OF SERPENTS. 179 



I N his Plat againfl Adam^ the Deceiver was deceived j for he 

 made no doubt but the Sentence of Death would be immediately 

 executed upon Adam and Eve^ and upon the Exiind:ion of the 

 human Species, God would lofe all his Honour upon Earth. Why- 

 did not he appear to cur iirfi; Parents in a human Form ? pro- 

 bably becaufe he might apprehend, that there was no other Man 

 or Woman, but themfelves. 



Having confidered Adam in his probationary Capacity, I 

 fhall in the next place obferve thefe three Things, by way of 

 lUuflration. 



I. IT was mojl congruous that Maris fir [I State JJjould he a St ate of 

 Trial. II. That his Trial Jhould be by the Laws of his Creator. 

 III. That thofe haws Jhould be inforced by a proper SanSlion. 



I. IT was congruous and fit ^ our firfi Parents fidouhl begi?i their 

 Life in a way of Trials as they were moral Agaits : In which Si- 

 tuation I apprehend all the Angels to be at firft, to fee how they 

 would behave towards the Great Author of their Being and Bief- 

 fednefs, before they were eflablifb'd. No Creature, as fuchj is 

 capable of Immutability, any more than of Omnipotence. To 

 be naturally, and neceffarily immutable, is the fole Prerogative of 

 the Almighty : The perpetual Duration of created Beings, is not 

 from their Nature, but from the Divine Will. 



Our iirfl Parents were under a ftrong Guard, and not to be 

 difarm'd without their own Confent j tho' the Devil, as he was a 

 Spirit, excelled in Power, yet he could not by Force fubdue the 

 weaker Vellel, therefore conduced the bloody Defign by Strata- 

 gems. When the Woman was foUicited by the Tempter, one 

 llrong Negative would have put him io flight. A refolute Denial, 

 without any other Means, would have made her vid:orious, tho' 

 allaulted by all the Legions of Hell j therefore, no room to com- 

 plain of Deficiency in Divine Goodnefs. 



'Tis beyond ail doubt, that the Revelation given to Adam (as 

 that to Chriflian Churches in After-ages made it a fundamental 

 part of his Duty, not to attend to any Infinuations contrary to 

 thofe delivered to him by his Creator, tho' recommended even by 

 an Angel from Heaven : Temptations to forbidden Fruit, how- 



A a 2 ever 



