that, on her taking of the fruit of the tree, she should be advanced to some dignity, and the enjoyment of some privilege, from which she was restrained by the prohibition. In this sense, GOD knows good and evil, that he perfectly knows what is fit and right, and what is otherwise, God most perfectly knows and understands the nature of both good, and evil-what is right, and what is wrong. God most perfectly knows what belongs to Him-what his rights are-and what it is fit. He should do. He knows what ends are worthy of himself, 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 eating 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 actions 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 him, so they, also, should know, what belonged to them-Their own powers were as really adequate to their duty and their necessities, as God's are to his. The deceiver would insinuate, that God meant to cramp the noble 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 creatures, 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 subjection and vassallage unworthy the dignity of the rational natures and the noble powers they possessed.

THIS false and wicked insinuation was too fatally successful. On this, that pride, which has ever since had possession of the human heart, sprung up and took fire ;

and, as 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.' 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-practically 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 almost innumerable offspring, had not sovereign, and infinite mercy interposed. That luminous body-an emblem of their internal purity and innocence, in which they probably shone, immediately left them; and finding 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 á liar, has been so from the beginning, and is the father of it.

THE observations, we have now made on the subject, may prepare the way for the following

REMARKS.

That

1. How sin and evil were introduced into our world, would have been an entire secret to us, had we been favored with no special revelation from heaven. they have, in fact, entered, and prevailed to a very great degree, mankind ever have had, and still have melancholy proof by their own constant experience and observation. But whether our nature was originally so awfully 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 knowledge of the original state of man-what was the trial of

his obedience--and wherein his fall and rebellion consisted. This, too, gives us much instruction respecting our present duty, and the nature and extent of the submission we owe the Great God, our creator. Nor, without a divine revelation, should we ever have known the penalty of transgression, and the evil, to which we expose 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 acceptable 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 knowledge 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 involvedin 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 forcible 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 of his displeasure against them for their wickedness 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 fitted to excite, in them, a conviction of their extreme fol, ly and wickedness, and impress and preserve it continually 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 consequences which follow rebellion against God, unless restrained and prevented by his mighty power and grace. And, probably, one reason why God established the connexion, in moral things, which subsisted between our first parents and their posterity, was, to assist us in forming apprehensions of the vast and unknown extent of the evil of sin-That we may see, to use a scripture expression, that it will eat as doth a canker or gangrene, and produce 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. Parents 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, therefore, 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 and felt to eternity.

WHEN parents look on the dear offspring of 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

first sinful parent had wicked children. And when parents see, either the wickedness, or sufferings of their children, and undergo the pain and sorrow they must occasion; 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 displeasure, 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 souls. 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, "lord and proprietor of it- And, that you are to use it "as I direct, in my service, and for my glory." The language of their taking of the fruit of the tree was, "We do not wish for the world on such terms as these 66 -We 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, "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 be " content with those restrictions, which are necessari"ly implied in our being willing to receive our daily "bread from God, and being dependant on him for it.' How little do we consider the nature of that tenure, on which we now hold the world-That we are mere tenants at will-That we have nothing, but what is lent to us