Be Clothed With Humility

"Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image." -Genesis 5:3 [KJV]

Not in the image of God, in which Adam was created, but after the likeness of himself, an apostate spirit, fallen from God, into all the cursed, proud, wrathful tempers of a wicked devil, and all the vile, filthy lusts of a brute beast. Awful difference between God’s creation, and man’s procreation! Where can we turn our eyes, but we see the dreadful effects of it? The Holy Ghost hath left this truth upon record for our instruction. 

Consider, (1st.) that we are begotten sinners, not created such by God. David confesseth this: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5.) He does not charge his sinful nature to God, and impiously demand, Why hast Thou made me thus? Ever beware of such doctrines, which have the least tendency to make a holy God the author of sin. 

(2d.) See whence you sprung. Boast not of your high birth and noble pedigree. You were born a sinner, under wrath and curse, and must shortly turn to ignoble dust. “Be clothed with humility.” 

(3d.) Trace the filthy streams to their corrupt fountain. Look not only at your sins, but consider your sinful nature also. These are only the fruits; that, the root from whence they sprung. Says our Lord, “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh” (John 3:6.) Earthly, sensual, and devilish. I know, says St. Paul, in my flesh, or fallen nature, dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18.) The flesh is part of you. Never expect the old man to be changed into a new one, or flesh into spirit. Be content to leave it as you find it, an enemy to the Spirit. Treat it as such: crucify its lusts: resist its notions: subdue its desires: put off the old man from day to day. 

(4th.) View the glorious method God has taken, for your recovery from your fallen state. O love and adore Him for it! Does He repair, alter, and amend what is amiss in the old creation? No: this very notion is a species of deism. But by a new creation, making one new man (Ephesians 2:15.) Even the Lord from heaven becomes the Son of man, that we may be the sons of God IN Him. The Spirit begets us again unto Him. We are new creatures in Him. Thus, we are born again into a new creation. Here we live holy and happy, in perfect acceptance with God, and enjoy fellowship in His love, as our heavenly Father. As we see our own vileness, we are commanded to put on this new man by faith, day by day. And beholding His glory, we are changed into His image from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. II Corinthians 3:18 

 

Born into Christ, the second man, 

We have a nature new; 

Hence holy strife in us began, 

Which proves us Christians true.

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)