Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Right eoufnefs. 7
to be the Mouth of the Creation, to glorify God
in his Works ; we have Ground to believe he had
naturally an exquifite Knowledge of the IVorks 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 theft fuch, as exprefs their Na¬
ture. IVhatfoever Adam called every living Crea¬
ture, that was the Name thereof Gen. ii. 19.
And the Dominion which God gave him over the
Creatures, foberly to ufe and di/pofe of them ac¬
cording to his Will (itill in Subordination to the
Will of God) feems to require no lefs than a
Knowledge of their Natures. And, befides all
this, his perfect Knowledge of the Law, proves his
Knowledge in the Management of civil Affairs,
which, in Refpect of the Law of God, a good Man
will guide with Difcretion, Pfal. cxii. 5.
Secondly, His IVtll lay firaight with the Will of
God, Epb. iv. 24. There was no Corruption in
his Will, no Bent nor Inclination to Evil; for
that is Sin properly and truly fo called : Hence
the Apodle fays, Rom. vii. 7. I had not known Sin,
but by the Law, for I had not known Luff except
the Law hath faid, <£bou Jhalt not covet. An In¬
clination to Evil, is really a Fountain of Sin; and
therefore inconfidcnt with that Rectitude and Up¬
right nefs, which the Text exprefly fays he was en¬
dued with at his Creation. The Will of Man
then was directed, and naturally inclin’d to God
and Goodnefs; tho’ mutably. It was difpofcd, by
its original Make, to follow the Creator’s Will,
as the Shadow does the Body; and was not left in
an equal Ballance to Good and Evil: For at that
Rate he had not been upright, nor habitually con¬
form to the Law; which in no Moment can allow
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