he not, nad oed upon bim such things while here, before

mentions the gold and the precious stones of that country, as of the best kind and in the greatest plenty. And what now was the meaning, or mystical signification of all these things?

V. First. In general, the pleasantness of this place, which every moment set before man the most profuse bounty of the Deity, exhibiting the same to the enjoyment of all his senses, assured him, that he was to expect another residence far more noble and grand; where he should not, as now, enjoy his God through and in the creatures, but immediately delight in his Creator, to his being fully satisfied with his likeness. For if God now the course of his appointed trial was finished; what might he not, nay, what ought he not to promise himself from that immense munificence, after he had acted his part well, when he had acquired a right to come with boldness to his rewarder, and ask for his most ample reconspence? Was not the Lord amidst this abundance, that lacked nothing pertaining to this animal life, (as it were] frequently addressing him, How shall I ope day place thee among my sons, if thou constantly contipuest obedient to my voice? If there is so much sweetness in these created rivulets of my goodness, in which now thou swimmest with so much pleasure; what will there not be in myself, the unexhausted fountain, and the most plentiful spring? Ascend, O man, by the scale of the creatures, to me the Creator, and from a foretaste of these first fruits, conclude what I have prepared for thee against that time, when I myself shall be “thy exceeding grea! reward." And certainly, unless we suppose Adam to have been stupid and devoid of all divine light, such thoughts must needs have arisen in his mind.

Vl. The sciiptures declare, that by Paradise is signified a place of perfect bliss, when they call heaven, the habitation of the blessed, by the name of Paradise, Luke xxii. 43. 2 Cor. xii. 4. A manner of expression commonly used by the Holy Ghost, by which the names of the sign, and the thing signified, of the type and antitype, are mutually exchanged. The Jews themselves saw this, with whom it is usual to call the place of absolutely perfect happiness, 179 and pyyu ja Eden and the garden of Eden; and no wish was more frequent among them, than this, Let his rest, that is, the place of his rest, be Eden. There is also a most suitable analogy between Paradise and heaven, which we are now more expressly and particularly to shew.

VII. Ist. Paradise was a garden planted by God himself, to

be the residence of man, formed after the divine image. Hea-
ven is a place made and prepared by God for the eternal abode
of man, after he has added constancy to his other virtutes, and
so has in himself the full image of God, where his holiness
shall be unchangeable. As therefore it was incumbent on
him to acknowledge the hand and most munificent bounty of
his God in this terrestrial habitation; so he was still more
evidently to experience the same in the celestial abuse of his
heavenly Father. 2dly. Paradise exceedingly surpassed all the
other parts of the earth in respect to the pleasantness of it;
for it was planted in Eden, a place of all kinds of delight.
Whence the most pleasant countries in the world are said to
be as the garden of God, Gen. xiü. 10. And Ezekiel, xxxvi.
85. prophesying of the future extraordinary plenty of the
earth, says, that the earth which before that was lying waste,
should be as the garden of Eden. And what is grander than
that promise of Isaiah, li. 3. “For the Lord shall comfort
Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and he will make
her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of
the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanks-
giving and the voice of melody." From which words it is
clear, that nothing was wanting in Paradise, in its primitive
state, to give the completest pleasure to man.
,

But much less will any thing be wanting in heaven to the most absolutely perfect happiness. The pleasures of which will far more exceed those of this terrestrial garden, than heaven itself exceeds the earth in its height. For Paradise had those things, which discovered its imperfection, such as those things that belonged to this animal life, all which will be altogether excluded heaven, where is fulness of joys, Psalm xvi. 11, 3dly. In Paradise flowed the most limpid streams, watering and fertilizing the garden, wherever it was necessary, In heaven there is “ a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God," Rev. xxi. 1. By which circumlocution are signified the gifts of the holy Spirit, a few drops of which are indeed granted here, but with which the blessed will be iptoxicated to a perfect joy. 4thly, Moses also mentions gold, bdellium, and the onyx stone, which were found in that region, Gen. ii. 11, 12, in heaven there will be spiritual treasures, with which no gold, no topaz, nor any of the precious stones of the whole earth, can any ways be compared. Sthly. In Paradise there were trees, both beautiful and useful.' In heaven there are precious things, both

, pleasant to the sight, and excellent for use. Above all, there were the two trees, of Knowledge, and of Life. But in the beavenly kingdom there is true and perfect knowledge, and

should be idle, whom he made ministering spirits. And so he assigned man the care of cultivating and keeping Paradise, that he might have something to employ himself in the works of God; just as a king's son has some office assigned him, lest be should become indolent by an excess of pleasures, honour, sud riches. Thus it became him to be conformed to his God by a most holy diligence, and be employed about the very work of God's hands, till he should come to enjoy an eternal sabbath with himself.

X. Thirdly. This also had a further respect to himself. For 1. As Paradise was the pledge of heaven, so the careful keeping of it reminded him to have heaven continually in his thoughts. 2. The labour and culture of Paradise taught him, that only he that labours and does that which is acceptable to God, can get to the heavenly habitation. 3. He was also instricted to keep his soul for God as a most pleasant garden cultivated like the Paradise of God, and shew forth those trees of virtues, which God planted as producing the most excellent fruits; that is, works proceeding from good habits : that so the Lord might come into this his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits, Cant. iv. 16. 4. It pointed out to him that he should, above all things solicitously keep his soul, that garden of God, lest any wild beasts of depraved passions should break in to lay every thing waste. And when God said to him, Keep this my garden, may he not at the same time be supposed to say, Keep thy heart with all diligence, or above all keeping, Prov. iv. 23. 5. The keeping of Paradise virtually enjoined bim, of all things to be anxiously concerned not to do any thing against God, lest as a bad gardener he should be thrust out of the garden, and in that discern a melancholy symbol of his own exclusion from heaven. We then conclude, that when man was, with joy and exultation, admitted into Paradise, he was bound, and was willing to be bound, to perform all these things to God; and so upon entering into Paradise, he bound himself as by a sacrament to these duties.

XI. We now proceed to consider the Tree of Life: but whether a single tree, or an entire species of trees, is a question among the learned. Some think that the former, which is indeed the common opinion, is founded on no probable reason : and suppose it more suitable to the goodness of God, that such a beautiful, useful tree should be in the view of his favourite, in as many parts of the enclosure as possible. They

• There seems to be here something obscure, perhaps occasioned by a typographical error, aclui instead of actu, I have therefore expressed wbat I apprebend to be the sense of the author.

also allege the divine benediction, Gen. i. 11, 12. by which God conferred on all trees the virtue of multiplying themselves. But they chiefly insist on Rev. xxii. 2. where John pitches the Tree of Life on each side of the river, which they compare with Ezek. xlvii. 12. Others, on the contrary, do not think it probable that it was an entire species: First, Because the universal particle ha all, is not added as before when Moses would express many things of the same species, or many species themselves. Next, Because it is said to have been placed in the middle of the garden, so as to bave the other trees surrounding it in order. To the passages alleged from the Revelations and Ezekiel, they answer, that John speaks only in the singular number, both in that place and Rev. ii. 7. and that one tree could properly be said to stand in the midst of the street, and on both sides of the river, be cause the river run through the midst of the street, and because that single tree extended its roots and branches to each side, so that there was no defect on either side. They likewise conclude from its being a type, that it must be a single one ; because Christ is one. But Ezekiel saw many on the bank of the river representing the church militant; because, though one Christ quickens the church, yet it is by several means he now communicates life to the elect. These are the arguments on both sides: if any should desire our judgment, we are of opinjon, that the arguments of neither side have the force of a demonstration : but from the consideration of its being a type, we rather incline to the more common opinion.

XII. Whether this Tree was endowed with a singular virtue above others, so as perfectly to cure the disorders of the body, who, with certainty, can either affirm or deny? To ascribe to it a medicinal virtue against diseases, does not appear suitable to the state of innocent man. For diseases and such like in

firmities are only the effects of sin. But nothing sure is more ridiculous than the paradoxical and altogether untheological assertion of Socinus, that Adam, by the benefit of that food, would bave prolonged his life to a much longer time than God chose he should, had he not been deprived of the oppor tunity of reaching forth his hand to that Tree. As if God, when he expelled man out of Paradise, and said, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the Tree of Lift, and live for boer, Gen.ü. 24. was apprehensive, that man upon tasting again of that free should live for ever, notwithstanding his will and threatening, which is downright blasphemy. For by these words, God only intended to restrain the vajo thoughts