Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

3. God in all his dispensations to man was careful, to preserve the rights of his sovereignty, in exacting obedience of his Creature. The second thing he manifested his sovereignty in, was that of a Law-giver to Adam, after that of a Proprietor in giving him the possession of the Garden; one followed immediately the other. Gen. 2.15, 16. The Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every Tree of the Garden ⟨p. 781⟩thou mayest freely eat, but of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, &c. Nothing was to be enjoyed by man but upon the condition of obedience to his Lord; and it is observed that in the description of the Creation, God is not called Lord till the finishing of the Creation, and particularly in the forming of man. Gen. 2.7. And the Lord God formed man. Though he was Lord of all Creatures, yet it was in man he would have his sovereignty particularly manifested, and by man have his Authority specially acknowledged. The Law is prefaced with this Title, I am the Lord thy God. Exod. 20.2. Authority in Lord, sweetness in God, the one to enjoin, the other to allure obedience; and God enforceth several of the commands with the same Title. And as he begins many precepts with it, so he concludes them with the same Title, I am the Lord, Levit. 19.37. and in other places.

3. God in all his dispensations to man was careful, to preserve the rights of his soveraignty, in exacting obedience of his Creature. The second thing he manifested his soveraignty in, was that of a Law-giver to Adam, after that of a Proprietor in giving him the possession of the Garden; one follow'd immediately the other. Gen. 2.15, 16. The Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every Tree of the Garden ⟨p. 781⟩