Deceitfulness of the Heart
Deceit is one of the prime elements of the natural heart. It is more full of deceit than any other object. We sometimes call the sea deceitful. At evening, the sea appears perfectly calm, or there is a gentle ripple on the waters, and the wind blows favorably; during the night a storm may come on, and the treacherous waves are like mountain billows, covering the ship. But the heart is deceitful “above all things”—more treacherous than the treacherous sea. The clouds are often very deceitful. Sometimes, in a time of drought, they promise rain; but they turn out to be clouds without rain, and the farmer is disappointed. Sometimes, the clouds appear calm and settled; but before the morning, torrents of rain are falling. But the heart is deceitful “above all things.” Many animals are deceitful. The serpent is more subtle than any beast of the field; sometimes it will appear quite harmless, but suddenly it will put on its deadly sting and give a mortal wound. But the natural heart is more deceitful than a serpent—“above all things.” It is deceitful in two ways—in deceiving others and itself.—M’Cheyne. Sorrow seems sent for our instruction, just as we darken the cages of birds when we would teach them to sing.