Our next question will respect the excusableness of Adam, according to the old, and this new solution of difficulties. In case he could have been forced, even to be willing to sin, by the joint influence of the temptation of Satan, and energy of the Almighty, working in him to will as well as to do, would he have been more without ex

"first sin was a free, voluntary exercise, * produced by a divine operation, in the view of motives. Satan placed cer》tain motives before his mind, which, by a divine energy, took hold of his heart, and led him into sin. In this view, Adam's first sin is as easy to account for, as David's, in numbering the people; as Pharaoh's, in refusing to let the people go; as Ahab's, in go-cuse, than if, as seems to be the bible ing up to Ramoth Gilead- -or as any account of the matter, only enticed by other man's sin since the fall. This, the woman, he had been left to his perhaps, is a full solution of the first own mere motion, Satan saying not a sin in this world, and of consequence, word to him, and God not working in of the first in the universe." him one way or the other? If not, nothing is gained by leaving the old path for this new road. I do not say that in either case he would have been altogether excusable; but if any one can believe, that he would have been

REMARKS.

When the first sinner in the universe committed his first sin, there was no Satan to place certain motives before his mind. But it may be enough for the pre-more inexcusable, according to this sent, to examine this solution as it respects the original sin of man.

We will begin with an inquiry concerning its sufficiency.

new sought out invention, than according to the common solution, must he not have the faith of miracles strong enough to remove mountains?

In a preceding extract it was allowed In the last place, it should be well and insisted that there were two very considered, whether thus having regreat difficulties in the way of persua- course to the supposition of an inward ding innocent Adam to sin: his own divine agency, exciting innocent or immutable holiness, which placed him sinful creatures to will and to do iniabove the power of any created temp-quity, can be made to appear honorater; and God's being obliged constant-ble to God, or consistent with the holy to afford him effectual aid to resist ly scriptures. every temptation: because otherwise, To ascribe the miraculous works of there could have been no criminality our Saviour to his being helped by ein his transgressing. The first of these vil spirits, was said by him to be blasAdam's holiness, might have been phemy against the Holy Ghost: but overcome, as here supposed, by the must not imputing all the wicked united assault of the two greatest pow-works of men and devils to the immeers of heaven and hell, had that been possible; and if the Almighty might have left him to himself, when thus assaulted, without his being thus rendered excusable in sinning.

diate influence of God, be equally, if not more blasphemous?

And as to "what saith the scriptures ?" it is true, there are a few texts in which the Holy One of Israel is But how the last obstacle could ev- said to deceive men, to create evil, er be got over, it is impossible for me and to do whatsoever comes to pass. to conceive. Here Omnipotence, it He says himself, in Ezekiel," If the seems, was opposed to Omnipotence. prophet be deceived when he hath According to the hypothesis and ar- spoken a thing, I the Lord have deguing of our opponents, I should think ||ceived that prophet." And in Isaiah, it must come to this at last, that Satan" I form the light, and create darkalone, was more than a match for A-ness; I make peace and create evil, I dam alone; divine aid, on either side, the Lord do all these things." Also being supposed equal. the prophet Amos asks, “Shall there

In another inference from the fore mentioned sermon, on Phil. it. 13. it is said, "If God can work in moral agents both to will and to do of his good pleasure; then we can easily account for the moral depravity of infants. Next to the first sin of Adam, the first sin in his posterity is supposed the most difficult to account for.Some suppose, that the human soul,

moral image to their children. And upon this principle they suppose that after our first parents became corrupt, they conveyed a corrupt nature to their children, and they again to their

since the fall, been transmitted from parents to children, and will continue to be transmitted in the same manner

be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" But these texts must necessarily be understood agreeably to the strong hyperbolical idiom of ancient eastern poetry, and as meaning only, that all events come to pass, as is said of the wicked crucifixion of Christ, "By the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." Or that truth and falsehood are spoken, that light|| and darkness take place, that good as well as the human body, proceeds and evil are done, according to his directly from the parents, who natueternal purpose, and by his all-gov-rally and necessarily convey their own erning providence. That the hearts of kings, and the tumults of the people, are in the hand of the Lord, as much as the rivers of water and waves of the sea; so that they are stopped, or permitted to run, stilled, or suffer--and so a corrupt nature has, ever ed to rage, exactly as he sees fit. Natural darkness, which is only the want of light, cannot require, nor have a positive creation; nor will any one pre-to the latest posterity. This solution, tend, that God is the doer of all that is done, or that he actually does any evil. On the other hand, it is contrary to the obvious general tenor of scripture to ascribe the sins of men to the direct positive influence of God. There are several passages of the New Testament, where we are taught in plain,|| unfigurative language, that he does not work in any to will and do iniquity; and also that every good thing in us, or done by us, is thus to be ascribed to his agency. See particularly 1 Cor. xiv. 33. "For God is not the author Here again recourse is had to the of confusion, but of peace." And bottom stone of the whole theory. James i. 13, 16, 17. "Let no man This is not now quite new divinity. say, when he is tempted, I am tempt- Dr. Taylor, a famous Arminian aued of God: for God cannot be tempt- thor, many years ago advanced the ed with evil, neither tempteth he any same philosophy respecting holiness. man.-Do not err, my beloved breth- From a treatise of his entitled, “The ren, every good gift, and every perfect scripture doctrine of original sin,” I gift is from above, and cometh down have seen a quotation to the followfrom the Father of lights, with whoming effect. "It is utterly inconsistent is no variableness, neither shadow of with the nature of virtue, that it should turning." be con-created with any person: beBut it is now further insisted by our cause, if so, it must be by the absolute author, that an immediate, positive power of God, without our concurdivine agency on the human heart,rence or knowledge; but moral virexciting in it evil exercises, is neces-tue, in the very nature of it, implieth sary to be supposed, in order to ac- the consent and choice of the moral count for the native sinfulness of the agent. Necessary holiness is no holichildren of men.

however, by no means gives satisfac tion. We are not certain that the soul of the child "does proceed directly from the parents. But even allowing that the soul does proceed, according to a divine constitution, from the parents, yet this will not account for its moral pollution. For moral depravity consists in the free, voluntary exercises of a moral agent, and of consequence, cannot be transmitted from one person to another."

REMARKS.

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hess. To say that God not only en- || clean thing out of an unclean? not dowed Adam with a capacity of be- one; I was shapen in iniquity, and in coming righteous, but moreover that sin did my mother conceive me; Exrighteousness and true holiness were cept a man be born again, he cannot created with him, or wrought into his see the kingdom of God; that which nature, at the same time that he was is born of the flesh is flesh; so then made, is to affirm a contradiction, or they that are in the flesh cannot please what is inconsistent with the nature of God," and we were by nature chilholiness. Adam must have been cre-dren of wrath even as others," plainly ated; he must exercise reflection and || teach us, that moral depravity is inhevolition, before he could be righteous." ||rited by all the children of men, from Thus reasoned this learned meta- their immediate progenitors, and oriphysician. From conceiving that all ginally from our first parents: moral excellency must consist in exer- But let us see how our author accises, none in the previous disposition counts for the moral depravity of inor nature of a moral agent, he conclu-fants. In his conclusion of this inferded it impossible that man should have ence, he says: been originally created in righteousness Though we cannot suppose that and true holiness, after the moral im-infants derive moral corruption from age of God. And from taking it for Adam-yet we can easily conceive of granted, or being firmly established in their becoming depraved in consethe belief that there can be no sin in quence of the original apostacy. God the mere want of conformity to the law constituted such a connexion between of God, in depravity of nature, or in any | Adam and his posterity, that if he sinthing except positive evil exercises, ned, they should become sinners. Acsome of our great reasoners now concordingly, in consequence of Adam's clude there must be an impossibility first transgression, God now brings his of Adam's begetting a son' in his sinful posterity into the world, in a state of likeness after the fall; or of the propa- moral depravity. But how? The angation of human depravity from age swer is easy....When God forms the to age, by ordinary generation. But, souls of infants, he forms them with if this general foundation were firm moral powers, and makes them men and just, might we not as solidly build in miniature. And being men in miupon it, that God himself could not niature, he works in them, as he does possibly have been holy without a be-in other men, both to will and to do of ginning? That he must have existed his good pleasure; or produces those in unrighteousness, till he could reflect moral exercises in their hearts in which and choose; and by no good reflec-moral depravity properly and essention, or righteous choice, had made himself good and righteous?

tially consists. Moral depravity can take place no where but in moral agents, and moral agents can never act, but only as they are acted upon, by a divine operation. It is just as easy, therefore, to account for moral depravity in infancy, as in any other period of life.”

REMARKS.

But this strange notion, that there is nothing in nature, as the ground and foundation of exercises, good or evil, it is hoped, has now, as well as often heretofore, been sufficiently shewn to be erroneous and false. That good nature, is in itself amiable, and ill na- That it is easy enough to account ture, in itself odious. That prior to for moral depravity in infancy, I doubt all good or evil exercises, affections, not; but that it may be rationally acwords or external actions, there must counted for in the way here representbe a good or an evil principle, disposi- || ed, I can neither easily nor hardly betion or heart. And that the words of lieve. In the prophecy of Isaiah, we Job, of David, of our Saviour, and of read, "Before the child shall know, to the apostle Paul: "Who can bring a refuse the evil, and choose the good,

ON THE VINDICTIVE JUSTICE OF GOD.

the land shall be forsaken," &c. But || blasphemous. Prejudice, however, i here the child is supposed to refuse much concerned in this case. And the good, and choose the evil, before alas! its mischievous influence, in a it can possibly have any knowledge of greater or less degree, is extended to either one or the other. That an un-every description of men. Even the born, or a new born infant, should be sincere inquirer after truth, is not made to will and act, wickedly, by a wholly set free from its blinding ef holy God's working in it! Can any fects. We are liable to different unthing be more incredible ?...can any derstandings of the same word. This thing be more absurd ?...can any thing frequently occurs, and is a fruitful be more evidently impossible? source of contention and dispute. This observation, perhaps, applies as much to the present term, as to almost any The holy Scriptures being a sure in use among theological writers. The word of prophecy, and the great source author, therefore, wishes not to appear of all religious knowledge, they only so bigotted or self-willed, as to quarrel infallibly teach "what we are to be for a word when searching for truth, lieve concerning God." They liberally and honestly endeavoring to impart dispense the comforts of God's promi- useful instruction to his fellow men ses to his suffering and afflicted peo- It is not a scripture term, is conceded; ple; yet with equal plainness and pre-and it is used only because it expresscision, declare his threatenings to the es, when rightly understood, an impor impenitent, and denounce the heaviest tant scripture truth. They who deny judgments against wicked and incorri- the vindictive justice of God, are either gible nations. While they testify the opposed to the thing itself in reality, grace of the gospel, they hold forth the or to something unintended by the exawful terrors of the law; and not only pression, through a mere misapprehenpreach the acceptable year of the Lord sion of the term. The latter error may but the day of vengeance of our God. be removed by the help of a good That vindictive justice is an essential theological dictionary; but the former attribute in the character of God, is can be effectually corrected only by uniformly taught in his word. This is that power which brings the sinful often expressed in the divine threaten-heart to love and embrace the truth as ings by the term vengeance; as in the it is in Jesus. The word vindictive, in following passages: To me belongeth the sense it is generally used to devengeance and recompense. I will ren-scribe the characters of men, is a term der vengeance to mine enemies. The of reproach. When it is said of any Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of man, that he is vindictive, we underthine enemies. The righteous shall re-stand by it, that his character is an opjoice when he seeth the vengeance. He posite to that which is meek, placable will not spare in the day of vengeance. and forgiving--that he is implacable, I will take vengeance, and I will not revengeful and cruel-quick to resent meet thee as a man.* It highly concerns a real, or supposed affront, and bent us, then, to weigh well, and correctly upon returning as great or a greater define the meaning and extent of this injury. Hence it is easy to recognize term, when expressing the vindictive in this a source of prejudice against justice of God. The word vindictive, the term in its present use. But is as qualifying divine justice, is obnox- any such thing expressed or intended, ious to many people; and even by when we say that the Most High is a some ministers and religious profes- God of vindictive justice? No more sors, erased from the Christian vocab- than when we say he is a sovereign, ulary, as wholly inadmissible, if not we mean a tyrant. The English lan* Deut. xxxii. 35, 41. Judges xi. 36. Ps. guage is, perhaps, as copious and dexxxviii. 10. Prov. vi. 34. Isaiah xlvii. 3. finitive as any spoken on earth; yet,

uch is the imperfection and sterility government; by the actual perform›f all human languages, that among ance of his promises in the conferhe infinitely varied objects of human ment of good to the obedient, and the nowledge and research, it is impossi-execution of his threatenings, by in›le but that, in many instances, the flicting evil upon the disobedient.→→→ same word must and will be used in "Then shall ye return and discern bewo or more very different and per-tween the righteous and the wicked, haps opposite senses. This imperfec-between him that serveth God, and tion of language, however, need create him that serveth him not." In the no difficulty if, but candid and honest, bestowment of happiness and glory we are not disposed to cavil unreason-upon the holy angels, God manifests ably, nor to darken counsel by words his infinite love of holiness in the diswithout knowledge. If the rubbish and play of his rewarding justice. In instumbling blocks be now removed, we flicting the penalty of his law on wickare to go on our way, and need tarry ed men and devils, he executes his no longer at the gate. threatenings, and displays his justice: but this we name his vindictive justice.

Here an important distinction is to be made-and that is between punishment and correction. Much darkness is introduced into this subject by confounding them. Punishment is indeed the highest and most awful kind of

That attribute of God, which we term bis Justice, respects his character asLawgiver, moral Governor andJudge --and consists in his doing perfectly right towards all his rational creatures, and treating them according to their characters. His law is the eternal rule of rectitude, established in the very na-correction; but correction is not alture and fitness of things; and while ways punishment. Punishment is dedisplaying the infinitely pure and holy signed merely to vindicate the honor character of the great Lawgiver, marks of the divine law and government, and out the path of duty to his intelligent is therefore simply vindictive. Corcreatures. There is, in the very na-rections manifest God's hatred of sin, ture of things, a certain connexion be- and in all instances are either designed tween holiness and happiness, and be- or calculated, in their proper and natutween sin and misery. But, beyond ral tendency, for the good of their suball this, God hath enforced his law, by|ject; and to the righteous they are inthe sanction of infinite rewards and direct assured tokens of God's covepunishments. He hath promised eter-nant love and mercy. They are therenal life to the obedient, and threatened eternal death to the transgressor. "The law (saith the apostle) speaketh on this wise, the man that doeth these things, shall live by them." "If thou wilt enter into life (said Christ), keep the commandments." And the awful lan-mily, and chastening his children for guage of the threatening is, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." Now, the justice of God as an inherent, invisible perfection in the divine mind, consists in his fixed disposition and unchanging determina-But in this world of probation and trition to abide strictly by that eternal al; in this mingled state of things, in rule of right which he hath given to which all things come alike to all...all his creatures; to honor and support his are guilty, and all, in a greater or less law; and the manifestation of his jus-degree, are sufferers. The distinction tice is made by sensible effects in his of moral characters not being made in VOL. 2. U u

fore disciplinary. In the one case, God acts in the character of an inexorable judge, executing the penalties of the law upon the enemies of the state: in the other, as a faithful, benevolent parent, seeking the interests of his fa

their individual good. Every evil suffered by a rational creature, is a token of God's displeasure with the person suffering. There never has been but one exception to this rule, and that was in the case of the holy Jesus.—