A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Proves that the Iudgement that God paſſeth upon Men is by their Thoughts.
Sect. I.
WOuldſt thou then O Man, Try thy ſelf by the ſame Meaſures that God will try thee, and Iudge of thy ſtate, as He judgeth of thee, who judgeth not according to the appearance, but judgeth righteous judgment? Let me tie thy thought… and thee together again. For th… Lord ſearcheth the heart & tryeth th… reins, Jer. 17.10 and 11 20thoſe reins the Pſa miſt ſpeak… of,Pſal. 16.7 My reins instruct me in the nigh… ſeaſon, His ſolemn thoughts and ſ…rious ſelf-reflecti…ns. Thoſe ar… they that God tryeth, and thee by them. O Lord thou haſt ſearched me and known me, Pſ. 139 1 2thou underſtandeſt my thoughts afar off; As Chriſ… ſaid to Nathaniel, I may ſay to others in other caſes, before tha… Philip called thee, John 1, 48I ſaw thee when thou waſt under the Fig tree, ſo before others called thee to the Alc… Bench, or into the Whore Houſe, he ſaw thee, he kn…w the propenſion… of thy Thoughts, the motions in thy mind, the tendency of thine heart, He underſtandeth thy thought… afar off, and by theſe He dooms ſent…nceth, and judgeth thee though (to ſpeak ſtrictly) God judgeth of us or knows us by pure and ſimple intuition, abſtractly as well from Thoughts as from words and actions, that is, He needs no more any thought or thing, then he doth any man,John 2.28 to teſtify of man, for He knows, as what is in man, ſo wh…t man is, by a more perfect way than diſcurſive inference, or argumentation. He knows all things in their principles before they operate, Acts 15, 11For known unto the Lord are all his works from the beginning.
Sect. II.
THo…ghts have feet, they have a tendency, Thoughts have feet▪be they good or evil. The thoughts of the diligent tend to plenteouſneſs, Prov 21, 5…he Lord t…kes notice of the tendency of thy thoughts,can go. and counts thee gone the ſame way that they go. Epheſ. 4, 17The Gentiles are ſaid to walk not onelyonly after but in the vanity of their mind. Jer. 7, 24And the wicked Iews not onelyonly after but in the imaginations of their evil Hearts. … TonguesThoughts can ſpeak as well as go, Matth 3, 9Think not to ſay within your ſelves, &c. and God hears them,Lam. 3, 60 (Thou haſt heard all their imaginations againſt mee, ſaith the Church) when the voice is not heard Hannah prayed in her Heart, can pray, 1 Sam. 1, 13 Verſe 14and her lips moved, But her voice was not heard. Old Eli that meaſured her by the bare moving of her lips, misjudged her; but God had an eye to the Motion of her Heart. Thoughts can Curſe too,and curſe, Ecc. 10, 20 19 Curſe not the King, no not in thy thought. The Heart of the wicked is ſaid to utter perverſe things. The Holy-Ghost heard Ananias thoughts tell the lie before Peter and the reſt heard his tongue do ſo,Pro, 23, 33 and lie, Acts 5.3, 4 Why hath Satan filled thine Heart to lie unto the Holy-Ghoſt? thou haſt not lyed unto men but unto God.and hands. Thoughts have Hands too as well as Tongues and Feet in Gods account.Iſaia. 22, 6 can work, The Heart of the vile perſon is ſaid to work Iniquity, and to practice Hypocriſy. Therefore ſaith God of the falſe witneſs, thou ſhalt do to him as he thought to do to his Brother. David thought to build God an houſe, Deut. 19 19and thus God reckons,1 Kin. 8, 18 thou didſt well in that it was in thine heart. When Eſau thought to ſlay his Brother if his Father were but once dead, (Eſau ſaid in his heart, the days of mourning for my Father are at hand, Gen. 27, 41then will I ſlay my Brother Iacob) God Books it down though he never did it. How are the things of Eſau ſearched out, Obadiah 6how are his hid things ſought up? and ſo ſhall all mens be, for the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, 1 Chro. 28 …and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.
Sect. III.
IF a man looking on a woman do but ſend after her an Impu…e thought,Thought, Adultery. God writes down Adultery committed already, Matt, 5 28if he look, ſai…h Chriſt, to Luſt after her. If thou do but think profanely, he notes…t,Prophaneſs Pſal. 50, 21 thou thoughteſt I was altogether ſuch an one as thy ſe…f, But I will reprove thee; I ſay he obſerves it, a…d accordingly judgeth thee. It preſumptuouſly, Preſumption,he dooms it, and thee for it. If a man hearing the words of this curſe, Deuter. 29 1…, 20bleſs himſelf in his heart (that is, in his own thoughts) ſaying, I ſhall have Peace though I walk in the Imagination of mine heart: the Lord will not ſpare him, Vanity&c. If thy thought be vain and fooliſh, wicked and worldly, God will pronounce thee ſuch …s he finds that.Luke 12 16 17, 19, 20. The grounds of a certain rich man brought forth pl…nteouſly, and he thought within himſelf what ſhall I do, &c. I will ſay to my Soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine eaſe, eat, drink, and be merry; But God ſaid unto him, thou fool, &c. If thy thoughts be Viperous and Venimous,Venime, blaſphemous and malitious againſt the Lord and His Chriſt, He will damn thee for ſuch as he finds them. Ieſus knew their thoughts, Mat 12 25 compa…ed with ver 34 Pſal. 2, 1, 5and ſaid O Generation of Vipers, &c. Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? they take Councel againſt the Lord and againſt his Anointed, &c. The Lord ſhall ſpeak to them in his wrath. &c. They Conſult, He condemns, they Think, and He Speaks, that is to ſay, ſpeaks in judgement.
Sect. IV.
Evil men characterized by their thoughts,THis was the Condemnation of the old world, as we have ſeen. Gods proof of mans wickedneſs was from the Thoughts of his heart, Geneſ, 6, 5and the puniſhment thereof was proportioned thereunto, an over flowing ſcourge upon them for that ſuperfinity of naughtineſs that was in them. Yet were there many amongſt theſe that becauſe of their profeſſion were called the ſons of God.Geneſ, 6, 2 The ſons of God ſaw the daughters of men, &c. 'Tis not what our profeſsions are, or what our Names are, but what our thoughts are that the Lord looks at, and accounts of us by. 'Tis ſaid of our Lord Jeſus that though many beleeved on his Name, John 2, 23 24, 25when they ſaw the Miracles which he did, yet did not Ieſus commit himſelf to them, becauſe he knew all men, and needed not that any man ſhould teſtify of man, for he knew what was in man. The Text ſaith, he judgeth of Man, by what was In Man: Our words proceed out of us, our profeſſions are on us, but our thoughts are in us; and theſe a…e they that the Lord Chriſt looks at, and was himſelf ſet (amongſt other ends) for the manifeſtation of,Luke 2, 5… 35, That the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed.
Sect. V.
ON the other hand,So the Godly. thoſe bleſſed Souls whom the Lord Crowns with ſo high a teſtimony, and ſo Honourable a Character of being his, whom he will ſpare, Mal. 3, 15 17,his Iewels which he will make up, for whom a Book of Remembrance was written before him, they are briefly thus deſcribed, ſuch as feared the Lord, and that Thought upon his Name. 'Twas not the Name of God upon them, but the Name of God in them, 'twas not the bare ſpeaking of his Name, though (no d…ubt) they did that too, (for they ſpake often one to another,) but their thinking upon his Name, that God Characterizeth them from, whereas be the wicked groſly ſuch, or Hypocrites, Pſal. 9, 17 Job 8, 13they are ſtigmatized for ſuch as forget God.
Sect. VI.
God is ſaid to know thoughts afar off. Pſal. 13 8 6 and 139, 2THere are two things that God is ſaid to know afar off. The Pride of man, and the Thoughts of man. He hath it ſeems a ſevere eye upon each of theſe. I know their Imaginations which they go about (ſaith God of Iſrael) even now before I have brought them into the Land which I ſware: Eze 38 10and of Gog, thus ſaith the Lord, it ſhall alſo come to paſs, that at the ſame time ſhall things come into thy mind, and thou ſhalt think an evil thought. God minds our thoughts before they come into our minds; and knows what we are about to think, before we think it; Then needs muſt he know what we think, when we think; and what to think of us too whilſt we are a thinking, before we ſpeak or act.Pſal. 94 11 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of m…n that they are vanity, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wiſe that they are vain, ſaith the Apoſtle.2 Cor 3, 2… The variation in the verſion ſpeaks thus much, Amongst all the vain Children of men there is not one wiſe enough to hide his thoughts from b…ing known to God, and himſelf by them. Prov. 15 26 Yet abhors evil thoughts though at a diſtanceThe thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: He cannot keep the noiſom ſtench of them from the Almighties noſtrils; nor can God endure them without declaring his abhorrence of them. Who ſmels them at a diſtance (afar off and abhors them, ſo they that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord, Prov 11 20It thy thoughts be froward, though thy words (through thy ſubtil or hypocritical reſtraint of them) be not ſo; as appears by the Antitheſis, but ſuch as are upright in their way are his delight. You ſee then how God reckons men by their Thoughts.
Sect. VII.
We value men by their poſſeſſions, Our thoughts are ſo.VVE value men according to their Poſſeſsions, and God according to their Thoughts. A man of mean parts, of low acquirements, of mean Poſſeſſions, we reckon a mean perſon: A man of high Improvements, of large Acquiſitions, of great Poſſeſſions we reckon a Great man, a ſubſtantial perſon; now Mens thoughts are their Poſseſsions; and 'tis ob…ervable that one word in the He…ew expreſſeth both, therefore …hen …he Text in Iob reads,Job 17, 1… My …urpoſes are br…ken off, even the …houghts of my heart; The Mar…in (according to the Hebrew) …eads the poſſeſsions of my heart. Tis by patient Thoughts that we …oſſeſs our Souls, under Affliction:Luke 21 19 …y Chaſt and pure thoughts that very one ſhould poſseſs his veſſel in …anctification and Honour, 1 Theſ. 4, 4'Tis by …elieving thoughts, we poſſeſs the …ord Ieſus, put him on, dwell in him, Rom. 13.14 Col. 2, 6…ulk in him having received him. On the other part; when Iobs …houghts were reſtleſs and unquiet,Job 7, 3, 4 …oſſing and tumbling from morning …o evening, from …v…ning to morn…ng, from week to week, from month to month, then it is ſaid, God made him to poſſeſs months of vanity. When God preſented all …is you the ſins (as ſo many frightful Ghoſts) freſh to his Thoughts, then it is ſaid God made him t… poſſeſs the iniquityes of his youth. Job 13, 26So when the Heart is full of goo… Thoughts, God calls that the goo… treaſure; if of evil Thoughts, th… evil treaſure of the heart; Matt. 12, 35and w… value Men to be, as their treaſures and poſseſsions are.
Sect. VIII
We Judge men by their companionsWE Judge men by their conſtant Companions. Noſcitu… ex ſocio qui non dignoſcitur ex ſe Now our thoughts are our constan… Company, Our thoughts are ſo,They are ever with u… at Bed and Board. Company draw out anſwers from us (ſometimes when we have no great mind t… ſpeak,) ſo do our Thoughts Therefore do my thoughts cauſe me t… anſwer ſaid Zophar. Job 20, 2Theſe are a… Rhehoboams Councellours, 1 Kin 12, 8that wer… brought up with him from his youth ſo the Imaginations of mans heart a… ſaid to be;Gen. 9, 21 Theſe are our Inmate …nd Intimates (be they good or …vil,Jer. 4, 14 Divine or vain) They …dge with us, nay within us; theſe …rt gueſts that never part with us, …ll we bid adieu to our ſelves. 'Tis …ot till that very day, Pſal. 146, 4that our …houghts periſh; no nor then neither … ſome ſence, but they go with … into another world, and there God will judge them, and us by …hem. Pro, 13, 20He that walketh with the wiſe the word, Men, is not in rhe He…rew) ſhall be wiſe. He that …alks with God, who gives wiſdom, …nd he that walks with the word …f God which is able to make a man …iſe to ſalvation, 2 Tim 3, 15He that hath that we…ing richly in him, and dwells …pon it by wiſe and holy Thoughts …nd Meditations (as the Pſalmiſt …aith,Pſa 119, …9 I have more understanding …hen all my teachers, Good thoughts good company.for thy testimo…ies are my meditation) as well as …e that converſeth with wiſe and …oly perſons, ſhall be wiſe. It thou bind them continually upon this heart, Pr. 6, 21, 22when thou goest it ſhall le… thee, when thou ſleepeſt it ſhall ke… thee, and when thou awakest it ſha… talk with thee, that is, wiſdom ſhall Under God thou canſt not har… better Company then good thoughts nay,Gods canot be had with out Theirs. thou canſt not have His with out theirs. Thou mayſt have hi… Company when thou canſt n… have good mens; but thou canſt no… have His, except thou have good thoughts. But the companion of fools (ſaith another Proverb) ſhall be deſtroyed; Prov. 24, 9of fooliſh ſinners withou… us, of fooliſh thoughts within us, (for even the thought of fooliſhneſs is ſin.) If we chooſe either for our Companions eſpecially the latter, they will undo us, and bring us under that doom of Deſtruction… This made holy David choice o… his Company, but curious of his Thoughts. I have not ſate with vain perſons, Pſalm 26, 4ſaith he, but I hate vain thoughts, when his Company was had his thoughts were good; Even while the wicked was before him, Pſalm. 39.2his heart was hot within him, while he was muſing, the Fire burned: his Thoughts inflame his affections with godly Zeal; and this Holy Fire, as by an Anteperiſtaſis, burnt ſo much the hotter for the Froſt …f curſed Contrariety that was …bout it. When the careful Magiſtrates or Officers of a Citie …preak into a ſuſpected houſe in the Night time, the great queſtion is, what Company have you here? Gods inquiry in mans heart What thoughts have you here? Luk, 24 38 James 2.4ſo when God breaks in upon our …ark hearts, the Inquiry is, what …houghts have you here? why do …houghts ariſe in your Minds? Are ye …ot become Iudges of evil thoughts?
Sect. IX.
FIrſt,God made man to think of his maker Eccleſ. 12.1 God made Man to think of his Maker, Remember thy Creatour, there is mans end and duty ſumd up in ſhort.We value things as they ſuit their ends. God gave man a mind higher then o her Animals, that he might mind higher than they; a mind above other things, that he might mind things above; An Heathen could ſay, Os homini ſublime dedit, Caelumque tueri juſsit. We chiefly eſtimate things as they ſuit their Chief end, as Fewel by its burning, a Knife by its Edge, an Horſe by his good heels, &c. Otherwiſe though they look well, if they do not burn well, or cut well, or go well, we like them not; So God will have none of thy (Naphthali like) goodly words without Godly thoughts. Gen. 49 21We do not reckon Parrats or Mag pies men; becauſe they are taught to talk; We know they have not Thoughts like Men, though they have w…rd like Men; And is it poſſible that for a little profeſſions ſake, God ſhould have good thoughts of thee, whoſe thoughts are not good? Let me tell thee once for all, He thinks better of thy Oxe or Aſs that in its kind minds thee its Owner, then of thee who mindeſt not Him whom thou calleſt thy Lord and Maker, (and ſo perhaps often ſweareſt by him, when thou doſt not once think of Him.) 'Tis a diſmal Charge and Challenge that,Iſaiah 1.3 But my people do not conſider; They call themſelves Mine, Deu. 32, 18 19but they MIND not Me; Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and haſt forgotten God that formed thee, And when the Lord ſaw it, he abhorred them, becauſe of the provoking of his Sons and of his Daughters. Alas how little do Names, Titles, Privilidges, Profeſſions ſtand for in Gods Account, where God Himſelf is not minded? As ſhe ſaid, How ſayeſt thou that thou loveſt me, Jud. 16.35ſeeing thy heart is not with me? how is it that thou pretendeſt to God, ſeeing thy mind is not with him; God is not in all thy thoughts?Pſal. 10.4
Gods good will to us ſet out by his thoughts Pſ. 115.12As Gods good-will towards men in Scripture is called his being mindful, his remembring, his thinking upon them. He is ever mindful of his Covenant. Pſal. 111.5 Nehe. 5.19 and 13 22 Luk. 23 41Think upon me O my God: Lord remember me when thou comeſt into thy Kingdom! So ours alſo to God ward. We have thought of thy loving kindneſs O God! Pſal. 48.9We will remember thy love more then Wine. Cant. 1, 4If we have forgotten thy Name, Pſal. 44.17 18, 20, 21ſhall not God ſearch this out? All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee; Iſaiah 64.5our heart is not turned back▪ Therefore it is ſaid, thou meeteſt them that remember thee. So ours to God.A good God will be ſure to be even with them; They remember him, and he minds them. He is in their thoughts, and they are in his. But on the other hand, Think not O man to be regarded by him that is forgotten by thee; And our evil will by our not thinking of him.or that God ſhould have any good thoughts of thee, who never harboureſt any good thoughts in thee, or that God ſhould mind thy good, who never mindeſt God nor good? No, no, if God think upon thee it will be to deſtroy thee, for not remembring him that made thee. The wicked ſhall be turned into Hell, Pſal. 9 15And all the Nations that forget God; and 50, 2…Now Conſider this all ye that forget God, leſt he tear you in pieces while there is none to deliver you. Even ſuch are the paths of all that forget God, and the Hypocrites hope ſhall periſh. Job 8, 13In vain is hope in God harboured where thoughts of God cannot be.
Sect X.
Secondly,
GOd looks eſpecially to mans thoughts, Grace firſt ſtirs in thoughts.Becauſe if there be …ny Grace, which is called the ſeed of God in Man, it firſt ſtirs there.1 Joh. 3, 9 The new-born babe (as th… Apoſtles expreſſion is,1 Pet, 2, 2 foreign.) it firſ… breaths in Prayer, but it firſt-ſtir… in thought, and its ſtirring (as in Nature) is before its breathing Nay even that privation, which (according to the Old Philoſophy is as it were a kind of principle o… this Spiritual Generation, begins there. This is called a Caſting down Imaginations, 2 Cor. 10.5and a bringing of every thought of the heart into captivity to the obedience of Christ Grace, I ſay, firſt ſtirs in the Thought. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy teſtimonies. Pſ. 123, 59The Prodigal came to himſel… before he came to his Father Firſt thought of his Fathers houſe, Lu. 15.17 20an… then turned his feet thither-ward Solomon in his Prayer (a Type o… Jeſus Chriſt our Lord in his Interceſſion) ſpeaks thus,Deut. 30, 1 If they ſi… againſt thee, 1 Kin 8.46 47, 48, 49, 50&c. Yet if they ſha… bethink themſelves, &c. and ſo return to thee, &c. Then hear thou their Prayer, &c. and forgive thy People, &c. Firſt, they bethink themſelves, and then return. Thus the Accompliſhment of the new Covenant in the work of Grace is called the putting of Gods Laws into mens minds, Hebr. 8 10 foreignand the writing them in or upon their hearts. The Greek word ſignifyes, I will give them into their Thoughts, and write them upon their hearts. Thoughts are the Gate a…d In let to all the affections. Grace firſt knocks at this door. Therefore alſo the word of Grace, 1 Cor. 10, 5which is the great Engine for the foreſaid Privation, 1 Pet. 1.23and the very Seed of Regeneration is called foreign a ſtrict and curious obſerver of the thoughts and intentions of the Heart. Hebr: 4, 12And if Gods Word be ſuch, ſure God is ſo.
Sect. XI.
God principally requireth the heart, Therefore eſpecially looks to the thoughts,THirdly. God principally requires the Heart, and therefore eſpecially looks at the Thoughts. Thoughts to the Heart are as motion to the Watch, Sailing to the Ship; and 'tis thoſe that render theſe valuable.Pro: 23:26 My Son give me thy Heart. We muſt give God our Hand too, and our All, but our Heart in All, and above All. Thus ſet your Hearts unto all the words, Deut: 32:46 47:&c. for is it not a vain thing for you, becauſe it is your life. We muſt lift up our Hands too to Gods Commandments (ſaith David) but eſpecially our Hearts and Thoughts,Pſ: 119:41 and therefore he ads, and I will meditate in thy Statutes. Our Thoughts can reach farther, Thoughts can reach farther than deeds can, & God requires our moſt,than our Deeds can, and God requires and looks for our utmoſt. The poor Captivated Souldier when he cannot get to his party, …e can think of his party.Pſalm 13… 1:5.6 As the …aptives in Babilon could think of …ion, nay could not but think of …t: the Apoſtle captivated to the …aw of ſin by the Law in his Mem…ers, Rom: 7:23 25did yet with his MIND ſerve …he Law of God. And God minds …arefully how your minds stand, which way they ſerve, to the World or Heaven, Sin or Holi…eſs, Chriſt or Belial.
Sect. XII.
Fourthly,
THoughts are the primary productions of the Mind,Thoughts the Hearts primary … productions and Heart, therefore God principally …yes theſe. Of old times the firſt …orn, Exod: 13:1were under Gods eſpecial …ye. The Hebrews call ſparks, Firſt born Gods part,he Sons of the burning coal, as you …ay ſee by comparing that Text …n Iob with the Margin.Job 5 … The Thoughts are the ſparklings of mans Mind, the very Iſsue of it, if … be enkindled with Heavenly Fir… that inward Baptiſme, Matt: 3.11what numberleſs numbers of theſe Divin… ſparks are there daily flying upward; if with Fire of Hell (as th… Apoſtle Iames ſpeaks of th… Tongue,James 3 6) thy very thoughts, a… it were, ſtink of Brimſtone, an… look like Hell in Gods eye; the… are earthly, V: 14 15, 16ſenſual, and Deviliſ… there is confuſion and every ev… work. Thoughts I ſay are the proper Iſſue, nay the firſt born of th… heart,Mat: 15:19 for out of the heart procee… evil thoughts, Murthers, Adulteri… Fornications, Thefts, Blaſphemies Mark, Firſt Evil thoughts, an… then all the reſt. Evil Thought… are the File-leaders, theſe ſtand i… principal view. Evil Thought are the hearts firſt begotten which no ſooner are they born but the Heart Incestuouſly beget on them again, Murthers, Adul…eries, Thefts, Blaſphemies, what …ot? Thoughts you ſee lie next …he heart; and if we would judge …f a Fountain, we judge of it by …he waters that flow next and immediately from the ſpring head; Fountain to be judg'd by what flows moſt immediatly from it,go…ng farther, they may come to be …ltered from their natural taſt or …ook. The waters of a ſalt ſpring …y being diſtreined and percolated …hrough the freſh earth may looſe …heir brackiſhneſs. So that which …s hatred in the heart, and very Brine in the Thoughts may ſeem …weet in the mouth through the …ntermediation of the diſſembling …ongue of him, whoſe hatred is …overed by deceipt: Pro: 26:24he that hateth diſſembleth with his lips, maketh his voice gracious, ſo the Hebrew,Verſe 26 Hail Master! may be in the mouth, while Bloud and Treaſon are in the …houghts, and the very Devil and All in the Heart. Contrariwiſe, …he waters of a pure and wholſom Fountain may receive ſome othe… kind of tincture from the Chana… they paſs through, and thus to often Holy thoughts ſpringin… from an Heavenly heart, ma… ſeem loſt as it were in the croud o… worldly occaſions, temptat… ons and perturbations.Ger: 24:63 Thu… Iſaack went out to MEDITATE i… the Field in the evening tide, an… behold the Camels. 'Tis not ſai… he went out to meet the Camels and ſome good thought dropt in, (a a good Thought may now an… then fall in a wicked mans way as the Angel in Balaams.) But h… went out to meditate, and th… Camels fell in.Verſe 65 Rebeckah, ſh… thought (as ſhe ſaid) he came t… meet her; God eyes the hearts firſt ſetting out:but the Lord ſaith h… went out to meet God. God wil… take notice whether our heart… ſet rightly out with him,Jerem: 2:2 though… after in the journey we may fo… ſome ſeaſon looſe our way. Thu… ſaith the Lord, I remember thee …e kindneſs of thy youth, the love … thine Eſpouſals, when thou went…ſt after me, &c.Pſal: 110:… Chriſt hath a …ew of youth in a gracious heart, as …ell as Holy Church, and this Di…ine and pearly dew of pretious …houghts is faireſt when freſheſt, as …rom the Womb of the morning. Coin faireſt out of the Mint-houſeGods Coin is brightest when it …irſt comes out of the Mint-houſe …f mans heart (for ſuch is mans Mind, a Mint houſe for thoughts) when it paſſeth farther, it comes …o be diſcoloured, to contract …lackneſs, eſpecially by lying for …ome time in the Earth, and ſo …ometimes to grow ſuſpicable to others, perhaps hardly diſcernable …o our ſelves, without much rub…ing, &c. Repentance and Re…ormation; yet if it were right for mettal and ſtamp at its firſt ſet…ing out, when we our ſelves dare hardly truſt it, yet God (that knows its Original) will own it. It is ſaid of the King of Aſa tha… his heart was perfect all his days, 2 Chr: 15:17perfect with the Lord, yet the poo… man took many a wrong an… wretched step, … Kin: 15:14for a man of a righ… heart; yea how was Gods ſtam… ſometimes, as it were, worne off; little left of his Image or Super-ſcription to be ſeen: for beſide that the high places were not removed, which was a blot upon his Government; In the buſineſs o… Baaſha, 2 Chron: 16: Ver: 8:19he relyed on the King of Syria, and relyed not on the Lord his God; And when he (that had eminent experience of God in the buſineſs of the Ethiopians and Lubims) had done thus fooliſhly, Verſe 10and Hanani the Seer had reproved him faithfully, he was wroth, yea in a rage with him, and put him in Priſon: and oppreſsed ſome of the people at the ſame time; nay in the very evening of his days, and towards his very Exit, Verſe 13'tis ſaid, that i… his Diſeaſe he ſought not to the …ord, but to the Phyſitians; yet here was ſomething found at bot…om notwithſtanding all this. Contrariwiſe,2 Cht, 25, 2 Amazia did that …hich was right in the ſight of the …ord, but (ſaith God) not with a …erfect heart. Like ſome counter…eit pieces now abroad that being …aſed or plated over with Silver, are …bſerved to have fewer cracks and laws in the Edges, perhaps than the Kings own Coin, and yet they are …ut Copper hearted.
The gratious ſoul is the Spouſe of Chriſt,Cant: 6:8 who as ſhe is attended with a number of Holy and Roy…l affections as ſo many Queens, ſo …lſo with pure thoughts, as with Virgins without number; And our Heavenly Solomon eyes them moſt …hat wait next and immediatly, as …t were, upon his Queens perſon, …ow our thoughts as you have …eard, they lie next to our hearts.
Sect XIII.
Fifthly,
God judges as man cannot, therefore by the thoughts:IT cannot but be granted, th… God judgeth as man cannot We look at each others outſide and oftentimes are not deceived for ordinarily the abundance of t… heart will break out either ſom… time or other,Luke 6:45 by the tongu… clinking what the heart thinks, (a the Proverb hath it,) or ſom… way or other, ſo that the war obſerver may come to diſcern th… Potſheard, Pro: 26:23notwithſtanding th… covering of Silver droſs: oft-time I ſay,1 Sam: 16:7 but not always, That's God Prerogative; for the Lord ſect not as man ſeeth, How then? fo… man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on th… heart. Wee hear mens words, H… ſeeth their thoughts, Pro: 24:12we weigh thei… Actions and Appearances, the Lor… ponders their hearts, chap: 16, 2and weighet… their ſpirits (as the wiſe ma… ſpeaks.
In the Levitical Law the Swan was pronounced unclean, Lev. 11.18 God judges moſt by what is in-moſta Bird whoſe Feathers are exceeding white, but her Skin black. God judgeth moſt by what is In-moſt. God can eaſily diſcern the tranſformed Devil, 2 Cor 11 14under the Angel of Light; the rotteneſs within, through the whited Tombe, Mat. 23, 27.and painted Sepulchre. We unto you Hypocrites, ſaith Chriſt,Verſe 25 for ye make clean tho outſide of the Cup and of the Platter, Verſe 28but within they are full of Extortion and Exceſs; Even ſo ye alſo appear outwardly righteous unto men, but within ye are full of Hypocriſy and Iniquity. Oh what horrid ſpectacles were …he moſt of men, even of many …hat deſire to make a fair ſhew in the …leſh, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks,Galat. 6, 1… if …heir Inſides were but turned outſide; But alas! They are all outſide to him that is All eye.
Sect. XIV.
Conſcience Gods Deputy judgeth by our Thoughts Rom. 2, 13LAſtly; That God ſentenceeth and Dooms us by our Thoughts, is hereby evident, in that Conſcience, that is, God… Vicegerent in mans breaſt, doth ſo which ſhew the work of the Law written in their hearts, their Conſcience bearing witneſs, and their Thoughts the mean while accuſing, or excuſing one another: Verſe 16it follows, In the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of men by Ieſus Christ according to my Goſpel; God, and Chriſt, and the Goſpel, they will judge men by their conſciences and their Conſciences they wil… judge them by their Thoughts i… the great day; Iudge we therefore our ſelves now, as then w… muſt be judged.