Thomas Boston
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:
Is not sinful curiosity natural to us? And is not this a print of Adam’s image (Gen 3:6). Is not man naturally much more desirous to know new things, than to practise old known truths? How much like old Adam do we look in this eagerness for novelties, and disrelish of old solid doctrines? We seek after knowledge rather than holiness, and study most to know those things which are least edifying. Our wild and roving fancies need a bridle to curb them, while good solid affections must be quickened and spurred on.
If the Lord, by His holy law and wise providence, puts a restraint upon us, to keep us back from any thing, does not that restraint whet the edge of our natural inclinations, and make us so much the keener in our desires? And in this do we not betray it plainly, that we are Adam’s children? (Gen 3:2-6). I think this cannot be denied, for daily observation evinces, that it is a natural principle, that “stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant” (Prov 9:17). The very heathens were convinced that man was possessed with this spirit of contradiction, though they knew not the spring of it. How often do men let themselves loose in those things, in which, had God left them at liberty, they would have bound up themselves! But corrupt nature takes a pleasure in the very jumping over the hedge. And is it not a repeating of our father’s folly, that men will rather climb for forbidden fruit, than gather what is shaken off the tree of good providence to them, when they have God’s express allowance for it?
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 (Gen 3:4-6)? How apt is weak man, ever since that time, to parley with temptations! “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:14), but he readily listens to Satan. Men might often come fair off, if they would dismiss temptations with abhorrence, when first they appear; if they would nip them in the bud, they would soon die away, but, alas! Though we see the train laid for us, and the fire put to it, yet we stand till it runs along, and we are blown up with its force.
Do not the eyes in our head often blind the eyes of the mind? And was not this the very case of our first parents (Gen 3:6)? Man is never more blind than when he is looking on the objects that are most pleasing to sense. Since the eyes of our first parents were opened to the forbidden fruit, men’s eyes have been the gates of destruction to their souls; at which impure imaginations and sinful desires have entered the heart, to the wounding of the soul, wasting of the conscience, and bringing dismal effects sometimes on whole societies, as in Achan’s case (Joshua 7:21). Holy Job was aware of this danger from these two little rolling bodies, which a very small splinter of wood can make useless; so that, with the king who durst not, with his ten thousand, meet him that came with twenty thousand against him (Luke 14:31,32), he sendeth and desireth conditions of peace, “I made a covenant with mine eyes” (Job 31:1).
Is it not natural to us to care for the body, even at the expense of the soul? This was one ingredient in the sin of our first parents (Gen 3:6). O how happy might we be, if we were but at half the pains about our souls, that we bestow upon our bodies! If that question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30), ran but near as often through our minds as these questions do, “What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” (Matt 6:31), then many a hopeless case would become very hopeful. But the truth is, most men live as if they were nothing but a lump of flesh: or as if their soul served for no other use, but, like salt, to keep their body from corrupting. “They are flesh” (John 3:6); “they mind the things of the flesh” (Rom 8:5); “and they live after the flesh” (verse 13). If the consent of the flesh be got to an action, the consent of the conscience is rarely waited for: yea, the body is often served, when the conscience has entered a protest against it.
Is not every one by nature discontented with his present lot in the world, or with some one thing or other in it? This also was Adam’s case (Gen 3:5,6). Some one thing is always wanting; so that man is a creature given to changes. If any doubt this, let them look over all their enjoyments; and, after a review of them, listen to their own hearts, and they will hear a secret murmuring for want of something; though perhaps, if they considered the matter aright, they would see that it is better for them to want than to have that something. Since the hearts of our first parents flew out at their eyes, on the forbidden fruit, and a night of darkness was thereby brought on the world, their posterity have a natural disease which Solomon calls, “The wandering of the desire,” or, as the word is, “The walking of the soul” (Eccl 6:9). This is a sort of diabolical trance, wherein the soul traverses the world; feeds itself with a thousand airy nothings; snatches at this and the other created excellency, in imagination and desire; goes here, and there, and every where, except where it should go. And the soul is never cured of this disease, till conquering grace brings it back to take up its everlasting rest in God through Christ. But till this be, if man were set again in paradise, the garden of the Lord, all the pleasures there would not keep him from looking, yea, and leaping over the hedge a second time.
Are we not far more easily impressed and influenced by evil counsels and examples, than by those that are good! You will see this was the ruin of Adam (Gen 3:6). Evil example, to this day, is one of Satan’s master-devices to ruin men. Though we have, by nature, more of the fox than of the lamb; yet that ill property which some observe in this creature, namely, that if one lamb skip into a water, the rest that are near will suddenly follow, may be observed also in the disposition of the children of men; to whom it is very natural to embrace an evil way, because they see others in it before them. Ill example has frequently the force of a violent stream, to carry us over plain duty, but especially if the example be given by those we bear a great affection to; our affection, in that case, blinds our judgment; and what we should abhor in others, is complied with, to humour them. Nothing is more plain, than that generally men choose rather to do what the most do, than what the best do.
Who of all Adam’s sons needs be taught the art of sewing fig-leaves together, to cover their nakedness (Gen 3:7)? When we have ruined ourselves, and made ourselves naked to our shame, we naturally seek to help ourselves by ourselves: many poor contrivances are employed, as silly and insignificant as Adam’s fig-leaves. What pains are men at, to cover their sin from their own conscience, and to draw all the fair colours upon it that they can! And when once convictions are fastened upon them, so that they cannot but see themselves naked, it is as natural for them to attempt to cover it by selfdeceit, as for fish to swim in water, or birds to fly in the air. Therefore the first question of the convinced is, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). How shall we qualify ourselves? What shall we perform? Not considering that the new creature is God’s own workmanship or deed (Eph 2:10), any more than Adam considered and thought of being clothed with the skins of sacrifices (Gen 3:21).
Do not Adam’s children naturally follow his footsteps, in hiding themselves from the presence of the Lord? (Gen 3:8). We are quite as blind in this matter as he was, who thought to hide himself from the presence of God amongst the shady trees of the garden. We are very apt to promise ourselves more security in a secret sin, than in one that is openly committed. “The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me” (Job 24:15). Men will freely do that in secret, which they would be ashamed to do in the presence of a child; as if darkness could hide from the all-seeing God. Are we not naturally careless of communion with God; aye, and averse to it? Never was there any communion between God and Adam’s children, where the Lord Himself had not the first word. If He were to let them alone they would never inquire after Him; “I hid me” (Isa 57:17). Did he seek after a hiding God? Very far from it: “He went on frowardly in the way of his heart.”
How loth are men to confess sin, to take guilt and shame to themselves? Was it not thus in the case before us? (Gen 3:10). Adam confesses his nakedness, which could not be denied; but says not one word of his sin: the reason of it was, he would fain have hid it if he could. It is as natural for us to hide sin, as to commit it. Many sad instances thereof we have in this world, but a far clearer proof of it we shall get at the day of judgment, the day in which “God shall judge the secrets of men” (Rom 2:16). many a foul mouth will then be seen which is now “wiped, and saith, I have done no wickedness” (Prov 30:20).
Is it not natural for us to extenuate our sin, and transfer the guilt upon others? When God examined our guilty first parents, did not Adam lay the blame on the woman? And did not the woman lay the blame on the serpent? (Gen 3:12,13). Now Adam’s children need not be taught this hellish policy; for before they can well speak, if they cannot get the fact denied, they will cunningly lisp out something to lessen their fault, and lay the blame upon another. Nay, so natural is this to men, that in the greatest sins, they will lay the fault upon God Himself; they will blaspheme His holy providence under the mistaken name of misfortune or ill lick, and thereby lay the blame of their sin at heaven’s door. And was not this one of Adam’s tricks after his fall? “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Gen 3:12). Observe the order of the speech. He makes his apology in the first place, and then comes his confession: his apology is long, but his confession very short; it is all comprehended in one word, “and I did eat.” How pointed and distinct is his apology, as if he was afraid his meaning should have been mistaken! “The woman,” says he, or “that woman,” as if he would have pointed the Judge to His own works, of which we read (Gen 2:22).
There was but one woman then in the world, so that one would think he needed not to have been so nice and exact in pointing at her: yet she is as carefully marked out in his defense, as if there had been ten thousand. “The woman whom thou gavest me.” Here he speaks, as if he had been ruined with God’s gift. And, to make the gift look the blacker, it is added to all this, “thou gavest to be with me,” as my constant companion, to stand by me as a helper. This looks as if Adam would have fathered an ill design upon the Lord, in giving him this gift. And, after all, there is a new demonstrative here, before the sentence is complete; he says not, “The woman gave me,” but “the woman, she gave me,” emphatically; as if he had said, she, even she , gave me of the tree. This much for his apology. But his confession is quickly over, in one word, as he spoke it, “and I did eat.” There is nothing here to point out himself and as little to show what he had eaten. How natural is this black art to Adam’s posterity! He that runs may read it. So universally does Solomon’s observation hold true (Prov 19:3), “The foolishness of man perverteth his way; and his heart fretteth against the LORD.” Let us then call fallen Adam, father; let us not deny the relation, seeing we bear his image.
To shut up this point, sufficiently confirmed by concurring evidence from the Lord’s Word, our own experience, and observation; let us be persuaded to believe the doctrine of the corruption of our nature; and look to the second Adam, the blessed Jesus, for the application of His precious blood, to remove the guilt of our sin; and for the efficacy of His Holy Spirit, to make us new creatures; knowing that “except we be born again, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
(Taken from the Thomas Boston’s book—Human Nature in its Fourfold State.)