[2.] Enticed affections procure the consent of the will hj fi^equent solicitations, whereby they get ground insensibly upon it, and en- throne themselves. Take an instance in the sons of Jacob, Gen. xxxvii. 4. They hate their brother, because their father loved him. Their affections being enticed, many new occasions fall out to en- tangle them farther, as his dreams and the like. This lay rankling in their hearts, and never ceased soliciting their wills until they re- solved upon his death. The unlawfulness, the unnaturalness of the action, the grief of their aged father, the guilt of their own souls, are all laid aside. That hatred and envy that they had conceived against him ceased not until they had got the consent of their wills to his ruin. This gradual progress of the prevalency of corrupt affections to solicit the soul unto sin the wise man excellently describes, Prov. xxiii. 31-35. And this is the common way of sin's procedure in the destruction of souls which seem to have made some good engage- ments in the ways of God : — When it hath entangled them with one
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258 THE NATURE AND POWER OF INDWELLING SIN.
temptation, and brought the wili to some Hking of it, that presently becomes another temptation, either to the neglect of some duty or to the refusal of more light; and commonly that whereby men fall off utterly from God is not that wherewith they are first entangled. And this may briefly suffice for the third progressive act of the de- ceit of sin. It obtains the will's consent unto its conception; and by this means are multitudes of sins conceived in the heart which very- little less defile the soul, or cause it to contract very little less guilt, than if they were actually committed.
Unto what hath been spoken concerning the deceitfulness of in- dwelling sin in general, which greatly evidenceth its power and effi- cacy, I shall add, as a close of this discourse, one or two particular ways of its deceitful actings; consisting in advantages that it maketh use of, and means of reheving itself against that disquisition which is made after it by the word and Spirit for its ruin. One head only of each sort we shall here name : —
1. It makes great advantage of the darkness of the mind, to work out its design and intendments. The shades of a mind totally dark, — that is, devoid utterly of saving grace, — are the proper working-place of sin. Hence the effects of it are called the " works of darkness," Eph. V. 11, Rom. xiii. 12, as springing from thence. Sin works and brings forth by the help of it. The working of lust under the covert of a dark mmd is, as it were, the upper region of hell ; for it lies at the next door to it for filth, horror, and confusion. Now, there is a partial darkness abiding still in believers; they " know but in part," 1 Cor. xiii. 12. Though there be in them all a principle of saving light, — the day-star is risen in their hearts, — yet all the shades of darkness are not utterly expelled out of them in this life. And there are two parts, as it were, or principal effects of the remaining darkness that is in believers : —
(1.) Ignorance, or a nescience of the will of God, either "juris" or " facti" of the rule and law in general, or of the reference of the particular fact that lies before the mind unto the law.
(2.) Error and mi.stakes positively; taking that for tinith which is falsehood, and that for light Avhich is darkness. Now, of both of these doth the law of sin make great advantage for the exerting of its power in the soul.
(1.) Is there a remaining ignorance of any thing of the will of God ? — sin will be sure to make use of it, and improve it to the uttermost. Though Abimelech were not a believer, yet he was a person that had a moral integrity with him in his ways and actions ; he declai'es himself to have had so in a solemn appeal to God, the searcher of all hearts, even in that wherein he miscai'ried. Gen. xx. 5. , But being ignorant that fornication was a sin, or so great a siu as that it became
POWER OF SIN TO CONCEIVE SIN. ' 259
not a morally honest man to defile himself with it, lust hurries him into that intention of evil in reference unto Sarah, as we have it there related. God complains that his people " perished for lack of know- ledge," Hos. iv. 6. Being ignorant of the mind and will of God, they rushed into evil at eveiy command of the law of sin. Be it as to any duty to be performed, or as to any sin to be committed, if there be in it darkness or ignorance of the mind about them, sin will not lose its advantage. Many a man, being ignorant of the duty incumbent on him for the instruction of his family, casting the whole weight of it upon the public teaching, is, by the deceitfulness of sin, brought into an habitual sloth and negligence of duty. So much ignorance of the will of God and duty, so much advantage is given to the law of sin. And hence we may see what is that true knowledge which with God is acceptable. How exactly doth many a poor soul, Avho is low as to notional knowledge, yet walk with God ! It seems they know so much, as sin hath not on that account much advantage against them; when others, high in their notions, give advantage to their lusts, even by their ignorance, though they know it not.