A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Damneth this licentious principle that Thoughts are free.
Sect. I.
Thought's FREE a damned Principle.ANd now that we might make a right Iudgement of our ſelves by our thoughts, it will be neceſſary that we firſt Iudge aright of our Thoughts; and therefore we muſt come in the firſt place to damn that hell-born Principle, to the place from whence it came, THAT THOUGHTS ARE FREE: for hardly can I think any thing a more evident token of a Reprobate mind (as the Apoſtle calls it) then for a man to think of his thoughts as ſome will ſay of their words,Rom. 1.28 Our lips are our own who is Lord over us? Pſal. 12.4But I may ſay to all thoſe that promiſe liberty to their thoughts, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks in another caſe, Whilst they promiſe them liberty, 2 Pet 2, 19they themſelves are the ſervants of Corruption; for as we ſhall find, the firſt ſtirrings of grace are in thoughts, 'tis as …rue that the firſt motions of Corruption are there alſo;James 1, 15 for Luſt conceives (ſaith the Scripture) and then brings forth ſin. Thought is the Cockatrices Egge (as the Ptophet calls it) that Breaks forth into a Vi…er. Iſai 59.49And thus are they miſerably …equited by their own thoughts be…ng themſelves Enſlaved by them, …o whom they proclaim a liberty.Thought… not right, except we think aright of our thoughts in this point.
In this diſcourſe we ſhall ſoon …ee that Thoughts are the Teſt by which God will try us, and we …hould try our ſelves; Now as Thoughts are reckoned amongſt …he higheſt acts of the mind, ſo Re…exive Thoughts are ranked in the …ighest order of Thoughts, and hence … will clearly follow, that thoughts …re not right in ſpecification, that as to this Principle are not ſo in re… plication, that is to ſay, That God will approve the thoughts of no man that thinks He is unaccountable to God for his thoughts, for if the Thoughts of the Righteous be right (as our Text ſpeaks) it follows that he that thinks not in this very poin… aright of his thoughts, is unrighteous. Iſaiah …5 7And now let the unrighteou… forſake his thoughts, even theſe unrighteous thoughts of his thoughts▪ for as Scripture mentions a judgeing of unrighteous thoughts, James 2 4ſo this ſurely is an unrighteous judging of Thoughts, for any man to thin… that his thoughts are Free. Evil thoughts are ſin to us.No, no but the very thought of fooliſhneſs i… ſin. Prov. 24 9An heart that deviſeth wicked imaginations, is one of the ſeaven things that the Lord hates, Prov. 6 18 Abomination to Godand it is placed by the wiſe man (as the Sun in the midſt of the Planets) as that which all the reſt do derive, what they have from. Evil thoughts are iniquity to Thoſe that harbou… them. They conceive miſchief, Iſaia, 53.7their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity (ſaith the Prophet;) And as they are iniquity to themſelves, ſo the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, Pro. 15.26as Solomon ſaith. This was the Grand wickedneſs and great Condemnation of the old World,Condemnation of the old world God ſaw that the wickedneſs of man was Great,Gen, 6, 5 for the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onelyonly evil continually, and therefore it repented God that he made man, Verſe 6and it grieved him at his heart.
The evil thoughts of our hearts grieve God to his heart; and ſurely man hath great reaſon to repent of that, that made God to repent that he made man.
'Tis a ſad complaint that God makes by his Prophet,Break Gods Reart. Ezek, 6, 9 I am broken ſaith God, with their whoriſh heart, (as the fountain of their whoriſh practices.) Be not deceived,Jer, 4, 1… Iniquity is bitter, Jer, 4, 14when it reacheth the heart, and ſo muſt our ſorro… for thought ſin be, if, we ever b… ſaved.Pro, 30, 32 If thou have thought ev… lay thine hand upon thy mouth, na… upon thine heart.Exclude from ſalvation, Waſh thy hea… from wickedneſs that thou mayeſt … ſaved, how long ſhall vain though… lodge within thee? If a man ma… think himſelf to Hell by vai… thoughts, what ſhall we think … …vile thoughts? for even vai… thoughts lodg'd and allowed, ar… plagued and puniſhed by ſuc vile thoughts oft times as are abhorrent to nature, as it is ſaid … the old Romans,Ro. 21.26 they became vai… in their imaginations, and God gav… them up to vile affections.
Sect. II:
God knows thoughtsFOr the Truth is that which mo… likely induceth Men to thir… that their thoughts are free, (viz …hat they ſeem, and in ſome ſort are …o in reſpect of Men, doth render …hem the leſs ſo in the ſight of God, who underſtandeth all the imagina…ions of the thoughts, 1 Cor, 28, 9more infallibly then Men do words and actions. I know their works and their thoughts (ſaith God in Iſaiah, Iſa, 66, 1…) We may know Mens works, but we know not what the thoughts were, that put them upon thoſe works, whether for the glory of God, or to be ſeen of men; But God knows both.
What though mans eye cannot ſee, or his Law bind,And eyet… them the rather becauſe leſs lyable to outward inducements▪ or outward weights and plumbets force the thoughts of men, (when threatnings or rewards may make men act againſt their minds, or ſpeak what they do not think, yet all the world cannot make a man think what he doth not think, God that is himſelf an Independent Agent, doth the rather judge of the conformity of the minds of men to his own▪ by thoſe Acts that have least dependency upon outward Inducements, or Inforcements.
A man may ſeem to do many Acts for God, and ſpeak many words for God, and yet onelyonly make man his debtour, they do it (ſaith Chriſt) to be ſeen of men, and verily they have their reward,; Mat. 6, 5But he that lays out his thoughts upon God, and for God, he truſts God without a witneſs, and the Righteous God will place, what we thus lend to his own Account, and will pay us again in our own Coin, but with infinite Intereſt, Holy-David had had many thoughts for God, and ſaith David, Many O Lord my God are thy thoughts which are to us▪ Pſal, 40, 5ward, they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee, If I would declare and ſpeak of them, they are more then can be numbred, ſo that whilſt the outward Actions, if they be no more then bare outward Actions, can look for no more then an outward Reward, there is upon good thoughts, which are a ſpiritual exerciſe, an Intail of ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly places, for to be ſpiritually minded is life and peace. Rom, 8, 6Here is Uſe upon Uſe, for what thou lendest to the Lord; Life and Peace, Salvation and Aſsurance, for what can be more an uncontrollable Evidence that the man is Spiritual then that the mind is ſo, which Scripture calls,1 Pet, 3.4 the hidden man of the heart.
A cudgel may make a dog to let go a Bone out of his mouth, From carnal fear,when it doth not go out of his mind; Laws of the Land, and ſhame of people, (as we ſay) may keep a man from committting Adulte…y in the outward Act, but all the world cannot keep him from committing Adultery in his heart. But the fear of God in a Ioſephs heart could make him afraid to look upon a woman to luſt after Gen, 39, …0her, to lie by her, ſaith the Text, or to be with her; he dreaded all exterior incentives to adulterous thoughts; and ſo alſo in a Iobs, why then (ſaith he) ſhould I think upon a Maid?Job 31, 1
Self Love,And again, Carnal ſelf love, if thou be a Preacher, may raiſe thy tongue to the high praiſes of Chriſt, and fill thy Pulpit with Hoſannahs in the highest to the ſon of David, but it is onelyonly love to Chriſt that can make thee take him to bed and board with thee, to lay him all night between thy breaſts, to remember his love more than Wine, Cant, 1, 4, 13,and that not ſo much for that thou art to Preach upon it the Lords Day, as that thou art to Live upon it all the week, as St. Paul ſaith, to me to live is Chriſt; Phil, 1, 21for 'tis one thing to prove our parts to men, and another thing to approve our hearts to God: neither are we ſo much to deſire to evidence to others a Proof of Chriſt ſpeaking in us (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) as to find a proof of Chriſt living in our ſelves,1 Cor, 13, 3 Chap, 9, 22least while we preach to others, We our ſelves prove foreign that is, unapproved.
So then for a man to think that his Thoughts are Free, that is, that he is unaccountable to God for his thoughts (according to which God eſpecially judgeth men) is to admit a contradiction, not onelyonly to all Scripture, but to all Right Reaſon.
Sect. III.
LEt me freely tell thee O Reader (whoſoever thou art) whoſe thoughts are not right,Evil thoughts like Devils, thine heart is but an hell, and thy thoughts are but as ſo many Divels, and worſe then Devils to thee, for Firſt,
As Angels, In their original,(the moſt Excellent of Gods Creatures) became odious Devils, by departing from God, ſo that our Thoughts (that in their own nature, are the Offspring of the noble & moſt excellent Mind of man) ſhould become Iniquity to us,Iſaia 59.7 and an abomination to God. Prov 1….26 Hebr, 3, 12This is from our evil heart of unb…lief, in departing from the living God.
Nature, ſpiritual wickedneſs▪ Epheſ. 6 12And as Devils for their nature, are called ſpiritual wickedneſſes, can enter into men ('tis ſaid Satan entred into Judas,Luke 22 3) and fill their hearts (as in Ananias his caſe) why hath Satan filled thy heart? Ezek 18, 10ſo alſo Evil thoughts are ſaid to come into mens minds, and fill their hearts; Inwardly they are full of rottenneſs (ſaith Chriſt.Mat, 25, 27) And as Devils for their pride and power are called, ſpiritual wickedneſses in high places, In high places,ſo alſo evil thoughts are ſaid to be thoſe high things that exalt themſelves against God, 2 Corin, 10 5,and againſt Chriſt (Caſting down Imaginations and every high thing, &c. and bringing into captivity every thought of the heart, &c.
And as Devils for their number made the poſſeſſed man cry out,Number, Legions, My name is Legion, for we are many; Mark 5, 9ſo may Evil thoughts ſay, for theſe are called the abundance of the heart, Luke 8, 30Like the ſwarmes of Flyes in Aegypt,Mat. 17 34 as if they were of Beelzebubs Army, who, by the Etymology of his name, is Lord of the Flyes, and by the account of the Pharaſees, Prince of the Devils.
And as Devils for their agility, agility,made anſwer to God (when he demanded, Satan, Job 1 7whence commest thou?) From going in the earth to and fro, and from walking up and down in it; Juſt ſo may evil Thoughts ſay; for the wandring of the deſire is by the Thoughts; Eccl, 6, 9they go where we cannot, Iſraelites in the Wilderneſs,Acts 7, 39 yet in heart went back to Aegypt.
VigilancyAnd as Devils for their Vigilancy, 1 Pet, 1, 8are ſaid to walk about as roaring Lyons, which are ſlirring when we are ſleeping, (as the Pſalmiſt obſerves) Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle,Pſalm 104 20, 21 be vigilant, ſo the worldlings thoughts are at work while himſelf is aſleep, for as his days are ſorrow, Eccleſ 2, 23ſo his heart taketh not reſt in Night, for a dream comes through the multitude of buſineſs; Chapt 5 8And oh how often cauſe have we to be troubled, when we awake, for the Thoughts of our ſleep, as Nebuchadnezzar was with his Thoughts in his ſleep?Daniel 4 5
Diſturbing in GoodAnd as Devils for disturbing in good dutyes, are called the Fowls of the Air, Matt 13 4that ſteal away the word; ſuch are evil thoughts, and ſo do they;1 Sam 1 13 As when Hannah was a Praying, Elie's thoughts were running upon that, that was neither charitable nor true, (viz.) that ſhe was drunk. And when Simon ſhould have been minding what Chriſt was a ſaying,Luke 3 37. his Thoughts were wandring, He ſaid within himſelf, if this man were a Prophet, he would have known who and what manner of Woman this is that toucheth him, for ſhe is a ſinner. Vain thoughts can dog us when and where vain company cannot come at us, even in our cloſeſt places and performances.
And as Devils are ſignalized for diſturbing us in what is good,Tempting to evil, ſo for tempting to evil, (therefore Satan is called foreign The Tempter, Matth 4 3) ſo every man is tempted (ſaith the Apoſtle) when he is drawn away of his own luſt, and enticed; James 1 14ſo that Evil Thoughts are our Tempters as much as He, and we ſhould belie the devil ſhould we ſay otherwiſe: for they have made ready their heart like an Oven, ſaith the Prophet;Hoſea 7 6 What though Satan bring the Fewel, yet men put it into the Oven, and ſtir it about by their own Thoughts, in their own hearts, ſo that if He, like a cunning Baker, ſeem to ſleep all night, (as 'tis there expreſſed) yet he knows that they will tend it, and ſo look to it, that in the morning it ſhall burn like a flaming fire.
And then accuſingAnd as Devils, when they have been Tempters will be ſure to be Accuſers, (ſo that, as many men are called by ſuch a name, Alias ſuch a name, ſo Satan is called Tempter, Rev 12 10alias the Accuſer) ſo alſo are Evil Thoughts. Their thoughts mean while accuſing, &c. as the Apoſtle ſpeaks.Rom 15 2
and tormenting, Matt 18 34And as Devils are Tormenters as well as Tempters and Accuſers, ſo alſo the Thoughts of the damned ſhall be a principal part of their torment, Son, rememb…r, &c. ſaith Abraham to Dives, Luk 16 25that is, bethink thy ſelf, &c.
And thus have we ſeen that Evil Thoughts are as bad as Devils; Ye… worſe then Devil… to usyea that they are worſe then ſo, we ſhall now make appear in a few lines, and ſo conclude this head, And that,
Firſt in themſelves, In themſelves(in ſome reſpect) Let me tell thee O Reader, that thy thoughts may be guilty of ſuch a ſin, as Satan himſelf is not, nay cannot be guilty of, for ſaith the Pſalmiſt.Pſalm 14 … The Fool hath ſaid in his heart, that there is no God; whereas the Apoſtle ſaith expreſly that the Devils believe and tremble. James 2 1…And Oh that we could tell how to bewail it ſufficiently, that there ſhould be more Atheiſme in one heart upon Earth, nay in one thought, than in all the Devils of Hell. We pitty others when poſſeſſed with Evil Spirits, how much more ſhould we lament bitterly over our own ſelves when poſſeſsed with Evil thoughts, in ſome ſort worſe then the worſt of ſpirits.
And to usII. As to thoſe whoſe Thoughts they are, For theſe are the Heifers wherewith Satan Ploweth, whoſe Temptations could onelyonly disturb, not destroy us, If our Thoughts did not take them in (as the Trojans in the Story, the deceiptful Horſe,) and make them ours; ſo that our Deſtruction is of our ſelves (as the Prophet ſpeaks,Hoſea 13 9) for if Satan cannot know our Thoughts (without us) much leſs can He force them, But as Chriſt ſaith in one place, You are of your Father the Devil, John 8 44and his Lusts will ye do, ſo the Prophet ſaith in many places,Jerem 7 24 that in and after the imaginations of their own hearts they do and will walk; Chap 9 14Chap 11 8So that as Chriſt ſaith, the Devil is the Father, the Apoſtle makes mans heart to be the Mother, and 13 10which receives the Temptation; and Thought the Womb that Conceiveth and Hatcheth it, when he ſaith,James 1 15 Luſt when it hath conceived bringeth forth ſin, whereas were th …e a Cordial crying out, as by the forced Damoſel in the Law,Deutero 22 24 25 or the Apoſtle in the Goſpel, Oh wretched man that I am, Rom 7 24who ſhall deliver me? God would lay the ſin upon Satan, and not upon the Soul diſturbed by, and afflicted with it.
Now then ſince Evil Thoughts are as ſo many Devils, and worſe then Devils to us, let us dread them as we do the devil; reſiſt them as we ought to do Him, and Pray againſt them as we would againſt Him, & when they break into our hearts (which are ſuch unruly and untamed Evils,) let us ſerve them as the People of a Countrey Village would a ravenous Wolf, or cruel Bear, that ſhould break into their Town, all the Town would be after them, either to kill them in, or to force them out of it.
Pro 23 26And ſince the Heart is the thing that God Pripcipally requires, and and that out of it are the Iſſues of Life, Prov 4 23Let us keep the Heart with all keeping; and be choice of our Thoughts as of Gods Crown-Iewels.Mal 3 16 17
Phil 4 8And now finally Brethren, whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are just, whatſoever things are pure, whatſoever things are lovely, whatſoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praiſe. Think of theſe things.