Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

Of Man's Original Righttoiifnefs 25
nothing in the lav, but what was agreeable to his rea-
fon ami will, as God made him : though fin hath now
fet him at odds with it : his foul was fliapen out, in
length and breadth to the commandment, tho’ exceed¬
ing broad : fo that this original righteoufnefs was not
pnly perfect in parts, but in degrees.
Secondly, As it was univerfal, fo it was natural to
him, and not fupernafn.ral to him in that (late Not
that it was effential to man as man : for then he could
not have loft it, without the lofs of his very being ;
but it was con-natural to him. He was created with
it : and it was neceflary to the perfeflion of man, as he
came out of the hand of God : necefiary to conftitute
him in a ftate of integrity. Yet,
Third.y, It was mutable : it was a righteoufnefs that
might be loft, as is manifefted by the doleful event.
His will was not abfolutely indifferent to good or evil ;
God fet it towards good only : yet he did not fo fix
and confirm its inclinations, that it could not alter.
No, it was moveable to evil : and that only by man
himielf, God having given him a fufficient power to
Hand in this integrity, if he had pleafed. Let no man
quarrel God’s works in this : for if Adam had been un¬
changeably righteous, he behoved to have been fo,either
by nature, or by free gift: by nature he could not be
fo, for that is proper to God, and incommunicable to
any creature : if by free gift, then no w'rong was done
him, in with-holding of what he could not crave Con¬
firmation in a righteous ftate, is a reward of grace,
given upon continuing righteous, through the ftate of
trial ; and would have been given to Adam, if he had
ftood out the time appointed for probation by the Cre¬
ator ; and accordingly is given to the faints, upon the
account of the merits of Chrift, who was obedient even
to the death. And herein believers have the advan¬
tage of Adam, that they can never totally nor finally
fall away from grace.
'I bus was man made originally righteous, being cre¬
ated in God’s oivn image, Gen. i. 27. which confifts in
the pofitive qualities of knowledge, nghtcoujnejs and
* holi-