The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Of doubtfull, diſtruſtfull, and fearfull thoughts.
IN the next place, becauſe I now (and I ſuppoſe thou alſo) grow weary of theſe evill thoughts, and would fain rid my hands (and heart) of them, I ſhall crowd two or three companies of them into this and the next chapter that we may the ſooner have done with them. And oh! that I could as ſoon leave thinking, as I can ſpeaking of them, and as well throw them by out of my heart, as I can this pen, or thou canſt this Book out of thy hand: But where there is ſo much carrion, there will be crowes; and where ſo much dung, there will be Scarabees. Jericho was once ſo cloſe ſhut up, they made account that none ſhould go out, none come in, yet did there Joſh. 5. 1.Spies get in, lodge, and go out after, that ſought the deſtruction of the City, that harboured them, and were never perceived. It is ſo with thee and mee.
1. There are a crue of doubtfull thoughts, that oft peſter the mind, cloud the underſtanding, weaken faith, damp hope, deaden prayer, deſtroy dependance, delight and joy in God: Doubts about ſelf, our ſtate, our duty; about God, his word, his love, his preſence, his care, Yea about every thing. May I beleeve in God? may I adventure on ſuch a promiſe? may I pray? may I expect an anſwer if I pray? This doubting makes a Doating Chriſtian. Gird up thy Loines, Aske in faith, waver Jam. 1. 6. Mat. 21, 22.not, and fear no…, whatſoever ye ask in prayer beleeving ye ſhall receive; But he that wavereth and doubteth will never come to any ſtability, but is like the waves of the Sea driven up and down by reaſon of their lightneſſe and mobility, at the pleaſure of every blaſt.
2. Diſtruſtfull thoughts, and unbeleeving are like the former, whereby we are apt to call every thing in queſtion, Gods providence, preſence, care, truth, faithfullneſſe, yea this foule unbeliefe calls in queſtion every thing; the very Deity of God, the Trinity of perſons, the Divinity of Chriſt, the verity of holy Scripture, the very fundamentalls of ſalvation, and ſtumbles at every high point and myſterious revelation, much more at the application of particular promiſes, whether Chriſt can, and God will ſave ſuch an one as he is, whether he may ever expect an end of temptation and trouble, or whether he can poſſibly reap any good by them. Oh this miſchievous unbeliefe! this murderous unbeliefe! what doth more diſhonor God? what more damage the ſoule? Abraham by faith gave glory to God, But Moſes and Aaron by Ro. 4. 20. Num. 20. 12.their unbeliefe gave not glory to God (it is ſaid) and were for no other cauſe ſhut out of Canaan. This unbeliefe take heed of it, be humbled for it; hadſt thou no other ſin this might ſhut thee out of Canaan and heaven too; Strip thee of all preſent, and ſtop thee from all expected mercies. Except you beleeve you ſhall never be eſtabliſhed. All Satans Eſ. 7. 9.darts are thrown in the face of faith, our great work is to maintain the fight of faith. The ſtrongeſt and ſharpeſt aſſaults of 1. Tim. 6. 12. Mat. 4.Satan are againſt faith. If thou be the ſon of God, comes in at every turn. He knowes if thou beginneſt to doubt, thou beginneſt to yee…d. Happy is he who is not troubled with ſuch thoughts as theſe ſometimes: few but are. But more happy he who is moſt troubled with them and humbled for them. Theſe tentations often by Gods over ruling providence, tending as much to the deeper rooting of faith, as the ſhaking windes to the rooting of the younger trees.
3. Fearfull thoughts are like both the forementioned, full of ſin and full of trouble, keeping the ſoule in continuall torment, the life in ſuſpence, and the ſpirit in bondage, from the too ſad expectation of evil, and too little expectation of good; and they have commonly theſe three ingredients, a deep apprehenſion of danger, a quick apprehenſion and remembrance of guilt, and a very little faith. Hence in any difficulty, when the ſtormes ariſe, windes are boiſterous, waves are high, they cry out as if all were deſperate, Lord ſave Mat. 8. 28.us wee periſh. For theſe the Lord doth often check and chide his ſervants; Why are ye fearefull, Oh ye of little faith: feare not, Believe onelyonly—who art thou that feareſt a man that ſhall dye—and forgetteſt the Lord thy maker—and haſt feared continually Eſ. 51. 12, 13.becauſe of the fury of the oppreſſor as if he were ready to deſtroy and where is the fury of the oppreſſor? Thus are we apt to torment our ſelves with ſundry unneceſſary feares, feares of this, and feares of that, feares of want and poverty, feares of afflictions and croſſes, fear of loſſe of children or ſtate, fear of loſſe of Gods favour, feares of Satan, feares of wicked men, feares of life, feares of death, feares of hell, feares of judgment, nothing in the world but feares and all ſinfull feares.