Evil thoughts —
[The very ' ' thoughts of our hearts are all naked and open before God," and he regards them as infallible marks of the state of our souls. Those thoughts indeed which are rejected instantly with indignation, do not leave any stain upon the soul ; but those which are in the least degree harboured and indulged, most assuredly defile us. We are told that " the very thought of foolishness is sin1." And Simon Magus was exhorted to " pray that the thought of his heart might be for- given himk." Indeed it is but a small part of the wickedness of the heart that discovers itself by words and actions. All sin is first conceived in the imagination ; and much lies buried there for want of an opportunity to break forth. Who can number the proud, the impure, the uncharitable, the revengeful, the unbelieving, and the " vain thoughts that often lodge in the soul ?" or who can estimate the guilt which we contract by means of them ? It is worthy of remark, that these are the very things whereby our Lord himself says that the heart is defiled1. And these are the things which, when brought
f Matt. xii. 30. s Prov. xiv. 30. h Jude, ver. 14 — 16.
» Prov. xxiv. 9. k Acts viii. 22. > ver. 21 — 23.
to maturity, fill the world with adulteries, murders, and all manner of abominations"1.]
The very peculiar manner in which this truth is delivered by our Lord, leads us to shew,
II. The importance of understanding and knowing this distinction —
Our Lord " called all the people unto him ;" he addressed them not only collectively, but, as it were, individually, " every one." He repeated his exhorta- tion, " Hearken, and understand ;" and lastly, he confirmed it with a very emphatical admonition, " He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Now the reason of all this solemnity will appear, if we con- sider, that on the clear knowledge of this truth depends our knowledge of every thing that is impor- tant in religion. Without it we cannot know,
1 . The extent of our own depravity —
[While we think that our defilement arises principally from outward actions, we shall entertain a good opinion of ourselves. If we have been kept from flagrant transgressions, we shall be, like Paul in his unconverted state, " alive without the law." But if the spirituality of the commmandment, and our deviations from the line of duty, be made to appear to us, we like him shall " die," that is, we shall see ourselves dead in trespasses and sins". Knowing the depravity of our own hearts, we shall be willing to humble ourselves before God as undone sinners; we shall cry like Job, " Behold, I am vile; I repent, and abhor myself in dust and ashes. Now till we be thus brought to lothe ourselves, we have no genuine repentance. We must therefore learn wherein spiritual defilement consists, if ever we would have the guilt of it removed from our souls; for, except we repent, we must perish.]
2. The impossibility of cleansing ourselves —
[The lopping off a few branches of sin is no more than what an unregenerate person may do. While therefore he supposes that all his defilement consists in those, he will be depending on his own strength. But our disorder is far beyond any remedy of our own prescription : " The whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint:" " Every imagination of the thoughts of our hearts has been only evil continually." We must, therefore, become entire new creatures: "Old things
m Jam. iv. 1. n Rom. vii. 9.