in the new-framed Syftem of Creation.The Lord God formed MAN of the DUST OF THE GROUND, and breathed into his noftrils THE BREATH OF LIFE, and Man became A LIVING SOUL *.

By the words the breath of life, and a living Soul-which difcriminate LIFE in man from LIFE in brutes, we are not to understand immateriality fimply; fince all animals, as we fay, have this in common; but the CONTINUANCE of life after the feparation of the compound, in virtue of Man's rationality; which making him refponfible for his Actions, may, according to the different parts in God's MORAL œConomy, require that separate existence.

But now, if it should be asked, Why this compleat expofition of Man's Nature was not given before, in the first mention of his Creation, but reserved for the second, two very important reafons may be affigned.

1. Had the Historian given it in the first account of Man's Creation, it would have had the appearance of diftinguifhing Man,

in his natural or phyfical capacity, from other Animals; whereas, in this capacity, there is, in truth, no difference between them. Since the very argument which evinceth the immateriality of the human foul, evinceth the immateriality of the brutal. Yet, to have left no mark of dif tinction between them when there was one, had been a very faulty omiffion in the Hiftory of Religion. Mofes, therefore, with admirable addrefs, hath pointed out the difference, when he tells us, that Man was created in the Image of God*, i. e. endowed with the faculty of REASON.

2. Secondly, the place, which points out this difference, is made to ferve for an introduction to the Hiftory of the free gift of immortality. And a better cannot be conceived than that which teacheth us, that the Subject, on whom this gift was bestowed, is, by the immateriality of his phyfical Nature, capable of enjoying it; and, by the freedom of his reasonable Nature, accountable for the abuse of it. So much is

* Gen. i. 27.

obferved

observed in honour of that exquifite knowledge with which the facred Writer was endowed.

Having thus explained Man's PHYSICAL Nature, we come to the confideration of his MORAL; which, hitherto, we have but just hinted at, in fhewing him to be re sponsible for his Actions. Now, as this refponfibility is the great Principle on which all Religion, or rather the Sanction of Religion, is founded; and as it is of the utmost use in our enquiry concerning the true nature of the GOSPEL, to understand what Mode of Religion it was to which Adam became fubject, when he first rose from the forming hand of his Creator; we must recollect what hath been faid concerning the TIME of his Creation, which, we fhall now fee, will ftand us in good stead to determine this important queftion.

1. For from thence it will appear, that the Man and Woman, the Male and Fe male, were not immediately, on their Crea tion, put into Paradife; but had a State and Condition upon Earth preceding that fupernatural Establishment.

That this firft State of Man in the world at large was not only prior to, but different from, his State in Paradife, the Sacred Writer clearly intimates: God (fays he) on the creation of Man (male and female) blessed them, and faid unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and REPLENISH THE EARTH, and Subdue it*.

But when, after they were put in poffeffion of PARADISE, and the gift of immortality was there beftowed upon them, they were not (immediately at least) to replenish the Earth at large; but to replenish Paradife only from whence, as they increased, their Colonies, perhaps, might be fent out to inhabit for a time the other parts of the Earth (not, then, a vale of mifery and death), before they replenished the Regions of the Blessed.

2. Again, at the Creation of the firft Pair-God faid, Behold I have given you every herb bearing feed, which is UPON THE FACE OF THE EARTH; and EVERY TREE in which is the feed of a Tree, yielding feed,

* Gen. i. 28.

TO

TO YOU IT SHALL BE FOR MEAT *. But when God put them into Paradife, he said, Of every Tree in the Garden thou mayeft· freely eat; but of the TREE of the Knowledge of good and evil, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF

IT .

Hence it appears that Adam and Eve had a MORAL STATE, or were engaged to fome Religion, before their Paradisaical life commenced, and different from it; for in the first, there was no reftraint of food; in the fecond, there was. Whether the Religion, to which they were first subject, was that we call NATURAL, as being the refult and conclusion of that Reason with which, at our Creation, we were endowed; or whether it was that we call Revealed, or fupernaturally taught by God, we can only learn from Scripture. And Scripture teacheth, even by its Silence, that it was NATURAL RELIGION to which the first Pair were fubject, from their Creation to their entrance into Paradife.

For Scripture hath this advantage over human compofitions, that it teacheth as

* Gen. i. 29.

F 3

† Gen. ii. 16, 17.

pre