was not to be. God purposed to prevent their taking of that tree; and, he did effectually prevent it. But had not the holy God especially have interposed, it would have been only like what men now are, and altogether agreeable to the feelings of depraved human nature, for our first parents to have made the experiment, and seen whether it would not have restored them to their former standing and happy state of security. This disposition we may see in many, at the present day, in the various ways and means, by which they hope to get hold of the benefits of Christ's death; but, more especially in their apprehensions and practice respecting the Lord's supper. Christ has opened the way to the tree of life, for sinners. He, himself, is the bread of life. The consecrated elements, made use of in the holy supper, are the emblems of his body and blood. Unless we embrace him by faith, and feed upon him, where can be the propriety of our taking the outward symbols of his body and blood-professing, by this act, that we take him for our Lord, and for our life-that we live by him, and upon him? Had our first parents been obedient, and complied with the terms on which God had kindly of fered them his everlasting love and favor, they might have eaten of the tree of life, and lived forever. So, if we cordially comply with the terms, on which the Lord Jesus offers to be our Saviour and our life; there is a manifest suitableness in our partaking, in that holy supper, in which he pledges his perpetual and eternal love. But how many, without complying with these gracious terms, will go and hastily take the elements; and this with a view to bring themselves into a more promising situation, as it relates to their eternal state! And as such persons, according to the express declarations of the word of God, eat and drink judgment to themselves; so, had our first parents, after eating of the forbidden fruit, presumed to have taken of the tree of life, it would have been a most sacrilegious act; and, instead of benefiting them, would only have sealed further their own eternal condemnation. But it may be inquired

still further,

2. AFTER the sin and fall of our first parents, what would have been the consequence, according to the ten

or of the constitution under which they were originally placed, had there been no merciful interposition in their favor? In reply to this inquiry, it is to be observed, that the constitution, under which mankind were originally placed, was altogether perfect, and fitted to go into operation and produce its genuine effects, whether the first parents persisted in obedience, or not. Yea, it is

manifest, even now, that all the interpositions of divine. glorious mercy and grace, have not wholly arrested and presented all those consequences, which would have been the natural effect of the operation of the first and original constitution. We are evidently taught, in the holy Scriptures, that the covenant, originally proposed to man, connected the moral state and condition of posterity with the conduct of the first parents. This connexion, we see, is in fact preserved, notwithstanding interpositions of the richest mercy :-For we are told, Rom.

12, 15, 18, 20, "Wherefore, as by one man sin en66 tered into the world, and death by sin: and so death "passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." And that " through the offence of one, many are dead.-That "by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men "to condemnation: and that by one man's disobedience, "many were made sinners." Hence it must be evident, that the natural operation of the original constitution, had there been no interposition of mercy, would not have precluded the existence of posterity. Our first parents were to be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth. And we see no reason to conclude, they would not have done it, had no Saviour been provided. No Saviour is provided for the angels, who sinned ;— nor is mercy offered to them. Yet the full execution of deserved punishment on them, for wise reasons, is suspended: For the Apostle tells us, 2 Pet. 2, 4, that God has delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment. Nor can it be unreasonable to suppose, that the full execution of the evil implied in the original threatening, in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die, might have been suspended, until the human race was so multiplied as to replenish and fill the earth. Then vengeance would have been executed, and a just recompence of reward rendered to all.

3. It does not appear but that our first parents, as long as they remained innocent, had free access to the tree of life-of every tree of the garden, excepting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they might freely eat-The tree of life was never forbidden them, until after they had taken of the prohibited fruit. As these trees, in their true import, were of such vast importance to Adam, now in a state of trial; it cannot be otherwise than reasonable to suppose, that God gave him sufficiently to understand for what end it was, they were made and placed in the midst of the garden. Yea, it manifestly appears from God's expelling him from the garden lest he should put forth his hand and take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever, that he did, in fact, understand it. If our first parents understood what was to be the effect of their taking and eating of the fruit of this tree, while in a state of purity and innocence, it may, be inquired, Why they neglected it-Why they did not take, and eat, and secure those rich and endless blessings, which would have followed? While innocent, they loved the Lord their God perfectly-There was nothing they could prize so highly as his favor: Nor, any thing they could dread, so much as losing it, and being forever shut out from it. Why, then, did they not take of that pledge of his everlasting favor, which was set before them?

ter.

WE have, before observed, that Adam had a state of trial and probation. He was not to be established in the favor of God, without a tried and approved characHow long this state of trial was to have lasted, before he would have been established in a state of holiness and happiness, God has not seen fit particularly to inform us. The term of the trial and temptation of the second Adam, the promised seed and Saviour, we are expressly informed, was forty days. It may not be unreasonable to apprehend, that though all the other trees in the garden were laden with fruit, yet this, which was to have been a pledge of God's everlasting favor to man, after a suitable term of trial, had he persevered in obedience, as yet had no fruit on it. It was evidently suitable, that Adam should have time and opportunity to

weigh well and understand the proposals made to him, and the conditions on which he might have the earth, and all the brutal creation subjected to him; and inherit, too, the perpetual favor of God with them. Accordingly, we are told, Genes. ii. 19, 20. "And out "of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the

field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto "Adam to see what he would call them: And whatso"ever Adam called every living creature, that was the <: name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, "and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the "field." It will be no otherwise than analogous to the moral state of Adam, to suppose that this tree was created in its bloom. Adam himself was thus formedHis nature was originally formed in perfect moral beauty-In the bloom of purity and innocence he began his moral existence. But the time was not yet come for the fruit of this beautiful moral creation to appear in a confirmed state of holiness, and of love and subjection to God. However promising the prospect, to the view of creatures, it was yet undecided, whether the fruit should finally be unta holiness and endless life. In forty days the fruit of this beautiful tree in the midst of the garden might come to maturity, and be fit for the use for which it was originally formed. Inthis period, the term of the second Adam's temptation and trial, the first had sufficient opportunity maturely to consider and weigh the proposals made to him by the Great Author of his being, and Lord and proprietor of the world. Before the end of this period, and when the fruit of this tree was nearly fit for use, the serpent, the subtle deceiver might, as we say, nick the time, and prevail on our first parents forever to preclude themselves from the blessed privilege of having the fruit of this tree a seal of God's perpetual love and favor, by taking and eating of the fruit, which was forbidden them on pain of death. In this way the old serpent, the prince of darkness, thought to have the whole race of man to himself, and reign as a mighty potentate on earth though he were cast out of heaven. But into the pit which he digged for men, he himself has fallen; and will add to the triumphs of the mighty power and justice of the se cond Adam the Lord of glory.

4. WE, the sinful posterity of the original transgressors, may receive much instruction from that solemn and awful guard, which so effectually barred our first parents from access to the tree of life after their fall. The tree of life, as we have before observed, was appointed to be, on certain conditions, a pledge of God's everlasting love to man :-The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, if taken, a certain signal of endless ruin. By the awful guard set around the tree of life after the sin of Adam, access to the divine favor, by any thing guilty man could ever do, was rendered infinitely impossible. We are, all of us, precisely in the same condition, with respect to any, the least sufficiency to help ourselves, or to gain access to the favor of God by any thing we can do, which our first parents were in after being driven from their original, pleasant habitation. If welentertain the least hope of ever regaining the divine favor, or of escaping the evils, with which sinners are indiscriminately threatned, by any of our own duties and services any of our compliances and performances-or any of our tears and cries; let us consider, and seriously reflect upon it, that we have indeed an exceedingly arduous work before us! Unless we embrace the Lord Jesus, in his true and proper character, as the only Saviour of sinners, and humbly and penitently comply with the gracious proposals of the gospel, as the only way in which a sinner ever was, or will, or possibly can be saved; we have to make our way, to heaven and happiness, on the point of the sword of divine justice, or eternally fail of obtaining them.

Ir any one expect to escape the divine displeasure, and secure the favor of God, by his own works of righteousness, let him look to that flaming sword, which turned every way to guard the way of the tree of life from the original parents of our race; and, his courage must fail in a moment, and his heart sink. And then, perhaps, he might be led to lift up his eyes toward the mercy seat, and pray and cry for the favor and mercy of God, in the name and for the sake of the Lord Jesus, who, himself is the propitiation for sin.