Man's Fall in Adam, and the Remedy Provided in Christ

A general Account of MansVall in Adam, and the Remedy provided in Christ; and a particular Account of Mans being naturally wedded to the Law, as a Covenant of Works.

SECT. I.
The fall of Adam.

(flh) Adam once a heav’n of pleasure found, While be with perfect innocence was crowa’d;

His wing’d affections to his God could move In raptures of desire, and strains of love. Man standing spotless, pure and innocent, Could well the law of works with works content; Though then (nor since) it could demand no less Than personal and perfect righteousness: These unto sinless man were easy terms, Though now beyond the reach of withered arnps. The legal cov’uant then upon the field, Perfection sought, man could perfection yield: Rich had he, and his progeny, remained, Had he primeval innocence maintain’d: His life had been a rest without annoy, A scene of bliss, a paradise of joy. But subtle Satan, in the serpent hid, Proposing fair the fruit that God forbid, Man soon seduc’d by hell’s alluring art, Did, disobedient, from the rule depart, Devour’d the bait, and by his bold offence Fell from his blissful state of innocence3. Prostrate he lost his God, his life, his crown, From all his glory tumbled headlong down, Plung’d in a deep abyss of sin and woe, SVhere void of heart to will, or hand to do

* Gen. iii. i — 6.

For’s own relief he can’t command a thought, The total sum of what he can is naught. He’s able only now t’ increase his tin all; lie can destroy himself, and this is all. But can the hellish brat Heav’u’s law fulfil, Whose precepts high surmount his strength and

skill Can filthy dross produce a golden beam? Or poison’d springs a salutif’rous stream? Can carnal minds, fierce enmity’s wide maw, Be duly subject to the divine law? Nay, now its direful threat’nings must take place On all the disobedient human race, Who do by guilt Omnipotence provoke, Obnoxious stand to his uplifted stroke. They must ingulf themselves in endless woes; Who to the living God are deadly foes; Who natively his holy will gainsay, Must to his awful justice fall a prey. In vain do mankind now expect, in vain By legal deeds immortal life to gain: Nay, death is threaten’d, threats must have their

due, Or souls that sin must dieb, as God is true.

SECT. II.

Redemption through Christ.

The second Adam, sovereign Lord of all, Did, by his Father’s authorizing call, From bosom of eternal love descend, To save the guilty race that him otlend; To treat an everlasting peace with those, Who were and ever would have been his foes. His errand, never ending life to give To them, whose malice would not let him live; To make a match with rebels, and espouse The brat which at his love her spite avows.

b Ezek. xviii.4.

B 2

Himself he humbled to depress her pride, And make his mortal foe his loving bride. But ere the marriage can be solemnized, All lets must be remov’d, all parties pleas’ d; Law-righteousness requir’d, must be procur’d; Law-vengeance threaten’d, must be full endur’d; Stern justice must have credit by the match; Sweet mercy by the heart the bride must catch.

Poor bankrupt! all her debt mustfirst be paid; Her former husband in the grave be laid: Her present lover must be at the cost To save and ransom to the uttermost; If all these things this suitor kind can do, Then he may win her, and her blessing too. Hard terms indeed; while death’s the first demand; But love is strong as death0, and will not stand To carry on the suit and make it good, Though at the dearest rate of wounds and blood; The burden’s heavy, but the back is broad, The glorious lover is the mighty Godd. Kind bowels yearning in tli’ eternal Son, He left his Father’s court, his heavenly throne, Aside he threw his most divine array, And wrapt his Godhead in a veil of clay; Angelic armies, who in glory crown’d, With joyful harps his awful throne surround, Down to the chrystal frontier of the sky45, To see the Saviour born, did eager fly: And ever since behold with wonder fresh Their Sov’ reign and our Saviour wrapt in flesh: Who in this garb did mighty love display, Restoring what he never took awayf, To God his glory, to the iaw its due, To heav’n its honour, to the earth its hue; Toman a righteousness divine, complete, A royal robe to suit the nuptial vi

c Sons; viii. 6. d Isa. e Luke ii. 9 — 14.

f Psalm brix. 4.

Be in her favours, whom be lovM so well,

At once did purchase beav’n and vanquish hell.

Oh! unexampled love; so vast, so strong, s” great, so high, so deep, so broad, so long! Can finite thought this ocean huge explore,

I ntonscious of a bottom or a shore:

I I is lore admits no parallel, for why?

At c))>> great draught of love he drank hell dry. No drop of wrathful gall he left behind; No dreg to witness that he was unkind.

sword of &wful justice piere’d his side, That mercy thence might gush upon the bride. The meritorious labours of his life, And glorious conquests of his dying strife; Her debt of doing, suffering, both canceli’d, And broke the bars his lawful captive held.

Down to the ground the hellish hosts he threw, Then mounting high the trump of triumph blew, Attended will] a bright seraphic band, Sat down enthron’d sublime on God’s right hand; Where glorious choirs their various harps employ. To sound his praises with confed’rate joy. There he, the bride’s strong Intercessor, sits, And thence the blessings of his blood transmits, Sprinkling all o’er the flaming throne of God, Pleads for her pardon his atoning blood; Sends down his holy co-eternal Dove, To show the wonders of incarnate love, To woo and win the bride’s reluctant heart, And pierce it with his kiudiy-kiiiihg dart; By gospel light to manifest that now She has no further with the law to do: That her new Lord has loos’d the federal tie That once hard bound her, or to do or die; ‘J hat precepts, threats, no single mite can crave; Thus for her former spouse he digg’d a grave; The law fast to his cross did nail and pin, -^

Then bury’d the defunct his tomb within,

That he the lonely widow to himself might win. J

SECT. III.
Mans legal Disposition.

But, after ail the bride’s so malecontent, -j No argument, save pow’r, is prevalent

To bow her will, and gain her heart’s consent. J The glorious prince’s suit she disapproves, The law, her old primordial husband, loves; Hopeful in its embraces life to have, Though dead, and bury’d in her suitors grave; Unable to give life, as once before; Unfit to be a husband any more. Yet proudly she the new address disdains, And all the blest Redeemer’s love and pains; Though now his head, that cruel thornsdid wound, Is with immortal glory circled round; Archangels at his awful footstool bow, And drawing love sits smiling on his brow.

Though down he sends, in gospel-tidings good, Epistles of his love, sign’d with his biood: Yet lordly she the royal suit rejects, Eternal life by legal works affects: In vain the living seeks among the deads, Sues quick’ning comforts in a killing head. Her dead and bury’d husband hasher heart, Which cannot death remove, nor life impart.

Thus all revolting Adam’s blinded race In their first spouse their hope and comfort place. They natively expect, if guilt them press, Salvation by a home-bred righteousness: They look lor favour in Jehovah’s eyes, By careful doing all that in them lies. ‘Tis still their primary attempt to draw Their life and comfort from the vet’ ran law; They flee not to the hope the gospel gives; To trust a promise bare, their minds aggi ‘Which judge the man that does, the mai lives.

6 Luke x>:vi, 5.

1 m »»,

;ives; -|

jgneves, I
nan tha t [

As native as they draw their vital breath, Their food recourse is to the legal path. Why,’ says old nature, in law-wedded man, Won’t heaven be pleased, if I do all I can? [f I conform my walk to nature’s light And strive intent to practice what is right? Thus wont 1 by the God of heaven be bless’d, And win his favour, if I do my best? Good God! [he erics) when press’d with debt and thrall, 1 Have patience with me, and I’ll pay tl e* alih.’ Upon their ail, their best, they’re fondly mad, Though yet their all is naught, their best is bad. Proud man his can-do’s mightily exalts, Yet are his brightest works but splendid faults. A sinner may have shows of good, but still The best he can, ev’n at his best, is ill. Can heav’n or divine favour e’er be win By those that are a mass of hell and sin? The righteous law does numerous w7oes denounce Against the wretched soul that fails but once; What heaps of curses on their heads it rears, That have amass’d the guilt of num’rous years!

SECT. IV.

Man’s strict Attachment to legal Terms, or to the Law as a Condition of LtJ’e.

S i v,on what terms then heav’n appeas’cl will be?

Why, sure perfection is the least degree. Yea, more! full satisfaction must be giv’n For trespass done against the laws of heav’n. These are the terms: what mortal back so broad, But must for ever sink beneath the load? A ransom must he found, or die they must, Sure, ev’n as justice infinite is just.

But, says the legal, proud, self-righteous heart3 Which cannot with her ancient consort part,

h Mart, xviii. 26.

B 4

* What! wont the goodness of the God of hcav’n ‘Admit of smalls when greater can’t be giv’n?

* He knows our fall diminished all our funds,

ont he accept of pennies now for pounds? 4 Sincere endeavours for perfection take,

* Or terms more possible for mankind make?’ Ah! poor divinity and jargon loose;

Such hay and straw will never build the house. Mistake not here, proud mortal, don’t mistake, God changes not, nor other terms will make. Will divine faithfulness itself deny,

tlich swore solemnly man shall do, or die? “W iil God most true extend to us, forsooth, His goodness, to the damage of his truth? Will spotless holiness be baffled thus? Or awful justice be unjust for us? Shall faithfulness be faithless for our sake, And he his threats, as we his precepts, break? Will our great Creditor deny himself; And for full payment take our filthy pelf? Dispense with justice, to let mercy vent? And stain his royal crown with ‘minish’d rent? In worthy thought;.© let no mortal clod Hold such base notions of a glorious God.

HeavVs holy cov’nant, made for human race, Consists, or whole of works, or whole of grace. II works will take the field, then works must be y;or ever perfect to the last degree: Will God dispense with less? Nay, sure he wont With ragged toll his royal law affront. Can rags, that Sinai’s flames will soon dispatch, E’er prove the fiery law’s adequate match? Vain man must be divore’d, and choose to take Another husband or a burning lake.

We find the divine volume no where teach New legal terms within our mortal reach. Some make, though m the sacred page unknown Sincerity assume perfection1* throne;

But who will boast this base usurper’s sway, -> Save ministers of darkness, that display

Invented night to stifle scripture day? J

The naturalists sincerity is naught, That of the gracious is divinely taught; Which teaching keeps their graces, if sincere, Within the limits of the gospel-sphere, Where vaunting, none created graces sing, Nor boast of streams, but of the Lord the spring. Sincerity’s the soul of ev’ry grace, The quality of all the ransom’d race: Of promis’d favour ’tis a fruit, a clause: But no procuring term, no moving cause.

How unadvis’d the legal mind confounds The marks of divine favour with the grounds, And qualities of covenanted friends With the condition of the covenant blends? Thus holding gospel truths with legal arms, .Mistakes new-cov’nant fruits for fecTral terms. The joyful sound no change of terms allows, But change of persons, or another spouse. The nature same that sinn’d must do and die; No milder terms in gospel offers lie. Tor grace no other law-abatement shows, But how law-debtors may restore its dues; Restore, yea, through a surety in their place, With double interest and a better grace. Here we of no new terms of life are told, But of a husband to fulfil the old; With him alone by faith w7e’re caifd to wed, And let no rival brink the marriage-bed.

SECT. V.

Man’s rain Attempt to seek Life by Christ’s Right** outness, joined with their own; and legal ilupts natural to all.

But still the bride reluctant disallows The junior suit, and hugs the senior spouse. B 5

Such the old selfish folly of her mind, So bent to lick the dust and grasp the wind, A Hedging works and duties of her own May for her criminal offence atone; She will her antic dirty robe provide, Which vain she hopes will all pollutions hide. The filthy rags that saints away have flung, She holding, wraps and rolls herself in dung. Thus maugre all the light the gospel gives, Unto her natural consort fondly cleaves. Though mercy set the royal match in view, She’s loth to bid her ancient mate adieu. When light of scripture, reason, common sense, Can hardly mortify her vain pretence To legal righteousness; yet, if at last Her conscience rous’d begins to stand aghast, Press’ d with the dread of hell, she’ll rashly patch, And halve a bargain with the proffer’ d match; In hopes his help, together with her own, Will turn to peaceful smiles the wrathful frown. Though grace the rising Sun delightful sings, With full salvation in his golden wings, And righteousness complete; the faithless soul, Receiving half the light, rejects the whole: Revolves the sacred page, but reads purblind The gospel-message with a legal mind. Mendream their state, uh! too, too slightly viewed Needs only be amended not renewed; Scorn to be wholly debtors unto grace, Hopeful their works may meliorate tbek case. They fancy present prayers and future pains Wili for their former failings make amends: IV) legal yokes they bow their servile necks, -j Anu, .v <1 foul slips their false repose perplex,? Think Jesus’ merits make up all defects. J

They patch his glorious robe with lilthy rags, And burn but incense to their proper drag*”:

Disdain to use his righteousness alone, But as an aiding stirr’p to mount their own; Thus in Christ’s room his rival self enthrone And vainly would, dressM up in legal trim, Divide salvation ‘tween themselves and him.

But know, vain man, that to his share must fall The glory of the whole or none at all. In him all wisdom’s hidden treasures lie*# Ami ail the fulness of the Deitvk. This store alone, immense and never spent, Might poor insolvent debtors well content; But to neii-pnsun justly heav’n will doom Promi fools that on their petty stock presume.

rJ iie soirist couch that gilded nature knows, Can give the waken’d conscience no repose. When God arraigns, what mortal pow’rean stand Beneath the terror of his lifted hand? Our safety lies beyond the nat’ral line, Beneath a purple covert all divine.

let how isprecio is Christ, the way, despis’d, And high the way of life by doing priz’d! But can its vot’nes all its levy show? They prize it most, who least its burden know: Who by the law in part would save his soul, Becomes a debtor to fulfil the whole1. Its pris’ner he remains, and without bai ‘J ill ev’ry mite he paid; and if lie fail, (As ure he must, since, by our sinful breach* Perfection far surmounts all mortal reach,) Then curs’ d tor ever must his soul remain, And all trie folk of God must say, Amenm. Why, seeking that the law should help afford, In honouring the law, lie slights its Lord, Who gives bis law-fulfilling righteousness To be the naked sinner’s peifect dress, In which he might with spotless beauty shine 15efore the face of majesty divine:

1 CoU ii. 3. k Col. ii. 9. l Gal. v. 3. ro Dcut. Axvii. 16.

Yet, lo! the sinner works with mighty pains A garment of his own to hide his stains; Ungrateful! overlooks the gifts of God, The robe wrought by his hand, dy’d in his blood!

In vain the Son of God this web did weave, Could our vile rags sufficient .shelter give: In vain he ev’ry thread of it did draw, Could sinners be o’ermantled by the law. Can men’s salvation on their works be built, Whose fairest actions nothing are but guilt? Or can the law suppress th’avenging flame, When now its only office is to damn? Did life come by the law in part or whole, Blest Jesus dy’d in vain to save a soul. Those then who life by legal means expect, To them is Christ become of noeflect”; Because their legal mixtures do in fact Wisdom’s grand project plainly counteract. How close proud carnal reasonings combine, To frustrate sov’reign grace’s great design? Man’s heart by nature weds the law alone, Nor will another paramour enthrone.

True many seem by course of life profane, No favour for the law to entertain; But break the bands, and cast the cords away, That would their raging lusts and passions stay. Yet ev’n this reigning madness may declare, How strictly wedded to the law they are; lor now, (however rich they seem’d before) Hopeless to pay law-debt, Like desp’rate debtors mad,

in more.

Despair of success shews their strong desires, Till legal hopes are parch’d in lustful fires. ‘Let’s give,’ say they, ‘our lawless will free scope, * And live at random, for there is no hope0.’ The law, that can’t them help, they stab with hate, Vet scorn to beg, or court another mate.

n Gal. ii. 21. v. 2, 4.. ° Jcr xvlii. 12.

rne law xuey aic;

they seem’d before)

t, they give it o’er,

ad, still run themselves

Here lusts most opposite their hearts divide, Their beastly passion, and their bankrupt pride. In passion they their native mate deface, In pride disdain to be oblig’d to grace. Hence plainly, as a rule ‘gainst law they live, Yet closeiy to it as a covenant cleave. Thus legal pride lies hid beneath the patch, And strong aversion to the gospel-match.