Universal Obedience and Perfected him in a Conformity to God in Love Humility Dependence Self-resignation Love and Care of his Posterity Righteousness Justice and not invading what was not his Sobriety Temperance Universal Holiness and Goodness being some way drawn up into it on which account it might justly be stiled the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 2. The Tree of life being a Sacramental Type plainly and undoubtedly looking to Christ by the so often use of it and Application to the Eternal Wisdom Prov. 3. and in the Revelation It argues strongly The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was a Sacrament of Adam 's Subsistence for the Preservation of his Integrity and Happiness in the Eternal Word to come in Humane Nature or the Second Adam Represented to him by the Tree of life For seeing these two Trees were coupled one to the other such as the One such was the Other If one looked to Christ so did the other Now the greatest Temptation to the Forbidden Fruit was to be as God knowing Good and Evil that is having the full Dominion over Good and Evil in himself and so securing that holy and happy State by himself and in himself and not in Christ his Head the Image of the invisible God the First Born of every Creature the Second Adam to Come the Head of every Man as the Apostle stiles him referring to the first Constitution And I have not the least doubt Jesus Christ in so many great Expressions that have no Reference to the Sin of man was proposed as the Surety of Creation and the mediator of it and not only as to men but to Angels But as I remember Zanchy on John 8. Expounds the Devil was a murderer from the Beginning and abode not in the Truth that is not in Christ the Mediator who is the Truth Before All Angelical and Humane Being By whom All were made and consist So that Confirmation of both the Angelic and humane Nature was in Him and even as the Devil Fell by not abiding in Christ so he Tempted Man deceived Them on the same Point of not abiding in the Truth that is in Christ but coveting to have All in Himself by the Delusion of the Lyar the Father of Lyes Now this I have thus far insisted upon to open so great a Truth in such a way as may most shew the Conspiring of the Law and the Gospel in the same grand Point of the Salvation of the Elect as shall be further shewn how great Influence this stating of the Original Constitution hath upon it But we must yet further consider the Relation this Command of not Eating the Forbidden Fruit or the Eating it had to the Posterity of Adam or to All in Him For it is most plain from Scripture Adam by having kept the Command of God in not Eating the Forbidden Fruit had convey'd Holiness and Happiness even Life and Glory from God and Christ the Image of God to all descending from him This may be undeniably argued from two Things 1. He could not have coveyed Sin and Death if he had not been first appointed by God to convey Holiness and Life For he was ordained by God to be a Common Head Else though the Parent of the World he could not have been so He could not be Ordained of God First a conveyer of Evil That came in by his own Sin God indeed in highest Justice as he continues the descent of Mankind from him continues the Sanction of Conveyance of what he was and had which was Righteousness and Life as he was by God Established to convey when by his Sin he had lost that both Righteousness and life as God does not cut off that Power of Propagating the World given him in that First Blessing of Fruitfulness and Multiplication So he does not reverse the Sanction of his conveying what he should make himself a Root and Original of by the special Ordination of God upon his Obedience or Disobedience in that one single Act of Eating or not Eating having then by that Act of Disobedience plunged himself in Sin and Death he conveys it with that derivation of humane Nature from him to the very End of the World Christ alone coming into the World under a peculiar law of both Generation and Holiness of Nature 2. He could not have been a Type of the Him to Come if he had not been appointed by God a Conveyor of Righteousness and Life For Christ is so alone After the Transgression Adam was a Type of Christ only in Conveyance as a Common head not as of Sin and Death For so he is an Opposite to him who conveys Righteousness and Life So therefore must Adam needs be as from God that he might be a Type the nobler part of his being a Type he lost by Sin and is now become only an opposite Type He conveys but contrary to Christ not Righteousness and Life but Sin and Death and so he Begat Seth not in the Image of God who is Christ but in his own Image Gen. 5. 3. But thus in every Thing as the Apostle says the Scripture Foreseeing God would do All he does in Eternal Grace and Love by Jesus Christ Preached before the Gospel to Adam in that Tree the Symbol of removing him from the Thoughts of being a God to himself in the Dominion over Good and Evil Called the Knowledge of it according to the great Importancy of the word Knowing in Scripture but that he should Trust in him shadowed to him by the Tree of Life Again he Preached the Gospel to him by making him a Type of one to Come as a Second Adam by way of Appearance but he was before him For he was before All things as the Eternal Word to be made Man and by him They all consist So the first Man was to be an Adam or Universal Original of Righteousness and Life subordinate to Christ dependent upon him and to be Confirmed by him by such an Experiment given of the Obedience of Trust and not taking upon himself For so the Apostle Pourtrays Lust 1 John 2. by its First Parent Lust The Lust of the Eye The forbidden Fruit was fair to the Eye The Lust of the Flesh It was good to Tast The taking upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Pride of Life we shall be as Gods c. Adam therefore taking upon himself and not Trusting in Christ to be sustained for ever lost himself and his Posterity excepting Redeemed by Christ as first offered a Head of Confirmation Now of Recovery And though this making Adam a Common head as it hath proved is a Scandal to proud Reason Yet it was first an Ordination of Grace and Wisdom and as I may say a Compendious Contrivance for Happiness and Blessedness to Mankind by one Man the Common Parent and Head having by Faith in Christ Represented by the Tree of Life trusted in him and not taken upon himself and saying with the Prodigal
Father as Jesus Christ in all his Mediatory Discourses most fully declared and his Apostles after him and as all along the Kingdom of God is in Christ's Kingdom So It is at last delivered up to God All in All Which I lay in the Foundation to shew the absolute Excellency Perfection and Immutability of the Divine Law of Creation standing in Participation of and Conformity to the Divine Nature in Holiness for the Participation also of its Blessedness both which are the Glory of God 2. It is much to be Considered and deeply Pondered What Scripture so often says of Man being made in the Image of God This Image of God Jesus Christ is most positively affirmed to be 2 Cor. 4. Colos 1. He is the Image of the Invisible God The Eternal Word fore-seen in Humane Nature is the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1. and as in Humane Nature He is the First-born of every Creature Colos 1. The Glory of God spoken of so much in the former Particular is in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. and Christ is the Head of every Man 1 Cor. 11. even as God is the Head of Christ and Man viz. that great Supream Man is primarily the Image and Glory of God v. 7. For Christ being the Head of Man as between God and Man It is He must be the Image and Glory of God else God without Christ intervening would be the Head of every Man which the Apostle says expresly Christ is and God the Head of Christ as whose Image and Glory the Man Christ is Therefore is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manly Man Rev. 12. 5. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11. 7. foreseen in human Nature and not every Man immediately and so the Apostles Argument in that place Reaches from Christ to every Man All these great Expressions of Christ shew more nearly who that Image of God is in which Adam was made For all these cannot be supposed to come in upon Sin and on that Occasion or Necessity only They have place before it And this I say not only to ascribe Excellency to our Mediator but to shew how fit He is to be so who is thus the Original Image of God by whom as the Eternal Word He made and Created All I speak it also with a peculiar Respect to the Point to be discoursed Concerning that Admirable Agreement and Conspiration between the Law and the Gospel and so to resolve whether the Gospel can be called a Law On all which these Things well apprehended will reflect great Light 3. When Man was thus made in the Participation of the Divine Nature and in the Image of God which Image Christ is in order to the Eternal Enjoyment of God in Blessedness and in his Glory As it became an Immutable unchangeable Law upon Man which can no more be put off than his very Being So it must needs be secondarily a Law upon Him to be like Christ who is the Image of God Now therefore here It comes to be solemnly enquired whether Adam had any Notices of Jesus Christ the Image of God wherein He was made and there are Two great Reasons that He had Notices 1. Because it being so expresly said God made Adam in that Image which is Christ It is not probable He could be ignorant of it in so perfect a State of holy Understanding as wherein He was made 2. Because the Apostle says Adam was the Type of Him to Come as the great and supream Adam though the Second in order of Time of Appearance yet the First in Dignity and Designation Again therefore here I argue Adam in so Perfect a State could not probably be ignorant of so great a Truth as of the Second-First-Adam of whom He was a Type And this I desire the further Observation of as much tending to shew how close the Gospel and this Eternal Law may conspire 3. Though the Perfection of Man's Being was as hath been said a Law Adequate to his Being as in Conformity to the Divine Being and to the Image of God Jesus Christ Yet because Man was but a living Soul and not a quickning Spirit as the Second Adam that is he was but a Vessel that had its measure and not a Fountain or Spring still supplying it self Therefore what ever further Revelation of the Will and Pleasure of God to which He should be Obedient God would please to vouchsafe Adam for the securing his Perseverance and the Consirming Him in a Continuation of that happy State wherein his Creator had placed Him such Revelation became as much of the Essence of the Law of his Creation as his Conformity in any Branch of it whatever to the Divine Being in the Image of God viz. Christ both because of the Authority and Goodness of the Revealer to which that Eternal Law must needs oblige him as also because it tended to secure and confirm him in that Blessed Estate For whatever did so must needs bind Him even as the Preservation of that Conformity to God and his Image in any other Essential Branch did and herein if possible more Because it Secured and Confirmed all the rest It pleased therefore that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness as well as Supream Authority of God to appoint in the Paradise wherein he placed Adam as the Representation of his Holy and Happy State Two Sacramental Trees One the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Other the Tree of Life By the One He was under a Test of his Obedience in refraining from it By Eating of the Other he was to receive a visible Pledge and Seal of the Confirmation of his Blessed State The refraining therefore from the one was to be but for a time till which time of Abstinence observed and expired he had no right to Eat of the Other For so is signified In that the Tree of Life was plainly prepared to be Eaten so there must be a Time for the Eating of it And in the Care God took Adam should not Eat of it after he had Sinned It appears God intended Adam should not Eat of it and Dye For it was a Sacrament of living for ever as God said least he put forth his Hand and Eat of the Tree of Life and Live forever which however spoken in derision yet imports the Sacramental Sense of the Tree of Life According to all which Sense It is said of the true and substantial Tree of life Blessed are They that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of life Rev. 21. 14. Alluding to the First Tree of life of which Adam if he for the time appointed had kept the Command of God in not Eating of the Tree Forbidden he would in due Season have had Right to Eat of the Tree of life Now we may conceive two great Reasons of God's forbidding the Fruit of this Tree 1. The Observation of this Command had fixed Adam in
thus I have laid down the great Doctrin of the New-Testament in these Points as I have Reason from such an abundant Scripture Evidence to be assur'd Let me for a Conclusion recommend to all the Ministers of the Gospel the due Consideration of the whole matter For it is of most exceeding Concernment to our Ministry This is our Enablement our Sufficiency as Ministers of the New-Testament to Preach not the Letter but the Spirit to Preach it as a Ministration of Righteousness and not of Condemnation as a Ministration not of the Letter but of the Spirit For the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life Thus we shall Minister it in its Abiding Continuing Glory as it shall continue in the Kingdom of Christ set out in all its Freeness and in all its Efficacy We cannot else Triumph in manifesting the Savor of the Knowledge of Christ nor will our Ministry be of Sufficiency to be a Savor of Death unto Death to the lost as it ought to be according to the Divine Ordination laid down by the Apostle 2 Cor. c. 2 3. For if the Full and true Grace of the Gospel be not set out as a Ministration of Righteousness of Life and of the Spirit It does not offer to Men the great Gospel Experiment whether it is unto them a Savor of Life unto Life or of Death unto Death They have not that high Savor of the knowledge of Christ that is the Instrument of Grace as by a most Divine and heavenly Suffumigation or Perfume of Life to excite and bring to Life such a stream of Life to give Life from the Spirit nor on the other side till This be Administred can it according to this Gospel Canon or Rule be said That the Ministry of it is a savor of Death unto Death for to whomsoever this high savor of Life is not Administred there is not that conclusion to be made it is of Death unto Death herein being the strength of the Crisis or distinction If the highest savor of the Gospel give not Life the only flavor of Life be not effectual to Life be but like a dead Savor effect nothing produce nothing of Life it must needs be argued such are unto Death And even the Gospel Preached concludes them unto Death when it does not prevail if the most irradiant Light of Christ the Image of God shining to Men does not Enlighten Such a hiding demonstrates such Lost and their Case Desperate Rationalizing Moralizing upon the Gospel yea Scripture Legalizing upon it without a continual interweaving this high Spirituality and rich Grace of it cannot thus Conclude Seal and Bind up If the Fountain and Sources of Light and Life be not kept clear and open tho Men do indeed die and perish for want of Life and Light yet they are not Sealed and bound up for Death as the true Preaching of the Grace of the Gospel by this Ordination of God declared here by the Apostle does The close Experiment for want of this Ministration of the New Testament is not made For the Apostle says Who is sufficient so to Preach the Gospel as that it should be if not a Savor of Life unto Life the principal purpose design and scope of it then of Death unto Death This sufficiency saith he is of God who hath therein Sufficientized to Minister the New Testament not as of a Letter that Kills but as of the Spirit that giveth Life so that tho it be not indeed to all a Ministration of the Spirit giving Life to all yet it is not our Male Admistration for we are by such a faithful discharge of our selves a Savor of Death unto Death without which so faithful a Discharge we could not be so for such a Preaching only as was said puts such a Crisis upon Persons makes such a Tremendous Gospel Experiment which the only Wise God hath yet Ordained should be made by the Free Gospel Preaching And that this Experiment may be made saith the Apastle we take great care not to allay the high flavor of the Gospel by any mixture of the Doctrin of Works with that of Grace as they who minding thir own Advantages make a Trade of Debasing what is most Excellent by vending worse in Temperament with Nobler Liquors But with greatest Sincerity as in the sight of God we bring forth only pure Gospel Supream Grace and herein we use all Freedom Clearness Frankness Openness and Boldness in manifesting this No darkned unintelligible Doublings between Grace and Works as Moses who veiled so the Gospel-part of his Ministry that it became a Ministration of Death And because Paul knew how distasteful this purity of Preaching is to the Condemned World that would yet be Righteous and to the proud and stately Powers of Reason and Free Will He says we arm our selves with a Divine Courage and constancy in pursuing this Ministry and will not on any account whatsoever use Art or Guile but with all integrity represent Truth in its own Light and leave to God the Discrimination of the Lost to whom this Preaching is as the Jealousie-Water to discover them when their very Mind the highest Rational Part being Blinded by the God of this World find not the Rays of the Glory of the Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God and all our Perfection is Likeness to Him shining to them Wherein the Apostle manifestly alludes to what he had said of the Superior Glory of the Gospel to that of the Law tho that gave such a Gloâ—y to Moses his Face And he alludes also to the Veil on Moses his Face upon that Glory and to the Veil on the Hearts of the Jews to this day Implying That not to receive this Pure Gospel Light is like Jewish Unbelief who Stumbled at that Stumbling-Block of Exalting Works and their own Righteousness above Christ and Grace It is true indeed this Preaching up of our Works Endeavours relying upon our own Action is very plausible and seems to carry greater force as being more a kin to our first Constitution under the First Adam And of this the Apostle also gives a Secret as we say Gird when in this so great Point he interposes not without great Design We Preach not our selves As if Preaching intermingled with Works and Humane Powers of Holiness were setting up and exalting our selves into a Dominion over mens Consciences but saith He we Preach Christ the only Lord and our selves Servants iâ— so high a Ministry And in this Epistle Chap. 11. They who even with design against the Grace of the Gospel Teach the Law are as the Apostle says in the appearance of Angels of Light and Ministers of Righteousness Zealous enforcers of Holiness and good Life if yet they stop up these Springs and are Enemies of this Grace they are False Apostles and Ministers of Satan Evil Workers as the Apostle calls them in a taunt of their high pretence to Works and others for want of true distinguishing Thoughts desirous and most propended to be Teachers of the Law and yet dare not desert the Grand Gospel-Principles Know not what they Speak nor whereof they affirm that is do not accurately Think nor Speak nor Reconcile themselves to themselves For the Law is good if a Man use it Lawfully that is according to the Gospel direction of it But pure perfect Law is only pointed set against those upon whom the Gospel hath not Effect who are given up by it as Incurable and unto Death This I speak not I appeal to Him who Searcheth Hearts with Reflection on any Person or sort of Persons and least upon Mr. Williams of whom I desire much other Esteem But to move and perswade him and all Preachers of the Gospel to reconcile all their Notions Disputes Preaching the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God commited to their Trust which the Apostle hath defined to be then sufficiently Preached when it is Primarily and till the Gospel hath remanded the Lost under the aggravated Condemnation of the Law for refusing the Grace of the Gospel 'till then I say the New Testament is to be Preached as a Ministration of the Spirit and not of the Letter for the Letter Killeth but the Spirit giveth Life a Ministration of Life not of Death not of Condemnation but of Righteousness which Ministration shall in a short time be with Open Face and all Veils removed the Lord drawing near and all Turning to Him beholding Christ the Image of God and the Glory of God in the Face of Christ we shall be Changed into the same Image from the Glory of a lower degree now to the Glory that shall be in perfection by the mighty Effusions of that Spirit who is Jehovah that shall so soon be Now this high and richest Gospel Treasure we have saith the Apostle at the present but in Vessels of Earth Men of like Corruptions and guilt low and base Appearances of outward Condition and State and of the vile and dying Bodies for Sin that the excellency of Divine Grace and Power may be Exalted alone throughout and throughout For at the present we have as the Apostle saith all this Glory but in hope we see yet but as in a Glass tho with an Open Face this Glory But when the Angelical Ministry Rev. 14. 6. shall in the Kingdom of Christ be Missioned and sent out this Ministration shall so Exceed in Glory that all other Glory of Humane Righteousness shall utterly Disappear and when it comes it shall for ever Remain And this shall he when the Israel of God shall be Called and Turn'd to the Lord and that shall be when 〈◊〉 Times are at an End as Christ says Luke 21. 24. And when the Eclipse on the 〈◊〉 Churches going off they shall have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full Orbed Light as that Word Rom. 1â— 25. Opposed to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Eclipse in that Chapter properly signifies and All this shall I doubt not begin at 1697. FINIS