The Remainders of Indwelling Sin in Believers, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The Deceit of Sin in drawing off the Mind from its Attendance unto particular Duties farther discovered. Several things required in the Mind of Believers with respect unto particular Duties of Obedience. The Actings of Sin in a way of Deceit, to divert the mind from them.
WE have not as yet brought unto an Issue the First way of the working of the deceit of sin, namely, in its drawing away of the mind from the discharge of its duty, which we insist upon the longer upon a double account.
First, Because of its importance and concernment. If the mind be drawn off, if it be tainted, weakned, turned aside from a due and strict attendance unto its charge and Office, the whole Soul, Will, and Affections, are certainly entangled and drawn into sin, as hath been in part declared, and will afterwards farther appear. This we ought therefore to give diligent heed unto, which is the design of the Apostles Exhortation, Heb. 2. 1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lost at any time we should let them slip. It is a failure of our minds, by the deceitfulness of sin, in losing the life, power, sense and impression of the Word which he cautions us against. And there is no way to prevent it but by giving of most earnest heed unto the things which we have heard, which expresseth the whole duty of our minds in attending unto obedience.
Secondly, Because the actings and workings of the mind being spiritual, are such as the conscience unless clearly enlightened, and duly excited and stirred up, is not affected withal, so as to take due notice of them. Conscience is not apt to exercise reflex acts upon the minds failures, as principally respecting the acts of the whole soul. When the Affections are entangled with sin (of which afterwards) or the Will begins to conceive it by its express consent, Conscience is apt to make an uproar in the soul, and to give it no rest or quiet until the soul be reclaimed, or it self be one way or other bribed or debauched. But these neglects of the mind being spiritual, without very diligent attendance, they are seldom taken notice of. Our minds are often in the Scriptures, called our Spirits, as Rom. 1. 9. Whom I serve in my Spirit; and are distinguished from the soul, which principally intends the Affections, in that distribution, 1 Thess. 5. 23. Sanctifie you wholly, your whole spirit and soul, that is, your mind and Affections. It is true where the Spirit is used to express spiritual gifts, it is as unto those gifts opposed to our understandings, 1 Cor 14. 15. Which is there taken for the first act of the mind in a rational perception of things. But as that word is applyed unto any faculty of our souls, it is the mind that it expresseth. This then being our Spirit, the actings of it are secret and hidden, and not to be discovered without spiritual wisdom and diligence. Let us not suppose then that we dwell too long on this consideration, which is of so great importance to us, and yet so hidden, and which we are apt to be very insensible of; and yet our carefulness in this matter is one of the best evidences that we have of our sincerity. Let us not then be like a man that is sensible, and complains of a cut finger, but not of a decay of Spirits tending unto death. There remains therefore as unto this head of our discourse, the consideration of the charge of the mind in reference unto particular duties and sins. And in the consideration of it, we shall do these two things.
First, Shew what is required in the mind of a Believer in reference unto particular duties.
Secondly, Declare the way of the working of the deceit of sin to draw it off from its attendance thereunto. The like also shall be done with respect unto particular sins, and their avoidance.
First, For the right performance of any Duty, it is not enough that the thing it self required be performed, but that it be universally squared and fitted unto the rule of it. Herein lyes the great duty of the mind, namely, to attend unto the Rule of duties, and to take care that all the concernments of them be ordered thereby. Our progress in obedience, is our edification or building. Now it is but a very little fartherance unto a building, that a man bring wood and stones and heap them up together without order. They must be hewed and squared, and fitted by line and rule, if we intend to build. Nor is it unto any advantage unto our edification in faith and obedience, that we multiply duties, if we heap them upon one another, if we order and dispose them not according to rule. And therefore doth God expresly reject a multitude of duties when not universally suited unto the Rule, Isa. 1. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices; and v. 14. They are a trouble unto me, I am weary to bear them. And therefore all acceptable obedience is called a proceeding according unto rule, Gal. 6. 16. it is a Canonical, or regular obedience. As letters in the Alphabet heaped together signifie nothing, unless they are disposed into their proper order; no more do our duties without this disposal. That they be so, is the great duty of the mind, and which with all diligence it is to attend unto, Ephes. 5. 15. Walk circumspectly, exactly, accurately, that is, diligently in all things, take heed to the Rule of what you do. We Walk in duties, but we walk circumspectly in this attention of the mind.
Secondly, There are some special things which the Rule directs unto, that the mind is to attend in every duty; as,
First, That as to the matter of it, it be full and compleat. Under the Law, no Beast was allowed to be a Sacrifice that had any member wanting, any defect of parts. Such were rejected as well as those that were lame or blind. Duties must be compleat as to the parts, the matter of them. There may be such a part of the price kept back, as may make the tendering of all the residue unacceptable, Saul sparing Agag and the fattest of the Cattle, rendered the destroying of all the rest useless. Thus when men will give alms, or perform other services, but not unto the proportion that the Rule requireth, and which the mind by diligent attention unto it might discover, the whole duty is vitiated.
Secondly, As to the Principle of it, namely, that it be done in faith, and therein by an actual derivation of strength from Christ, (John 15. 5.) without whom we can do nothing. It is not enough that the Person be a Believer, though that be necessary unto every good work, Ephes. 2. 10. But also that faith be peculiarly acted in every duty that we do. For our whole obedience is the obedience of faith, Rom. 1. 5. that is, which the Doctrine of faith requireth, and which the grace of faith beareth or bringeth forth. So Christ is expresly said to be our life, Col. 3. 4. Our spiritual life, that is the Spring, Author, and Cause of it. Now as in life natural, no vital act can be performed, but by the actual operation of the principle of life it self; So in life spiritual, no spiritually vital act, that is, no duty acceptable to God, can be performed but by the actual working of Christ, who is our life. And this is no other way derived unto us but by faith. Whence saith the Apostle, Gal. 2. 20. Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now lead in the flesh, is by the faith of the Son of God. Not only was Christ his life, a living principle unto him, but he led a life, that is, discharged vital actions in all duties of holiness and obedience, by the faith of the Son of God, or in him; deriving supplies of Grace and strength from him thereby. This therefore ought a Believer diligently to attend unto, namely, that every thing he doth to God, be done in the strength of Christ; which wherein it consisteth ought diligently to be enquired into by all who intend to walk with God.
Thirdly, In this respect unto Rule, the manner of the performance of every duty is to be regarded. Now there are two things in the manner of the performance of any duty which a Believer, who is trusted with spiritual light, ought to attend unto.
First, that it be done in the way, and by the means that God hath prescribed with respect unto the ou…ward manner of its performance. And this is especially to be regarded in duties of the worship of God; the matter and outward manner whereof do both equally fall under his command. If this be not regarded, the whole duty is vitiated. I speak not of them who suffer themselves to be deluded by the deceitfulness of sin, utterly to disregard the rule of the word in such things, and to worship God according to their own imaginations; but of them principally, who although they in general prosess to do nothing but what God requires, and as he requires it, yet do not diligently attend to the Rule, to make the Authority of God to be the sole cause and reason both of what they do, and of the manner of the performance of it. And this is the reason that God so often calls on his People to consider diligently and wisely, that they may do all according as he had commanded.
Secondly, The Affections of the heart and mind in duties belong to the performance of them in the inward manner. The prescriptions and commands of God for attendance hereunto are innumerable, and the want hereof renders every duty an abomination unto him. A Sacrifice without an heart, without salt, without fire, of what value is it? No more are duties without spiritual Affections. And herein is the mind to keep the charge of God; to see that the heart which he requires be tendered to him. And we find also that God requireth especial Affections to accompany special duties. He that gives with chearfulness; which if they are not attended unto, the whole is lost.
Fourthly, The mind is to attend unto the Ends of duties; and therein principally the glory of God in Christ. Several other ends will sin and self impose upon our duties: Especially two it will press hard upon us with: First, Satisfaction of our convictions and consciences. Secondly, The praise of men. For self-righteousness and ostentation are the main ends of Men that are fallen off from God in all moral duties whatsoever. In their sins they endeavour for to satisfie their lusts, in their duties, their conviction, and pride. These the mind of a Believer is diligently to watch against, and to keep up in all a single eye to the glory of God, as that which answers the great and general rule of all our obedience; Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. These and the like things, I say, which are commonly spoken unto, is the mind of a Believer obliged to attend diligently and constantly unto, with respect unto all the particular duties of our walking before God. Here then lyes no small part of the deceit of sin. Namely, to draw the mind off from this watch, to bring an inadvertency upon it, that it shall not in these things keep the watch and charge of the Lord. And if it can do so, and thereby strip our duties of all their excellencies which lye in these concernments of them, that the mind is to attend unto it will not much trouble it self nor us about the duties themselves. And this it attempts several wayes.
First, By perswading the mind to content it self with generals, and to take it off from attending unto things in particular instances. For example; it would perswade the soul to rest satisfied in a general aim of doing things to the glory of God, without considering how every particular duty may have that tendency. Thus Saul thought that he had fulfilled his whole duty, and done the will of God, and sought his Glory in his war against Amalek, when for want of attendance to every particular duty in that service, he had dishonoured God, and ruined himself and his Posterity. And men may perswade themselves, that they have a general design for the Glory of God, when they have no active principle in particular duties tending at all that way. But if, instead of fixing the mind by faith on the peculiar advancing the glory of God in a duty, the soul content it self with a general notion of doing so, the mind is already diverted and draw off from its charge by the deceitfulness of sin. If a man be travelling in a journey, it is not only required of him, that he bend his course that way, and so go on, but if he attend not unto every turning, and other occurrences in his way, he may wander and never come to his journeys end. And if we suppose that in general we aim at the Glory of God, as we all prosess to do, yet if we attend not unto it distinctly upon every duty that occurs in our way, we shall never attain the end aimed at. And he who satisfies himself with this general purpose, without acting it in every special duty, will not long retain that purpose neither. It doth the same work upon the mind in reference unto the principle of our duties, as it doth unto the end. Their principle is, that they be done in faith, in the strength of Christ; but if men content themselves that they are Believers, that they have faith, and do not labour in every particular duty to act faith, to lead their spiritual lives in all the acts of them by the faith of the Son of God, the mind is drawn off from its duty. It is particular actions wherein we express and exercise our faith and obedience; and what we are in them, that we are, and no more.
Secondly, It draws off the mind from the duties before mentioned, by insinuating a secret contentment unto it from the duty it self performed, as to the matter of it. This is a fair discharge of a natural conscience. If the duty be performed, though as to the manner of its performance it come short almost in all things of the rule, conscience and conviction will be satisfied. As Saul, upon his expedition against Amalek, cries to Samuel, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord, I have done the commandment of the Lord. He satisfied himself, though he had not attended as he ought to the whole will of God in that matter. And thus was it with them, Isa. 58. 3. wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou regardest it not; they had pleased themselves in the performance of their duties, and expected that God also should be pleased with them. But he shews them at large wherein they had failed, and that so far as to render what they had done an abomination. And the like charge he expresseth against them, chap. 48. 1, 2. This the deceitfulness of sin endeavours to draw the mind unto, namely to take up in the performance of the duty it self. Pray thou oughtest, and thou hast prayed, give alms thou oughtest, and thou hast given alms; quiet then thy self in what thou hast done, and go on to do the like. If it prevail herein, the mind is discharged from farther attendance and watching unto duty, which leaves the soul on the borders of many evils. For,
Thirdly, Hence customariness in all duties will quickly ensue, which is the height of sins drawing off the mind from duty. For mens minds may be drawn from all duties, in the midst of the most abundant performance of them. For in and under them, the mind may be subject unto an habitual diversion from its charge and watch unto the rule. What is done with such a frame, is not done to God, Amos 5. 25. None of their Sacrifices were to God, although they professed that they were all so. But they attended not unto his Worship in faith, and unto his glory, and he despised all their duties. See also Hos. 10. 1. And this is the great reason why Professors thrive so little under the performance of a multitude of duties. They attend not unto them in a due manner, their minds being drawn off from their circumspect watch, and so they have little or no communion with God in them, which is the end whereunto they are designed, and by which alone they become useful and profitable unto themselves. And in this manner are many duties of worship and obedience performed by a woful generation of Hypocrites, Formalists, and profane persons, without either life or light in themselves, or acceptation with God; their minds being wholly estranged from a due attendance unto what they do, by the power and deceitfulness of sin.
Secondly, As it is in respect of duties, so also it is in respect of sins. There are sundry things in and about every sin that the mind of a Believer, by vertue of its office and duty is obliged to attend diligently unto, for the preservation of the soul from it. Things they are which God hath appointed and sanctified, to give effectual rebukes and checks to the whole working of the Law of sin, and such as in the Law of grace, under which we are, are exceedingly suited and fitted unto that purpose. And these the deceit of sin endeavours by all means to draw off the mind from a due consideration of, and attendance unto. Some few of them we shall a little reflect upon.
First, The first and most general is the Sovereignty of God, the great Law-giver, by whom it is forbidden. This Joseph fixed on in his great temptation, Gen. 39. 9. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? There was in it a great evil, a great ingratitude against man, which he pleads also and insists upon, ver. 8, 9. but that which fixed his heart and resolution against it, was the formality of it, that it was sin against God, by whom it was severely forbidden. So the Apostle informs us, that in our dealing in any thing that is against the Law, our respect is still to be unto the Law-giver and his Sovereignty: James 4. 11, 12. If thou judge the Law, thou art not a doer of the Law, but a judge; there is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy. Consider this always, there is one Law-giver, holy, righteous, armed with Sovereign Power and Authority; he is able to save and destroy. Hence sin is called a rebellion, a casting off his yoke, a despising of him, and that in his Sovereignty, as the great Law-giver; and this ought the mind always practically to attend unto, in all the lustings, actings and suggestions of the Law of sin, especially when advantaged by any suitable or vigorous temptation. It is God that hath forbidden this thing, the great Law-giver, under whose absolute Sovereignty I am, in dependance on whon I live, and by whom I am to be disposed of, as to my present and eternal condition. This Eve fixed on at the beginning of her temptation, God hath said, we must not eat of this tree, Gen. 3. 3. but she kept not her ground, she abode not by that consideration, but suffered her mind to be diverted from it by the subtilty of Sathan, which was the entrance of her transgression; and so it is unto us all in our deviations from obedience.
Secondly, The deceit of sin, of every sin, the punishment appointed unto it in the Law, is another thing that the mind ought actually to attend unto, in reference unto every particular evil. And the diversions from this, that the minds of men have been doctrinally and practically attended withall, have been an inlet into all manner of abominations. Job professeth another frame in himself, chap. 31. 23. Destruction from God was a terrour unto me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. Many evils he had mentioned in the fore-going verses, and pleads his innocency from them, although they were such as upon the account of his Greatness and Power, he could have committed easily without fear of danger from men. Here he gives the reason that prevailed with him so carefully to abstain from them, Destruction from God was a terrour to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. I considered, saith he, that God had appointed death and destruction for the punishment of sin, and that such was his greatness, highness, and power, that he could inflict it unto the uttermost, in such a way as no creature is able to abide or to avoid. So the Apostle directs Believers always to consider what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. 31. And that because he hath said, Vengeance is mine, I will recompence, ver. 30. He is a sin-avenging God, that will by no means acquit the guilty; as in the declaration of his gracious Name, infinitely full of encouragements to poor sinners in Christ, he addes that in the close, that he will by no means clear the guilty, Exod. 34. 7. That he may keep upon the minds of them whom he pardoneth, a due sense of the punishment that is due from his vindictive Justice unto every sin. And so the Apostle would have us mind, that even our God is a consuming fire, Heb. 12. 29. that is, that we should consider his holiness and vindictive Justice, appointing unto sin a meet recompence of reward. And mens breaking through this consideration, he reckons as the height of the aggravation of their sins, Rom. 1. 32. They know that it is the judgment of God, that they which commit such things were worthy of death, yet continued to do them: What hope is there for such persons? There is indeed relief against this consideration for humbled believing souls in the blood of Christ; but this relief is not to take off the mind from it, as it is appointed of God to be a restraint from sin. And both these considerations, even the Sovereignty of God, and the punishment of sin, are put together by our Saviour, Matth. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Thirdly, The consideration of all the love and kindness of God, against whom every sin is committed, is another thing that the mind ought diligently to attend unto. And this is a prevailing consideration, if rightly and graciously managed in the soul. This Moses presseth on the people, Deut. 32. 6. Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy Father that bought thee? Hath he not made thee, and established thee? Is this a requital for Eternal Love, and all the fruits of it? for the love and care of a Father, of a Redeemer, that we have been made partakers of? And it is the same consideration which the Apostle manageth to this purpose, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. The receiving of the promises ought to be effectual, as to stir us up unto all holiness, so to work and effect an abstinence from all sin. And what Promises are these? namely that God will be a Father unto us, and receive us, chap. 6. 17, 18. which compriseth the whole of all the love of God towards us here, and to eternity. If there be any spiritual ingenuity in the soul, whilst the mind is attentive to this consideration, there can be no prevailing attempt made upon it by the power of sin. Now there are two parts of this consideration.
First, That which is general in it, that which is common unto all believers. This is managed unto this purpose, 1 Joh. 3. 1, 2, 3. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope, purifieth himself even as he is pure. Consider, saith he, the love of God, and the previledges that we enjoy by it: Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Adoption is an especial fruit of it, and how great a priviledge is this? Such love it is, and such are the fruits of it, that the world knoweth nothing of the blessed condition which we obtain and enjoy thereby: The world knoweth us not. Nay, it is such love, and so unspeakably blessed and glorious are the effects of it, that we our selves are not able to comprehend them. What use then ought we to make of this contemplation of the excellent unspeakable love of God? Why saith he, Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself. Every man who being made partaker of this Love, and thereupon an hope of the full enjoyment of the fruits of it, of being made like to God in glory, purifieth himself, that is, in an abstinence from all and every sin, as in the following words is at large declared.
Secondly, It is to be considered as to such peculiar mercies and fruits of love, as every ones soul hath been made partaker of. There is no Believer, but besides the love and mercy which he hath in common with all his brethren, he hath also in the lot of his inheritance, some inclosures, some especial mercies wherein he hath a single propriety. He hath some Joy which no stranger intermedleth withall, Prov. 14. 10. Particular applications of covenant love and mercy to his soul. Now these are all provisions laid in by God, that they may be born in mind against an hour of temptation, that the consideration of them may preserve the soul from the attempts of sin. Their neglect is an high aggravation of our provocations. 1 King. 11. 9. It is charged as the great evil of Solomon, that he had sinned against special mercies, especial intimations of love; he sinned after God had appeared to him twice. God required that he should have born in mind that especial favour, and have made it an argument against sin. But he neglected…, and is burdened with this sore rebuke. And indeed all especiall mercies, all especial tokens and pledges of love, are utterly lost and mispent upon us, if they are not improved unto this end. This then is another thing, that it is the duty of the mind greatly to attend unto, and to oppose effectually unto every attempt that is made on the soul by the Law of sin.
Fourthly, The considerations that arise from the blood and mediation of Christ, are of the same importance. So the Apostle declares, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. There is a constraining efficacy in this consideration, it is great, forcible, effectual, if duly attented unto. But I must not here in particular insist upon these things. Nor,
Fifthly, Shall I speak of the inhabitation of the Spirit, the greatest priviledge that we are made partakers of in this world. The due consideration how he is grieved by sin, how his dwelling place is defiled thereby, how his comforts are forfeited, lost, despised by it, might also be insisted on. But the instances passed through are sufficient unto our purpose. Now herein lies the duty of the mina, in reference unto particular sins and temptations. It is diligently and carefully to attend unto those things, to dwell constantly upon the consideration of them, to have them in a continual readiness to oppose unto all the lustings, actings, warrings, attempts, and rage of sin.
In reference hereunto doth sin in an especial manner put forth and act its deceit. It labours by all means to draw off the mind from its due attendance unto these things; to deprive the soul of this great preservative and antidote against its poison. It endeavours to cause the soul to satisfie it self with general undigested notions about sin, that it may have nothing in particular to betake it self unto in its own defence, against its attempts and temptations. And the wayes whereby it doth this may be also briefly considered.
First, It is from the deceit of sin that the mind is spiritually slothful, whereby it becomes negligent unto this duty. The principal discharge of its trust in this matter is expressed by watching, which is the great Caution that the Lord Jesus gave unto his Disciples in reference unto all their dangers from sin and Satan, Mark 14. 37. I say unto all watch. That is, use your utmost diligence and circumspection, that you be not surprised and entangled with temptations. It is called also consideration; Consider your wayes; consider your latter end; the want whereof God complains of in his People, Dent. 32. 29. Now that which is contrary to these indispensible conditions of our preservation, is spiritual slothfulness, as the Apostle declares, Heb. 6. 11, 12. And we desire that every one of you, do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end, that you be not slothful. If we shew not diligence, we are slothful, and in danger of coming short to inherit the promises; See 2 Pet. 1. 5, 9. And besides this giving all diligence, add to your faith vertue, to vertue, knowledge &c. For if these things be in you and abound, that they make you that you shall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins; wherefore the rather Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if you do these things you shall never fall; For so an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, ver. 9, 10. All this the mind is turned from, if once by the deceit of sin it be made slothful. Now this sloth consists in three things.
First, Inadvertency; it doth not set it self to consider and attend unto its special concernments. The Apostle perswading the Hebrews with all earnestness to attend diligently, to consider carefully that they may not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, gives this reason of their danger, that they were dull of hearing, Chap. 5. 11. That is, that they were slothful, and did not attend unto the things of their duty. A secret regardlesness is apt to creep upon the soul, and it doth not set it self to a diligent marking how things go with it, and what is continually incumbent on it.
Secondly, An unwillingness to be stirred up unto its duty, Prov. 19. 24. The slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. There is an unwillingness in sloth to take any notice of warnings, calls, excitations, or stirrings up by the Word, Spirit, Judgements, any thing that God maketh use of, to call the mind unto a due consideration of the condition of the soul. And this is a perfect evidence that the mind is made slothful by the deceit of sin, when especial calls and warnings, whether in a suitable word, or a pressing judgement, cannot prevail with it to pull its hand out of its bosome, that is, to set about the special duties that it is called unto.
Thirdly, Weak and ineffectual attempts to recover its self unto its duty, Prov. 26. 14. As the door turneth it self upon its hinges, so doth the slothful man upon his hed. In the turning of a door upon its hinges, there is some motion, but no progress. It removes up and down, but is still in the place and posture that it was. So is it with the spiritually slothful man on his bed, or in his security. He makes some motions or faint endeavours towards a discharge of his duty, but goes not on. There where he was one day, there he is the next; yea, there where he was one year, he is the next. His endeavours are faint, cold, and evanid; he gets no ground by them, but is alwayes beginning and never finishing his work.
Fourthly, Heartlesness upon the apprehensions of difficulties and discouragements, Prov. 22. 13. The slothful man saith there is a Lyon in the way, I shall be slain in the Streets. Every difficulty deters him from duty. He thinks it impossible for him to attain to that accuracy, exactness, and perfection which he is in this matter to press after; & therefore contents himself in his old coldness, negligence, rather than to run the hazard of an universal circumspection. Now if the deceit of sin hath once drawn away the mind into this frame, it layes it open to every temptation and incursion of sin. The Spouse in the Canticles seems to have been overtaken with this distemper, Chap. 5. 1, 2, 3. And this puts her on various excuses why she cannot attend unto the call of Christ, and apply her self unto her duty in walking with him.
Secondly, It draws away the mind from its watch and duty in reference unto sin by surprisals. It falls in conjunction with some urging temptation, and surprizeth the mind into thoughts quite of another Nature than those which it ought to insist upon in its own defence. So it seems to have been with Peter; his carnal fear closing with the temptation wherein Satan sought to winnow him, filled his mind with so many thoughts about his own imminent danger, that he could not take into consideration the love and warning of Christ; nor the evil whereunto his temptation led him, nor any thing that he ought to have insisted on for his preservation. And therefore upon a review of his folly in neglecting those thoughts of God, and the love of Christ, which through the assistance of the Holy Ghost might have kept him from his scandalous fall, he wept bitterly. And this indeed is the common way of the working of the deceit of sin, as unto particular evils. It layes hold on the mind suddenly with thoughtfulness about the present sin, possesseth it, takes it up, so that either it recovers not it self at all to the considerations mentioned, or if any thoughts of them be suggested, the mind is so prepossest and filled, that they take no impression on the soul, or make no abode in it. Thus doubtless was David surprised in the entrance of his great sin. Sin and temptation did so possess and fill his mind with the present object of his lust, that he utterly forgot, as it were, those considerations which he had formerly made use of, when he so diligently kept himself from his Iniquity. Here therefore lyes the great wisdom of the soul, in rejecting the very first motions of sin, because by parlies with them the mind may be drawn off from attending unto its preservatives, and so the whole rush into evil.
Thirdly, It draws away the mind by frequency and long continuance of its solicitations, making as it were at last a conquest of it. And this happens not without an open neglect of the soul, in want of stirring up it self to give an effectual rebuke in the strength and by the Grace of Christ unto sin, which would have prevented its prevalency. But of this, more shall be spoken afterwards. And this is the first way whereby the Law of sin acts its deceit against the soul. It draws off the mind from attendance unto its charge and Office, both in respect of duty and sin. And so far as this is done the Person is said to be drawn away, or drawn off. He is tempted; every man is tempted, when he is thus drawn away by his own lust, or the deceit of sin dwelling in him. And the whole effect of this working of the deceituflness of sin may be reduced unto these three heads.
First, The remission of an universally watchful frame of Spirit unto every duty, and against all, even the most hidden and secret actings of sin.
Secondly, The omission of peculiar attending unto such duties as have an especial respect unto the weakning and ruine of the whole Law of Sin, and the obviating of its deceitfulness.
Thirdly, Spiritual sloth, as to a diligent regard unto all the especial concernments of Duties and Sins. When these three things, with their branches mentioned, less or more, are brought about, in, or upon the soul, or so far as they are so, so far a man is drawn off by his own lust, or the deceit of sin.
There is no need of adding here any directions for the prevention of this evil, they having sufficiently been laid down in our passage through the consideration both of the duty of the mind, and of the deceit of sin.