The Pattern of Perfection Exhibited in Gods Image on Adam, Part 1 · Section 4
§. 4.
Queſt. WHat was the image of God in the will?
Anſ. How ever we ſee not our ſoule,Of Gods image in the will. yet there is a ſpirituall ſubſtance in every man, which is immortall, and hath two faculties▪ Underſtanding and Will. Now the faculty of the Will, is like the hand, that puts away, or takes any thing. The will is like an unruly horſe, that caſts his rider; I will do what I will, though reaſon croſſe it. This will, whereof we now ſpeake, was graciouſly regulated, when it came out of the hands of God. Now for the Anſwer. Holineſſe and righteouſneſſe were imprinted in the will of Adam, Eph. 4.24. The Apoſtle to the Coloſſians made knowledge a part of the ſpirituall image of Adam, and now he addes holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, which were ſeated in the will, Luk. 1.75. Chriſt hath redeemed us, that we might walke before him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all our dayes.
In the anſwer are 2. things:
1. That holineſſe, and
2. That righteouſneſs were there.
Of theſe in order.
Queſt. What is holineſſe?
An. A ſpirituall power,Holineſſe, what. or frame put into the nature of Adam, inabling him to doe Gods will, and fitting him to love God above all.
Three things are in this deſcription.
1. It is a ſpirituall power. It is not the very nature of the faculty of the will, but a frame put into the will, that ſets it on, and carries it out to God: for the will of it ſelfe is not able to cloſe with God, but onelyonly ſo farre as it is carried out to him. As it is in the body, the tongue is the inſtrument of taſting; of it ſelf it cannot taſte, but there is a moiſture there that makes it taſte; hence if it be evilly affected, it taſteth evill; ſweet things ſeeme ſoure, and ſoure things ſeeme ſweet: or as it is with the hand; it cannot worke about any thing barely as it is an hand, unleſſe it receive ſtrength and motion from the vitall faculty: for a dead hand, or a benummed hand, can exerciſe it ſelfe about nothing: ſo it is with the will; that power of it ſelf cannot relliſh the things of life and happineſſe, but it muſt be an holy will that can cloſe with an holy God: it is not barely the will, but there muſt bee an wholeſome conſtitution put into it, and then it can cloſe with an heavenly God, having this heavenly frame. Hence it is death to the wicked to bee under the ordinances of God. The devils have a naturall faculty of will, but corruption poſſeſſeth it, and therefore they abhorre the holineſſe of God, becauſe they themſelves are unholy: but Adams will had a ſpirituall frame of holineſſe put into it, whereby it was able perfectly to pleaſe God.
2. There was a readineſſe and promptneſſe put into his will, whereby hee was able eaſily to beſtow himſelfe upon, and comfortably to bee carried unto the doing of the will of God. When the wheels of a clock are rightly ordered, they go on ſpeedily; Adam was the clocke of God, and the maine wheele was the will: when the ruſt of ſturdineſſe hangs on the will, the motion to Godwards is hindered; but had our wills this oyle of holineſſe, they would runne on chearily in the ſervice of God. Men ſlight the means of grace, and cannot cloſe with the ordinances of God, becauſe their wills are unholy. As it is with ſin, Rom. 7.23. it leads a man captive to the commiſsion of evill, it puts a promptneſſe into the heart to incline it to evill: ſo holineſſe puts a quickneſſe into the will, which carries it on joyfully to performe the will of God, 2 Tim. 2.21. If a man will purge himſelfe, he ſhall be a veſſell of honour fit for the Maſters uſe, and prepared for every good worke. While a mans heart is like an uncleane veſſell, he is not prepared for any good work, but when his heart is purged, he is fit for every good work, Deut. 28.47. Thou ſervedſt not the Lord thy God with joyfulneſſe and gladneſſe of heart. God will be ſerved, but with what heart? with a joyfull and a merry heart: This gladneſſe comes from the holineſſe that was in Adam.
3. He was by this able to love God above all; and this was the performance of the firſt Table: and this above all implies three things.To love God above all, hath three things.
1. He did prize God more then what ever God could doe for him; nay, more then ſalvation it ſelfe, Pſal. 73.26. When he was dazeled with the proſperity of the wicked, mark what he ſayes, The Lord is my ſtrength and my portion for ever; as if hee ſhould ſay, I eſteeme of God above all. A man makes an high account of his patrimony, ſo doth David eſteeme of God.Pſa. 73.26 If a man love father, or mother more then mee, Mat. 10.37.hee is not worthy of mee: nay, a man muſt love God-better then his life, Pſal. 63.3. Thy loving kindneſſe is better then life, then the life of my wife, then the life of my child, nay it it is better then mine owne life.
2. He made choice of God above all. As a man prizeth a thing, ſo hee will make choice of it: When we come into a ſhop, look what commodity wee prize, wee will take; ſo was Adams choice of God. Pſal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? The renewed ſoule counts all things dung and droſſe, in compariſon of Chriſt. Adam had by vertue of this frame, that power, that if all the world were offered him, yet hee would chuſe God above all.
3. Hee was able to have his heart carryed with great intention of ſoule, to beſtow his minde upon the Lord. When Adam did chuſe God above all, then hee had power to have his heart carried with greateſt extent of ſtrength to him; for thus it is commanded, by our Saviour to the Lawyer in the Goſpel, Matth. 22.37. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy might, & with all thy ſtrength: ſo was Adam carried with the utmoſt of his ſtrength to cloſe with God. If God ſhould have threatned, Adam would have trembled; if hee ſhould have revealed his goodneſſe, Adam would have been inlarged in love thereof; if hee ſhould have revealed his name, Adam would have honoured it. This frame of his will made him carry himſelfe proportionably to Gods will to the utmoſt of his ſtrength. A man muſt love his neighbour with his whole heart, not with ſome of it, yet not with his whole ſtrength: A man may love his neighbour too much; but when hee comes to the love of God, he muſt love him as much as he can. Adam ought to have loved his neighbour with his whole heart, yet it was not required of Adam to love his neighbour as his wife; but for his God, he was to beſtow his whole ſtrength upon him.
Queſt. Why did God imprint this upon Adam?
An. Firſt,Holineſſe why imprinted on Adam. becauſe Adam without this meaſure of holineſſe could not returne that tribute of holineſſe he owed as a reaſonable creature, and which God expected as a Creatour. There is a payment which God expects at the hands of a creature, namely, praiſe: for as Landlords let out their lands for rents which they expect at their tenants hands; ſo doth God require thankſgiving from Adam, which, unleſſe he had holineſſe, he could not have given. Deut. 10.12. When he had diſcovered the largeneſſe of Gods love, marke what he gathers, And now, oh Iſrael, what doth the Lord thy God require, but to love him with thy whole heart? as if hee ſhould ſay, This I looke for, that for all my kindneſſe, thou feare mee, and love me with thy whole heart; which to doe is a Chriſtians Maſterpiece. Had God made Adam ſo, that hee could not have loved him, he could not have received honour from him, and ſo had beene acceſſary to the diſhonour of his owne name.
2. Adam by this meanes attained his owne good. Heavie things never leave moving, till they come to the earth; ſo Adam was reſtleſſe, before he came to enjoy union with God▪ This was Adams, and is our happineſſe, to enjoy God; which is the onelyonly good of a mans ſoule. Iſa. 26.8 The deſire of our ſoul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. The up-ſhot of the deſires of Gods ſervants is towards his name: when the body is in the grave, and the ſoule in heaven, the ſoule would faine be united to the body, that both may be united to God, and be poſſeſſed of him, and then all deſires ceaſe.
3. Becauſe if Adam had not had this holineſſe, God had required more of him, then he had ability to performe; which had beene a want of equity, which is utterly unbeſeeming the ſweet nature of God. To require a thing abſolutely impoſſible, is againſt equity: had not Adam had power to love God, God requiring love from him, had required that of him, which he had not beene able to performe. It ſtood with equity, and Gods righteous will, to give Adam power to love him above all; yea it was a debt God owed to him, ſeeing he would require obedience from him. When Adam had not offended, it was requiſite God ſhould give him ability to diſcharge his ſervice.
Uſe. The uſe hence is,
No ſhame to be holy.1. For inſtruction, to teach us, that it is no ſhame to be holy; holineſſe is no mans diſhonour. It is the greateſt praiſe that can befall a man, to be holy: to be like God is no diſhonour, and by holineſs we come to be moſt like unto him. It is one of Gods names, The holy One of Iſrael, Iſa 43.14. Nay the Angels, Iſa. 6.3. doe not ſay, Powerfull, powerfull, but Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hoſtes: the Lord is ſaid there to be the God of hoſtes, but he is three times holy, for his one time powerfull; not that holineſſe is more in God, then power, but to ſhew how God rejoiceth in this name Holy. Who art thou then that art loath to have the name of holineſſe? Yes, you are one of the holy crew, will they ſay. Art thou an enemy to holineſſe? then thou art an ungodly man. The venome of ſuch mens ſpirits as hate holineſſe, is incomparable: there is no greater argument of a graceleſſe diſpoſition.
Uſe 2. It is a word of terrour. It is cleare, that the ſinne of thoſe men, who oppoſe holineſſe, or keep others from it, is marvelous hainous. We will purſue both.
A great ſin to oppoſe holineſſe.1. It falleth heavie upon thoſe, who make holineſſe the marke of their malice. There is no perſon ſo vile, no practice ſo abominable, but they will approve of: they will hugge drunkards in their boſomes, and harbour adulterers in their houſes, but if holineſſe appeare in any mans practice, they are tranſported with fury againſt it. Their blood riſeth in their faces, rancour in their hearts, and venome in their tongues, that they ſay as was ſaid of S. Paul, Away with ſuch a fellow from the earth; We cannot live in quiet for theſe holy men. Oh thou that doeſt thus, hateſt the very image of God, and flyeſt in the face of the Almighty, and wouldeſt if thou couldeſt as well rend God from his throne, as theſe holy men from the face of the earth; there is no ſurer evidence then this, that God intends no good to thy ſoule. Salvation comes by holy meanes: God the Father is an holy God, that loves his people; Chriſt is holy, that redeemes his people; the Spirit is called the holy Ghoſt; heaven is an holy place, it is called the heavenly Hieruſalem; the way to heaven likewiſe is holy, Iſa. 35.8. nay, all thoſe that doe walke in that way are holy, Iſa. 63.18. the people of holineſſe poſſeſſe it. The ſcripture ſaith, the Saints of God are Prieſts, and the Prieſt ware upon his breaſt-plate, Holineſſe to the Lord. Doſt thou that hateſt holineſſe think to goe to heaven? then there muſt bee another heaven, for this is holy. Heare, and feare thou whoſe conſcience doth convince thee, that thou haſt been carried with indignation againſt holy men: ſee the hainouſneſſe of thy ſinne; the place is holy, the Spirit holy, &c. If thou goeſt to heaven, God will come out of heaven, for he will not dwell with unholineſſe, Jude 4. God hath ordained from all eternity, that unholy and ungodly men ſhall never come to heaven, but ſhall bee in an unholy place, among unholy Divels. Know thy ſinne to bee hainous, and thy judgement heavie.
2. It reproveth thoſe,A great ſin to keep others from holineſſe. that would keepe others from holineſſe. Men count it a great wiſedome in directing their families, if they can keepe them from looking after this holineſſe. This is the counſel they give them, Doe what you pleaſe, onelyonly bee not a preciſe fellow; be any thing but a Saint. It is all their cunning, to daunt the hearts of others from ſeeking after holineſſe; hence wee heare ſo many fears ſuggeſted to men that labour to walke as they ought. Nay, ſaith the Maſter, if you muſt needs to the godly crew, I will breake the crew of you, &c. But do but conſider what you doe.
1. You croſſe the command of God, 1 Pet. 1.15. Bee holy, as I am holy: what heart haſt thou then that commandeſt the contrary?
2. As you croſſe Gods command, ſo you damne the ſouls of thoſe that God hath committed unto your charge: thou that keepeſt their ſoules from holineſſe, keepeſt them from happineſſe. Oh it will one day be a wound to thy conſcience, to thinke with thy ſelfe, My childe would have followed holineſſe, but I would not ſuffer him: therefore is he gone into the bottomleſſe pit, and I was the cauſe of it.
Try whether thou be holy or no.Uſe 3. Doth holineſſe fit a man to love God above all? and wouldeſt thou know whether thou haſt an holy heart? Try it from the former truth, Where ever holineſſe is, it fits the heart to love God above all. Canſt thou doe this, which holineſſe enables a man to doe? then if there be holineſſe in heaven, it is alſo in thine heart. I doe not meane, that any man ſhould have the exactneſſe that Adam had in creation; but what hee had in perfection, wee muſt have in deſire. Thou muſt have an heart enlarged to love God above all, though thou haſt many weakneſſes with it. Many for want of this are caſt out, as not being partakers of this ſaving worke: Namely
Thoſe that never had any readineſſe to this ſaving work of God, further then ſhame or diſgrace provokes them; for moſt that live upon the face of the earth, muſt have ſome conſtraining power to force them to the performance of Gods ſervice; they ſay as thoſe in Malachi, What a wearineſſe is it? Mal. 1.13. The word of God, and his ordinances are a burden; the ſabbaths are tedious; men come to Gods worſhip as a Beare to a ſtake, or a captive to priſon: how willing are they to bee freed from theſe duties; whereas holineſſe ever brings willingneſſe with it!
Ob. But doe not the Saints finde a great deale of awkwardneſſe?
Anſ I confeſſe it is true: but there is a great deale of difference between theſe and the other: The Saints willingly oppoſe their corruptions that clog them; but a carnall heart joynes ſides with the fleſh; hee deſires means and occaſions to withdraw him from the love of God; hee is glad to finde a pretence to travell on the Lords day, or to neglect prayer in his private family: But the Saints are weary of their untowardneſſe and awkwardneſſe to holy duties. Matth. 26.41. the Diſciples were overcharged with wearineſſe, and fell aſleepe; Chriſt addes the reaſon, The ſpirit is willing, but the fleſh is weake. Rom. 7. The law is holy and the commandement holy, but ſinne tooke occaſion by the commandement, &c. It is not I, but ſinne that dwelleth in me: as if hee ſhould ſay, It is good to pleaſe God, and I will labour after it; but I confeſſe I have a wilfull wretched heart within mee, which oppoſeth this: yet there is a ſparke of holineſſe in this heart, and with that I love thee, though my fleſh oppoſe thee.