That the law of God is exceeding broad, requiring obedience from all, either in their own person, or in the person of a surety. 3. That we ought to hate sin supremely as the source of every woe, and the spring of every sorrow. 4. That there is need of a Saviour to deliver us from sin, which is the worst of evils; and that we ought to give ourselves no rest, until we are washed, and justified, and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God. Nature of Adam's Sin in Particular. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. ANALYSIS AND PROOFS. We are here taught,— 1. That the first and particular sin of Adam was the eating of the forbidden fruit. Gen. iii. 6.-" She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat." 2. That the eating of the forbidden fruit was the cause of Adam's fall. Rom. v. 17.-" By one man's offence, death reigned by one." EXPLANATION. Obs. 63.-Man has fallen from his original state. The state in which man was placed at the beginning, was such, that nothing whatever could have been added to it, to render it more perfect or more happy. That man has fallen from his original state, will be evident from the following things: 1. If we look to man himself, sufficient proof presents itself; for sin every where marks his steps, and every thing within him shows that now he is not what he once was. 2. If we look to God, the same truth recurs; for he who was once the friend of man, is now the enemy of those who will not have him as their all. 3. If we look around us in the world, we shall behold evidences of our fall; for what is all the affliction, and sorrow, and death which we behold, and to which we are all subjected, but the offspring of sin? 4. If we look to the world to come, we shall also find a proof of our apostasy from God; for, had there been no transgressor, there would have been neither punishment nor a place of everlasting woe. Obs. 64.-The first and particular sin which was the cause of Adam's fall, was the eating of the forbidden fruit. The command which God gave to Adam, to try his obedience, was a positive command not to eat of a certain tree, which was in itself a thing indifferent, in order that he might see that his obedience was to turn upon the strict will of God, which was the best test of his obedience. The fruit of which our first parents ate, was called the forbidden fruit, not because there was any evil in it as fruit, for this was impossible, all things having been made very good; but merely because God commanded Adam not to eat of it, for the trial of his obedience. The eating of the forbidden fruit was not the first sin that was committed by man in our world, for before our first parents actually took of the forbidden tree, they were guilty of the sin of unbelief, which is the root of all other sins; for they believed the devil who said, "Ye shall not surely die," rather than God who assured them, that they should "surely die," if they should but touch it.-Gen iii. 3, 4. But, The eating of the forbidden fruit was the first sin that was finished, and that which brought death into the world with all our woe. Obs. 65. The occasion of the sin of our first parents, was the temptation of Satan. Satan, or the devil, who is called the serpent on account of his subtilty, pretended to have a much greater regard for their happiness and comfort than even God himself had; and, accordingly, he endeavoured to convince them, that however much love God pretended towards them, he wished to contract their comforts in the garden. And in this he too well succeeded.-Gen. iii. 4, 5. In this temptation the subtilty of Satan appeared, 1. In addressing himself to Eve, who was the weaker vessel, when she was at a distance from her husband. 2. In presenting himself before her with various untruths. 3. In attempting to destroy man so soon after his creation. Obs. 66. The sin of our first parents involves a violation of the whole law. Although there are many of the commandments of the moral law, which our first parents in a state of innocence could not have openly violated; yet, by considering circumstances, we shall find, that in some respects their sin involves a violation of all. 1. They made themselves new gods. 2. They served the Lord according to the counsel of their own heart, and were to give him such worship as seemed good to themselves. 3. They profaned the attributes of their Creator, and despised the ordinance of their God. 4. They rendered themselves incapable of worshipping him on the seventh day, when he rested from all his works. 5. They honoured not their Father who is in heaven, but forgot him who was their benefactor, and were wanting in duty to one another. 6. They murdered themselves and all their posterity. 7. They had no way to cover their nakedness, but by sewing fig leaves together. 8. They were guilty of theft, for they took what did not belong to him. 9. They testified falsely against the Lord, and gave more credit to a lie, than to the truth of God. 10. They murmured at their lot, and were not content with their situation; for nothing would satisfy them until they had laid hold on that which God had reserved for himself. And saith the Apostle James, "He that offendeth in one point, is guilty of all." Obs. 67.-The sin of our first parents was highly aggravated in the sight of God. We shall find this to be the case, if we consider, 1. The person guilty: man in innocence, who was fully able to continue in that state. 2. The number involved in the transgression: Adam sinned against God to his own ruin, and that of all his natural posterity. 3. The time when it was committed: which was soon after his introduction into paradise. 4. The place where the sin was committed: viz., paradise, which was peculiarly dear to God, and which he had prepared for the habitation of his innocent creature. 5. The object of the temptation: which was apparently a matter of little moment; the fruit of a tree, which ought certainly to have had no influence upon him to commit such a sin, seeing he had abundance of every other kind of fruit, and of every thing necessary to his comfort and happiness. INFERENCES. From this subject we learn,-1. How weak a creature man is, even in his best state. 2. That, if left to ourselves, we would, like our first parents, immediately choose death. 3. The necessity of watchfulness and prayer. 4. How inexcusable all are who have sinned against God; and how insufficient every plea will be, when God riseth up in judgment. 5. That no sin is small in the sight of God. 6. How vigilant and active Satan is to destroy the soul. 7. The necessity of self-denial. 8. The necessity of Jesus Christ as a Saviour from all sin; from the sin of our nature, as well as from all actual transgressions. Extent of the Fall. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression. ANALYSIS AND PROOFS. We are here taught,— 1. That the covenant of works made with Adam was for himself and his posterity. Rom. v. 14.-" Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." 2. That all mankind, descending from Adam by ordinary generation, sinned in him and fell with him. Rom. v. 12.— "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." 1 Cor. xv. 22.-"In Adam all die." 3. That it was in Adam's first transgression that we sinned and fell. Rom. v. 18.-" By the offence of one (or, by one offence), judgment came upon all men to condemnation." EXPLANATION. Obs. 68. The covenant made with Adam, was not only for himself, but also for his posterity. That Adam was the federal head and representative of all mankind, will be evident, when we consider what is said in the Scriptures of truth. Had he been placed only as a private person, having no connection whatever with his posterity, Revelation would not have been what it is. We should not have been there informed, that "by the disobedience of one, many were made sinners,"-Rom. v. 19; that "in Adam all die,"-1 Cor. xv. 22; that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and that death passed upon all men, seeing that all have sinned,”—Rom. v. 12. We should not have been informed that we were conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity,-Psal. li. 5; that "by the offence of one man, judgment came upon all men to condemnation,"-Rom. v. 18; that "there is none righte ous;" that "all have gone out of the way;" that "there is none that understandeth;" that "there is none that seeketh after God."-Rom. iii. 10, &c. But what sets this in a still clearer light, is the apostle's comparison of Adam and Christ in 1 Cor. xv., where they are opposed to one another, not as private, but as public persons and representatives, and where the apostle speaks of them as if there were none else. See verse 47. Obs. 69.--All mankind, descending from Adam by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him. As Adam was the federal head and representative of all mankind; so, when he sinned and fell, they sinned and fell with him. This is evident from the passages of Scripture quoted above. That they did not sin and fall with him as he was the natural root of mankind, is evident; for had this been the case, it might also be said, that all sin, because their immediate parents have sinned. That Adam's sin is imputed to his posterity, and that they are included in the covenant, is likewise evident from the death of infants. They die, not because they are sinners by imitation (as some affirm), for they cannot imitate any one, |