properties of it: -
that Satan got against David that raised his lust to madness in the business of Bathsheba and Uriah. Though sin is always a fire in the bones, it does not burst into flames unless Satan comes with his bellows to blow on it. If anyone in whom the law of sin arises to this height of rage seriously considers, he will find out where the devil stands in the business.
(2.) When it has been received and yielded to before. Sin does not grow to this height at its first assault. If it had not been allowed to enter, if there had not been some yielding in the soul, it would not have happened. The security of the soul in dealing with indwelling sin is to stop it in its first motions. Venture all on the first attempt. Die rather than yield one step to it. If, through the deceit of sin, or the negligence of the soul, or its carnal confidence to give bounds to lust's actions at other seasons, it makes any entrance into the soul, and is received, it gains strength and insensibly arises to the frame under consideration. You would never have experienced the fury of sin, if you had not been played with it first. If you had not indulged this servant, it would not have tried to be a son. Now, when the law of sin has gained this double advantage, - a vigorous temptation, and previous victories, - it often rises up to this intensity.
3. We may see what accompanies this madness, and what are the properties of it: -
(1.) The yoke, rule, and government of the Spirit and law of grace are cast off,for a time at least. Where grace has the dominion, it will never utterly be expelled from its throne; but its influences may be thwarted for a season, and its government suspended, by the power of sin. Could the law of grace been ruling the heart of David, when, on the provocation received from Nabal, he so burned with desire for revenge that he cried, "Gird on your swords," to his companions, and resolved not to leave alive one man of his whole household? 1 Samuel 25:34; or that Asa was in any better frame when he smote the prophet and put him in prison, who spake to him in the name of the Lord? Sin in this case is like an untamed horse, which, having first cast off his
rider, runs away in rage. It first casts off a sense of the yoke of Christ and the law of his grace, and then hurries the soul at its pleasure. Let us a little consider how this is done.
The residence of grace is the whole soul. It is in the inner man; it is in the mind, the will, and the affections: for the whole soul is renewed by it into the image of God, Ephesians 4:23, 24, and the whole man is a "new creature," 2 Corinthians 5:17. And in all these it exerts its power. Its dominion is the pursuit of its work in all the faculties of the soul, as they are one united principle of moral and spiritual operations. So interruption of this by the law of sin, must consist in its contrary acting in the faculties of the soul. And this it does. It darkens the mind; partly through false reasonings; and partly through the steaming of the affections, heated with the lusts that have laid hold on them. Hence that saving light that is in the mind is clouded, that it cannot put forth its power to change the soul into the likeness of Christ, which is its proper work, Romans 12:2. The habitual inclination of the will to obedience, which is the next work of the law of grace, is first weakened, then cast aside, by the continual drawing of sin; so that the will first lets go its hold, and disputes whether it shall yield or not, and at last gives up. And for the affections, commonly the beginning of this evil is in them. They cross one another, and torture the soul with their impetuous violence. In this way he rule of the law of grace is intercepted by the law of sin, by imposing on it in the whole seat of its government. When this is done, sin will make a sad work in the soul. The apostle warns believers to take heed, chap. 6:12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts." Look to it that it get not the dominion, that it does not usurp the rule even for a moment. It will seek to intrude itself to the throne; watch against it, or a woeful state and condition lies at the door. This, then, accompanies this madness of the law of sin: - During its dominance, it completely casts off the rule of the law of grace; grace speaks in the soul, but is not heard; it commands the contrary, but is not obeyed; it cries out, "Do not do this abominable thing which the Lord hates," but is not heeded, - that is, not enough to stop the rage of sin, and to recover its own rule, which God in his own time restores to it by the
power of his Spirit dwelling in us.
(2.) This madness is accompanied with a contempt of danger. It takes away the power of reflection, and all the influence that it ought to have on the soul. Hence sinners that are wholly under the power of this rage are said to "run on God, and the thick bosses of his buckler," Job 15:26; - in which he is armed for their utter ruin. They despise the utmost that he can do to them, being secretly resolved to follow their lusts, though it costs them their souls. Some considerations will make this clear to us: -
[1.] Often, when the soul is broken loose from the power of renewing grace, God deals with it, to keep it within bounds, by preventing grace. So the Lord declares that he will deal with Israel, Hosea 2:6; -
"Seeing you have rejected me, I will take another course with you. I will lay obstacles before you so that you shall not be able to go where the fury of your lusts would drive you."
He will put things in their way to obstruct them in their progress.
[2.] These hindrances that God lays in the way of sinners are of two sorts: -
1st. Rational considerations, taken from the consequence of the sin that the soul is tempted to and perplexed with. Such are the fear of death, judgement, and hell, - falling into the hands of the living God, who is a consuming fire. While a man is under the power of the law of the Spirit of life, the "love of Christ constrains him," 2 Corinthians 5:14. The principle of his doing good and abstaining from evil is faith working by love, and following Christ because of the sweetness of his name. But when this easy yoke is for a season cast off, God sets a hedge of terror before the soul, reminds it of death and judgement to come, flashes the flames of hell-fire in the face, fills the soul with an awareness of all the evil consequence of sin, to deter it from its purpose. To this end he makes use of all threatenings recorded in the
law and gospel. To this may be added considerations such as shame, reproach, scandal, punishments, and the like. By considering these things, God sets a hedge before them.
2dly. Acts of providence are used by the Lord in the same way: -
(1st.) Such as work on the soul, and to cause it to desist in its pursuit of sin. Such are afflictions and mercies: Isaiah 57:17, "I was wroth, and I smote them;" - "I testified my dislike of their ways by afflictions." So Hosea 2:9, 11, 12. God chastens men with pains on their bodies; says he in Job, "To turn them from their purpose, and to hide sin from them," Job 33:17-19. And other ways he has to come to them and touch them, as in their reputation, relations, and situations; or else he heaps mercies on them, that they may consider whom they are rebelling against. They may receive great mercies for many days.
(2dly.) Such as actually hinder the soul from pursuing sin, though it is resolved so to do.
These are the ways, whereby the soul is dealt with, afar the law of indwelling sin has cast off for a season the influencing power of the law of grace. But now, when lust rises up to madness, it will also despise all these, even the rod, and Him who has appointed it. It will rush on shame, reproaches, wrath, and whatever may befall it, although they are presented to it. Rage and madness is fearless. And it does this in two ways: -
[1st.] It possesses the mind, so that it does not let it consider these things, but makes them appear insignificant; or if the mind does make itself consider them, it makes a barrier between it and the affections, so that they shall not be influenced by it. The soul in such a condition will be able to reflect on such things, and not to be moved by them; and where they do prevail for a time, yet they are unconsciously removed from the heart again.
[2dly.] By secret stubborn resolves to risk all on following it through.
And this is the second branch of this evidence of the power of sin, taken from the opposition that it makes to the law of grace, by the way of force, strength, and violence. The consideration of its deceit now follows.
CHAPTER 8.
Indwelling sin proved powerful from its deceit - Proved to be deceitful - The general nature of deceit - James 1:14, opened - How the mind is drawn from its duty by the deceitfulness of sin - The principal duties of the mind in our obedience - The means whereby it is turned from it.
THE second part of the evidence of the power of sin is taken from its deceitfulness. It adds deceit to power. The efficacy of that must be great, and all who value their souls must carefully watch against it.
Hebrews 3:13, "Take heed that you are not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Deceitful it is; watch against it, or it will harden the heart against God. It is on the account of sin that the heart is said to be "deceitful above all things," Jeremiah 17:9. Take a man in other things, and, as Job speaks, though he "would be wise and crafty, he is like the wild ass's colt," Job 11:12, - a poor empty nothing; but consider his heart on the account of this law of sin, - it is crafty and deceitful above all things. "They are wise to do evil," says the prophet, "but they do not know how to do good," Jeremiah 4:22. And the apostle says, Ephesians 4:22, "The old man is corrupt according to deceitful lusts." Every lust, which is a branch of this law of sin, is deceitful; and where there is poison in every stream, the fountain must be corrupt. No particular lust has any deceit in it, except what comes to it from this fountain of all lust, this law of sin. And, 2 Thessalonians 2:10, the coming of the "man of sin" is said to be in and with the "deceitfulness of sin." Unrighteousness is generally evil spoken of amongst men, so that it is not easy to conceive how any man should want a reputation for it. But there is a deceit in it, whereby the minds of men are turned aside from duly considering it. So the account which the apostle gives concerning those who are under the power of sin is that they are "deceived," Titus 3:3. And the life of evil men is nothing but "deceiving, and being deceived," 2 Timothy 3:13. So this enemy with whom we have to deal is deceitful; which of all things perplexes a man in dealing with an adversary. He knows he can have no security against one who is deceitful, but in standing guard all
his days.
Farther, we may observe that the Scripture places it as the spring of every sin, as though no sin followed except where deceit went before. So 1 Timothy 2:13, 14. The reason the apostle gives why Adam, though he was first formed, was not first in the sin, is because he was not first deceived. The woman, though made last, yet being first deceived, was first in the sin. Even that first sin began in deceit, and until the mind was deceived the soul was safe. Eve, therefore, spoke truly, Genesis 3:13, though not to a good end. "The serpent beguiled me," says she, "and I ate." She thought to extenuate her own crime by charging the serpent; and this was a new fruit of the sin she had cast herself into. But the fact was true, - she was beguiled before she ate; deceit went before the sin. And the apostle shows that sin and Satan still take the same course, 2 Corinthians 11:3. "There is," says he, "the same way of working towards actual sin as was of old:deceiving goes before; and sin follows after." Hence, all the great works that the devil does in the world, to stir men up to an opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom, he does them by deceit: Revelation 12:9, "The devil, who deceives the whole world." It were utterly impossible men should be prevailed on to abide in his service, to their eternal, and sometimes their temporal ruin, unless they were exceedingly deceived. See also chap. 20:10.
Hence are those manifold cautions that are given us to take heed that we be not deceived, if we would take heed that we do not sin. See Ephesians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 15:33; Galatians 6:7; Luke 21:8. From all which testimonies we may learn the influence that deceit has into sin, and consequently the advantage that the law of sin has to put forth its power by its deceitfulness. Where it deceives, it does not fail to bring forth its fruit.
The source of this power of sin by deceit derives from the faculty of the soul affected with it. Deceit properly affects the mind. When sin attempts any other way of entrance into the soul, for example by the affections, the mind, retaining its sovereignty, can control it. But
where the mind is tainted, the prevalence must be great; for the mind is the leading faculty of the soul, and what that fixes on, the will and affections rush after, being capable of nothing but what that presents to them. Hence it is, that though the entanglement of the affections to sin be often most troublesome, yet the deceit of the mind is always most dangerous. Its office is to guide, direct, choose, and lead; and "if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness!"
And this will farther appear if we consider the nature of deceit in general. It consists in presenting to the soul, or mind, things otherwise than they are. This is the general nature of deceit, and it prevails many ways. It hides what ought to be seen, conceals consequences, presents matters as they are not. Satan "beguiled" and "deceived" our first parents; that term the Holy Ghost gives to his temptation. And how he deceived them the Scripture relates, Genesis 3:4, 5. He did it by representing things otherwise than they were. The fruit was desirable; that was apparent to the eye. Hence Satan takes advantage secretly to insinuate that it was merely an reduction of their happiness that God aimed at in forbidding them to eat it. That it was to test their obedience, that certain though not immediate ruin would follow eating it, he hides from them; he only presents the present advantage of knowledge, and so presents the whole case quite otherwise to them than it was. This is the nature of deceit. So Jacob deceived Isaac by his brother's raiment and the skins on his hands and neck.
Again; deceit has advantage by that method which is inseparable from it. It is always carried on by degrees, little by little, that the whole of the design be not at once revealed. So dealt Satan in that great deceit; he proceeds in it by degrees, First, he takes off an objection, and tells them they shall not die; then presents the good of knowledge to them, and their becoming like God. To conceal ends, to proceed by degrees, to use what is obtained, and then to press on to farther effects, is the true nature of deceit. Stephen tells us that the king of Egypt "dealt subtly," or deceitfully, "with their kindred," Acts 7:19. How he did it we may see, Exodus 1 He did not at first fall to killing them, but says,
verse 10, "Come, let us deal wisely," beginning to oppress them. This brings forth their bondage, verse 11. Having got this ground to make them slaves, he proceeds to destroy their children, verse 16. He fell not on them all at once, but by degrees. And this may suffice to show in general that sin is deceitful, and the advantages that it has thereby.
For the manner, and progress of sin in working by deceit, we have it expressed, James 1:14, 15, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death." This place, declaring the whole of what we aim at in this matter, must be particularly insisted on.
The apostle declares that men are willing to drive the old trade, which our first parents set up, namely, of excusing their sins, and casting the blame of them on others. It is not, say they, from themselves, their own nature, 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 himself, rather than go without an excuse of their guilt. The apostle rebukes this evil in the hearts of men, verse 13, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man." And to show the justness of this reproof, in those words he reveals the true causes of the rise of sin, declaring that the whole guilt of it lies on the sinner, and that the whole punishment of it, if not graciously prevented, will be his lot also.
So we have in these words the whole progress of indwelling sin, by the way of subtlety and deceit, expressed and limited by the Holy Ghost. And from hence we shall show the ways it puts its power into the hearts of men by deceitfulness and subtlety; so, -
First, The utmost end aimed at in all the actions of sin, or the tendency of it in its own nature, is death: "Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death," the everlasting death of the sinner; pretend what it will, this is
the end it aims at. Hiding of designs is the principal property of deceit. This sin does to the uttermost; it pleads innumerable other things, but not once declares that it aims at the everlasting death of the soul. And an understanding of this end of every sin is a blessed means to prevent its prevalence in deceit or beguiling.
Secondly, The general way of its acting towards that end is by temptation: "Every man is tempted of his own lust." That the life of temptation lies in deceit; so that, in the business of sin, to be effectually tempted, and to be beguiled, are the same. Thus it was in the first temptation. It is everywhere called the serpent's beguiling: "The serpent beguiled Eve;" that is, prevailed by his temptations on her. So that every man is tempted, - that is, every man is beguiled, - by his own lust, or indwelling sin.
Sin proceeds in this work of tempting or deceiving in five ways; for we showed before that this belongs to the nature of deceit, that it works by degrees, 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 by his own lust."
The second is in enticing: "And is enticed."
The third in the conception of sin: "When lust has conceived." When the heart is enticed, then lust conceives in it.
The fourth is the bringing forth of sin in its action: "When lust has 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 the completing of sin, which brings about the result originally designed by lust: "Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death," As lust conceiving necessarily brings forth sin, so sin finished infallibly results in eternal death.
The first of these relates to the mind; that is drawn away by the deceit of sin. The second to the affection; they are enticed. The third to the will, wherein sin is conceived; the consent of the will being the conception of actual sin. The fourth to the life in which sin is brought forth; it exerts itself in the lives of men. The fifth relates to the stubbornness that finishes the whole work of sin, and results in eternal ruin.
I shall principally consider the three first, wherein the main strength of the deceit of sin lies; and that because in believers (whose condition we are considering), God is pleased, for the most part, graciously to prevent the fourth instance, the bringing forth of actual sins; and always and wholly to prevent the fifth, their stubborn continuance in a course of sin to the end. The ways God in his grace and faithfulness uses to stifle the conceptions of sin in the womb, and to hinder its actual production in the lives of men, we will consider later. The first three instances, then, we shall insist on fully, as those that principally concern believers.
The first thing which sin is said to do, working in a way of deceit, is to draw away or to draw off; whence a man is said to be drawn off, or "drawn away" and diverted from attending to that course of obedience and holiness which he is bound to attend to in opposition to sin and its law.
Now, it is the mind that this effect of the deceit of sin is worked on. The mind or understanding, as we have showed, is the guiding, conducting faculty of the soul It goes before in discerning, judging, and determining, to make the way of moral actions fair and smooth to the will and affections. It is to the soul what Moses told his father-in-law that he might be to the people in the wilderness, as "eyes to guide them," and keep them from wandering in that desolate place. It is the eye of the soul, without whose guidance the will and affections would perpetually wander in the wilderness of this world, according as any object, appearing good, presented itself to them.