A sermon preached before the King upon the twenty eighth of March, 1669

But I. we shall compare the Gospel with the state of Innocency in Paradise. It cannot be denied, but that there were divers things in that state of primitive integrity, wherein Adam excelled any of his sinful off-spring.¹ He was made then wholly ^aupright, without any mixture of corruption or infirmity, no evil of sin to defile him, no evil of sorrow to disquiet him: Whereas, now the holiest men are commanded and constrained to cry out, ^bForgive us our trespasses, deliver us from evil. He had no war between the flesh and spirit, no inward combat between the law of the members, and the law of the mind; no temptation of lust to entice or draw him away from God: Whereas, the holiest men are now forced to complain, ^cO wretched man that I am, ⁵who shall deliver me from this body of death? He did not in that state stand in need of a Mediator of reconciliation to restore him to the favour of God, wherein he stood right and entire, by the law of his creation. He had no guilt to fill him with shame or fear, or to ⟨p. 6⟩drive him away from the presence of the Lord. Yet in some respect the grace of the Gospel is more excellent then the state of Adam in Paradise.

But I. we shall compare the Gospel with the state of Innocency in Paradise. It cannot be denyed, but that there were divers things in that state of primitive integrity, wherein Adam excelled any of his sinful off-spring.¹ He was made then wholly ^aupright, without any mixture of corruption or infirmity, no evil of sin to defile him, no evil of sorrow to disquiet him: Whereas, now the holiest men are commanded and constrained to cry out, ^b