wickednes of the Imaginations of manâ— heart and here he saith he will not proceed to curse the earth againe and againe by the same punishment because the Imaginations of mans heart are euill euen from his youth as if hee should say I haue once drowned the worlde for the wickednes of mans inventions but if I should thus proceede to deale with man according to the wicked imagination of his heart I must bring euery yeare a new flood vpoÌ„ the earth because I see the frame of mans heart is euill continually Here then obserue that God in the preseruation of mankind doth temper and moderate his iustice by mercie for if he should deale according to mans deserts hee should euery day bring curses vpon him yea so soone as a man is borne hee should be destroyed but God dealeth not so rigorously hee mingleth mercy with iustice whereby the whole frame of heauen and earth the state of man and all societies doe stand That which Habacuke prayed for In iustice or wrath remember mercie the Lord hath performed euer since the flood yea since the fall of Adam There bee three great and weightie causes which mooued God to temper iustice with mercie for the preseruation of mankinde and other creatures first that hereby hee might shew his patience long suffering towards the vessells of wrath as the Apostle speaketh that is towards such as will not repent that at the last day they may bee most iustly condemned Secondly that there may bee a companie of men vpon earth which may worshipe God for God hath speciall care of his owne glorie among men and therefore tempers iustice with mercie in their preseruation that they might glorifie him Psal. 130. vers 4. there is mercie or pardon with thee that thou maist bee feared that is wheras oh Lord thou mightest in iustice throwe all men to hell suddenly yet in mercie thou pardonest the sinnes of some for this end that they might worship thee feare being put for worship and obedience Thirdly and principally that the elect and chosen of God might bee gathered for God in his eternall counsell and decree hath appointed and set downe a certaine number of men vnto whom hee will giue eternall life and for their cause doth hee spare the whole worlde from daylie destruction but when that number shall bee accomplished then shall heauen and earth goe together and the worlde shall bee no more And here by the way this third cause of the continuance of nature must teach vs our dutie to wit that seeing it pleaseth God in mercie to giue vs liberty to liue a space of time in this worlde some twentie some thirtie â—ome fourtie or fiftie yeares and that for this ende that heerein wee might bee fitted for his kingdome when as in the rigour of his iustice hee might haue cast vs to hell in our mothers wombe or so soone as we were borne wee therefore must bee carefull not to despise this long-suffering patience of God but rather labour in the feare of God that it may become salvation vnto vs by our conscionable endeauour in all such meanes vnto the ende as hee hath sanctified for the working of the graces of life in the hearts of his children And thus much for the reason in generall CHAP. II. Sect. 1. The illnesse of mans naturall cogitations THat wee may the better perceiue in this reason the state of man in respect of his naturall Imaginations the words are more particularly to be vnfolded For the Imaginations of mans heart c. The heart in Scripture is taken sundrie waies sometimes for that fleshie part of man in the middle of the bodie which is the fountaine of vitall blood sometime for the soule of man sometime for the faculties of the soule and sometime for the middle of any thing as the heart of the sea the heart of the earth that is the middle thereof Heere it is taken for the vnderstanding facultie of the soule whereby man vseth reason which S. Paule calleth the spirit of the minde By Imaginations hee meaneth the frame or framing of the heart And this is taken two waies of some for the naturall disposition of the vnderstanding after the fall of man of others for that which the minde and vnderstanding by thinking frameth plotteth and deuiseth that is for the effect thereof Wee may take it both waies yet I rather approoue the latter for Chap. 6. 5. the Lord saith Hee wil once destroy all flesh and giueth this reason for the frame and thought of mans heart is euill continually Where by thoughtes or Imaginations can nothing else bee meant but that which is deuised and plotted in the thoughtes of mans heart so Salomon speaking of an heart which God hateth saith it is framing or thinking thoughtes of wickednes Prov. 6. 18. By mans heart we must not vnderstand the heart of some particular persons as of those that liued in the old world alone but of all men generally man beeing put for whole mankind Is euill that is it imagineth and thinketh that which is against the lawe of God From his childhood that is so soone as he beginneth to thinke to reason or conceiue of any thing so soone doth hee imagine conceiue that which is euill so that the whole meaning is this The minde vnderstanding part of man is naturally so corrupt that so soone as he can vse reason he doth nothing but imagine that which is wicked and against the lawe of God The words thus explaned containe in them two maine points touching the frame of mans heart by nature The first is this The imagination and conceite of euery man is naturally euill This appeareth not onely in this place but else where Rom. 8. 5. The wisdome of the flesh is not an enemie but emnitie against God Againe such as the fountaine is such are the streames that flowe thence But our minde and vnderstanding the fountaine of our thoughts is by nature sinfull To the impure their mindes and consciences are defiled And againe of our selues we are not able to thinke a good thought and therefore the thoughtes that come from thence must needes also bee corrupt Mans imagination stands in thoughts the vnderstanding deviseth by thinking And these thoughts of the Imagination are all naturally wicked from the heart saith Christ proceede evill thoughts and Salomon saith the thoughts of the wicked as all men are by nature are an abhom nation to the Lord. Sect. 2. Howe the naturall thoughts of man may be knowne Seeing that naturall Imagination is practised by euill thoughtes wee must something consider of the naturall thoughts of man And herein handle these two poynts Fâ—rst whether the thoughtes of man may bee knowne secondly what the naturall thoughts of man be For the first there are two waies to knowe mans thoughts either directly without meanes or indirectly by meanes The first way is proper to God alone for no creature in
hath not true repentance in his heart Thirdly we must seeke to reforme our minde of euill thoughts this is a further matter then reformation of life And it is expressely commanded by the holy ghost Be ye renued in the spirit of your minds that is in the most inward and secret part of your soules euen where the thoughts and imaginations are framed and cōceiued This duty must be remembred for Christian religion consisteth not in outward shewes and behauiour though thereby we may giue comfortable testimony of Gods inward graces but it standes principally in the mind and in the heart which must therefore be reformed with the powers and faculties thereof CHAP. VIII Rules for the reformation of our euill thoughts Sect. 1. Our thoughts must be brought into obedience to God FOr the reformation of our thoughts sundrie rules must be obserued first That we bring all our thoughts into the obedience of God Euery man will grant that words and actions must be in subiection but I say further euery thought in the mind must be conceiued in obedience to God and no otherwaies Salomon saith establish thy thoughts by counsell which may admit this meaning that a man must not conceiue a thought in his minde vnlesse he haue counsell and warrant from the word of God so to thinke And S. Paul saith The weapons of our warrefare speaking of the preaching of the gospell are not carnall but mightie through God to throw downe holds casting downe the Imaginations and every thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ giuing vs to vnderstand that those who submit themselues to the ministrie of the word must be of this mind not onely to be conformable therevnto in word and action but in every thought of their minde euen those must bowe the knee to Christ howsoeuer with men we say thought is free yet with God it is not so And indeed he which hath effectually receiued the grace of Christ will endeauour to yeild obedience as well in thought as in word and action Whatsoeuer things are true saith Paul Whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust pure and pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise he saith not onely doe these things but thinke on these things where the commandement is plaine that a mans thoughts must be holy pure iust and of such things as are praiseworthy and of good report that so they may be conceiued in obedience to God Sect. 2. Of the guarding of our hearts The second rule for the reformation of our thoughts is giuen by Salomon keepe or countergard thy heart aboue all watch and ward that is guard and keepe thy heart more thē any thing that is watched or guarded whether citie house treasure or such like and the reason adioyned sheweth the necessities of the rule for out of it come the issues of life In the right guarding of the heart three duties must be performed first we must couenant with our outward senses resoluing fully with our selues by Gods grace that none of them shal be the instruments the beginning or occasion of any sinne in heart or life This couenant Iob made with his eies not to looke vpon a maid to lust after her And David prayed the Lord to direct and keepe his eies from beholding vanitie Now looke how these holy men dealt with their eyes so must wee proportionably deale for all the outward senses of our body bynding them all after their example from being the meanes of prouocation to any sinne This dutie is most necessarie for the outward senses be the doores windowes of the soule and vnlesse good care be had thereto the deuill will enter in by them and fill the soule with all corruption Secondly we must obserue our euill thoughts and at their first arysing stop and restraine them not suffering them to take any place in our hearts this is a speciall meanes to preserue and guard the heart for frō the thoughts proceede all bad desires corrupt affections euill words actions the minde must first conceiue before the will can desire or the affections bee delighted or the members of the bodie practise any thing so that whatsoeuer is of a loose life and bad behauiour it commeth from the prophanesse of his heart in evill thoughts neither can it bee hoped that any man should reforme his life that will not guard his heart and keepe his mind from wicked imaginations the deuill cannot worke his will vpon mans affections or preuaile ouer mans will but by thoughts therefore it is necessarie that the first motions of euill in the minde bee restrayned at the beginning Thirdly wee must with all care cherish and maintaine every good motion of Gods spirit that is caused in vs by the ministerie of the word or by the aduise of Gods children for these are the sparkes and flames of grace which Paul meaneth when he saith quench not the spirit Sect. 3. Of the eleuation of the heart to God Thirdly for the reformation of our thoughts wee must often vse eleuation of minde and heart to heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father Thus did Dauid vnto thee oh Lord doe I lift vp my soule And Paule saying of himselfe other Christians that they had their conversation in heauen signifieth thus much that not onely their studies and meditations but also their dealings in the worlde were heauenly S. Iames bids vs drawe neere to God nowe which way should a poore wretch here below drawe neere to God but by lifting vp his heart to the throne of grace in heauen that so God in mercie may drawe neere vnto him by grace The Lord hath instituted in his Church the vse of his last supper wherein the giuing and receiuing of bread and wine doth represent and seale vp vnto vs our communion and participation of the bodie and blood of Christ giuen for our redemption Now the principall action on our behalfe therein required is this Eleuation of the heart vnto God as well for the contemplation of Gods infinite mercie in Christ of Christs endlesse loue to vs as for the application of his merits to our owne soules by the hand of faith as also for the spirituall resignation of ourselues in soules and bodies by way of thankfulnes to him that hath redeemed vs. Further touching this Eleuation wee must remember that it ought to be our continuall and ordinarie action vnto God for as it is with him that keepes a clocke vnlesse hee doe euery day winde vp the weights which are alwaies going downeward the clocke will stand so it fareth with vs our hearts are euer drawing towards the earth and the thinges heere below by reason of that bodie of sinne which hangeth on so fast and presseth downe and
therefore wee must endeauour by Gods grace continually to lift them vp to heauen The Apostle bids vs pray continually not that wee should doe nothing else but pray but his meaning is that wee should euery day and euery part of the day so oft as iust occasion is offered lift vp our hearts vnto God But of all other there be three especiall times wherein wee must vse this heauenly Elevation first in the morning by prayer thankesgiuing or both before the cogitations of any earthly affaires come into our mindes that so we may giue vnto God the first fruits of our thoughts euery day Secondly in the euening before wee lay downe our bodies to rest for who knoweth when hee layeth himselfe downe to sleepe whether euer hee shall rise againe aliue Thirdly at any other time of the day wherein wee receiue any blessing from God temporall or spirituall or doe feele our selues to stand in neede of any of his gifts or graces for seeing euery good gift comes from him is it not reason we should giue this glorie to his name to lift vppe our hearts to his throne of grace whensoeuer wee receiue or expect the same from his bountifull hand Sect. 5. Of the assurance of our particular reconciliation with God Fourthly for the reformation of our thoughts we must labour to be assured in our hearts by Gods spirite of our particular reconciliatioÌ„ with God in Christ. This is that knowledge of the loue of God which passeth knowledge for which Paule bowed his knees vnto the father of our Lord Iesus Christ in the behalfe of the Ephesians in regarde hereof Paul estemed al things losse yea to bee drosse and donge Nowe when this assurance is settled in our hearts it will purifie not onely the will and affections but also the first motions and thoughts of our mindes Hee that hath in himselfe this hope saith S. Iohn purifieth himselfe as God is pure For when a man shall bee truly perswaded in his heart that of a vile sinner euen the child of wrath he is made the child of God and a vessell of honour acceptable to God enioying his loue and fauour in Christ then will hee reason thus with himselfe hath God of his endlesse mercie vouchsafed to receiue mee into his grace and fauour that otherwaies should haue beene a fyrebrand of hell for euermore oh then howe should I suffer my minde my will and affections to bee any longer the instruments of sin whereby I shall displease so gratious a God and cast my selfe out of his loue and fauour nay but I will imploy my soule which hee hath redeemed with all the powers and faculties thereof as weapons of righteousnes for the aduancement of his glorie Sect. 5. Of spirituall consideration Lastly if wee would reforme our thoughts wee must giue our selues to spirituall consideration or meditation By Spirituall consideration I meane any action of the minde renued and sanctified whereby it doth seriously thinke on those things which may further saluation This consideration I call spirituall to distinguish it from earthly plotting care whereby naturall men shew themselues wise prouident for the thinges of this life though in the matters of God which concerne saluation they bee blinde and ignorant Also I adde it must be an action of a minde renued and sanctified because the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God they seeme foolishnes vnto him and therefore he cannot giue his minde vnto them Nowe the excellent vse of this rule will plainly appeare by the fruitfull practise of it in the Prophet Dauid for what was more vsuall with him then spirituall and heauenly meditation sometime vpon God himselfe sometime on the workes of God sometime on his owne waies and continually on Gods word now sanctifying this dutie by praier as it is plaine hee did continually Psal. 19. 14. Let the meditation of my heart oh Lord bee acceptable in thy sight hence it came to passe that hee professed an hatred vnto vaine inuentions which are the proper effects of an vnreformed minde and on the contrarie by this godly practise he got more vnderstanding theÌ„ his teachers yea hee attained to this excellent state of a renued minde that his raines whereby hee meanes the most secret part of his soule taught him in the night season And in reason wee may perceiue the truth heereof for seeing contraries doe mutually expell one another what can be more effectuall to purge the minde of euill thoughts then to exercise the same with spirituall considerations for when through the blessing of God these shall take place the other must needes bee gone in regarde whereof it shall not be amisse somewhat to insist in the handling of them CHAP. IX Of spirituall consideration concerning God Sect. 1. Of the consideration of Gods presence SPirituall considerations seruing for the reformation of our thoughts doth either concerne God or our selues That which concerneth God containeth many branches but I will insist in foure especially First touching Gods presence wherby a man doth thinke and so resolue himselfe that wheresoeuer he is he stands before God and that all his thoughts wordes and deedes are naked in Gods sight Dauids heart was filled with this consideration when he penned the 139. psalme for that whole psalme from the beginning to the ende serueth to expresse this holy cogitation of Gods presence the like impression must wee labour to haue in our hearts touching Gods presence for it is the most notable meanes to cleanse the heart from euill thoughts to restraine the will and affections from wicked delights and to keepe in order the whole man causing him to stand in the awe of Gods commandements Dauid saith The feare of the Lord is cleane meaning thereby that that man which hath the feare of God in his heart arising from this consideration of Gods presence hath a cleane and pure heart This consideration also is a notable meanes of comfort in the time of trouble and danger hence David saith â—hough I walke through the valley of the shaddow of death I will feare none euill for the Lord is with me and hence it was that he would not be afraid for tenne thousand of the people that should rise vp against him Sect. 2. The consideration of Gods iudgements The second consideration touching God is of his iudgements not onely those which were done of old and are recorded in the Scripture or other histories but euen his late iudgements which wee behold or heare to fall vpon Kingdomes Townes particular houses and persons must we carefully lay vnto our hearts Of the want hereof the Lord complaineth among his people saying The whole land lieth wast because no man setteth his minde on it giuing vs to vnderstand that the neglect of due consideration of Gods iudgement brought desolation to the whole land and therefore the want therof is a maine and grieuous sinne
chastened vs. for our profit that wee might bee partakers of his holines Hee might haue left vs comfortles vnder the reproch of the wicked but hee hath vouchsafed vs his spirit for our euerlasting comforter Thus must we dulie consider of all these wonderfull workes of God towardes vs and not like the men of this world thinke on nothing but pastimes honours and commodities This will bee a notable meanes to keepe our hearts from euill thoughtes for whose heart will not relent towards his God that so many waies hath tasted of his bountie towardes him yea this consideration will bee an exceeding stay and comfort to our soules in the daie of trouble and distresse so Salomon saith Beholde the worke of God and in the day of affliction consider A naturall man cannot away with trouble if sorrowes encrease vpon him hee is readie to make away himselfe which comes of this that he can not consider the workes of God for he that can rightly meditate on Gods goodnesse towards him in all his workes shall be able with patience to support his soule vnder the greatest crosse A practise heereof we may see in Dauid who being in a most greeuous temptation so as he cried out Is the Lords mercie cleane gone hath he forgotten to be mercifull c. Did yet recouer himselfe by the consideration of Gods former workes of mercie and of his wonders of old whereof he had experience in his owne person CHAP. X. Of spirituall considerations which concerne our selues Sect. 5. The consideration of our owne personall sinnes THe considerations which respect our selues are six First we must cōsider our owne personall sinnes as well the corruptions of our hearts as the actuall Transgressions of our liues This was Dauids practise I considered my waies saith hee and turned my feete into thy testimonies The Iewes likewise in their great affliction stirred vp themselues to this dutie saying one to another come let vs search and trie our waies and turne againe vnto the Lord. In this consideration of our sinnes wee must doe three things First seriouslly call to minde in what manner wee haue sinned whether of ignorance or of knowledge of weaknesse through infirmitie or of wilfulnesse through presumption Secondly we must dulie waighe the greatnes of our particular sinnes euen of the least of them remembring this that by euery sinne wee commit Gods infinite maiestie is displeased and his iustice violated Thirdly wee must consider the number of our sinnes which wee shall neerest attaine vnto by searching out our Thoughts our wills affections our words actions all which being diligently obserued will make vs crie out that they bee in number as the haires of our head and the sands by the Sea-shoare Quest. But what if a man haue truely repented him of his sinnes must he still vse this cōsideration of them Answ. Yes verily although he bee assured of the pardon of them so did Dauid after Nathan tould him thy sinnes are forgiuen hee penned the 51. Psalme and when hee was high in Gods fauour he prayed still for the pardon of the sinnes of his youth for howsoeuer God in mercie put our sinnes out of his remembrāce vpon our true repentance yet we must neuer put them out of our remembrance so long as we liue in this world because the consideration of them though they bee pardoned is a notable meanes both to mooue vs to renewe our repentance and also to make vs watchfull against sinne in time to come Sect. 2. Of mans miserie through his sinnes Secondly wee must consider the miserie into which euery one is plunged by nature through Adams fall and his owne sinnes This was Iobs meditation saying Man that is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue he is full of miserie and so goeth on most notably describing the miserie of man yea this was Salomons consideration in the whole book of Ecclesiastes from the beginning to the end Nowe that this consideration may take place in our hearts wee must enter into a particular view of this our naturall miserie the principall branches whereof bee these first a separation from all fellowship with God for as Isai saith Our sinnes haue separated betweene God and vs and this is the speciall part of mans miserie Secondly societie and fellowship with the damned spirits the deuill and all his angels standing in this that man by nature beareth the image of the deuill and withall performeth seruice vnto him in the practise of lying iniustice crueltie and all manner of sinne Thirdly all manner of calamities in this life as ignominie in good name paines and diseases in the bodie losses and damages in friends and in all temporall blessings whatsoeuer Fourthly the horrour of a guiltie conscience which is in it selfe the beginning of hell torments for it is our accuser vnto God our Iudge to giue sentence against vs and the very hang-man of our soules to condemne vs eternally Fiftly the second death which is the full apprehension of the eternall furie of Gods wrath both in bodie and soule eternally This consideration must be often vsed of euery man to mooue him to repentance and it is very effectuall thereunto for if we doe but consider howe a man for the paine of one tooth will be so grieued that hee could wish with all his heart to be out of the worlde that his paine were ended oh then how great shal we think the apprehension of the full wrath of God to bee seazing not vpon one little member but vpon the whole man both bodie and soule that for euer No tongue can expresse nay no heart can conceiue the greatnes of this terrour and therefore it must be an occasion both to beginne and encrease true repentance in vs dailie Sect. 3. Of our owne particular temptations Thirdly wee must consider our owne particular Temptations wherewith wee are most assaulted through the malice of Sathan and our owne corruption Bee sober and watch saith Peter for your aduersarie the deuill goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whome he may deuoure This was Paules practise towards the incestuous man whom hee had enioyned to bee excommunicate for after he heard of his repentance hee gaue direction that hee should bee receiued into the Church againe least hee were swallowed vp of ouer much heauines and so Sathan should circumvent them for saith hee wee are not ignorant of his enterprises If forraigne enemies should seeke the inuasion of our land not onely our magistrates but euerie ordinarie man well affected to his Countrey would bethinke himselfe what coast were the weakest that thether present defence might bee sent to keep out the enemies euen so seeing the deuill doth assault vs daily wee must enter into serious consideration of our thoughts wills and affections and see in what part we bee most weake and in what inclination Satan may most easily preuaile against vs which we shall best espie by