(INDWELLING SIN. 43j ways. It hides what ought to be feen and confidered, conceals circum- ftances and confequences, prefents what is not, or thingsas they are not, as we (hall afterwards manifeft in particular. It was (hewed before, that fatan beguiled and deceived our firnt parents ; that term the Holy Ghoft . gives unto his temptation and feduiition. And how he did deceive them thefcripture relates, Gen. iii. 4, g. He did it by reprefenting things other- wife than they were. The fruit was defirable, that was apparent unto the eye. Hence fatan takes advantage fecretly to infinuate, that it was meerly an abridgment of their happinefs, that God aimed at in forbid- ding them to eat of it. That it was for a trial of their obedience, that certain, though not immediate, ruin would enfue upon the eating of it, he hides from them; only he propofeth the prefent advantage of know- lege, and fo prefents the wholecafequite otherwife unto them, than indeed it was. This is the nature of deceit ; it is a reprefentation of a matter under difguifes, hiding that which is undefirable, propofing that which indeed is not in it, that the mind may make a falfe judgment ofit. So Jacob deceived Ifaac by his brother's raiment, and the fkins on his hands and neck. Again, deceit bath advantage by.the way of management which is in- feparable from it. It is always carried on by degrees, by little and little, that the whole of the defign and aim in hand be not at once difcovered. So dealt fatan in that great deceit before mentioned; he proceeds in it by fteps and degrees. Find, he takes off an objection, and tells them they (hall not die ; then propofeth the good of knowledge to them, and their being like to God thereby. To hide and conceal ends, to proceed by fteps and degrees; to make ufe of what is obtained, and thence to prefs on to farther effects, is the true nature of deceit. Stephen tells us, that the King ofEgypt dealt fübtihlq or deceitfully with their kindred, Aefe vii. r9. How he did it we may fee, Exod. i. he did not at fait fall to killing andflaying of them, but Says verfe so. Come let us deal wifely; beginning to to opprefs them. This brings forth their bondage, verfe s i. Having got this ground to make them llaves, he proceeds to deftroy their children, verfe 16. He fell not on them all at once, but by degrees. And this may fuffice to thew in- general, that fin is deceitful and the advantages that it hath thereby. For the way, and manner, and progrefs of fin in working by deceit, we have it fully expreffed, Jamesi. 14, 15. Every man is tempted when he is draw away of his own lull and enticed, then when luft hath con- ceived it bringethforthfin, and fin when it is finifhed bringeth forth death. This place declaring the whole of what we aim at in this matter, muff be particularly inlffted on. In the foregoing verfe, tbeapoffle manifets that icen are willing to drive the old trade, which our firft parents at the entrance of fin fee up withal, namely, of excufing themfelves in their fins, and cutting the occafion and blame of them on others. It is not, fay they, from themfelves, their own nature and inclinations, their own defignings, that they have committed fuck and fuçh evils, but meerly from their temptations. And if they know not where to fix theevil. of thofe temptations, theywill lay theta on God himfelf, rather than go without an excufe or extenuation of their guilt. This evil in the hearts of inen, the apoftle rebuketh, verfe 13. Let no man fey when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. And to thew the juftnefseof this reproof in the words mentioned, he difcovers the true caufes of tire rife andwhole progrefs offin, manifetting that the whole guilt of it lies upon . the
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