Thirdly, The Image of God did not only comprehend this holiness actually dwelling in us, but a power and strength also to persevere in this holiness; for if God had been never so bountiful in one, yet if he had denied the other, he would have made us happy, ⟨p. 114⟩that thereby we might become more miserable. But this is not to be thought of that God, who showed so much love and bounty in our first Creation; Adam therefore had the Law of God written in his heart, having strength and ability from within to withstand all temptations, and to perform any holy auty; so that we cannot instance in any holy action, which he had not power to perform Indeed to believe in Christ as a Saviour, to repent of sin, he could not actually do them, because they do necessarily imply the subject sinful, and in a miserable estate and condition, but eminently and transcendently these things were in his power; yea, this power of his did extend to keep all the Commandments of God, and that without any imperfection; Insomuch that being under the Covenant of works, he might have obtained justification by them, though not meritoriously; This glory did God at first put upon us, who now have nothing but a cursed slavery unto sin, and an utter impotency to any thing that is holy: As for resisting any temptation, he had strength and ability enough to gainsay it, though it had been in many degrees more violent, than that which […] him: It is true, he was overcome by a temptation, and in that which might have easily been repulsed, as we would judge; but this was to show, That although he was created holy, yet he was also mutable; Though he had power to persevere, yet he had not that grace which did make him actually to persevere, as the confirmed Angels have: So that what Historians say of the Marsi in Italy, and the […] in Africa, That they had such a temper of body, that no Serpents could hurt them, or poison them; Such an admirable temperament was Adams soul in, that the Serpent would not have deceived them had not they given consent; For, if while we are in this corrupted estate, yet the Devil cannot force us to sin, be cannot make us sin, whether we will or no, but it is lust within us, that betrayeth all to him: No wonder then, if in that state of integrity, there was no […] to sin, either from within or without.
Thirdly, The Image of God did not only comprehend this holinesse actually dwelling in us, but a power and strength also to persevere in this holinesse; for if God had been never so bountifull in one, yet if he had denied the other, he would have made us happy, ⟨p. 114⟩that thereby we might become more miserable. But this is not to be thought of that God, who shewed so much love and bounty in our first Creation; Adam therefore had the Law of God written in his heart, having strength and ability from within to withstand all temptations, and to perform any holy auty; so that we cannot instance in any holy action, which he had not power to perform Indeed to believe in Christ as a Saviour, to repent of sinne, he could not actually do them, because they do necessarily imply the subject sinfull, and in a miserable estate and condition, but eminently and transcendently these things were in his power; yea, this power of his did extend to keep all the Commandments of God, and that without any imperfection; Insomuch that being under the Covenant of works, he might have obtained justification by them, though not meritoriousty; This glory did God at first put upon us, who now have nothing but a cursed slavery unto sinne, and an utter impotency to any thing that is holy: As for resisting any temptation, he had strength and ability enough to gainsay it, though it had been in many degrees more violent, than that which 〈…〉 him: It is true, he was overcome by a temptation, and in that which might have easily been repulsed, as we would judge; but this was to shew, That although he was created holy, yet he was also mutable; Though he had power to persevere, yet he had not that grace which did make him actually to persevere, as the confirmed Angels have: So that what Historians say of the Marsi in Italy, and the 〈…〉 in Africa, That they had such a temper of body, that no Serpents could hurt them, or poison them; Such an admitable temperament was Adams soul in, that the Serpent would not have deceived them had not they given consent; For, if while we are in this corrupted estate, yet the Devil cannot force us to sinne, be cannot make us sinne, whether we will or no, but it is lust within us, that betrayeth all to him: No wonder then, if in that state of integrity, there was no 〈…〉 to sinne, either from within or without.
