330 rIARMONY OF At RL+LIGIONS. In theday thou eatest thereof, in dying; thou shalt die, that is, thou shalt be subject to many afflictions and diseases, and at last to death itself. V. Now, that this constitution or covenant was made with Adam, not for himself only, but for his posterity also, se as to interest them in the blessings or thecurses of it, according to his obedience or disobedience, will appear from the effects of his ac- tual disobedience or fall. ° For when this covenant of works was broken by the sin of man, he and all his posterity with him, lost their holy and happy state, and were subject to sin, misery and death. Rom. v. 19, By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, or guilty and subject to death. Rom. v. 12. As by one man, sin entered into the world, and deathby sin, so death passed uponall men, for that all have sinned. Is is plain that sin is imputed to them by death's passing upon them. The words following seem to imply it, viz. sin is not imputed where there is no law, but death reigned, that is, but sin was imputed, therefore there was a law or constitution which imputed it, and from this spring of iniquity and guilt, all men are become sinners, and come short of the glory of God, that is, that glory and happiness which they had at first, and that further glory which God had promised if they had not sinned. All mankind are born encompassed with sorrows and troubles, and with an inclination to evil, more than to any thing that is good : And even infants before actual sin are subject to death, as well as those who are actual sinners : For in Adam all die ; I Cor. xv. 22. and Jews and gentiles, that is, all mankind are by nature children of wrath ; Eph. ii. 3. As there is none righte- ous or holy, so there is none happy ; no, not one ; Rom. iii. 10. VI. Now, since this is the scriptural account of the effects or consequence of Adam's sin on all his posterity, it is but rea. sonabie and equitable to suppose, that ifAdam had continued in- nocent and happy, all hisposterity had at least come into the world innocent and happy also ; and perhaps, been confirmed in their innocence and happiness by the same righteous constitution. A God whose name is love, and his nature justice and goodness, would be supposed reasonably to deal thus with his creatures. VII. But Adam andhis race are fallen and sinful creatures now : And though we cannot with perspicuity and full assurance, determine so well what sort ofcircumstances might haveattended us, ifour first parents had continued obedient ; yet this we know by the word of God, by expérience in ourselves, and by obser- vation of others, that we are now in a sinful and unhappy state, prone to sin from our childhood, and liable to acute pains, suffer- ings and death, even in.our infant age, before any actual trans- gressions as well as afterwards. VIII. 'l'his was the dispensation of God towards man, or
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