The Right Government of Thoughts, Tract · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
FIrſt, the needfulneſſe of the government of thoughts appears, becauſe thoughts are the fountain or ſpring of all humane actions, whether they be good or evil. A man ordinarily firſt thinks, and after ſpeakes out with his mouth, or workes outwardly with the members of the body. My heart was hot within me while I was muſing, the fire kindled, and I ſpake with my tongue: Pſal. 39. 3. So the wicked deviſe devices againſt Jeremy, and then ſmite him with the tongue. Jer. 18. 18. Pharaoh thought to deal wiſely, and then commands to deſtroy the Hebrew children; wherefore ſeeing actions good or evil iſſue from our thoughts, we ought to take notice of that wiſe advice; Keep thy heart with all diligence. Prov. The ſoul retains ſo much of its ſpiritual nature, and native perfection, that after the ſimilitude of God, it is in continual action, though it be its imperfection to be in doing either good or evil. Thoughts paſſe in the mind as currently, as water in the livelyeſt fountain; it is not like a watch in thy pocket, which will not run without winding up; it is a natural mover, and is in unceſſant motion towards good or evil. Gods thoughts are good eternally; but the beſt mens thoughts are to good and evil; were they onelyonly good and not evil, the leſſe care of prevention would ſerve in this government of thoughts. But 'tis the miſery of our ſouls, that the imaginative faculty, whoſe perfection is alwayes to think, ſhould be taken up, too often times with thinking evil. The Holy Spirit notes this with a black coall "The imaginations of natural men, are evil continually, though the thoughts of the righteous be juſt. Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Grace and nature mixe in the regenerate man, and becauſe of theſe different principles, his thoughts move within him to good and to evil, as he ſaid; I delight in the Law of God after the inward man; but I ſee another law in my members warring againſt the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of ſin which is in my Members. Rom. 7. 22, 23. This is one reaſon, why our thoughts have need of government.
Secondly evill thoughts are ſin,Prov. 24. 9. The thought of fooliſhneſſe is ſin, not the action only, but the thought alſo is ſin: it is a looſe opinion, and ſtrikes at the root of godlineſſe; That thoughts are free, or that they are ſins not much markable, or of heinous conſequence, yet let me ſpeak the truth, as it is in Chriſt. Evil thoughts are ſins of ſpecial note, and dangerous, becauſe they are primary ſins;ns; and leaders of other ſins in and out: out of the heart proceed evill thoughts, Mat. 7. 18. as the thoughts of Adultery, Murder, &c. The beſt action in the world, if it proceed not from a well-ordered and diſpoſed thought is not commendable, and doubtleſſe an evil work premeditated, and thought upon, is ſo much more ſinfulnful and damnable; Simon Magus did not give money for the holy Ghoſt, though he offered it, becauſe there were none that would receive it; yet Peter perceived him in the gall of bitterneſſe, and in the bond of iniquity: yet Peter denounceth, Thy mony periſh with thee, becauſe thou haſt thought, that the gift of the holy Ghoſt may be purchaſed with mony: Act. 8. 18. 23. others ſins are ſinsns at ſecond hand, and (as ſome think) ſo far forth dangerous, as they have reſidence in the heart.
3. Evil thoughts are the occaſions of ſin, and therefore require a ſtrict hand to be kept over them; wicked doings, and wicked ſayings, begin at wicked imaginations: An unjuſt man deviſeth miſchief upon his bed, and then ſets himſelf in a way that is not good: Pſal. 36. 4. when God gave up the Gentiles to a reprobate mind, they did things which were not convenient, they were filled with all unrighteouſneſſe: Rom. 1. 28, 29. if the heart be filthy within, the mouth will ſpeak out of the abundance thereof; it cannot be, but a foul heart and mind ſhould be attended with a foul life, or a very hypocritical: The Gentiles (of whom even now) had vain minds, and they walked in the vanity of their minds. Where there is vanity in the mind, there will be wickedneſſe in the walk. Eph. 4. 17.
4. God will puniſh evil thoughts. Salomon pronounceth, The thoughts of the the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but God will puniſh abominations. Prov. 15. 26. Our Saviour brings the thoughts of unadviſed anger, and the deſires of Adultery within the compaſſe of ſin, and of judgement too. The actions of the ſoul, though diſcontinued from tranſiency, into apparent aberrations, are both ſinful and puniſhable by the Law of God: indeed the lawes of men, in their animadverſions and puniſhments, reach but to word or deed? but here is the breadth and purity of Gods Law, that it forewarnes and puniſheth the evil of thoughts: wherefore look to your thoughts, And if but any of thoſe inward parts be wickedneſſe, pray that the thoughts of your hearts may be forgiven. Acts 8. 22.
5. Good thoughts are pleaſing unto God; My ſon give me thy heart, ſaith wiſdom: Prov. 23. 26. without the heart, all the works of thy hand are nothing worth with God: God loves the ſpiritual ſacrificer, one that worſhips him in ſpirit and in truth: and what more ſpiritual ſervice unto God, then to offer him our thoughts, theſe are the firſt-born of our ſoules: Joh. 4. 23. the prime productions of the mind, whereinto no eye pryes, but that which is ten thouſand times brighter than the Sun in his clearneſſe. This cloſe ſacrificer is by ſo much more pleaſing unto God, as he is without baſe reſpects, to impaire his worth. There is no witneſſe of what paſſeth betwixt God and a thinking ſoul, none preſent but God, taking and accepting and the ſoul-offering; In theſe attendancies of the ſoul upon God, there is no Law-enforcements by puniſhments or ſhame, which carry them forward: nor cenſure of enemies, nor flatteries, or rewards of the world. And when God finds a pure progeny of holy and unforced thoughts proceeding freely from himſelf their progenitor, and directed to him as their chief good; God takes the perſons to him, as Jacob did Ephraim and Manaſſeh, and beſtowes upon them the priviledge of having his name named upon them. Gen 48. 16. A righteous man whoſe thoughts are juſt, is ſo pleaſing unto God, that God keeps a Bill of his name, that he may remember him in due time. God keeps a book of remembrance before him, wherein are written, They that fear the Lord, and that think upon his name. Malac. 3. 16.
6. Good thoughts unite us unto God, ſo many good thoughts as we have, ſo much acquaintance we have with God: ſo much as our thoughts are turned unto God, ſo much is God turned unus: holy thoughts and heavenly meditations are our Communions with God. A man in divine meditations if fixed, and active; is in a ſort ſlipp'd out of the world, and his own body, to keep company, and to ſpeak with God. Happy ſoule, whoſe thoughts immediately carry him unto God, or but immediately thinks of God in the creatures! we ſhould let no thought paſſe, unleſſe God be at one end of it, or have reference to it; the Apoſtle James ſaith of ſpeeches; can one fountain ſend forth both ſweet water and bitter? Jam. 3. ſo of thoughts let me ſpeak, can one heart ſend out thoughts uniting unto God, and at the ſame time thoughts tying us unto the Devill, make us one with the world, and heaven, with the ſpirit and the fleſh? no, in no ſort, therefore look that your thoughts keep correſpondencie one with another, and all with God.
7. Good thoughts are comfortable to our ſoules, and therefore we had need to govern our thoughts juſtly: our thoughts in ſome ſort are more comfortable then either good words or works, a man may take the trueſt meaſure of his gracious ſtature, by his own thoughts. It is our joy and Crown of rejoycing before men and Angels, if we can ſay with Paul, we have lived in all good conſcience toward God.Acts 23. 1. To have ſuch an even courſe in morality, honeſty, charity, as gives ſatisfaction to the good, and ſtoppes the mouths of gain-ſayers, and to have ſuch a government of words as may teach many, hurt none, profit all, is a great mercy: yet this will not ſatisfy nor give true warrant of comfort to the ſoul, no nor make our outward obedience acceptable to God, till we have purified our hearts, and ſet in order our thoughts from whence words and works, do ariſe: A man may keep a fair Quarter with the world, obtain a good reputation for commendable morality, be well eſteemed for outward rites of Religion, yet have thoughts as black as hell, filthy as Sodom: he that ſaid, hail Maſter to Chriſt, and kiſſed him, was the Traytour among the twelve, and while a ſoule is ſo filthy within, what comfort can ſhe have of any thing outwardly done? Oh when a ſoule is ſtung with fiery Serpents, and the great red dragon hath wrapped the poor wretch under him, Where ſhall he find comfort and peace? Doſt thou think to find comfort in thy works? Comfort is not there, for they were done but in formality and hypocriſy; paſſe to thy words. Comfort is not there, for words are wind, masked too often according to the judgement of thy betters, the ſway of the times, thy own projects and deſigns in hand: moſt men minding to put on a ſeemingneſſe of good intentions, as Herod did to worſhip the babe Chriſt, few walking in the uprightneſs of their hearts, and according to the ſimplicity of the Goſpel.
If therefore thou wouldſt find peace and comfort in times of temptation, turn into thy own thoughts, if thou findeſt them ſwept and garniſhed, ſweet and well diſpoſed, thou mayeſt aſſure thy ſelf Chriſt hath been there: Bleſſed is the man in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile: Pſal. 32. 2. a ſpiritual, guileleſſe mind, is a comfortable evidence of Chriſt, being in us. So a man which would know the cleanneſſe and virtue of a water, comes to the neareſt iſſues that may be found, becauſe the loweſt ſtreames may be altered by the Channel or inundation of other ſloods, or foyled by the trampling of beaſts: ſo, wouldeſt thou know thy ſelf, whether Chriſt dwell in thy heart or no? Search thy thoughts and thy affections, theſe are the immediate iſſues of thy ſoul, and ſuch as theſe are, ſuch is thy ſtate of grace or nature.
8. There is great need thou govern thy thoughts, for God knowes all the thoughts of men; when David prayed, give ear to my words O Lord, conſider my meditation, Pſal. 5. 1. he prayed in faith, knowing that God did what he prayed him to doe. God heares the words of his ſervants praying, and conſiders the very meditations of the heart: it is the Pſalmiſts confeſſion, that God trieth the heart and reins: Thou Pſal. 7. 9. knoweſt my down-ſitting, and my upriſing, Pſal. 139. 2 thou underſtandeſt my thoughts afar off: thoſe voces inconditae, unformed, and embryon actions of the ſoule, are known unto God: Thou, even thou onelyonly 1 Kings. 8. 39. O Lord knoweſt all the hearts of the children of men. There is nothing ſo inward and hidden in man, that God ſhould not ſee it openly. Many miraculous believers came to Chriſt at Jeruſalem, upon the Paſſeover in the feaſt day, but Jeſus would not truſt himſelf with them; why? but becauſe John 2. 24, 25. he knew all men, he knew what was in them. If the Scribes ſpeak but within themſelves, Jeſus knows their thoughts, and reproves them; wherefore think ye evill in your hearts? Beloved, remember what Job anſwers the Lord, I know that thou canſt do every Mat. 9. 4. thing, and that no thought can be with-holden from thee. Such a conſideration Job 42. 2 as this will make you wary in the government of your thoughts, nothing runs or ſtayes in your minds, and hearts, but God looks on it. The good or evill of a mans thoughts lye in the dark to the eyes of other men, unleſſe evidenced by ſome further production of it in words or geſture, or deed: but God with whom we have to do, ſeeth all things as clear as in the day; for night and day are to him alike: what avayles then to hide from men, while God looks on, who will one day be our judge?
And thus much concerning the great need, which we have of the right government of our thoughts: They are the fountains of all actions, good or evill: evill thoughts are ſinne, and the occaſions of ſinne, and God will puniſh for them. But good thoughts are pleaſing unto God, they unite us unto God: they are comfortable to our own ſoules, and God knowes all our thoughts; therefore let us labour to be the Maſters of good thoughts, and to govern them aright.
I might adde that a man hath a good companion, yea many good companions toward Heaven, that hath alwayes good thoughts with him; others ſit ſolitary, and complain for want of company, but a man of a large heart, and good thoughts, is never leſs alone, then when alone. Thoſe hours are comfortable, and full of contentment, wherein the thoughts entertain God, the chiefeſt good; and thoſe dependancies which bring us to the enjoying of him.