The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. The firſt uſe of confutation of that common error, that thoughts are free.
IN the firſt place to come to the Application, ſee the vanity and falſhood of that common aſſertion, That thought is free. To men and humane judicatories they are, to God they are not.
1. God paſſeth his judgment on the thoughts, 1 Cor. 4. 5.
2. The word of God is a judge of the thoughts, Heb. 4. 12.
3. The Miniſters work is to encounter and demoliſh the evil thought, 2 Cor. 10. 4.
4. Conſcience's buſieſt work is to overlook the thought, Ro. 2. 15.
Laſtly, The true converts humiliation begins at his thoughts, 1 Cor. 14. 25.
Is Thought nothing? Did God condemne the old world for nothing? Is Magus ſentenced to be in the Gall of bitterneſſe for nothing? Was it ſin in the Gentiles to be vain in their imaginations? and is it no ſin in thee? They were impious Atheiſts who ſaid our tongues are our own, who is Lord over us? And is it leſſe impiety to ſay our hearts are our owne, who ſhall hinder us from paying it with thinking? This is the ſhop and warehouſe of all evil, the devils ſtrong hold, the imagery chambers, wherein the fouleſt abominations are pourtrayed; into theſe the Lord lookes moſt narrowly. We are as thoſe tradeſmen for the moſt of us, who furniſh their ſhops, and lay out their beſt wares as Pedlars, when the inner roomes, and upper Garrets have little in them; as the Goldſmith whoſe ſhop is full of plate, Jewels, Rings, when he hath little within doores for his own uſe. Their inward part is very wickedneſſe, Pſal. 5. The Lords eye is upon the heart and thoughts, Jer. 6. 19. The evil of thoughts how little ſoever they be thought, are the greateſt evils; Satans ſins are onelyonly ſpirituall wickedneſſes, not carnall, or bodily pollutions, nihil fecit, nihil operatus eſt Satanas, ſolummodo cogitavit, ſaith Bernard, The devil wrought not evil, onelyonly thought evil. Look how much Principalities and powers are above fleſh and blood, ſo much do ſpirituall wickedneſſes exceed any carnall; Theſe make us more like beaſts, but thoſe like Satan: And if we ſhall divide all the ſins of the world into three parts, Thought, word, deed, more are the ſins of the thoughts for number, and worſe for nature, then both the other, and all the ſins in the world beſides. Inſtance in the worſt of ſins we ſhall find them here.
1. Is ignorance a great ſin? The Lord ſhall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them who know not God; This is as bad as drunkenneſſe, whordom, &c. yet is this onelyonly in the thoughts, and in the heart.
2. Is Error any ſin, It is counted little in theſe daies, yet did God ſhut out the carnall Iſraelites, and ſware in his wrath they ſhould not enter into his reſt, becauſe they erred in their hearts. They whoſe plague was Pſal. 95. Lev. 13. 44.in their head, were utterly unclean above all others, and ſhut out of the camp. Error is ſoul adultery, and defiles no leſſe then bodily fornication, thoſe who go a whoring after it.
3. Haereſy a foule ſin, ſhutting out of Gods Kingdome, is onelyonly in the mind and thoughts.
4. Inſidelity that great Goſpel ſin, and that fearfull Apollyon and ſoul murderer, is onelyonly a ſin of the heart and thoughts.
5. The like I might ſay of impenitency, hypocriſie, ſpirituall pride, malice, envy, covetouſneſſe, and the worſt of ſins are all lodged in the heart.
6. Yea the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt is not any outward acting of the moſt monſtrous impiety or abomination, but the fear of it is in the heart, the contagion of it chiefly poiſons the underſtanding, conſcience and will.
As the diſeaſes of the mind are worſe and more incurable then bodily. Lunacy is worſe then a feaver, a fit of Phrenſie, worſe then of Stone, or Gout. The Doctor can ſay little to theſe diſeaſes of the mind; ſo ſins of the mind worſe then any bodily. The Pro. 18. 14.ſpirit of a man may ſuſtain any infirmity of body, but the wounded ſpirit who can beare?
And as the Judgments inflicted on the ſoul, are above all the heavieſt judgments, as the immediate wrath of God darted into the ſoul, That fire not blowen, horror of Job 20. 26. Ro. 11. 8. Ro. 1. 26. 28.conſcience, the ſearea conſcience, the ſpirit of ſlumber, or of remorſe, Vile affections, the reprobate mind, are all ſuch plagues as hell hath no greater, ſo are ſoul ſins worſt of ſins. The wrath of God is poured uſually on the ſpirits of men, the devils chaines are not of Iron, but of darkneſſe, the paines of hell take not hold yet of the body, but of the ſpirit onelyonly.
Yea, as all the Treaſures of grace and comfort in the Godly are laid up in the hidden man of the heart, there is his beſt, and he is a thouſand times better in his heart, intention, deſire, then he can be in all his holy acts and duties, he would do much more and better ſtill; ſo the worſt wickedneſſe even in the moſt wicked, is within, when he doth moſt villanouſly, and talketh moſt impudently, his heart is a thouſand times worſe yet then all his actions, for this as it is the ſeat of grace and vertue, ſo of all ſin and vice.
Yea, ſo much Malignity is in an evil thought, that as one drop of poiſon may mar a whole cup of wine, ſo an evil thought ſpoils the beſt duty and performance. The ſacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, Pro. 21. 27.becauſe alſo (ſo ſome read it) he bringeth it with a wicked minde. Judas his charitable Jo. 12. 5, 6.motion ſtank, becauſe of the covetouſneſſe that was in his heart; and his kiſſe of piety Lu. 22. 48.ſtank worſe, becauſe of the horrid treaſon and war which was in his heart, though his words both times, ſmoother then oyl.