s defiled, could have brought all others clean out
of unclean parents. But there is a higher counsel about it. The Lord would
have all men subject to his judgment,--all men once guilty, once in an
equal state of misery, to illustrate that special grace showed in Christ
the more, and demonstrate his power and wrath upon others. That which
concerns us most is to believe this, that sin hath overspread all, and to
have the lively impressions of this were of more moment to true religion
than many discourses upon it. I had rather you went home not cursing Adam,
or murmuring against the Most High, but bemoaning yourselves for your
wretched estate than be able to give reasons for the general imputation
and propagation of sin. You all see it is, and therefore you should rather
mourn for it than ask why it is.

There is "sin entered into the world" by imputation, and also by
propagation. Adam's first sin and heinous transgression is charged upon
all his posterity, and imputed unto them, even unto them who have not
sinned according to "the similitude of Adam's transgression," that is,
actually as he did. Infants, whom you call innocents,--and indeed so they
are in respect of you, who are come to age,--yet they are guilty before God
of that sin that ruined all. Now, that ye may know what you are, and what
little reason you have to be pleased with yourselves, and absolve
yourselves as ye do, I shall unbowel that iniquity unto you. First, There
was in it an open banner displayed against God. When the sovereign Lord
had enjoined his creature such a testimony of his homage and loyalty, and
that so easy to be performed, and such as not a whit could abate from his
happiness, what open rebellion was it to refuse it! It was a casting off
the sovereign dominion of God, than which nothing can be more heinous, as
if the clay should refuse to serve the potter's pleasure, and therefore it
is eminently and signally styled disobedience, as having nothing in it but
the pure naked nature of disobedience, no difficulty to excuse it, for it
was most easy, no pleasure to plead for it, for there were as good fruit
beside, and a world of them, no necessity to extenuate it, so that you can
see nothing in it but the ugly face of disobedience and rebellion, (ver.
19.) whereby man draweth himself from his allegiance due to his Maker, and
shaketh off the yoke in reproach of the Most High. Next, you may behold
the vile and abominable face of ingratitude and