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THE WEAKNESS AND DEPRAVITY OF MAN
THERE is no character so excellent but there is some blot to be found in it. The most illustrious saints that ever lived, not only betrayed their weakness and sinfulness, but shewed themselves defective in those very graces for which they were most eminent. We must not wonder therefore that Hezekiah, who was in some respects as distinguished a character as any that either preceded or followed him, became at last a monument of human frailty. It is probable that the peculiar manifestations of the divine favour towards him had excited an undue degree of self-complacency in his mind: God therefore saw fit to try him, and, “in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who had sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land,” (even of the shadow of the sun going backward ten degrees on the sun-dial of Ahaz,) “left him” to the natural workings of his own heart. The consequence was such as might be apprehended; he gave way to pride and vanity, and brought on himself the divine displeasure.
The words which we have read, will naturally lead us to observe, that,
I. Till we are tried, we have very little idea of the evil of our hearts—
[Though we feel no difficulty in admitting that we are sinners, yet we can by no means acknowledge the truth of the representations given of us in the Scriptures. If we were told that we are all by nature haters both of God [Note: Rom_1:30; Rom_8:7.] and man [Note: Tit_3:3.], we should consider it as a libel upon human nature. When we read the history of the Jews, we are ready to think that they were incomparably more perverse than we should ever be: though if we had been in their situation, there is no reason at all to believe that we should have shewn ourselves in any respect more obedient than they. If we have never fallen into any gross sin, we imagine that our moral conduct has arisen from the superior goodness of our hearts; and we suppose that we have no disposition to those iniquities which are practised by others. We are not aware, that, if we had been subjected to the same trials as others, we should probably have fallen like them. How was Hazael shocked when he was told what enormities he would commit! “Is thy servant a dog, that he should commit this thing [Note: 2Ki_8:12-13.]?” Yet, no sooner was he tried, than he did commit all the enormities that had been foretold. And we, if told, that one of us would become a thief, another an adulterer, and another a murderer, should revolt at the idea. as though we were not capable of such atrocious wickedness: but the more we know of our own hearts, the more we shall be ready to say with David, “My heart sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly [Note: Psa_36:1. The Prayer-book Translation. See also Mar_7:21-23 and Jer_17:9.],” yea, it is an epitome of all the wickedness that is committed upon earth.]
It becomes us to deprecate temptation; since,
II. If left to ourselves, we shall soon give some awful proof of our depravity—
[That any persons are preserved from great enormities is owing to the providence and the grace of God. It has pleased God to encompass them, so that they should be screened from any violent temptation; or else he has endued them with a more abundant measure of his grace, whereby they have been enabled to withstand the tempter. Who that sees how others have fallen, will ascribe his own steadfastness to an arm of flesh? We need only set before us those deplorable monuments of human depravity, David, Solomon, and Peter, and we shall need nothing more to enforce that admonition, “Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall [Note: These instances should be opened separately, and at some length.]” — — — We perhaps may have maintained a good conduct for a considerable time: but can we not look back to some moment wherein we have been left to follow the bent of our own corrupt hearts? We must be lamentably ignorant of what has passed within us, if we have not long since learned our need to use that prayer, “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.”]
Yet we must not view such proofs of depravity merely as insulated and detached acts: for,
III. One single act of wickedness, if duly considered, will serve as a clew to find out all the iniquity of our hearts—
[God did not design to shew Hezekiah one imperfection only, but “all that was in his heart [Note: The text may mean, that God left Hezekiah in order that he, namely God, might know all that was in his heart. See Deu_8:2; Deu_13:2-3. But the sense given to the words seems preferable.]:” and his fall was well calculated to give him this knowledge; for in it he might see, not only his pride and creature-confidence, but his ingratitude for the mercies he had received, his unconcern about the souls of those who came to visit him, his indifference about the honour of his God, and innumerable other evils which were comprehended in his sin [Note: If, as is thought, the Babylonians who came to inquire into the miracle of the sun’s retrograde motion were worshippers of the sun, what an opportunity had Hezekiah to tell them about Jehovah, who created that sun, and could continue or alter its course at his pleasure!]. Thus, if we will take any one sin of our lives, and make use of it as a light to search the dark corners of our hearts, we shall find out a most astonishing mass of wickedness that has hitherto escaped our observation. Take, for instance, any single act of pride, wrath, lewdness, covetousness, or even deadness in prayer, what a scene will it open to our view! what unmindfulness of the divine presence! what unconcern about our own souls! what preferring of carnal ease or worldly vanities to the happiness and glory of heaven! what contempt of that adorable Saviour who shed his blood for us! Alas! alas! we should never come to an end, if we should attempt to declare all the evil which by such a scrutiny we might discover.
This then we would most earnestly recommend as the means of becoming acquainted with our hearts: let us not consider any sin as though it were unconnected with any other; but rather regard every sin as a fruit of an immense tree, or as a little stream flowing from an inexhaustible fountain.]
From this dereliction of Hezekiah, and his fall consequent upon it, we may further learn,
1. Thankfulness to God for the preservation we have experienced—
[None of us have perpetrated one thousandth part of the iniquity which we should have been guilty of, if God had not restrained us by his providence and grace. Let us not then “sacrifice to our own net, or burn incense to our own drag.” Let us rather acknowledge, that by the grace of God we are what we are, and say, “Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be the praise.” And let our dependence be altogether on God, that he who has kept us hitherto, will “preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom.”]
2. Tenderness and compassion towards those who have fallen—
[We are apt to look on a fallen brother with indignation and contempt: but if we considered more attentively our own extreme sinfulness, and how often we should have fallen if outward temptations had concurred sufficiently with our inward dispositions, we shall find less readiness to cast a stone at others: we shall rather see our own picture in their depravity, and extend that compassion to them which in similar circumstances we should desire to meet with at their hands.]
3. Vigilance against the assaults of our great adversary—
[Satan combines in himself the subtlety of a serpent, and the strength of a lion. Well therefore does the Apostle say to us, “Be sober, be vigilant.” If we watch not against his assaults, we, in fact, tempt him to tempt us. Besides, we cannot expect that God should preserve us, if we do not endeavour to preserve ourselves. It will be to little purpose to pray that God will not lead us into temptation, if we presumptuously rush into it of our own accord. Let us then shun the occasions of sin: let us avoid the company, the amusements, the books, yea the very sights that may administer to sin. Let us commit ourselves continually to God’s care and protection; and beg of him never to leave us or forsake us. In this way we may hope to experience his unremitting care, and to be “kept by his power through faith unto everlasting salvation.”]