England Faithfully Watched, Lecture 49
COLOSSIANS 1.21. Enemies in your minde, &c.
TRees which grow high and ſpread much, root deep; ſo doth ſin: nothing growes higher, nor ſpreads broader then ſin; it ſpreads over the world. The world lies in wickedneſſe. The height of ſin is anſwerable, if one ſhould ſpeake of it under ſuch a metaphor; it reaches up to heaven. The cry of your ſin is come to heaven, ſaith God of the ſin of the people of old. And ſinners are ſet out as climbers up to heaven, Amos 9.2. Sin is a Tree that rooteth deep, as well as ſhooteth high. The heart is deep, ſaith the Scripture, and ſin roots there. If you ſee a man an enemy in his tongue, or in his hand, by wicked works, the roote of this is in his minde. Enemies in your minde by wicked works.
The prime ſeat of ſin, may be our ſubject a while to inſiſt on, which is in the ſoule. Seeds are ſowne where they may grow beſt; ſo doth the evill man ſow Tares, where they may take and live, and that's in the minde. The ſoule is fit mould, to give nouriſhment to ſin, 'twill aſſimulate, 'twill transforme, and become one with that, which gets into it. No ſubſtance, that can or will, ſo mould, or conſubſtantiate it ſelfe with Satan, as the ſoule of man. Every ſubſtance will not inocculate, becauſe there is not a fitneſſe between all ſubſtances, to aſſimulate, and conſubſtantiate, ſap and vigour will not digeſt themſelves together. The ſoule is a Crabſtock, fit to graffe any forbidden fruit upon, it will naturally give out all its ſap. The advantage of property is all, to make ſuch a life, and in ſuch abundance. The ſoule is, I cannot ſay bleſſed, but curſed, to fruitfulneſſe in evill, as the ground is to Bryars and Thornes: the minde is dunged ground by divine wrath, for every root of bitterneſſe; in it are paſſions to keepe ſin warme, faculties to make legs, armes, eyes, any member for it, to work, provide, and defend it ſelfe, as can be imagined ſufficient for any thing to ſubſiſt withall. The ſoule is a fountaine of life, and that which lives in this, muſt needs live, and thrive well. As the ſoule when it is ſeated in Gods breaſt, who is the fountaine of life, then its full of ſuch a noble life, and ſo, by ſuch an advantage of neerneſſe to him that is all: ſo in a proportion 'tis with lower things; that which boſomes its ſelfe in the ſoule, is planted by the rivers ſides, tis in the fountaine of naturall life, it muſt needs live therefore and thrive much, becauſe of that advantage it hath, of neerneſſe to, and ones with, a ſubſtance ſo vigorous, and congruous to it.
Sin is ſeated where it may beſt reigne, that's in the minde; what conquers the heart, carries all, and gives lawes to all; the minde is the ſterne of the veſſell, a ſupreame power within, a finger of God out of fight, which turnes the whole veſſell, that which gets, and orders this, neceſſarily gets and orders all. The Philiſtians ſtrucke at that in Sompſon, by which they might be ſure to rule him, and lead him whither they liſted, though a ſtrong man; they put out his eyes. Theſe Philiſtians were a type of the Devill in that act: man was a ſtrong creature, and that which Satan ſtrucke at was his eyes, darkened his minde, ſaith the Apoſtle, & then leads him whither he liſted. Where Satan ſtruck at firſt, there he ſtrikes ſtill, where he ſeated himſelfe then, he abides now. When he would make a Hamon, a proud man, where doth he begin to accompliſh this? Within; he puffs up the minde firſt, and then blowes up all: Vainly puft up with their fleſhly minde; Satan makes the ſpirit fleſhly firſt, and then makes all fleſhly. If the eye be dark, if the heart be carnnall, all is ſo. 'Tis not enough to Satan to live, he is a Prince, ſeeks a kingdome, and ſo plants and ſeats himſelf, as to be Lord over all, where he ſits down, and this can be no where but in the mind.
Finally, ſin is ſo ſeated, where it may beſt reigne, and beſt ruine, where it may be moſt lively, and moſt deadly. Inward diſeaſes are moſt mortall. There was a plague of the skin, and a plague of the skull, Levit. 13.31. If the plague go deeper then the skin, then ſaith God, it is a plague of the skull, and the perſon muſt be ſhut out from all his friends. I may tell you, that there is a plague, which goeth deeper then the skin, yea, and deeper then the skull; a plague of the brain, and of the minde, and this is mortall; it ſhuts out from heaven, and all good. Plagues that go deeper then the skull, exclude from all: They do erre in their hearts, and they have not known my wayes; their plague was deeper then the skull, it reached their hearts, and obſerve what followed, they were ſhut out with a witneſſe: So I ſware in my wrath, they ſhould not enter into my reſt, Hebr. 3.10. That which goes to the heart kills, and cuts off for ever; the Devill ſeated in the ſoul, that ſoul is loſt for ever, ſuch a one ſhall never have reſt, for God hath ſworn it.
Ʋſe. You ſee where Sin and Satan are ſeated naturally. Are they diſſeated by grace? 'Tis the greateſt bleſſing in the world, to get Sin and Satan throughly out of the minde. I am affraid, that few of you conſider your own danger, there is malignity in you, you have taken poyſon down in the firſt Adam, hath the ſecond given you any vomit, and made you throw it up? Phyſicians purge your bodies; Doth Chriſt purge your mindes, and your conſciences from defilement? Within lies defilement, which if not purged out, will ſpoile us for ever. Naboths vineyard was gotten into Ahabs minde, 'twas neerer to him internally, then externally; though in the latter ſenſe it lay very neer, and it proved mortall to him; he ſickn'd upon it, and died for ever.
Obſerve well with what vigour you ſin, if you would finde how ſin is ſeated; action that comes from the mind, is intent. Thoughts beat, pangs are ſtrong, the party is with childe, what it longs for, it muſt have, or it dies; this is minding ſin, or ſin gotten into the minde, which was the caſe of Ahab, before mentioned. Sin gotten into the minde, nothing can beat it out. 'Tis ſad to conſider how ſome men ſleep, how ſome men talk, and walk in their ſleep, yea, how they talk and walk when they are awake, juſt as if they were aſleep, eſpecially, if one be talking to them of heavenly things. 'Tis dolefull to conſider, how ſome ſit here for an hour; thoughts quite gone, to this thing, and to that. Ah wretches! vanity is got into your minds, it holds its ſeat there, the plague of it is this; God cannot enter, the ſoul will be vexed to death, 'twill become a ſot, or a Bedlam.
Obſerve with what continuation you ſin. Action is laſting that comes from the minde, the minde is an untired power that way it takes; only evill, and that continually, Gen. 6.5. Such another power is Satan; Satan roars like a Lion, one would think, it ſhould tear his throat, ſuch violent action, one would think, ſhould make him breaſt, and lung-ſoare, and tire him out; yet it doth not, he goes about gaping and roaring, day and night, and never gives off; he is cordiall in what he doth, he mindes evill, and this is the ground why he is untired. The minde is an untired power, that way it takes in all creatures; the ſpirit evill, and it is ſo only and continually. What the heart is taken up with, 'tis very intenſe at it; ſo that one may in a manner ſay, that its only about ſuch a thing, and then it holds its vigor; thus is the ſoul towards one ſin or other, whileſt corruption keeps it's ſeat in the mind. There is a buſie immortall ſubſtance in the midſt of you, 'twere well, if you did know about what. Some minde earthly things, ſaith the Apoſtle, (i.) upon the matter only, and continually; this man is carnally minded, and it will be his death, if God be not gracious to him. If ſin hold its ſeat in the minde againſt all means, there is no way but one with the man, if ſin die not in the ſoul, the ſoul dies in it; Ye ſhall die in your ſins.
'Tis the greateſt bleſſing in the world to get ſin throughly out of the mind, not only by way of negation, but by way of actuall fruition, not privatively only, but poſitively too. Sin throughly out of the minde, and the ſoul is altogether in heaven. That which cuts our wings, when we would mount up where Chriſt is, is that ſo many naughty things are in our mindes. Contemplation pure, and the man is an Angel, taken up wholly with the admiring of God, and the glory of another world. Sin throughly out of the mind, and all tears are wiped from the eyes already. What makes mourning and ſadneſſe amongſt Saints here, but that ſin keeps ſtill in their minds, the evill working of their mindes? The minde pure, and conſcience is quiet, peace is ſetled; nothing can burthen when the minde is free. Sin throughly out of the minde, and it becomes preſently the Preſence-chamber of the great King; in no creature is Chriſt ſo preſent, as in a pure minde, the full explanation of this is above us.