The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Many other Evil Thoughts againſt our Neighbour.
1. CEnſorious Thoughts, and raſh judging Cenſorious Thoughts.of our Brother, of his heart and ſtate, ſeverely forbidden and threatned in the Scriptures, as a ſacrilegious inthroning our ſelves in Gods Tribunall, a ſin never ſo common as now: This Miniſter is Antichriſtian, that is a Time-ſerver, this man a hypocrite, that man a formaliſt, but all are judges, and all are judged, and all are condemned. What ſhall become of us in that day, when that ſhall be verified, With what judgement Mat. 7. 12.ye judge ye ſhall be judged, condemne and be condemned? Why doſt thou judge thy brother? Rom. 14. 10.and why ſet at naught thy Brother? What haſt thou to do to judge another mans ſervant? To Rom. 14. 4.his own Maſter he muſt ſtand or fall, ſaith the Apoſtle. If our Saviour ſaid, Man, who made Luke 12. 14.me a judge? do not thou make thy ſelf a judge, unleſſe, of thy ſelf; here thou haſt a 1 Co. 11. 31.Patent, there none. Grudge not one againſt another, ſaith Saint James, leſt you be condemned, Jam. 5. 9.behold the judge ſtandeth before the door; and wilt thou keep him out, and prevent him from doing his own work?
But we are not to wonder (as one ſaith) if the world be full of unjuſt judgements, when there are ſeven dangerous Judges alwais abroad in their Circuit, who have given themſelves Commiſſions, and will not be perſwaded to lay them down.
1. Judge Weak, an unfit perſon to make a Judge, yet is he the beſt of the ſeven, for he hath no ill meaning. He that yet knowes not the latitude of Goſpel-Liberty, if he ſee another do but what he lawfully may, he cries out of licenciouſneſſe. The weak is apt to Judge, as the ſtrong to deſpiſe, Rom. 14. 3. Thus Simon when he ſaw ſo wicked a woman come ſo near to Chriſt, and he permit it, began to change his former good opinion he had of Chriſt, that if he were ſo good a man Luke 7. 39.and ſo great a Prophet as the world took him for, he would not ſu…er ſuch a woman to touch him.
2. Judge Haſtings, or Inconſiderateneſſe, is a raſh Judge. This made Eli ſo raſhly cenſure mourning Hannah for a drunken goſſip, 1 Sam. 1. 14.when (bleſſed Saint) ſhe ſhe more teares then ſhe had drunk wine. And what were they who ſaid of Paul, without all doubt, this man is a murderer? Acts 28.
3. Judge Hearſay, is another Incompetent Judge; He takes things upon report, never weighing circumſtances, conſidering the quality of the Informers, or once giving them their oath. Jeſus Chriſt though he was the fitteſt perſon to judge, did not judge according to the hearing of the ear, Eſa. 11. 3. The Lord himſelf came down into Sodom to make a more full diſcovery of the truth of that report which was carried up to heaven. Gen. 18. 21.But now a daies a baſe report againſt the beſt man, from the worſt hands, is evidence enough to proceed to condemnation.
4. Judge Prejudice, or Erroneouſneſſe, (I cannot call him Juſtice) is a fierce and cruell Judge ready to condemn thoſe of differing mindes, be they never ſo pious and peaceable, ſuch a one was Paul once towards the Apoſtles and other Saints, and ſuch he met with afterwards. He had Judged them, and now they Judged him the great diſturber of the Churches peace, and corrupter of Religion.
5. Hypocriſy is another mercileſſe Judge, he with his Beam in his own Eye condemns his brothers Mote. Clodius occuſat Maechos.
6. Prophaneſſe is a furious Judge, and he that drinketh up iniquity like water, upon his Ale-…ench, condemns him that will not ſo much as taſte. They ſpeak evil becauſe you run not into the ſame exceſſe of riot, 1 Pet. 4. Theſe are Inexcuſable who judge others, yet do the ſame themſelves. Rom. 2. 1. Who is the Troubler of Iſrael but Elias? and who muſt prove him ſo but Ahab? The prophaneſt wretch in a Pariſh will Judge his Miniſter and all the godly in the country. They are all naught, Hypocrites all, as bad in a corner as the worſt. I hate hypocriſy (ſay they) and ſhewes of Religion; I would thou hatedſt prophaneneſſe too, and ſhewes of Impiety. The Wolfe of old condemned the Lamb, and the Camel-ſwallower condemns the Gnat-eater.
7. But Malice is a mad Judge, and without all reaſon. He ſaith of Job, he is an hypocrite, and will ſtand to it, though God himſelf be his Vindicator and Compurgator. This ſaid of Chriſt, He is mad and hath a devil, oh hear him not; good people believe Joh. 10. 20.him not; He is a glutton, winebibber, and ſeditious perſon too beſides. And John the Baptiſt he had a devil too.
We may add to theſe Judge Abſalom, (Juſtice would be) would to God I were made 2 Sam. 15. 4.Judge, ſaith he, would do every honeſtman right) Judge Ambition, or Calumny, who when his own heart is full of pride, malignity, impiety and rebellion, and his wayes known to be abominable, like another Captain mend-all, the head of an old rebellion, takes upon him to cenſure the beſt, and to aſperſe all in place of Government, Magiſtrates, Miniſters, all may come to him to learn their duty.
Now ſeeing ſome or other of theſe Judges are in every place, no marvel that all places are full of Judgement, and all Judgements full of perverſneſſe; Judgement running down like a river, but righteouſneſſe dried up as the Red Sea.
2. Contemptuous, diſparaging, undervaluing Contemptuous Thoughts.and inſulting thoughts; whereas our duty is in point of honor, to prefer others, and take Ro. 12. 10.ſhame to our ſelves. He that is void of underſtanding deſpiſeth his neighbour, Pro. 11. 12. A ſtinking weed this is which groweth onelyonly in a dunghill. Never found but in a baſe, or ungracious heart: The Sorry bondwoman when ſhe ſaw ſhe had conceived and her miſtris barren, was a better woman then her miſtriſſe, and ſlights her Gen. 16. 4. Pſal. 10. 5. and 12. 5.as much as the dirt under her feet. And the wicked man is oft deſcribed by his puſſing at every one, he is ſo puft up himſelf with Arrogance, that he puffes at every other man with inſolency and contempt.
3. Again, Overweening and Magnifying Overweening thoughts.thoughts of ſome, to the diſparaging of others are as bad, and making odious Compariſons and unbeſeeming differences between man and man, according as privat intereſt or affection ſwaies the judgment. This began in the Apoſtles times, and is Epidemicall and rife in our dayes: To 1 Cor. 4. 6.think of men above what is written, and to be puffed up for one, againſt another. I am for 1 Cor. 3. 4, 5. 8.Paul, ſaith one, But Apollos for me, ſaith another, and Cephas is beyond them both, ſaith a third. But who is Paul, and who Apollos? Are they not one? They are good men all and agree, do you alſo agree Ingeniis non ille favet, plauditque ſepultis. Noſtra ſed Impugnat, nos, noſtraque lividus odit. Horat.and rend not the Church by Diviſions. It were a fond thing if one ſhould ſay this Moon is a rare moon, The laſt was as good, the next will be as good. To ſay of this man dead, He was a man, none like him, of that Miniſter to whom thou art a ſtranger, him I like; and to ſlight the preſent Miniſters, thy own eſpecially (if faithfull and godly) ſhewes great precipitancy of judgment, but little Sincerity. The Jewes gloryed, they were Moſes diſciples, Jo. 9. 28.took it in ſcorn to be Chriſts diſciples, and to learn of him. But Moſes was bad Ex. 17. 4.enough while he lived, much ado he had to eſcape Stoning once. The dead Prophets Extinctus amabitur Idem.tombes muſt be Garniſht, and names muſt be Kalendered, while the living muſt be perſecuted, and their names buried in Infamy. If Paul and Peter, or Auſtin and Jerom were alive, they would wonder how they came to be called Saints, when others that preach the ſame doctrins are Anathematized, or reproched.
4. Cunning craftineſſe whereby men lie in Craftineſſe. Act. 13. 10.wait to deceive, This turnes men into Serpents, and makes men the children of the devil, who is full of ſubtilty and miſchief. Though this be cryed up as the Art of Arts, and the higheſt wiſdome. Qui neſcit diſſimulare, neſcit vivere: Wee ſay, He that cant diſſemble muſt look to live deſpiſed, and dye a begger; Jonadab the ſon of Shimeah ſuch a ſubtle Sycophant, and ſly 2 Sam. 13. 3.companion, that he could tell Amnon how to defloure Tamar and ſhee ſhould neither be aware, nor could avoid it. Abſalom was ſo perfect in this Art, that he courted and gained all the people to depoſe his father, and ſet up himſelf, that judgment 2 Sam. 15. 6.might run down as a River and Juſtice as a ſtream. Jacob a plain man himſelf, had ſons too nimble at this, who firſt over-reached, Gen. 34. 13.then Maſſacred the men of Shechem. Into their ſecret let not my ſoule come, ſay thou with Jacob: Curſed be this wrath, Curſed this Gen. 49. 6, 7.pollicy, the one is cruell, the other helliſh. The Godly mans rejoycing, is that in ſimplicity and Godly ſincerity, not fleſhly wiſdome, he hath his converſation in the world, 2 Cor. 1. 12. and 4. 2.And accounts it his glory to ſay, I have renounced the hidden things of diſhoneſty, not walking in craftineſſe. And while the wicked projects how to lay ſnares privily, and to ſwallow up others alive as the grave, and to Pro. 1. 11. Neh. 4. 11.come over them, ſo as they ſhall not ſee nor know who hurts them, The Godly man ſaith, let integrity and uprightneſſe preſerve me, or let Micah. 7. 2.me periſh.
5. Treacherous and miſchievous thoughts, Treacherous thoughts.when greateſt good-will pretended; this is to be ſuperlatively wicked, a devil incarnate, as Judas was, who betraies his Maſter with a kiſſe, words ſmoother then oyle, yet war in his heart. Abſalom intertaines Amnon with good cheer, and a ſword is 2 Sam. 13. 28.preſented for the ſecond courſe; Jael-like Jud. 4. 19, 20.begin with butter, and milk, and end with hammers, and nailes. Thus, thoſe Sycophants and arch diſſemblers who came to Chriſt, with Maſter we know thou art true and able to reſolve us, we have a caſe of conſcience which troubles us, tell us what Mat. 22. 16.we ſhall do; all the while inſidiating and laying wait for him.
6. Revengfull and malicious thoughts are Revengfull thoughts.worſt of all, ſuch as Cains againſt Abell, and Eſaus againſt Jacob, who reſolved to be revenged though he defer'd it till his father was dead; Abſaloms to Amnon, who concealed his intended murther for two whole 2 Sam. 13.years, yet at laſt it brake forth againſt all humanity, and Hamans to Mordecai, who Eſt. 3. 7.for a twelvemonth together was caſting lots and meditating revenge to the purpoſe; Such the men of Anathoth, Jeremies next Jer. 11. and 20. 10.neighbours, againſt him, who watched for his halting ſaying peradventure he will be enticed and we ſhall prevaile againſt him, and then we ſhall take our revenge on him. Such Joſephs brethrens curteſie to him: This is to Gen. 37.be totally contrary to God, whoſe thoughts are onelyonly thoughts of peace, not of evil, though he never want power to puniſh, and we never ceaſe to give him too much provocation. This is to be wholly conformed to Satan, who though he alway ſtrikes not, yet waits like a roaring lyon when to deſtroy. The wicked plotteth againſt the righteous, and ſeeketh to ſlay him.Pſal. 37.
7. If our thoughts are not ſo black and Uncompaſſionate thoughts.bloudy as theſe forenamed, yet may we be to blame by unſenſible, unſympathizing, and uncompaſſionate thoughts; If we do not mourn with thoſe that mourn, and weep for Ro. 12. 15. Am 4. 6. Pſal. 109. 16. Col. 3. 12.the afflictions of Joſeph. What direfull imprecations doth David pour out againſt his adverſaries, becauſe they remembred not to ſhew mercy, &c. Put on, ſaith the Apoſtle, as the elect of God, bowells of mercies, kindneſſe, &c.
8. Laſtly to make haſt out of this Sodom, we may take notice of a Company of Vile wiſhes, and riſings up of heart againſt our neighbour ready to break forth into open execrations, curſes and imprecations, But there they lie muttering and murmuring, like a company of young adders in their den, which though they yet ſting and poiſon not, they keep a hiſſing and put out their tongues, that you may know whoſe breed they are and what they would do, had they more power. Theſe are all breaches of the royall law of love which bids us bleſſe, but curſe not, forbids gruding, Le. 19. 18. Jam. 5. 9. murmuring, whiſpering, ſwelling, yea once wiſhing ill to thy neighbours ſoul, but to love him perfectly as thou doſt thy ſelfe. 2 Cor. 12. 20. Job. 31. 30.Thus have we done with the two firſt woes, the third is at the door, and having paſt the Lion and the Bear, ſhall now ſhew you the Philiſtin, who preſents himſelf in the next chapter.