of desires is above all the rest The holiest Saint and highest Angel even when they do love adore and magnifie God do cover their faces because they fall short of his perfections such is their imperfection not their sin the imperfection of their nature not of their state Gods infinite perfections being not to be reached with any measure of finite graces Onely desires come in to help out all these rise up higher and strive to reach Gods highest praises and to give him the full of his perfections so that where tongues and prophecy and faith and love it self cease or fall short desires carry all before them 8. Lastly These desires as they are the first and highest of graces so they are the last and lowest and the standing dish of grace and shews the minimum quid sic of a Christian when nothing else is to be found While life remaines desires continue when desire ceaseth nature is spent the man is dead or dying Eccies 12. 5. All that the poor soul hath to say for it self somtimes is this Psal 38. 9. Lord thou knowest all my desire my groaning is not hid from thee Rom. 7. 18. To will is present my desire ceaseth not yet to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Esa 26. 8. I will look still after thee and toward thy holy Temple though I am cast out of sight and all thy waves and billowes have gone over me Jonah 2. 4. I cry out as my dying expiring Saviour I thirst I stretch out my hands unto thee my soul thirsteth for thee as the thirsty land hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face least I be like to them that Psal 143. 6. go down into the pit I pant Psal 42. 1. I long Psal 63. 1. I faint Psal 84. 2. All is well The fire is not out while there is a spark grace is not dead while there is one desire left Ly down again Samuel the lamp of God is not yet gone out The Lord may call 1 Sam. 3. 3. â— thee yet and come to thee again and again what is there in hungering and thirsting poverty of spirit and mourning more then a few desires yet all those are called blessed yea and they shall be blessed Will you hear what other eminent and exâ—erienced Divines have said in this case to the comfort of poor souls and those that are lowest and least in the Kingdom of God Mr. Perkins saith The desire to believe in the In his grain of mustard seed want of faith is faith Though as yet there want firm and lively grace yet art thou not altogether void of grace if thou canst desire it thy desire is the seed conception or bud of what thou wantest Now is the spring time of the inguafted word or immortall seed cast into the furrows of thy heart Wait but a while using the meanes and thou shalt see that leaves blossoms and fruits will shortly follow Austin saith Let thy desires be before God and he which seeth in In Psal 36. secret shall reward thee openly Thy desire is thy prayer and if thy desire be continuall thy prayer is continuall In another place The In Expos Epist. Joh. tract 4. whole life of a Christian is an holy will and desire Luther saith The more we feel our unworthynesse and the lesse we find the promises belong to us the more we must desire them being assured this desire doth greatly please God who desireth and willeth that his grace should be earnestly desired Beza saith If thou find not thy heart touched inwardly pray that it may be Resp ad act Col. Monpil touched for then mayst thou know that this desire is a pledge of the fathers good will towards thee Chemnitius saith When I have a good desire though it scarcely sheweth it self in some little and slender sigh I must be assured the spirit of God is present and worketh his good work Ur sin said Faith in the most holy is not perfect Lo. Com. neverthelesse whosoever feels in his heart an earnest desire to believe and a striving against his doubts both may and must assure himself that he is indued with true faith Holy Bradford to Mr. Jo. Carelesse Thy sins are undoubtedly pardoned c. for God hath given thee a penitent and believing heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and believe for such a one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deed for a penitent and believing heart indeed Famous Knox Albeit sometimes thy pain be so horrible that you find no release or comfort neither in spirit nor body yet if thy heart can onely sob unto God despair not you shall obtain your hearts desire Many more such like expressions we might produce out of our later Writers but these may suffâ—ce 2. For the other thing to know when desires are good I shall lay down four Rules to know it by Rule 1. Desires are then good when the Object of them is good The Object of good desires is manifold 1. The first and principall Object of our Te nontua non te propter tua sed te propter te tua post te propter te best desires is God himself not his but himself Esa 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee To desire the things of God every one doth his blessings the worldling his salvation the prophanest his gifts graces favour the hypocrite himself for himself above all riches grace life heaven it self is onely the desire of the truly Godly Oh how like an Angel did he sing that said Whom have I in heaven but thee and what do I desire in earth in comparison of thee Few of us that sing that Psalm Psal 73. 25. with our understanding can say I sing thus in my spirit and understanding also 2. Next to God blessed for ever Jesus Christ the delight of God is to be the desire of our eyes He is called the desire of the nations Hag. 2. 7. The Church can say I am my beloveds and my desire is towards him as well as my beloved is mine and his desire is towards me Cant. 7. 10. 3. Covenant relation to God through Christ This next to God and Christ to be desired Thus dying David said He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire 2 Sam. 23. 5. 4. Spirituall gifts 1 Cor. 14. 1. and saving grace much more which flow from the Covenant Neh. 1. 11. for though all gifts Gratis data non gratum faciunt are of grace freely given yet they are noâ— alwayes given with grace to sanctify 5. The Ordinances are to be desired Psal 26. 8. 84. 1 2. The Word Acts 13. 7. 1 Pet. 2. 2. The Sacrament Luk. 22. 15. Thus did Christ himself What manner of Christians then are they that have no delight in the Word and that say of the Table
wilt prove but a piece or shadow of a Professor But bring Scripture and Providence Conscience and Scripture and Christ and Conscience together and thou hast done thy work so shalt thou come behind in no gift waiting for the appearing of Jesus Christ Which is the Prayer of Thy Companion in the Spirituall Warfare Jo. SHEFFEILD The Contents Chap. 1. Context opened in sundry observations and the grand observation the subject of the whole discourse propounded pag. 2 Chap. 2. The Doctrine explained proved and confirmed by sundry arguments in the Text. p. 14 Chap. 3. Severall other reasons from other Scriptures 22 Chap. 4. The severall kinds of evil Thoughts whereof some transient some deliberate 39 Ch. 5. The several kinds of deliberate Thoughts referred to three heads 45 Ch. 6. Sins of thoughts in respect of God and first in having no thoughts of God 50 Six kinds of Atheisme ibid. Ch. 7. Of Low thoughts of God 58 Ch. 8. Of Atheistical thoughts 61 Chap. 9. Of Injurious and Erroneous thoughts 68 Ch. 10. Of Blasphemous thoughts 70 Ch. 11. Of Politick thoughts 76 Ch. 12. Of Grosse and Superstitious thoughts 81 Ch. 13. Of Hard thoughts of God 84 Ch. 14. Of Despairing thoughts 87 Ch. 15. Of Presumptuous thoughts 98 Ch. 16. Of Murmuring thoughts 110 Ch. 17. Of Carefull thoughts 112 Ch. 18. Of Carnal thoughts 127 Ch. 19. Of Doubtfull distrustfull and fearfull thoughts 128 Ch. 20. Of Reasonings and Irrationall thoughts 132 Ch. 21. Of Hypocriticall thoughts 139 Ch. 22. Of Evil thoughts in reference to our Neighbour 142 The Evil Eye 143 Eight evil eyes ib. Ch. 23. Many other Evil thoughts 1. Censorious 151 Sevenill Judges 152 2. Contemptuous thoughts 154 3. Over weening thoughts 155 4. Cunning craftinesse 156 5. Revengfull and malicious 158 7. Uncompassionate ib. 8. Vile and sinfull wishes 159 Ch. 24. Of Evil thoughts in respect to our selves 160 1. Impure thoughts 161 2. Ambitious 162 3. Thoughts of Security 164 4. Self-magnifying 165 5. Projecting thoughts 166 Ch. 25. Of the Melancholy thought 167 And the sinfull Merry thought 171 Four kinds of Mirth 172 Four kinds of Evil Mirth 176 Chap. 26. Of thoughts of Self-Murder 181 Ch. 27. Of Carefull thoughts 186 Vain thoughts 196 Ch. 28. The first Use 200 Thought is not free ib. Ch. 29. All are to be humbled for their thoughts 204 Ch. 30. Third Use of Information 1. Of the difference between the Lawes of Men and the Law of God 214 2. A worse difference between Gods holy Law and our vile hearts 215 3. Where the difference lies between the unfound and the sincere 216 4. What a busie work it is to be a Christian 217 5. How far a Hypocrite may go instance in Simon Magus 219 Ch. 31. Containes 1. A Use of Terror to such as harbour Evil thoughts 226 2. Comfort to the godly soule whose good thoughts are the best part of his sanctification 229 3. Resolution how to judge of the thoughts 230 Ch. 32. Use of Exhortation 1. To know and keep the heart 238 2. To repent of Evil thoughts 242 3. To Fly to Christ 244 Ch. 33. An Use of Examination with certain notes to try whether the thoughts be good or evil 246 Ch. 34. Of good desires 253 Eight Conclusions concerning good desires 253 Four Rules to know them by 260 Rule 1. Desires good when the Object good 260 What their Object is ib. Rule 2. When they flow from a right spring 263 The right spring of desires ib. Rule 3. When their properties and effects are right 265 Sundry properties of such desires ib. Rule 4. When attended with their right Companions 273 The many Companions of such desires ib. Chap. 35. Directions how to keep the heart 276 Prov. 4. 23. Explained and enlarged upon ib. How the heart is to be observed if evil 279 How to be preserved if good 280 1. In Tendernesse ib. Four Notes of a tender heart ib. 2. In Humility 281 Three Considerations to keep the heart humble ib. 3. The heart must be kept up in due height 282 Three Helps hereto ib. 4. The heart must be kept clean 282 Three Helps thereto ib. 5. To be kept in Faith ib. Three Helps thereto 283 6. To be kept in holy fear ib. Three Helps thereto ib. 7. To be kept in readinesse and willing nesse ib. Three Helps thereto 284 8 To be kept in steadinesse ib. Three times especially when to be so kept ib. Severall helpes to prevent evil thoughts 285 Ch. 36. An admonition to Simon and his followers 292 Ch. 37. A sad Soliloquy or meditation upon the evil of the thoughts 296 THE SINFULNESS OF Evil Thoughts Act. 8. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee NONE will think this passage The Preface of Scripture at the first sight to be like the Carcase of the Judg. 14. 8. Lyon which Sampson found and therein a swarm of Bees and so sweet an Hony-comb but more like the Carcase of a Dead Dog wherein is to be seen nothing but a Swarm of Vermin and a Comb full of the Gall of Bitternesse But wait a while and I hope you will find out of this Eater may come Meat and out of this stroâ—g unsavoury smell may come some sweet It is not like I confesse to that sight which Moses beheld with admiration and delight a Bush burning not Consumed wherein the Exod. 3. 2 4. Lord was present and out of which he spake But here you may see one of Satans Hell-bushes Burning with sin nor yet Consumed out of whom Satan spake yet be not afraid to draw neer and I hope we shall hear the voice of the Lord speaking if not out of the Bush yet to the Bush or at least to us Repent of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee CHAP. I. THIS Book of the Acts of the Apostles is as it were the New Testaments book of Kings and Chronicles containing the Authentick Records of the most remarkable Passages in those Primitive and purest times and may deservedly be stiled The Acts and Monuments of the Apostles and of the first Apostolicall Churches Wherein we have summarily set down the manifold Pains Travell Successe or opposition which the Apostles met with in their propagating the Gospell at first and laying the happy foundation of Christian Churches amidst a world of Infidells and Pagans Yet among the Famous Acts of the Apostles and memorialls of some particular Saints you find inserted now and then the foul and infamous storyes of some bloudy Persecutor or black hypocrite a worse shame and greater Blot to the Christian name and profession yea we have inserted among the lives of Blessed Saints Act. 13. 8. and 16. 16. the story of severall execrable Sorcerers the worst of men as Elimas and the Pythonisse and this Simon who made a stir in those Early dayes to the
for us How slightly do they speak of God Who is the Lord And what can he do for us So in Zephany The Lord will neither do good nor evill These men Zeph. 1. 11. are settled on their lees and dregs of impiety and irreligion whereas it is the language of the Godly Who is like unto thee O Lord Who is like the God of Israel And Ex. 15. 11. Psal 89. 8. Deut. 33. 26. hereby do the Godly know they have been spirituall in their duties if they rise up in the duty to or depart from the duty with higher more raised admiring and exalting thoughts of God in their hearts and more low and self abasing thoughts of themselves CHAP. VIII Of Atheisticall thoughts HAving before spoke of severall kindes of Atheists I shall here speak of the Atheisticall thought A thought so black Irrationall Bruitish and horrid as can be thought A thought which may be darted and haply glance at a gracious heart but can onely find footing and stick with a heart altogether gracelesse To shew the heinousnesse and hatefullnesse whereof I may boldly say five things 1. That it cannot possibly be received but where the man hath first worne out his conscience and all principles of religion It doth ipso facto unsaint a Saint upon its first admission Some other Errors possibly may stand with grace this entertained cannot 2. Nor doth it ever stick but where the man hath lost his reason and his braines too as well as his conscience It is not onely against the light of Scripture but nature even corrupted nature and doth consequently not onely un-saint the Christian but un-man the man Some other Errors have some seeming reason on their side This utterly none It is the fool onely who saith that is imagineth in his heart There is no God And have they no knowledge saith he afterwardes No indeed none Psal 14. 1. and 4. at all either spirituall or so much as naturall The whole Host of heaven and earth and all the creatures animate and inanimate combine together to bear witnesse against this folly and impiety They are all Gods witnesses and say to man if thou denyest a God thou art a lyar or if thou doubtest thou art a fool and we will prove it For who could make these visible heavens but the invisible Deity Who could make the eye but he who is all eye and give the understanding but he who is all understanding Though many of the creatures are mute and cant speak another word they all plainly pronounce this one word A God a God This is the sound of the harmony of the heavens and the note of the whole universe there is no speech nor language where this voice is not heard So much Divinity at least is received for Orthodox among all Nations established not by particular nationall or general Counsells convened as some other points but by the Oecumenicall counsell of mankind though never convened together and subscribed to man by man all the world over and hath gained universall consent in all ages and places as the first if not onely principle of naturall beliefe and our mother natures Creed Some Nations have one Creed some another some have altered their present Creeds this was never altered but received by all without dispute or contradiction There be some people that admit of some books of holy Scripture onely as the Samaritans of old and the Turk at this day of the five books of Moses Some receive the Old Testament entirely as the Jowes Some receive the old and New Testament both as the sound Christian Churches Some admit the Apocrypha and unwritten Traditions too as the Papists Some reject all the whole Bible and have no written Scripture But all have this Scripture written in their hearts the most ancient Scripture in the world before there were any penman of holy Writ And this is universally received and read in all nations in their mother Tongue and expounded in their several and different the most corrupt exercises of religion and worship There have been several Sorts of Philosophers in the world one opposing and thwarting anothers Axiomes there have been several sects of Hereticks in the Church all opposing other truthes and rejecting the soundest Creeds There have been oppositions in all sciences disputes against every thing said or practised in all arts trades professions But all sorts of Philosophers hereticks of all arts trades professions and sciences have unanimously concurred in this when nothing else There is a God However People are divided by Lands and Seas dissonant in their Language and complections more different in their lawes customes manners apparell yet in this all Nations by a divine instinct harmoniously agree there is and of force must be acknowledged There is a God And a little reason will serve to prove it for as when I see a son I must needs yeeld this child had a Father so when I see the creatures I must needs grant a Creator who is the Lord. Therefore hold this fast 3. This is the most Destructive thought and error in the world Some errors are about the Superstructure this a fundamentall error some fundamentall errors impugne some one article of faith or principall doctrine This is destructive of all Religion destroyes all divinity and humanity too it leaves us never an article of faith never a command in the Decalogue and never a point of doctrine It leaves not a stone upon a stone but pulls down all This smites the glorious Statute of Body of Religion upon his feet and breaks all to pieces and brings it down to the ground destroying piety civility humanity curtesy and the improvements of common reason as that stone which smote that Image in Daniel so that Gold Dan. 2. 24. silver brasse iron and clay all crumbled in pieces and became like the chaffe in the summer threshing-flore 4. This Atheism in the thought is a Mother sin a big-bellied monstrous sin having in its womb all manner of impiety and like Babylons Cup is full of all manner of abominations Atheism never goes alone Therefore it is added Psal 14. 1 2. The fool said there was no God Corrupt are they and have done abominable works c. 5. The fifth and last thing I shall observe is that there is so much Irrationallity in this thought that it is banished the world and excluded the society of man and so much of Impiety in it that it is not onely excluded heaven but this of all other sins is excluded out of hell too There is no Atheism to be found in hell there is blasphemy malice envy c. no Atheisme The Atheist goes to hell Atheisme doth not Nullus in Inferno est Atheos ante fuit And is not this a mad and monstrous impiety which can be harboured in the heart when neither heaven earth or hell it self will own it The devils and damned are herein sounder then thou art they believe and tremble And
black feind in a Prophets mantle an Israelite with a Babylonish Garment and wedge of Gold in his tent a Syrian outwardly cleansed in heart a Rimmonite a disciple with a Bagge and a devill with an holy Soppe a Psudo-nicodemite by day with Christ by night with the High Priests in their Conclave a bastard Moses who puts on a vaile when he appeares before God or before Israel puts it off when he comes into his closet or among his companions He hath ever a cloven foot a cloven heart and cloven tongue that you may know whose child he is He haltes between God and Baal God and Rimmon God and Mammon God and Molech He hath a cloven foot with one knee bowing to God with the other to Rimmon he hath a cloven or double heart with one heart embracing God with the other Mammon a cloven tongue too he can swear by God and sweare by Malcham too He can pronounce Zeph. 1. 5. Shibboleth and Sibboleth too and can speak the language of Canaan and the language of Ashdod both These will needs pursue Christ and profession as Asahell dogged Abner whom he would have been shut off that he might not have destroyed him Turn thee 2 Sam. 2. 22 aside to the right or left hand and take any other mans spoils or garments but leave me But he would not turn aside from following him Till Abner lift up his spear and smote him under the fift rib These had better be any thing then Professors and follow any one then Christ He will at length give them their deaths wound All their sacrifices are abomination as being offered with leaven and wanting the Salt of sincerity What an Israelite and steale and dissemble Lev. 2. 13. Josh 7. 11. Jer. 42. 20. Ez. 33. 32. Act. 5. 1. Ezek. 14. 4. too as Achan Protest promise and vow and yet dissemble as Johanan hear make loves and dissemble as Ezekiels hearers Professe and dissemble as Ananias Preach and dissemble as Judas Beleeve and dissemble as Magus Come before God with Idoles in your hearts Ah Sirs God will not be mocked God will not be enquired of by such God will answer them by himself All Idols are abomination but the Idol in the heart is the greatest All falshood is abomination to the Lord falsity in a ballance falsity in the speech but most of all in the heart As truth commends every thing that good is and makes it much better so falsity debaseth every thing that seemes never so good and makes it stark naught what more delightfull to heare then good news It is good if true we say So are gold Jewels Pearls highly valued if true not counterfeit A true professor and a true Israelite indeed who knows his worth how highly doth Jo. 1. 47. God esteem him a Prophet how highly is he honoured in the Church above another professor but he must be a true Prophet an Apostle above a Prophet if a true Apostle The Messias above them all but it must be the true Messias then And God above him too but it must be the true God On the other side how doth falsity debase every thing A false ballance bad a false tongue worse a false heart worse still a false Professor worse yet a counterfeit Apostle or false Prophet worse yet A false Religion or fained Gospel worse still But a false Christ and a false God worst of all Kings proceed against such as traitors who adulterate their Coyn and stamp their Image on base mettall what will be done to them can we imagine that shall be found guilty of adulterating Gods Coyne and stamping the Image and superscription of God and the Effigies of holy profession upon a base drossy heart and spotted life CHAP. XXII Of Evil Thoughts towards our Neighbour VVEE are now come into another field of Tares without Wheat or into another Room of the Chambers of Imagery where is a new discovery of more Abominations yet Or among another army of enemies against whom we must oppose our selves as Israel when come over Jordan were to encounter with the Canaanites nearer home We are to speak of a second sort of ill thoughts which concern our Neighbour and of these are very many kindes we shall point at some of the chief of them Whereof the first is The evil eye Mar. 7. 22. mentioned in the Inventory of the evil heart Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications c. an evil eye There be many evil eyes in the world And these are as clear indications of the mind in many cases as the tongue or hands Solomon saith the wicked winketh with the eye Prov. 6. 13. and speaketh with his feet The eye is the tongue of the soul more then the feet and Ubi amor ibi oculus So Ubi odium ira c. ibi oculus many sins as adultery lust pride envy disdaine revenge murther are as legible in the eye as in the act Some of which onely hurt the person himself as adultery in the eye defiles the beholder the other not being at all defiled murder in the eye kills the beholder the other not being touched so pride c. Yet alwaies it intends the evil of his neighbour 1. The Eye of envy is a very bad and sore Eye the disease of hell the first sin of Satan say some Divines which threw him out of heaven because envying that man an inferiour creature should be dignified above his angelical nature in the intended assuming of our humane nature by the Son of God but certain it was his first sin after his fall when he came down full of rage against God and envy at man standing whom he now wished to be almost and altogether such as himself in his bonds of sin and misery It is a fly alwaies bred in dung a vice onely found in a base low and malignant spirit which joyes in and seeks the hurt and downfal of others and grieves at and hinders the good of others Thus was Saul Eye-sick when he saw David honoured by the people in their songs and dances Saul was very wroth and said they have ascribed to David ten thousands to me but thousands what can he have more but the Kingdome And Saul eyed David with an observing mischievous and envious eye from that day and forward Saul was well 1 Sam. 18. 8 9. content that David should adventure his person when he sate still but could not brook it that he should have any share in the peoples affections and acclamations but he thinks his own honour eclipsed Jonathan he eyed David too but that was with an Eye of respect his heart was knit to him he loved him as his own soul as we say he could 1 Sam. 18. 1. not tell whether he might hear him or see him he could never look enough on him But Saul eyed him as if he would have run him through with his Eyes as well as with his Javelins He
done smoaking and sparkling when shall this filthy scum boile out when shall these wells Ezek. 24. 6. 2 King 3. 25. Ezek. 36. 25. be fild and stopped up Oh when shall this heart be made clean when when shall it once be and when shall the clean water promised be poured out Deep calleth loud unto Deep the deeps Psal 42. 7. Zech. 13. 1. of misery to greater deepes of mercy This secret fountain of sin to that open fountain of grace for sin and uncleannesse Lord search and cleanse this heart and Psal 139. 23. Psal 19. 12. Psal 51. 10. Psal 17. 8. cleanse me most from secret sins A new a right a stable sâ—irit create in me O God and keep thou this heart for me with all thy keeping as thou wouldest keep the apple of thine eye Woe is me that I must Psal 120. 5. still dwell in Mesech and my soul with them that hate peace Oh blessed thrice blessed Psal 23. 1 2. he whose sin is pardoned and most blessed he in whose spirit there is no guile Apply the Lev. 14. 6. 50. Lev. 14. 25. 28. warme blood of a dying Saviour to remove my guilt and the efficacy of a living spirit to purge out my guile as the blood of the dead and water with the living sparrow went both together to cleanse the Leprous house and as the blood of the lamb and the anointing oile together to cleanse the Leprous person Oh when shall I have done trifling dallying roving in my thoughts Oh when shall I have done doubting disputing distrusting Oh when shall I have done murmuring repining fretting Oh when shall I have done carking caring thought-taking Oh when shall my heart become composed fixed stablished Oh when shall my thoughts begin to be serious spirituall sanctified Oh when shall I begin to be considerate circumspect heavenly Oh when shall I begin to love chuse and obey thee When shall I follow on to know acknowledge and glorify thee as God! When shall I see that happy day to delight rejoyce and glory in thee When when shall it be my study to seek God contemplate God converse with God When when shall it be my practice to sleep and wake with God to talk and walk with God to injoy and joy in God! Let natures works lead me by the hand to seek thee let reason lift up my head to discern thee let thy word raise up my heart yet higher to admire thee and let thy spirit of grace elevate my soul yet higher to embrace thee till Grace and Glory meet to make thee and my soul meet and be united Onely deny me not two things before I dy Prov. 30. 7 8. Psal 120. 3. remove from me vanity and lyes deliver me O Lord from lying lips and from a vain deceitfull heart Lord is folly so fast bound up in the heart of a child that the rod must fetch it out and Prov. 22. 15. is it bound up so much faster in the heart of a man that neither rod nor word nor smiles nor blowes nor mercies nor judgements can fetch it out Thou hast brayed me in a morter yet doth not this folly depart from Prov. 27. 22. me Oh send out once thy light and truth thy grace and spirit and let them lead me Psal 43. 138. Oh when wilt thou prepare repair and renew this heart Oh that thou wouldest soften circumcise and subdue this heart Oh that thou wouldest purge sweep and cleanse this heart Oh that thou wouldest adorn enrich and furnish this heart Oh that thou wouldest enlighten enliven and enlarge this heart Oh that thou wouldest abide in inhabit and keep this heart Oh that thou wouldest watchover secure and guard this heart Oh that thou wouldest open shut and lock this heart shut out idle unclean and vain thoughts keep in holy pure and chast thoughts setting up the doors thereof the locks thereof and the bars thereof Neh. 3. 6. 2 King 2. 21. Oh season this spring then shall not the waters be barren nor dead Mend this treasure then shall communication be wholsom Mat. 12. 35. and conversation holy Give me Lord What wilt thou give me Give me the heart to ask give me the heart I ask for Give a soft a tender a sound heart Give a rent a broken a contrite heart Give a mourning a meltâ—ng a fleshy heart Give me Lord a believing a loving an obedient heart Give a humble a meek a contented heart Give a holy a high a heavenly heart Give Lord a faithfull a thankfull a chearfull heart Give a panting a praying a praising heart Give a free a firm a fixed heart Give a willing a wise an understanding heart Give a pure a perfect a sincere heart Give a new a true another heart yea Lord that heart that is according to thine own heart Lord take this heart for an Ark and a Temple and a sacrifice for God Lord make this heart the habitation the sanctuary the mercy-seat of God Let it be thy Shiloh thy Bethel thy Penuel Let it be my Jehovah-jâ—rith Jehovah Shammah Jehovah Shalom Let it be thy fountain sealed thy engraven signet thy garden enclosed But Alas Alas I must renew my griefes mine habitation is in the midst of deceit my dwelling among briers and thornes yea among scorpions is my abode serpents and Cookatrices that will not be charmed Were it an open enemy I had to do with I would bear it or seek to avoid him or were it a suspected friend I would be shy and wary of him and hide my self But it is thou my familiar my self where shall I go out to fly or go in to hide me I have long looked for peace but behold trouble Wâ—e is me my soul is wearied because of murderers Jer. 4. 13. And my life is a wearinesse to me because of these daughters of Heth to which I am married They who repaired the gate of the fountain in Nehemiahs time had a happy and honourable emploiment but how unhappy mine who am set to repaire this Dung-gate and to set up the doors thereof and the locks thereof and the bars thereof Neh. 3. 14 15. But is there no Balme in Gilead Is there no Physitian there Is there no Refiners fire nor fullers sope to be had or hoped for Must I sit down and say it is my burden and I must bear it The frogs Jer. 10. 19. were a sore plague to the Egyptians which came into their Chambers and were upon their Tables But these come into an Israelites heart into my oratory closet and bed Thou didst sever then between the Israelites and Egyptians sever now between the Israelites and these frogs They after two or three daies were removed and shall these never They had that plague of lice crawling on their bodies yet at length removed but I unhappy I have these on my spirit They had botches on their backs I a plague in my heart they the
is a hid treasure in thy own ground Dig but deep enough and thou wilt find it to be sure either the good treasure of the good heart or an evil treasure of an evil heart But nature and art and all industry fall short here yea Grace it self as now imperfect comes not up to a full understanding of his own heart The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it saith the Prophet Jer. 17. 9. The bodies of the trees are seen the root lies deep and unseen The heads of springs unseen the waters seen and tasted Heart-work is the hard work Abyssus es tute tibi said the noble Mornay Infernus tibi I may say Here art thou at a losse at thy ne plus ultra at a terra incognita at a Mare congelatum when thou comest to the heart there is no sayling further This is the place which the Vultures Eye spies not and here lies a Carcasse which the Eagles sight or smell discovers not We often find in the bottom of Wels Frogs and Toads when the waters are fair above Go to the bottom and thou knowest not what thou shalt espie Thou wilt tell me another tale and say I told thee not the one half Under the Grasse lurkes the Snake and under the Ground Corn in the deep Well are the Spies hid He 2 Sam. 17. 19. Prov. 28. 26. that trusteth in his own heart is a fool in the wise mans Judgement when it speakes fairest believe it not there are seven abominations within it It is like the Lapwing it will call and send thee further off when thou comest closest to it Who can understand his own errors saith holy David Many are subtile and inquisitive to know the Polycies of States Interests of men and times Errors in Governours the Heresies and Errors that have of old and do at present pester the Church But who can understand his Errors mans understanding is very large be that is Learned can understand every Language every Science But commonly the most understanding man is the most ignorant Christian Is not the wisdom of this world foolishnesse 1 Cor. 13. 9. with God The heart is versute and deceitfull above all things who can know it Man hath affected the Knowledge of all things since the Fathers eat that sour Grape off that Tree of Knowledge all the childrens teeth have been set on edge after it He knowes the nature of herbs trees plants spices mettals minerals yet who can know it He knowes a thousand faces at first sight a thousand voices at first word yet to his dying day knows not the face and voice of his heart Who can know it This is thy A. B. C. Reader if thou art a young Christian And this not thy Alpha but Omega too if thou be the greatest Student and a professed Artist The skill paines and industry of man hath surprized Cities over-run Kingdoms changed Governments hath tamed all Creatures Beasts Birds Serpents he hath caught kept tamed caged taught them all to change their natures But two little members yet two microcosms in himself none hath known tamed or changed nor can be The lesse microcosme the tongue in which is a world of deadly poyson which is but the Jam. 3. 6 8. Cistern some few have tamed But the heart the greater microcosme the fountain that feeds this Cistern none hath tamed onely God who made it and keeps the Key of it tames changeth and governs it Thou must beg of him to give thee a Key to let thee into thine own heart and to give thee a lock bolts and bars to keep it in For my part I am more afraid of the Errors of my own heart then of all the Doctrinall Errors broached and vented in the World And am more afraid of what is within and flowes from the heart then of whatsoever enters the mouth The poyson of the most venomous serpent only endangers others preserves her self but ours the most pestiferous poyson hurts our selves most our selves only How sad is it that we who affect neatnesse and cleanlinesse so much in every thing should be so carelesse and slight here If we have rich clothes they must be kept and laid up clean If fair linnen it must be washed and worn clean If plate it must be scoured bright and used clean If but brasse and pewter it must be scoured too and kept clean An ordinary entertaining Room must be alwaies kept clean A Garden must be weeded and kept clean A neat Watch dust must not take it but it must be daily looked to and kept clean But the heart which is the choicest apparel linnen plate vessel garden entertaining room watch is above all neglectings neglected as if it had been said above all keeping keep these other things out of which are onely the issues of vain and earthly delights but above all neglecting neglect thy heart out of which are the issues of eternall life and eternal salvation I speak not this as if I could say I have made my heart clean but as Tertullian said of his Book of Patience Languâ—ntâ—s cum vacent a sanitate de bonis ejus tacâ—re non norunt Ita miserrimus ego semper aeger Calorious impatientiae quaâ— non obâ—inco patientiae sanitatâ—m suspirem invocem perorâ—m necâ—sse est Tert. de pat He was the more pleased to write of Patience because he wanted and bewailed the want of Patience as the sick man saith he largely commendeth the blessing of health which he now knowes the more how to prize because he wants it My case thou wilt see in the last Chapter in a sad self-bemoaning Soliloquy Reader thou seest all men labour to attain to the perfection of their Professions be not thou a puny in thine This is the best discovery of a growing Christian when he is more skilled in himself verst in his own heart when thou art grown acquainted with the wants diseases wiles with the state cure order government of thy heart when thou art wholy taken up in the observing regulating and keeping of thy heart then art thou the grown Christian To study Books may make thee a Scholar to study the Scriptures may make thee a Preacher to study Men a Polititian but to study the man thy self and thine own heart makes thee a well grounded well grown Christian There be four Books must be well studied and compared together to make an accomplished Christian 1. The book of Providence is not to be a despised Legend nor to be studied alone 2. The The Book of Scripture is to be compared with the Book of Providence rightly to understand it or thou wilt become an Atheist 3. The Book of Conscience which is to be conferred with the Scripture or thou wilt prove a meer formalist 4. The Book of books Christ Jesus to be brought home to conscience or thou wilt be a dead and heartlesse christian Deal with no one of them alone or thou
v. 20. he went on he could run and prophesie They strip off their lusts he his clothes they lay their hearts naked he his body They are raised up to heaven he falls downe and layes along on the earth They go about their businesse or get them some what to eat at least must to bed when night comes he was so full of his spirit that he lay down naked all that day and all that night He neither eat nor drank nor slept nor rose nor stirr'd nor spake but lay as in a trance all that time he missed neither meat nor drinke nor clothes nor sleep Here was an old Adamiâ—e and a famous Quaker indeed But do you ever read that he prophesied a third time or that he was ever the holier or honester man for all this Did he after all this prophesying cease to persecute David ever the more to his dying day David is thought by some book learned men to have a spirit of prophecy too but he was silent here But Saul and his bloudy followers who sought the life of David and Samuel and took away the lives of so many Priests they all prophesied v. 20. But Samuel and Davids spirit and Saul and his Messengers spirit were not alike I reade indeed a third time of his prophesying mentioned 1 Sam. 18. 10. with his Javelin in his hand but it was both a mad and counterfit prophesying Junius renders it prophetico more se componebat and the Chaldee render it Insaniebat He was mad This by the way 3. He beleeveth and is baptized Outward profession justly gains admission into the Christian Congregation Our Judgment is of charity not certainty Is of the outward man not of the heart 4. Take in hypocrisie with profession and there is a faith makes one worse then Infidelity a Baptized person worse then an unbaptized a Christian worse then a Pagan Grace if counterfeit Ordinances if rested in Duties if slightly performed do leave us as far from the Kingdome of heaven as no grace ordinance or duty at all Simon as good a Sorcerer still as an unsound professor The third part of his story where we see the Ogdoas malorum spirituum as Irenaeus speakes seven new worse spirits returning with the former is set out from the 14. to the 24. v. containing his demands and carriage to Peter and Peters answer and carriage to him Here doth Magus shew he had obtained what before he aimed at to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great and prime one Vulgo existimatur Patriarcha hâ—reticorum No. Test Alsted in Iniquity He would not be one of the Thirty but the first of the Three of Satans Grandees he might now glory if Cain Lamech or Judas if Ebion Cerinthus or Nicolas should be punished seven fold surely Simon seventy fold He obtained the Primacy and chief Patriarchship among all the fathers of Heretickes and he hath further obtained this Indulgence that he and his followers in that black profession should sit one at Satans Right hand another at his Left in his fiery Simonem omnium haereticorum esse Patrem ex eo omnes haeresâ—s subsistunt dixit Irenaeus Ex hac amarissima Radice exortisunt DositheaÌ„ni Cleobani Georthoni Masbothei Adrianistae Eutichistae Cainistae Theodoret Region or Kingdome Seven severall sorts of haereticks Ecclesiasticall writers affirme to have sprung from this Hidra or Serpent But to return to this third part It consists of his demands and carriage to Peter and of Peters Reply to him In the former you see what he did he offered money 2. The occasion of it when he saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given 3. His End or the conditions upon which he was so ready to part with his mony Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost saith he Obs 1. Some creep in to Christian Society as Spyes to see and observe what they teach do hold and practice He saw and marked their laying on of hands and the giving the Holy Ghost 2. Many that come in as Spyes at first go Jude v. 12. out as Spots at last 3. One corrupt professor seekes to corrupt another yea the most sincere and the most eminent Simon Magus sollicits Simon Peter 4. Many make a gain of Godlinesse and a Merchandise of Christian profession Magus would not have given so freely if he had not expected to receive as freely of others for the Holy Ghost which he desired to buy not keep and intended to sell not to give 5. A cunning close hypocrite may lurk undiscovered a while but after a while he layes open his owne Impiety Suo se indicio prodit In the other viz. Peters carriage to him four things considerable 1. Peter rejects him and scorns his motion with the greatest detestation v. 20. Thy mony perish with thee 2. Convinceth him both of his fin and danger v. 20 21. Because thou thoughtest that the gift of God may be purchased with mony thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God 3. Admonisheth and counselleth him to two duties Repent and pray v. 22. 4. Concludes and pronounceth a sentence of condemnation against him and so leaves him and gives him over v. 23. I perceive thou art in the gall of bitternesse and bond of Iniquity Obs 1. Wicked though gainfull motions are to be scorned and refused by the Godly with the greatest detestation Mat. 4. So Christ to Satan offering all the Kingdoms of the world Our hearts can't rise too high in Indignation against sin and temptations to sin 2. We should not countenance but disclaime such as are otherwise of our own religion profession society or party and hold and joyn with us if they be not Godly and sincere Christ would not receive a true testimony to his Divinity from a false Christ doth there rebuke Satan for his confession as at other times for temptations Dr. Reynoldes That confession was indeed a Temptation fiend nor Paul applause toh is Ministry from an inchanting Pythonisse Acts 16. 18. 3. Rotten hypocrites are to be handled roughly Soundly Rattled Roundly shaken up and reproved sharply what ever come on it Sons of Belial are to be dealt with as Thornes handled with Iron weapons and thrust away with greatest Indignation 2 Sam. 23. 6 7. 4. That is the best Ministry and Gospel-preaching which searcheth the heart sounds the depthes of sin and layes open the danger of an unsound or sinfull state 5. True Repentance is a necessary Gospel duty to be preached and practiced But Solemne and more then ordinary Repentance after soul and fearfull sins 6. Repent and Pray We should despair of none but put them upon the use of meanes If Magus could have repented and would have prayed Peter could and would have had hope of his well-doing for all that was past 7. Wicked men are yet to pray and
passion then to say winâ— water passion is in a man he is overcome of wine drowned in the water full of passion as the like phrases To be in darknesse to be in the flesh signifie to be wholly so full of darknesse nothing but flesh c. 4. Baptisme hearing joyning and continuing in the best and purest Church Exstasies Raptures admirations greatest Expressions of affections nay faith yea the Holy Ghost too in many common giâ—ts and the greatest Liberality and contribution of the largest summe of mony put into the best handes nay the greedieâ—t desire and tâ—irst of the most eminent gifts and to be a Communicator of them profit nothing but are all in vain where wicked thoughts lodge and are harboured All those soremmed were in this soul Hypocite Magus yet was he in the gall of birternesse he was baptized beleeved and seemed to be so far affected and transported above the common sort that he was in an Extasie or Rapture so the word signifies He had also the Holy Ghost as it may seem for divers had who could say Lord have not we propl esied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devils and done many mighty workes yet will Christ professe to them I never kâ—ew â—ou Besides it is said when Mat. 7. 22. Heb. 6. 4. Peter and John came they bid their hands on them that they might receive the Holy Ghost and this Magus was one of that number And again Simon offered mony not that he might receive the Holy Ghost for that he had already but that he might have like power to give or confer the Holy Ghost Therefore look well to your selves you Professors and look well to your heâ—rts and to your thoughts 5. Nothing but deep Solemne and Particular Repentance Repent of this thy wickednesse and hard praying and beginning all anew will help where these evil thoughts have taken root in the heart All the prayers of the Church without thine own Pray ye unto the Lord for me said he all thy own prayers without Repentance all General reâ—entance without a particular bitter bewayling of this evil in the heart will leave thee but in a doubtfull and desperate state 6. Nay it is well if any prayer and all the repentance in the world will be accepted in such a case He gives no absolute promise nor yet so much as a conditionall But a bâ—re perhaps if perhaps thy sin may be forgiven thee q. d. I will not say what true Repentance â—ccompanyed with eâ—rnest prayers may do for they do much with God and have saved many a poor soul But in this case I say Look well to thy Repentance and how thou prayest that it be not common and slight prayer and overly Repentance for if thy after-Repentance be no better then thy former faith and thy future prayers no better then thy present profession all is desperate The man and his mony his faith and repentance his prayers and profession will all perish together 7. The malignity of evil thoughts is as witchcraft Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft 1 Sam. 15. 23. these worse it seemes These make the case of a professor worse then sorcery witchcraft or any other sin in time of our Ignorance Simon the Sorcerer may be pardoned and received into the Church when he beleeves Simon the Professor is cast out for his evil thoughts and left in a hopelesse condition without repentance Here I say again look to it Professors look more narrowly to your hearts and thoughts after conversion then on all your evil wayes before 8. From what he Replies Pray ye for me c. where evil thoughts are entertained they deaden prayer There is no prayer used where these are harboured nor can such in their greatest distresse when they are put upon it and pressed earnestly to it and when their life and salvation lies upon it know how to go about to pray But like an Image or stock he stands and all he saith for himself is Pray ye for me q. d. I can't pray if my life lay on it what ever comes on it if other good peoples prayers will not help me I am a damned person I have never been used to this duty of prayer that you so presse me to And here ye Prophane ones and Professors both look to it 1. Ye Prophane Job 15. 4. ones who cast off fear and restrain prayer before God you who will not use to pray in peace and do not ordinarily cannot pray in distresse nor when you should Extraordinarily But this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would-be this great one stands like a great block and saith Pray ye for me But it is our own meat which nourisheth our own faith that saveth our own prayers that are heard The child shall not dy for his fathers transgression nor shall he live for his fathers obedience and holinesse The child haply may be nourished by what the mother eates but nature inableth the little Infant to draw that nourishment from the mother and make it his owne But the child is not saved by the parents faith unlesse it joyn and make the parents faith and holinesse his own 2. Look to it ye Professors that ye begin not at the wrong end with common and General faith and baptisme resting there and neglect repentance and solemne prayer least ye find your own faith false faith and outward priviledges to deceive you and others prayers unable to help you 9. Lastly Consider how vain and foolish these evil thoughts received and harboured make and leave the heart to dream of separating sin and punishment as inseparable as night and darknesse as winter and cold he is only troubled at the punishment not at all sensible of his sin Pray ye for me saith he that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me But in vain it is to presume we may Eat the forbidden fruit and not dy and to pray that though we hold on in sin God should hold off the punishment Thus shall we leave Magus as we found him bound in the bond of iniquity and leave those reasons which we have from him and from the Text and call in some other from other Scriptures 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
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 onely priviledged place where externall Courts have no jurisdiction to exercise and the severall Thoughts are the Casus reservati the Cases reserved onely 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 onely 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 domeâ—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
Professing not professed Atheist who Professeth to know love and honour God but by his workes denyeth him being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobate as the Apostle saith Such lewd Tit. 1. 16. actions and conversations proclaim aloud that he hath denyed the God that is above as Job said Job 31. 28. 6. There is Interpretative or consequentiall Atheisme So the unbeleeving Gentiles are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2. 12. Without Christ and without God or Atheists in the world because strangers to him without Covenant promise ordinance and so much as pretence to the true Church and truth of religion So when we withdraw our dependance upon God and rely upon an arme of flesh or Satan seeking to witches and wizards This is by consequence or interpretation plain Atheisme for is there no God for thee in Israel to enquire of that thou sendest to Baalzebub the God of Ekron to enquire 2 King 1. 3. of him Now which of all these is the worst Atheist I shall not say They are all very bad and this first very Dangerous though we little regard it To have no thoughts of God The professed Atheist would dipsute God out of Heaven this Negative Atheist shuts him out of his own heart and saith with the Legionist What have I to do with thee Torment me not If Mar. 5. 7. he cannot say to God depart from me and cause the Holy one of Israel to cease before him as they say Job 21. 14. Esay 30. 11. Yet doth he by his evil heart of unbelief and uncogitancy depart from the living God We commonly reckon sins of commission sins as to ly steal or to think evil it may be But of omissions especially in thoughts who once taketh notice whose heart smites him for this I have no thoughts of my God My heart is like Jericho shut Josh 5. 1. up there is no such thought comes in there is no such thought goes out or peepes and breathes out There is none saith where is God my maker who giveth us songs in the night Job 35. 10. whereas God made man purposely for himself and gave man this Cogitative faculty chiefly for this end that he might in his mind and thoughts better meditate conceive and comprehend God then in his words expresse him It is a great and grievous offence the Lord complaines of it in the Prophet Jeremy My people have forgotten me dayes without number Out of sight out of mind But can a Mayd Jer. 2. 32. forget her ornaments or a Bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me The wanton Lover hath his Mistresse so running in his mind that he weares her name in his hatband writes it in every leaf cuts it in every tree graves it in every glasse-window where he comes and should we forget the name of our God Some commemorate Psal 44. their Founders some praise their Benefactors some have their minds run on their Chariots some on their Horses some of their Bonds some of their Bags and shall not we remember the name of the Lord our God I have read of such a pestilentiall disease once at Athens as took away the memory of such as were infected with it that it is said they forgat even their own names A godly man will say with David Let my right hand sooner forget her skill to play and please me or her care to feed me and let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth and forget to speak rather than my heart should forget to think of God How divine was that of the Poet Praesentem Praebet quaelibet herba Deum He could he said read God in every Leaf and found his name written on every green Herb and what a shame is it to us if we cannot read God in every Leaf of Scripture and find his Name written in our hearts Holy Ignatius could say such was his Love to Christ and desire after him that if his heart were opened when he was dead they should find Jesus Christ written there It is a strange story which I have had from very good hands that Mr. Donne a known Chirurgeon of this City took out of the heart of a Gentleman who died of Love a Stone having much of the resemblance of the Centlewoman beloved such impression it seems naturall affection may make Oh that the Love of Christ were set as a Seal as a Signet Cant. 8. 6. upon our hearts that we might have Christ formed in us we should never fail of this suit nor dy of this disease Some have been sick of this Love none have died It is said that the Armes of the Duke of Roan which are Fusils or Lozenges are to be found in all the Wood and Stone of his Country and that the Armes of the Shugburyes in Warwick-Shire which are Stars are found in every stone of the Manor of Shugbury So that break a Stick or Stone in the one or any Stone in the other and you have a Fusil or a Star Oh that our hearts did bear the resemblance of God and Efsigies of Christ whose we are and whose Effigies and remembrance we should ever bear in our minds But alas I fear if many of our hearts should be opened we should find as Q. Mary said Callis there the world there Vanity written there No thoughts of God there Their heart as the first Chaos without form and void and nothing but a meer vacuity and darknesse withâ—ll covering the face of this Deep the heart Be astonished O Christian and ashamed Oh Atheist that thou shouldest have room for thoughts of husband wife parent child treasure pleasure of businesse and disports and none for God Canst thou not forget a friend a Patron a Benefactor and canst thou forget God Oh how sad is it that the Pulse of our thoughts is beating from morning to night whether we eat drink labour rest walk or talk still the thoughts are stirring with a restlesse motion thaâ— among all these thoughts we should have none of God For an Ephah full of thoughts of the world as heavy as Lead yet carried on with ease as with wings the wings of the wind there should not be so much as an Omer full of thoughts Zech. 5. 8. of God That when head akes back is ready to break and braynes to crack with a load of cares and thoughts of the world thou shouldest not have so much as one single and serious thought of God Reader consider this Is this to be a man or beast a Christian or worldling You cannot serve Mat. 6. 24. God and cleave to Mammon Had any of us who live at London a Father or Child at York an Estate in New-England our minds would be there sometimes there would be writing and sending and enquiring and discoursing and going thither too may be and can we say we have relations and expectations and treasure in heaven a Father a Saviour an
Inheritance there and no thoughts there How happy a man was David who could say I set the Lord always before me he is at Psal 16. 8. my right hand therefore I shall not be moved q. d. He is neither our of sight nor out of mind to me How happy againe was he who could say How precious are thy thoughts to Psal 139. 17 18. me O God! how great is the sum of them if I should count them they are more in number then the sands How many of us may say how strange and unwelcome to us are the thoughts of thee O God how small the sum of them if I should count them they are fewer in number then the sand in the empty part of the Hour-glasse where there may be found a few scattering dusts when my thoughts of the world are like the whole measure of the sand run out into the lower part of the glasse Againe he saith when I awake I am still with Ibid. thee as if he should say Lord I have not onely remembred thee in my bed and meditated on thee in the night watches Psal 63. 6. But the first and last thing I do is while I am waking to be with thee thinking of thee talking to thee It would trouble me if I did not think of thee in sleep if then I could think of any thing for even when I sleep thou art with me Thou compassest my path and my bed and thy thoughts are to me thoughts of peace all the night long But as soon as I awake I am with thee as soon as I come to my self and a throng of thoughts come pressing to the door of my heart I say to the rest stand by let first the thoughts of God come in and if there be another of his Companions let him come in so all the day let my heart be taken up with entertaining these guests and when late and dark night comes I part not willingly with them till overcome with sleep I drop a sleep with one of these in my mind and when I awake I am at it again Oh happy he that could and happy we if we can say so We would account him a dry Preacher who cannot make a Sermon of an easie and copious Text him a mean Scholar who can make no discourse of an excellent an ordinary Theme and him a weak Lawyer sure who hath not a word to say in the clearest Cause A bad Stomack that must needs be which cannot pick out a handsom Dinner out of the Richest Feast And a Silly shiftlesse fellow he who could use no meanes were he in the Syrians Tents where there was Treasure to be had for carrying if he took none with him Oh! But there is no such Text Theme Cause no such Feast and Treasure as Communion with and Meditation of God is But what dry poor stomacklesse beggerly Christians are we that can think speak utter nothing pick out carry away nothing where there is such store Complain not oh weak Memory oh dull Invention But see and bewail it oh vile Worldly Heart oh base Carnall Affection Luther said he that had but one word of God to his Text and could not make a sermon of it would never make a good preacher Luth. Col. CHAP. VII Low Thoughts of God THE next failing towards God in having no Thoughts of him is the having of Low and too mean Thoughts of him This is the sin charged on the Gentiles who knew and acknowledged God but did not glorifie him as God nor were thankfull but became Rom. 1. 21. vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned They did not rise up high enough from their dry speculations to a high admiration and holy adoration of him to glorifie him as God as so Great and Glorious a God This is next door to Atheism to think contemptibly of God It is almost all one to Deny or to Debase the Deity Princes hold them not onely their enemies who would depose them but such as will not give them their full and due titles they refuse their petitions if not presented in due style and forme Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name saith the Psalmist The first thing required Psal 29. 2. in him that cometh to God is to beleeve that he is and the second to beleeve that he is a rewarder of such as seeke him That man shall Heb. 11. 6. obscure and disparage and unsun the sun who shall make it but like the lesser stars and he doth blaspheme God as Rabshakeh who shall think God like other creatures or deities To whom will ye liken me Es 40. 18. 25. saith God To strike awe into his people and to whom am I equall to strike them into high and magnificent thoughts of him I am first and I am last and besides me there is no Saviour The Lord is very Es 44. 6. 8. 45. 5. Jealous in this respect of his imperiall Glory and dignity He will not give away of his Glory As he said I will be aut Cesar Es 42. 8. aut nullus either Cesar or nothing so the Lord saith aut Deus aut nullus aut Deus optimus maximus aut nullus Either I will be a great God or nothing Be still and Psal 46. 10. know saith he that I am God I will be exalted among the heathen I will be exalted in the earth Am I not a great King saith the Lord and shall not my name be great from the rising of the sun Therefore cursed is that Mal. 1. 8. 11. 14. deceiver that hath in his flock a male yet offereth to God a corrupt thing any slight service That which is sick and diseased that which is torn and distracted Offer such a sorry present to thy Prince will he accept it saith the Lord much to this purpose in Malachi As the highest honour the Holy Angels can give to God is to glorifie him by raising their thoughts so high that God is raised to the highest in their admirations and Praises And as in earth the highest honour the holiest Saint can put upon God when his heart is elevated and raised to a higher exalting and lifting up of God is in his thoughts Thence the Church Ex. 15. 2. Psal 34. 3. 90. 5. 107. 32. Psal 30. 1. 145. 1. 66. 17. 69. 30. saith sometimes I will exalt him Sometimes I will Extoll him Lift him up Magnifie him all which phrases denote the Souls high thoughts of God and raised affections towards him So on the other side the greatest indignity and dishonour we can put upon God is to have low and sordid thoughts of him Therefore are the wicked brought in speaking slightingly and disdainfully of him Who is the Almighty that we should know him what profit is it to us Job 21. 15. and 22. 17. to call on him Again they say to God Depart from us for what can the Almighty do
There do the damned gnaw their tongues for anguish and blaspheme the God of heaven out of despite And as it is the case of the damned who are past all hope of mercy so it is onely the case of such unhappy miscreants yet on earth to entertain such thoughts as are without God and without hope Either desperately siâ—â—ing while they open their mouth against heaven or sinfully despairing as wretched Spira who sometimes blasphemously wisht that he might be above God Such wish that there were no God no soul no Law to forbid sin no hell to punish sin no judgement day Heaven they give for lost mercy not to be obtained Gods wrath not to be appeased and his displeasure not to be indured and undergone They have despised mercy despighted grace rejected Christ resisted the holy Ghost as enemies they have carried themselves to God and as an enemy they look to find him Hence that hatred of God departure from him despaire of all indeavours a desperate saying to God Depart from us and at last which is the utmost which Satan can perswade or wish To curse God and die Oh the rage of man oh the malice of Satan oh the poyson of unbelief and despair what fire and brimstone comes out of this Etna Yet haply a right gracious heart may be assaulted with these fiery darts our Saviour himself to what was he sollicited Even to renounce God and to devote himself to Satan There is none of these tempâ—â—tions but are common to men But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be 1 Cor. 10. 13. able to bear it as the Apostle saith The busie flies will be sometimes hovering and buzzing about the purest meat so doth this Beelzebub the God of flies as his name signifies seek to taint or terrify the purest heart with these injections these come hovering and fluttering about a godly heart as Abrahams birds but he riseth up and driveth theâ— away but they light and settle on a wicked heart as the birds on the Bakers head there the interpretation is sad and ominous Job was afraid least his sons though brought up religiously might curse God in their hearts He knew they durst not speak an ill word of God in his hearing nor think irreverently of God when they were to call upon him in prayer But how far they might forget themselves when they were warmed with good cheer and mirth this holy and jealous Father was much afraid therefore he sent and sanctified them and offered burnt offerings For Job said it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts Job 1. 5. Thoughts of this nature were darted into Jobs wives heart and took fire she was overcome by them and by her they were handed to her husband Curse God and die This old mischievous Engineer Satan will be casting these Squibs at us to try if they will either fire or fright us and these Granadoes he is often throwing into well fortified hearts knowing well that if they ly a while and break there they make bloudy execution but our wisdome is to catch these Granadoes before they break and settle and throw them back upon him then they will mischief him not us Or do as the Gardiner who espyeth the weeds springing up where he set good herbs who cries out I wonder how you come here I sowed better seeds here is no place for you what envious one hath sown these tares he plucks them up and his garden is kept clean I intended not to extenuate or excuse these blasphemous and cursed thoughts for they are the greatest sins the child of Beliall can conceive and travel with neither need I to aggravate them for they are the greatest trouble a child of God can be exposed to Yet are sometimes such thoughts darted in by Satan and words to like purpose are sometimes bolted out even from the child of God but it is when he is not himself but overclouded with passion overwhelmed with temptation or disordered by some violent disease which hath distempered not his faith onely but his reason But our comfort is God can distinguish between our diseases and our sins between our constant temper and a transient distemper between our voluntary transgressions and our involuntary and bewailed suffrings between Satans act and our passivenesse as he did between Josephs Mistresse tempting and Joseph resisting and slying Shee was looked upon as foully guilty as if the sin had been committed but he as innocent as if he had never been tempted Besides the Scripture saith There is pardon for Blasphemies and Blasphemers All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men All passive or Maâ— 12. 31. involuntary Blasphemy this is not the Blaspheming of the Holy Ghost which is never forgiven for that is alwayes allowed voluntary willfull obstinate and unbewailed Paul had been a Blasphemer in his Ignorance and Peter a worse in his inconsideratnesse but both pardoned Paul because he knew not what he did Peter because he liked not what he did but repented of it Bernard saith Satan doth cast in Offert horribiliâ— de divinitate terribilia de fide mirabilia de fidei institutione et in alveolo ment is venenifer as ingerit potiones quas in consesssione evomere peccator oneratus exhorret thoughts horrible to think about God terrible things about faith and Scripture promises and casts in such poisonous potions into the soul that the burdened patient sick to death with them dare hardly venture to vomit up by a holy confession In the law there was a provision made that if fire did break out and catch thornes so that the stacks of corn or the standing corn or the field were consumed there with he that kindled the fire should be liable to make restitution Exod. 22. 6. The Lord doth know what an Incendiary Satan is and how that by his thornes or firebrands the stack and standing corn is set a fire the trouble is ours at present but the damage will be charged upon him Yet in this case our duty is to bestir our selves as fast as we can to quench this fire and preserve as much of the corn as we can by stopping the flames Or to do as Hezekiah did upon the receipt of that blasphemous letter humble thy self extraordinarily Rend thy clothes put on sackcloth go into the house of the Lord spread the railing letter before the Lord cry out this is a day of trouble indeed and of rebuke and blasphemy for the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth lift up thy own prayers call for help from others if so be that the Lord will hear all those railing blasphemies and reprove the words which he hath heard and put a hooke into the nostrils and a bridle into the Jaws of this infernall Sennacherib and cause him to
Thoughts THere is a company of grosse and superstitious Thoughts which most men especially ignorant persons that know not God his holy nature and spirituall worship and that make corrupt Reason their Judge and humane Example or Tradition their Rule are subject to be overtaken with Such was this grosse Thought of Magus who thought any gift of God might be purchased with money How grosse and superstitious were those Israelites who thought Sacrifice and Temple-service was the summe of all obedience when this God said he called for not that i. e. not that alone or in the Jer. 7. 22 23. first place and much worse when they thought the sacrificing of a child might go for the sparing of a lust of which the Lord saith it never came into his mind to command Jer. 7. 31. such a bloudy sacrifice Such Sauls conceit who thought a fat and full sacrifice of his own devising might excuse an half obedience 1 Sam. 15. 21. Mar. 7. 11. How ill did the Pharisees teach that what was given to Corban spent in sacrifice or maintaining Gods service was better then what was given to relieve an indigent Parent Religion must excuse ill nature and disobedience How grosse and superstitious a conceit was that that washing of Cups Pots Mar. 7. 8. and hands externall reverence and devotion such as all popery is made up of Kneeling fasting crossing c. made them a holy people though the heart were not kept but defiled That it is more Piety to shun a heathen and defâ—e a heretick then the foulest sin that it were more impiety to enter into the Praetorium Joh. 18. 28. then to condemn Christ worse to put Judas his money into the holy Corban then Mat. 27. 6. to hire him to betray his Master That some notable act of charity and a round summe at death bequeathed to pious and charitable uses may expiaâ—e oppression and rapine in life and want of restitution at death a new kind of Simony and yet the man be safe That the spoile of the poor wiâ—l make as good a way to an heavenly Kingdom as Davids sending the spoile of his enemies before him did to his attaining 1 Sam. 30. 26. of an earthly Kingdom Whereas that monster of mankind Selimus the most barbarous of all the Turkish Emperors dyed a better Christian than these who being advised by Pyrrhus the Bassa to bestow the great wealth he had taken from the Persian Merchants upon some hospitall for the poor Replied more like a Christian than many with us God forbid I should bestow other mens goods wrongfully taken from them upon works of Charity and devotion for my own vain-glory and praise But see they be restored to the right owners God hates robbery for burnt-offering sacrifice without mercy mercy without righteousnesse and all externall observance of Religion without inward religiousnesse of the heart Of these grosse and superstitious Thoughts I might say much more but here is more need of teares than words they are the great obstructers of Reformation in our Land at this day among the multitude encouraged also too much by some Church-men By reason whereof that may be sadly said of our times which was of Jehoshaphats 2 Chr. 20. 33. Howbeit the high places were not taken away after all indeavours of Reformation for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to seek the Lord God of their Fathers These are the Philistines which have captived the Ark of God and would fain set it up by their Dagon who make many a godly heart mourn with her who cryed out Ichabod The glory is departed where is the glory of Englands 1 Sam. 4. 21. Reformation CHAP. XIII Of Hard Thoughts of God IN the heels of these come a croud of Hard Thoughts as dishonourable to God to Jesus Christ to the Spirit of Grace to the Promise Truth Goodnesse of God and as dangerous to our own souls as any other And these come with that violence that they often drive all before them These conclude of God It is in vain to serve him and to no purpose Mal. 3. 14. to keep his Ordinances and to walk mournfully before him And speak as confidently as the evil servant I know thee to be an hard Master reaping where thou didst not sow and gathering where thou didst not straw I therefore feared Mat. 25. 24 25. the successe and hid my Talent c. Oh madnesse oh blasphemy Wilt thou charge the Sun with darknesse the Sea with drynesse Justice it self with injury and Mercy the highest mercy it self with cruelty Dost thou disdain to have jealous thoughts of a loyall Wife distrustfull thoughts of a loving Father and art thou not ashamed to charge God so foully Blush when thou readest God mentioning his thoughts to thee I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord Thoughts of peace not of evil to Jer. 29. 11. give you an expected end And correct thine towards God which are black and hard thoughts of evil and not of peace Our thoughts are not his thoughts Labour to have thy heart not onely filled with high holy and honourable thoughts of God but with sweet gracious good candid hopefull thoughts Suspition destroys friendship and confidence among men These destroy all commerce with God He that cometh to Heb. 11. 6. God must believe that he is a rewarder of such as seek him This is the first article of our Faith and the first step or motive to obedience The first letter as I may say in Gods Name when himself proclaimed it to Moses is not as the chief titles of eatthly Monarchs who are stiled High Mighty Dread c. but The Lord gracious mercyfull long-suffering abundant in loving kindnesse and truth pardoning iniquity transgression and sin Come therefore to him as to a Father of mercies to a fountain of living water Expect not little from him from whom thou canst not expect too much nay not enough as we cannot from men expect too little Yet herein wicked and godly ones both are much to blame 1. Wicked men think well onely of themselves and hardly of all others yea of God himself and therefore as they never speak of others without a But a blotting or abasing But a Sed diminuentis Such a one is a wise learned good man say they but a Passionate man or the like yet when they speak of themselves or any evil in them they throw in another But a sed Augentis a weighty But that fetcheth all up againe I am hasty indeed I am rash foolish sometimes and forget my self I have my weaknesses but I have as good an heart and meaning as can be So they deal with God himself in their thoughts they believe he is Almighty great excellent pure omniscient just but they doubt he is not so mercifull and kind to his poor creatures as were to be wished They doubt for all this he takes a little too
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 onely in the mind and thoughts 4. Insidelity that great Gospel sin and that fearfull Apollyon and soul murderer is onely 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 onely 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 CHAP. XXIX The Second use for humiliation IN the second place see what cause is here for Humiliation universall and continuall humiliation above all other sins be humbled for thy Thoughts Whatsoever is fair without thy thoughts are foul to be sure who can say his heart is clean Yea whatever is Prov. 20. 9. foulest without the thoughts are yet more foul and filthy Many men are like the Egyptian Temples rich fair beautifull without when you come in Cats mice serpents Crocodyles fair sepulchers and painted over full of stench and rottennesse within when as the godly soul desires to be like Solomons Temple which had the lights narrower without wider within which had nothing but stone and timber to be seen without within 1 King 6. 4. 21 22 30. nothing but gold Alas have not we many a wild many a vile and sinfull Thought to bewaile not transient and involuntary but deliberate fixed and voluntary thoughts How hard to get the heart in a good frame how hardly doth a good thought enter how soon is it turned out of doors what cold welcome do we give it But to ill thoughts we set doors wide open we make room to entertain them we keep them company discourse with them with much delight and never think the time long they stay and are loth to let them go Oh how many forgetfull thoughts have we of God either no thoughts or low thoughts or hard thoughts or Atheisticall or blasphemous or impious at least dishonourable and distrustfull thoughts of God Towards thy neighbour how many unkind uncharitable envious censorious passionate malicious proud scornfull injurious thoughts hast thou had And for thy self who need tell thee of thy vain impure self-deceiving self-exalting self-magnifying self-seeking thoughts who can number thy carking caring plodding plotting thoughts thy empty aery frothy endlesse uselesse unprofitable and unsavoury thoughts Is not thy heart full of carnall reasonings roving imaginations motions yea of sinfull counsels devises purposes The good man is like the Merchant who hath not much abroad opens not shop but his goods are packed and piled up in low Cellars and bestowed in his ware-houses and back rooms of his house But on the other side the most of men are like our gaudy and beggarly Alehouses where you behold a painted Sign-Post and coloured windows without but never a good room within nor a bed to ly on but store of loathsom smels and more loathsome oathes and filthynesse or like our ordinary tradesmen who have all their rich wares in their shops exposed to view and sale but their Cellars are filled with coales trash and lumber Our base hearts herein are like some beggarly Alehouses again where if a man of fashion shall come and desire lodging they send him away and say they have no entertainment for him when they will make hard shift to lodge a company of lewd fellows though they sit up all night themselves Or like Sodom where there is not room for one godly Lot but he shall be wearied and worried out of his skin or if an Angel come for a nights lodging he shall before he is well entered be assaulted and haled out of doors when the city is full of vicious wretches Or like Baals house which was cramd and crouded as full as ever it could hold from one end to another that they stood mouth to mouth as it is said 2 Kings 10. 21. as close as one could stand by another when there was narrow search made least one poor servant of the Lord should creep in amongst them all A good thought is as Abel soon made away and dies without issue when the evil as Cain lives and multiplies to fill the world The good thought like Sarah is barren when the evil as Hagar presently conceives The good
Ele you strike it yet it lives you flea it yet it lives you cut it in pieces yet it stirs you throw it into scalding water and there it stirs a while too So Bray a wicked fool in a morter his folly will not depart from him Prov. 27. 22. Reproofes kill it not affliction kils it not sicknesse kils it not weaknesse kils it not death kils it not nay hell kils it not The heart is the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The unruly evil which no man can tame Jam. 2. 8. This sets on fire the whole course of nature and is it self set on fire of hell Full it is of deadly poyson as that old Leprosie it infects all that comes near it We think Lev. 13. it sad living in an unwholsome aire or in a house near the Common-shore because of the continuall ill smels What is it to live over the ill savour of a fowl nasty heart Who would willingly lodge or dwell in a house reported to be haunted with Evil spirits Thy heart is so yet thou art not afraid David was weary of Mesech Israel of Egypt Lot sick of Sodom Jeremy of his Dungeon and wilt thou as the Bedlam play with thy chaines and sport thy self with thine own deceivings in the midst of thy mortall and bloudy enemies Consider well of it CHAP. XXX The Third Use of Information in severall particulars THE third use informes us of divers weighty points 1. What a wide and vast difference there is between the lawes of men and the pure law of God All those fall far short of this they reach but the outward man this the heart spirit conscience and the most hidden thoughts Heb. 4. 12. Their Laws are Carnall this Spirituall holy requiring truth in the inward parts This applies Canons Rom. 7 14. and Engins to the mind and forbids lust in the first motions checks the thought of Belial 2 Cor. 10 4 5. Rom. 7 7. or wickednesse as it is cal'd in the heart Deut. 15. 9. The Laws of men require no more but to strike the topsale in a civil behaviour The Law of God boards every vessel cals for the bils of lading makes a through search in every Cabin sees what we are fraught with and if it find any prohibited wares not goods or concealed armes for the use of the enemy they are seized on and the vessell must yield or sink The Laws of men plant their Ordinance against the Enemies colours set out upon the wals of the Castle That of God undermines the foundations and blows up all that stand in opposition The Magistrate onely provides ne peccatum turbet God ne sit he ne peccatum resistat God ne restet We may be Boni cives mali Christiani We may observe the manner of the God of the land as they said 2 Kings 17. 27. Yet not know or keep the Laws of the God of heaven The Statutes of Omri and Samaria are oft-times kept by Mit. 6. 16. those who violate the Edicts of Sion and of Christ The Christian therefore must not be a Statute Christian but a Scripture Christian 2. What a sad difference there is between the holy Law of God and our base hearts His Law pure we impure that spirituall we carnall It was an uneven and uncomfortable match between beautifull courteous and vertuous Abigail and that clown and ungracious churle Nabal that between beautifull Moses and black Zipporah but Gods Law and our hearts are worse matched But those were the worst matches in all the Scriptures Gen. 6. 2 4. when the Sons of God went in to the daughters of men they begat that Gygantean and vicious race which corrupted the whole earth But this is the worst match in the world wherein the Law of God is married to the heart of man For the motions of sins which are by the law do work in our members to bring forth fruit to death Rom. 7. 6. and hereby is the whole Church corruptted The Tables of the Law were formerly engraven in stone and put into an Ark◠overlaid with pure Gold within and without Exod. 25. 11. But the Tables of the Law and Covenant of Grace are now written in Gold and put into a homely ark of stone 3. What a difference there is between a godly and a wicked man a sincere person and a hypocrite as much or more as between Solomons shields of beaten massy gold and 1 King 10. 17. and 14. 27. Rehoboams of brasse of like size and number Copper and Gold differ not so much in colour as in their weight and worth So tin and silver look alike weigh not alike The difference between man and man is not so much in favour complexion stature or state as in the mind not so much in diseases poverty misery as sin not so much in education wit reason parts or gifts as graces The godly for his outward aspect is like to an old Church Pauls for example built of ordinary stone without plain but when you come in you find there a comely inside handsome seats and a convenient place to worship God in The wicked for his outside not much unlike yet more fitly compared to a prison Newgate for example built of fair stone but within nothing to be found but nastinesse hunger hardship ill smels and which is worst of all a company of Hell-birds for their vile behaviour In a word the godly are like heaven fair without but the glory is all invisible and not to be imagined how great till you come within And the wicked are like hell it self to which a broad and easie way doth lead but it is bad to describe but worse then you can imagine when you enter 4. What a busie work is it to be a Christian he hath more to do then to wash Animum rege hunc fraenus hunc tu compesce Catena Horat. the outside of the cup and platter to make a covenant mith his eye ear hand foot mouth and to keep his mouth bridled he must keep his heart bridled Keep thy heart with all keeping Prov. 4. 23. The God of truth requireth to be worshipped in spirit and truth Joh. 4. 24. in the inward parts The cleanly Christian is like those neat Citizens who if they wash and sweep their doors to the street side do wash and rub and keep the inside cleanner if they do but brush their outward garments have their inner garments washt and the linnen which is next them so the Christian is to cleanse his hands but much more to purge and purify his heart The sincere Christian who would be approved of God is to adorn the inner man of the heart 1 Pet. 3. 4. as old Sarah did and to affect to be of the Kings daughters fashion the spouse of Christ all glorious within Psal 45. 13. or to be in the Bridegrooms fashion whose outward garment was of four pieces as all the other Israelites were Deut. 22. 12. yet was his inner
then heart-purifying Faith If Faith comes before his time it is as dangerous as the Child born before the time A too forward birth is commonly followed with animmature death 8. His graces were out of Order Repentance should have come first and hath the scarler thread of Primogeniture tied about it If Faith come out first Gen. 38. 28 29. it is as Pharez it maketh a breach Therefore for all his forward believing Peter sets him back to In speech as I may say or his A. B. C. and bids him repent 9. He kept a wondring in his head when there was no wounding in his spirit no humiliation nor mortification of lusts 10. He continued with them in publick and made more ado to be with them at their meetings then to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Jew in secret and to pray in private as Paul did at his Rom. 2. 29. Conversion 10. He desired others not to spare their prayers but he joyned not his own Thy other mens sins may sooner destroy thee then thy other mens prayâ—rs save thee without thine own 12. He onely desired to be delivered from hell and the misery of his sin not from the mischief of his sin Pray saith he that none of these things come upon me Lastly He onely desired gifts for others Verse 20. that he might become eminent and famous being equall to the Apostles So that Beloved we may see how far a man may go heaven-ward yet never come there Hell is not onely full of sorcerers adulterers drunkards swearers and prophane swine But there is many a hearer professor believer and convert such as they be There are See my late Tâ—eatise of Hypocrisy shewing at large how far a Hypocrite may go convictions wishes purposes gifts parts yea faith and repentance in Hell The Faith of Ignorant men Hope and desires of Lazie men the Knowledge of unsanctified men and the Repentance of dying men lead all to Hell An over-sudden Faith and an over-late Repentance are alike dangerous Conviction without Conversion Conversion without Reformation Reformation without Renovation in the spirit of the mind purged from evil thoughts and Faith without Repentance all lead to Hell Here was Conviction Conversion Reformation Faith yet in the gall of bitternesse and bonds of iniquity It is never good doing things by halves Profession without through Conviction Conviction without hearty Contrition Contrition without true Conversion Conversion without a Reformation Reformation without a new Heart the new Heart without the ill Thoughts repented of and purged out leave a Christian half short of Heaven These sudden changes are seldom good neither a young Saul among the Prophets and an old Sorcerer among the Apostles deserve more to be observed then trusted A sudden believing as I said and a late Repentance I am alwayes jealous of When a man Will chop suddenly on Profession in his life or Repentance at his death I may have some Charity towards him but have no ground of Confidence of his good estate 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 stouâ—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 â—nsaiâ—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 wilâ— 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 teaâ— 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 onely 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 â—ultis poteslis Quid vullis ut non omnino sint concupiscentiae malâ— sed non potestis exercete bellum sperate triumphum Aug. De pugaa animâ— 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 Sun-shine 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 onely evil continually A hard saying but a true saying which is thus to be understood 1. Every thought of every unregenerated person is onely 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 sordidâ— sonte ne guttâ— quidem bonitatis profluere potesi Paraeâ—â— 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 onely injected and Cogitatio immunda non inquinat cum pulsat nisi voluntatem per delectationem sibi subjugat Voluntate sua cadit qui cadit Bâ—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
furnish thee with some good thought to divert thee from what is thy proper businesse as we say of evil evil is not onely opposite to all good but to some evil vice to vice as well as vice to vertue so we may say of some good thoughts they are not opposite to evil onely but sometimes to good as to read or pray when we should be hearing or to think of what we have heard when we should be praying An old stratagem of Satan to draw us into an Ambush when we should be safe if we kept our ground The devil seekes to set good men together by the eares Saul and Barnabas and to get Agabus to divert Paul When Act. 15. 39. Act. 21. 11. Lu. 9. 59. Christ called one to preach the Gospel he would be excused by his care of his aged father Charity must hinder piety so when Martha should have been hearing she was Lu. 10. 40. cumbred hospitality must justle out pieâ—y good at another time and very commendable So when that ointment was spent upon Christ Judas puts in his vye for the poor Had not this ointment better have been sold and given to the poor Very plausible but what saith our Saviour Let her alone â—â— 12. 5. â— she hath done well The poor you have alwayes with you and at another time you may and must remember them but this is fittest for this time 6. Do not thy good thoughts trouble thee As Nebuchadnezzar was troubled with his thoughts Dan. 4. 5. Many a wicâ—ed man may say as he Psal 77. 3. I remembred God and was troubled not for his absence but presence wicked men seek to cast out these conceptions as the Hindes bow themselves to cast out their sorrowes Job 39. 13. they think they shall be melancholly if they think a little longer of them The Godly man is not more troubled with his bad thoughts then he is with his good When as to the Godly the good thought is his joy and delight How precious are thy thoughts to Psal 139. 17. Psal 104. 34. me O God my meditation of God O how sweet is it 7. Or thy thoughts are Confused an heâ—p of them disorderly jumbled together nothing is set in order As Christ once Lu. 2. 44. so the good thought is often lost in the Croud It is the great weaknesse of man that he cannot set in order Gods thoughts or the thoughts of God before him It is Gods Psal 40. 5. perfection his thoughts are all ordred I know the thoughts I think towards you saith the Lord Jer. 29. 11. we know not our own thoughts though every fool saith I know what I think God can set our disorderly thoughts before us and single them out one by one So should we Psal 50. 22. single out some good thoughts at one time another at another and pursue them The Huntsman can have no game till he single his Deer he meanes to hunt out of the whole herd nor can we make any work of it in meditation till we pick out some good thought to fix and fasten upon 8. Thy good thoughts lodge not abide not with thee but are like a night vision make no impression they come to nothing whereas the Godly ly down with such thoughts and rise with them When I awake I am still with thee Psal 139. That is right thinking when we inâ—end the mind ad ruborem calorem Psal 39. 3. My heart waxed hot within me and while I was musing the fire kindled I felt my thoughts warm my heart as it was said of Holy Bradford when he was praying he never went off from a petition till he felt his heart affected with it But if thy thoughts are good indeed thou shalt know it by these notes 1. Where heart and thoughts are good the words will be so too as the treasure is within such the communication Say not Mat. 12. 35. Lasciva est nobis pagina vita proba I talk at randum merrily Idly but my heart is good I think no harm Say as well the Tree is good though the fruit evil and the fountain sweet though water bitter Thy speech bewrayeth thee The good heart and good discourse ever go together Psal 40. 9 10. and 37. 30 31. Mal. 3. 16. They that had gracious thoughts of Gods name by themselves were full of gracious discourses when they came together 2. Where are holy thoughts there are other graces Mal. 3. 16. They feared God and thought upon his name 3. Good thoughts are ever accompanied with holy serious and frequent meditations Gen. 24. 63. Psal 1. 2. 19. 14. 104. 34. 119. 15. 23. 48. 78. 97. 148. and 143. 5. 1 Tim. 4. 15. Whosoever is a stranger to holy meditations cannot have at least long keep good thoughts much study one saith makes the scholler and much meditation makes the Christian 4. Serious thoughts beget practicall and unmoved determinations 1 Cor. 2. 2. Their good thoughts are the law of God written in their hearts 5. There is a concurrence between thoughts and conscience Ro. 2. 15. Thought gives conscience a jogge who sets at the the sterne and awakens it and conscience thereby steeres better and keepes off from rocks and shelves 6. As there is a concurrence between the good thought and the good conscience so there is a concordance between the good thought and the good conversation Job 31. 1. I shall not wantonly think of a maid therefore I made a covenant with my eyes and with my outward man that there might be no temptation to any ill behaviour said holy Job Psal 119. 59. I thought on my ways and turned my feet to thy testimonies 7. Good thoughts are always backed with peremptory and fixed purposes and resolutions Dan. 1. 8. Act. 11. 23. Psal 17. 3. 2 Tim. 3 10. Ruth 1. 16 17 18. Deut. 18. 6. 8. Frequent prayers Such as those let the words of my mouth and the Meditations motions imaginations of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer Psal 19. 14. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. O Lord keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their heart or stablish the heart unto thee 1 Chr. 29. 18. The like 1 King 8. 57 58. 9. There will be much joy and delight in them as they much desire to let such guests in so they joy in their company O God now Psal 108. 1. my heart is fixed I will therefore sing and give praise O Lord who am I said David another 1 Chron. 29. 14. 18. time that we should have a heart so free and willing O Lord keep it in the imagination of the thoughts of our hearts and prepare our hearts towards thee Oh that this holy fire come from heaven might ever be kept burning never go Le. 6. 13. out
the least sins when matters are small or doubtfull 1 Sam. 24. 5. much more for foul and manifest sins 2 Sam. 24. 10. Thus it was with David in both those places 3. It feares to partake of other mens sins Num. 16. 4. 4. Flies appearances and shewes of evil 1 Thes 5. 22. Num. 32. 6. Et sequ Josh 22. 16. 2. The heart must be keep in humility Wines are kept best in lowest Cellars the heart in lowest temper An horse may be kept too low but all the danger of the heart is keeping it too high Esa 57. 15. The lowest heart is the fittest habitation for the most High God God is called Deus optimus maximus but Jesus Christ in respect of his humility was Optimus minimus Three things should keep our hearts humble 1. Gods Excellency Esa 6. 2 3 5. Job 42. 6. 2. His many and undeserved mercies Gen. 32. 10. 2 Sam. 7. 18. Nothing doth so kindly humble a gracious heart as Mercies nothing so unkindly puffs up an ungracious heart 3. Thy own great sins Thus it was with Paul 1 Cor. 15. 9. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Never was there a viler sinner then I never more grace shewed from God 3. The heart must be kept up also in due height 2 Chron. 17. 6. Jehoshaphats heart was lifted up in the wayes of God Three things help to lift up the heart and shew it well lifted up 1. When we strive to walk worthy of God Cal. 1. 10. 2. To walk worthy of the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. 3. To walk worthy of heaven and the expectation of it 1 Thes 2. 12. 4. The heart must be kept clean and pure Psal 24. 4. and 73. 1. Mat. 5. 8. We may be too choice of our clothes and houses to keep them clean but cannot be of the heart Three things help to keep the heart clean 1. Oft washing some say Caput nunquam pedes raro manus saepe but Cor saepius saepissinie Jer. 4. 14. Wash thy heart that vain thoughts lodge not Say to them as we say to nasty and slovenly beggers here is no lodging for you 2. Often searching 2 Cor. 13. 5. 3. Frequent and fervent prayer Jam. 4. 7 8. Cleanse your hearts and draw nigh to God joyned Prayer is as Thunder and Wind they purge the ayre this the heart 5. The heart is to be kept in Faith Heb. 10. 22. Habak 2. 4. Three things help to keep the heart in Faith 1. To eye Gods promise this Faiths food and the life of the life of Faith 2. To eye and remember Gods past providences and our Experiences 2 Cor. 1. 10. He hath delivered and doth and will deliver 3. To study Gods alsufficiency Rom. 4. 21. What he promiseth he is able to perform 6. The heart is also to be kept in due fear The Child is well kept when kept in awe so is the heart This is the great heart-keeper and Covenant keeping grace Jer. 32. 40. Three things help to keep the heart in holy fear 1. A due sense of Gods dreadfull Name and Majesty Deut. 28. 48. 2. A due sense of Gods goodness Hosea 3. 5. 3. A continuall sense of our own weaknesse Prov. 28. 14. The child that fears a fall escapes a fall Vis in timore esse securus in securitate time as Bern. Fear in time of security makes secure in time of fear 7. In readinesse and willingnesse 1 Chron. 28. 9. Exod. 35. 2. Gods people are a ready and willing people And as it is a commendation to a man or woman to be handy and ready to be able to take our work and leave it so it is here Three things help to make us more ready and willing 1. Frequency and familiarity with duties Use makes perfectnesse By praying thou wilt learn to pray An instrument daily used is soon fit to play upon long disused asks much time to tune it How unfit must they needs be for prayer that pray not from sabbath to sabbath 2. To consider that God accepts a willing mind for the best deed 2 Cor. 8. 12. 3. All other service is unacceptable to God 1 Chron. 28. 9 10. Unprofitable for us 1 Cor. 9. 17. 8. In steadinesse Psal 108. 1. Act. 11. 23. Cleave to God with full purpose of heart Three times when we should look to keep the heart steady 1. In state of fullnesse The full vessel evenly carried tries the steady hand and head Phil. 4. 12. I can abound and not be proud be lifted up yet not be lifted up A hard lesson 2. In time of straits Psal 112. 8. His heart is established and doth not shrink and warp as unseasoned timber Job said I will not curse God is where he was I am where I was my faith where it was and my integrity I will not let go This another hard lesson 3. In earthly businesse to have the heart steady eying God I am in my calling God sees me This a high lesson The wicked his heart is steady and fixed on the world when at prayer he cant get the world out of his mind the godly have heavenly minds in earthly businesses 3. Wouldst thou be free from evil thoughts then get thy mind filled he which hath his chests his shop and his house filled but his mind empty is a poor man We must not do with our hearts as with our houses have the lower rooms furnisht and have nothing in the upper garrets but trash but have our upper roomes especially furnished Satan comes into the house that is empty swept and garnished But Jesus Christ chuseth to keep his feast in an upper room that is furnished Luke 22. 12. Take some good meditation promise Scripture read next thy heart to keep out wind every morning An empty addle heart is a fit bayt for Satan 4. Get a heart fixed as well as filled that thy spirit sit not loose about thee Keep thy loynes girt this bow continually bent arcum intentio frangit animum remissio It is too much looseness or unbending that breaks the mind as too much bending breaks the bow We love not a garment too big or shoes to slop about our feet We get our armes fixt get thy mind so and be ever and anon saying sursum corda The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath Prov. 15. 24. How safe was David when he could say O God my heart is fixed my heart is fixed Psal 108. 1. And the stable Psal 51. 12. spirit is that he prayes for as well as the right or new spirit The devil makes as good sport with an unfixt spirit as children do with light airy toyes the squibs bubbles and empty hoops which they drive before them or the paper Kite driven with the wind which though never so high mounted they can pull to them when they will these are taken captive by Satan at his will as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2. 26. 5. See the Lords eye still upon thee
and set him at thy right hand 1 Chron. 28. 9. Psal 139. 2. The eye of the Master awes and reacheth the Scholar and the presence of the Commander keeps the souldier from routing and disorder 6. Plant the word of God as battering Engines against any evil thought approaching and take this enemy off before he come too near 2 Cor. 10. 4. Heb. 4. 12. Especially such Scriptures as do levell directly against thy thoughts If thy thoughts be vain discharge these Scriptures as Gods Ordinance against them Jer. 4. 14. Rom. 1. 21. Ephes 4. 17. If wanton Mat. 5. 28. If passionate Mat. 5. 22. If malicious apply that 1 Joh. 3. 15. If covetous apply Col. 3. 5. If carnall apply Rom. 8. 5. Keep this two edged sword ever turning at the door of thy heart that thou mayst secure the tree of life 7. Attend diligently thy honest calling Employment gives not a portion onely but protection and is as necessary for the soul as for the bodies health and subsistance Give not ear to every idle diverting thought stir not but follow thy businesse Say with Nehemiah I am about a better work I am Neh. 6. 3. not at leisure to parley with every one that envies my peace and would interrupt my proceedings Nothing keeps the knife or plow share so bright as continuall usage nothing causeth rust but want of use It is so with the mind The hour of Idlenesse is the hour of Temptation Satan tempts the Busie man the Idle man tempts Satan Get an honest calling first then walk painfully in it 8. Look well to thy outward senses those Cinque-Ports as one cals them When the Suburbs are fired the City will soon be taken if the Enemy be possest of the Out-works he will ere long make a breach into the Castle Sometimes the eye hath affected the heart but more often infected it Eve and David Lam. 3. 51. were betrayed by their sight and upright Noah by his tast and palate It is not enough that we may sleep securely that there be no thief within the house of our Domesticks but we must look to the doores and windowes that they be made fast 9. Make a Privy search ever and anon and keep a privy sessions often in thy own Jurisdiction and set up a Court Martiall that execution may be done upon mutinous rebellious and all disorderly thoughts and having in readinesse ever to revenge all disobedience It is a shame that we should cast up 2 Cor. 10. 6. our shop at least once the year and besides a many washings of linnen and scouring of vessels we should have some Solemnâ— scourings and some great and generall washing and whitening of all once or oftner in the year and it may be thy heart hath not had one day of examination and enquiry into it all thy life 10. Call in God to help thee in thy search Two eyes see more then one as holy David often when he was most buisie to look into himself yet being full of holy jealousie least he should overlook prayes Lord examine me and prove me try my reines and my heart for thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth Psal 26. 2 3. and Psal 139. throughout When he had been searching and scanning himself he calls in God to help him in his heart Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting v. 23 24. Oh it is a happy boldnesse that an upright heart mens sibi consciarecti hath before God if our heart condemne us not upon a through search then have we boldnesse before God 1 Jo. 3. 21. and can lay all before him as confidently as honest Jacob leads Laban into his tents and Judah and his brethren opened their sacks and say search all my stuffe and see what thou canst find Gen. 31. 32. How happy is he that can say with Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jo. 21. 17. 10. Holy humble and servent prayer is another excellent meanes to make and keep the heart clean from evil thoughts and at some times the onely way to rid the heart of these messengers of Satan sent to buffet us As the North wind drives away the raine and as Thunder purgerh the aire so doth fervent and frequent prayer purge the heart and drive away those soaking showers of evil thoughts and without prayer it is as impossible to keep the heart clean as it is to keep the house clean without washing or sweeping Pray with Solomon 1 King 8. 59. considering the untowardnesse of our hearts The Lord incline our hearts unto him to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandements and his statutes and his judgments And when thy heart is in a good and holy frame pray with David 1 Chron. 29. 18. O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare or stablish their heart unto thee 11. Holy and serious purposes of heart are an excellent underkeeper of the heart under God and after prayer Thus did Daniel keep himself from being defiled Daniel purposed in his heart Dan. 1. 8. And thus did Barnabas exhort the primitive Christians That with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord Act. 11. 23. But they must be Serious purposes and resolutions de praesenti not de futuro joyned with present performance not put off by future promises as Pharoah Felix and that disciple did who said Lord I will follow thee but I must Lu. 9. 59. first see my father buried 12. Get and learn that excellent and heavenly art to extract some profitable morall or divine meditation out of every object and occurrent Solomon by this exercise raised himfelf to that high pitch of wisdome he could not see the Ant Spider and Conies he could not look upon the drunkards eyes the beggars rags and the sluggards hedge but he took out divine observations thence to adde to his own wisdome and to inform his reader so above all that greater then Solomon teacheth us this heavenly art who upon mention of Leaven mustard-seed fishers nets seed sowen and every thing raised up his own and his hearers mindes to heavenly contemplations 13. Art thou troubled with evil thoughts be not then too much alone if thy thoughts are sad and black hellish thoughts It was Gen. 2. 18. not good for man to be alone in his integrity much lesse now it is good yea necessary to be sometimes alone sometimes in a closet Mat. 14. 23. Mar. 1. 35. Lu. 6. 12. or solitary place by thy selfe as thy Saviour often was but it is dangerous for some to be too much alone such as are of a Melancholy disposition Satan will take advantage upon thy Solitude as he did upon Eve He set not upon Christ
can not fly I think to fly but fall into the mouth of danger I run from the roaring Lion and Am. 5. 19. a Bear assaults me I hast from him to find shelter in the house and the serpent in the wall stings me I escâ—pe the open pit and am taken in the hidden snare Abroad the Esa 24. 18. Lam. 1. 20. sword devoureth within there is as death I run with Lot from the Sodom of a prophane world and think to find safety in the Gen. 19. 30 31. Zoar of holy ordinances but there am I in fear I go to the cave of solitude and there they that come out of my loines deflower me I row and work but the sea out-works me I sleep and am not secure a storm awakes me I perceive a Jonah is Jonah 1. 13. within I cry unto thee my throat is dried Psal 69. 3. Psal 1. 43. 6. Psal 119. 82. Psal 144. 7. 11. I stretch out my hands to thee as the parched thirsty land Mine eyes faile in waiting for thy salvation saying when wilt thou rid me and deliver me from the hands of strange children whose right hand is a right hand of falshood I cry out with thy Church of old our persecutors are swifter then the eagles Lam. 4. 19. of heaven they pursue us upon the mountaines and lay wait for us in the wildernesse Oh that Jer. 9. 1. my head were waters and that mine eyes were a fountain of teares that I might weep day and night for the bruise of the daughter of Sion my soul whose whole head is sick and heart faint from the crown of the head to the soâ—e of the foot there is no soundnesse but wounds and blaines and Esa 1. 6. putrifying sores Oh that I had a cottage in the wildernesse that I might leave my Jer. 9. 2. habitation and go from an assembly of Treacherous ones Or that I had wings like Psal 55. 6. a dove that I might fly away and be at rest Oh that thou wouldest put out thy hand and take me into thy Ark that I might be delivered from these windy storms tempests In the multitude of my many other sins my Thoughts perplex my soul Ashamed I am O Lord to speak and blush to think what an heart I have an heart so dark so dead so vain and vile so foul and filthy A noisome dunghill a stinking sepulchre a loathsom dungeon an infected Pesthouse a cage of filthy birds a sty of swine a den of theeves Like that great tree this heart of mine is wherein are branches enough for all fouls of the ayr to build their nests and under whose shade is shelter for all the beasts of the earth A very Tophet I may call it because a burying place it is of whatever good is an Horma because a place Jer. 7. 32. Num. 21. 3. Num. 11. 34. Gen. 14. 10. Hos 4. 15. of execution to holy motions and desire a Kibroth-hattaavah because the grave of lusts the vale of Siddim because so full of slime-pits yea a Beth-Aven because a house full of iniquity is in it Ah Lord what thoughts are there what sinfull thoughts my good desires few faint fading I think and think not I muse and mind not I like but seek not allow but pursue not I know but love not I say but do not I wish but will not A will or almost half a will I have a power and care and compleat will I want But of sinfull thoughts how great the number how foul the nature how restlesse their motion rudely rushing in unsent for proudly commanding entertainment though not bid welcome refusing to quit their lodgings if not by strong hand excluded though desired to be gone The good thought how rarely is it seen in this Climat as rare almost as an Angel in Sodom whither once there came a couple and when pressed and intreated to come in had almost chuse rather to lie in the streets then come under this roof but when once entred how do the sons of Sodom young and old beset the room from every quarter pressing upon me with violence to have them out no dores bars entreaties of mine can keep them out Lord put out thy hand draw in this heart secure these heavenly guests and strike these sons of Sodom with blindnesse or deadnesse that they may never find a door for entrance Oh! What cold entertainment doth a good thought find it is either ript out of the womb as Hazaell ript the children out of their mothers bellies before it is ripe for birth or cast out as soon as born as the males of Israel to be destroyed or else persecuted to death in infancy as the children in Bethlehem by that bloudy Herod who sought to slay thy Son if it had been possible Lord remember they that seek my life seek thine and thy Christs But let what is of Christ be preserved though all the rest perish In Egypt I read the more thy people were diminished the more they multiplied oh that it might be so here with me at least let the Lord leave a seed that I be not as Sodom or made like unto Gomorrah I have too many other sins to bewaile of eye ear mouth hand foot and the whole diseased man Totus pro corpore morbus But as unhappy Saul had not it seemes hurt enough done him by the Philistines wounds but he must hasten his 1 Sam. 31. 4. own death by falling on his own sword so miserable I as if I had not enemies enow abroad must contribute somewhat to my own ruine from my self Had I no other sins my thoughts alone would undo me should I wash my self with snow water and Job 9. 30. 31. make my self never so clean These garments would defile me Oh of thee Lord how few thoughts have I And those again how low mean and sorry Of thy Son Spirit and grace how irreverent confused and unbecoming Of thy Word and Works how many questioning disliking and gainsaying thoughts have I And my evil thoughts not transient and vanishing as are my good but fixed deliberate and abiding either ever remaining or ever and anon returning How ignorant earthly carnall is my heart not savouring the things of God but those which are of Mat. 16. 23. men how cold loose dead is my spirit all the wisdome that is here below is earthly sensuall or devillish This heart of mine a Jam. 3. 15. garden to weeds a grave to graces a lake of Sodom or dead sea wherein no holy motion breeds or is long-lived The earth puts forth her weeds at spring forbeares in winter my heart is winter all the year long to grace a spring to weeds The Aguish body hath his well day after an ill I am followed with a Quotidian that hath his hot fit after his cold I have both together a continuall cold fit to duty and hot to sin Lord when shall this Etna have
the Atheist herein is the devils Prosylite two fold more a child of hell then his master Yet for all this haply if we be not more aware we may find this fools Bolt shot into our hearts and these fiery darts injected by the Prince of darknesse who as he deceived our first Parents with this cheat would put the same upon us You shall be as Gods A godly soul may sometime be dog'd and hanted with such tentations but take heed of parlying with them or pausing on them Resist this devil and he will fly from you This Cerberus cannot chuse but affright and terrifie when he barks in thy ears Believe no God worship no God renounce God abjure Religion Curse God and dye or eat and live fall down and worship and thou shalt rise and be worshipped But take heed of giving the least entertainment to such a thought or so much as to debate them but break off abruptly with Michaels farewell The Lord rebuke thee Satan Jud. v. 9. I have read of a little Vermin in Guiana in the West Indies lesse then the least flea Heylin in Guiana Gage discovery of the West Indies no bigger then a pins point called by the Spaniard Nignas which getting into the least Toe multiply there to infinite numbers breed a bladder full of nits which cause a fearfull burning and itching with intolerable torments unlesse speedily prevented and it hath caused their feet to fester and hath cost many their lives They find no better remedy then to pour melted wax hot on the place which being puld off when cold hath drawn the Vermin away sometimes 800 at a pull Do thou so let not one of these nits rest they will fearfully multiply As the Magicians said of their Lice This is the finger of God so mean a Exod. 8. 9. Creature could never else have caused so great annoyance So say thou when thou â—eest any of these Vermin in thy soul This is the finger of the Devil The hand of Satan is palpable in this for it can have no other father then the father of Lies Therefore saith learned Weems This Atheism is the center of all sins and the Atheist the vilest of all Creatures Therefore when he had compared them with Balaam the worst of Southsayers and false Prophets with the Samaritans the worst of Israelites with Epicures the worst of Philosophers with Hereticks the worst of Christians and with the Devil the worst of Creatures and Beings he saith the Atheist is worse then any of them Therefore saith he let us abhorre Atheism above all other sinnes and shun the company of these damnable Atheists who are appointed for hell and damnation CHAP. IX Of Injurious and Erroneous Thoughts THERE are Injurious and Erroneous Thoughts which men are apt to harbour of God which are ful of hellish impiety These charge God foolishly and horridly with their wickedness Ps 50. 12. the Lord tells the wicked what his deeds were and what his thoughts Thou sawest a thief and consentest hast been partaker with adulterers thou sattest and spakest against thy brother and slanderest thy mothers Son These things thou didst and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes As who should say thy deeds were very bad but thy thoughts were far worse And we may observe that God keeps a Register for Thoughts as well as acts and words and in the day of Judgement Processe shall issue out against Thoughts as well as either Imprimis will God begin So many evil words oathes idle and scurrilous speeches Item So many evil acts at such a time thou sattest there and didst so another time in that place thou stoodest and didst thus place and day and very gesture and company all set down together But above all in comes this talent of lead to make the Ephath of iniquity full weight thou hadst such and such Thoughts of me at that time which is worst of all Erroneous and impious thoughts are as bad as Atheisticall Deus bonus convertuntur God and good are convertible Tolle bonitatem tollis Deitatem take away Gods Piety and you take away his Deity We can fasten no greater contumelies or dishonour upon God then by injurious thoughts to charge God with Nescience the Lord seeth us not Ezek. 8. 12. or with negligence the Lord regardeth us not or with forgetfullnesse the Lord hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see Psal 10. 11. or with supine oscitancy and unadvertence he will neither do good or evil Zeph. 1. 12. Above all to make God such a one as hath pleasure in wickednesse not to reprove and punish it or to have no such pleasure in holinesse as to approve and reward it is the highest and most daring impiety that can be With the Familists and Gnosticks to think all our acts are of Gods acting in us and there is no difference of good and evil or with the misguided Zelot to think to set up his own way by violence and to take away Ministery Ordinances and old duties as Antichristian forms is to do God service These erroneous and deceitfull thoughts are such high steps to all impiety as you can hardly go further For the Gentiles to make a God of gold and silver was too grosse and simple but for Christians to make a God of impiety and impurity is ten thousand times worse There was God represented in the likenesse of man but here in the likenesse of Satan And indeed Plutarch was not out when he said Superstitious and impious thoughts of God were worse then downright Atheism when he speakes of the impious barbarous inhumane and obscene service many Pagans did tender to their gods It had been well said he if those Typhones Cyclopes and Gyants had overthrown those gods rather than that they should be thought to be honoured with such Victimes and Sacrifices As I had rather said he that any should say there is no such man as Plutarch than to say Plutarch is an angry furious unchast and vitious person CHAP. X. Of Blasphemous Thoughts NEXT unto these march a Troop of Blasphemous and hellish Thoughts and they march furiously as the Divels Vantguard more furiously than Jehu like Goliah with his Armour-Bearer defying the hosts of the living God or like railing Rabshakeh with a libellous letter in his hand and black mouth wide open reviling the most High Yet are the seeds of this in every heart as well as other evil Thoughts Mar. 7. 22 23. Out of the heart of man every man proceed evil thoughts blasphemies This case is very sad and goes as a sword to the soul of the people of God They rend their clothes humble yea torment themselves they weep pray mourn and spread out their hands to heaven in this day of sad rebuke and blasphemy These Thoughts are the Devils black Guard and are properly the sin of Hell
conqueror is he who hath overcome himselfe and the first conquest of self is when Reason hath conquered sense and bruitish Appetite this is the Morall mans conquest the highest that the Heathen could go The second is when conscience hath subdued reason this the conquest of the Christian But there is a Third which is the highest pitch of Christianity when the word and the knowledge of Christ have subdued sense reason and conscience Then is soule body sense reason will conscience all made an Holocaust and presented to God to be an acceptable sacrifice and a reasonable service Reason unsanctified is a blind guide that leades the soule into a thousand bywayes among a thousand Precipices The Athenians reason disputed away the Resurrection The Arminians disputes away the Grace of God The Socinian disputes away the Deity of Christ The Papist the merits of Christ Justification by faith and the second command of the Decalogue In short let reason rule the matter and we shall have never a command left in the Decalogue and never an Article left in the Creed Therefore the Gospel hath ever been troubled more with Scollars then with other men And the Lord hath ever found more to do with the wise then the babe and simple one Mat. 11. 25. It is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wisdome of the flesh which is enmity to God Ro. 8. 7. and it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the foolishnesse but the wisdome of the world 1. Cor 3. 19. which is folly with God Solomon saith the foolishnesse of fooles is folly that is with men Pro. 14. 24. But the Apostle saith the wisdom of the wise is folly with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1. 19. Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 1. 21. Their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wise the scribe the Sophy the Prudent The man who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animalis all soul and 1. Cor. 3. 19. reason yea their understanding ratiocinations 1. Cor. 2. 14. craftinesse are all nothing but plain foollishnesse or enmity and opposition to God He cannot take things upon trust by an Implicite faith from God as the beleever doth who beleeveth not because things promised are agreeable to reason or probable or possible but because the Lord hath said it Nor can he obey God with blind obedience as Abraham did who knew not whether God would call him and faith and obedience would carry him but he went when the Heb. 11. 8. Lord commanded not knowing whither he went but he was sure he was in the way of faith and obedience 2. And if reasonings be so bad what shall we say to such thoughts as are without reason Brutish childish foolish irrational Among the evils found in the heart foolishnesse is one mentioned by our Saviour Mar. 7. 22. And the disease of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 21. was a foolish heart a darkened understanding full of vain imaginations If it be the weaknesse of childhood to have much folly bound up in the heart needing the rod of correction to drive it out what a shame is it for those who are past children to have folly and madnesse bound up in the heart which no rod of correction or words of instruction can drive out Bewaile thy vain frivolous fruitlesse childish and unsavoury thoughts Domitian the Emperor would pretend to be serious sometimes and therefore must be private but they who stood at the door could peep in and spy him running after flies to catch them which begat that answer who is within with the Emperor in his private chamber ne musca quidem no body not so much as a fly Oh if our hearts were looked into often might not we be found as Idle in our imaginations catching flies weaving cobwebs and if it were asked who is within in our hearts we might answer no body not a thought worth a fly The Scripture brands all the wise men of the world for a pack of fooles and scores up their wisdome for stark foolishnesse as I said before 1 Cor. 3. 19. and if the wisdome of the wise be folly what is the foolishnesse of the fooles but folly in graine Every man is brutish in his knowledge Jer. 10. 14. and 51. 17. What is he then beneath a bruit in his Ignorance or inconsideratenesse Holy and wise Agur bewailes his own brutishnesse Pro. 30. 2 3. Surely I am more brutish than a man and have not the understanding of a man I have neither learned wisdome nor have the knowledge of the holy Oh what cause have most men with blushing and shame to bewail the silliness and unsavourinesse of multitudes of our thoughts day after day 3. What shall we do with a company of Wild wandring Impertinent thoughts wild wandering impertinent thoughts where shall we commit and shut up those vagabonds or how shall we shut them out rather The prisoners are too many for the keepers as at the battle of Agincourt it was with the English we have not bands nor fetters enough to hold them Let them go as they come stay them not what wild wandring thoughts have we in hearing wanderings in meditation when most serious wanderings even in prayer and while we are looking here and there after this and that vain thought the man is lost as it was in the Prophets parable The heart which we are charged with to keep with all 1 King 20. 40. keeping is lost in the croud and we know not where to seek it Wee might adde to these vain thoughts but of them we shall speak under the third head hereafter and of sinfull unadvised passionate wishes as that a Jonah would I Jon. 4. were dead or that of Israel would God we had died in Egypt would God we had died in the wildernesse This was their old note upon any discontent and their rash wishes Num. 14. 2. 28. came home to them to their cost These were not like those serious and humble and pious and charitable wishes that you find in others of the Saints as Num. 11. 29. Josh 7. 7. Psal 119. 5. Act. 26. 29. But I shall onely adde one short chapter of the hypocritical thought and so conclude this first head of evil thoughts relating to God CHAP. XXI The hypocriticall thought LAstly we may not forget the hypocriticall thought which makes the heart as bad as any other What are we better if we have not Atheisticall Blasphemous or hard thoughts of God if we have low base and dishonorable thoughts not glorifying him as God an heart searching omniscient God There is no greater abomination in the eyes of God no greater reproach to the Church and no stranger monster in the world then the hypocrite is In face and speech he is an Angel in heart and life a devill hath a head of Gold feet of clay and heart of dirt He is a