The Sincere Convert, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
THat this God made all mankind at first in a most glorious and happy estate like unto himselfe.
For the opening of which Assertion I have chosen this Text, Eccles. 7. 29. God made man righteous, which clearely demonstrates;Doct. 1. That GOD made all mankind at first in Adam, in a most glorious, happy, and righteous estate; Man when he came first out of Gods mint, shined most glorious. There's a marvellous glory in all Creatures, (the servants and houshold stuffe of man,) therfore there was a greater glory in man himselfe, the end of them. God calleth a Parliament, and gathers a Councell when man was to bee made; and said, Come, let us make man in our owne Image; as though all the Wisedome of the Trinity should be seene in the creation of man.
Wherein did the glory or blessednesse of man appeare?Quest.
In the impression of Gods ImageAns. upon him, Gen. 1. 26. Can there be any greater glory for a Ioseph, for a subject, than to be like his Prince?
What was the Image of God?Quest.
The Schoolmen and Fathers have many curious,Ans. (yet some necessary) though difficult questions about this. I will omit all theirs, and tell you only what is the APOSTLES judgement,Eph. 4. 23 Colossians 3. 20. out of which this generall description of GOD s Image may bee thus gathered.The Image of God in Man. It is mans perfection of Holinesse, resembling GODs admirable holinesse, whereby onelyonly man pl…aseth God.
For, all other inferiour Creatures did carry the workes and footsteps of GODs power, wisedome, goodnesse, whereby all these Attributes were seene. Now the most perfect Attributes of God, that is, his Holinesse, that hee would have onelyonly appeare in, and be made manifest by man, his best inferior creature, as a Kings wisedome and bounty appeares in managing the affaires of all his Kingdome; but his Royal, Princely, and most eminent perfections appeare in the face and disposition of his Sonne, next under him; But more particularly this Image of GOD appeared in these foure particulars.
1. In mans understanding: this was like unto Gods. Now Gods Image here chiefly consisted in this particular, viz. As God saw himselfe, and beheld his owne infinite endlesse glory and excellency; so man was privie to Gods excellency, and saw God most gloriously; as Moses, though a sinfull man, saw him face to face, much more Adam, a perfect man; God loving man could doe no lesse than reveale himselfe to man.
2. In his Affections: the image of God chiefly appeared in two things;
First, As God seeing himselfe, loved himselfe: So Adam seeing God loved this God, more than the World, more than himselfe; as Iron put into the fire seemes to bee nothing but fire: So Adam being beloved of God, was turned into a lumpe of love, to love GOD againe.
Secondly, As God delighted in himselfe.Prov. 8. So did Adam delight in God, tooke sweete repose in the bo…ome of GOD. Mee thinkes I see Adam wrapt up in continuall extasies in having this God.
3. In his Will: the Image of God chiefely appeared in two things;
First, As GOD onelyonly willed Himselfe, as his last end: So did Adam will GOD, as his last end, not as man doth now.
Secondly, As God willed nothing but good; So did Adam will nothing but good, for Gods Will was his.
4. In his life Gods Image did appeare thus: that even as God, if he had assumed mans Nature, would have lived outwardly; So did Adam: for God would have lived according to his owne Will, Law, and Rule: So did Adam. Adams body was the Lanthorne through which Holinesse like a lampe burning in his heart shined; this was Gods Image; by means of which (as it is said in the description) hee plesed GOD; similitude being the ground of love: and hence God did most dearely love him, and highly honour him to be Lord over all creatures; hence no evill could hurt him; here was no sorrow, no sicknesse, no teares, no feares, no death, no hell, nor ever should have beene if there hee had stood.
Objection. Obj.How was this estate ours?
Answ. Ans.As Christs righteousnesse is a Beleevers by imputation, though hee never performed it himselfe: So Adams righteousnesse and image was imputed to us and accounted ours; for Adam received our Stocke or Patrimony to keepe it for us, and to convey it to us. Hence hee proving Banquerupt, wee lost it. But we had it in his hands, as an Orphant may have a great estate left him, though he never receive one pennie of it from him that was his Guardian, that should have kept it for him, and conveyed it to him.
Here see the horrible nature of Sin,Vse 1. that pluckes man downe by the eares from his Throne, from his Perfection, though never so great. Adam might have pleaded for himselfe, and have said: Although I have sinned, yet it is but one, and the first fault. Lord, behold I am thy first borne: Oh pitie my poore posterity, who are for ever undone, if thou forgivest not. Yet see, one sinne weighs him downe, and all his posterity (as wee shall heare) into eternall ruine.
Hence learne,Vse 2. how justly God may require perfect Obedience to all the Law, of every man, and curse him if he cannot performe it: because man was at first made in such a glorious estate, wherein hee had power given him to please God perfectly: God may therfore require this debt of perfect obedience. Now man is broke and in prison: in Hell must he lie for ever, if hee cannot pay justice every farthing, because God trusted him with a stocke, which if hee had well improved, hee might have payd all.
See what cause every man hath to lament his miserable estate hee is nowVse 3. fallen into. For beggars children to live Vagrants and poore, is not so lamentable, as for a great Princes children to become such. One never in favour with the Prince grieves not as hee doth, that was once in favour, but now cast out. Man is now rejected of God, that was beloved of God: he is now a runagate up and down the earth, that was once a Prince, and Lord of all the world. This is one aggravation of the damneds sorrowes; oh the hopes, the meanes, the mercies that once I had! Can these, doe these lament for the losse of their bare hopes and common mercies? Lord, what hearts then have men that cannot, doe not, that will not lament the losse of such speciall high favours, now gone, which once they had. It is said, that those that saw the glory of the first Temple, wept when they saw the glory of the second, and how inferior it was to the first. You that either have the Temple of GOD begunne to bee repaired in you, or not begun at all, Oh thinke of the Temple burnt, the glory of GOD now vanished and lost.
This speakes comfort to all Gods people.Vse 4. If all Adams posterity were perfectly righteous in him, then thou that art of the bloud Royall, and in Christ, art perfectly righteous in him much more, in as much as the righteousnesse of the second Adam exceeds the first, so art thou more happy, more holy in the second Adam, than ever the first in himselfe was; he might lose all his Righteousnesse, but the second Adam cannot, hath not; so that if Christ may be damned, then thou mayest, else not.
This likewise reproveth three sorts of people.Vse 5.
I.A threefold reprehension. Such as are ashamed of holinesse. LORD, what times are wee fallen into now. The Image of GOD, which was once mens glory, is now their shame; and sinne, which is mens shame, is now their glory. The world hath raised up many false reports of holy courses, calling it folly and precisenesse, pride, hypocrisie, and that whatsoever shews men may make they are as bad as the worst, if their sinnes were writ in their foreheads. Hence it commeth to passe that many a man, who is almost perswaded to bee a new man and to turn over a new lease, dares not, will not, for shame of the world, enter upon religious courses. What will they think of me then (saith he?) men are ashamed to refuse to drinke healths, & hence maintain them lawful. Our gallants are asham'd to stay a mile behind the fashion: hence they will defend open and naked breasts and strang apparell as things comely; O time-servers! that have some conscience to desire to be honest and to be reputed so, yet conforme themselves to all companies; if they heare others sweare, they are ashamed to reprove them; they are ashamed to enter the lists of holy discourse in bad company, and they will pretend discretion, and wee must not cast pearles before swine; but the bottome of the businesse is, they are ashamed to bee holy. O fearefull! Is it a shame to bee like God? O sinnefull wret…hes. It's a credit to be any thing but Religious, and with many Religion is a shame. I wonder with what face thou darest pray, or with what looke thou wilt behold the Lord of glory at the last day, who art ashamed of him now, that will be admired of all men, Angels and devils then? Dost thou looke for wages from Christ, that art ashamed to own Christ, or to weare his livery?
2. It reproves them that hate holinesse, which is more than to bee ashamed of it.
3. It reproves them that content themselves with a certaine measure of holinesse. Perfect holinesse was ADAMS Image whereby he pleased God, and shall a little holinesse content thee?Men that content themselves with a certaine measure of holinesse and go no further.
Now there are these three sorts of them.
1. The Formalist, who contents himselfe with some holinesse, as much as will credit him.
The forme and name of Religion is honos, honour sometimes; but the power and practice of it, is onus, a burden: hence men take up the first, and shake off the second. And indeed the greatest part take up this course, if they have no goodnesse, they should bee the shame, scorne, and table-talke of the times; therefore every man will for his honours sake, have his forme. Now this forme is according to the mould wherein hee is cast: if his acquaintance bee but civill, hee will be like them; if they be more exact, as to pray, reade, conferre, he will not stay one inch behinde them. If to bee better than his companions, to beare the bell before them will credit him, hee will be so what ever it cost him; but yet he never will be so exact in his course as to bee hated for it, unlesse hee perceives the hatred hee contracts from some men shall be recompenced with the more love and credit by other men. He disguiseth himselfe according to the places, or company hee comes into. King Ioash was a good man so long as Iehoiada the Priest lived. If a little Religion will serve to credit men, that shall serve for that time, if more in another place, you shal then have them commending good men, good sermons, good bookes, and drop forth 2. or 3. good sentences; what will they think of him then? They cover themselves over with these Figleaves of common honesty to cover their nakednesse; they baite all their courses over with honesty, that they may catch, for they fish only for credit.
One may trap these people thus: Follow them in their private houses, there is worldlinesse, passion, loosenes, and to their private chambers, there they ordinarily neglect or shuffle over duties to their private vaine thoughts. In this Tyring house you shall then see these stage players, their shop-windowes are shut, here no honesty is to be seene scarce, because their gaine, their respect comes not in at this door where none beholds them: Let either Minister or any faithfull friend search, try, discover, accuse and condemne these men, as rotten (though gilded) posts, as unsound, hollow-hearted wretches, their hearts will swell like toads, and hisse like snakes, and bark like dogs against thē that thus censure them, because they rob them of their God they served, their gaine is gone.
2. The guilty selfe condemned sinner, that goes further than the Formalist, and contents himselfe with so much holinesse as will quit him, and hence all the Heathen have had some Religion, because they had some Conscience to trouble them… This man, if he hath lived in foule sinnes,Rom. 2. 12 and beginnes to be wrackt and troubled for them, he will then confesse and forsake those roaring sinnes; but how? as a dogge doth his meate, not because he hates his carrion, but because he feares the cudgell; he performes holy duties, not because he will use them, but because hee must use them, there is no quiet else. If Conscience be still, he omits duties: if Conscience cry and stirre, he falls to duties; and so hath his good moode as conscience hath his sits. They boast and crow over hypocrites, because the holinesse they have is not a bare shew; No, but it is to stop thy conscience, and only to quiet the clamors of that. Thou dost bribe, and so quiet (the Bailiffe,) thy conscience, by thy praying, hearing, and sorrowing, but GOD thy Judge hath heavie things to lay to thy charge, before whom thou shalt shortly with dread appeare.
3. The pinching devont hypocrite, that being pursued with the feare of Hell, goes further, and labours for just so much holinesse as will save him onelyonly, and carry him to heaven at last. Hence the young man in the Gospell came with that great question to Christ, which many unsound hearts come with to Ministers now, what he should doe to inherit eternall life. These people set up such a man in their thoughts to bee a very honest man, and one doubtlesse that shall be saved, and hence they will take him to bee their Copy and Sampler, and labour to doe as he doth, and to live just as hee lives, and to hold opinions as he holds, and so hope to be saved. They will aske very inquisitively what is the least measure of grace, and the least graine of faith, and the best Sermons are not such as humble them most, but such as slatter them, best; wherein they may heare how well good desires are accepted of by God; which if they heare to be of that vertue to save them, God shall bee served only with good desires, and the Devill in deed all their life time.
Thus they pinch God; they labour not after so much holinesse as will honour Christ, but after just so much as will beare their charges to heaven, and save themselves. For this is one of the greatest differences betwixt a child of God and an Hypocrite. In their obedience, the one takes up duties out of love to Christ, to have him, and hence he mournes daily, because Christ is no greater gainer by him: the other o it of love to himselfe, meerely to save his owne soule; and hence he mournes for his sins, because they may damne him; Remember that place therefore, 1 Cor. 15. ult.
Lastly, labour to get this Image of GOD ren…wed againe.Vse 6. Honest men will labour to pay their debts; this is Gods debt. How doe men labour to be in the fashion; better to bee out of the world, then out of the fashion. To be like God is heavens fashion, Angels fashion, and it will bee in fashion one day, when the Lord Iesus shall appeare. Then if thou hast the superscription and Image of the devill, and not the Image of GOD upon thee, GOD and Christ will never own thee at that day. Labour therefore to have Gods image restored againe, and Satans washt out, seeke not, as many do, to purchase such and such a grace first: but.
1.How to gaine the Image of God. Labour to mortifie and subdue that sinne, which is opposite in thine heart to that grace. First, put off the old man, and then put on the new, Eph. 4.
2. Labour, for a melting tender heart for the least sin. Gold is then only fit to receive the impression, when it is tender and is melted; when thine heart is heated therefore at a Sermon, cry out, Lord now strike,Rom 6. 7. now imprint thine Image upon me.
3. Labour to see the Lord Iesus in his glory. For as wicked men looking upon the evill example of great ones in the world, that will beare them out, grow like them in villany: so the very beholding the glorious grace in Christ, this great Lord of glory, transformeth men into his Image, 2 Cor. 3. 17, 18. As the Glasse set full against the sunne receives not onelyonly the beames, as all other darke bodies doe, but the image of the sunne: So the understanding with open face beholding Christ, is turned into the Image and likenesse of Christ. Men now adayes looke only to the best mens lives, and see how they walk, and rest here; ô looke higher to this blessed face of God in Christ, as thine owne; As the application of the seale to the waxe imprints the Image, so to view the grace of Christ, as all thine, imprints the same image strongly on the soule. I come now to the third Principall Head, in order, which I shall insist upon, out of Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God. Whence observe.