IV. In What Does This Vanity Consist?
heart engages in adulterous behavior and commits folly. In the case of impure thoughts and other desires, they present images of the false gods we create, which the heart bows down to and worships.
They present notions of fame, wealth, and attractiveness until the heart has worshipped them, even when these things are not physically present.
In What Does this Vanity Consist?
4. Now, let us turn to the specific aspects that reveal the vanity of the thinking and meditating power of the mind:
First, I will expose its inability and reluctance to engage in good thoughts, and secondly, its readiness to entertain evil and frivolous ideas.
Regarding the first point, this vanity is evident in:
(1.) A lack of ordinary and natural ability to generate holy and beneficial considerations and thoughts from everyday occurrences and situations. A heart that is sanctified and filled with genuine grace has the inclination to distill holy, sweet, and useful meditations from all of God's dealings, from the things observed and heard, and from every object that enters the thoughts. It does so naturally and consistently, to the extent that it is sanctified. Our Savior Christ, for example, would draw heavenly meditations from the speeches of others, from various events and encounters, as can be seen throughout the Gospels. When passing by a well, he spoke of the "water of life" (John 4), among other instances. In his thoughts, he translated the book of creation into the book of grace. Adam's heart,
in his innocence, did the same. His philosophy could truly be called divinity because he saw God in all things, which elevated his heart to gratitude and praise. In a similar manner, our minds, to the extent that they are sanctified, will do the same. Just as the philosopher's stone turns all metals into gold, as bees extract honey from every flower, and as a healthy stomach derives nourishment from what it consumes, a sanctified heart, to the extent of its sanctification, converts and processes everything into spiritual and useful thoughts.
This is evident in Psalm 107:43. The psalm recounts many instances of God's providence and His wondrous works for humanity, such as deliverance at sea and the liberation of captives. Throughout the psalm, the recurring theme is the call for praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His wonderful works. The psalmist declares that the righteous see and rejoice in these occurrences, extracting comforting thoughts from them that bring joy. The wise person observes and discerns these things, drawing holy reflections and understanding
God's goodness in all situations. Thus, their heart is lifted in thoughts of praise, gratitude, and obedience. Compare this with Psalm 92, composed for the Sabbath, when, in imitation of God who surveyed His works on that day, we are encouraged to raise holy and praiseful thoughts from His works to His glory. The psalmist accomplishes this, acknowledging the greatness of God's works and emphasizing that those lacking understanding fail to grasp their significance. They only perceive blessings as provisions for their own pleasure, lacking the art of extracting holy, spiritual, and useful thoughts from them due to their lack of sanctified wisdom.
If others wrong us, what do our thoughts produce but thoughts of revenge? We contemplate how to repay the harm done to us.
However, observe how naturally David's mind generates different thoughts regarding Shimei's cursing. He acknowledges that God may have instructed him, and it could potentially be a sign of God's favor,
as He may repay good for it. When we witness judgements befalling others, our minds are prone to raise severe thoughts of condemnation against our brethren, much like Job's friends did. But a godly person, whose mind is deeply sanctified, generates different thoughts in such situations. They wisely consider and reflect.
Likewise, when we experience outward blessings, our immediate thoughts tend to revolve around how to use our wealth to ensure comfort, thinking, "I have goods for many years." Conversely, when calamities strike, we become filled with thoughts of complaint, fear, and concerns about finding a way out. Yet, what were Job's initial thoughts upon receiving news of the losing everything? "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
A good heart is receptive to such thoughts that arise from various circumstances, naturally generating them for its own benefit. The more barren our thoughts are, the more futile they become.
(2.) Furthermore, the vanity and sinfulness of the mind is evident in its aversion to entertain holy thoughts, to engage in contemplating
God and matters related to our peace. It is as reluctant to do so as schoolboys are to open their books or engage their minds in lessons when they are preoccupied with play. Our minds are similarly averse to delve into serious considerations, into somber and solemn thoughts about God, death, and other weighty subjects. People are as reluctant to think about death as thieves are to consider execution, or to think of God as they are to consider their judge. Likewise, when it comes to reflecting upon their own actions, examining the imperfect state of their hearts, and communing with them at the end of the day
(as David did in Psalm 77:6), people are as unwilling to do this as schoolboys are to analyze their lessons and the incorrect Latin phrases they have constructed. In the book of Job, it is said, "Depart
from us" (Job 21:14), as they speak to God. They intended it regarding their thoughts, for it continues, "We do not desire the knowledge of your ways." They would rather not think of Him or know Him willingly. Therefore, our minds, like a troubled stomach, feel nauseated by the very scent of good things and quickly reject them. Romans 1:28 states, "They did not like to retain the knowledge of God." Let us attempt to focus our souls to holy meditations, to contemplate what we have heard, or done, or what our duty is, and we will find our minds slipping away like pegs of an instrument as we try to wind them up, and falling back down suddenly before we realize it. Moreover, you will discover that we try to avoid anything that might lead to such thoughts, just as people steer clear of encountering someone they are reluctant to speak with. Some people dare not be alone, fearing that such thoughts might return. They will readily find excuses and distractions to divert their thoughts from what is good. Conversely, when pondering frivolous earthly matters, time seems to pass too quickly, clocks strike sooner than expected, and hours slip away unnoticed.
(3.) The vanity and sinfulness of the mind appears in the godly.
Although they contemplate good thoughts, their minds will not remain focused on them. There are some things which we can focus on for a long time. Therefore, in Job 17:11, thoughts are called the 'possessions of the heart' in the original language. Such thoughts are pleasing and the heart dwells on them. In fact, we are often so focused that these thoughts hinder our sleep. So it is said of wicked men, 'They cannot sleep for multitude of thoughts' (Eccles. 5:12).
Solomon says that a man "shuts his eyes to plan dishonest things'
(Proverbs 16:30). To shut the eyes means that he is very attentive.
He pores over his plots. For sometimes a man shuts his eyes when he is trying to focus, and so it is here expressed. But let the mind be occupied and busy with good things belonging to our peace, and you
will find it is very unstable! These things should make the mind more attentive, because the more excellent a matter is the more attentive we should become. God is the most glorious object our minds can fix on. He is the most alluring. Therefore, thoughts about him should swallow up all others as not worthy to be compared with him. Yet, I appeal to your experience. Are not your thoughts of him very unsteady? Is it not like trying to look at a star through a telescope while your hand is shaking? It is difficult to bring our minds to have understanding of him, and to be able to behold him. And when we have finally done so, oh how our hands shake and we occasionally lose our sight of him! Also, when we are in the most serious times of prayer and all other thoughts should be far from our minds, notice how many thoughts slip through the cracks and enter our hearts!
Then our minds leave God and go after our desires Ezek. 33:31).
When we are listening to the word preached our minds wander off and back again, and we miss half of what is said! When we are at our callings, which God tells us 'to do with all our might' (Eccles 9:10), our minds still wander. They are like lazy servants or boys skipping school to play sports, chase butterflies, or go hunting.
So, when we approach prayer, Christ instructs us to "watch to prayer" (Mark 13:33), meaning that we should station a guard at every entrance to prevent any disturbances or interruptions.
However, how often does the heart grow weary, fall asleep, and wander into another world, much like people do in dreams! Indeed, distractions come so naturally to us when we are engaged in holy duties that they emerge without our awareness, similar to how excrements may escape from weak and sick individuals. Worldly thoughts carry us away from the stream of goodness our mind was flowing in, leading us into unexpected byways before we even realize it.
(4.) Furthermore, the vanity of the mind becomes evident in its treatment of good things, for even when it does think of them, it does so at inappropriate times. Just as the goodness of speech lies in its timing and arrangement (Prov. 25:11), being "fitly spoken" like
"apples of gold in pictures of silver," thoughts also need to be brought forth "in due season," like fruits and buds appearing at the right time (Ps. 1:3). Now, the vanity of the mind manifests in thinking about certain good things unseasonably. When you are engaged in prayer, not only should worldly thoughts be absent, but any thoughts unrelated to prayer as well. Yet, notions about or for a sermon may readily enter your mind. Similarly, while listening, you may have good thoughts that are unrelated to the topic at hand. And when you are about to kneel down in prayer, you may recall something you had forgotten when it should have been remembered, or something deeply affecting may divert your focus. This misplacement of thoughts, even if they are good, stems from the vanity of the mind. If those thoughts came at another time, they would be welcome. We find that our minds are more willing to expend thoughts on anything other than what God is calling us to in the present moment. When we attend a sermon, we discover that we could more readily direct our thoughts towards reading or perhaps examining our hearts, which at other times, when called to do so, we would be most reluctant to engage in. We would prefer to roam freely in the fields of meditation and diverse thoughts, even if they pertain to good things, rather than being confined to a specific task and confined to a predetermined path.
In Adam and Christ, no thought was misplaced; even though they were as numerous as the stars, they followed their courses and kept their ranks. But ours dance within us like meteors, moving up and down without order. And this disorder is a vanity and sin, even if the thought itself is good. Not everyone who possesses the best part must
therefore step onto the stage to act first, but rather take their rightful cue. In printing, even if the letters are perfectly formed, if they are not placed in the correct order and rightly composed, they will mar the sense. Soldiers should never break their ranks, and neither should our thoughts. Proverbs 16:3 promises the righteous that, as some interpret it, "his thoughts shall be ordered."
This concludes the discussion of the privative sinfulness in our thoughts concerning what is good.
Now, secondly, I will proceed to explore the positive vanity that appears in our thoughts regarding what is evil. It should not be expected, nor can any person accomplish it, to enumerate all the specific vain thoughts that pass through the human heart. I will focus only on more general observations, which can serve as examples of the rest.
(1.) Firstly, the vanity of these thoughts is revealed in what Christ calls "foolishness" (Mark 7:22), which refers to thoughts resembling those of madmen and fools. This foolishness is evident in the unsettled wantonness and restlessness of the mind while thinking. It is like quicksilver, unable to settle. As Solomon says, "A fool's eyes are in the ends of the earth" (Proverbs 17:24). They are restless, roaming from one end of the earth to the other, shooting and streaming like meteors occasionally seen in the air. Although the human mind is indeed nimble and capable of traversing from one end of the earth to another, which is its strength and excellence, God does not desire this agility and restlessness. Instead, He intends for our thoughts to be directed steadily towards His glory, our own salvation, and the good of others. He gave the mind its agility to turn away from evil and its first appearance. Just as we are called to walk in God's ways, every thought, as well as every action, is a step and
should therefore be steady. The Apostle admonishes, "Make straight paths for your feet" (Hebrews 12:13), not turning to the right or left until we reach the destination of the matter we are contemplating.
But our thoughts, at best, are like playful spaniels who, though they accompany their master and eventually reach their destination, chase after every bird and recklessly pursue every flock of sheep they encounter. This lack of steadiness arises from the same curse that was upon Cain, causing the mind of man to become a wanderer after being driven from the presence of the Lord, and thus "men's eyes are in the ends of the earth."
This foolishness, or ἀφροσύνη, is also evident in the disconnectedness of our thoughts; they often hang together as ropes of sand. We see this more clearly in dreams. But not only then, even when we are awake and attempting to be serious, our thoughts jingle and ring backwards! Like playful children who scribble broken words with their pens, our thoughts do the same. If you were to review the records of your thoughts, you would discover as much nonsense as you find in the speeches of madmen. This madness and disorder exist in the mind since the fall, though it may not be apparent in our words because we are wiser. If notes were taken of our thoughts, we would find them wandering aimlessly, without knowing how they enter, where they come from, or where they lead. But just as God does all things with weight, number, and measure, so does His image in us, to the extent that it is renewed. Due to the foolishness, instability, and independence of our thoughts, we often fail to reach any conclusion or perfection, but rather waste our time thinking about nothing, as the saying goes. Similar to ships tossed about at sea without making progress, our thoughts may have been tossed about a great deal but achieved nothing. The same can be said about thoughts in this regard. Just as when someone makes imperfect dashes and writes nonsense, we say they scribble and don't truly
write, in these follies and disconnectedness, we lose ourselves and wander aimlessly. We don't truly think. But—
(2.) On the contrary, if a strong desire or intense passion arises, then our thoughts become overly focused and fixated on sinful objects.
They cannot be pulled away or diverted in any way, which is another form of vanity. Our thoughts and our rational faculties were intended to moderate, temper, and cool down our passions when they are in motion, to rule and govern them. However, now our thoughts themselves are subject to our emotions. They act as fuel underneath them, only intensifying their boiling. Although our thoughts may initially stir up our fears, joys, desires, and so on, once these emotions are stirred up, they chain, fixate, and hold our thoughts onto those objects. We cannot loosen their grip. Therefore, Jesus said to his disciples, "Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?" Because disturbances in our emotions cause thoughts to rise like fumes and vapours. Thus, if a fear is present, it conjures up a multitude of ghostly thoughts that we cannot dismiss or divert our eyes from. They haunt us and follow us wherever we go, as if a person is being pursued by their own thoughts. "The heart meditates on terror," as stated in Isaiah 33:18. Similarly, when sorrow is present, it makes us dwell on the cross that we bear.
Forgetting it would bring relief to the mind, but our passions compel our thoughts to repeat and recite it over and over again, as if they don't want us to forget. When love and desire arise, regardless of the object of our affection, whether it be success, recognition, beauty, or wealth, our thoughts diligently examine every aspect and detail, observing its entire allure, as if we were painting a picture of it.
When joy arises, we thoroughly contemplate the source of our happiness and repeatedly go over it, like reading a beloved book, carefully noting every detail. Our focus is precise. In fact, our preoccupation can be so excessive that it often prevents us from
sleeping. Ecclesiastes 5:12 describes how an abundance of riches keeps someone awake with an overwhelming multitude of thoughts.
It speaks of a covetous person. Thoughts trouble individuals like Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar in the world, as described in Daniel
4:19. Similarly, Proverbs 4:16 states, "They cannot sleep unless they have done wrong." If their desires remain unsatisfied, they disturb their thoughts, just as unruly children disturb with their cries. Thus, what many consider to be free, namely thoughts, can become the greatest bondage and torment on earth. They hinder sleep, which nurtures our well-being, consuming the heart that birthed them, wearing down the spirits. Even when a person seeks comfort in bed, attempting to put thoughts and sad reflections aside, they continue to haunt and terrify. Thoughts cannot be discarded like a cloak. And when people die, these thoughts will follow them to hell and torment them even more there. Thoughts are among the greatest executioners in hell, the "worm that does not die."
(3.) The vanity of the mind is evident in curiosity, a strong desire and itch to be fed with knowledge and to think about things that have no relevance to us. Scholars provide a perfect example of this, as their primary work revolves around this pursuit. How many valuable thoughts are wasted in this manner! They indulge in a curiosity for knowledge, as rebuked by the Apostle in various instances, such as those who pursue "oppositions of science falsely so called" in 1
Timothy 6:4, 20, or "curiosities of knowledge of things they have not seen." Similarly, in Colossians 2 and 1 Timothy 4:7, he refers to the speculative ideas they obsess over as "old wives' fables," since these ideas please their minds like fables please old wives. They are driven by an insatiable itch, comparable to pregnant women who, in their cravings, are not satisfied with what is locally available or in season, but instead long for some unheard-of rarity that may be far-fetched or even unattainable. Similarly, men, instead of finding contentment
in the wonders of God revealed in His Word and creation, venture into their own fabricated realm, sailing there with pleasure. This was evident in the speculations of many scholastics who expended their precious intellects in constructing intricate webs from their own imaginations.
Another example can be found in those who have leisure and intellectual capacity to read extensively. They should nourish their hearts with the Word of God and absorb the precious words, wisdom, and sound knowledge that can benefit themselves and others, building upon their own souls and equipping themselves to serve their community. However, their curious inclinations lead them to immerse themselves in playbooks, mocking pamphlets, romances, and fictitious tales. These are the intricate products of idle minds, which adorn their heads with "apes and peacocks' feathers" rather than pearls and precious stones. One could say, as Solomon did in Proverbs 15:14, "The heart of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness." Foolish discussions and reading materials please their ears and eyes, serving as mere provisions to feed their thoughts. Like chameleons, they live on air and wind, consuming without substance.
To address another aspect: how many others, out of sheer curiosity to entertain and satisfy their thoughts, eagerly listen to all the news circulating in the world, eagerly consuming every trivial gossip that comes from the mouths of foolish people, and derive pleasure solely from talking, thinking, and hearing about it?
I do not condemn everyone in this regard. Some have good intentions and can make good use of such information, just as Nehemiah inquired about the state of Jerusalem to rejoice with God's people, mourn with them, and pray for them, adjusting their prayers
accordingly. However, I condemn the curious itch that drives them, when it is done merely to satisfy their whimsical desires. They are greatly delighted by novelty, even if it does not concern them. The Athenians were known for such curiosity, as mentioned in Acts 17:21.
How some individuals eagerly await events and news throughout the week, making it a significant part of their happiness to study the affairs of the state more than their own hearts or the matters of their own professions. They take actions of the state as their subject of study, seeking to decipher their meaning and preach about them wherever they go! I am referring to those who do not truly take to heart the sufferings of the church of Christ or support them with their prayers when they occur.
Similar curiosity is observed in many people who desire to know the secrets of others, even though such knowledge would not benefit them. They study the actions and motives of others not to bring about reform or do good for them, but simply to know them and indulge in solitary contemplation and pleasure. This is curiosity, and it is a true vanity of the thinking mind, which it greatly delights in. It is indeed a grave sin when a significant portion of one's most pleasing thoughts is spent on matters that do not concern them. We have more than enough things that we ought to know and that do concern us, which should occupy all our thoughts. We will not have any spare thoughts. Thoughts are precious things, the immediate products and buds of our immortal nature, and God has granted us the power to utilize them, to invest them in matters that pertain to our own well-being, the well-being of our neighbors, and the glory of God. Thus, failing to utilize them in such a manner is the greatest waste in the world. Consider what grain you put into the mill, for God deserves a portion of it all. Proverbs 24:8 states, "Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer," referring not only to those who carry out malicious actions but also to those who devise them.
Furthermore, verse 9 accentuates this point by stating that every thought is sin. Therefore, a combination and conspiracy of wicked thoughts is even more egregious. But— (4.) There is a worse vanity than what has been mentioned, as indicated in Romans 13:14, "Taking thought to fulfill the lusts of the flesh." It means making deliberate plans for it. Thoughts serve as the caterers for our lusts, providing all their provisions. They scout out the best markets and opportunities for sinning in various ways, seeking the best deals for gaining credit, seeking advancement, accumulating wealth, and so on. For instance, if someone desires to rise in status, their thoughts study the art of it. They construct their own ladder to climb, inventing ways to achieve their goals, although it often turns out to be their own downfall, like Haman's gallows. If they desire wealth, what do they study? All the tricks and schemes of the world, all the cunning methods of oppressing, defrauding, and outsmarting their fellow human beings. They manipulate their dealings so that they become the winners while those who engage with them become the losers. In Isaiah 32:7, it is said that "the instruments of the scoundrel are evil, and he devises wicked devices to destroy the poor." If someone wants to undermine their opponent, someone who stands in their way and hinders their reputation, they will secretly plot and scheme with their thoughts, using their cunning devices in the darkness of night. They will dig a pit, metaphorically speaking, and dig deep to conceal their intentions, ultimately causing harm without the other person even knowing who hurt them. This deliberate, calculated wickedness is even worse than the previous forms, where sin is devised and schemed. The more planning that goes into sin, the worse it becomes. That is why the sin concerning
Uriah, rather than Bathsheba, is particularly condemned in David, because he used his intellect to plot it. He "took thought for it," whereas in the matter of Bathsheba, the thoughts took hold of him.
(5.) The fifth form of vanity is when we mentally represent or act out sins in our thoughts and imaginations. We imagine ourselves engaging in pleasures that we currently do not experience in reality.
We pretend and envision ourselves carrying out sinful practices that we do not have the opportunity to perform outwardly. Theologians refer to it as speculative wickedness. You can observe the power of imagination in dreams, where fancy plays a prominent role. To borrow a phrase from the prophet, it makes us believe that "we eat when we are hungry, and drink when our souls are thirsty" (Isaiah
29:8). However, I do not intend to discuss the power and corruption of imagination in dreams. It would be better if, as the Apostle speaks of drunkenness, this speculative wickedness were confined to the night. But corrupted and disordered affections lead people into such daydreams, even when they are awake. There are, as the Apostle
Jude puts it, "filthy dreams" that defile the flesh, even when one is awake. When their lusts lack opportunities for expression, their imaginations construct a stage for them. They set their thoughts and imaginations to work, entertaining their impure desires with selfcreated shows and performances. Reason and intention sit as spectators, deriving pleasure as their thoughts inwardly reenact their own unclean desires, ambitious schemes, or whatever else they fancy.
So vain and empty has the human heart become. Our desires and lusts are so impatient, unable to tolerate any interruptions to their pleasures. How sinful and corrupt we are!
Firstly, our vanity and emptiness are evident in this: consider all the pleasures of sin, even when they are fully, solidly, truly, and substantially enjoyed. They are nothing more than shadows, mere illusions and superficialities. The Apostle aptly describes the world as such. It is the power of imagination that gives them a false veneer
of goodness. Like the pomp and splendor of Felix and Bernice, it is termed "πολυφαντασία." However, indulging in these pleasures solely in our imagination (which brings much pleasure to many hearts), finding satisfaction in the mere thoughts and fantasies of them, is but a shadow of these shadows. It is a vanity surpassing all other vanities, making us more vain than other creatures. While they may be "subject to vanity," it is not to the same extent as this.
Secondly, this demonstrates the impatience of our desires, their inability to endure being denied or interrupted in their pursuit of pleasure. When the heart is forbidden or separated from the desired objects and lacks the means or opportunities to satisfy its lusts, it seeks solace in imagination. It creates empty images of those desires within its own thoughts to entertain the mind in the meantime.
Thirdly, this reveals the excessive sinfulness and corruption within us. Engaging in outward acts of sin is comparable to committing adultery with the creature when it is genuinely enjoyed. But what we do with our souls and spirits, defiling them with these imaginations and likenesses that originate in our own fancies, is akin to incest.
These thoughts and images are the offspring of our own hearts.
Yet, my brethren, the mind of man is filled with such speculative enjoyment of pleasures and the reenactment of sins, as will become evident in many specific instances.
First, consider the comforts that people possess and have readily available to them. They love to be alone, to contemplate and think about these comforts. Even when they are separated from the immediate use of them, they repeatedly recount and evaluate their happiness in having them. They applaud their own hearts for their favorable circumstances. It is akin to how wealthy individuals, who have an affinity for money, enjoy gazing at it and counting it.
Similarly, people sum up their comforts and privileges, reveling in what they possess that others lack. They take pride in their riches, their greatness, and their superiority in abilities and gifts. Oh, how much of our precious thoughts are consumed in this manner! Just as the individual in the gospel keeps an internal account, saying to his soul, "You have goods laid up for many years." Haman, in the Book of Esther, takes stock of his honors and possessions, boasting about "all the glory of his riches and all the ways in which the king had promoted him." And Nebuchadnezzar, as it seems, walks alone and speaks to himself like a fool, saying, "Is this not the great Babylon that I have built by my mighty power for the glory of my majesty?"
Not only do people dwell on their comforts, but also on their excellencies, such as their learning, wisdom, and abilities. They enjoy observing these attributes in the mirror of their own contemplation, just as beautiful faces often and longingly gaze into mirrors. This tendency arises from the self-flattery within people and the desire to keep their happiness constantly fresh and present in their minds.
However, when these thoughts do not lead the heart to gratitude towards God and are not used for that purpose, but rather serve as bellows for pride, they are vain and detestable in the eyes of God.
This is evident from God's dealings with those previously mentioned.
To one, He says, "You fool, this night," and to another, "while the words were still in his mouth" (giving no further warning), He strikes with madness and brutishness. As for Haman, he resembled a swelling wall before its collapse and ruin.
Secondly, this indulgence in imagined pleasures and the acting out of sins in one's thoughts is also evident in relation to future events.
When people have these events in view or anticipate them, their thoughts eagerly embrace their desires. They engage in vain promises and expectations of the pleasures that lie ahead, filling
their minds with anticipation. Just as those mentioned in Isaiah raise their spirits to a higher level of merriment amidst their cups, as their hearts think and assure them, "Tomorrow shall be as today, and much more abundant." Similarly, in James 4:13, individuals say to themselves, "We will go to such a city, and stay there for a year, and gain profit." The promise of this and the thoughts preceding it nourish and sustain their hearts with comfort. When people wake up in the morning, they begin to anticipate with great pleasure the carnal pleasures that they have the claim to and promise of on that day or week. It could be attending certain company and enjoying merriment, embarking on a delightful journey, indulging in certain lustful satisfactions, or hearing exciting news, and so on. Thus, just as godly individuals "live by faith" in God's promises (Habakkuk 2:4;
Isaiah 38:16), and as Hezekiah says, "By these men live, and this is the spirit of my life," relying on what God has spoken (verse 15), so do carnal individuals rely heavily on the promises made by their own hearts and thoughts in advance. These vain promises can be classified under the category of vain thoughts, as mentioned in Psalm
49:11, "Their inward thought is that their houses will last forever," and this thought pleases them. There is hardly any pleasure that holds great significance to a person without first being mentally acted out and promised. In this foolish manner, individuals place trust in their own words and promises, and in the end, they deceive themselves, as Jeremiah says in chapter 17, verse 11. They eagerly anticipate the pleasures they are to experience, similar to spendthrifts who spend their rents or heirs who spend their inheritances before reaching the appropriate age. However, when they finally come to enjoy the anticipated pleasures, they often find them to be mere illusions or falling short of their expectations. The experiences prove to be lacking, leaving them feeling empty, as Isaiah 29:8 states, or even stale, with little substance. It turns out that there is often more in their imagination than in the actual thing,
which arises from the insatiable and voracious nature of their desires. Their desires cause them to devour everything at once. As mentioned in Habakkuk 2:5, "He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and he gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples." In a similar manner, an ambitious scholar covets all the promotions that are within view.
Thirdly, this indulgence in speculative wickedness is also directed towards past events. It involves recalling and reliving in our thoughts the pleasure derived from past sinful actions. The mind runs through the passages and circumstances of those same sins, committed long ago, with a renewed and fresh delight. People resurrect their longburied actions, conversing with them as the witch and Saul did with Satan in Samuel's likeness. Instead of drawing lines across them and blotting them out through faith in Christ's blood, they choose to copy and rewrite them in their thoughts, finding the same satisfaction. An immoral person can meticulously study and review every detail of a past unclean act, along with the individuals involved. Similarly, a vainglorious scholar replays in their thoughts an outstanding performance, focusing on the most elegant aspects. Individuals also ruminate on any speech of commendation uttered by others, savoring it. All of this mirrors how a good-hearted person repeats and remembers the good things they have heard or read, recalling the quickness and warm emotions they experienced. Similarly, a godly individual finds comfort in recalling the actions of a well-lived life, just as Hezekiah said, "Lord, I have walked before thee with a perfect heart." This stirs and motivates their hearts towards a similar disposition. However, wicked individuals tend to recall and relive the most pleasurable sinful moments in their lives, extracting a new sweetness from them. Nothing demonstrates more hardness or wickedness of heart, or provokes God more than this.
1. It reveals a significant wickedness of heart, which, when it becomes a regular practice, is incompatible with grace. As the Apostle shows in Romans 6:21, a good heart does not reap such fruits from past sinful actions: "But what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?" Saints gather nothing but shame, sorrow, and regret from those experiences.
When Ephraim remembered his sin, he felt ashamed and repented. Can you, in your thoughts, repeatedly harvest and enjoy pleasure from them again and again?
2. It indicates a great hardness of heart, as nothing goes more against the truth and practice of repentance. Repentance is founded upon recalling sin with shame and sorrow, feeling more grief than pleasure in the act of committing it. It involves hating the very appearance of sin and igniting the heart with zeal and a desire for revenge against it. By remembering sinful actions with pleasure, we greatly provoke God. Our hearts become stained with new guilt, reaffirming and affirming our previous sinful acts. When we remember our sins with delight, we provoke God to remember them with a renewed abhorrence, leading Him to send down new afflictions. If we were to recall our sins with grief, He would choose to "remember them no more." By finding pleasure in revisiting these wounds, we display a delight in reopening the wounds inflicted upon Christ. Finding pleasure in viewing the sins of others, as mentioned in Romans 1:32, is considered worse than committing them. However, finding delight in revisiting and reliving our own sins is even more grievous. Hence, be aware that while you may currently take pleasure in repeating your past sins to yourselves, in hell, nothing will torment you more than the remembrance of them.
Every circumstance of each sin will then become a dagger piercing your heart. This was the rich man's torment and
preoccupation in hell – to remember the good things he had received and the sins he committed in their abuse. If godly individuals here on earth are horrified by the sins of their youth, as exemplified by Job, and constantly keep them before them, like David, imagine the perpetual terror that wicked individuals will experience in hell. Their punishment is partially depicted in Psalm 50:21: "I will set them in order before you."
Fourthly, The fourth aspect in which speculative vanity is evident is in acting out sins based on mere imaginary suppositions. People create and devise scenarios in their own thoughts, imagining what they would be and what they would do. They construct their own fantasy worlds and wander about in them. For example, if they had enough money, they envision the pleasures they would indulge in. If they were in positions of power, they imagine how they would conduct themselves. This can be likened to what Absalom said in 2
Samuel 15:4, "Oh, if I were a judge in the land, I would do this or that," etc. They take great pleasure in these imaginings, almost as much as those who actually experience them. This may well be the meaning of Psalm 50:18, where it is said of the hypocrite, who outwardly refrains from gross sins, that "he consents with the thief and shares with the adulterer," namely, in his heart and imagination, envisioning himself participating in their actions and desiring to do what they do.
Consider someone who is naturally ambitious, but circumstances have confined them to a lower sphere, incapable of rising higher or achieving greatness. Yet, in their own heart, they take on the role of a great person, erecting a throne and sitting upon it, contemplating what they would do if they were a king or a person of importance.
Similarly, take an elderly person who was once lustful but is now weak and lacking the ability to act upon their desires. Yet, their
thoughts compensate for what is lacking in strength or opportunity.
They turn their own heart into a brothel, fulfilling all their desires within it. Likewise, a naturally pleasure-loving individual who lacks the means to indulge themselves will still find satisfaction in thoughts of the various delights they would enjoy. They create a menu for themselves, imagining the perfect concoction of pleasures and the ingredients they would include. Similarly, a vengeful person who lacks the means to exact revenge will still find pleasure in vengeful thoughts and wishes, engaging in invectives and verbal attacks against the one they despise when they are not present. A person in love will court their beloved in their imagination, even when they are absent, crafting elaborate speeches to express their feelings.
In short, regardless of a person's inclinations or the unlikelihood of their desires coming to fruition, they reveal their true selves through their fantasies and thoughts. They depict in their own minds everything they long to be. They draw maps of their desires, calculating their own aspirations, carving out an ideal life that fills their hearts and brings them pleasure. There is no surer way to discern a person's natural inclination than through these thoughts and imaginings.
1. However, firstly, this is as foolish as any other folly, resembling the behavior of children. Isn't it childish to make clay pies and puppets (what else are such fantasies?) and to play the roles of ladies and mistresses like children do? Yet, such childishness exists in the hearts of adults.
2. Secondly, it is also a vanity because a person sets their heart on what does not exist. The things themselves do not exist, even