A Plain Discourse on Vain Thoughts, Doctrine 1
DOCTRINE. THERE are Vain Thoughts in the Hearts of Sinners which are Great Hindrances of their being Saved.
THE Vain Thoughts here intended, are the common cauſe of vain confidence, carnal ſecurity and falſe hopes, which prove the ruin of Multitudes under the Goſpel. A deſire of Happineſs is natural to every Man. Nevertheleſs, the generality of Chriſtians do finally miſs of Happineſs. And if we make diligent ſearch we ſhall find that ſome Vain Thought, or other, is the great cauſe thereof. Their Vain Thoughts do fruſtrate and defeat their deſires, and render them altogether ineffectual to Salvation. It may then be exceeding uſeful to point out theſe Vain Thoughts and ſhow how greatly they do hinder our Salvation; and alſo diſcover the Vanity of them, that ſo we may no longer ſuffer them to lodge in our hearts. The heart of Man is ſo great a deep, ſo deceitful and deſperately Wicked that 'tis impoſſible to enumerate all thoſe Vain Thoughts which dwell therein. Yet from the Word of GOD (which gives the cleareſt diſcovery of Man's heart, and in ſo doing evidences its Divine Original) we may come to the Knowledge of a great many of theſe Vain Thoughts. I ſhall ſet ſome of them before you under theſe following Heads, with all poſſible plainneſs.
1. THERE are Vain Thoughts in the hearts of Sinners concerning GOD, which are great hindrances of their being Saved. Sinners oftentimes form ſuch vain Conceptions of GOD in their Minds as prove ruinous to their Souls. They imagine GOD to be ſuch a one as He really is not. And theſe falſe imaginations do greatly tend to their Deſtruction. To Inſtance here,
1. IT is a Vain Thought, That GOD is ignoran… of any of the Sins of Men. Such a Thought as thi… there is oftentimes in the Hearts of Sinners. They think that GOD does not ſee and know their Sins Pſal. 94.6, 7 They ſtay the Widow and the ſtranger and murder the fatherleſs. Yet they ſay, the Lord ſhal… not ſee, neither ſhall the God of Jacob regard it. Eſpecially are Sinners apt to think, That GOD does not ſee their ſecret Sins. Iſa 29.15. W… unto them that ſeek deep to hide their counſel from th… Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they ſay▪ who ſeeth us? and who knoweth us? Ezek 8.1: Then ſaid he unto me, Son of Man, hast thou ſe… what the Ancients of Iſrael do in the dark, every ma… in the Chambers of his Imagery? for they ſay the Lor… ſ…eth us not. Now ſuch a Thought as this is … great hindrance of Mens being Saved; for it tend … to harden them in Sin, and to make them bold i… ſinning, eſpecially in ſecret. If they think GOD is not acquainted with, or takes no Notice of the… ſecret Sins, why ſhould they be afraid to Sin … ſecret? No Eye of Man ſees them, and if GOD does not ſee them, what ſhould reſtrain them Thus do they ſuppoſe ſecrecy to be a ſecurity … them But the Vantiy of this Thought may b… ſeen in a few Heads.
1 GOD is an I…finite Being, and therefore … e…ry where preſent. The Liſence of GOD is wit… … all bounds or limits; and therefore He car… not be confined to any place 1 King 8.2… … of Hea…s ca… contain thee. The vaſt Heavens do not incloſe GOD. He is not only there; but alſo every where elſe, ſo as that 'tis impoſſible to find any place from whence GOD is excluded, Pſal. 139.7, 8, 9. Whither ſhall I free from thy preſence? If I aſcend up into Heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in Hell, behold thou art there. If I take the Wings of the Morning, and dwell in the uttermoſt parts of the Sea; even there ſhall thy hand lead me, and thy Right hand ſhall hold me. Let us go where we will, GOD is there; and therefore the moſt ſecret place cannot conceal us from GOD. Jer. 23.24. Can any Man hide himſelf in ſecret places, that I ſhall not ſee him? ſaith the Lord. Do I n…t fi… Heaven and Earth? ſaith the Lord What can an Omnipreſent GOD be a Stranger to? What Sin can be hid from Him.
2. GOD is One of Infinite Underſtanding, and therefore knows every thing. The Underſtanding of GOD has no bounds of Perfection; but is Infinitely Perfect, Pſal. 147.5. His Underſtanding is Infinite. There are no limits can be ſet to it. And conſequently there can be nothing excluded from His Knowledge. If there were any thing which GOD did not know, His Knowledge would be imperfect, and defective and finite. 'Tis certain then that GOD knows all things that are done by Men He ſees and knows what ever they do in the darkeſt receſſes and retirements. Pſal 139.11, 12. If I ſ…y ſurely the darkneſs ſhall cover me, even the Night ſhall be light about me. Yea, the darkneſs h…deth not from thee, but the Night ſhineth as the Day: The darkneſs and the light we both a…ike to thee. Nay, The very hearts of Men, which are far more undiſcernable than the darkeſt places, are yet perfectly known by the Great GOD. 1 King. 8.39. For thou, even thou only, knoweſt the hearts of all the Children of Men. There is not ſo much as a Thought in the heart, but GOD knoweth it. Pſal. 139.2. Thou underſtandest my thought afar off. In ſhort, All the ways of Man are before the eyes of the Lord; and he pondereth all his goings, Prov. 5.21, Job 34.21. There is no Creature that is not manifeſt in his ſight; but all things are naked, and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do, Heb. 4.13. What Sin then is it that GOD does not know?
3. GOD will Judge the World in Righteouſneſs, and there … muſt know all the Sins of Men. GOD has appointed a Day wherein He will Judge all Men: And the Judge of the whole Earth will in that Day do Right, Gen. 18.25. He will then render to every man according to his deeds, Rom. 2.6. The Reward ſhall be according to what the nature and quality of their works have been. 2 Cor. 5.10. For we muſt all appear before the Judgment ſeat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Thoſe that have done well, ſhall be well-rewarded, and thoſe that have done ill, ſhall be ill-rewarded, and both of them proportionable to the good or evil they have done. Now GOD cannot thus exactly recompence Men, unleſs He have a full, perfect and diſtinct knowledge of their Deeds. As ſure then as GOD is a juſt Judge, ſo ſure is it that He knows all the Sins of Men, even thoſe that are the moſt ſecret: And accordingly we are informed that GOD in the laſt and great Day, will ſet the Sins of Men in order before their eyes. Eccl. 1… 14. God ſhall bring every work into Judgment, with every ſecret thing, whether it be good or evil. In that Day the moſt concealed iniquities of Men ſhall be laid open to the view of the whole World. 1 Cor. 4.5. Therefore Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkneſs.
FROM theſe things then it is evident, That the thought of GOD's being ignorant of any of the Sins of Men, is a Vain Thought; a Thought that has no Truth in it; no real foundation for it, and that will deceive us if we promiſe our ſelves any advantage from it. Well then, let not ſuch a Vain Thought as this lodge is our hearts; but let us keep up the contrary Thought in our hearts. Let us for ever keep it in the imagination of the Thought of our hearts, that GOD ſeeth all our ways, and counteth all our ſteps. That His eyes are in every place beholding the Evil and the Good. That if we do evil at any time, in the moſt retired Apartment, yet we do it in the ſight of GOD. Such a Thought at this lodging in our hearts, would be a Thought of exceeding great Service and Advantage to us. This would help to make us watchful and circumſpect; to prevent a great many Sins which we may be tempted unto. The ſetting the Lord always before us, is one of the greateſt preſervatives from Sin, eſpecially from ſecret Sins: It is alſo a good Sign of an heart that is upright with GOD; for none but ſuch have GOD much in their eye. So much for the firſt Vain thought concerning GOD.
2. IT is a Vain Thought. That GOD is ſo Merciful as not to destroy Men for their Sins. Sometimes Men have in their hearts ſuch a Thought concerning GOD as this is: They imagine Him to be ſuch a merciful GOD as they would have Him to be; a GOD all made op of Mercy, that wont take vengeance for Sin. Are not Perſons ſometimes heard to ſay? That GOD is more Merciful than to damn His Creatures. And is there not the ſame ſecret imagination in the hearts of multitudes of Sinners? They take up ſuch a motion of Divine Mercy, as if it would ſuffer none to Periſh in a miſerable Deſtruction. They magnify and extol the Mercy of GOD; and ſet it forth to themſelves as a perfection that will infallibly ſecure them from Damnation. When they would flatter themſelves, then they cry up the Infiniteneſs of Divine Mercy. Now ſuch a thought as this is a great hindrance of Mens being Saved. This tends to make them go on ſecurely in Sin, and be fearleſs of Damnation: This makes them to think that they may lead wicked lives, and yet that all ſhall be well at the laſt: That Mercy will prevent their Damnation, and ſecure their Salvation. This thought is a Vain Thought; a thought which won't anſwer our expectations nor afford us that ſafety which we promiſe to ourſelves.