it is much defaced and deformed in all parts and in some parts quite abolished and is now stiled the likenesse of corruptible man Rom. 1. 23. and the likenesse of sinfull flesh Rom 8. 3. and the forme of a servant and likenesse of fraile men even as it was in Christ Phil. 2. 7. But the image of God in Christ is immutable neither our sins which hee bare nor all our infirmities nor the Divell nor the World nor all the powers of darknesse nor the curse of the law which hee was made in his death nor the wrath of God and the agonies with which hee wrastled in his agony both in the time of his bloody sweat and on the crosse when hee cryed out My God why hast thou forsaken me could deface or impaire that spirituall and supernaturall image of true righteousnesse and holinesse which was stamped on his humanity and in which it was framed by the holy Ghost but over all those enemies and powers hee triumphed even upon the Crosse Colos. 2. 15. and in his cursed death hee offered up himselfe a sacrifice most pure holy and without spot Heb. 9. 14. so that his holinesse was no whit stained nor Gods spirituall image in him defaced or diminished And as this spirituall image could not bee diminished in Christ the second Adam our head so it is indeleble and cannot bee defaced in any of his members truely regenerate and united to him by the same spirit but it dayly increaseth in them and they are transformed into it from glory to glory by his Spirit in them which is stronger and greater then the Divell the Spirit of malice which is in the World and rules in the children of disobedience For the Spirit seales them up unto the day of redemption Ephes. 4. 30. And they cannot sin by apoâ—acy and fall into infidelity and impenitency 1 Ioh. 3. 9. because the seed of God abideth in them Thirdly the image of God in the first Adam was most perfect at the first for hee was created perfect with naturall perfection and the naturall image of God was never so perfect in any of his naturall sons as it was in him at the first And as it decayed and was defaced in him by his fall so in all of his posterity who are Gods elect it gives place to the better image of Christ And in his Sons who are reprobates it shall bee utterly abolished at last and changed into the image of the Divell when they shall bee punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his power 2 Thess. 1. 9. But the image of God in the second Adam is at the first in the least measure like a graine of mustard seed and still it increaseth till at last it commeth to fulnesse and perfection in glory In Christ our head it was not so cleare nor so full at the first being ecclipsed with our infirmities but that hee did grow up in wisedome and stature and favour with God and men Luk 2. 52. and so this image increased in him and hee was more and more full of the holy Ghost till at length hee was perfected with glory And so likewise in the state of grace it daily increaseth in all the true members of Christ till they come to glory and beare the heavenly image of Christ and attaine to the fulnesse of him as appeares Rom. 12. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 18. and 4. 16 Ephes. 4. 13 16. Coloss. 3. 10. 2 Pet. 3. 18. 〈◊〉 Fourthly the image of God in Adam consisted onely in such gifts and endowments as made him a perfect naturall man capable of an earthly felicity It did not enable him to search into the heavenly things of God nor make him partaker of heavenly glory But the image of God in Christ consists of spirituall gifts and supernaturall graces which doe enable a man to search into the deepe things of God which never entered into the heart of Adam in innocency 1 Cor. 3. 9 10. or of any meere naturall man and which doe make him fit to see God and to inherite the Kingdome of heaven 1 Cor. 15. 50. and Hebr. 12. 14. The image of God in which Adam was created did consist chiefely of originall righteousnesse which was but a perfect naturall uprightnesse and conformity of his reason understanding will and affections to the will and law of God made knowne to him in the creation and also in the perfect frame and disposition of his body and of all parts thereof by which they were most apt and ready to follow his upright reason will and affections in all things and to move and worke accordingly and the Scriptures attribute no more to man while hee bare that image in the creation but onely that God made man upright Eccles. 7. verse last this was the height and perfection of that image But the image of God in Christ the second Adam containes in it the righteousnesse and holinesse of truth Ephes. 4. 24. that is a righteousnesse wrought in us by the holy Ghost and a true holinesse and holy conformity to God which cannot faile and deceive and which doth elevate and lift us up to heavenly felicity and the eternall fruition of God The image of God in which Adam was made was but the uprightnesse of servants and conformity to the will of God commanding as Lord and Creatour under paine of death Gen. 2. 17. But the image of God in Christ is the image of Sons and Children not onely adopted to God in Christ but also begotten and borne of Gods immortall seed even his Spirit and made partakers of the divine nature Ioh. 3. 5. Gal. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 23. and 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Lastly the image of God in which Adam was made did not in the greatest perfection of it give that fulnesse and sufficiency of contentment which might settle his resolution never to desire more for hee out of a desire to know more and to bee like God in knowing good and evill was easily tempted and drawne by the Serpent to eat of the forbidden fruite But the image of God in Christ the second Adam gives such solid content to Gods people even here in this fraile life in the state of grace where they have it but in part that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor anguish persecution perill or sword can make them willing to forgoe it for any other hope and in the full perfection of it after the last resurrection it brings fulnesse of joy contentment and satisfaction and fils men up with the fulnesse of God Psalme 16. 11. and 17. 15. Rom 8. 35. Ephes. 3. 19. Now these things which I have here laid downe by way of plaine Doctrine concerning the true meaning of the words image and likenesse and the difference betweene the image of God in which the first Adam was created and the image of God in the
death is seventy sevens of yeares Daniel 9. that is 490. yeares all which make 3960. yeares from the creation Now from Christs death which was in the 33. yeare of his age or 33. after his birth it is in this present yeare 1623. the full number of 1590. yeares which being added to 3960. before Christs death make from the creation 5550. yeares Now this computation of yeares together with the clearing of the former question may serve First to discover unto us divers waies the admirable providence of God in that he doth so order all things that the time of the incarnation of Christ the second Adam should fall in the same moneth with the creation of the first Adam and the day of redemption from sinne and death should be the same day of the week and of the moneth with the day of Adams falling into sin and bringing all mankind into bondage to hell and death And that in the holy Scriptures which were written by holy men of God in severall ages the true computation of times and yeares should be put upon record and reserved and kept safe through all ages untill this day in the midst of so many dangers and among so many alterations and changes which have happened in the world Surely he who is so provident in ordering the circumstance of times and preserving the records of them even his holy Oracles when the Nation of Jewes to whom they were committed in trust is cast off and scattered over all the earth will much more keep his promises and fulfill all prophecies and predictions every one in the set time and season which he hath appointed Secondly this exact record of times and of the very moneth of the creation and of the redemption serves to confirme us in the verity and truth of those things which are written concerning the beginning and creation of the world and the redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ comming in the exact fulnesse of time to redeem the world according to Gods promises when severall witnesses or writers who never conferred nor consulted one with another doe agree in their relations not only in the maine matters but in the circumstances of time also no man can have any least pretence or colour of doubting And thus doe the writers of the holy Scriptures who lived in severall ages they exactly agree in the histories of creation and redemption even to the circumstances of times the very daies and moneths wherein they were performed And therefore let us firmly beleeve them and rest on the truth of them for we have sure grounds of beleeving but not any pretence or colour of doubting Thirdly hereby it is made manifest that the world being created in time and onely so long ago as is before shewed was made onely for us and for our benefit who live under time and not for the eternall God to adde any good or any blessednesse to him who was all-sufficient and most blessed in himselfe from all eternity and both could and would have made the world millions of yeares before if it might have been profitable to himselfe Wherefore let us hereby be stirred up to use the world as a gift and as talents given to us by God to be well imployed and study to honour him by all worldly things created Fourthly hereby we may justly be moved to admire the eternity of God when we see the whole time of the world to be but 5550. yeares which are before him but as 5. daies and an halfe For a thousand yeares with him are but as one day 2 Pet. 3. 8. Wherefore as holy David when hee compared Gods eternity with the temporary being of the heavens and the earth and their inclining to decay and changes like a vesture and wearing garment did admire Gods infinite and eternall Majesty So let us all be after the same manner affected with reverence of God and admiration of his eternity when we compare the ages of the world even the longest of them the thousands of yeares since the creation to be but as so many daies with the Lord who liveth and abideth the same for ever The fourth thing in this Text is the object and effect of Gods first worke of creation to wit the heavens and the earth First the Heavens come to be considered together with the creatures here comprehended under that name and that these things may more plainly appeare to our understanding we must first search and sift out the true sense and signification of the word Heaven in this Text and then come to the instructions which doe thence naturally arise The name by which it hath pleased the Spirit of God in this place to call the Heavens is in the Originall Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shamajim concerning the signification and Etymologie whereof the learned much differ among themselves Some make it a compound of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth there and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth waters because above in the aire which is the lowest and nearest heaven and in the clouds water is engendered and in showres distills from thence Some compound it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is fire and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waters because the heavens seem to be made of both the Sun Moon and Starres resemble fire and the rest of the heavens resemble calme and still waters Some derive this name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies astonishment because if a man doe stedfastly behold and consider either the glory or the wonderfull height and compasse of the heavens they are things which will dazle his eyes and make his heart astonished But the best derivation of the word which is grounded upon the best reasons is that which some late Writers have observed to wit that it is derived of the simple Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth there and is never used but when we speake of being in a place which is remote and distant from us For as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies the place present so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies a place remote and distant from us and the being of things there in that place Now the heavens are the utmost and most remote place from the earth which is set in the middle and about the center of the round world and upon which men doe live in this world Therefore this derivation doth agree very aptly to the heavens Secondly of a place which is most excellent wee are wont to say There there is the best being and in a kind of vehement and affectionate speech we use to double the word And heaven is the most excellent place and therefore the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of the duall number and signifies as much as There there or there double is most fitly derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there Thirdly the heavens are divided most properly into two heavens
according to his inferiour part the body of dust which is a created substance better then nothing of which the Angels were made and yet the Angels in nature far excell man Therefore mans creation of dust doth not prove him to bee so fraile a creature seeing God gave him such an excellent forme To this I answer that to bee created immediatly of nothing is in it selfe a more excellent worke and shewes greater power then to bee made of a meane inferiour matter For when things are said to bee created of nothing the meaning is not that they are made of nothing as of a matter but that they are made of no matter at all but have their whole being from God and his infinite power and so may bee if God will most excellent But when man is said to be formed of dust the meaning is that dust is a part of his substance even the matter of which hee consists and that his body according to the matter is a dusty earthy substance and his Soul though a spirituall substance created of nothing yet dwelling in that body is an inhabitant of an earthly Tabernacle and house of clay founded in the dust Secondly though the frame of mans body is in it selfe most excellent and surpasseth all bodily formes and his Soul is a spirituall substance endowed with reason yet all these were of mutable excellency in the best naturall estate of innocency and could not continue in that excellency but by dependance upon God and cleaving fast to him and by his hand and power sustaining them continually which by promise hee was not bound to doe in that estate And therefore wee may truly gather from the matter of which God formed mans body that hee was in his best naturall being in respect of his body but a dusty substance such as might returne to dust by falling off from God by sin and disobedience yea undoubtedly as God in framing man his chiefest visible creature of dust intended to shew his wisedome and power and to glorifie his goodnesse so also hee teacheth man thereby his owne naturall frailty and mutability how unable hee is of himselfe to abide in honour and excellency And this hee shewes most plainely Gen. 3. 19. where hee saith to man alluding to his creation Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Wee have also an excellent argument to this purpose Iob 14. 18 19. and 15. 15. where the Lord is said to charge his Angels with folly and to lay no trust in his servants and the heavens are not cleare in his sight how much lesse can hee find steadfastnesse in men who dwell in houses of clay which have their foundation in the dust that is seeing the heavenly spirits are not immutably pure in Gods sight but some of the Angels hath God charged with folly to wit such as did fall and to the rest hee hath added supernaturall light of his Spirit and so hath made them Saints immutably holy much lesse is man immutably pure and steadfast by nature whose better part the Soul is by creation made to dwell in an house of clay a body made of dust To this purpose serve those Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles which compare man in his first creation to clay in the hand of the potter Ier. 18. 9. Rom. 9. 21 which affirme that the first Adam was of the Earth earthy 1 Cor. 15 47. that is in his first creation hee was of an earthy and dusty substance First this serves by discovering unto man his frailty and mutability in his best naturall being to humble every man in his owne eyes and to make him lowly and to withdraw his heart from pride and all high conceipts of any worth in himselfe and to teach us all to ascribe all the unchangable purity which wee finde in ourselves and all our steadfastnesse to the free grace of God in Christ and not to any power of our owne free will or to the excellency of our naturall frame and being If man in his first creation and best naturall being was but of earth and dust an earthy and dusty creature and before that death entered into the World while hee had yet power of free will to obey God and to depend on him was mutable and might fall into sin and disobedience and by sin might bring and did bring death upon himselfe and all his posterity how much more now in the state of nature corrupted is every Son of man a very masse of corruption and frailty yea vanity and abominable filthinesse who drinketh iniquity like water as it is written Iob 15. 16. Wherefore Let no man glory in any naturall power or prerogative nor hope to stand by his owne strength much lesse to merit or purchase by any works of nature or power of free will the least grace supernaturall which tends to bring him to heavenly happinesse and glory unchangeable For man as hee is flesh and blood that is an earthly creature cannot possibly come to inherite the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. Secondly this discovers the madnesse and desperate blindnesse of Pelagians and Papists who teach that a man by the right use of his naturall power and free-will may procure spirituall grace from God and even the Spirit of regeneration and faith working by love by which hee may merit and purchase to himselfe eternall life and heavenly glory and felicity as a just and condigne reward of his works If Angels cannot bee made steadfast and trusty without supernaturall light added to them much lesse can earthy man who by sin is become filthy and abominable worke out his owne salvation by meriting and purchasing the heavenly reward Oh let us all hate and abhorre all such conceipts which wholly tend to the frustrating and evacuating of Christs merits and satisfaction and to make them seeme vaine and needlesse Be not deceived God is not mocked they who sow such tares and feed like swine on the huskes of their owne works and on things which nature teacheth they are enemies to the grace of God which is given onely in Iesus Christ and together with him by communion of his Spirit After the creation of mans Body of dust immediatly followes the creation of his Soule which is to bee understood in these words And breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life and man was a living Soule For no sooner was mans body brought into frame but God breathed into him the breath of life that is caused him to breathe with the breath of life even those vitall spirits which are the band of union by which the Soule is united to the body and in the first instant wherein he created the vitall spirits he also created the spiritual substance of his Soule in his body immediatly of nothing by his omnipotent hand Some are opinion that mans Soule was first created a Spirit subsisting by it selfe before his body was formed and when the body was formed a
fit subject for it then instantly God infused it into the body and by it did give life and breath to the body Some thinke that the body was formed and the Soule in the same instant created together with it as Damascene lib. 2. de fide cap. 12. Aquinas and others And Cyrill thinks that Gods breathing into mans face the breath of life was the infusion of the holy Ghost into man and that man in the creation had the holy Spirit given to dwell in him and was sanctified and endowed with supernaturall grace and holinesse Some thinke that Gods breathing into mans nosthrils was his inspiring into man a reasonable Soule as a part of himselfe so Rabby Moses Maymonides But by breathing into mans face I doe not understand any materiall breathing or blast but that God in causing breath of life to breathe through mans nosthrils did withall create the Soule in the body and by meanes of this reasonable Soule created in the body and united to the body by vitall spirits and breath man became a living Soule that is a living reasonable creature living onely a perfect naturall not an holy spirituall life The Apostle expounds these words in this Sense 1 Cor. 15. and doth make this a maine difference betweene the first man Adam and Christ the second Adam that the first Adam was onely a naturall Man endowed with a naturall living Soule but to be a quickning Spirit that is to bee sanctified by the holy Ghost and endowed with spirituall life is proper to Christ in his creation for in him the Spirit dwelt from his first conception Hence wee learne That the image of God in which mans was created was onely naturall and did consist in naturall gifts which naturally flow from his reasonable Soule and not in any supernaturall gifts of the holy Ghost as true holinesse and the like The words of Saint Paul last before named doe fully prove this I will here onely adde one strong Reason and invincible argument to prove it fully And that is drawne from the mutability of man in the creation and from his fall by which Gods image was defaced in him For it is most certaine that hee who hath in him that image of God which consists in true holinesse and in spirituall and supernaturall gifts hee is not mutable nor subject to fall away because hee hath the holy Ghost dwelling in him who is greater then he that dwels in the World 1 Ioh. 4. that is then the Divell who worketh powerfully in the children of disobedience For all true holinesse and all spirituall graces are the proper worke of the holy Ghost dwelling in man as all the Scriptures testifie But Adam in innocency and honour lodged not therein one night Psalme 49. 12. The Divell at the first onset gave him the foile in his greatest strength of nature and best estate which Divell with all his temptations and all the powers of darknesse and spirituall wickednesses the little ones of Christs flocke doe overcome by the power of the holy Ghost and his graces which they have in their fraile earthen vessels Therefore the image of God in which man was created was naturall onely This discovers Gods goodnesse free grace and bounty beyond all measure and all conceipt and comprehension of humane reason in that it shewes how God by mans fall malice and corruption which made him a slave of Hell and Death did take occasion to bee more kind and bountifull to man and to shew more love and goodnesse to him by repairing the ruines of his fall and renuing him after a better image then that which hee gave him in the creation and making him better after his sin and fall then hee was before in the state of innocency when hee had of himselfe no inclination to any sin or evill and bringing him to grace spirituall in Christ and to an image which cannot bee defaced and to a state firme and unchangable when wee rightly consider these things wee have no cause to murmur at Gods voluntary suffering of man to fall from his estate which was perfect and pure naturall but rather to rejoyce in God and to blesse his name and to magnifie his goodnesse for turning his fall to our higher rising and exaltation and lifting us up by Christ from hell and misery to heavenly glory which never fadeth and to a state spirituall and supernaturall not subject to change and alteration Secondly this Doctrine overthrowes the foundation and false ground upon which Papists and Pelagians doe build and seeke to establish their false and erroneous opinion concerning the apostasie of the Saints regenerate and their falling from supernaturall grace and Iosing the Spirit of regeneration which errour they seeke to establish by this argument Because Adam in innocency had the holy Ghost shed on him and was endued with spirituall and supernaturall gifts of holinesse from which hee did fall by sin and transgression But here wee see there is no such matter Adams image was onely naturall uprightnesse not spirituall supernaturall and true holinesse Hee was but a perfect naturall Man and a living Soule Christ the second Adam onely is called the quickning Spirit because through him onely God sheds the holy Ghost on men and hence it is that though Adam did fall away from his estate which was onely naturall yet the Saints regenerate and called to the state of grace in Christ can never fall away totally nor finally into apostacy because they have the seed of God even the holy Ghost dwelling and abiding in them CHAP. XIII Of the womans creation in particular How without her all was not good Woman not made to be a servant Of giving names to the creatures No creature but woman a meet companion for man Vses Of the rib whereof woman was made Of Adams deepe sleepe Five Points thence collected Of Gods bringing Eve to Adam and two Points thence Of Adams accepting Eve for his wife and calling her bone c. w 〈…〉 h divers points thence Of their nakednesse demonstrating the perfection of the creation GEn. 2. 18 19 20 21. And the Lord said It is not good that the man should be alone I will make an helpe meet for him And every beast and every fowle God brought to Adam to see what hee would call them c. And Adam gave names to them all but for Adam there was not found an helpe meet for him And the Lord God caused a deepe sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he tooke one of his ribs and made it a Woman and brought her to the Man c. These words and the rest which follow in this Chapter containe a particular description of the creation of the Woman which before was touched generally and summarily Chap. 1. 27. in these words Male and female created hee them In this History of the Womans creation wee may observe three speciall things First the preparation to it or the antecedents
so much that in the state of innocency lyons and other ravenous beasts did live on grasse and no creatures did hurt one another as Isa. 11. 6 7. and 65. 21. where the Prophet describing the aboundance of peace which shall bee in the Church in the most flourishing and happy times of the Gospell and setting it forth by the state of innocency faith that the Wolfe and the Lambe the Leopard and the Kid the young Lyon Calfe and Fatling and the Cow and the Reare shall dwell and feed and lye downe together and the Lyon shall eat grasse or strâ—w like an Oxe or Bullocke and they shall not hurt nor destroy in all Gods holy mountaine that is men shall not kill and eat up beasts nor beasts one another And indeed it is most manifest that death eutered into the World by sin and mans fall Gen. 2. 17. and death came upon all by mans sin Rom. 5. 12. and that the corruption vanity and confusion which is among the creatures did proceed and issue from the same roote Rom. 8. 20. And they had never groaned under the killing knife and slaughter if man had not sinned and brought them into that subjection to vanity This shewes that mans estate wherein God created him was a most sweet and happy estate full of ioy peace delight and contentment and man had no want nor any thing which hee could dislike but all meanes to make him thankfull to God and joyfull before him The meat and food of man and of all living creatures was such as the earth brought forth in aboundance by Gods blessing without labour they needed not to seeke it by toile and travell it was plentifull every where and they had variety of all things which might give them content there was no death not so much as of a creeping thing no hurt nor killing no crying nor groaning under vexation no coveting snatching and ravening every creature had enough And yet man by Satans temptation aspired higher and so did fall into want misery and bondage to death His fall was of the Divell and his owne selfe God gave no just occasion And therefore wee cannot now under this corruption expect any steadfast satisfaction and contentment in this World now over-runne with confusion nor in any worldly thing Let us abhorre our owne unsatiable desires and watch over our wandring lusts and strive to keepe them under lest they make us further stray from the right wayes of God and plunge us deepe into perdition Secondly this serves to shew that with Gods favour and blessing and to man sober temperate and of a good constitution the herbes corne and fruits of the Earth and trees are a satisfying nourishment for this present life It is not fish nor flesh nor all the dainties and forced dishes of the World which can so nourish and strengthen a man as herbes and fruit could have nourished our first parents in innocency It is not therefore by bread or any strong meat that any man can live or doth live but by the word which cometh from the mouth of God by that mans meat is blessed to him and made a refreshing nourishing and living food unto him Thirdly in that all herbes bearing seed and all trees yeelding fruite are here said to bee given by God as fit meat to nourish man and all greene herbe or grasse to other creatures Hence wee learne that all fruits of all trees and all herbes bearing seed were wholesome meat for man and all greene grasse to beasts in the state of innocency All poison and unwholesome quality taste and smell in herbes plants trees and grasse which hurt man or beast came into the World by sin and are bitter fruits of mans fall and transgression and of the curse which his disobedience brought upon the earth For all whatsoever God made was good in it selfe and evill and hurtfull to none And if all herbes trees and grasse had not beene good wholesome and pleasant God would not have given them for meat to man or any living creature The consideration of this point is of good use to keepe us from murmuring and grudging against God as if hee had created the poison of herbes and unwholesomnesse of fruits upon which men and other creatures surfeit even unto death and destruction So osten as wee see any such thing happen and come to passe or discerne any ill quality taste and smell in herbes and unsufficiency in fruits and herbes to nourish and see living creatures killed and their flesh eaten for necessity of mans nourishment let it put us in minde and remembrance of our sin and fall in our first Parents from that integrity wherein wee and all other things were created Let us bee ashamed of our disobedience which makes the ground cursed unto us Let the groanes of beasts slaine for us and their bloud shed and poured out with strugling and with cryes and sighes Let the sowrenesse of wilde grapes the loathsome smell and bitternesse of some herbes and fruits and the poison of some plants all and every one smite us with the sight of our naturall corruption and make us loath our sinnes and sigh and groane under the burden of them and labour to subdue corruptions and put away our sinnes by repentance The fourth thing which I have propounded to bee considered after the creation of man is the place of his habitation in the state of integrity that is described by Moses in the second Chapter from the seventh verse to the sixteenth And the Lord God planted a garden Eastward in Eden and there hee put the mankind which hee had formed 9. And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree pleasant to sight and good for food the tree of life in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evill 10. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden and from thence it was parted and became into fower heads c. In the description as it is here laid downe by Moses wee may observe two maine things The first that God beforehand provided a place of pleasant habitation and of exercise for mankind and so soone as the male and female were formed he placed them therein This is plainely affirmed Verse 8. where it is said God planted a garden and Verse 15. God put man into it to dresse and keepit The second is a plaine description of the place in the 8. Verse and so along to the 15. Verse In the description it selfe wee may observe divers notable things First that the place of mans habitation was most pleasant a garden that is a plot of ground chosen out for pleasure and fruitfulnesse planted and beautified with all both goodly and fruitfull trees and plants Secondly that it was chosen and planted by God himselfe and prepared and made ready for man that so soone as they were formed hee and the Woman might bee put into it Thirdly that this
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
there is no helpe in them Psalme 146. 3. and that of the Prophet Ieremie Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme Ier. 17. 5. Secondly though there happen many changes and great confusion in the World yet let us here take notice that they come not by chance and allwayes acknowledge that they are in the will and power of God and are ordered and disposed by his over-ruling wisedome If to the wicked enemies and persecutors of Gods Church changes come for worse to their confusion and overturning of their power let us see Gods hand therein and let us give him the praise for working our deliverance and avenging our cause on our enemies If changes come to our selves and our peace bee turned into trouble and danger let us humble our selves as under Gods hand If our adversity bee turned into prosperity let God have all the thankes If wee see just cause to feare great changes in Church or State let us flie to God for helpe strength courage and patience and betake our selves to his protection that wee may rest safely under the shadowes of his wings The third point of doctrine which wee may observe from the Spirit of God moving upon the waters cherishing and fitting the unformed masse to receive a perfect being and perfect formes of visible creatures doth shew the concord and perfect similitude which is between the worke of creation by which God formed all things by his word and Spirit and the worke of restauration and redemption of mankind by which he reformes them by Christ and by his Spirit and brings them to supernaturall perfection and blessednesse As in the creation God by his Spirit cherishing the rude masse did prepare and fit every part thereof to receive a perfect forme and naturall being so in the restoring of man kind being deprived of his image and deformed God doth by his Word and by his Spirit shed on us through Christ regenerate renue reforme and prepare us for the fruition of himselfe and doth fit and prepare us for supernaturall perfection and blessednesse As in Ezechiels vision the wind from God did move and shake the drie bones scattered upon the face of the earth and fitted them by flesh and skinne to receive life and to stand up living men in perfect strength and stature So by the word and Spirit of God men dead and rotten in sinnes and sinfull corruption are by the Spirit of God breathed through Christ renued after his image and fitted by the life of grace for the eternall life of glory Ezech. 37. The Spirit of God as our Saviour testifieth is like the wind which bloweth where it listeth it is hee which doth frame us after Gods image in our new birth Ioh. 3. 5 8. and fits us for the Kingdome of glory Wee are as farre from God and from Christ and as void of his image and of all Spirituall life as the rude masse was of all forme in the first creation untill the Spirit of God bee given to us in Christ to dwell in us and renue us as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 8. 9. 13. Ephes. 2. 18. 22. and Tit. 3. 5. 6. Wherefore as wee desire to be made like unto Christ in the image of glory and to see and enjoy God in his heavenly Kingdom where all fulnesse of perfection and blessednesse is to bee found So let us by the consideration of this Doctrine bee stirred up to thirst after the river of the water of life even the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost and never rest satisfied till wee feele within us the testimony of the Spirit of Christ witnessing with our Spirits that wee are the children of God and till wee feele our selves sanctified throughout both in soule and body and holinesse engraven upon our hearts without which none can see God Secondly seeing the Spirit of God is he who prepares men for supernaturall perfection and there is no communion to be had with Christ nor participation of his merits and saving benefits to salvation except men have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and of profane and carnall sons of Adam making them holy and spirituall sons of God Let us not count it any shame or reproach to us that profane mockers of these last times doe in mockery and derision call us spirituall men who ascribe all good motions which are in us to the Spirit of God dwelling in us directing us in all our wayes We doe not deny but that all Enthusiasts and other men of fanaticall Spirit doe most profanely and sacrilegiously Father their owne fansies and lustfull motions on the Spirit of God and therein deserve reproach and derision but let men take heed that they doe not by loathing their hypocrisie and arrogancy runne into Atheisme and blasphemous impiety by rejecting and denying the Spirits dwelling in all Gods regenerate children working in them all saving graces and moving them to walke in the holy wayes of God which lead unto supernaturall perfection and eternall blessednesse For most certaine it is that as the first rude matter of the visible World was sustained and cherished by the Spirit of God moving upon the face of it and was not otherwise able to subsist or to bee formed into divers creatures every one made perfect in their kind with naturall perfection so the perfect stabilitie of man in an happie unchangable estate yea the perfection of the visible World made for mans use is the work of the holy Ghost uniting man to to God in Christ and gathering and reconciling all things unto God in him who is the head over all Although man and all creatures as appeares in the last verse of this Chapter were created every one good and perfect in his kind with naturall perfection yet man the chiefe and the Lord of them all having not as yet the holy Ghost shed on him through Christ as all the regenerate and faithfull have was mutable and in that honourable estate of innocency hee did not stand and abide but did full from it very quickly after that the Woman was created and given to him as wee read Chap. 3. yea hee did not lodge one night therein Psalme 49. 12. and by Mans sinfull fall and corruption the whole frame of the visible World was made subject to vanity and groaneth under it as under an intolerable burden and with earnest longing waiteth for deliverance and restitution to an higher estate in the glorious libertie of the sons of God Rom. 8. 19. 20. And although the eternall Word the Son of God had undertaken for man in the eternall counsell of the blessed Trinitie and did step in to mediate for man and in the first promise made upon mans fall was proclaimed to bee the onely and all-sufficient Redeemer and was fully exhibited in the flesh and became a perfect Redeemer in his death and resurrection so that in him is plenteous redemption and matter sufficient to merit more then
man lost by sin even heavenly glory and immortality yet all this profits nothing without the work of the Spirit Christ with all his sufferings and obedience unto death and all his righteousnesse and fullfilling of the law are as a Fountaine sealed up and treasures hid and locked up in darknesse so that none can partake of him or them for redemption and salvation without communion of the holy Ghost which God in our regeneration doth shed on us aboundantly through Christ. This Spirit dwelling in Christ and the faithfull makes them one mysticall body with Christ sons and heires of God makes his satisfaction their ransome for actuall redemption and reconciliation and his righteousnes their righteousnes for justification This Spirit also doth renue them after the image of God and transformes them into the image of Christ in all holinesse that they may bee fit to see and enjoy God and thus hee brings them to the fruition of perfect blessednesse and to the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which never fadeth And Gods blessings are through Christs mediation poured out upon all creatures for their sakes And hereupon it is that all gifts and graces which tend to make men perfect and unchangably blessed are ascribed to the Spirit as wisedome knowledge faith hope love meekenesse patience courage strength prayer and in a word all holinesse and perfection and whensoever God is said to give any of these gifts to men in an effectuall and saving manner and measure hee is said to give them the Spirit of grace wisedome zeale and supplication as appeares Isa. 11. 2. Zach. 12. 10. Yea common illumination and all extraordinary supernaturall gifts which are given to unregenerate reprobates for the revealing of Christ as the gift of prophecie to Balaam and Saul and the change of heart in Saul from cowardly pusillanimity to fortitude and magnanimity the gift of miracles to Iudas also illumination tast of the heavenly gift joy in the holy Word of God given to backsliders Heb. 6. are the worke of the holy Ghost assisting them and inspiring them from without for the Churches good not inwardly dwelling and working in them for their owne salvation Wherefore let us count it no reproach that wee have no hope of being in an happy and blessed estate no assurance that wee are in the way to perfection till wee feele the Spirit of God dwelling and working in us moving our hearts and conforming us to the image of Christ and that wee rejoyce in this and this is our glorying that wee are not carnall but spirituall They who think it enough for the obtaining of perfection and salvation to know beleeve and professe that in Christ there is as sufficient matter of satisfaction for the redeeming of all mankind as there was in the rude masse without forme matter enough for the whole visible World and all creatures therein doe much deceive themselves for many who know and beleeve all this doe perish and none are saved or perfected by Christ but onely they who are by the Spirit dwelling in them united to Christ and regenerated and renued after his image This Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance and witnesseth to us our adoption hee makes us new creatures and a free willing people hee sanctifieth us to bee an holy Temple for himselfe to dwell in purgeth out sinfull corruption mortifieth the deeds of the flesh so that sin cannot reigne in our mortall bodies There is one thing more which I may not passe over here in silence to wit that this text doth prove plainely that the Spirit of God the third person in the Trinity is one and the same God with the Father and the Son of the same uncreated nature and substance the almighty Creatour and Preserver of all things in heaven and in earth visible and invisible To sustaine a rude matter without forme and void and to make it subsist is a worke of power farre above the power of any thing created and to compasse and comprehend the whole matter and masse of the visible World and to assist and cherish by present vertue every part thereof at once is a strong argument and plaine proofe of divine and infinite power and omnipotency proper to Iehovah the one onely true God and all this is here testified of the Spirit of God in these words and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters that is as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merachepheth and here used in the originall signifieth did sit upon and cherish that mightie masse as an Hen doth sit upon and cherish her egges that they may bee formed into chickens Therefore the Spirit of God is here proved to bee one and the same God with the Father and the Son and the almighty Creatour former and preserver of the whole World and all things therein To which purpose the Scriptures also speake fully in other places where the heavens and the host of them are said to bee made by the Word and Spirit of God as Psalme 33. 6. and that when God sends out his Spirit things are created as Psalme 104. 30. and that God by his Spirit garnished the heavens Iob 26. 13. and that hee is present by his preserving and sustaining power in all places Psalme 139. 7. which places prove the Spirit of God to bee Iehovah the Creatour and Former of all things and the true God in whom wee all live move and have our being This point which I have proved and confirmed by many other strong arguments already in my discourse of the Trinitie as it discovers the desperate malice impudency and Atheisme of the Remonstrants the Disciples of Socinus and Arminius who call into question the Deitie of the holy Ghost and his unitie with the Father and the Son and his right to bee prayed unto and worshipped with Divine worship so it is of singular comfort to the faithfull whose bodies are Temples of the holy Ghost in that it assures them that God is their portion and dwells in them and they are begotten of his seed in regeneration and are partakers of the Divine nature and heaven is their inheritance CHAP. VI. Of the first dayes worke What the light was What it is God said Let there be light How be called the light day and the darkenesse night Of a day naturall and civill That the night was before the day How a day was before the Sunne was Prerogatives of the first day VErs 3 4 5. And God said Let there be light and there was light And God saw the light that it was good And God divided the light from the darknesse And God called the light day and the darknesse hee called night and the evening and the morning were the first day After that darknesse had continued upon the face of the deep and the whole matter of this inferiour World had remained full of darknesse for the space of one night God by his powerfull Word created Light the first