B5 
 
 m 
 
 W44- 
 
THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Lewis F. Lengfeld 
 
SERMONS, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 MOSAIC ACCOUNT OF THE CREATION j 
 
 THE 
 
 SERPENT'S TEMPTATION 
 
 TO OUR FIRST PARENTS, 
 
 AND ON 
 
 THEIR EXCLUSION FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN. 
 
 BT STEPHEN\WEST, D. D. 
 
 PASTOR OF THE CHURCH IN STOCKBRIDGE. 
 
 STOCKBRIDGE i 
 
 'RINTED AT THE HERALD OFFICE. 
 
 1809, 
 
/< 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 ON THE MOSAIC ACCOUNT OF THE CREA- 
 TION. 
 
 GENESIS, I. 1, 2. 
 
 IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND 
 THE EARTH. AND THE EARTH WAS WITHOUT 
 FORM, AND VOID ; AND DARKNESS WAS UPON THE 
 FACE OF THE DEEP : AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOV- 
 ED UPON THE FACE OF THE WATERS. 
 
 AN account of the origin of the world in which we 
 dwell, how and when it began its existence, and the man- 
 ner in which it rose into its present form and became so 
 adapted to the use of man, cannot but be, both desira- 
 ble, and interesting. And, as God, the Creato^, sees fit 
 to make this world the scene of most wonderful works, 
 and marvellous displays of his glory ; the history he 
 has given us of creation may, naturally, be concluded to 
 be instructive. How careful are men to preserve the re- 
 cords of great cities, or kingdoms of their rise and 
 prosperity and of the manner and order in which they 
 attained to their present flourishing condition ! And with 
 pleasure and avidity are such records generally read. 
 "With what humble gratitude, then, should we receive 
 from God, who alone could give it, a history of the ori- 
 gin and beginning of that world, in which we have our 
 existence, and where the part we act is ot such vast and 
 never ending importance ! 
 
 IT is proposed, in this discourse, to make some obser- 
 vations on creation, and on what was done on each of 
 the six days, in which God made the heaven and the 
 earth : and, then make such reflections and application, 
 as, it is hoped, may be instructive and useful. 
 
 150 
 
IT is said in our text, in the beginning God created 
 the htr.iven and the earth, i. e. before there was any tna- 
 terial existence heaven and earth comprehending the 
 globe on which we dwell, and all the heavenly bodies, 
 which we behold, and of which we have any knowledge 
 whatever : For, when it is said, God made two great 
 lights to rule the day and the night, it is added, u He 
 made the stars also." Be fore this, it appears, there 
 was no creation, excepting thut of the angels, who are 
 spirits. That these had their existence before this world, 
 is evident from what God savs to Job respecting the cre- 
 ation ot the world, in his solemn address to him, Job. 
 xxxviii. 6, 7. " Whereupon are the foundations there- 
 " of fastened ? Or who laid the corner stone thereof, 
 " when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons 
 " of God shouted for joy ?" When we attend strictly 
 to the holy scriptures, and to the manifest sense and im- 
 port of them, we fin there is much reason to conclude, 
 there never was, or will be any other creation, excepting 
 that of the angels, than what was done antl completed in 
 those six days, the work of each one of which is mention- 
 ed in the chapter before us. All the infinitely import- 
 ant ends of creation, and of divine providence, are to be 
 answered in God's government over the angels, and over 
 the several objects, which were created in six (Jays. 
 
 OF creation, and of creative power, we can have no 
 better or inore striking ideas than are conveyed by the 
 strong and impressive terms, in which the account is 
 given us by the sacred writer. u God spake, and it 
 was He' said, let there be light, and there was light." 
 From this consideration David infers the obligation 
 there is on all to fear the Lord. Psalm xxxiii. 8, 9. 
 " Let all the earth fear the Lord ; let all the inhubit- 
 u ants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, 
 11 and it was done ; he commanded, and it stood fast.' 1 
 What language, beyond this, could give us an idea of 
 almighty power of a power, which it is impossible to 
 
 THE work of the first of the six days, we have in the 
 five first verses. " In the beginning God created the 
 " heaven and the earth. And the earth was without 
 
4i form, and void ; and darkness was upon the face oi 
 <* the deep : and the Spirit of God moved upon the 
 w face of the waters. And God said, Let there he light, 
 " and there was light. And God saw the light, that it 
 u was good : and God divided the light from the dark- 
 <' ness. And God called the light Day, and the dark- 
 " ness he called Night. And the evening and the 
 " morning were the first day." It seems hy this ac- 
 count, that the earth, at its first appearance, was a con- 
 fused mass-. its materials lying in a chaotic state, with- 
 out order and arrangement : But the Spirit of God, 
 divine Energy, moved on the face of the waters God 
 spake, and light appeared. It should seem, by the ac- 
 count, that the light was rather obscure, and diffused 
 over the mass of matter, which was yet lying in confu- 
 sed orJer ; but that God, nevertheless, made such a 
 separation of it from total darkness, as to form a dis- 
 tinction betwixt day and night : For God had not yet 
 formed the two great lights, which we behold in the 
 heaven, 
 
 IN the three next succeeding verses, we have an ac- 
 count of the second day's work. " And God said, Let 
 " there be a firmament in the midst of the waters ; and 
 a let it divide the waters from the waters. And God 
 a made the firmament, and divided the waters, which 
 a were under the firmament, from the waters which 
 4i were above the firmament, and it was so. And God 
 '* called the firmament Heaven : and the evening and 
 " the morning were the second day." What is here 
 termed a firmament means an expanse the large ex- 
 pansion we behold with our eyes above the face of the 
 ground, which soon then began to appear. For now a 
 division or separation of waters was made. The waters 
 were separated from the air, the atmosphere, which sur- 
 rounds our earth, and in which we breathe. And in the 
 verses immediately following, we have an account of 
 the waters being gathered into one place, which are call- 
 ed Seas ; and of the immediate appearance of the dry 
 land Of the formation of the grass, and of trees to bear 
 fruit, each containing seed in itself for a continued suc- 
 cession acd growth of them on the face of the earth. 
 God speaks, and these all immediately rise into life.- 
 
Here was provision for the designed inhabitants of the 
 arth, both human and brutal. God would not create a 
 living creature, until suitable provision was made for its 
 sustenance and support. 
 
 STILL, man, the principal object of all, and on whom 
 God's heart appears to have been greatly and principally- 
 set, was not yet properly provided for. Therefore the 
 sacred historian goes on to relate, in the following ver- 
 ses, the formation of the Sun and the Moon, the two 
 great lights we behold in the heaven, to enable us to 
 divide and reckon time, and, in innumerable ways, to 
 subserve our convenience, and promote our comforts. 
 These, we observe, (as we shall have occasion further 
 to notice, by and by,) were the work of the fourth day. 
 This great Sun, this mighty orb in the centre of our sys- 
 tem, seems to be the animating, lifegiving principle to all 
 nature, and all earthly productions without whose light 
 and heat, too, man could not live. Being now formed 
 and completed, we may reasonably suppose, that, on the 
 morning of the fifth day, it rose and shone in all its 
 splendor upon the earth. 
 
 ON the fifth day God created the inhabitants of the 
 air and of the water. This account, again we have in 
 the same majestic stile as had been used respecting the 
 preceding works of the divine hand. God said Let it be, 
 and it was. But here was a further display of divine 
 wisdom and power, in the view of the angelic host, than 
 had been before made. The almighty -word not only 
 brought the several species of the inhabitants of the water 
 and or the air, into existence, but caused them to bring 
 forth abundantly after their kind, carrying a power in it, 
 which secured a perpetual succession of them so long as 
 the world should endure. Here was something new to 
 the angels, which they had neither seen, nor apprehended 
 before. Thus gradually did God manifest his power, 
 and unfold his wisdom to those holy and, as we have 
 reason to suppose, newly created intelligences. 
 
 IT was on the sixth day that the brutal creation, which 
 move on the face of the earth, were made. The Al- 
 mightj* jf of al once made the earth fruitful, so that it 
 
brought forth living creatures, both cattle and creeping 
 things to move upon its face. This seems to have been 
 done on the morning of the sixth day. And now, all 
 the provision, all the preparation for an inhabitant of the 
 earth of an higher order was completed. All that was 
 yet made was to subserve the purposes and the conven- 
 ience of man. What infinitely kind and benevolent de- 
 signs, may it be seen, God entertained towards men ! 
 How much must his heart have been on man, and the 
 good of man, that such large and rich provision should 
 be made for him ; and, not only this, but that a higher 
 and superior order of beings should be created, to be 
 spectators of what God was doing for men. 
 
 AND now, when the earth and all the heavenly bodies 
 we behold were completed, and the earth replenished 
 with every thing, both animate and inanimate, which 
 was necessary for the use, the convenience and the com- 
 fort of man, then seems to have been, as it were, a sol- 
 emn pause ! Man, the great and ultimate object of cre- 
 ation, was not yet made. That moral, rational nature, 
 which was to bear the imagpe of God which was to be 
 taken into a most near and intimate union with God 
 and in which God himself was to appear upon earth, and 
 dwell with men, was not yet formed. As this was the 
 nature, in which God's glory was forever to shine more 
 visibly and clearly, than in all his other works, the infi- 
 nite importance of this nature of man to the great and 
 ultimate object of creation were such as, in God's view, 
 required a consultation of the whole Godhead all the 
 Three Persons in the ever blessed Trinity* There be- 
 ing now every way a sufficient furniture, on earth, for 
 such an inhabitant, the sacred histofian tells us, ver. 26, 
 and on, " And God said, Let us make man in our im- 
 " age, after our likeness ; and let them have dominion 
 " over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, 
 " and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over 
 " every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 
 u So God created man in his own image, in the image 
 u of God created he him ; male and female created he 
 " them. And God blessed them, and lincl said unto 
 " them, Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth-, 
 " and subdue it : and have dominion over the fish of 
 
I 
 
 <: the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every 
 " living thing that moveth upon the earth." Here we 
 learn our own origin ; and, see the energy, the continu- 
 ed and vastly extended influence of that powerful word} 
 which bade man be fruitful and multiply and replenish 
 the earth. A review of the mighty works of God in 
 the provision and preparation made for man, and for his 
 comfort and good of the evidences there are, that his 
 heart was greatly set on man and of the excellent mor- 
 al nature, with which he was originally endowed, being 
 made in God's own image, and after his likeness, it should 
 seem, could hardly fail of inspiring us with a deep sense 
 of the evil, the base ingratitude of sinning against him \ 
 As man was the noblest work of this great creation, God 
 placed him at the head of it, and gave him dominion 
 over all things here below. In contemplating the di- 
 vine goodness to man, David breaks out with astonish- 
 ment, Ps. viii. 3 6. *' When I consider the heavens, 
 " the work of thy fingers ; the moon and the stars 
 " which thou hast ordained ; What is man, that thou 
 *' art mindful of him ? and the son of man, that thou 
 " visitest him ? For thou hast made him a little lower 
 u than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and 
 u honor. Thou hast made him to have dominion over 
 " the works of thy hands ; thou hast put all under his 
 feet." 
 
 ON a review, as we may say, of his great work, God saw 
 that all was very good. On the seventh day, God rest- 
 ed from all his work, i. e. he ceased from creating, hav- 
 ing completed the whole system perfectly to his own 
 mind, and resting in all as being good. And, as man 
 was created in his image, capable of beholding his glory 
 appearing in his works, acknowledging his great good- 
 ness to him in the rational, immortal nature he had 
 given him, and of celebrating his praise, God establish- 
 ed it as a perpetual law for man, that he should, also, 
 rest from the labor he had appointed him, on every 
 seventh day ; spending it in humble acknowledgements 
 of what he owed to God, his sovereign, the author and 
 preserver of all his rational powers j and, in praises to 
 his great and glorious name, for his wonderful goodness 
 to him. 
 
AND now this world was finished the whole system. 
 
 formed every body in it fixed in its proper place and 
 
 order ^and, what we commonly term the laws of nature 
 all established and put in operation. And, by that all 
 powerful word, which first brought them into being, 
 placed them in their present order, and set them in mo- 
 tion, they maintain that uniform harmony and regularity 
 in which they were first established ; and, will continue 
 and persevere in the same, until the final consummation. 
 What reason have we, all, to say with David, Psalm xix. 
 1 4.. " The heavens declare the glory of God ; and the 
 " firmament sheweth his handy work. Day unto day 
 " uttereti speech, and night unto night sheweth knowl- 
 *' edge. There is no speech nor language, where their 
 " voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through 
 " all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." 
 
 Now that world was finished, which was to be a scene 
 of wonders That world, where God's great work lies, 
 more than any where, or every where else. A world 
 in which God himself was to be manifest in flesh And, 
 where the blood of the Son of God was to be shed. 
 Now that rational nature and creature, which was more 
 an ultimate end of creation, than any thing and every 
 thing else, was formed and brought into being. Now 
 the existence of that race was begun, out of which God 
 designed to take materials, and form into the most glori- 
 ous building, that ever was or ever will be That house, 
 in which he himself will forever dwell. 
 
 As the angelic hosts were to have a very great inter- 
 est in those displays of divine wisdom and power and 
 love, which were to be made in his dealings with men, 
 God saw fit that they should be spectators of this great 
 work of creation ; and, see and observe the manner and 
 order, in which that world rose into being, which was to 
 be, for a while, the residence of that race of beings, to 
 which they were to minister* The benefit and good of 
 this higher order of beings, was one great object, which 
 God had in view in his original plan of the great work 
 of redemption by Christ. For we are told, Ephes. iii. 
 9, 10, 11. That God " created all things by Jesus Christ. 
 u To the intent that now unto the principalities and 
 B 
 
iO 
 
 " powers in heavenly places, might be known, by the 
 " church the manifold wisdom of God, according to his 
 41 eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our 
 " Lord." Now they behold the creature that moral 
 rational nature, to winch, though inferior to theirs, God 
 would more nearly unite himself, than to them into 
 which he would more plentifully empty of his own glo- 
 rious fulness, than into them -And, which was to be 
 raised to a greater and more glorious nearness to him, 
 than the holy angels themselves. Now they saw the 
 being, and the beginning of that race, to which they were 
 to be ministering spirits. And now, most probably, 
 God revealed to them, that it was to be their future du- 
 ty and work to minister to him in this nature in raising 
 up a church from among men to be to the praise of his 
 glorious grace forever. This, we have reason to suppose, 
 was the trial assigned to the angels, who were spectator* 
 of this great work The test of their obedience. 
 
 APPLICATION. 
 
 1. IT ever becomes us, the priviledged descendants 
 from the first happy pair, to remember, with gratitude 
 and praise to God, that we are of that race, that order of 
 beings, which is of unspeakably greater importance to 
 the purpose of God's glory and love, than any or all oth- 
 er creatures That we are of that nature, which is taken 
 into a union with the divine, and into a glorious nearness 
 to God of that nature, in which the highest perfection 
 and glory of divine goodness and love are forever to ap- 
 pear. When we consider the astonishing wonders, 
 which have been wrought on earth, and in God's dealings 
 with men which are still taking place, and will continue 
 to take place here, to the end of time When we reflect, 
 that GOD, the creator of the world, and of man, is per- 
 petually and uninterruptedly watching over the world- 
 guiding, directing and managing all, even its most 
 minute interests and concerns, and those of all other 
 worlds too, in subserviency to purposes of infinite love 
 and mercy and grace to men When, I say, we reflect 
 on these things, how can it be otherwise than pleasing, 
 entertaining and instructive, to dwell, some of our time, 
 in thoughts and meditations on the origin and formation 
 of this great world, in which we dwell, and on which 
 
11 
 
 such wonders and glory were to be unfolded, and are 
 now continually unfolding before our eyes On which 
 those most marvellous scenes are opening, in which we 
 ourselves have so vast and never ending an interest ! 
 How thankful ought we to be to God for the plain, cor- 
 rect account here given us, of the manner and order, in 
 which his own powerful word caused this world and all 
 its inhabitants to rise into existence ! It gives us to see, 
 that there is order in all God's works : and GOD, and 
 his power and wisdom were, unquestionably, much 
 more clearly seen, and, of consequence, much more ad- 
 mired and adored by the angelic host, than they would, 
 or could, have been, had the powerful word, the divine 
 fat brought all into existence at once, and in an instant, 
 as it could have done. 
 
 INFIDELS object, that it is incredible, GOD should 
 be six days on the work of creation ; and, therefore, 
 consider the Mosaic account of it as fabulous. No rea- 
 sonable conjecture, however, can be formed, how such 
 ,a thought such ideas of the work of creation should ev- 
 er enter the mind of man, unless they were immediately 
 suggested by the Spirit of the -Creator himself. As it is, 
 the account is fitted, much more, to awaken our atten- 
 tion, and to raise our wonder and admiration, than had it 
 actually been, and only related, that with one -word's 
 speaking, God made the whole. Besides the evident 
 order, in which the system rose, by several gradations, 
 into its present form and beauty, which is, in itself, fitted 
 to afford both entertainment and instruction ; the Mo- 
 saic history awakens our attention to a voice a power, 
 which is adequate to creation itsel 1 ", on every renewed 
 advance of this great work toward its present perfection. 
 And, as the angels were to have so great an interest in 
 man, and in the ivine transactions with men, the prepa- 
 ration gradually made for him, by one display of divine 
 power and wisdom "after another, through each of the 
 six days, would naturally excite their attention and ex- 
 pectations, and lead them to conceive man, for whom all 
 this preparation was ma :e,.to be, in some way or other, 
 of very great importance to the full accomplishment of 
 the ends for which creation took place. 
 
12 
 
 BUT this is not all ; out of this is to arise a far more 
 glorious creation than the first. And the mighty dis- 
 plays of divine power, wisiom and goodness, which are 
 here made in the vast and infinitely expensive provision 
 for man, and for the good of man, inexpressibly exceed 
 any ihing, which appeared in the former creation. How 
 must the heart of the Great God have been set on man, for 
 his own great name's sake, from eternity ; and on those 
 manifestations of divine wisdom and power and love 
 which are made in the recovery and salvation of sinners ! 
 The order, in which the old creation rose to its present 
 form and beauty, may prefigure an order in the new ; 
 and, in this view, be verv instructive. Relative to this, 
 it is proposed, some observations, shall in their proper 
 place, be made. 
 
 2. WHAT abundant ground have we, for gratitude and 
 praise to God, for the account here given us of the orig- 
 inal creation ! In what uncertainty and darkness should 
 \ve have been involved, on this subject, had it not been 
 for divine revelation ! Without this, we should not have 
 known how or when the world came into being How 
 there came to be so many, and such different orders of 
 creatures upon it How it comes to pass, that a succes- 
 sion of each of all these orders is continued Nor, the 
 final destination of the whole, or of any part of thtm. 
 And, considering the nature and character of men, it is 
 at least doubtful, to say no more, whether any one, had 
 there been no immediate divine revelation, would ever 
 have had his thoughts raised, from the visible creation, 
 to the existence of One eternal, invisible, all-wise and 
 omnipotent Creator. But take the account here given 
 us of creation, in connexion with the series of events, as 
 they have been taking place ever since, and as they are 
 still yet taking place ; the character and glory of the 
 Great Creator are continually unfolJing more and more, 
 and will be so, until the final consummation. Take away 
 divine revelation, the world, in a moral view, will only 
 resemble the earth, when it was without form, and void, 
 and darkness was upon the face of the deep. 
 
 6. WHATEVER glory there v/ere in the first creation, it 
 was originally in God's design, that this should be fol- 
 
13 
 
 lowed by another, of a different nature, and far more 
 glorious That the first should be preparatory to the 
 second, and the second, in some sense, grow out of the 
 first Though the constitution, under the first creation 
 and covenant, was perfectly good ; and, had our first 
 parents continued innocent, would have been followed 
 with great and uninterrupted felicity ; still, divine good 
 will and love could not be satisfied with all that creature 
 holiness and happiness, which would, or could have ta- 
 ken place under it. It was, therefore, in the eternal 
 counsel of God, to form, out of the ruins of this, another 
 creation, of a different nature, which displays a glory of 
 divine power and wisdom and love, unspeakably sur- 
 passing any, that did, or ever could have appeared in the 
 old. Hear the strong language, in which GOD express- 
 es himself on the subject, by the prophet, Isai. Ixv. 17, 
 18. u For behold, I create new heavens, and a new 
 u earth : and the former shall not be remembered, nor 
 u come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever 
 u in that which I create : for, behold, I create Jerusa- 
 " lem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." Observe the 
 bold figures, the prophet makes use of, relative to the 
 glory of this new creation, Isaiah xxx. 26. " More- 
 " over, the light of the moon shall be as the light of 
 " the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, 
 tc as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord 
 " bin Jeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the 
 11 stroke of their wound." Again, Isaiah xxiv. 23. 
 " Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun 
 " ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Je- 
 41 rusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." It being 
 the purpose of God, that a new creation should follow 
 the old, and, in some respects, grow out of it ; it may 
 be no more than natural to suppose, that there was some- 
 thing in the order, in which the old creation rose gradu- 
 ally to that state of perfection, in which it finally appear- 
 ed, which in some measure, prefigured the rise of the 
 new creation, out of a state of awful moral darkness and 
 disorder, to that state of perfection and glory, to which 
 it will be brought by the power of Christ. 
 
 AFTER the introduction of sin into the world, all, in a 
 moral view, was disorder and darkness : And though a 
 
14 
 
 rational nature was left, in man, after the fall, and some 
 materials out of which the power an ' wisdom of God 
 could form a church ; yet all was without f'.rm, and 
 void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Now, 
 then, the Holy Spirit of God moved on the face of the 
 deep ; and God said, Let there be light, and there was 
 light. To this the apostle alludes, when he says, 2 Cor. 
 iv. 6. " For God, who commanded the light to shine 
 *' out of darkness^ hath shined in our hearts, to give 
 *' the light of the knowledge of the glory of Ciod in the 
 " face of Jesus Christ." The light began to beam in 
 that ever memorable and gracious promise, Gen. iii. 15, 
 that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's 
 head. And now, we may reasonably suppose, the king- 
 dom of grace was begun, and the Holy Spirit sent down 
 to soften the hearts of our first parents. Now, also, we 
 have reason to believe, that sacrifices were institu- 
 ted ; for we are told, that u unto Adam and his wife 
 " did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed 
 " them." Gen. iii. 21. Now things began to take place 
 to prefigure the coming of Christ, and to prepare the 
 way for it : And that new creation was begun, which 
 was to follow the old and so far surpass it in glory. 
 This answered to the first day's work of the old creation- 
 It was a prevalent opinion, amongst the Jews, that the 
 world would continue in a state of moral disorder and 
 confusion for the space of six thousand years ; but that 
 the seventh thousand, should open a new and happier 
 state of things, and be the great Sabbath, the rest of the 
 church here on earth.* 
 
 FROJI the time that gospel light first began to dawn, 
 God went on, in his holy and wise providence, preparing 
 
 * Whether the apostle had reference to this, when he says, as 2 
 Pet. iii. 8, we will not decide. His words are these, ** But, belov- 
 *' ed, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord 
 " as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." His mind 
 might, possibly, have been led, under the guidance of the Holy 
 Spirit, to apprehend an allusion in the six da^s work of creation, to 
 the formation and state of the new creation through the term of six 
 thousand years from the completion of the old : and, in the rest of the 
 seventh, to the happy, peaceful state of the Church, through the 
 seventh thousand years ; soon after which the dissolution of the pres- 
 ent heavens and earth is to be expected. 
 
15 
 
 the way for the Sun of Righteousness to appear. We find 
 that, when the fourth day's work of creation was accom- 
 plished, the natural light," which had been but feeble and 
 glimmering, was collected into one great luminary j 
 and, arose and shone, on the morning of the fifth day, 
 with a brightness and splendor, which had never before 
 appeared. In four thousand years from the creation, 
 God saw the way to be prepared for the coming of 
 Christ : And, on the beginning of the fifth millenary, the 
 Sun of Righteousness arose, and shone on this dark 
 world. Now the prophecy, IN^alachi iv, 2, was fulfilled, 
 44 Uuto you that tear my name shall the Sun of Righ- 
 44 teousness arise, with healing in his wings ; and ye 
 44 shall go fcrth, and grow up a% calves of the stall." 
 And now, under the infinitely wise and gracious direc- 
 tion of the glorious Head of the church, things are going 
 on in a state of preparation for the happy period of the 
 world's great sabbath of rest, when the new creation, the 
 Christian church, shall appear in far greater spiritual 
 beauty and perfection, than it ever had done before on 
 earth. And, to the glory and praise of the divine Sav- 
 iour, under his powerful and forming hand, it will rise 
 into a building fit for God. Well may we, who live sa 
 near the happy day, h-iil its coming: And, when the 
 .Lord is saying to us, in his providence, *' behold, I come 
 44 quickly," reply, " even so, come Lord Jesus." 
 
 4. WHAT has been said respecting the creation of the 
 world, may lead us to contemplate and admire that di- 
 vine wisdom and glory, which appear, and which will 
 forever appear more and more, in the new creation, the 
 Christian church a church formed out of such materi- 
 als as the Christian church is formed ; and, raised up 
 from such depths of ruin, of sin and misery and wretch- 
 edness, to a state of such spiritual perfection and beauty 
 as, in due time, she will appear in ; and, to such unspeak- 
 able felicity as will be enjoyed in that glorious nearness to 
 God, to which she will hereafter be admitted. This was 
 God's plan from the beginning This was his eternal 
 purpose : And, was what gave birth to the first creation. 
 Therefore Christ, who is, in a peculiar manner, at the 
 head of the new creation, stiles himself u The beginning 
 " of the creation of God." Rev. iii. 14, Importing that 
 
Ib 
 
 (speaking after the manner of men) the first thing ever 
 done by the Deity was, for the several persons in the 
 Godhead to concert the great plan for raising up a church 
 from the ruins of the fall of man ; and, the Son of God 
 take upon himself the great and most important offices, 
 which he was to perform in this most wonderful of all 
 God's works. This was the device and work of the 
 whole Godhead The several persons in the ever blessed 
 Trinity uniting in it. Accordingly, when man, the la- 
 vored creature out of which the church was to be form- 
 ed and rise, was to be created, God said, Let us make 
 man. 
 
 THAT there are, and will be, displays of divine power 
 and wisdom and love in the salvation of sinners, and in 
 the formation and completion of the Christian church, 
 inconceivably more bright and glorious than there would 
 have been any opportunity for under that order and 
 course of things, which was established in the first crea- 
 tion of the world, will admit of no reasonable doubt. 
 Had man remained innocent, and things continued and 
 gone on agreeably to the constitution originally formed 
 and established with him ; that manifold wisdom of God, 
 which is known by the church^ never would have been 
 visible to creatures, or apprehended, or conceived by 
 them. It never would otherwise have been seen and 
 known, with what infinite strength, and to what an infi- 
 nite extent God's heart is set on doing good on diffu- 
 sing happiness ; nor, what unbounded sources there are 
 in Him for raising creatures to such an incomprehensi- 
 ble height of holiness and happiness, as his church will 
 yet be raised, to the eternal glory of his own great name. 
 But that there is wisdom enough, and power enough, and 
 love enough in the Great God, to do all this and that, 
 too, for enemies for such as deserve nothing but eternal 
 banishment from his blessed pres nee and favor, is 
 now put beyoad all doubt, by God^s being manifest in 
 Jlesh dwelling with men, and doing the works he did 
 on earth making his soul an oifering for sin and, as- 
 cending to the right hand of God, and forever making 
 intercession. All that height of happiness, to which the 
 Christian church will, hereafter, be raised in heaven, to- 
 gether with all the wrath, which will be poured out on 
 
17 
 
 the enemies of Christ, and of his glorious work, will 
 serve unitedly to illustrate the strength and infiniteness, 
 the purity and glory of divine love. 
 
 5. LET no one, then, complain of Q\ir Jl rut parents y 
 as though they, by their fall, had subjected him to great 
 evil and irretrievable disadvantage ; but, remember that, 
 where sin has abounded, God has caused his grace much 
 more to abound, by Jesus Christ, towards us. True it 
 is, that Adam brought sin and evil into this world ; and, 
 was the criminal occasion of involving his whole pos- 
 terity in a ruin, from which nothing but Almighty pow- 
 er and grace could recover them. Though Adam meant 
 it for evil, yet the infinitely wise Disposer of all events, 
 meant all for good And has made his sin and fall the 
 occasion of opening a door for far, very far greater 
 good even to our fallen race, than could, otherwise, ever 
 been known or enjoyed by man. 
 
 BUT, yet, what bitter complaints are, often, uttered 
 by men, against Adam. But thou, who judgest another, 
 doest thou the same things thyself? Do you judge and 
 condemn Adam for disobeying the command of God, 
 and yet live in constant disobedience yourself ? If you 
 have one wish to get back to that innocent and happy- 
 state our first parents were in before their fall, there is 
 a way open to you to be immediately in a state far pre- 
 ferable to that, in which they were originally placed. 
 If it be any griet and pain to you, that they introduced 
 the reign of sin into the world ; the second Adam, you 
 may remember, has introduced the reign of holiness, 
 and set up a kingdom of righteousness here ; and he in- 
 vites you to come and join him, and espouse his glori- 
 ous cause ; at the same time, assuring peace, rest, and 
 protection to you, if you will. 
 
 INSTEAD, therefore, of complaining of Adam, and 
 murmuring that things have been so ordered and dispo- 
 sed, in divine providence, that sin and evil have taken 
 place ; we ought, all, to unite in thankful adorations and 
 praise to God, that, through his unsearchable wisdom 
 and grace, he has made it the occasion of inconceivable 
 good to the human race, and of raising men to far high- 
 C 
 
ei degrees of t both holiness and happiness, than would 
 or could have fallen to their lot, had they never became 
 fallen creatures. No one can entertain a doubt of thif> 
 when he considers how much more is seen of the power, 
 the wisdom, and the love of God, in the great work 
 and kingdom ot redemption, than could have been seen 
 by man, had he never fallen. And, when we take any 
 proper view of our own character, we cannot but be sen- 
 sible, that we have far greater experience of the com- 
 passion, the love and goodness of God, than our first 
 parents could have any apprehension of, in their prime- 
 val state Add to this, that never failing and infinite 
 fountain of love, now open to us, which brought God's 
 only begotten Son into the world, and to the cross, for 
 the salvation of sinners, of enemies ! 
 
 OUR opportunities and advantages our means of in- 
 struction, and of knowing and enjoying God of be- 
 holding his glory, and of being eternally happy in his 
 blessed presence and favor, very far exceed those, of our 
 first parents in innocency, if we had but hearts and dispo*- 
 sitions to improve them. But, instead of that, we our- 
 selves neglect to improve the price which is put into our 
 hands, and abuse far greater goodness than our first pa- 
 rents did ; and then, excuse ourselves by throwing all 
 the blame on them. How unspeakably more becoming 
 xvould it be in us, to repent of our own sins, and turn to 
 God as they did and, are now enjoying an inconceiva- 
 bly clearer knowledge of God, and greater blessedness 
 in him and nearness to him, than they ever could have 
 been brought to by virtue of the covenant originally 
 proposed to them, had they closed with it, and ever so 
 faithfully kept it. But you will say, " Shall we, then, 
 u bless and praise God, that sin and evil have been 
 " brought into the world, and still so greatly reign and 
 " prevail :" I answer, No ; these are not the objects, 
 which call for our gratitude and praise j but, God's own 
 infinitely wise and wonderful disposal, and his boundless 
 love, in making these the occasion of unspeakably great- 
 er good and felicity to the sinner. 
 
 6. EVERY thing, in divine providence, concurs to 
 lead us to acquiesce in it, that God should govern hi? 
 
19 
 
 world, and to rejoice that he actually does, aim 
 forever will govern it. When we look back to the orig- 
 inal creation, and observe the order, the several stepSj, 
 by which it rose, under God's forming hand, to such u 
 state of perfection, that God saw all to be very good 
 When we view that wisdom, which is so conspicuous, in 
 adapting every thing to its end, and so peculiarly form- 
 ing and fitting it to the use, for which it was designed 
 And, when we survey the beauty and uniformity of the 
 whole, and reflect upon the wonderful preparation, which 
 was made for the comfort and good of man When we 
 take a view of all these things, how can we but break 
 forth, in the devout and joyful strains of God's pious ser- 
 vant, of old, Ps. civ. 24. " O LORD, how manifold 
 " are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all : 
 " the earth is full of thy riches." But, when we turn 
 our eye and thoughts upon the still brighter scenes,, 
 which soon began to open, on the fall ot man ; and, 
 which will be opening and unfolding more and more 
 forever ; how can we help being struck at once with con- 
 viction, that no one can be so fit to reign as the Lord 
 That, no government can possibly be so wise, so perfect 
 as his, or productive of so much felicity and good to 
 man ! God v both devises and executes infinitely better 
 for us, than we could possibly do for ourselves : And it is 
 .obviously for the best, and infinitely so, that all creatures 
 and things should be in his hand all events depend on 
 his will and all be at his disposal. In whatever condition, 
 we, any of us, find ourselves, or however exercised and 
 tried respecting our own particular concerns or duty j 
 whenever we leave all with God, and give up and com- 
 mit all to him, we find things ordered -much better for 
 us, on the whole, than we could possibly have done for 
 ourselves. Therefore it is said, Prov. iii. 6. " In all 
 " thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy 
 " paths." No one ever trusts in God, in vain. Every 
 one, who loves God, ami submits his concerns to him, 
 will find, on reflection, that God has ordered things for 
 him, much better than he could possibly have done for 
 himself That, had he had his own way and choice, it 
 would have been to his hurt That for many of his dis- 
 appointments, he has reason to bless God. 1 herefore, 
 tlie Apostle directs, to cast all our cares upon the Lord 5 
 
20 
 
 because he etreth for us. There can be no real dangci 
 to any of us, respecting any interest, either present or 
 future, if we will but leave all with the infinitely wist and 
 good God. What matter of joy, that there is such a 
 God, as the Lord is And, that he does, and forever 
 will reign ! Well might the prophet express himself as 
 he does, Isaiah lii. 7, 10. " How beautiful upon the 
 " mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good ti- 
 " dings, that publisheth peace ; that bringeth good ti- 
 " dings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith un- 
 " to Zion, Thy God reigncth." " The Lord hath made 
 " bare his holy arm in the eyes of ail the nations ; and 
 " all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our 
 44 God." 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 ON THE SERPENT'S TEMPTATION TO OUR 
 FIRST PARENTS. 
 
 GENESIS III. 4,5. 
 
 AND THE SERPENT SAID UNTO THE WOMAN, YE 
 SHALL NOT SURELY DIE. FOR GOD DOTH KNOW, 
 THAT IN THE DAY YE EAT THEREOF, THEN YOUR 
 EYES SHALL BE OPENED ; AND YE SHALL BE AS 
 GODS KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL. 
 
 WHEN God, the creator and sovereign, placed our 
 first parents in the garden of Eden, he gave them full 
 liberty to eat of all the trees in it, excepting one, which 
 was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil .* 
 Of this, they were forbidden to eat, on pain of death. 
 This was the test of iheir obedience : If they did not 
 disobey, they were to live forever : If they did, they 
 were to die, be forever shut out from the favour of God, 
 and be eternally wretched. But it was not long after 
 they were placed in that pleasant gar r' en, surrounded 
 with every thing necessary for their comfort, before 
 their peace and happiness wrre interrupted. They 
 were assailed by a subtile adversary, here called the ser- 
 pent. That this was the devil, through the instrument- 
 ality of one of the be?sts of the field, srems to be evi- 
 dent from what is sai<3, Rev. xii. 9, and xx. 2. " And 
 " the great dragon was cast out, that oLl serpent, call- 
 " ed the devil, and satan, which deceiveth the whole 
 " world. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old 
 " serpent, which is the ckvil, and satan, and bound him, 
 *' a thousand years." He is here probably, stiled the 
 old serpent, because it was the same, who tempted and 
 deceived our first parents. He seems to have taken 
 advantage from the name giver; the forbidden tree, to 
 insinuate his temptation, and give plausibility to his 
 
lie. He suggests to the woman, that, instead of suffer- 
 ing any loss, or inconvenience by taking of the forbid- 
 den tree, they should be great gainers They would 
 immediately find their eyes opened, their minds enlar- 
 ged, and their natures greatly enobled. They, very 
 foolishly and wickedly, made the experiment. They 
 found it fatal to their peace and comfort ; anrl, by it, 
 introduced a train of evils and miseries, which will nev- 
 er come to an end. 
 
 IN treating on the subject before us, it is proposed, 
 
 I. To inquire, what we may suppose to have been 
 the reason, why the fruit of this tree was forbidden to 
 our first parents, on so awful a penalty. 
 
 II. To consider the nature and import of the motive, 
 which prevailed on them to disobey, Tc shall be as gods 
 knowing good and evil. 
 
 I. IT is to be inquired, what we may suppose to hare 
 'been the reason, why the iruit of this tree was forbid- 
 den to our first parents, on so awful a penalty, " In the 
 " day thou eatesi .thereof, thou shalt surely die." 
 
 IT is no more than reasonable to suppose, that moral 
 creatures, the subjects of God's moral government, 
 should, all, go through a state of trial or probation ; in 
 order that it may appear, previously to their being estab- 
 lished in holiness and happiness, that they deliberately 
 and undcrstandingly choose the service of God at all 
 hazards, submitting their wills, in all things, to his wise 
 and holy will. By this, it becomes more manifest, that 
 God treats them as moral agents beings, who are to 
 choose and act for themselves ; and, that their final fate 
 is suspendejl on themselves, and on their own free choice 
 made in the view of motives fit to influence intelligent 
 agents. In this way it is rendered visible, that the love 
 and service of God are understandingly chosen and pre- 
 ferred : And, that the consequent blessings and good, 
 bestowed upon them, are expressions of God's well- 
 pleasedness with them for the wise choice they have 
 made. In this way, too, God shews himself to be a 
 
23 
 
 rewarder of righteousness. Moral creatures are here- 
 by taught the nature of God's IE< ral g veinrcent ; and, 
 prepared to see the propriety of his executing punish- 
 ments, as well as bestowing rewards. The holy God 
 would not so visibly appear to be a rewarder, \vere the 
 subjects of his moral government never in a probationa- 
 ry state : Nor would it appear, that, God, who ever 
 judges righteous judgment, considers and treats us as 
 moral, rational agents, capable of judging and choosing 
 and acting lor ourselves ; and this, in such a sense, and 
 to such a degree, as that our future state* and destiny 
 are decided, (though riot independently of God,) by our- 
 selves, and result from our own free and voluntary 
 choice. Accordingly, there is every reason to suppose, 
 that the Angels were originally in a state of probation : 
 For we read, Jude, 6, of " angels which kept not their 
 " first estate, but left their own habitation." 
 
 GOD formed this world for man, and furnished it 
 with every thing necessary for his use and comfort. 
 But when he created Adam, and placed him on it, he 
 neither made him the sole proprietor ot it, nor gave it 
 him without conditions. The garden, in which Adam 
 was placed, was God's vineyard ; and, he took the man, 
 and put him into it, to dress it, and to keep it. His duty 
 and his business were assigned him, and he was under 
 every obligation to comply with what God required. It 
 was altogether fit, that he 'should know, and forever keep 
 in mind, that God, the Creator, was the supreme and 
 sole owner of the world, and the rightful disposer of it 
 That he, himself, was wholly indebted to God for it, and 
 for all the right he had in it That he held it under God, 
 and was, as it were, to pay fealty to God for it ; ever 
 feeling and acknowledging Him to be the Lord, the pro- 
 prietor, and the owner of it. Hence, he must be sensi- 
 ble, that he was bound to use and improve the world, 
 not for himself and his own private pleasure, but for God 
 and his glory ; and, as he directed him. The prohibi- 
 tion of one tree, in the garden, was evidently designed, 
 as well as, every way, fitted continually to remind Adam 
 of all this of the conditions on which he \vas to enjoy 
 the world, and the favor ot God with it. And this pro- 
 hibition was directly calculated to preserve a convict -or? , 
 
24 
 
 perpetually, on his mind, that, not he, but God, the Ma- 
 ker, was the Lord, the owner, and the sovereign of the 
 world ; and, that he, himself, held under God, and was 
 ever to acknowledge God to be the giver. 
 
 ON such conditions, and on such only, was Adam to 
 enjoy the world, and the perpetual favor of God with it. 
 On these conditions he was to enjoy life, in the image 
 and favor of God : And, on the same conditions to be 
 blessed with a posterity, like himself happy in innocence, 
 and in the enjoyment of God. Adam's taking of the 
 forbidden tree carried in it a refusal of the world on the 
 most reasonable terms, on which God proposed to him 
 to take it and have dominion over all creatures and 
 things on it. The language of his conduct was, that he 
 would not take the world and reign over the lower order 
 of creatures, which were in it, on such conditions That 
 he would not consent to hold it under God That he 
 would have it for his own, and use it for his own plea- 
 sure or, not at all. Thus he wickedly rebelled against 
 God, his Creator and rightful sovereign ; and, hereby 
 brought death and ruin on himself, and entailed them on 
 all his posterity. 
 
 II. WE maj f , now, enquire into the nature and im- 
 port of the motive, by which our first parents were pre- 
 vailed on to disobey, ye shall be as gods knoivmg good 
 and evil. The tree which bore the fruit forbiddt n to 
 Adam, was called, " the tree of knowledge of good and 
 " evil," Gen. ii. 9, 17. Probably, it was so called, be- 
 cause such great events depended on the conduct of our 
 first parents relative to it ; and such vast consequences, 
 and of such immense extent, were to follow on, either 
 their odedience or disobedience to the divine injunction. 
 Their own future and eternal destiny were here at stake, 
 together with that of their innumerable posterity All 
 was suspended on their strict and punctual observance 
 of the divine command. On this depended their own 
 future good or evil their endless happiness or 1 misery. 
 By this it was to be decided, whether they were forever 
 to know and enjoy the good of that favor of God, which is 
 as life that loving kindness of his, which is better than 
 life : or, whether they were to know and experience thr 
 
awful evil of being the objects of his eternal displeasure 
 and abhorrence. All the endless happiness or misery, 
 both of our first parents themselves, and of a postsrity 
 which was to fill the earth, were suspended on their con- 
 duct relative to this one tree. Well might it be termed, 
 44 The tree of the knowledge of good and evil." What 
 mere creature ever had such a stake put into his hand ! 
 Consequences so vast and immeasurable suspended on his 
 conduct ! The obedience of" our first parents to the most 
 reasonable command of God respecting this tree, would, 
 by divine constitution, have secured to them, and to the 
 innumerable offspring, which was to proceed from, 
 them, uninterrupted peace, prosperity and good Their 
 disobe .ience involve them and all their posterity in ut- 
 ter ruin and endless evil ! 
 
 THE motive, which the tempter presented to our first 
 parents to venture on the forbidden fruit, the event pro- 
 ved was effectual. Under the influence of the serpent's 
 suggestion, it must have been, that they expected an in- 
 crease of happiness, instead of that of sorrow and evil, 
 which were the just consequences of their wicked te- 
 merity. When the adversary said to the woman, ** For 
 " God doth know, that in the day ye cat thereof, then 
 " your eyes shall be opened ; and ye shall be as gods 
 " knowing good and evil" it canriot be supposed, that he 
 meant to excite in her an expectation, that an experi- 
 mental knowledge of evil would be the consequence of 
 her eating ; or, that the suggestion had this effect. To 
 be as gods knowing good arid evil, could hot be under- 
 stood to imply, that evil should be known by experience : 
 In this sense, God himself does not know evil^ nor ever 
 will. Our first parents did know evil, to their sorrow, 
 on disobeying the voice of God. But to suppose, either 
 that the serpent meant to suggest, or that any such idea 
 was suggested, must imply that the subtile tempter was, 
 at the same time adding his own influence to that of the 
 divine prohibition, " in the day ye eat thereof, ye shall 
 44 surely die," and taking the most direct method to de- 
 feat his own malicious design. 
 
 WHEN the tempter said to the woman, " Ye shall be 
 * as %Qds knowing good and evil," he must have meant, 
 D 
 
dhat, on her taking of the fruit of the tree, she should r.e 
 advanced to some dignity, and the enjoyment of some 
 privilege, from which she was restrained by the prohi- 
 bition. In this sense y GOD knows good and evil, that 
 he perfectly knows what is fit and right, and what is oth- 
 erwise, God most perfectly knows and understands 
 the nature of both good, and evil what is right, and 
 what is wrong. God most perfectly knows vrhat be- 
 longs to Him what his rights are and what it is fit 
 He should do. He knows what ends are worthy of him- 
 self, and, how to accomplish them what creatures to 
 make, and how to conduct towards them and govern 
 them. In short, he perfectly knows what belongs to> 
 him, and how to manage his own affairs, and the affairs 
 of his whole kingdom. What the serpent would sug- 
 gest to our first parents, probably was, that on their eat- 
 ing the fruit, which was forbidden them of God, their 
 eyes should be immediately opened to see, that, they 
 themselves were competent to judge of their own ac- 
 tions to determine what belonged to them, what their 
 own proper rights were, and what it was fit that they 
 should do That, as God knew what belonged to hinx, 
 so they, also, should know -what belonged to them 
 Their own powers were as really adequate to their du- 
 ty and their necessities, as God's are to his. The de- 
 ceiver would insinuate, that God meant to cramp the no- 
 ble powers of their minds, by treating them as though 
 they knew nothing were not qualified to judge what 
 would become them, what it was fit for them to do, and 
 what their own native rights really were He treated 
 them in the prohibition, like weak and ignorant crea- 
 tures, incapable of knowing, either their duty, or their 
 interest, any further than He immediately revealed it to 
 them That the situation in which they were placed, 
 was degrading That the forbidden tree'ought as really 
 to belong to them, as any of the rest : And, therefore^ 
 that the denial of it to them held them in a state of sub- 
 jection and vassallage unworthy the dignity of the ra- 
 tional natures and the noble powers they possessed. 
 
 THIS false and wicked insinuation was too fatally suc- 
 cessful. On this, that pride, which has ever since had 
 possession of the human heart, sprung up and took fire .- 
 
s it is said in the next succeeding verses, " when 
 " the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and 
 " that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desi- 
 ** red to make one wise ; she took of the fruit thereof 
 *' and did eat : and gave also unto her husband with her, 
 " and he did eat/ 7 Thus our first parents flung off 
 subjection to God, their Creator and rightful sovereign. 
 They challenged to themselves rights and prerogatives, 
 which were infinitely far from belonging to them prac- 
 tically denying God's right to restrain and govern them. 
 Unhappy creatures ! Soon were they convinced of their 
 fatal error and folly. An error, which would have been 
 eternally fatal to their own peace and good, and in its 
 consequences, to the happiness and prosperity of an al- 
 most innumerable offspring, had not sovereign, and infi- 
 nite mercy interposed. That luminous body an em- 
 blem of their internal purity and innocence, in which, 
 they probably shone, immediately left them ; and find- 
 ing themselves naked, for the first time felt a sense of 
 shame. Fear presently seized their guilty breasts, and 
 they sought to hide themselves amongst the trees of the 
 garden. Had not sovereign and infinite power and 
 grace interposed, how sorely indeed must they have 
 smarted for listening to the temptation of him, who is a 
 liar, has been so from the beginning, and is the father 
 of it. 
 
 THE observations, we have now made on the subject 9 
 inay prepare the way for the following 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 1. How sin and evil were introduced into our world, 
 would have been an entire secret to us, had we been fa- 
 vored with no special revelation from heaven. That 
 they have, in fact, entered, and prevailed to a very great 
 degree, mankind ever have had* and still have melancho- 
 ly proof by their own constant experience and observa- 
 tion. But whether our nature was originally so awful- 
 ly corrupt and depraved, or how it came to pass, that it 
 is so now, never would have been known, at least, in the 
 present age of the world, had not God been graciously 
 pleased to give us, by an immediate revelation, a knowl- 
 edge of the original state of man what was the trial of 
 
28 
 
 his obedience- and wherein his fall and rebellion con- 
 sisted. This, too, gives us much instruction respecting 
 our present duty, and the nature and extent of the sub- 
 mission we owe the Great God, our creator. Nor, with- 
 out a divine revelation, should we ever have known the 
 penalty of transgression, and the evil, to which we ex- 
 pose ourselves by disobedience. Nor, yet further, 
 should we ever have known, what right we have to the 
 world and the things of it, and what and how far we 
 may make use of them What use of them may be ac- 
 ceptable to God, who, reason proclaims, must be the 
 sole proprietor of all and what would be unlawful in 
 his sight, and expose us to his displeasure. The knowl- 
 edge of these things must be of very great importance 
 to us ; seeing our eternal state is depending. But, in 
 what extreme uncertainty must we have been involved r 
 in what great darkness must we have groped, in all our 
 inquiries respecting these things, had it not been that we 
 are favored with a special revelation from Heaven. 
 Who, that is concerned to know and do his duty, and 
 to use the world as not abusing it, but what will highly 
 prize this divine revelation ! How thankful ought we, all, 
 to be to God for it, and how faithfully and constantly take 
 it for our guide ! 
 
 2. WE may be led to see how it comes to pass, that 
 the sin and ruin of the whole posterity follow the sin and 
 fall of the first parents of our race. For God to suspend 
 the good and happiness of their posterity on the conduct 
 of the original pair, must have furnished strong and for- 
 cible motives to them strictly to obey God. If such a 
 constitution were originally just and wise, the effects of 
 its operation must, also, be so. And, for God to give to 
 them a posterity destitute, both of his image, and of his 
 favor, would be but a just testimony ot his displeasure 
 against them for their wicke>. ntss in disobeying him. 
 This, to the first parents, was a penal consequence of 
 their sin and fall. They could not but have felt it to be 
 a very sore evil ; and, such an one as was peculiarly fit- 
 ted to excite, in them, a conviction of their extreme fol- 
 ly and wickedness, and impress and preserve it continu- 
 ally on their minds. 
 
FOR God thus to visit the iniquities of the fathers on 
 their children, is one important way wherein we are 
 taught the destructive nature and tendency of sin. It 
 gives us to see, that there is no end to the evil conse- 
 quences which follow rebellion against God, unless re- 
 strained and prevented by his mighty power and grace. 
 And, probably, one reason why God established the con~ 
 nexion, in moral things, which subsisted between our 
 first parents and their posterity, was to assist us in form- 
 ing apprehensions of the vast and unknown extent of the 
 evil of sin That we may see, to use a scripture expres- 
 sion, that it-will eat as doth a canker or gangrene, and pro- 
 duce universal evil and ruin, unless restrained, and its 
 consequences arrested by divine and almighty power. 
 
 THAT there should be a connexion, between parents 
 and children, in moral things, furnishes strong motives 
 to parental duty and constant, careful obedience to God. 
 Nor can it be unkind in the Great Parent of all, that 
 the connexion, originally established between our first 
 parents and their offspring, should be still continued. Pa 
 rents know the anxiety they feel for their children, and 
 the pain and anguish they suffer from the ill conduct, and 
 the wretchedness of their offspring. They ought, there- 
 fore, ever to remember, and constantly keep it in view, 
 that the original constitution of a connexion, in moral 
 things, between parents and children, has not been done 
 away by the fall ; but is still preserved and in operation ; 
 and, will be transmitted, from parent to child, through 
 every successive generation, to the end of time ; and its 
 consequences be experienced ana felt to eternity. 
 
 WHEN parents look on the dear offspring cf their own 
 bowels, and consider the evils they do, or may suffer in 
 this life, and the far greater evils they are exposed to 
 in the next ; they have no right to excuse themselves 
 from being the blameable cause of the lost and ruined 
 state of their children, by laying it to Adam, that he has 
 wickedly introduced such an endless train of evils. God 
 visits the iniquities of parents on children, for the same 
 reason now, that he originally visited the iniquities of 
 the first parents on their immediate offspring. Parents 
 now have wicked children, for the same reason that the 
 
30 
 
 first sinful parent had wicked children. And when pa- 
 rents see, either the wickedness, or sufferings of their 
 children, and undergo the pain and sorrow they must oc- 
 casion ; let it bring their own wickedness into view; 
 and, impress it, more and more, upon them, that it is an 
 evil and a bitter thing to sin against God : For, had they 
 never offended and been guilty, it cannot reasonably be 
 supposed, that the infinitely just and good God, who 
 never inflicts pain but in testimony of his righteous dis- 
 pleasure, would ever have given them the distress and 
 anguish of seeing the vileness and wretchedness of those, 
 who are dear to them as their own souk. Let us bless 
 God for kindly giving us to understand the ground of 
 his dealings with us ; and, remember how readily it may 
 be seen, that his constitution is wise and good. 
 
 3. WE may very easily see how, all of us, exercise 
 and are continually acting out the very disposition and 
 temper, our first parents did, in taking and eating of the 
 forbidden fruit. The language of God's prohibiting this 
 tree on pain of death, was, " You are to feel, that you 
 ' hold the world, and all that you have in it, under Me 
 " That it is not your own That I am the sole owner, 
 44 lord and proprietor of it And, that you are to use it 
 11 as I direct, in my service, and for my glory.'' The 
 language of their taking of the fruit of the tree was, 
 44 We do not wish for the world on such terms as these 
 n \\r e do not desire it, unless we may have it and use 
 " it for our own pleasure and comfort We cannot en- 
 " dure such restrictions." How manifest is it, that this 
 very disposition has been transmitted from the first, and 
 from every succeeding parent, to their offspring, through 
 every generation to the present day ; and, reigns, to an 
 awful degree, in the hearts of all ! Are not these now 
 the feelings of men, 44 What we obtain by our own in- 
 " dustry and application, is our own ; and we mean to 
 " use it for our comfort and pleasure. We cannot bt 
 44 content with those restrictions, which are necessari- 
 44 ly implied in our being willing to receive our daily 
 4t bread from God, and being dependant on him for it." 
 How little do we consider the nature of that tenure, on 
 whkh we now hold the world- That we are mere ten- 
 ant? at will That we have nothing, but what is knt to us 
 
by the great and only proprietor, to be taken away at his 
 pleasure. Had our first parents persevered in innocency 
 during the proposed time of their trial, thty would have 
 ha-.i, by covenant, a perpetual right to the world, and to 
 the full and free use oi it on those terms, on which it was 
 offered them. But this right has been forfeited, and 
 never will be restored. Since the fall of our first parents, 
 roan has no right whatever to the world, or to any of its 
 good things, but what comes by Christ, and is derived 
 from him. To godliness, He has annexed the gracious 
 promise of this life, and of that which is to come. But 
 in what latitude this promise is to be taken, we learn 
 from what Christ says to Peter, Mark, x. 29, 30. " Ve- 
 w rily, I say unto you, there is no man hath left house, 
 " or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, 
 u or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 
 " But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, 
 " houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and 
 " children, and lands, -with persecutions ; and in the 
 u world to come, eternal life." 
 
 IF men felt, in any measure as they ought, their ac 
 countableness to God for the use they make of every 
 worldly enjoyment they have If they felt that, on their 
 peril, and an awful one too, they must use the world, all 
 that they have of it, and every thing they have in it, 
 just as God directs in his holy word, without the least 
 murmuring or complaint to feed the hungry to clothe 
 the naked to relieve the distressed ; in short, to serve 
 Christ, promote his glorious cause, the comfort of his 
 people, and the good of souls. If they considered that 
 they were forbidden to love the world, and the things 
 of it, or to use one of its good things to feed their lusts; 
 but, required that, whether they eat, or drink, or what- 
 ever they do, to do all to the glory of God ; remember- 
 ing continually the solemn account, they are liable, eve- 
 ry moment, to be called to give unto the Great God, for 
 every article they have ever had If men felt all this 
 now, which in fact, they are under all possible obligation 
 to feel, would it not exceedingly check their .ardor in 
 the pursuit of the world and its pleasures ? If we reflect- 
 ed, that, such has been our abuse of the world and the 
 things of it, that, without an interest in Christ, by faith 
 
^-without being, by him, crucified to the world, and the 
 world, to us, we infallibly fall under the just and awful 
 displeasure of God ; would not our minds greatly sicken 
 to the things of time and sense ? Is it not very mani- 
 fest, from the feelings, which men, by nature, universal- 
 ly have toward the world, and the things of it, that the 
 same old serpent, the devil, who tempted our first pa- 
 rents, and gained possession of their hearts, is now in 
 men, deluding them, and leading them off from God ? 
 Let all know and realize it, that, unless they have been 
 raised from spiritual death, to spiritual life, by the pow- 
 er of sovereign grace, they are as much under the power 
 of satan, as our first parents were, when they took and 
 ate the forbidden fruit : And, they are continually com- 
 mitting and practising the very crime, for which man 
 was originally driven from the ancient paradise ; and 
 persisting in it, too, against all the remonstrances of the 
 word of God. With little reason wilh little face in- 
 deed, can we excuse ourselves by laying it to our first 
 parents, that we are subjected to evils and sufferings 
 here ; and, exposed to far greater and more awful ones 
 hereafter. Let us look at home, and then our mouths 
 must be shut against any complaints of them. But, 
 
 4. WE may notice another respect, wherein the orig- 
 inal temptation, Te shall be as gods knowing good and 
 evil* has its influence at the present day, and operates, on 
 the minds of men, in the same manner and to the same 
 degree, that it did, on those, who were originally seduced 
 by it. 
 
 WE have, before, observed, that the purport of the 
 great deceiver's insinuation was, that, instead of any ill 
 consequence resulting from their eating of the forbid- 
 den fruit, their eyes should at once be opened to see, that 
 they possessed powers of their own quite suffiicent to 
 guide and direct to point out their duty and their inter- 
 est to discern between right and wrong, and decide, 
 for themselves, what was fit and becoming, in their 
 place and station, and what was not. As the great book 
 of nature was open before their eyes, the noble powers 
 of their minds were such, that they needed no other 
 means of instruction They had reason and understand - 
 
S3 
 
 ing, and stood in need of no other guide Follow rea- 
 son, and attend carefully to its dictates, an- 1 they could 
 not mistake the path of, tither duty, or interest. This 
 Seemed to be the flattering bait laid before our first pa- 
 rents. And how many of their descendants have, ever 
 since, been taken with it ; and, are so, even at the pres- 
 ent day ! Is it not obvious, that, such like considerations 
 are, very frequently, Urged, at the present day, to excite 
 and persuade men to place such implicit confioer.ee in 
 their reason, as to render any other guide unnecessary? 
 How much is said of the sufficiency of reason, and how 
 highly do many extol it ! What boasts are made of the 
 noble powers of the human mind ! And all with a view 
 to bring men to feel themselves above the need of any 
 special instructions from on high ! To tie them down to 
 the belief of every thing contained in the book, which 
 claims to be a revelation from heaven, and, in matters 
 of religion, to confine them to this, they represent as 
 tending only to fetter the mind, and cramp free inquiry. 
 Was not this the very spirit and essence of satan's temp- 
 tation ? And, when we see the effect, which such insinu- 
 ations have on men, the descendants of those, who were 
 first seduced and betrayed by them, can there be any 
 reason to doubt their coming from that same old ser- 
 pent, who, the Scriptures teach us, is the spirit that now 
 worketh in the children of disobedience ? There are 
 many, also, among us, at the present day, who, though 
 they do not openly reject divine revelation, but profess 
 to be advoc Ues for it, yet bring every doctrine of it to 
 the test of their own depraved reason who admit noth- 
 ing as coming from God, bat what their own wisdom, 
 approves but what they judge to he wise and best 
 worthy of God, and fit to be received and relied on by 
 men. However plainly any doctrine or sentiment may 
 be contained and expressed, in the holy Scriptures, if it 
 be above the comprehension of their own reason, or not 
 correspondent with its dictates, they, either openly re- 
 ject, or, in effect, explain all away. Accordingly, though 
 they admit some things, contained in the holy Scriptures, 
 to be true, they reject others : And really, as xar as 
 they profess any religion, profess one of their own de- 
 vising ; not one, which ever came from God, or will 
 
34 
 
 lead back to him A religion better suited to their own 
 taste, than that contained in the oracles of God. 
 
 BUT would we be humble, and feel, as the Great 
 Teacher, who came from God represents to be the truth, 
 that we are poor and wretched, miserable and blind and 
 naked ; many doctrines of divine revelation, which are 
 spurned by the proud reason of men, would evidently ap- 
 pear to wear a divine impression be seen to be worthy 
 of God, and suited to our necessities and condition : And 
 we should feel our obligations thankfully to receive 
 them, and cordially to bow to their authority* 
 
 5. How manifestly does it become us to take warning 
 from the fate and folly of our first parents, and be per- 
 petually on our guard against such like reasonings and 
 temptations as those, by which they were seduced and 
 betrayed. They, when they heard the voice of the 
 Lord God walking in the garden, were afraid. They 
 trembled, and attempted to hide themselves ; but, 
 all in vain. GOD, their maker, their sovereign 
 and their judge, came to call them to an account 
 for what they had done. How poor and miserable were 
 their excuses ! How little reliance had they, themselves, 
 then upon them ! So far was the holy God from paying 
 any regard to their excuses, that he immediately pro- 
 ceeded, though not to pass their final sentence ; yet such 
 an one as deeply affected them, and reached to all their 
 posterity -as men, in every age, and at the present day, 
 are taught by sad experience. Ought we not, all, to be 
 taught, by this experience, the folly and danger of listen- 
 ing to temptations, which have subjected us to so many 
 evils ? These evils afford a striking admonition to us to 
 beware of the snare, in which our progenitors were 
 caught : And, yet, how many, and how often are men 
 taken in it ! We, too, must soon be called to account, by 
 the holy and sovereign Judge of all : An account, too, 
 far more solemn and awful than that, to which our first 
 parents were called, in the garden. How will such as 
 have followed no guide but their own reason who 
 have none of that wisdom, which is from above who 
 are strangers to the consolations of faith in the doc- 
 
35 
 
 trines of the glorious gospelHow will they then fiear 
 and tremble, and attempt to hide themselves ! When 
 they hear the voice of God in the approach of death 
 vrhen they see they must meet that king of terrors j un- 
 less awfully stupified, how will their courage fail, and 
 their vain hopes vanish ! Will they then think of mea- 
 suring their reason with that of the eternal God. In- 
 stead of this, they will attempt, but ail in vain, to hide 
 themselves from his awful presence : For, appear be- 
 fore him they must. Then, if not before, they will 
 immediately see, how unspeakably far their own proud 
 reason has been from being a safe and sufficient guide. 
 Then, however they may consider the gospel as fool- 
 ishness, they will be convinced, that the foolishness of 
 God is wiser than men. Let us, all, remember how 
 exceedingly sweet and supporting will be the balm of 
 the Christian hope, at the trying and solemn hour of 
 which we are speaking. Without this hope, what hor- 
 ror will seize on us and overwhelm us ! How bitterly 
 shall we lament, that we have placed such confidence in 
 the strength and powers of our own minds ! When God 
 stains the pride of all human glory, how will proud 
 boasters find, that their own strength was but weakness, 
 and their wisdom, folly. How will they curse the great 
 deceiver, and themselves, for being deceived and delu- 
 ded by him ! 
 
 6. \VE may learn, from what has been said on the 
 subject, what the temper and feelings are, toward the 
 world and the things of it, to which true and real relig- 
 ion will form and bring men back. One tree in the gar- 
 den was forbidden, to remind man of his constant de- 
 pendance on God, and that the world was not his That 
 God the Creator was the sole lord and proprietor of it, 
 and of whatever was in it, or belonged to it That, man 
 held his right to the world wholly under God, and on 
 the terms, which God prescribed And that, on pain 
 of forfeiting all, and the favor of God with it, he must 
 make that use of it, which God directed, and no other. 
 Of all this, the forbidden tree was to be a monitor. It is 
 of mere grace that we fallen creatures are suffered to en- 
 joy the world, or any of the good things of n. All kind of 
 right we have to it, or to any of its comforts and enjoy- 
 
36 
 
 ments, we receive from Christ, the second Adam, and 
 heir of all things. We have no such right or title to it f 
 as man would have had, if he had persevered in inno* 
 cence ; nor do we hold it by any such tenure as he, in 
 that case might nave done. We are only tenants at will ; 
 liable to he called off from it at any moment ; it being of 
 undeserved favor and mercy that we may use it, at all* 
 Religion, had it the proper possession of our hearts, 
 would effectually teach us, that all the enjoyment we 
 have of ihis world, and the good things of it, even of ev- 
 ery crumb of bread and drop of water, is purchased** 
 and that, too, not with silver and gold, but by the pre- 
 cious blood of Christ. How indebted would it make us 
 feel to the glorious God and Saviour, and to mercy ! 
 How would such Considerations heighten our comforts, 
 and enrich and sweeten every worldly enjoyment ! 
 Could we then eat and drink without praising the Lord ? 
 It \\ould make us tremble at the thought of eating and 
 drinking forourown pleasure, makingour bellies our gods, 
 and consuming divine mercies on our lusts. We should 
 be afraid to take, even the least thing purchased at such 
 a price, and use it in any other way, or for any other 
 purpose, than the Lord Jesus directs. It would lead us 
 ever to keep in mind, that we must give a strict and 
 solemn account for every article we have had, and the 
 use we have made of it. It would engage us to make 
 to ourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, 
 that when we fail, they might receive us into everlasting 
 habitations. 
 
 How would such thoughts tend to disengage our af- 
 fections from the world, and from its pleasures and pur- 
 suits ! Had they possession of our hearts, it would be 
 our delight and joy to honor God with our substance, 
 and to serve Christ with the world, and with such of the 
 good things of it as he is graciously pleased to commit 
 to our care and disposal. Instead of coveting much, we 
 should be content with such things as we have. But 
 knowing ourselves, we should be afraid of the wealth, 
 the riches, and the honors of the world, lest they should 
 make us forget God, lead our hearts astray from him, and 
 be a snare to us. 
 
37 
 
 7. WE should be taught, and ever keep in mind, that 
 the suggestions of sin and satan are always delusive : 
 Whoever complies with them, must be a loser by it. 
 They charm, but to devour. They promise much, but 
 perform little. However they solicit the senses how- 
 ever flattering and plausible they may appear, yet, at 
 the last, they bite like a serpent, and sting like an adder. 
 Our first parents felt the melancholy effects of listening 
 to temptation : They smarted sorely for their folly. 
 No one touches forbidden things, without receiving a 
 wound. But it may be asked, " How shall we know 
 *' what are the suggestions of sin and satan ?" To this 
 it may be answered, " every thing, which tends to lead 
 ** our hearts and our thoughts from God every thing, 
 u which tends to feed or flatter the pride oi the human 
 " heart, or to provoke and inflame the lusts of the flesh 
 " every thing, which tells us, we shall have peace, tho* 
 " we walk in the imagination of our own heart." In 
 this manner the false prophets are described, Jer. xxiii. 
 17. " They say still unto them that despise me, the 
 * Lord hath said ye shall have peace ; and they say un- 
 ic to every one that walketh after the imagination of his 
 u own heart, No evil shall come upon you." The re- 
 ligion of Christ, it is to be remembered, is a religion of 
 self denial : No religion, which is not, ever came from 
 God, or will be acceptable to him. Every exercise and 
 indulgence of the natural selfishness of the human heart, 
 is sinful. Before this temper the baits of sin and satan 
 are laid. Whatever hopes or expectations any one may 
 entertain of escaping future endless evil, without deny- 
 ing all ungodliness and worldly lust without becoming 
 a new creature, and complying with the very terms of 
 the gospel of Christ without being interested, by a tru- 
 ly humble and evangelical faith, in the merit and righ- 
 teousness of Christ ; he may be assured, are originally 
 from that old serpent, who told our first parents, " ye 
 " shall not surely die." Let every one, then, take sea- 
 sonable warning from the fate of the first transgressors : 
 remembering the danger they are in from the original 
 betrayer ; and, never forgetting, that he is now continu- 
 ally going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may 
 devour. 
 
38 
 
 8. WHAT abundant reason have we to admire the 
 wisdom and love of God in overruling the sin and fall of 
 man to his own glory in the greater good of our sinful 
 race ! Here we see the wrath of man praising God. 
 Though, as we cannot hut see, sin has very greatly and 
 awfully abounded by the fall of Adam, grace has much 
 more abounded by the Lord Jesus, towards us. What 
 glorious displays are these of the wisdom and power, 
 the unbounded love and mercy and grace of God, in 
 the salvation of sinn-rs ! The disobedience of our first 
 parents gave occasion for the exercise of such wisdom 
 and love, and for the clear and lively manifestations, to 
 the views and apprehensions of creatures, of such divine 
 and wonderful glory as never would have been seen, or 
 conceived of, had they not fallen. But all this was un- 
 questionably comprehended in God's wise and original 
 plan. For the apostle tells us, Ephes. iii, 9 11. that 
 " God created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent 
 " that now, unto the principalities and powers in heav- 
 *' enly places, might be known, by the church, the mani- 
 " fold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose 
 11 which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." This 
 glorious purpose of God, it was the design of the great 
 adversary to defeat : But wherein he walked proudly, 
 God was above him. By the ruin of human nature, the 
 great adversary meant to prevent its ever being taken 
 into that near and intimate union with the divine, to 
 which it is now in fact raised up. But he was made 
 the unwilling instrument, in the hand of God, of prepar- 
 ing for the accomplishment of the very designs he meant 
 to frustrate : And, is now fallen into the pit, which 
 he digged for others. God overrules the malice and 
 devices of satan to his own glory, an^l the good of man. 
 Let the conviction ever be on our minds and hearts, 
 that the counsel of God shall stand, and that he will do 
 all his pleasure That the purposes of all other enemies 
 shall be as perfectly overthrown, as those of the origin- 
 al adversary of God and man. Though the serpent 
 meant, that the way to the tree of life should be forever 
 barred from man, the Lord Jesus came, and has again, 
 opened to us the way to it ; and that so effectually, that 
 it never can again be shut. And now a far mon j glori* 
 ous inheritance is prepared for all, who will return to 
 
59 
 
 God by Christ, than this world ever could have been, in 
 its greatest glory. A richer and far more glorious 
 crown is provided for every friend and follower of 
 Christ, than Adam ever could have worn, had he main- 
 tained his original standing. However awfully sin has 
 abounded, still divine grace much more abounds. Let 
 us all, then, feel it to be our wisdom ever to confide in 
 God, and in his disposals, and to rest satisfied in his gov- 
 ernment. Every thing, every desireable and valuable in- 
 terest is infinitely safe and secure in his hand. And, 
 let it ever be impressed on our consciences and hearts, 
 that there is no safety, no security for us, but in serving 
 and following the Lord* 
 

SERMON III. 
 
 ON THE EXCLUSION OF OUR PIRST PA- 
 RENTS FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN. 
 
 GENESIS III. 22, 23, 24, 
 
 AND THE LORD GOD SAID, BEHOLD THE MAN IS 
 BECOME AS ONE OF US, TO KNOW GOOD <^ND 
 EVIL. AND NOW, LEST HE PUT FORTH HIS HAND, 
 AND TAKE ALSO OF THE TREE OF LIFE, AND EAT, 
 AND LIVE FOREVER. THEREFORE THE LORD GOD 
 SENT HIM FORTH FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN, 
 TO TILL THE GROUND FROM WHENCE HE WAS 
 TAKEN. SO HE DROVE OUT THE MAN: AND HE 
 PLACED AT THE EAST OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN, 
 CHERUBIMS, AND A FLAMING SWORD, WHICH 
 TURNED EVERY WAY, TO KEEP THE WAY OF THE 
 TREE OF LIFE. 
 
 MANY were the melancholy consequf nces of listen- 
 ing to the voice of the tempter, which our first parents 
 were made to experience. Amongst others, though a 
 door of hope was opened to the^n, they were driven 
 from the happy abode of their innocence, and from the 
 tree, which might have been a pledge to them of God's 
 eternal love and favor. But when they had violated the 
 holy commandment, and refused subjection to the 
 Sovereign Lord and proprietor of all things, it was not 
 fit that they should have access to that tree, which was 
 to have been the seal of a covenant on God's part, of a 
 perpetually happy life to them in the world which he 
 gave them ; and, on theirs, ol increasing obedience and 
 unreserved submission to him. Therefore Gcd says, in 
 our text, in allusion to the false and wicked suggestion 
 of the tempter, " Behold, the man is become as one of 
 " us, to know good and evil" As though he had said, 
 F 
 
42 
 
 4 No doubt, the man is become so wise as to be capable 
 " of judging for himself, and determining on the proper 
 u measures for recovering what he has lost. In the 
 " fulness of his wisdom, he may conclude, that if he 
 " take of the tree of life, it may yet save him from the 
 " curse, and secure him a happy abode in that paradise 
 " which he has forfeited." Therefore, it is said, the 
 Lord God sent him forth, and drove him out, and pla- 
 ced so marvellous and awful a guard, as would forever 
 bar him from the tree of life. 
 
 THE words of the text lead us to inquire, 
 
 I. WHY this tree, standing in the midst of the garden^ 
 nigh the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was cal- 
 led the tree of life. 
 
 II. WHAT was the import of its being guarded, in the 
 solemn and awful manner it was, from access by our 
 first parents after their fall. 
 
 IF each of these may be justly and properly explained, 
 it may open the way for a number of instructive inferen- 
 ces and remarks. 
 
 I. WE may inquire, why the tree standing in the 
 midst of the garden, nigh the tree of the knowledge ot 
 good and evil, was called the tree of life. 
 
 WHEN Adam was on a state of trial, it is easily seen, 
 that it was no more than fit and suitable, there should be, 
 some known, appointed test of his obedience. In what 
 manner the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was 
 such, we trust has been shewed in a preceding discourse. 
 As there was such an instituted test of his obedience, it 
 is no more than reasonable to suppose, there should also 
 be a tree, the taking of which should be a token, on his 
 part, of his engagements to be forever the Lord's ; and 
 on God's, of his acceptance and approbation of him up- 
 on trial, and of a covenant of perpetual life and favor 
 to him. As our first parents brought death on them.- 
 selves, and on their posterity, by taking of the forbidden 
 fruit, there is sufficient reason to believe, they might 
 
*iave secured to themselves perpetual life and peace, and 
 transmitted the same blessings to their posterity after 
 them, by taking, while in innocence, of the tree of life. 
 THAT they understood this to be the import of the tree 
 of life, and that their taking of the fruit of it would be 
 a covenant security of the favor of God, and an end- 
 less life, may naturally be inferred from the words of the 
 text : Otherwise, God would not have said of the man, 
 ** now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the 
 " tree of life, and eat and live forever." Their obeying 
 the voice of God respecting the tree of the knowledge of 
 good and evil, during the term ol trial, which God had 
 allotted ; and, then taking of the fruit of the tree of life, 
 Would have been a profession and witness on their part, 
 that they willingly and thankfully received the world on 
 the terms on which God offered it them ; and, agreed 
 and promised forever to use it for God, and in his ser- 
 vice: And, on God's part, agreeably to the nature and de- 
 sign of its appointment, a pledge of his perpetual love 
 and favor. 
 
 THE tree, which was called the tree of life, was of a 
 sacramental nature and import, somewhat in the same 
 sense, in which some Christian institutions are sacrament- 
 al. In its original design, it was to have been the seal 
 of a covenant betwixt God and man. The taking of 
 the fruit of it, by our first parents, would have been stri- 
 king the covenant between God and them : And it would 
 have been an everlasting covenant, extending its securi- 
 ty and blessings to all their posterity, time without endo 
 It never would have been violate ' by either party in the 
 covenant, any more than the covenant of grace, now es- 
 tablished in Christ, with believers, will fail and become 
 void. But it would have seemed to therri nothing more, 
 than the perpetual possession of this world, in the en- 
 joyment of all that holiness and happiness, which they 
 experienced in that rich and pleasant garden, while in 
 innocence ; and, undoubtedly, a great increase of it. But 
 there was nothing in the nature ot the transaction between 
 God and man, which gave the Icasl intimation, that men, 
 if obedient, should evr be removed from this, to anoth- 
 er and better world ; or, if disobedient, would evrr be 
 consigned tb any other state, for a punishment, which 
 
44 
 
 might not have been inflicted on them in that world, 
 \vhich was the scene of their rebellion. Yea, the words 
 of the apostle give us reason to suppose, that this -world 
 will, in fact, be the place of punishment for those of 
 mankind, who reject offered mercy, to all eternity. For 
 he tells us, 2 Pet.jii. 7. "the heavens and the earth, which 
 " are now, by the word of God are kept in store, reser- 
 " vecl unto fire against the day of judgment and perdi- 
 " tion of ungodly men." The provision, for a removal 
 of any of mankind from this, to another and better world, 
 is made um'^r the new and gracious dispensation : The 
 former, contained nothing ol it. 
 
 WE see, then, that in these two trees in the midst of 
 the garden, our first parents had life and good and death 
 and evil, the blessing and the curse, set before them : 
 And to them it was left to make the solemn and infinite- 
 ly important choice. Deluded, they chose the evil, and 
 thereby brought death on themselves, and on all their 
 posterity. This leads us, 
 
 II. To inquire what was the design, and what the 
 import of the tree's being guarded, in the solemn and 
 awful manner it was, from the access of fallen, sinful 
 man. 
 
 Considering what was intended by its being a tree of 
 life, it is easily seen, that our first parents coukl not have 
 the least shadow of right to it, after they had sinned, 
 and forfeited the condition, on which they might have 
 hud the love and favor of God for. an everlasting inher- 
 itance. After this, and when they had incurred his aw- 
 ful displeasure and anger, it could have been no pledge, 
 on God's part, of his favor, or of any good to them in 
 consideration of their obedience. Nor could it have 
 been a pledge, on their part, when they had already sin- 
 ne:l, of perpetual snd unceasing obedience, as the con- 
 dition on which they might expect the Lord to be their 
 God. Taking into view the nature of God's covenant 
 the proposals he made to man- and the reason why this 
 tree in the midst of the garden was called the tree of 
 life ; we readily discern the utter impropriety, that man, 
 after his fall, should have liberty of access to it : 
 
45 
 HERE then, it may be observed, 
 
 1. OUR first parents being driven from the garden, 
 and shut out from the tree of life, was exceedingly fit- 
 ted to teach them the utter impossibility of ever regain- 
 Ing life and the favor of God, by any of their own fu- 
 ture works of obedience ; and that it was now eternally 
 too late for them to expect it That, if good ever came 
 to them, it must be all of mercy of grace. They had 
 had a price put into their hands, but no hearts to im- 
 prove it. They had been favoured with an opportunity, 
 a happy opportunity, for securing the goodness and love 
 of God, both to themselves and all their posterity. But 
 the blessed priviledge was now gone it was lost, never 
 to be recovered. The perpetual favor and love of God, 
 they might reflect, were offered to them only on condi- 
 tion of perfect, sinless obedience. But they had dis- 
 obeyed the voice ot God, and incurred his awful anger : 
 And now, alas ! what should they do It was now for- 
 ever out of their power to bring themselves again into 
 the divine favor. And as to the tree of life, which was 
 to have been a pledge of perpetual security to them, how 
 awfully and dreadfully was it guarded ! How impossi- 
 ble for them ever to gain access to it ! The very sight 
 of the cherubims, and of the flaming sword must, in a 
 moment, have struck death to every such hope. Drove 
 oat, by the word and power of the Great and justly of- 
 fended God, what a solitary and melancholy walk must 
 they have had out of that pleasant and delightful garden, 
 the earthly paradise, never again to return to it ! Could 
 they look back upon it, without mournful sighs, and 
 cheeks covered with blushes, as well as eyes running 
 with tears ! How was the vcice of God driving them 
 out, and the glorious, yet solemn and awful scenery be- 
 fore their eyes, filled to convict them of their extreme 
 folly and wickedness, impress them with a deep and af- 
 fecting sense of it, and soften their hearts into sorrow and 
 mourning for what they had done. Surely the divine 
 severity was exceedingly gentle : And, in the midst of 
 all the testimonies there were of God's holy displeasure, 
 there were, nevertheless tokens of gracious favor and 
 mercy. But it must, however, have been, to the guilty 
 exiles, an exceedingly solemn and affecting scene. 
 
46 
 
 2. THE cherubims, and the flaming sword turning 
 every way to guard the way of the tree of life, were rep- 
 resentations and emblems full of instruction. The fla- 
 ming sword very naturally represented the sword of di- 
 vine justice point-<! :u the sinner. Adam and Eve, it 
 is to be observed, had become in a measure sensible of 
 ickedness in what they had done, before this sol- 
 em. i and i*if:ctinjr scenery was presented before them. 
 They knew thiu God had said, in the day they ate of 
 the forbidden tree, they should surely 'lie. They could 
 not but suppose, that this was the sword to avenge thfe 
 injured justice of God. Anri, as it turned every way to 
 keep the way of trr.- fee of life, it would naturally sug- 
 gest to them the utter impossibility of the sinner's ma- 
 king his way to it, < ;.th -rwise than on the point of it. The 
 conclusion was easy and natural, and could hardly fail 
 of being made by guilty man, that there was do way for 
 the sinntr to obtain a covenant security of life in the 
 favor of God, but on the point of this terrible sword. It 
 was fitted to give him to see, that divine justice made 
 its challenge ; and must have its demands : And that, 
 whoever should ever open a way for the sinner to ob- 
 tain the divine favor, must do it on the very point of this 
 sword, and be himself pierced by it. The instruction 
 here held up^ therefore was, that, in the first place, a 
 sinner never could work out a righteousness of his own, 
 in which he might appear before the holy God This 
 Was absolutely impossible : For nothing short of perfect, 
 persevering obedience woul i be sufficient for this : 
 And, in the next place, that divine justice, which guards 
 the government of God, and drives the sinner from his 
 presence and favor must be satisfied, and its rights se- 
 cured, before it could be that a sinner shoul ; ever, in 
 any way, become the object of divine favor : And, 
 that thus to fulfil the law of God, and satisfy his justice, 
 was absolutely and infinitely impossible for the sinner. 
 Hapless, wretched, desperate state of the sinner, as to 
 any thing in himself, or any kind of power or sufficien- 
 cy of his own ever to obtain relief ! As God designed 
 mercy lor Adam and his posterity, and had already giv- 
 en hint intimations of it, ho\v fit and suitable was it that 
 these solemn truths should be deeply impressed on his 
 conscience and heart : that he might be prepared to see, 
 
at what vast and infinite expense salvation is wrought 
 out for sinners ; and, thereby, be enabled more proper- 
 ly to estimate the worth of divine mercy, and see its 
 glory ! 
 
 As to the cherubims, perhaps their import and signi- 
 fication are not so plain and obvious, as those of the fla- 
 ming sword. By cherubim, it has generally been sup- 
 posed, are meant holy angels, who are God's ministeis, 
 both to execute his judgments, and protect and defend 
 his chosen ones among men For they are sent forth to 
 minister to those, who shall be heirs of salvation. Pos- 
 sibly, however, something else may be designed, in this 
 place, and in some others, besides a representation of any 
 ministration of angels. We are to remember, that God's 
 dealings with our first parents, after their sin and fall, 
 were unspeakably kind and tender. He purposed to shew 
 mercy to the transgressors All his treatment of them 
 corresponded with the gracious design, and indicated it. 
 In the midst of judgment, he remembered mercy. Even 
 before he ejected them from the garden, and doomed 
 them to toil and sorrow here in this life, he gave the 
 ever memorable and gracious promise, that the seed of 
 the woman should bruise the serpent's head. He pitied 
 their nakedness, and made coverings for them ; and 
 these of the skins of beasts, probably, offered, by his di- 
 rection in sacrifice, and by him accepted. There is rea- 
 son, accordingly, to suppose, that, even before he turned 
 them out of the garden, he began to soften their hearts 
 by the power of divine grace. The various circumstan- 
 ces attending their being driven out, which concurred to 
 impress them with a sense of their wickedness, and 
 sorrow for it, all carried, at the same time, kindness and 
 goodness in them. It is readily seen, that it was fit, di- 
 vine justice, with the sword of which they merited to be 
 pierced, should be held up before the eyes of our fi r st 
 parents as it was in the flaming sword, which turned 
 every way. But, yet, it sterns hardly to correspond 
 with the kind and gracious intimations given them, of 
 pardon and mercy, to suppose that, in that wonderful 
 scenery, which was preso.;r-l, around the tree of ^ , 
 there should be nothing but emblems of terror and 
 wrath to man. 
 
48 
 
 THF.RE are some objections, which possibly, may be 
 thought of weight, against the opinion, that the Cheru- 
 bims mentioned in the text were repress ntations of ho- 
 Iv angels. The words, Cherub, and Cherubim which is 
 the plural, Hebricians tell us do not originally signify in* 
 telligent beings rational creatures, but emblematical 
 representations of something. We have a very partic- 
 ular account of th',urappearance, in the 1st and in the 10th 
 chapters of the prophecy of Ezekit-1. There they are 
 said to have each one four faces ; the face of a man and 
 of a lion on one side, the face of an ox and cf an eagle 
 on the othrr : And, besides their vvings, the hands of a 
 man, and the fret of a calf being, also, full of eyes with- 
 in and without. By the description we have of ihefour 
 beasts, in the fourth chapter of the Revelations, it ap- 
 pears, they were the same as the cherubim. It seems 
 hardly probable, that this is designed to be an image or 
 representation of the holy angels. There is no reason to 
 suppose, that they have, each, four faces, that of a man 
 and a lion, and of an ox and an eagle : And, as being 
 full of eyes, within and without, or before and behind, is 
 a natural emblem of omniscience, it is hardly supposa- 
 ble, that the holy angels should be so represented. 
 
 MOSES was directed to make a cherubim and connect 
 them with the mercy seat, which was over the ark of the 
 testament, in the most holy place in the tabernacle, Exod. 
 xxv. 18, 19. And \\ithin the oracle, in the temple, Sol- 
 omon madr two cherubims ; and he carved all the walls 
 of the house round about, with carved figures of cheru- 
 bims. See, 1 Kings, vi. 23, 29. These cherubims 
 spread forth their wings ovj:r the place of the ark, and 
 covered the ark, 1 Kings, viii. 7. When the children 
 of Israel were so prone to imitate the example of the na- 
 tions round about them, and fall Hto idolatry, it should 
 seem rather improbable, that God himself shoukl irect 
 so many images, or representations of r.ny celestial cr^ a- 
 ture to be in the very place, wheie the most solemn 
 and sacred parts of his worship were to be performed. 
 These are some of the difficulties in the way of the 
 more generally received interpretation of cherubim. 
 But this is not all ; John saw the four beasts, v\hkh are 
 the same as the cherubims, not only round about the 
 
49 
 
 throne of God, but in the midst of it, Rev. iv. 6. As 
 the holy scriptures clearly represent the church, the 
 bride, the Lamb's wife, as being the first and highest 
 object among creatures, of divine love ; and, as be- 
 ing brought into a greater nearness to God, and 
 a more intimate and delightful union with him ; it 
 would be unnatural to suppose, that there is an 
 order of angels, four in number, admitted into so endear- 
 ing a union, and so exalted a seat as their being round 
 about the throne and in the midst of the throne, would 
 necessarily import. These difficulties in the way of un- 
 derstanding the cherubims to be, either the holy angels, 
 or emblematical representations of them, may induce us, 
 at least, to inquire, whether they were not of some other 
 and different import. 
 
 WHEN we consider, that, in all God's dealings with 
 men, since the fall, and since the first gracious promise, 
 mercy and truth, righteousness and peace meet together, 
 and unite with each other ; this may assist us in opening 
 and understanding many of the figurative and symboli- 
 cal representations, which were made use of previously 
 to the coming of Christ. God frequently made use of 
 hieroglyphics heretofore, for the instruction of his peo- 
 ple ; and, many of them strikingly represented the thing 
 designed. Possibly, the cherubims placed at the east of the 
 garden might have been an emblematical representation 
 of those glorious divine attributes, which so wonderfully 
 unite and harmonize in the great work of redemption. 
 We know that, heretofore, a bullock was, most general- 
 ly used in burnt offerings, as a sacrifice of atonement 
 And this to prefigure the atonement, which Christ made 
 by being himself a sacrifice, and making his soul or 
 life an offering for sin. Were the cherubims a hiero- 
 glyphic of the union of righteousness and mercy, and of 
 their glorious display in the work of redemption ; the 
 face of a man, in the cherub, might represent the human 
 nature of Christ of an ox, his becoming, himself, a sac- 
 rifice for sin ; being full of eyes within and without, 
 his Divinity. The same, also, of the hands of a man, 
 and the feet of a calf, which were parts of the cherubim. 
 These parts of the cherubims were a figurative represent- 
 ation of the wonderful kindness and mercy of God to his 
 people. The faces of a lion and an eagle, the one a 
 G 
 
beast of prey, remarkable for his strength ; the other, a 
 bird of prey, remarkable for his swiftness ; might denote 
 judgment and vengeance on the enemies of Christ and 
 His church. 
 
 AFTER God had promised our first parents, that the- 
 seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, he 
 instituted sacrifices as types, undoubtedly, of the sacri- 
 fice of this seed ; and, to give intimation of the way, in 
 which everlasting righteousness was to be brought in. 
 What the import was, of the flaming sword turning eve- 
 ry way to guard the way of the tree of life, has been be- 
 fore shown. If the import of the cherubims was, as 
 here suggested, the whole scenery around the tree of 
 life, was really much of the same import, and expressive 
 of the same thing, as was signified by the furniture of 
 the most holy place in the temple of Solomon. In this 
 part of the temple, there was, first, the ark of the cove- 
 nant, securing the law, and holding and claiming the 
 rights of justice. Above, upon it, was the mercy seat, 
 and the cherubim stretching out their wings over it : 
 here were the clearest intimations of mercy. In tills 
 was a representation of the union and harmony of righ- 
 teousness and mercy, in God's dealings with his people/' 
 
 WERE these, the emblematical representations, at the- 
 garden of Eden, the} \vere very instructive and affect- 
 ing They corresponded with the treatment God gave, 
 our first parents, after their sin and fall. And, toward 
 these chtrubirns Adam and Eve would, probably, wor- 
 ship. Not forgetting, that imagination may be too much 
 indulged in explaining figurative and emblematical rep- 
 resentations ; whether, what has been said above, give 
 the true import of the scenery guarding the way of the 
 tree of life, must now be left with the reader to judge 
 for himself. 
 
 APPLICATION. 
 
 1. SOME may, perhaps, be disposed to inquire, what 
 the r fleet would have been, after our first parents were 
 made naked by taking of the forbidden fruit, had they 
 gone immediately ami taken of the tree of life, and ate ? 
 Respecting this, it may be observed, that it was wha* 
 
51 
 
 was not to be. Gou purposed to prevent their taking of 
 that tree ; and, he did effectually prevent it. But had 
 not the holy God especially have interposed, it would 
 have been only like what men now are, and altogether 
 agreeable to the feelings of depraved human nature, for 
 our first parents to have made the experiment, and seen 
 whether it would not have restored them to their former 
 standing and happy state of security. This disposition 
 we may see in many, at the present day, in the various 
 ways and means, by which they hope to get hold of the 
 benefits of Christ's death ; but, more especially in their 
 apprehensions and practice respecting the Lord's sup- 
 per. Christ has opened the way to the tree of life, for 
 sinners. He, himself, is the bread of life. The conse- 
 crated elements, made use of in the holy supper, are the 
 emblems of his body and blood. Unless we embrace 
 him by faith, and feed upon him, where can be the pro- 
 priety of our taking the outward symbols of his body 
 and blood professing, by this act, that we talte him for 
 ur Lord, and for our life -that we live by him, and 
 upon him? Had our first parents been obedient, and 
 complied with the terms on which God had kindly of- 
 fered them his everlasting love and favor, the)' might 
 have eaten of the tree of life, and lived forever. So, if 
 we cordially comply with the terms, on which the Lord 
 Jesus offers to be our Saviour and our life ; there is a 
 manifest suitableness in our partaking, in that hnly sup- 
 per, in which he pledges his perpetual and eternal love. 
 But how many, without complying with these gracious 
 terms, will go and hastily take the elements j and this 
 with a view to bring themselves into a more promising 
 situation, as it relates to their eternal state ! And as such 
 persons, according to the express declarations of the 
 ~ivord of God, eat and drink judgment to themselves ; 
 so, had our first parents, after eating of the forbidden 
 fruit, presumed to have taken of the tree of life, it 
 would have been a most sacrilegious act ; and, instead 
 of benefiting them, would only have sealed further their 
 own eternal condemnation. But it may be inquired 
 titill further, 
 
 2. AFTER the sin and fall of our first parents, what 
 would have been the consequence, according to the ten- 
 
52 
 
 or of the constitution under which they were originally 
 placed, had there been no merciful interposition in their 
 favor ? In reply to this inquiry, it is to be observed, that 
 the constitution, under which mankind were originally 
 placed, was altogether perfect, and fitted to go into op- 
 eration and produce its genuine effects, whether the 
 first parents persisted in obedience, or not. Yea, it is 
 manifest, even now, that all the interpositions of divine 
 glorious mercy and grace, have not wholly arrested and 
 presented all those consequences, which would have been 
 the natural effect of the operation of the first and origi- 
 nal constitution. We are evidently taught, in the holy 
 Scriptures, that the covenant, originally proposed to 
 man, connected the moral state and condition of posteri- 
 ty with the conduct of the first parents. This connex- 
 ion, we see, is in fact preserved, notwithstanding inter- 
 rsitions of the richest mercy : For we are told, Rom. 
 .42, 15, 18, 20, " Wherefore, as by one man sin en- 
 44 tered into the world, and death by sin : and so death 
 44 passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." And 
 that " through the offence of one, many sire dead. That 
 44 by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men 
 41 to condemnation : and that by one man's disobedience, 
 41 many were made sinners." Hence it must be evi- 
 dent, that the natural operation of the original constitu- 
 tion, had there been no interposition of mercy, would 
 not have precluded the existence of posterity. Our first 
 parents were to be fruitful, and multiply and replenish 
 the earth. And we see no reason to conclude, they 
 vrould not have done it, had no Saviour been provided. 
 No Saviour is provided for the angels, who sinned ; 
 nor is mercy offered to them. Yet the full execution 
 of deserved punishment on them, for wise reasons, is 
 suspended : For the Apostle tells us, 2 Pet. 2, 4, that 
 God has delivered them into chains of darkness, to be 
 reserved unto judgment. Nor can it be unreasonable to 
 suppose, that the full execution of the evil implied in 
 the original threatening, in the day that thoit eatest there- 
 of thou shalt surely die, might have been suspended, un- 
 til the human race was so multiplied as to replenish and 
 fill the earth. Then vengeance would have been execu- 
 ted, and a just recompence of reward rendered to all. 
 
53 
 
 3. IT does not appear but that our first parents, as 
 long as they remained innocent, had free access to the 
 tree oflife -of every. tree of the garden, excepting the 
 tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they might free* 
 ly eat The tree of life was never forbidden them, until 
 after they had taken of the prohibited fruit. As these 
 trees, in their true import, were of such vast importance 
 to Adam, now in a state of trial ; it cannot be otherwise 
 than reasonable to suppose, that God gave him sufficient- 
 ly to understand for what end it was, they were made 
 and placed in the mHst of the garden. Yea, it mani- 
 festly appears from God's expelling him from the gar- 
 den lest he should put forth his hand and take of the tree 
 of life, and eat, and live forever, that he did, in fact, un- 
 derstand it. If our first parents understood what was 
 to be the effect of their taking and eating of the fruit of 
 this tree, while in a state of purity and innocence, it may 
 be inquired, Why they neglected it Why they did not 
 take, and eat, and secure those rich and endless blessings, 
 which would ha\re followed ? While innocent, they loved 
 the Lord their God perfectly There was nothing they 
 could prize so highly as his favor : Nor, any thing they 
 could dread, so much as losing it, and being forever 
 shut out from it. Why, then, did they not take of that 
 pledge of his everlasting favor, which was set before 
 them ? 
 
 WE have, before observed, that Adam had a state of 
 trial and probation. He was not to be established in 
 the favor of God, without a tried and approved charac- 
 ter. How long this state of trial was to have lasted, 
 before he would have been established in a state of ho- 
 liness and happiness, God has not seen fit particularly 
 to inform us. The term of the trial and temptation of the 
 second Adam, the promised seed and Saviour, we are 
 expressly informed, was forty days. It may not be un- 
 reasonable to apprehend, that though all the other trees 
 in the garden were laden with fruit, yet this, which was 
 to have been a pledge of God's everlasting favor to man, 
 after a suitable term of trial, had he persevered in obe- 
 dience, as yet had no fruit on it. It was evidently suit- 
 able, that Adam should have time and opportunity to 
 
well and understand the proposals made to Vint, 
 and the conditions on which he might have the earth, 
 and all the brutal creation subjected to him ; and in- 
 herit, too, the perpetual favor of God with them. Ac- 
 cordingly, we are told, Genes, ii. 19, 20. " And out 
 " of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the 
 *' field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto 
 u Adam to see what he would call the m : And whatso 
 " ever Adam called every living creature, that was the 
 <: name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, 
 " and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the 
 " field." It will be no otherwise than analogous to the 
 moral state of Adam, to suppose that this tree was cre- 
 ated in its bloom. Adam himself was thus formed* 
 His nature was originally formed in perfect moral beau- 
 tyIn the bloom of purity and innocence he began his mor- 
 al existence. But the time was not yet come for the fruit of 
 this beautiful moral creation to appear ina confirmed state 
 of holiness, and of love and subjection to God. However 
 promising the prospect, to the view of creatures, it was 
 yet undecided, whether the fruit should finally be unto 
 holiness and endless life. In forty days the fruit of this 
 beautiful tree in the midst of the garden might come to ma- 
 turity, and be fit for the use for which it was originally 
 formed. Inthis period, the term of the second Adam's 
 temptation and trial, \\izjirst had sufficient opportunity 
 maturely to consider and weigh the proposals made to him 
 by the Great Author of his being, and Lord and propri- 
 etor of the world. Before the end of this period, and when 
 the fruit of this tree was nearly fit for use, the serpent, the 
 subtle deceiver might, as we sa), nick the time, and pre- 
 vail on our first parents forever to preclude themselves 
 from the blessed privilege of having the fruit of this 
 tree a seal of God's perpetual love and favor, by taking 
 and eating of the fruit, which was forbidden them on 
 pain of death. In this way the old serpent, the prince 
 of darkness, thought to have the whole race of man to 
 himself, and reign as a mighty potentate on earth though 
 he were cast out of heaven. But into the pit which he 
 digged for men, he himself has fallen ; and will add to 
 the triumphs of the mighty power and justice of the $tf- 
 r*ndAdam the Lord of glory. 
 
5$ 
 
 4. WE, the sinful posterity of the original transgres- 
 sors, may receive much instruction from that solemn 
 and awful guard, which so effectually barred our first 
 parents from access to the tree of life after their fall. 
 The tree of life, as we have before observed, was ap- 
 pointed to be, on certain conditions, a pledge of God's 
 everlasting love to man : The tree of the knowledge of 
 good and evil, if taken, a certain signal of endless ruin. 
 By the awful guard set around the tree of life after the 
 sin of Adam, access to the divine favor, by any thing 
 guilty man could ever do, was rendered infinitely im- 
 possible. We are, all of us, precisely m the same con- 
 dition, with respect to any, the least sufficiency to help 
 ourselves, or to gain access to the favor of God by any 
 thing we can do, which our first parents were in after 
 being driven from their original, pleasant habitation. If 
 we|entertain the least iiope of ever regaining ihe divine fa- 
 vor, or of escaping the evils, with which sinners are indis- 
 criminately threatned, by any of our own duties and ser- 
 vices any of our compliances and performances or 
 any of our tears and cries j let us consider, and serious- 
 ly reflect upon it, that we have indeed an exceedingly 
 arduous work before us ! Unless we embrace the Lord 
 Jesus, in his true and proper character, as the only Sav- 
 iour of sinners, and humbly and penitently comply with 
 the gracious proposals of the gospel, as the only way 
 in which a sinner ever was, or will, or possibly can be 
 saved ; we have to make our way, to heaven and happi- 
 ness, on the point of the sword of divine justice, or eter- 
 nally fail of obtaining them. 
 
 IF any one expect to escape the divine displeasure, 
 and secure the favor of God, by his own works of righ- 
 teousness, let him look to that flaming sword, which 
 turned every way to guard the way of the tree of life 
 from the original parents of our race ; and, his courage 
 must fail in a moment, and his heart sink. And then, per- 
 haps, he might be led to lift up his eyes toward the mercy 
 seat, and pray and cry for the favor and mercy of God, 
 m the name and for the sake ef the Lord Jesus, who, 
 himself is the propitiation for sin, 
 
56 
 
 5. WE may be led to admire the wonderful conde- 
 gcension and love of God, in his early and gracious 
 promise to our rebellious first parents ; and in the com- 
 plete and glorious accomplishment of it, in due time, in 
 the death and sufferings, and the resurrection and assen- 
 sion of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see what a striking 
 and awful guard was all around the tree of life. It could 
 be approached, and a way opened to it for sinners, by 
 no other person in the universe, besides the Lord Jesus. 
 So infinitely indispensible are the rights and claims of 
 divine justice, and so essential to the glory of the God 
 of love, anJ the good of his eternal kingdom. No one 
 could come at the tree of life, the symbol of God's ever- 
 lasting favor, without sheathing this awful sword in his 
 own bowels. Such was the helpless, desperate state of 
 fallen man. Hear the language of the Son of God, at a 
 crisis so awful. " And I looked, and there was none to 
 " help ; and I wondered that there was none to uphold : 
 44 therefore mine own arm bTought salvation unto me ; 
 44 and my fury it upheld me." Again, Isai. lix. 16. 
 " And he saw that there was no man T and wondered 
 " that there was no intercessor ; therefore his arm 
 41 brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness it 
 44 sustained him." Well, therefore, might our Lord 
 say, as he did to Thomas, John, xiv. 6. " I am the 
 41 way, and the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto 
 44 the Father but by me." And his apostle, Acts, xiv. 
 12. u Neither is there salvation in any other : for there 
 44 is none other name under heaven given among men, 
 44 whereby we must be saved." Here is a spectacle, 
 enough to astonish heaven and earth ! Behold, God 
 himself, the holy, infinite, and offended God, became a 
 man ; and in that nature, was pierced with the sword of 
 divine justice, and died by it, to bring in everlasting 
 righteousness for his own rebellious subjects ! ! From 
 the time, the flaming sword turning every way was set, 
 in the garden of Eden, to guard the way of the tree of 
 life, through the wonderful forbearance of God, the 
 sword of his justice had seemed to have lain asleep, 
 God the Son had undertaken the work of the redemp- 
 tion of sinners, and to open a way for them to the tree of 
 life in the paradise of God. For his sake, and on his 
 account, God forbore, and was long suffering and patient. 
 
57 
 
 But no sooner does Jesns, the surety, appear, to inter- 
 pose and put himself between divine justice and infinite- 
 ly guilty man, than Behold ! the loud and awful voice 
 is heard from the throne, Zech. xiii. 7. " Awake, O 
 '* sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that 
 *' is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts : smite the shep- 
 44 herd, and the sheep shall be scattered." According- 
 ly, this mighty and glorious Saviour must make himself 
 a sin-offering : and, when he was made to feel the sword, 
 which awoke to smite him, was in an agony ; and, in the 
 bitterness cf his soul, cried out, u My God, My God, 
 41 why hast thou forsaken me," and gave up the ghost J 
 
 WAS there ever such a scene as this ! Did heaven or 
 earth ever behold such a sight ! Look on, O our souls ! 
 and tremble ; and think how awful and eternally reme- 
 diless our condition must be, if that terrible sword, the 
 sword of divine justice, under which the mighty Redeem- 
 er agonized, and breathed out his precious soul and 
 died, be unsheathed against us ! For our sins, and not 
 his own, remember, it was, that he endured and suffered 
 all this ! Where, but in the infinite, never failing fountain 
 itself, could ever be found such goodness, such love ! 
 And, as surely as this sword was awakened against God's 
 fellow, and smote the shepherd, it will be awakened 
 against us, and smite and eternally destroy us, unless we 
 repent and believe on the Lord Jesus to the saving of our 
 souls. Was there ever such kindness, such condescen- 
 sion and grace, as the great God and Saviour manifests 
 towards us ! If we could be won by kindness and mercy, 
 by goodness and love, not one, who hears the glorious 
 gospel, could ever resist those strong and engaging mo- 
 tives it presents to us, to love and serve and follow 
 Christ ! 
 
 6. WE cannot conclude, without remarking on the 
 inexpressibly tender, gracious and fatherly manner, in 
 which God treated his wicked offspring, after they had 
 so impiously and grossly offended. Every step of di- 
 vine providence towards them, was marked with kindr 
 ness. Never did an earthly parent treat his offending 
 children with such lenity, such mildness and gentleness. 
 When they itogd, naked and trembling, before him, 
 H 
 
SB 
 
 without one excuse to make for themselves, or cne rea- 
 son to expect any thing but a sentence of eternal death 
 to be immediately executed on them, Behold ! there is 
 nothing like an evil denounced, until God had given the 
 gracious assurance, in that ever memorable promise, 
 that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's 
 head, that there might be mercy for them. His guard- 
 ing the way of the tree of life, and excluding them from 
 it, was so far from being unkind, that it was manifestly 
 the reverse : As their taking of its fruit could not pos- 
 sibly have been otherwise than hurtful to them. As to 
 the evils, which God did, in fact, inflict on them, they 
 were light and moderate all fitted to soften their hearts 
 into sorrow and mourning for what they had done ; and, 
 to prepare them tor salvation through the promised 
 Sed. These evils mixed, too, with abundance of kind- 
 ness and mercy ! 
 
 FURTHERMORE, it is to be recollected, that, though 
 God drove out our first parents from the pleasant seat 
 of their original abode, and, in a most solemn and stri- 
 king manner, forbade their approach to the tree of life ; 
 yet he graciously instituted sacrifices ior them, and, as 
 we have much reason to suppose, manifested his merci- 
 ful acceptance of their offerings. And God held up, at 
 the same time, before their eyes, significant symbols of 
 the design and end of these bloody sacrifices such as 
 were instructive and affecting, fitted to impress them 
 with a sense of the evil of sin, and lead their faith and 
 hope to the great and all-sufficient atonement, which was 
 to be made, in due time, for the sins of the v/orld. What 
 can we say to such kindness, such love, such condescen- 
 sion and grace as this ! Are we uninterested in these re- 
 markable scenes ? Infinitely far from it. We are the 
 polluted, guilty descendants from the first guilty pair. 
 Though most unworthy and undutiful children, we are, 
 nevertheless, the offspring of the same Glorious God. 
 In that God, who treated our guilty first parents with 
 such ineffable tenderness and gentleness, we now live, 
 and move, and have our being. Instead of being less 
 indebted for divine kindnesses and mercies than they 
 were, we are incomparably more so. We have not, like 
 them, to look to the great and all-sufficient atonement, 
 
59 
 
 which lays the only foundation of hope, through types 
 and shadows. We live in the happy period of gospel 
 light and day ; and, hear of the actual coming ard death, 
 the resurrection and ascension of the Son of God. To 
 us is the way now opened into the most holy place ; and 
 we may come, ourselves, to the mercy seat by Christ* 
 Oh ! let no one ever complain, that his lot is hard, or 
 that the ways of the Lord are rrot equal ; or, ever mur- 
 mur, that the way for us to enter into life, is made diffi- 
 cult -too narrow and strait ! Salvation is brought neatf 
 to us ; and we have a hope set before us, unspeakably 
 more animating and glorious, than ever did, or could 
 enter the hearts of our first parents, while in their ori- 
 ginal state of purity and innocence. 
 
 7. WE are not to omit remarking, that, in God's deal- 
 Ings with our first parents, immediately after their sin 
 and fall, we are naturally led to contemplate the first ex- 
 ercise and discovery of the glorious attribute of divine, 
 sovereign mercy , that ever was. This was the first 
 time that mercy ever beamed that grace ever appear- 
 ed. Now, for the first time, it began to be apprehend- 
 ed, by the heavenly host, that there was that there 
 could be love and goodness enough in the Great and Ho- 
 ly God, to treat rebel worms with such unspeakable ten- 
 dernessTo pardon, and to receive them into his ever- 
 lasting love and favor. Now that, which is the princi- 
 pal glory of the wisdom and love of the eternal God, be- 
 gan to be discovered. And, if such were the first fruits 
 of mercy, as appeared in the ineffably kind treatment, 
 which sinful man received from his offended Creator 
 and Sovereign ; how very rich and glorious will be the 
 harvest ! 
 
 HERE we behold the first stone, that was laid in the 
 foundation of that spiritual building, which is to rise in 
 glory, till it be completed in the heavenly world that 
 wonderful building, of which Christ Jesus, the promis- 
 ed seed, is the chief corner stone. Here we see the be- 
 ginning of the new Creation that great and glorious 
 work, for which the world was principally made. Here 
 that great and marvellous plan of redemption, which 
 was laid between the Father and the Son, in eternity, 
 
f>0 
 
 begins to open Here opens, as it were, the first fold of 
 that manifold wisdom of Go.i, which is to be known un- 
 to the principalities and powers in heavenly places, by a 
 church redeemed from among men by the precious 
 blood of Christ. 
 
 IF such ineffable divine tenderness and goodness ap- 
 peared in God's treatment of his offending offspring, in 
 the first opening of the scheme of mercy, and of re- 
 demption by Christ ; what a majesty and glory o/XOVE 
 will shine forth in its completion ! What wonders will 
 appear what astonishing scenes will be unfolded, when 
 the -whole church from among men shall be gathered in 
 when God's house, which he will inhabit forever, shall 
 be completed and filled ; and, an innumerable multitude, 
 all made white -and clean in the blooci of the Lamb, shall 
 be presented faultless before the presence of his glory, 
 with exceeding joy. AMEN, EVEN GO COME LORD 
 JESUS ! 
 
 THE END. 
 
 ERRAI UM. In 48th page, 2d line of 2d paragraph, for " thenV" 
 read it. 
 
14 DAY USE 
 
 RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED 
 
 LOAN DEPT. 
 
 This book is due on the last date stamped below, 
 or on the date to which renewed. Renewals only: 
 
 Tel. No. 642-3405 
 
 Renewals may be made 4 days prior to date due. 
 Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 
 
 Due end of SUMMER Period 9l?f 
 
 subject to recall after SEP z M | 
 
 STACKS 
 
 of 
 
 JAN2 11972 
 
 APR ZO 72 -4PM 8 
 
 LD21A-50m-2,'71 
 (P2001slO)476 A-32 
 
 General Library 
 
 University of California 
 
 Berkeley