and (n/loraltort.. By *hic) we fee that whenfin and punifhment are found in one thing, God is the Caufe(Antecedently) of the formal Relation ofa Puni,Jh- ment , without being a Cattle of the fin : yea , antecedently is force caufe of the formal relationofthe fin, by his Law, without caufing any of the fin it felt, as the author of it. As if God makemanof fuch a temper, as that furfetting, drunken, nefs, tuft, will make him tick, and hazard his life; Here God did no otherwife punifh him than by making him fach aman; whichhe turned to his own deftru Lion by hisfin. If a man makea thorn Hedgeabout his Garden, that men may not (teal his fruit , and thofe that will flail prick themfelves, it is they that prick and punifh themfelves. If God fay, He thatwill leap into the fire thall be burnt, or into the water !hall bedrown'd 5 it is they that do it that caufe theevil ; and yet forcefor- mal relationof penaltymay refult to it from Godsconditional antecedent . Law. I fay not that Godexecuteth noother kind ofpuniffiment : But thefe are the molt common. tt. Man havingthuscart away Gods Image and his Innocency, could beget a Child nopurer, holier orbetter thanhimfelf : For he couldnot communicate that which he had loft. So that our Nature is vitiated withOriginal fin, and unhappy in the miferable effe&s. Bradmardine bath a thift which ferveth them that fay man could do no good in Inno- cencywithout fupernatural Help, viz. Making that Help to be Godswill that it thall be done : But is not Gods Will called our natural Help when it is the fountainofNature, workingby natural means ? It's true that free will withoutGods Will coulddo nothing. r a. The promiforypart oftheCovenant or Law oflnnocencybecame null or ceafed withman's first fin, ceJjante fMbditorum capacitate; and fo the Conditionwhich is itsmodus. So that no man ever fence was under the Obligationof that Law as a Covenant of life, faying [Be Perfect or Innocent and Live], nor obliged to perfect perfonal perpetual obedience as the condition of Life ; for it was becomenaturally impoffible. And Godmakethnot Promifes and Covenants upon Natural impoffibilities, whatever we fay of Moral ones. IftheDevils before their fall were un- der this Covenant [Be Perfect and Live.] Yet now they are not tinder it. Here force worthy Divines go into both extreams : Some fay that all theLaw of Innocency is ceafed , Precept , Promife, andThreatning. 'Others fay that all frill are in force or being. The Truth I think is be- tween them asfolloweth. i. God frill commandeth perfeër obedience, fo far as that the leaf violation of his Law is fin. 2. This Lawbindeth us as theCreator's Law : but not as meet Crea- tor : But as put with Nature into the hand andpower ofthe Redeemer, towhom all Power or Government is committed, and fo all Laws are now both the Creators and Redeemers. 3. Thefe Precepts bind us not now in fo full a fort as they did Adam, even toobedience; Though the Law be as perfeci : Becaufe there is force Difpofdo Recipientis neceffary to theeffeEting an Obligation upon us: And where any Natural Impoilibility bath befaln us, though by fin, it will make forcealteration in the obligation. 4. The Commination, of the laid Law is fo far frill in force, as to make Punithment (even perpetual) to beour defert for every fin, and fo far to obligeus toPunithment, that if we are not pardoned , we fhail not rfcape; for it is natural for fin todeferve Punifhment. 1; This
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