A Golden Chain, Chapter 7
CHAP. 7. Of man, and the estate of innocencie.
MAn, after he was created of God, was established in an excellent estate of innocencie. In this estate seuen things are chiefly to be regarded.
I. The place. The garden of Heden, that most pleasant garden. Gen. 2. 15. Then the Lord tooke the man, and put him into the garden of Heden.
II. The integritie of mans nature. Which was Eph… 4.24. Created in righteousnes and true holines. This integritie hath two parts. The first is wisdome, which is true and perfect knoweledge of God, and of his will, in as much as it is to be performed of man, yea, and of the counsell of God in all his creatures. Coloss. 3. 10. And hauehave put on the newe man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him. Gen. chap. 2.19. When the Lord God had formed on the earth eueryevery beast of the field, and eueryevery foule of the heauen, he brought them vntounto the man, to see howe he would call them: for howesoeuer the man called the liuing creature, so was the name thereof. The second is Iustice, which is a conformitie of the will, affections, and powers of the body to the will of God.
III. Mans dignitie, consisting of foure parts. First, his communion with God, by which as God reioiced in his own image, so likewise man was incensed to louelove God: this is apparent by Gods familiar conference with Adam, Gen. 1.29. And God said, Behold, I hauehave giuen vntounto you eueryevery hearb bearing seede &c. that shall be to you for meate. Secondly, his dominion ouer all the creatures of the earth, Gen. 2. 19. Psal. 8.6. Thou hast made him Lord ouer the workes of thine hands, & hast set all things vnderunder his feet, &c. Thirdly, the decencie, & dignitie of the bodie, in which, though naked, as nothing was vnseemely, so was there in it imprinted a princely maiestie. Psal. 8. Thou hast made him little lower then then God, and crowned him with glorie and worship. Gen. 2.25. They were both naked; and neither ashamed. 1. Cor. 12.22. VponUpon those members of the bodie, which we thinke most vnhonest, put we more honestie on, and our vncomely parts hauehave more comelines on. Fourthly, labour of the bodie without paine or griefe. Gen. 3. 17,19. Because thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife, &c. cursed is the earth for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of thy life, &c.
IV. Subiection to God, whereby man was bound to performe obedience to the commandements of God: which were two. The one was concerning the two trees: the other, the obseruation of the Sabboth. Gods commandement concerning the trees, was ordained to make examination, and triall of mans obedience. It consisteth of two parts: the first, is the giuing of the tree of life, that as a signe, it might confirme to man his perpetuall abode in the garden of Heden, if stil he persisted in his obedience. R…uel. 2. 7. To him that ouercōmeth, will I giuegive to eate of the tree of life, which is in the midst of Paradise of God. Prov. 3.18. Shee is a tree of life to them which lay hold on her: and blessed is he that retaineth her. The second, is the prohibition to eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euil, togither with a commination of temporall and eternall death, after the transgression of this commandement. Gen. 2.17. Of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill, thou shalt not eate of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death. This was a signe of death, and had his name of the euent, because the obseruation thereof would hauehave brought perpetuall happines, as the violation gaue experience of euill, that is, of all miserie, namely of punishment, and of guiltinesse of sinne. Gods commandement concerning the obseruation of the Sabboth, is that, by which God ordained the sanctification of the Sabboth. Gen. 2.3. God blessed the seauenth day, and sanctified it.
V. His calling, which is his seruice of God, in the obseruation of his commandements, & the dressing of the garden of Heden. Prov. 16.4. God made all things for himselfe. Gen. 2.15. He placed him in the garden of Heden, to dresse and keepe it.
VI. His diet was the hearbs of the earth, and fruit of eueryevery tree, except the tree of the knowledge of good and euill. Gen. 1.29. And God said, Behold, I hauehave giuen vntounto you eueryevery hearb bearing seede, which is vponupon all the earth, and eueryevery tree, wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seede, that shall be to you for meate. and chap. 3.17. But of the tree of knowledge of good and euill, thou shalt not eate.
VII. His free choice, both to will, and performe the commandement concerning the two trees, and also to neglect and violate the same. Whereby we see that our first parents were indeede created perfect, but mutable: for so it pleased God to prepare a way to the execution of his decree.