Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

30 0/ Man's Original Happincfs. State I.
never have required eternal life as the reward of his
work, if there had not been fuch a covenant. God
was free to have difpofed of his creature as he faw
meet : and if he had flood in his integrity as long as
the world fhculd Hand, and there had been no cove¬
nant promifing eternal life to him upon his obedience;
God might have withdrawn his fupporting hand at lall,
•and fo made him creep back into the womb of nothing,
whence almighty power had drawn him out. And
what wrong'cculd there have been in this, while God
fhould have taken back what he freely gave ? But now
the covenant being made, God becomes delator to his
own faithfulnefs : If man will work, he may crave the
reward on the ground of the covenant. Well might
the angels then, upon his being raifed to his dignity,
have given him that falutation, Hail thou that ait
highly favoured^ the Lord is with thee.
' Thirdly) God made him lord of the world, prince of
the inferior creatures, univerfal Lord and Emperor
of the whole earth. His Creator gave him dominion
gver the fifh of the fea, and over the fowls of the air,
over all the earth, yea, and every living thing that
liveth upon the earth : He put all things under his feet,
Pfal viii. 6, 7, 8. He gave him a power foberly to ufe
and difpofe of the creatures in the earth, fea, and air.
Thus man was God’s depute-governor in the lower
world ; and this his dominion was-an image of God’s
fovereignty. This was common to the man and the
woman; but the man had one thing peculiar to him,
viz. that he had dominion over the woman alfo,
1 Cor. xi 7. Behold how' the creatures came to him,
to own their fubjtclion, and to do him homage as their
lord ; and quietly Hood before him, till he put names
on them as his own, Gen. ii. 19. Man’s face Itquck an
awe upon them ; the ftouteif creatures Hood afiomHied,
tamely and quietly adoring hm'i as their lord and ruler.
Tims was man crowned with glory and henmr, Pfal.
viii. 5. The Lord dealt moH libeiaiiy and bountifully
with him, put all things under his feet ; only he kept
one