when the mind has been drawn away and the affections entangled.
Next we consider the way that the deceit of sin gains the consent of the will, and conceives actual sin in the soul. 1. The will is a rational appetite, - rational as guided by the mind, and an appetite as excited by the affections; and so is influenced by both.
2. It consents to nothing, but as it has an appearance of some present good. It cannot consent to anything that it knows is evil. Good is its natural object, so whatever is presented to it for its consent must be presented under an appearance of being either good in itself, or good at present to the soul; so that, -
3. We may see the reason why the conception of sin is placed here when the mind has been drawn away and the affections entangled. Both these have an influence on the consent of the will, and the conception of actual sin thereby. Our way here is plain. We have seen how the mind is drawn away by the deceit of sin, and how the affections are entangled; - what remains is but the effect of these things; so to show this, we will give some examples of some of the deceits, and corrupt reasonings, and then show how they cause the will to consent to sin: -
(1.) The will is imposed on by that corrupt reasoning, that grace is exalted in a pardon, and that mercy is provided for sinners. The first deceives the mind, and opens the way to the will's consent by removing the sight of evil, which the will has an aversion to. In carnal hearts, this prevails so far as to make them think that their liberty consists in being "servants of corruption," 2 Peter 2:19. Its poison often taints the minds of believers; against which we are cautioned in the Scripture. There is a use and an abuse of the doctrine of the grace of the gospel. Grace is a twofold mystery, of walking with God, and coming to God; and the great design of sin is to alter the mystery of grace by applying considerations to one which belong to the other; so each part is hindered, and the influence of grace in them is defeated. See 1 John 2:1, 2:
"These things write I to you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins."
Here is the whole design of the gospel briefly expressed. "These things," says he, "I write to you." What things were these? chap. 1 verse 2: "The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us," - that is, the things concerning the person and mediation of Christ; and, verse 7, that pardon, forgiveness, and expiation from sin is through the blood of Christ. But why does he write these things to them? what do they teach, what do they lead to? A universal abstinence from sin: "I write to you," says he, "that you sin not." This is the only genuine end of the doctrine of the gospel. But to abstain from all sin is not our condition in this world: verse 8, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." What, then, shall be done? Since we have sinned, is there no relief provided for our souls in the gospel? Yes; says he, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins." There is full relief in the propitiation and intercession of Christ for us. This is the doctrine of the gospel, and its application to our souls: - first, to keep us from sin; and then to relieve us against sin. But the deceit of sin puts this "new wine into old bottles," whereby the bottles are broken, and the wine perishes. It takes the last first. "If any man sin, there is pardon provided," is all the gospel that sin would allow to abide on the minds of men. When we want to approach God in faith, it tells us we should be free from sin, whereas the gospel presents the pardon of sin for our encouragement. When we have come to God, and should walk with him, it will only present the latter, that there is pardon of sin; whereas the gospel instructs us to keep ourselves from sin, the grace of God bringing salvation having appeared to us to that purpose.
Now, the mind being entangled with this deceit and diverted from the true ends of the gospel, sin imposes on the will in several ways to obtain its consent: -
[1.] By a sudden temptation. Temptation represents a thing as a present good, which is a real evil. Now, when temptation befalls the soul, the principle of grace in the will rises up to reject it. But if the mind is deceived by sin, it breaks in on the will with a corrupt reasoning from gospel grace and mercy, which first reduces, then abates the will's opposition, and then causes it to consent on the side of temptation; and sin in the sight of God is conceived, though it may never be committed. Thus the seed of God is sacrificed to Moloch, and the weapons of Christ used to serve the devil.
[2.] It does it unawares. It insinuates the poison of this corrupt reasoning by little and little, until it has prevailed. And as the whole effect of the doctrine of the gospel in holiness and obedience consists in the soul's being cast into its mould, Romans 6:17; so apostasy from the gospel is casting the soul into the mould of this false reasoning, that sin may be indulged because there is grace and pardon. Thus the soul is at ease in negligence, and feels no need to attend to duties and avoid sins. It takes the soul away from the mystery of the law of grace, which is to look for salvation as if we had never performed any duty, being, after we have done all, unprofitable servants, resting on sovereign mercy through the blood of Christ, and attending to duties as if we looked for no mercy; that is, with no less care, though with more liberty and freedom. This the deceitfulness of sin attempt by all means to work the soul from; and thereby debauches the will regarding consent to sin.
(2.) The deceived mind imposes on the will, to obtain its consent to sin, by suggesting the advantages that may arise thereby; which is one way it is drawn away. It makes what is absolutely evil appear good. So was it with Eve, Genesis 3. Forgetting the law, covenant and threats of God, she reflects on the benefits she should obtain by her sin, and adds them up to gain the consent of her will. "It is," says she, "good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise." What should she do, then, but eat it? Her will consented, and she did so. Pleas for obedience are laid out of the way, and only the pleasures of sin are considered. So says Ahab, 1 Kings 21; "Naboth's vineyard is
near my house, and I may make it a garden of herbs; therefore I must have it." A deceived mind proposed this to his will, until it made him obstinately pursue his covetousness through perjury and murder, to the ruin of himself and his family. Thus the guilt and tendency of sin is disguised as advantages, and so is resolved on in the soul.
As the mind being withdrawn, so the affections being enticed and entangled do greatly further the conception of sin in the soul by the consent of the will; and they do it two ways: -
[1.] By some hasty impulse, being drawn forth by some violent temptation, they inflame the whole soul, and draw the will to consent to what they are drawn to. So with David in the matter of Nabal. A violent provocation from the unworthy behaviour of that foolish churl stirs him up to revenge, 1 Samuel 25:13. He resolves to destroy a whole family, the innocent with the guilty, verses 33, 34. Revenge and murder were conceived, resolved, and consented to, until God graciously took him off. His provoked affections caused his will to consent to the conception of bloody sins. It was the same with Asa in his anger, when he smote the prophet; and with Peter in his fear, when he denied his Master. Let that soul which would take heed of conceiving sin take heed of entangled affections; for sin may be suddenly conceived, the consent of the will may be suddenly obtained; which brings guilt to the soul, though the sin be never done.
[2.] Enticed affections gain the consent of the will by frequent temptations, whereby they get ground little by little, and enthrone themselves. Take an instance in the sons of Jacob, Genesis 37:4. They hate their brother, because their father loved him. Their affections being enticed, new occasions entangle them farther, as his dreams and the like. This rankled in their hearts, and never ceased tempting their wills until they resolved on his death. The unlawfulness, the unnaturalness of the action, the grief of their aged father, the guilt of their own souls, are all laid aside. The hatred and envy that they had conceived against him ceased not until their wills had consented to his ruin. This gradual progress of the prevalence of corrupt affections to