Of the Creatures, and the Condition ~ For the Particular R.eguifites on God's parr, and but fo far as is now ~nough BecK ll, to my prtfent Scope ; I !hall mention but two. ~ Firfi, That•if God would create intelligent Natures oilt of ncthing, it be· come h•m to endow them with his own Image of Holinefs, _(§c, whereby they might te sblc 10 !<now, to love, and to enJoy a .Commumon with h•m, and Happinefs from himfe!r, as their chiefefi Good. Which,as it w_~s G?d's 6oun. trjl'l gift to befiow: So the very Nature of fuch a Creature requited 11 as con– venient, meet and fuitable to its Natuic, and without which, it had' been imperfect, ye~, miferable: For otherwife, thofe vall Faculties of Under. Handing and Will , hod been leit empty , and hke an hungry Stomack (of a Gyant, fuppofe_) ~ontinually craveing, when it bath only crumbs of Food, and drops ot weak Water, Nor_ could they otherw1fe have at· rained their main End , or arnved at thetr convement Happinefs, which the very Natures of them were conllttuted _and fitted for, which can be , filled with Nothing, but a Commumon wtth God : And all Creatures aod Creature Comforts , if alone vouchfafed without an Intelligent Corn: munion with God himfclf , had been but as a Drop to a Cifiern, That whereas God had provided fer every Scnfitive, or other Faculty in Man himfelf, and other Creatures, a meet Objed fuited in N.rure to them. and for Mans bodily perfon, all comfort, a meet http, (§c. as the Wo: man is termed; He had left Mens Souls, and in them thole noble Powers of Vnderjla11ding and WzU, deprived of their chief O bjell; they had been !hut out from the Communication of the Life of God , in which their bappir1efs lay: Which ble£fednefs alJo mull arife from a Natural Suitable. r1efs concreated in thofo Faculties; and with them , whereby they might be enabled to know, love, and delight in God. And in fur.h a Conve· nient Meetnejs to enjoy God, mull this holinefs coniifi; as alfo in an in· ward Principle, •nd Divine difpofition in every Faculty fuited to, and a· greeicg with every Law God_had, as a Creato~ Com!llanded; Naturally carrying, and wholly encltr.mg them to fulfil! tt, whtch was the Law of God \\oritten in their Hearts, in the full perfe<!tion of it, and as the due perfection of _them ; and thereby it did become their Natural perfeaion by this Creation Law, And furely, tf the thmgs of the Law, are faid [by N<~ttlre J 10 be written in Mans Heart now fain , this is but a ihadow of that full and perfect, exa{t Copy of the whole and Holy Law which was then Mans Nature much more. The!e thmgs therefore were to intelli– gent Natures a Creation due ; and in thar refped, Natural to them, or "hich the Nature of them required; and it became God as a Creator to give, them when he would Create them. 2 . And Secondly, on God's part, as aCreator, it was requiiite to continue his favour and goodnefs to them, and that happy Efiatc he had fet them in, whilfi he did continue their being, whether of .Adam in Paradife, or the An· gels in that Paradife above , the place of their Creation, which they fhould enjoy , if they continued to keep their firll Ej1ate1>f Holinefs, ~c. This was alia a meet and equitable due, for God , as a faithful Creator, to give, and was corre(pondent to this their begun happy Condition, and was ail the pro– mife that I know of, made to fuch obedience. That whereas God , in thr view of his own heights of Holinefs and Sove– raignty might, after fome time and experiment, have faid ; I fee at bell you are but unprofitable Servants, and fo not have regarded their low Creature– Services, as any way coming up to the immenfe defires and aims of his great Hohnefs, yet he would continue bis love and favour at the fame height which he prolecutcd them withal at their firfi Creation, and fo they fhould live in keeping his Commandments. And this alone was ofit felfa great Promife,and an abundant reward, though they had never been advanced to an higher Glory or Priviledge. And this was all the Promife we read of, If thou do thrfe thi11gs, thot~ fhaltlive, name· ly, in doing of them: And this was their life, and yet fuitably, but Creati· on dues, and an Equity by Creation Law. For if Providence be a continual Creation, then a Providential Law from God, and the continuation ofour lirll Pa·
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