The Image of God Wherein Man was Created, Half title – Introduction
A Diſſertation On the Image of GOD, wherein Man was created.
A DISSERTATION ON THE Image of GOD WHEREIN Man was created.
GENESIS. I. 27.
So God created Man in his own Image, in the Image of God created He him, Male and Female created He them.
By Benjamin Colman, D.D.
Anima eſt Naturae ſpiritualis, caeleſtis, divinae, indiviſibilis, incorruptibilis, immortalis, Angelis imo Deo proximae.
Van Maſtricht.
BOSTON: Printed & Sold by S. KNEELAND and T. GREEN in Queen-ſtreet. MDCCXXXVI.
Quoniam deleta eſt Imago Dei in nobis per lapſum Adae, ex reparatione judicandum eſt qualis fuerit: Dicit Paulus nos per Evangelium transfigurari in Imaginem Dei: Et ſecundum ipſum Regeneratio ſpiritualis nihil aliud eſt quam ejuſdem Imaginis inſtauratio: quod autem eam conſtituit in Juſtitia et Sanctitate veraci, eſt Synecdoche; nam quamvis illud praecipuum eſt, non tamen eſt totum: Hac voce deſignatur totius Naturae Integritas, — in Mente lux rectae Intelligentiae &c—.
Calv. in loc.
THE INTRODƲCTION.
IN a late Diſſertation on the three firſt Chapters of Geneſis, I paſs'd over the Subject now before me, with a Deſign (by the Will of God) to give it a more diſtinct and full Conſideration by it ſelf. This I now preſent unto the Publick, hoping it may be of ſome Uſe and not unacceptable, to Them eſpecially whoſe ſpiritual Profit has been the Duty and Aim of my Studies and Miniſtry. And the leſs I am like to viſit and converſe with them in my advancing Years, the rather would I now and then put into their Hands ſome of the Meditations they have heard with Patience and Pleaſure, and in which when I am dead I may yet ſpeak to 'em. And if this Apology diſpleaſe any, and provoke Reflections public or private, they will not much move me.
Man in his firſt Eſtate, and ſo Angels in theirs, were very much made for Contemplation and Admiration. And theſe are very much the Exerciſe, Pleaſure and Improvement of renewed and enlightned Minds under the Goſpel.
Admiration ſeems the firſt Affection of an Intelligent Creature, both in the Order of Nature and of Time; and of ſpecial Uſe and Influence in the rational, moral and Divine Life. We may ſuppoſe Adam was ſtruck with vaſt and a moſt pleaſing Admiration upon his firſt coming into Being. What a World of Wonders preſented it ſelf before his Eyes! how many ſtrange and beautiful Objects ſurrounded him! which ſhould he firſt gaze at, which moſt admire! and moſt of all (it may be) did he ſurvey and wonder at Himſelf! Who and what am I? whence came I into this Form and Circumſtances, and with theſe Powers of Mind and Body? what glorious Wiſdom Power and Goodneſs has made me thus, and all theſe Things about me?
Such we may ſuppoſe were the Emotions of Adam's Mind, upon his firſt View of his Paradiſe, the living Creatures about him, and of the Heavens over him. In the midſt of which holy Aſtoniſhment he fell into a Trance, and awak'd with a new Object before him, more the Wonder and Deſire of his Eyes than all that he had ſeen before! It was Eve, form'd in the ſame Image and Likeneſs of God that he ſaw and felt within himſelf. How did he gaze on this crowning Gift of Heaven to him! This is now Bone of my Bone, and Fleſh of my Fleſh; ſaid he, She ſhall be called Woman. — Immediately God bro't the long Train of living Creatures, in beauteous Order, before their Earthly Lord and Owner, to give them Names according to their various Kind and Nature. What a Scene of Admiration was this to Adam and alſo to the Angels of God! to ſee an imbodied Spirit, like Themſelves in the Image of God for Knowledge, endowed with an Inſight into the various Workmanſhip of God below, into the exquiſite Perfection of every Form, the End & Uſe of every living Thing! Thus his firſt Act of Devotion to his Maker was Admiration, which juſtifies the Wiſdom of the Schools, who have made it the firſt of the Paſſions. It certainly is ſo, and ever was. But in our preſent fallen State, in how low and feeble a manner is the firſt Exerciſe hereof in our Infancy! in what unknown ſort of Confuſion are the firſt Notices of Things now received by us! The ſtate of Infancy had no doubt been vaſtly better in a ſtate of Innocence, and the Perception of Things incomparably faſter, more diſtinct, and exquiſitely pleaſant; as the Chriſtal Glaſs drinks in the Light and is irradiated.
God has made all his wonderful Works to be admired; to be ſought out with Pleaſure by all rational Beings. He has made Angels and Men to admire them and give him Glory. This is their Worſhip and Praiſe to God, and their own Improvement in Knowledge and Goodneſs—It had been the immediate Sin and Fall of our firſt Parents, without their eating of the forbidden Fruit, yea before that was forbidden to them, if the firſt Affection and Exerciſe of their Mind had not been a religious reverend Admiration of God, in Themſelves, the Heavens and Earth, and in all the living Creatures about them. And holy Admiration ſtill is, ever has been and ever will be, the Imployment and Felicity of Angels and Saints in the heavenly Places.
There are the Objects of Admiration which Eye hath not ſeen, nor Ear heard, neither can they enter into the Heart of Man to conceive of; And the Angels of Heaven have greater Capacities and Powers to look into the Wiſdom Power and Goodneſs of God in all his Works: How then do we think that They admir'd and ador'd, look'd on the Divine Glory and on one another, and ſhouted together in the Day of their own Creation! And again we read, that in the Day they ſaw our Earth come into its Place Form and Motion, with Man and all the Creatures under his feet thereon, thoſe Morning Stars ſang all together the Praiſes of God. How did they admire the Deſcent of the IMMENSE SPIRIT on the Face of the Deep, to bring a World of Order and Beauty out of that dark Void, and Abyſſe of confuſed Matter! With what awful Reverence and vaſt Expectation did they attend and liſten, when God commanded the Light to ſhine out of Darkneſs! tho' they were moſt acquainted with Light before, dwelling in the Fulneſs of it, in Light unapprochable by us, where the Light of the Sun is not needed, and compar'd with which it is but a Shade! Yet they ſaw our Light was good, inexpreſſibly good for us, and they admir'd the dividing it from the Darkneſs. They ſaw the Firmament, that vaſt Expanſe of Air and Region of Light and Darkneſs, a Shadow to Humane Eyes of the inconceivable Immenſity of God, filling all in all thro' this his ſeen Univerſe. They beheld from on High the forming of our Sea and dry Land, and the Earth bringing forth Herbs and Graſs and Trees, with all their wondrous Seeds and Fruits, while as yet there was no Ray of the Sun upon them; not knowing, but expecting greatly, for what kind of Creature and Creatures this vaſt Profuſion of Bounty was prepared. They were the only Audience when God bad the Waters bring forth the moving Creature that hath Life, and the Fowl that fill the Air and fly in the open Firmament; and while they heard God bleſs his inferior living Creatures, and bid 'em to increaſe, to multiply and propagate their Kind, (a Thing altogether new to Angels and marvellous in their Eyes, for living Creatures to communicate Likeneſs and Life, under the Power and Bleſſing of God) how were they fill'd with new Wonder and Delight at this new Thing which the Lord God created: whereof their Superiour World had given them no Idea. They then turn'd their Eyes on the dry Land, and with a growing Surprize ſaw the Cattle and creeping Things and Beaſts come forth out of the Earth after their Kind; all of them finding their proper Food provided for them, and all of them made in Pairs to propagate their kind! a Scene of Beauty and Wonder, and ſuperior Workmanſhip, ſuted to the Element of Air, as the Fiſhes before were to the Waters! and could the bright Intelligences above look down on all theſe Things, from Day to Day, as God created them, and not be raviſh'd in the Contemplation of them?
But moſt of all, when God proceeded and ſaid, Let Us make MAN, in our Image, after our Likeneſs, Male and Female; to have Dominion over the Fiſh of the Sea, the Fowl of the Air, and over the Cattel and all the Earth; how did the Hoſts of Heaven look (think we) with all their Eyes, to ſee what God-like Creature, like Themſelves, the Lord of all this Earth and of all the Creatures on it, was coming into Being? When preſently they ſaw the Lord God form Man's Body of the Duſt of the Ground, and then breathe into his Noſtrils the Breath of Life, and he became a living Soul, a Spirit like Themſelves, but united to Fleſh and Blood! O new and wondrous Form! ſo near a Kin unto themſelves and yet how different! made male and female alſo, to multiply and fill the Earth, and eat all the Good of it! How did the Angels of God look on and love the happy perfect Pair, and more admire 'em, than they were able to admire the Wiſdom and Power of God in themſelves.
I no more doubt, my Readers, of the Truth of ſomething like theſe things that I here write, than I do of almoſt any thing not ſeen and not revealed to me in the Word of God. That is to ſay, I do not at all queſtion but that in the Creation of this World of ours, the Angelic Hoſts look'd on admiring and giving Glory to God, as the Almighty proceeded from one Part of his Work unto another; and that the Words of God to Job out of the Whirlwind are to be taken literally; "When the Morning Stars ſang together, and all the Sons of God ſhouted for Joy.
But Man in his fallen State, and in his Redemption has been more an Object of the Admiration of the Angels of God, than he was in his Creation. God's Work of Grace toward Sinners is repreſented to us as more admirable in the Eyes of Angels, than all his Works of Nature and Providence, in a ſeparate Conſideration herefrom. Not that Man's Sin was a thing ſo new to them, for they had ſeen their Fellow-Angels fall from Heaven; but the Recovery and Salvation of Sinners was a thing altogether unknown before. We find 'em therefore pictur'd by the Pencil of God, and ſpoken of in his Word, as intently and for ever looking into this Myſtery of Grace*Exod. xx…. 17. 1 Pet. i. 12. Epheſ iii. 10. Iſai. vi. 2. Luke ii. 14. Revel. v. ii.. So the Cherubims were made, by the Order of God to Moſes, with their Faces bowed over the Mercy-Seat, as never able to ſatisfy their pleaſing Wonder on the ſacred Myſtery. And St. Peter tells us, that theſe Things the Angels deſire to look into. For as another Apoſtle teaches us, By the Church on Earth is the manifold Wiſdom of God made known to the Principalities and Powers above. And we have their new Songs thro' the Book of God, in Admiration of his Power, Wiſdom, Holineſs and Mercy in the Redemption and Salvation of fallen Man.
Only let us never think that the Admiration of perfected Spirits ever grows into any like Surpriſes and Amazements, as are ſometimes felt by us. The Light which ſhines in and on them in ſo pure clear and diſtinct, the Manner wherein they think and perceive is ſo perfect, the Government of their Tho't & Affection is ſo true and exact, that it forbids us to imagine any ſuch Weakneſs and Infirmity in their Admiration, as we find in our own. Innocent & holy Minds have a Strength, Steddineſs and Fortitude of Tho't, which we have loſt by our Fall. God of his Fulneſs communicates ſo to them, as is ever filling, refreſhing and ſatisfying 'em. In his Light they ſee Light. The Glory of his Face is ever ſhining on them in all that they behold. They are able to make an equal and juſt Obſervation of all things. They ſee and ſearch deep, with great Eaſe, into all Things, greater and leſs; and marvellous things occur to them in every one. They live in the World of Wonders, and ſee into the Wonders of all Worlds, ſee nothing little or common in any of them. All is great and good in their Eyes that God has done. We have Songs prepared for us which They take up and Sing: The Works of the Lord are great, ſought out by all them that have pleaſure in them! If I would ſpeak of them they are more than can be number'd. Such Language as this becomes the Mouth of innocent Creatures, as well as ours. So He may be praiſed from the Heavens, "praiſed in the Heights! praiſe ye Him all his Angels! And were the Sun and Stars ſhining Intelligences like them, we ſhould call on them to praiſe him in their Courſes, and Stations: Or had the Deeps and Dragons from the Earth Minds to admire Him, and Tongues to extol Him, we might call on them to joyn with us in the Work. But ſince Beaſts and all Cattel, creeping Things and flying Fowl, have no ſuch Powers for Praiſe; let Kings of the Earth and all People, Princes and all Judges, young Men and Maidens, old Men and Children, praiſe the Name of the Lord; for his Name alone is excellent; his Glory is above the Earth and Heaven.
The great End and Deſign of this Affection of Admiration (ſays our admirable Dr. Watts) is to fix our Attention on the admired Object, to impreſs it more effectually on our Memory, and to give a ſenſible Delight to our Mind. How good, how pleaſant and neceſſary then is it, to uſe this Means of fixing our Hearts on God by his Works, which day and night declare his Glory, and ſpeak to us of his Eternal Power and Godhead.
In ſhort, Without the Admiration of God in his Works of Nature, Providence and Grace, there neither is nor can be any thing of Religion, either among Angels or Men. And there is ſo little Religion among Men on Earth, becauſe there is no more Admiration of the bleſſed God in the Things that are ſeen, or that are revealed to us by him. The more God is admired by us the better He will be worſhiped and ſerved by us. It is becauſe He is ſo perfectly admir'd by the Spirits in Glory, that he is ſo perfectly ſerv'd and obey'd by them. The Admiration of God works by Love to Him, Delight in him, Deſire to pleaſe and glorify him, Fear and Reverence of his excellent Majeſty, and the Hope of ſeeing and ſerving him for ever. It draws all the Affections of the Soul after it, carries them along with it, and is the Spring and Life of all Devotion. It enlarges the Mind and dilates the Heart, and leads it away a willing Captive. It opens the Lips to ſhew forth God's Praiſe, it liſts up the Eyes and Hands to him, with Tranſports of Joy: And at times too it ſtops the Voice, and ſtrikes us mute, and Praiſe ſits ſilent on the Tongue. — Such an Inſtrument of Devotion, and Handmaid to it, is true Admiration. It is ſacred and devoted to God, and Man in his Innocence kept it ſo. It is not only conſiſtent with perfect Tranquility and Happineſs, but indeed promotes and advances it. There can be no true State or Reliſh of real Happineſs in created Spirits, without the free and full Exerciſe of this Affection. If there were nothing to be admir'd in God and Chriſt, in Heaven and Glory, how ſhould they be the Beatific Objects to us?
I ſhall add but two Words more. The firſt is that the greateſt Admiration ſeems to be with the leaſt Surprize. Nothing is more calm and tranquil, I conceive, than the Admirations of Angels and perfected Spirits, in their Viſion and Adoration of God. Our Surpriſes at things new and rare and unexpected is from the Weakneſs of Fleſh and Blood, and from the Darkneſs of our Minds. The more feeble the more Surprize, but the ſtronger the Intellect is the more ſerene and placid, even and fix'd is the Admiration. — I know not which was Eve's Fault and the Beginning of her Sin, whether too much Surpriſe at the Serpent's ſpeaking to her, or too little Emotion at it. One or other might be the Beginning of her Fall. It was a wonderful Thing that a Snake or Worm ſhould find a Tongue and Voice to ſpeak to her. His curſed Motion to her, to eat of the forbidden Fruit, ſhould have rais'd in her a holy Indignation. Her Innocence and Holineſs ſhould have ſo expreſs'd it ſelf, when ſhe heard God contradicted, and mean and ill Things ſuggeſted of Him. But the Marvel at the Thing, and her Admiration at the Serpent, ſeems to have taken up her Mind and drawn her away into a Parley and Talk with him. She was too curious to hear him out (ſpeaking after our manner) in all he had to ſay, and ſo was beguiled thro' his Subtlety. As the Snake to this day charms Birds and Squirrels with its Eye, ſo Eve ſeems to have been taken with the Admirable in the Serpent's Management. She ſhould have dropt the Wonder from a Deteſtation of his Words, and have anſwered only as her Bleſſed Seed did when he was tempted, "Get thee hence, Devil! Were it an Angel from Heaven that ſhould ſpeak thus, let him be accurſed. Her Wonder ſhould have wro't thus, "Lord God! what curſed kind of Beaſt is this, that ſpeaks indeed, but to ſlander Thee, and give Thee the Lie! — But Eve ſeems to have been too calm and unmov'd upon ſo ſtrange an Event, and ſo vile a Motion.
The other thing I would therefore add is, That an innocent and holy Mind may be piouſly ſtruck with Admiration at Things moſt evil and diſagreable to it. The Angels that keep their firſt State were doubtleſs ſtruck with ſacred Aſtoniſhment at the Rebellion of their Fellows; and after they had ſung for Joy at the Creation of Man, they were fill'd with a holy kind of Wonder Grief and Anger at his ſudden Fall. God Himſelf ſpake to Adam of it after this Manner, "Who told you, you were naked! have you eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded you that you ſhould not eat of it? Woman, what is this that thou haſt done? And to affect the ſtupid Sons of Adam, and Daughters of Eve, for their Iniquities after the ſimilitude of Adam's Tranſgreſſion, God has ſpoken in his Word of our Sins as ſuch, that the very Heavens (the heavenly Spirits who dwell in them) might even be ſurpris'd and amazed at them*Iſai. i. 2. Jerem. ii. 12. Hear O Heavens, I have nouriſhed and bro't up Children, and they have rebelled againſt me! Be aſtoniſhed O ye Heavens at this, and be horribly afraid! be ye very deſolate ſaith the Lord. If any thing has ever |caus'd any thing like Surprize and Aſtoniſhment in the ſerene and holy Minds of Angels, it has been and is the Sin and Wickedneſs of Men and Devils. But even in this Caſe, the Difference is unknown, and it may be inconceivable, between the Wonder of a holy Mind above, and that of a Saint on Earth. — It may be repreſented to us from St. John's Wonderment at ſeeing the great Whore, and the Angels Anſwer to him: Revel. xvii. 1,—7. —And when I ſaw her I wonder'd with great Admiration! and the Angel ſaid unto me, Wherefore didſt thou marvel? I will tell thee the Myſtery of the Woman and of the Beaſt, her ſeven Heads and ten Horns. See how ſurpriz'd the holy Man was at this horrid Form, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth, a Woman drunken with the Blood of Saints and of the Martyrs of Jeſus, ſitting upon a ſcarlet colour'd Beaſt, full of Names of Blaſphemy! but ſee again how calm the bleſſed Angel was! he even reproves mildly the great Admiration of the Apoſtle, as being too much. Yet the Bloodineſs and Filthineſs of the Church of Rome is abominated in Heaven much more than it is in the true Church on Earth: But it is ſeen there with leſs ſurprize. Indeed the Harlot is a Wonder and an Abomination both there and here.
I ask my Readers Pardon that I have ſo long detained him with a kind of new Diſſertation on the Admiration which may agree unto a State of Innocence and Perfection: But the plain Scope of it is to direct and fix our admiring Thoughts on the Bleſſed GOD and his Works, and on His Image in our Selves in a more eſpecial Manner; as they would have been if we had kept our firſt State, and as they will be in Heaven for Evermore if we regain it and get thither; which is the only Aim of the preſent Meditations.