Mans Imaginations, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
The vse of the former. doctrine.
Sect. 1. That the Scripture is the word of God.
Hauing seene what euill thoughts be in eueryevery man naturally, & what good thoughts be wanting in him: it followeth now to make some vse of this doctrine concerning mans naturall Imaginations.
The first vse shall be against all Atheists, who thinke the Scripture to be meere policie, deuised by man to keepe men in awe. But we are to know, that the holy Scripture is no deuise of man, but the very word of the euerliuing God; which I thus demonstrate out of the former doctrine: The Scripture saith in generall, that all the Imaginations of eueryevery naturall man are euill and that continually. Nowe it doth not onelyonly affirme this in generall, but declares it also in particular; for elsewhere it sheweth what those particular euill thoughts be, which the naturall minde of man frameth concerning God, his neighbour, and himselfe. Againe, the same Scripture saith in generall, That good thoughts and considerations, are naturally wanting in eueryevery man; and elsewhere it declareth in particular what those good thoughts be which enter not into the mind of a natural man: both these hauehave bin plainly shewed out of the word of God. Nowe herevpon it doth necessarily follow that the scripture is the word of God: for let the cunning Atheist shew whence it is that the scripture doth declare mans thoughts; hee cannot say, of man; for no man knoweth the thoughts of another; nay he cannot finde out his owne thoughts: neither can hee ascribe it to any angell good or bad; for the minde of man is hid from them; they knowe not mans thoughts. It remaineth therefore, that as God alone is the searcher of the hearts, so that Scripture which declareth vntounto man what bee his thoughts, is the onelyonly word of the same God; Indeed God vsed man for his instrument, in the penning and deliuerie of the scripture, but hee himselfe by his spirite is the sole author thereof.
Sect. 2. That man hath no free will to good by nature.
The second vse shall bee against the Papists, who ascribe to mans will a naturall power to that which is truly good,Bellarm. de grat & lib. arbit. l. 16. c 15. sect. 10. as by it selfe to co-worke with Gods grace in the first act of mans conuersion. But the charge of euill heere layd vponupon the frame of mans naturall heart by God himselfe, doth teach vsus otherwise: for looke howe farre the frame of the minde, which is the principall part of the soule, is corrupt for thoughts and Imaginations, so farre is the will, the inferiour part of the soule corrupt in willing. But the minde is naturally so corrupt that it can not thinke a good thought, and therefore answerably the will by nature is so corrupt, that it can not will that which is truly good. If it be said, that man hath libertie of will in humane actions and in ciuill duties: Answ. he hath, but yet such actions proceeding from a corrupt fountaine, are sinnes in eueryevery naturall man, howsoeuer for the matter of the works they may be called good, beeing such as God himselfe ordained.
Sect. 3. Of the timely preuenting and suppressing of wicked Imaginations
The third vse shall be for admonition vntounto them, to whome is committed the education of youth, as Parents Masters, Tutors, &c. that seeing the imaginations of mans heart are euill from his youth, therefore they must all ioyne hand in hand betime to stop vp, or at least to lessen this corrupt fountaine. Parents must sow the seedes of grace into the minds of their young children, that if it were possible, euen at their mothers breasts they might be nourished in the faith. Thus dealt Lois and Eunice with their young Timothie: for Paul saith;e2. Tim. 3. 15. he learned the holy Scriptures *foreign.of an infant. Then as their children grow in descretion and vse of reason, they must befEph. 6. 4. nurtered in religion, and hauehave the grounds thereof by often repetition driuen into their hearts: for this is the best meanes to free their minds, though not altogether from naturall Imaginations, yet from the force and poison thereof: forgPro 22. 15. follie is bound to the heart of a childe, but the rodde of teaching, that is, instruction with correction, will driue it away from him: yea, when as thehPro. 29. 15 child set at libertie makes his mother ashamed. yet williIbid. 27. the sonne that is well instructed, giuegive his father rest, & yeild delight vntounto his soule. Further, where Parents leaue, there Maisters and Tutours must take hold, building vp that good foundation which is layde to their hand, that by them also the streame of mans naturall Imaginations may bee stopped: yea, though parents should neglect this dutie towards their owne children, as too many doe at this day, yet each godly master, if hee desire to hauehave Gods church in his house, must in struct his familie, asfGen. 18. 19. Abrahā did; and labour for circumcision of heart both to his children & seruants, euen asgGen. 17. 23. Abraham did circumcise not onelyonly those that were borne in his familie, but also those that were bought for money. Both Parents and Maisters are carefull to preuent diseases, & to breake off sicknes at the beginning in their children and seruants, which by continuance might bring bodily death, oh then howe carefull ought they to bee, to stop betime the course of naturall Imagination in them, which without the speciall grace of God, will bring eternall condemnation both to soule and bodie? And the rather must this course be taken in youth, and that betime, because custome, whether in good or euill, is a second nature: forhPso: 22. 6. teach a child in the trade of his way, and when he is old he will not depart from it: But,iIer. 13. 23. can the blacke-Moore change his skinne, or the leopard her spots? then may he also doe good that is accustomed to doe euill: herein the vices of the minde, are like the diseases of the body; by longer continuance they grow more incurable. Yea, all that studie and read the Scriptures, either for their owne priuate, or for the publike good, must seeke by prayer to God for the sanctification of their mindes from this euill corruption▪ least beeing left vntounto themselues they become vaine in their imaginations. David a man according to Gods owne heart, praied at least ten times in onekPsal. 1…9. psalme for the teaching of God in the vnderstanding of his lawe: oh then what great cause hauehave we so to doe, whose lColoss. 1. 21.mindes are naturally set in euill workes; beeing blinde in the things of God, notm1. Cor. 2. 14. able to perceiue them: but on the contrary, wholly prone to inuent and to embrace that which is euill.
Sect, 4. Of repentance for euill thoughts
The fourth & last vse shall be for practise to eueryevery child of God: for if the Imaginations of mans heart be euill from his youth, then there must be repentance for secret thoughts which neuer come into action; yea, though we neuer giuegive consent of will thereto. When Ioell proclaimed a fast, and called the people to humiliation, hee biddes themnIoel 2. 13. rent their he arts, & not their garments: and Peter said to Simon Magus, oAct. 8. 22.repent of this thy wickednes, and pray God that if it be possible, the thought of thy heart may bee forgiuen thee: both which places doe plainly shewe, that true repentance is not outward in change of speach or attire, but inward in the change of the thoughts of the minde, and affections of the heart. And hence it is that Paule prayeth for the Thessalonians,p1. Thes. 5. 23. that they may be sanctified throughout, in soule, in bodie, and spirit, that is, in the minde, where is the framing of the thoughts. Nowe if sanctification bee required in the minde, then must there be repentance of the sinnes that are therein. This dutie the Lord himselfe vouchsafeth to teach, and therefore we must make conscience to learne and practise it, if we would be truly turned to the Lord. And to mooue vsus hereunto, consider the reasons following.
First, the curse of God, euen the pangs and torments of the damned,1. Reason. both in this life and after death, are due to the person of man for his wicked thoughts: for cursed is eueryevery one (saithqDeut. 27. 6. Moses) that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to doe thē: so that hee which breaketh the law but once, and that in thought only, is accursed, because he hath not done all things that are written therein. Now wicked thoughts are a breach of the law: for Salomon saith,rPro. 14. 22. & Pro. 15. 26. Doe not they erre that imagine euill? and againe, The thoughts of the wicked are an abhomination to the Lord: yea, the want of good thoughts is a breach of the Law: for ChristsMark. 12. 30. saith, Thou shalt louelove the Lord thy God with all thy thought: and therfore wicked thoughts must needes deserue this curse. The fall of the deuills was most fearefull and irrecouerable, & (though it be not certen, yet) most Diuines agree in this, that their sinne was first in thought; and therefore wicked thoughts are deadly euills. Also to shew the wickednes of euill thoughts, God hath set this brand vponupon them since the fall of Adam, that by them not onelyonly mans body, but also his minde and memorie, are far sooner confounded then by outward accidents; this was not so by creation, and therefore it is the heauie curse of God vponupon them.
Secondly, these wicked thoughts be the roote and beginning of all …uill in gesture, 2. R…ason.word, and deede; there cannot be an action before there be a thought: for this is the order whereby our actions are produced: first the minde thinketh; then that thought delighteth the affection, Order of producing actions.and from that commeth consent of will; after consent of will, commeth execution of the action, after executiou commeth trade and custome by often practise: and vponupon custome (if the worke be euill) commeth the curse, which is eternall death. How great a cause therefore hauehave we to repent vsus of the wicked Imaginations of our hearts? The old world indeede was drowned for their actuall abhominations, but no doubt, the Lord had great respect in that iudgement to their wicked thoughts, which were the roote of all: and therfore he mentioneth them as a cause of the flood. Gen. 6. 5.
In this repentance, 1. examination of euill thoughts.three things are required; first, a due examination of our heartr concerning these imaginations; which we may take by the knowledge of those points before handled, of mans naturall thoughts concerning God, his neighbour, & himselfe: And to further vsus herein we must remember that all the euill thoughts before mentioned be in vsus naturally, so as if we be left to our selues, when occasion is offered, we will conceiue them in our mindes; as that there is no God; that the word of God is foolishnes, &c. Againe we must heare Gods word preached attentiuely, & apply, not onelyonly our outward senses, but our mindes also thereto, that so it may enter into our hearts; for the word of God, working in the heart will discouer vntounto a man what be his thoughts: This word (saith the holyaHeb. 4. 12. Ghost) is mightie inoperation, and sharper then any two edged sword, it entreth through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirits, the ioynts and the marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart: At the preaching of this word the secrets of the heart of an infidell are discouered; if all prophecie (saithb1 Cor. 14. 25. Paul) and there come in an infidell, or one vnlearned, he is rebuked of all men, and iudged of all, and so are the secrets of his heart made manifest, whereupon he falleth downe, and worshippeth God, saying plainly, God is in the prophets indeede. 2. Prayer for pardon of them.Secondly, after examination, wee must pray for the pardon of our euill thoughts; A plaine commandement of this duty, Peter giues to Symon MaguscAct. 8: 22 pray to God saith he that the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee: And vndoubtedly he that hath not grace to pray for the pardon of his evill thoughts, hath not true repentance in his heart.3 reformation of euill thoughts. Thirdly, we must seeke to reforme our minde of euill thoughts; this is a further matter then reformation of life: And it is expressely commanded by the holy ghost.dEphes. 4. 23. Be ye renued in the spirit of your minds, that is, in the most inward and secret part of your soules, euen where the thoughts and imaginations are framed and cō ceiued: This duty must be remembred; for Christian religion consisteth not in outward shewes and behauiour, (though thereby we may giuegive comfortable testimony of Gods inward graces) but it standes principally in the mind, and in the heart, which must therefore be reformed with the powers and faculties thereof.