This is the first and proper effect of that vanity of mind whereby the soul is alienated from the life of God. The mind being turned off from its proper object, with a dislike of it, applies itself by its thoughts and imaginations unto the pleasures and advantages of sin, seeking in vain to recover the rest and satisfaction which they have forsaken in God himself: “They follow after lying vanities, and forsake their own mercies,” Jonah ii. 8. And when they give them- selves up unto a constant internal converse with the desires of the flesh, the pleasures and advantages of sin, with delight and appro- bation, sin may reign triumphantly in them, though no appearance be made of it in their outward conversation. Such are they who have “a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof;” their hearts being filled with a litter of ungodly lusts, as the apostle declares, 2 Tim. iii. 5.
And there are three evils with respect whereunto sin doth exer- cise its reigning power in the imagination in an especial manner:—
(1.) Pride, self-elation, desire of power and greatness. It is af- firmed of the prince of Tyrus, that he said “he was a god, and sat in the seat of God,” Ezek. xxviii. 2; and the like foolish thoughts are ascribed unto the king of Babylon, Isa. xiv. 18, 14. None of the children of men can attain so great glory, power, and dominion in this world, but that in their imaginations and desires they can in- finitely exceed what they do enjoy, like him who wept that he had not another world to conquer. They have no bounds but to be as
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God, yea, to be God; which was the first design of sin in the world: and there is none so poor and low but by his imaginations he can lift wp and exalt himself almost into the place of God. This vanity and madness God reproves in his discourse with Job, chap. xl. 9-14; and there is nothing more germane and proper unto the original depravation and corruption of our natures than this self-exaltation in foolish thoughts and imaginations, because it first came upon us through a desire of being as God. Herein, therefore, may sin exer- cise its dominion in the minds of men; yea, in the empty wind and vanity of these imaginations, with those that follow, consists the prin- cipal part of the deceitful ways of sin. The ways of men cannot satisfy themselves with what sins they can actually commit; but in these imaginations they rove endlessly, finding satisfaction in their renovation and variety, Isa. lv. 10.
(2.) Sensuality and uncleanness of life. It is said of some that they have “eyes full of adultery,” and that they “cannot cease from sin,” 2 Pet. ii. 14; that is, their imaginations are continually working about the objects of their unclean lusts. These they think of night and day, immiring themselves in all filth continually. Jude calls them “ filthy dreamers, defiling the flesh,” verse 8.. They live as in a constant pleasing dream by their vile imaginations, even when they cannot accomplish their lustful desires; for such imaginations cannot be better expressed than by dreams, wherein men satisfy themselves with a supposed acting of what they do not. Hereby do many wallow in the mire of uncleanness all their days, and for the most part are never wanting unto the effects of it when they have opportunity and advantage; and by this means the most cloistered recluses may live in constant adulteries, whereby multitudes of them become actually the sinks of uncleanness. This is that which, in the root of it, is severely condemned by our Saviour, Matt. v. 28.
(3.) Unbelief, distrust, and hard thoughts of God, are of the same kind. These will sometimes so possess the imaginations of men as to keep them off from all delight in God, to put them on contriv- ances of fleeing from him; which is a peculiar case, not here to be spoken unto.
In these and the like ways may sin exercise its dominion in the soul by the mind and its imagination. It may do so when no de- monstration is made of it in the outward conversation; for by this means the minds of men are defiled, and then nothing is clean, all things are impure unto them, Tit.i. 15. Their minds being thus defiled, do defile all things to them,—their enjoyments, their duties, all they have, and all that they do.
But yet all failing and sin in this kind doth not prove absolutely that sin hath the dominion in the mind that it had before. Some-
§22 OF THE DOMINION OF SIN AND GRACE.
thing of this vice and evil may be found in them that are freed from the reign of sin; and there will be so until the vanity of our minds is perfectly cured and taken away, which will not be in this world. Wherefore I shall name the exceptions that may be put in against the title of sin unto dominion in the soul, notwithstanding the con- tinuance in some measure of this work of the imagination in coining evil figments in the heart. And,—
(1.) This is no evidence of the dominion of sin, where it is occa- sional, arising from the prevalency of some present temptation. Take an instance in the case of David, I no way doubt but that in his temptation with Bathsheba, his mind was possessed with defiling imaginations. Wherefore, on his repentance, he not only prays for the forgiveness of his sin, but cries out with all fervency that God would “ create a clean heart in him,” Ps. li, 10. He was sensible not only of the defilement of his person by his actual adultery, but of his heart by impure imaginations. So it may be in the case of other temptations. Whilst men are entangled with any temptation, of what sort soever it be, it will multiply thoughts about it in the mind; yea, its whole power consists in a multiplication of evil imaginations, By them it blinds the mind, draws it off from the consideration of its duty, and enticeth it unto a full conception of sin, James i. 14, 15. Wherefore, in this case of a prevalent temptation, which may befall a true believer, the corrupt working of the imagination doth not prove the dominion of sin.