APHORISM II.
GOds Entring into Covenant with Adam before his fall, was an Act of Divine Grace and favour, not of debt.
For, 1. God the Creator of Adam and of all things, hath an absolute Supremacy over all, and as absolute a liberty to dispose, as he will, of all. He might as Creator have dealt only in a Supream way of Com∣mand, requiring duty from Adam without any Promise of Reward: But he condescends to Adam, Enters into a Covenant and Promise with him of his meer good pleasure, being no way Necessitated or Obliged thereunto. And that was meer Grace. 2. Adam though perfect and upright, and though perfectly persevering in that integrity, could merit no reward, nor any Promise of Reward. For when he had done all he could, he should have been an unprofitable servant, ha∣ving done nothing but what was duty. And though Adam had walk∣ed in perfect Obedience with God, yet might not God (without any wrong to Adam) for the Manifesting of his Soveraignty, power and liberty, have brought him to nothing as he made him of no∣thing?
Hence; 1. Adam had great Cause, before his fall, to serve the Lord most freely and cheerfully in all obedience. God creates him: therefore Adam owed him all. God Covenants with him: therefore he ows him (if it were possible) more then all. By bonds of Nature, Adam was obliged to be dutiful: by obligation of Covenant-favour, to be double dutiful. For his Being he owed him much: for his wel being, he owed him more. 2. The more divine favour shined in Gods Covenant with Adam; the more Haynous and inexcusable was Adams breach of Covenant with God. Gods Kindness heightens and aggravates Adams unkindness. 3. If Gods Covenant with the First Adam, in his integrity, was an Act of Divine Grace: Then Gods Covenant with lapsed man, in Christ the second Adam, is an Act of superabounding and Tanscen∣dent Grace. If Adam, whilst he was without Sin, and able not to Sin, could deserve nothing from God: what can we deserve or chal∣lenge from God, who •…re nothing but lumps of sin, and can do no∣thing but sin?
