Q-19: What Is the Misery of that Estate Whereinto Man Fell?
A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever.
‘And were by nature children of wrath.’ Eph 2:3. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; in the second, we shall see him suffering. The misery ensuing from original sin is two-fold.
I. Privative. By this first hereditary sin we have lost communion with God. Adam was God’s familiar, his favourite; but sin has put us all out of favour. When we lost God’s image, we lost his acquaintance. God’s banishing Adam out of paradise hieroglyphically showed how sin has banished us out of God’s love and favour.
II. Positive. In four things. 1. Under the power of Satan. 2. Heirs of God’s wrath. 3. Subject to all the miseries of this life. 4. Exposed to hell and damnation.
[1] The first misery is, that by nature we are ‘under the power of Satan,’ who is called ‘The prince of the power of the air.’ Eph 2:2. Before the fall man was a free denizen, now a slave; before, a king on the throne, now in fetters. And whom is man enslaved to? To one that is a hater of him. This was an aggravation of Israel’s servitude. ‘They that hated them ruled over them.’ Psa 106:41. By sin we are enslaved to Satan, who is a hater of mankind, and writes all his laws in blood. Sinners before conversion are under Satan’s command; as the ass at the command of the driver, so he does all the devil’s drudgery. No sooner Satan tempts but he obeys. As the ship is at the command of the pilot, who steers it which way he will, so is the sinner at the command of Satan; and he ever steers the ship into hell’s mouth. The devil rules all the powers and faculties of a sinner.
(1.) He rules the understanding. He blinds men with ignorance, and then rules them; as the Philistines first put out Samson’s eyes, and then bound him. Satan can do what he will with an ignorant man; because he does not see the error of his way, the devil can lead him into any sin. You may lead a blind man any whither. Omne peccatum fundatur in ignorantia [Every sin is founded upon ignorance].
(2.) Satan rules the will. Though he cannot force the will, yet he can, by temptation, draw it. ‘The lusts of your father ye will do.’ John 8:44. He has got your hearts, and him ye will obey. ‘We will burn incense to the queen of heaven.’ Jer 44:17. When the devil spurs a sinner by a temptation, he will over hedge and ditch break all God’s laws, that he may obey Satan. Where then is free will, when Satan has such power over the will? ‘His lusts ye will do.’ There’s not any member of the body but is at the devil’s service: the head to plot sin, the hands to work it, the feet to run the devil’s errand. Grave jugum servitutis. Cicero. ‘Slavery is hateful to a noble spirit.’ Satan is the worst tyrant; the cruelty of a cannibal, or Nero, is nothing to his. Other tyrants do but rule over the bodies, he over the conscience. Other tyrants have some pity on their slaves; though they work in the galley, they give them meat, let them have hours for rest; but Satan is a merciless tyrant, he lets them have no rest. What pains did Judas take! The devil would let him have no rest till he had betrayed Christ, and afterwards imbrued his hands in his own blood.
Use one: See here our misery by original sin; enslaved to Satan. Eph 2:2. Satan is said to work effectually in the children of disobedience. What a sad plague is it for a sinner to be at the will of the devil! Just like a slave, if the Turks bid him dig in the mines, hew in the quarries, tug at the oar, the slave must do it, he dares not refuse. If the devil bids a man lie or steal, he does not refuse; and, what is worse, he willingly obeys this tyrant. Other slaves are forced against their will: ‘Israel sighed by reason of their bondage,’ Exod 2:23; but sinners are willing to be slaves, they will not take their freedom; they kiss their fetters.
Use two: Let us labour to get out of this deplorable condition into which sin has plunged us, and get from under the power of Satan. If any of your children were slaves, you would give great sums of money to purchase their freedom; and when your souls are enslaved, will ye not labour for their freedom? Improve the gospel. The gospel proclaims a jubilee to captives. Sin binds men, but the gospel looses them. Paul’s preaching was ‘to turn men from the power of Satan to God.’ Acts 26:18. The gospel star leads you to Christ; and if you get Christ, then you are made free, though not from the being of sin, yet from Satan’s tyranny. ‘If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ John 8:36. You hope to be kings to reign in heaven, and will you let Satan reign in you now? Never think to be kings when you die, and slaves while you live. The crown of glory is for conquerors, not for captives. Oh get out of Satan’s jurisdiction; get your fetters of sin filed off by repentance.