2. Our next inquiry is. How, or by what means, the de- ceit of sin proceeds thus to entice and entangle the affec- tions ? and two or three of its baits are manifest herein.
(1.) It makes use of its former prevalency upon the mind, in drawing it off from its watch and circumspection. Says the wise man, Prov. i. 17. ' Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird;' or before the eyes of every thing that hath a wing, as in the original. If it hath eyes open to discern the snare, and a wing to carry it away, it will not be caught. And in vain should the deceit of sin
OF INDWELLING SIN. 115
spread its snares and nets for the entanglement of the soul, whilst the eyes of the mind are intent upon what it doth, and so stir up the wings of its will and aflfections to carry it away and avoid it. But if the eyes be put out or diverted, the wings are of very little use for escape ; and therefore, this is one of the wayg which is used by them who take birds or fowls in their nets ; they have false lights, or shews of things, to divert the sight of their prey ; and when that is done, they take the season to cast their nets upon them. So doth the deceit of sin; it first draws off and diverts the mind by false reasonings and pretences, as hath been shew- ed, and then casts its net upon the affections for their entan- glement.
(2.) Taking advantage of such seasons, it proposeth sin as desirable, as exceeding satisfactory to the corrupt part of our affections ; it gilds over the object by a thousand pretences, which it presents unto corrupt lustings. This is the laying of a bait, which the apostle in this verse evidently alludes unto. A bait is somewhat desirable and suitable, that is proposed to the hungry creature for its satisfaction, and it is by all artifices rendered desirable and suitable. Thus is sin presented by the help of the imagination unto the soul ; that is, sinful and inordinate objects, which the affec- tions cleave unto, are so presented. The apostle tells us, that there are * pleasures of sin ;' Heb. xi. 35. which, unless they are despised, as they were by Moses, there is no es- caping of sin itself. Hence they that live in sin are said to 'live in pleasure;' James v. 5. Now this pleasure of sin consisteth in its suitableness to give satisfaction to the flesh, to lust, to corrupt affections. Hence is that caution, Rom. xiii. 14. ' Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lust thereof.' That is, do not suffer your minds, thoughts, or affections, to fix upon sinful objects, suited to give satis- faction to the lusts of the flesh, to nourish and cherish them thereby. To which puspose he speaks again. Gal. v. 16. ' Fulfil ye not the lusts of the flesh.' Bring not in the plea- sures of sin to sive them satisfaction. When men are under the power of sin, they are said to ' fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind ;' Ephes. ii. 3. Thus therefore the deceit of sin endeavours to entangle the affections, by proposing unto them, through the assistance of the imagination, that
i2
IIG THE NATURE AND POWER
suitableness which is in it to the satisfaction of its corrupt lusts, now set at some liberty by the inadvertency of the mind. It presents its * wine sparkling in the cup,' the beauty of the adulteress, the riches of the world unto sensual and covetous persons, and somewhat in the like kind, in some degrees to believers themselves. When therefore, I say, sin would entangle the soul, it prevails with the imagi- nation to solicit the heart, by representing this false-painted beauty, or pretended satisfactoriness of sin : and then if Sa- tan with any peculiar temptation fall into its assistance, it oftentimes inflames all the affections, and puts the whole soul into disorder.
(3.) It hides the danger that attends sin, it covers it as the hook is covered with the bait, or the net spread over with meat for the fowl to be taken. It is not indeed possible that sin should utterly deprive the soul of the knowledge of the danger of it. It cannot dispossess it of its notion or persuasion that ' the wages of sin is death,' and that it is the 'judgment of God, that they that commit sin are worthy of death.' But this it will do ; it will so take up and possess the mind and affections with the baits and desirableness of sin, that it shall divert them from an actual and practical contemplation of the danger of it. What Satan did in and by his first temptation, that sin doth ever since. At first Eve guards herself with calling to mind the danger of sin ; if we eat, or touch it, we shall die. Gen. iii. 3. But so soon as Satan had filled her mind with the beauty and usefulness of the fruit to make one wise, how quickly did she lay aside her practical prevalent consideration of the danger of eating it, the curse due unto it ; or else relieves herself with a vain hope and pretence that it should not be, because tlie ser- pent told her so. So was David beguiled in his great trans- gression by the deceit of sin ; his lust being pleased and sa- tisfied, the consideration of the guilt and danger of his transgression was taken away ; and therefore he is said to have ' despised the Lord,' 2 Sam. xii. 9. in that he consi- dered not the evil that was in his heart, and the danger that attended it in the threatening or commination of the law. Now sin, when it presseth upon the soul to this purpose, will use a thousand wiles to hide from it the terror of the Lord, the end of transgressions, and especially of that pe-