282 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
permitted it to Lo filled with the things of the world, and to become negligent in attending unto especial duties, — I had not at this day been thus sick, weak, thriftless, wounded, decayed, defiled. My care- less, my deceived mind, hath been the beginning of sin and trans- gression unto my soul." And this discovery will direct the soul unto a suitable way for its heahng and recovery; which will never be effected by a multiplying of particular duties, but by a restoring of the mind, Ps. xxiii. 3.
And this, also, doth hence appear to be the great means of pre- serving our souls, both as unto their general frame and particular duties, according to the mind and will of God, — namely, to endeavour after a sound and steadfast mind. It is a signal grace to have " the spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind," 2 Tim. i. 7; — a stable, solid, resolved mind in the things of God, not easily moved, diverted, changed, not drawn aside ; a mind not apt to hearken after corrupt reasonings, vain insinuations, or pretences to draw it off from its duty. This is that which the apostle exhorts believers unto: 1 Cor. XV. 58, " Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, un- movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." The stead- fastness of our minds abiding in their duty is the cause of all our unmovableness and fruitfuluess in obedience; and so Peter tells us that those who are by any means led away or enticed, " they fall from their own steadfastness," 2 Pet. in. 17. And the great blame that is laid upon backsliders is, that they are not steadfast : Ps. Ixxviii. 87, " Their heart was not steadfast." For if the soul be safe, unless the mind be drawn off from its duty, the soundness and steadfastness of the mind is its great preservative. And there are three parts of this steadfastness of the mind: — First, A full purjjose of cleaving to God in all things; secondly, A daily renovation and quickening of the heart unto a discharge of this purpose; thirdly, Resolutions against all dalliances or parleys about negligences in that discharge ; — which are not here to be spoken unto.
CHAPTER X.
The deceit of sin, in drawing off the mind from its attendance unto particular duties, farther discovered — Several things required in tlie mind of believers with respect unto particular duties of obedience — The actings of sin, in a way of deceit, to divert the mind from them.
We have not as yet brought unto an issue the first way of the working of the deceit of sin, — namely, in its drawing away of the
THE MIND DIVERTED FROM PARTICULAR DUTIES BY SIN. 233
mind from the discharge of its duty, which we insist upon the longer upon a double account: —
First, Because of its importance and concernment. If the mind be drawn off, if it be tainted, weakened, turned aside from a due and strict attendance unto its charge and office, the whole soul, Avill, and affections are certainly entangled and drawn into sin; as hath been in part declared, and will afterward farther appear. This we ought therefore to give dilicjent heed unto; which is the design of the apostle's exhortation: Heb. ii. 1, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip/' It is a failure of our minds, by the deceitfulness of sin, in losing the hfe, power, sense, and impression of the word, which he cautions us against. And there is no way to pre- vent it but by giving of most " earnest heed unto the things which we have heard;" which expresseth the whole duty of our minds in attending unto obedience.
Secondly, Because the actings and workings of the mind being spiritual, ai^e such as the conscience, unless clearly enlightened and duly excited and stirred up, is not affected withal, so as to take due notice of them. Conscience is not apt to exercise reflex acts upon the mind's failures, as principally respecting the acts of the whole soul. When the affections are entangled with sin (of which after- ward), or the will begins to conceive it by its express consent, con- science is apt to make an uproar in the soul, and to give it no rest or quiet until the soul be reclaimed, or itself be one way or other bribed or debauched ; but these neglects of the mind being spiritual, with- out very diligent attendance they are seldom taken notice of Our minds are often in the Scriptures called our spirits, — as Rom. i. 9, " Whom I serve with my spirit;" and are distinguished from the soul, which principally intends the affections in that distribution, 1 Thess. V. 23, " Sanctify you wholly, your whole spirit and soul," — that is, your mind and affections. It is true, where the [word] " spirit" is used to express spiritual gifts, it is, as unto those gifts, opposed to our " un- derstanding," 1 Cor. xiv. 15, which is there taken for the first act of the mind in a rational perception of things; but as that word is applied unto any faculty of our souls, it is the mind that it expresseth. This, then, being our spirit, the actings of it are secret and hidden, and not to be discovered without spiritual wisdom and diligence. Let us not suppose, then, that we dwell too long on this consideration, which is of so great importance to us, and yet so hidden, and which we are apt to be very insensible of; and yet our carefulness in this matter is one of the best evidences that we have of our sincerity. Let us not, then, be like a man that is sensible, and complains of a cut finger, but not of a decay of spirits tending unto death. There remains there-