The Holy Arbor, Chapter 6 · Section 3
III.
THe Creation, is that by which God made all things very good, of nothing; that is, of no matter which was before the Creation, Gen. 1.1. Gods maner of creating, as alſo of governing, is ſuch, as that by his Word alone, he without any Inſtruments, Means, Aſſiſtance or Motion, produced all ſorts of things: For to will any thing with God, is both to be able and to perform it, Heb. 11.3. Pſal. 148.5. The goodneſs of the creature is a kinde of excellency, by which it was void of all defect, whether Puniſhment or Fault. The Creation is of the World, or Inhabitants in the World. The World is a moſt beautiful Pallace, framed out of a deformed Subſtance, and fit to be inhabited. The parts of the World are the Heavens and the Earth. The Heavens are threefold; The firſt is the Air, the ſecond the Sky, the third an Inviſible and Incorporeal Eſſence, created to be the Seat of all the Bleſſed, both Men and Angels; this third Heaven is called Paradice, 2 Cor. 12.4. The Inhabiters of the World are reaſonable creatures, made according to Gods own Image; they are either Angels or Men, Gen. 1.26. Job 1.6. the Image of God, is the goodneſs of the Reaſonable Creature, reſembling God in holineſs, Eph. 4.24. The Angels each of them being created in the beginning, were ſetled in an upright eſtate. Man alſo, after he was created of God, was ſet in an excellent eſtate of Innocency: he was created perfect both in Body and Soul, and ſo had continued, had he ſtood ſtill in Righteouſneſs: His Soul is an Incorporeal Underſtanding, and an Immortal Subſtance, infuſed by God into an Inſtrumental Body, to inform and quicken it for the operation of certain motions and actions external and internal, by and without the miniſtery of the Body, conſtituting one perſon, namely, Man: for whoſe perfection it was ſufficient, if he knew all thoſe things concerning God and his Works, which God would have him to know; not that he ſhould know all things, for that had not perfected Man, but transformed him into God. The ſame is to be conceived and thought concerning the perfect Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs and Bleſſedneſs of Angels.
Touching the Creation of Angels, obſerve theſe things; viz.
1. Their Nature: Angels are Spiritual and Incorporeal Eſſences, Heb. 2.16. & 1.7.
2. Their Qualities: They are wiſe, 2 Sam. 14.17. They are of great might, 2 Theſſ. 1.7. 2 Sam. 24.17. 2 Kings 19.35. They are ſwift and of great agility, Iſa. 6.6. Dan. 9.21. and they are wonderfully full of clarity.
3. They are Innumerable, Gen. 32.1. Dan. 7.10. Mat. 26.53. Heb. 12.22.
4. They are ever in the higheſt Heaven, where they alway attend upon God, and have ſociety with him, Mat. 18.10. Pſal. 68.17. Mark 12.25.
5. Their Degree: That there are degrees of Angels it is moſt plain, Col. 1.16. Rom. 8.38. 1 Theſſ. 4.16. But it is not for us to ſearch who, or how many be of each Order, neither ought we curiouſly to enquire how they are diſtinguiſhed, whether in Eſſence, Gifts or Offices, Col. 2.18.
6. Their Office: which is partly to magnifie God, and partly to perform his Commandments, Pſal, 103.20, 21.
7. The eſtabliſhing of ſome Angels in that integrity in which they were created.
Touching Man in the eſtate of his Innocency, theſe things are moſt chiefly to be regarded; viz.
1. The Place: The garden of Eden, that moſt pleaſant garden, Gen. 2.15.
2. The Integrity of Mans nature, which was created in Righteouſneſs and true Holineſs. This hath two parts:
1. Wiſdom, which is a true and perfect knowledge of God and of his Will, in as much as it is to be performed of man, yea and of the Counſel of God in all his creatures, Col. 3.10. Gen. 2.19.
2. Juſtice, which is a conformity of the Will, Affections and Powers of the Body to the Will of God.
3. Mans dignity conſiſting of four parts; viz.
1. His Communion with God, by which as God rejoyced in his own Image, ſo alſo man did fervently love God. This is apparent by Gods familiar conference with Adam.
2. His Dominion over all the Creatures of the Earth, Gen. 2.19. Pſal. 8.6.
3. The Decency and Dignity of the Body, in which, though naked, as nothing was unſeemly, ſo was there in it imprinted a Princely Majeſty, Pſal. 8. Gen. 2.25. 1 Cor. 12.23.
4. Labor of the body without pain or grief, Gen. 3.17, 19.
4. Subjection to God, whereby man was bound to perform obedience to the Commandments of God: which were two; The one was concerning the two Trees; the other, concerning the Sabbath, Gen. 2.3.
5. His Calling, which is the Service of God, in the obſervation of his Commandments, and the dreſſing of the garden of Eden, Prov. 16.4. Gen. 2.15.
6. His Diet was the Herbs of the Earth, and Fruit of every Tree, except the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, Gen. 1.29. & 2.17.
7. His Free-choyce, both to will and perform the Commandment concerning the two Trees, and alſo to neglect and violate the ſame, whereby we ſee that our firſt Parents were indeed created perfect, but mutable: for ſo it pleaſed God to prepare a way to the execution of his Decree.
There are four kindes of creatures in this world; viz.
1. Bare and naked Subſtances without Life, Senſe or Reaſon, as Sun, Moon and Stars; the Sun ſerves the Plants, the Plants the Beaſts, the Beaſts Man, and he God.
2. That have Subſtance and Life, but no Senſe nor Reaſon, as Plants, Trees, Herbs.
3. That have Subſtance, Life and Senſe, but no Reaſon, as Beaſts of the Land, Fiſh of the Sea.
4. That have all, as Subſtance, Life, Senſe and Reaſon, as Man.
Every Creature is good:
1. Partly by Creation, as Sun, Moon, Water, Earth, Meat, Drink, &c.
2. Partly by Ordination: Thus the Evil Conſcience, Hell and Death, are good, becauſe they are ordained of God for the execution of his Juſtice, though in themſelves and to us they are evil.
In Creatures there is a twofold goodneſs; viz.
1. A general and natural goodneſs, whereby God accepted and approved all Creatures.
2. A more ſpecial and moral goodneſs, Revealed in the Moral Law.
Or thus:
1. Uncreated, which is God himſelf, being abſolutely and perfectly good.
2. Created, whereby the Creature is made good, being the fruit of that goodneſs which is eſſentially in God.
What the Image of God in man is; viz.
1. The Soul it ſelf, together with the faculties thereof, endewed with Reaſon and Will.
2. In the Soul, Wiſdom and Knowledge of God, his Will and Works; even ſuch as God requireth of us.
3. A conformity with the Law of God, or Holineſs and Righteouſneſs, under which are comprehended the heart and all affections.
4. Felicity without miſery and corruption; perfect Bleſſedneſs, joy, and abundance of all good things, and glory, wherewith the Nature of man was adorned.
5. The Rule and Dominion of man over the creatures.
The remnants of the Image of God in man; viz.
1. The Incorporeal Subſtance of the Soul, together with the Powers thereof.
2. Many Motions, as of thoſe things which we know by Senſe, as are Natural Principles; ſome Motions alſo of God, his Will and Works.
3. Some prints of Vertues, and an ableneſs concerning outward diſcipline and behavior.
4. The Fruition of many good things.
5. The Dominion alſo over the creatures is not wholly loſt.
God hath preſerved thoſe Remnants of his Image in us for theſe Reaſons; viz.
1. That they might be a Teſtimony of the Bounty of God towards thoſe who were not worthy of it.
2. That God might uſe them to the reſtoring of his Image in Man.
3. That they might leave the Reprobate without excuſe.
The Repairing of the Image of God in us, is the work of all three Perſons, and is in this maner; viz.
1. The Father reſtoreth it by his Son.
2. The Son by the Holy Ghoſt immediately regenerating us, 2 Cor. 3.18.
3. The Holy Ghoſt by the Word; the Goſpel is the power of God unto Salvation, Rom. 1.16.
4. In this Life it is onelyonly begun in the choſen, augmented to their lives end, and perfected in the end, as concerning the Soul, but as concerning the whole man at the Reſurrection.
The uſe of the doctrine of mans creation; viz.
1. We muſt know, That man was created without ſin, leſt God be imagined the Author of ſin.
2. Whereas mans body was faſhioned of clay, let us think of our frailty to abhor Pride.
3. Seeing Gods workmanſhip in man is ſo admirable, let us not make it a Sty of Devils.
4. Seeing God would have Mankinde conſiſt of two Sexes, let each have his due place and honor.
5. Since man was created the Image of God, let his glory be acknowledged, and let it not be made the Image of Satan.
6. Since Gods Image in man is impaired by ſin, let us bewail the greatneſs of this unthankfulneſs.
7. Seeing the glory reſtored us by Chriſt, exceeds our loſs by Adam, let us much the more exceed in thankfulneſs, profit and encreaſe in godlineſs.
8. Seeing the creatures were created for mans uſe, let us uſe them as the Creator hath commanded, and not abuſe them to the ſatisfying of our Luſts.
9. Seeing the Soul is created more excellent then the Body, let our chiefeſt care be for the good of our Souls.
10. Seeing the end and bleſſedneſs of man is the participation and communicating of God, his Knowledge and Worſhip, let us thither refer all our life and actions to the glory of our Creator.
11. Seeing part of Mankinde are veſſels of Wrath, let us magnifie the goodneſs of God that we are veſſels of Mercy.
12. That we may learn and begin theſe things in this life, tender and help forward the common Society and Salvation of others, for which we are born.
13. Since we were created higher then other creatures, little lower then Angels, let us ſhew forth this excellency by an anſwerable holineſs.