And this is the great preservative through grace from sin, as we have an example in the instance of Joseph, Gen. xxxix. 9. Upon the urgency of his great temptation, he recoils immediately into this frame of spirit; ' How,' saith he, 'can I do this thing, and sin against God? ' A constant, steady sense of the evil of sin gives him such preservation, that he ventures liberty and life in opposition to it. To fear sin is to fear the Lord ; so the holy man tells us that they are the same, Job xxviii. 28. ' The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from iniquity that is understanding.'
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, which is the strongest fort of the soul's defence and security. It labours to divert the mind from a due appre- hension of the vileness, abomination, and danger of sin. It secretly and insensibly insinuates lessening, excusing, exte- nuating thoughts of it; or it draws it off from pondering upon it, from being conversant about it in his 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 account, or by any means whatever, 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 endeavours deceitfully to draw off the mind from this duty, and frame ensuing thereon.
[1.] It doth it by a horrible abuse of gospel grace. There is in the gospel a remedy provided against the whole
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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 discovery of the gracious will of God towards sinners by Jesus Christ, What now is the genuine tendency of this doctrine, of this discovery of grace, and what ought we to use it and improve it unto? This the apostle declares, Titus ii. 11, 12. 'The grace of God that bringeth saltation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness 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 ' conversation that becoraeth the o-ospel,' Phil, i, 27. It becomes it as that which is an- swerable unto its end, aim, and design ; as that which it requires, and which it ought to be improved unto. And accordino-ly it doth produce this effect where the word of it is received and preserved in a saving light, Rom.xii, 2. Ephes. iv. 20 — 24. But herein doth the deceit of sin in- terpose itself. It separates between the doctrine 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 re- gardlessness of sin. God in Christ makes the proposition, and Satan and sin make the conclusion. For that the deceit- fulness 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 insinuation, 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, ver, 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 wisdom of faith, and power of gospel grace. 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,
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then to be able to keep the heart 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 sen- sible of sin, humble, lowly, and broken on that account; if it teach us to water a free pardon with tears, to detest for- given 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 grace. If it secretly and insensibly make men loose and slight in their thoughts about sin, it is adulterate, selfish, false. If it vv^ill be all, answer all ends, it is nothing.
Hence it comes to pass, that sometimes we see men walking in a bondage-frame of spirit all their days, low in their light, mean in their apprehensions of grace, so that it is hard to discern whether covenant in their principles they belong unto ; whether they are under the law, or under grace, yet walk with a more conscientious tenderness of sinning, than many who are advanced into higher degrees of light and knowledge than they. Not that the saving light of the gospel is not the only principle of saving holiness and obe- dience ; 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.