3. It receives aid from every thing around us —
[" All that is in the world" is comprehended by the Apostle under these three designations ; " the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of lifeV And what are these, but confederates of the evil principle within us, giving it continually fresh scope for exercise, and soliciting it in every possible way to enslave our souls ? Every thing we see, every thing we hear, has a tendency to draw us from God, to gratify our corrupt nature, and to give to the evil principle within us an advantage against us to our destruction. Even the Saviour himself, whilst to God's elect " he is made a sanctuary," is, to those who are destitute of divine grace, " a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, yea, as a gin and a snare, whereby multitudes stumble and fall, and are broken and snared, and taken1."]
4. It conceals its influence under specious names —
[There is not an evil which the corrupt principle does not lead us to palliate by some gentle name, whilst on vital godliness it invariably casts reproach. "What will it not com- mend to us, under the idea of innocent amusement ? and what will it not sanction, under the terms conviviality and good breeding ? Covetousness, worldliness, ambition, yes, and licentiousness itself, all lose their hateful qualities under the less offensive terms of prudence, and honour, and youthful indiscretion.
Is it any wonder, then, that men are led captive by sin and Satan, and that godliness is in so great a degree banished from the world ?]
But, to get a just notion of this evil principle, we must yet further mark,
II. Its power, as augmented and confirmed by evil habit —
Habit is to us as a second nature : and by it, sin is greatly augmented and confirmed.
1 . Its odiousness is diminished —
[I have already said, that there are certain acts of sin which, notwithstanding their general approbation of it, men are agreed to stigmatize as evil ; and into these, men do not plunge themselves, without some checks of conscience, and some remorse after they have fallen into the commission of them. And, if a person were warned that he was in danger of abandoning himself to these, he would be ready to reply,
h 1 John ii. 16. { Isai. viii. 14, 15. with 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8.