Several Sermons, Sermon 1 · Section 1
SECTION I. Excellency of Mans eſtate, as created.
ECCLES. 7.29.
Loe this onelyonly have I found, that God hath made man upright: but they have ſought out many inventions.
[God hath made man UPRIGHT]
WEE are now come (according to our Method) to the Threefold eſtate of Man. I am not ignorant of thoſe difficulties and diſputes which occur in this Subject: Expect not from me in this place, an anſwer to all Objections, nor from any man ſatisfaction to each mans curioſity. Salomon himſelf could not ſatisfie himſelf in all particulars: OnelyOnly in the main of man he is very poſitive, and leaves us here two main duplicate page duplicate page Principles, whereof the firſt reſpects mans innocent and primitive eſtate; The ſecond, his lapſed and forlorn condition, together with the cauſe of both. His order is open and obvious; he had ſaid before, That man is wholly corrupt; and now he delivers the originall hereof; Negatively, it is not God; Poſitively, it is man. We go on in our intended way of delivering Principles. And firſt, ſurvey we mans firſt eſtate, and there look upon him as he ſtands in Gods hand, and is of his making til he mar'd himſelf. Here we find his beginning very good by creation. An excellent, a lovely, plain, even, uniforme piece, ſmooth without knots and flawes, ſtraight without hook or crook; foreignSo much Salomons comprehenſive word imports; The reſult of all is this:
Man at firſt avery excellent and deſitable creature.Man at firſt was a very excellent and deſirable Creature. This the Point; and this is no more then Scripture reports of him. Where mention is made of his firſt eſtate, David brings him in with a crown upon his head, and that crown is a crown of glory and honour. Thou haſt crowned him with glory and honour, Pſal. 8.5. His place was little lower then Angells, but far above all other Creatures: As Job affirmes, Job. 35. v. 11. God made him wiſer then the beaſts of the earth, then the fowles of heaven. Yea, the Prophet aſſures us that the worſt piece of him, the very caſe and outſide, was moſt curiouſly wrought and richly embroydered, Pſal. 139.15. Moſes goes yet higher, and carryes us above creatures to Gods bleſſed ſelf, Let us make man, faith God, This Creature, in our image and after our likeneſſe, Gen. 1.26. Thus in Generalls we have him ſet forth to us. For Particulars, I ſhall not trouble you with any large diſcourſe touching his excellencies, either of ſoul, or body, or eſtate: Neither can we in this our decayed condition reach them. We ſee, we feel what he is; but what he either was or ſhall be, we can rather gueſs then judge, as blind men do of colours; onelyonly this we are ſure of, within there was nothing but what was deſirable; without, nothing but what was amiable; about him, nothing but what was ſerviceable and comfortable: his underſtanding was as full of light as it was free from darkneſſe; his judgement, ſound; his conſcience, clear; his will, conformable to Gods will; his affections, regular; nothing on that ſide wanting to his preſent happineſſe. Or if we look without him, 1. His body had nothing of blemiſh or bluſhing, or diſtemper; but rather cloathed with all requiſite beauties and abilityes, which might render him lovely, and commend him to every eye. 2. For his eſtate, what it was before his fall we may gueſſe by that which is ſince reſtored by Chriſt, whereof we have a touch in that 8th Pſalme: to wit; God gave him a Soverainty over all the creatures, and ſtampt ſuch a majeſty upon him, that they did all acknowledge him, and received their ſeverall names, as ſo many acknowledgements from him. As for his poſſeſſions, we need not ſtand to enlarge upon one Parcell of his Deſmeans, which they call Paradiſe, ſith the whole, both of ſea and land, and all the creatures in both, were then his poſſeſſion, his Paradiſe. Thus the caſe ſtood with man at firſt, the creatures were as obſervant of him as he of his Creator. More then this I ſhall not ſpeak in theſe particulars. This being a Theam ſo much treated of by Schoolmen and others, who write of this firſt eſtate.Cleared in his ſeverall cauſes. The whole matter will be further cleared if welook upon man in his cauſes.
If we conſider the Efficient cauſe, or the Author of man, it's God himſelf: Adam, ſaith Luke, was the ſon of God, thence he derives his Pedegree. Now from the excellency of the cauſe, it is not hard to infer the excellency of the effect, eſpecially ſince efficients work by way of aſſimilation; Naturall efficients. neceſſarily; voluntary cauſes, freely: both ſtrive to accompliſh their own works to their own ends and inclinations; now God (a voluntary agent) is all light, and works like himſelf, ſo that from him can come no darkneſſe; he is all goodneſſe, all perfection, and can do nothing but what is in its kind good and perfect: nay further, God is not ſimply to be conſidered in this work, but with relation to perſonality. The three glorious Perſons concur in this externall work: whence that expreſſion Job 35.10.Eſ. 54.5. Pſ. 149.2. God my makers. This is the joynt work of Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, the iſſue of that power, wiſdome, goodneſſe which is common to them all, ſo that the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt is in its meaſure put upon this noble creature.
Conſider the Formall cauſe of man created. I mean, the manner in which God made him; and that is, 1. In the perfection of wiſdome and deepeſt counſell, as being the Maſterpiece of his viſible works: hence for our better underſtanding Moſes brings in God conſulting with himſelf, Let us, ſaith he, make Man. 2. In perfection of skill and workmanſhip, as in that 139th Pſalm, who hath made him a curious piece, and beſtowed ſo much art and coſt upon him, as that the Maſter of Phyſick, Galen, was enforced to frame a ſong of praiſe to that Deity that framed mans body. 3. In perfection of power: he created him, without the contribution of either matter or inſtrument, and ſo became the ſole and whole cauſe of man.
The exemplary cauſe. And here we paſſe by that private opinion of Zanchy's and others, who conceive that Chriſt aſſumed mans nature for a pattern whereby Adam ſhould bee made. The text ſufficeth us: God made man in his own image, according to his own likeneſſe: which paſſage, having an influence into much which ſhall be hereafter ſaid, muſt a little be opened. See then what is meant by thoſe words; And the anſwer is, that image and likeneſſe in this caſe, * ſpeak one and the ſame thing;Conſer Pſ. 58.4. cum Gen. 1.26. but in an high and ſtrong way: Not as Bellarmine and others; who, for ends, make the one ſubſtantiall, the other, not. In our Image, moſt like our ſelves, that is, As near as the matter will ſuffer; There can be no proportion between the infinite God, and finite man; ſome kind of reſemblance in ſome degree there may be: In every Beaſt there are ſome footſteps (as they are tearmed) of a deity, but more in man: ſome in every man, but more in ſome now. At firſt, of all viſible creatures man came neareſt to God. But wherein? not onelyonly in regard of his nature; becauſe he had an underſtanding, a reaſonable will, a working immortall ſpirit in him, as Papiſts, and others ſpeak; nor yet onelyonly in order to his eſtate, becauſe hee was made Lord over all creatures, as Socinians would have it; But alſo and ſpecially in regard of his Graces and endowments ſeated in his ſoul: God made him wiſe, holy, juſt, upright, wherein the Apoſtle chiefly placeth Gods Image; and that moſt juſtly, Eph. 4.24. That being the chiefe of Gods image in the firſt Adam, which Chriſt, the ſecond Adam, doth moſtly repair and reſtore. When then it is ſaid, that God made man like himſelf, the meaning is, he made him holy, righteous, ſpirituall, according to the ſampler, Gods bleſſed ſelf.
Conſider the Finall cauſe; God made man for moſt excellent ends and uſes; he made him to be a King of creatures, to be near to his moſt glorious Majeſty, to be that great piece which ſhould crown the reſt of his works, and ſpeak out all his perfections: he made him capable of an immortall eſtate of true holineſſe, and happineſſe; and deſigned him for a marriage with the heir, Chriſt, and for neareſt alliance with himſelf: and in order to theſe ends, he put ſo much honour upon him at the firſt. Nor can any man ſtrange at this, ſith it is the practiſe of all wiſe agents: Every skilfull workman (you know) layes out moſt of his skill and coſt upon that piece which he intends for higheſt uſe and credit, as every builder is more exact in ſetting out a chimney piece, then in making a gutter.
Now if it be objected, Object. that mans make is but of baſe materials, as duſt, &c.
It's anſwered, that the matter contributes leaſt of all cauſes unto the excellency of the work. And as much might be ſaid touching the meanneſſe of it; The truth is: The poorneſs and meanneſs of the matter, doth oftentimes moſt advance and commend the skill of the workman. That God out of nothing ſhould draw ſomething, out of dead, blind, dumb Clay ſhould draw light, life, and ſpeech, and out of ſuch deformity ſhould extract ſuch beauty, ſtrength, and excellency: this commends the workman, but doth not at all diſparage the work. Be the ſtuffe what it will, God hath made a rich Arras of it; and the work is now honourable, through Gods power, though the materials ſeem contemptible. So much for that objection. Other queſtions of like nature, we willingly paſſe over, and come to apply this.
Ʋſe 1 Information concerning primitive eſtate.Let me call upon you all to be well grounded and Grammar'd in this truth, touching mans primitive eſtate. The not heeding hereof hath let in thoſe inundations of errours, which now over-ſpread the Chriſtian World. You are not to look upon man as now he is, but as firſt he was, exiſting out of his cauſes. And here I ſhall commend unto you theſe principles.
Man had a beginning. Though now he be Immortall à parte poſt, yet once he was not; This is clear by the word, and by his continued dependence.
His founder and maker was one; and that was God. It was a wilde and mad blaſphemy to dream of Two beginners of the whole, as ſome did; or at leaſt of Man, as did others.
This God made him in his own likeneſſe, ſtamping upon him an Impreſſion of Holineſſe,Againſt Socizus. and as Peter cals it, the divine nature. Theſe Principles, (as others in other caſes, have done) commend I unto you, nor would I have you once troubled with Socinus his cavils againſt the ſame; being ſuch which ſcarce deſerve an anſwer.
Firſt, ſaith hee, Object. If man had born upon him Gods Image, intrinſecally, then man had been Immortall.
Sol. So he had,Sol. if he had not killed himſelf, and caſt away his life.
And though for the preſent he had nothing of death in him, yet was he mutable, and ſo might contract death.
Secondly, Object. again he objects, If man were like God in holineſs, then was he free from ſin.
Sol. 1.Sol. From the Act of ſin hee was free in his firſt conſtitution, though not from the power of ſinning, being a voluntary agent.
Secondly, he was like God, but not a God, that is, equall to God, and equally uncapable of ſin.
Thirdly, Object. again hee objects, If mans Image had conſiſted in holineſſe, then upon his fall, the whole Image of God had been loſt.
Sol. 1. So it was de jure, Sol.if God would have taken the forfeiture.
Yet, ſecondly, the argument holds not, unleſſe we did place the whole of Gods Image onelyonly in holineſſe. There indeed we lay it chiefly, but not onelyonly. We ſay that Gods Image is communicated to the whole compoſitum or Man. We put a difference between the body of a man, and the body of a beaſt, whether living or dying: wee yeeld that a dead man hath more of God in his body, then a dead beaſt.
Thirdly, and in ſhort, to cut off theſe diſputes, wee ſay two things; firſt that there be degrees of holineſſe in this Image of God; and next, that it is not neceſſary that man ſhould partake with God in all his attributes, whereof ſome are incommunicable; much leſſe that hee ſhould equalize God, though in ſome meaſure he be a repreſentative of God.
To the former I adde this fourth principle. The diſtance is very great between man now, and man at the firſt, as Salomon here puts it: as man was changeable then, ſo now he is changed very much; though ſome ruines and remnants of that which they call the ſubſtantiall Image abide upon him. This you muſt the rather be ſetled in, becauſe Hereticks labour tooth and nayle, to confound theſe different ſtates. Thus Papiſts ſweat to prove that man in his pure naturals is as good now as then: Againſt Papiſts.and the ſame then that he is now, differing no more, at leaſt for intrinſccals, then a man cloathed, and uncloathed differs from himſelf; or, then a horſe bridled and unbridled. The caſe was this, God put a bridle of ſupervenient righteouſneſſe upon him to rein him in; other wiſe hee had the ſame ſeeds and principles of corruption, conflict, concupiſcence then, that he hath now.
This they tell you, Object. and Socinus brings his prop to uphold their rotten building; If, ſaith hee, there had not been a conflict betwixt reaſon and affection, how could man have ſinned?
Sol. He ſhould have ſaid,Sol. If man could not have wrong'd himſelf, ſilenced reaſon, yeelded to appetite, how ſhould he ſin? But the matter is, man had power to be naught, (if wee may call that power) though for the preſent he was actually good.
But what ſtrange men are theſe, who will fetch in God as an acceſſary to mans ſin at leaſt; in truth, as aprincipall? For if God, who ſolely and wholly made man, ſo made him, as that he needed a patch, and an adventitious plaiſter ſo ſoon as ever hee was made, doth it not reflect upon Gods perfection? but if hee were ſo made as that there was a propenſion againſt reaſon, and a rebellion in his members from the firſt; and if that Rebellion be bad, at leaſt not good; is not God the author of it?
Call they this Gods Image? Object. Or could God then ſee all that he made to be good?
Bellarmines anſwer in this caſe gives me no ſatisfaction at all,Bellar. God, ſaith he, intended the man: The corruption is but accidentall, as when the Cutler makes a ſword, he mindes the ſword, not the ruſt of it.
For (to omit other differences) the Cutler undertakes not to make the matter, Sol.to wit, the Iron or Steel, but onelyonly to give that matter a form. And the ruſt doth follow the matter, not the form. The ſword ruſts not becauſe a ſword, but becauſe Iron. But now God gives man both; indeed all; nothing elſe contributes; and the ſaying is true, that who gives matter and form, gives the neceſſary conſequents of both. But wretched men care not how much they depreſſe God, ſo they may exalt fleſh.
Let them go. And hold we this diſtance ſtill: man is not ſo bad now, but once he was as good. Originall righteouſneſſe was once as naturall as ſin is now, if not more. And this truth carries more in it, then as yet happily you are aware of.
Learn hence that which Salomon here preſſeth, Ʋſe 2 Juſtifie God in all his ways: againſt cavils of fleſh and blood.namely, to juſtifie God in all his wayes as holy in all his works. It is a fearfull thing to ſee what proud man renders to God for all his kindneſſe. God made him a moſt glorious, happy, ſufficient creature: his own folly hath perverted his wayes, and now his heart frets, and his mouth chats againſt the Lord: I beſeech you, underſtand your Originall, and preſerve your ſelves from the Peſtilent errours of this age, and know how to plead for God, and to emplead ſin. For example.
You ſhall hear men cry out of Bloudy doctrine touching Gods Decreeing men to fall; Object. nay, neceſſitating them to damnation, &c.
Now here learn an anſwer of Salomon, Sol.God made man good, made him for happineſſe, put him into poſſeſſion of it, gave him power to hold it, but he ſought out many inventions, he, he ſought out &c. it was an act of mans counſell and choice; hold we to this, though we cannot ſo well conceive the concurrence of cauſes now, as Adam did then, or as we ſhall hereafter at the day of the revelation of the righteous Judgement of God.Rom. 2.5.
Again, you hear men ſay, that we make God the greateſt tyrant living, one who gives impoſsible lawes, requiring impoſsibilities under the penalty of damnation, unleſs we will yeeld that man can fulfill the law.
Now to this Anſwer. Then was then: Now is now. Sol.When God tranſacted with man he required no more then man could do, now why muſt the rule be bended to man? or the debt drawn to his ability, eſpecially ſith the bond ſtands but for evidence and mans good? God commits him,Gal. 3.23.24. ſhuts him up onelyonly to humble him, and to drive him to ſeek a ſurety of his own providing.
It's replyed, that this ſalves not the buſineſſe, ſince, Object. in our doctrine, more is required of man lapſed, then of man in Innocency; for God requires that faith now, which he did not then, and exacts what he never gave, gathering wherehe never ſtrawed. Thus they.
Wretched men!Sol. Doth God require any thing in the Goſpel but upon Goſpel tearms? that is, that he will work the thing required when ſought unto.
Again, what though Adam had not the exerciſe of faith in Chriſt, as neither of patience or ſome other graces, yet he had all in the roote, ſeed, and power? The want was not in Adam, the ſubject: but the ſtay was the abſence of occaſion, and an object. He had power to do, and to beleeve any thing that then did or after ſhould concern him, and his place, and condition; and no more is required of us now. I never ſaw an Elephant in my life, why? not for want of a principle in the ſubject; the ſame eye that can ſee an Horſe, could an Elephant too, were it preſented to my ſight. I cannot be ſaid not to ſee it, but it is not to be ſeen.
Laſtly, Object. you heare men thus reaſoning. Why! I am as God made me, I am cholerick, I confeſſe it, but 'tis my nature: I am ſleepy; Can I help it? &c.
Anſwer.Sol. There are Defects which follow particular tempers, and natures, Purely-naturall; others which are ſinfull flowing from the principles of Poyſo ned nature: ſinfull diſtempers, are yours, not Gods; you might once have prevented them, you muſt now have them healed. It is an aggravation to lay our faults upon our natures, yea hereby we accuſe the Creator. Therefore in ſtead of excuſing our ſelves or accuſing our maker (as Adam and Eve did) let us lay load on our ſelves; and that's the next uſe.
Where ſee for humbling, Ʋſe 3 Be humbled, that thou art fallen as thou art.whence we are fallen, what we were, what we are. Men love to talke of their Anceſtours, there by to pride themſelves, and can hardly deſcend in themſelves, though tumbled down by Gods hand. Let us, on the contrary, abaſe our ſelves to our eſtate, and befool our ſelves, as we ſee the Bankrupt doth, Once, quoth he, was I well, could I have kept me well; I had mony, land, ſtock, friends and what not? but now I lye under poverty, ſcorn, and contempt. Ah unwiſe man I! In like manner let each of us ſay, Once I was light, now darkneſſe; Once rich in grace, now empty; Once Gods favorite, now an enemy; Once beautifull. now ugly, a very Ichabod, my glory is departed, Ah ſooliſh man; how was I bewitched! Thus let us rate and chide our ſelves into a low conceit of our ſelves. Howbeit, all this ſignifies nothing, unleſſe we ſee this our miſery in the cauſe thereof. Therefore look upon ſin as a thing moſt pernicious and deſtructive. It is ſin, (ſay) that hath undone me, that hath ruined mine eſtate; caſt me into debt; 'tis ſin that hath ſlain my Cattell, deprived me of my Crop; 'tis ſin, ray ſin in Adam that hath forfeited mine honour, undermined my Authority over creatures. Time was when every beaſt, every bird, every fiſh, would have owned me, would have done me homage: Now my very ſervants trample upon me, my once ſubjects riſe againſt me, as I have againſt God. Lyons are ready to devoure me, Bears to worry me, horſes to brain me, yea, every Caterpillar, worme, flea, makes a prey of me. 'Tis ſin, that hath marr'd my body. Once I had a body perfect, active, ſound, glorious, the more naked the more ſhining: now in ſtead of thoſe beauties behold a ſtench, ſickneſſe, ſhame and whatſoever elſe is bluſhfull. It is ſin that hath ſpoiled my ſoul: at firſt I had near Communion with God, cloſe correſpondency with his will and Image. The peace of God, the joyes of God, the ſtrength and life of God were upon me. Now hell is in my ſoul, darkneſſe and confuſion fills every room; I bear in ſtead of Gods glorious Image, the ugly Image of the devill himſelf, and come as near unto him as my nature is capable. Oh curſe this accurſed thing, Sin, which hath ſo undermined thee, and reſolve againſt it for the future, as we do againſt leſſer evills, we decline ſuch meats as threaten partiall miſery. This rots my teeth, that hurts my eyes, this diſtempers my liver, that my ſtomach, therefore I muſt forbear. Oh fear that ſin that deſtroys eye, and hand, and head, the whole body, the whole ſoul, the whole man. And now bethink thy ſelf of a recovery as decay'd men do; lye not whining under loſſes, as Jacobs ſons in their wants, much leſſe run to baſe, ſharking courſes, as broken chapmen do; But buſtle and beſtir thy ſelf, bethink thy ſelf, Is there no help? is it not poſsible to raiſe my ſelf again? yes, there is hope and help, the Lord Chriſt, the ſecond Adam comes with the Image of God upon him, as a reſtorer of the breach, he is come to recover what was loſt, to pay what was owing, to repaire our ruines, to recruit us again, he is able, he is willing to undertake us. Nay, the thing is done already, therefore I'le to him, as once the bankrupts to David, I will confeſſe with the prodigall, I will beg for life, I will caſt my ſelf upon him, and cloſe with him being offered as an husband, as the only way for decay'd fortunes, ſo ſhall I be reſtored in blond and repaired in mine eſtate. Thus reſolve, thus do, and ceaſe not doing till thou find his mark upon thee, his fruit and life in thee: ſo ſhalt thou find more life and happineſſe in him, then there was death and miſery in the old Adam.
Ʋſe 4 Bleſſe God for the firſt eſtate: and that little which is leſt to this day.Laſtly, learn to be thankfull for this firſt eſtate: cloſe with all the Saints in that Song of theirs, Rev. 4. ult. Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou haſt created all things, &c. It is not little that we owe to God, for this poor eſtate which yet is left us; for theſe poor eyes, theſe lame limbes, theſe frail bodyes, theſe ſick ſouls, which we labour with every day; We are much bound to him, for the meaneſt fare, for the leaſt bit of courſeſt bread, the leaſt ſip of thinneſt drink, and muſt coufeſſe with Jacob that we are leſſe then the leaſt of all his now f…i…ed mercies; what thanks then can we render for our firſt eſtate, which was every way full, free, glorious, whether we look upon ſoul or body, or place or ſtate, or any thing appertaining thereto; nor is Gods goodneſſe and bounty the leſſe, becauſe we have fooliſhly ſquandered it away. That greatens our folly and wickedneſs, yet no way leſſens Gods largeſſe and kindneſſe.
Object. But why did not God put us paſt danger and loſſe, but left it in our hands to loſe?
Sol. An ungracious queſtion: ſo the unthrift talks when he hath outed himſelf of his patrimony, Why did my Father truſt me? why did he not entayle his land? There is no reaſoning with ſuch froward children, neither content full, nor faſting. A gracious heart muſt and will be thankfull, as for kindneſſes intended, ſo much more beſtowed, moſt of all for mercies reſtored in Chriſt, who hath mended that firſt eſtate.