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design, and that it should then be restored from the curse.

subjected to this, for a time, that the purposes of gospel grace might be accomplished. Had not Christ graciously interposed, the sun would have no longer enlightened man, after he had become a sinner; the earth would not have borne his weight, while he was abusing its Author; the air would not have been polluted by his lungs, nor the beasts have submitted to his dominion. Creation would have cast him off, and he would have been consigned over to punishment. This would have been according to justice, and the penalty of the divine law. But that an innumerable company might be saved to the glory of infinite grace, the creature was subjected to minister to man, notwithstand-will dwell for ever. The heaving his apostacy.

Some observations will next be made, on the deliverance of the creature from vanity.-The deliverance for which the creation groans and travails in pain, is a release from that subjection to discord, death and corruption, into which it was brought, by the fall of man: from this it will be delivered, and be again in a state of perfect harmony, incorruptible and eternal. It is not meant, that the same system, with which we are now connected, will certainly be restored; of this some may doubt; but there will be a place, harmonious and incorruptible, suited to the state of the sons of God, where they

ens and earth which are now,

elements melt with fervent heat, and the heavens be rolled together as a scroll, and as a vesture God shall change them, and they shall be changed; but we look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. This shall be the everlasting residence of the redeemed.

Further: The creature is sub-are kept in store, reserved unto jected to this abuse in hope. fire, against the day of judgment, This scriptural figure is very ex- and perdition of ungodly men. pressive. It represents the crea-The earth shall be burnt up, the ture, as submitting to vanity, on no consideration, but the hope of some happy consequences, which might be obtained by it. It submits, as if in hope that Christ would reform the rebel man, so that he might use this world as not abusing it, and as in hope that Christ would be glorified, and turn the whole scene eventually to the honor of God, which is the ultimate end of creation. And it is truly, for this cause, that the creature is constrained to be subject to this abuse.

The creation may also be represented as submitting, in hope that an end would come to its being abused, when Christ shall have answered his purposes; that it might then be permitted to cast off the irreclaimable, and administer to the people of God only, according to its original

This creation shall be put to the same use, for which the present world was at first designed. It will be subservient to the children of God and to his glory.In this new heavens and earth, all things will be adjusted to the state of the saints, so as to accommodate them to the employments for which they are redeemed. Then the creature will be delivered from all abuse, it will no longer be perverted to serve rebels in wickedness, nor

Therefore we may be assured, that these things will rise up in judgment against the wicked. There is a sense, and a solemn

be an accomplice in rebellion ; | it will be used only in the service of God. No disorder and no curse will attend any more. It will be delivered from the bon-sense, in which the beasts of the dage of corruption, into the glo- field, the luminaries of heaven, rious liberty of the children of and the very food and raiment God. which have supported us, will be present, as witnesses at the judgment, against the wicked, and in which the blood of every living creature, which has fallen into the hands of beasts of prey, or died by other means, will be

The time, when the creature shall be thus restored, will be at the general resurrection. When the saints rise with glorified bodies, they will be in need of a place of residence adapted to their state, and then the restora-required of us. They will not tion will take place. indeed be personally present at

The

It is worthy of serious remark, that those who continue through life to abuse the creation without repentance, will soon be desert

for ever. The sun will but a short time enlighten them, the beasts obey, the earth sup port, or the fruits sustain them. The creature will soon be am

A considerate mind will re-the judgment, but the account flect, that it is a great crime will be brought forward. in man to abuse the creature, sinner will be arraigned and con, and employ it in the service of demned for all the evil conse sin. It was made for other pur-quences of his wickedness upon poses, but is pressed into it by creation, and its perversion from man, its lord, who ought to have its noble design and end. employed it for the honor of its Maker. It is no small crime to throw the lower world into disorder and confusion. We have made every thing about us ac-ed by it. It will cast them off cessary to rebellion against God; we have brought death and corruption on every thing, which walks, or creeps, or swims, or flies; their miseries and their deaths all lie at our door. Weply avenged on them. Some have enkindled an almost universal warfare among them, in addition to all the evils which we impose upon them with our own hands. We have let loose the voracious, animals to prey upon the more defenceless tribes. Our wickedness has imparted the venom to the asp, and introduced the storms and convulsions of the elements, and in a measure ruined the world, by the curse we have brought upon it, even that world, of which God has made us the lords, and has commanded it to subserve our happi

ness.

portion of creation will be their prison, and will be deeply fraught with vengeance; and this will be its direct end, by which it will glorify God, and for which it is designed. It will be a lake of fire and brimstone prepared for their punishment. As the wicked abuse the creature, so that portion of it will be the instrument of God in their destruction, and the creature will be avenged, for all the abuse it shall have sustained. These heavens and earth are reserved unto fire, to the day of judgment, and the perdition of ungodly men. If

these elements, which have been | For as by one man's disobedivitiated, disordered and pollutedence many were made sinners;

by us, and have been pressed in- so by the obedience of one shall to the service of sin, should be many be made righteous."— melted down, and constitute the From these passages of sacred lake, then these very elements writ, we are naturally led to en will be avenged, and the punish-quire, in what sense the poster. ment will in this respect be pe-ity of Adam are made sinners, culiarly striking.

The godly do, in a measure, use this world as not abusing it, by improving it to the glory of God. They therefore will have the advantage of the new heavens, and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. They will have such accommodations, as will be suitable to their resur, rection bodies. There will be no curse there. The creature will willingly minister to them, who will use it to the glory of its Creator:

and liable to condemnation by his disobedience; and in what sense, those who are in Christ are made righteous and justified by his righteousness or obedience. This is a question of great importance, and concerns our eternal happiness and misery.In considering the subject, it will be enquired,

I. In what sense do mankind become sinners, and exposed to condemnation by the disobedi ence of Adam ?

It has been supposed by some, Finally, from the malignant that the sin of Adam is so imeffects of our sin, even on theputed, or transferred to his pos natural world, we may justly be terity, that they become personled to reflect on its evil and de-ally guilty of his disobedience. structive nature. This should lead us to confess and forsake our sins, that we may find mercy of the Lord, in the day when we shall give account of ourselves to God..

But it may be observed, that there is no passage in the whole Bible, which declares, that we are guilty of the sin of Adam, or that this is so imputed to us as to render us guilty, antecedent to any sin of our own. It is indeed written, that "by one man's disobedience many were

Observations on being made sin-made sinners." But his disobe

ners by Adam, and righteous by Christ.

THE

dience may make them sinners by their deriving from him a sinful nature or temper, and not HE scriptures declare, that by rendering them personally by one man sin entered guilty of his sin. It is also deinto the world, and death by sin" clared, that in Adam all die, or -that "as in Adam all die; become liable to death through even so in Christ shall all be him. But it appears, that they mad alive”—that" as by the of- are not condemned to die on acfence of one, judgment came up-count of his sin, but of their own. on all men to condemnation; For the apostle declares, that even so by the righteousness of" death passed upon all men, for one, the free gift came upon all that all have sinned." And not men unto justification of life. only are there no passages in the

transferred, as to become the personal sins of Christ Jesus.

But it may be objected, that we have adopted the sin of Adam by approving of the principles on which he acted, and have virtually justified his disobedience by our own sinful conduct, and thus have become guilty of his sin.

Bible which declare, that mankind are criminal for the sin of Adam; but it is evident from various considerations, that his disobedience cannot be so imputed or transferred to them, as to render them personally guilty of it. Sin and guilt are personal matters are what belong to one's own moral character or exercises, and therefore can nev- To this it may be replied, that er be so transferred as to be- if we have approved of his sin, come the sin and guilt of ano- this approbation is not his sin it ther. We may be effected by self, but our own sin-a sin of the sin of others, and suffer evils which we are truly guilty by our in consequence of it; but still own personal act. But this does their sin cannot be so transferred not prove, that we are guilty of as to become personally ours, his personal sin, but only of our when in fact we were in no way own sinful act of approving it. accessary to it. Thus although Adam's sin was one thing, our the blessed Saviour bare the sins approving it is another: he was of mankind in his own body, or guilty of the former, and we of suffered on their account; yet the latter. Perhaps our approit is certain that their sins were bation of his sin is as heinous not so transferred to him, as to as his committing it, but still it become personally his, and ren-is a different act. These conder him really guilty of all the siderations also evince, that Adsins of mankind. This would am's disobedience is not so transbe a most absurd and blasphem-ferred to his posterity as to renous idea. For it would be say-der them sinful and guilty, aning, that the Lord Jesus, who tecedent to any sin in themdid no sin, and was perfectly holy, harmless, and undefiled, was Further, mankind will never the greatest sinner who ever liv-be condemned, nor, as ed on earth. Such a transfer of sin, or of moral character, is wholly impossible; yea, it is a gross absurdity, or contradiction in terms. For the very idea of sin and guilt is demerit for one's own criminal conduct; and it implies, that the person is conscious of the conduct for which he is guilty. It is therefore as impossible and absurd to suppose that the disobedience of Adam is so transferred to his posterity as to become personally theirs, and render them guilty, without any sin of their own; as that the ains of all believers should be so

selves.

some

have expressed it, be considered as guilty in the sight of God, on account of the sin of Adam, aside from their own personal sin. The omniscient God undoubtedly sees and considers every thing, just as it is in reality. And as we were not in fact guilty of Adam's personal disobedience, and were in no way accessary to it; it is certain, that God cannot consider us guilty of it. Nor will the righteous Judge of the universe ever condemn or punish us for this sin. For condemnation, if it is just, is always grounded on the per

done in the body; plainly im

sonal guilt or demerit of the condemned. Certainly then we can-plying, that their condemnation and punishment are to be according to their own personal sins and demerit.

Perhaps it may be objected, that God declares, that he will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, and that mankind often suffer evils in consequence of the sins of others. To this it may be answered, that although God, often brings evils and calamities upon children in consequence of the sins of their parents, and as a token of his displeasure against their sin; yet the children themselves, being sinners, justly deserve all they suffer, and are never punished

merit. Although these evils are brought upon them, as a manifestation of the divine displeasure against the sins of their parents or ancestors; still they suffer no more than they justly deserve, and so experience no injustice.

not be justly condemned for the fault of Adam, when we were in no way guilty of it, or criminal for it. Neither shall we ever be punished, by a God of perfect justice in consequence of the sin of Adam, any more than we justly deserve for our own sins. When punishment is inflicted upon a criminal, it is, if just, a penalty for some fault or crime; therefore to punish mankind beyond their own personal demerit, for the sin of Adam, when they were wholly innocent of it, would be evidently unjust. We cannot then rationally suppose, that a holy and righteous God will ever do this. The sup-more than their own just deposition would not only be charging the Judge of all the earth with injustice, but it would be contrary to plain declarations of scripture. For when the Jews complained that the ways of the Lord were not equal that the fathers had eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth But we are made sinners, and were set on edge, implying, they exposed to condemnation by the were unjustly punished for the disobedience of Adam in this sins of their fathers; God, in sense, that in consequence of his vindicating his conduct from this apostacy we come into existence false charge of injustice says, with a sinful temper, derived "The soul that sinneth, it shall from him, and so are exposed to die the son shall not bear the condemnation. Adam by his iniquity of the father, neither disobedience became wholly deshall the father bear the iniquity praved. And all his posterity, of the son; the righteousness by a divine constitution, derive of the righteous shall be up- from their corrupt progenitor an on him, and the wickedness of unholy, sinful temper, or come of the wicked shall be upon into existence sinning. This is him." This passage expressly according to the universal course teaches, that none will be pun-of divine providence, by which ished for the sins of others, be- all creatures propagate their yond what they themselves de-likeness. And as mankind come serve. Accordingly the scrip- into existence unholy and sinful; tures frequently declare, that so they are, on account of this mankind are to be judged, or their personal sin, justly deservpunished, according to the deedsing of condemnation and punish

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