The Pattern of Perfection Exhibited in Gods Image on Adam, Part 1 · Section 8
§. 8.
Queſt. WHat was the image of God in the body?Of Gods image in the body.
Anſ. I anſwer two waies:
1. Negatively,Wherein it ſtood not. The image of God did not conſiſt in the body of man, ſo as to bee in the fleſh and bloud, bones and ſinewes; and the reaſon is double.
1. Becauſe if the image of God conſiſted in theſe, then other creatures ſhould have the image of God: but other creatures, though thus qualified, have not the image of God, but only Adam.
2. God is a Spirit, Joh. 4.24. and conſequently, Body implies rather an oppoſition. There is no proportion betwixt a Spirit and a Body; Luk. 24.38. A Spirit hath not fleſh and bones. This is againſt the plea of the Papiſts, that make the image of God the Father like an old man; the reaſon they give, is, becauſe man had the image of God, and therefore wee may reſemble God by him. I anſwer, If fleſh and bloud bee not the image of God, then there is no ground to reſemble God thereby. Iſa. 40.14. To whom will yee liken mee! To frame an image of God, is to commit a great ſin.
Queſt. Where was then the image of God in the bodie?
Anſw. In that framableneſſe,In what it was. whereby it was moved by the reaſon, will, and affections, and ſo did expreſſe the vertues of them. A mercifull heart doth expreſſe it ſelfe in a bountifull hand. So David, Pſal. 45.1.Pſal. 45.1. My tongue is the Pen of a ready writer; his heart indited it, and then his tongue did ſpeak it.
Queſt. Wherein doth this framableneſſe appear?
Anſ. In two things.
1. The framableneſſe of the body to act the ſervice that wiſedome and holineſſe required. The parts were not ſtiffe, not ſtubborne, nor weary, but in a readineſſe to act what wiſedome required. But wee finde it otherwiſe in us: St. Paul himſelfe complained that hee was clogged with it. When a man is diſtempered, either ſicke, or weak, there is a wearineſſe in holy duties. The body is then like a darke ſhop, in which a good workman may cut his fingers. When the body is full of noyſome humours, it is but an ill ſhoppe for the ſoule to work in: but this was not in Adam.
2. There was a fitneſſe in each part for its taske. The eye was fit to ſee, the tongue to talke, &c. So that it is obſerved by Galen, though hee were an heathen, yet conſidering the frame of the body, he fell in admiration of it; ſo that hee profeſſed, that it was not poſſible for a naturall cauſe to bring forth ſuch an effect. Rom. 16.8. Yeeld not your members inſtruments to unrighteouſneſſe. He calls the members inſtruments. The Devill oftentimes tunes the tongue, and hee ſeeth out of an adulterous eie▪ yea, his malice vents it ſelfe in an unruly tongue. Looke againe in the 19. verſe, and there it's ſaid, a mans members ſhould be ſervants to holineſſe, tooles or inſtruments that ſhould bee under the power of God. In a tool, there is both the metall, and the making, as in a ſaw or axe; ſo there is in the parts of the body, which are tooles ſerviceable to wiſedome, and the power of holineſſe, that they may work their works thereby. An hand is a toole, whereby the mercifull heart may deale mercifully. Wee ſay, in ſuch a caſe, Here is a gracious tongue, a chaſt eye, &c. ſo the hand is the Almoner of a mercifull heart: ſo that this image of God in the body, is wide from that of the Papiſts.
Q. What's the reaſon of this?
A. This: Becauſe it was not only requiſite, that God ſhould inſtampe his image inwardly, but that is ſhould bee expreſt outwardly, that others might ſee it, and glorifie God in heaven Matth. 5.16. Let your light ſo ſhine among men, that they may ſee your good works, and glorifie your heavenly Father. 1 Pet. 2.9. Shew forth the vertue of him that hath called you out of darkneſſe. Hereby is Gods honour promoted. Eph. 2.9. We are the workmanſhip of God, created unto good works. When men ſee anothers excellent workmanſhip, they ſay, This man was a skilfull workman: So Gods workmanſhip is ſeen in you, when another reviles, and you are patient to beare. When hee is impatient and utters words of reproach, the wicked ſtand by, and ſay, I marvell how you can ſuffer it: This is rare workmanſhip to them. When the wicked challenge godly men, and ſay, What do they more then other men? The anſwer is, They feare an oath, their ſoule abhorres the leaſt ſinne; goe thou, and do ſo: they are willing to heare a reproofe, doe thou likewiſe. But when a wretched man comes to lye on his death-bed, ready to go out of the world, aske him then what hee thinkes of the Saints; oh, ſayes hee, that I might dye their death. Thus wee ſee, it is requiſite the image of God ſhould bee in their bodies.
Murther an hainous ſin.Uſe. 1. This Uſe is for inſtruction. Hence wee obſerve the hainouſneſſe of the ſin of murther, as being that which defaces the image of God after a vile manner. What greater evill can there bee? He that clips the Kings coyne is a traitour; but if a man maimes the body of a Prince, every man thinkes no puniſhment is enough for him. That creature, for the creation of which, there was a conſultation; that creature, upon whom the image of God was imprinted, on whom all the works of the Trinity were expreſſed, of the Father in Creation, of the Sonne in Redemption, of the Spirit in Sanctification, which was the maſter-piece of Gods workmanſhip, to blemiſh that image, and overthrow the workmanſhip of God therein, what ſinne more hainous! It is therefore called a crying ſinne, as it was ſaid to Cain, Gen. 4.10. The bloud of thy brother cries up to heaven: Murther calls for vengeance, and will have no nay, Gen. 9.6. Hee that ſheds bloud, by man ſhall his bloud be ſhed: becauſe God made him after his image, therefore God purſueth the malefactor with unconceiveable horrour of heart. The reaſon is not only becauſe of the unnaturalnes of it, (though that bee great, for, Lions and Lions, Tygers and Tygers will lie together;) but herein alſo appeares the vileneſſe, in that all the attributes of God are up in armes againſt a murtherer, becauſe they have all been wronged. Drunkenneſſe wrongs ſobriety, adultery wrongs chaſtity; theſe ſinnes wrong particular graces only, and a drunkard may honor God by ſobriety, as hee hath diſhonoured him by drunkenneſſe; but murther defaces the image of God, never to bee recovered. There was a gracious tongue, but when it is murthered, it will never ſpeake more; a wiſe head,Grace in the heart appears in the body. but now will never plot buſineſſe more.
Uſe. 2. Hence wee ſee the ſpreading nature of grace. Whereſoever holineſſe and righteouſneſſe is, it will diſcover it ſelfe. If it bee in the ſoule, it will appeare alſo in the body. It is with grace, as David ſpeakes of the Sunne, Pſ. 19. whereſoever it comes, it caſts in its beams: ſo it is with the ſun of grace, it goes into every crevice of the heart, and every practice of the life: there ſhall bee no work of the hand, no walk of the foot, but grace will frame it. Men thinke grace is confined to a corner; ſweare they doe groſly, but they have a good heart to God-ward: no, if thy heart be good, thy life will be good; if holineſſe bee there, the inſtruments will be in tune. Others conceive, grace meddles not with mens practice. No? Grace will meddle with every occaſion. In Iſaiah 3.16. the Prophet ſpeaks of proud women, who walk with ſtretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go; even ſuch things grace will reforme. Pſalm. 131.1. My heart is not haughty, my looks are not lofty. Rom. 16.16. Salute one another with an holy kiſſe: even our very ſalutations muſt bee holy; hence grace is compared to leaven, Mat. 13.33. When the oyle was poured upon Aarons head,Pſal. 134. it ranne downe to the skirts of his garment: ſo it is with grace, it deſcends to a mans apparrelling, and ſpeaking. Grace frames and faſhions every thing. Hoſ. 4.6. His ſmell ſhall be as the ſmell of Lebanon. Lebanon caſt forth an odoriferous ſmell, like a boxe of balme; ſo that as a wretched man leaves a ſtench behinde him, ſo an holy man leaves a ſweet ſmell of grace and holineſſe.
Uſe. 3. We ſee hence how to get a converſation well ordered.To order thy converſation well, get Gods image into thy heart. Get the image of God inwardly, and it will expreſſe it ſelfe outwardly. As the ſprings of a watch are, ſo the wheeles goe: ſo if there bee a principle of holineſſe within, thy whole courſe wil ſtrike proportionably. The husband complaines the wife is contentious; wilt thou have this reformed? it is not chiding will do it; bring thy wife under the meanes, and get holineſſe into her heart, and then the outſide will bee amended: So, it is not enough for a man to fall out with himſelfe, becauſe hee hath abuſed God, and diſhonoured his profeſſion; this is not the way, get an holy heart, and all boyſterous diſtempers will depart away. Let the fountain be pure, and the ſtreames will not be polluted; let the root bee good, and there will be green branches.