in Contrivil1g Man's Redemption. 97 rational Mind. Thcfe were the moft proper and powerful Motives to excite his Rea- ~ fon and affel:t his Will. For Death primarily (Jgnilies the Diffolution of the vital Umon Chap. 1 • het;veen the Soul and 13ody, and confcquemly all d1e preparatorX Difpofitions thereun. ·~ to, Difeafes, l_,ains, and all the AffeCtions of ~ortahty, \~h1ch tenn~nate tn Death as the~r centtr. This is the extreamefi of temporal Evils, whtch mnoccnt Nature fbrunk from, 1t being a deprivation of that excellent lht~ which. Man enjoyed. But principally it figni- ~~rcci~l;e fe~~~:~:i~l~eoL~~ei;~~~~r~~t~o~;t;~v~~~-~:~~~~c,ehe~~~~~:"~~ft~~%~o,h~t~~k~ x8 . 4 • Briefly, Death in the tlmatmng IS comprehenjive of all l<;nds and degrees of evtl?, from the lea it Pain to the compleatnefs of Darnnanon. Now, tJS an mv10lable PrmcJple deeply [et in the Human Nature, to preferve its being and bleffednefs ; fo that nothing could be a more powerful reftramt from Sm, than the fear of Death, whtch ts deftrul:tive to both. This Conftitution of the Covenant was founded not only in the Will of God, but i~ the Nature of Things themfelves ; And this appears by conudering, x. That Holinefs is more excellent in it felf, and feparately confidered, than the Reward that ancnds it. 'Tis the peculiar _Glory ?f the J?ivine Nature, God ~ gloriom in Holinefs. And as he prefers the infimte Punty of hiS Nature, before the tmmortal Felicity of his State; fo he values m the reafonable Creature the Vertues by whtch . they reprefent his Holmefs, more than thetr perfeCl: Contentment by whtch they are like Him in Bleffednefs. Now God ts the mort JUfi Efteemer of thmgs, hts Judgment is the infallible Meafure of their real Worth; 'tis t~1erefore,. according to natural Order, that the Happincfs of Man f110uld depend upon hiS Integmy, and the Reward be the Fruit of his Obedience. And though it is impoffible that a meer Creature in what State foever, fhould obtain any thing from God by any other Title but hi• voluntary Promife, the Effea ot his Goodnefs, yet 'twas fuch Goodnefs as God was invited to exercife by the Conuderation of Man's Obedience. And os the ncglea of his Duty had difcharged the Obligation on Gods part, fo the Performance gave him a Claim by right of the Promifo to everlafting Life, o. As the jirft part of the Alhance was mort reafonable, fo was the fecond, that Death fhould be the Wages of Sin. It is not conceivable that God fhould continue his Favour to Man, if he turned Rebel_againfi him: For this were to difarm the Law, and expofe the Authonty of the Law-gtver to contempt, and would reflel:t upon the Wifdom of God. Befides, if the reafonable Creature violates the Law, it ncceffarily contral:ts an Obligation to Puni!hment. So that tf the Sinner who deferves Death, fhould enjoy Life without Satisfal:tion for the Offence, or Repentance to qualify him for Pardon, ( both which were without the Compafs of the ftrft Covenant) this would infringe the unchange. able Rights of Jufiice, and difparage the Divine Purity. In the ftrjf Covenant there was a fpccial Clau(e, which refpeCl:ed Man as the Inhabitant of Paradije, that he fr.ould not eat of the Tree of /(powledge of Good and Evil upon Pain of Death, Gen. 2. '7· And this Prolnbttton was upon mort wife and JUft Reafons. x. To declare God's Sovereign Right in all things. In the QJ!ality of Creator he is [upmne Lord. Man enJoyed nothmg but by a denved Tttle from hiS Bounty and Allowance, .and \Vith an O~hg~u~n to ~·ender. to him the Homage of all. As Princes, when they g1ve Etla.tes totheu· ~ub;eEfs, filii retam the Royalty, and receive a fmall Rent, which, though mconhderablc m Its value, 1s an acknowledgment of Dependence upon them, So when God placed Adam m Paradife, he referved thiS Mark of Ins Soveraignty th•t iq the free ufc of all other things, Man fhould abftain fi·om the forbidden Tree. ' !2. To malw Trial of Man's Obedience in a matter very congruous to difcover it (d) .( ~) l"!"i· ~f the Jroh~bition had been grounded on any moral internal Evil i~ the nature of the thi~g ;~';~~~%1~e:,· ~t f~lf, the~ e had not been fo cl ea: a '!' e~nnony of Goc.Fs Dorriimon, nor of Ad.,m's Sub- fodunr r~gifia. ~eCbon to .Lt. But when that wh1ch m It felf was indtffereot became unlawful meerly ~~m,q~t"' fr. by the ~V ill of God, and w~en the Com~and had no other Excellency but to make his f~~;:~~!: ; · ~~~~~·:.more facred; thlS was a confinmg of Man's Liberty, and to abllain was pure t~f;;;:~:;~~~ ~cfidcs, the, Rell:raint was from that .'~hich wa~ very gr~tef~l, an alluring ro both th~ ;~~·1;;;4;;~{t~ Patts of Mans compounded Nature. I he Senjittve Appeme IS firongly excited by the Lu(! of the Eye; and this Fruit bemg heautiful tO the Sight, (Gen . l · 6.) the forbearan~ewas an excellent Exerctfeo_f Vtrrue m keepmg the Jowcr Appetite in Obedienc~ A· ~~~~~~:~1cof~f~c ~!i~~~w~~t~r~; ~~~~;;;;1 ~n~~c},,:~~rea~·;b~~: ~~1~!~r~Pr;;~;~a~f~ ~~~ lugh and luf~IPUS roo_d 0f the ~oul. Now the Tree of. /(poov/edge was forbidden; fo tlla> >he Ob!C)vancc Pl >he Law wa.s t)JC more emment, 111 kecpinJ;; ti)~ iQte!le[/11al Ap0 plltit~
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