The Scripture Directory for Church Officers and People, Exposition 1 · Verse 20
Verſe 20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wiſe, that they are vain.
THis Verſe containeth a ſecond Teſtimony, which the Apoſtle alleadgeth, to prove the fooliſhneſſe of all earthly wiſdome before God; It's taken out of Pſal. 94.11. where the Pſalmiſt proving the Providence and Omniſcience of God, argueth from his Efficiency of all things, He that made the eye to ſee, ſhall not he ſee? Shall not the cauſe have more in it than the effect? God framed our hearts, and therefore he muſt needs underſtand them. As he that makes a Clock or Watch, muſt needs underſtand all the ſecret motions of them. Now ſaith the Pſalmiſt, he doth not only know the thoughts of men, but alſo, how vain, fooliſh and unprofitable they are. So that the Apoſtle doth pertinently alledge this place, to prove how vain and fooliſh all mens thoughts are, eſpecially in matters of Religion, though never ſo wiſe otherwiſe. Only here is one thing to be taken notice of, The Pſalmiſt ſpeaks in the general, The thoughts of men, but the Apoſtle mentioneth a particular, The thoughts of the wiſe; Doth not the Apoſtle here wreſt the words to his own purpoſe? No, for if the Pſalmiſts univerſal be true, the thoughts of man, quâ man, be vain, then of a wiſe man as well as a fool: Yea, to ſpeak properly, there is no real wiſe man, but the godly man, whoſe mind is enlightned by grace, Or,
2. The Pſalmiſt doth there more eſpecially intend the wiſe men of the world; and therefore the Apoſtle expreſſeth it. Now mark the aggravations, The Lord knoweth, he that is the only wiſe God, he ſees their thoughts to be vain: He ſeeth that Ahitophels, that Tullies, that Pharaohs thoughts, even when they intend to deale wiſely, are vaine. Let men applaud them, yet God derideth them.
2. The Lord knoweth the thoughts, foreign, their reaſonings, their choiſeſt acts of the underſtanding, their beſt and moſt accurate Diſcourſes; all their Logick (as it were) to be a meer fallacy. And then
Laſtly, To be vain, to be fruitleſſe, to be empty; they make empty webs all the day long. Domitian the Emperour is derided for ſpending time in catching of flies, and yet as vain and fooliſh are all the thoughts and projects of every natural wiſe man. So that what Motto the wiſe man would write upon every creature, Vanity of vanity, all is vanity: So the ſame may be upon all the beſt thoughts, meditations and counſels of the wiſeſt men, and if a mans mind be vain, every thing elſe in him muſt needs be vanity; for this is the ſalt that ſeaſons a man, and if that hath loſt its ſeaſoning, foreign, become a fool, all is likewiſe fooliſh. Obſerve,
That the choiſeſt and beſt thoughts of the wiſeſt men are vaine.Obſerv. Of vain thoughts.
We may conſider man in a three-fold capacity:
1. Politicè, as a political creature endued with civil wiſdome, and ſo is part of a ſociety, and thus his thoughts are vain.
2. Ethicè, as he is to walk according to the Rules of reaſon,In what ſenſe the Scripture uſeth the word vain. which ſound and rectified nature doth guide a man in, and thus he is vain.
3. Theologicè, as he is to look up to Heaven, to obey God, and to aim at ſupernatural happineſſe. And in this ſenſe eſpecially he is a moſt vain empty man, and to this the Apoſtle relateth.
To open the Doctrine, let us conſider, In what ſenſe the Scripture uſeth the word vain, and you ſhall ſee them fitly applicable to the wiſeſt mens thoughts, that what is ſaid of mans body may alſo be true of his ſoul, Every man at his beſt eſtate is altogether vanity, Pſal. 39.5. And
Firſt, That is ſaid to be vain, which is empty and void of that worth and excellency which ought to be within. Thus a fool is called often a vain perſon, becauſe he is empty of that ſolid judgement and reaſon, which ought to be in a man. Hence fooliſh perſons are compared to empty ſtraws that are blown up and down with every wind, becauſe they have no weight in them. Nabals name and his nature agreed, he was a fool. The word comes of a root that ſignifieth to wither. As the withered branch hath loſt all its ſap and juice: ſo a fool hath. And thus the thoughts of all men naturally are empty, void, and deſtitute of true wiſdome: They knew not wherein true happineſſe doth conſiſt, or what is the way that looketh to it; they do not provide for eternity; they conſider not that upon this moment depends eternity; they look not out to the beſt and choiſeſt things in the firſt place; all that inward juyce and ſap of ſpiritual wiſdom is taken from them.
Secondly, That is ſaid to be vanity, which ſeemeth to have great happineſſe and content in it, but indeed it's the clean contrary. A vain thing is, that which hath a goodly appearance, but inwardly hath no profit. As thoſe apples of Sodome, ſo much ſpoken of. Thus Eve called her ſon Abel, vanity, becauſe ſhe thought that before ſhe had brought forth the man, the feed that ſhould break the Serpents head; but finding him to be without the Image of God, and devoid of all holineſſe, ſubject to mortality, ſhe called him Abel, as deceived in her expectations. And thus it is with all the thoughts of the wiſeſt in the world; they think at firſt they have poſſeſſed a man, brought forth that which will accompliſh all their deſires; but upon experience they ſee it is an Abel, it's vanity. So that as Solomon tels us of a vanity in all earthly comforts, in riches and pleaſures, becauſe though they have a goodly appearance, yet there is indeed no ſubſtance, no ſolidity; like the thorns which have white flowers, but thorns: Thus it is with the beſt and choiſeſt thoughts, and projects of the wiſeſt men; they have a goodly luſtre; you would think ſuch wiſe men could not but be happy; their expectations are raiſed, but the iſſue doth deceive them: Call us not Naomi, but Marah, may they ſay.
Thirdly, Vanity in the Scripture is often applied to a lie. Every man ſpeaks vanity to his neighbour, that is a lie, Pſal. 12.2. And thus the thoughts of the moſt wiſe are a lie, Let God be true, and every man a liar, Rom. 3.4. All thy thoughts are ſo many lies. Now a man is a liar two wayes:
1. To himſelf. And then,
2. To others.
To himſelf all his thoughts are a meer lie. They promiſe ſuch happineſſe, glory and felicity to themſelves; and in the mean while, they are very lies; they prove as the Land-flood, as a reed a man leaneth on. The rich man that ſaid, Thou haſt many goods laid up, his thoughts were ſo many lies. Thoſe proud thoughts of Tyre and Sidon, that ſet her heart as God, and ſaid, No evil ſhould come near them, were nothing but lies And if this were only in temporal and fading things, the deceit would not be ſo dangerous, but it's in ſpiritual things alſo. All mens thoughts naturally are concerning the goodneſſe of their heart, the purity of their wayes, the happineſſe of their condition, but in all things they lie moſt damnably. What a dangerous lie was that of Laodicea, who ſaid, She was rich, and cloathed, and wanted nothing, when indeed ſhe was naked, miſerable, and wanted all things? Revel. 3.17. All the Phariſees thoughts, whereby they truſted in their own righteouſneſſe, and juſtified themſelves, were nothing but lies. And thus John Baptiſt reproved the Jews for their vain thoughts, Thinke not to ſay within your ſelves, we have Abraham to our father, Mat. 3.9. The thoughts of men are never more dangerouſly vaine, than when they pleaſe themſelves about their good condition, as to ſpirituals, that all is well with them, that God loveth them; theſe are lying vain thoughts.
Again, The thoughts of all men naturally are lies actively, in respect of others. They are full of falſhood and diſſimulation: there is no truth or ſincerity in men, as David complaineth, Pſal. 12. And the Prophet Iſaiah complaineth, Every one is an hypocrite, the beſt is a liar, Iſa. 9.17. That as the ſheep runneth to the briars to ſhelter her ſelf in a ſtorm, but they prove a lie, becauſe they tare her in ſtead of defending her. Thus it is with all men; therefore he is ſaid to be curſed that puts his truſt in men, Jer. 17. For unleſſe men have godlineſſe, and ſo are made ſincere and unfeigned, there cannot be any truſt in them. Hence are thoſe Rules of wiſe men, Nemini fidas, in teipſo ſpes tuas pone.
Fourthly, Vanity is often in Scripture uſed for that which is unprofitable, without any benefit or ſucceſſe. Hence is that phraſe, To labour in vain. And thus the Philoſophers alſo define vanity, A fruſtration of our intended end. Now in every thing that a man doth, till made wiſe in an heavenly manner, there is nothing but vanity, there is no true profit or good ſucceſſe, but in all things he labours with wind, and brings forth wind. The Prophet Hoſea expreſſeth it well, They ſow the wind, and reap the whirlwind, Hoſ. 8.7. If an husbandman in ſtead of committing ſeed to the ground, ſhould only cauſe a wind, thinking to have a crop thereby, would it not be folly? but it's not folly or loſſe only, it's deſtruction, he reaps the whirlwind, that is tempeſtuous and violent things ariſe on a ſudden. Oh this is a ſad thing to conſider, when thou art dying, I have lived in vain, laboured in vain, thought in vain, ſpoke in vain; I have no true good abiding by me of all that ever I did!
Fifthly, Vanity is often uſed for that which is unſtable, uncertain and fading. And thus the thoughts of wiſe men are vain, ſubject to changes, contradictions, and at laſt vaniſh into nothing: So that as our bodies are vain bodies, and all the whole Creation is ſubject to vanity: Thus are all the thoughts, counſels and purpoſes of the wiſeſt men ſubject to uncertainty, only the creatures they groan under this vanity, but ſo doth not man. Do but obſerve your own thoughts, Are they not as vain as the very dreams of feavouriſh men? Mayeſt thou not ſay, as the Prophet to the Church, How long ſhall vain thoughts lodge in thee? Jerem. 4.14. The Pſalmiſt ſaith of ſome, That they and their thoughts periſh together. Goe to the Graves and Tombes of the great men in the world, who have been upon the earth, like Leviathan in the waters, and are not all their purpoſes and projects laid in the duſt, as well as their bodies?
Sixthly, They are vain, becauſe they worke nothing but vain and abſurd things. What do vain thoughts produce but vain words, vain geſtures, vain attire and faſhions, vain diſcourſe in communication, vain opinions, and a vain worſhip. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, Mat. 15.19. They are the firſt ſparks that flie out of this forge, and from theſe vain thoughts cometh all the vanity that is in mens words, geſtures, apparel, yea and their Religion▪ For in vain do they worſhip me, ſaith our Saviour, Matth. 15.9. And Idolatry is in a particular manner called vanity. So that you ſee, theſe vain thoughts are indeed …he cauſe of all the outward vanity in the world: Though they be ſubtil and inſenſible, yet they produce and end in groſſe actions. As the vapours of the earth, they are very ſubtil, and hardly diſcerned, yet turn into groſſe and gloomy clouds.
Laſtly, They are vain, becauſe they are wholly wicked. The imaginations of the thoughts of the heart are onelyonly evil continually, Gen. 6.5. And thus indeed God knoweth all the thoughts and imaginations of every man is only evil. That as from the Spider and the Serpent come forth nothing but venome and poiſon; ſo from every man floweth nothing but filthineſſe; and the more wiſe he is, the greater enemy to God. So that thoſe thoughts of theirs are the irreconcilable enemy and adverſary unto God; they lift up themſelves on high againſt him.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction, 1. That God doth not onelyonly take notice of vain actions, but vain thoughts; yea theſe are as the fountain, and the cauſe of all actions. Thus Chriſt reproved the Phariſees for their thoughts, and reaſonings in their hearts. Oh think not then, that all wickedneſſe lieth in actions, in external, groſſe ſins! No, the thoughts of the heart are the womb to breed all thy wicked actions. Do dot ſay, they are free, and none knoweth them, for God knoweth them, and will judge thee for them.
2. Are all our thoughts vain? Learn then Scripture-wiſdome, get Scripture-thoughts. Alas, thy own thoughts about God, about Religion, about ſalvation, are altogether vain. Lay them all aſide; We are not able to think one good thought of our ſelves. What miſerable wofull and wretched creatures are we, of all thoſe millions of thoughts not one is good?