The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 17 – Chapter 18
CHAP. XVII. Of Carefull Thoughts.
CAreful thoughts. Theſe are neceſſary to be ſpoken to, as being a great part of our thoughts ordinarily, and therefore, the word foreign, taking care, is oft rendered, by our Tranſlators, taking thought, Mat. 6. 25, 26, 27. and 10. 19. Take no Thought. Careful thoughts, are forbidden, Phil. 4. 6. Be carefull for nothing. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Caſt all your care upon God. As if he ſhould ſay, all man is all care, but all your care muſt be caſt upon God.
Yet there is an evil careleſneſs, ſuch as that in Laiſh, Sodom, and the Sidonians, Judg. 18. 7. In the idle dames of Iſrael, Eſa. 32. 9. 10, 11. He that is thus an ill Common-wealths-man, or ill husband, or ill houſe-wife, cant be a good Chriſtian.
2. A good Careleſneſs, 1 Cor. 7. 32. I would have you be without carfulneſſe. Mat. 10. 19. Dan. 3. 16. We are not carefull to anſwer thee.
2. There is a holy commendable carefulneſſe.
1. For the things of the Lord, 1 Cor. 7. 34.
2. For thy own ſoul, thou muſt be full of cares, 2 Cor. 7. 11.
3. For the Church, ſo the godly Paſtor is really Curatus, hath a carefull heart above any other man, and his work is rightly called, Cura animarum, care of ſouls. Such a carefull Miniſter was Timothy, Phil. 2. 20. Paul and Moſes were worn out with their daily weighty cares, 2 Cor. 11. 28.
4. For the Miniſters of the Church, Phil. 4. 10. Their Cura Paſtoralis, ſhould be anſwered with your Cura Paſtorum, their Cura animarum with your Cura Corporum; Their care and diligence in ſowing to you ſpirituall things, ſhould be anſwered with your care and forwardneſſe to miniſter to them carnall things.
2. There is another Indifferent and tollerable foreign & foreign, haud dubie ſunt mediae ſignificationis. Leigh.Carefulneſſe, 1 Cor. 7. 34. The married careth for the things of the World.
3. There is a ſinfull carefullneſſe, and ſuch for the moſt part care is, 1 Cor. 7. 32. This C…refullneſſe is evil:
1. When Inordinate.
2. When Immoderate.
1. When Inordinate, when we care for the body more then the ſoul, when more for what we ſhall eat, drink, and how we ſhall live, then how we ſhall be ſaved: When we are more carefull of our own things, then of the things of the Lord; When we take more care to double our ſtate, and ſtock, then to double our Talent. Theſe are Inordinate Cares.
2. When Immoderate; Luke 21. 34. Take heed your hearts be not overcharged with ſurfeiting and drunkenneſſe, and cares of this life. Our Saviour ranks immoderate care, with immoderate eating and drinking: Eating is good, and drinking good and neceſſary, when with moderation; ſo of care we may ſay, Modicum non nocet; But immoderate eating, is ſurfeiting, and immoderate drinking is drunkenneſſe, and immoderate care is as bad as either.
And Immoderate they are, 1. When Solicitudo eſt aegritudo animi cum cogitatione. Tully.the heart is oppreſſed and overloaden with them. In that place laſt named, Luke 21. 34.
Firſt, Let not them come near your heart.
Secondly, Let not your heart have more than you can well bear; a little meat and drink lightens and refreſheth the body, ſo moderate care is good; but when one hath loaded his ſtomack with meat, and hath more drink than he can bear, What is he fit for? ſo is the man overloaden with cares.
2. When they diſtract and divide the mind, hinder our cloſe and individed cleaving to the Lord, 1 Cor. 7. 35. And when they get between God and us, that his ſervice is neglected: The farm, oxen, marchandiſe, and family buſineſſes following marririage, take up the man, that he hath no leiſure to attend matters of ſoul-concernment.
3. When they are diſtruſtful cares, tending to damp Faith, and to weaken duties, but ſo much care as ſets Faith and prayer awork, are good cares. Melanchthon ſaid his cares taught him to pray: Si non curarem, non orarem. No care, no prayer. A due meaſure of care to the ſoul, is like water to the mill; ſo much as drives it about, doth well, but when flouds of water come down, ſo great that they cannot paſſe, that the Mill ſtands with a back water, it is ill; ſo when care drives prayer about, it is well; when it makes prayer ſtand ſtill, it is ill.
4. When they are extended beyond their bounds: Care is but for the preſent, as the Manna for the day; if it be kept till the morrow it ſtinketh. Care not for the future; Let the morrow care for it ſelf, Mat. 6. 34.
The evil of them appeareth,
1. In their Cauſes.
2. Properties.
3. Effects.
1. The chief Cauſes and Roots whence they ſpring, are,
1. Diffidence and diſtruſt, or ignorance of the Care and Providence of God, whence ſuch ſay, Care I muſt, for I have none to care for me; They conſider not Gods care of them; therefore cry out as they, Mar. 4. 38. Careſt thou not, we periſh. So Luke 10. 41. Careſt thou not that I am left alone, to look after all. Where our care ends, Gods begins, and when we think his ends, there muſt ours needs begin.
2. They ſpring from an Over-high and falſe opinion of ſome Excellency in outward things; The …ich mans riches are his Caſtle, men are apt to think, had they ſo much, they might then ſing a Requiem to their ſouls, and then they were out of the fear of Evil, Hab. 2. 9.
2. Their Properties are evill.
1. Becauſe ſenſeleſſe, abſurd, and irrationall; We take Gods work out of his hand, where it is much better. 1 Pet. 5. 7. As if a Child of ſeven years age, ſhould ſay to his Father, let me mannage the buſineſſe of the Family. Poor Child, Thy ſhoulders are not for ſuch burthens.
2. They are needleſſe, your heavenly Father doth it for you, Mat. 6.
3. Fruitleſſe, you cannot with all your care, and skill, add a cue or doit to your ſtate, or a cubit or inch to your ſtature, Mat. 6. 27.
4. Endleſſe, Life hath an end, and Riches have an end, onelyonly Cares have no end. The rich man had as many cares when his riches increaſed moſt, as when he had leſſe. The ten thouſand pound man hath more cares then the ten pound man, Eccl. 4. 8. There is one alone and there is not a ſecond, yea he hath neither child, nor brother, yet is there no end of all his labour, nor is his eye ſatisfyed with riches, neither ſaith he, for whom do I labour, and bereave my ſoul of good? This is Vanity and a ſore evil. Unus Pellaeo juveni non ſufficit Orbis. All the World can ſtand in a mans heart, and he deſire never the leſſe.
5. They are eaſeleſſe and reſtleſſe, breaking the ſleep; Eccleſ. 5. 12. They cauſe a continual head-ach, or heart-ach, or are like thoſe wormes bred in children, which gnaw and torture them, make them loſe their freſh colour, look like earth, ſmell like earth, they ſtart in their ſleep, and reſt unquietly. Old age is more troubled with theſe wormes, than childhood with the former; and more die of theſe than of them.
6. But they are not faultleſſe and ſinleſſe. for conſider the Effects.
1. What a ſtrange alteration they make in man.
1. They turn man into a clod or ſtone, as ſome ſprings and grounds turn wood into ſtone; Theſe cares turn man into ſtone, ſo was Nabal.
2. They turn man into a ſerpent who lives on the duſt, goeth on his belly, and cleaveth to the ground, theſe bring the ſerpents curſe on the ſoul.
3. Turns a Chriſtian into an heathen, Mat. 6. 32. after theſe things the heathens ſeek, and if you take not heed, will turn thy family into an heathen family, where is no care of the worſhip and ſervice of God.
4. At beſt turn a Chriſtian into a Meteor, Luke 12. 29. Who hangs between heaven and earth, and is never like to get higher. He hath ſomewhat of heaven in his Conſcience, more of earth in his Affection; therefore at laſt fals down to earth in his Converſation; Earth being the predominate part.
2. Theſe deſtroy the life of Faith and love, whereby we ſhould cleave to God without diſtraction, 1 Cor. 7. 35.
3. Theſe keep from duties, Luke 14. The farm and merchandize keep from the Lords ſupper; The great husband hath devoured the good Chriſtian.
4. Theſe diſtract in duty, Martha could not ſtay by it when our Saviour was ſpeaking, Luke 10. 42. Theſe hinder our attending on a duty, and watching in it.
5. Theſe choak Grace, and all good motions, Mat. 13. as the thornes choak the ſeed. The mines of gold and ſilver are noted to be in the barreneſt earth; where theſe cares are there is greateſt barrenneſſe of grace. The Greek word foreign, Saint, ſignifies an unearthly man therefore, as ſome obſerve.
6. Theſe keep out and baniſh Soul-peace, Phil. 4. 6, 7. Be carefull for nothing, &c. And the peace of God which paſſeth underſtanding ſhall guarde your hearts. The peace of God and evidence of his love, and aſſurance of ſalvation, was never yet given, nor ſhall be to an earth-worm, whoſe heart is eaten up with worldly cares. This hidden Manna is onelyonly put into a golden, not earthen pot.
7. Theſe ever unfit for death, Luke 21. 34. Let not your hearts be overcharged with ſurfeting and drunkenneſſe, and cares of this life, leaſt that day overtake you as a ſnare: As one being drunken, or one ſick of a ſurfet, is unfit for work, or in an ill caſe to die, ſuch is the man of cares at all times. Death comes to him as a ſnare; Either he dies ſuddenly, before he expects, as Luke 12. That rich fool died ſuddenly, or he ever dies unpreparedly, which is worſe. Nabal died not 1 Sam. 25. 37, 38.ſuddenly, but though he lay ten dayes ſick, he died unpreparedly, he lay like a block or ſtone, and died miſerably; Before his death, earth was turned into earth, and before his buriall his heart was covered with a ſtone. As Archimedes was buſie in drawing his lines, when the City was taken, and he knockt down before he knew who hurt him; So doth the Rich man fade away in his waies, he Jam. 1. 11. Jer. 17. 11.dies in the midſt of his dayes, and in the midſt of his buildings and buſineſſes, and in the end ſhall be a fool; That is, all his Monument; Dives vixit, ſtultus obiit, He gathered wealth, but died a fool.
But becauſe we are all ſo ſubject to theſe thoughts, and hardly perſwaded out of them, they have ſo much to ſay for themſelves; I ſhall
1. Remove the objections by which they are upheld.
2. Preſcribe certain remedies.
Obj. Oh but yet the world is hard, and it is not Talk will pay Rent, Taxes, bring the Year about, we muſt take care.
Anſ. Uſe a moderate providentiall carefulneſſe, in Gods name, and ſpare not, but then commit thy way to God.
2. Is the world hard, and is not thy heart harder, in which all the world is crouded? Eccl. 3. 11. It is this makes thee ſo full of cares.
3. And is not heaven hard too, why haſt thou not ſome more ſuch cares; here quit thy ſelf as a man, offer violence; As the worldling hath the world ſet in his heart, ſo hath the godly heaven ſet in his heart, therefore his cares, thoughts, and diſcourſe, are all of heaven.
Obj. But I am poor, and this doctrine is for the Rich, they need not, I muſt care.
Anſ. Say with David, Pſal. 40. 17. I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh on me. The Lord provideth for the poor.
2. The rich and poor meet together, the Lord is the maker and careth for both, Prov. 22. 2.
Obj. A poor widow, God help me and full of cares.
Anſ. The Lord cals himſelf, The God of the Widow, Pſal. 68. 5. hath an eſpeciall care, and gives ſpeciall charge about them, Exod. 22. 22, 23, 24. In the time of famine, Elias the Prophet was ſent onelyonly to a Widow to relieve her.
Ob. But I have a many fatherleſſe Children.
Anſ. Pſal. 68. 5. The Lord is the Father of the fatherleſſe, and Jer. 49. 11. he bids thee leave thy fatherleſſe children with him, and be they many of few, cannot God provide for many as well as few, Num. 11. Muſt it be marvelous in Gods eyes, becauſe it is marvelous in ours?
Ob. I have but a little left, I have lived to make a hand of all.
R. Yet may the Lord give his bleſſing to that little in the Cruſe, that it may ſuffice to bring thee to thy journeyes end.
Ob. But which is worſe, I am in debt too.
Anſ. Yet diſtruſt not, but make thy caſe known to God by ſupplication and prayer, and to the people of God, as did that poor widow of the Godly Prophet, 2 Kings 4. 1, 2. Who was left in ſtraites, yet not left in her ſtraites. Diſtreſſed not forſaken.
Ob. I am a poor ſervant.
Anſ. So was Joſeph formerly, God ſetteth up the poor from the dunghill, and maketh them Princes. Better is the poor ſervant at the laſt, then the Prince born, and will not change ſtates with him. Out of poverty he comes to riſe, whereas he that is born to a Kingdom comes to poverty. Eccleſ. 4. 13, 14.
Ob. But I have nothing in the world, to begin the world withall.
R. Yet a diligent hand, and depending Prov. 10. 5. Gen. 32. 10.heart may make rich. Jacob went out with his ſtaffe in his hand, and returned full of Cattel and ſtock, and ſtore of riches; how many men at preſent, and in former times, have riſen to the greateſt States, and higheſt Honours in the City, that came hither in leathren breeches, and clouted ſhoes, like Gibeonites, that have afterwards like Mordecai, changed their ſackcloth into blue, and purple, and ſcarlet, and chaines of gold.
Ob. But if I had a little more, I ſhould then be content.
Anſ. Thou haſt a deceitfull heart of thine own which will never be content.
2. Didſt thou never ſay ſo before, when thou waſt little in thine own eyes, that if God would give ſo much as now thou haſt, thou wouldeſt aske no more;
3. Creſcit amor nummi quantum ipſa pecunia creſcit. He that loveth ſilver ſhall never be ſatisfied with ſilver, Eccle. 5. 11, 12. The deſires are enlarged as hell, Hab. 2. why was not he content of whom Solomon ſpeakes, Eccle. 4. 8. who had neither ſon nor brother, no end of riches, and yet no end of his labours?
Obj. The moſt plauſible plea of all is, had I more, I might do more good.
Anſ. Thou mighteſt do more haply, but wouldeſt do leſſe; The heart and the price never meet in a fooles hand; will and power ſeldome in a wiſe mans. What good did he Eccle. 4. 8. or he in Luk. 12. Few rich men rich in grace, or good workes. The lower vines give ſweeter fruites then the higher cedars. The lower vallies are alway more fruitfull then the loftier hills. The leſſer ſprings and brookes yeeld many a wholſomer draught then the ſwelling ocean. Twelve pence comes more hardly out of the bag full cramd then five ſhillings out of a bag half empty. The poor widow gave more then all the rich; The rich have more, the poor love more. They ſpend more waſtfully, Theſe give more cheerfully. The 1 King. 17.poor widow could find in her heart to give a bit of her laſt peece of bread to the Prophet in a time of extream famine, and could ſpare it out of her own belly rather then he ſhould want, when that rich miſer 1 Sam. 25.Nabal, who knew no end of his riches, could not part with bread, or cheeſe to David in a time of plenty, and in a day of feaſting. In our late collections for the diſtreſ…ed Proteſtants in Piedmont, it was obſerved the rich Aldermens fellows came not off ſo liberally in their contributions, as ſome meaner Godly perſons.
2. For remedies.
1. Study, beleeve, and rely upon Gods all-ſufficient, all-diſpoſing providence, who cares for all, ſets all our bounds, counts the haires of our head, regards the Sparrows, Ravens, Lillies, much more his ſervants.
2. Study his fatherhood, and the ſweetneſſe of paternall affections, what parents if not worſe then infidells or beaſts, do not provide for their owne, and ſhall not God for his family; yea he that keeps ſo full a houſe for every ſervant, will not ſee his children want, He that feedes the ravens that cry, will not ſtarve the doves that mourn; he that feedeth the roaring Lion will not ſtarve the gentle Lamb. His Providentiall care is great, his Paternall love ſweeter.
3. Study ſuch promiſes as thoſe 1. Pet. 5. 7. Heb. 13. 5. Pſal. 34. 9. 10.
4. Thou muſt pray down cares Phil. 4. 6. You cannot reaſon them down, they will up again, nor can you ſing care away, drink it away, play it away, it will come again in a worſe dreſſe of poverty, executions, &c. but pray it away, and thou wilt get the victory.
5. By ſoul cares, make a diverſion of worldly cares, Mat. 6. 33. Seek the kingdome of God and you will not want employment, Joh. 6. 27. Labor for that meat that endureth to eternall life: as we ſtop bleeding by opening a vain to divert the blood, turn the ſtream of thy cares another way, and they will trouble thee leſſe.
6. Reckon thy ſelf married to the Lord, not to the world, 1 Cor. 7. 34. Therefore care for the things of the Lord.
7. Conſider the inſtability and emptineſſe of theſe things, and let not thy heart out upon them; a joy, love, care skin-deep is enough, let them not be heart-deep, rejoyce as not rejoycing, mourn as not mourning, and uſe the world as not abuſing it, for the faſhion and ſcheme of all this world is paſsing away.
8. Conſider thy life conſiſts not in the abundance of the things which thou poſſeſſeſt, Luk. 12. 15.
1. Not life it ſelf, for ſuch muſt dye, the man that leaves his ten thouſands, dies as ſoon as he that never ſaw ten pounds.
2. Nor the comfort of his life, the poor man hath as contented a meale of his diſh of herbes and fetcheth as ſweet a ſleep on his hard bed, as the rich with his dainty cates, and bed of down. The rich hath more cramps, gout, diſeaſes, and heart tormenting cares, envies, and diſcontents then the poor.
3. Nor the ſafety of this life, but they expoſe to more dangers, the rich are ſet upon, robbed and plundered, when poor eſcape: The King and Nobles were all carried captive, when the poor were left behind. The noble man and great man is oft ſecured Jer. 39. 10.and laied up in a Priſon, when the poor man breathes in a freer air.
4. Leaſt of all eternall life, out of which, if riches do not exclude, yet love, care and truſt in riches do ever exclude, Mar. 10. 24.
And if this be all the good in theſe goods who would not ſay,
Horum ego tum optarem pauperrimus eſſe bo…orum.
Pius Quintus ſaid, when he was an ordinary Preiſt he had good hopes of ſalvation, when he was promoted to a Cardinall he became full of feares, But when he was made Pope he even deſpaired.
CHAP. XVIII. Of carnall thoughts.
BEſides theſe, there are a many Carnall thoughts to be taken notice of Dangerous thoughts. Carnall thoughts of God, of his word, worſhip and all his wayes. Theſe the naturall man is made up of, and they are the beſt thoughts he hath, or can have till he have another heart and become a ſpirituall perſon. He ſavoureth the things of the fleſh. Ro. 8. 5. 1 Cor. 2. 14.He underſtandeth not, doth not receive, perceive, or relliſh any thing that is ſpirituall. The wiſdome of God is fooliſhneſſe with ſuch. How contemptuouſly may you often heare ſuch ſpeak of divine things, of the ſpirit, of the new birth, of praying by the ſpirit, living in the ſpirit, being in the ſpirit, walking after the ſpirit? How groſly do they conceive of many truths and duties laid down in Scripture? Regeneration they know not what it is, if it be not Baptiſme; feeding on Chriſt they know no other but either Carnall, or Sacramentall. Oh what ſtrangers are they to the life of God, to the life of faith, to Union with Chriſt, to the power of Eph. 4. 18. Ro. 8. 6.Godlineſſe. But to be carnally minded the Apoſtle ſaith is death, hadſt thou no other ſins. To be carnally minded is death, They that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God. Ro. 8. 8.They may be in their Generations wiſe, in their carriage unblamable, for naturall endowments, acquired skill and abilities in Arts, Tongues, Trades, State-pollicy, yea for humanity and the Theory of divinity they may be eminent, yet their hearts, thoughts and temper of ſpirit being carnal, they periſh in the midſt of all, as Zimri, onelyonly 1 King. 16. 18.having the honor to burn in the houſe of a King, and in the midſt of Royall houſholdſtuffe, and may cry out as Nero, Quantus Artifex Pereo! How great naturaliſts! How great Artiſts do we periſh.