Chapter 11. Of Man's fall and disobedience.
WILLIAM PERKINS
Chapter 11. Of Man's fall and disobedience.
Adam's fall was his willing revolt to disobedience by eating the forbidden fruit. In Adam's fall, we may note the manner, greatness, and fruit of it.
I. The manner of Adam's fall was of this sort:
First, the devil having himself fallen immediately before, insinuates to our first parents that the punishment for eating the forbidden fruit was uncertain, and also that God was not true in His word to them.
Secondly, by his legerdemain [deception] he blinded the eyes of their understanding.2Cor 4.4
Thirdly, being thus blinded, they begin to distrust God, and to doubt God's favor.
Fourthly, thus doubting, they are moved to behold the forbidden fruit.
Fifthly, they no sooner see the beauty of it, than they desire it.
Sixthly, that they may satisfy their desire, they eat of the fruit which was taken from the tree by the hands of the woman. By this act, they become utterly disloyal to God. Gen 3.1-8.
Thus, without constraint, they willingly fall from their integrity. God, upon just cause, leaves them to themselves, and freely suffers them to fall. For we must not think that man's fall was either by chance, or God not knowing it, or barely winking at it, or by his bare permission, or against his will — but rather mysteriously,
it was not outside the will of God, and yet it was without His entire approval of it.
II. The greatness of this transgression must be esteemed, not by the external object, or the baseness of an apple, but by the offence it contains against God's majesty.
A GOLDEN CHAIN
This offence appears by the many trespasses committed in that action. There is, 1. Doubting God's word.
2. Lack of faith. For they do not believe God's threat [in that day you eat of it, you shall die the death], but being bewitched with the devil's promise [you shall be like gods], they cease to fear God's punishment, and are inflamed with a desire for greater dignity.
3. Their curiosity in forsaking God's word, and seeking other wisdom.
4. Their pride in seeking to magnify themselves and become like God.
Contempt of God in transgressing His commandments against their own conscience.
6. In preferring the devil before God.
7. Ingratitude; in so far as they expel God's spirit dwelling in them, and despise that blessed union.
8. They murder both themselves and their progeny.
III. The fruit or effects. Out of this corrupt estate of our first parents, arose the estate of infidelity or unbelief, by which God has included all men under sin, that He might manifest His mercy in the salvation of some, and His justice in the condemnation of others.
Rom 11.32, God has shut up all men in unbelief, that he might have mercy on all. Gal 3.22, The Scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ, should be given to those who believe.
In this estate, we must consider sin and the punishment of sin. Sin is threefold.
The first is the participation in both Adam's transgression and guiltiness, by which in his sin, all his posterity sinned. Rom 5.12, As by one man, sin entered into the world, and by sin, death: so death entered upon all men, in that all men have sinned. The reason for this is ready. Adam was not then a private man, but represented all mankind. Therefore, look at what good he received from God, or evil from elsewhere — both were common to others with him. 1Cor 15.22, As in Adam all men die, so in Christ all men rise again.
WILLIAM PERKINS
Again, when Adam offended, his posterity was in his loins, from whom they would issue in the course of nature. And therefore, they take part in the guiltiness with him. Heb 7.9, 10, And to say as the thing is, Levi, etc., paid tithes to Melchizedek; for he was yet in the loins of his father Abraham when Melchizedek met him.