are much worked on by the word. The apostle tells us that they
Whose heart, who has once heard of the ways of God, will not bleed to see poor souls eternally perishing under a thousand gracious invitations to accept of mercy and pardon in the blood of Christ? And can we not be astonished at the power of that principle that causes them to run headlong to their own destruction? And yet all this befalls them from the power and deceit of sin that dwells in them.
3. It is evident in their total apostasies. Many men not really converted are much worked on by the word. The apostle tells us that they "escape from those who live in error," 2 Peter 2:18. They separate themselves from idolatry and false worship, owning and professing the truth: and they also escape the "pollutions of the world," verse 20; that is, "the corruption that is in the world through lust," as he expresses it, chap. 1:4, - those corrupt and unclean ways which the men of the world, in the pursuit of their lusts, walk and live in. These they escape from, in amending their lives according to the convictions they have from the word; for he tells us, that all this is brought about "through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," - that is, by the preaching of the gospel. They are so far worked on as to forsake all ways of false worship, to profess the truth, to reform their lives, and to walk true to their convictions.
By this means they gain the reputation of professors: "They have a name that they live," Revelation 3:1, and are made "partakers" of some or all of those privileges of the gospel that are numbered by the apostle, Hebrews 6:4, 5.
It is not here my concern to show how far a man may be worked on by the word, and yet not be really brought to yield to Christ, or what may be the limits of common grace on unregenerate men. All agree that it may be carried on so far that it is hard to discern between its effects, and those of saving grace.
But despite all this, many utterly fall from God; some into debauchery, some to worldliness, some to persecute the saints, - all to the loss of their souls. "They are," says the apostle, "entangled again." To
entangle, James 1:14, 15, is the work of indwelling sin; that alone entangles the soul, as the apostle speaks, 2 Peter 2:18, 20. They are allured from their profession into apostasy through the lusts of the flesh.
It prevails on them, through its deceit and power, to forsake their profession and their commitment to God. And this shows the greatness of its power in several ways: -
(1.) It negates that great power which is put forth in the word to convict and reform them. We see by experience that men are not easily worked on by the word; most men can live under it all their lives, and continue as senseless as the seats they sit on, or the flint in the rock. Mighty difficulties must be conquered, great strokes must be given to the conscience, before this can be brought about. It is like stopping a river in his course, and turning his streams another way; like stopping a stone in its fall; or turning away the wild ass, when furiously set to pursue his way, as the prophet speaks, Jeremiah 2:24. To turn men from their corrupt ways; to make them pray, fast, and willingly do many things contrary to the flesh, which is predominant in them; to cause them to profess Christ and the gospel despite being mocked; to give them light to see into mysteries, and gifts for their duties; to make dead, blind, senseless men walk, and talk, and do all that living men do, with conviction and reformation, are the effects of mighty power. Indeed, the power that the Holy Ghost puts forth by the word, in convicting sinners, awakening their consciences, enlightening their minds, changing their affections, awing their hearts, reforming their lives and compelling them to duties, is inexpressible.
But indwelling sin opposes all these. It opposes all the work of the Spirit by the word, with all the advantages of providence in afflictions and mercies which attend it. When sin is enraged, all these become like the cords with which Samson was bound before his head was shaven. Cry to it, "The Philistines are on you; there is a suitable temptation; now show your strength," - all these things become like tow that has smelt the fire; conscience is stifled, reputation in the
church despised, light dimmed, the impressions of the word cast off, convictions discarded, heaven and hell despised: sin makes its way through all, and turns the soul from the ways of God. Sometimes it does this by degrees, taking away convictions from the Spirit by the word, sullying conscience by degrees, hardening the heart, and making the affections sensual, that the poor backslider scarce knows what he is doing, until he comes to the very bottom of all impiety, profaneness, and enmity against God. Sometimes, coinciding with some vigorous temptation, it suddenly plunges the soul into a course of alienation from God and the profession of his ways.
(2.) It takes them off from those hopes of heaven which, on their convictions, obedience, and temporary believing, they had found. There is a general hope of heaven, or at least of escaping hell, of an peaceful immortality, in the most stupid souls in the world, who, either by tradition or instruction from the word, are persuaded that there is another state of things to come after this life; but it is, in unenlightened persons, a senseless, unaffecting thing, that has no hold on them nor power in them, except to give them peace of mind. It is not so with those who are worked on by the word; their hope of heaven and blessed immortality is often accompanied with great exultations, and is a relief to them in the worst of their trials. They would not part with it for all the world; and they retreat in their minds to it for comfort and relief.
Now, the power of sin prevails with them to forgo all this. Let heaven go if it will, a blessed immortality with the enjoyment of God himself, sin must be served, and provision made to fulfil its lusts.
If a man, in the things of this world, had a hope of a large inheritance, of a kingdom, that he is satisfied that it will not fail him, but that he shall surely enjoy it, and lead a happy and a glorious life in the possession of it many days; if one should go to him and tell him, "It is true, the kingdom you look for is an ample and honourable dominion, full of all good things desirable, and you may attain it; but come, cast away all hopes and expectations of it, and come join with me in the
service and slavery of such and such an oppressing tyrant;" - you will grant he must have some bewitching power with him, that should prevail with a man in his wits to follow his advice. Yet thus it is, and much more so, in the case we have in hand. Sin itself cannot deny that the kingdom of heaven, which the soul is in hope of, is glorious and excellent, nor does it seek to convince him that his thoughts of it are vain and will deceive him, but prevails with him to cast away his hopes, to despise his kingdom that he was expecting, for no other motive but that he may serve some worldly, cruel, or sensual lust. Certainly, here lies a secret power, whose depths cannot be fathomed.
(3.) The apostle manifests the power of the entanglements of sin in apostates, in that it turns them from the way of righteousness after they have known it, 2 Peter 2:21. It will be found at the last day an evil and bitter thing that men live all their days in the service of sin, self, and the world, refusing to travel the ways of God, to which they are invited. Though they have no experience of their excellency, beauty, pleasantness, safety; yet, having evidence brought to them from God himself that they are so, the refusal of them will be bitterness in the end. But the condition of those who, as the apostle speaks, "having known the way of righteousness," are by the power of indwelling sin "turned aside from the holy commandment," is far worse. To leave God for the devil, after a man has made some trial of him and his service, - heaven for hell, after a man has had some cheering thoughts of it, - the fellowship of the saints for an ale-house or a brothel-house, after a man has been admitted to their communion, and tasted the pleasantness of it; to leave walking in pure, clear, straight paths, to wallow in mire and filth; - this will be for a lamentation: yet sin prevails on apostates to do this against all their light, conviction, experiences, professions, commitments, or whatever may be strong on them to keep them up to the known ways of righteousness.
(4.) It shows its strength in them by bringing them to a total renunciation of God in Christ, and the power of all gospel truth, - in the sin against the Holy Ghost. By it an end is put to all dealings between God and man in a way of grace. It is a sin to death. And the
hardness and blindness of many men's hearts brings them to this; they are set out of the reach of mercy. They choose to have no more to do with God; and God swears that they shall never enter into his rest: so sin brings forth death. A man is brought by it to renounce the end for which he was made, to reject the means of his coming to the enjoyment of God, to provoke him to his face, and so to perish in his rebellion.
I have not mentioned these things to describe fully the power of indwelling sin in unregenerate men; only by a few instances I thought to give a glimpse of it. He who would have a fuller view of it needs only to open his eyes, to have a sight of that wickedness which rages all the world over. Let him consider the flood of the things mentioned by Paul to be "the fruits of the flesh," Galatians 5:19-21, - that is, among the sons of men, in all nations, towns, parishes; and then let him add to it that the world, which is full of the filth of these abominations, is a pleasant garden, a paradise, compared to the heart of man, where they are all conceived, and hourly millions more vile abominations, which, being stifled in the womb are never able to come forth; - let a man use the law for his light and rule, take this course, and if he has any spiritual discerning, he will quickly understand.