the offence of one, he declares that that one person, even Adam, was "a type ox figure of Him who was to come;" and that as death and condemnation came by the offence of one, that is, Adam; so righteousness and life come by the obe- dience of one, even Christ1. In another place he draws precisely the same parallel, representing Christ as " the second man," " the last Adamk;" and affirming, that " as in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive1."
These things collectively, clearly prove, that the prohibition was not a mere personal concern with Adam, but that it was a covenant made with him on behalf of himself and all his posterity.
If it be thought strange that God should make other per- sons responsible for Adam's conduct ; we answer, that, amongst ourselves, the happiness of children is greatly in- volved in the conduct of their parents ; and that God expressly avows, on another occasion, that he did make a covenant with some on behalf of others who were yet un- born m : and if he did it on one occasion, he might with equal propriety do it on another.]
But lest there should lurk in the mind any dis- satisfaction with this mysterious appointment, we proceed to shew,
III. Its reasonableness —
Consider its reasonableness,
1. As a prohibition —
[If the will of the Maker were to be enacted into a law, for the purpose of trying the obedience of man, we cannot conceive a more easy and simple method than the prohibiting the use of one single tree amidst the thousands which were laden with the choicest fruits. If God had prohibited all except one, it would have been highly reasonable that He should be obeyed, seeing that they were all the works of His hands, and He was at liberty to give or withhold, as it seemed to Him good. But when He gave the free enjoyment of all, and denied him only one, certainly nothing could be more reasonable than that His will should be honoured by a cheer- ful compliance.
Nor was it less reasonable that the prohibition should be enforced with so severe a penalty: for the object of the penalty was, to keep Adam from transgression, and to shut him up under a necessity of continuing holy and happy : and
1 Rom. v. 12—19. k 1 Cor. xv. 45, 47.
» 1 Cor. xv. 22. m Deut. xxix. 14, 15.