Préìnonitions i i An. I deny the confequence Mifery was threatned to one fin; Glorywas not promifed to one aEt of Obedience. Obedience, during life, is certainly due from Man to God : He that denieth it him in one a&, denieth him his due : But he that giveth it him in one á&, giveth himbut little of his due. Your Argument is like there The Souldiet that is aTraytor in one a&, defervethdeath :..Therefore hethat watch- ethor fightethbut once deferveth all his wages and honour. The Son that curfeth his Father once, deferveth puniíhment : Therefore he that obeyeth him oncedeferveth the Inheritance. He that is bound to pay an hundred pound forfeiteth his Bond ifhe leave a penny unpaid: Therefore he forfeitsit not if he pay but a penny : The Servant that is hired for a day or year, Both forfeit hiswages if he be idle or rebel an hour or a day : Thereforehe defervethhis wages, if he doService but anhour ora day : Thedifeafeof one part may kill a man : Therefore the healthof one part only will keepa man alive. He that is hired to build a Houfe or a Ship well, forfeits his wages for one hole, or grofs defe&: Therefore he deferveth his wages if he lay but one Brick of Board. But bonum e, f ex cants integris. . a. 23. M. S. His ,Sin is more his own than his Obedience. Anf. The ffiance of the spirit could not take place in the frfl all, becanfe not de, ferved: And his Obedience would have been as much his own as his Sin. An. This is quite beyond the yefuites: r. Its true that the rewarding.. gift or help of the Spirit (for confirmation) was not given Adam to his firft all : But it's not true that he had no help of theSpirit: Ifyott will not call Gods neceffary Grace, which you faid didfantlifie all his powers, by the name oftheSpirits help; you muff fay, It was the help of God the Father, Sonand HolySpirit ; without which he couldhave done nothing. 2. But can you think that God did as much to 'his Sin, as to his San&ification ; and caufed it as much as he was ready to calif; his firft Obedience ? Should he have been nomore beholden to Godfor his Holinefs than for hisSin? This is tqo indifferent a Liberty, and not Gibieufs Amplitude. It is notpollible for a Creature tohave any thing that's goodbut ofGod, nor any good fromGodbutby meer free Gift,as to the Goodor Value; though it be by rewarding Juftice quoad ordinem conferendi, and comparatively , why this man bath it rather than that. 4.24. M. S. There is no flinting or determining, unlefs you flop here (at thefirli all.) An. I deny it : There are three Opinions more that areall more pro- bable. The firftwhich fuppofeth the Rewardof life eternal dueupon the overcoming of the Devils firtt temptation, which would have drawnfrom the Love of God; And fo [ Love and Conquer once] was the Condition. The fecond which fuppofeth that the Condition was the Conqueft of this particular Temptation , to eat of the forbidden Fruit, and the after eating of the Treeof Life. The third which fup- pofeth the only Condition of life eternal to the perfonal, perfeli perpetual Obedience , or perfeverance , till God of his own pleafure fliould tranflate Adam, and end his life of trial. I take this Taft to have far molt probability, for all the Keafons before given : I am Cure that the tenor of the Law of Naturemade it Adam's ,Duty fill to love God, and obey him, and refill all that was againfr it r And I find no Promife that his Nature, or theLawof Nature fhould be changed, for this or that a&, or forconquering fame one temptation. I find that C 2 Chrift's
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=