CHAPTER VIII.
Indwelling sin proved powerful from its deceit — Proved to be deceitful — The general nature of deceit — James i. 14, opened — How the mind is drawn off from its duty by the deceitfulness of sin — The principal duties of the mind in our obedience — The ways and means whereby it is turned from it.
The second part of the evidence of the power of sin, from its manner of operation, is taken from its deceitfulness. It adds, in its working, deceit unto poiuer. The efficacy of that must needs be great, and is carefully to be watched against by all such as value their souls, where power and deceit are combined, especially advan- taged and assisted by all the ways and means before insisted on.
Before we come to show wherein the nature of this deceitfulness of sin doth consist, and how it prevaileth thereby, some testimonies shall be briefly given in unto the thing itself, and some light into the general nature of it.
That sin, indwelling sin, is deceitful, we have the express testimony of the Holy Ghost, as Heb. iii. 18, " Take heed that ye be not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Deceitful it is; take heed of it, watch against it, or it will produce its utmost effect in hardening of the heart against God. It is on the account of sin that the heart
212 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
is said to be " deceitful above all things," Jer. xvii. 9. Take a man in other things, and, as Job speaks, though he " would be wise and crafty, he is like the wild ass's colt," chap. xi. 1 2, — a poor, vain, empty nothing; but consider liis heart on the account of this law of sin, — it is crafty and deceitful above all things. " They are wise to do evil," saith the prophet, " but to do good they have no knowledge," Jer. iv. 22. To the same |)urpose speaks the apostle, Eph. iv. 22, " The old man is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." Every lust, which is a brancli of this law of sin, is deceitful; and where there is poison in every stream, the fountain must needs be corrupt. No particular lust hath any deceit in it, but what is communicated unto it from this fountain of all actual lust, this law of sin. And, 2 Thess. ii. 10, the coming of the " man of sin " is said to be in and with the " deceivableness of unrighteousness." Umighteousness is a thing generally decried and evil spoken of amongst men, so that it is not easy to conceive how any man should prevail himself of a reputation thereby. But there is a deceivableness in it, whereby the minds of men are turned aside from a due consideration of it; as we shall manifest afterward. And thus the account which the apostle gives concerning those who are under the power of sin is, that they are " deceived," Tit. iii. 3. And the life of evil men is nothing but " deceiving, and being deceived," 2 Tim. iii. 13. So that we have sufficient testimony given unto this qualification of the enemy with whom we have to deal. He is deceitful ; which consideration of all things puts the mind of man to a loss in dealing with an adversary. He knows he can have no security against one that is deceitful, but in standing upon his own guard and defence all his days.
Farther to manifest the strength and advantage that sin hath by its deceit, wc may observe that the Scripture places it for the most part as the head and spring of eveiy sin, even as though there were no sin followed after but Avhere deceit went before. So 1 Tim. iL 13, 14. The reason the apostle gives why Adam, though he was first formed, was not fi^-st in the transgression, is because he Avas not first deceived. Tlie woman, though made last, yet being first deceived, was first in the sin. Even that first sin began in deceit, and until the mind was deceived the soul was safe. Eve, therefore, did truly ex- press the matter. Gen. iii. 13, though she did it not to a good end. " The serpent beguiled mo," saith she, " and I did eat." She thought to extenuate her own crime by charging the serpent; and tliis was a new fruit of the sin she had cast herself into. But the matter of fact was true, — she was beguiled before she ate; deceit went before the tran.sgression. And the apostle shows that sin and Satan still take the same cour.se, 2 Cor. xi. 3. " There is," saith lie, " the sanie way of working towards actual sin as was of old: beguiling, deceiving goes
DECEITFULNESS OF INDWELLING SIN, 213
before; and siii, that is, the actual accompHshment of it, followeth after." Hence, all the great works that the devil doth in the world, to stir men up to an opposition unto the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom, he doth them by deceit: Rev. xii. 9, " The devil, who de- ceiveth the whole world." It were utterly impossible men should be prevailed on to abide in his service, acting his designs to their eternal, and sometimes their temporal ruin, were they not exceedingly de- ceived. See also chap. xx. 10.