ORIGINAL SIN.
GEN. vi. 5.
_And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually._
1. HOW widely different is this from the fair pictures of human nature,
which men have drawn in all ages! The writings of many of the antients
abound with gay descriptions of the dignity of man: whom some of them
paint as having all virtue and happiness in his composition, or at
least, entirely in his power, without being beholden to any other being:
yea, as self-sufficient, able to live on his own stock, and little
inferior to God himself.
2. Nor have Heathens alone, men who were guided in their researches
by little more than the dim light of reason, but many likewise of them
that bear the name of Christ, and to whom are intrusted the oracles of
God, spoke as magnificently concerning the nature of man, as if it were
all innocence and perfection. Accounts of this kind have particularly
abounded in the present century: and perhaps in no part of the world
more, than in our own country. Here not a few persons of strong
understanding, as well as extensive learning, have employed their
utmost abilities to shew, what they termed, “The fair side of human
nature.” And it must be acknowledged, that if their accounts of him
be just, man is still but _a little lower than the angels_, or (as the
words may be more literally rendered) _a little less than_ God.
3. Is it any wonder, that these accounts are very readily received
by the generality of men? For who is not easily persuaded to think
favourably of himself? Accordingly writers of this kind are almost
universally read, admired, applauded. And innumerable are the converts
they have made, not only in the gay, but the learned world. So that
it is now quite unfashionable to talk otherwise, to say any thing
to the disparagement of human nature: which is generally allowed,
notwithstanding a few infirmities, to be very innocent and wise and
virtuous.
4. But in the mean-time, what must we do with our bibles; for they will
never agree with this. These accounts, however pleasing to flesh and
blood, are utterly irreconcileable with the scriptural. The scripture
avers, that _by one man’s disobedience, all men were constituted
sinners_: that _in_ Adam _all died_, spiritually died, lost the life
and the image of God: that fallen, sinful _Adam_ then _begat a son in
his own likeness_: nor was it possible he should beget him in any other:
for _who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean_? That consequently
_we_ as well as other men _were by nature, dead in trespasses and sins,
without hope, without_ God _in the world_, and therefore _children
of wrath_: that every man may say, _I was shapen in wickedness, and
in sin did my mother conceive me_: that _there is no difference, in
that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of_ God: of that
glorious image of God, wherein man was originally created. And hence,
when _the_ Lord _looked down from heaven upon the children of men, he
saw they were all gone out of the way_, they were _all together become
abominable, there was none righteous, no not one_, none that truly
_sought after_ God: just agreeable this, to what is declared by the
Holy Ghost, in the words above recited, God _saw_ when he looked down
from heaven before, _that the wickedness of man was great in the earth_:
so great, that _every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually_.
This is God’s account of man: from which I shall take occasion, _first_,
To shew what men were before the flood; _secondly_, To enquire, Whether
they are not the same now? And, _thirdly_, To add some inferences.
I. 1. I am, _first_, By opening the words of the text, to shew, what
men were before the flood. And we may fully depend on the account here
given. For God saw it, and he cannot be deceived. He _saw that the
wickedness of man was great_. Not of this or that man; not of a few men
only: not barely of the greater part, but of _man in general_, of men
universally. The word includes the whole human race, every partaker of
human nature. And it is not easy for us to compute their numbers, to
tell how many thousands and millions they were. The earth then retained
much of its primeval beauty and original fruitfulness. The face of the
globe was not rent and torn, as it is now: and spring and summer went
hand in hand. ’Tis therefore probable, it afforded sustenance for far
more inhabitants, than it is now capable of sustaining; and these must
be immensely multiplied, while men begat sons and daughters for seven
or eight hundred years together. Yet among all this inconceivable
number, _only_ Noah _found favour with_ God. He alone (perhaps
including part of his houshold) was an exception from the universal
wickedness, which by the just judgment of God, in a short time after
brought on universal destruction. All the rest were partakers in the
same guilt, as they were in the same punishment.
2. God _saw all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart_――Of his
soul, his inward man, the spirit within him, the principle of all his
inward and outward motions. He _saw all the imaginations_. It is not
possible to find a word of a more extensive signification. It includes
whatever is formed, made, fabricated within; all that is, or passes in
the soul: every inclination, affection, passion, appetite; every temper,
design, thought. It must of consequence include every word and action,
as naturally flowing from these fountains: and being either good or
evil, according to the fountain from which they severally flow.
3. Now God _saw that all_ this, the whole thereof _was evil_, contrary
to moral rectitude; contrary to the nature of God, which necessarily
includes all good; contrary to the divine will, the eternal standard of
good and evil: contrary to the pure, holy image of God, wherein man was
originally created, and wherein he stood when God surveying the works
of his hands, saw them _all_ ♦to be _very good_: contrary to justice,
mercy and truth, and to the essential relations which each man bore to
his Creator and his fellow creatures.
4. But was there not good mingled with the evil? Was there not light
intermixt with the darkness? No, none at all: God _saw that the whole
imagination of the heart_ of man was only _evil_. It cannot indeed be
denied, but many of them, perhaps all, had good motions put into their
hearts. For the Spirit of God did then also _strive with man_, if haply
he might repent: more especially during that gracious reprieve, the
hundred and twenty years, while the ark was preparing. But still _in
his flesh dwelt no good thing_: all his nature was purely evil. It was
wholly consistent with itself, and unmixt with any thing of an opposite
nature.
5. However it may still be matter of enquiry, “Was there no
intermission of this evil? Were there no lucid intervals, wherein
something good might be found in the heart of man?” We are not here
to consider, what the grace of God might occasionally work in his soul.
And abstracted from this, we have no reason to believe, there was any
intermission of that evil. For God who _saw the whole imagination of
the thoughts of his heart to be_ only _evil_, saw likewise, that it was
always the same, that it _was only evil_ continually: every year, every
day, every hour, every moment. He never deviated into good.
II. Such is the authentic account of the whole race of mankind, which
he who knoweth what is in man, who searcheth the heart and trieth the
reins, hath left upon record for our instruction. Such were all men
before God brought the flood upon the earth. We are, _secondly_, to
enquire, Whether they are the same now?
1. And this is certain, the scripture gives us no reason, to think
any otherwise of them. On the contrary, all the above-cited passages
of scripture, refer to those who lived after the flood. It was above
a thousand years after, that God declared by _David_ concerning the
children of men, _They are all gone out of the way_ of truth and
holiness, _there is none righteous, no, not one_. And to this bear
all the prophets witness, in their several generations. So _Isaiah_,
concerning God’s peculiar people, (and certainly the Heathens were in
_no better_ condition) _The whole head is sick, and the whole heart
faint. From the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no
soundness, but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores._ The same
account is given by all the apostles, yea, by the whole tenor of the
oracles of God. From all these we learn, concerning man in his natural
state, unassisted by the grace of God, that _all the imaginations of
the thoughts of his heart_ are still _evil, only evil_, and that
_continually_.
2. And this account of the present state of man, is confirmed by daily
experience. It is true, the natural man discerns it not: and this is
not to be wondered at. So long as a man born blind, continues so, he is
scarce sensible of his want. Much less, could we suppose a place where
all were born without sight, would they be sensible of the want of
it. In like manner, so long as men remain, in their natural blindness
of understanding, they are not sensible of their spiritual wants,
and of this in particular. But as soon as God opens the eyes of their
understanding, they see the state they were in before; they are then
deeply convinced, that _every man living_, themselves especially, are
by nature _altogether vanity_, that is, folly and ignorance, sin and
wickedness.
3. We see, when God opens our eyes, that we were before ἄθεοι ἐν κόσμῳ·
_without_ God, or rather _Atheists in the world_. We had by nature no
knowledge of God, no acquaintance with him. It is true, as soon as we
came to the use of reason, we learned _the invisible things of_ God,
_even his eternal power and Godhead, from the things that are made_.
From things that are seen, we infered the existence of an eternal,
powerful Being, that is not seen. But still, although we acknowledged
his being, we had no acquaintance with him. As we know there is an
Emperor of _China_, whom yet we do not know; so we knew, there was
a King of all the earth; yet we know him not. Indeed we could not;
by any of our natural faculties. By none of these could we attain
the knowledge of God. We could no more perceive him by our natural
understanding, than we could see him with our eyes. For _no one knoweth
the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son willeth to reveal him.
And no one knoweth the Son but the Father, and he to whom the Father
revealeth him._
4. *We read of an antient king, who being desirous to know, what
was the _natural language_ of men, in order to bring the matter to a
certain issue, made the following experiment. He ordered two infants
as soon as they were born, to be conveyed to a place prepared for them,
where they were brought up without any instruction at all, and without
ever hearing an human voice. And what was the event? Why, that when
they were at length brought out of their confinement, they spake no
language at all; they uttered only inarticulate sounds, like those of
other animals. Were two infants in like manner to be brought up from
the womb, without being instructed in any religion, there is little
room to doubt, but (unless the grace of God interposed) the event would
be just the same. They would have no religion at all: they would have
no more knowledge of God, than the beasts of the field, than _the wild
ass’s colt_. Such is _Natural religion_! Abstracted from traditional,
and from the influences of God’s Spirit.
5. And having no knowledge, we can have no love of God: we cannot love
him we know not. Most men _talk_ indeed of loving God, and perhaps
imagine they do. At least, few will acknowledge they do not love him:
but the fact is too plain to be denied. No man loves God by nature,
any more than he does a stone, or the earth he treads upon. What we
love, we delight in: but no man has naturally any delight in God. In
our natural state, we cannot conceive, how any one should delight in
him. We take no pleasure in him at all: he is utterly tasteless to us.
To love God! It is far above, out of our sight. We cannot, naturally,
attain unto it.
6. *We have by nature not only no love, but no fear of God. It
is allowed indeed, that most men have, sooner or later, a kind of
senseless, irrational fear, properly called _superstition_, though the
blundering _Epicureans_ gave it the name of _religion_. Yet even this
is not natural, but acquired; chiefly by conversation or from example.
By nature, God _is not in all our thoughts_: we leave him to manage his
own affairs, to sit quietly, as we imagine, in heaven, and leave us on
earth to manage ours. So that we have no more of the fear of God before
our eyes, than of the love of God in our hearts.
7. Thus are all men _Atheists in the world_. But Atheism itself does
not screen us from _idolatry_. In his natural state, every man born
into the world is a rank idolater. Perhaps indeed we may not be such in
the vulgar sense of the word. We do not, like the idolatrous Heathens,
worship molten or graven images. We do not bow down to the stock of
a tree, to the work of our own hands. We do not pray to the angels
or saints in heaven, any more than to the saints that are upon the
earth. But what then? We _have set up_ our _idols in_ our _hearts_:
and to these we bow down and worship them: we worship ourselves, when
we pay that honour to ourselves which is due to God only. Therefore all
_pride_ is idolatry: it is ascribing to ourselves what is due to God
alone. And altho’ pride was not made for man, yet where is the man that
is born without it? But hereby we rob God of his unalienable right, and
idolatrously usurp his glory.
8. *But pride is not the only sort of idolatry, which we are all by
nature guilty of. _Satan_ has stamped his own image on our heart in
_self-will_ also. _I will_, said he, before he was cast out of heaven,
_I will sit upon the sides of the north_. I will do my own will and
pleasure, independently on that of my Creator. The same does every man
born into the world say, and that in a thousand instances. Nay, and
avow it too, without ever blushing upon the account, without either
fear or shame. Ask the man, “Why did you do this?” He answers, “Because
I had a mind to it.” What is this but, “Because it was my will;” that
is in effect, because the devil and I are agreed: because _Satan_ and
I govern our actions, by one and the same principle. The will of God
mean-time is not in his thoughts, is not considered in the least degree:
although it be the supreme rule of every intelligent creature, whether
in heaven or earth, resulting from the essential, unalterable relation,
which all creatures bear to their Creator.
9. *So far we bear the image of the devil, and tread in his steps.
But at the next step we leave _Satan_ behind, we run into an idolatry
whereof he is not guilty: I mean, _Love of the world_, which is now as
natural to every man, as to love his own will. What is more natural to
us, than to seek happiness in the creature, instead of the Creator? To
seek that satisfaction in the works of his hands, which can be found
in God only? What more natural than the desire of the flesh? That is,
of the pleasure of sense in every kind? Men indeed talk magnificently
of despising these low pleasures, particularly men of learning and
education. They affect to sit loose to the gratification of those
appetites, wherein they stand with a level with the beasts that perish.
But it is mere affectation: for every man is conscious to himself,
that in this respect he is by nature a very beast. Sensual appetites,
even those of the lowest kind, have, more or less, the dominion over
him. They lead him captive, they drag him to and fro, in spite of
his boasted reason. The man, with all his good breeding and other
accomplishments, has no pre-eminence over the goat: nay, it is much
to be doubted, whether the beast has not the pre-eminence over him?
Certainly he has, if we may hearken to one of their modern oracles, who
very decently tells us.
“Once in a season, beasts too taste of love:
Only the beast of reason is its slave,
And in that folly drudges all the year.”
A considerable difference indeed, it must be allowed, there is between
man and man, arising (beside that wrought by preventing grace) from
difference of constitution, and of education. But notwithstanding this,
who, that is not utterly ignorant of himself, can here cast the first
stone at another? Who can abide the test of our blessed Lord’s comment
on the seventh commandment? _He that looketh on a woman to lust after
her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart._ So that
one knows not which to wonder at most, the ignorance or the insolence
of those men, who speak with such disdain of them that are overcome
by desires, which every man has felt in his own breast! The desire of
every pleasure of sense, innocent or not, being natural to every child
of man.
10. *And so is _the desire of the eye_, the desire of the pleasures
of the imagination. These arise either from great, or beautiful, or
uncommon objects: if the two former do not coincide with the latter;
for perhaps it would appear upon a diligent enquiry, that neither
_grand_ nor _beautiful_ objects please, any longer than they are _new_:
that when the novelty of them is over, the greatest part, at least,
of the pleasure they give is over; and in the same proportion as they
become familiar, they become flat and insipid. But let us experience
this ever so often, the same desire will remain still. The inbred
thirst continues fixt in the soul: nay the more it is indulged, the
more it increases, and incites us to follow after another, and yet
another object; altho’ we leave every one with an abortive hope, and
a deluded expectation. Yea
“The hoary fool, who many days
Has struggled with continued sorrow,
Renews his hope, and fondly lays
The desperate bet upon to-morrow!
“To-morrow comes! ’Tis noon! ’Tis night!
This day like all the former flies:
Yet on he goes, to seek delight
To-morrow, till to-night he dies!”
11. *A third symptom of this fatal disease the love of the world,
which is so deeply rooted in our nature, is _the pride of life_, the
desire of praise, of _the honour that cometh of men_. This the greatest
admirers of human nature allow to be strictly natural: as natural as
the sight or hearing, or any other of the external senses. And are
they ashamed of it, even men of letters, men of refined and improved
understanding? So far from it, that they glory therein! They applaud
themselves for their love of applause! Yea, eminent _Christians_, so
called, make no difficulty of adopting the saying of the old, vain
Heathen, _Animi dissoluti est & nequam negligere quid de se homines
sentiant_: “Not to regard what men think of us, is the mark of a wicked
and abandoned mind.” So that to go calm and unmoved _thro’ honour and
dishonour_, thro’ _evil report and good report_, is with them a sign of
one that is indeed _not fit to live; away with such a fellow from the
earth_. But would one imagine, that these men had ever heard of Jesus
Christ or his apostles? Or that they knew who it was that said, _How
can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and seek not the
honour which cometh of_ God _only_? But if this be really so, if it
be impossible to believe, and consequently to please God, so long as
we _receive_ or _seek honour one of another, and seek not the honour
which cometh of_ God _only_: then in what a condition are all mankind!
The Christians as well as Heathens! Since they all _seek honour one of
another_! Since it is as natural for them so to do, themselves being
the judges, as it is to see the light which strikes upon their eye,
or to hear the sound which enters their ear: yea, since they account
it the sign of a virtuous mind, to seek the praise of men; and of a
vicious one, to be content with _the honour that cometh of_ God _only_!
III. 1. I proceed to draw a few inferences from what has been said.
And, _first_, from hence we may learn one grand, fundamental difference
between Christianity, considered as a system of doctrines, and the most
refined Heathenism. Many of the ancient Heathens have largely described
the vices of particular men. They have spoken much against their
covetousness or cruelty, their luxury or prodigality. Some have dared
to say, That “no man is born without vices, of one kind or another.”
But still, as none of them were apprized of the fall of man, so none
of them knew of his total corruption. They knew not, that all men
were empty of all good, and filled with all manner of evil. They were
wholly ignorant of the entire depravation of the whole human nature,
of every man born in the world, in every faculty of his soul, not so
much by those particular vices, which reign in particular persons, as
by the general flood of Atheism and idolatry, of pride, self-will and
love of the world. This therefore is the first, grand, distinguishing
point between Heathenism and Christianity. The one acknowledges, That
many men are infected with many vices, and even born with a proneness
to them; but supposes withal, that in some the natural good much
overbalances the evil. The other declares, That all men are _conceived
in sin_, and _shapen in wickedness_: that hence there is in every man
a _carnal mind, which is enmity against_ God, _which is not, cannot be
subject to_ his _law_, and which so infects the whole soul, that _there
dwelleth in_ him, _in his flesh_, in his natural state, _no good thing_;
but _all the imagination of the thoughts of his heart_, is _evil_, only
_evil_, and that _continually_.
2. Hence we may, _secondly_, learn, That all who deny this, call it
_original sin_, or by any other title, are but Heathens still, in the
fundamental point which differences Heathenism from Christianity. They
may indeed allow, That men have many vices: that some are born with us:
and that consequently we are not born altogether so wise or so virtuous,
as we should be: there being few that will roundly affirm, “We are
born with as much propensity to good as to evil, and that every man
is by nature as virtuous and wise, as _Adam_ was at his creation.”
But here is the shibboleth: is man by nature filled with all manner of
evil? Is he void of all good? Is he wholly fallen? Is his soul totally
corrupted? Or, to come back to the text, Is _every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart only evil continually_? Allow this and you are so
far a Christian. Deny it, and you are but an Heathen still.
3. *We may learn from hence, in the _third_ place, what is the proper
nature of religion, of the religion of Jesus Christ. It is Θεραπεία
ψυχῆς· God’s method of healing a soul which is _thus diseased_. Hereby
the great Physician of souls applies medicines to heal _this sickness_;
to restore human nature, totally corrupted in all its faculties. God
heals all our Atheism, by the knowledge of himself, and of Jesus Christ
whom he hath sent; by giving us faith, a divine evidence and conviction
of God and of the things of God: in particular, of this important
truth, Christ loved _me_, and gave himself for _me_. By repentance
and lowliness of heart, the deadly disease of pride is healed: that of
self-will by resignation, a meek and thankful submission to the will of
God. And for the love of the world in all its branches, the love of God
is the sovereign remedy. Now this is properly religion, _faith_ thus
_working by love_, working the genuine, meek humility, entire deadness
of the world, with a loving, thankful acquiescence in and conformity to
the whole will and word of God.
4. Indeed if man were not thus fallen, there would be no need of all
this. There would be no occasion for this work of the heart, this
_renewal in the spirit of our mind_. The _superfluity of godliness_
would then be a more proper expression than the _superfluity of
naughtiness_. For an outside religion without any godliness at all,
would suffice to all rational intents and purposes. It does accordingly
suffice, in the judgment of those who deny this corruption of our
nature. They make very little more of religion than the famous
Mr. _Hobbes_ did of reason. According to him, reason is only, “A
well-ordered train of words:” according to them, religion is only a
well-ordered train of words and actions. And they speak consistently
with themselves: for if the inside be not _full of wickedness_, if
this be clean already, what remains, but to _cleanse the outside of
the cup_? Outward reformation, if their supposition be just, is indeed
the one thing needful.
5. But ye have not so learned the oracles of God. Ye know, that he
who seeth what is in man, gives a far different account both of nature
and grace, of our fall and our recovery. Ye know that the great end of
religion is, to renew our hearts in the image of God, to repair that
total loss of righteousness and true holiness, which we sustained by
the sin of our first parent. Ye know that all religion which does not
answer this end, all that stops short of this, the renewal of our soul
in the image of God, after the likeness of him that created it, is no
other than a poor farce, and a mere mockery of God, to the destruction
of our own soul. O beware of all those teachers of lies, who would palm
this upon you for Christianity! Regard them not, altho’ they should
come unto you with _all the deceivableness of unrighteousness_, with
all smoothness of language, all decency, yea beauty and elegance of
expression, all professions of earnest good will to you, and reverence
for the holy scriptures. Keep to the plain, old _faith, once delivered
to the saints_, and delivered by the Spirit of God to our hearts. Know
your disease! Know your cure! Ye were born in sin: therefore _ye must
be born again_, born of God. By nature ye are wholly corrupted: by
grace ye shall be wholly renewed. _In_ Adam ye _all died_: in the
second _Adam, in_ Christ ye _all are made alive_. You _that are dead in
sins hath he quickened_: he hath already given you a principle of life,
even _faith in_ him _who loved_ you, and _gave himself for_ you! Now
_go on from faith to faith_, until your whole sickness be healed, and
all that _mind be in you, which was also in_ Christ Jesus!