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

The ground of this efficacy of sin by deceit is taken from the faculty of the soul affected with it. Deceit properly affects the mind; it is the mind that is deceived. When sin attempts any other way of entrance into the soul, as by the Affections, the mind retaining its right and Sovereignty, is able to give check and control unto it. But where the mind is tainted, the prevalency must be great. For the mind or understanding is the leading faculty of the soul, and what that fixes on, the will and affections rush after, being capable of no consideration but what that presents unto them. Hence it is, that though the entanglement of the Affections unto sin be oft-times most troublesome, ⟨p. 103⟩yet the deceit of the mind is always most dangerous; and that because of the place that it possesseth in the soul, as unto all its operations. Its Office is to guide, direct, choose and lead; and if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness.

The ground of this efficacy of sin by deceit is taken from the faculty of the soul affected with it. Deceit properly affects the mind; it is the mind that is deceived. When sin attempts any other way of entrance into the soul, as by the Affections, the mind retaining its right and Soveraignty, is able to give check and controul unto it. But where the mind is tainted, the prevalency must be great. For the mind or understanding is the leading faculty of the soul, and what that fixes on, the will and affections rush after, being capable of no consideration but what that presents unto them. Hence it is, that though the entanglement of the Affections unto sin be oft-times most troublesome, ⟨p. 103⟩yet the deceit of the mind is alwayes most dangerous; and that because of the place that it possesseth in the soul, as unto all its operations. Its Office is to guide, direct, choose and lead; and if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness.

And this will farther appear, if we consider the nature of deceit in general. It consists in presenting unto the soul, or mind, things otherwise than they are, either in their Nature, Causes, Effects, or present respect unto the soul. This is the general nature of deceit, and it prevails many ways. It hides what ought to be seen and considered, conceals circumstances and consequences, presents what is not, or things as they are not, as we shall afterwards manifest in particular. It was showed before, that Satan beguiled and deceived our first Parents; that term the Holy Ghost gives unto his temptation and seduction. And how he did deceive them the Scripture relates,