INTRODUCTION. 237 also that Godwould have endowed his soul with powers to arrive at higher degrees of excellencyand happiness, than those in which he was at first formed : And hereby there was great encourage- ment given both to his watchfulness against every danger of sin- ning Against God, andhurting himself, as well as to his zeal and diligence both in improving his natural powers, and in perform- ing eminent services for his Maker and converse with him. This would be the way for him to improve in the likeness, and in the love of that almighty Being who made him, as well as more firmly to secure his own immortality and happiness. IV. I think we maybe able to add also, that the habitation, in which a God of infinite goodness would place such a holy and innocent creature, should be, a 'very beautiful and magnificent building, furnished with. all manner of necessaries, and conveni- ences of life, and prepared not onlyfor his safely and support, but alsofor his delight. Our reason seems to say this : And Moses writing concerning the first created pair of mankind, tells us, that when they were brought into this world they were placed in Eden, or a garden of pleasure, and had a right given them to all the excellent fruits and delights of súch a garden, and were made lords of all the creatures round about them, both in the vegetative and animal world. And as the dwelling of such an innocent and holy creature should be delightful and convenient, so neither should there be any thing noxious or destructive found in this habitation, but what this excellent creature man should have sufficient notice of, and should be endowed with sufficient power to oppose it, or to avoid it. Or if we should suppose that this creature was placed in such a state of trial by his Maker, as thathe should be capable of receiving some unavoidable injuries from any noxious thing that was near him, it seems reasonable that he should have a proximate and immediate ability, by the right use of his understanding and his will, and his other pow- ers, to relieve himself, and to turn every such injury to his own superior advantage, and to balance every pain by equal or supe- rior pleasure. V. And if this creature had power to propagate its own kind, the child should be innocent and holy, and capable of maintaining its duty and happiness as well as the parent. New if these are the qualifications with which such a new made crea- ture should be endued, and these the circumstances in which our reason would judge from the wisdom, justice, and goodness of God that he ought to be situated ; then by a careful survey of what mankind, now is, and a comparison thereof with what reason would tell us he ought to be, we may be able to arrive at some determination, whether mankind is at present such a creature as the great and bless, God :wade him at first: Which is the sub* ject of the ensuing enquiry.
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