Sinfulness of sin - Venning - XI - Section 4 continued

Required reading
Sinfulness of sin by Ralph Venning (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example). Continue reading Section 4 by beginning Point 4, 'Exhortation and Counsel', up to (but not including) the part  headed '2. A warning against sinful words.'

My summary
Today we continue Venning's section about the application and usefulness of the doctrine of sin's sinfulness by hearing Venning's exhortations and counsel.

Venning counsels us to repent, believe the gospel, sin no more and take heed of living in any sin (in thought, word or deed).

Today's reading only took as far as looking at sinful thoughts.  Subsequent readings will deal with sinful words and deeds.

Firstly Venning taught us about sinful thoughts:
(i) Sinful thoughts defile a man.
(ii) Sinful thoughts are an abomination in the sight of God.
(iii) Thought-sins are root-sins and the roots of all other sins.
(iv) If we had no other sins to be pardoned, yet we must beg pardon for sinful thoughts.
(v) It is the great design of the Gospel to bring thoughts to the obedience of Christ Jesus.
(vi) Conversion begins, is carried on and is completed in the hearts and thoughts of men.
(vii) God keeps an account of, and will call us to account for thoughts as well as for words and actions.

Then Venning told us ways to conquer sinful thoughts:
(i) Humbly make your address and supplication to God.
(ii) Hide the Word of God in your heart that you may not sin against him.
(iii) Begin the day with thoughts of God and good things.
(iv) If this will not suffice, chide and check vain thoughts.
(v) Turn away your eyes from beholding vanity.
(vi) Beware of idleness.
(vii) Love God and his Law much.

What grabbed me
What a brilliant section on the sinfulness of man's thoughts.  I found particularly helpful Venning's warning against the evil of thinking about past sins of commission and omission: 'When men please themselves in the thoughts of their past sins, when they chew the cud and lick their lips after it, or as is said in Job 20.12,13, they hide it under their tongue, as if it were a sugar-plum, then they do the sin over and over again by thinking of it, although they do not act it. In this sense, some interpreters understand the scripture, 'She multiplied her whoredores in calling to remembrance the sins of her youth' (Ezekiel 23.19). She acted it over again in her memory, in new speculations of her old sins. On the other hand, some men, perhaps the same persons, think sinfully of the sins they have not done, grieving at and regretting they had not taken such and such opportunities, and embraced such and such temptations as they had to sin.'

Relishing a past sin is doing the act all over again.  Grieving the lost opportunity to sin is doing that sin.  Venning is so right to say 'A man may think himself to Hell'.

We must beg God to forgive and sanctify our thoughts.

Next week's reading
Continue reading Section 4 by continuing Point 4, 'Exhortation and Counsel' with the reading of part '2. A warning against sinful words'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.