The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the ſeverall kinds of Thoughts.
AND now I may ſay, I am in a Wood, or am entering into a wild field, being about to ſpeak of Thoughts, or into a howling wilderneſſe, being about to ſpeak of Evil Thoughts. I am not entring into Jonathans Wood dropping honey, but into Abſaloms which devoured more men then the 1 Sam. 14. 25. 2 Sam 18. 8.ſword, and I may not ſay, as in our Proverb, where I cannot ſee Wood for Trees, but where for Wood & Trees, it is hard to ſee any way.
Thoughts, ſome Divines rank into three ſorts: Though I ſhall reduce them to two, as to our purpoſe, and inſiſt mainly on one kind onelyonly, even the worſt of the three. There are three kinds of thoughts, ſaith Learned and Acute Dr. Ames, converſant about Evil.
1. The firſt and moſt innocent whereof, is Lib. 3. de Conſc…ent. …. 20.about the ſimple and bare apprehenſion of Evil.
2. The ſecond, is not ſo good, when together with the apprehenſion of the mind, there is alſo ſome inclination in the Will to conſent.
3. The third and worſt, is when deliberated upon, it hath gained a full conſent and approbation.
The firſt of theſe is without ſin, for it was found in Chriſt, when being tempted, Mat. 4. he fully and ſufficiently apprehended the Evil motion propounded, but deteſled and abhorred it. Hence it is a Maxime, and reſolved Caſe, Scire malum non eſt malum; barely to know evil is no evil. When Solomon meditated and wrote of the wicked wiles of the ſubtile Harlot, Prov. 7. 6, 7. When he gave himſelf to the Theory, to the ſtudying and inveſtigation of miſchief, and madneſſe, and folly. Eccleſ. 2. 12. he was not thereby defiled, but inſtructed. The Phyſitian looking on the diſeaſe, is not thereby diſeaſed, nor the Miniſter when ſtudying or diſcourſing of the fouleſt nature of the fouleſt ſins, and Satans monſtrous methods, and ſtratagems, is nothing thereby defiled; yet had we need deal warily and conſiderately, as the Dogs at Nile, leaſt we ſhould be ſnapt; or as Ulyſſes amongſt the Syrenes, ſtopt his ſervants ears, and bound himſelf to a Maſt, that he might not be inchanted by their Songs. So ſhould Miniſters and ſtudents, herein do as thoſe, who go by ſome ill and offenſive ſavour, they ſtop their noſes, or ſmell to ſome better ſent, to prevent the offenſiveneſſe.
The other two kinds have both of them their part of ſin in them, and the later more. Holy Bernard makes alſo theſe three kinds, and reſembleth the firſt to Dirt, which beſ…otteth the body, when daſht on it, but makes no bluneſſe, or skar; when it is waſhed, there is no ſign of it. The ſecond he reſembles to Blowes, which cauſe bruiſes, blackneſſe, wounds, thoſe make deformed and ſick and cauſe pain, but no death follows. But the third ſort of deliberate entertained thoughts, he compares to a mortall Stab, or deadly wound, which neglected brings certain death. So may a good Chriſtian be touched with the firſt, and troubled P…ccati cogitatio decolorat, affec̄tia vuluerat, conſenſus omnin… animam necat & oſſ a frangit. Idem.with the ſecond, but let him take heed of the third, that he be not heart-ſtabbed, or have his bones broken with the laſt. Let no man, ſaith he, be regardleſſe of the two former, for, etſi non ſint mortiferae ſunt certe periculoſae, although they be not deadly, yet are they dangerous.
But I ſhall, as I ſaid, refer all ill Thoughts to two heads. There are ſome which are tranſient, unvoluntary, undeliberate, ſuch are as the motes in the cleareſt ſun-ſhine, and not as congregated clouds, cauſing any darkneſſe at all, and are inſeparable from our cleareſt day and pureſt ſtate. Ex toto caveri non poſſunt quamdiu in hoc corpore mortis peregrinamur a Domino. It is impoſſible to be wholly free from them, for any that yet carries about a body of death with him, ſaith the ſame Bernard. And hence it was that holy Auſtine was wont to pray, Educ me a neceſsitatibus meis. Lord deliver me from my unavoidable ſins. My unavoidables are alſo inexcuſables. Theſe kind of thoughts, it is true, leſten not our Juſtification in the leaſt, which is perfect and compleat notwithſtanding them, no nor do they ſpoil ſanctification, though they grieve the Saint. Sanctification is nevertheleſſe true notwithſtanding theſe, the leſſe perfect it is indeed, and perfection who looks for here? Theſe moates are as inſeparable from the mind, as the ſhadow from the body, and ſhew all is not yet ſo clear below; our ayre not ſo pure, and our earth, when thick fogs aſcend not, yet a duſt there is. Theſe are we to be humbled Daemonum est malas cogitationes ſuggerere, nostrum eſt cas illico expellere. Nam in animo noſtro eas jacere noſtrae deputatur culpae. Voluntate ſua cadit qui cadit, voluntate Dci ſtat qui ſtat. Bern.for, yet not to deſpair becauſe of them, unleſſe in thy ſelf-ſanctification, who can ſay his heart is clean? Prov. 20. 9. Theſe we can no more help or hinder, then we can the flying of a bird over our heads, though we may hinder the birds reſting on our head and building her neſt there. Joſephs Brethren could not hinder the putting of the money into their ſacks, or the Cup into Benjamins, when they had not the keeping of their ſackes themſelves, but they could when they ſaw their ſacks open, diſown, diſallow, and diſlike what they could not help. Theſe are like the weeds which the earth puts up of it ſelf, which the Gardiner never ſowed, nor willingly watered, but when he finds them peep, he is at them with his ſpade or hands, to dig or pluck them up, yet do they grow again, they are his trouble and find him continuall work, but they are not charged upon him, as if he was altogether negligent, or unskilfull. Theſe are like the Ship ſailing in the ſea, which cuts the waves, but leaves no impreſſion, like the Eagle in the air, or the Arrow ſhot out of the Bow, or like the Serpent on a Rock, which ſlides away and leaves no mention of their abiding. Theſe are in ſcripture called by Miſſo ratiocinio recti quod dcus mandaverat, ac indiderat infinita alia ratiocinia cogit…tiones & ſtudia ſuſcepit. Jun. in Eccl. 7. 29.ſeverall Names. 1. Motions, Rom. 7. 2. Imaginations, Gen. 6. 5. 3. Reaſonings, 2 Cor. 10. 4. 4. Wanderings, or walkings of the ſoul, Eccleſ. 6. 9. 5. Inventions, Eccleſ. 7. 29.
2. There are alſo other Thoughts, which are more … deliberate, and therefore far more dangerous. Thoſe were Gnats, theſe Camels; thoſe Moats in the Eye, theſe Beams; thoſe Atoms or Moates in the Air, not hindering the Sun-ſhine, theſe thick Clouds; thoſe Arrows Flying, theſe Sticking faſt in the But; thoſe a Ship Volant or Sailing, theſe a Ship at Anchor; thoſe a Serpent on the Rock, theſe a Serpent in a Rock, or in his Den; theſe as the Birds Rooſting in our houſe, thoſe as Samſon Judg. 15. 15.aſſaulted with the Philiſtines, whom he diſcomfited; theſe as Sampſon aſleep, in Dalilahs Judg. 16. 19.lap, if he ſleep on he is undone. In a word, thoſe are like the pulling off of Joſephs Garment, when his chaſtity was not touched, he was accuſed, troubled, yet conſcience pure: Theſe like Tamars Vail, and harlots Gen. 38. 14.attire put on, who purpoſely ſat in the way ready to yield, if not to entice her Father in Law. Theſe if not the worſt of ſins, of which more hereafter, yet we may ſafely ſay, they are the ſins of the worſt, who have deliberated, plotted, projected, conceived, travailed to be delivered of their ſinfull conceptions. Thus did Cain, Lamech, Pharaoh, Amnon, Abſalom, Jeroboam, Ahab, Judas, Magus, and thoſe Grandees in iniquity, come to be ſo tranſcendently impious, and their ſins and perſons out of meaſure ſinfull. Theſe ſhew more of the habit and temper of the ſoul, and are deſcribed by other names and expreſſions; as, 1. Saying in the heart, Pſal. 14. 1. 1 Kings 12. 26. 2. Minding and ſavouring things of the fleſh, Rom. 8. 5, 6. 3. Searching of heart, Judg. 5. 16. Pſal. 64. 6. 4. Devices, Prov. 3. 29. Pſal. 36. 4. Prov. 6. 18. Iſa. 33. 7, 8. Micah 2. 1. 5. Purpoſes, Job. 33. 17. As Eſau purpoſed in his heart to kill Jacob, Gen. 27. 42. Herod to kill Peter, Acts 12. 6. Councels, 1 Cor. 4. 5. Pſal. 33. 10. 11. 7. Plottings, Pſal. 37. 12. So this word in the Text, ſpoken of Magus, foreign, ſignifies. 8. Travelling with ſin, Pſal. 7. 14. 9. Studying, Prov. 24. 2. 10. That which is ſet upon the heart, or ſpirit, Ezek. 20. 32. Quod aſcendit ſuper ſpiritum veſtrum. Arias Mont. That which cometh into your mind. 11. Reckoning of ſin afore hand, I will purſue, I will overtake, I will divide the ſpoile, Exod. 15. 9. Nothing but I will, I will. 12. Fixed reſolutions for time to come, Eccl. 8. 11. The heartfully ſet to do evil. 13. Delight in ſin, if they can come at it to commit it, Prov. 2. 14. and 4. 17. 14. Greedineſs after ſin to be committed, Epheſ. 4. 18. Laſtly, Greevedneſs of mind, if diſappointed of their ſinfull deſires, Prov. 4. 16. Their ſleep is taken away that night, when they could do no miſchief by day. Theſe are Scala inferni the Devils ladder, whereby ſin is raiſed to the higheſt elevation; of theſe and ſuch as theſe are we to ſpeak. Yet I do not promiſe to ſpeak of every particular Thought, that were more then I could make good, or any other whatſoever. It were an eaſier task to write of the whole habitable world, or of all the ſeverall Creatures in the Univerſe, then to ſpeak of every kind of thought; thoſe may be numbered, theſe cannot; Man hath ſought out ſo many inventions.