Obs. 57. The reward promised in the covenant of works was life. The words, " In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," evidently imply, that life should have been preserved, if innocence had not been lost.

The reward promised was life in its fullest extent, both here and hereafter; and hence this covenant is called the covenant of life. The life promised was,

1. Natural life, which consists in the union of the soul and body.

2. Spiritual life, which consists in the union of the soul with God, the supreme good.

3. Eternal life, which consists in the perfect, immutable, and eternal happiness of both soul and body in heaven for

ever.

Obs. 58. The penalty of the covenant of works, or the threatening denounced in case of disobedience, was death.

"In the day that thou eatest thereof, that is, of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt surely die; or, dying thou shalt die." This includes,

1. Natural death, or the death of the body; to which man became liable the moment he sinned.-See Rom. vi. 23.

2. Spiritual death; which consists in the separation of the soul from God.

3. Eternal death; or the separation of both soul and body from God for ever, in that place which is prepared for all the workers of iniquity. This is also called the second death; and it includes in it the perfect and complete loss of every thing comfortable in respect of this life, as well as of that which is to come.

The penalty of the violated law of works is not properly an act, a mere act, of the will of God,-it flows from his perfections; for if we consider the nature of God, we shall find that it is absolutely necessary that there should be such a strict and awful penalty.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The love of God in condescending to enter into covenant with his own creature. 2. How exalted man was in his primeval glory, seeing he was capable of being a party of a covenant with God himself; and seeing God, as it were, made him his equal! 3. What man is in his fallen state. 4. The deep concern which we

all have in this covenant: Adam's sin is our sin. 5. What it is that God will accept,—namely, the same obedience that was required of Adam, either in our own persons, or in the person of a surety. 6. The absolute necessity of a Mediator, seeing this covenant which was made with Adam is now broken, and we ruined by it. 7. The danger of disobedience; and that God is a consuming fire to the sinner. 8. That none can be delivered from the curse of this covenant, but by Jesus Christ, who hath fulfilled its condition; who hath endured its penalty in all its extent; and who is now set forth a complete atonement for sin. 9. The necessity of self-examination, whether we are delivered from the curse of the law, or whether we are still under the law as a covenant of works, and under the power of sin.-Gal. iii. 10.

Man's Disobedience and Fall by Sin.

Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That our first parents were left to the freedom of their own will. Gen. iii. 6." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat." See also Gen. iii. 13.

2. That they fell from the estate in which they were created, by sinning against God. Rom. v. 12.-" By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin." See also Gen. iii. 8, and Eccl. vii. 29.

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 59.-Our first parents were left to the freedom of their own will.

By freedom of will, we are to understand a liberty in the will, whereby, without any compulsion or external violence, it either chooses or rejects what is set before it. There are three ways in which the will may be said to be free :—

1. It may be said to be free only to good, when it is not

compelled or forced, but freely chooses only what is good, Thus, the will of God (to speak after the manner of men), and the will of the holy angels and of glorified saints, are free only to good.

2. It may be said to be free only to evil, when it is not constrained, but freely chooses what is evil or sinful. Thus, the will of the devil and of unregenerate men is free only to sin.

3. It may be said to be free both to good and evil, when it chooses sometimes what is good and sometimes what is evil. Such is the will of regenerate persons in this world. They freely choose good, through a principle of grace implanted in them by the Spirit of God; but sometimes, through the remainder of corruption, their will is inclined to what is sinful.

The freedom of will which man had at his first creation, was a freedom both to good and evil. The natural inclination of his will was only to what is good; but, being created mutable, it might, through temptation or some external circumstance, be altered and become inclined to evil. It is the prerogative of God alone to say, "I am Jehovah, I change not."-Mal. iii. 6.

The expression, "being left to the freedom of their own will," does not imply that God withdrew any of the power which he at first conferred upon them; for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance,-i. e., what he bestows he does not recall.-Rom. xi. 29; James i. 13. But it evidently implies, that he did not bestow any more strength upon our first parents than what he conferred on them at their creation. It must ever be remembered, that God is not bound, in any measure, to bestow on any of his creatures what he does not see to be for his own glory, however useful and profitable it may be to them.

Obs. 60.-Our first parents fell from the estate in which they were created, by sinning against God.

This was the consequence of being "left to the freedom of their own will." Through the temptation of the devil, through desire of gratifying their appetite, through desire of being made wise and like God, and through hope of escaping the threatened punishment, they ventured to eat of the forbidden tree against the express command of God. --Gen. iii. 4-6.

That our first parents fell from the state of innocence in which they were created, will be evident,

J. If we consider the circumstances as they are given by the sacred historian in the third chapter of Genesis.

2. If we reflect on the gracious promise of a Redeemer which God made to them, we cannot express a doubt respecting their fall from their original state. But,

3. Nothing whatever so fully proves this truth, as what we daily behold in the world around us,-viz., the consequences of sin; such as alienation from God in every respect; and death, which every where bespeaks itself to be "the wages of sin."-Rom. vi. 23.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. The weakness of man when left to himself. If Adam did not continue in innocence when he had sufficient strength imparted to him, how little has man now to glory of, in respect of his power and ability to obey! 2. The necessity of watchfulness in every state in which we can be placed in this world.-1 Cor. x. 12. 3. The necessity of an Almighty Deliverer, who can raise us from the ruins of the fall, and restore us to our forfeited privileges, and honour, and happiness.

Nature of Sin in General.

Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,

1. That any want of conformity to the law of God is sin. Gal. iii. 10.-" Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." 2. That any transgression of the law of God is sin. 1 John iii. 4.- "Sin is the transgression of the law."

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 61.-Any want of conformity to the law of God is sin.

By the law of God is to be understood the commandments which God, the great Creator and Supreme King and Lawgi ver, hath laid upon all men, who are his creatures and subjects, as the rule of their obedience.

This law is to be found written in some measure, though darkly, on the hearts of all men,-Rom. ii. 15; but it is most plainly and fully written in the Word of God, or the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

In Scripture there is mention made of three laws :—1. The judicial law, which chiefly concerned the Jewish nation, and is not in all respects binding on other nations.

2. The

ceremonial law, which was binding on none but the Jews, and that only for a time,—namely, until the coming of Christ, by whom it was fulfilled and abrogated. And, 3. The moral law, which is perpetually binding on all mankind till the end of the world. And it is this law which is chiefly referred to in this place.

By want of conformity to the law, we are to understand an unsuitableness to the law, or a disagreement with it in any respect; or a swerving from it in its strictness, spirituality, and extent.

Want of conformity to the law includes,

1. Original sin, and the natural enmity of the heart to the law of God, Rom. viii. 7, which is want of conformity of heart.

2. All sins of omission, which are a want of conformity of life to God's law.

Obs. 62.-Every transgression of the law of God is sin.

The word transgression signifies a going beyond the bounds or limits assigned to one.

To transgress the law of God is to go beyond, or break the bounds or limits which he hath assigned to all our actions; or it is to do any thing inconsistent with, or contrary to the law, either in thought, word, or deed; which is to sin against God.

The evil of sin chiefly consists in the dishonour which it does to God, in its contrariety to his nature and laws. And it may be discovered,-1. From the dishonour which it does to the glorious attributes of Deity. 2. From what God hath done, in order that it may be washed away. 3. From the awful effects of sin, which, if persevered in and unpardoned, is accompanied with everlasting misery.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. That, in order to see what we are, we must examine ourselves by the law of God.

2.