Wickedness of the Heart

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. — Jer. xvii. 9.

Having in our former discourse treated of the deceitfulness of the heart, I now come, in the second place, to speak of its “desperate wickedness.” Indeed, these two qualities of the heart are so intimately connected that they involve each other. If the heart is deceitful above all things, it must be wicked; and if it is “desperately wicked,” it must be deceitful; for all sin originates in false views of things. There does not, therefore, seem to be much need to discuss the latter part of the text separately, to produce a conviction of the truth there asserted; but a mere conviction of a truth is not enough. We need to have some truths set before us with much particularity, that by long and patient contemplation of their nature, our hearts may be suitably affected by them. And there is no truth to which this remark is more applicable than to the one now under consideration; for it is one, the distinct contemplation of which gives pain, and from which the mind turns away with an instinctive aversion. Hence, few persons can be induced patiently and impartially to view their own moral features as portrayed in the Holy Scriptures. And hence, the astonishing ignorance of their own hearts, which prevails among men, and even among church-going people,. Moreover, a distinct knowledge of our own hearts, as to their moral condition and character, is of the utmost importance to our spiritual welfare. In bodily diseases we may have the remedy applied and be healed, without knowing the nature of the malady; but in spiritual diseases this cannot take place, according to the ordinary method of salvation; because the remedy is here applied by faith, which is the act of an intelligent mind, by which we, feeling the malignity of our disease, cannot be satisfied until we apprehend the true and only remedy which the mercy of Gpd has provided in the gospel.

Let us, then, again attempt to remove the covering from the human heart, that we may take a view of its desperate wickedness; and in order to this, I would observe, that the truth contained in this part of the text, will appear more manifest by considering:

1. The universal prevalence of wickedness in the world, in all countries, and in all ages That crimes of every kind have ever abounded, every man who has the least acquaintance with the world, knows by his own observation. No man needs to travel far to obtain the evidence of this fact; it stares him in the face every where, in town and country, among the rich and the poor, the old and the young. A great part of the business of the world has relation to the existence and prevalence of crimes; either to prevent, to guard against, or to punish them. Our laws, our courts, our prisons and penitentiaries, our locks and bars, our munitions of war on sea and land, are all evidences of the wickedness of man. No nation legislates on the principle, or with the expectation, that men will not be found wicked. Indeed, civil government itself owes its origin to the necessity which exists of guarding against, and coercing the wickedness of the people. We need only look into our criminal courts, or into our newspapers, to be convinced that wickedness is not confined to former ages, or to be witnessed only in heathen countries, but marches with a bold front through every Christian land; often too, in defiance of all laws, human and divine. What crime can be conceived, which the depravity of man has not led him to perpetrate? Yea, crimes which are so abominable as scarcely to have a name, are committed by many. Blasphemies, murders, robberies, thefts, frauds, adulteries, tyranny, oppression, pride, luxury, intemperance, impurity, envy, hatred, deceit, with others too numerous to be mentioned, are common and notorious in every country. And while the beauty and order of society are continually disturbed by open wickedness, the greater part of the foulest actions of men are covered with the veil of darkness. They are committed in secret where no eye but that of the omniscient Jehovah sees the enormity of the crime. At the day of judgment, when ah these works of darkness shall be brought to light, the assembled universe will be struck with surprise at the multitude and enormity of the crimes perpetrated by the children of men. Now, whence do all these iniquities proceed but from the human heart? That fountain must, indeed, be corrupt which sends forth such poisonous streams. That tree must be, indeed, evil which produces such fruit. Heathen writers, as well as Christian, give testimony to the fact, that men are desperately wicked. What is history, but a record of the crimes of men? And not only historians, but poets and satirists among the heathen, paint the depravity of man in the most frightful colours. And all modern travellers of veracity, and especially missionaries, unite in testifying that the picture of human nature, drawn by Paul in his epistles, is an accurate delineation of the present condition of the whole Pagan world. And alas! nominal Christians are but little better. Indeed, considering their light and privileges, their guilt is much greater. Although various circumstances make a difference in the moral characters of men, yet all are by nature depraved; all have gone astray like lost sheep. “There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false-witness, blasphemies.” (Matt. xv. 19.)

2. The desperate wickedness of the heart will appear also, if we consider its aversion to God and holiness. If the heart were not depraved, it would naturally be disposed to reverence and love the great Creator; for his character is most excellent, and our obligations to him are infinite. We owe every thing to him. We are indebted to him for our existence and all our faculties, and capacities of enjoyment. Every good gift has come down from the Father of lights, and an ingenuous, pure heart would be filled with unceasing gratitude to such a Benefactor, and would continually celebrate his praise. But is this the fact in regard to the majority of men? Is it so in regard to any man, until renewed by the grace of God? Let conscience testify. We need no other witness. This enmity to God is the true cause of all the abominable idolatry of the heathen world. They did not like to retain God in their minds. “And when they knew God, they glorified him not as God.” This too, is the true source of the obstinate unbelief of the Jews. The Son of God exhibited the true characteristics of the promised Messiah; but then “he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners;” and showed no indulgence to the pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, nor to the infidelity of the Sadducees; but faithfully reproved their vices; therefore they conspired to take away his life. Nothing is so offensive to a depraved heart as a perfect example of holiness; for even when the conscience is compelled to approve it, the heart turns away from it with hatred. If we search also the true grounds of the Mohammedan religion which has subjugated so large a portion of the world, we shall find that it originated in a dislike to the holy character of

Christianity, and a desire to have a religion accommodated to the taste of the depraved heart.

But we need not go to the heathen, to the unbelieving Jew, or to the deluded Mohammedan, for witnesses of this truth, that the heart of man by nature does not love God and holiness. We have proofs enough nearer home. We have them in every congregation, in every family, in every child. Let those who deny the native depravity of man answer this question: Do men, generally, who have the opportunity of knowing the true character of God, love it as the angels do in heaven? Do they love it at all? If they do, would they not all be found zealously engaged in glorifying God by worshipping him in his earthly temples? Would they not be found in constant and cheerful obedience to his will? Alas! alas! the proof is too plain, that men do not naturally love God, or take delight in his service.

Men are not commonly as sensible of the guilt contracted by sins of omission, as of commission; but where the heart is utterly destitute of love to God, it cannot be otherwise than totally depraved, although restraints may have been laid upon it, which have prevented it from acting out the wickedness which is concealed within.

3. Another evidence of the desperate wickedness of the human heart is, that it never grows better, or makes any true reformation of itself; but, on the contrary, grows worse and worse, as long as it is left to the influence of its own corrupt principles. Some diseases of the body have their period and what may be called their natural course, and when they have spent their force, come to an end; but nothing like this takes place in regard to the wickedness of the heart. The natural period of this awful disease is unlimited — it is eternal. It is a fever which never ceases to burn, and is never extinguished by an accidental cause; but increases continually in its malignity. The young sinner who is just commencing a course of iniquity, will soon grow up to a maturity in vice; but still, unless grace prevent, his course will be onward and downward, in the paths of sinful indulgence. In the former discourse on this text, we have seen, that all the promises which the heart makes of ceasing from sin, and of amendment of life, are deceitful. And for aught that appears, this fearful progression in vice, will not cease with the death of the body; but when those restraints, which, in this world, are laid, more or less, on all men, are removed, then the depraved principle will be acted out, with all the heaven-daring iniquity of devils. Then, indeed, it will be acknowledged by all that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

4. But the heart of man, left to itself, not only never grows better, but this disease may well be called “desperate,” because it yields not to the most powerful remedies which human wisdom has ever invented; but increases in virulence, under them all. Since men were multiplied upon earth, various remedies have been repeatedly tried; and it is not denied, that under some of them, the symptoms appear in a mitigated form; but the core of

♦he malady has not been eradicated. Among these, early discipline and careful education have been considered by some sufficient to reach the seat of the disease, and to bring about a radical cure; but the result of impartial examination is, that all the discipline and careful training which have ever been used, can do no more than skin over the foul ulcer of human depravity. A corpse may be so dressed and decorated, that it may appear inviting to a superficial observer; but when it is approached and examined, the cadaverous appearance and stench prove it to be a corpse still. Thus, you may put a gloss on the foul depravity of human nature. You may even paint it with the semblance of true virtue; but, at bottom, it is still selfish, sensual, proud, and at enmity with God.

Philosophy has also tried her power, and has boasted of great achievements; but, while the streams from the fountain of human depravity may have been diverted into a more refined and secret channel, so as to conceal the turpitude of its character, yet its poisonous nature has not been changed. Philosophical pride, ambition, and envy are no better than intemperance and gross sensuality. Morality has been called in to accomplish the reformation of human vice; but while the heart remains unregenerate, morality is a mere appearance of good, a mere shadow without substance, a tree without a root, a superstructure without a foundation. Such morality, though defective in its principles and motives, is nevertheless useful to society, and should, on this account, be encouraged and promoted; but consider as obedience to the holy law of God, it is worthless; and when trusted to as a ground of justification, it is even injurious by engendering and cherishing a delusive hope of heaven.

Further, the desperate wickedness of the heart, not only manifests itself by resisting the influence of all human remedies; but that which exhibits its inveterate malignity in the strongest light is, that it does not even yield to the means of reformation which God has appointed. We might expect that such motives as the word of God presents, would be effectual to produce a change of mind, or to bring the sinner to repentance. But, no: the heart hardens under the bright beams of gospel truth. Indeed, no hearts are so hard and perverse as those which have been often addressed by the solemn, tender, and persuasive exhortations of the divine word. “This,” said our Lord, “is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life. If I had not come and spoken unto you, you had not had sin, but now ye have no cloak for your sin.” And what is more astonishing still, even the inward strivings of the Spirit are resisted and quenched. “Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye.” Therefore, we have the solemn exhortations, “Quench not the Spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.”

5. Again, when the heart appears to be converted, and a visible reformation takes place in the life, after a while these promising appearances, which, like blossoms in the spring, gave ground to hope for abundant fruit, are nipped by the severe frost, or blasted by the chilling wind, and all our hopes are disappointed. The soul was impressed by divine truth, and the affections for a season warmly excited, but the bitter root of iniquity was not eradicated. And though, for a season, under these solemn impressions, the virulence of the sinful principle was not only restrained, but concealed; yet as soon as the day of trial and temptation comes, all these flattering appearances vanish, and the soul, acting agreeably to its true nature, breaks out again into open transgression, or assumes and keeps up the hypocritical garb of religion, while secretly sin is indulged, and the heart is under the government of evil passions. In the sight of an all-seeing God, no hearts appear more desperately wicked, than those which are concealed from men, by the mask of hypocrisy. As our Lord knew what was in man, he could see in the Pharisees of his day, the vilest lusts and passions, covered under the cloak of religion. The people venerated these men for their extraordinary piety; but he tore the mask from their hearts, and revealed to the people the baseness, malignity, envy, and covetousness which reigned within their breasts. This they never could forgive, and therefore sought every opportunity to destroy him; and at last succeeded by means of the treachery of one of his own disciples. Here we have come to the highest conceivable degree of human depravity, in the crime of Judas, and of the chief priests and rulers in “crucifying the Lord of glory.” A deeper stain of guilt than that which was here contracted, cannot be imagined. Do you say, that this was the crime of a few; and if you had been situated as they were, you would not have perpetrated such a bloody crime? In this you do but deceive yourselves. Your hearts are as wicked by nature as theirs; and if you have not committed the same crimes or as great, it has not been owing to your own goodness of heart, but to the favour of God’s providence, and the inward restraints which he has graciously laid upon you. Left, as they were, to yourselves, and exposed to the same temptations, you would have acted as wickedly as the most wicked. “As face answereth to face in water, so the heart of man to man.”

6. No severity nor continuance of pain will ever conquer or remove the depravity of the heart. Many have resorted to self-inflicted tortures, as great as human nature can endure, and have spent their lives in crucifying the desires of the flesh; and they may have, to a certain degree, succeeded in diminishing the ardour of those passions which are connected with the animal frame, by emaciating the body; but this did not reach the real seat of the malady. It lies far deeper than the flesh. When the body shall be put off, then, as was before said, the wickedness of man will come to its maturity, and he will resemble the devils. A mistake respecting the origin of moral evil gave rise to this method of counteracting, and endeavouring to eradicate it. Many ancient philosophers believed matter to be the cause of all evil; and therefore they attempted to destroy sin, by inflicting pain on the body. There is nothing in the mere endurance of pain which has any tendency to eradicate the principle of iniquity in the human heart. Afflictions are, it is true, a purifying furnace to the people of God, but they are only so when accompanied by his effectual grace. We often see, in this world, the deepest depravity accompanied by the most appalling sufferings. The effect of mere pain on the depraved heart is to arouse to fury the angry passions of the soul; and when there is no hope of relief, the guilty wretches, while they gnaw their tongues with anguish, look up and impotently blaspheme the God that punishes them. The pains of hell, therefore, have no tendency to purge away the dross of sin; but the evil rather grows under these unspeakable torments. And thus we see the unreasonableness of the idea of a purgatorial fire to purify those who died unprepared for an immediate entrance into heaven.

7. Another argument of the desperate wickedness of the human heart is the power of indwelling sin in the regenerate. This body of sin caused the apostle Paul to groan, and to cry out, “O wretched man, who shall deliver me from the body of this death!” The working of iniquity in the regenerate soul produces a continual warfare in every renewed heart. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would;” for, says Paul, “when I would do good, evil is present with me; so that the good that I would, I do not, and the evil that I would not, that I do.” I know there are many who cannot endure the idea, that Paul was here describing his own feelings, or those of any renewed person. But the truly pious, in every age, have had the same sad conviction of inbred corruption; and have experienced the same conflict between the principles of sin and holiness within them. And they have been led by the knowledge which they have obtained of their own hearts, to yield an unqualified assent to the declaration of the prophet in our text. And God, sometimes has permitted the truly pious to be overcome by the strength of indwelling sin, when left to meet temptation without special aid from heaven. A number of falls of this kind are recorded in Scripture, that in all ages, the desperate wickedness of the heart might be made manifest; and that the people of God might learn from these examples, that their standing is not in themselves, but in the grace of God upholding and preserving them in the hour of temptation, when Satan is sifting them as wheat. No man knows how much iniquity still lies concealed in his own heart. Though, by the grace of God, the believer may gain many victories over the old man within him; yet he may expect to experience the violence of his dying struggles, until the hour of his full discharge, when with the oody he will put off all the remains of sin; which should reconcile the believer to the necessity of dying; since, ms long as he is in the body, the flesh will lust against the Spirit.

Having taken a brief survey of the desperate wickedness of the human heart, let us now, in the conclusion, reflect a little on the awful subject.

The entrance of sin into the world has entailed death on all the posterity of Adam. “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death hath passed on all men, because that all have sinned.” Sin is a hereditary disease, which we have derived from our first parents. It is not worth while to dispute against a fact, the evidence of which we have within us and around us continually; neither do we gain any thing by cavilling at the justice of God in bringing us into existence in connexion with an apostate father. We were included in him, and sinned with him, and as he was our covenant head, as well as our natural father, his sin is legally ours, and we are treated accordingly. At any rate we are in a fallen, sinful state, and by nature, children of wrath even as others. Our wisdom is to inquire with all earnestness, whether there is any way of escape from this horrible pit, where every effort of our own only sinks us deeper in the miry clay. If there were no remedy, it would be cruel to torment you before the time, with a representation of the miserable condition into which you are fallen. But there is a glorious and effectual remedy; and although it is not mentioned in the text, yet the same infallible word of God, which shows us our sin and misery, points to the only remedy, which is freely offered to all, and is efficacious in every case in which it has been tried. Though, my hearers, your disease is desperate as it relates to human remedies, it is not so in regard to God’s method of recovery. “It is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom, said Paul, I am chief.” Hear also the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming to the rebellious house of Israel, “Though your sins were as scarlet they shall be white as snow, and though they were red like crimson they shall be as wool.” And the beloved disciple assures us, that we have an advocate with the Father, who is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” John also, who saw the double stream flowing from his pierced side, testifies “His blood cleanseth from all sin.” “Let us, then, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We need not despair, for it is written, “He is able to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

But if sin were forgiven, and this desperate wickedness of the heart should remain, there would still be no salvation.* The sinner, thus depraved, could enter into no rest, he could enjoy no peace. Sin makes a hell wherever it prevails. The unregenerate sinner would be pleased to have pardon without renovation; but this is a foolish wish. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” There must be a remedy for inherent depravity, as well as for guilt; and that remedy is provided in “the sanctification of the Spirit,” through the truth. This glorious work of grace is going on in the hearts of all true believers; and he who hath begun this good work will carry it on to the day of redemption. The peculiai people whom Christ hath purchased, he wil redeem from all iniquity, and make them zealous of good works. By union with Christ, every believer as a scion grafted on the true vine will be enabled to bring forth fruit, and their fruit shall remain. They who are enabled to bring forth much fruit do greatly glorify their Father in heaven, who delights to see these clusters of righteousness on the vine of his own right hand. And by letting their light shine around them, others also seeing their good works are led to glorify our Father in heaven. Let us, then, be truly thankful for the gift of the Spirit as well as the Son, for the work of each is equally necessary, though of a different kind; yet, so intimately connected that he who receives the benefit of the one, is never destitute of the blessing proceeding from the work of the other. Yea, further, we only become partakers of the benefits of Christ’s death, when the work of the Spirit has commenced in our hearts; for it is by faith that we are pardoned and justified, and this faith is the fruit of the operation of the Spirit in the regeneration of the soul.

Then, my hearers, though your pollution be deep, and your stain indelible by all human art, yet, behold, the fountain foretold by the prophet, has been opened for sin and uncleanness. Come, wash, and be clean. And this fountain not only cleanses, but refreshes and heals. “Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. The

Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come, and whosoever will, let him come and take of the waters of life freely.”

The truth contained in our text is not so thoroughly understood by any, as by the growing experienced Christian. As he grows in grace, he grows in knowledge of himself; and every day he has new evidences of the deceitfulness of his own heart, and of the unsearchable depth of his own depravity. On this account it is exceedingly difficult for him to be convinced that he is making any progress in piety; for the sight and sense of his own sinfulness increasing with his increase of grace, he at first naturally concludes, that he is growing worse instead of better; but by reflection he finds, that the deeper his convictions of inherent depravity are, the humbler he feels and the more penitent, and also that his application to Christ for healing always bears an exact proportion to his sense of the evil of sin within him. He learns at length, that what at first he took to be an evidence of backsliding, is really a sure sign of growth in the divine life; and that, when religion declines in his heart, his views of the inbred evils of his heart are more obscure, and his feelings more insensible. The most advanced Christian needs to be constantly on his guard against the treachery of his heart. He must watch and pray lest he enter into temptation. He never arrives, in this world, at a state in which he is in no danger from the deceitfulness and wickedness of his heart.

But the perfect knowledge of the corruption ot the human heart is never obtained by any one. Indeed, we could not bear the full discovery. It would overwhelm us completely, and, perhaps, destroy us. The unsearchable depth of the heart of man is strongly expressed in the words subsequent to our text: “Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart and try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings, *