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their own nature and inclinations, their own designings, that they have committed such and such evils, but merely from their temptations ; and if they know not where to fix the evil of those temptations, they will lay them on God him- self, rather than go without an excuse or extenuation of their guilt. This evil in the hearts of men the apostle re- buketh, ver. 13. * Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man.' And to shew the justness of this reproof in the words mentioned, he discovers the true causes of the rise and whole progress of sin, manifesting that the whole guilt of it lies upon the sinner, and that the whole punishment of it, if not graciously prevented, will be his lot also.
We have therefore, as was said, in these words the whole progress of lust or indwelling sin, by the way of subtlety, fraud, and deceit, expressed and limited by the Holy Ghost. And from hence we shall manifest the particular ways and means whereby it puts forth its power and efficacy in the hearts of men by deceitfulness and subtlety ; and we may observe in the words.
First, The utmost end aimed at in all the actings of sin, or the tendency of it in its own nature, and that is death ; * sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death ;' the everlast- ing death of the sinner : pretend what it will, this is the end it aims at, and tends unto. Hiding of ends and designs is the principal property of deceit. This sin doth to the ut- most ; other things innumerable it pleads, but not once de- clares that it aims at the death, the everlasting death of the soul. And a fixed apprehension of this end of every sin, is a blessed means to prevent its prevalency in its way of de- ceit or beguiling.
Secondly, The general way of its acting towards that end is by temptation ; * Every man is tempted of his own lust.' I purpose not to speak in general of the nature of temptations, it belongs not unto our present purpose, and be- sides 1 have done it elsewhere. It may suffice at present to observe, that the life of temptation lies in deceit ; so that in the business of sin, to be effectually tempted, and to be be- guiled or deceived are the same. Thus it was in the first temptation ; it is every where called the serpent's beguiling
76 THE NATUJIE AND POWER
or deceiving, as was manifested before : the serpent beguiled Eve; that is, prevailed by his temptations upon her. So that every man is tempted ; that is, every man is beguiled or deceived by his own lust, or indwelling sin, which we have often declared to be the same.
The degrees whereby sin proceedeth in this work of tempting or deceiving, are five ; for we shewed before, that this belongs unto the nature of deceit, that it works by de- grees, making its advantage by one step to gain another.
The first of these consists in drawing off, or drawing away; ' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust.'
The second is in enticing; ' and is enticed.'
The third, in the conception of sin; ' when lust hath con- ceived,' when the heart is enticed, then lust conceives in it.
The fourth is the bringing forth of sin in its actual ac- complishment ; ' when lust hath conceived it brings forth sin.' In all which there is a secret allusion to an adulterous deviation from conjugal duties, and conceiving or bringing forth children of whoredom and fornication.
The fifth is, the finishing of sin, the completing of it, the filling up of the measure of it, whereby the end originally designed by lust is brought about ; * sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.' As lust conceiving, naturally and ne- cessarily bringeth forth sin ; so sin finished, infa'libly pro- cureth eternal death.
The first of these relates to the mind ; that is, drawn off, or drawn away by the deceit of sin. The second unto the affections; they are enticed or entangled. The third to the will, wherein sin is conceived ; the consent of the will being the formal conception of actual sin. The fourth to the con- versation wherein sin is brought forth; it exerts itself in the lives and courses of men. The fifth respects an obdurate course in sinning, that finisheth, consummates, and shuts up the whole work of sin, whereon ensues death or eternal ruin.
I shall principally consider the three first, wherein the main strength of the deceit of sin doth lie, and that because in believers, whose state and condition is principally pro- posed to consideration, God is pleased, for the most part, graciously to prevent the fourth instance, or the bringing
OF INDWELLING SIN. 77
forth of actual sins in their conversations; and the last al- ways and wholly, or their being obdurate in a course of sin to the finishing of it. What ways God in his grace and faithfulness makes use of to stifle the conceptions of sin in tlie womb, and to hinder its actual production in the lives of men, must afterward be spoken unto. The first three in- stances then we shall insist upon fully, as those wherein the principal concernment of believers in this matter doth lie.