The Blinding, Deceitful Nature of Sin

The heart of man is full of sin and corruption, and that corruption is of an exceeding darkening, blinding nature. Sin always carries a degree of darkness with it; and the more it prevails, the more it darkens and deludes the mind. It is from hence that knowing whether there be any wicked way in us is a difficult thing. The difficulty is not at all for want of light without us, not at all because the Word of God is not plain or the rules not clear; but it is because of the darkness within us. The light shines clear enough around us, but the fault is in our eyes; they are dim, they are darkened and blinded by a pernicious distemper.

Sin is of a deceitful nature, because, so far as it prevails, so far it gains the inclination and will, and that sways and biases the judgment. So far as any lust prevails, so far it biases the mind to approve it. So far as any sin sways the inclination or will, so far that sin seems pleasing and good to man. And that which is pleasing, the mind is prejudiced to think is right. Hence when any lust has so gained upon a man as to get him into a sinful way or practice, it, having gained his will, also prejudices his understanding. And the more irregularly a man walks, the more will his mind probably be darkened and blinded, because by so much the more does sin prevail.

Hence many men who live in ways which are not agreeable to the rules of God’s Word, yet are not sensible of it. And it is a difficult thing to make them sensible of it, because the same lust which leads them into that evil way, blinds them in it. Thus, if a man live in a way of malice or envy, the more malice or envy prevails, the more will it blind his understanding to approve of it. The more a man hates his neighbor, the more will he be disposed to think that he has just cause to hate him, and that his neighbor is hateful, deserves to be hated, and that it is not his duty to love him. So if a man live in any way of lasciviousness, the more his impure lust prevails, the more sweet and pleasant will it make the sin appear, and so the more will he be disposed and prejudiced to think there is no evil in it.

So the more a man lives in a way of covetousness, or the more inordinately he desires the profits of the world, the more will he think himself excusable in so doing, and the more will he think that he has a necessity of those things and cannot do without them. And if they be necessary, then he is excusable for eagerly desiring them. The same might be shown of all the lusts which are in men’s hearts. By how much the more they prevail, by so much more do they blind the mind and dispose the judgment to approve of them. All lusts are deceitful lusts. “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4:22). And even godly men may for a time be blinded and deluded by a lust, so far as to live in a way which is displeasing to God.

The lusts of men’s hearts, prejudicing them in favor of sinful practices to which those lusts tend and in which they delight, stirs up carnal reason and puts men, with all the subtlety of which they are capable, to invent pleas and arguments to justify such practices. When men are very strongly inclined and tempted to any wicked practice, and conscience troubles them about it, they will rack their brains to find out arguments to stop the mouth of conscience and to make themselves believe that they may lawfully proceed in that practice.

When men have entered upon an ill practice and proceeded in it, then their self-love prejudices them to approve of it. Men do not love to condemn themselves; they are prone to flatter themselves and are prejudiced in their own favor and in favor of whatever is found in themselves. Hence they will find out good names by which to call their evil dispositions and practices. They will make them virtuous, or at least will make them innocent.

Their covetousness they will call prudence and diligence in business. If they rejoice in another’s calamity, they pretend it is because they hope it will do him good and will humble him. If they indulge in excessive drinking, it is because their constitution requires it. If they talk against and backbite their neighbor, they call it zeal against sin; it is because they would bear a testimony against such wickedness. If they set up their wills to oppose others in public affairs, then they call their wilfulness conscience or respect to the public good. Thus they find good names for all their evil ways.

Men are very apt to bring their principles to their practices, and not their practices to their principles, as they ought to do. They, in their practice, comply not with their consciences, but all their strife is to bring their consciences to comply with their practice.

On account of this deceitfulness of sin and because we have so much sin dwelling in our hearts, it is a difficult thing to pass a true judgment on our own ways and practices. On this account we should make diligent search and be much concerned to know whether there be not some wicked way in us. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

Men can more easily see faults in others than they can in themselves. When they see others out of the way, they will presently condemn them, when perhaps they do, or have done, the same, or the like themselves, and in themselves justify it. Men can discern motes in others’ eyes better than they can beams in their own. “Every way of man is right in his own eyes” (Proverbs 21:2). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

We ought therefore not to trust in our own hearts in this matter, but keep a jealous eye on ourselves, prying into our own hearts and ways, and crying to God that He would search us. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26).

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