Heavenly pastime, or, Pleasant observations on all the most remarkable passages throughout the Holy Bible of the Old and New Testament newly allegoriz'd in several delightful dialogues, poems, similitudes, and divine fancies / by John Dunton, author of The sickmans passing-bell.

CHAP. III. Wherein you have an account of the Cre∣ation of Adam. (Book 3)

Gen. 2.

Yet still there wants a Creature which may Over these Sensless Beasts have Rule and Sway: God t••••n makes Man with Face towards the Sky, He's the true likeness of the Deiti••.

GOD now deliberates upon the enterprise of a Noble Work, and the Counce•••• is held in the Conclave of the most holy Tri••i••ie, the three Per∣sons are assembled; Power, Wisdom, and Love take th••ir seats near the Paradi••e of E••••n.

An•• it is concerning Man and hi•• Creation, and not concerning those proud and Rebelli••us Spirits, whose shamefu••l revolt have justly expel'd them from the Heav••nly I••rusalem, that the ••ecree i•• past; it is on him God Ref••ected, and it is he who must be substituted in the place of Angels. It is thi•• Act which makes the World behold Gods M••ster-piece, the object of his Favours, and the most glorious term of his Power. O Sun stop here thy Course and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 witness of his Birth who h••th bin the cause and end of thine:

It was as I conceive about high Noon,* 1.1 when the Earth was resplendent with Light, that this Animated Sun was born. I•• was by the Light of Natures greatest Bon••ire that God vou••hsafed to stoop so low as Earth to take Clay, out of which he formed the Body of the first Man.

Now of all Cre••tures which God did mak••, Man was the last tha•• living ••••••ath did tak••.

Not that he was the least, or that God durst Not undertake so Noble a Work at first, Rather, because he should have made in vain, So great a Prince, without on whom to Reign, A wise Man never brings his bi••den Guests Into his Parlour till his Room be drest, Garnish'd with Lights, and Tables neatly spread, Be with full Dishes well nigh furnished. So our great God, who (bounteous ever) keeps Here open Court, and th' ever-bound lesse-deeps, Of sweetest Nectar Onus still distills, By twenty times ten thousand sundry Quills. All the admirable Creatures made beforn, Which Heaven, Earth and Ocean do Adorn Are but Essayes, comp••red in every part, To this Divinest Master-piece of Art, Therefore the supream Peerless•• Architect, When (of meer nothing) he did first erect Heav'n, Earth, Air and Seas, at once his thought His word and deed all in an instant wrought: But when ••e would his own selfs Type Create, Th' Honor of Nature, th' Earths Sole Potentate: As if he would a Council hold, he Citeth His Sacr••d Power, his Prudence he inviteth, Summons his Love, his Justice he adjourns, Calleth his Goodnesse, and his Grace returns, To (as it were) consult about the Birth, And building of a second God of Earth▪ And each (a part) with liberal hand to bring, Some excellence unto so rare a thing. Or rather, he consul••s with's only Son, (His own pourtrait) what proportion, What Gifts, what Grace, what Soul he should bestow, Vpon his Vice-Roy of this Realm below. When th' other things God fashi••n'd in their kind, The Sea t'aboun•• in Fishes he assign'd, The Earth in Floc••s, but having man in ha••d, His very self he seemed to Command.

He both at once both life and Body lent To other things, but when in Man he meant, In Mortal Limbs immortal life to place, He seem'd to pause, as in a weighty cause, And so at sundry moments finished, The Soul and Body of Earth's glorious head.

And now Adam, and Eve too (who was yet to be formed out of one of Adams Ribs) must be the causes of our Good or Evil, and on their good or bad For∣tune ours must wholy depend.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The time of Ma•••• Creatio••.