Mans Imaginations, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of the want of good thoughts in eueryevery man naturally
Sect. I. Good thoughts about temporall things be much wanting.
HAuing spoken of mans naturall euill thoughts concerning God, his neighbour, and himselfe: we come to the second point to be observed in the text; to wit, That there is a want of good thoughts and consideration in eueryevery …an naturally: for the Lord here faith, his thoughts are evill from his youth.; and Chap. 6. 5. They are onelyonly euill eueryevery day: now looke where euill is onelyonly and continually, there good must needes be wāting altogether.
This want must be considered either in respect of temporall, or of spirituall things. By Temporall things I meane such worldly affaires and actions as concerne mans naturall life; wherein though good consideration be not taken quite away, yet wee must know that the same is corrupt, and very weake and imperfect, even as reason is; and there is much want in eueryevery man in this behalfe.*Eccles. 4. 8. There is one alone (saith, Salomon) and there is not a second: which hath neither sonne nor brother, yet there is none end of his travell, neither can his eye bee satisfied with riches; neither doth hee thinke for whom doe I travell—? heere behold a notable example of this want of good consideration about earthly things; that a man should spend both his wit & strength in heaping vp riches, and knowes not to whom he shall leaue them. But we need not be inquisitiue for examples: for we may daily obserue in our selues and others apparent want of good consideration in these worldly affaries: which must not seeme strange vntounto vsus, seeing that reason it selfe, the ground of cōsideration is greatly blemished, through the corruption of nature, about these earthly things.
Sect. 2. Good thoughts in matters spirituall be altogether wanting.
In things spirituall which concerne the kingdome of God, there is in our nature an absolute want of good consideration, herein of our selues we hauehave no good thoughts: we are not of our selues (saithb2. Cor. 3. 5. Paul.) sufficient to thinke any thing, that is, any good thing, as of our selues: The whole bodie of the Gospell is therefore called a mystery, because the things therein contained and revealed are such as,c1. Cor. 2. 9. neuer came into mans heart to thinke. This want we may obserue especially in foure things: 1. in respect of Gods presence and prouidence: 2. of Gods Iudgements: 3. of our owne sinnes: 4, of our dutie to God.
First. man by nature doth not thinke of,The first good thought wanting. or consider Gods presence and prouidence to behold and to remember all his waies in thought, word, and deed: hereof the Lord complaines against Ephraim and Samaria,Hos. 7. 1. 2. saying; they hauehave dealt falsely—and they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickednes: And the same is the state of eueryevery naturall man beeing left to himselfe; for all by nature are equally corrupt with originall sinne, and so are destitute of this good thought: which yet may appeare the more plaine by this, that naturally mans heart is possessed of the cleane contrary, to wit, God shall not see, God will not regard, as hath beene shewed before.Pag. 39. 37. And indeed it is a worke of grace to hauehave the heart rightly affected with this thought, God beholds all my waies, he considers and remembers eueryevery thing I doe; flesh and blood can not attaine vntounto it.
Secondly, a man by nature doth not consider or thinke of the Iudgements of God, The second good thought wanting.temporall and eternall due vntounto sinne: This thought was wanting in the men of the old world, though Noah preached vntounto them an hundred and twentie yeares of the gecerall deluge, yet the consideration of it tooke no place in their hearts; and therefore it is said,dMatth. 24. 38. 39. they knew nothing till the flood came and tooke them all away: from the want of this thought it came to passe, thateGen. 19. 14. Lotts sonnes—in lawe, thought their father had but mocked, when he told them that God would destroy Sodom. Hence it was that thefLuk. 12. …. Rich foole blessed himselfe in his heart, saying, soule, soule, take thine ease, & neuer bethought himselfe of any danger till it was said vntounto him,vers. 20. O foole, this night will they fetch away thy soule. And shall wee thinke this thought is now wanting at this day, seeing Christ hath said,gMat. 25. 37. as it was in the daies of Noe, so shall it bee at the comming of the sonne of man?
Thirdly, a man naturally doth neuer bethinke himselfe,The third good thought wanting. of his owne sinnes; he hath no purpose of heart seriously to examine his life past, or to repent of such sinnes as he findeth in him: This appeareth by the Lords own complaint against the Iewes, who were so farre from turning frō their sins, that not one would say in his heart, hIer. 8. 6.what hauehave I done? nay, when they had cōmitted most sottish Idolatrie, iIsay. 44. 16. 17. 19. 20.in making an Idoll God of one part of a tree, with the other part thereof they had rosted their meate and warmed themselues, yet they considered not this in their hearts, neither had they knowledge or vnderstanding to say, I hauehave burnt halfe of it in the fire, I hauehave baked bread vponupon the coales thereof; I hauehave roasted flesh, and eaten it; and shall I make the residue thereof an Abhomination?
Fourthly,The fourth good thought wanting. a naturall man doth not consider what duty & seruice he owes vntounto God: his mind is wholly bent to his owne waies, but thekMat. 25. 18. Lords talēt lies hid in the ground wrapt vp in a napkin: Hereof the Lord complaines against the Iewes, lIer. 5. 24.that they sayd not in their hearts let vsus feare the Lord our God: hence it was that the, mMat. 25. 3. 8.foolish virgins did content themselues with the blasing Lamp of an outward profession, and neuer be-thought themselues of that oyle of grace, which God required in all those, that would enter with Christ into his bridechamber, till it was too late: And the sleight seruing of God at this day, declares the generall want of this cōsideration.
Sect. 3. The fruit of this want of good thoughts.
Heere further wee must know that this want of good consideration is a grieuous evill and a mother sinne, from whence as from a fountaine, streames of corruptions and transgressions both of heart and life doe issue forth; first, hereby we are disabled from yelding vntounto God that obedience of heart which his law requireth; for how can we louelove the Lord with all our thought and mind; & our neighbour as our selues, as GodnLuk. 10. 27. commandeth, when as naturally our hearts are void of all good thoughts towards God, and towards our neighbours? Againe, whence comes sinning with an high hand, when men sinne, and will sinne? whence comes it that men blesse themselus in their sinnes, and flatter themselues in their owne eies, while they goe on in sinne, but from want of consideration of Gods presence, and of Gods iudgements? This Abraham knew well, and therfore saide of the people of Gerar, because oGen. 20. 11.they wanted the feare of God, that is, all consideration of Gods presence, and of Gods iudgements, therefore they would kill him for his wiues sake. Whence also comes that sensualitie, whereby men addict them-selues wholly to the profits, pleasures, and honours of this world, neuer minding heauen or hell, but from want of consideration of their dutie to God? If men did vse to call themselues to accompt for their sinnes, or did set before their eyes the iudgements of God due vntounto them, it could not be that there shoud be such want of contrition towards God, or of compassion towards their brethren, as eueryevery where abounds. And the like might be said of many other capitall sinnes, all which proceede from the want of good consideration. Where, by the way, we may obserue, that our common people doe farre deceiue themselues in this perswasion of themselues, that by nature they hauehave good hearts, and good meaning: If you charge them with the sinnes of their liues, they will straightway plead their good intention, and say, though they sometime faile in action, yet they meane well alwaies. But the truth is, naturally well meaning, and good consideration, spirituall thinges is altogether wanting. And therfore while men doe soothe vp themselues in their good meaning, they deceiue their owne hearts through ignorance of their naturall estate: and they must knowe, that they can neuer come vntounto Christ that they might hauehave life, till they be quite gone out of themselues in regard of such conceits.