Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE FIRST AND THE SECOND MAN.69strangely distressing condition of his state, in. thatwhile he lost by the fall the grace in which, asan indwelling gift, his whole supernatural statehad been rooted, he yet did not lose that conditionof being formed and intended for a supernaturalend which grace alone could enable himto attain. For the supernatural vision and loveof God he had been created, and in his fall he didnot sink to be merely a natural man ; but hisoriginal end was still held out before him as thatwhich he might reach supported by that gracethe aids of which were in a different measure promisedto him in order to lead a life of penance,and as the earnest of a future restoration.This, however, is far from being a completestatement of his case, and we must go back to thecircumstances of his fall in order to add thatfurther still more peculiar and remarkable conditionwhich, added to the one just described,made up the whole of his fall.Adam had not disobeyed the divine command,and so broken the covenant of his sonship, by thesimple promptings of his own will. Another hadintervened ; had suggested to the woman doubts.against her Maker and Father. She had yieldedto these * doubts, and disobeyed ; and then Adamhad suffered himself to be drawn with her in herdisobedience. Who was this other ? He wasthe prince and leader of spirits created good, butfallen into enmity with God. Thus, the favourite