lower kinds of existence; so he can create virtue or true holiness, which is the highest and noblest kind of existence. But we have no occasion to employ fine spun reasoning to prove, that holiness comes within the sphere of divine agency, since the Scriptures clearly decide this point. They ascribe the production of holiness to God, as his own proper and peculiar work. They assure us, that he can give men a heart to know him; that he can make them willing to submit to him; that he can take away their stony hearts, and give them hearts of flesh; that he can create them anew in Christ Jesus unto good works; that he can work in them both to will and to do of his good pleasure; or in a word, that he can harden, or soften, or turn their hearts, just as he pleases. There is not a plainer truth in the Bible than this; that God can make men upright. And if he can make obstinate and hardened sinners upright; who can doubt whether he was able to make the first man, in the first stage of his existence, upright?

We may now advance another step, and observe, 2. That God not only might, but must have created Adam either holy, or unholy.

Adam was created in a state of manhood. His body was completely organized, and every way fitted for the reception of the soul. At the instant, therefore, in which his soul was united with his body, he became a perfect man, or moral agent. There was nothing further necessary in order to the exercise of his moral powers, but the exhibition of external objects. And these were exhibited before him, as soon as he opened his eyes upon the visible world. It is possible, though not probable, that his first views were somewhat obscure and confused, like those of a man who awakes out of a sound sleep. But as soon, and perhaps much

sooner, than a waking man collects his thoughts, Adam collected his, and saw and felt the influence of surrounding objects, with all the clearness and sensibility that he ever did in his life. The power of perception sets all the other powers of his mind into motion. So that there could be no discernible distance of time between his seeing objects, and feeling moral affections towards them. As his completely organized body could not prevent the exercise of his moral powers; so there was nothing within, nor without him, that could prevent his immediately commencing a moral agent, and exercising either holy or unholy affections.

To suppose that God implanted in his mind the principles of moral agency, without making him a moral agent, is extremely absurd. For, if God gave him the powers of perception, reason and conscience, he must have been immediately under moral obligation, which he must have immediately either fulfilled, or violated, and so have immediately become either holy, or sinful. To avoid this conclusion, Doctor Chauncey says, "these implanted powers did not af ford Adam any present, actual knowledge, wisdom, holiness, or happiness." I ask then, what they did afford him? or in what sense they were the powers of moral agency, when they neither enabled him to perceive any object, to know any truth, to enjoy any good, nor to do any action? Upon this supposition, Adam was as inactive and torpid, after his soul was united to his body, as before; and might have remained in that inactive, torpid state forever, notwithstanding his implanted powers. For, if after his soul and body were united, he might have remained destitute of sensation and perception, one moment; he might have remained so, one hour, one day, one year, or to all eternity. If any person can tell how Adam began

to perceive, to love or hate, to choose or refuse, in any period of his life; he can as easily tell how Adam began to perceive, to love and hate, to choose and refuse, the first moment, in which his soul was united to his body. If ever his implanted powers could constitute him a moral agent, they must have made him a moral agent, in that very instant, in which God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul. The Apostle tells us, "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." It was impossible, therefore, that God should make the soul of Adam like a clean piece of paper, and preserve it so, a single moment, after he had given him the power of perception. For, as soon as he perceived any object, he must have had some moral exercise towards it, which would have stamped his character either as virtuous, or vicious. Hence it is clearly evident, that Adam was created either sinful, or holy; and since none pretend, that he was created sinful, all must allow, that he was made upright, agreeably to the declaration in the text.

I go on to observe,

3. That it appears from the account, which Moses gives of the creation of Adam, that God made him upright. We have this account in Genesis i, 26, 27. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him: male and female created he them." Some suppose, this divine image consisted in the exterior glory of Adam's body, which resembled the exterior glory of the great Mediator, before he appeared in the

form of a servant, and tabernacled in flesh. But, perhaps, there is no just foundation for this opinion.

Others suppose, this divine image consisted in the superior intellectual powers of Adam, by which he excelled all the inferior creation, and resembled the natural perfections of his Maker. There is, indeed, some truth in this supposition. The human understanding does bear some resemblance of the divine intelligence. And in this respect, men still bear the natural image of God's natural perfections. Hence we are told since the flood, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

But there is still a higher sense, in which man might have borne the image of his Maker; and that is, in respect to his righteousness, or true holiness. God hath a moral as well as natural character; or he hath moral as well as natural perfections. Adam, therefore, might have resembled him in his moral as well as his natural attributes. Adam's heart might have resembled the heart of the Deity, as much as his understanding resembled the divine understanding. And since God designed to make man resemble himself, it is most natural to suppose, that he would make him resemble himself, in the highest and noblest point of resemblance, that is, in his holiness or moral excellence. This reasonable supposition we find to be scriptural. For, we are assured, that God did make Adam a man after his own heart, or in his moral image, by the Apostle Paul, who explains the image of God in man, in this noble and important sense. To the Ephesians he says, "Put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after

and have put on knowledge after It appears from in saints consists

It

God is created in righteousness and true holiness." And he represents the Colossians as actualy bearing this moral image of their Maker. "Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; the new man, which is renewed in the image of him that created him." these passages, that the image of God in moral rectitude, or uprightness of heart. If we al low Scripture to explain itself, we must conclude, that God made Adam holy and upright. For we are told by one inspired Writer, that God made man in his own image, and after his own likeness; and by another, that the image and likeness of God in men, consists in knowledge, righteousness and true holiness. We may observe once more,

4. That the history of Adam, from the time of his creation to the time of his eating the forbidden fruit, affords a clear and convincing evidence of his being originally formed in the moral image of his Maker. We are told, that, after God formed man the last of his works, "he saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good." But how could man, who was a moral agent, be very good, unless his heart, or moral character, was pure and holy? Had he been destitute of virtue, or true holiness, he must have appeared extremely odious in the eyes of perfect purity. We are told, that God blessed Adam; that he gave him dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowls of the air, and over every living creature; that he gave him the free use of all the fruits of the earth, and of all the trees of the garden, except one; and that to crown all his other earthly blessings, he provided a help meet før him, who was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, the companion of his life, and the promoter and partner of all his felicity. While God bestowed these fa

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