2. As it is unsearchable, so it is deceitful, as in the place above mentioned : " It is deceitful above all things," — incomparably so. There is great deceit in the dealings of men in the world ; great deceit in their counsels and contrivances in reference to their affairs, private and public; great deceit in their words and actings: the Avorld is full of deceit and fraud. But all this is nothing to the deceit that is in man's heart towards himself; for that is the meaning of the expi'es- sion in this place, and not towards othei;s. Now, incomparable de- ceitfulness, added to unsearchableness, gives a great addition and in- crease of strength to the law of sin, upon the account of its seat and subject. I speak not yet of the deceitfulness of sin itself, but the deceitfulness of the heart where it is seated. Prov. xxvi. 25, " There are seven abominations in the heart;" that is, not only many, but an absolute comi^lete number, as seven denotes. And they are such abominations as consist in deceitfulness; so the caution foregoing in-
SEAT OF SIN IN THE HEART. 1 73
sinuates, " Trust him not:" for it is only deceit that should make us not to trust in that degree and measure which the object is capable of.
Now, this deceitfulness of the heart, whereby it is exceedingly ad- vantaged in its harbouring of sin, lies chiefly in these two things: —
(1.) That it abounds in contradictions, so that it is not to be found and dealt withal according to any constant rule and way of procedure. There are some men that have much of this, from their natural con- stitution, or from other causes, in their conversation. They seem to be made up of contradictions ; sometimes to be very wise in their affairs, sometimes very foolish ; very open, and very reserved ; very facile, and veiy obstinate; very easy to be entreated, and very revengeful, — all in a remarkable height. This is generally accounted a bad charac- ter, and is seldom found but when it proceeds from some notable pre- dominant lust. But, in general, in respect of moral good or evil, duty or sin, it is so with the heart of every man, — flaming hot, and key cold ; weak, and yet stubborn ; obstinate, and facile. The frame of the heart is ready to contradict itself every moment. Now you would think you had it all for such a frame, such a way; anon it is quite otherwise: so that none know what to expect from it. The rise of this is the disorder that is brought upon all its faculties by sin. God created them all in a perfect harmony and union. The mind and reason were in perfect subjection and subordination to God and his will; the will answered, in its choice of good, the discovery made of it by the mind ; the affections constantly and evenly followed the understanding and will. The mind's subjection to God was the spring of the orderly and harmonious motion of the soul and all the wheels in it. That being disturbed by sin, the rest of the faculties move cross and contrary one to another. The will chooseth not the good which the mind discovers; the affections delight not in that which the will chooseth; but all jar and interfere, cross and rebel against each other. This we have got by our falling from God. Hence sometimes the will leads, the judgment follows. Yea, com- monly the affections, that should attend upon all, get the sovereignty, and draw the whole soul captive after them. And hence it is, as I said, that the heart is made up of so many contradictions in its act- ings. Sometimes the mind retains its sovereignty, and the affections .are in subjection, and the will ready for its duty. This puts a good face upon things. Immediately the rebellion of the affections or the obstinacy of the will takes place and prevails, and the whole scene is changed. This, I say, makes the heart deceitful above all things : it agi'ees not at all in itself, is not constant to itself, hath no order that it is constant unto, is under no certain conduct that is stable ; but, if I may so say, hath a rotation in itself, where ofttimes the feet lead and guide the whole.
1 74 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDAYELLING SIN.
(2.) Its deceit lies in its full promisinrjs upon the first appearance of things ; and this also proceeds from the same principle with the former. Sometimes the affections are touched and wrought upon ; the whole heart appears in a fair frame ; all promiseth to be well. Within a while the whole frame is changed ; the mind was not at all affected or turned ; the affections a little acted their parts and are gone off, and all the fair promises of the heart are departed with them. Now, add this deceitfulness to the unsearchableness before mentioned, and we shall find that at least the difficulty of dealing effectually with sin in its seat and throne will be exceedingly in- creased. A deceiving and a deceived heart, who can deal with it? — especially considering that the heart emj)loys all its deceits unto the service of sin, contributes them all to its furtherance. All the dis- order that is in the heart, all its false promises and fair appearances, promote the interest and advantages of sin. Hence God cautions the people to look to it, lest their own hearts should entice and de- ceive them.