QUESTION III. 283 Il. Though man was created with powers inferior to some ether intellectual beings, yet he was formed in the image of his Maker, and inhis Maker's favour ; in a state of perfect inno- cence. holiness and peace, with sufficient knowledge to defend and secure him from fatal mistakes, and with sufficient power to resist temptation and to maintain himself in this holy and happy state : But at the same time he was furnished with a liberty of will, that is, with a power to chose good or evil, to disobey his Maker, as well as obey him, to use his understanding well in governing his sense, appetite andpassion, or to abuse his under- standing, and darken and weaken it by giving the reins to sen- suality and his meaner powers: he had a liberty or free -will to watch against temptation or to be negligent, to resist it or to . comply with it, to abide in the favour and image-of his Maker, or to fall from his Maker's image and favoùr, according as he should use his liberty well or ill. Now here is no injustice, nor any want of goodness in mak- ingman a free creature : For it is by this freedom that he be- comes capable of moral government : It is this that renders him a proper subject of rewards, if hemaintains his virtue and obeys his Maker; and it gives him a power of advancing himself by his obedience in his Maker's love : And it is this liberty also that renders him a proper subject of punishment if he neglect his watch, and turn aside to the paths of vice and disobedience. Ill. Innocent man had probably some privileges given him by divine favour, above what were necessary and due to the mere state of his creation, viz. lie might be indulged to converse with his Maker, perhaps in a visible manner, and to receive special and peculiar communications from him : He might be situated in a place of very great pleasure, with all varieties of tasteful food, and other instruments and objects for his refresh- ment and delight, and with encouragements to hope, and assu- rances-to expect, that if he continued always humbly dependent upon God, and ever watchful against temptation, and attentive to his duty, he should have strong divine aids in case .of danger, upon his application to his Maker for them. This -is a very reasonable supposition, derived from the weakness of man, the fallibility of his nature, and from the abounding goodness of Ins Maker. IV. Man was not only by the constitution of his nature put under a law of obedience to God his Maker, in whatsoever he should require of him, bat also he might have that law set before him in some more express manner, together with the penalty or threatening annexed to -it, viz. If thou obeyest not thy God in the duty which reason requires, thou shalt surely lose thy present privileges, and lie itself Now this ought to have been a con- stant and powerful guard to him against all temptations, ifhe
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