tluis tliat Adam acted, when he imputed his transgression to the influence of his wife, and ultimately to God who gave her to him ''.J
But God neither is, nor can be, the Author of sin —
He may, and does, try men, in order to exercise their graces, and to shew what he has done for their souls. Thus he tempted Abraham, and Job, and Joseph, and many others. But these very instances prove that he did not necessitate, or in any respect influence, them to sin ; for they shone the brighter in proportion as they were tried. But he never did, nor ever will, lead any man into sin. And though he is said to have *' hardened Pharaoh's heart," and to have " moved David to number the people," he did not either of these things in any other way than by leaving them to themselves ^]
All sin must be traced to the evil propensities of our own nature —
[" A clean thing cannot be brought out of an unclean ;** and therefore no descendant of Adam can be free from sin. We have within us a secret bias to sin ; which, however good our direction appear to be, operates at last to turn us from God. That bias is called " lust," or desire, or concupi- scence : and it works in all, though in a great variety of de- grees and manner. All sin is fruit proceeding from this root, even from " the lust that wars in our members ;" and in whatever channel our iniquity may run, it must be traced to that as its genuine and proper source.]
This will appear more strongly, while we mark, II, Its growth —
Its first formation in the soul is often slow and gradual —
[" Lust," or our inward propensity to sin, presents some- thing to our imagination as likely to gratify us in a high de- gree. AVhether itbe profit, or pleasure, or honour, we survey it with a longing eye, and thereby our desire after it is in- flamed. Conscience perhaps suggests that it is forbidden fruit which we are coveting ; and that, as being prohibited, it will ultimately tend rather to produce misery tJian happiness. In opposition to this, our sinful principle intimates a doubt whetlier the gratification be forbidden; or at least whether, in our circumstances, the tasting of it be not very allowable : at all events, it suggests that our fellow-creatures will know no- thing respecting it ; that we may easily repent of the evil ; and that Gotl is very ready to forgive ; and that many who have
used •» Gen. Hi. 12.
' Exod. iv. 21. & 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. with 2 Chron. xxxii. 31.