Spirit even the holy Ghost dwelling in him as the head and in them as members of the same mysticall body Secondly from the name of the earth we learne that this World is a race and pilgrimage and a place of travell and warfare and here is not the rest of man neither is here his abiding place This the Scriptures proclaime every where Iacob the Father of Israel who had the land of Canaan promised to him and his seed for an inheritance for ever hee counted his life as a pilgrimage on earth and saith in his old age Few and evill have my dayes been Gen. 47. 9. And David saith Psalme 119. 19. I am a stranger upon earth and Psalme 39. 12. I am a stranger and sojourner with thee as all my Fathers were Iob calls mans life a few dayes and full of trouble which fleet as a shadow and continueth not Iob 14. 1 2. Saint Paul cals it a restelesse race like that of men who runne for a prize 1 Cor. 9. 24. 26. and Heb. 12. 1. Wee are here like Noah's dove which being sent out of the Arke found no rest for the soale of her foote till shee returned thither againe Here wee have no continuing Citie Hebr. 13 14. neither is here our rest Mich. 2. 10. till our Soules returne to God who gave them wee shall alwayes be in a pilgrimage and never find quiet rest This Doctrine is of good use to keep and restraine us from dreaming of setled rest here on earth and from seeking to build our nests sure in the tops of earthly rocks for many generations and to stirre us up to put on resolution and courage to labour and travell and strive and run as men doe in a race and for masteries while wee live on earth For our life is short and fleeth away as a shadow and the art and divine skill of gaining heaven and getting the Crowne of glory doth require much studie sweating toile and industrie and wee cannot attaine to it but by hearing reading studying and meditating in Gods Word day and night Secondly it discovers worldlings to bee dreaming and doating fooles who put trust and confidence in things of this World and build great houses purchase lands and large revenues and think that their houses shall continue for ever The Prophet justly compareth such men to a dreamer who being hungrie doth dreame that hee eateth but when hee awaketh his soule is empty in his thirst he dreameth that he is drinking but when he awaketh hee is faint and his soule hath appetite Isa. 29. 8. This is the case of foolish and brutish worldings who see how the forme and fashion of the World passeth away and yet seeing will not see but still dreame of setled rest and dwelling on earth Thirdly though the Seas are such as the name signifieth which God gave to them that is troubelous and tumultuous and doe dreadfully rage and roar yet seeing God is above them as their Lord and Creatour and when hee made them such saw that they were good and usefull and profitable for man this teacheth that God ruleth over the most tumultuous creatures of the World and maketh the most outrageous roarers work for the good of his people First hee makes them serve to shew the power dread and terrour of him their creatour that all may feare and stand in awe of him for if the creatures be so dreadfull and terrible much more God the Creatour who gave them their being And as God makes them worke feare so also admiration in men so David sheweth Psalme 46. and Psalme 107. 24. Secondly hee makes them worke for the good of his people and for the safety of his Church by destroying and devouring their wicked enemies persecutors and oppressors as wee see in the red Sea drowning Pharaoh and his host and as wee have seene in the year 88. when the Sea wind and stromes scattered and devoured the Armado of our bloudy enemies who came enraged with furie and furnished with all weapons of cruelty and instruments of death to destroy our Land and the Church of God in it The consideration whereof serves to make us east our selves upon God in all times of trouble and to comfort our selves in him knowing that as hee is the Lord mighty above all and a terrour to the most terrible and hath in his hand power to save us from all troubles so hee is gracious and willing to save us And though hee sometimes suffers the swelling waves to rise and the tempestuous stormes and Seas to threaten and put us in feare and danger yet it is not in wrath but in wisedome because for the present hee sees them to bee good for us CHAP. IX The fourth dayes worke Of the lights substantiall bodies The place of them Their Vse For signes seasons dayes and yeares Of the Sun Moone and Starres No instruments used in the creation Note the great wisedome of God in the order of creation This World not made to bee the place of our immutable perfection Vses of each of these ANd God said Let there bee Lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let them bee for signes and for seasons and for dayes and for yeares 15. And lot them bee for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the Earth and it was so 16. And God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesse light to rule the night he made also the Starres 17. And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the Earth 18. And to rule over the day and the night and to divide the light from the darknesse and God saw that it was good 19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day These words containe a briefe Historie of the fourth dayes worke in the creation in which wee may observe First Gods powerfull commanding the worke to bee done by his eternall Word in the 14. and 15. Verses Secondly his bringing of the worke to passe by that eternall Word in the 16 17 18. Verses Thirdly Gods approbation of the worke and so perfecting that day First wee see God still proceeds in the worke of creation by his powerfull Word and saith Let there be Lights The things which hee commands to bee done are two First that there shall bee lights in the firmament of heaven that is the Sun Moone and Starres which are the lights created out of the first element even that light which was made the first day that is the body of the visible firie heavens The second that they shall bee for speciall use 1. To divide the day from the night 2. To bee for signes seasons dayes and yeares 3. To bee for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the Earth That these lights are not bare lights without a subject but bright shining substantiall bodies which have light
more subject of the froward to learne perversenesse then by the wife meeke and liberall consorts to be drawne from their folly fury and churlishnesse and therefore though in case when an hard lot befals Men or Women they must make the best they can of that which is too bad in hope that God will blesse their vertuous and godly endeavours yet the best rule which godly Christians can observe in the choice of wives iâ— to choose such as are like affected and vertuously disposed as they themselves are to regard chiefely the unity of Spirit and the similitude of nature and disposition which is a thing here taught by God in the creation and first marriage betweene Adam and Evah the first Father and Mother of all mankind Secondly we may gather from this doctrine that there can bee no hope or expectation of good from unequall marriages And when men for carnall worldly and politike respects yoke themselves with wives of a contrary disposition and religion daughters of a strange God and vassals of Antichrist there seldome or never followes a blessing For just it is with God that when men and women wall contrary to God and reject his right rule in their marriages and in laying the foundation of their families God should walke contrary to them in their whole course of life and should crosse them in their endeavours and bring their families to confusion The third and last consequent of the womans creation is that they were both naked â—he man and his wife and they were not ashamed ver 25. In which words wee are not in any case to understand by nakednesse either want of necessary apparell for in the state of innocency there was no need thereof and therefore no want of any nor any want of naturall abilities or vertues need full for beauty comlinesse and ornament or for naturall perfection All such nakednesse and want came in by sin and after their fall But here they are said to be naked because they neither had nor needed any cloathes or covering of their bodies which were in all parts most comely and beautifull Their skin was not rough over-growne with haire like beasts nor with feathers like birds nor with hard scales like fishes but their skin faire white and ruddie was comely in it selfe and beautifull to their owne eyes more then all ornaments of silke fine linnen and all jewels of gold and silver set with the most glorious and precious stones of most resplendent colour and brightnesse And their bodies were of that excellent temper and constitution that they neither felt nor feared any distemper of heat or cold The aire and all the elements were tempered according to the temper of their bodies and all things were pleasing wholesome and delightsome unto them and to all living creatures they appeared lovely and full of beauty and majestie It was the creatures delight to see them and to looke on them and it was their joy to see the creatures admiring them and rejoycing in their sight and presence And therefore there was no cause or occasion of any shame or of any feare to shew their simple naked bodies and to have every part and member openly seene no uncomlinesse which needed a covering but all parts and members were beautifull in themselves and composed together in a comely order and frame This is the true sense and meaning of the words Wherein we have this plaine doctrine That the worke of God in the creation of our first parents was perfect without errour the image of God appeared in their bodies and bodily for me and shape they were full of all naturall grace beauty and comlinesse in all parts and members from the crowne of their heads to the sole of their feete the glory and wisedome of Gods workmanship shined in them most clearely to their owne eyes and the eyes of all creatures The truth of this appeares most manifestly in the words for certainly if there had beene any least blemish or unseemely member in their naked bodies they would have beene ashamed to goe and appeare openly bare and naked without covering therefore I need not stand to prove it with many arguments this one is sufficient That all the forme beauty and comelinesse of the most goodly Men and fairest Women that ever were or are in the World gathered together and composed in the body of one Man or Woman the goodly personage of Ioseph or Adonijah the beauty of Absalom and Abishag and the glory and comlinesse of Solomon and all other formes and beauties named in histories are but the ruines reliques di 〈…〉 shadowes and defaced scraps of that beauty and comelinesse which was in the naked bodies of our first parents and in every part of them in the creation And therefore our reason and senses may judge what comlinesse was in them This point considered is of great force to provoke and stirre up men to acknowledge with all thankfulnesse Gods bounty to mankind in the first creation and how exceedingly they are bound to love and honour and serve God for the naturall gifts abilities with which God at the first did fully furnish man not onely for necessity and welbeing but also for glory beauty ornament and comelinesse in the eyes of all creatures And although our first parents forfeited these blessings by their disobedience and have defaced by sin this excellent beauty yet wee see Gods goodnesse abounding to us in this that hee imprints in many of us some stamps and foot-steps of the image in which wee were created that wee may by the ruines which remaine judge of the building of mans body and of the beautifull frame wherein God at the first created us Secondly wee may hence gather comfortable assurance that as God did create man in admirable beauty at the first in the creation and made him comely in the eyes of all creatures in all parts of his body so that it was no shame but a glory to walke naked without cloathes or covering So much more in the work of redemption and restauration by Christ God both can and will repaire our vile bodies and restore unto them their first beauty and glory with great advantage and make them like the glorious body of Christ and reforme them after his heavenly image of holinesse which so farre exceeds the first image as heavenly excels earthly spirituall and supernaturall excels naturall and incorruptible and immutable surpasseth that which is fading and vanishing For the worke of redemption and restauration is a worke of greater goodnesse to men then the worke of creation and as it excels so the effect of it must bee more excellent In this worke God stretcheth forth his omnipotent hand and all his goodnesse further then in the creation there hee created all things by his eternall Word the Son and by his Spirit working with him but here hee gave his Son to bee incarnate and the eternall Word to bee made flesh and
in things which they command contrary to Gods commandements Yea they must remember that they are Gods creatures and handi-worke and ought to employ all their power and authority to the honour of God If otherwise they abuse the talents which God hath lent them let them know that God will one day call them to a reckoning and give them the reward of evill unfaithfull and unprofitable servants even eternall destruction and torment in Hell where shall be howling and wayling and gnashing of teeth Secondly this serves to shew that whosoever offers wrong and injury to any of mankind by cutting mangling or any way defacing their 〈…〉 age and deforming their bodies by afflicting or some way corrupting their soules or by taking away their lives and naturall being without speciall warrant and cōmmandement from God they are notoriously injurious to God himselfe they scorne despise mis-use and deface Gods Workmanship they provoke God to wrath and jealousie and hee surely will bee avenged on such doings And here wee have matter as of dread and terrour to all cruell Tyrants and unmercifull men so of hope and comfort to all who suffer injury and wrong at their hands As the first sort have just cause to feare and tremble so often as they thinke on God the avenger of such wrong so the other have cause to hope that God will not wholy forsake them being the worke of his owne hands nor leave them to the will and lust of the wicked his enemies but will in his good time save them and send them deliverance Thirdly this discovers the abomination and filthinesse of all Idolaters who being the workmanship of God the Lord and wise creator of all things doe most basely bow downe to images and altars and debase themselves to worship humane inventions and the worke of mens hands which are dumbe Idols of wood and stone and lying vanities It is just with God to cast out and expose all such people to ignominy shame and confusion in this world and in the world to come into that place of darknesse where the Divell and all such as forsake God and rebell against the light which from the creation shines to them shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the face and presence of God and from the glory of his power Secondly in that God is here said to forme man of the dust of the ground not of clay well tempered and wrought but of dust which of it selfe is most unfit to be compacted and made into a stedfast shape and which is counted so base and so light that every blast of wind drives it away and in Scripture the basest things are resembled to it Hence wee may learne two things First that God in the creation even of mans body shewed his infinite power and wisedome in bringing dust of the earth which is the basest thing of all into the forme and shape of mans body which is the most excellent of all visible bodies and a fit house and temple not onely of a reasonable living soule but also of Gods holy spirit as other Scriptures plainly affirme This point appeares so plainly in the Text that I need not spend time in further confirmation of it the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formed here first used implies an excellent forme and the upright face of man Here therefore I will adde for illustration sake the words of David which are very pertinent to this purpose Psal. 139. 14 15 16. where speaking of Gods forming and fashioning him in the wombe of the living substance even the seed blood and flesh of his parents saith he I will prayse thee for I am fearefully and wonderfully made Marvelous are thy workes and that my soule knoweth right well My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy booke were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them Here we see with what feare admiration and astonishment David considers mans frame and the curious workmanship of his body when God forms it in the mothers womb by lively instruments and of a lively matter and substance How much more may we conclude that Gods creating of Adams body which was the most curious naturall body that ever was made is most admirable and deserves more reverence feare and astonishment at our hands being made without instruments out of the basest matter and substance even dust of the earth Surely in this God shewed wisedome and power beyond all admiration The Vse of this doctrine is to stirre us up so often as we thinke of our creation in Adam to laud and praise Gods wisedome and power to feare and reverence God and to admire his curious workmanship And although the matter of which God framed mans body was the basest of all even dust of the ground yet let us not thinke ever a whit more meanly of our creation but so much more admire Gods workmanship in our bodies For to make a curious worke in gold silver or of some beautifull precious and plyable mettall is not rare nor so excellent but to frame of the basest matter the dust of the ground the chiefest worke and even the Master-piece of all works in the visible world that is the body of Adam in the state of innocency this is worthy of all admiration and is a just motive and provocation to stirre us up to praise and to extoll with admiration the wisedome and power of God especially if wee consider the most excellent forme of mans body and upright stature together with the head comely face hands and other members every way fitted and composed to bee instruments of a reasonable soule and to rule and keepe in order and subjection all living creatures Secondly in that the dust of the ground the basest part of the earth is the matter out of which mans body the beautifull Palace and Temple of his Soul was formed in the excellent state of innocency Hence wee learne that man is by nature and in his best naturall being given to him in the creation but a dusty earthy substance in respect of his body and in respect of his Soul an inhabitant of an house of clay the foundation whereof is in the dust But some perhaps will object against the collection of this Doctrine from the base and fraile matter of which mans body was formed and will thus argue That the state and condition of creatures is not to bee esteemed by the matter of which they were made but by the forme and being which God gave to them as for example the Angels together with the highest heaven were created immediatly of nothing as well as the rude unformed masse which is called earth and yet they are most glorious spirits and the rude masse is not to bee compared to them Yea man was created