directions that shall be given any thing available for the subduing of them But this being hoped of you we proceed Secondly Work thy Heart to a perfect detestation of all wicked and sinfull Cogitations that thou mayst say with David I hate all vain Thoughts Psal 119.113 It is not enough for thee to dislike them only but that thou must abhorr them and detest them for a cold dislike may turn at last to an earnest love yea so abhorr them as that thou do abhorr and loath thy self in regard of them God promiseth the House of Isreal That He will save them from all their Uncleanness Ezek. 36.29 But then saith he You shall remember your own evil wayes and your Doings which were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and abominations ver 31. intimating That when a man begins to look upon himself and comes once to see the pollution of his spirit he cannot but loath himself and grow into an indignation against himself for it Whilst he looks upon his sinful Life he appears like a rotten and dead Carkase loathsome but when he looks upon his inward spirit from whence comes those evil Thoughts and sinful Cogitations of his he doth as it were anatomize and open that rotten Carkasse and then the savour of it is far more loathsome and odious in his Nostrills this must be done before we can have any comfortable assurance that God will save us from our Uncleanness that is pardon them in and through the merits of Christ And thus if thou hatest thy sinful Thoughts with a perfect hatred so as to loath them and abhorr thy self in regard of them thou wilt deal by them as Ammon did by his sister Tamar who after he had committed folly with her and satisfied his Lust upon her hated her exceedingly So that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love wherewith he before loved her saith the Text 2 Sam. 13.15 Insomuch that he thrust her out of Doors and commanded that the Door should be bolted after her ver 17 Thou must do what lies in thee to turn them out of thy heart and keep them out of thy heart which thou wilt never do unless thou hatest them exceedingly which thou canst not but do if thou remembrest effectually what hath been before said of them in the Motives Thirdly Furnish thy heart with store of good matter that thy thoughts may find imployment about that which is good A good man hath a good treasury in his heart as our Saviour tells us and an evil man hath an evil treasury there and out of their treasury Both bring forth accordingly Math. 12.35 The good man out of his habit of heavenly-mindedness will ever be thinking and speaking of what is good The mouth of the Righteous speaketh wisdom saith David and his Tongue talketh of Judgment The Law of God is in his heart Psal 37.30 31. But the wicked man or man of Belial walketh with a froward mouth and as if his mouth were not open enough to express his wickedness he winketh with his Eyes as Solomon shews and in so doing he speaks deceit he speaks with his Feet rage and anger by stamping he teacheth his Fingers and so by his pointings and signs speaks scoffs and mocks And the reason of all this is lewd things are in his heart Prov. 6.12 13 14. Out of that evil treasury that is in him he brings forth such evil things His heart is no other then a Stew of unclean and polluted thoughts A very Shamble of cruel and bloody thoughts An Exchange or Shop of vain thoughts A very Forge and Mint of false politique and undermining thoughts yea many times a very Hell of confused and black thoughts as speaks a judicious and godly Divine Dr. Sibbs Souls Conflict p 273. now Who can expect to have any good come out of such a Treasury Therefore be sure that the Treasure in thy heart be a good Treasure A true Treasure as you know is of what is precious we do not esteem Stones and Pibbles Trash and Rubbish to be a Treasure and there must be good good Store of it too else it is no Treasure How precious are thy Thoughts unto me O God and how great is the Sum of them Psal 139.17 that is The Meditations that I have of thee and of those excellent and great Works of thine which before he had mentioned they are in my esteem very precious the specialties are innumerable if I should count them they are more in number than the Sand Here was a Treasure indeed Great and Good And God is not wanting to furnish our hearts with Store of such Treasure affording us matter for Meditation both from his Word and Works It is his Will that his Word should be in our hearts to this end that it might take up our thoughts Deut. 6.6 7 8. That which we read and hear should furnish our Treasury with godly Meditations that Chapter is but sorrily and carelesly read that doth not afford us some Mites for this Treasury that Sermon is but sorrily preached and carelesly heard on the Lord's-day that doth not furnish us with some good matter to meditate and exercise our thoughts upon all the Week after Then the Works of God of Creation and Providence the Sun Moon and Stars the Winds and Vapours Storms and Tempests contribute very much towards our Treasury Psal 8. 19. 107. 148. There is not a Fowl in the Heaven a Fish in the Sea a Worm crawling on the Earth but brings a Penny in the Mouth of it to pay Tribute to our Caesar Not a Tree in the Field a Flower in the Garden but affords us matter of heavenly Meditation wherein some glorious Attribute of God may be seen Nor is there any Act of Man's Life be it never so vitious nor any Calling wherein we are employed but affords matter whereby the thoughts of those that do exercise it may be spiritualized Persius We read of one who seeing a foul Toad bitterly lamented his Ingratitude towards God who had made him a Man and not a Toad yet he had not been so serviceable to his God as that Toad had been in it's kind And we read of another Pambo who seeing a leight Woman finely tricked up and curiously adorned to allure and please her Lovers burst out into tears and being asked why he wept he answered For that he did not take so much pains to please his God and adorn his Soul that it might he lovely in the Eyes of his Saviour as that Strumpet did to please sinful men And Climacus a Greek Father tells us of a Cook-Servant in a Colledg a very Religious man who was very devout in serving God and often moved with Compunction to mourn for Sin This Father asking him by what means he attained to such a degree of Mortification and Holiness answered I in this work of the Kitchen did never think that
that which is more conspicuous and appaâ—aâ—t Now suppose that there were an open window into thy Heart so that every one that passeth by might see all thy Thoughts as transparantly as thy Actions in an open Market would it not cause thee to be as careful of them as thou are of thy outward behaviour and carriage Why all things are naked and open before him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 This should move you to look to your Thoughts and have a care of your inward dispositions Secondly Remember that as God knows the thoughts so he ponders them Prov. 21.2 The Lord ponders the heart saith Solomon He weighs them and discovers what substance is in them And for this end he doth it that he may give to every one the Fruit of them as Solomon shews Prov. 24 12. Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it and shall not he render to every man according to his Works Thy Thoughts he puts into one ballance and the Recompence into the other and gives weight for weight For good Thoughts a good Recompence as David found who had it in his heart so build a House unto the Lord 1 King 8.18 And albeit God in his Wisdom saw it not fit for him so do it yet for his good Thought God promised and performed what he had promised to build David a House and establish his Kingdom for ever 2 Sam. 16. But if our thoughts be vain and wicked he will recompense us accordingly and answer us according to the stumbling-block that is set up in our hearts Ezek 14.3 4. So Esay 65.2 6 7. If thou beest his Child and yet harbourest vain and sinful Thoughts within thee he will correct thee for them if thou beest not his Child he will then judge thee and condemn thee for them Jer. 6.19 This should make us careful of our thoughts as well as of our words and actions Thirdly It would be remembred that God expects to have his Glory shine in our Thoughts as well as in our outward Conversation It is from him that we have our Souls and all the powers of it as well as our Bodies with the members thereof He hath planted them in us and he looks to taste of the Fruit of those Trees that he hath planted It is he that hath redeemed the Soul as well as the Body and looks to be glorified both in Soul and Body by us He hath a Soveraignty over the whole man his Law binds both Soul and Body and both must be yielded up to be governed by him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all the heart with all the Soul and with all the Mind is the Law Luke 10.27 Now in giving way to any evil thought we turn God out of our hearts at that time the heart is not then for God but taken up for the service of the World Flesh or Devil we bring not forth Fruit to God but to his Enemies and the Enemies of our Salvation Christ was angry with that Figg-Tree that grew by the way side when he being hungry coming to it found nothing but Leaves upon it insomuch that he cursed it Never fruit grow on thee any more Matth 21.18 19. So coming to the garden of thy Soul and finding little or nothing growing upon the best Tree there thy Mind and Understanding but empty and loose imaginations at the best thou mayst be assured he will be so provoked by thee as that he will pass some sore and severe Sentence against thee Let this prevail with thee to look unto thy thoughts that they be not sinful Fourthly God esteems himself highly honoured by us when care is had that we dishonour him not in Thought when we so regard his all-seeing Eye as that we will not offend him in taking liberty so much as to offend him in thinking any thing that may displease him albeit man can take no notice thereof this is to sanctify God in our hearts 1 Pet. 3.15 And such as do thus God esteems as his Jewels and hath promised to preserve them safe as his special Treasure Mal. 3.16 17. And thus you have heard how in reference to God we ought to make conscience of our Thoughts and Cogitations Next in reference to our selves the like care should be taken For First By admitting of sinful Thoughts into our hearts we become defiled and polluted and are made as loathsome Lepers in the Eyes of God Matth. 15.18 19. Those things which come from the heart as evil Thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Thefts c. they defile the man Where our Saviour doth not speak only of actual Murther and Adultery but of the sinful disposition of the Soul these are they that defile the Spirit of man in God's sight who looks upon them with a more hateful Eye than any mortal Creature can look upon any thing loathsome with the eye of his Body The Thoughts of the Wicked are an domination unto the Lord saith Solomon Prov. 15.26 Not only abominable and loathsome but abomination it self in the Abstract Nor are all our actual sins committed by us in the Body simply considered in themselves and committed by the Body so hateful unto God as the pollution of the Spirit is Hear the Judgment of a very judicious and â—arned Divine in the Point Dr. Prest on the Attrib 2.7 I dare be bold to say saith he that though the Act contracts the Guilt because the Lust is then grown up to a height so that it is come to an absolute will and execution yet the act of Adultery and Murther is not so abominable in God's Eyes as the filthinesse of the Spirit Indeed when Thoughts break forth into Words and Actions and command the outward man it argues that Lust hath a more full dominion and soveraignty over a man than when it rests in the Thoughts and Heart and in breaking out it doth more dishonour God and doth more hurt unto Men 1 Cor. 15.33 in which regard it is worse to speak and do evil than to think evil But actual Sins being simply considered in themselves as was said before are not so odious nor abominable in the Eyes of Almighty God as is the filthiness and defilement of the Spirit for that God is a Spirit and it is the Spirit that he mainly looks upon In which respect our care should be to keep our Spirit clean from these defilements by wicked Thoughts if we would not be nasty loathsome and abominable Creatures in the Eyes and Nostrils of the Lord God Almighty who is of purer Eyes than to take any content in the Heart and Spirit of such as are so defiled Secondly In entertaining sinful Thoughts we make our hearts a Lodge and Harbor for Rebels and Traytors which conspire against the Crown and Dignity of the King of Heaven For What Sin is committed against the most High God Rom. 7.23 that is not first plotted in the heart as anon shall be shewed more largely It is
à cogitationâ— facilius est coeâ—um obsâ—raâ—e quà m animam that He who shut the Heavens by his prayer meaning Elijah could shut his heart from all vain and worldly Thoughts for he was subject to like passions saith St. James as we are Jam. 5.17 And hence infers That it is an easier thing to shut the Heavens than to keep the heart from wandrings Our thoughts are generally more evil then good and more upon worldly then heavenly things in regard of our corrupt nature we being more Flesh then Spirit and the many earthly and wordly Objects presented to oâ—r senses in our ordinary Callings which do enforce us ordinarily to think of earthly things more then of heavenly but it doth not follow from hence that our hearts are unsanctified for that the tryal of Sanctification consists not in the multitude of our thoughts but in the mightiness of our thoughts not so much in the number of them as in the entertainment that we give them The Workman thinks more of his Work and Tools the Husbandman of his Husbandry c. than of their dear Wives and Children yet who will say that they affect them better When they think of Wife or Children if they be as they ought to be they think of them with much more joy and delight then on any thing in this World their thoughts towards them are very strong and fervent So though our thoughts that pass through our hearts of vain and transitory things be very many yet our mighty and strong thoughts are upon God and his wayes Object 2 But when I am about holy Duties then I am troubled most with sinful thoughts Not a Sermon that I hear not a Prayer that I make but I am distracted with the thought of some sin or other Cogitationem matammali Resp First Know that all thoughts of sin in praying or hearing c. are not sinful Divines have taught us wisely to distinguish betwixt an evil thought and the thought of evil Every thought of evil is not an evil thought There may be thoughts about evil which are either in pure speculation or natural consideration of the thing or with averseness of affection from the matter thought on And such thoughts of evil may be inspired in us by the Spirit of God moving us to to consider of Sin and think of evil forbidden as alwayes to fear the defilement of it and to stir us up so abhor and shun it And such thoughts of evil are not evil but good nor can any be good without it Beware lest you mistake in this Ascendentes Secondly Such thoughts as are evil would be distinguished of some arise from that evil concupiscence that is within us these are Ascending thoughts such as the corrupt heart of man doth breathe out Of these our Saviour speaks Luke 24.38 Why do Thoughts arise in your hearts Nothing that ascendeth out of the corrupt heart can be good which is as the foaming Sea steeming out and evaporating up continually a world of sinful thoughts â— and ill-disposed imaginationâ— And others are put into us from without either from Sathan's immediate suggestions So Sathan provoked David to number the People mmissae 1 Chron. 21.1 and Judas to betray his Master Joh. 13.27 Or from Satan's Instruments as Job 2.9 Matth. 16.22 23. Now those thoughts that are from without us which Sathan doth put into us or are occasioned from man's solicitation or provoking of us or do arise by occasion of some external Object they may be so resisted as that they shall not be accounted ours they do no farther defile us than we make them ours by assent and consent as may appear by that Speech of Christ Matth. 15.18 19. Nothing defiles a man but what comes from within If they be only from without they defile us not if by Grace they are repelled by us Yet it cannot be denied that those sinful thoughts which distract us in holy Duties are if not altogether yet for the most part from within our selves arising from man's corrupt heart and occasioned by a great neglect in the performance of our Duties As in want of preparation before we enter upon the Duty we bring with in unsanctified and unprepared thoughts to the hearing and reading of the Word to Prayer and the like we set not our selves as in God's presence not considering how great a God and holy a God we have to deal withall we receive the Word as the Word of Man we pray as to man it may be not so reverently but carnally and hypocritically for vain-glory and by-respects That is a great wane of attention so what is â—id when the Word is preached few Lydias's are amongst us whose heart God so opens that we diligently attend to what is spoken Great want of Intention and Retention we give too much liberty to our senses Act. 16.14 and suffer our Eyes and Ears to wander too much we are too formal in that we do regarding formality more then substance And are very inconstant in the Duties of God's Worship and Service Besides a customary and carnal keeping of the Sabbath may be a great cause that we are molested with sinful thoughts in our Prayers all the week after These and such like may be the reasons why we are so troubled with wandering thoughts in holy performances And yet albeit we are so deeply faulty and must needs charge our selves as guilty Yet we may not conclude that because of these there is no saving Grace in us Besides These evil Thoughts God will sanctify unto us and cause them to work for our good God could if he would and would if he had seen fitting have taken away the swarm of evil thoughts wandrings and rovings out of our minds upon out Regeneration but he suffers them to fly up and down in our imaginations for our profit As to humble us under a sight and sense of our sinful and corrupt Nature which is needfull for us to be often put in mind of by nothing better then by the wandring of our Spirits which shew manifestly of what a Nature we are and what we would be For as our Thoughts are such would we be were we left alone So to make us the more watchful over our hearts and to have an eye to the door thereof Seeing such a multitude of vagrants hanker about the House which we may conclude upon come for no good It causeth us to renue our interest every day in Christ's Righteousness and Obedience There is nothing that moveth a godly man to do this more then those sinful stirrings of his Soul which he finds daily in him intising and drawing away his heart from God saith a holy man Dr. Sibbs His Souls Conflict p. 273. And it is a means so cause us to long the more after our dissolution that we may be rid of this Body of Sin it maketh them to pant and breathe after a full and perfect deliverance from the
to that evill Counsellor Self 125 Motives to take Advice 117 128 Doct. 5. What the Heart thinks that it sayes 128 Use 1. To make us careful in thinking as well as in wording 129 Use 2. To comfort us in our greatest streights ibid. Doct. 6. Wealth hath its Distractions as well as Want 130 Reas A Worldly man is wedded to the World 132 Use 1. To inform our Judgments concerning the Estate of Worldly wicked men 136 Use 2. To reprove those who distract themselvs with carking Cares about things of this life 137 Use 3. To moderate our Care about things of this World 139 Motives to it some respecting God some in reference to others and some in relation to our selvs 140 141 c. Rule three-fold to be observed for the Cure of carking-Care 144 145 c. Doct. 7. The Rich man's Store proves many times his Sore 151 Reas 1. It may happen through Man's Corruption 153 Reas 2. Through the Wickedness and Malice of other men ibid. Reas 3. God in Judgment follows many a Rich man's abundance with a Curse 154 Use 1. Not to fret because of the prosperity of the Wicked 155 Use 2. To be contented with a mean Estate ibid. Use 3. For Rich men to learn how to abound as well as the Poorer sort have been taught how to want 157 Doct. 8. Worldly Wealth cannot keep from Want 159 Reas 1. In regard of the Nature of all Worldly things 160 Reas 2. In regard of the Nature of the Disease that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Worldly men are troubled withal 162 Use 1. To rectify our Judgments concerning Rich men and Riches 163 Use 2. It should tend to the reforming of our Practice 167 Doct. 9. Want of room is a great Want to a Covetous Worldling 170 Use To rebuke the covetous and ambitious Brood 173 Doct. 10. A Worldly man may have so much that he knows not where to bestow it 176 Reas There is a price put into the hand of a Fool to get Wisdom but he hath no Heart ibid. Use To blame merciless men who suffer so many to perish when they have so much as that they know not where to bestow it 177 Vers 17. And he said This will I do I will pull down my Brans and build greater and there will I bestow all my Fruits and my Goods Doct. 1. The Wicked are presumptuously wilful 180 Reas 1. Pride naturally abounds in the Heart of a Wicked man so that good Counsel is rejected as contemptible 181 Reas 2. They are wholly led by sensuality ibid. Vse 1. To inform us whence it is that Ministers do no more prevail with us in their Callings they having the Will of Man to deal with ibid. Vse 2. This wilfulness in unregenerated Persons ought to be lamented 182 Vse 3. To teach us to subdue our Wills and bring them into Subjection 188 Directions that we may not be made miserable by our Wills 191 c. Doct. 2. The Covetous pull down their own Barns with their own hands 193 Vse 1. To inform us what Vermin do most mischief our Barns ibid. Vse 2. It deservs the serious thoughts of the wickedly-wealthy who by indirect means encrease their Riches fill their Barns and enlarge their Buildings 194 Doct. 3. Worldlings lavish out their Wealth to satisfy their Lusts 194 Vse 1. To reprove the lavishing out of Wealth in these our dayes 196 Vse 2. To detect the end they have in their wasteful Expences viz. Self 198 Doct. 4. Worldlings are much delighted with variety and Change ibid. Reas 1. The Appetite of the Will is common unto all ibid. Reas 2. In regard of a loathing satiety of all Sublunary Contentments which occasions this desire of Change 199 Use 1. The misery of Worldly men doth hence appear who find no content in what they do enjoy 200 Use 2. Not to be too confident in those who are given to Change 201 Doct. 5. Worldlings though lavish in some things are sparing in others ibid. Use To discover the misery of Worldlings in serving two Masters 203 Doct. 6. The Barn is the Worldlings Bulwark 204 Use 1. To shew their folly who venture all in one Bottom 205 Use 2. To follow our Saviour's Advice and lay up Treasure in Heaven 207 Doct. 7. Great means breed great minds 209 Reas Some from without our selves others from Satan but most from within out selves as Reas 1. Man's mind is leight through the Fall and soon blown up with the Reed of Riches 211 Reas 2. They perceive that Riches ruleth all ibid. Reas 3. In regard of carnall Self which teacheth men to turn the Glass and so to see themselves bigger and others less than indeed they are ibid. Use 1. To charge those are Rich that they be not high-minded 212 Antidotes against Pride 213 2â—4 215 Use 2. To bless God for his restraining Grace if thou art Rich and humble 215 Doct. 8. Worldlings prescribe what they have unto themselvs 216 Use To advise the wretched and ungrateful 217 Vers 19. And I will say to my Soul Soul Thou hast much Goods laid up for many years Take thine ease Eat drink and be merry Doct. 1. To hold a Conference with our Hearts is good 218 Use 1. To reprove those who come short of this Fool. 219 Use 2. To perswade us frequently to confer with our Hearts and Souls 220 Doct. 2. Much Love is pretended to the Soul but little or none is shewed ibid. Reas In regard of the lights of Conscience whereby we are convinced of it's Immortality 221 Use 1. To convince Worldlings how little their Souls are beholding to them for their Love 222 Use 2. To perswade us to Love not in Word and Tongue only but in truth and in deed 223 Arguments to bestow the Major part of our Love upon our Souls 223 2â—4 Doct. 3. Wealth is the Worldling's chiefest good 225 Use 1. To admonish us to free our selves from the false Opinion which Worldlings have of Riches 227 Use 2. To advise us not to make them hurtful to us through our own default 231 Doct. 4. Worldly men think they possess Riches when they are possessed by them ibid. Reas The Worldling is overcome of his Riches 232 Use 1. To rectify the Judgment of the Worldling ibid. Use 2. To keep our Goods in Subjection 233 Doct. 5. Worldly men thinke that riches consist in having much laid up and not in the use thereof 234 Reas It is the right Use of any thing that makes it good unto us ibid. Use 1. Not to think our selves Rich unless we have the fruition of our Riches ibid. Use 2. To teach us wisely to disperse our Riches abroad which otherwise will yield a loathsom Savour 236 Doct. 6. Worldly men promise to themselvs long Life when they have not many dayes to live 237 Reas 1. They foolishly imagine Time to be in their hand 238 Reas 2. They have a false Opinion of their Wealth ibid. Vse 1. To reprove
up your Reckonings They that cast up their Accounts daily have the easier work to do at the years end So it will be with you you shall find it so at the day of your Death Vse 2 Secondly Seeing Worldlings are so frequent in casting up their Reckonings and making up their Accounts I could wish and I would I could perswade them to do it seriously and in good earnest as this man in the Text is said to do nay somewhat better than he for he seems to take the Visus in gross Soul thou hast Goods layd up for many years Eat Drink and be Merry but we do not read that he did exactly look over his Bill of Parcels nor do it orderly The things that you must account for are your Receipts and Expences which are brought by some to three Heads Evil committed Good omitted Time pretermitted or mis-pent Mâ—li commissi â—oni omissi Temporis amissi I cannot stand to inlarge upon these only I desire that these worldly Accomptants would spend a little more time then they do about their Accompts for they might then find strange Items Item received Riches and laid out Oppression received Plenty and layd out Riot Received Speech and layd out Swearing Lying c Received Sight and layd out Lusting c. Of my Goods expended so much in fulfilling the Lust of the Flesh so much in a year for the Lust of my Eyes so much for the pride of Life But what for Works of Piety Charity Surely very little it may be not one penny And to what will all this amount to what is the summa totalis Surely the Curse of God on Body Soul Name State O goodly Gains But we come nearer to the Text. Text. He thought within himself And for this thinking thus within himself as he did he is reproved by our Saviour and branded for a Fool Hence we may inferr Doct. Sinful thoughts are as well displeasing unto God as sinful actions The Lord is as well displeased with the sinful cogitations of the mind as with the wicked actions of the Body For the clearing and confirming of this Point take notice First In that God straitly warneth us to take heed of suffering an evil Thought to be in us as Deut. 15.9 Beware look to it there is danger in it Secondly That Sinners are frequently blamed and reproved for their thoughts as well as for their words and actions So Psal 36.4 Esay 29.24 59 7. Ezek 11.2 Hos 7.15 Matth. 9.4 1 Cor. 14.24 Thirdly They are not only blamed and reproved for them but likewise severely threatned God calls the Earth to wâ—tness even all the World to take notice of his Resolution to punish the thoughts of evil men Jer. 6.19 So he threatned to punish the King of Assyria for that it was in his heart to kill and destroy Esay 10.7 God denounceth a Woe against such Mich. 2. and Esay 65.2 6. So are Hypocrites threatned for what they think Psal 50.21 And upon this ground Solomon disswadeth all treacherous and false-hearted persons to beware of cursing the King even in thought Eccles 10.20 For God will discover it and revenge it God will judge men for their thoughts both here Gen. 6.5 2 King 19.35 36 c. Fourthly Nor hath God only threatned to punish for sinful thoughts but he hath likewise punished them severely This is assigned as the cause of the drowning of the Old World The maginations of the thoughts of mans heart were only evil continually Gen. 6.5 And as he threatned the King of Assyria for his stout thoughts so accordingly he punished him 2 Kings 19.35 36 37. Fifthly Lastly However thoughts may escape unpunished here yet at the last day Sinners shall be called to an account for them and hereafter Eccles 3.17 12 ult Rom. 2.16 1 Cor. 4.5 and punished accordingly Eccles 3.17 12 ult Rom. 2.16 1 Cor. 4.5 The inward thoughts conceived in the heart as well as outward deeds closely carried from the knowledg of the World and drove in dark and remote places shall be judged and sentenced The Reasons why the Lord is offended with thoughts as well as with words or actions are many Reas 1 First His holy Law and Precepts are violated and broken by them Exod. 20.17 Thou shalt not covet which must needs be understood of Concupiscence and lusts of the Heart and so St. Paul understands it Rom. 7.7 Where by Lust is to be understood the very first motions that arise from our rebellious Nature whereby we are stirred up to do evil and do wiâ—h delight think on any thing contrary to the Will of God albeit Consent of heart do not follow And our Saviour in expounding of the Law sheweth that the very Thoughts Purposes and Affections are retrained by it Mat. 5.22 28. Now the least Aberration or Swerving from the Rule of the Law is a Transgression of it and so a Sin for Sin is a Transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3.4 And this is the Conclusion of the Wise Man Prov. 24.9 The Thoughts of Foolishness is Sin Sinners are Fools in Solomon's Language and all their Thoughts are Folly and Foolishness therefore sinfull and so displeasing unto God yea abominable to Him aâ— Prov. 15.26 Reas 2 Secondly He is as well displeased with them as with outward Actions for that they were the first Evils that ever were committed against God either by Angels or Men. The first Sin of Angelâ— did not consist in any bodily Act for they are noâ— capable of external Acts of Corporeal Agents but in the inward miscarriage and deviation of their Understandings and Wills And Man's Sin first began in the actual Aversion of his Thoughts from his Creator Eccl. 7. ult All Man's Actions that are voluntary as Man's Fall was have their first Rise from the heart and Thought is the first Motion of the Heart thereunto from which voluntary Act and Choice of his own Will not before corrupted but by that Act in consenting becoming corrupt he transgressed his Maker's Command Therefore it cannot otherwise be but that Thoughts must be highly displeasing Reas 3 Thirdly From the Thoughts of the Heart Prov. 6. and Motions of mens Minds proceeds all the mischief that men work there is no evill in the mouth or hand which was not in the heart first nor can the Flesh be corrupted unless the mind was corrupted before saith Ambrose For albeit at the first Man's Sin proceeded not from any previous Corruption that was in his Nature but from the voluntary choice and act of his own Will yet since his Fall all the evill of his Thoughts and Actions spring from the Corruption of his Nature whereof Thoughts are the first-born And from that corrupâ— Fountain they do spring as our Saviour shews Mat. 15.19 so St. James cap. 1.15 So that it is no wonder if God be therewith highly displeased And so much for the Confirmation of the Point Now let us apply it Vse 1 The
who are approved of by men may be Abomination in the sight of God Men indeed judge of our Thoughts by our Words and Actions but God of our Words and Works by our Thoughts No outward Works so good and holy but Hypocrites have at some times done them And few outward Works or none so evil but some godly men at some times through Temptation have fallen into them But how like soever such Works whether good or bad have been in the face yet the difference is great in the heart of the Doer which is that God distinguisheth the one from the other by Of which anon we shall speak somewhat more These are the Grounds of this Conceipt which mens hearts are possessed with That Thoughts are free and they have liberty to think what they list which opens a dooâ— to all Impiety For if Thought be free all will be free in the end Such shew what their Actions would be if they dared to act them But Do they not err that imagine evill saith Solomon Prov. 14.22 Which Question is not put by way of Doubt as if it were uncertain whether such erred or not but that Interrogation is a confident Asseveration They do err out of the wayes of Life that think evil in their hearts Say not then That Thoughts are free you have heard the contrary proved and that upon good Grounds and undeniable Reasons and withall the weak Grounds that are brought so this wicked Conceipt which is in many mens minds which I hope may serve to convince any of their Error that are so minded The Truth is so far are Thoughts from being free as that they may in some Cases prove unpardonable as St Peter intimates in that Speech of his which he used to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 Pray God if perhaps the Thought of thine Heart may be forgiven thee There was but a Perhaps in it no Certainty As the Thoughts of the Heart have been more or less active to plot and contrive Sin the more or less difficultly is a pardon obtained of it But to proceed Use 3 If God be displeased as well with sinfull Thoughts as outward Actions then let us repent of them and be humbled before God for them even the best of us From many outward gross Sins I doubt not but many of us can clear our selves and say with the Pharisee Luke 18.11 God I thank thee we are not as other men Extortioners Unjust Adulterers c. Yet although we know nothing by our selvs wherewith to charge our selves in regard of outward demeanour we are not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 For Who can understand his secret faults saith the Prophet Psal 19.12 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my Sin Prov. 20.9 There is no Man nor Woman so upright and holy living upon the Earth that can clear himself from evil Thoughts Let him live never so strictly or precisely so that no man can tax him for any outward Crime yet he shall find a Sea of Corruption and Filth in himself And if in Case any one should think himself perfect that very Thought would prove him perverse and that he knew not his own Soul Pro. 30.32 Job 9.20 21. If thou hast done foolishly as without question thou hast often done in lifting up thy self or it thou hast thought evil saith Agur lay thine hand upon thy mouth the meaning is If in case thou hast outwardly sinned through Pride in word or deed or if thou hast thought evil and conceived mischief in thy mind never so closely and secretly then Manum ad Os let thine hand be laid to thy mouth plead not chine own Innocency but be humbled before God and repent thee of thy Wickedness from the bottom of thy heart for in that sense the Phrase of laying the hand upon the mouth is used Job 40.4 In the Performance of this Duty whereto you are now exhorted See first That you take a diligent Survey of your hearts remembring That Thoughts of all sorts are in every man's mind by Nature We read that when God called his Prophet Ezekiel to the Door and willed him so digg through the Wall and enter in at the Door he was no sooner entred but he saw in the Chambers of the House every Form of creeping things and all sorts of abominable Beasts Ezek. 8.7 8 9. Look into thy heart that Chamber of thy Belly as Solomon phraseth it Prov. 18.8 and there thou shalt espy not onely creeping things in abundance such as are all idle foolish frothy earthly wanton and vain Thoughts which like Motes in the Sun fly up and down or like Ants in a Mole-hill run to and fro in thy mind hourly but many abominable Beasts such as are Thoughts of Atheism Blasphemy Murther Adultery Pride Revenge and such like thou mayest there discover which lodge and lye in thy polluted heart and there revell it day and night finding too friendly entertainment Unless these be discovered which is no hard matter to do they will never be dislodged and unroosted This is that which must be done that thou mayest be truly humbled as is required Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes that is both our hearts and lives and so turn again to the Lord. Secondly Lament and bewail the Vileness and Wickedness of thy heart in the sight of God So did the Church We have spoken Cruelty and Oppression conceiving and uttering out of the heart false matters Isa 59.13 And this is that which God required of his People Jer. 4.14 Jerusalem wash thy heart from Wickedness that thou mayest be saved which is in effect the same that is required by the Prophet Isa 1.16 Wash you make you clean c. and by St. James Cleanse your hands you Sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded men Jam. 4.8 where by hands the outward Actions and by hearts the inward Cogitations the one defiled by doing Evil the other by thinking Evil are to be understood And that we might not mistake his meaning in the words following he shews what a Washing and Cleansing both of the one and the other he intendeth Be afflicted and mourn and weep Ver. 9. Humble your selvs before God by godly Sorrow This Mourning for the Sinfulness of our hearts is termed Washing for that as the Filth of the Body is done away by Water so is the Filth of the Heart by true Remorse and godly Mourning for it It is true that the Blood of Christ and that only cleanseth the Soul from Sin both in regard of Guilt which is our Justification and in regard of Filth which is our Sanctification Zach. 12.1 1. John 1.7 But this Washing of Sanctification requires a double Act the one of God himself in the first Conversion and Renovation of a Sinner Ezek 36.25 and therein Man is meerly a Patient The other of Man cleansing himself yet more and more through the Power of God's blessed Spirit by Repentance and therein Man is
and Meditations as that he had neither room nor leisure for vain and sinful Thoughts to take place So Malach. 3.16 the Fear of God and Thinking upon his Name are joyned together for what we do indeed fear we most think upon Thus the thoughts that proceed from holy affections will eat up and devour our carnal thoughts and cares as the Apostle intimates Rom. 13.14 Wherefore keep spiritual Affections hot and lively in thy Soul suffer them not to cool and thou shalt soon be rid of many vain and sinful thoughts that now annoy thee Flies light not upon what is hot but upon that Vessel that hath cold Liquor in it Sixthly Begin the day with holy Thoughts and Meditations It was God's Command that the first that opened the Matrix should be his Exod. 34.19 So the first-born of thy thoughts daily are God's not thine but by Sacriledg When I awake saith David I am still with thee Psal 139.18 that is I no sooner open mine eyes but my thoughts are of thee and I am with thee in meditating of thy wonderful Goodness in preserving and keeping of me and of thy great Works and Wisdom So at the instant of you awaking let your hearts be lifted up to God in a thankful acknowledgment of his Goodness to you the Night past in giving you comfortable Rest for he it is that giveth his beloved Sleep Psal 127.2 In preserving of you from the dangers of the Night-past for it is he that hath kept thee Prov. 6.22 And he it is that reneweth his Mercies to thee every Morning Lament 3.22 23. This is to awake with God and to speak first with him till then no other thought nor business is to be admitted At your first awaking you shall find multitude of Thoughts attending on you to speak with you Dr. Tho. Goodwin's Vanity of Thoughts like Clients saith one speaking of this Subject at a great Lawyers Door in the Term time Now put Case some great Lord should be there amongst the rest Would he take it well if every inferiour Person should be admitted into the Lawyer 's Closet before him and he made to waite without doors till every Country Client were dispatched Judge then in this Case whether God will take it well at thy hands if every base and worldly thought shall be admitted into thy mind so soon as thou awakest and he last and least thought of who ought first to be heard and served It is good to consecrate a man's first awaking unto God In the Morning saith David I will direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up Psal 5.3 In so doing he knew his Prayer and Meditations should not be lost he would look after it as Suiters do after their Petitions which they prefer unto their Prince not doubting but to have a gracious Answer Certainly you shall find that religious Thoughts let into the heart in the Morning at our first awaking will keep it in better tune all the day after when worldly Thoughts are admitted they will but trouble us and distract us the more the whole day following or they stand about us but as Chesse-men to take up the Heart for the Use of the World Flesh and Devil and to draw away the Heart from the Service of our Maker The Wicked give their first Thoughts to those let us devote our first Meditations to God's Glory so if we be ready to praise him and till that be done we are unready he will be ready to bless us Seventhly Have a vigilant and watchful eye over thy Thoughts the whole day after for albeit thou season thy Soul with private and holy Meditations in the Morning yet a great care must be had the whole day following to keep them from Infection which in regard of our corrupt Nature we are apt so receive He that gives way to the suggestion of an evil Thought can hardly stop the Consent of a depraved Will or stay the working of an evill hand It is Wisdom's Advice above all keepings so keep the Heart Prov. 2.24 Set a strong Watch about that which if thou dost thou shalt be sure to take in thy Watch many wandring and roving Thoughts these must be taken up as Vagrants and corrected and sent away with a Pass to the place where they were born Others are stubborn and unruly Thoughts Thoughts of Atheism Blasphemy Infidelity dishonourable to God or Thoughts of Malice Revenge Pride Deceipt prejudicial to thy Neighbour These are like your sturdy Rogues that come unto your Doors and give ill Language use threatning words c. These lay hands upon and carry them to the next Justice even to the Lord chief Justice of the whole World and complain of them to him that they may be brought into Subjection 2 Cor. 10.4 Shew not the least favour to any of them and do it betimes at the very first appearance of them These are those Brats which must be dashed against the Scones whilest they are little ones Psal 137. if we would be freed from Babylonish Captivity of Sin Other Thoughts thou shalt apprehend in thy Watch which are lawful but unseasonable and in performance of Family Duties or private Devotions of which something was said before be assured that some Thought or other it may be of thy particular Calling will be jogging thee on the Elbow or pulling thee by the Sleeve and will thee to make haste thy Mother and thy Brethren are without to speak with thee let these stay a while put them by till another time Say as Abraham did to his Servants Abide you here at the bottom of the hill with the Asse whilst I and the Lad go to worship yonder and I will come again to you Gen. 22.5 Other thoughts you shall meet withall that can give you a good account whence they come and what they go about being good seasonable and necessary these relieve and succour according to Statute as God hath commanded And as this Watch much be daily kept so especially upon the Lord's Day above all other Dayes for then naughty thoughts like vagrant Rogues are prone to do us most mischief If we can but order our thoughts well this day we shall order them the better the whole week after but if in case you let your thoughts loose upon the Sabbath as some careless Masters do their Servants to go where they will and do what they will you shall not have them at so good command the six dayes following It is a day that God hath set apart for this end that we may be better enabled to keep our thoughts in order when we come to follow the works of our particular Calling and without we do it we cannot expect a blessing on our Labour Esay 58.13 14. Eighthly Avoid Solitariness and Idleness I joyn them because they are seldom separated and the Devil makes a like use of both taking occasion from both to fill the mind with dangerous and detestable thoughts When Eve was stragling
from her Husband for so it is generally held curiously viewing the pleasant Plants of the Garden then the Devil took an occasion to suggest into her mind base thoughts of God Gen. 3.1 2. When Dinah Jacob's Daughter was wandring alone idly from her Father's Tent to see the fashions of the Country Gen. 34.1 2. Gen. 39.11 12. then Shechem the son of Hamor caught her and defiled her When Potiphars Servants were all abroad about their business and Joseph left alone in the House then his lascivious Mistriss thought it a fit time to soliciâ—e him to commit wickedness with her When David was idle and solitary alone 2 Sam. 11.2 walking on the top of his House then was he tempted to lust and overcome And who finds not this experimentally true that they are no sooner idle and alone but armies of ill thoughts and desires come about them to offer their Service about one sinful imployment or another This the Heathen man observed the like may we These or many of these might be prevented by Christian society Scâ—nâ—c Epâ—st 10. and diligence in our Calling I know there is a time when to be private and alone Christianity requires it and some men's Calling of necessity enforceth it as the Student to be in his Study the Workman in his Shop Math. 6.6 the Traveller by the Way c. B. B. Hall Med. Vows lib. 2. med 60. And it is a great misery saith one to be either alwayes or never alone But in such a case when we are alone wandring thoughts would be carefully avoided and the mind kept and imployed either about something belonging to Godliness or at least about the Works of our lawful Callings and not with Domitian the Emperour to spend the time of our privacy in catching flyes for to Suetonius relates of him that one hour in a day he was wont to sequester himself from Company and all the while he did nothing but catch flyes and then kill them with a pen-knife which caused one being asked Who was with the Emperour to make answer scoffingly There is no body with him no not a flye but Beelzebub that Master-flye for so it signifieth say the Hebrew Writers will be ever present with such idle and solitary persons blowing upon them with his suggestions and temptations Let us that professe our selves Christians be ashamed not to spend our solitary hours better The Heathen man professed of himself Cic. Offic. l. 3. That he was never lesse idle then when he was idle nor never less alone then when he was most alone For when he was at leisure he thought of his businâ—sâ— and when he was alone he used to talk with himself So saith that Learned B. B. aforementioned In greatest Company I will he alone to my self in greatest privacy in company with God And so the Devil shall take no advantange against us in our Solitariness Ninthly and Lastly Commit thy heart and thoughts to God by earnest prayer daily beseech him to preserve thee from secret sins such are thy sinful thoughts Psal 19.12 And humbly beseech him that the meditations of thy heart may be such as that they may be acceptable in his sight ver 13. This doing rest assured that thy thoughts shall be established as is promised Prov. 16.3 Follow these Directions carefully and conscionably and doubt not but the success will be blessed and happy Use 5 I have yet a word or two more to speak for the comfort of such as truly and sincerely make conscience of the thoughts which they think as well as of the words which they speak and actions which they do before men there is no surer sign of inward sanctity and holiness than it and thou mayst comfort thy self therewith though other marks and signs may be wanting As some whom I have heard of have done who in the hour of temptation that they have been in when they could not be brought to fasten upon any mark of Salvation that was brought and applyed This only hath been a stay to their hearts that they have made conscience of their inward Thoughts and Cogitations as well as of their outward Conversation And this as I have shewed you before is made the note of an upright heart by Solomon Prov. 12.5 The Thoughts of the Righteous are right which is not so to be understood as if an upright heart were altogether void of Thoughts that are not right and allowable For sometimes Sathan casteth in matter to turn them out of the right course sometimes their own Flesh will play its part and stir up desires of Commodity and Praise and Pleasures and such like in them but these are as the muddiness that may be for a time in a good Fountain that is troubled with the tramplings of a Beast which the Fountain soon works out these they resist and judg themselves for and God takes no notice of them forasmuch as the general bent of their hearts and thoughts is to that which is right and pleasing in his sight And I beseech you mark me in this Point saith a judicious Divine Mr. Bolton His Dâ—scourse of true Happiness the 5th Edit p. 122. and one that had an excellent dexterity in comforting afflicting Consciences for words actions and all outwardness of carriage do not so clearly and impartially distinguish the power of sanctifiation from the state of formality as doth the composing and ordering of the thoughts according to the light of God's Word and holy motions of his sanctifying Spirit I know that many of God's dear Children are much troubled in mind and very much cast down in regard of the Vanity and sinfulness of their thoughts which ariseth from that evil concupiscence which remains unmortified in them so that they cannot be perswaded their hearts are upright before God or that they are truly sanctified their Soul refuseth comfort in that respect when yet none have more cause to be comforted then they Psal 77.2 in regard of the uprightness of their hearts towards God But let me use the word of the Evangelical Prophet to you Esay 51.1 Hearken unto me you that follow after Righteousness ye that seek the Lord. Stir up your hearts so many of you as fear the Lord and are subject to trouble of mind and heaviness of heart in regard of your distracting thoughts and admit of a word of comfort Object 1 Thou complainest of thy many worldly and wandring Thoughts wherewith thy heart is daily pestered which causeth thee as thou sayest to question very much whether thou art in the state of Grace or not thy Thoughts are not right How then canst thou conceive that thou art righteous Resp But this I know That the best man living upon the Earth shall find cause enough whilst he is in the state of mortality to complain in this kind I believe not saith one of the Fathers Non puto illum qui clâ—usâ—rat coelum oâ—a tioâ—â— quòd â—lausâ—râ—â— animam