e law unto him,
to command him abstinence from a thing neither good nor evil, but
indifferent, and such a thing as of itself he might have done as well as
made use of any other creature. There was no difference between the fruit
which was discharged him, and the fruit of the rest of the garden, there
was nothing in it did require abstinence, and nothing in him either. Yet
for most wise and holy ends, the Lord enjoins him to abstain from that
fruit, and puts an act of restraint upon him, to abridge his liberty in
that which might prove his obedience, and not hinder his happiness, or
diminish it, because he furnished him abundantly beside. You may perceive
two reasons of it. One is, that the sovereign power and dominion of God
over all men, may be more eminently held forth, and that visibly in such a
symbol and sign. He who put man in such a well furnished house, and placed
him in a plentiful and fruitful garden, reserves one tree, "thou shalt not
eat thereof," to let Adam see and know, that he is the sovereign owner of
all things, and that his dominion over the creatures and their service
unto him, was not so much for any natural prerogative of man above them,
as out of divine bounty and indulgence, because he had chosen a creature
to himself to beautify and make happy. This was a standing visible
testimony, to bring man continually to remembrance of his sovereignty,
that being thus far exalted above other creatures, he might know himself
to be under his Creator, and that he was infinitely above him, that he
might remember his own homage and subjection to God, whenever he looked
upon his dominion over the creatures. And truly in other natural duties
which an inward principle and instinct drives unto, the suitableness and
conveniency or beauty of the thing doth often preponderate, and might make
man to observe them without so much regard of the will and pleasure of the
Most High. But in this the Lord would have _no other reason of obedience
to appear but his own absolute will and pleasure_, to teach all men to
consider in their actings rather the will of the commander than the
goodness or use of the thing commanded. And then, for this reason, it was
enjoined to make a more exact trial, and to take a more ample proof of
Adam's obedience. Oftentimes we do things commanded of God, but upon what
ground or motive? Because our own interest lies in them,--because there is
an inward weight and _pondus_ of affection pressing us to th