23 ral, fo the fpiritual Death made its fir.fi entrance by Chap. H. the*Eye. And this Infidelity is extremely aggravated, L -- -- j as it implies an accufation of God both of Envy and Primi in ho- Falihood. mine moriun-. tur oculia.Ptin. r. Of Envy ; As if he had deny'd them the perfeai- ons becoming the humane Nature; and they might afcend to a higher orb than that wherein they were placed, by eating the forbidden fruit. And what greater difparagement could there be of the Divine Goodnefs, than to fufpec& the Deity of Inch a low and bate Paillon , which is 'the fpecial charaCter of the Angels of Darknefs ? 2. 'Twas equally injurious to the honour of God's Truth. For it is not eafy to conceive that Adamwho was fo lately the effeet of God's Omnipotence should prefently diítruít it as unable to inflict the,punilhment threatned, but his aflent was weakened as, to the truth of the threatning : He did not believe the danger to be fogreat or certain upon his Difobedience. And he that believes not God, makes him a Liar. An impiety r John 5.16. not to be thought on without horror. And that which heightens theaffront, is, that when he diftrufted the Fountain of Truth, he gave credit to the Father of Lies; as appears by his compliance the real evi- denceof his Faith. Now what viler contumely could be offered to theCreator ? 2. Prodigious Pride. He was fcarce out of the the promife of Rate of nothing, no fooner created, but he afpir'd to lßaibÿ`j ,ntd be as God. Not content with his Image, he affeCed notdie,encon- anequality, to be like him in his inimitable Atributes, bef,e ehi that he He would rob God of his Eternity to live without fhou2d enjoy an end ; ofhis Sovereignty, tocommand without depen- Immortality, dance ; of his LWifdome, to know all things without on cod, wilt, referve. Infinite Infolence ! and worthy of the molt but abfotuae;. fiery indignation! That Man, the Son of the Earth which it proper , to God alone. forgetful.
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