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Q. 77. How was Adam and Eve cast out of Paradice into this World? What was the Cherub with the naked Sword before Paradise?
A. 1. Job from Opulency and Renown, washing his steps with Butter, and the Rock poured him out Oyl, falling to Nakedness, Sores and Contempt, had this vast disproportion to Adam's Fall, that his Inward Man not only retain'd stability but shone the brighter.
2. Nebuchadnezzar's degenerating and transforming into a Brute, was also ex∣deedingly disproportionable; because he had little to lose, wanting the Indow∣ment, especially the Internals wherewith Adam was glorified.
3. And Men that taste of the good Word, and of the powers of the World to come, yet after that fall into final Apostacy and Darkness, which from the best a fallen Man as Man can attain, to the worst a damned Sinner fa••ls into, hath yet a great disproportion to Adam's Exclusion had not Infinite Grace interposed; for, as no Sinner mounts higher than feigned Happiness, but Adam's was real and sublime, so no Damned Wretch sinks more or comparatively but few with him, but Adam sunk a World, which must add to him a world of Woes.
Thus far I have digressed to give some glimpse of the greatness of the Fall.
4. Now to shew how they were ejected Paradise into this World, the review of the 71 answer will be very helpful. We must farther know that it was not a pre∣cipitance from a more lofty to a more low or other local station, but a departure out of one principle into another asleep or dying a Nescience or Oblivion of Divine Tranquillity and peaceable Fruition of Eternity, and an awakening to the Turmoils, Impotence, Discords, Pain, Care, Sorrow, Enmity and Anguish of Mortality and Confines of time in the third principle or Out-birth, and by an In∣violable connexion fixed to the Everlasting wrath of the first principal or dark Abyss.
5. To know now what the Cherub and Sword before Paradise is, it must be fore-known that Cherubims signifie Images, (viz.) Gods Image particularly that of his Justice, that is Gods Righteousness and severe Justice this hath a Sword cutting off or away whatever cannot stand in the proba, all such are as Fuel to that Flaming Sword.
6. Will any say these are Novel Allegories, not demonstrable but of uncertain sound, let such consider, 1. What we fell from, our Reason saith from a pure state, capable of Eternity. 2. What we fell into, our Sences answer to an im∣pure Bestial Mortal one. 3. How may we re enter, the reason common to all rational Creatures, tells it may not be by the old filthy Garment we thus got, for a weight that presseth us down must be put off, if we would rise again, what thus we foolishly put on, we must wisely put away.
7. The Sword of Divine Justice cuts off the Monstrosity, because the Mortal Earthy cannot enter the Heavenly. Having put on Immortality it may, but that Robe is Christs Heavenly Flesh and Blood, his Holy Heavenly Body, or Gods Body, in this we pass the Cherub.
8. But this Cherub and Sword is in us. Thus the Lord saith, No man hath ascended into Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, the Son of Man, (he saith not the Son of God) which is in Heaven; for the Divine principle was not only in him, but he in it, and he was it.
9. Let us know Heaven is in us (viz.) the Divine principle is in us, yet we may be far from being in it, until following the Captain of our Salvation we yield (in his strength) to have our Earthy man Crucified; otherwise keeping