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Q. 76. What is the Curse of the Earth, what is thereby brought to pass?
A. 1. This Earthy Globe is very much unlike to what it was; as our Bodies are also to that Adam's was; for as Adam's Body was the Epitome of the whole Out-birth: So this Globe was an Image of the Astral World, and all the Proper∣ties, and the Divine Principle did penetrate it as the Sun doth the Fruits, so that the Earth was as much paradisical as it was capable to be, but it had these bounds.
2. That it could not be purer than the Root whence it proceeded, (viz.) the Astral and Elementary, and of those Heavens it may be said, they are not pure in his ••ight.
3. That it could not be more permanent than its Root, and none doubts but of these it may be said, they shall pass away, and be folded up as a Scroul.
4. That it was a compaction of the Mass of the Salitter, Sulphur and Mercu∣rius of the deep, all of which were much darkened, corrupted and confused by the Fall of the Angels.
5. Yet was this earthy Globe in its first make before the Curse very Beautiful and Good.
6. And as in Mans Body so much of it is dead, hard Bones, foul Guts, stomach and gross Flesh, so that its first contexture seems worn out, yet it was and shall be glorious, though sown in dishonour.
7. Thus also this Globe consisting now of much raging deep, the unhabitable frozen North and South Extreams, other parts of parched Wildernesses and De∣sarts, also rocky useless places: and barren Heaths, sandy and Montainous Ter∣ritories: Yet is a remainder of Fertility and Excellency here, seeming to be left so, to shew something of what once it was; as Vespasian is said to have left two or three Towers undemolisht tho' desolate, to shew what Jerusalem had been.
8. The Earth before the Curse must have known no sterility, the Air no storms nor intemperature, the Seasons no unhealthiness, the Brute Creatures no hostili∣ty nor hurtfulness.
9. For tho' the properties were in all, yet had the Gracious Creators blessing so ordered and bounded them, that they could not be manifest to divide and dis∣cord among themselves; for the good properties had the Dominion, and the o∣ther were serviceable in their places to the great ends of the Creation, viz. That the Divine and Spiritual World might be expresly Imaged in such exact order as the great variety of the Creatures and Creation were fitted for.
10. But Eve and Adam biting the Apple divided the properties so that the evil became prevalent and the good (disturbed thereby) could not influence as be∣fore, and Gods withdrawing the Vertue and Influence of the Spiritual World from them the transitory Creatures which were of their own Nature passive, be∣came penetrated throughly by the evil: Thus those of hot, and others of cold quality were made such, in an intense degree, and consequently destructive Poy∣son, and Venom also in Vegetables, thus came the destroyers in the Earth, Air and Seas.
11. Adam and his Race should (if they had stood) have been as the Angel which John saw with one Foot on the Land and the other on the Sea; so should Adam and his Race have had one Foot on this Principle, and the other on Eterni∣ty, but transgression set us adrift and sunk us, and for our sakes the whole Creation.