796 Chap. 2,5. An Expofitianupan tbeBool; ej liD B . i'erf, 4. firength and dine of that text, as to the proofe ofthe corruption ofnature by propogation,put a matt corrupt and bate glofle up- on it ; As if `David had therein onely confeffed his parents fin, fulnefs or inordinate affei ions in begetting and conceiving him; not his own natural finfulnefs as begotten andconceived. I know no b: tter argúment of the corruptionof nature, then finch cor- rupt interpretations of Scripture ; For doubtleffe as Bildad here in the Texr,co `David was acquainted not only with the dottrine of original fin, and the corruption of nature, but had found and fit the fad effects of it in himtelfe,And from that experience could fay, I Waé /hapen in Iniquity, &c. as alto content towhat Bildad faith in this place, What is man that it b,,rne of a woman that he fi uld be clean ? doe but acknowledge that any one is , borne ordinarily of a woman, and we may o include kim to be finful and uncicane. That I may make this a hale dearer, I (hall touch at three things, which are drftindly confiderable in the fin of First, That particu'ar a&, or fa& againft the Law, which he committed in eating the forbidden fruit. Secondly, The legal guilt that flowed from that ad, both up- on his perlon and upon his potlerity. Thirdly, The natural Corruption which as a confequent of the former ftayned all mankirdr.0:. there was firft the tranfgref- fion ofthe Commandement, which was his eating the forbidden fruit; Secondly, there was the punifhnitna ofthat eranfgri (lion, which was death ir:flrtted for eating; thirdly, the depravation of the whole maffe ofmans nature,by which,as Bildadfpeaks,Ever> man borne of woman it unclean. And thrfe three fell upon the whole pciftr'rity of Adam, or upon all chat Are born ofa woman in a threefold way. Eta, The very a& of .,ddams fin becometh ours, for we did pa ticipate with him, and had,as it were, a hand in it, becaufewe all were feminally in him ; fo that when he finned, we all finned being in his bynet long before we were born, as Levi paid tythcs in Abraham before he was borne (Heb. 7.9, lo ) Thus we all fined in his finnirg,and had a (hare in that ado( his, becaufe he ftood as the roote of mankinde, and is having entred a covenant with God in that capacity. For he finned, not cnelyas a tingle perfon, but as he was the reprefentative of all mankinde, and there-
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