Nadab and Abihu, "I will be sanctified in those who come nigh me,"
unfamiliar. He who shuts his eyes in the sun can see nothing at all when he opens them again. And as a man loses faith towards these things, they lose power towards him. Those things that so greatly affected him can now do little with him because of his unbelief. So was it with the spouse in the Song of Solomon, Song of Solomon 5:2; Christ calls to her, verse 1, with a marvellous gracious invitation to communion with him. She who had formerly been ravished when she first heard that joyful sound, being now at carnal ease, gives a poor answer to his call, which ended in her sorrow. As indwelling sin prevails by spiritual sloth on the souls of men to neglect the motions of God's Spirit in their understandings of divine love, and to omit to stir up continual thoughts of faith about it, the whole soul decays. Thus God oft complains that his people had "forgotten him;" that is, grew unmindful of his love and grace, - which was the beginning of their apostasy.
2dly. By causing the mind to have formal, weary, powerless thoughts of the things which should bring it to thankful obedience. The apostle cautions us that in dealing with God we should use reverence and godly fear, because of his purity, holiness, and majesty, Hebrews 12:28, 29. And this is what the Lord himself spake in the destruction of Nadab and Abihu, "I will be sanctified in those who come nigh me," Leviticus 10:3. He will be dealt with in a holy, reverent manner. So are we to deal with all the things of God where we have communion with him. The soul is to have a great reverence of God in them. When men begin to consider them lightly, not using them for the purpose they were made for, they lose sight of their beauty, and glory, and power. When we have anything to do where faith or love towards God is to be exercised, we must do it with all our hearts, with all our minds, strength, and souls; not perfunctorily, which God abhors. He does not only require that we remember his love and grace, but that we serve him according to their excellency. It was the sin of Hezekiah that he "rendered not again according to the benefits done to him," 2 Chronicles 32:25. So, whilst we consider gospel truths, the uttermost labour of the soul ought to be, that we may be "changed into the same image" or likeness, 2 Corinthians 3:18; that is, that they may have
their full effect on us. Otherwise, James tells us what our "beholding the glory of the Lord in a glass," there mentioned by the apostle, - that is, reading or hearing the mind of God in Christ revealed in the gospel, - comes to: James 1:23, 24,
"It is like a man seeing his natural face in a glass: for he sees himself, and goes away, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was."
It makes no impression on him, fixes no image of his likeness in his imagination; because he does it lightly, and with a transient look. So is it with men who only think of gospel truths in a slight manner, without labouring, with all their hearts, minds, and strength, to have them ingrafted on their souls. Now, this is the way of sinners in their first commitments to God. When they think of pardoning mercy, they labour to affect their whole souls with it, and stir themselves to suitable affections constant obedience. They do not merely think of the excellency of Christ and spiritual things, now newly revealed to them in a saving light, but they press with all their might after a fuller enjoyment of them. This keeps them humble and holy, thankful and fruitful. But if they do not diligently grow in this wisdom, indwelling sin, working by the vanity of the mind, will bring them to content themselves with scanty thoughts of these things, without labouring to let them work in the soul. As men decay in this, so they decay and decline in the power of holiness and close walking with God. The springs being stopped or tainted, the streams will not run so swiftly or sweetly, as formerly. Some wither almost into nothing. They talk of religion and spiritual things as much as they did, and perform duties with as much constancy as they did; but they have poor starving souls as to any real communion with God. By the subtlety of indwelling sin they have grown formal, and learned to deal with spiritual things in an outward manner; so they have lost all their life, vigour and savour towards them. Be serious in spiritual things if you intend to be bettered by them.
3dly. Indwelling sin often stops these springs of gospel obedience, by false opinions corrupting the simplicity of the gospel. False opinions
are the work of the flesh. They mostly proceed from the darkness of the minds of men, with a mixture of corrupt affections. The apostle was jealous over his Corinthians in this matter. He was afraid lest their minds
"should by any means be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ," 2 Corinthians 11:2, 3;
which he knew would be attended by a decline in faith, love, and obedience. We have seen some who, after they have received a sweet taste of the love of God in Christ, of the excellency of pardoning mercy, and have walked humbly with God for many years in the the truth, have, by the corruption of their minds from the simplicity that is in Christ, despised all their own experiences, and rejected the truth that would advance their obedience. Hence John cautions the elect lady and her children to take heed they were not seduced, lest they should "lose what they had worked for," 2 John verse 8; - lest they should cast away all their former obedience as a thing of no value. How many are there who used to put an unspeakable value on the pardon of sin in the blood of Christ, - who delighted in gospel revelations of spiritual things, and walked in obedience to God because of them, - who have turned aside from the truth as it is in Jesus, and despise the springs of their former obedience! And as this is done openly in some, there are also secret inroads of corrupt opinions that taint the springs of gospel obedience, and gain ground on them through the vanity of men's minds. Such are those who diminish the freedom of grace, and promote the labours of men in their spiritual ability. They are works of the flesh; and although some may pretend that they promote holiness, they taint the springs of true obedience, turn the heart from God, and bring the whole soul into spiritual decay.
And this is one way that indwelling sin produces this pernicious effect of drawing men off from the power, purity, and fruitfulness attending their first conversion and commitments to God, causing a decline of their holiness and grace. There is nothing we ought to be more watchful against, if we truly intend to deal with this enemy. It is no
small part of the wisdom of faith, to observe whether gospel truths continue to have the same work on the soul as they did; and whether they continue to be improved as at the first. A commandment that is always practised is always new, as John speaks of love. And gospel truths will be always new and fresh to him who really improves, because they are new in practice; but they are burdensome to another who grows used them, and even loathes the manna that he often eats..
(2.) Indwelling sin does this by taking men off from their watch against the returns of Satan. When our Lord Christ comes first to take possession of any soul for himself, he binds that strong man and spoils his goods; he deprives him of all his power. Satan being thus frustrated in his hopes, leaves the soul, as finding it dead to his baits. So he left our Saviour on his first attempts. But it is said he left him only "for a season," Luke 4:13. He intended to return when he saw an opportunity. So is it with believers. Being repelled, he leaves them for a season. Freed from his assaults, they proceed vigorously in their obedience, and so flourish in the ways of God. But Satan returns, and if the soul does not stand continually on his guard against him, he will quickly get advantages that shall damage his his fruitfulness. Hence some, after they have spent some time, may be years, in cheerful walking with God, have spent all their latter days wrestling with the temptations he has entangled them in. Others have plainly fallen under the power of his assaults. It is like a man who, having for a while lived usefully amongst his neighbours, done good and communicated according to his ability, distributing to the poor, and helping all around about him, at length, falling into the hands of oppressive men, is forced to spend his substance in defending himself at law, and so becomes useless where he lives. So is it with many a believer: after he has walked in fruitful obedience, to the glory of God and edification of the church of Christ, being afresh set on by the return of Satan, he has enough to do all the rest of his life to keep himself alive; woefully decaying as to grace. Now, this success which Satan obtains in his undertaking is also from indwelling sin. This encourages him, makes way for his return, and gives entrance to his temptations. You know how it is with men when he is cast of them by
gospel conviction; after he has waited a while, he says he will return. And what is the issue? Carnal lusts have prevailed over the man's convictions, and made his soul fit to receive returning devils. It is so as to the measure of prevalence that Satan obtains against believers, by sin causing the soul to be vulnerable to his temptations.
Now, the ways that indwelling sin helps Satan to return are those which dispose toward a decline. Satan is a watchful and crafty adversary; he will neglect no opportunity. So wherever our spiritual strength is impaired by sin, or wherever our lusts press, Satan falls in with that weakness and presses towards that ruin; so that all the actions of the law of sin are subservient to this. One or two seem principally to invite Satan to attempt a return: -
[1.] It entangles the soul in the things of the world, all which are merchants for Satan. When Pharaoh had let the people go, he heard after a while that they were entangled in the wilderness, and supposed that he would be able to overtake them and destroy them. This stirs him up to pursue them. When Satan finds that those he has been cast out from are entangled in the things of the world, he is encouraged to attack them again, as the spider comes down on the strongest fly that is entangled in his web; for his temptations only impel them to what their lusts incline them to, by adding poison to their lusts, and gilding their objects. And often he gets so in on the souls of men, that they are never free of him whilst they live. And as men's diversions in the world increase, so do their entanglements from Satan. When they have more to do in the world than they can manage, they shall have more to do from Satan than they can withstand. When men are made spiritually faint, by dealing with the world, Satan sets on them, as Amalek did on the weak of the people who came out of Egypt.
[2.] It does this by making the soul negligent, and taking it from its watch. We have showed that it is a main part of the deceitfulness of indwelling sin to make the soul neglect the diligent, watchful attendance to its duty which is required. Now, nowhere are diligence
and watchfulness more strictly enjoined than in the returning assaults of Satan: 1 Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant." And why? "Because of your adversary the devil." Unless you are exceeding watchful, he will surprise you; and all the injunctions of our blessed Saviour to watch refer to him and his temptations. Now, when the soul is made careless, forgetting what an enemy it has to deal with, or is lifted up with the successes it has obtained against him, then Satan attempts a reentrance of his old habitation; which if he cannot obtain, yet he makes their lives uncomfortable to themselves and unfruitful to others, in weakening their root and withering their fruit through his poison. He comes down on our duties of obedience as the fowls on Abraham's sacrifice; so that if we watch not, as he did, to drive them away (for by resistance he is overcome and put to flight), he will devour them.
[3.] Indwelling sin takes opportunity to withdraw men from their primitive zeal and holiness, from their first faith, love, and works, by the evil examples of professors amongst whom they live. When men first engage into the ways of God, they have a reverent esteem of those whom they believe to have been made partakers of that mercy before them; these they love and honour, as it is their duty. But after a while they find many of them walking crookedly, like the men of the world. Here sin takes opportunity. Unconsciously it prevails with men to comply with them. "This way does well enough with others; why may it not do so with us also?" Such is the inward thought of many. And so, through the craft of sin, the generation of professors corrupt one another. As a stream arising from a clear spring or a fountain, whilst it runs in its own peculiar channel and keeps its water unmixed, preserves its purity, but when it falls in with other streams that are foul, though running the same way, it becomes discoloured also; so is it in this case. Believers come forth from the spring of the new birth with purity and cleanness; this for a while they keep in the course of their private walk with God: but when they fall into society with others, whose profession runs the same way as theirs towards heaven, but are sullied with sin and the world, they are often corrupted, and so decline from their first purity, faith, and holiness. I shall add some cautions that preserve men from this infection: -
1st. In the body of professors there are many hypocrites. Though we cannot say of this or that man that he is so, yet it is certain that some are. Our Saviour has told us that it will be so to the end of the world. All who have oil in their lamps have it not in their vessels. Let men take heed how they conform to the professors they meet, lest, instead of saints and the best of men, they have for their example hypocrites, who are the worst; and when they think they are like those who bear the image of God, they are conformed to those who bear the image of Satan.
2dly. You do not know what may be the present temptation of those whose ways you observe. It may be they are under some peculiar desertion from God, and so are withering for a season, until he send them some refreshing showers from above. It may be they are entangled with special corruptions, which is their burden, that you know not of; and for any to deliberately to adopt the attitude that others are cast into by the power of their temptations, or to think they can do what they see others do, whose troubles they know not, is presumption. He who knows such or such a person to be a living man and of a healthy constitution, if he sees him crawling up and down about his affairs, feeble and weak, sometimes falling, sometimes standing, and making small progress in anything, will he think it sufficient for himself to do so also? will he not inquire whether the person he sees have not lately fallen into some sickness that has weakened him and brought him into that condition? Assuredly he will so do. Take heed, Christians; many of the professors with whom you converse are sick and wounded, - the wounds of some of them stink and are corrupt because of their folly. If you have any spiritual health, do not think their weakness will be accepted in you; much less think it will be well for you also to become sick and wounded.
3dly. Remember that of many of the best Christians, only the worst is known and seen. Many who keep up precious communion with God may often, by their natural tempers of passion, not carry so glorious appearances as others who come short of them in grace and the
power of godliness. In respect of their outward lifestyle it may seem they are scarcely saved, when in respect of their faith and love they may be eminent. They may, as the King's daughter, be all glorious within, though their clothes are not always of wrought gold. Take heed, then, that you are not infected with their worst, when you are not able to imitate them in their best.
[4.] Sin does this work by cherishing some particular lust in the heart. The soul contends against this faintly. It contends against it on the account of sincerity; it cannot but do so: but it does not make thorough work, vigorously to put it to death by the strength and power of grace. Now, where it is thus with a soul, habitual decline as to holiness will assuredly follow. David shows us how, in his first days, he kept his heart close to God: Psalm 18:23, "I was upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity." His great care was lest any lust should prevail in him that might be called his iniquity. The same course steered Paul also, 1 Corinthians 9:27. He was in danger of being lifted up by his spiritual revelations. This makes him "keep his body in subjection," that no carnal reasonings might take place in him. But where indwelling sin has given strength to a special lust, it proves a principal means of a general decline; for as a weakness in any vital part will make the whole body weak, so weakness in any one grace, which a perplexing lust brings with it, will make the soul. It every way weakens spiritual strength. It weakens confidence in God in faith and prayer. The knees will be feeble and the hands will hang down in dealing with God, where a troublesome lust lies in the heart and has not been put to death. It will take such hold on the soul that it shall not be "able to look up," Psalm 40:12. It darkens the mind by innumerable foolish imaginations, which it stirs up. It pricks the conscience with those spots and stains which by its actions it brings on the soul. It contends in the will for dominion. An active corruption wants to have command in the soul, and it is always ready to take the throne. It disturbs the thoughts, and sometimes will even frighten the soul from dealing with it by meditation, lest, corrupt affections being entangled by it, grace loses ground instead of prevailing. It breaks out often into scandalous sins, as it did in David and Hezekiah, and loads
the sinner with sorrow and discouragement. So it becomes to the soul like a moth in a garment, to eat its strongest threads, so that though the whole hangs together, it is easily torn to pieces. Though the soul with whom it is thus may keep up a fair profession for a while, yet his strength is secretly devoured, and every temptation tears his conscience at pleasure. It becomes with such men as it is with some who have for many years been of a sound, strong constitution. Some secret distemper seizes on them. For a season they take no notice of it, or, if they do, they think they shall do well enough with it, and easily shake it off when they have a little leisure to attend to it; but for now, they think, as Samson with his locks cut, they will do as at other times. Sometimes, they complain that they are not well, they know not what ails them, and rise violently in an opposition to their distemper; but after a while struggling in vain, the vigour of their spirits and strength failing them, they are forced to yield to the power of a consumption. And now all they can do is little enough to keep them alive. It is so with men brought into spiritual decay by any secret corruption. It may be they have had a vigorous principle of obedience and holiness. Indwelling sin watching its opportunities, by some temptation or other has inflamed some particular lust in them. For a while, they take little notice. Sometimes they complain, but think they will do as in former times, until, being unconsciously weakened in their spiritual strength, they have enough to do in keeping alive what remains and is ready to die, Hosea 5:13.
[5.] It works by neglecting private communion with God in prayer and meditation. If it prevails, it will produce a decline in the whole course of obedience. All neglect of private duties is principled by a weariness of God, as he complains, Isaiah 43:22, "You have not called on me, you have been weary of me." Neglect of prayer proceeds from weariness; and where there is weariness, we will withdraw from what we are weary of. Now, God alone being the fountain and spring of spiritual life, if there is weariness of him and withdrawing from him, decay in the life must follow. Indeed, what men are in these duties (I mean as to faith and love in them), that they are, and no more. Here lies the root of their obedience; and if this fail, all fruit will quickly fail. You may
sometimes see a tree flourishing with leaves and fruit, good and pleasant. After a while the leaves begin to decay, the fruit to wither, the whole to droop. Search, and you shall find the root, where it should draw in moisture from the earth to supply the body and branches with sap and juice for growth and fruit, has received a wound, is some way perished, and does not perform its duty, so that though the branches may flourish for a while with what they had received, they must decay. So it is here. These duties of private communion with God are the means of receiving supplies of spiritual strength from him, - of sap and fatness from Christ, the vine and olive. While they do so, the lifestyle and course of obedience flourishes and is fruitful, - all outward duties are cheerfully and regularly performed; but if there be a wound, a defect, in the root, that should take in spiritual moisture, that should be shared with the whole, the rest may for a season maintain their appearance, but after a while profession will wither, fruits will decay, and the whole be ready to die. Hence our Saviour lets us know, Matthew 6:6, what a man is in secret, in these private duties, that he is in the eyes of God, and no more; and one reason amongst others is, because they have a more vigorous acting of unmixed grace than any other duties. In most particular duties, there is an alloy of gifts, which sometimes even devours the pure gold of grace, which should be the chief and principal in them. In these there is immediate intercourse between God and what is of himself in the soul. If once sin, by its deceits and treacheries, can take the soul from communing with God and constancy in these duties, it will cause a declining in the whole of a man's obedience. It has made its entrance, and will assuredly make good its progress.
[6.] Growing in the knowledge of truth without application is another thing that indwelling sin uses to corrupt the souls of believers. The apostle tell us that "knowledge puffs up," 1 Corinthians 8:1. If it is not applied, it inflates men; like a man who has a dropsy, we are not to expect that he has strength according to his size; like trees that are continually putting forth shoots, which keeps them from bearing fruit. When men are like this, they can receive evangelical truths in a new and more glorious light or more clear revelation than formerly, or new
manifestations of truth which they knew not before, and please themselves in so doing, without labouring to have the power of those truths on their hearts, and their souls made conformable to them. But they also deal with all truths formerly known, which were sometimes inlaid in their hearts with more power. This has proved, if not the ruin, yet the great impairing of many. By this means, from humble, close walking, many have withered into an empty, talking profession. Everything has become alike to them; - whether they are true or false, if they can discuss them, all is well. This is food for sin; it increases it, and is increased by it. It is a notable way for the vanity that is in the mind to exert itself without a rebuke from conscience. Whilst men are talking about religion, and hearing preaching, with great delight, as those in Ezekiel 33:32, conscience, unless thoroughly awake, and furnished with spiritual wisdom and care, will be pacified, and not protest against the state that the soul is in. But all this may be nothing but the acting of the mind's natural vanity. And generally this is so when men content themselves with the notions of truth, without labouring to experience the power of them in their hearts, and bring forth fruit in their lives; so decay must needs follow.
[7.] Growth in carnal wisdom also helps sin to produce this effect. "Your wisdom and your knowledge," says the prophet, "has perverted you," Isaiah 47:10. As carnal wisdom increases, faith decays. Its effect is to teach a man to trust in himself; faith will teach him to trust wholly in another. So it labours to destroy the whole work of faith, by causing the soul to return to self sufficiency. How many a humble, broken-hearted creature, who followed after God in simplicity and integrity of spirit, has returned to a worldly, carnal frame, and utterly withered in their faith through following the ways of others, and yielding to temptations and opportunities in the world! Many are so sullied that they are not the men they were.
[8.] Great sin, lying unrepented of in the heart and conscience, furthers indwelling sin. The great turn of the life of David was in harbouring his sin without repentance. It was otherwise with Peter, and his outcome was different. A great sin will greatly affect the life of
a professor. If it is well cured in the blood of Christ, with the humiliation that the gospel requires, it often proves a means of more watchfulness and contentment than before. If it is neglected, it hardens the heart, weakens spiritual strength, and discourages it from communion with God. So David complains, Psalm 38:5, "My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness." His malaise was not so much from his sin as his folly, - not so much from the wounds he had received as from his neglect of their cure. It is like a broken bone, well set, which leaves the place stronger than before; otherwise it makes the man a cripple all his days. Whatever it uses, sin is still the principle; and this is no small evidence of its power.