A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 21
ADAM's SIN.
Quest. XI. WHat was the Sin whereby our first Parents fell from the Estate wherein they were created?
Resp. The Sin was their eating of the forbidden Fruit, Gen. 3.6. —She took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also to her husband.
Here is implied, 1. That our first Parents fell from their State of Innocency. 2. The Sin by which they fell, Eating the forbidden Fruit.
1. Our first Parents fell from their glorious State of Innocency, Eccles. 7.29. God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions. Adam was perfectly Holy, he had Rectitude of Mind, and Liberty of Will to good, but his head aked till he had invented his own and our Death, he sought out many Inventions, 1. Adam's Fall was voluntary; he had à Posse non Peccare, a Power not to Fall. Free-will was a sufficient Shield to repel Temptation: the Devil could not have forced him, unless he had given his Consent; Satan was only a Suitor to woe, not a King to compel, but Adam gave away his own Power, and suffer'd himself to be decoy'd into Sin. Like a young Gallant who at one throw looseth a fair Lordship. Adam had a fair Lordship, he was Lord of the World, Gen. 1.28. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth. But he lost all at one throw. As soon as he had sinned he forfeited Paradise. 2. Adam's Fall was sudden; he did not long continue in his Royal Majesty.
Quest. How long did Adam continue in Paradise before he fell?
Resp. Tostatus saith he fell the next day. Pererius saith he fell the eighth day after his Creation. But the most probable and received Opinion is, That Adam fell the very same day in which he was created. So Irenaeus, Cyril, Epiphanius, and many others. The Reasons which incline me to believe so are,
1. It is said, Satan was a murderer, ab initio, from the beginning, Joh. 8.44. Now whom did he murder? Not the blessed Angel, he could not reach them; nor the cursed Angels, for they had before destroyed themselves. How then was Satan a Murderer from the beginning? As soon as Satan fell, he began to tempt Mankind to Sin, this was a Murdering Temptation. By which it appears Adam did not stay long in Paradise: soon after his Creation the Devil set upon him, and murdered him by his Temptation.
2 Argument to prove that Adam fell the same day he was created: Adam had not yet eaten of the Tree of Life, Ver. 22, 23. And now least he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat; the Lord sent him forth of the garden. This Tree of Life being one of the choicest Fruits in the Garden, and being placed in the midst of Paradise, it is very like Adam would have eaten of this Tree of Life one of the first, had not the Serpent beguiled him with the Tree of Knowledge. So that hence I conclude▪ Adam fell the very day of his Creation, because he had not yet tasted the Tree of Life, that Tree that was most in his Eye, and had such delicious Fruit growing upon it.
3 Argument from Psal. 49.12. Man being in honour, abideth not. The Rabbins read it thus, Adam being in Honour, lodged not one night. The Hebrew word for abide, bal-jalin, signifies to stay or lodge all night. Adam then it seems did not take up one night's lodging in Paradise.
1 Inference, From Adam's sudden Fall, he fell the same day in which he was created, Learn, 1. The Weakness of Humane Nature; Adam in a State of Integrity quickly made a Defection from God, He soon lost the Robe of Innocence, and the Glory of Paradise. And was our Nature thus weak when it was at the best? what is it now when it is at the worst? If Adam did not stand when he was perfectly righteous, how unable are we to stand when Sin hath cut the Lock of our Original Righteousness? If purified Nature did not stand, how then shall corrupt Nature? If Adam in a few hours sinn'd himself out of Paradise, O how quickly should we sin ourselves into Hell, if we were not kept by a greater Power then our own? but God puts underneath his Everlasting Arms, Deut. 32.27.
2. From Adam's sudden Fall, he fell the same day, Learn how sad it is for a Man to be left to himself, 1. Adam being left to himself fell: O then what will become of us, how soon fall, if God leave us to ourselves? A Man left to himself will choose his own Death: he will be a Prey to every Temptation. A Man without God's Grace, left to himself, is like a Ship in a Storm without Pilot or Anchor, and is ready to dash upon every Rock. Make this Prayer to God, Lord do not leave me to myself: If Adam fell so soon who had strength, how soon shall I fall who have no strength? O urge God with his Hand and Seal, 2 Cor. 12.9. My strength shall be made perfect in weakness.
2. The Sin by which our first Parents fell was, Eating the forbidden Fruit; Where consider two things: 1. The Occasion of it. 2. The Sin itself.
I. The Occasion of it: The Serpent's Temptation; the Devil did creep into the Serpent, and speak in the Serpent, as the Angel in Balaam's Ass; where consider, 1. The Subtilty of Satan's Temptation; his Wiles are worse then his Darts. Satan's Subtilty in Tempting, 1. He dealt all along as an Impostor, he usher'd in his Tentation by a Lye: He heaps up many Lyes, 1. That though our first Parents did eat of that Tree, they should not die, Gen. 3.4. Ye shall not surely die. 2. Lye, that God did envy our first Parents their Happiness, Verse 5. God knows that in the day ye eat, your eyes shall be opened; q. d. 'Tis God's envying your Felicity that he forbids you this Tree. 3. Lye, that they should be thereby made like unto God, Verse 5. Ye shall be as gods. Here was his Subtilty in Tempting; the Devil was first a Lyar then a Murderer.
2. In that he set upon our first Parents so quickly, before they were confirmed in their Obedience. The Angels in Heaven are fully confirm'd in Holiness; they are called Stars of the Morning, Iob 38.7. and they are fixed Stars. But our first Parents were not confirm'd in their Obedience, they were not fixed in their Orb of Holiness; Though they had a possibility of standing, they had not an impossibility of falling; they were Holy but Mutable; here was Satan's Subtilty in tempting our first Parents before they were confirm'd in their Obedience.
3. His Subtilty in tempting was, that he sets upon Eve first, 1. Because he thought she was less able to resist. Satan did break over the Hedge where it was weakest: he knew he could more easily insinuate and wind himself into her by a Temptation. An expert Soulder when he is to Storm or enter a Castle, observes warily where there is a Breach, or how he may enter with more Facility: so did Satan the weaker Vessel. 2. He tempted Eve first, because he knew if once he could prevail with her, she would easily draw her Husband. Thus the Devil handed over a Temptation to Iob by his Wife, Job 2.9. Curse God and die. Agrippina poison'd the Emperour Commodus with Wine in a perfum'd Cup; the Cup being perfumed and given him by his Wife, it was the less suspected. Satan knew a Temptation coming to Adam from his Wife, would be more prevailing, and would be less suspected: O bitter! sometimes Relations prove Temptations: A Wife may be a Snare, when she disswades her Husband from doing his Duty, or enticeth him to Evil: Ahab sold himself to work wickedness, whom his wife Iezebel stired up, 1 Kin. 21.25. She blew the Coals and made his Sin flame out the more. Satan's Subtilty was in tempting Adam by his Wife, he thought she would draw him to sin.
4. Satan's Subtilty in tempting was in his assaulting Eve's Faith; he would perswade her that God had not spoken truth, Ye shall not surely die, Gen. 3.4. This was Satan's Master-piece, to weaken her Faith, when he had shaken that, and wrought her once to Distrust, then victa fuit, she presently put forth her hand to Evil.
2. Satan's Cruelty in Tempting: As soon as Adam was invested in all his Glory, the Devil cruelly, as it were on the Day of Adam's Coronation, would Dethrone him, and bring both him and all his Posterity under a Curse: We see how little love Satan hath to Mankind; he hath an implacable Antipathy against us, and Antipathies can never be reconciled. So much for the Occasion of Adam's Sin, tempted by the Serpent.
II. The Sin itself, Eating the forbidden Fruit: This was very heinous, and that appears three ways: 1. In respect of the Person that committed it. 2. The Aggravation of the Sin. 3. The Dreadfulness of the Effect.
1. Very Heinous in respect of the Person that committed it: Adam had Excellent and Noble Endowments; he was illuminated with Knowledge, embellished with Holiness, he knew his Duty, and it was as easie to him to obey God's Command as to know it; he might have chosen whether he would sin or no, yet he wilfully did eat of the Tree which was forbidden.
2. The Aggravation of Adam's Sin.
Quest. Wherein did it appear to be so great? 'Twas but raptus Pomi; Was this such a great matter to pluck an Apple?
Resp. Besides that, 'twas against an infinite God, it was Malum complexum, a voluminous Sin, there were many Sins twisted together in it: As Cicero saith of Parricide, He who is guilty of it, Plurima committit peccata in uno, he commits many Sins in one. So there were many Sins in this one Sin of Adam. A big-bellied Sin, a Chain with many Links, ten Sins in it, 1. Incredulity; our first Parents did not believe what God had spoken was truth. God said, They should die the death in the day they eat of that tree. They believed not that they should die; they could no… be perswaded that such fair Fruit had Death at the Core. Thus by Unbelief they made God a Lyer; nay, which was worse, they believed the Devil rather then God.
2. Unthankfulness, which is the Epitome of all Sin. Adam's Sin was committed in the midst of Paradise: God had enrich'd him with Variety of Mercies; he had stamp'd his own Image upon him; he had made him Lord of the World, gave him of all the Trees of the Garden to eat (one only excepted) and now to take of that Tree! This was high Ingratitude; this was like the Dye to the Wool, which made it Crimson. When Adam's Eyes were open'd, and he saw what he had done, well might he be asham'd, and hide himself, to sin in the midst of Paradise: How could he look God in the Face without Blushing?
3. In Adam's Sin was Discontent: Had not he been discontented, he would never have sought to have alter'd his Condition. Adam one would think had enough, he differed but little from the Angels, he had the Robe of Innocence to cloath him, and the Glory of Paradise to crown him: yet he was not content, he would have more; he would be above the ordinary Rank of Creatures. How wide was Adam's Heart, that a whole World could not fill it.
4. Pride, in that he would be like God: This Worm that was but newly crept out of the Dust, now aspires after a Deity; Ye shall be as gods, (saith Satan.) And Adam hoped to have been so indeed: he suppos'd the Tree of Knowledge would have anointed his Eyes and made him Omniscient. But by climbing too high he got a Fall.
5. Disobedience: God said, Thou shalt not eat of the Tree; he would eat of it tho' it cost him his Life. Disobedience is a Sin against Equity; it is equal we should serve him from whom we have our Subsistance. God gave Adam his Allowance, therefore it was but equal he should give God his Allegiance: therefore Disobedience was against Equity. How could God endure to see his Laws trampled on before his Face? This made God place a flaming Sword at the end of the Garden.
6. Curiosity, to meddle with that which was out of his Sphere, and did not belong to him. God smote the Men of Bethshemesh but for looking into the Ark, 1 Sam. 6.19. Adam would be prying into God's Secrets, and tasting what was forbidden.
7. Wantonness: Though Adam had choice of all the other Trees, yet his Palate grew wanton, and he must have this Tree. Like Israel, God sent them Manna, Angels Food, aye, but they had an hankering after Quails; it was not enough God did supply their Wants, unless he would satisfie their Lusts. Adam had not only for Necessity, but for Delight, yet his wanton Palate lusted after forbidden Fruit.
8. Sacriledge: The Tree of Knowledge was none of Adam's, yet he took of it, and did sacrilegiously rob God of his Due. It was counted a great Crime in Harpalus to rob the Temple, and steal the Silver Vessels. So in Adam to steal Fruit from that Tree which God had peculiarly enclosed for himself. Sacriledge is double Theft.
9. Murder. Adam was a publick Person, and all his Posterity were involved and wrapped up in him, and he sinning, did at one destroy all his Posterity, if Free-grace did not interpose. If Abel's Blood did cry so loud in God's Ears, Gen. 4.10. The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me from the ground; then how loud did the Blood of all Adam's Posterity cry against him for Vengeance.
10. Presumption. Adam presumed of God's Mercy; he blessed himself, saying, he should have Peace; he thought though he did transgress, he should not die; God would sooner reverse his Decree then punish him; high Presumption! What an heinous sin then was Adam's breach of Covenant?
Use. One sin may have many sins in it. We are apt to have slight thoughts of sin, it is but a little one; How many sins were in Adam's sin? O take heed of any sin! As in one Volume there may be many Works bound up, so there may be many sins in one sin.
3. The dreadfulness of the Effect. It hath corrupted Man's Nature. How rank is that Poison, a drop whereof should poison a whole Sea? And how deadly is that sin of Adam, that should poison all Mankind, and bring a Curse upon them, till it be taken away by him, who was made a Curse for us.