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MONCERNING the situation and rivers of the country of Eden, as here described by Mofes, Bp. PATRICK, in his Commentary upon this place, gives an account which seems to be not altogether improbable. The Garden lay in the country of Eden; out of, or through, which country a river went unto the Garden to water it (ver. 11.); and from thence, from the country of Eden, it parted, or was divided, and became into four heads; namely, two above, before it entered Eden, called Euphrates and Hiddekel, or Tigris; and two below, after it had paffed through Eden, called Pison and Gihon, which compasseth, or runneth along by, the whole land of Cush. ver. 13.

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In the eastern part of Eden the Lord God planted a Garden furnished with all pleasant and useful fruits. And there he placed Adam to dress and keep it; for man was made for business, ver. 8, 15. Two trees in this Garden were remarkably diftinguished from the reft, perhaps in appearance and fituation, as well as in use, namely, the Tree of Life, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. These, I conceive, were appointed for inftruction and religious meditation; to preserve in Adam's mind a sense of the consequences of virtue and vice, or of obedience and disobodience. In this view, while he continued obedient, he was. allowed to eat of the Tree of Life, as a pledge and affurance on the part of God, that he should live for ever, or be immortal; after his tranfgreffion he was denied access to it, chap. iii. 24. For the same purpose, as a pledge of immortality restored in Chrift, it is used, Rev. ii. 7. xxii. 2. On the contrary, the other Tree was designed to give him the knowledge, the sense or apprehenfion of good and evil, or of good connected with evil, i. e. of pernicious enjoyment, deftructive gratification, vicious pleasure, or such as cannot be enjoyed without tranfgreffing the law of God. Good and Evil, I apprehend, is an bendiadys, like that Gen. xix. 24. brimstone and fire, i. e. fired or burning brimstone. I Chron. xxii. 5. the house must be-of fame and glory, i. e. of glorious fame. Pateris libamus et aura, i. e. aureis pateris.

may fignify pleasure or profit. [See the explication of it in the Heb. Engl. Concordance.] Thus Good and Evil may denote pernicious pleasure or profit. Of the fruit of this Tree, though it appeared pleasant and inviting, Adam was forbidden to eat upon pain of death. This was to make him understand, that unlawful enjoyment of any kind would be his deftruction."

These two Trees may be confidered as Adam's books. He was in a kind of infantile state, void of all learning, without any theorems or general principles to govern himself by. God was therefore pleased, in this sensible manner, to impress upon his mind just conceptions of the very different consequences of obedience and disobedience. And it will VOL. I.

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be of great use even to us, at this day, to look into, and to meditate upon these two books of our first father.

What requires our particular attention is this, that Adam's obedience is put upon Trial by the prohibition, ver. 17. But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eateft thereof, thou shalt surely die. Adam had not gained the habits of obedience and holiness, but was put under this instance of difcipline in order to his acquiring of them. As soon as God had made Man a moral agent, he put him upon Trial. And it is universally allowed, that all mankind are in the same state, in a State of Trial. It must therefore be of importance to have right notions of such a State.

In order to this, let it be well confidered,

I. That God hath erected a kingdom for his honour, and the felicity of bis rational creatures. This kingdom, our Lord informs us, was prepared from the foundation of the world. Mat. xxv. 34. There we men shall be equal to the angels, Luke xx. 36; and probably, like them, shall be placed in pofts of honour and power, in some part of the universe; as is plainly intimated, Mat. xxiv. 45-47. xxv. 21. Luke xix. 17. 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3. Rev. ii. 10. iii. 21.

II. Without holiness, or an habitual Subjection of the Will to Reason, or to the Will of God, none can be fit to be members of this kingdom. Wickedness, in its very nature, stands directly opposed to the peace and well-being of the universe; for it is error in the mind, rebellion against God, and mischief to all within its influence. And the most benevolent of all Beings will not take error, rebellion, and mischief into his kingdom, erected for the purposes of goodness and enjoyment. Rev. xxi. 27. And there shall in no wife enter into it, the holy City, new Jerufalem, (ver. 2.) any thing that defileth, any impure, vicious persons; neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; all idolaters, all that practise iniquity and deceit, are excluded out of it. But they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it; the excellent of the earth, who have purged themselves from all ungodliness and fin, and so are Veffels unto honour, fanctified and fit for the Master's ufe, and prepared unto every good work. Nothing but subjection to the Will of God, in all duty and obedience, can qualify us for the honours, felicity, and employments of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,

III. No moral agents, merely on account of their natural powers, how excellent foever, are worthy to be admitted into the kingdom of God. Natural powers, in angels as well as worms, are the workmanship and gift of God alone; and therefore, not being the virtue, nor the effect of the virtue of the beings that are possessed of them, can be no recommendation to the continued favour and esteem of God. In order to that, the natural powers of moral Agents must not only be capable of right action, but also actually exerted in acting rightly. Otherwise, their powers, though of the noblest kind, are useleís and infignificant. It is one thing to be born, or produced into the kingdom of nature, and another to be born to the habits of virtue, whereby we are rendered fit to be admitted into the kingdom of heaven. The former depends entirely upon God's sovereign pleasure, in giving life and powers, in any kind or degree, as he chooseth; the other depends upon a right use and application of the powers powers God hath bestowed; and is the privilege only of those wife and happy spirits, who attain to a habit of true holiness. And thus, our Lord's rule, Joh. iii. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot fee, or enjoy, the kingdom of God, may extend to all created minds, whatsoever, under their several peculiar circumstances.

IV. Holiness, or virtue, cannot be forced upon us whether we will or not. The violence which overpowers and compels the Will, destroys the Will or Choice, and confequently destroys Virtue; which is no otherwife Virtue, than as it is freely chosen. That being which cannot be vicious, cannot be virtuous. If he is not free to choose evil, he is not free to choose good; for a power of being virtuous, necessarily implies a power of being the contrary. The only means, therefore, that can be ✓used to induce a moral Agent to Virtue, are instruction, admonition, perfuafion, the impression of objects or circumstances upon the mind, the suggestions of the Spirit of God, and such like methods as engage attention, and influence inclination and choice, without destroying Freedom. And a habit of Virtue, which alone recommends us to God, can be gained and ascertained no otherwise than by repeated Acts, by use and exercise, by being put to the proof under proper Trials, by refifting folicitations, furmounting difficulties, and bearing fufferings. This is the most natural way of bringing Virtue, or Holiness, to its maturity and stability. Therefore,

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V. It seems agreeable to the reason of things, that all rational creatures whatsoever should, for some time, be in a State of Trial. However, this is, or hath been, the case of all we are acquainted with. The Angels have passed through a probation, doubtiefs adapted to their different circumstances; in which fome of them abode not in the truth; they finned; they kept not their first estate; Joh. viii. 44. 2 Pet. ii. 4. Jude 6. And our first parents, how fingular soever their condition might be in other respects, were put under a particular Trial, by being forbidden to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; which must be intended to form their minds to an habitual obedience to the Law, or Will, of God.

VI. We Men are upon Trial. This is evident from Revelation, where we are represented as Pilgrims and Strangers, looking for, and travelling to a better country, 1 Pet. ii. 11.- As in a warfare, where we must fight for the victory, as we hope to be crowned, Ephes. vi. 14. - As in a race, where we are running for a prize, Heb. xii. 1. 1. Cor. ix. 24, 25.-As labourers in a vineyard, who have work to do in order to receive wages, Mat. xx. 1. - As fervants intrusted with their master's substance, for the improvement of which they are accountable to him, Mat. xxv. 14. Luke xix. 13. And God hath appointed a day, in which he will call us to an account for our present behaviour, and render to every man according to what he hath done in the body, whether it be good or evil. This is the strongest evidence, that we are now upon Trial. And the sense of Revelation is abundantly confirmed by our circumstances in life.

Our faculties are of the noblest kind, and we enjoy all manner of means for the cultivation of them; but not without great care, induftry, and resolution. So many are the occasions of deception, and fo cafily are we mifled in our searches after the truth, that we cannot attain to any clear or useful knowledge without a constant and cautious attention. Even Revelation, like the heavens themselves, is interspersed with clouds, things dark and hard to be understood. And when we have found the truth, the profession of it is attended with much inconvenience and trouble from the pride and malice of persecution. All which is wisely appointed; for, had all been plain, obvious, and easy, our integrity and fincere attachment to truth could not have been exercised and proved. The passions and appetites of the flesh; the possessions, gains, pleasures, and customs of the world; the calamities of life, diseases, difappointments, losses, dangers, enemies, fears, wants, weakness; all these are great embarrassments to virtue and piety, fatigue and folicit our minds from righteousness and purity, and oblige us to constant watchfulness and felf-denial, in order to gain and fecure the habits of holiness. Every condition, every possession is accompanied with its temptations. Wherever we are, we are in the midst of snares; and whatever we have carries fome danger or other in it; infomuch that, without care and attention, we cannot preserve the purity of our minds, which yet, by the nature of things, and the command of God, we are obliged to do. This shews we are upon Trial, or in a state of discipline. For,

VII. A State of Trial necessarily requires, that different and opposite interefts (as the flesh and the spirit, the law of God, and the law in our members, the present world, and a future state) should so stand in competition for our affections and regards, as to oblige us to be very ferious in confidering, and thoroughly fincere in choosing and pursuing what is right and good. And herein lies our Trial; whether we will follow God, or forsake him; prefer our mortal bodies before our immortal fouls; the gratification of our lufts, before the purity and peace of our minds; the things of this transitory world, before the heavenly and eternal inheritance.

VIII. The end and design of our Trial is to refine and exalt our nature. James i. 12. Bleffed is the man that worthily endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Heb. xii. 11. No chaftening for the present is joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, &c. If indeed we are overcome by temptation, and drawn into a contempt of God, truth, and righteousness, we debase and destroy ourselves; we prove ourselves to be unfit for the happy fociety in heaven, forfeit the favour of God, and shall fall into perdition. But this must be our own fault. The noble intention of our Maker is, that we should overcome temptation, and then we are happy for ever, We have ftood the test, we have paffed honourably through our Trials; we have approved ourselves to God, as those whom he judges fit for preferment and happiness in his eternal kingdom. And shortly we shall hear, Well done, good and faithful, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Hence our Trial is compared to that of filver and gold, Job xxiii. 10. Pfal. lxvi. 10, 11. 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.

To explain Scripture language, we must distinguish between temptation of Trial, and Seduction. Temptation of Trial, or probation, God hath wisely ordained for the exercise and proof of our virtue. So he tempted Abraham, Gen. xxii. 1. Temptation of feduction is when we are drawn into fin, James i. 13. Let no man fay, when he is tempted, leduced into fin by temptation.

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