The Beauty and Order of Creation, Discourse 1
Of the Creation of Man.
CHAP. I.
Gen. 1.27.
So God Created man in his own Image, in the Image of God Created he Him, Male and Female Created he them.
SECT 1.
THe rest of the Creatures being made, the supream Lord of heaven and earth was pleased to make Man after his own Image, to be his Deputy here on earth, and under him a Lord of the other creatures, which being a principal work requiring special attention, the holy Ghost setteth down the consultation of the Trinity about it, and sheweth us how it was accordingly performed in these words, where you may take notice of three things, which you may take as so many several points of doctrine:
I. That God created Man,
II. That God created both Sexes, Man and Woman, Male and Female.
III. That God made man in his own Image.
For the first, that God Created Man: this is that kind of creature (as we have said) partly visible, partly invisible; and so his Creation is to be considered according to his several parts: first then, consider the creation of mans body, and then of his soul.
The Creation of mans body is but briefly laid down, Gen. 2.7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground; that is, his body: where, though the dust of the ground be mentioned, yet I conceive that the matter of mans body was tempered with the other elements, although the earth was that which bare the greatest bulk, and made up the greatest part of the substance in the body.
Now to set forth the excellency of the Creatour, it may not be amiss briefly to consider of the notable workmanship of mans body, whereof the Psalmist speaketh, Psal. 139.14▪ 15, &c. and in it may be considered,
The general frame,
The particular parts.
1. In the general frame, is to be observed a notable and excellent temper of body, consistin… …f divers humours admirably composed and mixed together, and fitted so, as to be a serviceable Instrument of the soul; this was in full perfection when God made it, for we mus… not judge of it according to those distempers, whereunto the body now is subject; yet now in some tempers above others there is some degree of evenness, which giveth us a shadow of that exactness that was at the first. But in that state of …reation, there was not the least defect nor disorder in the temper of the body, nothing which a man could have wished to have been otherwise than it was; the constitution and complexion of the body, and so the colour and appearance of it was perfect and exact: For as every thing w…s good in its kind, so man especially had his due natural perfection every way.
2. As there was this perfect temper, and so an excellent constitution, so there was a just and due proportion: the whole body had its just stature, and every part its due measure: it was exactly shaped and framed; nothing wanting; nothing exceeding; nothing beyond; nothing short of the due size. And this exactness both of temper and proportion, made up the perfect beauty and comliness, which God gave to the body of man in his Creation.
3. In the general frame also, we may consider the upright and erected posture of mans body, in which regard he was permitted to look up to heaven; and an excellent Majesty was given him, as a Lord and Ruler over the other Creatures, who were made to bow down their back in subjection unto him; and by the very stooping of their body to do him homage, and acknowledge his dominion over them: and thus much for the general frame.
SECT. 2.
NOw come we to the particular parts, and therein let us consider,
I. Those that are contained in the rest, namely the Blood and Spirits.
1. For the blood, you know it is an excellent part of the body, and of absolute necessity, insomuch that the blood is said to be the life of the body, which must not be understood directly, as the words seem to imply, as if the life of a man were nothing but his blood, for that is not possible: if that were so, then nothing could live which hath no blood: but this is certain, that Bees, and many other like Creatures have no blood, and yet have life: it would also follow, that so many drops of a mans blood as he loseth, so much he loseth of his life; whereas many times the evacuation of blood is the preservation of life. And (that which is most absurd) it would follow, that a mans life might be severed from him, and yet remain for a time after such separation: for so you see, that the blood of men, and of other creatures, may be kept a long time in vessels after it is severed from the body. And besides all this; the Angels, who have neither blood, nor other bodily parts, have life in greater perfection than a man.
Thus then we understand these places that speak of the the Blood, that it is a special instrument of the soul, whereby life is convayed to the several parts of the body by reason of the spirits, which are a kind of airy invisible substance (yet bodily) arising like vapours …rom the purest part of the blood: for although it be said, the life is in the blood, yet this is because the blood is a thing which is more obvious to the senses than the spirits; and again, because it is the nursery, and as it were the fuel of the spirits, whereby (as by a precious oyl) the lamp and flame of life is cherished and maintained: so that life is more immediately in the spirits than in the blood. Again, life is lost by the shedding of the blood, because the spirits (the immediate Instruments of the soul whereby it communicateth life to the body) are extinguished by the shedding of the blood, even as the flame goeth out when the wood is qui…e taken away; and so in this respect also the blood is said to be the life of the Creature.
Moreover, consider the spirits, whereof somewhat hath already been spoken by the way. These are called spirits, not, but that they are bodily substances▪ but, because they have the least grossness in them of all other parts of the body, and come nearest to a spiritual nature. And these are indeed the immediate instruments of the soul, and being as it were of a middle nature between the soul and body, they are a common tye or bond between them both, uniting both together. These are of most excellent use in the body throughout the parts, they convay life, sence, and motion to them all: they are in special manner employed in the more retired and spiritual actions of the soul, in the exercise of reason and understanding, in the serious thoughts and meditations of the heart: by it the pain or delight of one part of the body is convayed and imparted to the rest, and a sympathy or fellow feeling is derived from one to the other; and in these the singular wisdome of the Creator is notably manifested.
SECT. 3.
THe parts containing these, are in the next place to be considered; where first, the Head is that which is set in the highest place, and is full of most curious workmanship: it is the seat both of the outward and inward senses; and as all the outward senses are placed there, so none of the five are to be found in any other part of the body, except that of the touch or feeling, which is the lowest and grossest of the rest. There is the Eye, of a singular and most curious making, which is the instrument of seeing; the very window of this house, that letteth in light to the soul, which otherwise would dwell in a dark dungeon. It is an admirable thing to consider, how by the wonderful power and wisdome of God, all colours have his property to caff sorth a resemblance and image of themselves, whic… by the air is convayed into the Eye: if this were well considered and understood, it would be found one of the most wonderful works of the Creation, setting forth the Creators glory. But ye may conceive it thus: When a Looking-glass is held before the face, instantly there is an image of the face in the glass: now the glass cannot frame such an image in it self, for then it should be there as well when the face is turned away: wherefore it must be of necessity, that the face doth at all times in the light cast forth an image of it self: and the glass doth only hold it by reason of the lead at the backside, whereby this image is stayed, and not suffered to pass through, and vanish. And so doth every thing that hath colour, cast forth an image of it self at all times, which being received into the eye, presently the thing is seen, and perceived by the eye: which is an admirable thing to consider, that all things that are; Trees, Plants, Men, Beasts, &c. whatsoever can be seen, do every way cast forth Images of themselves into the air, and that these are severally and distinctly conveyed to the eye, and discerned by it.
There are the Ears, whereby we hear, which take in sounds and noises in a wonderful manner: wherein also the admirable power and wisdome of God appeareth, in that one voice issuing out of one mouth should enter in at many hundred ears: for this must needs be granted, that we cannot hear any voice or noise, unless it truly enter into our ears; for if the noise could be heard without such an entrance, then were those open passages needless, which are in the ears: but these open passages are as needful to let in sounds, as a door is to let a man into an house: Now one man cannot enter in at many doors at once; and so one voice remaining one, cannot enter in at many hundred ears at the same moment; and therefore it must needs be multiplied in the air; and so that which is but one in the mouth of the speaker, is manifold in the air, and is taken in by many ears.
There is also the Nose, which is the instrument of smelling, another part of the body, which serveth us both for necessity and delight: it is a means to prove the wholsomness or unwholsomness of many things which are good, and which are hurtful to us, and yeildeth delight and refreshment in presenting us with many pleasing and fragrant smells.
There is also the Tongue and Palate, the instruments of Tast, but especially the palate or upper part of the mouth, the Tongue having another and more proper use. This is a sense of greatest use for the nourishment of the body, and so for the preservation of life; and this also yeildeth abundant matter of delight and refreshment. Iob saith, Doth not the ear try words, and the mouth or palate tast his meat? Iob 12.11. That is, doth it not by tasting, try it? for God hath given this ability to the Creatures, to try what is agreeable to their bodies, and what is displeasing.
In the last place, the Touch, or Feeling, is may rise again an incorruptible, immortal, spiritual glorious body; like the body of Christ, at his comming, through his mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.
SECT. 4.
IV. EVen this earthly frame of the body proveth it an hard thing to put off earthly affections, and therefore care and striving should be used in it. The body being made of dust, it will return to dust again, not onelyonly in the final dissolution, but also in the present inclination; it now leaneth to the earth, and resteth on the earth; Man is deeply in love with his own Element, and strongly tyed to it in his affections. It is said of one, that being one of Three, who demanded of the Orracle which should be chief, and hearing that he should be the man that first should kiss his Mother, he fell down and kissed the earth, as accounting it the common mother of all; men are so in love with the Earth, that they embrace it, and as it were, kiss it in their affections as a Mother, out of whose womb they had their beginning, although the Oracles of Gods word condemn this folly, and teach them, that thus doing, they shall be least in the Kingdom of God, and that this doting love of the world is enmity with God. Therefore we should pray earnestly to God, that he would change this earthly temper of our souls into heavenly affections. How needful is it for us to practise that of our Saviour, even to forsake our selves; our selves being earth, we must renounce our earthly selves, and deny our selves; for though we could restrain our selves somwhat from outward earthly courses, yet so long as we keep our earthly affections, our hearts will cleave to the earth. Special cause we have to study that book of the Wise man throughout, which teacheth us the vanity and vexation of spirit that is in earthly things, and to see and admire the treasures and riches of Gods Kingdome; that apprehending better things, we may make better account of these.
SECT. 5.
V. IN as much as God made our bodies, we must yeild up our bodies to his service; for God made all things for himself, saith the Scripture. He made not the body for the Devil, nor for the world, nor for lust, nor for drunkenness, but for Himself; let us well consider this, and learn to give God his due. The Idolater will bow with his body to Idols, and say, that he keepeth his heart to God; but he must know, that God made the body as well as the soul; and if he made all things for himself, then the body as well as any other thing. The prophane person, that abuseth his Tongue to swearing, wanton, wicked discourses, to railing, scoffing, &c. the Adulterer, which sinneth against the whole body, as the Apostle sheweth the Drunkard, who abuseth his body to excess of swilling and drinking; the wanton that abuseth his eye to careless wandring, and openeth his ear to vanity; he that pleaseth his palate▪ and loveth his pleasures more than God; he that thinketh his body given him for no other purpose, but either to drudge about earthly things, or to …ast of earthly delights; even such a one is apt to say, he hath a good heart toward God. But be not deceived; God made this Body for Himself; and therefore we must not abuse any part of the Body to his dishonour, nor make any member of it an Instrument of unrighteousness, but to give up the members of our bodies as Instruments of righteousness unto holiness: let us not think a little pains of the body too much to bestow in the service of God, in hearing the word, in prayer, in humiliation, &c. but let us glorifie God (as in our souls especially, so) in our bodies also▪ for they are Gods as well as our souls.
SECT. 6.
VI. IN that God made the body, care must be used to preserve, and not to destroy thine own body, or thy brothers: we must not pull down this tabernacle which God himself hath pitched, but must leave it to his disposing, using all lawful means to keep it up, and to preserve it strong, untill he please to dissolve it: shun intemperancy and excess in things that please the appetite in meats and drinks, &c. Use those means which God hath given thee to repair this house, which God Himself hath builded for thy soul to dwell in. let the life and body of another be precious in thy sight, and do thy endeavour to preserve it. And let us know that in some case not to save life, is to destroy, viz. when there is special means, calling and opportunity to do it; in times of necessity some means must be used to prevent the famishing of many, therefore at such times we should freely give without grudging, to the relief of others. Remember that it is for the preservation of those bodies which God hath made. And let this keep thee from laying violent hands on thine own body: it is a loud crying sin to destroy anothers body, because God hath made it; but most horrible to destroy thine own, sith God hath made it, and hath given thee a special charge to keep it.
Moreover, sith God hath made the body, let us rely upon Him for the maintenance of the body: He hath made it, and he will keep it: he hath given a mouth, and he will give meat; he hath given a back, and he will cloath it: Thus may a Christian, that hath recovered his forfeiture in Christ, reason from the love and promise of God. And therefore in hard times our wants should be special motives to drive us home to God through Christ, that being in him we might assure our selves of all needful supply for the body from his hand that made it: there is not the poorest among us, but if they would effectually turn to God, and depend upon him, they should find they have no cause to despair in regard of bodily helps; they should find him supplying or supporting▪ and one way or other providing for them.
SECT. 7.
VII. HAth God made thy body upright, and looking up toward heaven? this should teach thee to mind the things that are above, to be heavenly-minded. It is a great shame that the body should look upward, and the soul and affections bend downward to the things of the earth. There is many times an upright body, and Curva interras anima, a Crook-backed soul leaning toward the earth: so that whereas the soul should raise the body, and make it the better because of its Union with an immortal Spirit, it rather pulleth it down, and makes it the worse, the more earthly and fleshly. An earthly mind maketh the very posture of the body raised toward heaven, to become hypocritical and counterfeit: sith God hath given thee the body of a man looking upward towards heaven, do not take to thy self the spirit of a Beast, grovelling on the earth here below.
VIII. Seeing God at the first gave man perfect beauty, in regard both of temper and proportion: then let all defects or deformities which thou seest in any, not move thee to contemn their persons; but rather to lament the common misery of mans nature fallen into sin; the fruits whereof do rather appear in some particular persons in this kind, than they do in some others. And think with thy self, that by the law of Creation, he that is most deformed, was to be as beautiful as any that excelleth most; and he that is most beautiful by the Fall was as subject to deformity as any other.
CHAP III.
SECT. 1.
MOreover, from the particular parts divers Meditations may be raised.
I. As the Head is to the Body, so Christ is to his Church. Ephes. 4.15.16.
1. As the Head is the Guid to the whole Body, so is Christ to the Church: every member followeth the direction of the Head: Christ is the wisdom of the Father; and He, as he is made unto us an Head, so also is he our wisdome, our guide and directtour: he is the great Prophet, He by his Spirit revealeth the mysteries of grace, and sheweth the way of life unto his Members, and all must page missing
3. Neither doth any member despise or scorn another, the eye doth not scorn the lowest member in the body; neither should any one whom God hath raised highest in gifts, calling, place, dignity, wealth, or any other way, scorn the poorest and meanest in any respect; but rather seek their good, as being members of the same body.
4. As the principal parts of the body have need of the meanest, so the greatest in the Church have need of meaner Christians in many respects: if the whole body were eye, where were hearing? Thus much for the first part of the first point, viz. the Creation of mans body.
CHAP. 4. Of the Creation of Mans Soul.
I Now come to speak of the Creation of mans Soul; the story whereof is briefly laid down in Gen. 2.7. And breathed into his nostrills the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Where you must not conceive, that the Lord did breath like a man; but the intent of the Holy Ghost (I conceive) is to shew, that Man had another kind of Soul than the Beasts or Birds: they were brought forth out of the material Elements, but Man, though his Body were drawn out of the Dust, yet his soul was in a peculier manner given him of God, and not composed of any earthly, waterish▪ or aiery substance, but that it was a spiritual substance immediately created of God: and further, this breathing in of the soul implieth (as may seem) that the soul was not first created without the body, and then put into the body, but that at once it was both created and infused into the body.
SECT. 1.
NOw let us here speak a little of the nature of the Soul, and then of its powers and faculties.
1. For the nature of the soul, it is a spirit, and herein most like unto the Angels of any other Creature; and though the wise man doth communicate this name to the life of a beast, yet he sheweth a great difference between these two sorts of spirits, saying, The spirit of a Man, that goeth upward; and the spirit of a Beast, that goeth downward. The spirit of a Beast (or that which giveth it life) vanisheth, and dyeth with the body, being a principle that riseth out of material or bodily substances tempered and composed together: but the spirit of a man being of an higher nature than any of these gross material bodies, and not rising out of them, but being created immediately of God the Father of Spirits, it goeth upward: it is presented before the Lord in judgment after its departure from the body.
2. It is such a spirit as can subsist alone of it self out of the body: so the Apostle maketh mention of the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. 12. the Spirits of the Saints now in heaven, whose bodies rest in the dust; and this sheweth the excellent matter of mans spirit, far above the life of the beast, or any unreasonable Creature, that it can subsist, when it is severed from the body. This sheweth that it doth not depend upon the body, nor was extracted out of it, but rather that the perfection of the body dependeth on it: it can live without the body, but the body without it, rotteth, putrifieth and mouldereth away into dust. Dust returneth to Dust as it was, saith the wise man; and the Spirit returneth to him that gave it, Eccles. 12.
3. It is an immortal Spirit: so this very place sheweth, that when dust returneth to dust; when the body dissolveth, then the spirit liveth, and yieldeth up it self into the hands of God. And so the Scripture sheweth both in the case of the godly, and of the wicked; the one shall go into life eternal, and the other into everlasting punishment.
SECT. 2.
IN the next place let us speak of the powers and faculties of the soul; here I shall speak first of those which are common to it with other Creatures, viz. those which they call vegetative and sensitive, which are found in the beasts and birds. These I call faculties of the soul, although for mine own part I concieve them not to be properly inherent in the reasonable soul, but rather in the temper of the body: for the intellectual soul being a Spirit, I cannot see how these brutish affections (such as many of these are) can be inherent in it; especially because many of them, as the faculties of attraction, retention, expulsion, augmentation, &c. are ordinarily exercised, not only without the command, but also without the knowledg of the reasonable soul, which I know not how it could be, if they were inherent in it immediately, it being a single, spiritual and intellectual being. Now these faculties are many which the Lord hath given, and shewed his admirable wisdom in them
1. Of the Vegetative part.
There is a nutritive or nourishing property; to which diverse others are serviceable, as that of hunger and thirst, (which is properly a branch of the sensitive) yet insensible Creatures, are a servant to the vegetative: for by these the appetite is provoked to seek for nourishment.
There is a digesting faculty to concoct that nourishment that is received first in the stomach, then in the liver turning it into blood, then in each several part turning it into substance in particular. To these also belongeth these three inferiour faculties.
Attractive,
Retentive,
Expulsive.
1. Attractive: whereby every part hath a power to draw nourishment unto it self▪ so the Head and upper parts of the body have a power to draw blood from the Liver, which is far below them, as well as the lower parts▪ And in this the wonderful wisdom of God is clearly manifested.
2. There is a Retentive faculty, or a power of keeping that nourishment a convenient time till it may be so wrought upon, and perfected, as to turn into one substance with the body, and to refresh its parts. But l…st nature should suck poison insteed of nourishment, or digest that into its substance, which is hurtfull,
3. The Lord hath added for its farther security and benefit, an Expulsive faculty, or a power of casting out such matter as is superfluous and burdensome, and not fit for nourishment; whence come many fluxes from the Head, and sweats over the whole body; besides those gross excrements whereof nature is daily …ased. In these also the admirable wisdome of God is manifested, and when we enjoy the use of any faculty of the soul, we should glorifie him that made them.
Moreover, there is also a generative faculty or power of propagation, which God gave to Trees, Plants, Beasts, Birds, Fishes, Men; blessing them, and bidding them to encrease and multiply.
SECT 3.
2. Of the sensitive part.
THere are both the senses and the affections: the senses outward and inward: of the outward senses somewhat was briefly spoken, when we spake of those parts of the body that are Instruments of those senses. The inward senses are conceived to be three:
The Common Sense,
The Fancy,
The Memory.
1. The Common Sense, which is said to receive the objects of all the outward senses, and to be seated in the former part of the Brain.
2. The Fancy or Imagination, which worketh upon those things that are received into the former, and is thought to be placed in the middle part of the Brain.
3. The Memory, which keepeth those things that are received in by the other, and layeth them up as in a treasury, and the seat of this is in the hindermost part of the brain. And in this, most admirable is the wisdom and power of God, that certain images of things long sithens seen or heard, should be laid up in a corner of the Brain, and there preserved many years, and called to mind, though they be the resemblances of many thousand several things. Some Memories are far worse than other, yet even the meanest ordinary Memory is wonderful, if we did rightly consider, that in so narrow a compass, the shapes and likenesses of so many several things should be preserved: yea, even this is notable, that the Images of so many mens faces as one man can remember, should be there ingraven in so small a table, as is the Memory.
SECT. 4.
Of the Affections.
AS for the Affections, they are seated in the heart, and these are many, as
1. Love, which is an affection of the soul, uniting it self to some thing apprehended as good: for so whatsoever is beloved,Love. either is good, or seemeth to have some good in it to him that loveth it; contrary to which is a second affection, sc. Hatred:Hatred. and that is an affection of the heart shuning and separating it self from that which is so hated, as supposed hurtful: for though good things are often hated, yet there is an apprehension of evil in them; and if we speak of the affections as created of God, then nothing was beloved but that which was truly good; nor hated, but that which was truly evil. But of the integrity of the affections we may speak, when we come to speak of the Image of God in Man.
Desire, is an affection of the heart reaching after some good thing which is absent:Desire. Contrary to which is Detestation, Detestation.or abhorring of that which may hereafter happen, being conceived to be evil. These two may be expressed by hunger and thirst on the one side, and on the other, a loathing of meat in the Stomach, when the heart riseth with dislike at some thing which as yet is absent, but is tendered to it, or may hereafter be presented to it. When our Saviour told Peter that he would fall into that fearful sin of denying his Lord and Master, his heart rose against it, and he detested it: this was not only a simple and meer hatred of it as a thing evil, which is directly contrary to love: but also a detestation of it, as an evil that might happen, or was foretold should happen to him, though now he were free from it, which is an affection contrary to desire.
In the next place is Ioy, which is an affection of the heart, pleasing and resting it self in some good thing Enjoyed.Ioy. In this affection there must be some good, [true, or seeming] in possession, which doth so affect the heart, as to rest it self with some contentment in it: opposite to this,Sorrow. is Sorrow, which is an affection of the heart, distasting some evil already felt. Now I cannot see, how this affection should be exercised in the state of innocense, because man had no cause of sorrow, unless it may be supposed, that he knew of the Angels fall and rebellion against the Lord, which is not likely. Howsoever! the faculty no doubt was then given unto man by the Lord, who foresaw a world of woe and sorrow which man would fall into; who knew that of all affections, this of sorrow could not want work, nor be idle for want of matter to work upon.
There is also Hope, which is an affection of the heart, looking for some good, or the avoiding some evil that is to come:Hope for that which a man hath already, why doth he yet hope for? Contrary to which is Fear, which is an affection of the heart,Fear. trembling at some evil to come, or at the loss or missing of some good.
Then there is Courage, Courage,which is as it were a degree beyond hope, and is a more assured expectation of some good, or of the overcoming of some evil: contrary whereunto is Desperation, a sinking of the heart under the expectation of some evil to come.Desperation.
Anger seemeth to be an affection mixed of Sorrow and Hatred, which by Tragedians is somtime called Dolor. Anger.These I call faculties of the soul, because of their near union with the spirit of a Man, and because the soul hath some government over them.
CHAP. V.
SECT. 1.
BUt the most proper and peculiar qualities and faculties of the soul, are the Understanding and the Will, and such as are seated in these, or compounded of these.
The Understanding is the prime faculty of the soul, that guideth the whole man,The Understanding. and giveth light to all hi… actions,
1. In it there is an act of discerning, whereby it seeth into the nature and qualities of things, knowing both those things more perfectly than the Senses, which the Senses discern; and other things also which they cannot reach. And this is that faculty whereby man is become acq…ainted with God his Maker, whom no unreasonable Creature can discern. God is a spirit, and cannot be discerned by any bodily senses, but by this spiritual faculty of the soul. By this the Lord hath made man able to search into the hidden causes of things, and to see him in his works. By this he hath enabled him to get the knowledg of Arts and Sciences, of Trades and Dealings, &c.
2. There is an act of I…vention, by the working of the Understanding, finding out many particulars belonging to some general,Invention. and finding out, one by another like unto it. So in matter of Trades, God hath given this power of Invention to the understanding, whereby Trades are perfected, and new additions of skil and art are added to them; and so in the learned sciences.
3. There is Iudgment, whereby the understanding passeth its sentence, and giveth its determination upon things concerning their nature,Iudgment. truth and goodness.
4, There is a power of Discourse, proving one thing by another; this is so; therefore it is so: the sun is up,Discourse. therefore it is day: the days are lengthened, therefore the sun is past the winter solstice, &c. None of these are to be found in any unreasonable Creatures.
SECT. 2.
The will is another principal faculty of the soul, chusing or refusing freely good or evil.The Will. And as the understanding is (as it were) the eye; so the will is (as it were) the heart of the soul. For although the understanding see never so clearly what is good, yet unless the Will agree, and give its consent, it is not followed. The Understanding is like one that giveth good counsel, but if the will be obstinate, it is not followed▪ He that knoweth his Masters will, and doth it not, to him it is sin; so that you see, a man may know, and not do. Now in such a case, a mans understanding agreeth with Gods Will; for he both knoweth what God will have done, and knoweth it to be Good. But his Will crosseth both the Will of God and his own Understanding; which is the aggravation of sin, and encreaseth the Stripes. Now the Acts of the Will are in general two:
To Will, or to Chuse.
To Nill, or to Refuse.
Now in these two faculties, there are two others seated, as Free-Will and Conscience.
Free-Will is a faculty of the mind, whereby the Will without constraint doth willingly chuse or refuse what the understanding discovereth to be good or evil; for all the power of man cannot compell the will to embrace or refuse what it will not refuse or imbrace. The outward man may be forced against the will, the Tongue may be forced, the Hand may be forced, but no Tyrant in the world can force the Will. And hence cometh that unmoveable resolution of Gods Children in the profession of the gospel, even from the invincible freedome of the will, sanctified by the spirit of God; it is true! it is the spirit of God is the cause, but the Spirit is pleased to make this use of mans will, and of that liberty which he himself gave man at his Creation: Again, on the other side, the will of man may be brought to cover its own inclination, and outwardly be brought to conform to the constraining powers of others; but the inward bent of it none can force a contrary way. Again, the will, by perswasions, by reasons discovered unto it, by better informations may be inclined to alter▪ but never violently turned by compulsion: when it is altered, though the preparatives and motives of its alterations come from others, yet the alteration it self must come from it self. I speak not now of God's Act in renewing it by his Spirit, who being the Maker of the Will, hath that power over it, which no Creature can possibly have: yet the Lord will not compell the Will (for that were to destroy it and make it no Will) but by sanctifying and new-making it, he makes it willingly embrace that which it shunned before, and resolutely to reject what it embraced before.
Now although the Fall of Adam did actually take away mans Spiritual life consisting in the Image of God, and the Holiness of his Nature; yet it did but forfeit for the present, and not actually bereave him of his natural life, nor the natural powers of his Soul, by which he lived; so then there is no question but man in the State of sin hath free Will. But the question is, Wherein? I answer, in things natural and moral, not in things supernatural and spiritual. In natural things a man in his natural estate hath free-will to chuse or to refuse; in eating, and drinking; in eating or not eating; in walking or not walking, &c. So in moral actions, a man in his natural estate may do many good moral acts, and hath liberty of will to do them; as to use abstinence, to exercise temperance, to shun drunkenness, &c. yet with exception, that many particulars through custome and company▪ &c, may be so enthralled to some lusts, that the exercise of this freedom of will is even wholly smothered in them, and cannot shew it self, but is strongly clogged and kept down: but yet that which their will chuseth, it freely chuseth still. But now on the other side, it hath not liberty unto spiritual and supernatural things. It may freely entertain the use of outward means and ordinances, but it hath not free power to believe aright, to change it self, to purge it self from the stains of nature; to repent, &c. All these must come from above: None but God can make his Image in Man, when Man and Satan hath defaced it. But if the Son shall make you free, then are you free indeed. If the Son of God shall by his spirit of liberty infused into us, deliver us from the thraldome of Sin and Satan, and renew the Image of God in us, then are we free indeed. This which is, spoken of free-will, doth not cross the soveraignty of Gods will, nor the certainty of his decrees, sith mans will is brought about freely and willingly to embrace what God hath certainly purposed; whose purpose being eternal, He did not in the beginning of Time make such a Creature as should disappoint him of his eternal purpose.
SECT. 3.
Of Conscience.
IN the next place followeth Conscience, about which it seemeth, that both the Understanding and the Will are exercised.Conscience. This is an application of general Rules unto particular Cases, and points of practice; and this it performeth both by the Understanding and the Will; and that both concerning things not yet done, and concerning things already done. Conscience by vertue of the understanding judgeth such and such particular actions to be good, and such as it ought to practise, because it seeth them agreeable to those general rules of duty and of goodness, which it hath already conceived. Our Saviour knew that he must fulfill all Righteousness; therefore when Iohn was unwilling to baptize him, he applieth that General to this Particular, He must fulfill all, therefore this part of Righteousness. St. Peter had laid up this general direction that our Saviour gave him; Feed my Sheep; and so his sanctified Conscience made application of it on all particular occasions. Therefore when a multitude were gathered together wondring at the miraculous gifts of Tongues bestowed on the Disciples; his Conscience tells him, now Thou must practise what thy Master hath commanded; and so at that time he gathered some three thousand lost sheep into the fold of Christ.
In the second place, Conscience by vertue of the Will, Stirreth up the faculties of the soul to practise this particular duty, which is thus found agreeable to the general rules of duty and goodness. Now in that these things are not practised, this commeth from that disorder which sin hath made in the soul, and that preposterous confusion of the affections leading Conscience in a slavish captivity under the power of lust: so on the other side, it is for evils not yet done: The world promiseth a fair reward many times, if men will use foul means to obtain it: if riches begin to trade with the world about the matter, covetousness (like Iudas) saith to the world, What wilt thou give me, and I will betray my Masters honour, profane his Day, defraud my neighbour, oppress my poor brother, &c? But now Conscience cometh in, and laboureth to ma… the bargain; and having laid up this general rule, That it shall not profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul, it applieth this to the case in hand; therefore it will be a most miserable bargain for me to gain this which is now proposed with the hazard of my soul. This doth conscience by vertue of the understanding, and then calleth up the powers of the will to help, which withdraweth from the thing as unlawful and dangerous, and riseth against it, and disliketh it with reluctancy. So Ioseph had laid up this in his heart, that adultery must not be committed, no not in secret, because it is a sin against the All-seeing eye of God; therefore, when his Mistriss tempteth him, he applieth this General to the particular occasion, and by the force of a sanctified conscience biddeth defiance to her temptations. How shall I do this great wickedness, and so sin against God? so David having laid up in his heart that precept in General, Honour thy Father and thy Mother, and knowing that under this Title of father, was comprehended the King, and other Magistrates: and then again, Thou shalt do no murther: now he happeneth to come into a cave, and there meeteth with Saul, and hath him at advantage: Saul sought to murther him, pursuing him without cause against his own Conscience, who was to succeed him in his Kingdome, and one that was annointed by the special appointment of the King of Kings; yet David will not touch him, nor suffer Abishai to fall upon him, who was ready to have slain him, had David given way to it; for against all these provocations, conscience cries out, God forbid that I should lay my hand upon the Lords Annointed; and so prevaileth notably against all these motives. So David stayed his servants with these words, not suffering them to rise against Saul. 1 Sam. 24.7. It is in the original, he clave his men asunder; it seemeth his followers began to run together, desiring every one to lend his helping-hand to dispatch the mortal enemy of their Master David, but David by the force of an upright conscience, brake through them all, and put them aside, not suffering them to accomplish their bloody intendment But another time ye shall see when Nabal had dealt currishly with Davids Messengers, the news of this base abuse came (it seemeth) somwhat unseasonably to David, and found his Conscience not well awakened; and so while Conscience slumbereth, and mindeth not what is in hand, passion condemneth Nabal, and all his family to present death. And whiles Anger maketh an hasty march for blood, and whetteth it self, as it goeth, Abigail meeteth it upon the way, and with a well-tempered voice, not so loud and violent as to enrage fury more than already it was, yet loud enough to awake Conscience; she sheweth him his errour, and presently Conscience being awakened, soundeth a retreat; maketh all lay down arms, thanketh the Instrument by whom it was shaken out of slumber, and kept from wallowing in innocent blood, or encroaching on Gods Office by self-revenge. But with wicked men Conscience many times prevaileth not in such cases, she cannot be heard; or being heard, is not regarded; Satan, the flesh, the world stop her mouth.
Now besides all this, Conscience hath its employment also about the things already past: if good, it excuseth and acquitteth the party, cheareth, comforteth, and is peaceable, unless mis-informed: so in performing good actions, and so in overcomming sinfull temptations; so Abigail telleth David, that when he should be King, he should have no trouble of Conscience for not shedding blood, if according to her petition he would spare Nabals family, Conscience should never accuse him for it, but should hold him guiltless. So you see Psal. 7. when he was falsly accused by a Benjamite for an evil he never committed, how boldly conscience pleadeth his cause before the Lord, and proclaimeth him innocent.
Again, for evils done, or good duties omitted, Conscience accuseth, yea somtimes wonderfully rageth and terrifieth: it accused David, Psal. 51. I have sinned, &c. yea it breaketh his bones (as it were) and grievously afflicteth his soul. But when it meeteth wi…h Iudas, a son of perdition; oh, how it tormenteth him, it driveth him out of his Meditations, wherein he might please himself in the price of blood lately gained; it chaseth him cut of the company of his fellows, who had been his assistants in apprehending our Saviour; i… driveth him into the presence of the Priests, it forceth him to accuse himself, to throw down his money and to hang himself; never ceasing to pursue him till it had driven him quite out of the world! Now besides this, it recordeth and keepeth a Register and Day-book of mens actions and omissions; which, though now adays men will not read over by self examination, yet at the last day God shall open it bebefore the eyes of men and Angels. Thus much for the faculties of the soul.
CHAP VI.
SECT. 1.
Use 1. HEre by way of Application, we may in the first place take notice of the soul of man in a special manner, as of one of the principal works of God▪ wherein his glory is no…ably manifested. He is the Father of Spirits, who of himself immediately did bring forth the spirit and soul of man, an excellent Creature which no sence can discern; the eye cannot see it, nor the ear hear it, &c. and as it is said, no man hath seen God at any time; yet God, whom none in the world can see; gave being to the whole world, and now governeth it: so the soul, whom no sense of the body can discern, giveth life to the whole body, and governeth the body. An excellent Creature it is; endowed with notable faculties, and we should learn to bless God for every faculty of our souls: we are too unthankful for all sorts of mercies, but yet more apt to give thanks (at least outwardly) for things without us, than for those more excellent things within us▪ Thus many a one saith▪ I thank God for health, for meat and drink, &c. that never (not so much as in words) doth give him thanks for his soul, and the several faculties of it. How seldome hath God any praise for our understandings, our judgments, our memories, our reason, wills and affections? how lame would our souls be without the will and affections? how blind without reason, memory or understanding? yet how unthankful are we to him that made them? we should r…ckon these among the chiefest of Gods blessings, next to the sanctifying graces of Gods spirit, and accordingly shew our thankfulness for them to his glory.
SECT. 2.
II. IN as much as the Soul is more excellent by its Creation than the Body; this sheweth that our care should be greater for the soul than for the body. Nature it self might teach even a natural man to be more careful of the natural good of the soul, than of the body, which yet is contrary to the practice of man. You will say the Natural man perceiveth not the things of the spirit, neither can he discern them, because they are spiritually discerned. But I speak now of such natural good things, as tend to the enriching and perfecting of the soul and mind of man; namely, such knowledg in Arts and Sciences, as concerneth the things of this life. How many do preferre the things of the body above these? But the principal thing is that which concerneth the spiritual happiness & heavenly perfection of the soul. These things which are the most excellent endowments of the most excellent part of man, are less regarded and sought for, than those that are the meanest appurtenances of the body, which is the meanest part. The least saving grace, being a thing belonging to the perfection of the soul, is worth more than the whole body; which without the soul, is but a dead lump of earth. Can a Maid forget her ornament, o… a Bride her attire; yet my people have forgotten me days without number, saith the Lord? Ier. 2.32. what a shameful indignity is this to the Majesty of God, when ornaments of the body, toyes, head-tyres, or the like, serving to dress up an earthly carkass, shal… be better remembred than God himself; yea, shall be remembred when he is forgotten. Thus every thing belonging to the body is thought of, but the soul is forgotten: the eye must be pleased, the ear must be tickled, the palate must be delighted; great ado must be made for back and belly, but where is the care for the soul? we can starve that, yet never feel any hunger; we can let it pine away, yet never complain of weakness; we can suffer mortal diseases, most dangerous corruptions to grow upon our souls and never see our need of spiritual physick. How many a soul is swollen with pride, and over-grown with vile affections, and yet no care is taken of it, but it is let alone, as if all were well: yea what deadly wounds do men daily give to their consciences, by swearing, lying▪ drunkenness by unjust and indirect dealings with others; yet all this is esteemed as nothing, no care is used to have it cured: nay, he that shall desire to cure it, or perswade them from these desperate courses tending to the destruction of their souls, shall be hated as an enemy. Our very creation should make us ashamed of this folly, that all the care is taken for the body framed out of the dust, and the soul is utterly neglected, which the Lord himself breathed into the body. F…ar not them (saith our Saviour, Mat. 10.28.) which after they have killed the body, can do no more; but fear bim, which can cast the body and soul into hell-fire. Yet he that shall follow our Saviours counsel in this, shall be thought to be a fool by many men; he that will rather suffer harm in his body, or loss in his goods, and such things as concern the body, than hazard his soul upon any sin which is death to the soul, is thought to do it in simplicity for want of wit▪ whereas even reason might teach us, that the soul is a thousand times better than the body, and the misery of the soul incomparably beyond the punishments that can befall the body in this life. Let us then labour to prevent the everlasting destruction of the soul, and fear it more than a thousand deaths of the body, if it could possibly endure so many. Think that a precious thing that weigheth more than the whole earth in the ballance of the sanctuary, and the judgment of Christ. What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world; and lose his own soul? Oh learn to prize thy soul, a precious Creature, and immortal Spirit; and make it appear thou makest more reckoning of it than of thy body? thy body is but a small piece of earth, but the whole earth is not able to bring forth, or yeild matter for one soul which is of an higher nature.
SECT. 3.
III. THis should teach us also that the greatest good which one man can do for another, is that which is done for his soul. The feeding, cloathing and refreshing of anothers body, is a good work if rightly performed; but the good which is done to the soul is a better work, as the soul is better than the body. This therefore should reform a gross folly among us, whereby it is conceived, that there is no good work in a manner besides that which is done to the body. It is true! that he who hath this worlds good, and yet doth no good in this kind, doth not truly perform any other good work; but yet this on the otherside is a gross errour to conceive, that the best thing that a man can do, is to help the outward man; and that the doing of this is enough to excuse him from doing good to the souls of others. This is a gross carnal conceit; it is as much as to affirm, that the body is better than the soul; earth than heaven; mortality more excellent than immortality; and a lump of flesh more worth than a spiritual being. Now men are so far from esteeming that best which is done for the good of the soul, that they account those admonitions and reproofs, which are tendered to them for this purpose, the greatest signs of ill-will, that any man can shew to others: no man is accounted a worse neighbour than he that will seek to pluck mens souls as brands out of the fire of Gods wrath by shewing them the danger of their sins. If men want for the body▪ what outcrys are there made against the hardness of others hearts? men are so hard-hearted now a days, that they will not give a poor man a bit of bread, they will see him starve first; and somtimes that is true which is said, though often false. But on the other side; one is ignorant, he hath a blind soul; Another hath a graceless, profane, and unsanctified soul, laden with many sins, in great danger to perish for ever: but when shall ye hear such a one complain of his neighbours for hard-heartedness toward his soul, in not pittying his spiritual misery, in not instructing him in his ignorance. When shall ye hear one of these complain, oh, I have a neighbour that hath knowledg, he knoweth that I am ignorant of God; but alas he is hard-hearted, he doth not pitty my soul! he will sooner see me damned in my ignorance, than once open his mouth to instruct me in any matter of salvation. Or when shall we hear one that goeth on in sin, cry out of another in this respect! I have a neighbour seeth my soul in a fearful case, he perceiveth me to go on in the stubbornness of my heart, and he knoweth that the wrath of God will one day smoak against me for it, and yet his heart is hard, he hath no pitty upon me; he did never once open his lips to bring me into the right way, to reprove me for my sin. Nay, if any in zeal to Gods glory, and love to the souls of such, shall labour to do them good, what is their answer? meddle with your own business, I shall answer for my self, you shall not answer for my sin. I pray mark what sensles speeches these be: it is as if a man should see another fallen into a dangerous pit, where he could not live without help▪ and should go to help him out; or to direct one that is going in some dangerous place in in the dark, where he is like to break his neck; or to succour one that is in need, and like to starve, and should have such an answer from him as this? Why do ye trouble me? look to your self, if I perish, I perish, you shall not perish with me: Why do ye feed my body, if I starve, it is nothing to you, you shall not be famished by it: No verily, this help is for the body, and therefore it is welcome at all times; but the other that is for the soul, that is distasted as unseasonable and troublesome.
SECT. 4.
IV. THis sheweth us also the greatest harm which a man can do to another, is that which is done to the soul: men may receive wrong many ways; but the greatest injury and mischief that one man can do another, is that which falleth upon the soul, the best part. Is not a blow in the eye worse than one upon the arm? he that woundeth thy soul, doth he not worse than if he smote thy body? and yet what deadly malice doth one bear to another for a box of the ear, or some such wrong done to the body, whereas they account them their best friends that work the greatest mischief to their souls. He that will drink to them when they have drunk too much already; he that will flatter and humour them in their sins; He that will entice them unto sin, he is the only friend and good fellow: whereas indeed such a one is a most dangerous enemy. He that threatneth to be revenged of thee, that saith he wil have thy blood, that raileth at thee & slandereth thee, doth not hurt thee so much as such a one who seeketh to draw thee into that, or by joyning with thee to encourage thee in that which tendeth to the destruction of thy soul; such a one endangereth thine everlasting life, and taketh a course to wound thee, so that thou mayst die for ever. Therefore when thou hearest, that no Drunkard shall inherit the Kingdome of God, and one pu…leth thee by the sleeve, and another enticeth thee, &c. answer him thus; I perceive you are none of my friends; what! are ye loth to have me go to heaven? would ye have my soul perish? would ye seek my destruction? you seek to draw me into such a sin as will shut me out of heaven. If thou wouldest answer them so now and then, thou wouldest be well rid of such companions, and not be so much pestered with these troublesome flies. But most lamentable is the sin of such in this case, whose care is onelyonly for the bodies of their Children, but care not how they betray their souls; how they leave them in their sins which they see to grow upon them, and use no means to cure them of these deadly evils. Oh do not deal with thy child as with thy beast, as if it had onelyonly a body to be fed and clothed, and not a soul to be saved.
SECT 5.
V. SIth God did Create our Souls, let us conceive that he made them for Himself; therefore let every faculty be given up to his service.
1. As for thine Imagination, let it be dedicated to the service of God; let thy thoughts and meditations be directed unto God and his Word and Kingdome. The fancy of a man is a working, stirring thing, always medling with something or other; now let it be turned toward God and his Word; and when thou findest it busie with other things, call it home and think with thy self, I must go about my Fathers business: this faculty of my soul must mind him that made it.
So for thy memory; it is God's treasury, he made it, and therefore you must lay up the riches and treasures of his Kingdome in it, and not the trash of the world: you must store it with holy instructions and meditations, Promises, Precepts, &c. out of his word, and not stuff it with idle Tales, wa…ton Songs, or meer earthly Vanities, and nothings else: This Cabinet of the Soul was not made for such base uses. When thou comest to hear the word, thou must not think it enough to take it in with thine Ear, that is not the onelyonly part which God made; but labour to lay it up in thy memory, that thou maist be rich in all saving knowledge of the word. A man may have a great deal of money come through his hands, yet be never the richer, if he spend it idlely as fast as it cometh, and lay up none. A man may have many a Sermon entring in at his outward ears, and yet never prove rich in knowledge, if he suffer all to be lost again, and treasure up none in his memory.
2 Thy Understanding, that most excellent faculty of the Soul, how carefully should it be improved, that the Lord may be honoured by it; let him have the best that made the whole. It is strange to think that men should be excused by ignorance: what is that but to rob God of the principal endowment of thy Soul, even thine understanding? It is a miserable folly, when men labour for skill in earthly things, and would be wise every way except in heavenly things, and in the mean time least of all regard to Know the Lord; as if the top of the Soul, the Head of the inward man, were made to be a vassall to the earth, and not a servant to the Lord. Learn thou to know him that made thee, and never think thine understanding so well employed about any other things as when it is busied in studying the word of God: frequent those exercises wherein the word of God is taught, and thine understanding is to be pre…ected. The eye loveth the light, and is delighted with the sunshine; let thine understanding, the eye of thy Soul, love the light that shineth from heaven in the ministery of the word, and do not turn from it, or neglect it; Let thy delight be in the law of the Lord, and meditate therein day and night: magnifie God who hath given thee this faculty of thy soul, whereby thou mightest come to be acquainted with him thy Maker, and think there is none so worthy of thy knowledge, as he that made thee; this knowledg shall be everlasting: the knowledg of earthly things, worldly policy, skill in dealings, laws of men, &c. shall perish, but the knowledg of God is everlasting and immortal, as the soul it self is; yea it shall be perfected, when other knowledg shall perish.
3. Thy W…ll, wherein the strength of thy soul lyeth, must be wholly for God; it must be firmly bent to obey God, and strongly resolved against all disobedience, flashes, motions, and good moods and fits, now and then arising in the heart toward God; either in affliction, or when we see some spectacles … mortality, or hear the word pressed upon us, are but slight and weak of themselves, and soon Vanish, if there be nothing else but these. But the strength of the Soul lies in the Will when it is sanctified, and firmely resolved to obey its Maker in all things. When Barnabas saw the good affections of the new Converts at Antioch, be exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, Act. 11.23. So David, I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments, Psal. 119.106. there was a resolute spirit, and such should be the bent of every sanctified will. The affections may be stirred, and yet may be no more but as a few loose sticks, which Satan will soon break again, and bring to nothing; but the will, when it is throughly bent and confirmed indeed, it is as a common bond to tye up all the affections, and to strengthen all: let us therefore pray to the Lord, that he would give us both the Will and the Deed.
4. The will being thus for God▪ then labour to stir up the affections, which are as it were the wings of the soul.
1. Love is strong as death, jealousie is hot as fire; thou shouldest love God with passionate and strong affections. Oh how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day, saith David, Psal. 119.97. Tell him that I am sick of love, saith the Church of Christ. Cant. 5.8. That is an happy soul, that is sick of this heavenly love. It is not enough to wish well to God and his glory, and coldly to desire that things might be amended; but the heart must be carried after him in strong and stirring passions of Love; that as the heart of a fond lover is passionately carried, and overcome with the love of the person beloved; so should a Christian Soul not content it self with an ordinary cold temper of love, but should labour to have it self possessed with fervent affections, yea to be overcome. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, saith the Apostle; now that (I hope) will work an affectionate love to God, when his love is poured abundantly into the heart; this will make a man love out of a pure heart fervently.
2. This will draw desire after it, which is another affection; oh how the Soul will pant, long, hunger and thrist for God, if once it fall in love with him, and be truly joyned unto him, having, tasted of his excellency, and found how Good the Lord is: I have lifted up mine eyes to the hills, saith the Psalmist. Travellers, at the foot of the hill look up to the top; and now oh that I were there with a wish! so a Christian, in the valley of humiliation, and in the sence of his own wants, locketh up to God, and his holy Mount: and now, oh that I were with the Lord! oh that I were neer to him, and could more fully enjoy him! oh that I had more of his Spirit, more of his fulness, more of his graces; my soul thirsteth for the Lord, even for the living God. And when once thou comest to this▪ how canst thou chuse but from thy heart loath all sin tendered or suggested to thee by Satan, the world, or the flesh; if once thou thus lovest God, thou wilt not make league with any enemy of His.
3. Then thou wilt rejoice in the Lord with joy unspeakable and full of glory: then the worlds joys will seem poor, heartless, unsavoury flashes; and now a world for my part in that blessed feast of fat things, of wine upon the lees, of wine upon the lees well refined. No delicates so sweet as the Paschal Lamb, Christ Jesus; no feast so excellent, as that which the soul maketh on him by Faith. Now I can relish Christs sweetness in the Word, in the Sacraments, in private Meditations.
4. And now also must thy sorrow be sanctified, and nothing be so grievous to thee as that which is displeasing to thy God: thy heart should ake when his spirit is grieved; all should be godly sorrow, that bringeth repentance: give not way to that sorrow for which thou must sorrow again, but to those tears after which thou shalt reap in joy.
5. As for Hope, where shouldest thou cast Anchor, but upon the Rock? there is the only sure hold that will abide a storm; fasten there, lean not upon the arm of flesh, cast not Anchor in the Sand.
6. And whom shouldest thou fear, but him that hath all power in his hand, all Creatures that can help or hurt at his command, e…ther to let them loose, or to tye them up? fear him for his Goodness and Mercy, as well as for his Justice; that it is too good to be abused, and to be made a patronage to thy sins.
7. Labour to be couragiously confident in the Lords goodness toward thee, and bear up thy soul upon the multitude of his mercies, and his truth that never faileth, above the gulf of desperation.
8. And for thine Anger, let it not be a strange fire of inordinate and distempered passion, but an holy fire of zeal for the glory of God: oh let it burn inwardly to consume the dross and corruptions of thy own soul, and to burn up the stubble vanity of thy corrupt affections, and then let it flame out in the eyes of the world; that those that hate it, may yet see its light: and then whatsoever the world speaks or thinks of thee, thou maist with a glad heart say in the presence o… God; Praise the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name; bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, as David doth, Psal. 103.1, 2.
CHAP. 7. Of the Creation of both Sexes.
I Come now to the second point, and that is, that God made both Sexes; Male and Female, Man and Woman; which is here laid down in general, but more particularly set forth afterwards in the second Chapter from the eighteenth verse to the end. So that first you see, as was shewed before, that the Mans body was framed out of the Dust, and the breath of life was breathed into him, as hath been shewed.
Now in the next place we may observe,
1. The necessity of the Creation of Woman after that Man was made.
2. The manner of it.
3. The conjunction of Both together.
4. A special consequent of the Image of God in both; and that was, that their nakedness was without shame, being without sin. The first of these is laid down, Chap. 2. verse 18. & 20. and therein two things are to be noted. 1. That man was alone. 2. That it was not good for him to be alone, and therefore the Lord would make him an help Meet for him. 1. He was alone; therfore it was noted, that when all the other living creatures were brought before him, there was not among them all, when they were in that best estate of their creation, any one that was an help meet for him; or fit to be joined in neerest society with him: There was not any among all the Creatures to which he gave Names, that did bear the Image of God, and so no fit match for him. 2. It was not good for him to be thus alone.
Object. But it may be objected, that then all that was made was not very good.
Resp. It was very good when it was perfected, but not whilest it was in hand, before it was finished: An house is not very good for habitation before the roof is laid, &c. when it is but an imperfect frame: So mans estate was not yet perfected, till the Lord had made him an help meet for him; and that was all done upon the Sixth day, and then the Lord said of all that he had made, That it was very good. But to the point; It was not good that man should be alone.
1. Because it was needful that Mankind should be encreased for the glory of God; that as the other Creatures did encrease▪ so men should multiply also, and bear rule over them. Therefore Gen. 1.28. God said to them in the state of holiness and innocency, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. Many other reasons there are now sithens the Fall, for which it is needful that the Woman should be made, which had no force in the state of Innocency. But yet,
2. A second may be, that as God needing no creatures, yet did make creatures to which he might communicate his goodness; so he might be pleased to make such a creature, as should be sutable unto Adam, to whom he might communicate his love, and with whom he might take such an holy, undefiled, mutual contentmen…, as did become the estate of Innocency.
2. In the second place followeth the manner of the Creation of the Woman; and therein,
1. The preparative, which was a Deep Sleep falling upon the man to take away the present u…e of his sences, that he might not feel any pain in taking away the Rib out of his side; which shewed the Lords tender care over man when he continued upright, that he would not put him to any pain, no not in such a case as tended to his special good, that he might have an help meet for him.
2. He took a rib out of his body, and left no breach nor wound in the body, but closed up the flesh again, and left it whole. And of this Bone he made a Woman, which should be joined unto him as an help meet for him.
3. The third thing is the institution of Marriage; wherein we have the Lords act in joining them together, and his enacting that holy law of Matrimony, Gen. 2.24.
1. The Lord bringeth the woman to the man, where ye see, that God is the great Match-maker, and He is the Author of Marriage. God brought all the creatures before Adam, but among them all he found none that was an help meet for him, and therefore he brought the woman to another end; and in bringing her, did join her to him in marriage: and Adam on the other side, with a glad and thankful heart▪ accepteth her at the hands of God; giveth her a name answerable to her beginning, which he alleadgeth as a reason of the name, and of the near affinity between him and her. This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.
2. The law of marriage was enacted, vers. 24▪ where is shewed: 1. That the conjunction between Man and Wife should be most near. 2. That it should not be dissolved. 3. That it should be between one Man and one Woman.
1. It should be most near: for it should be nearer than that between the child and his father and mother, which is nearer than any other besides this of Marriage. Therefore in marriage, the father is said to give his child; so that now the husband is the wifes, and the wife is the husbands. They must be near in cohabitation, or in dwelling together; most near in affection, near in a mutual communion of bodies and goods; so near, that they must be one: even as the woman was a part of the man being taken out of him, so it must be conceived, that each man must judge himself one with his wife, and not esteem her as a person divided from himself; not take her for another, but account her a part of himself.
2. It must not be dissolved, because they are become one: for a man to fo…sake his wife, is as if he should pluck an arm from his body, or pull a rib out of his side; they being by the ordinance of God made one, even as all the members of a mans body make up one body. Therefore our Saviour giveth not way to any divorce, except it be for Adultery, for then the party that committeth adultery doth rent it self from that Union wherein they were knit together; every adulterous act being a division of the Marriage-bond.
3. It must be between one man and one woman; and not between one, and more than on…. So it is plain; 1. By the Creation it self when the Lord made but one woman for one man, which is the argument used by the Prophet, Malach. 2.15. and if ever it had been expedient to have had many wives, it had been then fittest that the earth might have been more speedily replenished. 2. You see it is said, That a Man shall cleave to his Wife, and not unto his wives; and that they two, and not more than two▪ should be one flesh.
4. The last thing is a consequent of Gods Image in both; which was, that their nakedness was without shame; the cause whereof, was, because they were free from sin. Thus much for the opening of these things▪ I now proceed to application.
CHAP VIII.
Use 1. THis condemneth the folly of those that use to say, that women have no souls; which though it be a most sottish speech, yet no Opinion is so sottish, which hath not some to embrace it. Howsoever! though men think not so, but speak it many times in an idle jesting humour, yet is it worthy of reproof in publique; both because it is to be reckoned among those idle words for which the speaker must give account at the day of Judgment, and also because it is a notorious lie and falshood, which no Christian tongue should utter in jest or earnest. And that which the Apostle speaks in another case, may be applied to this, That evil words corrupt good manners. But if it were worthy of a confutation, it were easily shewed, that the blessed Virgin began her song of praise thus; My soul doth magnifie the Lord, &c. It is said, that Lydia (another woman) had her heart or soul opened to attend to the word of God. It is said, that the Woman whose Daughter had a Devil, had a great Faith, which is always seated in the soul. It is said, that the woman who washed our Saviours feet with tears, had many sins forgiven her; but without a soul she could not have sinned, nor have received forgiveness of sins. But some that will take upon them to carp at Sermons or Catechisms, though themselves have need to be catechized, will say, it is an idle thing to speak of this: let their wisedomes know then, that in mine own experience I have found such as could not tell whether Christ were God or man, or an Angel &c. Therefore there is need that the plainest things should be taught, and that they which know them should also know some arguments whereby to stop profane cavilling mouths; but Moses tells us, that both male and female were made after the image of God, and therefore both the one and the other had an immortal Soul; both were made Rulers over the Creatures.
2. This sheweth God's tender care over man, he would not suffer him to want that which was good for him: thus tender is his love when sin maketh no breach. This should therefore teach Thee, O man, to lament thy sins, and the sins of the land, when any evil befalleth thee or the land. Hadst not thou wronged him by thy sins, as Adam then had not, he would have been as tender over Thee as over Him. Had it not been for sin, the Lord would have said, It is not good for man to be punished with famine and scarcity, I will provide him food convenient for him. It is not good for man to be sick, I will continue health unto him. It is not good for him to be made a Slave, or a Prisoner, whom I have made Lord of the other creatures, I will give him liberty. It is not good to bring him under any affliction, I will keep him free from sorrow. It is not good that he should die, I will give him immortality. Thus would the Lord have dealt with man▪ had not sin confounded that happy peace between God and man complain not then so much of thy affliction as it is a cross to thee, as of thy sin which is a cross to God, and which hath moved him to bring the cross of affliction upon Thee.
3. In that woman was made to be an Help meet for man at her creation, and at the first appointment of marriage, this sheweth, that, So far as she is an hinderance to him, or neglecteth to help him, So far she erreth from the right end of marriage. As she is an hinderance to him in Spiritual things, and a means either to draw him from God, or to cool his Zeal for Gods glory▪ to lessen his care for his service, or to make him more backward in good du…ies, or to discourage him from a sincere constant course of obedience; so far doth she grievously cross the very rules, the true end and original institution of marriage. Again, so far as she helpeth him forward in these things, as she provoke…h him to grow in grace, and to be more and more fruitful in good works, so far she sheweth her self to be a wife, even a wife of Gods making, an help meet for man; for indeed she is no farther a wife then she is an helper. Again▪ So far as by her wilfulness, negligence, or wastful riot she impaireth his estate, So far she faileth of those accomplishments that should go to the making up of a wife▪ And, so far as by moderate care, diligence and discretion she furthereth him this way, so far she approveth her self to be a true wife, that is, an help meet for him; So it is in regard of his true comfort and contentment every way, sc. of his credit &c. Therefore wives should labour to be Wives, that is, helps in every respect: for although infirmities sithence the fall wil not permit them to be perfectly helpful in the highest degree, yet should they labour to do their best in every several kind, wherein they ought to be helpful.
4. The neerness of the marriage-bond which is shewed by the original of the woman taken out of Man, and the law of marriage enacted by God, whereby they are become one flesh, should move them both to knit their hearts in most intire and mutual love, accounting each other, and affecting each other, as a part of him or her self.
5. This condemneth the pride of the whore of Babylon▪ which accounteth the state of marriage polluted and thinketh her shavelings too good and holy to enter into that order, which yet the Lord thought a fit and helpful estate for Adam in his first estate, when the image of God shined b…ightly and perfectly in his Soul without all spot of lust, or stain of corruption.
6. In that nakedness it self was not shameful, until naked Man and woman became sinfull; this should make us not so much ashamed of any thing as of sin; no meanness of condition, no defects or deformities, no reproaches, of lving and idle Tongues should make us so ashamed as any sin against God; for shame is as proper unto sin as the shadow to the Body, and we may call shame the shadow of sin. For as there is no shadow without some light, yet the shadow cometh not from the light but from the Body; So shame doth not follow sin without some light to discover it, yet the shame cometh not from the light but from sin; there must be either the light of the Word, or of Conscience, or nature &c: to discover sin before the shame of it (which is its shadow) will appear: and therefore men that are wholly in darkness and blindness, and come not to the light, they go on without sense of the shame of sin. And that is the reason why Men hate the light and those that hold it forth, because it maketh their sin cast shadow, it maketh the shame of their sin to appear, which was hidden before in the dark.
CHAP. 8. Of the Creation of Man after the Image of God.
SECT. 1.
THus much of the second point. sc. Gods Creation of both Sexes: I now proceed to the third, viz. That God made Man in his own Image, which cleerly appeareth, both in the story of the consultation between the glorious persons of the blessed Trinity, and also in the relation of the execution of his consultation here in my Text. Now for the opening this point, two things are to be considered.
1. What is an Image in General.
2. Wherein this Image of God in Man consisteth.
An Image is such a likeness of a thing, as doth bear a special relation to the thing resembled by it,An Image what it is. either as flowing from its Beeing, or framed according to it: so that every Image of a thing is like unto the thing whose Image it is; but every thing that is like another, is not an Image of it. Any thing that is of the same colour wi…h another thing may be said to be like unto it, but not an Image of it. But in an Image, besides likeness, there is required one of these two things; either that it be expressed by the essence of that whose Image it is, or els that it be purposely fashioned according to it. In the former sense, none but the Eternal son of God is the true Image of God the father, as he is called the Brightness of his Glory, and the express Image of his person.Hebr. 1.3. And so a Son may be said to be the Image of his Father, as Adam is said, after his fall to have begotten a Son in his own likeness, after his Image. In the other sense, an Image is that which is made like to another, framed of purpose to resemble it: So is a picture or a statue made by Art to represent some person: and such was the Image of God in Man, for the Lord did purposely, as you see by the consultation, make Man like himself, to resemble him, and to bear his Image
SECT. 2.
IN the second place I come to shew, wherein this Image of God in Man consisteth, and what it is.
This was in general, that Perfection which God gave unto Man in his first Creation,Of the Image of God in general. for God is a most perfect Beeing, infinite in all divine perfection: therefore that perfection which Man had above all other Creatures here below, was the Image of God in Man. Now this perfection was two-fold.
Principal.
Less Principal.
Principal in the Soul: this is fully laid down unto us in these two places. Colos. 3 10. Yee have put off the old Man, and have put on the new Man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him: and that Ephes. 4.24. That yee put on the new Man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness: where we see the several powers of the Soul had their several perfections; and there is no faculty of the Soul which may not be made perfect by these, so that in these did the Image of God consist.
Object. But it may be said, that in those two places. St Paul speaks of regeneration, or the new birth, and not of that old and first Creation in the beginning.
Sol. It is true! and this maketh for our purpose; for the Apostle sheweth here, that the Image of God consisteth in these perfections; now the Image of God restored by regeneration, is the same which was given by Creation at the first, and that building which Adam pulled down by his sin, our Saviour built up again by his obedience and mediation. As in Adam all die, even so by Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15.22. That is, Christ shall make up that which was undone by Adam: there cannot be any thing named for matter of substance that Adam lost, but Christ restored it, and therefore he is called the second Adam, and in the comparison between them and the first Adam, it is said, the first Man Adam was made a living Soul, and the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit, ver. 45. That is, the first Adam was made a living soul, by Creation, living the life of nature, by the substance and faculties of his Soul united to his Body, and a supernatural life too, by the Image of God in his Soul: and, had he continued in that estate, he should have conveyed the same life, both natural and supernatural to his posterity: but losing that supernatural life, consisting in the Image of God, he remained a meer living Soul, and no better, one that had but only the life of nature left him, arising out of the essence and natural powers of the Soul and so could only convey this natural life to his posterity, whose Souls were dead in sin, to whom he could not impart any quickening vertue, to raise them unto that supernatural life in holiness and righteousness. But Christ was a quickening Spirit, not only having this supernatural life in himself, but also quickening those with a new principle of supernatural life, to whom he is joyned by the Spirit: and so he is called a second Adam, as being the founder of a new generation of Men; for as all Men by nature do spring of the first Adam, so all Christians by grace do come of the second Adam, and receive that spiritual life from him again, which the first Adam received, but lost. Now if the first Adam had continued in his first estate, and kept the Image of God, there had been no need of the second Adam; for all Men by their natural birth should have received from him that supernatural life, together with the natural. But this first Adam having lost the Image of God, was now but the Author of an imperfect generation of Men, naturally alive, but spiritually dead; and therefore there was need of a second Adam, who should be the Author of a new birth, and should give a new, a second, a spiritual life and Beeing to those who were naturally dead in trespasses and sins: so that by this it is plain, that that new Beeing and spiritual life, which Christ by his spirit restoreth to his Members, is that very Image of God, which God made in Man at the first; and this you see, doth principally consist in knowledge holiness, and righteousness; which are the perfections of the understanding judgment, conscience, will and affections.
CHAP. 8.
SECT. 1.
1. FOr his understanding: he had all knowledge needfull for a perfect Man, both concerning the Creator and the Creatures: his Creator he knew perfectly; perfectly I say, not in regard of the object, or person known, who is infinite, but in regard of the subject, or person knowing: Mans understanding was not infinite, and therefore could not have such a knowledge of God, as was a full declaration, and apprehension of an infinite God; but it was perfect in its kind, and therefore he had so much knowledge of his excellency, as was sufficient to make him admire him, love him, magnify him above all things▪ and so much as was sufficient cleerly to direct him in any duty, which by the first Covenant and Law of his Creation he owed unto him: so that as God knew himself, so Man had a cleer knowledge of God, and therein did bear his Image.
Then had he also a perfect knowledge of the Creatures, sc. of Himself and Others. Himself he knew both soul and body, and well understood the nature and vertue of each faculty in the one, and the temper and use of each member, or parts in the other. And this appeareth by the knowledge which he had of the Woman at the first sight; This is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. He had a perfect knowledge of all the other Creatures here below, he knew the Trees of the Gardens, the Herbs, Grass, and all sorts of Plants, and the natural vertues and properties that were in them: he knew the Beasts of the Field, the Fowls of the Ayr, and Fishes of the Sea; and so Adam gave fit and proper names to all Birds and Beasts: so I doubt not, but he knew the nature, and several kinds of all Minerals, mettals, precious Stones, &c. together with the course and motions of the Heavens, Sun, Moon, and S…ars. Thus did the understanding which is the eye of Mans soul, represent the infinite knowledg of God, and bear its Image. And those things which we call now hidden qualities in the Creatures, were not hidden from him, and are now covered from us, not in regard of their own natures, but in respect of our blindness, contrary to that light which was natural to us in the Creation.
But all this while, Man had no knowledge of evil; he knew not what ignorance or error meant; he knew not what a stubborn will, an hard heart, a polluted conscience was: he had no knowledge of the nature of diseases nor of their remedies; no nor of the cure of sin, nor of the washing away of its guilt and pollution: Therefore the promise of this new kind of knowledge, made by Sathan, caused the Womans Ear to itch, and her Heart to long, as imagining her self capable of some higher perfection, which God had not given her; for this knowledge concerned not that estate of Man, or did it make for his happiness.
SECT. 2.
II. HIs will was perfectly bent to obey, and cleave unto his Creator, whom he knew to be infinitely more excellent than all the Creatures, and from whom he saw he had received all the good and happiness which he enjoyed; he was fully resolved never to forsake him, knowing there was none in Heaven, or Earth to be regarded in comparison of him: in every affection of his heart and soul, he did carry a lively Image of his Maker.
He loved God most intirely, whom he saw to be the greatest good beyond comparison; and he loved whatsoever was agreeable unto God; and herein he did resemble God, who loveth himself with a most perfect love▪ and loveth whatsoever is agreeable to himself: he perfectly hated whatsoever was contrary to God, all manner of sin and transgression, as the Lord also hateth it. If he had any actual desire, it was most holy: but I see not what he could actually desire in that estate, unless it were the continuance of that happiness which he had, and that neer communion with his God; for he was full already, and had as much joy, holiness, and happiness, as he was capable of: so that his desire of good, was not,N. B. to have it increased, but only to have it continued to him: but he had not the least desire of any evil; his Ioy was wholly in God, who was his happiness, and in whom he found most sweet and full contentment. He had no matter of grief within, or without him, nothing that should lessen his joy, or imbitter his comfort: sin, which is the fountain of sorrow, was not then found in the World. As for sorrow, he had none actually stirring in him, though an ability he had, which afterward he had much cause to employ. His trust and confidence was in God, and he believed that which he revealed to him. So long as he stood firm▪ he believed that threatning; In the Day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the Death. And when Sathan by his lying suggestion brought him from his stedfast belief of this Truth, then his Feet were more than almost gone, his steps had more than well-nigh slipped. But while he remained in his state of Creation, he believed without doubting; yet had he not actually faith in Christ, as a Redeemer, which is that grace whereby the Elect in this new Covenant of the Gospel are saved; for being free from sin, he needed not a Redeemer to satisfy for his guilt by his Death: yet I doubt not, but that he had an ability to believe whatsoever God should reveal unto him, and so to have believed this truth, if it had been revealed. A… for fear! he was free from all slavish fears of vengeance or misery, perfect love casting out all such kind of fear. Yet I am perswaded, that he could not want an holy humble reverence and submissive respect unto his Maker. Courage he had in perfection, not fearing all the World, whiles he knew that God was with him. As for Desperation, it was far from the height of his happiness, who was not subject to the least distrust. An holy anger, a divine flame of zeal for his beloved Creators glory, I cannot think was wanting in him, inasmuch as the very Angels are called Seraphims, or Fiery Spirits. Thus brightly did the Image of God shine in the Face of Mans Soul at his first Creation, and though he were infinitely unequal to him, he had not any spot of sin or impurity in him, to make him u…like or contrary to him that made him. God made Man upright, saith the wise Man, Eccles. 7.29. and so he made him like himself▪
SECT. 3.
3. BUt besides these excellencies, he did also otherwise resemble his Creator; and that is the second thing, the inferiour part of Gods Image in Man, and that in two sorts of things.
1. In things belonging to the Body it self.
2. In things without his Body.
1. Of the things belonging to the Body, you have heard before, when I spake of the Creation of the Body, sc. the beauty and excellent temper of the Body: for though the Lord hath no Body, being an infinite, and most glorious Beeing; yet these things, as they were excellencies, and things that made somewhat for the happiness of Man, they were in some sort resemblances of the divine glory and excellency of God: To these I may add also Immortality; for the Body also was by the goodness of its Maker free from Death, had not Sin made a forfeiture of his life and breath: And that upright posture of his Body was a fit resemblance of the Majesty of God that made it.
2. Now, without the Body there were these two things. 1. The sweet and happy habitation, which Adam had in the Garden of Eden, such as now no place with the greatest cost and art in the World can possibly afford; hereby resembling God, who hath the glorious Heavens for his dwelling place, wherein he doth especially manifest his divine and glorious presence.
2. His Dominion over the Earth, Ayr, and Waters, with all the Creatures in them, whereby as an Under-officer, or Deputy, he did represent the Person of God, who is the Supream Lord of all.
CHAP. IX.
Use 1. LEarn here then to admire this wonderfull Work of God, and to magnify Him for that admirable perfection which he gave to Man, within him and without him; in Soul, Body, habitation and dignity, having made him a little lower than the Angels, and Crowned him with glory and honour. What an excellent Creature was Man, when he came newly out of the Hands of God, until Sathan …rred him with his foul hands. A Body without any blemish, a Soul without the least defect, without all impurity; an understanding and wit without all dimness, or dulness; a judgment without error, a memo…y free from leaks o… failing, an heart without the least distemper, always carryed even, not swayed or stirred out of place on the one side o… the other.
2. Learn here not to think God the Author of any sinfull disposition in thee: Remember how he made thee; and condemn thy self, justifying his purity and holiness, by whom thou wast made upright▪
3. Learn to lament thine own misery, who art so far from that perfection which God gave to Man at the first; look upon thy defects every way, within and without, and see the fruits of Sin in thy self, and give no rest to thy self, till thou seest thy self new-made again, until thou art become a new Creature, and hast the Image of God restored unto thee: So far as we come short of Adam's perfection, so far we come short of that which we should be, of that which we must continually seek for. But you will say, all in the World come short of Adam's perfection: True and therefore all must strive to grow in grace more and more, and none must condemn another that goeth beyond himself: but yet there is a great difference in this case, for some are not sensible of their failings; at least, not so, as to be carefull to reform them, but rather dislike those that give them the best examples, and keep themselves most close to the Rule of the Word. These have not the Image of God at all restored to them, they have no part of that spiritual life which Adam had. But others there be whom the Lord hath new-molded, and once again by his Spirit hath breathed into them the breath of spiritual life, who see themselves to come short of that perfection which Adam had; and mourn, and strive, and pray, and use all holy means and helps to this purpose, who are willing to be shewed, wherein they come short of this Image of God in Adam, wherein they are unlike unto it, willing to be reproved by the Word; These have some degrees of his Image renewed in them, and these strive after farther perfection. But now compare thy self with this Image of God in Adam before his Fall, and see what thou hast to do, how much is amiss in thee, and must be amended. When a Man hath lost a great estate, and by some means beginneth to recover again, he will scarce think he hath enough, until he hath gotten as much as he had before; he would fain be as rich as ever he was: Men are too greedy of these things; but as the Apostle saith, so say I, Covet yee the best things. Thou wast rich in Adam, our first Parent had abundance of riches to leave us; but he committed Treason, and so all was forfeited into the hands of the Lord. Now we should never think our selves well, until we have recovered the same degree of excellency which we lost. Thou that thinkest thou knowest enough, consider how far thou comest short of Adam, who knew the Lord perfectly; but thou art ignorant of many things in the Word of God, and those things which thou dost know, thou knowest it very imperfectly. How far art thou from that full purpose of heart in obeying God, and cleaving to him that was in Adam? How far from that uprightness, that perfection of holiness, those Heavenly affections, that strong love to God, that ravishing constant joy in him, which Adam had? How unsetled are thy affections? How dead is thy heart? How little art thou affected toward Heavenly things? How far in love with the Earth, and Earthly things? Therefore think with thy self, in these and these things I am unlike to God, I bear not his Image, I am contrary to his purity, and so resolve upon present reformation: And beware thou art not of the number of those, who instead of the Image of God, do bear the very Visage of Sathan: Oh let all the Children of God labour to be more and more conformed to the Image of their Heavenly Father; and to become Holy, as he is Holy, that they may for ever be happy as he is happy.