A Discourse Grounded on Proverbs, Part 1 · Trial 4
The IV. and Laſt Tryal.
WOuldſt thou (Laſtly)4 Tryal of Right thoughts by the Rule, know whether thy Thoughts be Right, Remember that RIGHT is a Relative word, and refers to proportion …nd Rule: As in THINGS ſo in THOUGHTS;
Eſt modus in rebus, ſunt cert… enique fines,
Quos ultra, citràque, nequit …onſiſtere RECTUM.
THOUGHTS have their Meaſures, SHORT, or OVER-LONG, cannot be RIGHT, but both extremely WRONG.
Thy Thoughts are Right i… Regular, and conformed to Right meaſures: And here are two things to be preſuppoſed to thy Right judgeing of thy Thoughts
Two things prerequired a Rule for Right thoughts.Firſt, that thou think there i… a Rule for Thoughts; Secondly that thou have Right Thoughts o… the Rule.
Sect. I.
2. Right thoughts of the Rule.AS to the Firſt, It was a ſo… ſpiritual Plague and Iudg… ment, A black vail upon t… heart, upon the Iewiſh Rabbin… and Expounders of the Law, th… they did not extend Its Rule … the Thoughts, but taught for D… ctrine, what we have in the Proverb, that Thoughts were FRE… (even in that ſence) Mans Thou…hts from Gods Laws; Some of …hem are obſerved to have given …hat curſed gloſs upon that Text, …f I regard Iniquity in my heart, Pſal. 66, 1……od will not hear, God will not …ear; that is, ſay they,Rabbi Kimchim loc. If it go …oſ… ther t…en my Thoughts, God …ill not mind, he will take no …otice thereof, nor call to any …ccount for it. And this made …hem think ſo w…ll of themſelves, …e ar…ſe they thought no worſe of …eir thoughts. Bleſſed Paul, Acts 22, 3 Paul brought up at Gamaliels feet, Ignorant of thoghts.…ough brought up at the feet of …amaliel a Doctor of the Law, …t was alive once, without the Law, …d gives this as the Reaſon, He …d nor by all their Doctrine, …w LUST;Rom, 7 9 He knew no that …ought ſins were ſuch ſins unti…l … Commandment c…me in another …nner,Verſe 9 and by another kind of …ching then ever he had from …m. For this was our Saviours great buiſineſs,till the Commandment came to him in Chriſts own teaching. Chriſts expoſition of the Law ſpiritual teaching thoughts Matth. 5 3 in that Incomparable Sermon upon the Mount, to vindicate the Spirituality of the Law, from their carnal and corrupt Dotages; they put the great ſtreſ… of the Rule upon the outward man He puts it upon the Heart alſo Poverty in ſpirit, he begins with that: He layes the breach of the Sixth and Seaventh Commandments in heart and though… as well as outward Act, Verſe 8 Verſe 22, 28He condemns carking cares, Anxiety of thoughts. Chap 6, 25, 28, 31'Tis ſtrange indeed they ſhould be ſo blinded, ſeeing th… very laſt of Gods Ten Words, Laſt Commandmentgoe… down to the very bottom of th… mind and thought, Rom 7, 7Thou ſhalt no… COVET,Againſt evil Thoughts ſo that when the ſcale… were but fallen from the Apoſtle… eyes, He could eaſily ſee, in th… light of that Law, that THO… GHT was Sin;Rom. 7.14 He knew LUS… to be SIN then: He knows no… that the Law is Spiritual, Ye… and thus he Schools others foreign,1 Cor. 4.… That ye might learn not to think above what is written. Gods writeing is rule for mans thinking.Gods written WORD is the meaſure of mans Right THOUGHTS, yet even ſome Heathens had ſome glimmerings of this, Deus eſt animus, therefore mente colendus, God is a Spirit, and requires mental worſhip & conformity to his will: And this is indeed foreign,Reaſonable ſence, Rom. 12, 1 what, Chap. 7, … our reaſonable Service, when the Internal foreign, THOUGHT and mind ſerve the Law of God.
Sect. I:
Secondly,
AS a man muſt have a Right Rule for his Thoughts ſo he muſt have Right Thoughts of …he Rule.Right thoughts of thy Rule: The Apoſtle ſpeaks of …ome that Iudge the Law, James 4, 11Take we …eed that we do not misjudge it. Therefore it is neceſſary that we look on the Spiritual Law with a Spiritual eye. 1 Cor. 2, 14To carnal Thoughts the Right wayes of the Lord ſeem crooked and unequal, Gods right Rule why ſeems crooked to men,not that the Law is ſo, but becauſe the medium is ſuch through which it is looked upon; as if a man put part of a ſtrait ſtaff into the water, it appears crooked becauſe of the inequality of the medium. All Gods Rule to David.But now a Right heart hath Right thoughts of the Rule, I esteem all thy precepts, concerning all things, to be Right. So we Read it,Pſ. 119, 128 but the Text is, I eſteem all thy precepts to be all right, All right,every one, and every way, Right. 'Tis true, There may be ſome kind of approving the things that are excellent, Rom. 2, 18 Some approve ſome excellent things,And yet the Hear… not be Right; But if there be no… an approving of excellent thing the Heart cannot be Right; A bad Heart may think good of man… good ways as Herod, As Herod Mark 6 20but a good hea… thinks good of every good way, … David. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed when I have reſpect unto all thy Commandments. Pſal. 119 6 But David all Gods Laws. Univerſal reſpect fair evidence,Men may have a fair reſpect to many of Gods Laws, yet have hard Thoughts of ſome. But an univerſal reſpect is a fair Evidence of Sincerity. For ALL SCRIPTURE is given by Inſpiration of God, and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, 1 Tim 3.1…for Inſtruction in Righteouſneſs, &c.