But every individual is a member of the human race, and of some community.  The race, as such, and the larger branches of it, the nations and empires into which it is divided, are amenable to the Supreme Governor, and liable to punishment, if in their public characters, they rebel against him.  And righteous individuals, may be involved in the judgments sent to punish the sins of the community to which they belong.  They often are so.  Personal rectitude is not designated by an exemption from national calamities.  Discriminations will eventually be made in its favor, but not here.  Here “all things come alike unto all, and there is one event to the righteous and the wicked.”

To shew such to be the general rule of the divine administration in the government of the world, is the design of the following discourse:  Which will explain the text.

The world, and the communities into which it is divided, have their probation no less than persons; and there are reasons in which God enters into judgment with them and adjusts retributions to their moral states.

In discussing the subject, we shall treat, first of families, then of larger communities, and of the world.

The first family of our race affords an example to our purpose.  Before that family was increased by a single branch issuing from it, it rebelled against God, and God entered into judgment with it, and punished its sin upon it.  And the punishments was not restricted to the offending pair, but extended to their race in common with themselves:  All were doomed to sufferings and death in consequence of their sin.  And the sentence hath been executing upon them from that period to the present time.  Mankind have gone through life sorrowing; and “death hath reigned even over those, who have not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression.”  Neither have discriminations been made in favor of the saints, but they have been involved in the general calamity, and groaned with the rest of the creation.

In some respects this was an exempt case, but in the general diffusion of punishment on the various branches of the family, it accords with the divine administration respecting other families, as appears from sacred history, and from the general history of the human race.  Countless examples might be adduced.

The murder of Abel was not punished solely on Cain, but also on his family.  The ground cursed for his sin, did not yield to them its strength; and they were deprived of those religious instructions which they would no doubt have received, had their father dwelt “in the presence of the Lord,” or remained in the family of Adam which contained the church of God.  Many of the evils which fell on that sinner, fell also on his children and rested on them till the extinction of his race by the deluge.

Similar were the consequences which followed the sins of Ham and Esau:  But these more properly rank under the head of communities:  But instances of families which have suffered, yea perished, by judgments sent to punish the sins of their heads, often occur.