ed in itself, was ordained to life ;* that is, was such, as, by the observance thereof, life might have once been obtained: which if the law could still bestow on the sinner, verily righteousness should be by the law; that is, the right to that same happiness, which now comes from faith in Christ. For the dispute was concerning KLERONOMIA, the inheritance of eter nal life, which was to be entered upon; whether now by means of the law, or by the promise of the gospel.‡ And he owns, it would be by the means of the law, could the law ZOOPOIESAI, make alive. And this could be done by that law, which was ordained to life.§ But when could it do so? In the state of innocence, before it was made weak by the flesh. If Adam therefore had preserved in obedience, the law would have brought him to that same inheritance, which now in Christ is allotted, not to him that worketh, but to him that believeth. And this argument, if I mistake not, is plain to any intelligent and attentive person.

VII. 3. We are above all to observe, how the apostle distinguishes the righteousness which is of the law, from the evangelical. Of the former he thus speaks: Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doth those things shall live by them. Of the second he writes after this manner: The just shall live by faith. On both sides, the promise of life is the same, and proposed in the very same words. For the apostle does not by the least expression hint, that one kind of life is promised by the gospel, another by the law. Which, if it were true, should for once at least have been hinted; as the doing this would have ended the whole dispute. For in vain would any seek for eternal life, by the law, if never promised in it. But the apostle places the whole difference, not in the thing promised, but in the condition of obtaining the pro- . mise; while he says,** But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, *Rom. vii. 10. † Gal. iii. 21. Ver. 18. § Rom. vii. 10. || Rom. x. 5. I Rom. i. 17.

** Gal. iii. 11, 12.

The man that doth them, shall live in them. That very life therefore was promised by the law to the man that worketh, which he now receives by faith in Christ. But to what man thus working was it promised? to the sinner only? Was it not to man in innocency? Was it not then, when it might truly be said, If you continue to do well, you shall be heir of that life upon that condition? Which could be said to none but to upright Adam. Was it not then, when the promise was actually made? For after the entrance of sin, there is not so much a promise, as a denunciation of wrath, and an intimation of a curse, proposing that as the condition of obtaining life, which is now absolutely impossible. I therefore conclude that to Adam, in the covenant of works, was promised the same eternal life, to be obtained by the righteousness which is of the law, of which believers are made partakers through Christ. But let none object, that all these ar guments are fetched, not from the history of man in innocence, but from Paul's reasoning. For it is no matter whence arguments are taken, if they contain a demonstration to the conscience, which I think is here evident. Undoubtedly Adam knew many more things than are contained in that very short account given of him by Moses. Nor does it appear to be without a mystery, that Moses more sparingly delivers most of the particulars of that covenant, and only sprinkles with a little light the shadow as of a flying image, to denote it was to vanish.

VIII. 4. I will add another argument. It was entirely agreeable, that by covenant God shold promise Adam something greater and better, to be obtained. after finishing his course of obedience, than what he was already possessed of. For what kind of covenant would it have been, to adjudge no reward to his obedience, and his carefully standing to the conditions of the covenant, but a continuation of those blessings which he actually enjoyed already, and which it was not becoming God to refuse to man ̧ whom he had created? Now, Adam enjoyed, in par

adise, whatever could be devised for natural and animal happiness, as they call it. A greater therefore, and a more exalted felicity awaited him; in the fruition of which he would most plainly see, that in keeping the divine commands there is great reward.* Let none object here to me the angels, to whom, he may pretend, nothing was promised by God, but the continuance of that happy state in which they were created. We are here to keep to the apostle's advice, not to intrude into those things we have not seen.† Who shall declare unto us those things which are not revealed concerning the angels? Nay, if we may form probable conjectures, it appears to me very likely, that some superior degree of happiness was conferred upon the angels, after they were truly confirmed, and something more excellent than that in which they were at first created as the joy of the angels received a considerable addition, when they beheld the divine perfections shining forth in the illustrious work of redemption; and, at the consummation of all things, the happiness of all the elect, both angels and men, will be complete; when Christ's whole body shall appear glorious, and God be glorified and admired in all his saints.

IX. It still remains doubtful, whether the life promised to Adam upon his perseverance, was to be enjoyed in paradise, or in heaven. The latter of these appears the more probable. 1. Because paradise is in scripture represented as a type of heaven, and heaven itself is called paradise, by that exchange of names, which is very common between a sacrament and the thing signified thereby. But by what proba. bility shall it be thought, that the reason of a sacrament should be added to paradise, after man's ejectment from it? 2. It is fit, that man, when translated to the most consummate happiness, should reside there, where God does most brightly display the rays of his glorious majesty; which doubtless he does in heaven,

*Psal, xix. 11. + Col. ii. 18. Luke xxiii. 43.

where he has his throne.* 3. As the earthly paradise was furnished with all the delights and pleasures belonging to this animal life, for which there is no occasion in that most perfect and immediate fruition of God, all that entertainment being utterly excluded thence; heaven ought to be deemed a much more suitable habitation for glorified man, than the earthly paradise. We would not, however, deny that happiness is not suspended onplace; and that there is scarce any thing to demonstrate this to be found in the sa cred writings. Therefore we ought not to contend with great vehemency of spirit about this question.

X. This point is therefore established: God promised to Adam eternal life. Here it may and uses to be asked, whence this promise flows, whether from the mere good pleasure of the divine will, so that God would have acted nowise unworthy of himself, had he made no such promise to man; or whether God's making covenant with man in this manner, was from the divine nature, and from what was suitable to it? Here indeed I think modesty is requisite. I shall therefore propose what I imagine I know or may reasonably think concerning my God, with fear and trembling. Grant me, O God, to speak in a holy manner, and becoming thy majesty.

XI. And first, I lay this down as an acknowledged truth, That God owes nothing to his creature. By no claim, by no law, is he bound to reward it. For all that the creature is, it owes it wholly to God; both because he created it, and also because he is fixed in the highest and infinite excellency. Now, where there is so great a disparity, there is no common standard of right, on account of which he who is superior in dignity is liable to give a reward.†

XII. I approve, on this subject, of Durandus's reasoning, which Bellarmine was not able to overturn, "What we are, and what we have, whether good acts, or good habits, or practices, are all from the divine * Is. lxvi. 1. † Rom. xi. 35. 36.

bounty toward us, freely giving and preserving them. And because none, after having given freely, is oblig ed to give more, but rather the receiver is more obliged to the giver; therefore, from good habits, and good acts or practices, given us by God, he is not bound, by any act of justice, to give us any more, so as, if he should not give, to be unjust, but rather we are obliged to God."

XIII. Whatever then is promised to the creature by God, ought all to be ascribed to the boundless goodness of God. Excellently speaks Augustine.* "God became our debtor not by receiving any thing, but by promising what he pleased. For of his own bounty he vouchsafed to make himself a debtor." Now, since this goodness is natural to God, no less than holiness and justice; and it is equally becoming God to act, agreeably to his holiness, with a holy and innocent creature, as agreeably to his justice, with a sinful creature; so, from this consideration of the divine goodness, I imagine the following things may be very plainly inferred.

XIV. 1. That it is unbecoming the goodness, nay, I would almost dare to add, and the justice of God, to adjudge an innocent creature to hell torments. Which paradox not only some of the schoolmen, but I am sorry to say a great divine of our own, with a few followers, scrupled not to maintain. Far be it from us to circumscribe by any limits the extensive power of God over his creatures, by the bounds of a right prescribed to man, or the fallacious reasonings of our narrow understanding. But be it also far from us to ascribe any thing to him, which is unbecoming his immense goodness and untainted justice. Elihu with great propriety joined these together. With God is terrible majesty. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice; he will not afflict. Truly, if God could thus torment an innocent crea

* Ser. 16. ↑ Job xxxvii. 22. 23.