236 RUIN AND RECOVERY, Ste. renewed, and consequently in which he was first made, consists in righteousness and true holiness, as well as in knowledge; Col. iii. 10'W. II. From the justice and goodness of God, we may also reasonably infer, that though man might be made with a perfect freedom of will, and with a powerto chose evil as well as good, that he might be put into a state of probation; yet it seems ne- cessary that he should not only have a superior propensity to what was good wrought at first into his nature, but he must also have a full sufficiency of power to preserve himself in this state of obedience and love to his Creator, and to guard himself front every temptation and sin, if his faculties were rightly employed. 13e must therefore have a sufficient knowledge of God and him- self and his duty, so far as was necessary to practise it : He must have his Maker's lawwritten in his heart, that is, he must have such light of reason and conscience as, if carefully employed, would always lead him to judge aright concerning his duty ; and he must have a ready and proximate ability to practise and fulfil it. Surely he must be furnished withpowers of self-preservation , in his state of innocency, at:d sufficient toguard him from offend- inghis Creator, and losing his happiness. This the justice and the goodness of God seem to require. IIis natural powers in themselves must have a full sufficiency for his own security from sin, if he used those natural powers in the best manner he was capable of ; otherwise lie would be exposed to unavoidable sin andmisery, and certainly fall into it, if he were not able, to pre- serve his innocence and virtue: He would as it were be made for his Maker's anger, if he, were not able to preserve himself in his love. III. It is highly probable from the goodness of God, that such a creature would be made immortal, that is, he would have had no principles of decay or death in him. It is true, the great God, considered merely as an kbsolute Lord and severeigmof his creatures, might take away. all thathe had given him at plea- sure ; but it is hardly to be supposed, that if his creature stood obedient to all his Maker's will, his wisdom and goodness would have destroyed anintelligent creature who had continued to serve and please him. Whatsoever had been done to his body, yet still we would suppose, God would not divest his soul of his natural immortality, but rather have advanced it to some better vehicle, or dwelling-place in some upper world. It is likely * Notwithstanding all the cavils which have been raised against these words yet if these two tests are-considered together, their most obvious meaning aorf the plainest sense of them abides still confirmed, and will strike an honest and unbiassed reader. The new man, or theprinciple of true religion in the heart, is created by God after his moral image, wherein he created man at first, that is, with a holy temper of mind and disposition, to the ready practice of all right- susneas as fast as occasions and opportunitiesarise.
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