One of its wiles is the alleviation of its own guilt. It pleads that it is not
searcher of all hearts, Genesis 20:5. But being ignorant that fornication was so great a sin that a morally honest man should not do, lust brings him tyo intend evil in reference to Sarah. God complains that his people "perished for lack of knowledge," Hosea 4:6. Being ignorant of the mind and will of God, they rushed into evil at every command of the law of sin. Many a man, being ignorant of his duty to instruct his family, relying on public teaching for all of it, is, by the deceitfulness of sin, brought into habitual negligence of duty. The more ignorance of the will of God and duty, the more advantage to the law of sin. So we may see what is the true knowledge which is acceptable with God. How do many poor souls, poor in theology, yet walk well with God! It seems they know enough, so that sin has not much advantage against them; when others, full of knowledge, follow their lusts in their ignorance, being unaware of it.
(2.) Error is a worse part of the mind's darkness, and gives great advantage to the law of sin. There is ignorance in every error, but there is not error in all ignorance. Here is an example; there are men who, being zealous for some error, seek to persecute the truth. Indwelling sin desires no greater advantage. How will it every day, every hour, pour forth wrath and revilings; breathe revenge and murder, under the name of zeal! On this account we may see poor creatures pleasing themselves every day; as if they vaunted in their excellency, when they are foaming out their own shame. Under their real darkness and pretended zeal, sin sits securely, and fills pulpits, houses, prayers, streets, with bitter fruits of envy, malice, hatred, false speakings, as full as they can hold. The result with such poor creatures is that the holy, blessed, meek Spirit of God withdraws from them, and leaves them to that evil worldly spirit, which the law of sin has cherished in them. Sin dwells nowhere more secure than in such an attitude.
2. It protects itself against the pursuits of the word and Spirit of grace. One of its wiles is the alleviation of its own guilt. It pleads that it is not so bad or so filthy as is pretended; so it proceeds in two ways: -
(1.) Absolutely. It will plead that the evil which it tends to is not so pernicious as conscience is persuaded that it is; it may be entered on without ruin. It will urge this unexpectedly, when the soul cannot weigh its suggestions in the balance of the sanctuary; and the will is often imposed on, and shifts itself from under the sword of the Spirit: - "It may be let alone, or allowed to die of itself, which probably within a while it will do; no need of that violence in putting it to death; it is time enough to deal with a matter of no greater importance hereafter;" with other pleas like those before mentioned.
(2.) Comparatively; and this is a large field for its deceit to lurk in: - "Though it is an evil to be relinquished, and the soul is to watch against it, it is not of that magnitude as we see in the lives of others, even saints of God, much less such as some saints of old have fallen into." By these and similar pretences, it seeks to keep its abode in the soul when pursued to destruction. And how little a portion of its deceitfulness have we declared!