did both glorify end enjoy God. In this state therefore, man could not act inconsistent with the glory of God, without acting at the same time inconsistent with his own happiness. There was a perfect union with God, in the motives and springs of action which belonged to his nature. His love of God, and regard for the divine honor and glory, and his love and regard for his own well-being, all influenced the same way, and tended to the same thing. In this union* with God consisted the life of his soul, or what we call spiritual life. As the natural life of man consists in the firm and healthful union of soul and body, so spiritual life consists in this full and perfect moral union with God. and as natural death consists in breaking up the union between soul and body; so spiritual death consists in breaking up this spiritual union between God and the soul. And that moral depravity, and corruption of nature which is in fallen man, consequent upon his breach of union with God, may, not improperly, though figuratively, be styled The putrefaction of the soul. The soul of man in his first state was in perfect health and vigor, no ways diseased, tainted, or vitiated; but was every way fit and in readiness for perfect obedience to the divine will; for full communion with God, and complete blessedness in the enjoyment of him. But yet, this life of the soul was not so essential to the nature of man but that it might be lost; and yet, his natural faculties still remain; as is evident from sad and daily experience. The commission of sin in any one instance would be destructive to the soul; because guilt would break up this union with God; it would divide the soul from God, and cast it out of his favor, and bring it under his wrath. For all those considerations which show it to be the duty of man to yield obedience to the will of God, do equally show, that sin forfeits God's favor, and deserves to be punished with the executions of his wrath. This spiritual life therefore was what man enjoyed in his primitive state, in dependence on God; he was dependent on

him for the preservation and continuance of it: it was to be preserved by maintaining communion with God, in ways of obedience to his will. It was by maintaining communion with God, and enjoying the bright and near manifestations of the divine glory to the soul, that this spiritual life was to be preserved in its vigor and activity. We find by common experience, that the activity and vigor of our heart towards any object whatever, very much depends upon the presence of the object with the mind. When an

object is present to immediately affect our senses, its influence on the heart will be greater than when it is present only by remembrance and reflection. And in this respect, human nature was very much the same in its original state, as it is now. And this shows, how necessary it was for man in his state of perfection, to maintain nearness to God, that he might preserve his love, delight and complacency in God, and the vigor and activity of soul in his service. If we now have a strong regard in our heart, and close union of affections to any particular object; yet by long absence from it, and unthoughtfulness about it, our attachment to it will languish and decay. And in like manner, the vigor of soul, and union of heart with God, which were in man in his original state of perfection, were to be preserved by constant communion with God; otherwise they must have languished and decayed, as is evident from the limited, dependent frame of our nature.

Attention to these things makes it manifest, that although man held his original state of perfection in dependence on God; yet there was something for him to do for the preservation of it. It was necessary for him to improve his interest in God, to keep near to him, and maintain communion with him; that by abiding in the sun-shine of the divine glory, the rectitude, life and vigor of his soul might be preserved. For as man was made capable of voluntary action, it is evident that he might so behave as to withdraw from God, turn off his attention from the divine glo;

ry, fix his view upon some creature; and in that way, fall under the influence of the creature instead of God. Or in other words, he was capable of sinning.

And as the human nature is thus capable of defection, so it was equally capable of receiving such a confirmed state of rectitude, aş never to be liable to, or in danger of falling from it. For so long as man continued under the full sun-shine of the divine glory, it is not supposable that his heart should fall under the influence of any creature's vanity, or sinful enjoyment. Therefore by being put into such a state, in which he should be constantly incircled with the bright and full display of the divine glory, it would be an effectual security of his preservation, and an unfailing source of his blessedness. Hence that confirmed state in glory which is now hoped for by the believer, is represented by our Lord, under such figurative expressions as intimate this special preserving and enlivening influence of the divine presence with them. Rev. iii. 12," Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." And to the same purpose, the glory of the New-Jerusalem is thus described, Rev. xxi. 23, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." It is by liv ing in the full streams of the divine glory, from which "They shall go no more cut," that will secure them in the future state, from being ever liable to fall from it. The confirmed state in eternal life and blessedness, which is the promised portion of believers, consists not in any thing that is inherent in their nature, or that is put into them by divine grace: but they will hold their everlasting blessedness, in constant dependence on God. God himself undertakes for them. He is their security; and has promised "To be with them, and to be their God." It will bé the full enjoyment of God in that world of glory, which will be the constant preservation and support of their life, and unfailing source of their blessed.

ness.

And as such is the nature of that confirmation in glory which the believer shall receive in the future state; so this confirmation is what the human nature was at first made capable of. But this is a privilege which is not necessarily connected with that state of perfection in which man was at first created. God made man capable of preserving his blessed state, by acting uprightly: but to undertake for him, to secure him from a liableness to depart from God, by the effectual manifestations and communications of himself to man, is what God was not obliged to do. Such protection is to be looked upon as a special favor, flowing from free and sovereign grace, in whatever manner, or upon what conditions soever it is granted to a creature.

Man being made such a noble creature, in the image and after the likeness of God, with sufficient abilities and advantages to preserve this perfection of his nature by an upright and faithful conduct; and capable either of a defection from it by the commission of sin; or of being confirmed in it by the grant of special favor from God; therefore he was a creature capable of, and suitable to be put into a state of trial, that he might act as a probationer for life or death: to be cast out of the favor of God if he sinned, and receive the punishment due to his offence or to be confirmed in a state of peace and favor with God, as the reward of his obedience, if he proved faithful under a proper trial. But then it is manifest, this whole matter respecting man's trial, is what wholly depended upon the sovereign pleasure of God; what his state of trial should be—how long it should con'tinue--and what should be the reward.

In

God might have retained man as a probationer for his favor, in the state in which he was created. which case, all that the law of nature, that is, the moral law, would have given him reason to expect at the hand of God, was no more than a continuance in well-being so long as he remained faithful. He could have had no claim to any reward for his obedience;

but would have been liable to sin, whereby he would have deserved death. He could never have deserved a confirmed state in life and blessedness by obedience to the moral law; for perfect obedience was no more than God's due from him; by yielding of which, he could never make God his debtor. For if he had preserved his integrity for thousands of years, he must still have confessed, that he had done no more than was his duty to do. And after all, he would still remain liable to fall into sin; and thus lose his happy

state.

Or if God had been pleased, in the sovereign riches of his grace, to set a limited time for the trial of man's obedience; and had given him a promise, that if he continued faithful till the time appointed, he should be confirmed in his state of rectitude and bles sedness, as a reward of his fidelity; yet still it must depend upon sovereign grace, as to the length of time the trial should last-how extensive the trial should be, as to the various branches of duty-and how great should be the reward of his obedience :Whether it should be merely a confirmation in his present happy state; or receive any additional privileges and blessings. In this case it is manifest, that God, by assigning such a limited time for the trial of man's obedience, and subjoining the motives of promises and threatenings, would have so far changed the tenor and form of his government over man, as that his law would put on the form, and partake of the nature of a covenant. And if God had put man into such a state of trial, under such a covenant-dispensation; he might have justly extended the limits of the trial of his obedience to the whole compass and matter of his duty, and insisted upon having the perfection of his obedience to the whole law, brought to a trial in every branch of duty, as the condition of the promised reward. And he might have confirmed and enforced this covenant with this strict threatening: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."