15. In a word common sense and reason teach us that if the Woman be made in the image of the Man and the Man is made in Gods image then Women must needs beare Gods image and likenesse But the truth is God being still the same both in the creation of the Man and of the Woman and creating both by the same wisedome and power hee needed not to take Adam for his paterne whereby to make the Woman but made her in his owne image as hee did man and so in all things like to man the different sexe onely excepted This serves to admonish and stirre up women to bee carefull diligent and industrious so to beare themselves as they that are made after Gods image so to order their lives conversation as they who expect the glory of heaven and must by passing through the state of grace here and by conforming themselves to Christ both in his death by mortification and in his life by sanctification come to the fulnesse of glory in Heaven and bee made conformable and like to Christ in his glorious body and coheires of God with him Secondly it serves to reprove the wicked and profane men of the World whose wickednesse is transcendent and their profanenesse most horrible and impious in that base esteeme which they have of the female sexe and the vile account which they make of woman-kind who thinke and speake of women that they have no soules nor any part in Gods image and are utterly uncapable either of grace in this World or glory in the World to come Like and equall unto which in their profane impiety are common strumpets and whorish women the shame and staine of woman-kind who prostitute themselves to all filthinesse and so live as if they were made onely to serve the lusts of unreasonable men of bruitish lust I proceed to the more speciall things which are more distinctly laid downe concerning the creation of mankind where I will first insist upon the creation of the male and female and the matter of which they were made and of the manner and order in which God formed them Which that wee may distinctly understand wee must looke forward to the 7. Verse of the 2. Chapter where the creation of mankind is more particularly rehearsed in these words and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life and man became a living soule In the Hebrew text the man is here called Adam not as by his proper name but as it is the common name of all mankind for so much the article which is prefixed before it doth shew and therefore as the Greeke so also our English Translators doe translate this word not Adam but Man God formed man of the dust For in the first creation the man comprehended in him all mankind even the Woman who then was a Rib in his side and afterward was taken out and formed into a Woman The matter of which God formed Adam is said to bee the dust of the ground and here he useth another word not used before in the creation of other things that is the word formed for hee doth not say that God made or created but formed man and true it is that whole man was not made of dust but onely the substance of his bodie and therefore it is said that God formed man to wit in respect of his body of the dust of the ground that is hee framed and fashioned it of dust as a potter formes a pot of clay and brought it into that forme and shape which all perfect bodies of mankind doe beare untill this day And this is the first beginning of the being both of the Man and also of the Woman who was created here a Rib at the first in Mans side and afterwards taken out and made into a Woman First in that Iehovah Elohim the Lord God is here said to forme man that is to frame his body of dust and to bring it into the forme and shape which it beares in all mankind Hereby wee are taught that God did neither consult with Angels about mans creation nor assume them or any other creatures into the fellowship of this worke but God himselfe alone who is Iehovah one God in essence and substance and yet Elohim that is more Persons even three Persons in that one undivided essence did forme the very body of man and brought it into that forme and temper that it might bee a fit subject of the soule which is a spirituall substance And this all other Scriptures confirme which attribute the creation of mankind to God alone as Deut. 4. 32. and Isa. 45. 12. with many other places where the creation of man upon earth is ascribed unto God onely and where holy and faithfull men speaking as they were moved by the holy Ghost confesse themselves the worke of Gods hands as Iob 10. 3. and God their maker and former Iob 36. 3. and Malac. 2. 10. and God the potter and themselves his formed worke Isa. 64. 8. This Doctrine well weighed is of excellent use First to make us ascribe all our excellency and all our well being to God that wee may give him the glory of them and that wee may beare our selves before God as before our creatour and may ever remember that whatsoever service wee are able to performe either with our soules or bodies it is wholy due to God and none other but onely in him and by commandement and warrant from his holy and infallible Word Seeing God alone hath created us and given us all our being even the forme and shape of our bodies wee must not thinke it enough to keepe our selves to God and to serve him in spirit onely but wee must serve and worship him with our bodies also and with all parts and members of our bodies Although God many times makes men instruments and meanes to convey health life being and well being to us as naturall Parents to bring us into being and life and to nourish and bring us up and as Kings and Rulers and wise Magistrates to bee Saviours of our bodily lives from death and other dangers and to procure safety peace and well being to us and in this respect and for these causes wee doe owe love honour and service to them in and under God yet in no case may wee in things which tend not to the honour but dishonour of God and are contrary to his Word and Will and offensive to his Majesty obey serve and honour them In such cases let us say as the Apostles did to the high-Priests and Rulers of the Iewes We ought to obey God rather then men and whether it be right and lawfull to obey you more then God judge yee Act. 4. 19. and 5. 29. All Potentates Kings and Rulers because they are men and have no power but from God must not looke that any should serve and obey them rather then God or
it is a fit subiect for a reasonable Soule and the principall parts of it fit instruments for the severall faculties of the Soule whereby to performe their many and severall workes and operations the wisedome power and goodnesse of God did shine forth of mans body more then in all visible creatures and the Image of God appeared in it Mans eyes sight and all outward senses did represent Gods omniscience and knowledge of all things his hands did shew and represent Gods power to do and worke whatsoever he will his armes did represent Gods strength and power to save his People and to destroy his enemies The beauty comelinesse naturall majesty which appeared in mans body upright stature by which he did overlooke all creatures as one most fit to rule them did shew forth and represent the glory and majestie of God and his Lordship dominion providence and power by which he governs all things In a word though mans body was mutable in the Creation and state of innocency and might fall from that state yet so long as man did continue in that state and did not sin he had that lively vigour perfect temper of body which did free him from death and all evills which tend to hurt and destruction which also was able to uphold him in life and strength for ever if sin had not entred and so in some sort he was immortall and impassible not subject to death or any passion and suffering of hurt and evill in his body and so there was in his body some likenesse of Gods immortalitie For proofe of this wee have good arguments in Scripture First God himself sheweth that murther and shedding of mans bloud is a defacing of his Image in which he created man and for that cause he threatens revenge of murther and of violence offered to Mans bloud Gen. 9. 5 6. Now murther and shedding of mans bloud â—s a defacing of mans body therefore the body also is a secondarie Image of God Secondly the Scriptures which set forth Gods attributes and workings by severall parts of mans body as his omniscience and providence by Eyes Psal. 33. 18. 2. Cron. 16. 9. his activity and working by Hands as Exod. 15. 16. Psal. 44. 3. Isa. 51. 9. his love and mercy by Bowells as Isa. 63. 15. Jer. 31. 20. his punishing and revenging Iustice by breath of mouth and nostrills Psal. 38. 15. and Isa. 11. 4. his secret thoughts counsells and purposes by Heart Psal. 33. 11. his utterance of his mind and will by Mouth Jer. 9. 12. these Metaphors do shew that the body of man and chiefe parts of it have some similitude of Gods attributes and workes and so mans body is secondarily the Image and likenesse of God Thirdly the Scriptures shew that death is the wages of Sin and all mortality and subjection to evills and passions which tend to hurt and corruption came in by mans disobedience and fall as appears Rom. 5. 12. and 6. 23. and by Gods commination Gen. 2. 19. But in the Creation and state of innocencie man had in him no Sin nor any inclination of himself to any evill or Sin therefore he was after a sort â—mmortall and incorruptible in his body and had even in it a similitude of Gods immortality Fourthly the body was in all things conformable to the Soule fit and ready in all things to follow the motions of the Soule to be directed and moved by the upright reason will and affections and to doe all workes unto which they move it and therefore as the Soule was made in the primary Image and likenesse so the body in the secondary Image and likenesse of God Lastly to conclude this doctrine of Gods Image in which man was created wee may not unfitly affirme and with good reason hold that though man in the state of innocency before the promise of Christ had no Supernaturall gifts nor any part of the Spirituall Image of the second Adam but was onely a perfect naturall man and not immediatly proximâ potentiâ capable of supernaturall grace nor of the Divine nature yet because his nature and whole frame was such as had a possibility or remote power to be made partaker of the Holy Ghost united to God in Christ and made pattaker of the Divine nature and a new creature or new man framed after God therefore he in this respect may be said to be Created in the Image of God that is in such a forme and of such a nature as had a possibility to become like unto Christ and a new creature made in the Spirituall Image of God Now this Doctrine of Gods Image briefly and compendiously proved in all parts is of excellent use First this discovers the infinite riches of the bounty of God passing all bounds and declares his goodnesse to be like a great deep which can never be sounded in that he hath overcome all our evill and malice towards him with his great goodnesse to us and and when wee had forfeited our being and his Image in which he created us good and perfect with all naturall perfections and did justly deserve to degenerate and be turned into the Image of the Divell and to become in the likenesse of his malice and and misery he out of his owne meere mercy and free grace and bounty did give his Sonne and the Sonne did freely undertake to humble himself to become a second Adam made in a better Image even an heavenly and spirituall that he might not onely suspend the execution of Gods just sentence upon mankind and procure to the first Adam and all his posterity the continuance of their naturall being for a time and of some reliques of the Image which they had wholly forfeited but also might renue a great number chosen out of mankind and restore them to a better even an heavenly Image by transforming and changing them into his spirituall and supernaturall Image and making them conformable to it and partakers of the Divine nature by the mysticail dwelling and powerfull operation of his spirit in them Here is that which may dazle the eyes of men and the sight of Angells when they looke into it and which may astonish all hearts of men and confound all humane reason when they thinke of it and heare it preached That God infinitely just and holy to hate and punish Sin should by our evill and Sin committed against him and his just will and Law take occasion to be more good and to shew greater goodnesse to us and when wee deserved to have no being but in Hell and eternall misery hath raised us up to the spirituall state of grace from which we cannot be hurled and cast downe by all the powers of darkenesse and by which wee shall ascend to the blessed state of Heavenly and Eternall glory Here is love surpassing all knowledge the depth whereof wee may admire and adore in silence but neither can our hearts conceive nor our tongues expresse the
THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION AS IT IS WRITTEN BY MOSES in the first and second CHAPTERS of GENESIS plainly opened and expounded in severall Sermons preached in London Whereunto is added a short Treatise of GODS actuall Providence in ruling ordering and governing the world and all things therein By G. W. Batchelour of Divinity and Pastour of St. Iohn Evangelist LONDON Printed for John Bartlet at the signe of the gilt Cup neare St. Austins-gate in Pauls Church-yard 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND NOBLE Lords FRANCIS Earle of BEDFORD Robert Earle of Warwick William Viscount Say and Seale Edward Viscount Mandevilc Robert Lord Brooke John Lord Roberts and the rest of the Honourable Lords Committees in the upper nouâ—e of the high Court of Parliament Grace and Peace with multiplicity of all Blessings temporall and eternall Most Noble LORDS THat which the learned Doctours of the Jews doe say of their Masorah to wit That it is an hedge or defence to the Law We Christians may more truly say of our weekly Sabbath the Lords day that it is the hedge of defence to true Christian Religion For as their Masorah which was their Annotations upon all the Scriptures of the old Testament shewing the genuine reading and signification of every word in the Hebrew text with what pricks vowels and accents it ought to be and was anciently written and read by Moses and the Prophets and by tradition from Ezra and other succeeding Fathers in all ages delivered over unto them did serve as an hedge and fence to keep the Scriptures of the old Testament pure from all corruption and alteration so that if any Scribe did in writing any copy of them omit or adde one word or letter or alter and change any vowell point or accent his errour might easily by the notes and rules of their Masorah be discerned and amended So the Lords holy weekly Sabbath being rightly observed according to the Law of God and the first institution and sanctification of it that is First by cessation and rest from all worldly cares and all secular affairs in respect wherof it is called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbath that is rest and cessation Secondly by devoting it only to the worship and service of God and by sanctifying it with preaching reading and hearing of the word prayer meditation and other works of piety and exercises of true Religion in which respect it is called the Lords day that is the day of the Lord Christ consecrated to his honor and to the service and worâ—hip of God in his name It is most certainly as we find by experience a strong hedge and fence to true Christian Religion by which true piety and the true knowledge and worship of God and true Faith in Christ are upheld maintained increased and continued among all Christian nations from generation to generation Without observation of this weekly Sabbath and keeping this day of the Lord Christ holy by holy assemblies the publik and private worship of God the knowledge of Christ the memory of our Redemption by him and of his finishing and perfecting that great work and resting from it in his resurrection the publike preaching reading and hearing of the word and all other exercises of Christian religion which are the most effectuall ordinary meanes of grace and furtherances to eternall life and blessednesse would undoubtedly grow out of use and at length utterly decay and vanish This consideration did move me to insist more largely upon this subject and to make many Sermons upon that Text Gen. 2. 2 3. which briefly relates the first institution of the Sabbath on the seventh day in the first weeke of the world and Gods blessing and sanctifying of every seventh day in every week to be an holy Sabbath to his people Out of which Sermons first publikly preached to mine owne peculiar flocke I did afterwards compose this Treatise at the importunity of some of my best affected hearers and imparted severall written copies of it unto divers of them having at that time no hope to get it licensed for the Presse For by Gods speciall providence I having handled the doctrine of the Creation out of the 1. Chap. of Genesis was by my order of preaching and expounding of that Scripture led along and brought to this Text concerning Gods sanctifying of the seventh day at that very time when a book of liberty for sports on the Lords day was by the Bishops in every Diocesse sent to every Parish Church and commanded to be publickly read by every Minister in time of divine Service in the audience of all the people And because I proceeded to handle this subject as the order of my text did lead me and durst not balk that part of Gods word I was three severall times convented before my Ordinary and admonished under paine of suspension to proceed no further in this doctrine not for any errour which could be objected against any part or passage in it but only because the times would not beare it And because I did not hold it fit nor safe for me to obey man rather then God by concealing from my flock any part of Gods truth and shunning to declare unto them the whole counsell of God I have undergone the high displeasure of that Primate to whose jurisdiction my Church doth belong who upon divers false informations of catchers which have bin imployed to entrap me in my words that they might have something wherof to accuse me hath caused me to be convented before the Kings Majesty and the Lords of his Honourable Privy Counsell and hath charged and accused me to be a Preacher of factious and seditious Doctrine and for many years the great troubler of the City of London Wherupon I was committed close prisoner for two and twenty weeks and through close custody was by sicknesse brought neare unto death and could not obtain so much liberty as to be confined to the limits of my brothers house for the safety of my life upon bayle of a 1000 pound given untill by the testimony of fifty five Neighbour Ministers of best report in and about the City I was declared to be innocent and free from all the crimes of which I was accused Now blessed be God for your happy Assembly in this most hopefull Parliament by which I have been eased of my strait bonds and the times are so changed that this Treatise and divers others of my labours are licensed to passe by the Presse into the publik view of the world I should not have dared to commend it to the sight and grave Judgement of your Honours If your godly Zeale for the sanctifying of the Lords day and for the honouring of the name of the Sabbath which appeared most evidently to us all who of late were present at the time when that scandalous libell intituled Sunday no Sabbath was most accurately and judiciously sifted and examined by your Honours and justly censured and condemned to the fire had
and so from God the Creator and this is good and of God and according to his will as it willeth things properly 2. There is a corruption perversenesse and crookednesse of the action this is of the Divell and mans corruption this God hateth but because actions thus corrupted and stayned make way for God and give him occasion to shew his wisedome and power in ouer-ruling them and disposing them by his hand to a good end and his justice in punishing them therefore God is pleased to continue that naturall power to the wicked which they pervert and abuse and to over-rule such wicked workes and to raise light out of that darkenesse And therefore let us not impute any evill and sinfull workes to God as they are evill and sinfull nor wickedly imagine that he is the author of sin His hand is never in any sinfull work otherwise then to over-rule order and dispose the sinfulnesse and evill thereof to some good end and purpose Fourthly we are hereby admonished not to impute any worke done in the world to fortune or chance as worldly Epicures do but to escribe all workes and every thing which comes to passe to the certaine will purpose and determinate counsell of God It is true that in respect of second causes and purposes of men many things come to passe accidentally and by chance no man purposing or intending any such thing but in respect of God they are certaine and infallible they all happen according to his will and without it not an haire can fall from our heads nor a Sparrow fall to the earth all power and motion is of him and the abuse of the power and motion which is from the Divell and mans corruption he willingly permitted and doth over-rule and dispose by his wisedome and providence to a good end And therefore in all casualties and accidents let us comfort our selves and rest content and bee patient knowing that they come not but by his will and pleasure Lastly let us rejoyce in all the great workes which we see done in the world and honour them as meanes tending to our salvation if we be Gods faithfull people and with care and conscience walke before him according to his word and let the sight of them put us in mind for our comfort that our God in whom we trust doth not lie idle nor slumber or sleep but by a mighty band and stretched out arme hath done all these great things and is continually doing and working for us to bring us at length out of all troubles and dangers and to set us and establish us for ever in eternall rest glory and blessednesse The next thing which in order followeth after the description of Gods outward workes in generall is the unfolding and distinct handling of the severall sorts and kindes of them And because the right dividing of them into heads and the reducing of all the particulars unto their proper and naturall heads is a maine ground of light and a sure way to the distinct handling and understanding of them I will therefore before I proceed any further labour to divide them aright into their naturall heads according to the rules of reason and truth and so will proceed to that which is the first in time and by the course and order of nature namely the creation of the world and all things in it The learned though they all acknowledge every kind of Gods outward workes and doe not differ in the kindes and numbers of them yet they are at variance about the true division of them into their first and principall heads Some divide the works of God into the works of Creation and the works of Redemption But this is no perfect division the two members of it do not containe all the outward works of God for over and besides them there are works of preservation and of judgement and revenge Others divide all Gods outward workes into the works of nature and the workes of grace The workes of nature they divide into two sortes 1. The workes which concerne the first beginning of nature that is the workes of creation 2. The workes which concerne the preservation which they call the works of Gods providence The works of grace they hold to be the works of Redemption and restauration of man-kind by which God brings supernaturall blessings to men But this division failes in divers respects First It makes a difference betweene works of nature and works of grace wheras indeed creation and preservation which they account works of nature are in some sense works of grace For God of his owne free grace created man in his own Image And now and ever since the first sm of Adam which brought death and destruction into the world all works of preservation by which God preserveth men in being and life are works of free grace and the preserving of his Elect unto his heavenly kingdome is a worke of supernaturall grace in Christ. Secondly they erre in distinguishing between the works of Gods providence and the works of Redemption and restauration wheras Redemption and restauration are principall works of Gods providence by which God provides for his elect in Christ such things as neither eye hath seen nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man 1 Cor. 2. 9. A third sort there are who divide all Gods outward works into these two heads only namely the works of Creation and the works of actuall providence This I take to be the best and most perfect division First because under these heads are all Gods outward works contained and there is not any one which may not be reduced under one of these two For whatsoever God doth or hath done or can doe for the giving of the first being to all things may be reduced to Creation And whatsoever God doth or can do for the ordering preserving and disposing of things created and of their being and wel-being may be brought under the works of his actuall providence Secondly there is a perfect distinction and difference between the works of creation and the works of actuall providence So far as mans substance differs from mans misery and mans felicity so farre doth every proper worke of Creation differ from the works of Gods actuall providence in their objects And although God in the creating of things in order did shew his providence for man in that he first made a place of habitation for him and all things which may serve for his use as plants trees fruits light and other necessaries before he created him yet this breeds no confusion between the works of creation and the works of preservation for two things may go together in time and place and may be in the same subject as we see sense and understanding hearing and seeing in one man at the same time and heat and light in fire and yet they may be different in themselvs This order therfore I do purpose to follow hereafter by Gods assistance in prosecuting
given to all mankind in the creation so marriage which God appointed for the increase of men on earth is by the law of God which is written in mans heart and engraven in mans nature free for all Men and Women to whom God hath given ability and strength of body for procreation and fruitfulnesse for increase of mankind As the text here openly expresseth so much so in all the Scriptures wee have examples of holy men of all sorts even of Priests and Prophets not onely allowed but also commanded by God to take Wives and beget children as Isaiah cap. 8. 3. Ezechiel chap. 24. Hosea chap. 1. And the Apostle commends it as honourable in all Hebr. 13. 4. And the Apostles who were most devoted to Christ and to his worke did lead about Wives with them 1 Cor. 9. 5. And although in times of great trouble and persecution raised up against Christianity Wives are a great burden and breed much care and griefe to preachers of the Gospell especially who must bee ready to run and flee whithersoever God cals them and therefore in such cases the Apostle by reason of the urgent and pressing necessity holdeth it better for continent and chaste Men and Women to remaine unmarried 1 Cor. 7. 26. And our Saviour doth approve and well like it in case when a mans heart and affection is so extraordinarily taken up with the love of the Kingdome of heaven that hee is like an Eunuch without any desire of affection of marriage Matth. 19. 12. Yet wee have no word or precept in all the Scripture to restraine any Persons of any order or calling from liberty of marriage Saint Paul affirmes that he and Barnabas had power and liberty in this kind though they used it not 1 Cor. 9. 5. The consideration whereof serves First to teach Men and Women of all sorts to maintaine and retaine that liberty which God had given them from their first creation and to admonish them to beware that neither Satan by his suggestions nor any of his wicked instruments by their cunningly devised fables nor any misconceipt of their owne hearts doe lay a needlesse snare upon their consciences and possesse them with a false opinion concerning that liberty which God hath written in mans heart in the state of innocency which cannot bee taken away without violence offered to nature They who are thus instructed and fully perswaded if they doe marrie they may have comfort in this assurance that they are not out of Gods high-way neither in this have swerved from his perfect law and rule of liberty If they find many crosses in the married life yet let them know that they are not curses laid on marriage for an unlawfulnesse of it If they doe live single to avoid worldly cares and to devote themselves wholly to heavenly thoughts and spirituall cares for the Kingdome of heaven they have more cause to rejoyce and glory in the aboundance of Gods speciall grace to them in that hee hath given them an heart to forsake lesser blessings for the gaining of greater and bringing of more glory to God Secondly this sheweth that the Popes prohibitions of Priests marriage and the absolute vowes of virginity and single life taught and imposed by the Church of Rome are cursed and corrupt inventions of men and diabolicall devices yea damnable haeresies as the Apostle calleth them 1 Tim. 4. 1. and 2 Pet. 2. 1. For though divers holy Men of God to whom God gave power over their owne wils and the gift of continency to stand steadfast in their owne hearts have strongly resolved to keepe their virginity and to live single that they might apply themselves to the service of God and his Church with greater freedome from worldly eares and have steadfastly held their resolution proving themselves such as our Saviour and his Apostle doe commend Matth. 19. 12. and 1 Cor. 7. yet wee never read in Scripture that they were commanded by God or that they did bind themselves voluntarily by an unchangable vow or under any execration to abstaine from marriage and from procreation of children therein but alwayes without any absolute necessity imposed on them remained at liberty to marry if just occasion were offered If our adversaries object that the law of nature must give place to the Evangelicall law which hath greater promises and tends to lead men to supernaturall and heavenly happinesse and that for Christs sake and his Churches good wee must renounce liberty of nature I answere that the Evangelicall law doth not offer violence to the law of nature neither doth it abolish any part thereof but rather doth perfect it by giving men grace willingly to neglect naturall liberty for the gaining of a better estate As for example the law of nature requires that men love Fathers Mothers Wives Children and their owne lives and gives them liberty to hold lands and houses but yet when the case so stands by reason of tyrannie and presecution raging that a man must either forsake all these or deny Christ and renounce Christian religion here a man ought to forgoe all for Christ as the Gospell teacheth And yet the Gospell never commandeth us to renounce Father or Mother or Houses or Land and the like and to expose our selves to death when we may together with Parents Wives Children and Life still cleave to Christ and enjoy him for salvation yea it were frensie and fury for any Church to impose lawes on men for the hating of Parents Wives and Children forsaking houses and lands and giving themselves to death voluntarily when there is no inevitable necessity laid on them but they may live good and faithfull Christians and yet love Parents Wives and Children possesse lands and houses and live in safety Wherefore though wee highly commend them who more zealously follow Christ and forsake the World and make small account of naturall blessings in comparison of spirituall but doe as Saint Paul did who made the Gospell free and did not use lawfull liberty and power yet wee cannot but count them execrable who tyrannize and lay cruell snares upon mens consciences and impose lawes and vowes upon themselves or others to forsake and renounce utterly their lawfull liberty and to bind them by that law and vow which either they must breake or else fall into many wofull inconveniencies and abominable evils and mischiefes as wee see in the Popes lawes and vowes which have proved causes and occasions of secret Whoredomes publike Stewes many Rapes and Murders of innocents to the staining and defiling of the whole Land Thirdly we hence learne that our first parents in the state of innocency had in them both the affection and naturall desire to bring forth children and to increase mankind with all convenient speed God so commanding them also they had all strength and ability of body to beget and bring forth and there was in them no defect to hinder procreation for a moment The words of the
have preached and written Also our Saviour and his Apostles by their constant practise did shew that the sure ground of expounding and understanding the Scriptures in any obscure places is the plainer text and word of Scripture in other places For they proved the truth which they preached and wrote in the Gospell by the Scriptures of the Law and the Prophets Wherefore let us not build upon the wisedome of men nor upon the smooth words of mans reason but on the word of God proved by it selfe and made plaine one place by another Let us hearken to such preachers and follow them as the surest guides who make the Scriptures by themselves plaine and manifest to our understanding As for them who can give no better reason for doctrines of faith but testimonies of Fathers and Schoolemen nor follow any surer guide for expounding of Scripture but expositions of Fathers framed by their owne conceipts not proved by plaine texts let us not build too much upon them And above all Let us hate and abhorre the pestilent Doctrine of the Romish Doctors and all the Popish faction who make the Canons of Councels the opinions of Fathers and the Popes determination the onely sure grounds whereon men ought to build their understanding of the Scriptures and their beliefe of the word of God Another and a second thing which comes here to bee more fully opened over and besides the diversity of opinions is the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evill which are said to bee in the midst of the garden These two trees are here in the history marked out and distinguished from the rest of the trees as being set apart by God for another use more then meere naturall Concerning these trees there are divers and severall opinions of ancient and moderne Divines First concerning the tree of life Some thinke it had a naturall power and vertue in it to make mans body lively and to keepe it from all weaknesse decay and mortality till hee should bee removed to heaven this is the opinion of Scotus and Aquinas with others Some thinke it had power and vertue in it to make man immortall and to preserve him from death for ever as Tostatus and that if a man had once eaten of it hee would not have dyed but should have enjoyed such immortality as wee have by Christ after the last resurrection Bonaventures opinion is that it had such vertue and power in it not naturall but supernaturall But these opinions are meere humane conceipts contrary to reason For first the fruit of a tree which is pulled off eaten digested and so changed from that which it was in a bodily nutriment by the operation of mans fleshly stomack cannot in any reason bee conceived to have naturall power in it to give that to man which it selfe had not to wit immortality immurability It is a true rule that no naturall thing can worke beyond the naturall strength of it neither can it give to another that which it selfe hath not at all and this tree had no immortality for it was destroyed with the garden in which God planted it Secondly supernaturall power and vertue to give life is the proper vertue and power of Christ and of his Spirit which works in men and derives life from Christ to them but there was no such communion of the Spirit not any such operation of the Spirit in any earthly creature before Christ was promised such assistance and operation of the Spirit is proper to the elect of mankind and came onely into the World by Christ as the Scriptures testifie There are divers learned men of better judgement and they hold that this tree of life is so called not for any vertue in it either naturall or supernaturall but because it was given of God a Sacrament and seale of life to man and man was to eate of it not for bodily food onely but that by eating of it hee might bee as by a pledge from God assured that he should by God bee upheld in life and also might bee admonished that his life is upheld not by any power in himselfe but by covenant from God confirmed by this seale But these differ among themselves concerning the life whereof it was a seale and pledge Some thinke it was a seale of that present life which Adam had which in it selfe was mutable Some thinke it was a seale of a better life even of immortality and life immutable which Adam should have obtained by continuing in obedience for a certaine time Others thinke that it was a Sacrament that is an holy signe and seale of Christ who is our life and of that spirituall life which wee have in him thus Junius and others of our late Writers Now to declare in few words what I conceive to bee the truth First I cannot conceive that there were any Sacraments given to man before the promise of Christ and the revealing of Gods purpose and counsell in him For a Sacrament is an outward element or visible thing consecrated by God to signifie and seale heavenly and supernaturall things and grace spirituall and invisible But heavenly and supernaturall things which belong to eternall life in Christ and spirituall grace were not revealed to man in the state of innocency before the promise of Christ which was made upon mans fall Therefore there was then no use of any holy signe or pledge of supernaturall grace or of any thing which wee obtaine from above in and by Christ. The tree of life could not bee any Sacrament signe or symbole of Christ or supernaturall life in him All that I can conceive or affirme with any warrant from the Scriptures is this that the tree of life had greater and more excellent naturall vertue and strength in it then other trees and the fruit thereof was more sweet lively and nourishing and by this meanes it was more fit then other trees to bee not onely a signe symbole and pledge to man whereby hee was to bee admonished that his life was to bee upheld by his obedience to God and dependance upon him and also to bee assured and confirmed that God would uphold him in life but also a seale of the covenant of works whereby hee was to bee setled in that state of life wherein hee was created I confesse that the wisedome of God that is Christ as hee is made unto us of God wisedome is called a tree of life to such as lay hold on him Prov. 3. 18. and the fruite of the righteous that is eternall life and all saving blessings which are the fruite which the righteous justified and sanctified in Christ doe enjoy is called also the tree of life Prov. 11. 30. Revel 2. 7. and a wholesome tongue that is the healing and saving word of the Gospell and other powerfull meanes of salvation are called a tree of life Prov. 15. 4. and Revel 22. 2 14. But all this
do with a wicked mind for an evill end God turns it to the contrary brings good out of it Iosephs bretheren intended his hurt destruction in selling him for a slave God turned it to his honour and to the saving of them and much people alive Gen. 50. 20. Pharoh rose to magnifie himselfe against God and his people God so ruled and directed his rage and furie that hee shewed his power in him and magnified his name in all the Earth by turning Pharaoh's fiercenesse to his owne praise and glory and to Pharaoh's destruction Exod. 9. 16. The Iewes out of malice and envie crucified and murdered Christ God out of his death raised life and made his death which they devised for his shame and ignominy a glorious triumph over the Divell and all the powers of darknesse and a way to exaltation Act. 2. 23. They hardened their hearts to persecute the Apostles and to drive the Preachers of the Gospell out of their land and to quench the light thereof God turned this their hardnesse and fall to the salvation of the Gentiles for by this meanes the Gospell came to bee preached in all nations Rom. 11. 11. Wicked heretiques raise up heresies to corrupt Gods Church and God so orders their doings that they who are approved are thereby made manifest and come to shine as lights in the midst of a perverse generation 1 Cor. 11. 19. Pauls troubles and persecutions were intended for the overthrow of the Gospell God made them fall out to the furtherance of it Phil. 1. 12. The Philistines invaded the land of Israel with purpose to doe mischiefe to Israel and to wast their land but God directed this motion of their hearts and by his providence appointed it as a meanes to recall Saul from pursuing David when hee had inclosed him on every side and so saved him to bee a Saviour of Israel and a destroyer of the Philistines 1 Sam. 23. 27 28. Secondly God governs the World and all things therein by cohibition that is restraining and hindering the actions and motions of creatures in his wisedome and by his power when hee thinks it fit Hee with-held Abimelech from touching Sarah Abrahams wife that hee might not sin and staine himselfe ignorantly Gen. 20. 6. Hee suffered not the destroyer of the first borne in Egypt to enter into the house of any of the Israelites Exod. 12. 23. Hee kept back the waters of Jordan from running downward so that it was dryed for Israel to passe over on foote Iosh. 3. Hee restraineth the influences of Heaven and the clouds from raine and makes the Heavens as brasse and the Earth as iron for the punishment of wicked transgressors and rebellious people Deut. 28. 13. Iob 26. 8. and 38. 31. Hee bringeth the counsell of the heathen to nought and maketh the devices of the people of none effect Psalme 33. 10. Hee withheld Laban from his evill purpose of hurting Iacob Gen. 31. 42. And his terrour restrained the Cities round about so that they pursued not after Iacobi Sons to take revenge on them for the slaying of the Shechemites Gen. 35. 5. And by his Spirit he forbad Paul and his companions to preach the Gospell in Asia Act. 16. 6. In a word as hee doth by a generall governing order all things universally and all events even the heavens the Earth the Seas Winter Summer and all seasons of the yeare men and beasts and makes an harmony and concord among things which are contrarie tempering moderating and keeping them in their proper places and doth set up and pull downe Kingdomes states Dan. 2. 37. and 4. 25. So hee rules every singular creature and every singular event turning harvest dayes into a tempestuous time of thunder and raine as when hee terrified Israel to shew them their sin in asking a King 1 Sam. 12. 16. So that wee need no further proofe of this point Let that which is before said and proved suffice to shew how God by a generall way of providence actually disposeth all things to the manifestation of his glory The speciall way by which God manifesteth his glory is by working things and by ordering ruling and disposing them to the revealing of his glory more specially in the salvation of his elect in Christ which divines doe call his speciall providence This providence God exerciseth by his Son Christ as hee is the Mediatour Redeemer Saviour King and Head of the Church universall and by his Spirit sent forth in the name of Christ and shed on the elect aboundantly through him in their regeneration This consists and sheweth it selfe in all the gracious benefits and blessings which God bestoweth upon men for salvation and in the judgements which hee executeth on his enemies the wicked by which hee delivereth his Church out of their cruell bloody persecuting and oppressing hands and doth magnifie and declare his justice and power and more fully reveale and communicate himselfe to them for their greater blessednesse The briefe Description of this speciall providence which I conceive to bee most plaine is That it is Gods exercise of his wisedome power iustice mercy and all his goodnesse in executing his speciall decree of predestination by which hee ordained all the elect both Angels and men to eternall blessednesse and all the rest to eternall distruction and withall did decree all the meanes which serve and tend to bring every one of them to their sevreall ends and by which in the time appointed they are all brought to their decreed end according to his eternall purpose and the counsell of his will In the large prosecution of this point of Gods speciall providence wee have just occasion offered to lay open all the rest of the great works of God which fall within the compasse of the Divine art of sacred Divinity For they all are contained under these two maine heads to wit 1 The meanes which serve for the effecting and obtaining of the utmost end of reasonable creatures unto which God hath ordained them 2. The end it selfe the manifestation of his glory more specially in the eternall blessednesse of his elect which blessednesse doth consist in the eternall fruition of God in all his glory and the sense thereof is exceedingly increased by their beholding of the eternall misery and destruction of the ungodly their escape and deliverance from which whole they consider and remember their joy and rejoycing shall bee doubled For in all wise providence there is a good end purposed intended and decreed and a provident ordaining ordering and actuall disposing of the meanes which are necessary for the obtaining and effecting of that end and therefore the speciall providence of God who is most wise and provident infinite in goodnesse and power must needs bee exercised in doing the most excellent workes and in ordering and disposing them according to his eternall counsell and decree to the best and most excellent end of all which is the fourth and last