The Right Government of Thoughts, Tract · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
HItherto I have diſcovered ſome errours of thoughts, as dulneſſe, and vanity: which laſt appears. Firſt, when the mind is buſied about vain objects. Secondly, when the mind it ſelf is looſe and unſtayed. Thirdly, When the mind propounds no profitable end. Fourthly, When the thoughts are diſordered or confuſed.
I ſhall now ſpeak of ſome other vanities of our thoughts, which go far beyond theſe hitherto mentioned; becauſe they have not errour onelyonly joyned with them, but alſo apparent wickedneſſe. Thoſe already ſpoken of are native infirmities, in all men; and therefore alſo the beſt of men are faulty more or leſſe in them: but there remain yet two other exorbitancies of thoughts which are incident to the minds and thoughts of the worſt men, eſpecially; and from which regenerate perſons are in a great meaſure ſet free.
Let us come to ſpeak of the firſt ſort of theſe wicked thoughts. I call them wicked, for they have not onelyonly vanity in them, but alſo ſin: and this is, when thoughts of evil draw in the will and affections to a complacency, to a wiſhing and longing, and ſometimes a fainting deſire to enjoy ſome unlawlfull thing: ſuppoſe an unlawful pleaſure, or ſome unjuſt gain, ungodly honour, unwarrantable victory, bloody ſpoyle, or ſuch like.Gen. So Eve ſaw the forbidden fruit, as a thing to be deſired: ſo Amnon luſted after his ſiſter Thamar, till he became as one of the fooles of Iſrael. So Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard, till he was ſick with deſiring, and wicked in gaining the poſſeſſion. So Abſolon thought of a kingdom, and is and ſo ambitiouſly covetous of it, that he attempts to uſurp the Crown, though by unnatural rebellion againſt his Father: This is that which the Apoſtle calls the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eyes, and the pride of life: 1 John 2. 16. which are the three great idols of the world.
This wickedneſſe in thoughts ſo farre pleaſeth ſome, that when they cannot enjoy the thing deſired, yet they account it a ſpeculative happineſs, to have the thing deſired in their minds, though it be but an image thereof: it pleaſeth the covetous man to dream of his Bonds, Bills, Morgages, Aſſurances, dayes of payment; and this earthly mindedneſſe, will let him mind nothing elſe: ſo another toſſeth fleſhly pleaſures from one thought to another, and from one deſire to another, & when the power of the fleſh periſheth in them, they grow to feed their phanſies with contemplative fornications; in the like caſe the contentious man dreams of wrangling ſuits, the man of blood of fire and faggots, ſwords and battels. Thus the great mans thoughts are taken up with his honours, revenues, attendancies; the Gallant with his gay clothes, the old man pleaſeth his phanſy with remembrances and diſcourſes of what he hath been, and what he hath done, the young man with what he may be: his hopes and poſſibilities delight him, as if they were preſent enjoyments: thus the imagination of things that are not, work upon us the ſame affections, as if they were. Jacob doth as feelingly grieve for the ſuppoſed death of Joſeph, as if he had been dead indeed, and ſo men take the ſame delight in their ſuppoſed wickedneſſes, as if they were really effected.
Theſe and ſuch like thoughts in the heart, are the things which defile a man; whether they be proud imaginations, or covetous thoughts, thoughts of revenge againſt others, or thoughts of Blaſphemy againſt God; of what kind ſoever our thoughts are, if they draw in the will to conſent unto their evill, they are wicked thoughts; they are wicked, ſuo genere, in their own nature: but when they work the will into co-partnerſhip, they are higher in the degree of wickedneſſe; it is ſin but to think that which is evil, but to think of it with liking and conſent, is a greater degree of ſin: God reproves him, and ſetteth his ſins in order before his face, who ſaw the thief and conſented unto him, and was partaker with the adulterer. Pſal. 50. 18. 23.
The ſecond ſort of wicked thoughts come to paſſe, when the thoughts having gained upon the heart to delight in evil, and with a kind of roveing deſire to expect it; the underſtanding alſo is drawn in, by an opinion of an imaginary happineſſe to plot and beſtirre it ſelf unto the furtheſt of its natural or acquired invention, to produce by all means the evil thought upon, into action.
This in every kind is the height and extremity of evill thoughts, this perſon ſo deviſing to do miſchief is probably the man whom Saint John puts into the Devils mouth, ſaying; He that com-commits ſin, is of the Devill: 1 Joh. 3. 8. That is, not only thinks of it, and delights in it, but alſo plots for it; ſo the Devil ſins from the beginning, deſiring, plotting, contriving, acting it himſelf, and tempting others to it: of ſuch a remarkable perſon, the wiſe man ſaith, he that deviſeeth evill, (that is, by reſolved deviſing all means, and leaving no ſtone unturned) men ſhall call him the Authour of ſin, Prov. 24. 8. or a miſchievous perſon, againſt theſe thoughts, and the thinkers of them; the Prophet Micha exclaimes, Woe unto them, that deviſe iniquity, and work evill upon their beds, when the morning is light, they practiſe it, becauſe it is in the power of their hands. Micah 2. 1. Such are the thoughts of the men of this world, their hearts are filled with an hidden treaſure of evil inventions how to do miſchief, and when they have done it, they lay plots how to dawb over their unanſwerable actions and endeavours with witty and deceitful Apologies, to prevent the evil opinions and ſpeeches of men; for though the thoughts of the juſt are Righteous, yet the counſels of the wicked, are deceipt.
Theſe wicked thoughts have much of their Father the devil, in them; for he is full of devices or wiles, whereof the righteous are not ignorant,2 Cor. 2. 11. and ſo are all wicked men; and more, when they are men of parts and place in the world; Solomon notes, that there is a a man of wicked devices, that is, one that deſires and plots wickedneſſe, Prov. 12. 2. ſo the Churle deviſeth wicked devices to deſtroy the poor.Iſa. 37. 2. And David ſpeaks of his enemy, that he deviſed miſchief upon his bed; Pſal. 36. 4. if that enemy there meant was Saul, 'tis manifeſt, that he oftentime thought in his heart to kill David, and laid many ſnares for him to take away his life: ſome ignorantly think that nothing is ſinful, that is not acted by the bodies inſtruments, but alas, 'tis but their ignorance, and therefore alſo the vanity of their thoughts; for a Prophet records it for a truth, the heart of a vile perſon will work iniquity: Iſa …. in ſin there is heart-work, and head-work, as well as hand-work.