4. It was a mighty Goodness that God should give Man an Eternal Reward. That an Eternity of Reward was promised, is implied in the Death that was threatened upon Transgression: Whatsoever you conceive the threatened Death to be, either for Nature, or duration upon Transgression; of the same Nature and duration you must suppose the life to be, which is implied upon his constancy in his Integrity. As Sin would render him an Eternal Object of Gods hatred, so his Obedience would render him an Eternally amiable Object to his Creator, as the standing Angels are preserved and confirmed in an entire Felicity and Glory. Though the threatening be only expressed by God,* yet the other is implied, and might easily be concluded from it by Adam. And one reason why God only expressed the Threatening, and not the Promise, was, because ⟨p. 615⟩man might collect some hopes and expectations of a perpetual Happiness from that Image of God which he beheld in himself, and from the large Provision he had made for him in the World, and the Commission given him to Increase and Multiply, and to Rule as a Lord over his other Works; whereas he could not so easily have imagined himself capable of being exposed to such an extraordinary Calamity as an Eternal Death, without some signification of it from God. 'Tis easily concludable, that Eternal Life was supposed to be promised, to be conferred upon him if he stood, as well as Eternal Death to be inflicted on him if he Rebelled*. Now this Eternal Life was not due to his Nature, but it was a pure Beam, and Gift of Divine Goodness: For there was no proportion between Mans Service in his Innocent Estate, and a Reward so great both for Nature and duration: It was a higher Reward than can be imagined either due to the Nature of Man, or upon any Natural Right claimable by his Obedience. All that could be expected by him, was but a Natural Happiness, not a Supernatural: As there was no necessity upon the account of Natural Righteousness, so there was no necessity upon the account of the Goodness of God to elevate the Nature of Man to a Supernatural Happiness, merely because he Created him: For though it be necessary for God, when he would Create, in regard of his Wisdom, to Create for some End, yet it was not necessary that End should be a Supernatural End and Happiness, since a Natural Blessedness had been sufficient for Man.
4. It was a mighty Goodness that God should give Man an Eternal Reward. That an Eternity of Reward was promised, is implied in the Death that was threatned upon Transgression: Whatsoever you conceive the threatned Death to be, either for Nature, or duration upon Transgression; of the same Nature and duration you must suppose the life to be, which is implied upon his constancy in his Integrity. As Sin would render him an Eternal Object of Gods hatred, so his Obedience would render him an Eternally amiable Object to his Creator, as the standing Angels are preserved and confirmed in an intire Felicity and Glory. Though the threatning be only exprest by God,* yet the other is implied, and might easily be concluded from it by Adam. And one reason why God only exprest the Threatning, and not the Promise, was, because ⟨p. 615⟩man might collect some hopes and expectations of a perpetual Happiness from that Image of God which he beheld in himself, and from the large Provision he had made for him in the World, and the Commission given him to Increase and Multiply, and to Rule as a Lord over his other Works; whereas he could not so easily have imagined himself capable of being expos'd to such an extraordinary Calamity as an Eternal Death, without some signification of it from God. 'Tis easily concludable, that Eternal Life was supposed to be promised, to be conferr'd upon him if he stood, as well as Eternal Death to be inflicted on him if he Rebell'd*. Now this Eternal Life was not due to his Nature, but it was a pure Beam, and Gift of Divine Goodness: For there was no proportion between Mans Service in his Innocent Estate, and a Reward so great both for Nature and duration: It was a higher Reward than can be imagined either due to the Nature of Man, or upon any Natural Right claimable by his Obedience. All that could be expected by him, was but a Natural Happiness, not a Supernatural: As there was no necessity upon the account of Natural Righteousness, so there was no necessity upon the account of the Goodness of God to elevate the Nature of Man to a Supernatural Happiness, meerly because he Created him: For though it be necessary for God, when he would Create, in regard of his Wisdom, to Create for some End, yet it was not necessary that End should be a Supernatural End and Happiness, since a Natural Blessedness had been sufficient for Man.
- *Gen. 2.17.
- *Suarez. de Gratia Vol 1. p. 126, 127.
