Bates - BT775 B274 1675

6 e 1 a monp oftie Mine tttíbuteV, Cha L toObedience. Thus Adam was God's fervant as by the conditionof his nature, fo by his choice, accept- ing the Covenant from which he could not recede without the guilt and infamy of the worft perfidi- oufiiels. The terms of the Covenant were becoming the Par- ties concern'd, God and Man; It eflablifhed an infe- parable Connexion betweenDuty and Felicity. This Gen. 2. 17. appears by the Sanélion, In the day thoueatef of the forbiddenfruit, thou f alt die: In that particular fpe- cies of Sin the whole gentle is included ; according to Gal. 3. Io. the Apofile's Expofìtion : curfed is every one that cloth not continue in all the works of the Law to do them. The threatning of Death was expreff, it being more difficult to be conceiv'd : The promife of Life upon his Obedience was implied, and eafìly fuggefted it felt to the rational Mind. Thefe were the moll proper and powerful motives to excite his Keaton, and a$è& his Will. For Death primarily fignifies the diffolu- tion of the vital union between the Soul and Body, and confequently all the preparatorydifpofitions there- unto; Difeafes, Pains, and all the Affeítions of Mor- tality, which terminate in Death as their renter. This is theextremeft oftemporal Evils, which innocent Na- ture fhrunk from, it being a deprivationof that excel- lent {late which Man enjoyed. But principally it fig- nified the feparation of the Soul from God's reviving pretence, who is the onlyFountain ofFelicity. Thus Ezek. 8. 4. the Law is interpreted by theLaw -giver, the Soul that fins(hall die. Briefly, Death in the threatning is com- prehenfve of all kinds and degrees of evils, from the leaft Pain to the compleatnefs ofDamnation. Now 'tis an 'inviolable Principle deeply fet in the Humane Nature, to preferve its being and blefednefs; fo that nothing -could be a more powerful refiraint from Sin

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