A Body of Practical Divinity

2. From Adam's sudden Fall, he fell the same day, Learn how sad it is for a Man to be left to himself, 1. Adam being left to himself fell: O then what will become of us, how soon fall, if God leave us to ourselves? A Man left to himself will choose his own Death: he will be a Prey to every Temptation. A Man without God's Grace, left to himself, is like a Ship in a Storm without Pilot or Anchor, and is ready to dash upon every Rock. Make this Prayer to God, Lord do not leave me to myself: If Adam fell so soon who had strength, how soon shall I fall who have no strength? O urge God with his Hand and Seal, 2 Cor. 12.9. My strength shall be made perfect in weakness.

2. The Sin by which our first Parents fell was, Eating the forbidden Fruit; Where consider two things: 1. The Occasion of it. 2. The Sin itself.

I. The Occasion of it: The Serpent's Temptation; the Devil did creep into the Serpent, and speak in the Serpent, as the Angel in Balaam's Ass; where consider, 1. The Subtlety of Satan's Temptation; his Wiles are worse then his Darts. Satan's Subtlety in Tempting, 1. He dealt all along as an Impostor, he ushered in his Tentation by a Lye: He heaps up many Lies, 1. That though our first Parents did eat of that Tree, they should not die, Gen. 3.4. Ye shall not surely die. 2. Lye, that God did envy our first Parents their Happiness, Verse 5. God knows that in the day ye eat, your eyes shall be opened; q. d. 'Tis God's envying your Felicity that he forbids you this Tree. 3. Lye, that they should be thereby made like unto God, Verse 5. Ye shall be as gods. Here was his Subtlety in Tempting; the Devil was first a Liar then a Murderer.