this state of infantile ignorance, and, consequently, of innocence; and, that God had enjoined him to continue in this ignorance; for he was commanded not to seek "the knowledge of good and evil." It might seem, too, that the tempter, man's spiritual enemy, (as that being is everywhere represented to be) envious of man's condition and prospects; -and knowing the effect which that "knowledge" must have upon a creature so framed as man was, and is;-and not knowing, as it should seem, the provision which God had made for man's full justification (that provision 11 Cor. ii. having been hidden1 in God Himself); induced man to disregard the injunction of the Deity, and to seek that "knowledge" as the sure means whereby he might exalt himself to an equality with God; as though the Deity had forbidden man to acquire that "knowledge," in order to prevent his raising himself in the scale of being. It might seem, too, that man, yielding to the suggestions of the tempter, did seek, and did acquire, this "knowledge; " did, thus, become acquainted with sin; did, thus, become sinful; and, so, being sinful, did subject himself to the wrath of GOD, and to that punishment of sin which a violation of the eternal law of

7. Eph.

iii. 9.

righteousness demands from God's holiness; and, that man, in consequence of his loss of innocence, and in consequence of his inability to avoid sin, or to offer any satisfactory expiation for it, was sentenced to the pains and penalties of earth, and was expelled from Eden; but, was, before his expulsion, comforted with the promise of a ransomer, and was admitted into the covenant of grace. All this may be deduced from the narrative. Still, under this view, that act of Adam, whereby he became acquainted with "the knowledge of good and evil," would not be the ground-work of his guilt; it would, still, be the possession of the "knowledge," so acquired, which established his guiltiness. Having gained that "knowledge," man would, indeed, perceive that every act of disobedience to God's declared will must be sinful; but, still, the very perception that such act was sinful, would be due to the possession of "the knowledge of good and evil." So, that, in this view of the case, Adam would be guilty before God, not on account of that act of disobedience, but, because of the "knowledge" which that act imparted. And, in whatever way, "the knowledge of good and evil" could have

And,

been acquired by man, it would, equally, have convicted him of sin; it would, equally, have rendered necessary his justification through some other means than his own. But, the means of man's justification had, already, and from eternity, been prepared; the sacrifice of Christ had been fore-ordained, in God's eternal purpose, as an essential part of that scheme which, also, embraced the creation of man. No act on the part of man, then, could have anything to do with GOD'S eternal design to justify man, and to reconcile all things to Himself, through Christ. whatever were the deficiencies of Adam's nature, whether of his spiritual nature, or of his animal nature, or springing from the union of these; these were the work of God, formed, according to His will, and in consonance with His eternal, and unerring, and immutable, purpose. Therefore, Adam cannot be charged with any deficiencies in his spiritual, or animal, nature. And, if we admit that Adam cannot be so charged, yet assert, that, as he was a free agent, he might, at least, have remained in his state of primitive ignorance, in that ignorance which constituted innocence; and, that, as, by an act of his own free will, he chose not to continue in that

ignorance, but, voluntarily, sought, and obtained, "knowledge" which he could not use but to his own destruction, so, did he render himself liable to all the penalties which are attached to sin, and, thus, did incur the wrath of GOD; still, must we see, that the sacrifice of Christ, as already prepared, afforded to Adam full, and entire, justification. If, we view Adam's acquisition of the knowledge of good and evil," apart from the “eternal purpose" of full and free justification through Christ; and, dwell on the guilt of Adam, as viewed apart from the incarnation and passion of Christ; and, comment upon it's fatal effects; what do we do? We separate, what never can be separated; we separate man's frailty and guiltiness, from the incarnation and passion of Christ, with which they have, from eternity, been intimately, and inseparably, blended. We rob the Christian scheme of its glorious character. We reduce it, so far as man is concerned, to an expedient, devised to remedy an act, committed by the first of a race, whom GOD had, from eternity, determined to create; which act, He had forbidden. We make the voluntary act of Adam the cause of that sacrifice of Christ, which had been foreordained

from eternity. We are driven to employ the subtle casuistry, which maintains,—that, GoD intended man for a state of ignorant innocence, knowing, of course, that he would not continue in that state;-that, God's purpose in creating man had been founded in love, but, that man had frustrated that purpose ;that, God had called man into existence, in order that he might be pure and happy; but, that, man had, voluntarily, rendered himself impure, and, so, had forfeited his happiness;— that, GOD, all-wise, all-powerful, and seeing, at once, the past, the present, and the future, had created man, to be, what He knew he would not be; for acting, as He knew he would not act; for a state, which He knew that he could not attain to, or maintain; that, the Deity, with all his feelings of benevolence towards man, with all His wish to preserve him in innocent ignorance, did, yet, put within his reach, knowledge, which He knew he would acquire, and which He knew would be fatal to him ;-that, He had wished man to be a fit object for the reception of His love and favour; yet, had, of His own irresistible will, called into existence that being, whose future conduct, He, at the moment of His forming him, fully foresaw; and