dom. In Adam it operated fatal complaisance towards the temptress; and daring rebellion against his Creator. Of these transgressions, three individuals only were guilty. Satan, as the original instigator, subtle seducer, and vile corruptor of human innocency. For the first and original cause or author of sin, is inevitably ever the deepest partaker in the guilt. But as he only tempted, but could not compel the will, the government and exercise of which was in Adam and Eve themselves, therefore their yielding consent, though able to have withholden it, rendered them personally and justly responsible for self corruption. As Satan's guilt was not transferable to any other being, but was unalienably his own; so Eve's could not devolve by imputation upon Adam; and in like manner his sin, as to personal demerit, subjecting the offender to the righteous retribution of the judgment day, was incapable of involving any but himself. But although the second death, or the destruction of soul and body, is and will be inflicted only, for obstinate personal transgression, yet many and great temporal calamities are entailed by Adam upon all his posterity. The consequences of the apostacy of our first parents to themselves and to their descendants, we are now to trace. These consequences are of two kinds. One which is averted through redemption; and another which now impends over us and all our

race.

The former is thus expressed:

Far from th' Almighty be it so to do,

To damın mankind for crimes they never knew;

Had mercy ne'er through Christ for us appeared,
We ne'er for Heav'n had hoped, nor Hell had feared.
As was the crime, the punishment had been,

In Adam sinned, in him cut off I we'en; .
Nipt in the bud, had ne'er existence known,
Whilst justly had died our ancestors alone.

Upon this interesting subject, Macknight thus ju diciously comments. "Sin entered through the diso"bedience of our first parents, whereby they become "liable to immediate death; and if God had executed "this threatening, the species would have ended in ❝ them. But because in due time his Son was to "make atonement for the sin of men, God in the 64 prospect of that great act of obedience suffered Ad

am and Eve to live and propagate their kind; and "granted them a new trial under a covenant, better "suited to their condition than the former; in order

that if they behaved properly during their probation, "he might raise them to a better life than that which they had forfeited."

The unaverted and impending consequences involve all those inflicted evils upon Adam, Eve and their posterity, whereby the divine displeasure is signally displayed against the apostacy in Eden. Such as expulsion from that seat of felicity-Exclusion from the tree of life, and consequent mortality to them, and to all their descendants. The allotment of sorrow, toil and sweat to mankind, through means of a soil and clime accursed. And to womankind, the predicted anguish in her allotted hour of parturition.

That our first parents suffered personal depravation by their transgression, must be admitted without controversy. For it is the very nature of transgression to debase and demoralize. Adam evinced his fallen condition, by his sullen disingenuity in attempting to cast the odium of his offence on Eve and his Creator. Eve discovered her fallen character by a similar artifice. And both evinced debasement by stupid flight and guilty shame, But from this depravation and guilt, the promise of the woman's seed opened a gracious door of deliverance, on their personal faith and repentance. Unspeakably interesting is this view of the subject. It unfolds three distinct conditions of our first parents. The first, was that of innocency and capacity of righteousness by law. The second, was that of guilt and unavoidable condemnation and misery. And the third, was that of grace and salva. tion, by faith, through a Mediator. The first was a good condition. The second unspeakably evil; but the third was life from the dead, and a condition greatly to be prefered to the former: because, although "In this new covenant the obligation of the law written on the heart was continued," yet it was not on an undeviating obedience thereunto, that salvation depended; but on the obedience of faith, procuring remission of sins, through the Mediator of this new covenant. And here it is of great importance to observe, that Adam's posterity were all begotten and born, not under the first covenant, but under the far greater advantages and obligations of this new and gracious covenant. If born under the first covenant,

their condition would have been wholly different from what it now is. If born before the transgression, perfect undeviating conformity to law would have been indispensable in order to eternal life and happiness. The tree of knowledge of good and evil would have remained as a test of integrity to each individual. Ability of perfect obedience would have been confered upon each. When the term of probation was fulfilled, those found faithful, having first been permitted to partake of the tree of life, would probably, like Enoch and Elijah, have been translated to the celestial paradise. But as each during the term of probation must also have been peccable, their state of trial would have been awfully perilous. A single transgression must have sealed the awful doom of the offender. The transgression and execution of law would probably have been on the same day. Like Annanias and Saphira, the rebel would have been exhibited an awful spectacle of divine wrath for the prevention in others of like offence.

If begotten and born after the fall, and before the grace and promise of a Saviour, how deplorable must have been the condition of Adam's posterity. Ejected from Eden, and expelled into a wilderness world. Actuated by strong animal propensions and passions. Subjected from feeble infancy to the caprice and cruelty of vicious parents, sunk low through sensuality into brutality, and rendered malignantly envious through hopeless desperation. Under the guardianship of such parents, and in such circumstances, there would have been much to apprehend and but little to hope. If in

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addition to the law of conscience and reason, a revelation from heaven were vouchsafed to instruct these hapless babes, still how deplorable would have been their condition. If overtaken in deliberate transgression, no mediator to avert ruin. If in doubt and sus ́pense as to duty, no gracious and pious parents kindly to instruct them. But on the contrary, under the control of monsters, disposed to cavil at the revelation from above, to misinterpret the divine law, and to asperse the divine character.

Happily for mankind, such is not the dispensation under which they are introduced into probationary existence. They are born heirs to the probationary promise of the woman's seed, under the new and gracious covenant. For if "by the offence of one, judg"ment came upon all men to condemnation; even so "by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon "all men unto justification of life." And if "by one

man's disobedience, many were made sinners; so "by the disobedience of one, shall (the same) many "be made righteous." (Romans v, 18, 19.) Most certain then it is, that "where sin (through Adam) abounded, grace (through Christ) did much more abound." (Verse 20.)

As candidates for that salvation and glory, which are attainable through the obedience of faith, and not as convicts doomed to penal execution, the holy scriptures represent the whole race of Adam when entering on probationary existence. But Calvinism, overlooking or forgetful of the manifold evangelical declarations to this purpose, addresses itself to mankind as if