woman, but with the man, in whom the woman. and his future pofterity were alike included;-for the head of the woman, is the man*; neither was Adam impofed upon by the tempter's fubtlety; but by the perfuafion of his wife, he feems to have finned knowingly and wilfully; whom to fave from inevitable ruin he did, as it were, put himself betwixt God and his wife, and make her fin his own: thus Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, was in the tranfgreffion t; in whom is fhadowed forth the mystery betwixt CHRIST and his church, who took her fins upon himself, and was made a curfe for her.

THE Commandment which God gave to Adam plainly imported man's natural and abfolute dependence upon GOD; who thereby required his open confeffion, and acknowledgment of it; to the praife of his glory.

AND although it was not what we call a moral, but a pofitive precept, or inftitution, which God in his fovereign pleasure had appointed; yet as this tree was for the trial of Adam's integrity, and a token of the covenant betwixt GoD and man; his eating of the fruit thereof, was an act of disobedience to the exprefs commandment of God, the fupreme law-giver, and confequently a moral tranf greffion,―It was doubtless a tranfgreffion of that law

1 Cor. ii. 3. t1 Tim. ii. 14. Eph. v. 32.

law, which faith, thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, &c. for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments*.-The moral law was written in Adam's heart, and that it might be made manifeft, whether he would keep this law or not, he was forbidden to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the instituted sign and test of it: his fin therefore begun at the heart (the fountain of every man's thoughts, words, and actions;) his mind was blinded, and his will corrupted, before he actually eat the forbidden fruit;-whosoever looketh upon a woman to luft after her, bath committed adultery with her already in his heart †;—his external difobedience was but the visible effect, and proof of his internal depravity,-being drawn away by his own luft, in his heart he conceived fin, which by actual tranfgreffion he finished, and then it brought forth death §.

BUT although he was capable of being tempted to luft after evil things, and of actual tranfgreffion, yet GOD made him upright, holy, just and good; and gave him a law, or rule of life whereby he might live; which if he had faithfully kept, and violated not, fhould have been rewarded with eternal life both to himself, and his lateft pofterity; but in cafe of tranfgreffion he forewarned him, and testified, that he and all his should furely die; when there fore, he broke that divine establishment or covenant which

D 2

1 John v. 3. † Matt. v. 28. § Jam. i. 14, 15.

which God had made with him, judgment came upon him, and in him upon all men, for in Adam all finned at once, and died together.

THIS act of difobedience, however fmall in the eyes of fome, who either cannot or will not fee; is evidently pregnant with the foreft evils; all manner of fin and rebellion against GoD, is comprehended by it. Gon is infinitely good, and so can do or command nothing but what is founded in eternal reason and righteousness; therefore to tranfgrefs his law must be infinitely evil and unjust.-Will a man rob GOD? Yet Adam dared to do it; and that at a time when he was loaded with his benefits, enriched and adorned with every human excellence, glory, and happiness: in fuch circumstances his conduct appears to be infinitely bafe and ungrateful.

Is the forbidden fruit which he eat fuppofed to be of small value? by fo much the greater was his fin and folly. Had it been poffible, he without all dispute would have proceeded farther; for he that is unjust in the leaft is unjust alfo in much +.But he could offend in nothing greater, for no other reftraint was laid upon him.-Moreover, whofo keepeth the whole law and offendeth in one point is guilty of all; because thereby he defpifes government and breaks its established order; by denying the lawgiver's authority, he rebels against him.

Mal. iii. 8. + Luke xvi. 19.

THUS

Jam ii, 10.

THUS Adam by breaking the covenant charged GOD with folly, as if the prohibition he had laid him under, was unreasonable and unjuft.-But whofo in word or deed condemneth GOD, fhall bear bis iniquity.

In this fingle offence the following fins are evi dently contained, viz. Pride, infidelity, intemperance, ingratitude, injuftice, cruelty; and to fum up all in one word, apoftacy from GOD and open rebellion against him.-He left his Creator and fled to the creature for life and felicity. He even destroyed the image of God that made him, and was thereby guilty of the most unnatural and cruel murder both of himself and all his pofterity; in short, Adam's offence was the most com plicated, heinous, wilful fin that can be imagined: 'tis impoffible to give it a name equal to its vile nefs, and malignity; its exceeding finfulness exceeds all description,-none but God himself, manifefted in flefb,and dying on a cross, could repair the breaches and heal the wounds that are made by it. But from hence it appears, that the infidel who tramples under foot the blood of CHRIST, fins greater than he, and is worthy of forer condemnation *, for the blood of CHRIST cleanfeth from all fin +.

D3

ALTHOUGH

Heb. x. 29,

John i. 7.

ALTHOUGH Adam by tranfgreffion loft his original righteousness and true holiness, communion with GOD, free will, and ability to do good, with eternal life; yet CHRIST by his righteousness hath re-obtained thofe forfeited bleffings for all his people, and put away their fins by the facrifice of himself.-But being naturally defcended from the firft Adam, we first inherit his fin and mifery, and are by naturė children of wrath; for all have finned and come fhort of the glory of GoD: which leads me

SECONDLY; to confider who are the many which by his difobedience were made finners.

It is undoubtedly true that all men univerfally were made finners thereby: By one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death paffed upon all men, verfe 12. The curfe first laid hold on Adam, and paffing on through him, it feized upon all his feed, becaufe in him they all had finned: it is evident that Adam's fin did not terminate in himfelf alone, for the apoftle declares it to be the caufe of that judgment, condemnation and death, which came upon his pofterity.

YET, by many in the text, I rather think, that the apostle meant not all men univerfally, but the whole. number of Gov's elect, for they are many; and that for the following reafons:

* Διήλθεν.

BE