THE FIRST MAN, OR, A Short Discourse OF ADAMS STATE: VIZ. 

1. Of his being made a living Soul.  
2. Of the manner of his Fall.    
By J.G.  
LONDON, Printed for Benjamin Allen in Popes-head-Alley, Anno Dom. 1643.   

Adam a living Soul.  
WHat is a living soul?  
A living soul is Man in innocency: The Scripture saith, the first man was made a living soul; Adam was perfect in reason, knowing all natural things in the fullness of their nature, worth and excellency, observing and taking pleasure in the glory of God, which did shine in through, and over all the works of the most high: So that there was not any beauty or virtue in any thing, but he had the sense and sum of it within his own Capacity or reason. He gave names to Creatures suitable to their natures, strength and vivasity; Moreover he knew the beauty of things in their several causes, how they were knit together, and how this Union made a goodly Harmony; and although there were many things in nature contrary to each other, and considered in themselves, would destroy each other: Yet as they were ordered by the wisdom of the wisest, did unanimously agree with, and help each other. All things then were good both in themselves and in their several effects: He knew no weakness or death in any thing, until death first fell upon him, and then issued forth from him in, and upon all other Creatures. he knew himself to bee the chiefest of the way of God, and that God had more respect to him then to any of all his creatures( I speak comparatively) so that there was nothing that could gain upon him, or rob him of his heart that was without him. Put all things together without him, and all will scarce prove equal to him, either for beauty, wisdom or heavenly knowledge; he knew God to be the upper ground of all things, both in their beings and motions; And if there was any excellency in any of the creatures( as in all there was some) it was the scatterings of the same breath which breathed first life in him. As the light and beams of the Sun are guides to conduct our eyes to the seat and throne of the Sun, where it is in its being beauty and full form; so were all creatures as so many several lights and beams of the glory of God to convey Adam to the Throne of the high, full and beautiful Majesty, in whom he knew all things did concentre.  
doubtless he knew all things were born up by the same arm which first gave them their beings, and he which gave them their beings,( I mean the Creatures) must be greater in being then they all, neither could they flourish any longer, then by the fullness and efficacy of that mighty being, they were replenished suitable to the greatness and glory of the things which are seen, must things be which doth not appear. And if the Heathen( as Paul saith) knew God in his invisible eternal power and Godhead: Surely Adam in these things knew more then they all, for if they who had several broken pieces of reason weakly joined together, and yet understood these things: doubtless he that was upright and had reason perfected, knew much more. God made man upright( saith the Scripture) I conceive the meaning of that word may be either.  
First, this with his heart fixed and placed onely upon God: which way soever he turned himself, or upon whatsoever he looked, all that he took pleasure to see, was god in all, mans mind at the first was upward, now downward  
Or secondly, the Word is a Metaphor, taken from a line or rule by which men measure or square out any particular work, which rule they ought not to exceed. So man had then his bounds and limits beyond which he ought not to have passed, and in this compass might have walked with pleasure.  
Or thirdly, It is set in opposition to crookedness: Man in innocency went not awry but passed strait forward in the most pleasant paths, neither turning to the right, or the left hand. But now he leaves the strait line, and walks in ways contrary to truth, righteousness and peace, oft times striving how he may be most crooked and most froward, reeling to and fro like one drunk. The Scripture makes mention of a living soul: and a quickening spirit. Adam to be the one, and Christ to be the other. I shall endeavour according to my light, to show the meaning of both. First for a living soul.  
The first and lowest meaning I conceive is this, to be a living soul, is to be truly a Man: Other creatures when they were formed, were said to have life in them, but none besides Man, were said to be living souls.  
Secondly, a living soul is a man indeed, with a lively and active principal of reason, by virtue whereof he was able to distinguish of things according to their worth and excellency and also filled with wisdom, whereby he saw how all causes by their several influences and operations came to be most excellently united, and that the first cause which gave life and breath to all the rest, was not onely primum mobile, but also summum bonum, so that as his reason served him to couple all things together, so it also raised him to see how all things were coupled, and that he who did thus unite all, and overshadow all, by the influence and power of his eternal being was more glorious and great then they all, which considered, caused him there to rest, and in that to take full content.  
Thirdly, a living soul signifieth( as it hath reference to that estate in which he was thus upright) immutability and duration, and He( meaning God) breathed in him the breath of life. This breathing or breath of God, was the great power and glory of God, moulding of him into that glorious estate, and preserving of him in that estate, until he left it, or rather that left him, of which I shall speak more hereafter.  
There was not the least tincture of death, that came upon man whiles he remained in this estate, neither in his body or mind, mortality was the consequence of sin; If thou eatest saith the Scripture, in dying thou shalt die: whilst that he obeied he was fresh, faire, and flourishing, without any defect, as all things else were. O! how goodly a thing was man until he turned from Ish to Adam life was his being; yea, life was the flower of his being, declaring him glorious until death entred in, and diminished the powers of life.  
But because it lies in my way; I will speak but briefly of this second thing, leaving it to its due place, I mean Christ a quickening spirit.  
There are three things also to be considered for the opening of this: First, a quickening spirit is such a one, who must have the fullness and substance of all shadows and outward appearances in him. Spirit signifies the perfection and beauty or any thing. The other word put to it makes thus much, namely, this perfection and beauty in its alitude and vivasity, for nothing can be higher, more ample, or more lovely in being, then things truly spiritual, or the spirit, the cause of spiritual things. Life is in Christ, because the power of the infinite and eternal being, dwells completely in him: One of the highest names which Christ himself sets forth God by, is this, that he is a Spirit, and Christ is this God spiritually understood.  
Secondly, a quickening spirit is one who hath not onely this in himself, but he hath power to convey this spiritual beauty upon whomsoever he will. The sun quickeneth whom he will saith the Scripture, he can( by the mighty operation of his life and spirit) transform all into the Image of the same glory if he will. Although Adam had life in him,( such a life as I have spoken of) yet had he not any power to convey the least dram of this life to any: Which doth manifest, that this life was much lower and weaker then that life which was in Christ.  
Thirdly, the third meaning is this, that he is appointed and set a part of God for this end: the Scripture saith, he was made a quickening spirit, as Christ is God, so it is no robbery for him to be equal with God: and so he is neither under command, neither in that consideration doth he stand in need of any courtesy or dignity from the God-head, but as he is God in our nature, clothed with human flesh, so is he set apart by the authority of the eternal Father to several offices, by virtue whereof he doth convey grace, knowledge and all divine privileges and spiritual blessings upon the sons of men because there is no power in us of ourselves, to bring life and divine strength to us: therefore God hath appointed an infallible means near himself, which is able to conduce to the uttermost of that end; the happiness of a poor dead soul laden with sin and guilt, is this, that Christ is designed by the Father to quicken and raise him, and in all things it is his care to manifest himself faithful.   

The manner or way of the fall of Adam.  
It is a great question, How Adam fall? That he is fallen is out of question, but the manner and way of his Fall is that which is much disputed, and seems to be a great mystery: All conclude he was upright for a season, and as long as he thus continued death and mortality entred not upon him.  
The thing first to bee considered is, Whether he had this breath of life or uprightness( of which I have already spoken) of, in, and by himself, or by any other means. There is none will say, of himself; for he neither had his being, neither his wellbeing of himself: for the Scripture saith, God formed him of the dust, and, God breathed in him the breath of life: If from God, the Question is, whether he had it absolutely, or by way of dependence. By absolute, I mean, whether he had it so inherently established in him, as that by the keeping or losing of it( I mean in that consideration) he had no relation to God. If you will say he had it thus established in himself, then what is become of that maxim, both of heathen Writers, of religious Writers, and of the Scriptures, that We live, move, and have our being in God? Surely if God without a helper made all things of nothing, then by the same power that all things were made, they must be every moment upheld and preserved, or else all things once again would turn into nothing: and if all things, then Adam and the things of Adam( for he was one of the things that was made:) or further, if God had given this power to Adam wholly from himself, either there were at once two Gods, and so consequently no God, or else God had ungodded himself to make Adam a God, which were high blasphemy once to think. If I know any thing of God, this is one thing that I know, that although God is most excellent and full of goodness, so that his goodness is communicated and spread abroad, in, and over all things, yet doth he not absolutely part from any piece of his glory and goodness, so as that he doth leave the managing thereof alone to any creature. The beams and heat of the Sun refresheth and strengtheneth many a Creature, and yet take away the Sun from the beams thereof, and the beams will lose both their virtue and being and creatures their comfort. So there is much of the sweetness, goodness, and glory of God in many a Creature, as so many beams issuing forth from the glory of God; but take away God from these Creatures, they will lose their sweetness, their glory, and their very being also. It is a general Tenet held by the mayor part of men, yea and good men also, whom I love and honour, here in England, That Adam had a power, in, and of himself to stand in that estate wherein he was created:( I should be sorry if by mistake I should wrong any, confident I am that I have heard some reason for it.) If he had power( I mean of himself) to stand, whence came it to pass he fell? Is there any desire of evil in good, or misery in happiness: His standing was good, and doubtless so was the power by which he stood, whether it was in himself or otherwise; reason will tell us,( and as I have said Adam had the height of reason) so long as man keeps his reason, which brings him to felicity, he cannot press after misery. It is said he had power to stand or fall; I conceive so long as he stood he had a power by which he stood; when he fell it was because he wanted this power: if he had kept the power, or rather, the power had kept him, he had never fallen; he could not have power to fall( I mean in that estate which we call innocency) for falling from a good estate to a bad is through a defect of power. If Adam fell from life to death from felicity to misery, it was not because he had a power to fall but because his power failed him. It is true, whilst he stood he stood, and he stood by a power, and had not that power failed him he would have stood longer: but suppose it be objected, that the power by which he was assaulted was greater then that which in that estate he was possessed withall, and so by that means he disobeyed; for saith the Man, The woman which thou gavest me, gave me of the three, and I did eat: unto which I shall thus first answer, If we consider him before he was fallen, or before the very act of his fall, the power which was against him was not equal to that which he had: For if Adam knew God, and served God,( his desires and inclinations being onely thereunto, accounting this his greatest good, knowing him to be most excellent, and his will to be most delighted in all this arising from a principle of knowledge and perfection which he had) then how can a lie be greater then truth, when truth is strong, yea strongest of all: the devil he comes to him with this lie in his mouth, If thou dost disobey thou shalt live and be as God, and with such like words: Adam considered in that estate might thus have answered the devil( and his principles would have lead him to it) I know what God hath said is true, he is God, and cannot deny himself, he hath laid his command upon me, and given me bounds beyond which I may not go; if thou saist otherwise, thou hast lost thy knowledge of God, in whom all goodness and blessedness consisteth, and art become a liar. It is true, that the devil is said to be great and to have power, and so is sin also, but it is in reference to our archbishopric estate, when we compare him and his power with things truly good, he hath no power at all: indeed he would have the things which are not, to be; and the things which are, to lose their beings: but he being a deceiver is still deceived: until Adam was deceived, he never thought as the devil did, and had his power remained with him he never had been deceived; for as long as he stood it was the power that kept him. I confess if Adams estate was partly good and partly evil, then( if we may use such an expression) he had power to fall: But if it was wonderfully good, as the Scripture saith, that God saw all things which he had made, and it was good; and doubtless men was one of the greatest of these good things, if not the greatest of all: then in that condition he could not have any inclination to evil, but his inclination to evil was his fall; so that we see Adams estate was wholly good, and in every good thing so long as it is good, it is by a power kept in its goodness. If Adam had the breath of life breathed in him, then so long as that breath of life remained in its glory, death could not enter upon him.  
But I shall secondly thus answer: If wee consider Adam either after his fall, or in his fall,( that is to say, as he did fully) the power against him was greater then that which was with him, otherwise he would not have fallen. If Adam was envenomed with evil( as he was) the devil was the envenomer, and the cause is greater then the effects, although many times the effect doth exceedingly open, and give light to the nature of the cause. The devil is a fountain of lies and deceits, and by his subtlety in lying, filled Adam with deceit. It is much to be thought, that in all the Devils words which he used to deceive both Adam and Evah, we heard not of a word of repsy to gainsay his discourse: Indeed Evah tells him of the obligation and band that God had laid upon them, but when he chargeth God with falsehood, and hatred, and the like we red not of any reply to clear God, made by them, but rather a full entertaining of his discourse; by which I conceive, that no sooner were these motions suggested to them by the Tempter but forthwith were they entertained by them; yea, and haply without any debate, whether they were right or wrong, good or evil: had they retained their knowledge and strength whilst they were under the temptation, they had then easily freed themselves from the efficacy of the temptation: but it seems to me, whilst they were a tempting, or when they were tempted, the power departed from them, and so the temptation had efficacy upon them, otherwise they would have resisted the temptation. Oft times the act of evil, and the act of good, is performed with equal delight, although the consequence prove various: So haply whilst they were in the act of sin, they knew it not, but afterwards the guilt and the shane which followed caused them to know: If ever the devil did show himself like an Angel of light in any of his wil●ss, as oft he doth, surely one of the fairest dresses he put on, was when he tempted Adam; Ye shall be as Gods, saith the Tempter: it was not altogether so gross as to tell him he should be in Gods room although it wanted but a step to it, for to be equal, is to divide, and to divide is to destroy; for to seek to have two Gods at once, is to seek to have none at all. Perhaps the devil took the same method with Adam, to bring him to misery, as he himself practised when he first wrought his own misery.  
But to hover no longer, we see Adam hath lost his integrity, and the man in that case is undone; How shall we find out the way of his loss? This I shall endeavour to do by discoursing upon two things; the first is. How, or from whence Adam had his power to stand? the second is, How he lost it? For the first of these I shall speak more brief, because I have spoken of it already: All power is from the highest power, which is from God, from whence Adam had his; yet not so as that God partend from it out of his own hand, for then it would have lost its power, and have been no power at all: Divide the streams from the fountains, and they will quickly lose their natures and their names too; the power which with-held him was a momentary supply from God, which whilst he stood firm, kept him as firm as he was when first he had his being. He at the first was formed after the image of God, every minute was that image preserved and kept in him by the same power which fashioned it in him: The image of a thing is the representation of the thing, although it is not the thing itself: Adam was formed after the image of God, this image was a description or draft of the glory of God upon him, although( I confess) not so glorious as that draft which is drawn forth upon Christ; for so far as heaven in its glory is beyond the earth in its glory, so far is the glory of Christ beyond the glory of Adam. For what saith the Scripture? the first man is of the earth, earthly; the second is the Lord from heaven: this image of God in Adam was the truth or spirit of his life, and life cannot bee maintained lively without some spring: The fountain or spring which maintains all true beings, is God, so that we may( I suppose) conclude that God gave him his life, and the same God did keep it, so long as it was kept.  
The second Question is, How Adam lost his integrity? And here( I confess) I should be sorry to speak any thing contrary to reason or Religion; yet if I should miscarry, I should bee glad to be informed: and above all things, when I am speaking of the things of God, I am most afraid of dishonouring or charging him with folly: For, let God be true and every man a liar. But now I have begun to speak, I shall freely deliver my thoughts. Thus I think he lost it. As I have said, it was God that did uphold him whilst he stood, so it was the same God that did withdraw or kept back the power, and so Adam fell. Had he kept the power or rather the power kept him, he had not fallen; but God was pleased, for the magnifying of his name, to withdraw himself from him, and so left him under the power of the temptation, by which he was overcome. It was the power, or God that made him strong, and had this continued with him, he could not have been weak, and the devil might have assaulted him long enough with all the power and subtlety he could get together, and all his batteries had been in vain, had but the same strength by which he was preserved, still remained with him. So now here wee see Adam almost in a moment high and low, rich and poor, strong and weak, happy and miserable, his glory and fence is gone, and left in the hands of cruel enemies, and these exercising tyranny upon him and triumphing over him. But there are some Objections which rise up against what I have said: One is to this effect Whether in so saying we make not God the Author of sin? For thus saith the Objection. If God withdraw or withhold himself from Adam, and the devil come up against him( he being now weak) is necessitated to yield, and to sin.  
To this I answer, that in a positive and strict sense he is not, for as of all things he is most clear and free from fin in himself, and in his own nature, there being no uncleanness or unclean thing that can enter into his Tabernacle, so is he as free and clear, concerning the acting or working any evil, either in or by himself: for how can any unclean thing come forth of the thing that is clean. sin is not in him, therefore he cannot act or commit sin. The devil is positively evil, sin dwells inherently in him, and is engrafted into his being: It was his action and motion which had an influence upon Adam, by virtue whereof he was drawn into the same condemnation with himself, and did actually as well as the devil commit sin: So that as concerning the temptation or working of sin in Adam, God is altogether clear, and to be discharged and the devil and Adam himself to be blamed. If God gave Adam a Law, and this Law was good as all things else were then, and the goodness of the Law was either in its own nature, or because God gave it, God being the highest good cannot diminish or destroy the least good which he would have done, had he broken his own Law. It is one thing to take away a power which is in itself good, or to take away a power by which any good thing is preserved, and it being taken away, of necessity the good thing must perish; And it is another thing to commit sin, and manifestly to act it, when the power which kept the good thing, and the good thing itself, which was kept by the power, are both departed To be an author of any thing, is to be a worker or actor of the thing, or else( which is higher) to give being to the thing. God is the author of all good or goodness, either as all good or goodness is concentered in him, or as all good is wrought and brought to light by him, therefore God cannot be the Author of sin, I mean in a full and strict sense, because sin hath not its being in him, he did not beget it, neither doth he cherish it in his bosom. sin is a deprivation or lessening of good, therefore it cannot be in God, because he is not only good, but good in the highest degree, saith the Scripture, sin is of the devil, and if of and from the devil, then not of and from God: So that wee see the devil may sin, and Adam may sin, and yet God not to be the author of sin.  
But in the second place, I thus answer, that in an accidental way God may be said to occasion sin, for had it been the good pleasure of God to have given Adam the same power always, by which at first he stood in his integrity, he had not sinned. When the light is gone darkness will cover the face of the earth, and the lights departure is occasionally the cause of darkness, so is the departure of God from Adam, occasionally the cause of his fall. Our Saviour saith, he came not to bring peace, but a sword, and yet the Angells saith, at his coming into the World, on earth peace, good will towards men; the truth is, our Saviour came to bring peace in plain and strict sense, and that was the end of his coming, and yet occasionally came a sword. There are many things done in the World which are sinful, which actions God hath a special hand in, and yet God is clear from the evil of those actions: Suppose one man kill another with a Sword, here is God first permitting such an action, otherwise it could not be done, for if he pleased he could hinder it.  
And secondly, here is God giving power to the man, whereby his action is done. If he puts forth his hand, if he strikes the stroke, it is by a power, if you will say it is by the power of nature, I will answer, that it is the God of nature gives nature its power.  
Nay, thirdly, here is God accomplishing some end in this business, here is either some Judgement shown upon the person, or some example given for caution to the world; and yet God is free from the envy mischief, and evil of the action. Surely if God can free himself from evil in actions of this nature,( wherein so much of him is to be seen) wee may easily acquit him, when he doth out with hold that power, by which we are kept from sinning or evil actions. Many things that may occasion sin, may be wholly free from sin itself, unless it be in the occasion or accident( had I better expression for the present in my thoughts, then the word occasion, I would speak it:) Suppose a beautiful woman passeth by in the streets perhaps her heart is wholly and heavenly, or otherwise she is very intent about the business in which she is employed; some man looketh upon her, and lusteth after her: She thinks not in the least degree of this business; I hope every knowing man will free this woman from the evil of this action. So God may occasion evil and yet be free, yea far from the evil itself, the rain falls not for a long space upon the earth, in the mean time the earth parcheth and waxeth dry, and the grass withereth; I hope none will say that the rain parched the ground, or withered the grass. To conclude this first Objection. If God will withdraw, Adam must sin, and yet Adam is the sinner and God clear from his sin.  
The second Objection( of which I shall speak more briefly) is; Whether God be not the original cause of sin?  
To this I answer no except I am mistaken in the word original; To be the original cause of any thing is( I conceive) to be the first cause in giving the thing its being and denomination, and such a cause, as that the thing which is the effect must partake of the nature of the Cause, we oft times are speaking of the bewailing of our original sin wee mean that sin which Adam had originally, or as the fountain in him he being the stock from whence so many withered leaves and branches of impiety doth appear in us. It was in him, it spread forth upon all mankind from him; The fountain is the original of the streams, why, because the streams were first in the fountain: God giveth not sin a being, and yet without God sin could not be: happily to some it may appear strange, yet in my thoughts it doth appear true; I mean thus, God gives not sin a being as he gave life to Adam, he breathed life in Adam, and then he lived. God breaths not, or works not sin in any, his breathings are pure and undefiled, all things unto which he doth positively give being from his own workings are good, and I mean thus, when I say without God sin could not be, either that it is his pleasure that sin should have a being, otherwise he could have prevented it: Or else that he suffers it; or else that he makes way for its being, which in a sense, yea and in a true sense he doth, for sin had not been amongst men, had Adam stood: Adam could not stand when the power by which he stood was taken from him, and he assaulted; and it was God kept back the power by which he stood: if reason or Religion, or both would teach me to make God a lesser cause of sin, were it for his honour, I should gladly do it, for above all things I desire to honour God; God is originally good and originally the cause of good and therefore cannot be originally the cause of evil; evil and good is at the greatest longitude one from the other. whilst Adam did well God was near unto him, but when he sinned he thrust God from him by his sinning.  
The third Objection is this.  
How God will be cleared to be righteous and just in his dealing towards Adam, in the withdrawing of himself, when there was no other means for him to be kept in his integrity?  
To this I answer.  
That God can do no unjust thing, whatsoever he doth is righteous, as he himself is righteous; All his works are by and from himself. The Potter hath power to make and design his Vessells for honour or dishonour, at his pleasure, because they are his workmanship. If the Potter is to make these Vessells by the commandement and power of some other; he is to do according to his Commission; But if he doth it without command and is left to his will, who is then to contradict him in what shape soever he maketh these Vessells or unto what use so ver he putteth them? So if God be under any higher command then himself, and had from that power a command to make Adam in that form which he did, and to keep him continually in that form and state wherein he was made then if he withdrew the power which kept Adam in this estate( as he did) he had done unrighteously, and must have been accountable to him from whom he had the command. But God is above all Law, there is none above him to compel him to do any thing or to give him a Law, unto which he might owe subjection; neither is there any equal to him, whereby he might be entreated, therefore he is become a Law to himself he measures out all his ways and actions by the line and rule of the god-head. As there is none but himself to compel himself to the doing of any action, so neither doth he ask advice of any but himself for the performance of the same. What he wills is a Law, and if he wills any thing, the thing he wills is according to knowledge, wisdom and judgement, and he seeth and judgeth all things according to the excellency of his own nature and being, which is according to truth, yea according to the highest truth. It is a maxim general and true, that God is the highest being, and perfection itself, that he is without addition or diminution, if so, let him do what he will, he cannot err or do unrighteously. If he is one huge piece of spiritual glory, and all things in him are infinite, as he himself is, in beauty, praise and perfection, how is it possible to think he can do any uncomely thing; if he had pleased he might have made Adam in another form, either higher or lower at his pleasure, and who should have contradicted him. If he will make his creatures glorious, and suffer them to be blasted immediately, that so he may bring in a greater glory to make himself more glorious: Who shall control him, this is the weakness of man, that because wee by our low and weak judgement and reason cannot find out the high God in the way of his righteousness: Therefore will we seek to make him unrighteous, when we should rather( like Paul) who speaking of the great way of God in shutting up all men under unbelief) cry out that his Judgements are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out. All unrighteousness ariseth from some defect and unevenness in mens ways, if Gods way was not complete nay if this his work in the leaving of Adam to himself, was not glorious and admirable; or if wee can tell of any that will come after him, and rectify or amend his work, then he will confess his fault, and to him owe the tribute of praise. Is it possible, to be thought, that he which knoweth all things at once, which shall be throughout eternity and by the same wisdom and knowledge ordereth the being, the form of the being, the time of the being of every thing which shall be, should do any thing contrary to himself, and if he doth nothing contrary to himself, he cannot do any thing unrighteously, because as I have said, he is a law to himself? It is a true rule, that where there is no Law, there is no transgression, then if there is none to be a Lawgiver to God, and his knowledge and will, are the rule by which he measures out all things; who then can say what he doth is done amiss, although he doth whatsoever he will.  
But secondly, I thus answer, That God was not any way engaged to keep Adam in that estate wherein he was first created: Had he been engaged to keep him, he must have kept him. If God had made Adam any promise, that as he had created him righteous, so he would still keep him in his righteousness, God must then have regarded his promise, otherwise he would have been unrighteous; Adam could challenge nothing at his hands, because he promised nothing to him: there is two things that do principally bind, either a Law, or a Promise; there was neither of these upon God, to tie him to preserve Adam in that estate wherein he first created him. doubtless Adam in that had been happy, had God said thus to him, As I have made thee righteous, and beautified thee with mine image, so I will for ever keep thee: the reason is this, God cannot change or deny himself, he is faithful if he saith any thing, he knoweth he must effect the thing which he hath spoken, therfore he is wise& careful in all his sayings: when God speaketh any thing, he speaketh it of himself, therefore he must needs speak the truth, and he is as careful to perform what he speaketh, as he is to speak it, otherwise he would not deal truly. One great difference between the estate of Adam and the estate of one in Christ Jesus, is this That to such which are in Christ Jesus he hath engaged himself by Covenant and Promise, that he will also keep them in Christ: and this is clear that he never failed any in the performing of his promise; but he did not so to Adam. Indeed he gave him a Law, and bid him keep it, but he did not tell him he would help him to keep it: the case is much alike betwixt the condition of Adam, and such who are under the Law, and look for happiness by it; men might have been happy that were under the Law, could they have kept it, but the Law could not give of itself life neither could those that were subject to it keep it: so Adam could not keep that Law unto which he was subject, neither was there life or power in that Law to keep him. What is to be said? God might very well blame, yea, and punish Adam for the breach of his Law, because he was his Creator, and was above him; yea, and under that consideration he ought God his very being; but Adam had not wherewithal to charge God, but must lay his hand upon his mouth and be silent. By this we may see, that God doth not onely manifest himself to be righteous in the withdrawing himself from Adam, but even by it his righteousness doth shine abundantly.  
The next Objection is this, That God did command impossibilities; For thus saith the Objection, If God gave Adam such a Law, which he knew he had not power to keep, how then could he look for obedience to that Law, which was impossible for him to obey?  
I answer affirmiatvely, that God may if he please, command things impossible for men to do, God is the sovereign Lord, and as it is his Prerogative royal to make and give laws, so by the same Prerogative may he make what laws he will: He may bid me do what he pleaseth. and lay a penalty upon me if I do not the thing that pleaseth him, yea, and execute the penalty also, and yet remain just and righteous. The reason is, because he is sovereign or chief, there is none to sit in counsel with him when he maketh or ordaineth laws, or to control him by saying, let them be thus or thus: Therefore what he wills is a Law, and that he wills is good; And if he wills a Law impossible for man to keep yet this is a go Law, he is our Creator, he gave us our beings, and the form of our beings, had he pleased he might have given us other kind of beings, and who could or durst control him, and so might he ( if he pleased) dissolved our beings, and yet be as free from control, and shall we allow him the greater and not the less. If God gave us our beings which were good, and gave us a law in the keeping whereof wee might have kept ourselves in this goodness, and yet we had not power to keep this Law: Did he not do well? doubtless he did( or if he did not, then let us blame him) the laws which God gave unto Moses, seems to me to be as hard to keep, as that which he gave to Adam in Paradise, for none hitherto have kept it: And you in your catechize say: Is any man able to keep the Commandements? The Answer is no: And yet none either doth or durst blame the law, or the Lawgiver Surely if men do, and may command things impossible God may.  
There are many laws for the well being of a kingdom or State( these being grounded on the word of God) which Kings and Governours make, and yet how few of these are there duly observed, nay by reason of our hypocondriac and infirm estate it is impossible fully to keep them, and yet who blames either the laws, or the Lawmakers. Some have run( at least in my apprehension) into a strange absurdity, by denying this poin, twhich I am now speaking of, which they have done by placing a power in man to do Gods Will or Command of himself, and in effect saying, that it is in the will of man to believe, to repent, and consequently to be a self Saviour. But to the matter in hand, our Saviour telleth the Jews, that to work the work of God is to believe, and John telleth us, that the Commandement is Faith or believing. It appeareth Faith is a Commandement, and yet it is impossible for flesh and blood to believe, for saith the Scripture, It is the gift of God; so that wee may see, God did not onely command things impossible for Adam to do or perform, but also for all his posterity, and yet he remaineth faithful and just. There are many things which God doth, which in our eyes would seem unrighteous, nay, inhuman and cruel and yet he is just in so doing, God bids Abraham sacrifice his son, and it is plain, if he had so done, he must have murdered his son, and we know that in the Commandement, God saith, Thou shalt do no murder: And yet we may not say, that God did any unjust thing in the commanding or bidding of Abraham to observe such a command. If God then doth give a law, and yet doth bid men to do things contrary to that Law( and yet doth no evil) why should it then seem a harsh thing to us if God giveth us such a Law which wee cannot fulfil or obey.  
Here are two things to bee considered about this business of Abraham, and I hope I shall not swerve from my Discourse.  
The first is, whether Abraham had sinned if he had obeied God in the sacrificing of his son isaac or no? I conceive all without scruple will answer negatively.  
The second thing is, Whether God did any evil in commanding any thing for Abraham to do contrary to a former command?  
I answer, that God may repeal or call back any of his laws, if he pleaseth; Or else if he pleaseth bid any one do any thing contrary to any of his commands. The reason is this, because by all the Laws or Commands of God positive, wee are tied and engaged, and not God. If God bids us do a thing, wee are to do it. If by and by he bids us undo that thing, or do something contrary to it, we are still to do it. A Master may bid a servant do a thing, and anon after bid him undo it again, and yet the Servant is to obey his Master. So it is the sovereignty or Prerogative royal, for God to command what he will, and it is our duty to be obedient to that which he commands.  
Where God promiseth us any thing, then he is engaged, but not when he commands. When the Israelites were to depart out of Egypt God( not purposing that they should return again) God bids them borrow Jewels and raiment of the Egyptians, and the Israelites never restored the things they borrowed to the Egyptians. And I also suppose that when God bids the Israelites thus to borrow it was not his intent they should pay them again: And I do bring these instances onely to possess the Reader, that God by his supremacy may command things for men in and of themselves, impossible to do. If God biddeth us believe in Jesus Christ, and by so doing wee shall have eternal life, yet it is as impossible of ourselves to believe, as it is for us to make a World; Doth God do well then in bidding of us believe? if he doth well( as sure he doth) why do we then complain, is not that which he wills excellent and altogether to be desired: but suppose any one should thus object, that although God is sovereign Lord over all, and may by virtue of his sovereignty command what he will yet whether or no he doth command any thing contrary to reason? So saith the Objection, to command impossibilities, is to command things unreasonable.  
First, I will answer,  
That there is a great difference between Gods reason( if I may use such an expression) and ours: Wee reason either carnally, or at the best according to the Law of reason, or that reason which wee see in the Law, but Gods reason, or the reason in God, which moved him to give us a law, is either from himself, or else doth end in himself: the reason that was in God, to give us a Law is one thing, and the reason that is in that law, or that that the law works in us, is another,& yet both helps to clear God in this business, for if it be Gods reason to give us a Law, and his Law be good, and yet we through our unreasonableness break so reasonable a Law: I hope wee will neither blame God or his law. It is corrupt reason that will quarrel against the Will of God, true reason will never. If a Master doth command a Servant to do any unreasonable thing, he doth ill, because he is to follow the Law of reason in all his Commands, but God cannot command any unreasonable thing, because his Will is the highest reason, there is reason in his law, and yet his Will is more reasonable( if wee may so speak) for the cause is greater then the effect, and his Will is the cause of his Law.  
But Secondly, True reason will help us to clear God in this thing, and faith much more, reason will make God the highest cause, and not onely the highest cause, but also the ground and procurer of all causes and things whatsoever, and if so, then he must be supreme Lord over all and if supreme, then reason will tell us, that he may command what he will. Indeed if a Master command a Servant to do things impossible, he doth ill, because there is a command lieth upon the Master that he ought not to oppress his Servant, and therefore reason will tell us that he doth ill, but there is no reason that can tell us, either that God is tied to the observation of any particular command, or that he is limited or straightened in the commanding of such and such particular things beyond which he ought not to pass: But true reason will tell us, that he may command what he will, and if he command that which doth please him, then is he just and righteous. If God can give himself a reason to satisfy himself, why he doth give such and such a Law, and if we by reason can satisfy ourselves, that if he please, he may give such a Law, then if he be pleased why do we complain; suppose God should command any man to make a world( I onely put it by way of supposition) I would ask that man whether God doth well or no in so doing. I am confident when he commandeth men to believe, he biddeth them do a thing equivalent to the making of the World, for the works require one and the same power to bring forth these things to light: but wee are apt to quarrel against God, because his ways are above our ways, but if it were not so, how could he be God.  
Wee may be brought higher and higher by degrees into the knowledge of the glory of God, and the surpassing excellency of his eternal being: but it cannot be imagined, that he should stoop below himself, to portray himself suitable to the model of our carnal apprehensions.  
It is true God doth stoop low, but never below himself, for God to stoop low is this, that through the height of his goodness and grace he is pleased to discover somewhat of that divine and everlasting invisible excellence, which is treasured up within his own breast▪ but to stoop below himself( I mean in a strict sense) is to loose the height of that goodness and grace, and to make himself appear to be something that he is not, which is not to be thought; For God cannot delude, which he must do, if he should appear to be that which he is not: therefore if wee know that God speaketh thus and thus, or biddeth us do such and such things, when wee by the weakness of our Capacity, cannot fathom his way; Let us sit down and say O! how unsearchable is his wisdom, and his ways past finding out.  
Thus have I briefly treated about the nature of Adams fall, or the means and way by which he came to fall: If I knew any other Objection of any concernment that might arise, I should endeavour to answer it.  
FINIS.