The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

Or suppose he had been tried by Torments, whose extremity and continuance had vehemently oppressed his nature; this had only lessened the guilt, the action had still been voluntary; for no external force can compel the Will to choose any thing, but under the notion of comparative goodness. Now to choose Sin rather than pains,¹ and to prefer ease before obedience, is highly dishonourable to God, whose Glory ought to be infinitely more valuable to us than Life and all its endearments. And although sharp Pains by discomposing the Body, make the Soul unfit for its highest and noblest Operations, so that it cannot perform the acts of Virtue with delight and freedom, yet then it may abstain from evil. But this was not Adam's case: The Devil had no Power over him (as over Job, who felt the extremity of his rage, and yet came off more than conqueror) to disturb his felicity, he prevailed by a simple suasion.

Or suppose he had been tried by Torments, whose extremity and continuance had vehemently opprest his nature; this had only lessen'd the guilt, the action had still been voluntary; for no external force can compel the Will to choose any thing, but under the notion of comparative goodness. Now to choose Sin rather than pains,¹ and to prefer ease before obedience, is highly dishonourable to God, whose Glory ought to be infinitely more valuable to us than Life and all its endearments. And although sharp Pains by discomposing the Body, make the Soul unfit for its highest and noblest Operations, so that it cannot perform the acts of Vertue with delight and freedom, yet then it may abstain from evil. But this was not Adam's case: The Devil had no Power over him (as over Job, who felt the extremity of his rage, and yet came off more than conqueror) to disturb his felicity, he prevailed by a simple suasion.

1. 1Job 36.21.