the Language of our Parliaments and Peo-( ́as a Horfe in a Milly from God's eters ple, they do imagine that they are doing nal Purpofe, by his Almighty Power, to their own Business, and making all fure his unfpeakable Glory: You might behold for themfelves: But O, what would a all thefe extravagant Motions of the Crea Soul think that could efcape above them rures, inclosed within thofe Limits, that all, and arise up to the firft Wheel of pre- they muft begin here, and end here, though fent Motions? A Soul that did tand upon themfelves are fo beaftly, that they nei the exalted Tower of the Word of God, ther know of whom, not for whom their and looked off it by, the Profpect of Faith, Counfels and Actions are: Certainly, would prefently difcover the Circle in Satan cannot break without this Compafs which all thefe Wandrings and Changes to ferve his own Humour, Principalites are confined, and fee Men, States, Ar-and Powers cannot do it; if they will mies, Nations, and all of them doing no-not glorify him, he fhall glorify himself thing but turning about in a Round, by them, and upon them." Gen. ii. 17. But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou Shalt not eat of it; for in the Day that thou eateft thereof, thou halt furely die. Gen. 26. And God faid, Let us make Man in our Image, after our Likeness And let them have Dominion over the Fifb of the Sea, and over the Fowl of the Air, and over the Cattle, and over all the Earth, and over even areeping Thing that creepeth upon the Earth THE HE State wherein Man was created at firft, you heard was exceeding good, all Things very good, and he beft of all, the choiceft external and visible Piece of God's Workmanship, made ac cording to the most excellent Pattern, af ter our Image. Though it be a Double Mifery to be once happy, yet feeing the Knowledge of our Mifery is by the Grace of God made the Entry to a new Happiness, it is moft neceffary to take a View of what Man once was, that we may be more fenfible of what he now is.vancement of Art and Induftry in this You may take up this Image and Like nefs in three Branches. Fin, There was a fweet Conformity of the Soul in its Understanding, Will, and AffeRions unto God's Holiness and Light; A beau tiful Light in the Mind, derived from that Fountain-light, by which Adam didė exactly know both divine and natural. Things. What a grea Difference dork yet appear between a learned Man and an ignorant rude Perfon, though it be but in Relation to natural. Things? The one is but like a Beast in Comparifons of the other. O how much more was there between Adam's Knowledge, and than: of the most learned? The higheft Ade! Life, reaches no further than to a learned: Ignorance of the Myfteries in the Works of God, and yet there is a wonderful Sa-l sfation to the Mind în it; but how much fweet Complacency hath Adam had, whofe Heart was fo enlarged as to know both Things higher and lower, their Natures, Properties, and Vertues, and feveral Operations? No Doubt could trouble him, no Difficulty vex him, no Controverfy or Question perplex him; but above all, the Knowledge of that glo rious and eternal Being, that gave him a Being, and infufed fuch a Spirit into him; the beholding of fuch infinite Treatures of Wisdom, and Goodness, and Power in him, what an amiable and retrethful Sight would it be, when there was no Cloud of Sin and Ignorance to interpofe and eclipse the full Enjoyment of that increated Light? When the Alpect of the Sun makes the Moon fo glorious and beautiful, What may you conceive of Adam's Soul framed with a Capacity to receive Light immediately from God's Countenance? How fair and beautiful Would that Soul be, until the dark Cloud of Sin did interpofe it felf? Then conTider, what a beautiful Rectitude and Uprightners, what a comely Order and Subordination would enfue upon this Light, and make his Will and Affections wonderful Good? Eccl. vii. 29. God made Man upright. There was no Throw nor Crack in all, all the Powers of the Soul bending upright towards that Fountain of all Goodnefs; now the Soul is crooked and bends downward towards thofe bafe earthly Things, that is the Abafement of the Soul; then it looked upright towards God, had no Appetite, no Delight but in him and his Fulness, and had the Moon or changeable World under its Feet; there was a Beauty of Holinefs and Righteoufnefs, which were the Colours, that did perfect and adorn thefe Lineaments of the Image of God, which Knowledge did draw in the Soul: He was a burning and a foining, Light, may be truly faid of Adam, who had as much Life as Light, as much Delight in God as Knowledge of him; this was the right Conftitution and Difpofition of Man, his Head lifted up in Holinfs and Love towards God, his Arms ftretched out in Righteoufnels and Equity towards Man, and all the Affections of the Man under their Command, they could not trouble this Sea with any Tempeft, becaufe they were under a powerful Comman der,who keept them under fuch Aw and Qbedience as the Centurion his Servants, laying to one go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh, fending out Love one Way, holy Hatred another Way. Thefe were as Wings to the Bird to flee upon, as Wheels to the Chariot to run upon, though now it be turned juft contrary, that the Chariot draws the Coachman, because the Motion is downward. There could be no Motion in an upright Man's Soul till the holy and righteous Will gave out a Sentence upon it; that was the Primum mobile, which was turn ed about it felf by fuch an Intelligentia as the Understanding. And so it was in Chrift, Affection could not move him, but he did move his own Affections, He troubled bimfelf. In us the Servant rides on Horfes, and the Prince walks on Foot; and as in a diftempered Society, the Laws and Ordinances proceed by an unnatural Way, from the Violence of unruly Subjects ufurping over their Mafters. Holy and righteous Man could both raife up his Affections, and compofe them again, they were under fuch Nurture and Discip line; he could have faid, Hitherto, and no further, in which there was fome Refemblance of God, ruling the raging and unruly Sea; but now, if once they get Entry into our City,they are more powerR & ful. ful than the Governor, and will not take Laws from him, but give rather; when we have given Way to cur Paffions, they do next what they please," not what we permit. Next his Excellency confifted in fuch an Immunity and Freedom from all Fear of Mifery and Danger, from all Touch of Sorrow or Pain, and did en joy fuch an holy Complacency and De: light in his own Eftate, as made him com pleatly happy. In this he was like God; That is his Bleffednefs that he is abfolutely well pleased in himself, that he is without the Reach of Fear and Danger that none can impair it, none can match it, I am God and none elle, that is Sufficiency of Delight to know himself and his own Sufficiency: Indeed, Man was made changeable, mutably good, that in this he might know God was above him, and fo might have Ground of Watch fulnefs and Dependance upon him for Continuance of his Happiness who made him happy: But being made fo upright, no difquieting Fear, nor perplexing Care could trouble him. Then Laftly, If you add unto this, holy Satisfaction with his own State and Freedom, the Dominion and Sovereignty he had over the Creatures, as a Confequent flowing from that Image, you may imagine what a happy Creature he was. Whatsoever Contentment or Satisfaction the Creatures could afford, all of them willingly and pleafantly would concur to bestow it upon Man, without his Care or Toil, as if they had accounted it their Happiness to ferve him. What inore excellent than this Order? Man counting it his Happinefs and Delight to ferve God, and Creatures efterming it their Happiness to ferve Man, all Things runnings towards him with all their Goodness, as to a common Center; and he returning all to God, from whence they did immediately flow: Thus befides the Fulness and Riches of God's Goodness immediately conferred upon Man, he was enriched with all the Store and Goodness that the Earth was full of God having made Man thus, and furnifhed him after this Manner, he gave him a Law, and then he made a Covenant with him; there was a Law firft imprinted into Adam, and then a Law prefcribed unto him; there was a Law written in his Heart, the Remainder of which Paul faith makes the Gentiles inexcufeable; but it was perfectly drawn in him: All the Principles and Notions of good and evil were exactly drawn in its he had a natural difcerning of them, and a natural Inclination to all good, and Averfion from all evil: As there is a kind of Law impofed by God upon other Creatures, which they conftantly keep, and do not fwerve from, even his Decree and Commandment, to the Obedience of which they are compofed and framed; the Sea hath a Law and Command to flow and ebb, and it is that. Command that breaks its proud Waves on the Sand, when they threaten to overflow Mountains, the Beasts obey a Law written in their Natures of eating and drinking, of fatisfying their Senfes, and every one hath its feveral Instinct and Propenfion to feveral Operations; So God gave a more noble Instinct unto Man, fuitable to his reasonable Soul, an Inftinct and Impulfe to please God, in fuch Duties of Holiness and Righteoufpefs, a Sympathy with fuch Ways of Integrity and Godliness, and an innate Antipathy againft fuch Ways as were difpleafing to him, or dishonourable to the Creature: There is a kind of Comeliness and fweet Harmony and Proportion between fuch Works: that the fovereign Power and Dominion of God over all Men, may be more eminently held forth, and that visibly in fuch a Symbol and Sign. He who put Man in fuch a well furnished House, and placed. him in a plentiful and fruitful Garden, referves one Tree, thou shalt not eat thereof, to let Adam fee and know, that he is the fovereign Owner of all Things, and that his Dominion over the Creatures and their Service unto him, was not fo much for any natural Prerogative of Man Works, as the Love of God and Man, the Ufe of all for his Glory, of whom all Things are, and Man's reasonable Being, fuch a Thing doth fuit and become it. Again other Things, as the Hatred of God and Men, Neglect and Forgetfulness of him, Drunkenness and abafing Lufts of that kind, do difagree,, and are undecent to O how happy was Adam, when Holinefs and Righteousness were not written on Tables of Stone, but on his Heart, and when there was no Need of external Perfwahion, but there was an inward Im-above them, as out of Divine Bounty and pulse, inclining him strongly, and laying a kind of fweet Neceffity upon him, to that which was both his Duty to God and Men, and his own Dignity and Privilege? This was no Queftion, the very Beauty of his Soul, to be not only under a Law proper and peculiar to himself, but to be inwardly framed and moulded to it, to be a living Law unto himself. Indulgence, because he had chofen a Crea ture to himself to beautify and make hap py. This was a standing visible Tefti. mony, to bring Man continually to Renembrance of his Sovereignty, that being thus far exalted above other Creatures, he might know himself to be under his-Cre-ator, and that he was infinitely above him; That he might remember his own Homage and Subjection to God, when. ever he looked upon his Dominion: over the Creatures. And truly in other natu- But befides this inward imprinted Law of Holiness and Righteousness, which did without more Rules direft and determine him to that which is in it felf good, it plea-ral Duties which an inward Principle and: fed the Lord to prefcribe and impofe a pofitive Law unto him, to command him Abftinence from a Thing neither good nor evil, but indifferent, and fuch a Thing as of it felf he might have done, as well as made ufe of any other Creature, there was no Difference between the Fruit was difcharged him, and the Fruit of the reft of the Garden; there was nothing in it did require Abftinence, and nothing in him either. Yet for moft wife and holy Ends, the Lord enjoins him to abftain from that Fruit, and puts an Act of Reftraint upon him, to abridge, his Liberty in that which might prove his Obedience, and not hinder his Happiness, or diminish it; because he furnished him abundantly befide. You may perceive two Reafons of it: one is Inftinct drives, unto, the Suitablenefs and Conveniency, or Beauty of the Thing,. doth often preponderate, and might make Man to obferve them, without fo much Regard of the Will and Pleasure of the moft High: But in this the Lord would have no other Reafon of Obedience to appear, but his own abfolute. Will and Pleasure, to teach all Men to confider in their Actings, rather the Will of the Commander, than the Goodness or Ufe of the Thing commanded. And then for this Reafon, it was enjoined to make a more exact Trial, and to take a more ample Proof of Adam's Obedience. Oftentimes we do Things commanded of God, but upon what Ground or Motive? Because our own Intereft lyes in them, becaule. because there is an inward Weight and pondus of Affection preffing us to them. The Lord commands the mutual Duties between Parents and Children, between Man and Wife, between Friends, Duties of Self-prefervation and Defence, and fuch like; and many are very exact and diJigent in performing thefe: But from what Principle 'tis eafy to difcern, not because they are commanded of God, (not fo much as a Thought of that for the most part) but because of an inward and natural Inclination of Affection towards our felves and our Relations, which is like an Intinct and Impulfe driving us to thofe Duties. And truly we may fay, 'tis the Goodness and Bounty of the Lord, that hath conjoined in moft Parts of commanded Duties, our own Intereft and Advan tage, our own Inclination and Propention with his Authority, or elfe the Toil and Pain of them, would over ballance the Weight of his Authority. Now then in fuch Duties as are already imprinted on Man's Heart, and confonant to his own Reafon, there cannot be a clear Proof of Obedience of God's Will the pure and naked Nature of Obedience doth not fo clearly shine forth in the Obfervation of thefe, is it no great Trial of the Creatures Subjection of its Will to his fupream W, when there are fo many Reafons befides his Will, which may incline Man's Will unto it: But here, in a Matter in it felf pleasant to the Senfes, unto which he had a natural Inclination, the Lord interpofes himself by a Command of Reftraint, to take full Probation, whether Man would fubmit to his good Pleafure meerly for it felf, or whether he would obey meerly becaufe God commands: And indeed in fuch like Duties as have no Commendation but from the Will and Authority of the Law giver, it will appear, whether Man's Obedience be pure and fimple Obedience, and whether Men love Obedience for it felf alone, or for other Reafons: Therefore the Lord faith, Obedience is better than Sacrifice, and Disobedience is Rebellion. Suppofe in fuch Things as can neither hurt nor help us, God put a Reftraint upon us, though Obedience may be oflefs Worth than in other more fubftantial Things, yer Difobedience in fuch eafy Matters is moft hainous, because it proclaims open Rebellion against God: If it be light and easy, it is more eafily obeyed, and the more Sin and Wickedness in difobeying: And therefore is Adam's Sin called Difobedience in a fignal Manner, Rom. v. because by refufing fuch a small Point of Homage and Subjection, he did. caft off God's Power and Authority over him, and would not acknowledge him for his Superior. This thould teach us who believe the repairing of that Image by Jefus Chrift, to ftudy fuch a Refpect and Reverence to God's holy Will, as to do all Things without more asking, Why it is fo? If we once know what it is, there is no more Question to be asked. Of Creatures we muft enquire a quare, after a quid; a why, after we know what their Willis: But Chriftians fhould have their Wills fo fubdued unto God's, that though no Profit nor Advantage were to redound by Obedience, though it were in Things repugnant and crofs to our Inclination and Humour, yet we should ferve and obey him, as a Testimony of our Homage and Subjection to him; and till we learn this, and be more abftracted from our own Interefts in the Ways of Obedience, even from the Interests of Peace, and Comfort, and Liberty, we do not obey him, because he commands, but for our own Sakes. It is the Practice of Antinomians, and contrary to true God linefs, |