolent thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that they have not dominion in me then shal I be upright and I shall be clean from the great prevarication From hence t is evident 1. That the best men are much inclined to thoughts of pride hold back thy servant from prides our natures are exceeding apt to rush into this sin if we be not bridled and held back by a divine power 2. The raign and dominancy of pride in mens thoughts is most contrary and inconsistent with uprightness Then shall I be upright when I am kept from pride that it do not domineer in me 3. Pride of thoughts is great Rebellion against God the Hebrew word that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kimchi in Psal 25. explicat per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated offence or transgression Psal 19. 14. signifies Rebellion Defection and prevarication 6. Let us suspect our own hearts upon all occasions and with the watchfullest eye of our spirituall wisdom be alwaies jealous and feaâ—full of the subtleties and windings of this insinuating sin of privy pride 7. Let us be much ashamed abased and afflicted in our spirits for the daily elevations and risings of our thoughts Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride I am tandem â—ruhescat homo esse superbus propter quem factus est humilis Deus Augustin of his heart both he and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the daies of Hezekiah 2 Chron 36. 26. 8. Out of the heart of men proceeds a self justifying thought There be three speciall thoughts of self-righteousneâ—s which do strongly prevail in the hearts of naturall men 1. They fancy and conceive a righteousness made up of their own works keeping of the Law Prayers and good meanings that there is a proness to this thought in every man appears by that strict command that God gives to the people of Israel to take heed of this evill thought when they were placed in the promised Land Deut. 9. 4. speak not thou in thine heart Saying for my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land Thoughts are properly the speakings of mans heart hereby God shews us what are the thoughts of men by corrupt nature yea what thoughts will be ready to rise in his own people Luk. 18 9 10 11 12. This self-justifying thought was predominant in the Pharises who trusted in themselves that they were righteous the Pharisee prayed thus O God I thank thee that I am not as other men are unrighteous nor as this Publican I do this and that good c. I fast twice in the Thus Drusius week upon the first day of the week because Moses on that day went up to Mount Sinah on the second day because he then came down he pleads his own righteousness before God 1. Negative he is no extortioner nor unjust c. 2. His positive righteousnes of both Tables he was much in prayer and fasting duties of the first Table he paid Tithes gave Almes duties of the 2d Table 3. His Comparative Justice he was far more righteous then all other men in the Church it self that were not of his form This Pharisee thinks himself sufficiently righteous even to stand before God These Pharisees as they justified themselves in their own thoughts so they sought to be justified in the thoughts of all others 2. Men are apt to conceive a kind of Luk. 16. 15. Innocency in themselves and that they need no repentance Of these Christ speaks Matth. 9. 13. when he saith That he came not to cal the righteous but sinners to repentance Quest Who are these righteous ones An. Such as were so pure and spotless in their own presumptuous conceits that they thought that they did not need repentance They are opposed to sinners such as are exceeding guilty and filthy in their own sense that this is the meaning is clear Luk. 15. 7. I say unto you that joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth more then over ninety nine just persons that need no repentance Quest Are there indeed any so just that they need no repentance no amendment Answ O no that cannot be the meaning for the best men are taught by Christ to confess their daily Trespasses to God and to ask forgiveness but this is spoken according to that opinion Matth. 6. and conceit which some have of themselves who think themselves righteous and therfore not to have use or need of repentance such were the Pharisees who could charge sin enough upon others but no sin upon themselves Luk. 18 10. 11 12. Paul in his Pharisaical Estate thought himself to be without blame in respect of the righteousness that is in the Law Phil. 3. 6 When Jeremiah rebuked the people for their sins they sayd they were innocent and guiltless they had not Jer 2 35. sinned 3. Men are apt to think that there is some worthiness in their own righteousness wherby they may gain eternall Rom. 10. 2. life Phil. 3. 6 7. they thiâ—â—â—o ascend into Heaven by their own good works to attain life in the old way do and live Thus do the present Romanists and all legall Professors and Pharisaical Moralists amongst us This Popish pestilent self-justifying thought prevails exceedingly in these times 1. For ignorant persons they conceive that they are able to keep the Law they think to be saved by their good meanings prayers and serving God 2. Some others that profess more light do think to make their peace and ro procure acceptance with God by their humiliations prayers tears c. wheras Christ Jesus is our All in respect of righteousness peace and acceptance He is our Peace and Peace maker We grant that prayer humiliation and works of holy obedience are necessary duties and precious fruits if flowing from justifying faith in Christ but they cannot be our righteousness peace or acceptance with God 9. Out of the hearts of men proceed thoughts of carnall security in daies of worldly prosperity so long as they enjoy outward peace and freedom from troubles they are full of secure thoughts speaking thus in their hearts I am in a good Estate free from all the Judgments of God and so shall ever be I am in no danger of death or hell but have hope of Heaven c-Psal 10. 6. Esa 28. 15. Sinners are brought in speaking this in their thoughts We have made a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall passe through it shall not
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
which makes the practise of Christianity so full of difficulty is the well ordering of our thoughts this is true godlinesse to keep our thoughts in a holy heavenly frame without this all Religion is but bodily exercise a meer form and a name to live 6. This is the surest evidence of the sincerity of our hearts when it is our greatest endeavour to keep our thoughts free from defilement 't is the glory and peculiar priviledge of heart uprightnesse to make conscience of eying and ordering the thoughts which mans eyes and Laws cannot reach this indeed testifies the truth of our obedience when it is spirituall and in the heart as in the sight of the heart-searching eye of God by a sanctified frame of thoughts we chiefly sanctifie God in our hearts and walk with him 7. Every gracious heart is the Temple of God the house wherein the King of glory and the spirit of glory dwell continually therefore we must keep a continuall watch over our hearts that they be not a thorow fair for evil thoughts a den of thieves every vain thought that we lodge in our hearts defileth this Temple and robs God of his glory 8. The Lording and lodging of evil thoughts in mens hearts doth plainly show that they have no portion of God nor in God If vain thoughts have possession of our hearts it is a sure sign that we have no possession of God this is clearly implyed in that self-purging speech of Job I have made a Covenant with mine Job 31. 1. 2. eyes why then should I think on a maid for what portion of God is there from above and what inheritance or possession of the Almighty from on high Now the first particular wherein Job cleareth himself is in respect of his thoughts he durst not yield to sinful thoughts he looks upon them as the grand defiling sinnes therefore he nameth them in the first place his meaning I conceive to be this if I should give entertainment to impure wanton thoughts I could expect no portion of that goodnesse and mercy that God hath laid up for his people I should thereby declare my self to have no possession or injoyment of God nor portion in that glorious inheritance prepared by him for his children Oh Consider this all you that entertain filthy foolish and unclean thoughts that do delight in the speculative acting of sinne in your thoughts you that spend your thoughts upon sensuall pleasures and earthly profits and preferments you that suffer your thoughts to range up and down idly and prophanely ye have no portion of God nor part in that inheritance of God Where then will your portion be if your portion be not in the Father of lights in the highest heaven it will be with the Prince of darknesse in the lowest hell the Scripture sayes expresly that they who mind earthly things their end is damnation Phil. 3. 18 19. 9. Consider that all the wayes of our thoughts are before God Psal 119 168. he beholds all our heart-wayes even the most hidden thoughts of the mind he knoweth the thoughts afar off 1 Chron. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. 12. Psal 139 2. 28. 9. Jehovah searcheth all hearts and understandeth every imagination of the Ier. 10. 17. thoughts that is the whole frame of our thoughts When we shall firmly apprehend there is an all-seeing eye in heaven to which the blackest midnight is as the brightest noontide that seeth our most Psal 139. 12. secret thoughts this perswasion will be an effectuall means to keep us from loose licentious thoughts and to bring in our thoughts to a sincere subjection to Christ. David was full of holy meditations and precious thoughts this was one spring from whence they had their rise he looks upon God as alwayes present with him and beholding all his thoughts Psal 139. 1. 2. 3. 7. sanctified souls are filled with the apprehension and thoughts of Gods all knowing eye the curb of the tenth Commandement and check of a tender conscience and this is a speciall means to bring their thoughts into order and to confine them and keep them within a holy compasse from their vain impertinent vagaries 10. We must be strictly accountable and answerable for our idle wandring and wicked thoughts at the great day of judgement Matth 12. 36. Men must give account for every vain word both of heart and mouth thoughts are the speeches of the mind Psal 14. 1. It is evident by the Scriptures 1. That there shall be a strict inquisition and search into our thoughts at that great day of inquest 2 God will manifest and lay open the secret thoughts of our hearts 1 Cor. 4 5. Judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come that is to judgement who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will manifest the counsels of the hearts that is the most hidden thoughts of mens hearts Eccles. 12. 14. God will bring every work to judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil all the works of our hearts shall be brought to judgement So that the great work of God at the great day will be to manifest and bring to judgment mens secret thoughts the good thoughts of good men shall be brought to light for their praise 1 Cor. 4. and the filthy wicked thoughts of evil men shall be laid open before Angels and men to their everlasting shame God will judge the secrets of men at the last day Rom. 2. 16. that is their thoughts which are most properly their secrets Sinners must then answer for every vain thought which now lodgeth in their hearts their evil thoughts being their greatest evils shall bring upon them the greatest condemnation Now consider what swarms of imaginations and thoughts do proceed out of your hearts every day and therefore if ye be not extraordinarily and exactly vigilant and eyefull over your hearts ye may justly fear that upon the opening and inlightening of the book of your consciences at those two dreadfull dayes of death and the last judgement innumerable armies of wicked and exorbitant thoughts which have lain in ambush as it were in the secret corners of your deceitful hearts will then break forth with unspeakable fury and fiercenesse and charge upon you with a heavy account and so condemn your souls to eternall wrath The serious and frequent Consideration of this strict accountablenesse for all our thoughts hath a great efficacy to controll check and curb our unruly thoughts to call them in again when they begin to wander and to run riot after vanity and to bring them into an orderly frame Eccles. 11. 9. Lastly consider that those evil thoughts which carnal men and women do lodge in their hearts shall be their tormentors in hell for ever and ever their own thoughts shall be turned into so many never dying scorpions and fiery serpents to sting and torment their souls 2. The Thoughts of sinners shall be their greatest
terrour and torment in that siery lake thoughts accusing shall be their executioners filling their souls with sorrows beyond imagination 1. Wicked men shall then study over their sinnes and every sinne shall be as a fiery dart at their hearts Oh that sinners would seriously consider this that though in this world it be a delight unto them to look back and survey their old sins yet in hell nothing will be more bitter tormenting to them than the thoughts and remembrance of them Every passage and circumstance in every sinne which they have committed will then be as so many sharp swords at their hearts This setting of mens sinnes in order before their thoughts shall fill their consciences with innumerable stings of terror and torture their thoughts will be all hell and horror at the sight of their sinnes 2. Impenitent sinners shal then think of the glorious blisse of the Saints in heaven and of their own woful wretched estate in hell 3. They will think of their own wilfull neglect and rejection of mercy offered in the Gospel How they have turned their backs upon the blessed and bleeding entreatings of the Lord Christ and this very Thought will be a continuall hell to their souls yea the very Hell of Hells Oh what unconceivable Torture Tribulation and anguish will fall upon wicked men when they shall still be thinking of that beatificall enjoyment heighth of honour and glorious salvation that they have wilfully and eternally lost The Mystery of Holinesse working in the thoughts of all sanctified persons 2 COR. 10. 4 5. For the weapons of our warefare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ I Have opened the Mystery of iniquity which worketh efficaciously in the thoughts of all those that are not Regenerate The second great point that now followes to be handled is the Mystery of Sanctity that worketh in the thoughts of all those who are truly Sanctified In this Text this is cheifly observeable That the power of sanctifying Grace which comes into the soule by the preaching of the Gospel doth first and principally show it selfe in casting down changing crucifying and captivating mens thoughts The first and great work of the spirit of Grace in the conversion of sinners is upon their Thoughts I will draw up what I intend to insist upon into this doctrinall Truth That Sanctifying soule-quickning Grace Doctrine which is conveyed by the ministry of the word of life doth primarily and principally put forth it selfe upon mens thoughts For the clear understanding this Truth three things must be premised First That there is no self-sufficiency in mans corrupt minde to think one holy spiritual thought this the Scripture clearly witnesseth 2 Cor. 3. 5. That we are not sufficient of our selvs as of our selvs to thinke any thing that is any good thing according to divine rules we have not the least aptnesse or ability by corrupt nature to think a good thought when we think a divine spirituall good thought it is by the Grace of 1 Cor. 15. 10. God 1. We are by corrupt nature all over flesh we have rotten corrupt minds full of fleshly principles full of pride and contradiction against the Spirit and 2 Cor. 10. 5. Ephes 4. 21. Truth that is in Jesus We have fleshly wills and affections sinfull corruption is as a chaine upon all our faculties as an iron gate that keeps out any good thought or corrupteth it when it comes in The thoughts of carnall men are altogether fleshly Rom. 8. 5. The frame of mans heart must be sanctified before it can frame one sanctified thought as a man is so he thinks and imagins as the tree is so is the fruit as the treasure of the heart is such is that that Mat. 12. 15. comes from it an evill heart cannot think well impure mindes will not admit of pure holy thoughts to enter Wickednesse comes from the wicked as the proverb is 1 Sam. 24. 13 What can be expected from vaine men whiles they are altogether vanity but vaine thoughts Their hearts are alwayes either weaving spiders webs or hatching Isa 59. â—â— Cockatrices eggs they are thinking vanity or mischief 2. If the bent and relish of our wills and affections be not changed they will set our imagination on work to devise satisfaction to themselves for there is a mutuall reflux and working betwixt the imagination and affections Mans imagination stirs up his affections and as the bent of the affections stands so imagination worketh Secondly in our new birth there is healing quickning renewing Grace infused into our soules whereby we are freely inclined to spirituall good thoughts and works This infused implanted Grace is called in the Scriptures the life of Christ or Christ living in us the image of Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ezek 11. Christ the image or impression of his Graces The new creature a new heart and spirit a new frame of heart and spirit put into us it is the implanting of holy principles inclinations and dispositions whereby our natures are made conformable to the sweet pure holy nature of Christ and agreeable to all divine rules in some measure Thirdly this regenerating Grace or new divine life put into our soules is the immediate principle of all our holy thoughts and workes Actions come from powers and are suitable thereunto holy spirituall Acts cannot come from unsanctified powers and faculties living thoughts cannot proceed out of dead mindes In mans naturall life there is 1. The soule which is the principle of life 2. Life it selfe 3. Acts of life These three are inseperable So in the spirituall life there is 1. The quickning spirit 2. The vitall being 3. Living Acts and these are inseparable This new life is an active power whereby the soule is inabled to Act and move towards God All our holy thoughts and works are the fruits and actings of this divine life in us there must be a power and principle of holiness put into mans heart before it can think holy thoughts every thing acteth according to its being an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Carnall mindes cannot thing spirituall thoughts These things being premised I now come to the Doctrine it selfe in the opening whereof I must First demonstrate that renewing converting Grace doth primarily and principally put forth it selfe upon mans thoughts Secondly I will declare what are the powerfull precious operations of sanctifying Grace upon the thoughts First that sanctifying Grace after the change of the frame of our hearts doth first and chiefly worke upon our thoughts I thus demonstrate 1. Evill thoughts are the radicall seminall sinnes which corrupt our judgements affections and all our actions therfore it is necessary that our thoughts should be first cleansed cured and changed by Grace Sinne entred into our first parents by their thoughts crooked thoughts were
hearts so far as they are renewed to holy spirituall meditations it brings in heavenly principles which are the seeds of heavenly thoughts and thereby the minde is actuated and inclined to godly meditations 2. Grace fills our hearts with sanctified thoughts Every good man hath a good Treasure in his heart that is a Mat. 13. 35. Treasure of Grace to supply his thoughts a stock of precious Truth to fill and furnish his thoughts continually Psal 1. 2. It is made the property of a godly man That his will is in the law of Jehovah and in his Law he doth meditate Psal ◠or shall meditate that is usually meditateth day and night or by day and by night that is continually The Hebrew word here for meditate imports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 study and exercise of the minde in musing 1. A gracious mans will is in the Law of God by way of conformity and holy affection 2. His minde is upon Gods Law and Doctrine by continual meditations he spends much time day and night in thinking upon the precious precepts and promises of God the purity and excellency of his word and the marvellous mysteries manifested therein The thoughts of sanctified men are of a farre more heavenly temper and higher nature then the largest heart of the best unregenerate man doth or can possibly comprehend formall professors may have their mindes busied in the highest considerations which nature art morality or temporary perfections can attaine unto they may sometimes with joy think upon the promises of life the happiness of the Saints salvation that is in Christ the glory of Heaven and the like though these thoughts never have any roote or long residence in their hearts they quickly glide away the word of God is not rooted and implanted in their thoughts they are far from making it their exercise to meditate upon the Law of God day and night The thoughts of formall hypocrites doe feed most upon the comforts of this present world and the sweetnesse of their darling sinne they have a full tast and present feeling of the pleasures of their sweet sin and present posession of earthly contentments but no reall and sound assurance by saving faith and universality of spirituall obedience of the joyes and glorious things of Heaven and therefore they doe greedily follow and fix upon the present things of this life with consent of their erring judgement delight of heart and most of their thoughts but as for spirituall affaires the glory of God that one necessary thing the state of their soules c. These things take up the thoughts of hypocrits but at reversion by accident and very seldome and when they they come into their hearts their entertainment is very cold and strang their abode short and while they stay they are apprehended and injoyed with much wearinesse and weaknesse It is the speciall prerogative of sanctified men to have their hearts fill'd with holy meditations the thoughts are never so well and welcome to their hearts as when they are taken up with the deep mysteries of Gods word and with a holy wisedome studying how they may exalt Christ and inlarge his kingdome in themselves and others That this is no idea or idle abstraction that I now propose appears pregnantly and plentifully in Davids practise who notwithstanding the strong allurements ordinarily incident to Princes Courts though the cares and government of a large kingdome laiy upon him and that he was still followed with troubles and vexations which might much have disturbed and distracted his thoughts yet the Law of God did still principally take up his thoughts and that day and night as himselfe professeth Psal 119. 97. Oh how love I thy Law it is my meditation continually His thoughts did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feast and fill themselves all the day long upon the glorious truths of Gods word with sweetest satisfaction this is the practise of all sanctified men and women they meditate upon the word of Christ most contentedly and continually because they love it far before and above all earthly excellencies 1. They think upon the glorious precepts of the royall Law because therein Gods holy will is manifested 2. Their thoughts doe feed upon the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospel because in them with special security are conveyed to them all the rich treasures of mercy and forgiveness of spiritual joy and peace light and life Grace and glory 3. They spend their choycest thoughts upon that rich and royall pearle Jesus Christ their daily thoughts with greatest joyfulnes and oftenest meditation run after it and sweetly refresh themselves with the glory and comfort of it If a poore man upon the way should finde a precious orient pearl with what greediness would his eyes gaze upon it his excesse of joy would easily command and confine his sight to such a rare enriching object how would his eyes and thoughts be taken therewith Even so after a man by the hand of saving faith hath laid sure hold upon the pearl of great price Christ with all his fullnesse of Grace and glory the heart is presently so filled with holy affection and admiration that for ever after it spends the most the dearest and the noblest thoughts upon this heavenly pearl and the thoughts once one the winge are so cheared raised and taken with the spirituall beauty thereof that they follow and fly up with continuall encrease of fervency and longing untill they come unto the clear vision and plenary possession of it in heavenly glory and those endlesse joyes of the life to come 4. The Saints doe solace and satiate their hearts with thinking on that surpassing great love and superabundant Grace of God appearing to their soules in Jesus Christ they are never so sweetly satisfied as when they are meditating upon the excellent beauty of Gods glorious being his infinite goodnesse and immeasurable greatnesse and those bottomlesse treasures that are hidden in Christ 5. They are much in the fore-thoughts of the glorious things to come That honour holinesse and happinesse that the Saints shall have with Christ in the world to come those rivers of heavenly pleasures and plenitude of joy that they shall enjoy in Gods presence for evermore But the thoughts of all unregenerate men are earthly sensuall and sinfull they are commonly either rooting in the earth or drowned in pleasures or running after preferment or ranging up and down idlely prophanly or fruitlesly melancholly Wherein doe the good thoughts of Quest sanctified men mainly differ from the good thoughts of formall professors and all kinde of unsanctified ones It is evident that unsound professors Answ may have good thoughts sometimes as well as good affections and speeches which proceed from the thoughts they may have thoughts materially good but not spiritually good Men may begin to have better thoughts of the Saints and of the holy path then formerly worse thoughts of themselves and their own wayes yea
upon us with his owne more fearfull immediate injections which are divers Sometimes he comes add rest in his owne likenesse and hellish blacknesse as when he casts into mans mind thoughts of distrust and doubting about the truth of heaven and of the heavenly word of God concerning the certainty of the Divine Being of Gods providence and omniscience For such hellish horrible thoughts as these against God and his glorious truth are sometimes offred to the most sanctified soules But they doe not wrestle or dispute with these hell-bred thoughts they doe not muse upon them they doe not reason and parly with them nor pore upon them for thence perhaps would follow some inclinations to Atheisme prophanenesse and other fearfull consequences But at the very first approach and appearing of those monstrous thoughts they abandon and abominate them to the very pit of hell whence they came They cry unto God against them and are much humbled by them and thence clearly see they are none of theirs but the Devills 2 If the Devil prevaile not in this ugly black shape he at other times puts on the glory of an Angel and perhaps may bring into our minds good things but unseasonably that thereby he may deprive us of some greater good as at the Preaching of the word he will cast into our minds good meditations that so he may take off our attention and take away the precious seed from us With these and a thousand more such like vexations and sore troubles in their thoughts Satan pursues and perplexeth the people of Christ 2 Sanctifying Grace sets a strong watch over our hearts to resist and repell all delightfull thoughts of old sins that our soules be not re-infected with the remembrance of former sinfull pleasures for as often as we think upon the passages and circumstances of sins past with a new delight our soules are defiled with a new staine and fill'd with more guiltinesse The sensuall sweetnesse of mens bosome sins hath taken such plenary possession of their affections in the time of their ignorance that it will be tempting and solliciting of the Saints with continuall baites and allurements that if it cannot draw them to the re-committing of the outward act yet it will strongly intice to the enjoyment of it in their thoughts And if they be not exceeding watchfull continually it will presently ensnare and take their thoughts Here then is the difficult act of holy wisedome and watchfullnesse over the thoughts that we have learned to abhor and repell all allurements of old sinfull pleasures and to smother the very first motions that would draw us to delightfull thoughts thereof by considering of the many wounds those sins have formerly given to Christ and to our owne soules This is a sure evidence of much growth in grace when we are able to think of old sins without new delight when we can represent them to our minds onely for renewing of repentance and deeper humiliation and then dismisse them with loathing and hatred It is one of the Devils deepest deceits and designes whereby sometimes he is too hard for the wisest Saints he labours to corrupt their affections with the thoughts of the bosome sin of their carnall estate 3 Grace sets a continuall watch over the thoughts to discover the first stirrings of sin in our hearts and so to crush and crucifie all evill thoughts in their first rising It teacheth us to hold a waking jealous eye over those many baites and lures which come from remaining corruption and to repell and suppresse every exorbitant thought which drawes to sin at the first moving thereof Sanctified persons doe labour by all means to stop and stifle the first sinfull sensuall thought and to crush these young Cockatrices while they are in hatching to mortifie sin at its first appearing in their thoughts They know full well that if they doe not smother and surprise evill thoughts at their first stirring in their minds they will presently corrupt their understanding the understanding their wills the will the affections and their affections once enraged and having the reines like wild Horses will carry them headlong into abundance of sins Oh what a world of mischief and misery doe men bring upon themselves by giving way to the first wicked thought Sin is like Eliah his cloud at the first small but afterwards it covers the whole heaven Deeply then doth it concerne us with jealousie and trembling narrowly and continually to watch and take notice of the first motions of our hearts to tread downe evill thoughts as soon as they arise not suffering them to stay or take any place in our minds We must shut the door against vaine thoughts and not give them the least entrance We must not admit them and then dispute with them Sinfull thoughts are the fore-runners of much sin coming after Men had never come to such a height of sin if evill thoughts had not led the way they prepare the way they open the door and let in all other sins Corrupt thoughts are of a most contagious nature they are mens sins snares and scourges in that their hearts are affected and infected with them All the evill which is in their affections actions and speeches begins in their thoughts That which is last in their worke is first in their thought Sin is conceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joma Col. 1. in their minds before it is brought forth into practice The Devil cannot work his will upon mens affections or prevaile over the will but by the thoughts 1 A sinfull thought is cast into their mind 2 This evill thought begins to draw the heart aside from the consideration of Gods all-searching eye to the sight and survey of the pleasures and profits of sin 3 It having the heart now by it self allures inticeth and perswades it to consent holding a conference with the will about the sensuall sweetnesse and contentment which is to be found in earthly pleasures riches honours 4 Then the will entertaines the evill motion consents and complies and now sin is compleated and finished in their hearts though it never break forth outwardly 5 Their affections add heate and strength their heart travels with iniquity and so by the help of opportunity sin is brought forth in their visible conversations Then followes the often acting the same sin with delight whence the heart of man is wofully hardned and totally turned into sin and so the sinner now fitted for destruction If we doe not stop and stifle sin when it first stirs in our thoughts we are in danger of falling by degrees into the depth of sin and we know not whether ever we shall stop or stay untill we come to the depth of hell Therefore we must watch to discover and suppresse every evill thought at its first moving especially those which are most fundamentall which are the principall roots out of which others doe rise as doubting questioning thoughts of Gods providence
both of Religion and Reason How often doth imagination deceive us in sensible things much more then will it deceive us in spiritualls The imaginary grievances of our lives are more then the reall Such is the incoherence absurdnesse and unreasonablenesse of mens imaginations that often times they are ashamed and vexed for giving the least way to them The Fifth Preservative 5 IT must be our wisedome to fear and fly the occasions of evill Thoughts As we must make use of the best helps and outward advantages of time place objects that may have a kinde working upon our fancy and thoughts So we must avoid the contraries that may be occasions of ensnaring and corrupting our Thoughts The wisest men living cannot keepe their Thoughts from pollution unlesse they be carefull to fly such objects and occasions as minister matter of evill to their minds 1 There is in mans mind not onely an active power whereby it is able to Act but also a passive and receptive disposition whereby it may be wrought upon 2 Outward occasions have a great efficacy and operation upon this passive power of mans mind for the production of evill thoughts as we see in David 3 The efficacy and strength of outward occasions stands in these two things 1 In an impression of that evill in the minds of men which before was not thought of by them 2 Occasions doe awaken and stir up the corruption of their hearts and draw it out into corrupt thoughts There be foure speciall occasions which we must avoid if we would keep our thoughts from defilement 1 Vain alluring objects We must not please our fancies with vanities and curious sights 2 Shun the company of vaine prophane persons which hath an insnaring influence upon mans thoughts 3 Beware of curious enquiries into unwritten unrevealed mysteries which doth occasion cursed thoughts 4 Idlenesse is a grand occasion of idle impure thoughts It is the Devils houre in which he takes advantage to fill and defile mens thoughts The Sixth Preservative 6 THat we may with more successe keep our thoughts we must keep a continuall watch over the windowes of the soule our senses as the Worthies of old did Job would not trust his eyes without a Covenant Job 31. 1. David is an earnest Petitioner to God to be the keeper of his eyes Turne away mine eyes from seeing vanity Psal 119. 37. Oh! what a world of wickednesse doth the Devill convey insensibly through these flâ—od-gates of sin into the thoughts of those men who are carelesse and watchlesse this way As to instance in the eares and eyes 1 What abundance of pollution and ill is throwne into the hearts of men through their eares by the filthy tongues of wicked wretches set on fire of hell and breaking out into rotten ribald speeches which afterward beget much speculative wantonnesse in their thoughts The slanderous tongue drops into the eares many false reports which are the cursed seeds of wrathfull revengefull thoughts in men A Tale-bearer comes and tells thee that such a one spake of thee so and so whereas in truth it was neither so nor so hereupon thy heart is filled with hard conceits and thoughts of fury against thy innocent brother whereby thou art guilty of mentall murther Therefore it concernes us to watch over our eares to stop them against corrupt speeches and to drive away a backbiting tongue with an angry countenance Prov. 15. 23. c. 2 The eyes of men if they be not guarded with a most eyefull wisedome are a means to let into their hearts swarmes of vaine filthy thoughts Davids dreadfull example may teach all the Saints to the worlds end to watch over this wandring sense with extraordinary care and restlesse jealousie An idle cast of the eye upon Bathsheba fill'd his heart with adulterous thoughts which brought forth such a Hellish brood of lust and loosenesse which wounded his soule as deeply and dangerously as perhaps any of the Saints ever since If the wisest men shall suffer their soules to be led by their fancies and their eyes to run after vanities their thoughts will be so filled with vanity and vexation that at last they will cry out with grief and shame Vanity of vanity c. The eyes will quickly betray Eccles 1. 2. the heart therefore we must make a Covenant with our outward senses resolving in the strength of Christ that none of them shall be instruments or occasions of letting in sin into our thoughts If our eyes and eares be not kept with a continuall watch the Devill will enter in by these windowes and fill our thoughts with all vanity and prophanenesse The Seventh Preservative 7 VVEE must treasure up the precious word of God in our minds labouring to abound in the sanctified knowledge of Divine truths that so the mind may feed upon spirituall truths and turn them into sanctified thoughts A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things That is golden precious thoughts and speeches If there be not a treasure of golden truths in mens hearts their thoughts will be drossie vaine therefore we are commanded to lay up the words of God in our hearts and to Deut. 6. 6 7. speake of them not onely to our children in our houses but also to and with our owne hearts when we are walking or riding on the way c. wherein we are often alone and our time is spent in thinking That this speaking of Gods word to our selves by holy meditation is here also intended will clearly appear by comparing Prov. 6. 21 22. where Solomon exhorting us to bind the word of God upon our hearts gives this encouragement When thou awakest it shall talke with thee That is the word of Christ dwelling in our hearts will talk with us in our thoughts and administer matter of heavenly thoughts continually The Eighth Preservative 8 WEE must labour to purge our hearts from earthly carnall and inordinate affections and to keep our love fear joy and grief in a holy heavenly frame This will be an excellent means to keep our thoughts in a pure holy frame The thoughts first stir the affections and the affections being raised work strongly upon the thoughts they draw the thoughts to fix upon objects that are suitable and sweet to themselves Whatsoever we love desire or fear will be much in our thoughts If our love and delight be sincerely set upon Gods word our thoughts will feed upon it continually as appears in Davids example How doe I love thy Law it is my meditation day and night If our feare be Psal 119. 97. given up to God our thoughts will be much upon his glorious Name Mal. 3. 16. The Ninth Preservative 9 WEE must strive to fill our minds with a strong apprehension of Gods Omnipresence and omniscience that all our thoughts are open and naked before the great God there is No Creature hidden from his all-searching Heb 4. 12 13. Jer. 17. 10.
these are evils that defile Man Mat. 15. 19. 20. Now nothing can defile men but sin as is evident by the words of Christ Reason 5. Man 's own thoughts are a speciall part of those sinfull evils which must be forsaken in the practise of Repentance and returning to God Esay 55. 7. Let the unrighteous man forsake his own thoughts and let him return to Iehovah The sins which are forsaken by reall Repentants are reduced to these two heads thoughts and wayes Sin hath its beginning and rise in our thoughts these are the next and immediate productions and actings of the heart Marc. 7. 21 Wayes are thoughts brought forth into Act. Repentance must begin where sin begins Reason 6. That plenary pardon that God promiseth to penitent sinners extends as well to their thoughts as wayes yea more abundantly to their thoughts See Esay 55. 7. The thoughts of our hearts are the first and fullest part of that deep debt for which we must beg forgiveness from the God of mercy as is evident Act. 8. 22. Pray unto God if in deed the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee 2. The thoughts of all unsanctified men are full of wickedness and vanity Now all states of unregeneracy that is of such who were never yet savingly sanctified may be drawn into four different degrees 1. notorious sinners 2. meer moralists 3. gross hypocrites 4. formall hypocrites All these are full of iniquity and vanity in their thoughts 1. By notorious sinners I mean all such as live in notorious crimes and open pollutions who carry the mark of Satan in their hands foreheads and tongues Now the thoughts of such men are all continually and resolvedly sin and that in a high and horrible degree Wickedness hath so enwoven it self into their hearts that in their inward thoughts they are very corruption And whereas sleep doth most sweetly feed and refresh nature yet evil thoughts are far more naturall to them then desire of sheep The wicked do imagine mischief upon their beds Psal 36. 4. Mica ◠3. When the mind is retired from earthly affairs and distractions when 't is most active and powerfull and now the fittest season for Divine contemplation even then are their thoughts as black as hell and deepest in the works of darkness then are they plotting and contriving wickedness how to compass their pleasures and profits and to accomplish the lusts of their hearts where to crown themselves with fresh rose buds of sensuall delights how to over reach their brethren oppress their Neighbours vex and vilifie the Saints these are the dayly thoughts of notorious sinners who do not only greedily entertain what wickedness doth ordinarily spring from their corrupt hearts and is suggested by others but being past all sence both of shame and sin they set their thoughts to invent strange villanies new forms fashions and circumstances of acting old sin 2. The thoughts of the gross hypocrite another kind of sinner are fully as black and abominable as those of open Belials though his outward life be fair and plausible What is gross hypocrisie Quest When men profess that which is not Answ in their hearts at all and so deceive others but not their own hearts and this is most properly hypocrisie for the Greek word as a learned man observs signifies a Stage-player who sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puts on the Robes and Majesty of a Prince himself being of a base and neglected state or the gravity and wisdom of a Counsellor himself being of roguish and dissolute conditions sometimes he represents a virtuous man his own life being vitious Such are all gross hypocrites upon the stage of this World very painted Sepulchres and whited walls glorious in outward forms shews and representations to the eye of the world but in the hidden passages of their hearts they are very wickedness many swarms of filthy thoughts do settle there continually they are full of black and bloudy projects for the flesh Gross hypocrites do sin against the light of their own conscience professing that holiness outwardly that they hate in their hearts they account it their greatest glory and make it their deepest design to appear Saints to others but within their hearts are a bloudy slaughter house of cruell malicious thoughts a hatefull stew of impure imaginations and filthy thoughts a forge of mischievous and monstrous thoughts a very Cage of all uncleane and ravenous birds The ordinary thoughts of gross hypocrites are as vile and hellish as the thoughts of notorious sinners 3. The thoughts of meer morall men are carnal and corrupt earthly and exorbitant their goodness consists chiefly in an abstinence from outward notorious offences and the acting of some externall duties of righteousness therefore though their visible conversation be ordered civilly and smoothly before men yet their inward thoughts are altogether vain and prophane wanton wordly and ungodly they do in their judgments and practise approve that pestilent proverb thoughts are free They are free indeed in respect of obnoxiousness to mens Courts and penal censures in respect of discovery by any creatures but the eye and vengeance of heaven takes first and speciall notice of them and the justice of God will punish mans evill thoughts as the principals as the chief plotters and first actors of all transgression 4. The thoughts of formall hypocrits though they be not so black as the thoughts of the three former sorts now mentioned yet they are vain earthly and unsanctified What is formall hypocrisie Quest It is that hypocrisie by which men Answ do not only deceive others with a shew and profession of piety and outward form of Religion but also their own hearts with a false conceit confidence that they are in a state of life and happiness when as in truth their souls were never yet possessed of the glorious life of Christ These formall temporary professors do attain to the highest perfections that can be found in men that are not savingly sanctified for they have a taste of the generall graces of Gods spirit and in some sort of the powers Hebr. 6. of the world to come and therefore their hearts will be affrighted with suggestions of infamous consequence and horrid nature as thoughts of Atheism blaspheming cruelty heresie and such like But because their hearts are not fastened and sanctified by speciall grace God first made them but both have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquit Heiron quod omnes voce Consona 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transtulerunt Secundū Ebraei sermonis ambiguitatem numerum possumus et rationem cogitationem dicere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drusius strangely gone away from the straitness of their Creation This I have found by the wisdom given me from the Lord that God created men upright and straight in their understanding mind and will there was not neither could be the least wry thought rising from any thing within Man so long as he kept close to God
up against the wicked 1. They triumph over the people of God 2. They speak hard things against Vers 4 them 3. They break them in peeces with Vers 5 their cruelties 4. They murther the widows fatherless Vers 6 and strangers Now the Root of all these cruel words and deeds is that cursed Thought which possesseth their hearts Yea they say the Lord shall not see Where do they say it In their hearts their tongues do not express it but these are their inward thoughts Compare Psal 10. 6. 11. 13. and 14. This Hellish thought is predominant in all the workers of iniquity verse 4. so Psa 73. 3. We find sundry actuall Impieties layd to the charge of wicked men They are full of pride and violence they Vers 6 are corrupt That is in their speakings and actings They speak wickedly and loftily they speak oppression They set their mouths against the Heavens That Vers 8 is Against God and his Saints whom Vers 9 they blaspheme and by this they do Revel 13. Heavens are put for God Dan 4. 23. Luk. 15. 18. greatly afflict the people of God verse 10. Waters of a full Cup are wrung out by them at the hearing of those blasphemies Teares as many waters flow from them as the Chaldee expounds it Now the Root of all these Evils is in their thoughts verse 11. And they say That is in their hearts How doth God know And is their knowledge in the most Vers 12 High Behold these are the ungodly Psal 50. 16 17 18 19 20. Divers acts of iniquity are brought in against the wicked mam but the Rise of all these is in his thoughts verse 21. These things hast thou done and I was silent Thou thoughtst that I was surely like unto thee Hebr I being had been or was All the wickedness which men bring forth daily in their words and visible waies is the revelation and manifestation of the thoughts of their hearts words and works are evident Characters wherin we may read every mans thoughts Luke 2. 34. 35. Symeon said to Mary Behold this Jesus is set for a sign to be spoken against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pendent a participio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Piscator That the thoughts of many hearts or from the hearts of many may be revealed These words have dependance on the last words of the former verse A sign to be spoken against And they hold forth the root and rise of all that contradiction reproach and scoffs that the people cast upon Christ which were as a sharp Dart or Sword in Maries heart or soul peircing it with bitter grief when they fell off from the Lord Jesus and cryed Crucifie him and scoffed at Luk 2. 35. tuam ipsius animam pertransibit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vul Beza gladius Syrus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et eadem voce Arabs hasta vel lancea est Hebâ—aeorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod David de pomis vertit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hasta lancea sed addit quosdam pugiouem gladiolum interpretari him hanging upon the Cross All this did originally proceed from the thoughts of their hearts and did evidently discover and reveale the wickedness and perverseness of their thoughts They had thoughts of giving earthly honour and happiness by Christ thoughts of adhering to Christ if he should advance them to a Terrene Felicity in an earthly Kingdom Prou 29. 11. A fool uttereth all his mind That is his thoughts a fools speeches are but goings forth of his thoughts Thus t is evident that wicked thoughts are the root and beginning of all evill in affections judgment gesture word and deed There cannot be an Action before there be a Thought for this is the order wherin our Actions LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hastam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lauceam c. interpretantur are produced First The mind thinketh then that thought taketh and delighteth the affections and from that cometh consent of will after this cometh execution of the Action c. therfore trace every corrupt affection and exorbitant practice till you come up to some inward and hidden thought There is evill enough in a corrupt thought to turn Angels of light into Devils and men into the Devils Image Evill thoughts were the root of the Apostacy both of 1 Tim. 3. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels and men the sin of the Angels was first in thought they were lifted up with the thoughts of their own Excellency and this threw them down from a height of Glory into Chains of darkness Third Position 3. The thoughts of men are leading evils they have the preheminence and priority in sinning they are the Ring-leaders in wicked waies they are first in all our evills all sin begins in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thoughts as is evident Micah 2. 1. Wo unto them that imagine iniquity and work wickedness upon their beds when the morning is light they practice it because their hand hath power and they covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppress a man and his house even a man and his heritage 1. Here observe 1. That all iniquity which is acted in mens visible conversations is twice wrought first In their thoughts They think iniquity and work wickedness upon their beds That is They work forge and frame in their thoughts and imaginations upon their beds 2. In their affections and visible courses They work and practise it when the morning is light That is in the day time because their hand hath power Wickedness is first wrought by their hearts and then by their hands 2. Wicked affections and the worst of actions as coveting of other mens fields and houses and violent taking them away these have their beginning in mens thoughts These are the Leaders that cause their whole man to erre and go astray Esa 3. 12. and 9. 16. from Gods waies and therfore when the Lord Christ declares what are those Capitall sins of defilement which proceed out of the hearts of men he nameth evill thoughts in the first place They are set as leaders of that black Regiment they are in the front of that Matth 15. 19. 20. 21. black Roll Mark 7. 21. 22 Out of the heart of men proceed evill thoughts adultries fornications murthers c. 1. Evil thoughts are the first begotten of the old Adam the first fruits of the flesh the first born of the old man the eldest Sons of corrupt nature and therfore sins of strength No wonder then that vain thoughts do so strongly charge and captivate our Souls the strength of that body of sin is brought forth in them Rom 7 24. 2. Evill thoughts are the begetters of all other sins whatsoever Sins of affection and sins of action are originally in the loynes of our mind as all sinners were originally in the loynes of Adam 1 Pet 1. 13. sinning They
are the naturall seed and off-spring of our thoughts 3. The thoughts of men are the beginners and first movers in all evill they make the first motion between sin and the Soul In all the sins that they do act their thoughts are the first movers they propose the Object they procure a Conference between the heart and the object they bring them together and so bring forth sin into act they present alluring Objects as profits pleasures preferments beauties c. till the hearts of sinners be drawn away from the sight of God and his Law and their affections taken and this in the absence of the things themselves Position 4. 4. Corrupt thoughts are Lording evils the thoughts of all carnall men do exercise a Lordly power over them they rule as strange Lords in them Eph 2. 3. The Apostle declaring the state of all men before renewing sayes expresly That the time was when we all had our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Facientes quae carni cogitationibus libebant Passor conversatlon in the lusts of our flesh doing the wills of the flesh and of the thoughts So it is in the Originall Text and thus Passor reads it The flesh Lordeth it over mans thoughts and the thoughts over his affections and actions Position 5. Mans carnall Thoughts are hostile Evils they are Enemies yea enmity against God 1. They are Enemies up in armes against the Lord of Hosts they warr against him continually When the Lord comes to subdue our Iniquities in us the chief Capitall Enemies that are cast down and conquered by the Sword of the Spirit are our thoughts and imaginations 2 Cor 10. 4 5. Luke 1. 31. He hath shewed strength with his Arme he hath scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts The thoughts of proud sinners do as it were pitch the field and set themselves in battell against the Almighty And it is a mighty work wherin the Lord of Host declares the exceeding greatness of his power to scatter and cast down the proud in these high thoughts that rise up against him This hostility of mans thoughts is cleerly held forth Col 1. 21. And you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that were somtimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works or by your mind in wicked works yet now hath he reconciled Unregenerate men are here expresly sayd to be Enemies in their mind That is their thoughts which are properly the actings and agitations of the mind the Original word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cogitatio mentis agitatio for the mind in the propriety of it signifies the thought of the mind In this Text we have these four discoveries Col 12. 1. 1. All carnall men are the declared Enemies of the great God 2. The main thing wherin God looks upon them as Enemies to him are their thoughts Sinners are Enemies in affections actions but chiefly in thoughts 3. The sins that do especially alienate and estrange men from the blessed God and all fellowship with him are their thoughts every raigning sin alienates men from God and builds a wall of separation Esa 59. 2. between God and them but mans crooked thoughts made that first alienation in Paradice that great partition wall that extends from one end of Eccles 7. 30. the earth to the other and reacheth up to Heaven and our thoughts still continue the great Dividers that keep us and our affections at such a distance from God and thus they are our grand Enemies which fight against our Souls 4. Wicked works are the naturall issue and off-spring of mens thoughts those works of wickedness acted by the Colossians did proceed out of the loynes of 1 Pet 1. 13. their minds 2. Mans carnall thoughts are enmity against God This I take to be the principall scope and intent of the Text Rom 8. 7. The wisdom of the flesh That is the wisest thoughts motions and actions of a carnall mind are enmity against God The Greek word that is translated Wisdom signifies the act of a carnall mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehending thoughts discourse c. The wisdom of the flesh is the imaginaon and conceit of every man naturally sayes Mr. Perkins the minds of natural men and women their most prudentiall thoughts and purest imaginations in their carnall corrupted estate are sensuall Iam. 3. 15. earthly fleshly yea enmity against God This extream enmity which is in mens carnall thoughts stands in these two things 1. They do not yeild subjection and service to the Law of God 2. They cannot possibly submit to the Rom. 8. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law in its spirituality Enemies may be reconciled and become good Subjects but enmity it self can never put on love and subjection this enmity must be abolished and the Royall Law put into our minds before our thoughts can be brought into obedience to Christ Position 6. 6. The thoughts of men are the Formers and Framers of all the evill and errour wherwith they corrupt themselves and others whatsoever treason sinners do commit against the God of Glory it is prepared and plotted in the privy Chamber of their thoughts their affections are the treacherous Absoloms that do rise up and conspire against King Jesus but their thoughts are the crafty Achitophels that contrive and carry on the design these are the Shops wherin Pro 6. 14. all mischief is forged hammered out if men bring forth iniquity it is conceived in their thoughts and hatch'd in their imaginations the plat-form according Esa 59. 4. to which men do act the work of iniquity is formed in their thoughts these are the principalls the chief Plotters of all transgressions evill words and works are as it were sins at the second hand the very first life and freshest vigor of all ill is immediatly received and inspired by the flesh into our thoughts The seaventh Position 7. Man 's own corrupt thoughts are grand evils they are of a high and hainous nature they are sins out of measure sinfull Thought-sins are the worst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of sins it is a remarkable speech of the learned Hebrews that sinfull thoughts are more heavy then the sin it self That is then sinfull works flowing from mans thoughts it is manifest by the Scriptures that the sins of mens thoughts are more sinfull then the sins of their words and visible works If the evill of their thoughts were put into one scale and the evill of their speeches and outward actions put together in the other their thoughts would be found the heaviest 1. I grant that the evill and demerit which is in the smallest sin is great because in mans least and lowest swerving from the Rule there is a violation of an Infinite Justice and holiness and a turning from an infinite good and therfore the guilt that springeth from thence is after a sort infinite 2. Yet t is clear by the Scriptures that
Idolatrous thought What a world of Idolatry spirituall Idolatry is committed in our thoughts and yet few of us take notice therof There be two waies wherby we are guilty of high Idolatry by thinking 1. By turning the true God into an Idol of our own fancy 2. By exalting the Creature into the place of God 1 It is a common thing for mans carnall imagination to turn the true God into an Idol therefore the Ephesians before their convertion are said to be Eph. 2. 12. without God in the world For though the wisest of the Gentils did acknowledge one Infinite Being Creator of Heaven and Earth yet because they did not in their minds rightly conceive of God sutable to his spirituall Excellencies they had no God but meer Psal 96. 5. Idols Quest What are those Idolatrous thoughts wherby the mind of man turneth the Infinite God into an Idol Answ There be six gross thoughts which do notoriously possess the heart of every man by corrupt nature 1. Carnall men conceive there is no all-present Being they think that God is confined to a certain place shut up in Heaven and not present in all places Thus by denying the Omni-presence of God the mind of man imagines God to be such a one as he is not and so turneth him into an Idol 2. That sinners are guilty of this Idolatrous thought is evident by the Scriptures as Job 22. 12. 13. Eliphaz doth personate wicked men and brings them in speaking of God in their hearts as if he were confined to the highest Heaven Is not God on high in the Heaven Behold the height of the Stars how high they are How should God know Can he Judge it Omnipresence is an essentiall property Jer 23 24. 1 King 8. 27. Psal 139. of God and therfore they that conceive of God as included in any place or excluded from any place as circumscribed defined or contained in the Heaven of Heavens as personally fixed to any one place as present in neer and not in remote places they do hereby turn God into an Idol of their own brains 2. Carnall men conceive there is no all-ruling providence of God whereby he observeth and ordereth all things in the world particularly they imagine that God walketh in the circuit of the Heaven not minding or regarding what is done here on Earth either to reward the righteous or to punish the wicked sinners setled on their Lees say in their hearts The Lord will neither do good nor Psal 10 11. evill 2. They conceive that the great God doth not look upon small matters done on Earth wheras t is his Glory to behold small low things and things on Earth Psal 113. 5. 6. 3. Carnall persons think that there is no all knowing power who doth see and take notice of all their actings that these are their common thoughts is manifest by divers Texts as Psal 10 13. The wicked mans says in his heart That is he thinks God hath forgotten he hideth away his face he will not see or not at all respect for ever If he do see our waies yet he quickly forgets them and Psal 94. 7. The wicked say The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob Iob 22. 12 13. Ezek 8. 12. Esa 29. 15. regard it How should God know Can he discern through dark Clouds These are the Hellish thoughts of men in their actings of sin wherby they conceive God to be like themselves and turn him into an Idol yea a Heathenish Idol that have hath eyes and see not 4. Men by corrupt nature are apt to think that there is not an All-powerful Being they have low slight thoughts of Gods power they think he hath but little strength or can do but little with it Job 22. 17. What can the Almighty do against them or for them Esa 5. 19. Let us see what God can do let him make speed let him hasten his work that we may see it We have heard much talk by our Preachers of the power of his anger let him do his utmost he can do us no great hurt these are the presumptuous thoughts of evill men 2. Poor Souls at their first looking towards Christ are apt to limit the power of God and to think thus in their hearts if our sins were of a lighter and lower nature we could then conceive they might be pardoned but can God pardon such black bloody sins crying capital Crimes prevarications and proclamations as we are guilty of Can he subdue these Anakims our predominate lusts can hee soften our stony hearts and quiet our turbulent affections which we cannot think how it can be done So when we are brought into the Mount and all outward means fail we are ready to think can God deliver us can he provide for us c. By this limiting the power of God in our thoughts we conceive him like to our selves in a finite perfection and therby we turn him into an Idol of our own fancy 5. Ungodly ones conceive God to be all mercy and no justice They think to find life in the way of death they continue in a course of sinning and yet they imagine that no evill can come unto Amos 6. 3. 9. 10. them they say in their heart we shall have peace though we walk on in the stubborness Deut. 29. 19 20. of our hearts c. By these presumptuous mens thoughts take away the Justice Truth of God and make him all mercy one who will not punish sin nor perform his threatnings and so they make him an Image of mans imagination 6. Carnall men do think that God is like to themselves they have low carnall conceits of his glorious spiritual perfections This the Thought-searcher declares against those wicked ones Psal 50. 21. Thou thoughtest surely that I was like unto thee that I was and would be as thou art There is a strange proness in mens corrupt minds to think that God is like to man they do frame conceits of the essentiall and personal properties and operations of God according to those imperfect perfections properties and actings that they see in themselves Hence it is that the Scripture tels us that God is not a man nor as a man Wherunto Numb 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 25. wil yee liken me saith Jehovah Which speeches do import that there is a pronesse in our carnall imaginations to change the Infinite God into the likeness of man Yea what sin is there to which wee are more inclined then to these Idolatrous thoughts If we take notice of our daily thoughts we shall find sad experience herof we bless our selves that we are no Idolaters wheras the heart of every man by corrupt nature frames a thousand false Gods in its thoughts every undue unsutable thought and imagination that we have of God is a framing of a false God in our minds we must think nothing of God but what he declares of himself in the Scripture
Scripture promises 2 Pet. 3. 3 4 and threatnings they think they are meere notions that God intends no such matter c. 3. Men come to the places where the word of God is opened there they hear their personall pollutions discovered and dreadfull woes declared against them for their sinnes punishment without end beyond imagination but how few be there that tremble at Gods word and do turn from their iniquities most men walk on in those wayes which the Scripture sayes do lead to all miseries and woes Now what is the reason that men are not affected and wrought upon at the hearing of the reproofs threats of Gods word it is because their minds are filled with this blasphemous thought that there is no truth in these terrible threatnings 3. A third blasphemous thought which prevails with sinners is that religion is nothing but State policy that it is a politick device and design of prudent men to keep people in awe to take up their studies and thereby to keep them from sedition 4. Carnall men are possessed with this blasphemous thought that the worship and service of God is vain and unprofitable Job 21. 15. the wicked man is brought in saying thus in his heart what profit shall I have if I pray unto God this also was the cursed conceit of the Jews in the prophet Malachies time Mal. 3. 14. they are indicted for thus saying It is a vain thing to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Commandements 2. Yea this blasphemous thought may sometimes assault and captivate the servants of God we find that precious man Asaph overtaken with this black thought when he said Certainly I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed mine hands in innocency Psal 73. 13. this wicked thought prevailed too much with Job in his passion as appears by the charge that Elihu brings against Job 35. 3â— and 34. 7. 9. him thou hast said what profiteth it thee and what availeth it me to purge me from my sinne hereby it is manifest that there is in every man by corrupt nature a pronenesse to this thought of blasphemy This abominable thought is apt to rise in the hearts of righteous men occasionally As 1. In the prevailing of passion and temptation 2. When they meet with great troubles crosses and discouragements in the world for then they are apt to think of the prosperous estate of prophane men who perform no service to God and yet in outward appearance may seem to be in better case than themselves at present hereupon they begin to think what avails it us to walk precisely but now there is a vast difference between the Saints and the sinner in the manner of thinking and matter of the thought 1. Prophane men speak it in their hearts proudly purposely and presumptuously but Asaph speaks it in a passion and it is not his renewed part speaks it but sinne dwelling in him Rom. 7. 17. 2. Wicked men have base vile thoughts of Gods service they say it is a lying vanity or vain falshood to serve God as the Hebrew word Shau properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psai 73. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Mal. 3. 14. But Asaph sayes in vain without profit in respect of my outward condition have I â—ollowed after holinesse and innocency 2. When the Saints are themselves they have the highest thoughts of Gods service that it is most gainfull and glorious 3. Godly men would serve God upon his command though there were no gain but godlinesse it self If they can exalt God this they think to be great gain and carnall men have mercenary spirits they cannot serve God without present profit Who are those that do think the ser-service Quest of God to be lying vanity 1. Those that constantly neglect personall Answer and family prayer and praises Morning and Evening 2. They have no care to teach their children and servants in the wayes of God 3. Slightnesse and superficialnesse coldnesse and carnality of affections in prayer hearing Gods word c. doth plainly declare that men think it a vain thing to serve God why do men labour so hard in their Trades and Callings rising early neglecting no opportunity they apprehend that it is for their profit therefore the neglect of holy duties or carnall carelesse performance thereof must needs proceed from this base thought that there is no profit in the service of God Job â—1 15 4. A fourth grand evil thought which proceeds out of the hearts of men is a thought of diffidence and infidelity there be divers thoughts of distrust wherewith believers are often overtaken As 1. Unbelieving thoughts in respect of Gods forgiving mercy we are apt to think with our selves can God pardon Rebels such scarlet sinners as we are can he accept of so unworthy wretches 2. In respect of giving if God do not presently give in mercy upon our prayers we are ready to think thus God regards not our petitions he hath forgotten to be merciful he hath forsaken Psal 77. 8 9. us he will not help us c. 3. In respect of delivering mercy when we are in the mount and the sentence of death seemeth to be passed upon the means how are our minds filled with thoughts of unbelief can God deliver can he prepare a table in the wildernesse Psal 78 19 20 can he give water out of the Rock Carnall Reason sayes it will not be sense sayes it shall not be distrust sayes it cannot be These thoughts of unbelief dâ—d sometimes overpower faithfull David as when he said in his 1 Sam. 27. 1. heart I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul and Psalm 116. 11. and Peter also Matth. 14. 30. 31. 4. In respect of Gods owning accepting mercy what thoughts of unbelief do often captivate the Saints they are apt to think surely God is our enemy we are not his children we are hypocrites castawayes we have no faith no grace c this unbelieving thought took hold upon David Psal 31. 23. I said in my hastning away I am cut down before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thine eyes I am cut down like a dry tree for the fire I am cut off from thy favour this is the import of the Hebrew text the Greek translates it I am cast away these were the thoughts of Jonas Jonah 2. 5. in his affliction I said I am expelled driven away from before thy face I am cast out of thy favour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. In respect of continuing mercy what thoughts of unbelief do overtake weak believers they are apt to think surely we shall not hold out to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expulit we shall one day fall by the hand of such a lust or temptation we shall faint in the day of tryall 6. In respect of temporall mercies what distrustfull thoughts do rise in our hearts as how shall we and ours be provided for
shall say to his brother Raca shall be obnoxious to the Councel Raca is a Syriack word a word of Reproach it signifies a man that is empty of Judgement wit and reason Mat. 5. 22. By this Reproachfull speech men draw great guilt upon themselves before the judgement seat of God as any capitall crime did in the Sanhedrim or great Council of the Jews There were principally two kinds of Capital Judgements among the Jews the first was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgement wherein 23 Judges did judge of the greater Capitall causes especially man slaughters 2. The other was the highest judgement of 71 Elders called the Sanhedrim Numb 11 16. who judged of the greatest causes onely and it was wont to inflict four kinds of punishments on men condemned Strangulation Sword Burning Stoning Maimony in Sanhedrim c. 1. s 3. 4. 5. explaineth it thus there was in Israel First a great Court or Judgement-Hall in the Sanctuary and that was The Hebrews in their common-wealth continued their chiefest Senate in Jerusalem of 71 Elders as Numb 11 16. there were 70 and Moses the Prince called the great Synedrion and their number was 71 as it is written Gather to me 70 men c. And Moses was chief over them as it is said and let them stand there with thee Numb 11. 16. Lo here are 71. the greatest in wisdome among them all they set him for head over them and he was called the Prince in every place and he stood in stead of Moses moreover they set two judgement Halls each of So they record in Talmud Bab. in sanhedrim ch 1. Maimony in sanhedrim c. 1. s 3 4 5. 23 Iudges the one at the door of the Court of the Sanctuary the other at the door of the mountain of the Temple and in every City of Israel wherein were 120 Fathers of Families or moe they set a lesser Synedrion which sate in the gate of the City as it is written and establish judgement in the gate Amos 5. 15. and their number was twenty three Iudges if it were a City which had not 120 men in it they set therein three Iudges for there is no judgement Hall of lesse than three c. By this Text thus opened it is evident that to think basely and reproachfully of our brethren is a great sinne which makes us liable to the dreadfull judgement of God men first speak this Raca of their brother in their thoughts before they speak it to their brother with their mouths 3. We are guilty of these dishonouring thoughts in relation to mens spirituall estates when we think thus I am more holy and righteous than others that these were the common thoughts of that Pharisee Luke 18. is evident by his speeches I am not as other Luke 18. 11. men are or as this Publican I exceed all others in righteousnesse and strict walking this Publican is a base fellow far below me he is a superlative sinner he is thus and thus this proud Pharisee thinks himself the chief Saint more righteous than any man living as his own words clearly import I am not as the rest of men be therefore Luke 18. 11. hee stands apart by himself praying yea every man by corrupt nature is apt to have low undervaluing Thoughts of others in comparison of themselves therefore it is Gods command that eve-man in humility should think others more Phl. 2. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excellent than themselves hereby giving us to understand that we are apt through pride to think our selves more excellent than others 2. The hearts of men naturally are possessed with murdering thoughts against their Neighbours either directly or by way of tendency whereby they violate the sixth precept these are 1. Vnmercifull thoughts when the object of mercy is before them and a present opportunity of doing good and yet they think thus in their hearts I will not look upon this object I will not distribute to him I have many occasions of expences c. Deut. 15. 9. Beware that there be not a wicked thought in thine heart and thine eye be evil toward thy poor brother and thou givest not unto him c. What wicked murdering thought is this that is here condemned some such thought as this I will not pity the poor I will not give to him I must provide for mine own c. This unmercifull thought shows it self in these two effects 1. An evil eye when men turn away their face from their poor brethren and will not cast a compassionate look on them 2. A niggardly hand when they shut up their bounty not distributing according to ability and opportunity to such as are fit objects of mercy 2. Mens hearts are full of cruel oppressing thoughts against the poor which do produce oppressive over-reaching dealings and grinding the face of the poor c. the spoil of the poor is in their houses Isa 3. 14 15. 2. The second murdering thought which fills the hearts of sinners are spightfull hatefull thoughts against the Saints Carnal men being the seed of the old serpent are possessed with Cain-like Psal 74. thoughts of enmity against the holy seed of Christ 3. Men naturally are full of revengefull thoughts which make their hearts a very slaughter-house upon any reall or imaginary wrong done to them they are apt to think thus I will be even with such an one if ever occasion serve I will do to him as he hath done to me these thoughts of retaliation are expresly forbidden Prov. 24 28. 29. do not say in thine heart as he hath done unto me so will I do unto him I will return unto the man according to his work 3 The hearts of carnall men are full of adulerous thoughts whereby they transgresse the seventh Commandment The Law is spirituall and condemneth all thought-defilements the Pharisees Rom 7. 14 restrained this precept to the outward act onely but the great Law-giver expounds it more spiritually and shows us that there is a mentall heart adulterie which men commit in their thoughts every unchast inordinate thinking of a Mat. 5. 27 28. woman makes men guilty of adultery therefore Job resolves that he would not Job 31. think of a maid men are apt to blesse themselves with the Pharisee that they Luke 18. are no adulterers in their bodies but they do not consider what a world of adultery 2 Cor. 7. 1. they commit in their thoughts This thought filthinesse doth exceedingly pollute mens spirits and provoke God against them Gen. 65 6. 2. These unclean thoughts are incendiaries and bellows of adulterous affections the begetters of unclean speeches and actions Davids eyes first filled his heart with adulterous thoughts 2 Sam. 13. 2. his thoughts fired his affections and brought forth the external act which cost him broken bones Psal 51 3. These wanton unclean thoughts being lodged do make the hearts of men a filthy Stews a very
without remedy it holds forth the remedilesse ruine which lies at the door of proud men and women who shall be thrown down like an earthen pitcher by the hand of God and so they shall perish 2 Chron. 26. 16. Isa 13. Isa 16. Hos 5. 5. Isa 2. for ever by this fall Vzziahs heart was lifted up to his destruction pride was the great sinne that destroyed Babylon Moab and the people of Israel Judah 4. Proud men fall into the Devils condemnation 1 Tim. 3. 6. It is said that a Bishop that is a minister of the Gospel must not be a novice that is not one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul sayes not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not meant of young in years but in faith Superbia dejecit angelos ex angelis fecit diabolos eisque in aeternum interclusit Regnum caelorum Augu 1 Tim. 6 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insaniens Beza Stephan-Erasmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non modo inflatum sed in genere dementatum fanaticum-significat Victorin Strigelius newly converted to the faith not a young plant in Christianity lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil that is lest he being swelled up with a conceit of his high office and opinion of his parts and gifts do fall into the same condemnation with the Devil Pride of thoughts was the great sinne that brought the Devils under condemnation All proud men are frantick and fanaticall fools 1 Tim. 64. All corrupt Teachers are said to be proud and mad as Beza and others render it doting they are sick of a spirituall frensie the word in the original used for Pride 1 Tim. 3. signifies one puffed up with pride and possessed with madnesse and phrensie Use 1. Let us entreat God to give us a spirituall sight and sense of that deep mystery of Satanical pride which naturally worketh in our thoughts oh what devilish proud natures do we carry about us the heart of every man in its corrupt frame is a pallace of all pride and presumption it is like the Table of Adonibezek at which he sate in a chair of State and made others even Kings to eat meat like dogs under his feet with their thumbs cut off such are all men by corrupt nature advancing themselves to a throne of State in their own Thoughtss saying in their hearts I am the man and treading their brethren under feet as inconsiderable no bodies to them hence the Psalmist speaks of the foot of pride that is of the proud man as the Chaldee translates it pride being Judg. 1. 7. Psal 36. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for the man in whom it is as deceit is put for a deceitfull man Prov. 12. 27. and sinne for sinner Prov. 13. 6. to show us how ready proud men are to set their feet upon others and to trample on them with great contempt thus did the proud Pharisee trample upon the Publican thus did those arrogant Jews set up themselves and tread down others in their Thoughts saying stand Isa 65. 5. apart touch me not I am more holy than thou Let us strongly resist and repell the first risings and strivings of pride in our Vse 2 Thoughts though the predominancy of pride be taken away in sanctified men yet there is still much pride remaining in their natures which riseth and rebells upon all occasions and often captivates their thoughts The grand enemy which doth assault and annoy gracious souls is spiritual Pride whereby they are puffed up in the thoughts of their spiritual excellencies and with a conceit that they have attained a higher measure of grace than indeed they have This spirituall Pride doth many times mix it self with the fairest and most sanctified actions of the dearest children of God and dâ—th soonest insinuate into a heart stored with the rich Treasures of true godlinesse for if Satan cannot detain men in notorious sinfulnesse in meer civil honesty or formality but that by the mercifull hand of God they are pul'd out of the mouth of hell from the slavery of sinne and courses of darknesse into the glorious light and liberty of Christs Kingdome hereupon the Devil is inraged with fierce and implacable fury and doth most eagerly pursue those pretious souls with all possible malice and if he cannot procure a scandalous relapse into grosse sinnes yet that he may in some measure work the dishonour of God and the discomfort of the noblest creatures the two main ends of all his policyes of hell he doth labour to distain the pure streams of divine grace in the soul puddle of their corrupted nature and at least to fasten the spots of spiritual pride upon their best actions and the very face of piety for when godly men by the great work of Regeneration are become more excellent than their neighbours Prov. 12. 26. as indeed they incomparably are howsoever the worlds estimation be otherwise because they are already the blessed members of Christs mystical body clothed with the rich royal robes of Christ his righteousnes and quickned with the glorious life of grace and by the immortal seeed of the powerfull word of God they are made partakers of the holy Image of the Divine nature 2 Pet 1. 4. guarded with an invincible Troop of heavenly Angels they are the sons of God and heirs to a Kingdome of unconceivable glory and intituled to heavenly pleasures more than the stars of the Firmament in number The Saints perceiving their own Prerogative and glorious excellencies are filled with a strange and joyfull amazement and admiration of their own honour and happinesse which the Devil seeing who is perfectly experienced in all advantages and opportunities for spirituall assaults and working upon the Reliques of mans proud nature he doth craftily draw them to think highly of themselves and fills them with swelling thoughts from the apprehension of their spiritual excellencies and to advances above that which is meet in their own conceits the measure of their own graces and vertues Yea after this fiery dart is broken upon the shield of faith yet Satan labours with might and main to fasten some splinter or other even in souls sincerely humbled for sinne thus through that old Serpents subtilty they are insensibly infected with spirituall pride but when by afflictions or disgraces by some extraordinary tentations or particular checks from the Ministry of the word the uglinesse of this sinne is discovered to their souls they for ever abhor it as a consuming Canker that would fret out the very heart of syncerity therefore with much humility and fervency of spirit they pray against this secret sinne strive against it and by the grace of God prevail against it Now seeing this spirituall Pride is so apt to creep into our hearts and to puffe up our Thoughts in the apprehension of our Spirituall excellencies and performances we
shall strongly fence our hearts with humility against privy pride as against a close undermining and most dangerous enemy and the more carefully and watchfully for those Reasons 1. Other sinnes grow from pestilent pernicious roots as earthly mindednesse from unbelief oppression from avarice murder from malice adultery from idlenesse c. but Spiritual Pride springeth from a fair and unsuspected fountain even from the Contemplation and Consideration of the largenesse of our spirituall discoveries our enlargements in good duties and Eminencies in grace 2. This sinne doth secretly wind it self into the hearts of godly men with a slie and peculiar kind of insinuation for when upon the apprehension of their inlargements in grace and good actions they seem to disclaim pride of thoughts they may be proud that they are not proud and that they are more sensible of their pride and corruptions than others are so endlesse are the mazes of Satans circular temptations this is the last and most subtil encounter whereby he surpriseth the Saints 3. There is no height of grace no depth of discoveries no eminency of holinesse attainable in this life that can secure us from the assaults of privy pride and hazzard of surprizall Paul that great Apostle in whom there was a matchlesse concurrence of divine graces who laboured more abundantly than others in the work of Christ and was exceeding sensible of his own nothingnesse in all these and was exercised with variety of all manner of afflictions notable means to keep the heart of man in an humble frame yet lest he should be exalted out of measure through the abundance of Revelations he was buffeted with the messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12. 7. 4. Pride is the most pestilent incompatible opposite that grace hath and therefore he that is most sanctified fights most against it 5 This Pride of Thoughts is the greatest enemy to the glory of God it doth as it were take the Crown from the head of the King of glory God hath declared that he will not give his glory to any other he is willing to give vs his mercy grace and strength his Sonne and his Spirit heaven and happinesse yea any thing except his Glory The comfort and benefit of all the good we do shall be ours but the praise therof must be wholly and solely given to God 6. This pride of thoughts brings temporall wrath even upon the Servants of God We have a remarkable place 2 Chron. 32. 25 26. Hezekiahs heart was lifted up therfore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem untill they humbled themselves 7. Let us take heed how we harbour and nourish this Vâ—peâ— of spirituall pride in the bosom of our Souls least it perswade us to embrace some groundless singularity of unwarrantable opinions and dangerous errors or else it may by Gods judgment draw upon us deadness of heart dulness of zeal spirituall desertion c. which the Servants of God do infinitely more fear then any affliction that prophane men can possibly inflict upon their bodies or states or good name These reasons may justly move us to keep a strict watch over our hearts continually when we feel our thoughts begin to swell by looking upon our spirituall excellencies gifts or enjoyments let us presently crush and crucifie them and sharply check our selves in these words What hast thou that thou hast not received 2. When pride begins to give the least part of the praise of our good actings and enlargements to our selves let us with indignation repell and reject it and say Not unto us not unto us but to thy name O Lord be all the praise Of thine own have we given unto thee in our holy and highest services Quest What must we do to subdue and keep down these swelling thoughts of pride Answ 1. Let us strive to keep the thoughts of our own nothingness vilenes unworthines always present w th us learn to say with Jacob I am less Genes 31. 10. Job 40. then the least of mercies and as Job did after he had been afflicted and came to see his ignorance arrogancy behold I am vile and as Abraham I am but dust and ashes and with David I am a worm Gen. 18. 27. Psal 22. 6. and no man yea with Paul O wretched man that I am Rom. 7. 24. To keep down the pride of mens thoughts the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanhedr fol. 38. Col. 1. Hebrew Writers present this consideration that the Flye and the Worm did precede man in the worke of Creation That is the most contemptible creatures the Fly and the Worm are our elder brothers at the first Creation 2. Consider that we our selves are vile worms Job 25. 6. Man is a worm and the son of man is a worm T is twice spoken to make the deeper impression upon our hearts a Worm is one of the vilest of Creatures and the Hebrew word here used as one observes signifies the least and meanest of worms such as breed in Cheese and Flesh Exod 16. 34. the worst sort of worms as Lice and Vermine every man is a worm the greatest wisest and best of men are worms worms they are and to worms they must shortly return How unsutable are lofty thoughts to Isa 41. 14. poor low worms 3. Men are compared to the basest and worst of things to the least and lowest things as 1. To the dust which is troden on both by men and beasts 2. To the dust of a ballance 3. To the drop of a Bucket Isa 40. 4. To a shadow which flyes away which hath no entity or subsistence 5. To vanity which is worse then a Psal 39. 62. shadow 6. Men are compared to nothing Isa 40. 2. Let the best and most mortified men turn the eye of their conscience from the fruitless and dangerous speculation of their own worthiness and fasten it a while upon their corruptions and infirmities upon their neglects of duties and many defects in godly exercises and executions of their calling wants and weakness in prayer and inward devotion their dulness and deadness in good performances their Omissions of opportunities of doing good and occasions for the enlarging of the Kingdom of Christ Their cold and sometimes cowardly prosecution of good causes c. and out of this consideration they will be so far from self-conceitedness and high thoughts of their own gifts and virtues that they will find just cause to continue and encrease their humiliation and to stand upon their guard against spirituall pride 3. Let all godly Christians consider that whatsoever they enjoy in spirituall Excellencies beyond others is from the free favour meer mercy of God not from any thing in themselves yea whatsoever gift they have whether of body or mind of honours or outward possessions of nature of grace they are given unto them by the liberall hand of God out of the bottomless depth of his own bounty 4. consider that we are
remembers them and will certainly bring them to judgement examine your hearts are these your constant Thoughts I am now in Gods presence he beholds every thought that I think heareth every word that I speak and takes notice of all that I do may not God take up that complaint against us that he doth against Ephraim and Samaria They have dealt falsely and they say not in their hearts that I remember all their wickednesse Hos 7. 2. all that falshood and prophanesse that flames out in mens lips and lives is radically and chiefly from hence they do not seriously think and consider that God looks upon all their wayes When our hearts are filled w th the apprehension of Gods presence so we walk with God in our thoughts this is a sure evidence of uprightnesse 2. Men are strangers to the serious Thoughts of their last end Deut. 32. 29. Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their last end This shows how averse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are to apply our minds to the Thoughts of our last end how unapt are we of our selves to think of death Lam. 1. 9. which is the end of all flesh what will be our end after death what will become of our Soules to Eternity 3. Carnal men are empty of all spirituall repentant Thoughts of sinne 1. They never think of their manifold guilt by a serious reflection upon their own wayes this is evident by the Lords complaint against the Jews Jer. 8. 6. not one of them would say in his heart What have I done 2. They do not consider the incomparable ilnesse and uglinesse of sinne that there is more evil in the least sinne that men commit than in all penal sufferings of this life and of hell it self 3. They think not of their extreme folly in sinning how they prefer empty creatures before an all sufficient God earth before heaven Moment any pleasures before Rivers of purest pleasures and joyes that never end 4. Sinners never think of the emptinesse of their sinfull wayes nor of the absurdness and unreasonablenesse of their courses the Prophet sets out the sottishnesse of idolaters in making an Idol god of one part of a Tree with the other part whereof they had rosted their Isa 44 16 17. 19 20. meat and warmed themselves yet they considered not this in their hearts to say I have baked bread upon the coals thereof c. and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination 5. They think not of the deadly end of their sinnes sorrows without end 4. Carnal persons are strangers to the Thoughts of their own duty 1. They do not think of improving their Talents Matth. 25. 18. 2. Nor of the end of their being and the great businesse for which they came into this world which is to advance God by doing his will 3. They think not of their many obligations and engagements to love and fear the Lord. It is Gods complaint against the Jewes they say not in their Jer 5. 24. hearts let us fear the Lord our God Now the true cause why we are so barren in godly discourse so empty of heavenly speeches so unfruitfull in good works is because we are so empty of holy thoughts and heavenly meditations our thoughts have a strong influence upon our whole conversation 12. There is a spirituall madnesse and folly which runs through our thoughts when they are like to the thoughts of mad men fools unsettled incoherent full of non sense this is one of those great defiling evils which proceed out of the heart of men and possesseth their thoughts foolishnesse and madnesse Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. 22. madnesse is in the hearts of men while they live from thence it overflows into their Thoughts This madnesse of Eccles 9 3. the Thoughts shows it self in three things especially 1. They are full of inconsistency and inconstancy our minds are full of slipperinesse and unstablenesse in good Thoughts the thoughts of fools and mad men dance up and down and settle upon nothing There is a foolish wantonnesse and roving in mans mind an unsetlednesse in meditating that it cannot fix upon a good object but as Salomon sayes A fools eyes are in the ends Prov. 17. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the earth their thoughts rove and runne up and down from one end of the earth to the other to the first and last parts thereof as the Hebrew words import Their bodily eyes are terminated therefore it must â—e meant of their mentall Eph. 1 18. eyes there is a strange unsteadiness and unstayednesse in mans mind before renewing if it fall upon a good object it is presently off again and runnes out into other Thoughts 2. It is apt to let out the Thoughts after every object that comes before it The mind of man being deprived of that glorious presence of God that it once enjoyed in Paradise perfection it is now in Cains condition the greatest vagabond and runnagate on the earth it runnes up and down the world and cannot rest or settle upon any thing but what is sinfull and sensual 2 This madnesse of our Thoughts appears in their Incoherence and incongruity they are like the speeches of mad men which have as little dependence one upon another as right reason in them they speak two or three words and then fly off to another thing which hath no agreement with their former words how incongruously and absurdly do our hearts speak if we would seriously reflect upon our own Thoughts take notice of them one day and write down every thought as the heart speaks them and then at night read over our notes and strictly examine them we should find so much incoherence disagreement and nonsense in our thoughts such jarring and jangling roving and rambling running backward and forward that we might have cause enough to look upon our selves as Bedlam fools 3. Our thoughts are full of extravagancy and digressions how many thoughts have we every day whereof we can give no account how they came in whence they came nor whither they would they are extravagant vagabonds 13. Our thoughts are commonly unprofitable because so unsettled incoherent and extravagant 2. For 1. Many good motions do vanish and come to nothing 3. We often begin good Meditations and bring them to no perfection they miscarry in the conception There is abundance of vanity in mans mind wasting and wearying it self in childish impertinent and unprofitable Thoughts and Notions Tossings and Tumblings so that we wofully wast and mispend pretious time in thinking Ephes 4. 17. of nothing as idle persons do in doing nothing and thus we become altogether unprofitable in our Thoughts words and works and vain in our affections Psal 14. 3. 14. Mans corruptmind is exceeding fixed and intensive in thinking upon vain worldly and sinfull objects when we set our selves most seriously to meditate upon holy
Yea Paul in his Pharisaicall condition was possessed with this Pharisaical error as appears by his own confession Rom. 7. 7. therefore he once thought himself able to live without blame in a legal Righteousnesse Phil. 3. 6 and to keep the Law till the Commandement came unto him in its spirituality at his conversion Rom. 7. 9. 2. This hellish conceit that thoughts are free produceth most dangerous damning effects in mens conversations 1. It causeth them to blesse themselves in their external negatives in their freedome from open offences and outward abominations as that Pharisee did Luke 18. 10 11 12. This is the practise of meer civil persons and formalists who make no conscience to be holy in their thoughts but onely they take care with the harlot to wipe the lips with Pilate to wash the hands and with the Pharisees to cleanse the outside as for their thoughts they suffer them to run riot to have their full swinge especially in matters of pleasure profit and carnal contentments 2. This false opinion of thought-freedome draws men to place Religion in outward services and bodily exercises without giving to God a thought-worship hence it is that they rest in the work done without the concurrence of the heart and thoughts they draw near to God with their lips and bring the outward man when their Thoughts are far from him Isa 29. 16. their chiefest care is to appear to men and to be appproved by men and not by God who seeth and searcheth the heart and so they vanish in bodily service and outward devotion of lip-labour and lost labour 3. When men upon this conceit that thoughts are free do give up the rains to their own Imaginations and take liberty in vain vile and prophane thoughts it is just with God to give them up to vile affections abominable actings and a Reprobate sense so that as they cast off the yoke of Christ in their thoughts and will not have him to rule in their hearts so the Lord gives up them to walk as sons of Belial as men without yoke after the vanity of their minds and lusts of their own hearts and so these that make no conscience of internall thoughts are come up now to this height of iniquity as to make no conscience of abstaining from external abominations they can swallow camels without fear or remorse 2. Or else they are given up to efficacy of error to believe the lying doctrines of corrupt Teachers that so they might be damned who do not receive obey the truth in their minds but take pleasure in acting unrighteousnesse and uncleannesse speculative filth and folly in their thoughts They that partake with adulterers by a spiritual thought-pollution will at last come to partake with them in bodily defilements This is most evident in the men of the old world Gen. 6. 1. 2 5. they professed themselves sonnes of God and joyned themselves to the visible Church yet being possest with this cursed conceit of thought-freedome they lodged evill thoughts in their hearts continually till at length they were given up to the open committing of all manner of sinne with greedinesse and great delight untill the Flood came and swept them altogether into Hell 1 Pet. 3. 19. 20. And this is the case of divers Professors in this present licentious world who are fallen into error of judgement and practises if they would seriously search and survey their own hearts they should find that loosenesse of thoughts is the chief cause of their giving up to loosenesse in opinion and conversation This corrupt conceit of liberty of thoughts in the tendency thereof opens a gappe to all wicked licentiousnesse and makes way for incurable obcecation and obduration of heart for men being once possessed with this pestilent perswasion they now take their fill of all inward filth as being invisible to man and in the end they let loose the bridle to all external wickednesse because this being presupposed that thoughts are free it will easily be inferred that works are free also if men take liberty of conscience to think any thing they will in time pretend liberty of conscience to act any thing 2. Upon this licentious life follows the height of hardnesse of heart their Conscience being now seared as with an hot iron and past feeling 1 Tim. 4. 2. Ephes 4. 19. 3. All light and sense being totally lost they now come to justifie any sin to take light for darknesse and darknesse for light to put good for evil and evil for good truth for error and error for truth Isa 5. 4. Hereupon follows the height of impenitency an impossibility of repenting so that these sinners are now sealed up under condemnation without remedy all this mischief and woful misery flows originally from this wicked conceit that possesseth their hearts that thoughts are free 4. This vile opinion of thought-freedome doth exceedingly exalt and idolize mans corrupt nature by ascribing that priviledge power and perfection to man which is inconsistent with rationall creatures for if thoughts be free then our affections which are acted by them are free and our words and visible works which are streams flowing from our thoughts are also free and hence it will follow that intelligent creatures are free from subjection to any Law and so their own wills must be the rule of their own actings which is a deifying of mortall worms and setting up mans will in the place of God which is Idolatry 5. This pernicious Principle of thought-freedome doth abolish and take away all internall piety heart-purity and thought-worship and so turns all piety and divine worship into a meer outward form of Pharisaisme and a dead carcasse of devotion whereby men rob God of his chiefest service Quere What is the true ground and root of this Atheisticall conceit that thoughts are free Answer 1. Speculative vanity and uncleannesse is suitable and sweet to carnall hearts they love to solace and sport themselves in the thoughts of their sensual pleasures riches and creature-contentments hereupon men willingly come to this conclusion that thoughts are free because themselves so willingly give way to their own Thoughts we are very apt to close with any Principle which tends to the allowance of those actings that we allow in our selves 2. Carnal men and women are ignorant of Gods Law in the spirituality and latitude thereof they measure and judge of the compasse of the Commandements by the outward letter onely fancying to themselves a Law which reacheth onely to the outward man as did the Pharisees from these false premises thy conclude liberty of thoughts 3. They discern not the spirituality of Religion and repentance which is primarily and principally acted in the heart and thoughts 4 The ungospel general way of preaching of divers men tends very much to the settling and fixing of this pestilent opinion in carnall hearts that thoughts are free For 1. Some there be who strive to please the itching ears and fancies of their hearers
from dead works 2. In a divine manner with holy and spirituall affection As 1. When it is performed with the affection of a child and filiall respects not from a spirit of bondage but from a spirit of love 2 Tim. 1. 7. 2. In a free and voluntary subjection to God the Law-giver and a sincere respect to all his Commandements Psal 119 6. 128. for men never obey God and his Law even when they do the works therein prescribed but when they do them with all submissive and loyall affections towards him who commands those duties James 2. 10 11. and that by vertue of his authority and command this is to do all in the name of Christ Col. 3. 3. A work that is Theologically and spiritually good must be directed unto a divine holy end the glory of God we must bring forth fruits of holinesse and finish our works that God gives us to do and do all the good that we have to do with a single respect unto God as Quicquid homo veluti recte fecerit nisi ad pietatem quae in Deum est referatur rectum dici non oportet our end that in all things God may be glorified John 15 8. and 17. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 31. this onely is to live unto God and to bring forth fruit unto him and not unto our selves Rom. 7. 4. Every good work must be done with a pure heart with fervency of spirit Chearfulnes and delight our hearts must be given unto God in every service All the Circumstances that accompany Augustin de fide operiâ—â—s an holy action must be right for an excellent work may be so misplaced or attended with such incongruous and unsuitable circumstances as that it may rather be a snare of Satan than a fruit of the Spirit in us 5. Lastly all our services must be presented and offered up to God upon that divine Altar Jesus Christ to make a good work compleatly acceptable it must passe through the incense and intercession of Christ who as he doth by his blood take away the guilt of sinne from our persons so by his intercession he covers and hideth the pollution and adherency of sinne that is in our services Eph. 2 18. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Christ Jesus Matth. 23. 19. is the Altar that sanctifies all our spirituall sacrifices Isa 56. 7. and 60. 7. Their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar and they shall come up with acceptance on mine Altar 3. A work is materially good when the materials of it are the things that God requires as prayer alms-giving c. Now though the matter of these duties be things that God commands to be done yet because the doing of them doth not necessarily and intrinsecally take in a sincere aim and respect to God but is onely reducible unto God and that so as that the same thing may be done with other respects for carnal men do all things with carnal self respects therefore the goodnesse of such works is not in the things themselves barely and abstractly considered in the work done but in the right spirituall manner of performing them such were the Pharisees praying and the sacrifices and services of those wicked Jews in Isa 1. 4. There be some works that are so essentially intrinsecally good in themselves that if they be done they must needs be spiritually and divinely done because they have relation to God in their very acting and do intrinsecally and in the substance of the work respect God as namely a sincere love and fear of God a trusting in God and waiting upon God These actions are so inherently good that though they may be imperfectly done by us because not done with all that strength and height of spirituality and sincerity that the Law requires yet they can never be done prophanely and selfishly and so displeasing unto God Now it is evident that carnall men by the principles of nature acted and improved may do things morally good such works as have relation to men are good in the sight of men and tend ro the good of men 2. They may do works materially good such works whose goodnesse doth not necessarily consist in the doing of them but in the spiritual manner of doing them but then they perform them onely in a carnal selfish manner not divinely and spiritually Natural men cannot do a good work spiritually and obedientially they cannot do it with a filâ— all submissive affection unto God 1. Because they are not quickned and acted by the spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. Gal. 4 6. 2. Every good work that is spiritual is vital for the spirit quickneth But now both the persons and performances of carnal men are dead Heb. 9. 14. Therefore though the works of naturall men in respect of the substance or matter thereof seem very specious and glorious unto men who judge according to the sight of their eyes and do measure the intention and affection by the work that they see and not the work by the intention and affection which they cannot see yet to God who seeth not as man seeth such works are abomination because they are diâ—ected to their own corrupt ends and done with carnal affections Luke 16. 15. 3. Natural men by the strength of Principles of naâ—ure cannot do those works â—hat are essentially and inherently good They cannot sincerely and spiritually love God nor fear him nor trust in him because they are living actions coming from the spirit of life 7. The Law of nature is of divine authority the omnipotent God is the authour thereof he is the giver and graver the contriver commander and publisher of it Hence it is that 1. It hath an efficacious influence and the highest binding vertue upon mens consciences no created power in heaven or earth can absolve them from their obedience thereunto 2. This Law is an indelible and immutable rule yesterday and to day the same for ever it ties all people and persons with an impartiall hand it shines upon all Nations and times with a perpetual light none can claim exemption from this natural Law unlesse they can cease from their rationall being This divine writing cannot totally be defaced or blotted out in the worst of men 8. This Law of nature as it is in its latitude does bind men in the Court of Conscience Natural Conscience is the Center of natural Principles it dictates what the law of nature requires applies it and so incites and ingageth men to the observation thereof yet sometimes Conscience erroniously incites men to those Acts which were never dictated by any divine Law 2. Conscience reflects upon what is done and so calls men to a strict accompt for every violation of natures Law accusing them when they act contrary to it and excusing them when they walk up to it Rom. 2. 15. 9. Every violation of the Law of nature is exceeding injurious to God and to mans own being 1. It is a secret contempt of that supream Lord
making 2. The Gospel tells us that poverty of spirit is the richest qualification They that are poorest in their own sense are best qualified for the riches of mercy Our Saviour requires no portion of those that come to him but meer poverty and emptinesse We have an excellent place Math. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven They that are truly sensible of their own spiritual poverty nothingnesse vilenesse and wretchednesse have a reall title to all the treasures of mercy and pardons revealed in the Gospel Theirs is the Kingdome of heaven They are actually blessed and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeca dictio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propâ—ie mendicos significat Jansen have a present propriety in the Kingdome of heaven and therefore the pardoning mercy of God is theirs It is observable that the first promise is made to the poor in spirit to beggars in spirit for that is the proper signification of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such as have a spirituall sense of their own extream emptinesse basenesse and misery and are willing to receive life and pardon upon meer gift and free favour of God as the poorest beggar receives an alms Augustine and Chrysostome expound it of inward humality so that poverty of spirit is the first fundamentall qualification 3. A spirituall sense of our own great unworthinesse and vilenesse is our greatest inherent worthinesse The greatest worthies such of whom the Heb. 11 world is not worthy have no worthiness but onely in Christ Jesus 4. God is pleased to show mercy to those that can do nothing of themselves to please God Micah 7. 18. 5. The great God extends mercy to believing penitens not according to the largenesse of their qualification but according to the largenesse of his own free grace this is excellently held forth 1 Chron. 17. 19. in that thanksgiving speech of David O Jehovah according to thine own heart thou hast done al this greatnesse for thy servant that is al 1 Chron. 17. 11 12. this great mercy as is evident by the preceding words God promiseth great mercies and blessings to Davids seed he would build up Davids house and his sonne should build up an house for him Three eminent mercies are here promised to Davids seed that should be raised up after him in his Kingdome 1. God promiseth to be his father and to take him to be his sonne a mercy of mercies verse 12. 2. Though he fell scandalously yet he would still continue his mercy to him I will not take away my mercy from him c. verse 13. 3. God would establish his Throne for ever verse 12. 14. Now in verse 16. David falls into admiration of this great mercy of God towards him and his house David the King said what am TO Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto Thou hast done very much for me and spoken great mercies concerning my house What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant for the great honour thou hast put upon him for thou knowest thy servant verse 18. thou ownest him in way of peculiar love and mercy O Jehovah according to thine own heart hast thou done all this greatnesse of mercy as if David had said it is not according to the largeness-of my heart in serving thee it is not according to the largenesse of my love towards thee nor according to the largnesse of my qualifications but according to the largenesse of thine own love bounty and good pleasure thou hast done all this mercy for me This is a precious ground of comfort to consider that the great God shows mercy to repenting souls according to the infinite largenesse and freenesse of his own heart as great Kings do give as Kings not as other men but like themselves answerable to the greatnesse of their persons and largenesse of their treasures so the Lord God shows mercy as an infinite God he pardons his people according to the infinite greatnesse of his own goodnesse and largenesse of his treasures We sinne as men as finite creatures but Jehovah forgives and gives as a God his mercies are infinite 2. Our spirituall qualifications at our first believing are small and weak our humiliation but as a drop of a bucket our faith but as a grain of mustard seed all our service but as a poore mite and therefore if God should pardon us according to the narrownesse and weaknesse of our qualifications how little mercy should we receive not enough to cover the least of our sinnes but when God forgives us according to the largenesse of his own heart what exceeding riches what overflowing fulnesse of mercy do we receive enough to pardon all the sinnes of our thoughts and wayes though exceeding great and manifold 6. God pardons us freely for his own names sake and not for any thing we have or can do this is evident by Gods own Declaration to Israel Isa 43. 24. 25. Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities yet I I am he who blotteth out thy transgressions defections revoltings for mine own sake sayes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord God and will not remember thy sinnes Let us consider the extream vilenesse and unworthinesse of these men to whom the promise of mercy is here given 1. They had brought no offerings to God verse 23. they had performed no worship to him 2. They were weary of God and they wearied God with their iniquities they were burthened with Gods service Verse 22. 24. and did burthen God with their sinnes yet God will freely and fully pardon these great sinners he will not remember their iniquities against them upon their returning to him but it is meerly for himself for his own sake it is his own good pleasure that moveth God to forgive them for the manifestation of his abundant goodnesse and mercy Yea God will have his people to know it that when he pardons them it is not for their sakes it is not out of respect to any qualification in them by way of merit or motive but meerly for his own sake Ezek. 36. 22. Say unto the house of Israel thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sake O house of Israel but for my boly names sake In verse 21. God sayes that he spared them and shewed mercy to them for his holy Name wheras he might justly have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 destroyed them for their sinnes as the Hebrew word here used imports chamal signifies to show mercy to those who by all right might justly be destroyed Ezek. 5. 11. 1 Sam. 15. 3. This consideration may mightily strengthen our faith in that our God extends pardoning mercy to us according to the infinite largenesse of his own heart and from the incomparable freenesse of his own grace not according to the inlargement of our qualifications nor for any thing we do or can perform Oh
shall find that God requires the obedience of our thoughts as well as of our speeches and visible actions We must labour to bring every thought into a sincere subjection to God Our thoughts must be guided by the written Counsell of God Prov. 20. 18. Establish thy thoughts by counsell That is we must take counsell at the word of God how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dispose and order our thoughts We should not conceive a thought in our minds unlesse we have counsell and direction from Gods word Renewing Grace that comes into the soule by the preaching of the Gospel is effectuall to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. Grace first brings in our thoughts to Christ and then our words and works Every thought of the heart must bow the knee to King Jesus he must have his Throne in our thoughts then he is said to rule in our hearts when our aime and indeavour is to order all our thoughts according to the rule of his word The spirituall law of God commands and calls for the love and service of our thoughts Matth. 22. 37. Thou shalt Mâ—rk 12. 30. Luke 10. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love the Lord thy God with all thy thoughts he must be served with all our minde that is with our thoughts the actings of our minde It was the earnest desire and endeavour of David to order his thoughts as well as his words according to Gods will as in his sight Psal 19. 15. The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart shall be to thy will in thy sight O Jehovah This reading I take to be nearest the Hebrew And so the Syrick Ad voluntatem thus the interlinear reads it The meditation of my heart shall be according to thy will O Lord. And so the Arabick The thought of my heart shall be according to thy will God will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accept of nothing but what is according to his revealed will But now though Grace doe in some measure subdue and subject our thoughts to Gods will yet there is still a stifnesse and inflexibility remaining in our minds so far as they are carnall they are unwilling to bow to the Scepter of Christ and they are apt to rebell against his royall Law and to go astray continually but when our thoughts begin to stray and wander Grace brings them in againe to the paths of Christ it layes a solemn charge upon them not to wander any more and bindes them to subjection if ever we will prove our selves to be savingly sanctified it must be our chiefe and continuall care to serve and glorifie God in our thoughts as well as in our words and works God must be sanctified in our hearts and glorified with our Isa 8. 1 Cor. 6. 20. 21. soules by giving up all our thoughts and affections to his will There is a thought-service that Jehovah expects and exacts of his people as well as a tongue-honour and worke-service Oh therefore let us labour to render withall reverence and zeale unto the Father of spirits a continuall cheerfull thought-service most purely and abundantly and the rather because it is so exceeding pretious and pleasing to God There be foure things that doe commend and declare the surpassing excellency and preciousnesse of this thought-worship and service 1. It flowes more immediatly from the heart that that God chiefly desires and wherein he principally delights he calls for our heart as that which carries the whole man with it thoughts are the free and immediate productions of mans heart 2. No created power can hinder our thoughts from serving God and converses with him opportunities abilities and means may faile for outward performances but the heart is alwayes at leisure and liberty to think graciously and spiritually 1. All the powers of this world yea all the powers of Hell cannot hinder a sanctified heart from an invisible fellowship and fruition of God with thoughts of sweetest rapture and reverence of love and lowliest adoration 2. They cannot restraine it from bathing it selfe in that open fountaine the precious blood of Jesus Christ with thoughts of unspeakable peace joy and triumph 3. Nor from closing and clasping about the pretious promises of life or diving into the unsearchable depths of Grace and mercy with thoughts of faith and highest admiration 4. They cannot hinder a gracious heart from being as a mountaine of incense sending up a spirituall sacrifice of praisefull admiring thoughts to the God of mercy 3. This thought-service is the most spirituall service it is ordinarily full of spirituallnesse intention and life because it is nearest the object of adoration The streames which are next the well-head are purest and strongest the more spirit and life is in our service the more precious it is The best men though they may strive to doe their best every way yet they shall finde different degrees in their abilities to performe and in the actuall discharge of their duties to God their works doe not allwayes answer exactly to their words their words cannot fully express the thoughts of their hearts the thoughts of their hearts come infinitly short in conceiving of the excellency of Gods majesty mercy might and glorious perfections The thoughts of sanctified soules laying hold with immediate and neerest embracements upon that al-glorious object the Lord God and his sweetest attributes give him the glory of his infinite excellencies with more life heartinesse and heavenlinesse then their words or actions can doe 4. A constant thought-service is the surest signe of heart-sincerity John 4. 24. That worship that is most spirituall hath most truth of heart in it If mens change in words and works and all visible carriage were angelicall yet if their thoughts were not brought into subjection to Gods will they were still limbs of Satan A constant striving to subject all our thoughts to Christ is the most sound and undeceiving evidence of our uprightnesse this inward thought-service being secret and invisible is clothed with more certaine sincerity and hath a more speciall acceptance with God Seventhly Sanctifying Grace fits mans heart for divine meditations and fills it with holy heavenly thoughts it begets an inward fitnesse and freenesse to entertaine sanctified thoughts and brings in fulnesse of good thoughts by corrupt nature our mindes have not onely an emptiness of all holy thoughts but also an unfitnesse and aversnesse to take in holy thoughts carnall men are unfit and unwilling to set themselves to think of God and divine mysteries to enter into serious thoughts of their sins of their last end of the last judgement they have no minde to think what they have done what they are doing or what they shall doe they would have God depart from their thoughts and all Job 21. thoughts of a holy God and his wayes depart from them But when sanctifying Grace falls upon us it implants a freenesse and aptnesse in our
counterfeit light cast into our hearts some secret sparks of lust for in our solitary musings we may recall and think of the abominations of our former wayes especially of that sin that was our darling delight upon purpose to lament bewaile and abhor our selves for them thinking to be more seriously humbled for them and yet without a very watchfull eye the Devill casting in some secret Thoughts of wonted sinfull sweetnesse That which was intended by us for a renewing and re-acting of repentance Recordari volo transactas foedâ—tates meas carnales cor ruptiones anin a meae non quo â— eas amem sed ut amem Te Deus meus Aug. Conses lib. 2. may cursedly end in the re-acting of old sins and re-injoyment of filthy pleasures in our Thoughts Grace coming into mens soules breaks the very heart of that sweet sin of their carnall estate and their hearts from all delightfull Thoughts thereof And as in a besieged City where the greatest and most dangerous breach is made there the Inhabitants concur with chiefest care and highest resolution to fortifie and make resistance Even so sith the Saints know that before their calling their delightfull darling sin did most fearfully wast their soules and wound their consciences they set their thoughts with strongest resolution and much indignation to resist and repell abominate and abandon all delightfull thoughts of that sin 2 Grace makes men carefull at such solitary times that they doe not act any new sin in their thoughts and imaginations as sins of speculative wantonnesse worldlinesse ambition revenge discontent dishonouring Gods providence by unnecessary mistrustfull forecastings of fearful accidents upon themselves families posterity goods and Nation c. Some Sons of Belial there are who make no conscience of acting all manner of uncleannesse and horrible pollutions in their hearts by the meer work of imagination Yea many who carry a counterfeit heaven in their outward behaviour doe harbour execrable hells in their thoughts 3 Sanctifying Grace teaches us to 3d Rule make use of these solitary times as golden opportunities for Divine conference and comfortable converse with our God in secret It drawes up our thoughts to a summary view and serious consideration of those great mercies that God multiplies upon us and fills our hearts with many joyfull lowly and most thankfull thoughts Grace seasons some part of our solitary time with holy musings and soule-talkings with God and this is a clear character whereby the Saints are differenced from the best of carnall men Morall persons and formall professors cannot thus fill up their solitary times with holy Meditations yea of all things they love not to be alone for thought-speakings with God and with their owne hearts They may affect solitarinesse upon some private business for the more profound contriving of worldly matters for a more free but filthy acting of heart-adulteries and thought-fornication to feed upon dull and fruitlesse melancholly to let their thoughts range and run riot into a world of vaine imaginations But to be alone onely for this purpose that the minde may more freely fix upon Divine objects and impartially enquire into the spirituall estate of their soules they cannot they will not endure it But godly men delight to be alone that they may be more with God and have more freedome for godly thoughts 14 Sanctifying Grace teacheth us to watch over our thoughts continually with holy wisedome and godly jealousie Our hearts are like to a besieged City liable every moment both to inward commotions and risings and outward assaults 1 The fountaine of Originall corruption though the main stream and bloody issue be stayed and stopped by the sanctifying power of Christs death yet it doth still bubble up rebelliously into vaine loose impure thoughts 2 The Devil watcheth all opportunities to cast in his fiery darts to set our thoughts all in combustion and to fill them with fiery lusts therefore we ought to set a watchfull Guard over our thoughts and Keep our hearts above Prov. 4. 23. all keeping as we are commanded We must Guard and keep our thoughts more then any thing that is watched or guarded whether City house or treasure The eye of vigilancy should never be off from our hearts The thoughts are the entry of mans heart and therefore must be kept with a strong guard As they that would keep out Theeves doe strongly guard the entry of their house so they that would preserve their hearts from theevish lusts must carefully keep their thoughts If this entry be unguarded there is a free passage for Devils and all defiling sins to enter into mens soules The hearts of morall men and formal professors lies commonly open without speciall guard and settled government Though their words may be watched over and their outward actions reformed yet they cannot endure the restraint and regulation of their inward thoughts and imaginations The continuall confinement and keeping in their thoughts by a narrow watch is a yoke that they cannot bear It may be out of Principles of naturall light and some generall apprehensions of the powers of the world to come they may be so far carefull about their thoughts that if some kind of black and monstrous thoughts doe rise up inticing them to grosse and infamous sins which would bring an odious blot upon their names or danger in the world or breed much terrour and torture in their consciences they presently set against them abandon and expell them Thus formalists may have a slight superficiall mis-guided care and oversight of their thoughts at some times but they cannot make it their chief and continuall care to watch over all their thoughts at all times because the Mystery of iniquity working in their thoughts was never yet opened to them by the power and light of saving grace The keeping of their hearts is to them the last and least of a thousand cares But all sanctified persons make it the greatest care and one of their chiefest Christian labours to guard their hearts and guide their thoughts and to keep them alwayes in a holy humble heavenly frame Our hearts will not keep in order and frame one moment without a strict watch and guard The hearts of carelesse men are like a River that hath no bounds nor banks which runs out every way We may take a view of this sanctified watch that grace sets over the thoughts in these five Points Grace teacheth us to keep a continuall watch over our thoughts 1 That we may timely discover and wisely defeat the Devils stratagems and policies whereby he labours to take and corrupt our thoughts 1 Sometimes he assaults us by suggestions raised from the occasions and advantage of 1 Our naturall Constitution and temper 2 Of our outward temporall condition either prosperity or poverty honour or contempt 3 Of our infancy or growth weaknesse or strength in Christianity 4 Of our particular calling company place where we dwell or the like 2 Sometimes Satan sets