10, The SECOND consequent of the first sin of man is the moral corruption of nature, the spring of all that evil of actual sin that is in the world. And herein we have a full consent from the Jews, delivered after their manner, both in the Targums, Talmuds, and private writings of their principal masters; for an evil concupis- cence in the heart of man, from his very conception, they generally acknowledge.
The name they give unto it is yn \y’,—“ figmentum malum,” the evil figment of the heart; properly enough, from Gen. vi. 5: “And Gop saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth; pisn-ba yn pr iz> navinn wyi-b2) and that the whole figment of the thoughts (or computation) of his heart was only evil every day.” Hence have they taken their yxn-1¥"; a more proper name than that used by Christian divines, of “originale peccatum.” And it is a ludicrous ignorance in some of the late rabbins, who profess them- selves to deny original sin,—as doth the author of the Questions and Objections published by Brenius, and others of them,—and yet in the meantime grant this evil figment in all mankind, which was not in Adam in his innocency. And hereunto they oppose that aon 7», that “good concupiscence,” which they fancy to come on every one at the age of thirteen years, when he becomes “filius pra-
152 MESSIAH, THE DELIVERER FROM EVIL, [EXERC. VIIL
cepti,” or liable unto the commands of God. The Targumists term it in the Chaldee tongue, xv”2 N73", to the same purpose. And it is mentioned by them, Ps. xiii. 5, “that sv*2 sy’, the evil figment, say not I have ruled over him;” instead of “the enemy,” for it is the chief enemy of men. Twice also it is mentioned in the Targum of Ps. 1 14: xwa soy’ w23;—“ Restrain the evil figment, and it shall be accounted before God as a sacrifice.” Doubtless none more ac- ceptable. And to the same purpose the words are also verse 28. And in Ps. xci. 12, “ That thy foot stumble not at the evil figment, which is like a stone;” that is, “That it seduce thee not, that it cause thee not to offend, to stumble and fall into sin.” See Jamesi. 14. And Ps. cxix. 70, they call it absolutely: 254 sox", “the figment,” or evil fomes of the heart: pnada soy’ an pn ways ;—“The figment of their heart is made thick (or hard) as with fatness;” an expression not unusual in the Scripture to set out impenitency and security in sinning, Isa. vi. 10. And in Isa. lxii, 10 they mention xy) 1, “the thought of lust,” or of “the figment ;” which is that “conceiv- ing” of it mentioned by James, chap. 1.14. For 177 is the in- ward evil thought of the heart, or the first motion of sin. More- over, they do not unfitly describe it by another property; as Eccles. ix.14,29 Jbnd Snot Neva soyY;—“The evil figment (or concupiscence), which is like unto a great king,”’—namely, because of its power. On which account in the New Testament it is said PaoiAcdew, to “reign” as a king, because of the subjection unto it év raig éaibu- ious, “in the lusts” or concupiscence of the heart, Rom. vi. 12; and xvpieve, or to have “dominion,” verse 14, which is to the same purpose with that of the Targumist: “vil concupiscence is like unto a great king.” And this testimony we have given unto this moral corruption of nature in the Targums, the most ancient records of the Judaical apprehensions about these things that are now extant, or have been so for many ages.
11. The Talmudists have expressed the same thoughts about this inbred and indwelling sin; and, to set forth their conceptions about it, they have given it several names not unsuited unto those de- scriptions of it which are given us by the Holy Ghost in the New Testament; as,—
First, They call ity, that is, “ malum,” evil; a name, as they say, given by God himself, Gen. vill. 21. Hence is that observation of R. Moses Haddarshan, from R. Jose in Bereshith Rabba: To andy; —“Sad,” or dark, “is that mass against which He that made it gives testimony that it is ‘evil; and our masters affirm that naught is that plant, which He that planted it witnesseth to be evil’ And in answer hereunto it is termed in the New Testament, 4 é&mapria, “that sin,” that evil thing that dwelleth in us, Rom. vii. 17.
Secondly, They say that Moses calleth it now, « preeputium,”
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SECT. 11. | PROMISED OF OLD. 153
or “uncireumcision,” Deut. x. 16. And therefore in Tract. Sanhed. cap. x1, to the question, When may an infant be made partaker of the world to come? R. Nachman, the son of Isaac, answereth, bow nywn, presently after he is cirewmcised; circumcision being admitted of old as the sign of the taking away by grace of the natural evil fig- ment of the heart. And in answer hereunto, it is called by our apostle dxpoCveri«, or “uncircumcision,” Col. ii. 13.
Thirdly, They say David calls it sob, an “unclean thing.” This they draw from Ps. li. 10, by the rule of contraries, a great guide in their expositions: “Create in me a clean heart, O God;” whence it appears that the heart of itself is unclean. And the apostle gives it us under the same name and notion, 1 Thess. iv. 7; 1 Cor. vil. 14,