Thomas Reade

The doctrine of the Fall, with all its direful¹ consequences, shines with awful clearness in the book of God: “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom 5:12).

The doctrine of the Fall lies at the foundation of atonement: for “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick” (Luk 5:31). Jesus came not “to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luk 5:32). He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luk 19:10). “This,” therefore, “is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1Ti 1:15). His glorious work was announced to Joseph by the angel, when he said, “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Mat 1:21).

Whilst viewing the once happy pair² after their awful fall, we are constrained to use the language of the weeping prophet: “How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!” (Lam 4:1).

The sin of Adam was a compound of unbelief, pride, sensuality, ingratitude, and rebellion. Unbelief, in giving credence³ to the tempter, rather than to God. Pride, in the fond desire of being wise as gods, knowing good and evil. Sensuality, in lusting after the forbidden fruit. Ingratitude, in leaguing with the fallen angels. Rebellion, in trampling the authority of Jehovah.

The apostle says, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1Ti 2:14). The serpent first beguiled Eve through his subtlety, and then Eve gained an easy conquest over her husband, for it is recorded, “She took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Gen 3:6). By this act, Adam [gave in to] sinful compliance with the temptation and became a full sharer in her guilt and misery. In this guilt, their whole posterity was likewise involved, for it is written: “By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation” (Rom 5:18). “In Adam all die” (1Co 15:22).

The effect of the Fall was shame, the never-failing companion of sin. “They knew that they were naked” (Gen 3:7). The image of God was gone. Their native robe of innocence was gone. Their peace and purity were gone. Awful condition! They were indeed naked and exposed to all the terrors of incensed⁴ justice without a covering from its wrath.

Another effect of the Fall was the darkness of the mind. “Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of LORD God amongst the trees of the garden” (Gen 3:8). Amazing blindness—to hide themselves from that Being, Whose eyes are brighter than ten thousand suns, Who fills heaven and earth with His presence, and from Whom no secrets are hid!

Slavish fear was another fruit of the Fall. When God asked Adam why he hid himself, he replied, “I was afraid” (Gen 3:10). Ah, what inward torment did sin produce in the soul of our first parents! How changed their condition! They are now afraid to look upon Him Whose presence was their heaven and their joy.

Impiety⁵ and impenitence⁶ were also the baneful⁷ offspring of the Fall. When God charged Adam with eating of the tree whereof He commanded that he should not eat, Adam replied: “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Gen 3:12). Mark the impiety: “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me”—thus charging the guilt upon the Almighty, as if he had said, “If Thou hadst never given me this woman, I would have never sinned against Thee.” O! The impious insult upon divine benevolence, goodness, and love! Mark also then the impenitence of Adam: “She gave me of the tree, and I did eat,” thus throwing the blame of his eating upon Eve, as if he were compelled to eat because she presented the fruit to him, and as if his own will had no part in it.

We see here no conviction of sin, no confession of guilt, no [remorse] on account of it. The Garden of Eden exhibited no signs of penitence, no brokenness of heart…Eve was just as bad as her husband. She, in like manner, endeavored to [clear] herself by saying, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (Gen 3:13).

Now observe, O my soul; yes, observe with wonder, gratitude, and love the boundless grace and mercy of Jehovah. He, Who spared not the angels that sinned, proclaimed a rich and free salvation to rebellious man. The Lord promised a deliverer, even the seed of the woman, who should bruise the serpent’s head. In the fullness of time, Jesus, the Savior, was born of a pure virgin, born to save His people from their sins and to vanquish the powers of death and hell. This precious Jesus is now preached through the everlasting gospel to all the guilty sons and daughters of Adam, with the blessed assurance that all who believe in Him shall be saved.

From this short view of man’s apostasy and recovery, it is evident that man is the sole author of his destruction and that his salvation is altogether of free, unsought-for, unmerited grace. Through the Fall, man lost all spiritual power and will to love and serve God. But through the covenant of grace, he regains both, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phi 2:13).

An attentive perusal of the third and fourth chapters of Genesis will convince every humble inquirer after truth, through the teaching of the divine Spirit, that every man born into this world deserves nothing but everlasting damnation, since “that which is born of the flesh is flesh” (Joh 3:6), and “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1Co 15:50). “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (Joh 3:7), was the reply of the Savior to the inquiring Nicodemus. The sinner may cavil⁸ and dispute, but his own heart will condemn him. His own life will condemn him. The Law of God will condemn him. The sin of his nature, as a child of fallen Adam, will condemn him. He will find nothing but condemnation here and judgment in the world to come. But let him look outside of himself to the second Adam, the Lord from heaven—to Jesus Christ, the promised deliverer. There he will find everything needful to repair the ruins of the Fall—yes, to raise him to a more glorious state than if Adam had never sinned…

Amazing mystery! O! Wonderful wisdom of God, in thus educing⁹ such good out of such evil and in making that to redound to His glory and to manifest the bright display of His perfections, which Satan intended as an awful blight on His new and fair creation!

Thus, Satan is foiled, and grace reigns “through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 5:21). “Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree there in: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel” (Isa 44:23).

Surely none but fools can make a mock at sin…Pride, malice, envy, murmuring, uncleanness, and every abomination hateful to a holy God and destructive to our wretched race spring from this poisonous root. Every particle of sin contains an infinity of evil and deserves everlasting damnation.

But, O my soul, if you would view sin in darkest colors and most terrible effects, go to Bethlehem and ask, “Why did the King of heaven become an infant of days? Why was He Who fills all space, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger?” Go to Gethsemane and ask, “Why did the incarnate God agonize and sweat great drops of blood?” Go to the judgment hall and ask, “Why did the sovereign Judge of men and angels submit to be judged? Why did the innocent suffer such indignities? Why was the guiltless condemned to die?” Go to Calvary and ask, “Why did the Lord of glory hang on the accursed tree? Why did the Lord of life condescend to pour out His soul unto death?”

It was to save you from your sin, to redeem you from the curse of the law by being made a curse for you, to deliver you from going down into hell by becoming your ransom. It was to merit heaven for you by His precious atonement and obedience unto death. It was to purchase for you the eternal Spirit, by Whose powerful aid you might believe and love and delight in this precious Savior, this adorable Redeemer, this almighty Deliverer, through Whom your sins are pardoned and by Whom you have access unto God as your reconciled Father. O my soul! Praise the Lord for His mercy, and never cease to speak good of His name!

Sin—even your sin—nailed, pierced, and agonized the Lord of glory! O! Then hate sin and avoid it as you would tremble to plunge a spear into your Savior’s bosom, as you would shudder to trample under foot His sacred blood. “The wages of sin is death.” But, O!— rejoice in this gracious declaration: “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:23).

From Spiritual Exercises of the Heart

Thomas Reade (1776-1841): English layman and author; born in Manchester, England, UK

Courtesy of Chapel Library

1 direful – dreadful; terrible.
2 Adam and Eve
3 giving credence – believing or accepting a statement as true.
4 incensed – greatly enraged.
5 impiety – lack of reverence for God; ungodliness.
6 impenitence – hardness of heart; unrepentant.
7 baneful – life-destroying
8 cavil – raise trivial objections.
9 educing – bringing out.