God respected Man's Integrity

Man's fall is in a lot of ways paralllel to the fall of Lucifer.Lucifer sought to usurp the glory of God and achieved darkness.This applies to Man as well,"affecting Godhead and so losing all"( III,206).Man was created to stand in personal integrity and work within his own realization but not some one else's potential.His goal is defined by Raphael, "which best may serve to glorify the maker, and infer Thee also happier" ( III,99).But man also must respect his own integrity.His fall came through improper self assertion,"Oft times nothing profits more Than self esteem, grounded on just right Well managed ( VIII ,571-73).The direction given to human life is within human choice as Eve tells the serpent, "we live law to ourselves,our reason is our law"(IX,653-54).Another aspect of divine respect for man's integrity is the establishment of "pleasant labor," the task of tending the universe as a garden within the harmony of God," Man hath his daily work of body or mind appointed , which declares his dignity... while other animals remain unactive , and of their doing God takes no account,( IV,618-22)