The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Sundry other Reaſons of the Point from other Scriptures.
Reaſ. 1. THE evil thought is the Original ſin, or the original of ſin, They are Originale peccatum, or at leaſt Originale peccati. They are the little ſparkes of Hell, by which the whole world is ſet on fire; The ſpawn of which all ſin is bred; The ſeed of the Serpent; The Egge of the Cockatrice, or Crocodile: Strange it is that ſo great a monſter as the Crocodile, whoſe body is ſometimes Thirty foot long, and his taile as long as his whole body, whoſe Throat ſo wide that he can ſwallow an heifer whole, ſhould yet be bred of an Egge no Heylia.bigger then a Turkies. But more horrid it is that the worſt monſter ſin, is bred of a leſſe egge, an evil thought. The evil thought is the Devils Dam, that the Succubus, the Devil the Incubus. It is the bed in which Satan lodgeth, in which his brats are conceived and born, The hot Sand in which this Oſtridge layes and leaves his eggs, which will hatch and bring forth of themſelves. Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luſt, and enticed; then when luſt hath conceived, it bringeth forth ſin, and ſin when perfected, bringeth forth death, Jam. 1. 13. The evil thought is the Prima mater, or materia Prima, the firſt mother, or matter of all ſin, capable of every form of evil. It is the little end of the wedge, which entring, makes way for the great to follow: The little Boy, which let in at the window, ſets the doores wide open, for all the greater Theeves to enter and carry all away.
The Devil is more modeſt (or too much a ſerpent) to ſay at firſt, Curſe God and dy, Blaſpheme, caſt thy ſelfe down headlong, give me thy ſoule, commit adultery, and give thy ſelf over to all uncleanneſs with Greedineſſe, he hath learnt a better and ſurer way, he uſeth Art, method, Stratagems; And as Pompey when he had in vain aſſaulted a City, and could not take it by force, deviſed this Stratagem; In way of agreement, he told them he would leave the ſiege, and make peace with them; onelyonly deſired he might leave a few weak and ſick ſouldiers among them to be cured; They let in, when the City was ſecure, let in Pompey's army: So Satan deſires but a look, or a wanton thought at firſt, he needes no more. All the ſin that is in the world, had his riſe from a thought; all Jeroboams ſin, who did evil, and made Iſrael to ſin began here: Jeroboam ſaid in his heart, If the 1 King. 12. 26people go up to Jeruſalem to worſhip, &c. then ſhall the Kingdome return from me to the houſe of David, &c. all Judas his ſin began in a thought; yea Adams firſt ſin, and Eves, began in a thought; Satans temptation begat a thought, that a look, that a liking, that a luſting, that a taſting, that enticing her husband, that fellowſhip in ſin, that running from God, that denying, or defending the fact, thence a floud of Belial and wickedneſſe, which hath drowned the whole world (a floud before the floud) a floud more dreadfull and general then Noah's floud was, that drowned bodyes, this ſoules; There eight eſcaped, here not one; That laſted about thirteen moneths, then dryed up, This continues to this day in its height; Even from Adams fall to this day, every Imagination of man is evil, and onelyonly evil continually: Gen. 6. 5.And which is ſaddeſt of all, This floud had its head in Paradiſe, and from thence is divided into ſeverall ſtreames, compaſſing the whole earth.
What is unbeliefe made up of, but a heap of doubting, and diſtruſtfull thoughts? What is Atheiſm, but vile impious thoughts condenſed? What is malice, but miſchievous thoughts boyled up to a conſiſtence?
The whole earth was once well watered by a little cloud no bigger then the palm of a mans hand. The main Sea is made up of Rivers, they of leſſe ſprings, they of many ſingle drops multiplyed, and thoſe drops bred of a thin vapour, which you would think had nothing in it; So that a thin vapor is great grand mother to the Ocean, and a thin ſlender thought to the greateſt ſin. Cogitatio prava delectationem parit, delectatio conſenſum, conſenſus actionem, actio couſuetudinem, conſuetudo neceſſitatem, neceſsitas mortem. An evil thought, ſaith Bernard, begets delight, delight conſent, conſent action, an act a cuſtome, cuſtome a neceſsity, neceſsity deſtruction.
Reaſ. 2. But though the evil thought be the original of ſin, yet it ſtayes not there, but ſoon proceedeth to more ungodlineſſe, and frets like a Gangrene. How great an Ilias malorum or volume of evils may be contained in a Nutſhell! Behold how great a matter a little fire conſumeth! From this one ſon of the Bond-woman proceed twelve Princes of darkneſſe. Mar. 7. 21. After the evil thought, follow adulteryes, fornications, murders, thefts, covetouſneſſe, wickedneſſe, deceit, laſciviouſneſſe, an evil eye, Blaſphemy pride, fooliſhneſſe. One fly-blow taints the whole fleſh: The Leproſie taking a thread, overſpreads the whole piece of cloth, warp and woofe; or taking a ſtone, overruns all the wall and fabrick of the houſe. The waters of the ſanctuary Ezek. 47. 3, 4.riſe not ſo faſt as the flouds of ungodlineſſe, from the ancles at firſt to the knees, then to the loynes, then to the neck, then over head and eares. You may obſerve how Rom. 1. 21. vain Imaginations leade to uncleanneſſe, v. 24. Uncleanneſſe to Vile affections, v. 26. Vile affections ſoon grow up to a reprobate ſenſe; and then it follows, they were filled with all unrighteouſneſſe, v. 29, 30, &c. where a bead roll of above twenty ſins comes trayling after. And Eph. 4. 18, 19. you may obſerve with what ſpeed and increaſe this evil weed growes; The thin vapor preſently became a drop, The drop made the ſpring, the ſpring a River, the River a Sea. This I ſay that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles, in the (vanity of their mindes) having the underſtanding darkned, being alienated from the life of God, through the Ignorance that is in them, becauſe of the blindneſſe of their hearts, who being paſt feeling have given themſelves over to laſciviouſneſſe, to work all uncleanneſſe with greedineſſe. Here is firſt the ſeed, then the root, then the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear, then there wants nothing but a ſickle to cut down all, and a fire to burn it. Obſerve here the linkes of the chaines of darkneſſe, the gradation of ſin, and the deſcent into Hell. The firſt head of the lake of Hell is vanity of mind, that overflowes the whole underſtanding and darkens it, then followes alienation of affection, then blindneſſe or hardneſſe of heart, that begets Inſenſibleneſſe, unſenſibleneſſe (of ſin) begets deſperateneſſe (and unſenſibleneſſe of danger) deſperateneſſe begets Impudence, Impudence delight, delight Inſatiableneſſe, and thus thruſts into the midſt of Hell, and fixeth a gulf, that there is no coming back. See how much miſchief ariſeth from an evil thought.
It was a ſtrange aſſertion of the Philoſopher, that the world was made up of Atoms, but I may ſafely ſay, the whole world of ſin in our hearts and lives is made up of theſe Atoms of evil thoughts united. Out of nine ſingle figures the greateſt numbers in Arithmetick are made up; And out of four and twenty letters all the words and languages in the world are made; ſo of a few evil thoughts, all evil actions So that all ſin may be ſaid to be virtualiter (vitialiter potius) virtually, or rather vitially in the evil thought comprehended and contained.
Reaſ. 3. It is by the ill thought onelyonly that the heart is defiled, Mat. 15. 19. out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, ſaith our Saviour, and theſe defile the man. It is not what we ſee, hear, read, eat, drink, touch, taſt, nor what we are tempted to which defiles, but what we think. There would be no murders, adulteries, fornications to defile, if it were not for evil thoughts. Joſeph was ſollicited to unchaſtity, our Saviour tempted other wayes but neither defiled, becauſe no entertainment given in the thoughts. And Joſephs Miſtreſſe, Ananias, Saphira, Simon Magus, though not outwardly tempted, were inwardly defiled, becauſe of evil thoughts. Theſe are the unclean birdes which defile their own neſt. The Poiſon in the Toad or Serpent, hurts not it ſelfe, but others onelyonly, this poyſon of evil thoughts kils it ſelfe, not any other; no man is defiled till the heart defiled, the heart not defiled till the thought.
Reaſ. 4. Theſe are Primitiae & Primogeniti Diaboli, the firſt fruits, and firſt-born of the Devil. Our Saviour ranking many unclean and foul ſins, ſets an Imprimis on evil thoughts in that place forenamed, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteryes, fornications, &c. as if this was the unclean ſpirit that brings in all the other twelve unclean ſpirits, more wicked then himſelf, for ſo they are, murder, adultery, blaſphemy, &c. are worſe much then onelyonly bare thoughts. This is the Beelzebub or the Prince of Devils, whom all the reſt do follow and attend upon. Theſe are the males of Edom or firſt-born of Hell, which if deſtroyed, no fear of being overcome by all Satans forces. Theſe the wels of Moab, which the Iſraelites are commanded to ſtop up, 1 King. 3. 19. Theſe the firſt fruites of Hell, as good thoughts are the firſt fruits or bloſſoms of the ſpirit, the ſeed of God, the Initialls of grace; when a young convert can do but little, cannot yet beleeve, pray rejoyce, much leſſe ſuffer, yet can he deſire, he hath ſome motions, wiſhes, longings, ſtirrings of his ſpirit, Ejaculations, ſome ſigh, ſob, groan, here is true grace; So are the evil thoughts, the porch or broad gate by which you enter into that wide way which leades to deſtruction. They ſay that witches have no power to hurt a man till they get or borrow ſomewhat of him, and if he give or lend them but the leaſt thing to the value of a halfpenny, they have enough now to do their will upon him. I am ſure it is ſo with Satan, have thou nothing to do with him thou art ſafe, but if thou lend him but an ill thought, he hath thee now under his power. It is but ſmall pollicy to let an enemy into the outworks, in hope to drive him out after; make good thy ground: So to let Satan into the thought, and to think to drive him back by reaſoning and diſputing it with him, will endanger all.
Reaſ. 5. We ſhould the more carefully look to our thoughts, becauſe they give us the beſt and trueſt way and means of knowing our ſelves: The man is known by his heart, the heart by the thought, Animus cujuſque is eſt quiſque, and cogitatio cujuſque eſt animus cujuſque; Such as the heart is ſuch is the man; and ſuch as the thought is ſuch the heart. Pro. 23. 7. As he thinketh in his heart, ſo is the man, ſaith Solomon. God is ſaid, Pro. 16. 2. to weigh the ſpirits, when he tryes the weight of the man; ſo much ſpirit, ſo much good weight, all elſe is light: And when he ſearcheth the heart to take meaſure of it, he looks upon the Imagination of the thoughts, 1 Chron. 28. 9. and by them Judgeth what the heart and man is. And thou Solomon my ſon, know thou the God of thy fathers, and ſerve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, for the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth all the Imaginations of the thoughts.
As the Goldſmith weighing a piece of plate, takes it out of the caſe, or paper, &c. takes away the droſſe, or dirt, if any ſtick to it, and ſearcheth if it be hollow, whether there be no deceit, and gives you for ſo much ſilver, or gold, no more; ſo God in weighing man, knocks off this and that, and reckons onelyonly ſo much ſpirit, ſo much weight. Or as the Taylor, in taking meaſure pulls off the upper garments, &c. ſo God that he may take a true meaſure of us (or we of our ſelves) ſtrip off all till he come to the heart and ſpirit.
Reaſ. 6. Theſe evil thoughts are ſo much the more dangerous, becauſe men do more ſecurely live in them, as being out of Cognizance of the world, therefore the wicked oft boaſteth himſelf, Pſal. 10. 3. and oft bleſſeth himſelf in his hearts deſire, he ſaith, who ſeeth, who can ſay black is mine eye? They ſearch out iniquity and accompliſh a diligent ſearch, becauſe the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart is deep, they ſay who ſhall ſee them, Pſal. 64. 56.
The evil Thoughts are the dark Cloiſter, or the Chambers of Imagery, wherein are to be ſeen the greater abominations. There are Ezek. 8.ſtrange forms of creeping things, all abominable beaſts, and all the Idols of the world portrayd upon the wall. As the heart of the godly one is a Well ſealed, ſo the wicked is as Solomons Whore, a deep ditch, and a narrow pit; ſo deep as not to be ſounded to the bottom, ſo narrow as not to be lookt into, as deep as Hell, and as dark as Hell. Bernard complained his heart was like that great deep in which are Reptilia ſine numero; how much more, may it be ſaid of the wicked, his heart is the great deep, in which are things creeping innumerable, ſmall and great beaſts; There go the greateſt ſhips, Pſal. 104. 25, 26.(and are no burden, want no Sea-room) there is the great Leviathan (the greateſt creature, and monſter in nature) who doth play therein. The great Sea is not more full of various creatures, which harbours and foſters them all, then the heart of ſinfull thoughts; Who can tell the number of creeping Luſts, and crawling Corruptions? There are the great beaſts and ſmall, ſins of all ſorts, ſome more hainous and horrid thoughts, ſome more vain and frivolous, and there is onelyonly room for the great ſhips to ride, and the great Leviathan to ſport, whom the leſſer Rivers cannot receive; ſo in the heart are the greateſt and fouleſt of ſins no where elſe to be beſtowed.
And becauſe the heart and thoughts are ſo deep and indiſcernable to man, he is apt to think they are ſo to God; therefore do theſe Athieſts in theſe cloſe chambers of their Imagery ſay, The Lord ſeeth us not, the Lord hath forſaken the earth, we are out of Ezek. 8. 12. and 14. 3.mens ſight and Gods too; Or otherwhile, theſe hypocrites dare come into Gods ſight, with theſe Idols in their heart, and take the boldneſſe to inquire of him, and pray to him, as if he onelyonly ſaw as man ſeeth, and could not judge, but by outward appearance, nor ſearch the heart. And therefore you may obſerve throughout the Scripture, thoſe are branded as the moſt notorious offenders, and threatned with the heavieſt judgements who do harbour theſe ſinfull thoughts in their hearts. Wo to them that ſeek deep to hide their counſel from the Lord, and their workes are in the dark, and they ſay, who ſeeth us, and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upſide down, ſhall be eſteemed as the potters clay. For ſhall the work ſay of him that made it, he made me not? Or ſhall the thing framed ſay of him that framed it, he hath no underſtanding? Shall not he that made the eye, ſee, and he that made the heart underſtand? as much as the Potter who made the veſſel, knowes the mould, and make, and meaſure of it? Eſay 29. 15, 16. ſee alſo, Ezek. 8. 12. Pſal. 10. 11, 13. 64. 4, 5, 6, 7. 94. 7, 8, 9, 10.
Reaſ. 7. But as deep and dark as they are, the Lords eye is upon them, and obſerveth every one of them. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vain. Yea he underſtandeth the thoughts a far off, (Pſal. 139. 2.) or long before, as well as we know what the harveſt will be by the ſeed, and that a company of croking frogs will follow, when we ſee the ſpawn.
Firſt, He knoweth our thoughts a far off, that is, long before they break forth in any Act. Deut. 31. 16. 19. Behold ſaith the Lord to Moſes, thou ſhallt ſleep with thy Fathers, and this people will riſe up and go a whoring after other Gods, &c. For I know their imaginations which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I ſware unto them.
Secondly, He knoweth the thoughts a far off, that is, long before we think it; as Eliſha told Hazael, what outragious acts he ſhould commit when he ſhould be King of Syria, 2 King. 8. 13.when it was the furtheſt end of his thought that either he ſhould be ſo great a perſon, or ſo vile a monſter: Is thy ſervant a dead dog, ſaith he, that I ſhould do thus? The Lord Ezek. 38. 10.foreſeeth what thoughts, counſels, projects, ambition, greatneſſe, and high places will engender.
Thirdly, As he knoweth what we never yet acted, or what we never yet imagined, ſo, what we never ſhall act, (but what we have in our thoughts) if we were not hindred; he therefore telleth David, that the men of Keilah had ſuch a purpoſe to deliver him up into Sauls hands; though Saul never came thither, and David never ſtayed to try, 1 Sam. 23. 12. Will the men of Keilah deliver me into the hand of Saul? and the Lord ſaid they will deliver thee up.
The inward man of the heart, is the onelyonly priviledged place where externall Courts have no juriſdiction to exerciſe, and the ſeverall Thoughts are the Caſus reſervati, the Caſes reſerved onelyonly to Divine Cognizance, but here therefore doth God ſhew his Soveraignty, and heavenly Prerogative moſt. He ſets up his Throne in the heart, gives out commands to the thoughts, he binds them in chaines (of duty) for obedience, and bindes them in chaines (of wrath and darkneſſe) for diſobedience. Here doth he exerciſe his Legiſlative power, here doth he keep a daily Viſitation, and here doth he chiefly exerciſe his Judiciall Authority. Other cauſes may be tried below in mans day, at mans Bar; The Thought-knowing is reſerved to Gods day, and the judging to his Bar.
There are onelyonly five who have to do with the Thoughts.
1. The Father, 1 Chron. 28. 9. Solomon my Son, know the God of thy Father, and ſerve him with a perfect heart and willing mind, for the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth all the imaginations, &c.
2. Jeſus Chriſt (which is an Argument of his divinity) Rev. 2. 23. All the Churches ſhall know, that I am he which ſearcheth the hearts and the reines. And I will give to every one of you according to your workes.
3. The holy Ghoſt. 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit ſearcheth all things, yea the deep things of God.
4. The Word, Which is Gods Law, and hath his power and authority committed to it: In his name to bind and looſe; ſave and deſtroy, as the Law of the Land hath the power of the ſupream judicatory. For what is the Law, but an Omnipreſent (unſeen) Magiſtrate, or Parliament. So the Word of God is Gods Vicegerent, hath God-like Power and Juriſdiction, Heb. 4. 12. For the Word of God is quick and powerfull, ſharper then any two-edged ſword, piercing even to the dividing aſunder of ſoul and ſpirit, and of the joynts and marrow, and is a diſcerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart. So, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. The weapons of our warfare, (the Word and Goſpel which we preach) are not carnall, but mighty through God, to the caſting down of ſtrong holds, caſting down imaginations, and every high thing exalted againſt the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt.
5. The Conſcience is Gods Delegate, and the Laws Officer, in his own Precincts, to take an account of the thoughts, to examine them, check, reſtrain or cenſure them, and upon all occaſions to make a privy ſearch in the heart as oft as it will. The Spirit of Prov. 20. 27. Rom. 2. 15.man is the candle of the Lord, ſearching the inner parts of the Belly. So that if Conſcience do his office right, it muſt be as thoſe living creatures, full of eyes within, and look narrowly to the thoughts; and if thou wilt do any Rev. 4. 8.part of thy duty as thou oughteſt, thou muſt admit Conſcience to be Ex intimus, & a Secretioribus; to be thy Huſhai, thy boſom friend, and of the Cabinet counſell, and ſay, thus and thus ſaith Ahithophel, but what ſayeſt thou Huſhai? Thus and thus my thoughts ſuggeſt, but what ſaieſt thou Conſcience: and it muſt be to thee a Sacratioribus too, thy Confeſſor or dome…tick Chaplain, to whom thou muſt give an account of all thy actions and intentions.
And theſe are all who have to do with our Thoughts at preſent, but there is a day a coming, wherein God will lay open all incloſures, and diſcover all hidden things of darkneſſe, turning each mans inſide outward, and will make known the Counſels of the 1 Cor. 4. 5. Rom. 2. 15. 16. Eccleſ. 12. 14.heart, as the Apoſtle ſaith. And then all the world ſhall be made privy to our Thoughts, and be as well witneſſes and judges of them, as of our Actions. Mean time, let the People of God be buſie about ordering and judging their own thoughts, let them forbear to pry into other mens, judge nothing before the time (we ſhall come to judge and be judged too, ſoon enough) and let them patiently undergo all other mens cenſures, and miſconſtructions, (as unknown, yet well known; as deceivers, yet true men, 2 Cor. 6. 8.) and refer all to God, who will bring forth their righteouſneſſe as the light, and their integrity as the noon day. And then ſhall every one have 1 Cor. 4. 5.his praiſe of God, as the Apoſtle ſaith in the place forenamed.
Laſtly, Evil thoughts, as they are the firſt ſeed of Satan, and originall of ſin, as we ſaid in our firſt reaſon, ſo are they the laſt refuge and ſtrong hold which Satan hath to retire unto, when he is driven out of his out-works. He firſt hires theſe Cellars and Vaults below, when he intends the moſt horrid powder plot, and when he doubts open aſſaults, to foule actuall ſins may be repulſed, his laſt device and ſtratagem is, to lay a privy Ambuſcado in the Thoughts. Therefore muſt all our batteries be made againſt theſe ſtrong holds, to caſt down imaginations, and to bring 2 Cor. 10. 4.into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriſt. When we have with Joſhua, deſtroyed all the enemies that appear abroad, we muſt at laſt deſtroy the Kings themſelves, and the very chief of them, that were immured, and ſhut up in caves. After we have Joſh. 10. 22.eſcaped ſhipwrack, as Paul, by flying the pollutions of the world, take heed this Viper faſten not on thee, but caſt it into the fire, that thou be not deſtroyed by the Pollutions of the mind. Our moſt dangerous conflict of all is not with fleſh and bloud, no nor with Principalities and powers, (the fouleſt and fierceſt devils) but with ſpirituall wickedneſſes. Alwayes diſeaſes of the mind are more dangerous then of the body, and ſins in the mind, worſe then carnall pollutions. It is as poyſon in the ſpring, or in the heart that preſently diſperſeth itſelf all over. Who knows not that Error, hereſie, atheiſme, unbelief, hypocriſie, are worſe then carnall filthineſſe? Yet who conſiders it? All the ſins of Satan which are worſe than mans, are onelyonly ſpirituall wickedneſſes, not corporeall; as fleſh and bloud are not ſo dangerous as principalities and powers, ſo bodily wickedneſſe in earthly things, are not ſo bad as ſpirituall wickedneſſes in heavenly or higher things. The one makes us like beaſts indeed, but the other like Devils. Here look well about you Profeſſors, you have an enemy in your boſom, a Dalilah in your bed; Satan is ſecure, you may go hear, pray, believe, be baptized, joyn with the godly in every duty, and be as forward to ſee to as the beſt; yet is he ſafe and you betrayed, if he can faſten one evil Thought, and get entertainment for a few ſickly Souldiers, as Pompeys Stratagem was, (none of the moſt deſperate and violent) yea give him but one, he deſires no more; Poſſeſſion in Law is kept, as well by one as twenty. Look to it then, I ſay. The Thought is Satans reſerve, and laſt charge; Keep him out here, thou art a Victor; yeeld here, all is loſt. You Prophane ones, your firſt and greateſt work is, to waſh your hands; Jam. 4. 8.but you Profeſſors, your firſt and laſt work is, to purify your hearts. The filthy Leproſie ſluck cloſer to Gehazi then to Naaman, ſo 2 King. 5. 27will pollution of mind, ſtick more dangerouſly to a diſciple, if he take not heed, then all prophaneſſe to an ignorant man that never yet knew better.