For the change which paffed upon man, as a moral being, by the fall, was not an eradication of the moral power of his foul, but only a change of it from good to evil, the divine quality became devilish. And as every fubftance has a quality, fo though the moral quality be natural to man, and the earthly to animals; yet as it is not the quality only, but the rationality of the foul, alfo, which makes it differ from matter; fo if animals produce their whole kind, body and foul with the difpofition peculiar to them, why may not mankind do the fame? 18. I conclude then, that as Adam and Eve were caput gentis, the head of human kind; as all their pofterity were feminally contained in them, and fuftained the fame lofs with themselves in confequence of the first offence; and as it is not contradictory to, but confiftent with the laws of production where fpiritual nature is concerned, to be produced by fecond causes; and as other notions of production are either blafphemous, or ridiculous; and as this method of accounting for the creation and coming of fouls frees the Almighty from the impious charge of creating them conftituted contrary to himfelf; fo it fuffers the obvious fense of fcripture (which declares mankind to be born in fin) to remain, and cafte:h the whole charge of evil upon Adam who corrupted himfelf and his pofterity; and indicates, that he was both a natural and moral head and reprefentative in both refpects to all that fpring from his loins. But he failing in the bulinefs of a reprefentative, all was loft: Eleffings and privileges became a forfeiture, and man, every man fentenced to death: For by the offence of one judgment came "upon all men to condemnation." All were now a lienated from the life of GOD. Nature, univerfal nature, was corrupted; the human fpecies were fallen short of the glory of God, of his glorious image, wherein they were created. Thus was the fountain of human kind defiled, which has fent forth ftreams agreeable to itself in every age and nation, to the preprefent time; for how can " a clean thing come out " of an uncleant?" Hence it is, that all are "fhapen in iniquity and conceived in fin," and are "by na"ture the children of wrath." 19. Of this, Adam prefently gave proof, in “begetting a fon in his own likeness;*" a wicked parent produced a wicked child. And from this fountain the earth was foon replenished with a rebellious race; infomuch, that GOD repented that he had made man on the earth, and from which he removed them by an overflowing flood, faving eight perfons only. The men of Sodom too, actuated by the fame principle, were great proficients in folly: Their cry went up to heaven, whence GoD difpatched two angels to take cognizance of their crimes; who being entertained by Lot, the only righteous man in the place; the men of the city furrounded the houfe; the hofpitable man, to preserve his guests, offered up his virgindaughters to fatisfy their brutal defire; the angels in return, ftruck the men with blindness, and haftened Lot out of the place, which was presently on fire. 20. Yea, in every age and place wickedness has prevailed. Judgments and mercies dispensed by the Almighty, have not been fufficient to ftop the current thereof, Sin, practical fin, like a flood has overspread fpread the World; all orders of men in all ages, few exceptions in any, have been deeply infected therewith. The Jews, a peculiar race and highly favoured of GOD, were not the leaft in crimes enormous. The righteous, at times, fo reduced, that the holy city hardly afforded a man that "executed the truth." A strong proof, that the heart is deceitful, and defperately wicked; that fin, the work and image of the devil, has ufurped the place of GoD; and that man is blind to his best interest, preferring the creature before the Creator. I add, for it is obviously evident, that 21. Man by nature is a foolish thing; his mind is darkened, he has not the knowledge of GOD; he is only wife to know and do evil, to counteract GoD in all things. To have another God befide or before him; to prefer the world, or pleafure, or honour, or fome fenfual gratification, as his chief good: The fummum bonum of brutes. Yea fin is fet up, is loved and followed, more than GoD; and idols, himself, or fome other creature, is adored. He is knowing in oaths and irreverent fpeeches; in prophaning the LORD's name and day; in difhonouring parents; and in killing, by hatred in the heart, by curfes, and calling for judgments, and by bodily injuries; in com mitting adulteries, or fornications in heart and life; in picking, ftealing, over-reaching, and unfair dealdealing; in bearing falfe-witnefs, in lies, flanders, and perjuries; in wishing for, defiring, or coveting what is another's. This is and has been the wisdom of men, of moft men in all ages and nations. And as they have known, fo have they practiced; the will: G 2. invariably † Jer.. v. 1. invariably following the understanding, whereby, notwithstanding the grace of GoD preventing, the world has been overfpread with practical wickedness. Yea, with what eagernefs do men purfue their profits, pleasures, and follies; demonftrating thereby the ftrength of their will and affections in refpect of thofe things! What homage is done to man, but denied to the Moft High! How do mortals cringe and bow, fawn and flatter their fellow mortals! What execrable oaths and blafphemies do the tongues of men daily utter, efpecially when the tide of passion runs high; when anger, malice, or hatred take the lead, then the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, and fetteth on hire the courfe of nature, and it is fet on fire “of hell*." - To what evil purposes do men proftitute the fabbath, making it ferve their profits, and pleafures, often deferring to, and doing such sorts of bufinefs on that day, as they judge the doing on other day's would be a lofs of time; thereby practically preferring common time, to that which the LORD has fet apart for his praife, the ease of man's body, and the advantage of his foul. Thus original fin, the root of practical evil, has yet a wide empire, and rules in moft, notwithstanding what God has done to eradicate it, and to write his law in the hearts of the children of men. 22. Hence Atheism, fpeculative and practical, abound. Speculative atheism denies a deity, whose being is demonftrable from the objects of outward fenfe. This kind of ignorance and fenflefs ftupidity, could have no place in human hearts, if nature were not darkened and deadened to the laft degree; being directly James, iii, 6. rectly contrary to that evidence which earth, and fkies, and all creatures give of the being of a GOD, who is wife, great, and good. Practical atheism, which confeffes a GOD, but in works denies him, well-nigh covers the earth, runs like a hind let loofe, and is rampant as a roaring lion. This, though not fo deep in ignorance, yet is far more daring, and lefs confiftent with itself, than the other; and fo affords a ‹ more convincing proof of the rebellious ftate of nature. Thefe err, not for want of understanding, but through: evil difpofition. They know their master's will, but t do it not; which loudly proclaims that man's princi-ple of action, is as contrary to GOD and goodness,, as hell is to heaven.. " 2:3. Could the evils of man's nature and practice be enumerated, how long and dark would be the catalogue! Take a fpecimen of them in the following, viz; ignorance, unbelief, felf-will; luft of the eye, pride of life, luft of the flesh; felf-love, love of pleasure,, love of the world; love of money, love of praife, love of honour; evil defires, lafciviousness, a wanton eye, fornication, adultery, inceft, fodomy, beaftis ality; fabbath breaking, idleness, drunkennefs, gluttony, revelling; highmindednefs, unkindness; evilfurmiling, judging; difpleafure, anger, hatred, malice, wrath, ftrife; evil-fpeaking, lying, flandering, backbiting; curfing, fwearing, blafphemy; lightnefs of fpirit, uprofitable conversation, foolish jetting; boating, vain-glory, deceitfulness; refifting the truth, fcoffing at religion, defpifing goodness; : difcontent, murmuring, unmercifulness, envying others happiness, unthankfulness for Gon's benefits, picking, ftealing, theft, robbery; hard-heartedness,, oppreffion), G. 3: |