first in intention, to whom all these Creatures should serue, as meanes and prouoca∣tions
of his seruice to his and their Creator.
Man may be considered, in regard of this life, or of that which is to come: of this
life, in respect of Nature of Grace: and this Nature also sustaineth a two-fold consi∣deration,
of integritie and corruption: For
God made man righteous, but they sought to
themselues many inuentions. His first puritie in his Creation, his fall from thence by sin,
his endeuour to recouer his former innocencie by future glory, either in the by-waies
of superstition, which Nature (a blind guide) leadeth him into, through so many false
religions; or by the true, new and liuing way, which God alone can set him, and doth
conduct him in, is the subiect of our tedious taske; the first two more briefely pro∣pounded:
the two last historically and largely related.
In that first state, his Author and Maker was Iehouah Elohim, God in the plurality
of Persons and vnitie of Essence; the Father, by the Sonne, in the power of the Spirit:
whereunto, he did not only vse his powerfull word as before, saying, let there be Man,
but a consultation, let vs make Man: not that he needed counsaile, but
that he in this
Creature did shew his counsaile and wisdome most apparantly. The Father, as first in
order, speaketh vnto the Sonne and holy Ghost, and the Sonne and holy Ghost in an
vnspeakeable manner speake and decree with the Father; and
the whole Trinitie
consult and agree together, to make Man: which
for Mans instruction, is by Mo∣ses
vttered after the manner of Men. The manner of his working was also in this Crea∣ture,
singular; both in regard of his bodie, which, as a Potter his clay, he wrought
and framed of the dust into this goodly shape; and of his soule, which he immediately
breathed into his nosthrils.
Thus hath Man cause to glorie in his Creators care, in himselfe to be humbled, ha∣uing
a bodie framed not of solid earth, but of the dust (the basest and lightest part
of the basest and grossest element,
So vaine a thing is man) his soule of nothing,
lighter then vanitie, in the infusion created, and in the Creation infused, to bee the
dweller
in this house of clay, and habitation of dust. Yea not a house, but a
taberna∣cle
continually in dissolution. Such is the Maker and Matter of Man. The forme was his
conformitie to God, after whose Image he was made. Christ onely is in full resem∣blance,
the
Image of the inuisible God,
the brightnes of his glory, and the ingraued forme
of his Person. Man was not this Image, but made ad imaginem, according to this Image,
resembling his Author, but with imperfection, in that perfection of humane Nature.
This Image of God appeared in the soule properly, secondly in the bodie (not as
the
Anthropomorphite Heretikes, and
Popish Image-makers imagine, but) as
the instrument of the soule, and lastly in the whole Person. The soule in regard of the
spirituall and immortall substance, resembleth him which is a Spirit, and euerlasting:
to which some adde the resemblance of the holy Trinitie, in this, that one soule hath
those three essentiall faculties of Vnderstanding, Will, and Memorie, or (as others)
of Vegetation, Sense, and Reason. In regard of gifts and naturall endowments, the
soule in the vnderstanding part receiued a Diuine impression, and character, in that
knowledge, whereby she measureth the heauens, bringeth them to the earth, lifteth
vp the earth to heauen, mounteth aboue the heauens to behold the Angels, pierceth
the center of the earth in darknesse to discerne the infernall regions and legions, be∣neath
and aboue them all searcheth into the diuine Nature: whereby,
Adam was
without studie the greatest Philosopher, (who at first sight knew the nature of the
beasts, the originall of the Woman) and the greatest Diuine, (except the second A∣dam)
that euer the earth bare. The will also, in free choice of the best things, in
righ∣teous
disposition towards man, and true holines towards God, was conformed to his
will, for whose willes sake it is, and was created. The body cannot so liuely expresse
the vertue of him that made it, but as it could, in that perfect constitution, (
so feare∣fully
and wonderfully made
) and as the organ of the soule, whose weapon it was to
righteousnes, had some shadow thereof. The whole Man in his natural Nobilitie be∣yond,
& Princely dominion ouer the other Creatures (that we mention not the hope