The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin

That Sin, Indwelling-Sin, is deceitful, we have the express Testimony of the Holy Ghost, as Heb. 3. 13. Take heed that ye be not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Deceitful it is, take heed of it, watch against it, or it will produce its utmost effect in hardening of the heart against God. It is on the account of sin, that the heart is said to be deceitful above all things, Jer. 17. 9. Take a man in other things, and as Job speaks, though he would be wise and crafty, he is like the wild Asses Colt, Job 11. 12. a poor, vain, empty, nothing. But consider his heart on the account of this Law of Sin, it is crafty and deceitful above all things, They are wise to do evil, saith the Prophet, but to do good they know not, Jer. 4. 22. To the same purpose speaks the Apostle, Ephes. 4. 2. The old man is corrupt according to deceitful lusts. Every lust, which is a branch of this Law of Sin, is deceitful; and where there is poison in every stream, the Fountain must needs be corrupt. No particular lust hath any deceit in it, but what is communicated unto it from this Fountain of all actual lust, this Law of Sin. And (2 Thess. 2. 10.) the coming of the Man of Sin, is said to be in and with the deceivableness of unrighteousness. Unrighteousness is a thing generally decried and evil spoken of amongst men, so that it is not easy to conceive how any man should prevail himself of a reputation thereby. But there is a deceivableness in it, whereby the minds of men are turned aside from a due consideration of it; as we shall manifest afterwards. And thus the account which the Apostle gives concerning those who are under the power of sin is, ⟨p. 101⟩that they are deceived, Titus 3. 3. And the life of evil men, is nothing but deceiving and being deceived,