A View of Mans Estate, Tract 1 · Chapter 4
The fourth Chapter.
¶Howe the louelove of God appeareth in the creation of the worlde, and in mans first eſtate.
FIrſt therefore the louelove of God did maruelouſly appear in our firſt creatiō, yea before our creation: he made all thinges for the benefite of man, and man for his owne glorie, he beſtowed ſixe dayes labor vponupon man and his neceſſaries, as the booke of Geneſis reporteth: He layde the foundations of the earth, and ſtretched out the heauens like a curtaine, he gathered the waters togyther, that the drye lande might appeare. This he did for the benefite of man, bringing all things into an vniformitie, that there myght be a place of habitation for man: but yet were not all things prouided neceſſarie for the maintenance of man, wherefore he ſtayd his creation vntill all ſuche things were prouided as his heauenly wiſdome thought beſt to ſerue his turne, & out of theſe thrée his firſt creatures, ye earth the firmament, and the waters, he drew out his other creatures neceſſarie for the vſe and preſeruation of man. To the earthe God ſayde: Let the earth budde forth the bud of the herbe that ſeedeth ſéede, & the fruitfull trées bearing fruite according to his kinde: God ſaide that worde, and it came to paſſe, and God ſawe it was good, it was good forthe glorie of God principally, and it was good for the commoditie of man. Moreouer God let the earth bring forthe the liuing thing according to his kinde, cattell and that whiche créepeth, and the beaſt of the earth, according to his kinde: it was done, it was good in the ſight of God, and it was good for the profite of man: of the firmament God ſayde, lette there be lightes in the firmament of heauen, to giuegive light vponupon the earth: Then God made two great lightes, the greater light to rule the daye, and the leſſe lighte to rule the night, he made the ſtarres alſo and ſette them in the firmament of the heauen to ſhine vponupon the earth: God ſaw that it was good, firſte for his owne glorie, then for the benefite of man. Of the waters God created the great Whales & eueryevery thing liuing and mouing which the waters brought forth in abundāce according to their kinde, & eueryevery fethered foule according to his kinde, & God ſaw al that he had made, and lo it was very good, and al theſe things were made, as good for the neceſſitie of man. God made theſe creatures for man, yea & he made them bliſſed for man: ſaying, bring forth fruite & multiplie. Now when God had thus prouided all things to mans hand, & ſet them in ſo bliſſed eſtate, then came the courſe of our creation, then he ſaid let vsus make man: & how? after what forme? in what moulde was he caſt? In our Image (ſaith the almightie) according to our owne likeneſſe, not as other his creatures, & therfore that this high point of Gods louelove, might with the déeper conſideration enter our harts, Moyſes repeateth it double. Thus God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him, neyther did he make him ſole and comfortleſſe, but male and female created he them: neither when he had made man, ſtraight he caſt him of, & ſet him as it wer a graſing with other his creatures, ſo taking no further care of him, but without long delay, he gaue him his heauenly bleſſing, he made him a ſouereigne, and a ruler ouer all other his creatures, and ſtreight gaue him poſſeſſion of them: God bleſſed them and ſayd, bring forth fruite and multiply and fil the earth, and ſubdue it, and rule ouer the fiſh of the ſea, and ouer the foule of the heauē, and ouer eueryevery beaſt that moueth on the earth. Now beholde the louelove of God towardes man in his firſte creation, God viewed all the glorious workes of his fingers, and they were all pleaſant in his ſight, but he did moſte glorie in man, as the perfection of all his workes, wherefore hée coulde not but delight in him, while he kepte himſelfe in that eſtate: man was nowe a bleſſed man when God had bleſſed him, and bleſſed eueryevery thing about him, wherefore Dauid rauiſhed in manner with the conſideration hereof, burſteth out in vehemencie of ſpirite, and ſayth: what is man (O Lorde) that thou art mindfull of him,Pſal. 8. or what is the ſonne of man that thou viſiteſt him? for thou haſt made him a little lower than God, thou haſte crouned him with glorie and worſhip, thou makeſt him to hauehave dominion ouer the workes of thy handes, thou haſt put all thinges vnderunder his féete, all ſhéepe and Oxen, yea, and the beaſtes of the field, the foules of the aire, and the fiſh of the Sea, and that which paſſeth through the pathes of the Seas: beſides all this, he made him a Prince of Paradiſe, and placed him in a garden of pleaſure, where he turned him on no ſide, but eueryevery eye was full of the bleſſing and louelove of God.