Twenty-Nine Sermons, Sermon 8
THE MISERY OF Earthly Thoughts.
ISA. 55. 7.
Let the wicked forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord, &c.
I Have heretofore begun the Doctrine of the Thoughts of men; Now I deſire to finiſh it. Whence we had this Point: that
Thoſe whoſe minds run habitually on earthlyDoctrine: things, are yet in the ſtate of miſery.
Firſt, Becauſe a man is in the ſtate of miſery till he hath repented: Now, untill a man have forſaken his old thoughts, that man hath not repented. Oh Jeruſalem, waſh thy heart, Jer. 4. 14. A man muſt not only …id himſelfe of vain thoughts, but he muſt waſh his heart clean, with this Emphaſis, That he may be ſaved: No ſalvation without this. How long ſhall vain thoughts lodge within thee?
2. As a man is in the ſtate of miſery, till he have repented, ſo alſo till he is in Chriſt. Now when a man is led by his own vain thoughts, his thoughts being not ſanctified; ſo long that man is not in Chriſt. If he were in Chriſt, Chriſt would ſanctifie his thoughts. I but, may ſome man ſay, He hath wronged me, ergo, I will think thus and thus▪ Nay, but Chriſt caſteth down the ſtrong holds, and if thou wilt not yield, Chriſt will caſt thee off; but if thou belong to Chriſt, he will caſt all down before thee.
3. That man is in the ſtate of miſery, that doth not love God, that walks not with God in his thoughts, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God, &c. Mat. 22. 37. So I do, ſayes one, and yet I think on my vanities too: And thus carnal men think they love God. But if thou love God with all thy heart, thou loveſt him with all that is in thy heart; for what is a mans heart, but the purpoſes of his heart? Now if a man give not over vain purpoſes, he loves not God with all his heart.
4. That man that cannot forſake ſinne, is in the ſtate of miſery, and can never enter into life, (ſee the Text) the wicked must forſake his wayes. A man muſt deny his own words, and ſpeak according to Gods own warrant: the actions of mens lives are the wayes of their thoughts; the Tongue muſt not only forſake his way, but the Heart his way alſo; elſe a man is a wicked man, Prov. 13. 26. He is wicked whoſe thoughts are not ſanctified. But what will men ſay? ſhall we be condemned for a thought? words are ſmall ſins, and thoughts are leſſe: Muſt a man then ſo ſtrictly look to his thoughts? I will make it plain, that for a man to be vainthoughted, is a grievous ſin;
1. Becauſe if the ſin of vain thoughts be pardoned, it will ask abundance of mercy.
Mark the Text, Abundantly pardon: No repentance, no mercy, no abundance of it; ergo, it is not ſo ſmall as the world takes it to be.
2. Thoughts are the ſins of the highest part of a man; for they are the ſins of the heart; and ſurely the ſins of the chiefeſt part are greater then any other. A King counts it not much for a Rogue to ſteale by the wayes ſide, but for a Knight or a Noble-man it is a foul matter: So the Lord would not have the lordly part to ſin againſt him; He would not have the tongue, much leſſe the heart, that is, the Kingly part of a man, to tranſgreſſe. And this is the reaſon why Deborah calls them great thoughts of heart▪ Judg. 5. 15. Sins in thought, are great ſins: the Heart is the Lady, the miſtreſſe, or higheſt part of a man; and He that hath made us, looks that we ſhould ſerve him with the Maſter-part; That muſt be afforded him.
3. Becauſe thoughts are breaches of every Commandement; Other ſins are but againſt one, but all the Commandements condemn vain thoughts. The firſt Commandement ſaith, Thou ſhalt have no others Gods but me; But thou ſet…eſt an Image up in thy heart, when thou thinkeſt of thy pleaſures, &c. So, Thou ſhalt keep holy the ſabbath day: Now if thou think thine own thoughts that day, thou breakeſt this commandement; and ſo of all the reſt: The ſinne of thought is therefore a hainous ſinne.
4. Becauſe they are the ſtrength of a mans heart and ſoul, the firſtborn of originall corruption. A man by nature is a child of wrath, a ſoul and a body of death. Now what doth the heart firſt break out in? It firſt ſhews it ſelf in its thoughts; and if it be the firſt-born, it muſt needs be the ſtrengh: as Jacob ſaid to Ruben his firſt-born, he was his ſtrength; and therefore all Lord-ſhip lies in the heart; A man may more eaſily part with all other ſins then with this, becauſe the bent of the heart runs this way; the heart will part with any ſin, rather then with his pernicious thoughts.
5. Becauſe they are the deareſt acts of men. We count a man preferred, when he is preferred to the thoughts of a man, Gen. 40. 14. Think on me, ſaith Joſeph to Pharoahs Butler: I count it thanks enough, if thou preferre me to thy thoughts. We prize that moſt, which we think moſt o…; That which a man ſcorns, he ſcorns to beſtow his thoughts on; but that which a man ſets his heart on, that is his dearling. Now that any thing ſhould be dear to a man, ſave God, this is a horrible ſin; when a man makes his dogs his dearling, his whore his dearling, &c. For look what thou moſt thinkeſt on, that is thy dearling: Why? Becauſe thou dandleſt it in thy heart; therefore it is a horrible ſin for a man not to ſet his heart upon God.
Objection.But can a man live without thoughts? doth Grace call us to leave thinking? then a man muſt ceaſe to be.
Anſwer.Non tollit, ſed attollit naturam; it takes them not away, but it takes them up. He doth not ſay, Let the wicked forſake thoughts, but his thoughts; let him ſet them on other matters. When God cals men unto him, he is ſo far from taking away mens thoughts, as that he will rather increaſe them. If thou be a new creature, thou muſt have more thoughts; Thou art full of thoughts now; but then thou wilt be fuller. Pſal. 119. 59. When David turned to God, his heart thought upon his wayes; the word in the original is, He thought on his wayes on both ſides. The curious work of the Sanctuary was wrought on both ſides; Common works are wrought only on one ſide, but on the other ſide are full of ends and ſh…eds. So the Prophet looks on his way on both ſides; he ſtrives to walk curiouſly, preciſely, and accurately to turn himſelf to Gods teſtimonies. Ergo, God cals not to forſake thoughts, but our thoughts; it is a hard duty for men to forſake their own thoughts. I will make it appear thus:
Firſt, Becauſe it is a hard thing to reform ones ſelf; one thing may reform another; but here is the difficulty, for a thing to reform it ſelf: it is an eaſie matter for a mans heart to reform his tongue, but it is hard for the heart to reform it ſelf, in correcting its own thoughts: it is hard for a man to deny himſelf. Ahel-hound may reform his tongue; but here is the difficulty, for his heart to reform it ſelf, for thoughts are the heart, Phil 3. 19. who mind earthly things; thoughts of earthly things are called the mind; a mans thoughts and his mind are all one, ſo that if it reform thoughts, it muſt reform it ſelf.
2. It is hard to reform thoughts, becauſe they are partiall acts; if they were full acts, a man might reform them, rather then being partiall acts: my reaſon is, becauſe they are in every action he doth; thoughts run on all mens actions; if thoughts were alone, men might mend them: but they buſie themſelves about all actions; if a man pray, thoughts run along with him in prayer, nay men pray with twiſted thoughts, ſo that before he comes to an end of his prayer, he ſhall have abundance of glancings on other things. See it in old Eli, 1 Sam. 1. Hanna was praying; Old Eli ſaith the Text, thought ſhe had been drunken. Either he was, or ſhould have been praying alſo; yet you ſee he had wandring thoughts ꝙ mark the lips of his neighhours. So, as John was preaching, Mat. 3. there came a thought into his hearers hearts, that they were the ſeed of Abraham. What did make them think ſo? John ſpake of no ſuch matter; but he ſaid, Every tree that brings not forth good fruit, &c. They had, it ſeems, by thoughts in the duty of hearing; therefore ſeeing thoughts do thus twiſt themſelves about mens actions, hence it is that they are ſo hard to be rooted out.
3. It is hard for men to forſake their own thoughts, becauſe they are in mens hearts, Their inward thoughts, Pſal. 49. 11. Every man hath two kind of thoughts, inward, and outward; explicite, and implicite; implicite thoughts are thoſe that never ſhew themſelves in the heart, but at ſome deſperate attempt; Explicite, are thoſe which are in the heart every day: as in Pſal. 49. 11. They think their houſes ſhall continue for ever. Would you think that men ſhould have ſuch thoughts? their outward thoughts were, they were mortall; Wee ſee (ſaith the Text) that men die, &c. and yet they they think inwardly that they ſhall live for ever. Now according to theſe inward thoughts men act; and hence it is that men neglect repentance, and other holy duties, as if God would never call them to an account; they have not theſe thoughts above-board, but they are inward, and theſe ſpoile the heart, and theſe are the cauſe why men cannot forſake their own thoughts. Ephiphanius ſpeaks of a fig-tree which grew in a wall, &c. Bad thoughts will be alwayes ſeizing on a … he dies, and then all his thoughts periſh. But ſo long as a man is alive in old Adam, theſe thoughts are rooted in the bottom of the …, which hinder good duties; aud this is the cauſe why vanity of mind ſprouts up.
Examine your ſelves then; for it is one of the beſt wayes for a man toUſe. try his eſtate by, even to examine his thoughts. If a man would ſee whether the ſea be ſalt, he need not drink all the water that is in it; one drop will ſerve his turn. So a man may ſee whether he be a child of God, or of the Devil, even by his thoughts. I will make it appear by theſe Reaſons:
Firſt becauſe mens thoughts are the free acts of their hearts. Many times you ſpeak not as you would, you do not as you would, but a man thinks alwayes as he will. Favour of great men, and deſire to pleaſe them, makes men do many times what they would not; but thoughts are free. I may ſay ſo, and ſo, but I will think what I liſt: Ergo, if thou wilt judge a man, judge him by that he does freely, and not by that which he does by compulſion. But now thy thoughts are free, they are thine own act; nothing can force thy thoughts but thy ſelf: ergo, in them thy heart ſhews it ſelf whether it be carnal or ſpirituall.
When Peter denied his Maſter, could a man have judged him by that, then he might have judged him in Apoſtate: but that was his paſſion; he diſcovered what his fear was, not what his heart was; For if a man might have but looked into Peters heart (though it was a fearfull ſin, and without Gods mercy might have damned him) Yet there you might have heard him ſay, Oh it is my Maſter! Oh that I had never come hither! It is my Master and Saviour, I have none but he. It was for fear of his life, that he denied him: For, Prov. 23. 7. As a man thinketh in his heart, ſo is he. A covetous Uſurer may make a rich feaſt, and ſay with his tongue, Sir, you are welcome; he muſt give good words, the ſhame of the world and ſpeech of people will make him do it; yet his thoughts it may be are not towards thee. So try thy ſelfe, how go thy thoughts, at home or abroad? Are thy thoughts on heaven or heavenly things, or are they below? Sure I am if a mans thoughts were on heavenly things, then his heart would be there alſo; for as a man thinks, ſo is he, Prov. 23. 7.
2. As they are the freeſt acts, ſo they are the immediate acts of the heart. Can a man judge of the fountain by the water that runs ſeven miles off, as well as by that which runs immediately from it? The water ſeven miles off, may have tincture from the ſoyle, and ſo it may be bad there, though good at the fountains head; ergo, judge of the fountain by the water which comes immediately from it. Now, thoughts come immediately from the heart, nothing is between them and the heart, and out of the heart (ſaith our Saviour) proceed evill thoughts, &c. Mark 7. 21. Other ſinnes come from the heart too, but it is at the ſecond, third, or fourth hand; abundance of circumſtances come between them and the act; as in the act of murder, it may be, there were baſe words offered, yea and blows too, &c. but thoughts come immediately from the heart: Ergo, if thy thoughts be proud, carnall, &c. ſo act thou; if thy thoughts carry thee away in the cares of this life, ſo is thy heart, &c.
3. Thoughts, they are the continued acts of the heart, a man is alwayes doing them. Can a man judge of an Uſurer, and ſay he is liberall, becauſe he makes one great feaſt unto his neighbours? No; but he may ſay it is a Uſurers feast, a great feaſt.
By what a man doth alwayes, by that judge him; Thou art not alwayes praying &c. or in good company; but thou art alwayes thinking good or evill thoughts, thy thoughts are continued acts of thy heart. Can a man judg a horſe for ſtumbling once in a long journey? At ſuch a place he went well and at ſuch a time, and alwayes; yet perhaps once in a year he may ſtumble: Can you, or will you judge him by that? No, rather judge him by that which hee is alwayes doing. Thou art alwayes thinking; now that is thy God which thou art alwayes thinking on: If on riches, then that is thy god; or whatſoever it be, then that is thy god.
Examine then thy heart by thy thoughts; for out of the abundance of thy heart thy mouth ſpeaketh: yea, for one word, there is abundance of thoughts, for one good duty, there is abundance of thoughts; ergo, if thou wilt examine thy heart, examine thy thoughts.
4. Thoughts are the Univocall acts of the heart, ſuch as wherein the heart ſhews its own nature. As for example, the Univocal act of Light is to lighten the room, but now you cannot judge of the Light by the heat, ſo well as you may by the ſhining. So an ill ſavour muſt be judged of by the ſtinking, which is the univocal act of it: It cauſeth abundance of other effects, but this is the proper act whereby it ſhews it ſelf. So the thoughts of men are the univocal acts of their hearts; therefore in Scripture called the way of the heart: juſt as the heart is, ſo are the thoughts: if the heart be proud, ſo are the thoughts: juſt according to the nature of the heart, ſo are the thoughts.
5. They are the ſwifteſt acts of the heart. If I judge of a Scholar, I will judge him by that which he doth extempore: if a fool ſtudy, he may ſpeak to purpoſe; but look what a man doth by his own inclination, that a man diſcovers himſelf to be. Thoughts are the extempore acts of the heart; if thy heart be heavenly, it will ſcatter out heavenly meditations; if carnal, then thy thoughts are carnall: thoughts are as the viſions in the night, ergo we uſe this proverb, his thoughts are gone a ſutering. If then they be the ſwifteſt acts of mens hearts, then are they moſt …it to expreſſe the nature of the heart.
6. Thoughts are the peculiar acts of the heart, peculiar to God only: the world may ſee what thy outward life is, but thy thoughts God only ſees; neither Angel, Devil, nor Man can ſee them: and as they are peculiar to Gods eye, ſo he moſt regards what mens thoughts are; and therefore the beſt way for a man to judge himſelf, is, to judge himſelf that way which God doth, even by his thoughts. The The Lord knows the thoughts of man, Pſal. 94. 11. Examine your ſelves in this then, concerning your thoughts, whether they be metamorphoſed, or no: a man may ſay, he hath good thoughts of God; but let him examine himſelf whether it be ſo or no.
7. Thoughts are the conſcionable acts of the heart; they are the greateſt accuſers, or excuſers of the heart: they are Conſciences Noſe, as we may ſo ſpeak: True it is, the words of the tongue, and the actions of the hands, are all in the light and …ight of the conſcience; but the neerer a thing is unto the conſcience, the more able it is to judge of the conſcience: And therefore St. Paul puts the accuſing, or excuſing, eſpecially on the thoughts, Rom. 2. 15.
We grant, a wicked man may have good thoughts, but they are thoughts deſcending, not aſcending; they are caſt into the heart by God, not raiſed out of the hear. Moſes thought in his heart to viſit his brethren, Acts 7. verſe 23. Good thoughts grow out of the heart of the godly, they come from the bottom of it: a wicked man may have good thoughts caſt into his minde, but he will fling them out again.
Secondly, we grant wicked men may have good thoughts; but examine whether they cloſe with the heart or no; all the proper thoughts of a man, are the poſſeſſions of the heart, Job 17. 11. They take hold of the heart, and they are at home in the heart. Here then examine thy heart, whether the thoughts of God cloſe with thy heart: Doth repentance cloſe with thy heart? doſt thou think of death, and do the thoughts thereof make thee die daily? Or doſt thou think of death, and doſt thou not love to be holden with that thought? Doſt thou think of hel, and wilt thou not be holden with that thought of hell, but thy thoughts are on thy pleaſures? So then, if thy thoughts cloſe not with thy heart, it is nothing to the purpoſe.
Thirdly, there may be good thoughts in thy heart, but tis queſtionable whether good thoughts, or no; if they come out of due ſeaſon, it is nothing to the purpoſe: If a Printer print never ſo well, and make never ſo good letter; yet if he place one word where another ſhould ſtand, he marrs all: So, good thoughts, if they be ſeaſonable, and in their proper place, they are the effects of the Spirit; but if out of ſeaſon they may be the thoughts of reprobates: As if thou be at at Prayer, and then to be thinking of a Sermon, is nothing to the purpoſe. They muſt be ſeaſonable, and bring forth fruit in due ſeaſon, Pſal. 1. 3. When thou art at prayer, thou muſt have thy thoughts ſuteable to thy prayer; for if thy thoughts be never ſo good, yet if they be not ſeaſonable and ſutable to the action thou haſt in hand, they are not actions of grace; grace cannot away with them.
Fourthly, thou haſt good thoughts in thy heart, but the queſtion is whether they be counſelled thoughts, ſuch as thou haſt determined to think on. Thoughts are called the counſels of a mans heart, 1 Cor. 4. 5. it may be thou maieſt ſtumble on a good thought now and then, it may be when thou art ſwearing, thou w…lt ſay, God forgive me: when thou haſt been drinking all the day, it may be a good thought ſteps in and cries God mercy, but thou goeſt not to ſchoole to learn the art of meditation, or the ſcience of holy thinking, or to ſay with David, O God my heart is fixed.
Now, if that ſin in thought be ſo great a ſin, this ſhould teach us what a horrible ſin it is to ſin indeed; therefore thoughts are the ſmalleſt ſins, in reſpect of ſcandal, and the Pſalmiſt makes it an argument of Gods quickſighted power to ſee thoughts, thou ſeeſt my thoughts afar off, you will ſay that man is quick-ſighted that can ſee a pins head a 100 myles off: even ſo God ſees thoughts; if a pins point can ſtab a man, then a ſword can much more. Now if thoughts be ſo haynous and capitall a ſin, how fearfull a ſin is it to commit ſinne in deed? for thee to ſwear, to lye, to commit adultery, to keep wicked company, to mock at Gods people, to live in coveteouſneſſe, &c. this is to commit in deed; if ſmall ſins be ſo damnable, what then are the greateſt? If the chockatrice in the egge be ſuch poyſon, what will it be when it is hatcht? thought ſins are imperfect compared with words or acts following them: yet are they perfect in their kinds.
Tis a wicked diſtinction to ſay that some ſins are Contra legem or Praeter legem; for all ſins are againſt the Law, as St. James ſaith, when luſt is conceived it bringeth forth ſin, and …in when it is finiſhed it bringeth forth death: thou that art a drunkard, thy ſin is finiſhed: thou art a true ſinner in deed, if thou liveſt in the execution of any ſin.
Again, ſins in thought are ſimple ſins: but ſins in deed are compounded, if after thoughts follow ſutable act; but when it is in deed, it may be the cauſe of a 1000 ſins: for a man to think too much of his bellie is a ſin: but for a man to be drunken, this is abundance of ſins: for it is an abuſe of Gods creatures, a ſpending of his ſubſtance, a weakning of his parts, a ſcandall to others, &c. Sin in deed is a ſin with an addition: ſin in deed is an impudent ſin… ſee Iſaiah 65. 2, 3. &c. that man is impudent with a witneſſe that will commit ſinne in deed, for he is neither aſhamed of Gods nor mans preſence; if any man be a deſperate ſinner, this is he.
Object.But it may be objected, how then can thoughts be ſaid to be ſuch ſins, even ſins of the higheſt part of a man?
Sol.I anſwer, a Thiefe or Rogue hath burnt a mans dwelling houſe, yet he may proceed further and burn his ſtable too; a 1000 pound and a ſhilling are more then a 1000 pound; Sins in thought are included within ſins in deed. The ſouls part of ſinne is the greateſt part of ſinne; Now thoughts are the ſouls part of ſin; yet ſins in deed muſt needs be worſe in regard of the progreſſe of ſinne, and alſo becauſe thoughts are included in them; thoughts and deeds, are more then thoughts alone.
I exhort and deſire you therefore to conſider;
Firſt what great reaſon you have to ſet your thoughts on God. God himſelfe merited this dutie at your hands, God hath taken a number of thoughts for us. Innumerable are thy thoughts O God to us ward. Pſ. 40. 5. the Lord thinks on us from the Cradle to the Croſſe; If the Lord ſhould have intermitted his thought of thee, thou couldſt not ſubſiſt; when thou waſt up, the Lord thought how to feed thee; when thou waſt in bed, he thought how to preſerve thee; he doth not uſe to think of thee at one time and not at another, but he thinks on thee when thou art ſick, and when thou art in health, aſleep or awake; the Devill elſe would ſeize on thee. I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks on me, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 40. 17. And Nehemiah ſaith, O Lord think on me; ſhall we call to God to think on us? then ſurely it is our duty to think on him, yea and he may call to us for that duty.
Secondly, conſider with your ſelves what thoughts they are which God calls for; my ſon, ſaith he, give me thy heart. Prov. 23. 26. He would faine have thy heart, he lets thee labour with thy hands for thy living, and he lets thee have thy feet to walk, and the reſt of thy members for thy ſeverall uſes, but the Lord requires thy heart, and therefore give him the thoughts of thy heart; for if thy neighbour come to thee for fire, thou canſt not give him fire, if thou take away the heat thereof; ſo give the Lord thy heart, and the thoughts of it will follow.
The Devill calls for thy heart alſo; ergo, reaſon as Joſeph did when he was tempted, how can I doe this and ſinne againſt my God? my Maſter hath delivered into my hands all that he hath, thee only excepted, and ſhall I take thee? how can I doe this? So the Lord hath with-holden nothing from thee, but thy heart; my ſonne (ſaith he) give me thy heart, yet wilt thou deny it him with the thoughts thereof?
Tell me you that are rich, would it be any diſparagement unto you to be Gods ſervants, to ſet your thoughts on God? True, it is the greater ill men of this world thinke it ſome diſparagement to think on theſe things. But I tell thee, thou that art a Gentleman, if thou have grace, it makes thee more than a Gentleman; grace takes not away mens honor and riches, but if he be a Knight, it makes him more than a Knight; And as Paul ſaid to Philemon, receive him now a ſervant and more than a ſervant; he was a ſervant when he was carnall, but now being a Chriſtian he is more than a ſervant; if you have grace, it is an addition to your riches; riches and more than riches; ergo, give your hearts to God, and it will be the better for you.
Thirdly, the Lord hath made thy thoughts thy Jewels, thy thoughts are precious, the Lord keepeth them under lock and key, he will not let any ſee them; if all men ſhould obſerve a man, and look into him, yet they cannot ſee his thoughts; no; God hath lockt them up and made them thy Jewels; wilt thou then caſt them into the myre? wilt thou preferre Haukes and Hounds in thy thoughts before God? canſt thou ſit at dinner, and not once think of God, but alwayes on baſe pelfe? why, thy thoughts are thy Jewels.
Again, A man that is wiſe, will be wary what companions he keeps▪ your thoughts are your only companions; you never go out nor in, but your thoughts go along with you: and for this cauſe Solomon would have us place the word of God in our thoughts, Prov. 6. 22. See Pſal. 139. 15. 16. when I am awake, I am preſent with thee.
Men will be carefull what meat they eat, becauſe ſuch meat as they eate ſuch is their blood; and as their blood is, ſo is their body; now as the body feeds on meat, ſo doth the ſoul on thoughts; if we look not to our thoughts, they will be ſubject to abundance of corruptions; a man muſt give an account of every idle word he ſpeaks, and thoughts are the intrinſecal words of the heart: now if men muſt give an account of every idle word, then of every idle thought alſo.
Let this then teach all and every one of us in the fear of God to conſider our thoughts, elſe our end will be deſtruction.