|
body could not bring his spirit to any other condition than that of eternal
misery and destruction. In short, sin has involved man in inward and outward
death and eternal ruin, and this is the portion of all his descendants too, as
it is written in the New Testament: 'Through 1 one man sin entered
into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all men, for
that all sinned.' That is to say, in Adam, who is the head of the chain of
humanity, the poison of sin entered into and corrupted human nature, and
therefore all men, as his descendants, inherit a sinful nature, commit sin, and
become liable to God's wrath. And, just as a bad tree cannot bring forth good 2
fruit, so it is impossible that, after Adam and Eve's fall into sin and loss of
their original dignity and happiness, their children too should not, like them,
become involved in sin, or should be born in any other state. An evidence of
this is what is written: 'Adam 3 . . . begat a son in his own
likeness, after his image', that is to say, not like what Adam had originally
been but like what he was in the latter state in which Adam lived at the time of
his son's birth.
The second result which came to Adam and Eve from their sin was shame and
fear. Up to that time their hearts were in peace and unaware of the existence of
fear and dread. But, after their disobedience, they fell into a state of great
unrest
|
|
|
and terror. And, since their outward parts, that is their bodies, had become
changed like their inward parts, and sin had destroyed them, therefore their
bodies now afforded them inducements to sin. Hence they became ashamed of being
naked, and, instead of repenting and asking help and forgiveness from God, they
desired to heal themselves by themselves. Therefore, having concealed themselves
among the trees of the garden, they made for themselves aprons of fig-leaves 1
in order that in this way they might conceal their sin and disgrace, and might
afterwards once more do right. And to such a degree did they then begin to fear
the merciful God, whom up to that time they had loved with all their hearts,
with whom they had associated and enjoyed nearness, and whom they had regarded
as their true friend, that they desired to hide themselves from God, who knows
what is hidden, and who is ever present and sees everything. Yea, from this
matter it is clearly evident that, on account of that sin, they had become so
much alienated from God and their condition had become so changed and altered
through inner darkness that, if God of His infinite kindness had not helped
them, they would assuredly have been unable to repent and return to Him, but
would have been involved in the same miserable state as Satan himself. But,
since God had from eternity, of His own will and pleasure, as well as of His
boundless
|
|