This, therefore, in the first place, in general, doth the law of sin put forth its deceit about, — namely, to draw the mind from this frame, Avhich is the strongest fort of the soul's defence and security. It labours to divert the mind from a due apprehension of the vile- ness, abomination, and danger of sin. It secretly and insensibly in- sinuates lessening, excusing, extenuating thoughts of it; or it draws it off from pondering upon it, from being conversant about it in its thoughts so much as it ought, and formerly hath been. And if, after the heart of a man hath, through the word, Spirit, and grace of Christ, been made tender, soft, deeply sensible of sin, it becomes on any ac- count, or by any means Avhatever, to have less, fewer, slighter, or less affecting thoughts of it or about it, the mind of that man is drawn away by the deceitfulness of sin.
There are two ways, amongst others, whereby the law of sin en- deavours deceitfully to draw off the mind from this duty and frame ensuing thereon: —
[1.] It doth it by a horrible abuse of gosjjel grace. There is in the gospel a remedy provided against the whole evil of sin, the filth, the guilt of it, with all its dangerous consequents. It is the doctrine of the deliverance of the souls of men from sin and death, — a dis- covery of the gracious will of God towards sinners by Jesus Christ. What, now, is the genuine tendency of this doctrine, of this discovery
DECEITFULNESS OF INDWELLING SIN. 219
of grace; and what ought we to use it and unprove it unto? This the apostle declares, Tit. ii. 11, 12, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying un- godliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." This it teacheth; this we ought to learn of it and by it. Hence universal holiness is called a " conver- sation that becometh the gospel," Phil, i, 27. It becomes it, as that which is answerable unto its end, aim, and design, — as that which it requires, and which it ought to be improved unto. And accordingly it doth produce this effect where the word of it is received and pre- served in a saving light, Rom. xii. 2; Eph. iv. 20-24. But herein doth the deceit of sin interpose itself: — It separates between the doc- trine of grace and the use and end of it. It stays upon its notions, and intercepts its influences in its proper application. From the doctrine of the assured pardon of sin, it insinuates a regardlessness of sin. God in Christ makes the proposition, and Satan and sin make the conclusion. For that the deceitfulness of sin is apt to plead unto a regardlessness of it, from the grace of God whereby it is pardoned, the apostle declares in his reproof and detestation of such an insinua- tion: Rom. vi. 1, " What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." " Men's deceitful hearts," saith he, " are apt to make that conclusion ; but far be it from us that we should give any entertainment unto it." But yet that some have evidently improved that deceit unto their own eternal ruin, Jude declares: Verse 4, "Ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness." And we have had dreadful instances of it in the days of temptation wherein we have lived.
Indeed, in opposition unto this deceit lies much of the luisdom of faith and power of gospel gTace. When the mind is fully possessed with, and cast habitually and firmly into, the mould of the notion and doctrine of gospel truth about the full and free forgiveness of all sins in the blood of Christ, then to be able to keep the l^eart always in a deep, humbling sense of sin, abhorrency of it, and self-abasement for it, is a great effect of gospel wisdom and grace. This is the trial and touchstone of gospel light : — If it keep the heart sensible of sin, humble, lowly, and broken on that account, — if it teach us to water a free pardon with tears, to detest forgiven sin, to watch diligently for the ruin of that which we are yet assured shall never ruin us, — it is divine, from above, of the Spirit of gi'ace. If it secretly and insensibly make men loose and slight in their thoughts about sin, it is adulterate, selfish, false. If it Avill be all, answer all ends, it is nothing.
Hence it comes to pass that sometimes we see men walking in a hondage-frame of spirit all their days, low in their light, mean in their apprehensions of grace ; so that it is hard to discern whether cove-
220 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
nant in their principles tliey belong unto, — ■whether they are under the law or under grace ; yet walk with a more conscientious tender- ness of sinning than many who are advanced into higher degi'ees of light and knowledge than they; — not that the saving light of the gospel is not the only principle of saving holiness and obedience ; but that, through the deceitfulness of sin, it is variously abused to countenance the soul in manifold neglect of duties, and to draw off the mind from a due consideration of the nature, desert, and danger of sin. And this is done several ways: —