Like the mule, who kicks the dam after she slavery in sin, but the hard labour; it is hath given it milk, vas partusum, 2 Sam.serving divers lusts.' Many a man goes to xvi. 17, "Is this thy kindness to thy friend?" hell in the sweat of his brow. God may upbraid the sinner: I have given thee (may God say) thy health, strength, and estate, thou requitest me evil for good, thou woundest me with my own mercies,-is this thy kindness to thy friend? Did I give thee life to sin? Did I give thee wages to serve the devil?

8. Sin is the only thing God hath an antipathy against. God doth not hate a man because he is poor, or despised in the world; you do not hate your friend because he is sick; but that which draws forth the keenness of God's hatred, is sin, Jer. xliv. 4, "O do not this abominable thing which I hate." And sure, if the sinner dies under God's hatred, he cannot be admitted into the celestial mansions. Will God let him live with him whom he hates? God will never lay a viper in his bosom. The feathers of the eagle will not mix with the feathers of the other fowls; God will not mix and incorporate with a sinner. Till sin be removed, there is no coming where God is.

5. Sin is a disease, Isa. i. 5, "The whole head is sick;" some are sick of pride, others of lust, others of envy. Sin hath distempered the intellectual part, it is a leprosy in the head, it hath poisoned the vitals, Tit. i. 15, "Their conscience is defiled." It is with a sinner as with a sick patient, his palate is distempered, the sweetest things taste bitter to him. The word which is 'sweeter than the honey-comb,' Isa. v. 20, tastes bitter to him; they put sweet for bitter.' This is a disease, and nothing can cure this disease" O man (saith St Austin) consider the greatbut the blood of the Physician.

6. Sin is an irrational thing; it makes a man act not only wickedly, but foolishly. It is absurd and irrational to prefer the lesser before the greater,-the pleasures of life, before the rivers of pleasures at God's righthand for evermore. Is it not irrational to lose heaven for the satisfying or indulging of lust? As Lysimachus who, for a draught of water lost a kingdom. Is it not irrational to gratify an enemy? In sin we do so. When lust or rash anger burns in the soul, Satan warms himself at this fire. Men's sins feast the devil.

3d. See the evil of sin, in the price paid for it; it cost the blood of God to expiate it.

ness of thy sin, by the greatness of the price
paid for sin." All the princes on earth, or
angels in heaven, could not satisfy for sin;
only Christ. Nay, Christ's active obedience
was not enough to make atonement for sin,
but he must suffer upon the cross; for, "with-
out shedding of blood is no remission," Heb.
ix. 22. O what an accursed thing is sin that
Christ should die for it! The evil of sin is
not so much seen in that one thousand are
damned for it, as that Christ died for it.
4th. Sin is evil in the effects of it.

1. Sin hath degraded us of our honour. Reuben by incest lost his dignity; and though 7. Sin is a painful thing: it costs men he were the first-born, he could not excel, much labour in pursuing their sins. How Gen. xlix. 4. God made us in his own image, do men tire themselves in doing the devil's a little lower than the angels; but sin hath drudgery? Jer. ix. 5, "They weary them-debased us. Before Adam sinned, he was selves to commit iniquity." What pains did like a herald that hath his coat of arms upon Judas take to bring about his treason? He him; all reverence him, because he carries goes to the high priest, and then after to the the king's coat of arms; but let this coat be band of soldiers, and then back again to the pulled off, and he is despised, no man regarden. St Chrysostom saith, "Virtue is gards him. Sin hath done this, it hath easier than vice." It is more pains to some plucked off our coat of innocency, and now to follow their sins, than to others to worship it hath debased us, and turned our glory their God. While the sinner travails with into shame: Dan. xi. 21, “And in his estate his sin, in sorrow he brings forth; it is called shall stand up a vile person." This was 'serving divers lusts,' Tit. iii. 3. Not enjoy, spoken of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was but serve: Why so? because not only of the a king, and his name signifies illustrious ;'

6

yet sin hath degraded him, he was a vile flagons of wine." Sin is a dish men cannot person.

forbear though it makes them sick. Who would pour rose water into a kennel? What pity is it so sweet an affection as love should be poured upon so filthy a thing as sin! Sin brings a sting in the conscience,—a curse in the estate,-yet men love it. A sinner is the greatest self-denier; for his sin he will deny himself a part in heaven.

2. Sin disquiets the peace of the soul. Whatever defiles, disturbs; as poison tortures the bowels, corrupts the blood, so sin doth the soul, Isa. lvii. 21. Sin breeds a trembling at the heart; it creates fears, and there is torment in fear, 1 John iv. 18. Sin makes sad convulsions in the conscience. Judas was so terrified with guilt and horror, that he hanged himself to quiet his con-hate sin! There is more evil in the least sin, science. And is not he like to be ill cured, that throws himself into hell for ease?

a

Use 2. Do any thing rather than sin! 0

than in the greatest bodily evils that can befall us. The ermine rather chooseth to die than defile her beautiful skin. There is more evil in a drop of sin, than in a sea of affliction; affliction is but like a rent in a coat, sin

3. Sin produceth all temporal evil, Lam. i. 8, "Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore she is removed." It is the Trojan horse,—it hath sword, and famine, and pesti-a prick at the heart. In affliction there is lence, in the belly of it. Sin is a coal that aliquid boni, some good; in this lion there not only blacks but burns. Sin creates all is some honey to be found, Ps. cxix. 71, “It our troubles; it puts gravel into our bread, is good for me that I have been afflicted." wormwood in our cup. Sin rots the name, Utile est anima si in hac area mundi consumes the estate, buries relations. Sin flagellis trituretur corpus, Avg. Affliction shoots the flying roll of God's curses into a is God's flail to thrash off our husks; not to family and kingdom, Zech. v. 4. It is re- consume; but refine. There is no good in ported of Phocas, that having built a wall of sin; it is the spirit and quintessence of evil. mighty strength about his city, there was Sin is worse than hell; for the pains of hell voice heard, "Sin is within the city, and that only are a burden to the creature; but sin is will throw down the wall." a burden to God, Amos ii. 13, "I am pressed 4. Sin unrepented of brings final damna-under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of tion. The canker that breeds in the rose is the cause of its perishing; and corruptions that breed in men's souls are the cause of their damning. Sin, without repentance, brings the second death,' Rev. xx. 14, that is, mors sin morte, BERN.,-" a death always dying." Sin's pleasure will turn to sorrow at last; like the book the prophet did eat, Ezek. iii. 3, sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly. Sin brings the wrath of God, and what buckets or engines can quench that fire? Mark ix. 44, "Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

sheaves."

Use 3. Is sin so great an evil? Then how thankful should you be to God, if he hath taken away your sin? Zech. iii. 4, "I have caused thy iniquity to pass from thee." If you had a disease on your body, plague or dropsy, how thankful would you be to have it taken away? Much more to have sin taken away. God takes away the guilt of sin by pardoning grace, and the power of sin by mortifying grace. O be thankful that this sickness is "not unto death;" that God hath changed your nature, and by grafting you into Christ, made you partake of the sweetness of that olive; that sin, though it live, doth not reign, but the elder serves the younger, the elder of sin serves the younger

Use 1. See how deadly an evil sin is, how strange is it that any one should love it? Ps. iv. 2, "How long will ye love vanity?" Hos. iii. 1, "Who look to other gods and love of grace.

ADAM'S SIN.

QUEST. XV. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?

ANS. The sin was their eating the forbidden fruit: Gen. iii. 6, "She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband."

Here is implied, 1st. That our first parents fell from their estate of innocency. 2d. The sin by which they fell, eating the forbidden fruit.

could not reach them; nor the cursed angels, for they had before destroyed themselves. How then was Satan a murderer from the beginning? As soon as Satan fell, he began to tempt mankind to sin; this was a murdering temptation. By which it appears Adam did not stay long in paradise, soon after his creation the devil set upon him, and murdered him by his temptation.

2. Argument to prove that Adam fell the same day he was created: Adam had not yet 1st. Our first parents fell from their glori- eaten of the tree of life, Gen. iii. 22, 23, ous state of innocency: Eccl. vii. 29, "God" And now lest he put forth his hand, and made man upright, but they have sought out take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live many inventions." Adam was perfectly holy, for ever; the Lord sent him forth from the -he had rectitude of mind, and liberty of will garden." This tree of life, being one of the to good, but his head ached till he had in- choicest fruits in the garden, and being vented his own and our death, he sought out placed in the midst of paradise, it is very like many inventions, 1. Adam's fall was volun- Adam would have eaten of this tree of life tary; he had a posse non peccare,- -a power one of the first, had not the serpent beguiled not to fall. Free-will was a sufficient shield him with the tree of knowledge. So that to repel temptation; the devil could not have hence I conclude, Adam fell the very day of forced him, unless he had given his consent. his creation, because he had not yet tasted Satan was only a suitor to woo, not a king to the tree of life, that tree that was most in his compel: but Adam gave away his own power, eye, and had such delicious fruit growing and suffered himself to be decoyed into sin, upon it. like a young gallant, who, at one throw, loseth a fair lordship. Adam had a fair lordship, he was lord of the world, Gen. i. 28, "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth." But he lost all at one throw. As soon as he sinned, he forfeited paradise. 2. Adam's fall was sudden, he did not long continue in his royal majesty.

3. Argument from Ps. xlix. 12, " Man being in honour, abideth not." The Rabbins read it thus, Adam being in honour, lodged not one night.' The Hebrew word for abide, signifies, to stay or lodge all night.' Adam then, it seems, did not take up one night's lodging in paradise.

Inference. From Adam's sudden fall, he fell the same day in which he was created, QUEST. How long did Adam continue in learn: 1. The weakness of human nature. paradise before he fell?

ANS. Tostatus saith, he fell the next day. Pererius saith, he fell the eighth day after his creation. But the most probable and received opinion is, that Adam fell the very same day in which he was created: So Irenæus, Cyril, Epiphanius, and many others. The reasons which incline me to believe so, are,

Adam in a state of integrity, quickly made a defection from God, he soon lost the robe of innocency, and the glory of Paradise. And, was our nature thus weak when it was at the best, what is it now when it is at the worst? If Adam did not stand when he was perfectly righteous, how unable are we to stand when sin hath cut the lock of our original right1. It is said, Satan was a murderer from eousness? If purified nature did not stand, the beginning,' John viii. 44. Now, whom | how then shall corrupt nature? If Adam, in did he murder? Not the blessed angels, he a few hours, sinned himself out of Paradise,

subtlety, in tempting our first parents before they were confirmed in their obedience.

(3). His subtlety in tempting was, That he set upon Eve first; 1. Because he thought she was less able to resist. Satan did break over the hedge, where it was weakest; he knew he could more easily insinuate and wind himself into her by a temptation. An expert soldier, when he is to storm or enter a castle, observes warily where there is a

how quickly would we sin ourselves into hell, if we were not kept by a greater power than our own! But God puts underneath his everlasting arms, Deut. xxxii. 17.-2. From Adam's sudden fall, he fell the same day; learn how sad it is for a man to be left to himself. (1). Adam being left to himself, fell: O then, what will become of us, how soon fall, if God leave us to ourselves! A man without God's grace, left to himself, is like a ship in a storm, without pilot or an-breach, or how he may enter with more fachor, and is ready to dash upon every rock. Make this prayer to God, "Lord, do not leave me to myself: If Adam fell so soon who had strength, how soon shall I fall who have no strength!" O urge God with his hand and seal, 2 Cor. xii. 9, "My strength shall be made perfect in weakness."

2d. The sin by which our first parents fell was eating the forbidden fruit;' where, consider two things: I. The occasion of it. II. The sin itself.

cility; so did Satan the weaker vessel. 2. He tempted Eve first, because he knew, if once he could prevail with her, she would easily draw her husband. Thus the devil handed over a temptation to Job by his wife, Job ii. 9, "Curse God and die." Agrippina poisoned the emperor Commodus with wine in a perfumed cup; the cup being perfumed and given him by his wife, it was the less suspected. Satan knew a temptation coming to Adam from his wife, would be more I. The occasion of it; the serpent's tempta-prevailing, and would be less suspected: 0 tion. The devil did creep into the serpent, bitter! Sometimes relations prove temptaand spake in the serpent, as the angel in tions: a wife may be a snare, when she Balaam's ass; where, consider, dissuades her husband from doing his duty, or enticeth him to evil. "Ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness, whom his wife Jezebel stirred up," 1 Kings xxi. 25. She blew the coals and made his sin flame out the more. Satan's subtlety was in tempt ing Adam by his wife, he thought she would draw him to sin.

1st. The subtlety of Satan's temptation; his wiles are worse than his darts. Satan's subtlety in tempting: (1). He deals all along as an impostor, he ushered in his temptation by a lie, Gen. iii. 4, "Ye shall not surely die." 2d. Lie, That God did envy our first parents their happiness, v. 5, "God knows, that in the day ye eat, your eyes shall be opened;" q. d. It is God's envying your felicity; that he forbids you this tree. 3d. Lie, That they should be thereby made like unto God, v. 5, "Ye shall be as gods." Here was his subtlety in tempting: The devil was first a liar, then a murderer.

(2). In that he set upon our first parents so quickly, before they were confirmed in their obedience; the angels in heaven are fully confirmed in holiness, they are called 'stars of the morning,' Job xxxviii. 7, and they are fixed stars. But our first parents were not confirmed in their obedience,they were not fixed in their orb of holiness; though they had a possibility of standing, they had not an impossibility of falling: they were holy, but mutable; here was Satan's

(4). Satan's subtlety in tempting, was in assaulting Eve's faith; he would persuade her that God had not spoken truth, "Ye shall not surely die," Gen. iii. 4. This was Satan's master-piece, to weaken her faith; when he had shaken that, and had brought her once to distrust; then she yielded,'— she presently put forth her hand to evil.

2dly. Satan's cruelty in tempting: as soon as Adam was invested in all his glory, the devil cruelly, as it were on the day of Adam's coronation, would dethrone him, and bring forth him and all his posterity under a curse. We see how little love Satan hath to mankind; he hath an implacable antipathy against us, and antipathies can never be reconciled. So much for the occasion of Adam's sin, tempted by the serpent.