Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

Of Mins Original Right co'if.iefs. It
was the conformity of all the faculties and powers of
his foul to the moral law. This is what we call origi¬
nal rightcoufnefs, which man was originally endued
with. We may take it up in thefe three things.
Fir ft, Man’s umlerftanding w'as a lamp of light. He
had perfect knowledge of the law, and of his duty ac¬
cordingly : he was made after God’s image, and con-
fequently could not want knowledge, which is a part
thereof, Col. iii. 10. Thr'new man is renewed in know¬
ledge, after the image of him that created him. And
indeed this was necefiary to fit him for univerfal obe¬
dience •, feting no obedience can be according to the
law, unlefs it proceed from a fenfb of the command¬
ment of God requiring it. ’Tis true, Adam had not
the law written upon tables of Hone : but it was writ¬
ten ufion his mind, the knowledge thereof being con-
created with him. God imprefi-d it upon his foul, and
made him a law to himfdf, as the remains of it among
the heathens do teftify, Rom. ii 14, 15. And feeing
man was made to be the mouth of the creation, to glo¬
rify God in his works ; we have ground to believe he
had naturally an exquiute knowledge of the works of
God. We have a proof of this in his giving names to
the beads of the field, and the fowls of the air, and
thefe fuch as exprefs their nature. IVhatjoever .Adim
called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
Gen. ii. 19. And the dominion which God gave him
over the creatures, foberly to ufe and difpofe cl iheni
according to his wiiij (dill in fubordinutioo to (he will
of God) feems to require no lefs than a knowledge of
their natures. And befides all this, h s perfect know¬
ledge of the law, proves his knowledge in the manage¬
ment of civil affairs, which, in refpedf of the law of
God, a good man will guide with diferetion, Pf. cxii. g.
Secondly, His will lay draight with the will.of God,
Eph. iv. 24. There was no corruption in his will, no
bent nor inclination to evil ; for that is fm properly
and truly fo called : hence the apbdle fays, Horn, vii 7.
/ had not known Jin, but by the law, for I had not known
luji} except the law had /aid, Thou Jhalt not covet.
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