The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§22

The Original Covenant of God with Man.To him that searches the Holy Scriptures it will appear that several Covenants, at Times, have been made by God with Mankind. Among these may that deservedly be first consider’d which was made when God placed Man, being now newly created, in the Paradice which he had planted for him, Gen. 2:16, 17. and 3:2, 3. For understanding the Nature of which there are to be consider’d the Condition of the Covenanters, and the Heads of the Covenant it self. God therefore, as the Primary Covenanter, after he had made and set in Order the Heavens, the Earth, and other Animals, created Man; in whom he was pleas’d to give a glorious Specimen of his Wisdom and Goodness, and by whom it was his Pleasure to be acknowledg’d and worshipp’d. It is therefore said that God created Man after his own Image and Likeness, Gen. 1:27. Which as the Emphasis of the Words do signifie, that it was something very eminent, so, however in what Perfections it did consist is not distinctly express’d in this Place, but it may be gathered by Consequence from other Places of Scripture. He had created the whole System of the World, and every sort of Animal; but these being all but Corporeal Machines, they could not have any Similitude of God as Incorporeal. But there is in Man something which is not to be found in other Animals, which is a Mind of a Nature Spiritual and Immortal, and endow’d with a Faculty of Understanding, and of Willing; and this, as a Table, is that on which the Image of God was inscrib’d, which Image did properly consist in the eminent Light of the Understanding, and the Rectitude of the Will, Col. 3:10. Eph. 4:24. Therefore the Image of God being lost by the Fall, there remain’d indeed the rational Soul, endow’d with an Understanding and Will, but depriv’d of those Perfections. As for the Light of his Understanding, it is not to be doubted but it was much clearer, and more perfect than that which now remains to Man, even after it is improv’d to the utmost by the most diligent Study. And therefore what we now know of God and his Attributes by natural Light, and of the Way in which it is fit we should acknowledge and worship him, was far more perfectly understood by the first Man: Yet the Things belonging to a Federal Religion, or covenanted Worship, or what it pleas’d God to add to natural Religion, ’tis most certain Adam himself must have deriv’d the Knowledge of, not by the Light of Reason, but from Divine Revelation: Otherwise there had been no Place at all for the false Reasonings of Satan, in order to seduce him from his Duty; which Reasonings might immediately have been eluded by contrary Reasonings of his own. So also in what Order the Frame of this World was made up by God he could not know by his own Inspection, because he was not in Being while it was doing, nor could he gather this by Reason: But that Knowledge also he deriv’d from Revelation, and transmitted it to his Posterity by Tradition. From which Tradition Moses, the Compiler of the Sacred History, seems to have learnt those Things which relate to the Originals of the World, having also the Assistance of the Divine Illumination and Inspiration, which can neither deceive, nor be deceiv’d. I doubt not too but the first Man understood the Things which are said, Psal. 33:6. and Joh. 1:1. concerning the Word and Spirit of God; and so that the Mystery of the Trinity was then reveal’d to him; and that God is Three in One. That he had a ready and exquisite Knowledge of natural Things, so far as was useful to Humane Life, which arose from the first Sight of them, may, as it seems, be concluded from that which the Scripture tells us of his giving Names to all Living Creatures. Nor is it to be question’d but Adam would have been well acquainted with his Duty towards other Men, who were to be in the World at least when they should have come to be, Gen. 2:23. In a Word, we may say, that he perfectly understood what we call Physicks, and the common Ethicks. Nor do I doubt but in the Application of his Mind to them any Mathematical Truths had been very evident and clear to him; but yet so, that Experience and Meditation might have rendred his Knowledge larger, and more perfect.