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

In the foregoing verse, the Apostle manifests that men are willing to drive the old trade, which our first Parents at the entrance of sin set up withal, namely of excusing themselves in their sins, and casting the occasion and blame of them on others. It is not, say they, from themselves, their own nature and inclinations, their own designings, that they have committed such and such evils, but merely from their temptations. And if they know not where to fix the evil of those temptations, they will lay them on God himself, rather than go without an excuse or extenuation of their guilt. This evil in the hearts of men the Apostle rebuketh, verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. And to show the justness of this reproof in the words mentioned, he discovers the true causes of the rise and whole progress of sin, manifesting that the whole guilt of it lies upon the sinner, and that the whole punishment of it, if not graciously prevented, will be his lot also.

In the foregoing verse, the Apostle manifests that men are willing to drive the old trade, which our first Parents at the entrance of sin set up withall, namely of excusing themselves in their sins, and casting the occasion and blame of them on others. It is not, say they, from themselves, their own nature and inclinations, their own designings, that they have committed such and such evils, but meerly from their temptations. And if they know not where to fix the evil of those temptations, they will lay them on God himself, rather than go without an excuse or extenuation of their guilt. This evil in the hearts of men the Apostle rebuketh, verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. And to shew the justness of this reproof in the words mentioned, he discovers the true causes of the rise and whole progress of sin, manifesting that the whole guilt of it lies upon the sinner, and that the whole punishment of it, if not graciously prevented, will be his lot also.

We have therefore, as was said, in these words the whole progress of lust or indwelling-sin, by the way of subtlety, fraud and deceit, expressed and limited by the Holy Ghost. And from hence we shall manifest the particular ways and means whereby it puts forth its power and efficacy in the hearts of men by deceitfulness and subtlety; and we may observe in the words,