let him first wash an Ethiopian
white. By Charles Simeon. Jeremiah chapter
13, verse 23. Can the Ethiopian change his
skin, or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good, who
are accustomed to doing evil. Our nature is inherently sinful.
Sin pervades all our faculties, whether of mind or body. Our
understanding is blinded by sin. Our will is rendered perverse
by sin. Our affections are made earthly
and sensual by sin. Our conscience is stupefied by
sin. Our memory is enfeebled with
respect to everything truly good. By sin also, is the whole of
our body defiled. Paul, with a remarkable particularity,
specifies the subjection of our several members to this evil
principle from head to foot in Romans 3, verses 12-15. Hence, what the prophet speaks
of the Jewish people may well be said of us. From the sole
of the foot even to the top of the head there is no soundness
in us, only wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. Isaiah
chapter 1, verse 6. The whole man is corrupt. The
Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and
that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil all the time. Genesis 6, verse 5. All our members
are instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. Romans 6.13 The Scripture
expressly says that in us, that is, in our flesh, dwells no good
thing. Romans 7.18 We cannot so much as will what
is good, and much less can we do it, unless God works within
us to that end. Philippians chapter 2, verse
13. Nor have we a sufficiency to
think even a good thought, unless it is put into our hearts by
the only Giver of all good. Sin receives assistance from
everything around us. All that is in the world is summed
up by the Apostle under these three designations, the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
1 John 2 verse 16. And what are these but allies
of the evil principle within us, giving it continually fresh
scope for exercise and soliciting it in every possible way to enslave
our souls? Everything we see and everything
we hear in the world has a tendency to draw us from God, to gratify
our corrupt nature, and to give to the evil principle within
us an advantage against us to our destruction. Sin conceals
its influence under subtle names. There is not an evil which the
corrupt principle does not lead us to palliate by some gentle
name, while on vital godliness, it invariably casts reproach.
What will our corrupt principle not commend to us under the idea
of innocent amusement? What will it not sanction under
the terms of conviviality? Covetousness, worldliness, carnal
ambition, yes, and profligacy itself all lose their hateful
qualities under the less offensive terms of harmless amusement and
entertainment. Is it any wonder, then, that
men are led captive by sin and Satan, and that vital godliness
is in so great a degree banished from the world? If any man thinks
that of himself he can turn unto the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity
and truth, let him first wash an Ethiopian white, and then
he may hope to accomplish the task of converting his own soul,
and of creating himself anew after the divine image, in righteousness
and true holiness.