A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 56 (Question 16)
SERMON LVI.
QUESTION XVI.
DID all Mankind fall in Adam's firſt Tranſgreſſion?
ANSWER.
The Covenant being made with Adam, not only for himſelf, but for his Poſterity, all mankind deſcending from him, by ordinary generation, finned in him, and ſell with him in his firſt Tranſgreſſion.
UNDER the former head we took notice of man's Apoſtacy as it referred to the firſt Tranſgreſſion, which was perſonally committed by ou… firſt Parents: but tho' the Act terminated on them, yet not ſo the Guilt, nor the Pollution conſequent upon it. We are therefore here led.
II. TO the conſideration of the Propagation of the Tranſgreſſion, which is aſſerted and deſcribed in this. In which there are Three things obſervable.
1. The ground or Reaſon of the Propagation, the Covenant being made. &c. i. e. he was treated with not on a perſonal, but a publick account, or as a publick Perſon.
2. The extent of this propagation, with the limitation of it, all mankind, &c. herein excepting …he Son of God, in our nature, who deſcended from him after an extraordinary manner.
3. The effect it ſelf, or nature of the propagation, finned in him, &c. i. e. became Sinners together with him, and fell under the threatning of Death, as well as he.
In the opening of this Doctrine, I ſhall endeavour, with as much brevity as may conſiſt with perſpicuity to reſolve theſe two Queſtions.
1. How the Tranſgreſſion is propagated?
2. To Whom?
Q. 1. HOW the Tranſgreſſion is propaga…?
A. THERE are two thing… …ll here … under conſideration, and ſerve to make it clear.
1. Our union to the firſt Adam.
2. Our communion with him in his Tranſgreſſion. … us take the account of each of theſe.
1. OUR union to the firſt Adam. This is neceſſarily the foundation on which this affair depends. Adam's Sin is extended … none but his poſterity. If all the world … not been ſome way, in him, they could … have been made Sinners by him; and if th…y had not ſo been, they could never have … ſubjected to Sin and Death, on his account. Touching this Union, we may enquire … the nature of it. This union is the being of all mankind in Adam, deſcending from him li… as from the firſt, by mediation of their … Parents. We may diſcover the nature of this union in the following Propoſitions.
1. THE Soul is not traduced or derined … the Parents, but it immediately created by God Himſelf. This diſpute is much band…d among the Learned, which I will not … engage in, but only give two of many … ſons, to prove the truth of the aſſertion
Here then,
(1.) IF the Soul be propagated, it is either by multiplication, diviſion, or ſeminal gener… us. I know not a fourth way that can be concorned; and therefore the disjunction is full. Now, 1. IT is not by Multiplication. Some fay one Soul multiplies another, as one light lights up another. But the compariſon will not hold. For, 1. There is a communication of an elementary ſubſtance from the …ghting, to that which is lighted by it, hereas the real rable Soul is not elementary …d ſo cannot adminiſter any elementary …bſtance, which is the alone ſubject of ſ…n …utations. Nay, 2. Why ſhould the rato…al Soul be more capable of multiplicating … ſelt then Angels? they are both of a … tual nature, and we hear of no ſuch way …f Spirits multiplying themſelves, nor indeed … it intelligible. Yea, 3. This multiplication muſt be either natural, or voluntary. …eetly natural it is not, becauſe a Soul …nowing and willing, cannot perform any …uch action, without knowledge and will. Not yet voluntary, for then it ſhould depend on the will: And it ſo, how comes it to paſs that ſuch as are illegitimate are reaſonable Beings, endowed with humane Souls? It …s certain that for the moſt part, their conception is againſt the will of their Parents, who would rather have prevented it, if it …ad been in their power. 2. NOT by Diviſion. A part of the Soul of the Parents is not cut off to make a Soul for the Child; for then it would be impaired hereby; and ſo by degrees it would waſte and wear out it ſelf, ſince it is not nouriſhed, and ſo repaited by elementary nutriment as the Body is. Moreover, it may be well here enquired, whether this Soul proceeds from oce or both of the Parents; if from one only, from which? For the Soul of each is equally diviſible? If from both equally, how comes a Soul which is without parts, to be made up of ſeveral parts? 3. NOT by ſeminal Generation. For the Soul is an immortal and conſtant Being, and is not therefore … ſubject of Generation. Whatſoever is produced by Generation, is in its own nature liable to corruption. But this is contrary to the nature of the reaſonable Soul which was made incorruptible. We ſhall therefore find the different manner of the creation of the Body, & of the Soul, Gen. 2.7. And the Lord God formed man of the duſt of the ground, and breathed into his noſtrils the breath of life, and man became a living ſoul.
(2.) THE Scripture is very full in aſſerting the manner of the Souls production to be, by Creation. See for this, Ecel. 12.7. Then ſhall the duſt return to the earth as it was: and the ſuit ſhall return to God who gave it: Where there is a manifeſt oppoſition, of the manner of the original of the Spirit, and of the Body; and by Spirit we are to underſtand the rational Soul. See alſo, Heb. 12.9. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our fleſh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: ſhall we not much rather be in ſubjection to the father of ſpirits, and live? What more manifeſt oppoſition can there be; than is here between the fathers of our fleſh, and the Father of ſpirits? So, Zech. 12.1. And form…th the ſpirit of man within him. Iſai. 57.16. The ſouls which I have made. There is a peculiar em…ſis in it. So, Job 10. When having ſpoken of the origination of his Body, ver, 9, 10. he precceis to ſhew the origiral of his Soul, ver. 12.
2. YET mankind is propagated in Generation, as other for ſitive, and vegerative Beings are. This doth not at all hinder the truth of ma…s derivation from man. For.
(1.) THERE are the formative Spirits … rated, which do or…a…ize the Body … realou…le creature and make it fit to receive the Soul in it, as its inſtrument for it…s operations.
(2.) THE Body being thas trepered, the Soul d…th…rtain…y c… into it. There is that unfailing concaſſe in the Providence of God, that he always provides a Soul for every humane Body, that is generated. Job 10 11.12. Th… haſt clo…thed me with …n end fleſh and haſt f…nced me with lones and finites. Th… haſt granted me life.
(3.) THE ſame Spirits become the inſtruments of the union between the Soul and body. They are the bond or this union, and are accordingly ſuited for ſuch a ſervice as that is; and it is upon the failing of theſe that a ſeperation is at any time made.
(4.) THE Soul and Body are thus united together by Generation. By which union they become one Perſon. This union is that in which Generation properly reſults. The whole Body, animal and vital ſpirits, which are the bond or this union, are produced by this Generation: and by vertus of this operation, the Body is faſhioned and organized, the Soul is received into union, and ſo one compleat ſubſilience is made. And this is enough to denominate …e propagation of the kind.
3. HENCE natural Generation is the way of the propagation of the Tranſgraſſion. F…r becauſe it derives from Adam to his children which come out of his loins; Hereupon, this is the only way by which it deſcends to all men as long as the world ſta…ds, becauſe by this means man is multiplied, and the world comes to be filied with men. Gen. 1.28. And God ſaid, be fruitful and multipty.
4. IT muſt therefore be by mediation of our next Parents what we are united… unto Adam. For there is a line of Succeſſion, and a connect on of one to another, by which, as in ſo ma…y links, we have a real adheſion to the firſt. Generations therefore have their ſucceſſion. Ecel. 1.3. One generation paſſeth away, and another generation …th …
5. HENCE natural Generation is the bond of our union with Adam. For, …
(1.) IT is by natural Generation that we have our inbeing in Adam. Before we had our actual exiſtence, we were vertually in … loins; as the effect is vertually in the cauſe. The … is vertually in the boſh, before is ſo much as bods. Thus is Law ſaid to pay tithes in Abraham, Heb. 7.9, …0. And when we actually be, we are actually in him. Act therefore are ſaid to be of one blood, Act. 17… 2…. All are in him as every branch that ſprings out is in the tree…
(2.) HEN … Gener… that …. We are all of us … firſt Parents by ſucceſive … Every rev… … added …it.
HEREBY … firſt. He … we are in him as in the … of all hi… p…ſſ…rity. We are … to him, as to be c…icred as having out … being in him in all respects. For
(1.) HE had a peter… right to t…. Gen. 1.28. God … fruitful and …. Hence we are all ſaid, to have one father. He was the firſt father of men; and hence we were under him, as children are under their Parents, and i…lted with him as they are: Red we know that a paternal right is of very great …. Run up all the Generations that have been, and they will end here.
(2.) HE hath a regal…r pe…tly right. For, being the Father, … was alſo the Prince of the World: and here Kingly authority firſt look it's original. N… all ſubjects are invol…ed in their Prince as ſo, and he tranſacts their publick affairs for them. Adam therefore bare the image of all his children upon him. 1 Cor. 15.48. As is the cer…y, ſ…h are they that are cer…y.
(3.) HE was the root of all mankind, and they are the breathes. Now it is natural and rational that the ſame ſ…p which is in the root, ſhould ſpread it ſelf. So that this union of ours unto Adam, hath reſpect to all the relations and charges of ſtate, that he, as our root, was liable to. We were to be, as he ſhould be in all theſe reſpects.
(4.) ADAM Good not as a private, but a pub…k ſe…. Not for himſelf, but for us all; he was the repreſentative of, and received the common ſtock which belonged unto mankind. All the eſtates of all that were to be born of him, were put into his hand, and he was to trade for them. There was at firſt no other man beſides him, and all were to deſcend from him, he therefore had their whole concern betruſted with him, as their common head. And this may ſuffice to explain our union with the firſt Adam.
II. OUR Communion with him. This follows upon union, as being the end of it. The ſie…e being united to the ſtook, partakes of it's nature, and is like to thrive or wither with it. This communion with him, implies that they ſhare with him in his Tranſgreſſion, that they have a participation in that Sin. And how can it be otherwiſe? For if they were in him, and ſinned in him, How then can they be other than ſinners in him? Now this communion appears in two particulars
1. The imputation of Adam's Tranſgreſſion to them.
2. A real communication of the Tranſgreſſion and the conſequents of it to them. We may take a ſhort account of both of theſe.
1. CONCERNING the imputation of Adam's Tranſgreſſion to them. It is that which makes that o… li…gular act of Adam's diſobedience, in eating of the forbidden fruit, according to the full merit of it, to become cars. Adam finned, and all finned in him, and ſo his … charged to their account, and pat upon their ſcore. We are all made deb…s in Adam. We bear the guilt of his ſin, and are bound to …ſtain the penalty of it. Imputation ſignifies as much as the ſetting of a thing to ſuch an ones ſcore, and making of him a debtor for it. Phinches his good act … imputed, i. e. accounted to him as a righteous … Pſal. 1….31. So ſin imputed, or the imputation of ſin, is a ſentence of the Law, charging upon the perſon breach of Covenant, from …ch he is declared a delinquent. Here then for our right ſtating of this imputation of Sin to us, le… us obſerve theſe things.
(1.) THAT Adam's act in eating of the forbidden fruit was declared by the Law to be … unrighteous all. God had ſeverely forbiddes it to him. The Law had poſitively ſaid that he ſhould not eat of it; and that if he did, he ſhould die for it. The act therefore was no ſconer paſt, but the Law declared againſt it, and the ſentence of the Law fell upon it.
(2.) THIS Sir was in the firſt place imported to Adam himſelf. Gen. 3.17. Adam was the prime and perſonal offender; the action in which the Tranſgreſſion was, was his own, he was the ſubject of it. God then laid … to his particular charge, as the Perſon that was immediately intereſted and concerned in it. Every action as ſuch, terminates in the ſubject, and ſo did this.
(3.) BUT it did not reſt here, but was … charged to the account of his Poſterity. Adam's ſin is alſo become theirs, and that in the full merit of it, ſo far as it is a tranſgreſſion of the Law, and breach of the Covenant, and brings the creature under the deſert of the wrath of God; and they are legally accounted ſinners. Though they have not committed ſin in their own perſons, yet becauſe their perſons were legally in him, as the perſon of the debtor is in the ſurety, as the perſon of the Prince is in the Embaſſador. Hence it is all put down upon their account, ask gally as it is upon Adam's. They ſtand forth as delinquents, and are bound to anſwer for that ſin. His act of treaſon hath tainted all of his blood and poſterity deriving from him.
(4.) IT was only that one ſing…ar act of … ing the forbidden fruit that was imputed. Hence in Rom. 5.16. we read that judgment was by one, i. e. by one act of diſobedience, and the reaſon of it is this, becauſe that act, and only that, which Adam did as he repreſented the whole ſtock of men, is or can be imputed his children. But this act Adam did, and none but this under ſuch a conſideration, repreſenting of all Mankind. That none but this was accounted to him as a publick perſon, appears, becauſe no other but this peculiar act, was or is charged to the account his poſterity. Adam's after actions were never mentioned in Scripture, with any ſuch imputation annexed to them; only this tranſgreſſion is that which they are reckoned to hate an hand in. Now that Adam in this one act, acted as a publick perſon, repreſenting the whole cluſter of Mankind, and for that reaſon the imputation of it ſell upon them, will appear herein.
1. BECAUSE this all is ſo often mentioned in the word of God, as having an inſl…nce upon his Poſterity, and making of them to be offenders. And for this we may, among others, conſult, 1 Cor. 15.22. Rom. 5.15, 17, 18, 19. This is the very thing which hath brought them under the threatning of the Law Covenant.
2. BECAUSE all men dye by vertus of this Sin. That death hath ſeized mankind is evident. Now that which brought it in, and gave it it's extent, is aſcribed hither, Rom. 5.12. Wherefore as by one man ſin entred into the world, and death by ſin: and ſo death hath poſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned. He only that eat the forbidden fruit was by law to dye, Gen. 2.17. For in the day that thou …eſt thereof, thou ſoalt ſurely dye. But it is certain that all die, therefore all have eaten of it, vertually.
3. BECAUSE they are reckoned to have ſinned, who never perſonally acted any ſin. The term, all, Rom. 5.12. comprizeth under it, Children in their infancy, as well as others. And it is ſure, that they cannot ſin actually: this muſt therefore be accounted to them by imputation, and as they relate to the firſt Adam.
4. BECAUSE there are multitudes, (yea indeed all,) that are puniſhed for this, before they committed any actual ſin. We find therefore that they are conceived and born in fin. Pſal. 51.5. Behold, I was ſhapen in iniquity, and in ſin did my in ther conceive me. Now Sin, as it hath power and dominion over any, is a very great puniſhment: (as will hereafter be farther obſerved.) As alſo becauſe they dye, who never committed any one actual ſin. The Apoſtle makes a remark upon it, Rom. 5.14. Death reigned from Adam to Moſes, even over then that had not ſinned after the ſimilitude of Adam's tranſgreſſion. He points to poor babes, that dye before they come to uſe their reaſon. Thus the Head plots treaſon, and the whole Body ſuffers for it.
[NOVEMBER 1. 1692.]