The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
THIS Book of the Acts of the Apoſtles is as it were the New Teſtaments book of Kings and Chronicles, containing the Authentick Records of the moſt remarkable Paſſages in thoſe Primitive, and pureſt times, and may deſervedly be ſtiled, The Acts and Monuments of the Apoſtles, and of the firſt Apoſtolicall Churches; Wherein we have ſummarily ſet down the manifold Pains, Travell, Succeſſe, or oppoſition which the Apoſtles met with in their propagating the Goſpell at firſt, and laying the happy foundation of Chriſtian Churches, amidſt a world of Infidells and Pagans.
Yet among the Famous Acts of the Apoſtles, and memorialls of ſome particular Saints, you find inſerted, now and then, the foul, and infamous ſtoryes of ſome bloudy Perſecutor, or black hypocrite (a worſe ſhame, and greater Blot to the Chriſtian name and profeſſion) yea we have inſerted among the lives of Bleſſed Saints, Act. 13. 8. and 16. 16.the ſtory of ſeverall execrable Sorcerers, the worſt of men (as Elimas, and the Pythoniſſe, and this Simon) who made a ſtir in thoſe Early dayes, to the no ſmall trouble of the Church.
But above all the reſt, there never was a worſe Fiſh caught by the net of the Goſpel, then this Simon Magus, who gives us the occaſion of this diſcourſe; The Vileſt Copronymus that ever received, and defiled holy Baptiſme: The fouleſt Ethiopian that ever holy water wet, and waſhed: whoſe Tripartite hiſtory is here briefly ſet down in this chapter, Naught in the whole, and each part worſe then other. His firſt part was in Sorcery, his ſecond in (ſhow, better, indeed much worſe) Hipocriſy; And his third worſt of all, Apoſtacy and avowed Impiety.
Yet is there a fourth part of his ſtory written by Eccleſiaſticall hyſtorians, his further progreſſe in all impiety, his oppoſition to the Goſpell, the hereſies which he Broached, The divine honors which he aſpired to, The ſtatues, and Images built to him, and to his ſtrumpet Helen (as unto a Scortum ſuum Helenam peculiarem d…i vim eſſe aſfirmabat. Alſted.new God) Simoni ſancto Deo; and after all, his Tragicall end, by breaking his neck, when he had threatned to forſake the world for receiving the Chriſtian faith, and not regarding him, he made an attempt to fly in their ſight to gain more credit to all he had ſaid, but downe he fell and brake his neck.
And we may ſafely ſay there is another Fift part (which though) not written, will be found and diſcovered in the laſt day ſ…ddeſt of all, his preſent, and eternall damnation; His Going into Perdition with his money and Magick, after all his Rewards of divination, Divine honours, Popular adoration, Publike ſtatues, and Monuments; where we ſhall leave him, in the gall of bitterneſſe, and in the bonds of his iniquity.
Yet is this, as all other examples in Scripture, written for our admonition and inſtruction. And therefore I ſhall take a brief ſurvey of the three parts of his written ſtory, and make ſome ſhort obſervations thereon, as we go along.
His firſt part he acted, was of a Sorcerer at Samaria, where he ſet up and played his prizes, this is ſet down v. 9, 10, 11, 12. Here obſerve.
Doct. 1. Into the moſt eminent and popular Cityes, often enter the vileſt impoſtors, Atheiſticall, and Diabolicall Sorcerers, there they lurk, lodge, there they ſeek to ſet up, and play their prizes.
2. Theſe Sorcerers, Aſtrologers, cheators do ſhamefully, and notoriouſly delude the ſilly multitude; He bewitched the people of Samaria, it is ſaid.
3. Theſe vile creatures cover and ſet off their Diabolicall, and helliſh pranks with ſpecious titles, He gave it out, that he was ſome great one; That he was a man of rare skill, ſingular art, he could do wonders, Cure any diſeaſe, tell any man his fortune, &c.
5. Theſe Magicians are not ſo mad and vain, to brag, and boaſt, but a many more are as mad and vain to beleeve them, cry them up, and follow them: He ſaid v. 9. he was ſome great one. They overdo and foreignCry him up, as the Great power of God, and think he is more then a man, all is lawfull at leaſt, and it may be, God hath given him a gift above all other men. To him they all gave heed, from the leaſt, to the greateſt, ſaying, this man is the mighty power of God. They dream of nothing leſſe then doing theſe feates by the help and power of Satan.
6. Theſe cheating companions are often long ere they are diſcovered, and given over: And to him they had regard, becauſe that of long time he had bewitched them with Sorceries, v. 11.
7. Where the true knowledge of God comes, the groſs impieties of theſe impoſtors are preſently ſmelt out, deteſted, and abhorred: But when thy believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdome of God, and the Name of Jeſus Chriſt, they were baptized both men and women. v. 12. Where the light of the Goſpel begins to peep, and the leaſt ſpark of religion enters, Satan falls as lightning, Magick vaniſhes; This Dagon cannot ſtand before that Arke of God. Aarons Rod devoureth the Magicians Rods. As ſoon as Sergius Paulus receiveth the Acts 13. 12.Goſpel, he hath no more to do with Elimas. As ſoon as they of Epheſus were converted, they would not keep, much leſſe Acts 19. 19.uſe a Magick book, but made a fire of them.
The ſecond part followes, v. 13. Where you ſee the Scene changed, and a new part acted. Simon is a convert, a Chriſtian, a Profeſſor, a Beleever, a devout Beleever. Then Simon himſelfe beleeved alſo, and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles, and ſignes which were done.
Here the unclean ſpirit goes out, but it is to fetch in ſeven worſe.
Obſ. 1. All is not fiſh that comes to the Goſpel net; Some fiſh, ſome traſh: In the pureſt Earthly Church, Some true Saints, Some hypocrites; Wheat and Tares in the ſame field; Chaffe and Wheat in the ſame floore. The Goſpel preached may have ſome operation on a ſoul, where it produceth not inward ſanctification, Sol non omnes quibus lucet calefacit. The riſing ſun Bern.makes many a black cloud look with a Gilded look.
2. Simon be leeveth, is baptized, continueth, wondereth. Obſ. Too faſt to laſt, Too hot to hold out; of others v. 12. it is ſaid, they heard, beleeved, were baptized. There is all: Magus outgoes them all. The hypocrites, and temporaries faith is all on a ſudden, Velocior in principio, tardior in fine, The ſtony ground hath joy at firſt, when others begin with ſorrow: Magus hath faith at firſt; Peter calls him back to Repentance, where he ſhould have begun: A Gourd or Muſhrumb may grow in a night, and wither in a night. True grace (as Church-work) goes ſlowly an end; Mar. 4.firſt the root, then the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear The hypocrites growth is per ſaltum, firſt the full corn in the ear, but neither ſtalk, nor blade, nor root. Such another forward one was Saul, who took all his degrees per ſaltum 1. Sam. 10. 6. and 9.too, all of a ſudden, he was turned into another man, and had another (not a new) heart, his change was at higheſt at firſt, he was not Renewed day by day, as other poor ſoules are content to be. The firſt time he ever was admitted into the Society of the Prophets, he commenced Doctor, and Propheſied with the beſt of them; in ſo miuch that the greateſt notice was taken of h…m, What is this that is come to the ſon of Kiſh? Is Saul alſo among the Prophets? But the ſecond time he came into their company, at Najoth in Ramah, there he put them down all, 1 Sam. 19. 23, 24. When he came to Najoth the Spirit of God came upon him, that he went on and propheſied, and he ſtript off his clothes alſo, and propheſied before Samuel in like manner, and lay downe, or feil naked all that day, and all that night, wherefore they ſay, Is Saul alſo among the Prophets? They ſtood and Propheſied v. 20. he went on, he could run and propheſie: They ſtrip off their luſts, he his clothes; they lay their hearts naked, he his body; They are raiſed up to heaven, he falls downe and layes along on the earth; They go about their buſineſſe, or get them ſome what to eat, at leaſt muſt to bed when night comes, he was ſo full of his ſpirit, that he lay down naked all that day, and all that night. He neither eat, nor drank, nor ſlept, nor roſe, nor ſtirr'd, nor ſpake, but lay as in a trance all that time; he miſſed neither meat, nor drinke, nor clothes, nor ſleep: Here was an old Adami…e, and a famous Quaker indeed. But do you ever read that he propheſied a third time, or that he was ever the holier, or honeſter man for all this. Did he after all this propheſying ceaſe to perſecute David ever the more to his dying day? David is thought by ſome book learned men, to have a ſpirit of prophecy too, but he was ſilent here: But Saul and his bloudy followers, who ſought the life of David and Samuel, and took away the lives of ſo many Prieſts, they all propheſied, v. 20. But Samuel and Davids ſpirit, and Saul and his Meſſengers ſpirit were not alike. I reade indeed a third time of his propheſying, mentioned 1 Sam. 18. 10. with his Javelin in his hand, but it was both a mad and counterfit propheſying; Junius renders it, prophetico more ſe componebat: and the Chaldee render it, Inſaniebat. He was mad. This by the way.
3. He beleeveth, and is baptized:] Outward profeſſion juſtly gains admiſſion into the Chriſtian Congregation. Our Judgment is of charity, not certainty; Is of the outward man, not of the heart.
4. Take in hypocriſie with profeſſion, and there is a faith makes one worſe then Infidelity; a Baptized perſon, worſe then an unbaptized; a Chriſtian worſe then a Pagan: Grace if counterfeit, Ordinances if reſted in, Duties if ſlightly performed, do leave us as far from the Kingdome of heaven, as no grace, ordinance, or duty at all. Simon as good a Sorcerer ſtill, as an unſound profeſſor.
The third part of his ſtory, where we ſee the Ogdoas malorum ſpirituum (as Irenaeus ſpeakes) ſeven new worſe ſpirits returning with the former, is ſet out from the 14. to the 24. v. containing his demands and carriage to Peter, and Peters anſwer and carriage to him. Here doth Magus ſhew he had obtained what before he aimed at, to be foreign, ſome great and prime one Vulgo exiſtimatur Patriarcha h…reticorum, No. Teſt. Alſted.in Iniquity: He would not be one of the Thirty, but the firſt of the Three of Satans Grandees, he might now glory if Cain, Lamech, or Judas, if Ebion, Cerinthus, or Nicolas ſhould be puniſhed ſeven fold, ſurely Simon ſeventy fold: He obtained the Primacy and chief Patriarchſhip among all the fathers of Heretickes: and he hath further obtained this Indulgence, that he and his followers in that black profeſſion, ſhould ſit one at Satans Right hand, another at his Left, in his fiery Simonem omnium haereticorum eſſe Patrem ex eo omnes haereſ…s ſubſiſtunt, dixit Irenaeus. Ex hac amariſſima Radice exortiſunt Doſitheāni, Cleobani, Georthoni, Masbothei, Adrianiſtae, Eutichiſtae, Cainiſtae. Theodoret.Region, or Kingdome. Seven ſeverall ſorts of haereticks, Eccleſiaſticall writers affirme to have ſprung from this Hidra, or Serpent.
But to return to this third part; It conſiſts of his demands and carriage to Peter, and of Peters Reply to him. In the former you ſee what he did, he offered money. 2. The occaſion of it, when he ſaw that through laying on of the Apoſtles hands, the Holy Ghoſt was given. 3. His End, or the conditions upon which he was ſo ready to part with his mony; Give me alſo this power that on whomſoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghoſt, ſaith he.
Obſ. 1. Some creep in to Chriſtian Society as Spyes, to ſee and obſerve what they teach, do, hold, and practice; He ſaw and marked their laying on of hands, and the giving the Holy Ghoſt.
2. Many that come in as Spyes at firſt, go Jude v. 12.out as Spots at laſt.
3. One corrupt profeſſor, ſeekes to corrupt another, yea the moſt ſincere, and the moſt eminent, Simon Magus ſollicits Simon Peter.
4. Many make a gain of Godlineſſe, and a Merchandiſe of Chriſtian profeſſion; Magus would not have given ſo freely, if he had not expected to receive as freely of others for the Holy Ghoſt, which he deſired to buy, not keep; and intended to ſell, not to give.
5. A cunning cloſe hypocrite may lurk undiſcovered a while, but after a while he layes open his owne Impiety. Suo ſe indicio prodit.
In the other, viz. Peters carriage to him, four things conſiderable.
1. Peter rejects him, and ſcorns his motion with the greateſt deteſtation, v. 20. Thy mony periſh with thee.
2. Convinceth him, both of his fin and danger, v. 20, 21. Becauſe thou thoughteſt that the gift of God may be purchaſed with mony, thou haſt neither part, nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the ſight of God.
3. Admoniſheth and counſelleth him to two duties, Repent and pray, v. 22.
4. Concludes and pronounceth a ſentence of condemnation againſt him, and ſo leaves him and gives him over, v. 23. I perceive thou art in the gall of bitterneſſe, and bond of Iniquity.
Obſ. 1. Wicked (though gainfull) motions are to be ſcorned; and refuſed by the Godly with the greateſt deteſtation. Mat. 4. So Chriſt to Satan, offering all the Kingdoms of the world. Our hearts can't riſe too high in Indignation againſt ſin, and temptations to ſin.
2. We ſhould not countenance but diſclaime ſuch as are otherwiſe of our own religion, profeſſion, ſociety, or party, and hold and joyn with us, if they be not Godly and ſincere. Chriſt would not receive a true teſtimony to his Divinity from a falſe Chriſt doth there rebuke Satan for his confeſſion, as at other times for temptations. Dr. Reynoldes. That confeſſion was indeed a Temptation.fiend; nor Paul applauſe toh is Miniſtry from an inchanting Pythoniſſe, Acts 16. 18.
3. Rotten hypocrites are to be handled roughly, Soundly Rattled, Roundly ſhaken up, and reproved ſharply, what ever come on it. Sons of Belial are to be dealt with as Thornes, handled with Iron weapons, and thruſt away with greateſt Indignation, 2 Sam. 23. 6, 7.
4. That is the beſt Miniſtry and Goſpelpreaching which ſearcheth the heart, ſounds the depthes of ſin, and layes open the danger of an unſound or ſinfull ſtate.
5. True Repentance is a neceſſary Goſpel duty to be preached and practiced; But Solemne and more then ordinary Repentance, after ſoul and fearfull ſins.
6. Repent and Pray] We ſhould deſpair of none, but put them upon the uſe of meanes. If Magus could have repented, and would have prayed, Peter could and would have had hope of his well-doing for all that was paſt.
7. Wicked men are yet to pray, and to perform duty; Pray Magus. Let wicked men pray, let them ſing Pſalmes, let them hear; I do not ſay let them be wicked: It is their ſin if they do not pray, is not their ſin to pray: Say not, my children ſhall not pray, nor be taught to pray, till they be holy and ſanctified. As ſome pray by the Eph. 6. 18. Jude 20. Luke 11. 13.ſpirit, ſo others pray for the ſpirit firſt. Refuſe not to joyn with ſuch who are no Saints in ſinging, praying, &c. which are the proper works of Saints. Let wicked ones pray, I ſay, but let them repent as well as pray. Repent of this thy wickedneſſe and pray, &c.
8. Wicked and deſperate ſinners, after conviction, reproofe, and plain admonition are to be given over, and left to themſelves and Gods Judgment, with their blood running upon their own heads. Let the dart be left ſticking in their ſide, Let them take Rev. 22. 11.their courſe and be filthy ſtill; and let the word take its courſe, and become a favour of death, to death to ſuch. Here is no place for fooliſh pitty, and caſting Goſpel Pearls before ſuch ſwine. The Godly Miniſter is unto God a ſweet ſavour of Chriſt in them that are ſaved, and in them that periſh, 2 Cor. 2. 15.
None of theſe obſervations do we intend to ſtand upon. But the ninth and laſt, which we ſhall faſten upon, is this; Doct. Sinfull thoughts, got, rooted, and entertained in the heart, put a man into a very ſinfull and wofull condition. Or thus, If ſuch ſinfull thoughts be received and entertained in the heart without true and ſerious Repentance of them, and Earneſt prayers againſt them, the man is in a hopeleſſe, and deſperate ſtate.