For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Ver. 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts] These are the first and immediate issue of the sinful soul; words and deeds, borborology a and enormity, follow in their order. "And I dare be bold to say," saith a reverend divine, b "that though the act contract the guilt, because the lust is then grown up to a height, so that it is come to an absolute will in execution, yet the act of adultery and murder is not so abominable in God's eyes, as the filthiness of the spirit; for it is the spirit that he mainly looks to," &c. Think not then that thought is free, for as inward bleeding will kill, so will concupiscence, whatever the Papists say in favour of it, as a condition of nature: and hence flow most of their most dangerous opinions, as justification by works, state of perfection, merit, supererogation, &c.
a Filthy talk. ŒD cites Trapp as using it in 1649 in this verse
b D. Preston of God's attributes.