oftheir State by Creation. other fmall Addition only , when the Foundation was but Natural~ Light. , , thap. 7· Reafott 2. For him to have had fuch a Supernatural Principle of Faith as~ we have, was in him Superfluous, and to no end. The end that I find any Divines either Popilh or others fix upon, for wluch they afcnbe a Superadded Supernatural Grace, is, in relation to his Tranllation to Heaven, for which that Supernatural Grace ll10uld fit him, and prepare him. Popilb Divines, who contend for a Natural way of knowing God, and a Natural Righteoufnefs in Adam, yet with a fuperadded Supernatural one alfo, they make t he ufe of that Supernatural Addition for him to merit Heaven by; and make this the difference between Natural Righteoufnefs and Supernatural Grace and Faith ; That Supernatural was given him to merit Heaven by. But I find them not fo diC\indly explaimng any different Ads of Natural or Supernatural Grace in themfelves. Some of ours, thougl1 not in relation to meriting Heaven, yet afcribe it to him to fit him to know God , fo as to long after Heaven (as Faith doth) which they make the reward of his O bedience: And I confefs, if the Promife given him had been that of Heaven, and the Viflon of God , as there, then it had been nece!Tary for him to have fuch a Su– pernatural Faith as we: But feeing it bath been proved , and I think fuflici– ently that his Covenant would not have brought him thither, neither that it was intended in that his Promife of Life: Therefore I know no ufe at all of fuch a Supernatural Principle, as an Optick Glafs,added to Supernatural Lighr, to help it to fee further into another World , when he was in his Condition, and defires to be confined to this, For Faith Supernatural is given to P" pare for Heaven, and tofupply fight or vifion, till we come thither, to fupport us whil£1: abfent from the Lord; 2 Cor. 5· 5, 6, 7• Now he that btJth wror~;ght tU for Heaven i& God, who bath givm UJ the earuejl of hi& Sprr~t alfo. Thr~·ejort we are a/w.'Ys confident, knowing that whrlfl w• are at hom• in the body, we art abfent Fom the Lord: For we walk by farth , 11ot 6y fight. "Ihe meaning is, God here by his Spirit works us and prepares us for Heaven, and that by giving us light of Faith, which in thisour abfence fuppl ies the room of fight ; and fo he giv,s us .confidence of our coming thither : And fo it is to be 011 Evidmce of thiugs abfent and tr•t fun; and to give a prefent fubfi· fiet)ce cf things but in hopes further to be enjoyed: So Hebr. I 1. 1.Now Ft1ith is the {ttbflana of thwgs hoped for, the widmce of tbivgs not fren. Now Adamnot being ordained to fight, and always to be at home in his Body; and fo •t no time to be abfent from his Body, to 6e pr.fmt with the Lord, (as we are to be, 2 Cor.5.8.) We Or! confidmt, I Jay, andwiUing rather to be abf.,rt from the Body, and to be prl[mt with the Lord: for his Body and Eorthly Tabernacle was his natural only Home. Neither was God abfent to him, nor prefented as abfent, as in relation to a further way to be enjo}ed, notyet atFained: And therefore to what end he fhould have Faith, that Faith wh1ch thus prepares for Heaven, whofe Elience and Definition lies in g iving 011 Evidmce of thmgs 1101 feen, or enjoyed , but hoped for, I know not. Yea thirdly , It would not only have been of no ufe, but have made him m1ferable. For the ufe and end of this Supernatural Faith , being to give us a tafle of that way of knowing God in himfelf, as in Heaven, and fo to llit up groans and defires after fi ght and vifiori of him , as 2 Cor, 5. 4· For we tbat are in this Ta6ernacl' do groan, beitrg bttrdmed, not for that we would be llnclothed, but clotbed 11po11, that mortalit.r mi"~ht 6e fw.Jtlowedup of lrfe. We do groan , ~c. and a confidemce of it, as Verj: 6, 7• Therefore we are always cotr{ident, ktwwi11g that whi!fl we ,rre at home i11 the Bod;•, we f!r! abfent fr?m the Lord. (For w ewalk /;y faith, r.ot 6y fight). So that It ts fuch a Fatth as gives a ta!\e of" hat it is to enjoy God by light, and fo flits up groans and longings after it. And fo it is a following after ro comprehend, as Phrl. l• 12, a lookzn"~ for, and holj/ning to, as in 1 ·ret. 3· 12. Now if Ao dam had had fuch a Principle and Light rhus to know God, and fbnuld hove had defircs thus to know him, and not have gone to Heaven, and fo there, by a full V1fion to have had this groaning fatisfied, the Addition of fuch a woy o[
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