ledge of their duty, a command of their will and affections, and a power, through the grace of God, to do what they saw fit to be done.

In this condition they were placed in Paradise, in a state of trial, with a promise of immortal life and happiness, if they should continue to fear, to love, to honour, and obey their Creator; as also with an express warning of the dreadful consequence of their disobedience.

Notwithstanding which warning, they, through the temptation of the devil, transgressed the commands of God; and by doing so, they did not only forfeit all right to the promise of eternal life and happiness, but also contracted such a blindness in the understanding, such a disorder in their will and affections, as all their posterity feel to their sorrow; and became subject to sin, and the punishment of sin, which is misery and death.

Concerning the nature and greatness of this sin, we are to judge of it by the greatness of the punishment inflicted upon them and their posterity. For God, being infinitely just and holy, could not inflict a punishment greater than their sin deserved.

Now this was the occasion of that universal

corruption and wickedness which you see and hear of in the world, and which you cannot but in some measure feel in your own nature. For, as the Scripture informs us, "Adam begat his children in his own likeness: "1 that is, with such a depraved nature as his was then become.

And now consider into what a sad condition these unhappy offenders had brought themselves: and remember that this is your own condition, and the condition of all their posterity.

The law of nature and reason was in full force, and could not possibly be dispensed with. At the same time they found, by sad experience, that, as St. Paul describes the fallen state of man, "there was a law in their members warring against the law of their mind; so that the good which they would, they did not; but the evil that they would not, that they did." 2

There could not surely be a condition more deplorable than this: To live only to contract evil habits; and, by doing so,-to increase their guilt, to displease their Creator,-and to leave an offspring as miserable as themselves.

This, therefore, gave occasion to God to mani

(1) Gen. v. 3.

(2) Rom. vii. 23, 19.

fest another of His most glorious perfections, that is, His infinite goodness and mercy.

For God foreseeing this lamentable condition, into which they had fallen by departing from their obedience, His goodness had provided such a remedy, as that neither they nor any of their posterity should, on account of their fall, be eternally miserable, except through their own fault.

He, therefore, in consideration of a Redeemer, one of the seed of the woman, who should make full satisfaction to the Divine justice for their transgression, and who should bruise the head, or break the power, of that serpent, the devil, which tempted them to sin;-in consideration of this promised Seed, God entered into a new covenant with them, by way of remedy for what was passed, and could not be undone.

We have reason to believe that this new covenant was more fully explained to Adam, than is set down in this short account given us by Moses, and as it is more fully explained in the Gospel : and which was to this purpose;―That, on condition of their sincere repentance, and sincere obedience afterwards, they should be restored to the favour of God; and, after death, to that life

and happiness, which in their state of innocence was promised to them, without tasting of death; which favour they had forfeited by their disobedience.

And when we consider, that our first parents, now become sinners, stood in need of an atonement, without which, while under the displeasure of God, their very lives must be a burden; and it being decreed by God, as it afterwards appeared, that "without shedding of blood there was to be no remission of sin; "1 that is, without the death of the sinner, or some one in his stead; we do therefore conclude, that at this time God did appoint sacrifices, or sin-offerings, to make an atonement for the soul, and to foreshow the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (which we now commemorate), until He should be offered in behalf of them and all their posterity.

And this appears from what follows in the next chapter of Genesis, where we find Abel "by faith" ' (that is, believing and depending upon this ordinance of God, for the remission of sins, until the promised Redeemer should come; we find him) offering a sacrifice which was acceptable to God,

(1) Heb. ix. 22.

that is, a sin-offering, which his brother not doing was rejected.1

But here take notice, and remember, that these sacrifices could not take away sin, but only through obedience to the ordinance of God, and through faith in the promised Seed.

They were, indeed, very instructive, and proper to lead sinners to repentance and amendment of life, when they saw that their sins could not be forgiven but by the death of an innocent creature, bleeding and dying before their eyes, to make an atonement for sin.

And as all good men, before the coming of Christ, did most religiously keep up the remembrance of the promised Seed, and obtained the pardon of their sins, and acceptance with God, upon offering sacrifices through faith in a Redeemer which was to come; so all Christians, since the coming of that Redeemer, are obliged, as they hope for pardon and favour from God, to keep up the remembrance of God's great mercy in sending us a Redeemer, and of what that Redeemer has done to save us; and this in the manner which He Himself hath ordained.

(1) Heb. xi. 4.