is called the heavenly treasure looke as it is with wicked men Rom. 2.5 They treasure up wrath against the day of wrath the more sinne they commit the more punishment will lye upon their soules so doth a good man lay up a treasure of holinesse Should a man bring all the treasure of Dives all the honour of Ahashuerus they would doe him no good Wilt thou appeare and say Lord I have cozened so many poore and by this means I have gotten so much wealth No the onely commodity that will go off is holy services Rev. 14.13 Blessed are they that dye in the Lord their works follow them nothing in the world but works can follow a man The services that come from a sincere heart will go with thee to thy grave therefore as Factours purchase things that will bee saleable when they come home so let us now lay up that provision that will stand us in stead hereafter 2. Hence we see how to carry our selves towards others Love those best who are best As good children let us imitate our father God loves men that obey Let the same minde be in us Psalme 119.63 I am a companion of those that love thee Hee saith not I am a companion to those that haunt evill places but to such as love God Psalm 103.6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull in the land 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while you are with him The Lord keeps company with them that keepe company with him in holy duties Let us be of the same affection towards our brethren and let nothing breed division but only the sins of others Zach. 8.23 Tenne men shall take hold on the skirt of a Jew saying Wee will goe with you for the Lord is with you I say let nothing breed jarres between us and others but only their sins §. 11. NOw wee proceed to the second part of the Covenant Of life promised to Adam if obedient What God promises to Adam Hee that doth these things shall live For the opening of this wee must treat of three particulars 1. What life is 2. Wherein lies the sweetnesse of the promise 3. The universality of it 1. What is meant by life Life naturall Life is double naturall and spirituall eternall life is nothing but spirituall life made perfect Naturall life is the motion of the creature issuing from the joyning of the body and soule together according to the kind thereof The life of a tree is to grow of a reasonable creature to discourse This is not meant here for Adam did thus live before and after he brake the Comandements of God And spirituall 2. There is a spirituall life which belongs to the soule in holy duties it is called life by a similitude and it is those spirituall workes which proceed from the whole man the soule being united to God As the union of the body and soule causeth life so the union between the soul and God causeth spirituall life Gen. 2.7 God breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life so the Lord breathes assistance and this is spirituall life here meant which may bee discovered in three particulars 1. Adam Spirituall life discovered in 3. things out of his speciall liberty hee had was able to put himself under the streame of Providence and so to bee carried on to holy duties God would have assisted Adam but hee must first put himselfe under the streame of Providence as the boat upon the streame so would the Providence of God have conveyed Adam All things were made for man and man is next neighbour to God Had Adam looked towards Gods wisedome hee should have been quickned in wisedome and so he might have received strength from any Attribute if he would submit his heart to the streame of it Joh. 1.16 From Christ we receive grace for grace What letters are in the seale the same are in the waxe so when by faith wee look upon Christ there is grace in him and it is conveighed to us Psalm 86.11 Unite my soule to thee first the soule must be united and then it acts from that union John 6.68 Thou onely hast the words of eternall life as if hee should say By thy vertue only wee must bee strengthened By this time God and Adam are met 2. The soule of Adam being met with God hence followed spiritual actions namely Adam was able to worke like God according to his manner the boat and rower and streame goe all one way In 1 Pet. 4.6 a good man is said to live according to God This is spirituall life when a mans will and desire is answerable to God but wicked men Ephes 4.18 are strangers to the life of God Col. 4.12 The Apostle prayeth that they might stand perfect in the will of God Psalm 119.144 Give mee understanding that I may live A man doth not live thus because hee seeth as the beasts doe or growes as the trees do or reasons which the devils can do but because hee hath an understanding to live the life of God When Adam is at God hee is where he would be Rom. 14.18 The kingdome of heaven consists not in meats and drinks that is in outward actions they are in themselves neither good nor bad but when a man is led by God to performe holy duties hee then pleaseth God in them 3. Hee had power to hold out this blessed will of God to others that they might love it Phil. 1.20 St. Paul prayeth that in life and death God might be magnified Adam did hold out the glory of God that all the world might see how glorious hee was Quest. Wherein lyes the pith of this promise what should Adam reap from this The sweetnesse of the promise of life wherin Answ It lies in this That God would so continue good to Adam that if hee would obey God hee would so support him with his grace that hee should have pleased him for ever as if God had said If thou will doe what I command I will unchangeably supply life to thee I will expresse it by the contrary Thus it befell Adam hee broke the law and therefore was vnder the power of sinne to bee led by the force of it to sinne eternally and perish everlastingly The Lord said Thou shalt not eate Adam did eate so going against the command the Lord puts him under the authority of corruption and this is spirituall death So then it is not the law of God that rules thee but the vanity of thy minde that domineers over thy soul and members of thy body Contrariwise had Adam pleased God he should have been under the power of holinesse and never have sinned For God thus said to Adam If thou will keep my Lawes I will support thee and thou shalt never bee subject to any evill As it is with the damned they can doe nothing but sinne and depart from God daily so contrariwise had Adam performed Gods laws God with a
in his performance Rom. 4.4 If a man can performe the Law recompence is due to him as a debt which Adam was able to doe Hee might glory in the performance of his duty giving also glory to God Rom. 3.27 Boasting is not excluded by the law of works but by the law of faith As if hee should say Could a man doe what the Law requires hee might boast but the law of faith excludeth boasting if I can do nothing but what God helps mee in and perfect nothing but what God perfects in mee why should I boast A man cannot bee saved by workes and grace too Rom. 11.6 If by workes it is not mercy if by grace it is not his owne sufficiency when wee have done what wee can wee can challenge nothing but beg pardon Psalm 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest mark our iniquites O Lord who could stand Adam could have endured it for he I say had no flaw in his obedience but we poore creatures cannot doe this Dost thou think to bee saved by thy services and merits Rom. 4.7 8. No Happy is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered those workes cannot save a man Adam stood or fell for us as well as for himself why in which there is enough to condemne him 4. Adam did it for himselfe and his posterity if hee had kept the Law wee had lived in him therefore if Adam broke the Law and died thou must also die this is so by all rights 1. By the right of Nations The Kings sends over an Embassador hee craveth termes of agreement what ever the Embassador doth all the Nation doth because the Embassador goeth in the name of the King who is the Ruler of the Nation 2. Look into all Courts what the party doth the surety doth if the party falls the surety falls also what the Parliament doth wee doe because we chuse men and send them thither 3. Look into the law of Nature if the Father hath a child borne long after the bond was made yet hee must pay the debt also if his father purchase land for his heire before he was borne he must have the benefit of it Adam was our Father hee made a compact for all his posterity Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sinne The tenour of the compact was for his heires and executors if hee kept the Law hee and they should be happy if he broke it hee and they should be miserable He did for his posterity but here every man must beleeve for himselfe it is not the faith of thy father that will doe thee good Thy faith hath made thee whole not another mans another mans digesting of meat cannot help thee so another mans faith cannot save thy soule Use 1. A sinfull disagreement which is for holinesse The first Use discovers what the great God of heaven requires of his namely obedience and then it falls marvellous heavie upon and condemns the practice of wicked men The ground of agreement between God and Adam was obedience but obedience to God is now the cause of all jarres with men if a man discharge his duty in obedience to God it breeds divisions Men are as is spoken of Simeon and Levi brethren in iniquitie if they vent themselves in sinfull practices then they rejoyce in them All contention comes from holinesse It is surely an argument of a malicious wretch whom God will make an example as he did Cain 1 Joh. 3.12 Who slew his brother because his deeds were evill and his brothers good hee loathes him because his sacrifices were accepted on this root growes all the derision that befalls the righteous So saith David Ps 38.20 They hate me because I doe the thing that is right If a man begin to reforme his life they bend themselves all against him You who are maliciously bent against the Saints mark this Doth God shew salvation to them and wilt thou shew contempt either the Lord is to be blamed or thou condemned Exod. 19. If you will obey my voice you shall bee my peculiar people Hast thou then a child whose soule is awakened that child should bee thy peculiar treasure before all other ruffian-like children That husband or wife that obeyeth the voice of the Lord should bee a treasure to thee but if when the child sets his face towards goodnesse thou art set against him thine heart is gracelesse Ps 69.27 Blot out their names out of the book of life Why they persecute him whom thou hast smitten When God hath smote a poor sinner you add taunts to his trouble take heed you bring not that judgement upon your selves you shall never be able to beare Use 2. Holy persons in league with God may in all evils bee comfortable It is a word of comfort to cheare up the hearts of all poore Christians against contempt though their wants are many their oppositions great that they are accounted the off-scouring of the world Let this bee a cordiall unto you God will accept you not according to what you have but according to what you desire Hast thou riches and honour God likes thee never the better for them neither doth hee like thee ever the worse if thou wantest them Psal 147.10 God looks not at the feature of man it is not his bravery and ornaments it is not his silk coat that covers him that God takes delight in but in them that feare him and hope in his mercy Though thou hast not outward pomp hast thou an heart to feare God then God rejoyceth over thee when all the mighty of the world shall bee discarded Acts 10.24 God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation hee that worketh righteousnesse Jam. 2.2 3 is accepted of him It is the guise of men that when one commeth in a gold ring he is respected but if a poore Saint comes they disdaine him This entertainment you shall finde of the world but know it of a truth God loveth those that love him and such shall bee respected when the wicked shall be cast out of Gods presence Micah 6.18 He hath shewed thee oh man what he requires That thou shouldest walk before him Reason therefore thus It is true I have not riches or wealth no matter for God doth not require this what he requires is obedience and that I have Use 3. The third Use is of instruction and it is double 1. Hence wee may learne what care to use in walking in obedience Take care to walke obediently this is that which gives God contentment Do as thou canst and God will accept of what thou dost if it be sincere We must not think to performe exactly what Adam did but to endeavour what wee can Rom. 12.1 Give up your selves a living sacrifice to God Would you please God your reasonable service shall finde acceptance Heb. 13.16 To doe good forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Mat. 6.20 This
Marvellous well without any disparagement to the image of God nay he could be no other It was no sinne in Adam to be mutable but that he abused all when hee might have used it to Gods glory It was so farre from being a blemish to Adams nature that it agreed very conveniently with it Herein appeares the difference betweene Adams estate the estate of the Saints glorified and the wicked now damned Adam was to trade for an immutable condition therefore could not have it put into his hand at first The Saints that have fought the fight of faith are established and never shall doe evill because they have performed obedience unto God through Christ The damned because they have sinned against God and have withdrawne themselves from his authority are immutably evill for God hath separated himselfe all his holinesse and the meanes of grace from them and delivered them up to the power of sinne as who should say Take them all ye crue of cursed abominations and carry them headlong to will evill eternally and perish everlastingly Adam was to trade for this immutable condition before he could have it first he was to fight before he could conquer And as he was not immutably good so hee could not be immutably evill As it is with a man that hath an estate left him if he will trade with it he may live if hee spend it he may lye in prison so it was with Adam Again had God established and confirmed Adam he should have prevented all opportunities of the manifestation of his justice in condemning and of his mercy in pardoning Had hee been immutably good none could have been punished because none had offended none could have beene pardoned because none had sinned Quest. But why was this freedome to doe good imprinted on Adam Answ Because without it Adams obedience could not have beene acceptable The Lord loves as a cheerfull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 so a cheerfull performer of service It is the Apostles rule The Lord accepts a willing minde If a man grudge to give to a poore man God flings his gift into his face a willing minde makes the service acceptable All Gods servants must be Volunteers not prest As Deborah Jud. 5.4 My soule is with those that offer themselves willingly We abhorre it in our servants when they come to their worke as a Beare to the stake and will God accept it at our hands All the offerings of God must be freewill offerings Thus our Saviour did that knew how to please God Psal 40.8 I am delighted to doe thy will O my God and thy law is within my heart He comes not off with murmuring Joh. 4.34 but saith It is my meat and drinke to doe thy will When you are at a feast you can sit at it houre after houre so if our duties be as our meat and our drinke they will not be tedious to us Eph. 6.7 Wee must serve God with a goodwill It is an unseemely thing to cause God to distraine for his service God will have his praise out of a proud heart but then God honours himselfe we honour him not The Devill himself will do duties after this fashion In Job 1.6 it is said the Devill came also He would have been ranging and raging about the world but God made him come also Mar. 5. We know that thou art the Son of God God wrested a confession out of him It is not acceptable when we are haled to duty the Devill doth so the service that God accepts is done willingly Thou shalt serve the Lord with a glad heart and be carried on full sayle in the wayes of godlinesse 2. Had not Adam had a freedome to good he could not have beene punished for sinne for he that constraines another to do an evill action is to be condemned If a man should compell another to strike a man hee that forced him ought to be blamed a man cannot be blamed for what he cannot avoid Now that Adams sinne might bee punished and his service accepted it was necessary hee should have ability to chuse good and refuse evill wherefore the fault was Adams in falling and not Gods Justifie God concerning Adams fall Use 1. Hence we learne to justifie the Lord and let the fault of Adam lye upon himselfe and his posterity 〈◊〉 owne fault The Lord 〈◊〉 Adam ability to doe whâ—â— he should if therefore he did not what hee might he is to be condemned the Lord to be justified It is in vaine for thee to plead that thou canst not doe thy duty The Lord knowes I carry a body of death about me I confesse it is so but whose fault is it Esa 3.11 Say unto the wicked it shall goe evill with him for hee shall receive the reward of his owne hands Your owne hands framed your owne ruine Prov. 1.28 They shall call but I will not heare they might reply This is a hard chapter But what saith the Text they would none of my counsell therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own waies This must cut off all pleas remember Adam had liberty and thou in him Thou shalt bee satisfied with the fruit of thine owne planting and God will fill thee with the fruit of thine owne devices The malicious man shall have malice enough in hell and shall for ever hate God and for ever be tormented Againe it should still our repinings against God vaine it is to snarle against the Lord. The Lord did not assist Adam yet there was no fault in God for Adam had freedome of will without any opposition and thou in him therefore thy bloud be upon thine owne head God is to be justified You sought out inventions if therefore you have what you seek the fault is your owne Psal 51.4 I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Thou O Lord art cleare it is my iniquity that deserved it Matth. 13.21 Whence came those Tares The enemy hath done this So say thou I confesse my mind is blind mine heart is corrupt whence came these Tares the Lord sowed good seed if therefore I am uncleane the envious man hath done it therefore acquit the Lord for ever Hence wee may see Use 2. To know whether Gods image be restored whether we ever had this image reprinted and restored Where ever the Image of God is there is freedome If ever sound grace bee in thee thou shalt find thine heart unshackled and set at liberty to close with the Lord. 2. Corin. 3.17 Where the Spirit is there is freedome and an heart carried willingly to do the service God requires It was that that our Saviour proclaimed Isaiah 61.2 an acceptable yeare it was that was typified in the old Law by the yeare of Jubilee when the servant was free from his Master the Debter from his Creditour so Christ came to preach the yeare of Jubilee that all poor drudges that have been slaves to Sathan and indebted to Gods justice should be
hee seriously meant what hee had promised 2. They were as monitors to stirre up Adam to watchfulnesse over his courses and therefore these trees were in the midst of the garden Gen. 3.9 and any thing that is in the midst wee easiliest discerne A man that lookes upon the seale is thereby put in mind of the covenant so did these daily put Adam in minde of the covenant 2. Qu. What was the nature of this seale Ans The tree of life implyed two things Tree of life why 1. It put him in mind of the covenant of life and this is done by way of signification 2. The eating of this Adam having first obeyed would have been a mean◠to conveigh to him immutable assistance to eternall life There bee divers opinions of Divines touching this but surely it did mainely seale the covenant and the reason is because life which was in the covenant was communicated by this tree but life spirituall only was intended in the covenant therefore the seales seale life spirituall onely It is a weake opinion of some that thinke the tree would make Adam immortall though it were after his fall They prove it out of Gen. 3.22 else why should God thrust him out of Paradise lest he should eate of the tree of life I answer This word lest implyes not what followed but what they conceived would follow Tree of knowledge of good and evill Touching the tree of knowledge of good and evill wee are to know three things 1. What is meant by knowledge 2. What by good and evill 3. Why it is called so For the first Knowledge in Scripture hath a double sense Sometimes it signifies to bee able to pierce into the nature of things as it is Ephes 1.17 This spirituall knowledge was not here meant for it was not here ratified but taken away 2. It signifieth sense and experience We use to say I never knew what poverty meant Such a man may talk of it but never had experience of the pinching of it so wee say also I now know what a prison meanes Perhaps hee knew what it was before but that was but a bare notion now he hath tasted of it by experience and can read the nature of it by proofe So 2 Cor. 6. ult it is said Our Saviour knew no sinne hee had knowledge humane and spirituall and therefore knew the loathsomnesse of it the meaning of it is he knew not what it was by his own experience Exod. 4.4 The Lord saith Pharaoh shall know that I am God that is hee shall know by experience that I am a just God and feele it to his cost So Isa 26.10 The wicked will not learne righteousnesse and in this sense it is here taken to wit for experimentall knowledge 2. Qu. What is meant by good and evill Answ Good implies two things 1. A performance of duty to God and pleasing him Micah 6.8 Hee hath shewed thee what is good So David saith I love the thing that is good in thine eyes 2. It implies the happinesse and blessing that flowes from closing with God As a man by chewing meate receives nourishment so doth a man by doing good Psalm 125.4 Doe good to those that are good Evill is a disobedience and vengeance commeth therefrom by a just recompence of reward 3. Qu. Why is it called the tree of knowledge of good and evill Ans Not because in it selfe it had any vertue to cause the knowledge of good and evill for in its owne nature it was as other trees Gen. 1. ult God saw that all things were good and this among the rest But because God did hedge in this tree and forbid Adam to eate of it it was therefore unlawfull because God forbad it It was called thus in two regards 1. It did signifie to Adam that if hee did eat hee should die and so have experience of good and evill 2. If Adam did eat then through his owne sinne it was made a means to make Adam know by experimental proof what it was to please God and what to displease him as you may see Gen. 3.7 They saw by the eye of their conscience their lusts ovespreading them and shame following them and that they were deprived of happinesse Q. But why did God give these two contrary seales Ans 1. That Adam might see and know his changeable estate that hee might goe in the right way and be blessed that hee might not goe in the wrong way and bee cursed Our Sacraments are to one thing by Baptisme God entertaines us into his family by the Lords Supper hee nourisheth us in his family 2. That hee might make ful provision for Adam that so hee should not say If I had had this I might have stood For like as it is said Exod. 33. I have set life and death before you God set the tree of life to encourage Adam and the tree of knowledge to affright him Thus the Lord would bee wanting to him in nothing Use Hear curses to affright frō sin aswell as mercies The Use that will follow from the diversity of the seales is this Hence we learn as well to heare curses to terrifie us from sinnes as mercies to encourage us If Adam had need of this in his innocencie that had no sinne how much more need have wee when the flood gates of sinne are within abundance of bad examples without If a man in a good and healthfull constitution need opening diet then much more a body that is corrupt hath need of strong physick If Adam that was in an wholesome condition had need of a threatning how much more need have wee that have hearts overcharged with strong distempers and clogged with venome and malice This cheks the conceit of carnall persons that think Ministers ought not to speak such terrible things either they must bee wiser then God or wee must bee better then Adam Therefore wee should deale with our hearts as men do with the creature though it be somewhat tame it must have an ordinary fence and if it be unruly wee shackle it So Adam had a well tempered disposition yet he had a prohibition but alas our natures are like an untamed heifer as they Jer. 2. that snuffe up the wind like the wild asse are carried on violently into corruptions What shall we say of these wild asse colts as Job speaks Ch. 11.15 for if Adam had need of a chek a thousand threatnings are too little for such wretches as we are §. 13. Ephes 5.16 Redeeming the time because the daies are evill THis verse shewes unto us the proof of a wise man and one that doth truly take notice of all the occasions of time whereby he will redeem the time Wise men will doe so In the verse are two things to be considered 1. A Dutie and 2. the Reason of it 1. The Dutie Redeeme the time 2. The Reason Because the dayes are evill full of misery and all abomination and harder times will come in