fresh disobedience, and thence arise the iniquities and the miseries of the inhabitants of this world, even from their youngest years, to death and the grave.

X. To make it yet further appear, that mankind from their infancy and early years are under tokens of the displeasure of God on the account of sin, let it be considered here, that the first man who sinned might be justly deprived of some of his former blessings by God himself, as a direct punishment of his own sin, as well as by natural consequence he lost others of them: This is evident from what is said before. Now except the mere consciousness of sin, the shame and pain of self-reflection, or anguish of conscience, which is the natural effect of personal guilt, and belongs only to the personal transgressor, what is there of all the blessings which the firist man is supposed to lose either by natural consequence, or to be deprived of as forfeited to his Maker's Justice, which his children do not also lose? They seem plainly to be deprived of them by reason of this sin of their parent, because they are blessings which they would have been possessed of, if their parent had stood innocent. Let us enquire into particulars: Are they weakened in their understanding as well as he? Hath not their appetite and passion too often a superior and prevailing power over their reason as well as his? Are not their thoughts and inclinations early immoral, carnal and sensual and averse from God and things spiritual? Are not their wills perverse and corrupt? Are not the evil principles of pride, malice, revenge, envy, working in them by nature? Are they not subject to powerful temptations on all sides, which are generally too strong for them? Are they not liable to diseases, to injuries from other creatures, to wounds, pains and poverty, to hunger, thirst, and nakedness, to miseries of every kind, and to death itself, as well as their first parent? If therefore all the natural evils, which fall upon, or are inflicted on the first sinner, on account of his moral evil, fall also on his posterity, always excepting anguish of conscience aud self-reflection, is it not evident that they are joined with him in his fall, and that they are fallen from their Maker's image and favour together with him? For we can never suppose they all would have been naturally, or from their nativity, so vicious, and subject to so many miseries, and so destitute of blessings, had they been propagated by a parent who had continued in the perfect favour and image of his Maker.

XI. Nor is it strange to suppose, nor is it hard to conceive, that this universal taint or infection, this general degeneracy and desolation of human nature, both with regard to sin and misery, should be conveyed according to an original, wise and holy constitution of God by the means of natural generation from one man to all his posterity; for we see the very same thing actually done

continually, in God's wise and holy providence. Do we not find the same sort of vice and iniquity, of disease and death, transmitted from parents to children, and that sometimes for many successive generations? As for instance:

1. In sins. How often do we find a proud, a passionate, a false, a malicious temper, a lewd or a sottish inclination, transmitted from parents to children; so, that the features of their faces are scarcely so much copied out in the offspring as the vices of their nature? And in some houses from age to age, there is a race of drunkards or adulterers, of cheats or thieves, of cruel, proud and malicious wretches continued in the world.

2. In miseries. How common a thing is it also to have the gout, the scurvy, the stone conveyed down from one generation to another? How does the king's-evil descend to distant posterity? How often does frenzy or madness run in the blood, and taint whole families? How frequently do the diseases of an infamous name, derived from the lewdness of predecessors, make the lives of their offspring short and miserable? And how many instances are there of a great part of a household that from one generation to another die of the small-pox, or a consumption of the lungs, in their youth, or in the midst of their days?

Now these are evident and unquestionable matters of fact with regard to particular sins and miseries, diseases and death ; these things are certain beyond all contest, and why may wa not easily suppose the same matter of fact to be true with regard to the general depravation, misery and mortality of human nature? Though the evidences of this general contagion may not appear quite so plain and so obvious, and within the grasp of our survey, yet perhaps reason may have as forcible arguments for it, and by this parallel instance may more easily solve the conduct of providence in this universal depravation of nature. And indeed I think such parallel instances never would have been found among mankind, were it not for the first and general condemnation which came on all men by the sin of some first parent, and the general depravation of all in that one head of our race; on which the next question proceeds.

QUEST. IV.---But has it not an appearance of Injustice in the Creator and Governor of the World, to make so many Millions suffer for the Sin of One?

Answer. This appearance of injustice is in some measure relieved, if you consider this one man to be the natural head and fountain of all the rest; even as a sickly and weakly animal among the brute creatures propagates a race of feeble and sickly

animals, according to the common law of creation and propaga tion, viz. that every creature should produce its own likeness in nature and quality: And the offspring are exposed to the miserable consequences of those diseases, or sickly qualities which the parent animal communicates to them together with their natures. And if it should be thought hard or unjust, that a race of intelligent beings should be naturally subject to these laws of animal propagation, together with all the sinful and miserable consequences of it, yet the supposition of the first man being set up as a representative, a surety, or federal head of his posterity, as well as he was their natural father, will do much toward the removal of all remaining appearances of injustice in this part of the providence and government of God.

And indeed, I must confess, it is my present opinion, that the mere doctrine of the animal propagation of man, according to the natural law of creation, is not a sufficient relief to this difficulty, without supposing the first father of mankind to be a common federal head and representative of his posterity, as well as the natural spring and fountain of them. And the reason is this Because if this scene of misery arise merely from the first parent being the natural spring of his race, it seems to impeach the goodness and equity of God, who has constituted this nature by a mere arbitrary act of his will: But if it arise from this federal headship, then it is owing to man's sin and God's rectoral justice and wisdom, punishing that sin according to this covenant*. But these two suppositions put together, I think, do best absolve and clear the conduct of providence, and the divine government from all imputations of injustice; especially if we consider and remember the following things:

1. Happiness might have been secured to all mankind by this constitution, as well as forfeited and lost. If there was on one side so great a risk as the innocence, welfare and happiness of mankind entrusted with one person, so that sin and misery would be brought upon millions if he sinned and lost the image of God and his favour, there was as great an advantage allowed on the other side to all mankind, even the everlasting security of their innocence, welfare and happiness, if this one person continued in his obedience, and preserved himself in the image and favour of his Maker: And there appears, so far as we can judge, to be so much equity in this constitution, that if we had no intimation of this account of things from scripture, yet the reason of the thing inclines us to believe, that this might

*If it should be objected, that this federal headship is an act of God's arbitrary will as well as the natural beadship, and so both cases are alike; 1 answer, that the federal headship is a most eligible thing to all their posterity, if all had been present to give their consent to it; and for that reason I call it federal: But a mere arbitrary act of the God of nature seems to carry a barder imputation on God.

probably be the original appointment of God, the righteous Governor of the world. To enforce this sentiment, let us consider, that if the first man, who stood the surety of his posterity, had fulfilled the obedience required during all his time of trial, it would have appeared as an hardship upon all his posterity to have had each of them a single state of dangerous trial* imposed upon them too, which might have exposed them to temptation, guilt and misery: For since it is plain upon such a constitution, that they were to be involved in the guilt and misery of the first man, if he did not go through his trial well, and maintain his innocence and obedience; it seems reasonable also, that if he did finish his state of trial well, the advantage of it should have redounded to all those who stood represented in and by him, and confirmed their happiness.

You will say, what then would have become of all the millions of mankind in succeeding generations? I answer, They might have been seized as Enoch was, and translated to the upper world after some appointed time of obedience here on earth. You will query then,

Query. "Would not this time of obedience have been a season of trial to them?" I answer, Not a state of dangerous trial, whether they should be happy or miserable; but a season of proper trial and exercise of obedience to prepare them for different degrees of advancement in heavenly places, according to their fidelity and diligence. And by the way let it be observed, that if the first man had maintained his innocence, and his posterity been established therein, no man would have complained of it, but with thankfulness all would have accepted it as a divine favour and a happy covenant.

2. Remember what was before hinted, that this was the most probable and the safest way, to secure happiness to mankind by one man's having this vast and important trust committed to him, viz. The innocence and happiness of all his posterity; for he was thereby laid under much stronger obligations to watch and guard against every temptation, and to use more

*Doth that man write the sincere sense of his own mind and conscience, who charges these expressions about "a dangerous trial for Adam's posterity if Adam had stood," with this supposition or inference, that "we are none of us upon a state of trial now, and that Adam alone was upon trial for us ali?" and yet to shew that he means this unjust censure, he spends almost two pages to prove, that we are in a state of trial now, because there is a day of judgment coming, when every single person shall be rewarded according to his works. But let such a man know, that we have ever owned and granted, that we are in a state of personal trial at present, and that the day of judgment is designed to decide that important event. But let it be remembered also, that this is upon the foot of a new covenant proposed to the world since the fall of Adam, not that old covenant whereby Adam was tried, and having broken it by sin, was condemned and forfeited his immortality, and bis other blessings both for himself and his posterity.

vigorous endeavours to maintain his Maker's image and favour, than any single person could be, who had only his own happiness to take care of. By this means all the springs of benevolence and compassion to fellow-creatures, and all the tenderness of paternal love and pity to a numerous offspring, both which principles doubtless were very strong in innocent man, were awakened and set at work to guard against sin, as as well as the powers and motives of self-love, and all the principles of self-preservation: So that this constitution of God had not only justice and equity in it, but goodness and kindness.

3. Let it be considered also, that this is a common thing among men, for one person to be a natural representative, and as it were, to become a trustee or a surety for his posterity thereby; by which means they enjoy or sustain the honours or the dishonours, the riches or the poverty, which the merit or crime of their forefather hath procured. If a subject receive from his prince the honour of nobility, and be made an earl upon the account of his merit, together with the royal endowment of a large estate to support the honour, this estate and this honour will descend together to the latest posterity, and the eldest male of his family in all ages is an earl, and enjoys the estate which is annexed to the title. But on the other hand, if a nobleman rebel against his king, and is attainted of high treason, or proved guilty and condemned, he loses his estate and his honour together, he loses the favour of his prince at court, and that nobility which is the image of his prince; and together with him all his posterity are cut off from their pretensions to the honour and the estate: Nor is this ever counted unrighteous dealing among the governors of the world, why then should it be imputed as unrighteous to the great God who is the Supreme Governor of all worlds?

4. I might add also in the last place, that even where a person is not the natural head or fountain of life to others, yet he may be made their common legal or federal head, their representative or surety to act for them, so that they shall enjoy the benefits of his loyalty and prudence, if he behave and act well, or shall suffer many miseries if he be guilty of rebellion or folly. Is not a member of parliament made the representative of the whole county or town, and entrusted with the liberties of those whom he represents? If he assist in making good laws, the town or county enjoys the benefit of them; but if he join with others to give up his own and their liberties to the hand of a tyrant, they also become slaves together with himself. So a plenipotentiary is sent from a republic, suppose from Holland or Venice, to transact affairs of war or peace, and the whole community which made him their representative, either obtain great