The Sinfulness of Evil Thoughts, Treatise · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI. Containing three other uſes.
TO proceed to ſome other uſes yet remaining.
1. This ſerves for Terror to ſuch as harbor and lodge thoſe vile gueſts of evil thoughts: As the lawes of men are very ſevere againſt thoſe who conceale, entertain, releive, proclaimed Traitors to the ſtate, ſo are the Lawes of God againſt ſuch as harbor and cheriſh theſe evil thoughts. The whole text and diſcourſe of Peter is an uſe of Terror, therefore this uſe is moſt proper; And oh that I could ſo ſet it home as Peter did, that I might make the ſtou…eſt thought to come downe, and to put the Authors and Aberters of them into ſuch a trembling as Magus was. Or rather that I might do it with that ſucceſſe that the Apoſtle ſpeakes of, 1 Cor. 14. 25. That the offender ſeeing the thoughts of his heart laid open, may fall down and worſhip God, and ſay, This is Gods word of a truth. I ſhall not in the managing of this uſe of Terror ſay all to thee that Peter did to Magus, I ſhall not uſe Peters imprecation to thee, Thy mony and thee periſh together, thy thought and thee periſh together, both becauſe I hope for thy part thou doſt not ſin with Magus his high hand, and for my part, I have not that inſight into mens hearts, as Peter and ſome others had in thoſe times (diſcerning of ſpirits is or was a 1 Cor. 12. 10.gift given to ſome, not to all) I ſhall therefore turn that imprecation into caution, and ſay, take heed that thou and thy thought periſh not together.
2. Here is matter of more Terror; Such as thou art have no part nor lot in this matter, Thou art none of the Church, none of the promiſes, nor mercies of God belong to thee; Thou art as certainly excluded heaven as any drunkard, or adulterer.
3. More Terror ſtill, thy heart is not right in the ſight of God; and as of all things God loves the pure and upright in heart, ſo above all, he hates and abhors a rotten heart.
4. More Terror ſtill, thou art in the very gall of bitterneſſe; Some think Peter doth allude to that of Moſes, Deut. 29. 18. Thou art that root that beareth gall and wormwood, and God will cauſe his Jealouſie to ſmoak againſt ſuch a wretch as thou art, and all the curſes written in his book, ſhall come upon thee, and he ſhall blot out thy name from under heaven.
5. More Terror yet, Thou art in the bond of iniquity; Thou art under the dominion and ſervitude of ſin, thy evil thoughts keep thee captive, and till thou do expell them and reſiſt them, thou wilt never be thy own man.
6. And more terror yet; except thou do repent …nſai…edly and pray earneſtly for pardon or ſuch wickedneſſe, all thy own beleeving, profeſſing, baptiſme, and all other mens prayers for thee will do thee no good. Oh conſider this ye that make ſo light of evil thoughts: If Magus was daunted and terrified, when Peter looked into his heart, and laid open one evil thought, how wil… thou ſtand confounded, when God ſhall lay open all thy heart? and ſet all thy thoughts before thee, and firſt, one inditement read, Imprimis a Blaſphemer, ſo many Blaſphemous thoughts; Item ſo many Atheiſticall thoughts, ſo many unclean, malicious; Item ſo many High, Proud, Arrogant thoughts; Item a world of worldly thoughts; Item a greater world of Vain thoughts, and many ſad Items, and thou ſhalt have no more power to deny any of them then Magus had to deny a word that Peter charged him with. In that dreadfull day of judgment, the proceſſe ſhall not be ſecundum allegat A & probata, as here, according to the evidence for matter of fact; But God will proceed ſecundum agitata & cogitata, according to his obſervation of thy thoughts, as he hath told us aforehand. This thou haſt done, and that thou haſt done, and beſides that this thou haſt thought, and that thou haſt thought, but I will reprove thee and ſet them in order before thee. I ſhall Pſal. 50. 21.conclude this uſe of terror with thoſe words of terror that follow, Oh conſider this, ye that forget God, leaſt he tea… you in peeces, and there be none to deliver. Certainly if you ſee not the uglineſſe of this ſin till then, it will befall you as it hath befaln ſome curious Gentlewomen, who have been ſorely diſfigured with the ſmall Pox, who when they have ſeen themſelves in the glaſſe, have run beſides themſelves, not thinking it poſſible they could have been ſo ill; ſo will all theſe not onelyonly run mad, but into deſpair, which is much worſe, upon that diſcovery then of their ſinfull thoughts.
2. Here is alſo an uſe of ſingular comfort to the Godly, whoſe thoughts (though they are oft vain, and not ſo good as he could wiſh) are the beſt part of his Sanctification, though he is ſhort in duties, and performance, yet his thoughts, eſpecially his deliberate thoughts, his intentions, aimes, purpoſes, deſires are all ſincere. That he can humbly and gladly ſay ſearch me O Lord and try my heart, try me and know my Pſal. 139. 23. 1 Job. 3. 21.thoughts. If we have this confidence in our own thoughts, we ſhall have confidence before him. Canſt thou ſay with David, I hate vain thoughts, and check them, I Pſal. 119. 113. Pſal. 139. 17.love good thoughts and entertain them. Oh how precious are thy thoughts to me O God: How great is the ſum of them: In the multitude Pſal. 94. 19.of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my ſoule. It is well ſaid, ſaith Auſtin,
The fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, and the Velimus, nolimus, habemus eas (concupiſcentias) blandiuntur, ſtimulant inſeſtant, ſurgere volunt. Premuntur non extinguntur non quod …ultis poteſlis. Quid vullis? ut non omnino ſint concupiſcentiae mal…, ſed non poteſtis exercete bellum ſperate triumphum. Aug. De pugaa anim…. Pſal. 94. 11. 1 Cor 3. 20.ſpirit againſt the fleſh, that theſe are contrary the one to the other, that we cannot do what we would. Why what is that we would? we would that there were no concupiſcence, or luſt at all: But we cannot will we, nill we, we have them they tickle, intice, inſult, and would command; Suppreſſed they are, extinguiſhed they are not, &c.
3. This ſerves for reſolution of a great objection, I have many an ill thought, therefore what will become of me?
There are moates in our cleareſt Sunſhine, and vain thoughts there are in the beſt men, when employed in the beſt duties, yea there is vanity in the beſt thought: Hence it is ſaid the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vain, and Paul addeth, The thoughts of the wiſe they are vain: Hereupon it is ſaid that the Lord was moved in his Covenant of grace to pitty and pardon mankind, Gen. 8. 21. The Lord ſmelled a Savour of reſt, and ſaid in his heart, I will not again curſe the ground any more for mans ſake, for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth. And, Gen. 6. 5. It is ſaid, that every imagination of the thought of his heart is onelyonly evil continually. A hard ſaying, but a true ſaying, which is thus to be underſtood.
1. Every thought of every unregenerated perſon is onelyonly and wholly evil, like tree, like fruit. To the defiled and unbeleever is Tit. 1. 15.nothing pure.
2. Every thought in a beleever that is Ex tam ſordid… ſonte ne gutt… quidem bonitatis profluere poteſi. Parae… in locum.his own is evil, we have not the matter of one good thought in us of our own, we have not ſufficiency as of our ſelves to think any thing. When we think evil, we have it foreign, as Satan when he ſpeakes aly ſpeaks of his own. The earth brings forth weedes of her ſelf, ſhe is the naturall Mother of them, to the corne ſhe is but a Nurſe: The hearts of the Godly are naturall mothers to ill thoughts, nurſes at beſt (ſometimes unkind nurſes) to bring up and cheriſh good thoughts, the children of the ſpirit of God. The good thought is as welcome to the Godly heart, as the Angels to Lots houſe, but it comes aliunde, and ſuperne, it comes from above, and ſeemes as they, unwilling to enter under our roof, therefore muſt be intreated and preſſed upon greatly to get them in, Gen. 19. 3. But the evil thought like the impudent Sodomites unſent for, preſſe to come in to the beſt heart, as they into Lots houſe, and no bars or doors are able to keep them out without the help of God, v. 9.
3. In our beſt thoughts there is a mixture of evil, as in our beſt graces. In the ſofteſt heart there is hardneſs, in the ſtrongeſt faith ſomewhat of unbelief in the moſt ſincere heart ſom hypocriſie, ſo in our thoughts, our beſt is vanity, all our righteouſneſſe are as filthy rags.
4. That good which is in them is not perfectly good, but it is weak, cold, liveleſſe, flagging, fading.
2. But yet all ill thoughts argue not a heart to be bad, there are volatile, tranſient evil thoughts which ſtay ſo ſhort a while as to make no impreſſion, thus it is with the Godly. Elias himſelf might eaſier ſhut up heaven by his prayer, then ſhut out all evil thoughts out of his own heart; Now it is not the birds flying over the ſacrifice that hurts it, if they light and ſettle not, the flying birds pick not up the ſeed ſowen, but they that are ſuffered to ſtay. Aſwarm of flies buzzing about our mear taint in not, but when one ſtaies on it and blowes it, then it leaves the matter for the filthy vermin to be engendered of. Nehemiah had many a meſſage ſent to him to take him off from his worke, he would not ſtir a foot to parly with them. ſo the work was not at all Neh. 6. 3.hindred: Thou muſt do ſo with an ill thought, leave not thy buſineſſe, enter no parlies, let them go as they come.
3. Ill thoughts that are onelyonly injected and Cogitatio immunda non inquinat cum pulſat niſi voluntatem per delectationem ſibi ſubjugat. Voluntate ſua cadit qui cadit, B…rn.ejected as faſt, may trouble, ſhall not condemn us; as good thoughts injected or tranſient, argue not a good heart, but when entertained. God caſts in a good thought ſometimes into a wicked man, he caſts it out preſently; the Lord caſts in another, he caſts it out again, and ſo never entertaines any: This is to reſiſt the holy Ghoſt, Act. 7. 51. when he ſtifles and checks them: So Satan caſts in an evil thought into a good heart, he caſts it out, he caſts it in again, he caſts it out as faſt, and there is nothing but caſting in, and caſting out, this is to reſiſt Satan, Jam. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 9. And to keep our ſelves pure. The enemy caſts in grandadoes, we cover all with Raw-hides ſods of earth, &c. take away all combuſtible matter and watch when they fall and catch them up, and throw them in the face of the enemy, there they break and do him more miſchief then they do us. So Satan caſts in ſometimes a Blaſphemous thought, curſe God and dye; Sometimes a Covetous or Ambitious thought, fall down and worſhip; it may be a ſelf-deſtroying thought, caſt thy ſelf down: If we receive theſe as Hezekiah did Rabſhakehs meſſage, with rent hearts, and go ſpread our complaint before God, we ſhall be ſecured. Theſe Sons of Sodom may gather about our houſe and preſſe to the door and knock as if they would break it open or pull down the houſe, if we keep within, and keep the door faſt we are ſafe.
4. When they are onelyonly injected, not bred there, as an honeſt man may have a baſtard child laid at his door, but it is none of his, nor like him, he diſownes it. Satan caſts his brats at thy door, they are more like Satan, then a beleever, the Lord will eaſily decide the controverſy and give the living child to the right father, and the dead to Satan.
5. When injected indeed, but not cheriſhed, foſtered, maintained: Moſes becomes Pharaohs daughters ſon, when ſhee nouriſhed Non imputantur cum violenter importantur, culpam non inferunt tales cogitationes, injuriam tamen aliquam irrogant affectatae munditi…, Bern.him. So thou maiſt be charged with Satans brats if thou receive them, otherwiſe not; Make no proviſion for the fleſh, faith the Apoſtle, to fulfill the luſts thereof, Rom. 13. 14.
6. When not habituall, if we ſavor them not and become like unto them. To be carnally minded is death, not to be carnally natured; we ſay that man is of a hot complexion, whoſe temper is conſtantly hot, not in a fit of a feaver. Good or evil thoughts when habituall, conſtant and ordinary, ſhew the heart good or evil.
7. When not Predominant, there are evil thoughts in a good heart, and good ſometimes in a wicked heart; but as we ſay of a man he is Phlegmatick, ſanguine or melancholy, not becauſe ſome of theſe humors are in him, but in whom that humor is predominant, ſo is he the wicked man in whom wicked thoughts are predominant, there is more ſtore of them, and they rule and bear ſway in the heart; it is otherwiſe with the Godly, Pro. 12. 5. The thoughts of the righteous are right, that is the major part of them for the moſt part are ſo. But the councels of the wicked are deceit? Yea it Pſal. 119. 113.is ſaid in this reſpect, Pro. 11. 23. The deſire of the righteous is onelyonly good, and Pro. 21. 5. the thoughts of the diligent tend onelyonly to plenteouſneſſe; as of the wicked it is ſaid, becauſe of his habituall and predominant wickedneſſe, Pro. 17. 11. The evil man ſeeketh onelyonly rebellion. A Godly man may ſay with David, I have vain thoughts but yet. I hate vain thoughts, Pſal. 119. 113. I have them, but they have not me. There is a great deal of difference, as one ſaith, to have hypocriſie, Covetouſneſſe, or other ſins in us, and them to have us, it is one thing for them to be in us, it is an other thing for us to be in them.
8. When evil thoughts are ſuggeſted, but not executed, this may be the caſe of the Godly, But the wicked deviſeth evil in his Pſal. 36. 4. Micah. 2. 1.bed, and he gets up and practizeth it, if there be power in his hand; whereas a David may have a full thought of revenge ſuggeſted, and reſolved on, but an Abigail with better advice ſtaies the execution, and he bleſſeth God and her, 1 Sam. 25. 32, 33.
9. When they are not delighted in, but bewailed and reſiſted, That the ſpirit luſteth againſt the fleſh, Gal. 5. 17. He bewaileth Pto. 30. 32. Oneroſae cogitationes in anima juſti, quibus reſiſtere vult non poteſt ſed velit, nolit, irruit in oculos ment is muſcarum Egypti peſtilentia, & perſtrepunt ranae in penetralibus cordis ejus. Bern.the law of his members warring againſt the law of his mind, and if he have thought evil he layeth his hand on his mouth, abhorring himſelf for ſuch thoughts, this is the caſe of the Godly, whereas the wicked ſport and pleaſe themſelves in their own deceivings, 2 Pet. 2. 13. The greateſt burden a child of God hath are from his evil thoughts, he can govern the outward man well enough, and deale reaſonable well with his tongue, But his thoughts and the viſions of his head (as it is ſaid of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 5.) are they that trouble him moſt:
Now as it is the glory of a man to paſſe by an offence, and charity in us covereth a multitude of ſins, much more will divine love and infinite grace, as a father pittieth his children, ſo the Lord pittieth them that fear him, ſaith David, Pſal. 103. 13. And there are two arguments the Lord is pleaſed often to make uſe of to encourage his people. The one a very mean and ſorry one we would think taken from man, ſuch as theſe, Pſal. 103. 14. He chideth not us continually for be knoweth our frame, he remembreth we are but duſt. He ſtirred not up all his wrath for Pſal. 103. 14.he remembreth they were but fleſh; He will not contend for ever, nor be alwayes wroth, Pſal. 78. 38. 39.for then the ſpirit of man would faile before him. So eſpecially in reſpect of a mans vain and weak thoughts. It is ſaid after Noahs ſacrifice wherein the Lord ſmelled a ſweet Savour Eſ. 57. 16.(through Chriſt) The Lord ſaid in his heart, I will not again curſe the ground Gen. 8. 21.any more for mans ſake, Gen. 8. 21. For (others read although, ſo Paraeus in locum and Dr. Reynolds) The imagination of his heart is evil from his youth.Reyn, ſinfull. o… ſin. P. 274.
The other argument is more high taken from himſelf, I am God and not man, therefore you ſons of Jacob are not conſumed, I will not execute the fierceneſſe of mine anger, for I am Mal. 3. 6.God and not man. Both theſe arguments are ſweet, the latter eſpecially, In which Hoſ. 11. 9.the Lord conſiders not ſo much what guilty man deſerves, as what becomes a God of mercy and compaſſion, who will not ſet his wiſdome againſt our folly, his purity againſt our impurity, and his ſtrength againſt our imbecillity. And here is the fountain and onelyonly foundation of the comforts of a poor ſoul, in the Covenant of Grace, when the Lord ſaith, Ezek. 36. 32. Not for your ſakes do I this, be it known to you, Oh houſe of Iſrael; be aſhamed and confounded for your own wayes, But for mine own names ſake. I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for my own ſake, and will not remember thy ſins, Eſa. 43. 25. 44. 22.