A View of Mans Estate, Tract 1 · Chapter 6
The ſixt Chapter.
¶That all Adams posteritie are ioyned with him in the ſame guiltineſſe of ſinne, and ſo ſtand in the ſame miſerable estate.
NOw the matter ſtanding at this ſtay, if God did ſo ſtretch his merciemercy, as that he woulde voutſafe to take vsus into his fauour againe, & to make attonement with vsus, if we maye perceiue him notwithſtanding our frowardneſſe to receiue vsus as his children, then if we did not worthily eſtéeme that louelove, we were worthy double damnation. But let eueryevery man be thus minded that he ſtandeth in caſe like with Adam. Let eueryevery one conſider his neceſſitie and ſearch his wounde, and ſée what néede he hath of ſuche a medicine: for ſome peraduenture there be, hauing ſo little taſte of the truthe, that they will ſay: what tell ye me of Adam? what hauehave I to doe with him? Other not conſidering their owne infirmitie, in whome the inpoſthume of ſinne lyeth ſo hidden, that they will beare themſelues as whole and ſounde, whereas within like painted Sepulchers, they are full of corruption, hauing nothing in them to ſhewe when they ſhall come to be opened, but ruſtie and rotten bones, and ſuche ſayings procéede from them as doe declare their hollowe heartes puffed vp with painted hipocriſie and double diſſimulation: Theſe men will ſay I am not like Adam, or if I had bene in Adams caſe, I would hauehave looked better before I had made ſo raſhe a leape: But, O thou man, diſſemble not with God, iudge thy ſelfe leaſte thou be iudged of the Lorde: ſearche the bottome of thy conſcience, take thy glaſſe in thine hande: is it a true glaſſe? what then findeſt thou there but ye very face of Adam, be it neuer ſo well coloured? It is true, it is to true, eueryevery one of vsus are falne, we hauehave ſinned eueryevery mothers childe, as truely as we are the ſéede of ſinfull Euē, it is but vaine to ſay this, if I had bene in Adams coate, for we hauehave each one of vsus in our coates cloathed a ſinfull Adam: or to ſay, if I hadde bene in his caſe, for eueryevery mans ſkinne is the caſe of a ſinner: Nay we maye not ſo ridde our handes, we can not waſhe our fingers ſo cleane but that pitche of ſinne will ſticke faſte what ſoeuer face be ſet on the mater. O thou man that yet knoweſt not thy ſelfe, that art ſo benummed of thy ſenſes, that thou féeleſt not the ſerpent whiche lyeth gnawing at thy héele, whiche ſléepeſt in a deade ſlumber, and féeleſt not the ſting of deathe faſt fired in thy fleſhe, whyche bréedeſt in thy breſte the conſuming worme of ſinne: awake out of thy ſlumber, ſtande vp and hearken to the cry of Eſdras in his diſputation wyth the Aungell:2. Eſdr. 7. O Adam (ſaythe he) what haſte thou done? for in that thou haſte ſinned, thou arte not fallen alone, but thy fall alſo redoundeth vntounto vsus that come of thée: and ſo ſaith the Apoſtle: that by one man ſinne entred into the world, and death by ſinne, and ſo went death ouer all men, for as much as al men hauehave ſinned: this floude of ſinne, it goeth with a higher ſtreame thā the floud of Noe, that went euen ouer the top of the Arke, for ſo ſaith S. Iohn, the whole world is ſet on wickedneſſe. Thus do they ſay of vsus, and we can make no better of oure ſelues: we are loſt, eueryevery one of vsus hauehave gone aſtray, we hauehave loſt our ſelues in the wilde wood of worldly wickedneſſe, following that blinde guide our owne wilfull appetite, Adam he gaue the firſt onſet, and we brake not the araye: he brake the yce, and we are lept into the ditch: we are all hong on one hooke like fiſhe taken with the baite, for we hauehave taſted of the cup of ſhort ſwéete concupiſcence: and as Eſdras ſaith,2. Eſdr. 8. we and our fathers hauehave all one diſeaſe, meaning ſinne that ſhrewe amongſt the ſhepe of Gods paſture: we are al ſicke of ſinne, that is, the griefe that Eſdras complaineth of. Ieremie. 31. The fathers hauehave eaten a ſowre grape, and the childrens téeth are ſette on edge withall. This Prouerbe did the people vſe in the time of Ieremie, murmuring againſte God, as though they were puniſhed for the offence of their fathers: But thus ſaith the Lord: eueryevery one ſhall die for his owne iniquitie, eueryevery man that eateth the ſoure grape, his téeth ſhall be ſet on edge. Now what father, what childe is it that hath not taſted of the ſowre grape of ſinne? Dauid maketh thy confeſſion: we hauehave ſinned, we hauehave done wickedly wyth oure fathers: recken al the children to the laſt, all the fathers to the firſte, who is it that hath not eaten with Adam? the Apple, that grape, it ſticketh yet in our teeth, we are all choked with the core of carnall cō cupiſcence: that ſubtil counſell of the Serpent which deceyued the firſt man, it will alſo deceiue the laſte, that venime hath infected the whole race, the whole broode of Adams birdes: Dauid he thus ſaythe, of no worſe man than himſelfe, I was borne in iniquitie,Pſal. 51. and in ſinne hath my mother conceyued me: Beholde no ſooner conceiued in Eue, but as ſoone deceyued of the Serpent: and this hath God to lay againſt vsus as he doth againſte the Iſraelites: Thy firſt father hath ſinned,Eſay▪ 43. and thy teachers hauehave tranſgreſſed againſt me. Séeing then we hauehave taſted one meate, ſeeing that we hauehave ſucked ſinne of the forbidden fruite, what maye we looke for but to be ſerued of the ſame ſauce, euen that bitter gall the dreadfull curſe of God to turne to duſte, and to dye the death: In this ſtate ſtande we, vnleſſe God take pitie on vsus, we are falne, we lie flatte on our faces, we are become duſtie & deadly, we can not helpe our ſelues, but as the byrd taken in the nette, we lie faſt fettered, our owne eyes not ſeruing vsus to eſpie any way to winde out, we are not able to moue our féeble legs, nor to ſtretch forth our wearie handes, our ſoules are ſicke, our hearts are faint, we muſt néeds yéelde to our enimie, and be taken as priſoners of Satan that fierce Serpent and fierie Dragon.