and its interest in him forfeited. All these are the natural consequences and effects of sin. And besides, it appears fitting, that God should show his hatred of sin, by inflicting some proper and positive punishment upon the soul for it, above what the natural effects of sin contain. Hence then, it is necessary that we understand this threatening of death, contained in the first covenant, to include future sufferings, as well as a bodily death.

3. It appears from the express words of the threatening, that the punishment of sin was to speedily follow the commission of it. "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." It is evident that hereby, Adam had reason to expect, God would take speedy vengeance upon him; and that, if he sinned, the death threatened should be executed upon him on that same day.

Some have supposed, if God had left fallen Adam in that state of sin and misery into which he brought himself by his transgression, without bringing in the new covenant by a Redeemer; that his days would have been prolonged on the earth, till children should have been born unto him; and that, the several generations of men would have been brought into being much in the same manner as is now the case. But I can see no sufficient evidence to support such a supposition, neither in reason nor scripture. It is a mere supposition, without evidence to support it. This supposition makes it necessary to put a very forced construction upon the words of the threatening. Nor would it be easy to reconcile it to the glorious perfections of God, that he should delay his justice, and suffer a rebel, after he had deserved death, to continue in life, and become instrumental of bringing a posterity into being, who must be involved with himself, in the same common ruin and misery. For it is a divine precept, early given to mankind, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." One who so gives himself up to wickedness, as to destroy the lives of his fellow-crea,

tures, is not fit to live on the earth, God himself being judge; and has therefore ordered, that the life of such shall be taken from the earth, by the hand of civil justice. And if this divine statute is founded upon natural justice and equity, the same reason would forbid the sparing Adam's life, till he should become instrumental of bringing his posterity into being, to be involved with himself, in suffering the death contained in the curse. For to suffer eternal vengeance, is an unspeakably greater evil, than the mere loss of bodily life. And therefore, the sparing Adam till, he should leave a seed behind him, would be, to allow him to do infinitely more evil and mischief to the human race, than can be supposed to follow from letting a murderer go free, although he should repeat the same crime as often as he had opportunity for it. Divine justice therefore, did manifestly require the speedy execution of the original threatening Indeed, God is now, long suffering to us ward; and divine vengeance is not now speedily executed upon the children of men. But this is owing to the interposition of a mediator; without which, such delays of justice are not reconcilable to the divine perfections.

Again; if we suppose the days of Adam were to be lengthened out, and children born unto him, and the several generations of men coming into the world, in the succession and order of nature; we must suppose also, such kind dispensations and interpositions of divine providence towards them as there are now, to feed and clothe them, and to bestow the good things of this life upon them; without which, mankind could not subsist on the earth. But to suppose this, would be to make the great governor of the world inconsistent with himself; and to con tradict that, in the language of his providence, which he had spoken with his mouth. For such kind interpositions of providence really express divine good will to man. This is the construction which the apostle puts upon them, as their plain and manifest

import. Acts xiv. 17, "Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our heart with food and gladness." It is the plain language of such a kind providence, that God has some real good will towards us, that he is willing to pardon and be reconciled to us notwithstanding all our transgressions. But how inconsistent would such providential expressions of divine favor be, if God had no good will in his heart towards us, and had dechared, that nothing but wrath should be our portion at his hands!

Seeing then, it is not so agreeable to the perfections of God, nor the glory of his providential government, to suppose Adam would have lived so long after his fall, as to leave a seed behind him on the earth; so neither is this supposition necessary to establish any article of faith contained in the gospel. It is much more rational, and more agreeable to the scripture, to take this threatening of death, contained in the first covenant, in its plain and obvious import; and to believe, that, had it not been for the interposition of the promised Savior, death would have been executed upon Adam, in the day that he sinned.

And had this been the case, then many of those difficulties which arise in our minds about original sin, are taken out of the way. For as to Adam himself, it is easy to see, as appears from what has been observed, that it was a very gracious dispensation of God towards him, to make this covenant with him. For he was every way as well provided for, and under as good circumstances as he would have been, if God had not made this covenant with him ; but had left him in the state in which he was created. And as he was worse off in no respect: so he was better off in many. He had a short and easy point of trial assigned him; and fair advantages put into his hands of securing a blessed immortality.

But the greatest difficulty that attends this covenant which God made with our first parents, is the in

cluding their posterity, to stand or fall with them, and be equal sharers with the original transgressors, in the fruits and punishment of their disobedience. In this respect, some look upon that dispensation of God, as inconsistent with the rules of moral equity. That we should fall under the curse for the sin of Adam, which was not in our power to prevent, and was committed before we were born, looks incredible to some; and it must be confessed, that it is attended with some difficulties: yet I trust, the difficulties which attend this doctrine, truly stated, are not so great, but that a satisfactory solution may be given of them; which I shall attempt to do, under the second general head of this discourse, when we come to enquire how we are made alive in Christ. For the doctrine of original sin cannot be rightly understood, by attending only to this covenant made with Adam; but we must also view it, in its connexion with the covenant of grace, brought in by the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I shall here offer some evidence of the truth of this doctrine; and leave the difficulties that attend it, to be cleared up in their proper place. I therefore proceed to ob

serve,

4. This first covenant was made with Adam, both for himself, and his posterity. They that hold the doctrine of the imputation* of Adam's first sin to his

I have used the word imputation in this discourse, in writing both of original sin, and of justification, in conformity to the common style of Christian writers for many years; although I have therein departed from the language of the inspired writers, who have never used that word in treating of either of these doctrines. The apostles doubtless knew how to treat of our participation of the benefits of Christ's mediation, in the most proper terms: and the phrases which they have used are, "To be in Christ. To be joined to the Lord To have fellowship with him. To be partakers of Christ"; and such like. Union to Christ by faith, is the way in which our partaking of the benefits of his mediation is represented in the gospel: but to use the word imputation in this case, doth not so directly lead our thoughts to this

posterity, ground their belief, not upon his being their natural father: but upon his being appointed to act for them in that covenant, as their covenant-head. We suffer for the sin of Adam, not so properly because' he was our natural father; for then, there would be as much reason why we should suffer for all his other sins, as for his first sin: yea, and for all the sins of all our fore-fathers, as well as for Adam's sin: but the reason why his first sin is imputed to us, is because that is the sin by which he broke that covenant in which he was to act for us, as our covenanthead.

It then be

In that covenant, Adam was to stand a probationer for some certain limited time, (how long is not told us) before he should finish his course, had he been faithful under it: But this we know; as soon as he sinned, he put an end to all further trial. came impossible for him to obtain life, according to that dispensation. His death was become a determined matter. Yea, he then so finished his probation, that, according to the express words of the covenant, he was to suffer death on that very day. And, that he acted under that covenant for his posterity, as well as for himself, is a truth of which there is abundant evidence, both from daily experience, and the plain testimony of the sacred scripture.

union, as those expressions do, which are used by the apostles. Although our justification by Christ's righteousness may be expressed, with some degree of propriety, by saying, his righteousness is imputed to the believer; yet I can see no reason why we should use a word to express our receiving benefits from his obedience, which will not express our receiving the benefits of the other parts of his mediatorial work. Christ was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification: yet, where would be the propriety of speaking of his resurrection, as being imputed to us?

But the use of the word imputation has so generally obtained, in speaking of original sin, and of justification by faith, that barely neglecting the use of that word, would prejudice many readers against any thing that can be writ ten.