Gods Love to Man and Mans Duty Towards God, Part 1 · Section 19
Sect. 19. PROP. XIX. The Sin of our firſt Parents in eating of the forbidden fruit, how light a matter ſoever it may ſeem to many; yet was indeed exceeding hainous, full of dreadful Aggravations.
THe blaſphemy of Pope Julius the third is ever to be abhorred, who ſaid, ſince God was ſo angry with our firſt Parents, Szeged Spec. Pontif. 75.propter pomum, for an Apple, he had more cauſe (being his Vicar) to be angry propter pavonem for a Peacock.
But that Man brake with God for ſo ſmall a matter, Quo levius Mandatum eo gravius peccatum.it made the ſin ſo much the greater; and the eaſier it was for him to have obeyed Gods command, the more inexcuſable was his diſobedience. That he had more power than ever Man had ſince, to have reſiſted the temptation, his ſin and tranſgreſſion appears hereby to have been the more wilful. So the dignity of his ſtate makes his ſinful fall the more ſhameful. As the wonderful favours God had heaped on him, added the odious ſtain of ingratitude to his ſin of diſobedience. And what a cauſeleſs Jealouſie and baſe diſtruſt of God was here, even of that God, who had been ſo good and kind towards him; that he deſpiſed Gods counſel, truſting to his own inventions, and ſhifting for himſelf. And what horrible pride, Heaven-dari… Ambition, in affecting to be as God? wherein a… peared his wretched diſcontent at the good con… tion God had ſet him in, over-looking that glor… and honour the Lord had crowned him with, an… envying at the Divine perfection of his Maker, wha… a notorious contempt was here? a contempt of h… Soveraignty and Authority, ſlighting the prohibiti… given him, a contempt of Gods power and juſtice ſlighting the commination; a contempt of Go… bounty and goodneſs, ſlighting the promiſed life an… happineſs. And as Samuel ſaid, Diſobedience is … the Sin of witchcraft, and as the iniquity of Idolatry was there not Atheiſm, Infidellity, Blaſphemy, Id…latry here; in believing, yielding to the Devil, pr… ferring his lying ſuggeſtions before the Word … God? Beſides ſenſuallity, indulging his appeti… contrary to Gods command; yea, Murder, an… the greateſt cruelty towards his poſterity, doing wha… in him lay, to ruine and undoe them for ever.
Theſe with many other ſins, were contained … the firſt Tranſgreſſion.
One more I muſt not let paſs un-named, viz. tha… it was a direct breach of Covenant. Breach … Covenant with God, horrid perfidiouſneſs, n… meerly the breach and tranſgreſſion of Gods Law but alſo the violation of his Covenant, and ſo ſhameful requital of Gods gracious condeſcentio… Had it been an enemy or a ſtranger, that had ca… ried it thus, there had been leſs of wonder & ſtrang… neſs in it; but that a friend, and a confederate ſhoul… deal ſo treacherouſly with God, may not Heave… and Earth be aſtoniſhed at this?
This (I ſay) was a direct breach of Covenant with God, an irreparable breach of that Covenant. An utter renouncing of it. As it was a breach of that Law, God had given to be the Teſt of Man's obedience (& perfect obedience was the condition of the firſt Covenant) ſo it was as an open profeſſion of diſobedience, *It was the tranſgreſſion of that precept which God had given for the trial of Man's obedience, and ſo was an abſolute denial of ſubjection, & renouncing of obedience; as the obſervance of it had been an open profeſſion of ſubmiſſion and due obedience. Ball of Meditation. p. 213.214.and declared renouncing of his Covenant.
I know it is a great Queſtion, how our firſt Parents could ſo ſtrangely overſhoot themſelves?
But that they did ſo, is plain, and out of Queſtion. Some Queſtion whether the ſin of pride, or incredulity was firſt in the fall of our firſt Parents? But methinks we muſt conceive them ſomething declined from God, and their duty, before they could be guilty of either that pride, or incredulity. So it would ſeem that incogitancy, and not retaining God in their thoughts, as they ought to have done, was the firſt ſtep to their ruine. That through incogitancy, they came to be ſeduced by the Serpent, drawn into error, and incredulity, and ſo to an inordinate appetite after the forbidden fruit, and next to eat, which was the compleating Act of their ſin.
What need then have we all to look well about us, watch and pray, that we enter not into Temptation. Give not the water a little paſſage, leaſt it prove as a breach of the Sea, that cannot be repaired, that fire which at firſt one might ſtamp out with his foot, that ſpark which might be put out with a wet finger, being let alone, doth ſoon become a devouring flame, conſuming all before it.