Reprobation asserted, or, The doctrine of eternal election & reprobation promiscuously handled in eleven…

Thirdly then, Though God did fore-determine that Sin should enter, yet it was not but with respect to certain terms and conditions, which yet was not to be enforced by virtue of the determination, but permitted to ⟨p. 19⟩be completed by the voluntary inclination of a perfect and upright man. And in that the determination was most perfectly infallible, it was through the foresight of the undoubted inclination of this good and Upright Person.

Thirdly then, Though God did fore-determine that Sin should enter, yet it was not but with respect to certain terms and conditions, which yet was not to be enforced by vertue of the determination, but permitted to ⟨p. 19⟩be compleated by the voluntary inclination of a perfect and upright man. And in that the determination was most perfectly infallible, it was thorow the foresight of the undoubted inclination of this good and Upright Person.

Quest. But might not God have kept Adam from inclining, if he would?

Answ. What more certain? But yet consider, 1. Adam being now an upright man, he was able to have kept himself, had he but looked to it as he should and might. 2. This being so, if God had here stepped in, he had either added that which had been needless, and so had not obtained thankfulness; or else had made the strength of Adam useless, yea his own workmanship in so creating him, superfluous; or else by consequence imperfect. 3. If he had done so, he had taken Adam from his duty, which was to trust and believe his Maker; he had also made void the end of the Commandment, which was to persuade to watchfulness, diligence, sobriety, and contentedness; yea, and by so doing would not only himself have tempted Adam to transgression, even to lay aside the exercise of that strength that God had already given him; but should have become the Pattern, or the first Father to all looseness, idleness, and neglect of duty. Which would also not only have been an ill example to Adam to continue to neglect so reasonable and wholesome Duties, but would have been to himself an Argument of defence to retort upon his God, when he had come at another time to reckon with him for his misdemeanours.