the affections? Three of its baits are shown here: -
2. Our next inquiry is, How the deceit of sin proceeds thus to entice the affections? Three of its baits are shown here: -
(1.) It makes use of its former dominion over the mind to draw it off from its watchfulness. Says the wise man, Proverbs 1:17, "Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird;" or "before the eyes of every thing that has a wing," as in the original. If it has eyes open to discern the snare, and a wing to carry it away, it will not be caught· And the deceit of sin would spread its nets in vain to entangle the soul, whilst the eyes of the mind are on it, and so stir up the wings of its will and affections to carry it away. But if the eyes be diverted, the wings are of little use for escape; so this is one of the ways the fowler uses. They have lights, to divert the sight of their prey; and when that is done, they cast their nets on them. So does the deceit of sin; it first diverts the mind by false reasonings, and then casts its net on the affections to entangle them.
(2.) Taking advantage of such seasons, it presents 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 to corrupt lusts. This is laying a bait, which the apostle in this verse evidently alludes to. A bait is desirable, and presented to the hungry creature for its satisfaction; and it is rendered desirable by all craft. Thus is sin presented by the help of the imagination to the soul; that is, sinful objects, which the affections cleave to, are presented. The apostle tells us that there are "pleasures of sin," Hebrews 11:25; which, unless they are despised, as they were by Moses, sin cannot be escaped. Hence they that live in sin are said to "live in pleasure," James 5:5. Now, this pleasure of sin gives satisfaction to the flesh, to lust, to corrupt affections. Hence is that caution, Romans 13:14, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts;" that is, "Do not allow your minds, thoughts, or affections to fix on sinful objects, that give satisfaction to the lusts of the flesh, to nourish them." He speaks again, Galatians 5:16, "Do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh;" - "Do not bring in the pleasures of sin, to give them satisfaction." When men are under the
power of sin, they are said to "fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind," Ephesians 2:3. So the deceit of sin attempts to entangle the affections by suggesting to them, through the assistance of the imagination, that it will satisfy its corrupt lusts, now set at liberty by the carelessness of the mind. It presents its "wine sparkling in the cup," the beauty of the adulteress, the riches of the world, to sensual and covetous persons; and similarly, to some degree, to believers themselves. So when sin would entangle the soul, it prevails with the imagination to solicit the heart, by representing this false-painted beauty or pretended desirability of sin; and then if Satan, with any temptation, assists it, it 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 possible that sin should utterly deprive the soul of the knowledge of its danger. It cannot remove its persuasion that "the wages of sin is death," and that it is the "judgement of God that they that commit sin are worthy of death." But this it will do, - it will so possess the mind and affections with the desirableness of sin, that it diverts them from a practical contemplation of the danger of it. What Satan did by his first temptation, sin has done ever since. At first Eve guards herself with calling to mind the danger of sin: "If we eat or touch it we shall die," Genesis 3:3. But so soon as Satan had filled her mind with the beauty and usefulness of the fruit to make one wise, how quickly she laid aside her consideration of the danger of eating it, the curse due to it; or else relieves herself with a vain hope and pretence that it should not be, because the serpent told her so! So was David beguiled in his transgression by the deceit of sin. His lust being satisfied, his sense of the guilt of his transgression was taken away; so he is said to have "despised the LORD," 2 Samuel 12:9, in that he considered not the evil that was in his heart, and the danger that attended it in the threatenings of the law. Now sin, when it presses on the soul to this purpose, will use a thousand wiles to hide the terror of the Lord from it. Hopes of pardon shall hide it; future repentance shall hide it; present boldness of lust shall hide it; opportunities shall hide