The Mystery of Self-Deceiving, Chapter 11
CHAP.
Of the deceit of the heart in giuing directions for our actions.
HAuing thus spoken of the first part of the deceitfulnesse The second deceit in iudging of actions.of mans heart in iudging, namely in iudging of persons, now wee come to the second in iudging of actions. And this is two-fold, in foreiudging, in after-iudging. The iudgement of aduise, and direction for the doing: and the iudgement of censure, and sometimes correction after the doing of the actions.
The deceits of the former kinde are almost infinite. 1. in direction▪The booke would swell to much, and I should but wearie my selfe and the Reader, largely to prosecute them all. Only I will point at some of the chiefest heads: These deceits therefore for direction are either in regard of the rules for the gouernment of our actions, or of the actions themselues.
For the rules, our deceitfull hearts prescribe specially 1. for the rulesthree deceitfull rules, to square our actions by. First, the light of naturall wisdome; which being 1 light of nature.so much degenerated frō that at the first creation, & of a cleare shining lampe, become a stinking snuf, who seeth not that this light is plaine darkenesse it selfe. The wisdome of the flesh, is enmity to God. Secōdly, Rom 8. 7. 2 Custome.the custome of the times and examples of the multitude. As though the way of manners were like the way to great market-townes, to be knowne by the multitude of foote-steps trampling and beating vponupon it? or as though men should be so silly as sheep, to follow whethersoeuer their companions leade them? for surely how many things are there done which would argue the doers, either sheepishly simple, Nemo dubitaret furere si cum paucioribus furerent; nunc sanitatis patrocinium est insanientiū turba. Sen. 3 Our owne intention.or ragingly furious, if they did them alone, or with few companions; whereas now the multitude of their companions in madnesse, the only proof they hauehave to prooue themselues in their right mindes. Thirdly, our owne intention and meaning that if it be good, then so is the action also, which the Scripture refuteth by the example of Vzzah. These are crooked rules and blinde guides, which blinded 2. Sam, 6, 7.and deceiued hearts chuse to themselues. But heere that of Salomon is true. There is a waie that seemeth good in a mans owne eies, but the issues thereof are the Prou. 16, 25.waies of death.
The deceit of the heart in iudging of the actions 2. For the actions thēselues.themselues is either against the whole law, in generall, or in speciall, against either table. All which to name were endlesse. Wee will only cull out some of the principall.
First, against the whole law I obserue three more 1 Against the whole Law.speciall deceits.
1. That thoughts are free, that we shall not bee 1 Thoughts free.accountable to God for them. Paul himself, though a learned Pharisee; yet was thus deceiued in iudging of thoughts, not consented to, which are forbidden in the tenth commandement. I had not knowne (saith he of himselfe in his Pharisaisme) that lust had beene sinne, vnlesse the law had said, Thou shalt not lust. Rom. 7. 7.But the grossenesse of this deceit may easily appeare: for what reason is there, that the actour of treason should be punished, and the first plotter and contriuer should scape? Now the first beginning, & hatching of any sinne is first in the thoughts of the heart. And if Kings wil hauehave their seruants in their accounts answer euen for pence, why may not God call vsus to a reckoning euen for our smallest debts? And if men punish words and deeds, because they see and know them, why then should not God punish our thoughts which hee knowes farre better, then any man can doe our outward actions? Wee must therefore make conscience of the idle rouings of our braines, our very thoughts and imaginations must stoupe, and do homage to God, who hath required of vsus to be loued with all our thoughts, and Luc. 10. 27. Psal. 4. 4.biddeth vsus tremble euen at the very first rising of euill thoughts and motions in our hearts and sin not. But alas many doe inuert the sentence and in this kinde very boldly sinne, and tremble not.
2. That words are but winde: yea but they are 2. Words winde.such a winde as shall blow thee violently into hell, and shall be the bellowes to kindle, yea the fuell to feede the flames of that vnquenchable fire. For by thy words thou shalt bee iustified, and by thy wordes thou Mat, 12, 36. 37shalt bee condemned, and for eueryevery idle worde must thou giuegive account to God at last day, vnlesse Christ hauehave giuen account for it before. What a dotage is this to thinke, that our tongue, our glory, may bee made our shame, our greatest ornament, our foulest deformity, our best, and yet withall one of our least members, a world of wickednesse.
3. That, The outward workes of the Law are sufficient. 3. Outward workes enough.That in the first table, it is enough to come to Church, and to mumble ouer a few praiers in ones bed, &c: in the second enough to liue quietly and pay eueryevery man his owne, and not to breake out into scandalls. This deceit possessed the Pharisees, who in their interpretation of the Law, restrained the prohibitions of murther and adultery to outward grosse murther and adulterie. So their Phylacteries were not so broad, but their expositions of the Law were as narrow. In the same errour was he, that hearing the commandements of the second table rehearsed to him by our Sauiour, answered, All these hauehave I kept from my youth: but wee must know Math, 19, 20.that the Law in eueryevery commandement is spirituall, and binds the heart as well as the hand.2. Against either table. The first
Against the first table these deceits.
1. That the workes of the first table are inferiour to the second: hence is that opinion, that it is easier to louelove God then our neighbour. Hence also it is, that there is often seuerer discipline against drunkennesse, theft, blaspheming of great men, then against prophanation of the Sabaoths, blasphemous oaths, and other such like as great breaches of the first table, as the named sinnes are of the second. Whereas yet the first and great commaundement is, Thou shalt louelove the Lord thy God. 2. That God may Math, 22. 38.be worshipped according to our owne deuise, without the warrant of his owne word: hence that Atheisticall foreign omnes religiones rectè incedere.omni-religion, and that opinion that al religions do wel, a man may be saued in any: hence those swarmes of wil-workes, and worships, which naturally we preferre before those commanded by God. But shall the King set downe himselfe the rule of his owne honour to be peformed by his subiects, & not leaue it free to eueryevery country clowne, to do as they list: and shall we, farre more vnable to set downe any fashions for Gods religion, then the rudest rusticke is for a Kings ciuill worship, shall wee, I say, take vponupon vsus to determine ought of our selues, in Gods worship? Men hauehave thought it a disparagement to them, when their seruants being commanded to doe something, hauehave done otherwise; not yet in contempt, but because they did see that other way, which they tooke, to bee better for their Masters purpose, then that which was commanded them. Crassus caused his mason to be whipped, for Gell. noct. Attic. l. 1. c. 13.that beeing commaunded to send him the greater mast hee sent him him the lesse, only because hee knew it to be fitter for the turne whereto hee would vse it. Do men thus stand vponupon it? foolish men, will they hauehave their owne waies followed, without giuing place to the better courses of their inferiours; and can God, whose foolishnesse is wiser then our best wisedome, can he take it well, that our folly should thus take head to it selfe, presuming to checke, and correct his wisedome?
Against the second Table there are also many deceits; The second.as, That eueryevery man may be for himselfe, and make the most of his owne, and doe with his owne as he list; that the officious and sporting ly is nothing, whereas Gal. 1. 10. wee must not speake trueth to please men, much lesse then lye: that it is the signe of a base mind, to put vp an iniurie, which yet the scripture termeth our glorie, and an hundred such like. But Prou. 9. 11.me thinks it is vnsauory raking in this dunghill, let vsus therefore leaue this point, and come to the hearts iudgement of actions after they bee done, and see how that also is deceitfull.