What of our Bibles?
But meanwhile, what must we do with our Bibles, for they will never agree with this. These accounts, however pleasing to flesh and blood, are utterly irreconcilable with the scriptural one. The Scripture affirms that by one man's disobedience all men were constituted sinners (Romans 5:19), that in Adam all died (1 Corinthians 15:22), spiritually died, lost the life and the image of God, that fallen, sinful Adam then begat a son in his own likeness (Genesis 5:3). Nor was it possible he should beget him in any other, for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean (Job 14:4)? That consequently we as well as other men were by nature dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), without hope, without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12), and therefore children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). That every man may say: I was shaped in wickedness, and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5). That there is no difference, in that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22-23), of that glorious image of God in which man was originally created. And hence, when the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, he saw they were all gone out of the way, they were all together become abominable, there was none righteous, no, not one, none that truly sought after God (Psalm 14:2-3), just agreeable to what is declared by the Holy Spirit in the words above recited: God saw when he looked down from heaven before, that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, so great that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5).
1771 text
4. But in the mean-time, what must we do with our bibles; for they will never agree with this. These accounts, however pleasing to flesh and blood, are utterly irreconcileable with the scriptural. The scripture avers, that by one man’s disobedience, all men were constituted sinners: that in Adam all died, spiritually died, lost the life and the image of God: that fallen, sinful Adam then begat a son in his own likeness: nor was it possible he should beget him in any other: for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? That consequently we as well as other men were by nature, dead in trespasses and sins, without hope, without God in the world, and therefore children of wrath: that every man may say, I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin did my mother conceive me: that there is no difference, in that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God: of that glorious image of God, wherein man was originally created. And hence, when the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, he saw they were all gone out of the way, they were all together become abominable, there was none righteous, no not one, none that truly sought after God: just agreeable this, to what is declared by the Holy Ghost, in the words above recited, God saw when he looked down from heaven before, that the wickedness of man was great in the earth: so great, that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 44 in the 1771 Works. Genesis 6:5.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.