IOO The Harmony r{ the Divine Attributes ~ hihtio;;~~e.~i&b~~;~Pst~~l~e~~i~~~;h~:!~~t· h:~t~ft ~wh:;ri~}~la~~~-th:~~~egrv:~ ~ 'twas not poffible he fhould venture to difobey him. The Sin of Adam is therefore called ~K~~~:0~1-~;~·a~f~~~~:u~ ~~~;c1 ~(;1f~1~;t~~~1 ~/~~~d i:~ ,~,~r"~o~~:~~~ ~[~~~~~~ giver. 'Twas the Prophanation of P.radife it felf, the Place of Goers fpccial Prefence: There_ he fell, and trampled on God's Command before his Face. What jult caufe of AClomfhment IS it, tbat a reafonable Creature fhould bid open Defiance to the Author of its Lrfe! That a httle breathing Duft fhould contemn its Creator ! That.Man fhould prefer jervile Compliance to the Will of the Tempter, before free Subjeaion to his Father and Sovereign! To depofe God, and place the Devil in his Throne, was double Treafon, and provok'd his infinite Jealoulie. S· Unaccountable and amazing Folly. What a defpicable Acquilition tempted him out ofHappinefs! If there had been any polTible Comparifon between them, the Choice had been more excufable. But that the Pleafures of Talte and Curiality lhould outvie the Favour of God which is better than Life; that the moft pernicious Evil, gilded with the thin appearance of Good, fhould be prcfcrr'd before the fubltantial and fupreme Good, is the Reproach of h1s Reafon, and makes the ch01ce fo criminal. And what lefs than vo. l~mr.ary M~dnefs could endine him_ to defire t~ar, which he oug~t infinitely to have fear d, that IS, the knowledge of ~vtl .? for nothrng could deClroy hiS Happinefs but the exl"'rience of Evil. What a wilful d>(lraflton .could mduce him to believe, that by de- ;:~~~~t~~;!;:riJ::J:!g,hb~~~~~~keb~Z~be~Jf~~~'~/l~e~~~~,~~al. !~:u:2~an bemg m h~nour, but 6. A bloody cruelty to himfclf, and to all his Polterity. When God had made him a depojitory , in a matter of infinite moment, that is, of his own Happinefs, and all Man. kind's, this iliould have been a powerful motive to have kept him vigilant: But giving a ready ear to the Tempter, he betray'd his truCI, and, at once, breaks both the Tables of the Law, and becomes guilty of the highelt lmprety and Cruelty. He was a Murderer before a Parent, he dilinherited all his Children before they were born, and made them Slaves before they knew the price of Liberty. And that which increafes the malignity of thiS Sin, and adds an infinite emphajis to it, is, that 'twas perft-ttly voluntary, his Will was the foie caufe of his Fall. And this is evident by conlidering ; '· That .Adam innocent had a fufficient power to perfevere in his holy State. There was no fubltraaion of any Grace which was requifite to his ltanding; He lefi: God be- ~:~{e~{~~j:: ~~~l. he,;~rss i~~~~tfie!Y,~:~~h/~{v~eu~~r\~~ ;~5nctlli:~e rf1~Yc!~~::;~;; :~t~l~o~/~od · cannot be tempted to evil, neither tempts he any Man. 'fis injurious to his Wi[dom, ro thmk that God would fpoil that work, which he had compos'd with fo much delign and counfel. And 'tis dilhonourable to his Goodnefs ; He loved his Creature, and Love is an inclination to do good ; 'twas irnpoffiblc therefore for God to induce Man to fin, or to withdraw that power which was nece!fary to refift the 1 e:mpcation, when the confe. quem mufi be l_1is i_nevitable ruin. 2- The Devrl dul only allure, he could not ravin1 his conferlt. Though his malice is infin~te, yet his power is fo reftrain'd, that he can't filflen an immediate, much lci~ an irrelilhhle irnpreffion on the Will: ( k) He rherefore made ufe of an Extern•/ ObJea to inv~te him. Now Objee1s have no con~raining f?rce, they are but partial Agents, and dcnve _all their _efficacy from the Facu!nes_ ~o wh 1~h the~ arc agreea~le. Atjd although lince Sm bath drforder"d rhe fleil1, there IS dill1culty 111 reliClrng thofe Ub;effs whrch pleafant- ~y infinuate themfelves; ye~ fuch an univerfal rd:.l:itude was in Adam, and fo intire a fubw JC~ion in the fcnfual Appettte to the fuperior powc: of Rcafon, tha~ he .I:nigh_t have ob-- ram d an ( l) eaf)r conquelt. A refolute 1'1/egatwe had made him vxEtonous: by a ltrong Deni.• t he had baffied that pr9ud Spirit. As the Hewenly Adam, when he, who is on_ly rich in prom1fes, offer'd tO l11m ~he 1.l1onarchy of r_hc \Vorld with all Its Glory, difdam'd the of!cr, and caft off Satan wtth c~m~~pt . 1 he true Rock was unmov'd, and brol-:e all the proud waves that ~afht ~gam\t It. . -, . It will ful.l~ appear that the Difobcchcuce was Vol"n:,1?, by confidermg "·hat cle. nominates an aa10n to be fo. The tn·o Springs of httman AChom are the Underftandmg and Will; and as there is no particular Good but may have rh~ appcaran_ce o~ fome ditficul~ unpleafant quality an~exe_d, upon which accoum the \ Vdl may reJe8: It; tO_ any partrcular f.vtl may be fo drtgurfed by the falfe lufire ofG,odntjs, as to mc!ine rhc \\'rll to n.::ccivc It. Tlu~ IS clearly venfie(~ lll Adam's Fall. r or~ ft"ecr_om Objctl: \\'~S CO!l\C~t:d through the w1guarded Scnfe to 1115 Fancy , and from that to hiS U.ndcrflan:ltng, \rh!~~
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