ring up itself 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 deceitfulness 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 weakening and ruin 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.

CHAPTER XI.

The Working of Sin by Deceit to entangle the Affections. The Ways whereby it is done. Means of their prevention.

THE second thing in the words of the apostle, ascribed unto the deceitful working of sin is, its enticing. A man is drawn away and enticed. And this seems particularly to respect the affections, as drawing away doth the mind. The mind is drawn away from duty, and the affections are enticed unto sin. From the prevalency hereof a man is said to be enticed, or entangled as with a bait, so the word imports. For there is an allusion in it unto the bait wherewith a fish is taken on the hook, which holds him to his destruction. And concerning this effect of the deceit of sin, we shall briefly shew two things.

First, What it is to be enticed, or to be entangled, with the bait of sin; to have the affections tainted with an inclination thereunto, and when they are so.

Secondly, What course sin takes, and what way it proceedeth in, thus to entice, ensnare, or entangle the soul.

Our first inquiry is, What it is to be enticed or entangled, with the bait of sin: And here,

First, The affections are certainly entangled, when they stir up frequent imaginations about the proposed object, which this deceit of sin leadeth and enticeth towards. When sin prevails, and the affections are gone fully after it, it fills the imagination with it, possessing it with images, likenesses, appearances of it continually. Such persons devise iniquity, and work evil on their beds; which they also practise when they are able, when it is " in the

power of their hand," Micah ii. 1. As in particular, Peter tells us, that they "have eyes full of an adul teress, and they cannot cease from sin," 2 Pet. ii. 14. That is, their imaginations are possessed with a continual representation of the object of their lusts. And it is so in part where the affections are in part entangled with sin, and begin to turn aside unto it. John tells us, that the things that are in the world are, "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life," 1 John ii. 16. The lust of the eyes is that which, by them, is conveyed into the soul. Now it is not the bodily sense of seeing, but the fixing of the imagination from that sense, on such things, that is intended. And this is called the eyes, because thereby things are constantly represented unto the mind and soul, as outward objects are unto the inward sense, by the eyes. And oftentimes the outward sight of the eyes is the occasion of these imaginations. So Achan declares how sin prevailed with him first he saw the wedge of gold, and Babylonish garment, and then he coveted them, Jos. vii. 21. He rolled them, the pleasures, the profit of them, in his imagination, and then fixed his heart upon the obtaining of them. Now the heart may have a settled, fixed detestation of sin; but yet, if a inan find that the imagination of the mind is frequently solicited by it, and exercised about it, such an one may know, that his affections are secretly enticed and entangled.

Secondly, This entanglement is heightened, when the imagination can prevail with the mind to lodge vain thoughts in it, with secret delight and complacency. This is termed by casuists, Gogitatio morosa cum delectatione, an abiding thought with delight, which, towards forbidden objects, is in all cases actually sinful. And yet this may be when the consent of the will unto sin is not obtained; when the soul would not, for the world, do the thing which yet thoughts begin to lodge in the mind

about. This lodging of vain thoughts in the heart the prophet complains of, as a thing greatly sinful, and to be abhorred, Jer. iv. 14. All these thoughts are messengers, that carry sin to and fro, between the imagination and the affections, and still increase it; inflaming the imagination, and more and more entangling the affections. Achan thinks upon the golden wedge, this makes him like it and love it; by loving of it his thoughts are infected, and return to the imagination of its worth and goodly show, and so, by little and little, the soul is inflamed unto sin. And here, if the will parts with its sovereignty, sin is actually conceived.

Thirdly, Inclinations, or readiness to attend unto extenuations of sin, or the reliefs that are tendered against sin, when committed, manifest the affections to be entangled with it. We have shewn, and shall yet farther evidence, that it is a great part of the deceit of sin, to tender lessening and extenuating thoughts of sin unto the mind. Is it not a little one? or, there is mercy provided; or, it shall be in due time relinquished and given over, is its language in a deceived heart. Now, when there is a readiness in the soul to hearken and give entertainment unto such secret insinuations, arising from this deceit, in reference unto any sin, or unapproved course, it is an evidence that the affections are enticed. When the soul is willing, as it were, to be tempted, to be courted by sin, to hearken to its dalliances and solicitations, it hath lost of its conjugal affections unto Christ, and is entangled. This is "looking on the wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright," Prov. xxiii. 21; a pleasing contemplation on the invitations of sin, whose end the wise man gives us, ver. 32. When the deceit of sin hath prevailed thus far on any person, then he is enticed or entangled; the will is not yet come to the actual conception of this or that sin by its consent, but the whole soul is in a near incli

nation thereunto. And many other instances I could give as tokens and evidences of this entanglement. These may suffice to manifest what we intend thereby.

Our next inquiry is, how, or by what means, the deceit of sin proceeds, thus to entice and entangle the affections; and two or three of its baits are manifest herein.

First, It makes use of its former prevalency upon the mind, in drawing it off from its watch and circumspection. Says the wise man, "Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird," Prov. i. 17; or, before the eyes of every thing that hath a wing, as in the original. If it hath eyes open to discern the snare, and a wing to carry it away, it will not be caught. And in vain should the deceit of sin spread its snares and nets for the entanglement of the soul, whilst the eyes of the mind are intent upon what it doth, and so stir up the wings of its will and affections, to carry it away and avoid it. But if the eyes be put out, or diverted, the wings are of very little use for escape. And therefore this is one of the ways which is used by them who take birds or fowls in their nets, they have false lights, or shows of things, to divert the sight of their prey; and when that is done, they take the season to cast their nets upon them. So doth the deceit of sin; it first draws off and diverts the mind, by false reasonings and pretences, as hath been shewn, and then casts its net upon the affections for their entanglement.

Secondly, Taking advantage of such seasons, it proposeth sin as desirable, as exceeding satisfactory to the corrupt part of our affections. It gilds over the object by a thousand pretences, which it presents unto corrupt lustings. This is the laying of a bait, which the apostle, in this verse, evidently alludes unto. A bait is somewhat desirable and suitable, that is proposed to the hungry creature for its satisfaction, and it is, by all artifices, rendered desirable