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

Secondly, It draws away the mind from its watch and duty in reference unto sin by surprisals. It falls in conjunction with some urging temptation, and surpriseth the mind into thoughts quite of another Nature than those which it ought to insist upon in its own defence. So it seems to have been with Peter; his carnal fear closing with the temptation wherein Satan sought to winnow him, filled his mind with so many thoughts about his own imminent danger, that he could not take into consideration the love and warning of Christ; nor the evil whereunto his temptation led him, nor any thing that he ought to have insisted on for his preservation. And therefore upon a review of his folly in neglecting those thoughts of God, and the love of Christ, which through the assistance of the Holy Ghost might have kept him from his scandalous fall, he wept bitterly. And this indeed is the common way of the working of the deceit of sin, as unto particular evils. It lays hold on the mind suddenly with thoughtfulness about the present sin, possesseth it, takes it up, so that either it recovers not it self at all to the considerations mentioned, or if any thoughts of them be suggested, the mind is so prepossessed and filled, that they take no impression on the soul, or make no abode in it. Thus doubtless was David surprised in the ⟨p. 158⟩entrance of his great sin. Sin and temptation did so possess and fill his mind with the present object of his lust, that he utterly forgot, as it were, those considerations which he had formerly made use of, when he so diligently kept himself from his Iniquity. Here therefore lies the great wisdom of the soul, in rejecting the very first motions of sin, because by parlies with them the mind may be drawn off from attending unto its preservatives, and so the whole rush into evil.

Secondly, It draws away the mind from its watch and duty in reference unto sin by surprisals. It falls in conjunction with some urging temptation, and surprizeth the mind into thoughts quite of another Nature than those which it ought to insist upon in its own defence. So it seems to have been with Peter; his carnal fear closing with the temptation wherein Satan sought to winnow him, filled his mind with so many thoughts about his own imminent danger, that he could not take into consideration the love and warning of Christ; nor the evil whereunto his temptation led him, nor any thing that he ought to have insisted on for his preservation. And therefore upon a review of his folly in neglecting those thoughts of God, and the love of Christ, which through the assistance of the Holy Ghost might have kept him from his scandalous fall, he wept bitterly. And this indeed is the common way of the working of the deceit of sin, as unto particular evils. It layes hold on the mind suddenly with thoughtfulness about the present sin, possesseth it, takes it up, so that either it recovers not it self at all to the considerations mentioned, or if any thoughts of them be suggested, the mind is so prepossest and filled, that they take no impression on the soul, or make no abode in it. Thus doubtless was David surprised in the