i8o A NATURAL HISTORY 



ever pleafant, fhould not be parley'd with, but peremptorily re- 

 jedled. 



II. /T* was equally proper^ that a Creature JJjould be govern d 

 by the Laws of his Creator j as it implies a Contradid:ion for a 

 Creature to be independent, which it muft fuppofe itfelf to be, 

 when govern'd by its own Laws. The Will of the Creator was 

 furely the fitteft, for the Obedience of Creatures j one part of 

 which was, that they mufl not have an Indulgence of all the 

 Trees in Eden. 



It follows hence, that Self-denial was a Duty in Faradife. 

 Adam was not an abfolute Sovereign to do what he pleafed, but 

 what his Almighty Creator and Patron prefcribed -, tho' endowed 

 with Reafon, yet was he to govern himfelf by the Will of ano- 

 ther, that is, of him who was the Donor. His Reafon was a 

 bright, but borrowed Light, borrowed from the uncreated Sun, 

 therefore ought to move by its Dire(5tion. 



Thus we fee that Reftraints on the human Nature, were ne- 

 ceflary even in Man's Paradifaical State : To deny Self, was one 

 of the Precepts of Religion in the Garden of Innocence ; nor is 

 this flrange, if we conlider, that for any rational Creature to live 

 according to his own Will, is to make a God of his Will. 



Why did God forbid the Fruit of one Tree ? This might be 

 to fignify Adams Dependance upon his Maker, and that he had 

 no Claim to any thing without his Leave : The fovereign Lord of 

 the Creation made over to Adam large Dominions, and the Man- 

 nour of Paradife for the Seat of his Empire, referving nothing to 

 himfelf but a fmall Rent of Acknowledgment, which was only 

 the Fruit of one Tree. The Exemption of this Tree from hu- 

 man Ufe, notify 'd Man's Subjection, and Gcd's fupreme Domi^ 

 nion. By this Refervation he tried their Obedience, whether 

 they would be content with all the Earth, and Appurtenances 

 thereunto belonging, oneTree only excepted. N.B. This forbid- 

 den Tree might have fomething of a natural Tendency to corrupt 

 the animal Juices, and introduce Difeafes and Death into the hu- 

 man Nature. If the Tree of Life could immortalize our Exiftence 

 in Happincfs, is it not equally rational to fuppofe the Tree of 

 Knowledge .... would deltroy it ? 



5 



IIL 



