Genesis 6:5-7 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth… Two things are here laid to their charge: 1. Corruption of life, wickedness, great wickedness. I understand this of the wickedness of their lives; for it is plainly distinguished from the wickedness of their hearts. 2. Corruption of nature. Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. All their wicked practices are here traced to the fountain and springhead: a corrupt heart was the source of all. The soul, which was made upright in all its faculties, is now wholly disordered. There is a sad alteration, a wonderful overturning in the nature of man: where, at first, there was nothing evil, now there is nothing good. I. I SHALL CONFIRM THE DOCTRINE OF THE CORRUPTION OF NATURE. Here we shall consult the word of God, and men's experience and observation. For Scripture-proof, let us consider, 1. How the Scripture takes particular notice of fallen Adam's communicating his image to his posterity (Genesis 5:3). 2. It appears, from Job 14:4, our first parents were unclean; how then can we be clean? 3. Consider the confession of David (Psalm 51:5). Here he ascends from his actual sin to the fountain of it, namely, corrupt nature. 4. Hear our Lord's determination of the point, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6). Behold the universal corruption of mankind — all are flesh! 5. Man certainly is sunk very low now, in comparison of what he once was. God made him but a "little lower than the angels"; but now we find him likened to the beasts that perish. He hearkened to a brute, and is now become like one of them, 6. "We are by nature the children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). We are worthy of, and liable to, the wrath of God; and this by nature: therefore, doubtless, we are by nature sinful creatures. I shall propose a few things that may serve to convince us in this point — (1) Who sees not a flood of miseries overflowing the world? (2) Observe how early this corruption of nature begins to appear in young ones. (3) Take a view of the manifold gross outbreakings of sin in the world: the wickedness of man is yet great in the earth. (4) Cast your eye upon those terrible convulsions which the world is thrown into by the lusts of men! Lions make not a prey of lions, nor wolves of wolves: but men are turned lions and wolves to one another, biting and devouring one another. (5) Consider the necessity of human laws, guarded by terrors and severities; to which we may apply what the apostle says (1 Timothy 1:9). (6) Consider the remains of that natural corruption in the saints. Though grace has entered yet corruption is not expelled: though they have got the new creature, yet much of the old corrupt nature remains. (7) I shall add but one observation more, and that is, that in every man naturally the image of fallen Adam appears. Some children by the features and lineaments of their face do, as it were, father themselves: and thus we resemble our first parents. Every one of us bears the image and impression of the Fall upon him: and to evince the truth of this, I appeal to the consciences of all in these following particulars — (a) Is not sinful curiosity natural to us? and is not this a print of Adam's image (Genesis 3:6)? (b) If the Lord by His holy law and wise providence puts a restraint upon us to keep us back from anything, does not that restraint whet the edge of our natural inclinations, and makes us so much the keener in our desires? And in this do we not betray it plainly that we are Adam's children (Genesis 3:2-6)? (c) Which of all the children of Adam is not naturally disposed to hear the instruction that causeth to err? And was not this the rock our first parents split upon (Genesis 3:4-6)? (d) Do not the eyes in your head often blind the eyes of the mind? (e) Is it not natural to us to care for the body, even at the expense of the soul? (f) Is not everyone by nature discontented with his present lot in the world, or with some one thing or other in it? (g) Are we not far more easily impressed and influenced by evil counsels and examples than by those that are good? (h) Who of all Adam's sons needs be taught the art of sewing fig leaves together to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:7)? (i) Do not Adam's children naturally follow his footsteps in hiding themselves from the presence of the Lord (Genesis 3:8)? (j) How loth are men to confess sin, to take guilt and shame to themselves? Was it not thus in the case before us (Genesis 3:10)? (k) Is it not natural for us to extenuate our sin, and transfer the guilt upon others? II. I PROCEED TO INQUIRE INTO THE CORRUPTION OF NATURE IN THE SEVERAL PARTS THEREOF. Man in his natural state is altogether corrupt: both soul and body are polluted, as the apostle proves at large (Romans 3:10-18). 1. Of the corruption of the understanding. (1) There is a natural weakness in the minds of men with respect to spiritual things. The apostle determines concerning everyone that is not endued with the graces of the Spirit, "That he is blind, and cannot see afar off" (2 Peter 1:9). (2) Man's understanding is naturally overwhelmed with gross darkness in spiritual things. He has some notions of spiritual truths, but sees not the things themselves that are wrapt up in the words of truth, "Understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm" (1 Timothy 1:7). In a word, natural men fear, seek, confess, they know not what. (3) There is in the mind of man a natural bias to evil, whereby it comes to pass that whatever difficulties it finds while occupied about things truly good, it acts with a great deal of ease in evil, as being in that case in its own element (Jeremiah 4:22). (4) There is in the carnal mind an opposition to spiritual truths, and an aversion to receive them. It is as little a friend to Divine truths as it is to holiness. (5) There is in the mind of man a natural proneness to lies and falsehood, which favours his lusts. (6) Man is naturally high-minded; for when the gospel comes in power to him it is employed in "casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5). 2. Of the corruption of the will. The will, that commanding faculty, which at first was faithful and ruled with God, is now turned traitor and rules with and for the devil. God planted it in man "wholly a right seed," but now it is "turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine."(1) There is in the unrenewed will an utter inability for what is truly good and acceptable in the sight of God. (2) There is in the unrenewed will an aversion to good. Sin is the natural man's element; he is as unwilling to part with it as fish are to come out of the water on to dry land. (3) There is in the will of man a natural "proneness to evil," a woeful bent towards sin. (4) There is a natural contrariety, direct opposition, and enmity in the will of man to God Himself and His holy will (Romans 8:7). 3. The corruption of the affections. The unrenewed man's affections are wholly disordered and distempered: they are as the unruly horse, that either will not receive, or violently runs away with, the rider. 4. Corruption of the conscience (Titus 1:15). 5. Corruption of the memory. Even the memory bears evident marks of this corruption. What is good and worthy to be remembered, as it makes but slender impression, so that impression easily wears off; the memory, as a leaking vessel, lets it slip (Hebrews 2:1). 6. Corruption of the body. The body itself also is partaker of this corruption and defilement so far as it is capable thereof. Wherefore the Scripture calls it sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). We may take this up in two things. (1) The natural temper, or rather distemper, of the bodies of Adam's children, as it is an effect of original sin, so it has a natural tendency to sin, incites to sin, leads the soul into snares, yea, is itself a snare to the soul. (2) It serves the soul in many sins. Its members are instruments or weapons of unrighteousness whereby men fight against God (Romans 6:13). III. I SHALL SHOW HOW MAN'S NATURE COMES TO BE THUS CORRUPTED. Adam's sin corrupted man's nature and leavened the whole lump of mankind. The root was poisoned, and so the branches were envenomed: the vine turned into the vine of Sodom, and so the grapes became grapes of gall. Adam by his sin became not only guilty but corrupt, and so transmits guilt and corruption to his posterity (Genesis 5:3; Job 14:4). By his sin he stripped himself of his original righteousness and corrupted himself; we were in him representatively, being represented by him as our moral head in the covenant of works: we were in him seminally, as our natural head; hence we fell in him, and by his disobedience were made sinners, as Levi in the loins of Abraham paid tithes (Hebrews 7:9, 10). IV. I SHALL NOW APPLY THIS DOCTRINE OF THE CORRUPTION OF NATURE. Use 1. — For information. Is man's nature wholly corrupted? Then — (1) No wonder that the grave opens its devouring mouth for us as soon as the womb has cast us forth, and that the cradle is turned into a coffin to receive the corrupt lump: for we are all, in a spiritual sense, dead born; yea, and filthy (Psalm 14:3), noisome, rank, and stinking as a corrupt thing, as the word imports. (2) Behold here as in a glass the spring of all the wickedness, profanity, and formality which is in the world; the source of all the disorders in thy own heart and life. (3) See here why sin is so pleasant and religion such a burden to carnal spirits: sin is natural, holiness not so. (4) Learn from this the nature and necessity of regeneration. First, this discovers the nature of regeneration in these two things — (a) It is not a partial, but a total change, though imperfect in this life. Thy whole nature is corrupted; therefore the cure must go through every part. (b) It is not a change made by human industry, but by the mighty power of the Spirit of God. A man must be born of the Spirit (John 3:5). Secondly, this also shows the necessity of regeneration. It is absolutely necessary in order to salvation (John 3:4). Use 2. — For lamentation. Well may we lament thy case, O natural man! for it is the saddest case one can be in out of hell. Use 3. — I exhort you to believe this sad truth. Alas! it is evident that it is very little believed in the world. Few are concerned to get their corrupt conversation changed; but fewer, by far, to get their nature changed. Most men know not what they are, nor what spirits they are of; they are as the eye, which, seeing many things, never sees itself. But until you know everyone the plague of his own heart, there is no hope of your recovery. (T. Boston, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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