wonderfull Psal 107. last works that God doth for the sons of men and to draw forth Divine meditations out of all Divine dispensations The mercies of God doe raise and occasion thankfull obedient Thoughts in their hearts 2 Gracious hearts doe extract humble meek submitting Thoughts out of 2 Sam. 16. 11. all sufferings crosses losses and reproaches that befall them What precious praisefull and contented Thoughts did Job raise out of his sufferings But Job Chap. 1. 2. carnall men extract Thoughts of discontent murmuring and complaint out of their sufferings 3 Grace teacheth the Saints to draw forth and distill holy spirituall and profitable Thoughts out of all Creatures that are presented to their eyes When they look up to the Heavens their hearts are raised to think of the infinite glory wisedome and power of God 2 When they see the Sun they think of the Sun of righteousnesse and his plenitude 3 When they behold fruitfull Trees they think of the Trees of righteousnesse that bring forth their fruit in due Psal 1. season 4 When they see springs of water they are drawne to think of the well of lives and water of life 5 When they look upon their daily bread they think of the bread of life 6 When they behold the grasse and flowers of the field they take occasion to consider the brevity and uncertainty of mans life 4 Sanctified persons doe strive to spiritualize all earthly sensible things in their Thoughts They make their fancy serviceable to them in spiritualls When fancy shall present earthly honours pleasures profits to their Thoughts they take advantage thereby to raise their hearts higher and to think thus with themselves What is this to the true honour to those enduring riches of glory and those Rivers of purest pleasures prepared in heaven A sanctified heart will make every Creature a ladder to heaven by extracting heavenly Thoughts It turnes earthly things into heavenly Meditations Here is a large field for our imagination to walk in with much spirituall gaine If a feast be so refreshing what is the continuall feast of a good conscience Pro. 15. 15. What are the spirituall revivements of the Gospel If the meeting of friends be so comfortable what will the meeting together of the Saints in heaven be If a dark Dungeon be so loathsome what is the eternall Dungeon of darknesse While we are in the body the soule hath not onely a necessary but a holy use of the fancy and of sensible things whereupon our imagination worketh What is the use of the Sacraments but to help our soules by our senses and our faith by imagination Sometimes the ministring of some excellent Thought from what we heare or see proves a great advantage of spirituall good to our soules Herein the power of sanctifying grace appears it makes our hearts fruitfull in these heavenly extractions All objects accidents ordinary occurencies and opportunities doe occasion holy usefull thoughts in sanctified soules 11 Renewing Grace inables us to discerne the various times and seasons of holy Thoughts and wisely to suite them thereunto Good Thoughts are then the fruits of Grace when they are seasonable and suitable to all occasions offered by God The dew of sanctifying Grace falling upon us doth sweetly season and soften our hearts and puts them into a true spirituall temper and then our Thoughts are active and addrest with holy affections to apply themselves to the condition of the times and variety of occasions offered for the advancement of Gods glory and the advantage of our owne soules As 1 In sad sorrowfull Times if Gods judgements be threatned out of the word or executed from heaven upon the Nation or place where we dwell When the Church wears her mourning Garment when iniquity blasphemy errors and damnable doctrines doe overflow throughout the Nation in such black and dismal days the thoughts of sanctified hearts are suited and sorted answerably they then willingly entertain Thoughts of sorrow and sadnesse trouble and trembling horrour and humiliation 2 In good and gladsome times when mercy and salvation are wisely and seasonably proclaimed out of the word of life when Divine truth hath a free passage spreads and prospers when the Churches of Christ are in peace and purity c. they are then full of lightsome joyfull and thankfull Thoughts But the Thoughts of formall Professors though they are fill'd with gladnesse or sadnesse according to the increase or decrease of their earthly comforts yet they are not much wrought upon by spirituall occurrences and occasions either by Nationall mercies or judgements either by the prospering of the Churches Cause and truth of Christ or by the abounding of error iniquity in the places where they dwell so they may be free from suffering in their owne persons and outward comforts and their private temporall felicity be not endangered by publick judgements their Thoughts continue dull and formall without any extraordinary impression 3 Grace formeth and frameth our thoughts suitable to that holy spirituall rest that we keep upon the Lords Day which is our Christian Sabbath This is a maine triall of the sanctification of our hearts sincerity of our thoughts when we doe carefully and cheerfully entertain and observe the holy Sabboth with a seasonable suitable frame of sanctified Thoughts 1 The Sabbath-day is as it were the Fayre-day of the soul wherein it should furnish it selfe with new spirituall strength with more knowledge grace and comfort in Gods Ordinances 2 It is the spirituall Feast-day wherein our thoughts should feed and feast upon those glorious joyes heavenly pleasures and happy rest which never shall end upon the precious Promises of the Gospel Upon this holy resting day our Thoughts should be raised up to that rest of eternity that our soules and bodies shall enter into when we shall fully rest from all our labours troubles temptations and turmoiles when we shall sin no more and sorrow no more This is to spiritualize the Sabbath when our Thoughts doe solace and satiate themselves in God our Resting-place and in the Resting-place promised by God Sanctified persons doe not onely cease from doing their owne wayes and Isa 58. 13. seeking their owne wills and speaking a vaine word on that day but also in some good measure they make it the very delight of their hearts and the constant work of their thoughts to consecrate the Christian Sabbath as glorious to the Lord. They doe not onely give rest to their bodies from worldly businesse and servile works of their calling but also they empty their hearts and disburden their Thoughts of all earthly cares that so they may wholly attend and entertaine the holy motions of Gods spirit and spend their Thoughts in holy extraordinary meditations suiting the holy Feast-day of their soules I grant that the holiest men living come short of that height of thought-holinesse and uprightnesse that the Royall Law requires But 1 It is the purpose bent and longing desire of their
the attributing of any of those perfections or affections to God that are in any sort communicable to the Creatures we must carefully mind these two Rules 1. There must be in our thoughts an abstracting of all imperfections that are incident to the Creatures as for example Mercy is in God and it is in men now in conceiving mercy to be in God we must abstract all the Imperfections which accompany mercy as t is in us mercy as t is found in man cannot be ascribed unto God There are certain acts of mercy in man that cannot be affirmed to God mercy as t is in man hath these three eminent internall acts 1. The first is Condolency when a man hath an inward sense of anothers misery and is afflicted in the sense therof this is call'd Compassion 2. The second act is a Velleity to releive those that are in misery though men may want power to do it neither of these acts can agree to the mercy of God 1. Condolency cannot be in God for where there is no passion there can be no compassion properly this affection is inconsistent with men glorified in Heaven 2. God is able to help whom soever he will mercy is in men with deliberation not so in God 3. A third act of mercy is an absolute will of releiving the miserable and this is granted to be in God we do highly dishonour God and make him an Idol if we conceive any affection or virtue to be in God as it is in the Creatures 2. Whatsoever virtue or excellency we ascribe unto God we must conceive Rule 2. it to be in him in the Superlative transcendency of perfection and plenitude that is peculiar to a God for those Excellencies are in God Immediatly and Infinitely the sparks wherof only appears in us 13. The essentiall properties of God are not really distinguâ—shed among Esa 43. 25. Non distinguntur re sed ratione themselves nor from his Essence Gods mercy is himself and not different from his Essence All the Attributes of God are one Act in God 14. Those Attributes that do formally include any thing peculiarly proper to the Divine Essence are altogether Incommunicable as Omniscience Omni-potency Omni-presence Immensity and such like The Image of Gods wisdom holiness mercy is communicable and is implanted in the Saints but there is no similitude of Gods Omni potency Immensity Omni-presence that can be communicated to Angels or men these are Incommunicable Properties and agree to God alone 2. All the Attributes of God considered in themselves and as they are in God are altogether Incommunicable for they are his Essence it self thus God is only wise yet they are rightly divided into Incommunicable and Communicable because some of them do imprint their Image on the Creature as wisdom goodness righteousness c. in which respect only as I conceive they are called Communicable 15. Those divine Attributes that are said to be communicated to the Creatures they agree to them by way of analogy or likeness and yet these attributes as they are in God differ infinitely from those properties that are given to Angels and men those properties as they are in God are most perfect infinite unchangable they are the Divine Essence it self and therfore in reality are all one but in Angels and men these properties are finite imperfect and changable meer qualities and divers they receiving them by participation only 16. The Divine Attributes are not multiplyed in the persons of the glorious Trinity for as there is one Essence of the Father Son and Holy Spirit so there is also one Eternity one Omnipotency one Omniscience Immutability c. The Father is Eternall Almighty most Holy merciful omniscient so is the Son and the Holy Spirit therfore though the Father be Omnipotent and the Son Omnipotent and the Holy Spirit Omnipotent yet there are not three Omnipotents but these three are One Almighty God 17. God in himself is an Essence Spirituall invisible most simple infinite immutable incorporeall self-sufficient c. to us he is all-sufficient gracious mercifull abundant in goodness and truth righteous long-suffering c. Thus we must conceive of him 1 Some Attributes declare Gods own sufficiency thus he is said to be all-powerfull infinite eternall unchangable 2. Others declare his Efficiency as the working of his power Justice Goodness in and upon the creatures thus he is said to be righteous mercifull and patient Object The Scriptures declare and speak God to be a Spirituall Incorporeall Essence and not as man and yet they attribute to God members and humane senses and affections as hands armes eyes ears c. Now the greatest difficulty is to have right thoughts and conceptions of God in respect of these Attributes that we may not by any undue thought turn him into an Idol Answ For the regulating and rectifying of our thoughts and apprehensions about these Tropicall Attributes that are spoken of God in Scriptures we must know 1. That there are divers Attributes that are ascribed unto God Tropically by way of Figure not properly these are called figurative Attributes 2. In these figurative Attributes Metaphoricae attributa Dei sunt quae proprie quidem sunt rerum creatarum at Deo per metaphoram seu similitudinem tribuuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est metaphora qua ea quae hominum sunt Deo per similitudinem tribuuntur we must especiall mind and study those that are Metaphoricall Quest What are these Metaphoricall Attributes of God Answ They are those that belong to things created properly but they are spoken of God by a Metaphor or Similitude for the Scriptures often speaks of God according to our capacity of these some are taken from men some from other Creatures Those Attributes that are taken from men are said to be ascribed to God by Anthropomorphosis or Anthropopatheia which is a Metaphor wherby those things that are proper to men are attributed unto God by similitude for properly God being a Spirit Infinite and Incomprehensible hath neither face nor eyes nor hands nor any such thing but these things are spoken of God after the manner of men and thus the parts of man his members senses affections actions Levit. 26. 11. Esa 1. 14. Jer. 5. 29. Amos 6. 8. Psal 11. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iob 23. subjects and adjuncts are attributed to God 1. A Soul which is an essentiall part of man is ascribed to God Job 23. 13. We must not conceive that God is like unto man as if he had a Soul and Body as man hath for God is one simple spirituall Being 1. The Soul of God is put for God himself Jer. 6. 8. When Gods Soul departeth from men he forsakes them fully and for ever a man may depart from his friend in respect of bodily presence and yet his soul may be still with him but when he departs from him in his soul he forsakes him totally
the root of their cursed apostacy 2. All our actuall sinns have their beginning and rise in our thoughts evill thoughts are the begetters of all other sinnes the first movers and leaders in all evill the plotters of all iniquity against God and man Till these radical evills be rooted up our words and works will be the fruits of sin therefore after the crucifying of the habituall corruption of mens nature the principal work of Grace is to mortifie and purifie their thoughts Hence it is that the first Act of repentance and mortification pressed upon sinners is to wash their hearts from wickednesse that is from vaine thoughts Jer. 4. 14. which lodge within them True repentance begins whence sin begins that is in the thoughts Secondly the strong hold whereby the Devill holds possession of mens soules is chiefly in their thoughts Till the thoughts be cast down and changed by converting Grace the Devil cannot 2 Cor. 10 4 5. be castout Thirdly all actuall holinesse begins in the thoughts habituall holinesse is properly in the new frame of our hearts actual holinesse is that which is acted in our affections and conversations holy works and words have their rise from holy thoughts as the spirits are in the body so are thoughts in the soule they run through all move all and Act all in us Fourthly the new spirituall minde is put for the whole new man for all that is regenerate in us in our mindes wills affections and all the powers of the soule Rom. 7. 25. Where Paul speaking in the person of all reverend ones sayes I my selfe in my minde serve the Law of God Rom. 7. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is evident that the Saints doe serve the Law of God with all their soul withall within them so far as it is sanctified Why then is the minde onely named here Answ 1. Because the worke of renovation begins in the minde or thinking power this is clearly held forth in Rom. 12. 2. Be yee transformed by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renewing of your minde That great metamorphosis or transforming change which is wrought by the new birth hath its first beginning in our mindes for if we are transformed by the renewing of our minde then it must needs follow that the minde is first renewed and by the change of the frame of the minde and thoughts the whole man is changed and all things made new in us 2. Holy thoughts which are the actings of the renewed minde doe act and command our judgements affections eyes tongues c. in a holy heavenly order For as a man thinketh so is he Prov. 23. 6 7. If a man think graciously he affecteth graciously speaks and acteth graciously Secondly I will now show you what are the powerful and precious operations and workings of sanctifying Grace upon mans thoughts whereby we may easily discerne whether we are truly possest of the glorious state of Grace And I beseech you marke this searching truth for a holy gracious frame of thoughts doth far more clearly and infallibly distinguish the power of sanctification from the state of formallity and highest temporary perfections then words and works and all outwardness of carriage though never so glorious in appearance for in these many times is much fraud and fallacie forced feigned behaviours artificiall and counterfeit acting and hidden hypocrisies Outward actions and speeches are liable to the Lawes of men open and obvious to the eye and judgements of all therefore feare of reproach shame and punishment desire of gaining a good opinion for honesty and Religion and the name of Saintship hope of raising their outward estates are of great power to restraine men and to keep them within good compasse and moderation and to put them upon the profession of piety outward performance of duties and joyning to Churches Mens words and works may be seemingly holy honest and honourable whose thoughts are base prophane and abominable But thoughts are the free immediate invisible productions of the heart by their naturall secrecy exempted from mans most privy search and censures No eye seeth these secrets but that which is ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne And therefore millions of thoughts many thousand formes of imagination doe spring out of the hearts of men which without any mask restraint or reservation doe really represent the true estate and disposition of the heart so that from them we may be ever sure to take infallible notice whether our hearts as yet onely worke naturally in a delightfull framing of vaine earthly ungodly thoughts or else be taught and guided by a supernaturall power to compose our thoughts according to the light of Gods word and holy motions of his sanctifying spirit Prov. 12. 5. Righteous men are discerned and distinguished from wicked men by their Thoughts The Thoughts of the just are right Judgement or Justice so the Hebrew signifies but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the subtile devices of the wicked are deceit So in Rom. 8. 5. Carnall men are differenced from spirituall by the inward frame of their thoughts They that are according to the flesh doe thinke of the things of the flesh but they that Rom. 8. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are according to the spirit the things of the spirit This reading is agreeable to the Originall and comes nearest to the scope and intent of the Text. Thus the Syrick renders the words They that are in the flesh doe thinke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De re quapiam serio cogita c. Beza that which is of the flesh c. Thus Tremellius and Trostius doe read this place according to the Syrick That is they that are still in a carnall corrupt estate they fix and spend their thoughts upon fleshly earthly sensuall things and thus Theophyl and Chrysostome expound this place The mind in carnall men is carnall they doe in their mind think of carnall things But they that are spirituall that are renewed and acted by the spirit of grace their thoughts are chiefly spent and drawne out upon spirituall heavenly Divine things If we would take certain knowledge of our selves whether we are good or evill men sanctified or unsanctified we must looke into the frame of our thoughts Every man is compared to a Tree our thoughts are the most distinguishing fruits whereby we may discern what manner of Trees we are The onely way for other men to know what kind of Trees we are is by our visible fruits externall works and speeches But if we our selves would judge of our selves we must try our selves first and chiefly by our internall thoughts The surest and most infallible way to judge of our spirituall estate is by the constant acting of our thoughts 2 Thoughts and imaginations doe ordinarily follow the frame and temper of the heart wherein they are formed and so they are the truest discovery of the nature and constitution of the heart As streams doe resemble and expresse the
THE GRAND TRIALL OF TRVE Conversion OR Sanctifying Grace appearing and acting first and chiefly in the THOUGHTS A TREATISE Wherein these two Mysteries are opened I. The Mystery of Iniquity Working in Mans Thoughts by corrupt Nature II. The Mystery of Holiness Working in the Thoughts of Sanctified persons Together with Precious Preservatives against Evill Thoughts By JOHN BISCO Minister of the Gospel in Thomas Southwarke LONDON Printed by M. S. for G. Eversden at the Maiden-head in Pauls Church yard 1655. THOUGHTS are the First-borne of the soule the Beginning of its strength for the bringing forth either of good or evil Our Thoughts are first made up into affections and purposes and then they are made out into works and actions The sinfullnesse of Nature appears most in the disorder of our Thoughts and the power of Grace in the due Government of them The Apostle James saith He that offendeth not inwâ—rd I may say much more He that offendeth not in Thought the same is a perfect man and able to rule the whole body He is a Saint indeed that is so in Thought The ensuing Discourse containes a learned clear and spirituall Revelation of the Mystery of mans Thoughts Shewing both how the Mystery of Iniquity worketh in the Naturall mans Thoughts as also how the Mystery of Holiness worketh in the Thoughts of men Regenerate And therefore having perused this Book I judge the Publishing of it in Print very profitable for the help of All who desire to study and know their owne hearts and there to Sanctifie God both in shutting them with a holy indignation against all evill Thoughts and in opening them with a holy delight for the entertaining and lodging of those that are Good JOSEPH CARYL July 7th 1655. To the Honourable THOMAS ANDREVVS Alderman of the City of LONDON and President of Thomas Hospitall An overflowing fullnesse of all heavenly Graces and all watchfull preparation for the Glory that shall be revealed Much Honoured Sir IT is the promise of the All-Glorious God to honour those that honour him We honour God when we confesse him to be as he is in himself and in his glorious actings to us All the glory that we are able to give to God stands in cordiall verball and reall acknowledgments The most High is infinitly above â—ur highest praises and perforâ—ances 2 There be 4 speciall wayes whereby God honours men 1 When he raiseth them out of nothing worse then nothing yea from the very depth of hell to a height of heavenly honour happiness and holines in Christ Jesus whereby he makes them more excellent then their neighbors Prov. 12. 26. for all true Christians are right honourable and truly royall they are loyall subjects and a Royall Priesthood they are really the 1 Peter 2. 9. Exod. 19. 6. Rev. 1. 6. 5. 10. lowest yet the highest people lowest in their own sense highest in Gods sight 2 God honours men when he gives them hearts to serve him in a faithfull and fruitfull subjection to his will The service of God is not only our duty but also our priviledge and preferment 3 When he raiseth men to places of eminency above others and makes them faithfull in employing their power for God and piously prudent in their publick deportment 4 But the highest honour shall be hereafter in heaven when all the Saints shall be filled brim full with grace and glory We cannot honour God untill he hath honoured us we cannot give glory to God until we have received glory from him We honour him because he first honours us grace is glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Sir God hath honoured you with the truest honour in Christ and given you a heart to honour him again I cannot forget your holy zeale and Christian courage that you have openly manifested in standing up for Jesus Christ in owning and pleading his cause against such as endeavoured to pervert and subvert the purity of Gospel Ordinances and the power of Religion And I am confident that the righteous God will not forget your zeal for his cause and love to his servants God hath his Booke of remembrance Malachi 3. 16. and Hand of reward There shall not a good thought word or work in his people passe without secret record and open reward Mat. 6. Your speciall bounty and favour to my selfe ingageth me to apprehend any opportunity of due and deserved acknowledgement But that which is the strongest and most predominant Motive to quicken me to this Dedication is your constant holy affection to the Gospel of Jesus Christ his pure worship and most precious wayes Sir My hearts desire is that all the thoughts of God may be mercy and peace unto you that he would be pleased to add many happy years to your dayes and when you have served God your compleat time advance you to a Heaven of eternall glory a Haven of perfect rest a Paradise of all possible perfections through the free grace of God in Jesus Christ Which shall be the prayer of him who is Your Servant in the Worke of the Gospel JOHN BISCO The mystery of Mans thoughts opened 2. Cor. 10. 4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God or to God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ IN the spirituall appearing of the King of glory to the soule the mighty power and work of the Spirit of grace doth chiefly appeare in these two things 1. In discovering the defilement and disorder of mans naturall thoughts 2. In setting and setling the thoughts in a holy order and spirituall frame of obedience The thoughts of every man as they act in corrupt nature are the great enemies of King Jesus they do strongly oppose his Ruling in and over mans soul they sit in the throne commanding and carrying our affections and actions untill the thoughts be cast down changed and brought under the command of Christ there cannot be that constant conformity in our affections and wayes that the Royall Law requires In the second verse of this Chapter Vers 2 we find there were some that conceived unjust thoughts against the holy Apostle looking upon him as though hee walked according to the flesh The false Teachers charged this upon the Apostle that he preached in a low earnall way making use of fleshly fraile helps as humane learning Arts Tongues and enticing words of mans wisdome setting out himselfe more then Christ they cry downe the Apostle that themselves might appear to the Churches as the only Spirituall Preachers That this was their designe is evident by comparing Gal. 4. 17. They zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude you that you might affect them Thus our last translation reads it Piscator and Paraeus read it us they would exclude us that is out of your
without remedy it holds forth the remedilesse ruine which lies at the door of proud men and women who shall be thrown down like an earthen pitcher by the hand of God and so they shall perish 2 Chron. 26. 16. Isa 13. Isa 16. Hos 5. 5. Isa 2. for ever by this fall Vzziahs heart was lifted up to his destruction pride was the great sinne that destroyed Babylon Moab and the people of Israel Judah 4. Proud men fall into the Devils condemnation 1 Tim. 3. 6. It is said that a Bishop that is a minister of the Gospel must not be a novice that is not one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul sayes not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not meant of young in years but in faith Superbia dejecit angelos ex angelis fecit diabolos eisque in aeternum interclusit Regnum caelorum Augu 1 Tim. 6 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insaniens Beza Stephan-Erasmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non modo inflatum sed in genere dementatum fanaticum-significat Victorin Strigelius newly converted to the faith not a young plant in Christianity lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil that is lest he being swelled up with a conceit of his high office and opinion of his parts and gifts do fall into the same condemnation with the Devil Pride of thoughts was the great sinne that brought the Devils under condemnation All proud men are frantick and fanaticall fools 1 Tim. 64. All corrupt Teachers are said to be proud and mad as Beza and others render it doting they are sick of a spirituall frensie the word in the original used for Pride 1 Tim. 3. signifies one puffed up with pride and possessed with madnesse and phrensie Use 1. Let us entreat God to give us a spirituall sight and sense of that deep mystery of Satanical pride which naturally worketh in our thoughts oh what devilish proud natures do we carry about us the heart of every man in its corrupt frame is a pallace of all pride and presumption it is like the Table of Adonibezek at which he sate in a chair of State and made others even Kings to eat meat like dogs under his feet with their thumbs cut off such are all men by corrupt nature advancing themselves to a throne of State in their own Thoughtss saying in their hearts I am the man and treading their brethren under feet as inconsiderable no bodies to them hence the Psalmist speaks of the foot of pride that is of the proud man as the Chaldee translates it pride being Judg. 1. 7. Psal 36. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for the man in whom it is as deceit is put for a deceitfull man Prov. 12. 27. and sinne for sinner Prov. 13. 6. to show us how ready proud men are to set their feet upon others and to trample on them with great contempt thus did the proud Pharisee trample upon the Publican thus did those arrogant Jews set up themselves and tread down others in their Thoughts saying stand Isa 65. 5. apart touch me not I am more holy than thou Let us strongly resist and repell the first risings and strivings of pride in our Vse 2 Thoughts though the predominancy of pride be taken away in sanctified men yet there is still much pride remaining in their natures which riseth and rebells upon all occasions and often captivates their thoughts The grand enemy which doth assault and annoy gracious souls is spiritual Pride whereby they are puffed up in the thoughts of their spiritual excellencies and with a conceit that they have attained a higher measure of grace than indeed they have This spirituall Pride doth many times mix it self with the fairest and most sanctified actions of the dearest children of God and dâ—th soonest insinuate into a heart stored with the rich Treasures of true godlinesse for if Satan cannot detain men in notorious sinfulnesse in meer civil honesty or formality but that by the mercifull hand of God they are pul'd out of the mouth of hell from the slavery of sinne and courses of darknesse into the glorious light and liberty of Christs Kingdome hereupon the Devil is inraged with fierce and implacable fury and doth most eagerly pursue those pretious souls with all possible malice and if he cannot procure a scandalous relapse into grosse sinnes yet that he may in some measure work the dishonour of God and the discomfort of the noblest creatures the two main ends of all his policyes of hell he doth labour to distain the pure streams of divine grace in the soul puddle of their corrupted nature and at least to fasten the spots of spiritual pride upon their best actions and the very face of piety for when godly men by the great work of Regeneration are become more excellent than their neighbours Prov. 12. 26. as indeed they incomparably are howsoever the worlds estimation be otherwise because they are already the blessed members of Christs mystical body clothed with the rich royal robes of Christ his righteousnes and quickned with the glorious life of grace and by the immortal seeed of the powerfull word of God they are made partakers of the holy Image of the Divine nature 2 Pet 1. 4. guarded with an invincible Troop of heavenly Angels they are the sons of God and heirs to a Kingdome of unconceivable glory and intituled to heavenly pleasures more than the stars of the Firmament in number The Saints perceiving their own Prerogative and glorious excellencies are filled with a strange and joyfull amazement and admiration of their own honour and happinesse which the Devil seeing who is perfectly experienced in all advantages and opportunities for spirituall assaults and working upon the Reliques of mans proud nature he doth craftily draw them to think highly of themselves and fills them with swelling thoughts from the apprehension of their spiritual excellencies and to advances above that which is meet in their own conceits the measure of their own graces and vertues Yea after this fiery dart is broken upon the shield of faith yet Satan labours with might and main to fasten some splinter or other even in souls sincerely humbled for sinne thus through that old Serpents subtilty they are insensibly infected with spirituall pride but when by afflictions or disgraces by some extraordinary tentations or particular checks from the Ministry of the word the uglinesse of this sinne is discovered to their souls they for ever abhor it as a consuming Canker that would fret out the very heart of syncerity therefore with much humility and fervency of spirit they pray against this secret sinne strive against it and by the grace of God prevail against it Now seeing this spirituall Pride is so apt to creep into our hearts and to puffe up our Thoughts in the apprehension of our Spirituall excellencies and performances we
shall strongly fence our hearts with humility against privy pride as against a close undermining and most dangerous enemy and the more carefully and watchfully for those Reasons 1. Other sinnes grow from pestilent pernicious roots as earthly mindednesse from unbelief oppression from avarice murder from malice adultery from idlenesse c. but Spiritual Pride springeth from a fair and unsuspected fountain even from the Contemplation and Consideration of the largenesse of our spirituall discoveries our enlargements in good duties and Eminencies in grace 2. This sinne doth secretly wind it self into the hearts of godly men with a slie and peculiar kind of insinuation for when upon the apprehension of their inlargements in grace and good actions they seem to disclaim pride of thoughts they may be proud that they are not proud and that they are more sensible of their pride and corruptions than others are so endlesse are the mazes of Satans circular temptations this is the last and most subtil encounter whereby he surpriseth the Saints 3. There is no height of grace no depth of discoveries no eminency of holinesse attainable in this life that can secure us from the assaults of privy pride and hazzard of surprizall Paul that great Apostle in whom there was a matchlesse concurrence of divine graces who laboured more abundantly than others in the work of Christ and was exceeding sensible of his own nothingnesse in all these and was exercised with variety of all manner of afflictions notable means to keep the heart of man in an humble frame yet lest he should be exalted out of measure through the abundance of Revelations he was buffeted with the messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12. 7. 4. Pride is the most pestilent incompatible opposite that grace hath and therefore he that is most sanctified fights most against it 5 This Pride of Thoughts is the greatest enemy to the glory of God it doth as it were take the Crown from the head of the King of glory God hath declared that he will not give his glory to any other he is willing to give vs his mercy grace and strength his Sonne and his Spirit heaven and happinesse yea any thing except his Glory The comfort and benefit of all the good we do shall be ours but the praise therof must be wholly and solely given to God 6. This pride of thoughts brings temporall wrath even upon the Servants of God We have a remarkable place 2 Chron. 32. 25 26. Hezekiahs heart was lifted up therfore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem untill they humbled themselves 7. Let us take heed how we harbour and nourish this Vâ—peâ— of spirituall pride in the bosom of our Souls least it perswade us to embrace some groundless singularity of unwarrantable opinions and dangerous errors or else it may by Gods judgment draw upon us deadness of heart dulness of zeal spirituall desertion c. which the Servants of God do infinitely more fear then any affliction that prophane men can possibly inflict upon their bodies or states or good name These reasons may justly move us to keep a strict watch over our hearts continually when we feel our thoughts begin to swell by looking upon our spirituall excellencies gifts or enjoyments let us presently crush and crucifie them and sharply check our selves in these words What hast thou that thou hast not received 2. When pride begins to give the least part of the praise of our good actings and enlargements to our selves let us with indignation repell and reject it and say Not unto us not unto us but to thy name O Lord be all the praise Of thine own have we given unto thee in our holy and highest services Quest What must we do to subdue and keep down these swelling thoughts of pride Answ 1. Let us strive to keep the thoughts of our own nothingness vilenes unworthines always present w th us learn to say with Jacob I am less Genes 31. 10. Job 40. then the least of mercies and as Job did after he had been afflicted and came to see his ignorance arrogancy behold I am vile and as Abraham I am but dust and ashes and with David I am a worm Gen. 18. 27. Psal 22. 6. and no man yea with Paul O wretched man that I am Rom. 7. 24. To keep down the pride of mens thoughts the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sanhedr fol. 38. Col. 1. Hebrew Writers present this consideration that the Flye and the Worm did precede man in the worke of Creation That is the most contemptible creatures the Fly and the Worm are our elder brothers at the first Creation 2. Consider that we our selves are vile worms Job 25. 6. Man is a worm and the son of man is a worm T is twice spoken to make the deeper impression upon our hearts a Worm is one of the vilest of Creatures and the Hebrew word here used as one observes signifies the least and meanest of worms such as breed in Cheese and Flesh Exod 16. 34. the worst sort of worms as Lice and Vermine every man is a worm the greatest wisest and best of men are worms worms they are and to worms they must shortly return How unsutable are lofty thoughts to Isa 41. 14. poor low worms 3. Men are compared to the basest and worst of things to the least and lowest things as 1. To the dust which is troden on both by men and beasts 2. To the dust of a ballance 3. To the drop of a Bucket Isa 40. 4. To a shadow which flyes away which hath no entity or subsistence 5. To vanity which is worse then a Psal 39. 62. shadow 6. Men are compared to nothing Isa 40. 2. Let the best and most mortified men turn the eye of their conscience from the fruitless and dangerous speculation of their own worthiness and fasten it a while upon their corruptions and infirmities upon their neglects of duties and many defects in godly exercises and executions of their calling wants and weakness in prayer and inward devotion their dulness and deadness in good performances their Omissions of opportunities of doing good and occasions for the enlarging of the Kingdom of Christ Their cold and sometimes cowardly prosecution of good causes c. and out of this consideration they will be so far from self-conceitedness and high thoughts of their own gifts and virtues that they will find just cause to continue and encrease their humiliation and to stand upon their guard against spirituall pride 3. Let all godly Christians consider that whatsoever they enjoy in spirituall Excellencies beyond others is from the free favour meer mercy of God not from any thing in themselves yea whatsoever gift they have whether of body or mind of honours or outward possessions of nature of grace they are given unto them by the liberall hand of God out of the bottomless depth of his own bounty 4. consider that we are
remembers them and will certainly bring them to judgement examine your hearts are these your constant Thoughts I am now in Gods presence he beholds every thought that I think heareth every word that I speak and takes notice of all that I do may not God take up that complaint against us that he doth against Ephraim and Samaria They have dealt falsely and they say not in their hearts that I remember all their wickednesse Hos 7. 2. all that falshood and prophanesse that flames out in mens lips and lives is radically and chiefly from hence they do not seriously think and consider that God looks upon all their wayes When our hearts are filled w th the apprehension of Gods presence so we walk with God in our thoughts this is a sure evidence of uprightnesse 2. Men are strangers to the serious Thoughts of their last end Deut. 32. 29. Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their last end This shows how averse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are to apply our minds to the Thoughts of our last end how unapt are we of our selves to think of death Lam. 1. 9. which is the end of all flesh what will be our end after death what will become of our Soules to Eternity 3. Carnal men are empty of all spirituall repentant Thoughts of sinne 1. They never think of their manifold guilt by a serious reflection upon their own wayes this is evident by the Lords complaint against the Jews Jer. 8. 6. not one of them would say in his heart What have I done 2. They do not consider the incomparable ilnesse and uglinesse of sinne that there is more evil in the least sinne that men commit than in all penal sufferings of this life and of hell it self 3. They think not of their extreme folly in sinning how they prefer empty creatures before an all sufficient God earth before heaven Moment any pleasures before Rivers of purest pleasures and joyes that never end 4. Sinners never think of the emptinesse of their sinfull wayes nor of the absurdness and unreasonablenesse of their courses the Prophet sets out the sottishnesse of idolaters in making an Idol god of one part of a Tree with the other part whereof they had rosted their Isa 44 16 17. 19 20. meat and warmed themselves yet they considered not this in their hearts to say I have baked bread upon the coals thereof c. and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination 5. They think not of the deadly end of their sinnes sorrows without end 4. Carnal persons are strangers to the Thoughts of their own duty 1. They do not think of improving their Talents Matth. 25. 18. 2. Nor of the end of their being and the great businesse for which they came into this world which is to advance God by doing his will 3. They think not of their many obligations and engagements to love and fear the Lord. It is Gods complaint against the Jewes they say not in their Jer 5. 24. hearts let us fear the Lord our God Now the true cause why we are so barren in godly discourse so empty of heavenly speeches so unfruitfull in good works is because we are so empty of holy thoughts and heavenly meditations our thoughts have a strong influence upon our whole conversation 12. There is a spirituall madnesse and folly which runs through our thoughts when they are like to the thoughts of mad men fools unsettled incoherent full of non sense this is one of those great defiling evils which proceed out of the heart of men and possesseth their thoughts foolishnesse and madnesse Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. 22. madnesse is in the hearts of men while they live from thence it overflows into their Thoughts This madnesse of Eccles 9 3. the Thoughts shows it self in three things especially 1. They are full of inconsistency and inconstancy our minds are full of slipperinesse and unstablenesse in good Thoughts the thoughts of fools and mad men dance up and down and settle upon nothing There is a foolish wantonnesse and roving in mans mind an unsetlednesse in meditating that it cannot fix upon a good object but as Salomon sayes A fools eyes are in the ends Prov. 17. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the earth their thoughts rove and runne up and down from one end of the earth to the other to the first and last parts thereof as the Hebrew words import Their bodily eyes are terminated therefore it must â—e meant of their mentall Eph. 1 18. eyes there is a strange unsteadiness and unstayednesse in mans mind before renewing if it fall upon a good object it is presently off again and runnes out into other Thoughts 2. It is apt to let out the Thoughts after every object that comes before it The mind of man being deprived of that glorious presence of God that it once enjoyed in Paradise perfection it is now in Cains condition the greatest vagabond and runnagate on the earth it runnes up and down the world and cannot rest or settle upon any thing but what is sinfull and sensual 2 This madnesse of our Thoughts appears in their Incoherence and incongruity they are like the speeches of mad men which have as little dependence one upon another as right reason in them they speak two or three words and then fly off to another thing which hath no agreement with their former words how incongruously and absurdly do our hearts speak if we would seriously reflect upon our own Thoughts take notice of them one day and write down every thought as the heart speaks them and then at night read over our notes and strictly examine them we should find so much incoherence disagreement and nonsense in our thoughts such jarring and jangling roving and rambling running backward and forward that we might have cause enough to look upon our selves as Bedlam fools 3. Our thoughts are full of extravagancy and digressions how many thoughts have we every day whereof we can give no account how they came in whence they came nor whither they would they are extravagant vagabonds 13. Our thoughts are commonly unprofitable because so unsettled incoherent and extravagant 2. For 1. Many good motions do vanish and come to nothing 3. We often begin good Meditations and bring them to no perfection they miscarry in the conception There is abundance of vanity in mans mind wasting and wearying it self in childish impertinent and unprofitable Thoughts and Notions Tossings and Tumblings so that we wofully wast and mispend pretious time in thinking Ephes 4. 17. of nothing as idle persons do in doing nothing and thus we become altogether unprofitable in our Thoughts words and works and vain in our affections Psal 14. 3. 14. Mans corruptmind is exceeding fixed and intensive in thinking upon vain worldly and sinfull objects when we set our selves most seriously to meditate upon holy
or allowed by them 2. Evil thoughts against our neighbour are either thoughts with consent or without consent 1. Evil thoughts with consent of will are such as men conceive in their minds against their neighbour and do also really desire and purpose in their hearts to practise these are directly forbidden in the fifth sixth seventh eighth and ninth commandements 2. Thoughts without consent are the evil motions of mans heart against first his neighbour to which his will never gives consent these are condemned in the tenth Commandement the whole Law is spirituall in every branch thereof but this last precept hath a height of spirituality There be two special sinnes which are directly forbidden in the tenth Commandement Thou shalt not covet 1. All thoughts of mind wishes and desires of heart after that that is anothers contrary to contentation it condemns the very first risings of our desires after any thing that God hath given to another though we would have it without fraud or violence as by giving him the full worth of it in money or otherwise 1 Kings 21. 2. The former Commandements doe forbid together with the outward Act the inward desire of another mans goods to his hurt or dammage for as desire after another mans wife is adultery Matth. 5 28. so the desire of any others house or beast wrongfully is stealth 2. This tenth precept condemnes the first motions of concupiscence arising in and from our hearts though not consented to it is purposely set in the last place as conducing to the exposit on of the former precepts which do condemn the outward facts and inward motions of Concupiscence rising with consent whereby they are really distinct from the last Commandement which must forbid something not directly forbidden in the other Commandements Thirdly evil thoughts are condemned by the Evangelical law of grace and faith as may evidently appear by these seven arguments 1. The Gospel commands sinners to forsake their own thoughts and to turn to Jehovah in their Thoughts and works Isa 55. 7. this Repentance is a Gospel duty it is often joyned with Remission of sinnes which is a Gospel benefit 2. The Gospel Word being accompanied with the holy spirit convinceth men of their evill thoughts 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25. 3. It censures and condemns mans thoughts as a judge Heb. 4. 12. This Word of God that is so full of power and life that worketh so efficaciously Heb. 4 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word of God is quick convenit hoc vorbo Dei sed praecipue evangelico Dicebantur critici nomine etiam a latinis usurpato homines acris judicii c Estius on mens hearts and thoughts which judgeth the thoughts of the heart must needes be the glorious Gospell of Christ 1 Because it is the Gospell that is the. Ministry of life and the ministration of the spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. 8. It is called the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jâ—sus Rom. 8. 2. it is a quickning word John 6. 63. the Savour of Life This gospell word of God is living efficiently it hath a soul-reviving soule-raising virtue instrumentally it is the outward meanes whereby the Spirit of Life infuseth life into our dead soules James 1 18. Joh. 17. 17. The Law of Works cannot make alive dead men Gal. 3. 21. 3. 'T is the Gospell that discovers and directs in the way to eternall life This Evangelicall Word is sayd to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Critick a curious Judge and observer of the Thoughts of mans heart it censures very sharply 4. The Gospel of Christ conquers and casts down the thoughts from their Throne in mans heart 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. 5. True Gospel faith casts out all evil thoughts as enemies to King Jesus it purifieth our hearts from the power and pollution of vain thoughts Acts 15. 9. 6. It captivates the Thoughts of men to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. 7. In the Gospel-Covenant there is a giving of Laws to the thoughts of sanctified persons Heb. 8. 10. I will give my laws to their thoughts saith the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus the words are in the originall 4. Evil thoughts are condemned by the concurrent consent of the whole Scripture 1. They are condemned by Moses and the Prophets Gen. 6. 5. and chap. 8. 21. Deut. 15. 9. Psal 10. 4. and 14. 1. Psal 94. 11. Psal 119 113. 118. Prov. 12. 20. and 15. 26. Prov. 24. 9. Eccles 4. 8. Isa 55. 7. Isa 57. 11. Jer. 4. 14. and 18. 18. Eezch 11. 2. Hos 7 15. Micah 2. 1. 2. Evil thoughts are condemned by our Lord Jesus and his holy apostles Matth. 9. 4. and chap 15. 19 20. Matth. 16 7. Mark 7. 21. and 8. 17. Luke 1. 51. Mar. 16. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. James 2. 5. Fifthly it will appear that thoughts are not free if mankind be considered in a threefold estate 1. In the estate of originall purity 2. In the state of original pravity 3. In the apparition of grace 1. If we look on men in their paradise perfections 1. As creatures they ow all possible service and subjection to their gracious Creator in their spirits as well as in their bodies both being framed by his omnipotent hand for himself 2. As good creatures made after the Image of Gods wisdome and righteousnesse at first in Adam they were filled with glorious power and perfection in their spirits and fitted to perform a spirituall obedience to the Law by a compleat conformity of all their thoughts and works 2. If men be considered in their originall guilt and filth it will appear that their thoughts are bond slaves and captives to sin and Satan they are not sufficient to think a good thought of themselves 2 Cor. 3. 5. 2. All the thoughts of naturall men are altogether evil from their childhood Gen. 6. 5. and 8. 21. 3. These evil thoughts do bind them over to condemnation for the violation of the holy spirituall Law so that the thoughts of carnal men are so far from being free from sin that they are free to nothing but sin 1 Cor. 3. 20. 3. If mankind be considered in the apparition of grace in Christ it will be evident that thoughts are not free 1. The Lord Christ suffered for us in soul and body yea his greatest sufferings were inward and invisible that thereby he might satisfie divine justice for our soul sins and thought-transgressions the iniquities of our thoughts and works were laid upon him Isa 53. 2. As our Thought sinnes had the greatest hand in the death of Christ so the death of these grand radicall sinnes was chiefly intended in the death of Christ he dyed to redeem us from our vain thoughts which are the chiefest part of our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 3. As we desire that our whole man should be glorified by Christ we must give up the whole inward and outward man with all
terrour and torment in that siery lake thoughts accusing shall be their executioners filling their souls with sorrows beyond imagination 1. Wicked men shall then study over their sinnes and every sinne shall be as a fiery dart at their hearts Oh that sinners would seriously consider this that though in this world it be a delight unto them to look back and survey their old sins yet in hell nothing will be more bitter tormenting to them than the thoughts and remembrance of them Every passage and circumstance in every sinne which they have committed will then be as so many sharp swords at their hearts This setting of mens sinnes in order before their thoughts shall fill their consciences with innumerable stings of terror and torture their thoughts will be all hell and horror at the sight of their sinnes 2. Impenitent sinners shal then think of the glorious blisse of the Saints in heaven and of their own woful wretched estate in hell 3. They will think of their own wilfull neglect and rejection of mercy offered in the Gospel How they have turned their backs upon the blessed and bleeding entreatings of the Lord Christ and this very Thought will be a continuall hell to their souls yea the very Hell of Hells Oh what unconceivable Torture Tribulation and anguish will fall upon wicked men when they shall still be thinking of that beatificall enjoyment heighth of honour and glorious salvation that they have wilfully and eternally lost The Mystery of Holinesse working in the thoughts of all sanctified persons 2 COR. 10. 4 5. For the weapons of our warefare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Casting down imaginations and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ I Have opened the Mystery of iniquity which worketh efficaciously in the thoughts of all those that are not Regenerate The second great point that now followes to be handled is the Mystery of Sanctity that worketh in the thoughts of all those who are truly Sanctified In this Text this is cheifly observeable That the power of sanctifying Grace which comes into the soule by the preaching of the Gospel doth first and principally show it selfe in casting down changing crucifying and captivating mens thoughts The first and great work of the spirit of Grace in the conversion of sinners is upon their Thoughts I will draw up what I intend to insist upon into this doctrinall Truth That Sanctifying soule-quickning Grace Doctrine which is conveyed by the ministry of the word of life doth primarily and principally put forth it selfe upon mens thoughts For the clear understanding this Truth three things must be premised First That there is no self-sufficiency in mans corrupt minde to think one holy spiritual thought this the Scripture clearly witnesseth 2 Cor. 3. 5. That we are not sufficient of our selvs as of our selvs to thinke any thing that is any good thing according to divine rules we have not the least aptnesse or ability by corrupt nature to think a good thought when we think a divine spirituall good thought it is by the Grace of 1 Cor. 15. 10. God 1. We are by corrupt nature all over flesh we have rotten corrupt minds full of fleshly principles full of pride and contradiction against the Spirit and 2 Cor. 10. 5. Ephes 4. 21. Truth that is in Jesus We have fleshly wills and affections sinfull corruption is as a chaine upon all our faculties as an iron gate that keeps out any good thought or corrupteth it when it comes in The thoughts of carnall men are altogether fleshly Rom. 8. 5. The frame of mans heart must be sanctified before it can frame one sanctified thought as a man is so he thinks and imagins as the tree is so is the fruit as the treasure of the heart is such is that that Mat. 12. 15. comes from it an evill heart cannot think well impure mindes will not admit of pure holy thoughts to enter Wickednesse comes from the wicked as the proverb is 1 Sam. 24. 13 What can be expected from vaine men whiles they are altogether vanity but vaine thoughts Their hearts are alwayes either weaving spiders webs or hatching Isa 59. â—â— Cockatrices eggs they are thinking vanity or mischief 2. If the bent and relish of our wills and affections be not changed they will set our imagination on work to devise satisfaction to themselves for there is a mutuall reflux and working betwixt the imagination and affections Mans imagination stirs up his affections and as the bent of the affections stands so imagination worketh Secondly in our new birth there is healing quickning renewing Grace infused into our soules whereby we are freely inclined to spirituall good thoughts and works This infused implanted Grace is called in the Scriptures the life of Christ or Christ living in us the image of Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ezek 11. Christ the image or impression of his Graces The new creature a new heart and spirit a new frame of heart and spirit put into us it is the implanting of holy principles inclinations and dispositions whereby our natures are made conformable to the sweet pure holy nature of Christ and agreeable to all divine rules in some measure Thirdly this regenerating Grace or new divine life put into our soules is the immediate principle of all our holy thoughts and workes Actions come from powers and are suitable thereunto holy spirituall Acts cannot come from unsanctified powers and faculties living thoughts cannot proceed out of dead mindes In mans naturall life there is 1. The soule which is the principle of life 2. Life it selfe 3. Acts of life These three are inseperable So in the spirituall life there is 1. The quickning spirit 2. The vitall being 3. Living Acts and these are inseparable This new life is an active power whereby the soule is inabled to Act and move towards God All our holy thoughts and works are the fruits and actings of this divine life in us there must be a power and principle of holiness put into mans heart before it can think holy thoughts every thing acteth according to its being an evill tree cannot bring forth good fruit Carnall mindes cannot thing spirituall thoughts These things being premised I now come to the Doctrine it selfe in the opening whereof I must First demonstrate that renewing converting Grace doth primarily and principally put forth it selfe upon mans thoughts Secondly I will declare what are the powerfull precious operations of sanctifying Grace upon the thoughts First that sanctifying Grace after the change of the frame of our hearts doth first and chiefly worke upon our thoughts I thus demonstrate 1. Evill thoughts are the radicall seminall sinnes which corrupt our judgements affections and all our actions therfore it is necessary that our thoughts should be first cleansed cured and changed by Grace Sinne entred into our first parents by their thoughts crooked thoughts were
loose prophane thoughts When rebellious thoughts doe rise within us we shall have this mighty weapon in readinesse to resist and repell them When we feele thoughts of unbelief pride disobedience earthlinesse c. begin to stir in us and to offer themselves let us try them by the word of Christ see how contrary they are to it and we shall feele them vanish away they will not stand to a Tryall This powerfull word applyed will shame and silence them But here some precious soules will Object be ready to object against themselves If this be the property of sanctifying grace to purifie the thoughts Then what shall we think of our selves We feele idle vaine loose earthly impure and impertinent thoughts rising in our hearts continually they assault and break in upon us whatever we are doing and oftentimes they lead us captive Oh therefore how can we conclude that we are truly sanctified when we feele such swarmes of unsanctified thoughts For answer whereunto we must know Answ that there is a two-fold taking away or mortifying of sin Either in its being or in its dominant prevailing operation 1 Regenerating Grace doth not totally abolish sinfull corruption so that it ceaseth to be in us while we be in this world for so long as we have a being in this earthly body the body of Rom. 7. 23 24. sin will have a being in our soules 2 But grace mortifies sin in respect of that overpowering prevailing operation which it once had in us while we were under sin So that grace doth not so take away evill thoughts that they cease to rise and stirre in us but it casts them downe from their commanding power and prevalency they doe not work with that impetus strength and efficacy as formerly There is in all sanctified persons a new Principle which alwayes acteth against corrupt thoughts and never complies with them Vaine impure thoughts will assault and break into gracious hearts but they doe not lodge there they repell them in the very entrance Their coming in they cannot hinder but their lodging they may and must hinder If thoughts of anger and revenge doe break in upon them they presently turne them out of doores It is the cursed property of prophane persons to give lodging to vaine thoughts Jerem. 4 14. Oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee Hence 't is evident 1 That they who give lodging to vaine thoughts were never yet purged from their filthinesse 2 That the lodging of vain thoughts in mens hearts takes away all hope of salvation 3 The first work of grace is to purge our hearts from vaine thoughts What is this lodging of vain thoughts Quaere which is so damning It imports these three things 1 A freenesse and opennesse of heart Answ to vaine thoughts when the doore of mans heart stands open for these vaine guests to have recourse and resort unto A heart unsanctified is compared to a large Inn or house of common resort whose gates and doores stand open for all comers all kind of guests have admission and lodging So the heart of carnall men stands open continually unto all loose lawlesse wanton worldly dissolute and disorderly thoughts which have free accesse but they are shut against holy motions 2 Vaine thoughts are said to lodge in mens hearts when they find willing reception and welcome entertainment when there is a closing and complying with corrupt thoughts 3 When vaine thoughts have quiet resting without reluctancy when they take up their lodging in mens hearts and settle there from day to day there being no reall resistance raised against them How may we certainly know that Quest vaine thoughts doe not lodge within us There be three evident Signes whereby Answ we may be sure that we doe not give lodging to vaine thoughts 1 A resolute shutting of the door of our hearts against them when there is a sincere setled purpose of heart through the strength of Christ that we will not give way to any wicked wandring thoughts though they offer themselves we will not give the least consent to them and thereupon we set a strong guard at the doore of our hearts to keep out these enemies from entring in Vaine thoughts doe creep into the hearts of sanctified men by the windowes of the soule sometimes they break open the door upon them through violence of temptation but they have no free entrance and admission When we are made willing to open to Christ and entertaine him into our hearts we presently cast out all vaine ungodly thoughts with indignation and shut the doore against them for ever And when our darling thoughts shall begin to plead for themselves We have been houshold guests yea constant dwellers with you so many years and yee have often solaced your selves in us Oh therefore doe not turne us out without some warning give us a little longer time c. Not an houre not a moment sayes the sanctified soule yee have lodged here long enough too long within me yee shall not lodge one moment longer 2 It is a sure signe that evil thoughts doe not lodge in us when there is a strong resistance raised up and a continuall warre maintained against them When vaine prophane thoughts are dispossessed and cast out they will strive to re-enter they will raise war against our soules to re-gaine their first power We must therefore resist them with a stedfast faith and repell them with the Sword of the Spirit 3 It is a clear evidence that vaine thoughts doe not lodge in us when their rising and stirring in our hearts is troublesome and tormenting to us and the daily disorder and disobedience of our thoughts is the matter of our grief and humiliation Renewed men have a fore-vigilancy and an after-grief when they are overtaken with evill thoughts their hearts are of another temper and frame then other mens they are more resolute about good and tender about evill Carnall men can wallow in open notorious offences without remorse or inward trouble whereas sanctified soules doe sorrow sigh and groan under the burden of vaine irregular thoughts they are more troubled for a loose thought then others are for wicked works Regenerate persons doe dayly wash their hearts from the guilt and filth of vain thoughts 1 They doe by faith apply the pretious blood of Christ Jesus for the cleansing of their consciences from the guilt of their dayly thought-defilements There is nothing that more moveth godly men every day to fly to the perfect righteousnesse of their Saviour then these sinfull stirrings of their hearts when they feele vain thoughts rising and find something in themselves alwayes intising them to sin and intermingling it selfe with their best performances 2 They labour by the power of Gods Spirit to purifie their hearts from the filth of evill thoughts They doe not onely sweep their hearts but they wash and thorowly cleanse them continually Jer.
4. 14. The house whereinto the unclean spirit Matth. 12. 43 44. re-enters is said to be swept some grosser evills are swept out but this house whereinto the King of Glory enters and takes up his dwelling must be washt 1 From those darling thought-defilements which stick so close to our affections 2 From all unprofitable loose wandring thoughts 3 From every thought that may any way defile our minds The hearts of Moralists and Formall Professors are onely swept not washt they may sweep out thoughts of Atheisme Blasphemy and such like black and bloody thoughts but they take no care to wash their hearts from vain roving and earthly thoughts So then 't is evident that evil thoughts may rise in the hearts of good men but they doe not rest there they will come in but they are not welcome they enter in but are not entertained they will break into their hearts but their hearts are for ever broken off from them There are two corrupt Fountaines from whence evill thoughts have their originall rise That old adversary Satan from without and the old man Sin within both which have a continuall influence upon the best men living 1 The Devil delights to suggest and inject evill into the Saints rather then others he knowes how torturing and terrifying unholy thoughts are to holy men 2 There are in renewed men remainders of corruption which sends out Armies of vaine corrupt thoughts which war against the new man Now whiles the cause remaines the effect cannot totally cease So that the purest souls cannot be free from the rising of impure thoughts Yea multitudes of vaine impertinent thoughts may violently enter into the hearts of good men and much disturb and distract them in prayer and holy performances by their eruptions interruptions knocking 's and breakings in but they doe not lodge in their soules they cast them out of doores with horror and hatred as Thieves that come to rob their soules There be three speciall Considerations that may support the Saints in their continuall conflict and combate against evill thoughts First That 't is not the coming in of vaine thoughts and their passing thorow the heart but their lodging and Jer. 4. 14. resting there which is inconsistent with sanctifying grace Secondly Evill thoughts rising up and breaking into the hearts of the Saints if they doe not consent to them but abhor and repell them with hatred and humiliation and faith in Christ they shall not be laid to their charge neither should they hinder their chearfull and comfortable walking I grant the first stirrings of evill in the mind proceeding from within out of our hearts though not lodged nor allowed of yet they are our sins and must be our sorrowes because they are the fruits and actings of sinfull corruptions remaining in us But when we are carefull to crush these evill motions at their first rising and to confesse them to God in our daily prayers and doe fly to the righteousnesse of Christ for covering they shall not be imputed to us neither should they interrupt our spirituall joy and peace Thirdly Though evill thoughts may break into the hearts of good men and often over-power them yet there is a vast difference between the evil thoughts of men regenerate and men unregenerate There are three maine Differences 1 Evill thoughts in carnall men come from naturall corruption acting in its full strength vigour and violence They spring from a superfluity or over-flowing fullnesse of sin within them James 1. 21. As a Fountaine casts out her waters so a corrupt heart casts out wickednesse Jer. 6. 7. A Fountaine being over-full must have a vent so the over-abounding fulnesse of sin which is in the hearts of carnall men will break out into their thoughts Gen. 6. 5. Psal 14. 2. continually filling and defiling all their imaginations But evill thoughts in renewed men are the issuings forth and stirrings of corruption conquered and crucified and in a dying condition this corrupt fountaine dryes up more and more 2 Evill thoughts proceeding out of 2d Difference the hearts of carnall men are not resisted and rejected with detestation but received with delight But gracious soules maintaine a continuall combate and fight against all corrupt thoughts I grant there may be some kind of resistance of wicked thoughts in men unsanctified But it is 1 Either a meer naturall resistance proceeding from naturall conscience which abhors and fears some kind of black thoughts as thoughts of Blasphemy Atheisme Self-murder and such like or else it is the meer fruit of common grace and temporary perfections such as is found in formall Hypocrites 2 It is a particular resistance Unregenerate men may resist some particular thoughts some grosse notorious thoughts but they harbour sundry carnall sensuall thoughts which they feed upon with delight 3 Their resistance of sinfull thoughts is selfish and servile it is because of some externall misery and dishonourable issue whereunto they lead they know that the strength of wicked thoughts may produce wicked works and wicked works may produce shame and suffering in the world But in all sanctified persons there is a strong constant spirituall and radicall resisiance of all unsanctified Thoughts 1 'T is Vniversall they resist every Thought that resisteth the law of God their heart riseth up against every imagination that riseth up against God 2 It is radicall the frame and bent of every sanctified heart is strongly set against all evill both in thought and affection 3 It is spirituall The Saints resist all evill thoughts 1 Because they dishonour God and hinder the shining of his glory in their Thoughts 2 Because they hinder and hurt them in his glorious service 3 They fight against their soules 4 Their spirituall love to God and his Law moves them to hate vaine Thoughts Psalm 119. 113. 3 Corrupt Thoughts acting in carnall men add more strength to their 3d Difference corruption they increase the strength and activity of sin But evill thoughts rising in good men doe tend to the further subduing and weakning of corruption in them The more they feele themselves assaulted by sinful thoughts the more they seek unto God in the 2 Cor. 12. use of all holy means for the further mortifying of their sinfull corruption They pray more fervently their cryes and groans are heightned and encreased and when they have been overtaken with vaine thoughts they double their after-vigilancy Sixthly Sanctifying grace inables and inclines us to that spirituall obedience and service that God requires in our thoughts it formeth and conformeth our thoughts and imaginations to Gods will and keeps them in continuall subjection thereunto This conformity and captivation of the thoughts of our hearts to the Soveraignty and rules of Grace is of speciall and precious consequence Men will grant that their words and works must be in subjection to God but how few doe rightly understand and really practice thought-obedience â—f we search the Scriptures we
and care of his children of his omniscience omnipresence justice c. Thoughts of deferring duties slighting Ordinances Thoughts against the necessity of circumspect walking c. When these Ephes 5. 15. and such like Atheisticall thoughts and principles of Satans doe take place in mens hearts they keepe out good thoughts and block up their soules against the entrance of soule-saving truths and do corrupt all their thoughts and wayes 4 Sanctifying Grace sets a watch over our thoughts in the performance of all holy duties 1 To keep out all loose wandring wicked thoughts that they doe not enter into distract and disturb us in Gods work therefore we are commanded to watch unto prayer and in prayer to watch and pray We must watch in hearing Gods word set a strong Guard at the doore of our hearts and the windowes of the soule that no worldly distracting thoughts come into take off the attention and intention of our minds in good performances 2 To keep out unseasonable impertinent good thoughts in religious performances Thoughts materially good when they break their ranks and come into the mind disorderly out of their due season and place are sinfull We are apt to think of good things unseasonably and unsuitably to the present service as when we are in the act of hearing Gods word or prayer some good thing that we had heard or read formerly some good note that we had forgotten will now readily offer it selfe to our thoughts whereby our minds are distracted diverted and carried away from the present performance and our good works weakned and corrupted 2 This mis-placing of good thoughts proceeds from our corrupt Natures whereby we are apt to fix our thoughts upon any thing rather then what God at present calls unto 3 It is the grand policy of our adversary the Devil to cast in good things into our minds unseasonably in hearing the word or prayer thereby to take off the attention of our minds from the present duty and so to lame our sacrifice He knowes that wicked thoughts will be abhorred and rejected by godly men but good things injected may more easily have admission and reception with them 5 Grace teacheth us to watch over our hearts continually that we may be ready to give a wise and humble entertainment to the holy motions of Gods blessed spirit There be good houres and good messengers of Gods sending golden opportunities wherein he useth to give a meeting to his Children and breaths good thoughts into them these we must embrace and cherish for as carnall men doe freely admit and embrace earthly corrupt thoughts but they reject and suppresse good motions and stirrings that tend to repentance and mortification so renewed men strive to shut out vaine thoughts but they sincerely desire with speciall reverence and all holy greedinesse to entertain all good motions put into their hearts by Gods Spirit howsoever occasioned whether by the Ministry of the word reading the Scriptures Christian admonition or by some extraordinary mercy or affliction any way at any time they highly esteem all good motions grounded on the word of God they feed and improve them to the utmost with meditation prayer practice If men begin once to neglect godly motions by degrees they grieve the blessed Spirit at length they quench the Spirit God doth often punish mens slighting of these heavenly motions by leaving them to the vanity of their own thoughts and to Satans horrid injections 15 Grace begets a holy jealousie and suspition of our owne hearts and thoughts and this doth exceedingly quicken and strengthen our spirituall vigilancy There is still much deceit in Jer. 17. 9. our hearts so far as they are carnall and though we have taken up resolutions to watch over our thoughts yet sin is apt to break in and captivate our thoughts if we be selfe-confident They that are most suspitious of their owne hearts are least overtaken with evill thoughts because such are much in prayer unto God and resting upon God from whom they receive strength to stand and withstand sinfull thoughts and Satanicall injections 16 Sanctifying Grace raiseth high and holy thoughts for the advancement of Gods glory and the spirituall advantage of our owne and others soules The thoughts of gracious persons are ordinarily working for the promoting of Gods service and good causes for the procuring of true good to their brethren especially in spiritualls for the encreasing of Grace in themselves and spirituall assurance and comfort against the day of triall for the keeping of a good conscience in all things and the acting of self-deniall But the Thoughts of carnall men are all for self-ends and selfe-satisfactions how to get great things for themselves in this world and to be great in the opinion of others and to fullfill their fleshly lusts They that spend their Rom. 13. 14. thoughts and studies for selfe how they may satisfie their owne sinfull affections and attain their carnall ends are superlative sinners they are Masters of the Art of sinning We have an elegant expression in Prov. 24. 8. The man that thinketh to doe evill they Prov. 24. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall call him a Lord of wickednesse so the words are in the Hebrew That is the man that bends his thoughts to fullfill his owne sinfull desires and corrupt affections shall be called a Lord that is the chief and greatest of sinners 2 A Possessor of all wickednesse a most wiced man in whom is a confluence of all sin Lastly Sanctifying Grace puts us upon a carefull constant use of all holy means that God hath appointed for the preserving of us from the prevalency and pollution of all evill thoughts Prov. 4. 23. God commands men to keep their hearts above all keeping That is in the diligent use of all good means to strive to keep their hearts from entertaining and lodging evill thoughts to keep them from all thought-defilement Thus David Resolves to use all holy helps and means for the ordering of his thoughts according to Gods will Psal 19. 15. What speciall means hath God in his word directed us to use for the preserving Quest of us from the prevailing power and pollution of evill thoughts There be divers precious Preservatives Answ that may be helpfull to us in keeping of our Thoughts The First Preservative 1 LAbour to settle a holy Government in our fancy to keep our imaginations within the compasse of Divine Rules Mans imagination must be cast downe before his thoughts can be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Imaginations are properly the operations of the fancy which is a power of the soule placed between the senses and the understanding The phantasie is the imagining power as the mind is the thinking power in man Fancy is that which the learned call Imagination and opinion Phantasia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aliter dicitur imaginativa Alstedius Mans imagination of it selfe if ungoverned is a wild