The Pattern of Wholesome Words, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of Mans first estate, viz. of Innocency.
Eccles. 7.31.
OnelyOnly loe, this hauehave I found, that God hath made man righteous: but they hauehave sought many inuentions.
THere are two principles concerning mans first estate.
God made man at the first after his owne image: Gen. 1.26. Furthermore God said, Let vsus make man in our owne image according to our likenesse, and let them rule ouer the fish of the sea, &c.
1. Cor. 11.7. For a man ought not to couer his head, for as much as he is the image of God, &c.
Colos. 3.10. And hauehave put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
Secondly, this image of God chiefly consisted in knowledge, holinesse, and righteousnesse, Eccles. 7.29; OnelyOnly loe, this hauehave I found, that God hath made man righteous: but they hauehave sought many inuentions.
Ephes. 4.24. And put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousnesse, and true holinesse.
Note, that I say, chiefly (as that which is a principle): for else man was created after the image of God:
First, in respect of his substance; and so man is the image,Man was after the Image of God three waies. either of the,
1. Being of God: or
2. Of the manner of his being.
1. Of his being, as he hath in him a spirit, a nature:
1. Spirituall incorporeall.
2. Immortall.
3. Inuisible.
4. Intelligible.
2. Of the manner of his being: for as in man is one soule, and yet diuers faculties, as cogitation, memory, will, &c. so is there in God one essence, and three persons.
Secondly, in respect of his eminency, excellency, and dominion aboue, and ouer all other creatures, resembling thus the Lordship of God the Lord of all, Genes. 1.26. Furthermore God said, Let vsus make mā in our Image, according to our likenesse, and let them rule ouer the fish of the sea, and ouer the foule of the heauen, and ouer the beasts, and ouer al the earth, and ouer eueryevery thing that creepeth and moueth on the earth.
Psal. 8.6.7.8. Thou hast made him to hauehave dominion in the works of thine hands: thou hast put all things vnderunder his feete, &c. For if the man be Gods image for the Soueraigntie, he hath in the family, as 1. Cor. 11.7. and the Maiestrate for his superiority in the Common-wealth, Psal. 82. much more man in generall for dominion ouer all.
Thirdly, in respect of gifts, and so three waies:
1. In respect of knowledge: for in the mind of man, there is hid, a-resemblance of Gods wisdome to know God, his will, and workes with the natures and properties of them.
2. In respect of originall Iustice, which stood in the rectitude of his nature, the spirit subiect to God, the soule to the spirit, the body to the soule without any sinne.
3. In respect of freedome of will.
There are foure sorts of free-willes:
1. OnelyOnly to good; so in good Angels, and the blessed.
2. OnelyOnly to euill; so in diuels and the wicked.
3. Partly to euill, and partly to good; so in the regenerate on earth.
4. So to good, as it might be to euill; so in Adam, &c.
The power of his freedome was such, as he could doe all things conuenient to his estate; whether,
Workes of nature, as eate, sleepe, walke, rise, &c.
Workes of policie; as gouerne his family, obserue peace, &c.
Or, Workes religious:
1. Internall; to louelove, feare, and trust in God.
2. Externall; to teach, pray, sacrifice, &c.
The vses follow.
The vses.Wee should informe our selues of Gods maruelous louelove to man in his Creation, which appeares not onelyonly in the time he made him last,The speciall fauour of God to man in his Creation. when hee had prouided all things made for him:
But in the place in Paradice,
And in the manner—
Both of making his body. He did not say, let it bee; but as it were, framed all with his owne hands; the man of the dust, the woman of the rib:
And of inspiring his soule, he breathed the breath of liues into him,
Genes. 2.7. The Lord God made the mā also of the dust of the ground, and breathed in his face breath of life, and the man was a liuing soule.
He begat his soule as it were a diuine sparke or particle of God; therefore called the Father of spirits, Heb. 12.9. Zach. 12 1. Acts 17.28.
And in both he saith, let vsus make; calling all the Trinitie to the care and workmanship.
But especially that hee should as it were, be made like vntounto God himselfe; and therefore let vsus sing, as Psal. 8.3, What is man that thou thus mindest him, &c.
Of true blessednesse, wherein it consists, viz. not in idlenes, riches, lust, pleasure, sports, &c. for none of all this was in paradice, yet Adam happy perfectly, &c.
The second vse is for instruction, and so it should teach vsus diuers duties:
Duties.1. VntoUnto God;1To God. and so first we should with all thankfulnesse affectionately acknowledge his louelove to man.
2. It should instruct man earnestly to study and endeuour,
To know God,
To feare,
To resemble him.
To praise his workmanship.
For these were the ends of mans creation, no other creatures could reach it; therefore God made man reasonable. We doe not answere the end of our creation, if we make not God in some sort visible by our holines, and praise his workes, &c.
The second duty is to our selues,2To our selues. and so it should teach vsus:
1. First, to care for the precious and immortall soule, yt God hath breathed into vsus aboue all, as Matth. 16.26. For what shall it profit a man, though he should win the whole world, if he lose his owne soule? or what shall a man giuegive for the recompence of his soule? What should wee dote on temporall things, when our soules are created to the possession of eternall blessednesse?
2. To bee patient, and trust vponupon God in distresse, Psal. 22.11. Be not farre from me, because trouble is neere; for there is none to helpe me, &c.
Psal. 139.14. I will praise thee, for I am fearefully and wondrously made: maruelous are thy workes, and my soule knoweth it well.
3. To lament our fall.
4. To study our recouery, and we see hence what to seeke, viz. knowledge and goodnesse.
5. To long for the time mentioned, Psal. 17.15. When we shall be satisfied with his Image.
The third duty is towards men:3To other men.
1. First, wrong not man: for he is Gods image, Genes. 9.6. Who so sheadeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God hath he made man.
2. LoueLove one another, especially where this Image is repaired: for we were created to this end, that we should delight one in another.
The third vse is for reproofe, confutation, and humiliation.
1. For our insensiblenesse, forgetfulnesse, and vncapablenesse of these considerations, especially for our want of lamentation for the ruines in our nature.
2. For our horrible neglect of knowledge and goodnesse, without which man is more like a beast; yea, in respect of sinne like a Diuell.
3. Of the Papists about pictures of God: most dishonourably they would mend Gods draught by dumb pictures; yet God hath heere giuen vsus a picture, his Image.