The Right Government of Thoughts, Tract · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The thoughts of the Righteous are juſt: Prov. c. 12. v. 5.
THis Son of Wiſdom, who carried away the Birth-right, and bleſſing, from all the ſons of Adam, who are now, or have been before him: took as ſufficient notice of the orders, rankes, and diſpoſitions of men, as he did of the natures, qualities, and operations of Herbs, Plants, and Trees: and accordingly fitted to every particular, both men, and things, ſuitable Proverbs, deſcribing what they were, or declaring what they ſhould be: wherein he uſeth a kind of unimitable brevity for memory, and a frequent oppoſition for perſpicuity. So here, the thoughts of the righteous are juſt; but the counſels of the ungodly are deceit.
Now this wiſe Diſcourſer upon Gods ſecrets revealed, and of natures under God, directs his Proverbs unto men, either marſhalled into ranks in general, as good or evil; or branched into divers particulars, as the diligent and the ſluggard, the humble and proud, &c. And according to this direction of the matter-ſubject unto perſons, the Proverbs are either general, or particular.
This Proverb in regard of perſons to whom it is directed, ſeems to be a general ſpoken to good men under the name of Righteous. For I obſerve, that Salomon ſpeaks to the better ſort of men under the names of good men, righteous men, wiſe, juſt; as he doth to the worſer ſort of men in oppoſition; the evil man, the wicked man, the unrighteous, the fool.
Three things in the text offer themſelves to be unfolded.
1. Who is Salomons Righteous man.
2. What be his thoughts.
3. How they are ſaid to be juſt.
Firſt, if ye ask who is Salomons Righteous man; I anſwer, as before, he that is a good man, a juſt man, a wiſe man.
But further, when in Scripture a man hath the denomination of a Righteous one; it is either from the juſtice of Chriſt imputed, which is abſolute in perfection, though relative in apprehenſion; or from that inward and inherent renovation of ſoul and body, whereby God makes a man righteous in himſelf habitually, and in his courſe of life, ſuitable in kind, though not in meaſure, unto that primary juſtice which was in Adam. Or thirdly, a man is called righteous in appearance, becauſe he is apprehended by himſelf in his own thoughts, or judged by others, to be righteous, by his words and deeds.
This Proverb though it exclude not the juſt man by imputation, yet it eſpecially points out him that is juſt by renovation, and in appearance, who is not onelyonly really accounted ſuch, in the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt; but alſo made ſuch by the ſpirit of Chriſt, and known by himſelf to be ſuch by his habituated thoughts, and appearing to the world to be ſuch by his words and deeds. This is Salomons righteous man, a man righteous in Gods acceptation, a man made righteous by renovation, a man righteous in his own perſwaſion, and in the worlds reputatation.
The ſecond thing to be unfolded is, What the thoughts of the Righteous be. I anſwer, God, the firſt producer of all things, who made the mind of man, uſeth it alſo to bring forth all reaſonable and humane actions, as a free agent under himſelf; and to this end, hath ordained in it a power to frame thoughts and to diſpoſe them towards action; that by theſe the ſoul might move it ſelf continually toward the chief good, and by them may communicate her ſelf with earthly things, natural and humane. The mind inclined and moved by God the firſt cauſe hath motions within it ſelf, called thoughts; and of theſe there are two ſorts, whereof the firſt receive their determination within the ſoul, and in the ſame have their perfection, being therein produced, and reflecting upon the mind, put themſelves forth no further.
The other ſort are the immediate forerunners of actions; whether it be that the ſoul lift up it ſelf to communion with God in divine contemplation, that ſhe may utter her ſelf in prayer or praiſes: or communicate her ſelf with the creature in lower reſolutions, and actions. Theſe private ſtirrings of the ſoul within doors, are the thoughts of men; and when they are juſt, they are the thoughts of the Righteous.
Theſe thoughts of men are various and infinite, according to their variety of objects about which they are converſant; But when their firſt mover is God, and Gods glory their end propounded, and a wiſe man the diſpoſer of them, they are juſt thoughts.
And thus we are led to the third particular, which is, How the thoughts of the righteous are ſaid to be juſt.
Anſ. Things are ſaid to be right or juſt many wayes.
Firſt, that is right which hath rectitude from it ſelf, and is the cauſe of rectitude in every other thing; and ſo God onelyonly is righteous.
Secondly, things are ſaid to be right which have rectitude from another; yet there is in them ſuch an equity conferred, that they are made infallible rules, for men to ſquare all their actions by them; and thus the Law, and the whole revealed will of God is righteous.
Thirdly, things are ſaid to be righteous, which are ordered and done according to this rule; whether perfectly as the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt God-man, which anſwered fully to the rule of Gods will revealed, both for kind and degree; or proportionably and acceptably, whereby ſomething is done according to rule, though not fully and without aberration, yet well in compariſon of what wicked men do, and holding ſome proportion to the rule, and finding acceptation with God, who ſupplies the want… of ſuch righteous men from the fulneſſe of Chriſt.
In this ſenſe the thoughts of the righteous are juſt (viz.) comparatively with the thoughts of wicked men, though not fully according to the rule, yet holding ſome proportion with it, and having acceptability with God.
Thus having unfolded the words, obſerve that the ſcope or ſpecial intention in this Proverb, is to deliver to the world the true ground of all pious and honourable and juſt actions, which is next and immediately under God, the thoughts of the righteous.