Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

Secondly, He was the favourite of Heaven: He shone brightly in the image of God. who cannot but love his own image, where-ever it appears. While he was alone in the world, he was not alone, for God was with him: His communion and fellowship was with his Creator, and that immediately; for as yet there was nothing to turn away the face of God from the work of his own hands; seeing sin had not as yet entered, which alone could make the breach.

By the favour of God, he was advanced to be confederate with Heaven, in the first Covenant, called, The Covenant of Works. God reduced the Law, which he gave in his creation, into the form ⟨p. 24⟩of a Covenant, whereof perfect obedience was the condition: life was the thing promised, and death the penalty. As for the condition, one great branch of the natural Law was, that man believe whatsoever God shall reveal, and do whatsoever he shall command: Accordingly God making this Covenant with man, extended his duty to the not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; and the law thus extended, was the rule of man's covenant-obedience. How easy were these terms to him, who had the natural law written on his heart; and that inclining him to obey this positive Law, revealed to him, it seems, by an audible voice, (Gen. ii. 16.) the matter whereof was so very easy ? And indeed it was highly reasonable that the rule and matter of his covenant-obedience should be thus extended: that which was added, being a thing in itself indifferent, where his obedience was to turn upon the precise point of the will of God, the plainest evidence of true obedience, and it being in an external thing, wherein his obedience or disobedience would be most clear and conspicuous.

Now, upon this condition, God promised him life, the continuance of natural life in the union of soul and body; and of spiritual life in the favour of his Creator: he promised him also eternal life in heaven, to have been entered into, when he should have passed the time of his trial upon earth, and the Lord should see meet to transport him into the upper Paradise. This promise of life was included in the threatening of death mentioned,