I hate vain thoughts – Thomas Brooks

“I hate vain thoughts.” Psalm 119:113

The heart of a holy man rises against secret sins, against such as lie furthest off from the eye of man. What is more secret than vain thoughts? And yet against these, the heart of a holy man rises.

Hezekiah humbled himself for “the pride of his heart.” Heart-sins lie most hidden and secret; and yet for these, a holy man humbles himself.

A holy man knows that secret sins are sins as well as those which are open. He knows that secret sins must be repented of as well as others. He knows that God takes notice of secret sins as well as of open sins. He knows that secret sins like secret diseases and secret wounds do oftentimes prove most dangerous and pernicious. He knows that secret sins are the price of Christ’s blood as well as open sinnings. He knows that secret sins are a grief to the Spirit as well as those which are manifest. Upon all which accounts a holy heart rises in a detestation of secret sins.