Have you ever used aromatic oils or scented candles in your home? My family has. The fragrance in those oils and candles comes from the ESSENTIAL chemicals found in nature. For example, the ESSENCE of vanilla is extracted from the bean in such a way that the fragrance is maintained and the scent is produced without having to keep the physical plant around, because it would rot and the bean or leaf would burn improperly for the effect one desires. I once worked in a warehouse where, besides all the finished products containing essential oils and fragrances, there was also kept gallons and gallons of the actual essential oils, ready to be sold to manufacturers of cosmetic products.
How many times have we heard from people (or said ourselves), "Mankind is ESSENTIALLY good and moral"? As was described above, the ESSENCE of something is the source of it, or where it comes from. The Word of God says that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh". In short, the essence of mankind is the source from which his 'fragrance' comes. Has a man ever lied? Cheated? Stolen? Been unfaithful to marriage or contractual vows? God's word tells us that a tree cannot produce both good and bad fruit, so what do the actions of men say about their ESSENCE, or the core of who and what they are? The leaves, or outward appearance, may be showing green, as did the leaves of the fig tree in the Gospel account, but there is no fruit to be had from a tree that is corrupt. The outward good appearance of the actions of men cannot hide the fact that at their core is corruption and wickedness. We may hide our barren state under piles of green leaves, but upon examination, the ESSENCE of mankind is fruitlessness altogether. God Almighty, upon Thy mercy we cast our barren selves and admit by Thy grace what is true; we have no soundness or wholeness to our flesh whatever, and all our pretended righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Spare us, O God, and not for our sake, but for the sake of Christ Jesus and His holy and perfect sacrifice in payment for sin. Christ and Christ alone is able by His almighty power to make all things new, and so to Christ alone we cling and entreat Thee from His loving arms that Thou wouldst stay Thy hand of judgment and instead honor Thy Son with a posterity that is clothed in His righteousness. For all this we ask in and through and because of Christ Jesus. Amen.