i8o A NATURAL HISTORY 



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

 jedled. 



II. IT was equally proper, that a Creature Jhould be govern' d 

 by the Laws of his Creator ; as it implies a Contradidlion 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; one part of 

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

 Trees in Eden. 



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

 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 Diredtion. 



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 ftrange, if we confider, that for any rational Creature to live 

 according to his own Will, is to make a Gcd of his V/ill. 



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

 to fignify Adam's 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 Faradife 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 Subjedion, and Gcd's fupretrse 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, ard introduce Difeafes and Death into the hu- 

 ^ man Nature, if the Tree of Life could immortalize our Exiftence 

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

 Knowledg-e .... would deftroy it ? 



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