THree things are here said concerning Man, that he is a Creature, that he was made Male and Female, and that the first Man and Woman were created in the Image of GOD. The last thing is doubled in the Text, partly to express the double Pleasure of God in his Work, and also to put a double Honour on it: But more especially to im­press on the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men a high Sense of the Dignity done 'em, and of the great Love of GOD to them in their Creation.

[Page 2] It is a Matter of great Importance to the Children of Men, and to be for ever kept by them in a reli­gious Remembrance, that God made our First Pa­rents, both Adam and Eve, in His own Image, in the Image of God.

He made them alike Humane Souls, which know no Difference of Sex when out of the Body, but are as the Angels; of Whom nothing higher or more glorious can be said in their Original blessed State, than that God made Them, as He did us, in his own Image. Man was made a little lower than the Angels, but like them crowned with this Glory and Honour ^*.

Man is Male and Female. Neither is the Man with­out the Woman, nor the Woman without the Man in the Lord ^‡: That is to say, neither in the Day of his Creation, nor in those of his Propagation thro' all past and future Generations: As it follows, For as the Woman is of the Man, even so is the Man also by the Woman; but all things of God. When therefore it is added, that the Man is the Image and Glory of God, but the Woman is the Glory of the Man, the Apostle explains himself only to give the Man his Preheminence in point of Authority and Dominion: This one Thing in the Image of God excepted, the Woman equally shines in the Glory of all the rest.

So are Mankind constituted & propagated. Adam was first created, and then Eve; he out of the Dust of the Ground, and she taken out of his Body. So she became Bone of his Bone, and Flesh of his Flesh. But their equal and greater Glory was, that God made them alike living Souls, immortal Spirits, in a Perfection of Knowledge, Holiness and Goodness, and consequently of Happiness and Blessedness, suted to their Earthly State, with Dominion over the Crea­tures. Moses gives us this Account of the Image of [Page 3]God wherein Man was created, if you compare, Gen. i. 26, 28. with Chap. ii. v. 7.15, 16, 17, 20, 23. And keeping my Eye upon this pure Word of God, it appears plain and evident that the Image of God on Man, in the Day when God created Him, con­sisted in the following Things.

I. GOD made Man a Spirit, a living Soul, and this was his Likeness to his MAKER, the Image of God upon him.

If you ask, what God is? Christ has revealed Him, John iv. 24. God is a Spirit. And if you ask, what Man is, Moses tells us, He is a living Soul. In his Soul he bears the Image of God, and not in his Body. His Body is of the Dust and returns to it, when his Spirit returns to God, the Infinite Spirit, the Father of Spirits, the Lord, Ruler and Judge of Spirits, the only Portion and Felicity of Souls.

God claims the Soul for his own, even all Souls, the Soul of the Father and of the Son ^*. This un­seen Part of Man bears the Image of the Invisible and Incorruptible God. Were the Body a thousand times more elegant and wonderful a Form than it is, or even as it will be after the Resurrection, yet it were utterly impossible and unlawful to conceive of it as any Likeness of God. As when God would be seen in the Mount by the Elders of Israel, they saw no manner of Similitude ^†. The Face and Eye and Hands of Men are full of Spirit and Life, from the living Spirit within that animates and acts 'em. These are attributed to God in Scripture in way of Accommodation to Souls here in the Body. But the first thing in the Image of God on Angels and Men is Spirituality. What should be the Likeness of the Living God, but a living Soul or Spirit?

[Page 4] Indeed we little know what our Souls are: Yet we are sure that we are such, because we think, reason, remember, reflect, foresee, hope, fear, &c. What the Spirituality of God is, is far more incon­ceivable to us. He is Infinite, filling Heaven and Earth. Whither can we go from His Presence and Spirit ^‖? The Rays of Light, the Wings of the Morning are not equal to the Thoughts of Men, for Brightness and Swiftness. In one Moment of Tho't my poor Mind reaches the third Heaven, a million times beyond the Sun in its Zenith. This Soul is a poor, low feeble Image of the Immensity, Spiritua­lity and Omniscience of God. HE searches the Heart of Man, weighs his Spirit, and knows his Tho't affar off. This is too wonderful for us, it is high and we cannot attain to it.

Let our Souls pause and imagine what an In­comprehensible Spirit GOD is! What is his Name, and his Sons Name, if thou canst tell ^*. HE is that He is, has Life in Himself, and in Him we live and move and have our Being ^†. The Worlds of Spirits, and so the Corporeal Universe, are his Workman­ship, ‘continually sustained and governed by Him. His active Essence therefore intimately pervades and penetrates the immeasurable Frame! GOD is Life, Light, Mind, Self-existence; Glory, Blessedness, Perfection; incomparable, inconcei­vable. To Whom can we liken Him, or what Likeness can we compare unto Him? Singularity and Onliness is his Glory. There is One God, and no other than He.’ ^‡

We should not have dar'd to say of God that He is a Spirit, or to have call'd Spirits his Image and Likeness, if He Himself had not so spoken to us of [Page 5]Himself. Yet is there no other Image whereby our Minds can represent Him to themselves, but from their own spiritual Nature, Powers, and Operations. This therefore must be the first thing in the Image of God of Angels and Men, Spirituality. In this Glass we see the first Shadow of God. Our Souls discern it by Reflection on themselves. We then look without, look abroad, and see thro' the Eyes of the Body Images of Wisdom, Power and Goodness, in every thing Material and Visible. We see the Work of some perfectly wise, good, Almighty In­telligence. — It is in and from it self, that the poor finite Spirit of Man, conscious to its own Understand­ing and Affections, and enlightned from the Spirit and Word of God, conceives and infers what a transcendent Being and Spirit God is; the Framer of the Universe, and the Former and Father of all Spirits. It is because we in our Souls bear some I­mage of God, that we can at all apprehend & know that God is a Spirit. The Beasts have Eyes to see the Fields of Grass and Corn as much as we, but not having our Souls to discern the Eternal Power and Godhead from the Things that are made, their Spirits are not the Likeness of God as ours are.

And yet the spiritual Nature of Angels and Men is not to be compared with the Spirituality of God, or the Simplicity of his Essence. The grossest Mat­ter that our Eyes behold is not so much below the Soul of Man, as that is below the Spirituality of the Divine Nature. Never the less in the Faculties of the Humane Soul we plainly see some Resemblance of the Infinite Eternal Spirit, the Maker and Pre­server of all Things, visible & invisible. And this is the first and most obvious part of the Image of God upon us in our Creation, that we are Souls or Spirits. God who made us this Soul ^*, herein has [Page 6]made us in his own Image, after his Likeness; for He is THE SPIRIT, and the Father of Spirits.

God is a Spirit in a Sense far superior to that wherein Angels are to be so called. He maketh his Angels Spirits ^‡. I doubt not but God is more In­visible to them, and in Comparison of them, than they are to us and in Comparison of us. Created Spirits are compounded Beings if compared with their MAKER; they are made what they are, and He who made them can if he please annihilate and dis­solve them again. But there is an ineffable, incon­ceivable Simplicity of Essence in the Divine Nature, which infinitely distinguishes His Spirituality from that of all Creatures.— Angels and Souls are Spi­rits but they singly occupy a space, and pass from place to place, with an incredible Swiftness, like Rays of Light; but the Invisible God is an Immense Being filling Heaven and Earth, always present and the same in all Places. This is as far above Souls or Angels, as they are above Bodies.

It is a most just and glorious Account that God gave of Himself to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. He is what no One else is or can be; He is alone what He is; what all his Creatures can but poorly re­present, and less can understand; even as the Sha­dow of a Man does but poorly represent him in his Life, Look, Thought and Speech. — God is singly the Spiritual BEING, and there is none like Him, none beside Him. As there is none Good but One which is God, so is there but One only Spirit in the Universe, who filleth all in all ^*.

Thus the Lord our God is ONE LORD, and the Knowledge of HIM is too wonderful for us; it is high, and we cannot attain to it: yea how little do we know of our own Spirits, which are made for [Page 7]the Knowledge of Him? It is but as thro' a Glass darkly that we see any thing of GOD. The Ideas of Infinite, Eternal, Unchangeable and Self­existent are the Proof and Illustration of his Spiri­tuality. We can only explain and confirm the One from the other. As what Man knoweth the Things of a Man, save the Spirit of Man that is in him? even so the Things of God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God ^†: Which Things we therefore speak, not in the Words which Mans Wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual Things with spiritual.

There is therefore unto me no Account of the Spirituality of God like unto the following Texts of Scripture. Exod. iii. I AM, that is my Name. xxxiii. 20. Thou canst not see my Face. 1 Tim. vi. 16. Whom no Man hath seen, nor can see. Heb. iv. 13. All things (even all Souls and Spirits) are naked and open before Him. Psalm. cxxxix. Thou understandest my Tho'ts afar off. 1 Cor. xii. 11. That One and Self same SPIRIT divideth to every one severally as He will. So does the One Immense Being in all Worlds, visible and invisible, to every Creature, superior and infe­rior, as the one Creator, Preserver, Governour, Judge, Sanctifier and Saviour of all. — This is Light without any Darkness at all, Light unapprocha­ble and full of Glory. ^* There can be no more glo­rious and convictive Light given us into the Spiri­tuality of God than St. Paul's noble Discourse to the Men of Athens, Acts. xvii. While the Eye reads it, the Soul sees and feels what a SPIRIT God is: it seeks and feels and finds Him within it self: "GOD that made the World and all things in it, Lord of Hea­ven and Earth! who dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands, nor is worshiped by us as tho' he needeth [Page 8]any thing; for He giveth unto all Life and Breath and all things, and hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men, and hath determined the Times and Bounds of every ones Habitation; for He is not far from every one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our Be­ing; for we are his Offspring. See here an immor­tal, enlightned, sanctified Spirit! that it is some I­mage, some Shade of the Eternal, Immense, most Holy Spirit, which is GOD.

II. God made Man in his own Image in respect of Intellect and Understanding, Knowledge and Wisdom.

God is the Only-wise ^† perfect in Knowledge, and his Understanding is infinite. So his Word speaks of Him, and his Works declare it of Him. He that formeth the Eye, shall He not see? and He that teach­eth Man Knowledge shall He not know? There is not a Soul so brutish ^* as not to allow this.

Man, in his Soul and Body is the most eminent Display of the Knowledge and Wisdom of God here on Earth. The Mind and Eye of Man survey the Hea­vens, Earth, Seas and all the Creatures, and see how in Wisdom God hath made them all ^‡. Then we be­hold our Selves alone, among all the Creatures here on Earth, capable of this Understanding, and are led to say unto our Selves and unto God, Where is God my Maker! that teacheth me more than the Beasts of the Earth, and maketh me wiser than the Fowl of Heaven.

Man in his first State was happy and glorious in a Perfection of Knowledge and Wisdom, proper for an imbodied Spirit. He had not the Knowledge of Angels, for he was made lower than they; but he was wise as an Angel in Flesh should be. He was created with a due Knowledge of God his Maker, of [Page 9] Himself, and of the Creatures about him. God spake to our first Parents, and they to each other in an admirable manner, as is related by Moses. Their Minds were full of Light, the Law of God was in their Heart, and they were in the Possession of their own Souls and of Intellectual Happiness. They want­ed no more Knowledge of Good at the Time, and to be sure needed no Knowledge of Evil.

This Understanding of Man was a Beam from the Light of the Knowledge and Glory of God upon him. God made him like Himself an Intellect, an Intelligence; the Inspiration of the Almighty gave him his Understanding. In his Light Man saw Light. And now Souls are renewed in Knowledge after the Image of God ^‡. They are renewed into the Like­ness, in part, wherein they were first created. As they grow in holy Knowledge, they are changed more and more into the Divine Image from Glory to Glory ^*.

The Devil tempted our Parents to aspire after more Knowledge, and so they fell. The Father of Light had given them as much of this perfect Gift as was good and fitting for them. This should have highly contented them, and filled 'em with Delight and Thankfulness. And so it did, until the false Fiend perswaded them to think, that GOD forbid 'em the Tree of Knowledge left it should make 'em wiser and better than they were. Alas! they found nothing by it but the Knowledge of Sin and Misery, of which it was their Happiness to be ignorant; and they lost the Knowledge of all the Good which they be­fore enjoyed. We remain miserable, and perish in our Ignorance of God, unless we are renewed after Him in Knowledge. True spiritual Wisdom is re­stored in the Regeneration of Souls. God gives the Light of the Knowledge of his Glory in the Face of [Page 10]JESUS CHRIST^‖. They who were sometimes Dark­ness, are made Light in the Lord. They are full of Goodness, filled with all Knowledge.

That the Soul be without Knowlege, is not good. It is very evil to it to be so. What is a dark and blind Soul good for! the Light that is in it is Dark­ness. The Light of Life is from the Father of Glory, the Father of Christ, the Eyes of our Understanding being-enlightned, to know the Hope of his Calling. God gives the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Know­ledge of his Son. This is the Image of the Father re­stored in his Elect. So they become again the Chil­dren of God; filled with the Knowledge of his Will, in all Wisdom and spiritual Understanding.

What a bright Account is this, given by the Holy Ghost, of the Image of God on the Soul of Man, in respect of Knowledge! Not only has Man an Un­derstanding which reflects on its own Acquirements, and (as an excellent Divine ^* of our own says) "reads its own Knowledge, and communicates it to others; but the true and high Glory of this created Intellect is, "that it is capable of knowing God un­to Eternal Life; for this is Life Eternal to know Him the only true God and Jesus Christ whom be has sent. And if Souls regenerated by the Spirit of God receive from him a sanctified Mind, a spiritual Dis­cerning of Things relating to their own Duty and Happiness; how much more must we suppose our first Parents in their state of Integrity and Perfection to be bless'd with a most holy Knowledge and spiri­tual Discerning?

But there is another of the Divine Attributes, which in the Scripture Account of it and in the enlightned Mind of Man, excels in Glory, and is yet more emi­nently [Page 11]the Divine Likeness on the Reasonable Crea­ture, and that is Holiness, Goodness & Righteousness. I go on therefore to say,

III. Man was eminently created by God in his own Image, after his Likeness, in respect of Sanctity and Holiness, Integrity and Rectitude.

There is a moral as well as intellectual Perfection. The Blessedness of God and his Glory lies in both. HE is infinitely and unchangeably possess'd of both. Nor is there any possible Perfection of Souls or An­gels, but it must be both in Mind and Understand­ing, and also in Will and Affections. This is to fol­low the Dictate of that, and then the Light of God rules in the Heart; which is what we are call'd to by the Voice of Reason and Scripture^‡. Then all is regular, wise, just, perfect.

There is none Holy as the Lord. He is glorious in Holiness. Holy, Holy, Holy, is his Name ^†. Christ is the Holy One of God, and all the Angels of Hea­ven are holy Ones. They proclaim the equal Holi­ness of Father Son and Spirit, while they treble the Praises of the Divine Holiness. What then should be the Image of God on the Seraphims but their Ho­liness? while with cover'd Faces they make the Su­perlative Holiness of God the Subject of their Ado­ration. They never cease from this^*, They rest not Day and Night saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! which art and wast and art to come. The Work of Saints on Earth is just the same^‖, Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his Footstool, for the Lord our God is holy. And again, Give Thanks at the Remembrance of his Holiness.

This renders God fearful in Praises, that He is glorious in Holiness. "A perfect Understanding must [Page 12]have a perfect Will, and where the Mind and Will is perfect there must be perfect Holiness. Therefore is the Name of God most holy and reverend. He must needs be Holy in all his Works. He must needs then make Angels and Men holy. They could not come other out of his holy Hand. The Impress and Stamp of his Holiness must be upon them. Being capable of this Image of God, and it being necessary to their Perfection, they could not possibly be desti­tute of it. If every Word of God is pure, so is every Work. He cannot look upon Iniquity, he is of purer eyes than to behold it, he hates and loaths it, and loves Righteousness. This bears his own Likeness, and is therefore lovely in his Eyes, for he infinitely loves Himself. We read, The Lord loveth the righteous: why? but because He is Himself righteous, and those that love and do Righteousness are like to Him. This one Thing is easily found^‡, nor is all the Wisdom of Solomon needed to find it out, that God made Man upright. He could not make him otherwise. This Uprightness in the Creature is the Image of God upon it. Men are Partakers of a Divine Nature, in the Regeneration of Souls^*. They are made upright and sincere in the Sight of God. Inte­grity and Uprightness preserves them, and they escape the Corruption that is in the World thro' Lust, and add to their Faith, Vertue, Knowledge, Temperance, Pati­ence, Godliness, brotherly Kindness and Charity. The Sons of Men (you see here) are capable of such a Glory and Likeness to God as to become again Par­takers of the Divine Nature. This cannot possibly mean any thing more or less than some Restoration of the Image of God in them. The Loss of that I­mage is supposed, and it is said to be ‘the Want of Original Righteousness & the Corruption of his [Page 13]whole Nature.’ He has corrupted himself thro' Lust, and the World lies in this Corruption, it is propagated from Age to Age, and common to all Places. But then there is thro' Grace an Escaping out of this Corruption, which some are made Parta­kers of, thro' Sanctification of the Spirit. That is to say, they are made holy, vertuous, wise, tempe­rate, patient, godly by the Power of Divine Grace, making a glorious Change in them; whereby they do again partake of that Divine Nature which was the Likeness of God upon Man in his first Creation.

This is the true and genuine Meaning of St. Peter's Words, repeated in the next Chapter ^† They have escaped the Pollutions of the World, thro' the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. These the Holy Ghost calls^‡ new Men and new Creatures; being re­newed in the Spirit of their Mind; the old Man be­ing put off, which is corrupt according to deceitful Works, and the New Man put on, which after God is created in Righteousness & true Holiness. See here the Image of God wherein Adam was created, and into which the Elect of God are recovered by the Power and Efficacy of the Gospel, which calls us with a holy Calling, from Uncleanness unto Holiness. This is the Image of God's dear Son, and this is his Calling,^* Be ye Holy, for I am Holy. So we are made Children and adopted in Christ; for the HOLY ONE will put no other among his Children, but those in whom he puts this Likeness to Himself, his Son and Spirit.

Holiness is the eminent Glory of the DEITY. It is not Knowledge or Power that gives Likeness to God, separate from Holiness, Justice, Goodness and Truth. It is in these moral Perfections that the [Page 14] Lord passes before us, proclaims his Name and shews his Glory, from the Beginning of the Bible to the End of it. Devils retain a vast Knowledge, void of Wisdom because destitute of Holiness. Angels shine in the Purity and Wisdom of God, because they are holy in all the Use they make of their Understand­ing. And such is the Renovation of Man after God in Knowledge and Holiness together, transform'd by the renewing of his Mind ^*.

Pause here a Moment and reflect, — It is in our Souls and Spirite that we must look for any Likeness or Image of God, most High most Wise and Holy! and it is essential to every created Spirit in its first Existence to be like God the Father of Spirits, as his Offspring, in Understanding and Will, in a Rectitude of both; Which is to say, in Integrity and Upright­ness, in moral and intellectual Perfection together; for they are inseparable, are lost together and are recovered together: They come from Heaven, pre­pare for Heaven, and are unchangeably and eter­nally in Heaven — Let God be dear and honour­ed to us, and our Souls be dear and prized by us, from the Consideration of what God at first made them; so wise and knowing, holy and righteous. God made them for Himself and like Himself; in his Image and for his Glory; and for their Blessed­ness in his Likeness and Love for Evermore. This we ought to have preserved and been ever happy; now let us seek to recover it in the Way of Gospel Perfection, (by Regeneration, Repentance, holy O­bedience, and by Faith in a better Righteousness than our own) setting the Life and Laws of Christ ever before us; and we shall become wise, holy and blessed, in a Measure of Conformity to Christ, who is the Image of the Invisible God, the First-born of every [Page 15]Creature; which is the whole End, Aim and Fruit of the Ministry of the Gospel, of Sabbaths and Ordi­nances, the Word, Sacraments and Prayer.

In short, the most full and perfect Resemblance of created Spirits unto the One infinitely wise and good SPIRIT, theri Former and Father, can be no other, either more or less than this, — the Mind and Will of the Creature agreeing perfectly after his Mea­sure and Manner, to the Wisdom and Rectitude of the CREATOR: So that the Soul at first received a Stamp and Impress of God, even as the Wax does of a Seal, as well in its Will and Affections as in its Intellectual Powers; even a gracious Habit, to pro­pose cleave to and prosecute the highest and best End, in the most proper and direct Means: So that as God ever acts for his own Glory in his Creatures Happiness, so the Soul of Man in its Conformity to Him acts for the Glory of God and its own Blessedness in his Favour. This must be the first and great Com­mandment of the Lord God to the Soul that he has made, and its last Happiness and Perfection, its Like­ness to God and Union with him; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all the Understanding and with all thy Heart. The Soul cannot close more with God, nor receive more of Him. — As will further ap­pear by our going on to consider,

IV. God created Man in his own Image, after his Likeness, in respect of Dominion. These are the express Words of Moses, "God said, Let Us make Man in Our Image, after Our Likeness, and let them have DOMINION.

God is LORD of all! this is his Glory and unalie­nable Right, to reign and rule. He cannot deny Himself, and wo to his Creation should his Govern­ment and Providence cease. His is the Power and Kingdom; He is GOD over all; the Most High, Pos­sessor of Heaven and Earth. Heaven is his Throne, [Page 16]and the Earth his Footstool. Angels, Authorities and Powers are all under his Feet. He is the One Law­giver and Judge, the Lord of Hosts and King of Glory. Wisdom and Might are His: his Dominion is an Everlasting Dominion, and his Kingdom from Gene­ration to Generation.

Intellectual and moral Creatures carry an Image of God's Dominion in their Nature. They are made for Rule and Government in their Places. Angels are therefore called Dominions and Thrones, Princi­palities and Powers. And Man was in like manner made for Government here on Earth. The Fear of him was put upon the Creatures, and they herein are put under his Feet. God first said to him, Have thou Dominion, and then bro't them to Adam to give them Names. So he gave him Possession of them all. This is celebrated in the Eighth Psalm; the Glory is given to God and all Pride is hidden from Man: "What is Man that Thou art mindful of him! Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angeis, and hast crowned him with Glory and Honour.

Man is made for Dominion in his Place as Angels are in their. Rational and moral Powers are given to be sure to be used and applied, to great and good Ends and Purposes, respecting God, Self, and Fel­low Creatures, in one World or other. The Appli­cation of these Powers must be in Subjection to God, the Government of our Selves, and a righteous Con­duct toward others, below or above us, or on a Le­vel with us.

But principally Man's Glory is, that he is made for Self-Government, for Rule over himself, for a Possession of his own Soul, the Government of his own Mind and Will, Desires and Appetites, Thot's, Words and Actions.

This was the Dominion he was principally design­ed for, and invested with. The Law of his God put within him, and given to him in Words as soon [Page 17]as he found himself in Being, sufficiently told him this. It spake indeed plainly his Subjection to-God, that he was made for Obedience and a reasonable Service; But it spake also his Preheminence above the Creatures put under him, in a distinguishing Power for the Rule of his own Actions, with Un­derstanding and Choice, Liberty and Freedom, and from a Conscience of right and wrong.

Understanding and Wisdom, the Power of Tho't and Consideration was given to Man for this End. "The Lord God put the Man into the Garden to dress and keep it, and He commanded the Man, saying &c. Thus Man was made under the Law to God, a Law to himself, and was both able and inclined to do the Will of God, and to govern himself thereby. And this Power for Self-Government, by the Light and Law of God within him, and by the Will of God revealed to him, was the Image of his God upon him.

For the Divine Dominion and Government is in the Perfection of Wisdom and Righteousness. The Sceptre of his Kingdom is a right Sceptre. He does according to his Will in the Armies of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth; but his Will is perfect, his Ways are Truth and Judgment, He is holy in all his Work, just and right is He.

Therefore the Subjection of Man to God is his go­verning Himself, in all his Thot's Words & Actions, in a wise, righteous and superiour manner; as be­comes a Creature in the Likeness of God, and made for Authority and Rule on Earth.

Our Lord therefore tells us that he came into our World to recover Man into his Original Freedom and Liberty. "If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed ^*. Man by his Fall lost that Domi­nion [Page 18]over, and Possession of himself, wherein God had made him. The Son of God came to restore him into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. The Image of the Heavenly Father is restored in those Souls, whom his Grace recovers from the Bondage of Sin and Satan, into his own Kingdom, which Kingdom of God is within us. It makes Men Kings and Priests to God. They use Themselves, and all his Creatures, to the Creator's Glory. This was that Original Dominion in which and for which Man was made. His Original Wisdom and Righteousness was given Him for this End. So God qualified him for the Rule to which he called him. He gives no Right but for his own Glory from his Creatures, and for their Happiness in a regular ordering and conducting themselves.— And this leads me to another Point, wherein the Image of God consisted in Man's Original Stace of Knowledge Holiness & Dominion, and that is

V. His Original State of Happiness and Blessedness. —God is the blessed Being; infinitely, eternally and unchangeably happy; being possess'd of all possible Perfection and Glory for ever and ever: "God over all, blessed for Evermore ^†. He made Man happy, and for Happiness everlasting: He forbad him that which he knew would make him miserable: For he knew that Misery must lie in the Loss of the Divine Likeness.

A miserable Creature could not come out of the Hand of the blessed God: He could not make a liv­ing Soul so unlike Himself, so contrary to Himself. —The Creature must make it self miserable, if ever if become so. Angels and Men have made them­selves so, against the Commandment of God, by their own Sin and Transgression. They have wick­edly [Page 19]chosen Evil under the Notion of Good, and thereby brought Misery upon themselves. But God required 'em to chuse only what is good, and to re­fuse the Evil. God made 'em in the Knowledge of Good, and ignorant of Evil.

Man was made innocent, wise and holy, and therefore necessarily happy. He was made blessed for ever, in case he did not commit Sin, from which Misery naturally flows, and with which it is neces­sarily connected.—Man was made happy both as to Soul and Body: He wanted nothing for either. He had Wisdom and Purity within, Peace & Joy, Content and Pleasure. Without him he had a Pa­radise, a Garden of God. Every thing grew there, pleasant to the Eye, to the Smell and to the Taste. His Eye beheld a Creation of God's in Perfection. He had a charming Tongue and Voice to praise Him. The musical Birds, happy in the Branches, singing and feasting there, were but an Emblem of their Owners Liberty and Freedom to what was good and joyous. Man was a thousand fold more a Pleasure to himself in all his Tho'ts and Words! in his Contemplations of God in his Works, in his Knowledge of his Will, in his Sense of the Divine Favours and Bounties to him, in a Heart full of Gratitude to God, and with a Tongue tuned to his Praise, to magnify Him with Thanksgivings.

Every intellectual and moral Pleasure attended Man in his Paradisaic State, as well as every sensi­tive Delight. "He feasted (says One) on the Loving-kindness of God, better than Life, and on all the Sweets of an untarnished Creation.— God blessed him in the Day he made him, for he saw him in a blessed State, and required him to keep himself in that State and be happy. God bound himself to bless him, if he kept himself in his Love. As a Means of preserving himself herein, God gave him his Sabbath and his Covenant: He blessed every [Page 20] Seventh Day to him, for a Time of special Commu­nications of his Grace and Love; and none of us can imagine what a blessed Day every Seventh would have been to Man in his State of Innocence & Ho­liness; what Visits and Visions from Heaven Man had enjoy'd thereon. It may be a Flavel, or an Henry the Elder, may sometimes have tasted a lit­tle of like Rapture.

Real and sensible Communion with God is the pro­per Blessedness of Souls. A measure of it remains to fallen recovered Man in his secret and publick Devotions. Because thy Loving kindness is better than Life my Lips shall praise thee: Thus will I bless thee while I live, I will lift up my Hands in thy Name: My Soul shall be satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness, and my Mouth shall praise thee with joyful Lips: My Soul followeth bard after thee, thy right Hand uphold­eth me ^*. Believers in Christ do enter into this Rest, but it comes vastly short of a Sabbath in Eden, or the Heavenly Sabbatisin.

No doubt but the Image of God was visible upon Man in his Earthly Paradise, and sensible to himself in his inward Frame. His Mind was full of Light, his Heart of Joy; which beam'd out in his Eyes and Face, and flow'd over from his Mouth and Tongue. The Abundance within irradiated the whole Body. If Moses Face shone in the Mount with God, how did Adam's in the Garden of God! The Ioy of the Lord was a Covering of Glory on Him: It fell off in the Hour he sinned, and he saw himself naked. Our Parents look'd astonied at one another to see the outward Change upon themselves, as well as from what they felt within. They ran to the Fig-Leaves to hide their Shame.

Thus Man lost the Image of God in the sensible Loss of his Happiness. Misery is the Image of Satan. [Page 21]Such is Guilt to a Soul: Pollution attends it: Grief and Shame are the inevitable Consequent. The E­vils of the World, with Death in the Rear of the woful Train, shows us the Loss of the Divine Like­ness wherein we were created. For we were made for immortal Life and Happiness, and lo Misery and Death have invaded us! Which leads me to add,

VI. And lastly, God created Man in His own Image in respect of Life and Immortality. God made Adam a living Soul that can never die, a natural I­mage of HIM who only hath Immortality. And God covenanted with Adam that tho' his Body was cor­ruptible in it self, yet He would preserve it in Health, Ease and Strength, and it should never see Death in case he never sinned. God gave him therefore the Tree of Life to eat of, a Sign Pledge and Means of Immortality to his Body, and of the Continuance of Happiness to him in Soul and Body all his Days on Earth; and I doubt not it was also a Seal and Assurance to him of a Translation to a better World, a better Paradise in due Time.

Man could not but begin to be because he was a Creature; no more could the Angels of Heaven. God only is Eternal, from Everlasting to Everlasting, without Beginning or End. Spirits that can never cease to be, yet once were not. By God were the Invisible Thrones and Dominions above created, and so likewise the Spirits in Flesh. Both were made for an everlasting Existence and Duration. The Word of God's Power upholds them in Being, whe­ther in a holy and happy State, or in their sinful and miserable Condition. This Immortality simply considered is a signal Likeness of the Everlasting Father upon his Offspring. Angels are in this Image of God upon them for ever and ever: Their Be­ing, Glory, Blessedness, Joys are sure of an everlast­ing Duration. And Souls that are here sanctified in [Page 22]Jesus Christ are sure of going to Him at Death, and of Blessedness in his Likeness for Evermore.^* This Life and Immortality is bro't to Light by the Gospel, and we are begotten to the lively Hope of it by the Re­surrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Promise which GOD hath promised is this Eternal Life, in Soul and Body united, unto all them that by patient Con­tinuance in well doing, seek after it.

And this shows us the Original State of Man; to what Life and Happiness he was designed and pre­pared in his Creation, in Conformity to the Life and Blessedness of his MAKER, even for an everlasting seeing serving and Enjoyment of Him. This there­fore was an eminent Part of the Divine Image and Likeness on our First Parents, in the Day when they received their Being. They knew themselves made for Immortality, and that their present happy Cir­cumstances could never cease, but might increase for ever and ever, and be changed for better and better, higher and highe: to Everlasting. Death therefore was set before them to deter them from Sin; Death bodily and spiritual; not a Period to their Existence but to their Happiness; which alone is to be called Life; for to exist in Misery, in any great Degree of it, is Death rather than Life, and a reasonable Creature would chuse Strangling ^‖, rather than such an Existence. — We read therefore of the Soul in a State of Misery, that it shall never see Life; and the second Death has power over it. The Curse comes on that Soul in the very Letter of it, "In dying thou shalt die. The miserable Spirits in Hell are for ever dying, and yet never die; never [Page 23]see an End of their Misery; their Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched. Here is the Loss of the Image of God to the uttermost. For God lives in the Perfection of Bliss, in ineffable inconceivable Blessedness, for ever and ever: And so do Angels and glorified Spirits in His Likeness and Favour: They have an Eternity of Happiness before them: But sinning Angels, and impenitent damned Souls, are in everlasting Chains of Darkness, reserved to un­quenchable Fire and everlasting Burnings. The Image of Immortality upon them is an everlasting Curse! the Reverse of that Living Happy Soul which God at first made us.

Indeed there is no Image of God's Self-Existence, his necessary Existence, his Independent Essence, his proper Eternity and Unchangeableness, in the im­mortal Nature of Angels or Men, or in the happy Immortality of holy Spirits. God is the High and lofty ONE that inhabiteth Eternity; having Life in Himself. Only the Eternal Word and Spirit who are One with the Father, are also the Brightness and express Image of his Eternal Glory. Yet every immor­tal Spirit is an Image of the Vital Being from Whom it came; in Whom alone is the Origine of Life, and the Life is the Light of Men and Angels: i. e. the Living God is the Spring and Fountain of it; as the Psalmist sings, "For with Thee is the Fountain of Life ^*. When Man recovers his first and proper Immortality, as the Righteous shall do at the Resur­rection, then the Image of God will be perfectly restor­ed in him, never to be lost again.

And thus we have said something (O how little a part) of the blessed Image of God wherein Man was created: A little lower than the Angels, but like [Page 24]them living Spirits, in a sufficient Degree of Know­ledge and Wisdom, Purity and Goodness, Greatness and Dominion, Happiness and Blessedness, and in Im­mortality which was the Crown of all: For this Wis­dom, Holiness and Blessedness would have remain­ed with him for ever and ever. Like GOD he had been the same, and his Years without End; only there had been a perpetual Increase in Perfection & Bles­sedness, if he had preserved his Innocence.

And now, O Sons and Daughters of Men, contem­plate this your Original State, and mourn the Loss of it! bewail and condemn your Selves, and give Glory unto God who made you such, and for an ever-during Felicity.

DEATH, Death is the dreadful Sign and Testimony to us of the Loss of God's Image and Likeness! Bodily Death is so, Spiritual Death more! A dy­ing Body, under miserable Diseases, and presently forsaken by the living Spirit, is a visible, sensible, sorrowful Spectacle of the Loss of God's Image: But a dead Soul, under the Misery of spiritual Lusts, and the Sentence of God to Eternal Death, is a thousand-fold more hideous Spectacle of the Loss of God's Likeness. Let Sense look upon a dead Corpse, and let it say if the Image of the Living God is not departed, in this Punishment of Sin! but let Faith look into the State of the Dead, and see Souls in the Place of Misery for ever and ever; and then behold the utmost Loss of Life, of God and of Blessedness! Here, here is the Image of God lost to the uttermost! look on this and cry out, on Adam's Sin (as some have done) O Adam! "what hast thou done! — But rather lay thy Hand on thy own Heart, O Sinner, and smite on thy own Breast, and cry out of thy own Sins, and feel thy own Plague, who wilt not come to Christ that thou may'st have Life! wilt not submit [Page 25]to the Terms of the Gospel, for the recovery of this, and more than this, thy Original Knowledge, Holi­ness, Dominion and Blessedness in an Everlasting Paradise.

God is ready to restore our Souls; the Means of Grace and Holiness testify of it to us from Day to Day: What mean our Sabbaths, Sermons, Sacra­ments, the Word and Prayer, but a holy and happy everlasting State for Soul and Body, if we will but accept of so great Salvation! Read the Account of a better Paradise for every One who will but seek it, by a timely Submission to the Son of God, the Se­cond Adam, the Lord from Heaven, who came to seek and save that which was lost, and to restore that which be took not away: Your Bible closes with the Account of this Caelestial Paradise, and of the Image of God on Man in the Heavenly Places! and how could the Revelations of God to Man end more holily and glo­riously! Revel. xxii. 1,—6. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and of either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

[Page 26] But I am not willing to finish on a Subject so plea­sant and profitable as this is, without going into some more particular Reflections.

I. O what a brave, good, great and happy Creature, was Man in his first Estate!

See, you Sons of Adam, and Daughters of Eve, what your first Parents were, and you in their Loyns! how crowned with Glory and Honour, as the Psalmist sings! or as the Evangelist speaks, "Adam, the Son of God! He that in his Gospel had wrote this, might well in his Acts quote that Passage of the Poet. "For we are his Offspring! — If then we are the Offspring of God, and were at first created worthy of such a Style, being made in his Image and Likeness; then what an Angel in Flesh was Man in his first State! wise, holy, happy and immortal! an imbo­died Spirit made for the Knowledge and Vision of God, and in a Dominion over the Earth and all the Creatures on it. Man was a Brother of Angels; only in a Body of Flesh, and a Candidate for their hea­venly Glory. He was a grand and august Creature in the Eyes of his Maker, good in his Sight, high in the Esteem of good Angels and the Envy of evil ones.— We talk of noble and royal Blood now in our fallen, corrupt and dying Condition; under our Diseases and Pains, Leprosies and Ulcers; but we were indeed in our first Estate Children of the most High, Sons of Glory, for immortal Dominion. Here was the true Honour, which came from above, and had returned to God and Heaven, and left us in high Dignity & Royalty everlasting, with the Image of the King of Glory on us, a never fading Crown. Our Bible does us the greatest Honour in this Ac­count of our Original State; but the Glory is alto­gether unto God in the Perfection and Excellency of his own Works. So God created us, and unto Him be Glory. "Thine O Lord, is the Greatness and the Majesty!

[Page 27] II. O what a great and good and holy and blessed Being is the LORD OUR GOD, who made Man in his own Image and Likeness! Of his own Heart, and overflowing Fulness, He did this! "O Lord, our Lord; how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth! So the Psalm begins and ends, which is the Contem­plation of Man in his State of Dominion. The Glory of God herein is also above the Heavens, above the Praises of Angels there. We poorly lisp, like Babes and Sucklings at his high Praises, for our Souls are not what they once were! yet had we the Tongues of Angels we could not render Him the Glory due unto his Name, which is exalted above all Blessing and Praise. It should be a Pleasure to us, that there are higher Orders of Creatures to praise and serve God better. We should awake up our Glory, and do our best, and live on the Hope of doing better and better for evermore. "Be thou exalted, O God, above the Heavens! let thy Glory be above all the Earth ^†.

[Under this Head I will insert the learned and pious Peter van Manstricht his Reasons ^* of God's making Man in his own Image.

• 1. To contemplate and delight Himself in Man, as in a Glass or Effigy: As we read Prov. viii. 31. that in the Day when He appointed the Foundations of the Earth his Ioy was in the habitable Parts of it, and his Delights in the Sons of Men.
• 2. As it were to propagate Himself, were any thing like that possible, in Creatures bearing his Likeness. As it is in the Nature of all Good to communicate of it self, and propagate its own Like­ness. It is so in every inferior Life here known to us, in Conformity doubtless to the First and most perfect.
• 3. That he might have on this Earth, as in [Page 28]every other habitable Globe he doubtless hath, Those that should know and love and worship Him for what he is in Himself and is to them: which they would never do without an Impress of Himself on them, sensible to themselves.
• 4. That He might have on this Earth of ours Those with whom he may con­verse, as a Father Friend and Benefactor, and make blessed by Communion with Himself, thro' Time here and to Eternity: which Friendship and Conversa­tion cannot be without Likeness, any more than Man can converse with the brute Creatures which are so unlike to him. Simile enim| simili gaudet. Man therefore that is made to live to God, and for ever with him, and to find his Blessedness therein, must needs be in the likeness of God, wise, holy, just and good.
• 5. That Man may have within Himself a Perception and Conviction of his Creator's most high and infinite Perfections; his Simplicity, Invi­sibility, Immortality, Understanding, Will, Wisdom, Justice, Holiness, Goodness and Dominion; and have these always in Remembrance, and before his own Eyes, in the Image of them on himself.
• 6. That we may know and be convinc'd that none of our Evils come from God, but are altogether of our Selves, and that in Contradiction to the Will of God, and therefore in Rebellion against Him, which the Glory of his Holiness and Dominion must see punished. Prov. xvi. 4. The Lord hath made all things for Himself, yea even the wicked for the Day of Wrath.]

III. See the true Basis, and a strong Foundation for the whole moral Law, in both the Tables of it; the Love of GOD, and of our Neighbours; and I may add the true Love of our Selves also. For if God made Man in His own Image & Likeness, how ought Man to love God, Himself, and his Neighbours?

[Page 29] 1. He ought to love the LORD his GOD with all his Heart, and with all his Soul, and with all his Mind, and with all his Might ^†. This must necessarily be the first and great, Commandment and indispensable, Duty of all Creatures, in all Worlds, made in the Image of God. For they are made to love what is good and lovely; and the Original of Good, the Perfection of Beauty, to be sure first; the most perfect and supreme Good with the highest Affection. Desire and Delight. Besides, that the Relation of an Offspring is a Bond to Love, in the highest De­gree, by the Acknowledgment of all Mankind. A Child is bound to love his Parents with his first and best Affection, because thro' Them he receives his Being, and is begotten in their Likeness. If God then be a Father (and have we not One Father? has not one God created us?) this must be the Honour due from us; and our great Honour it is to be per­mitted to love the Greatest and Best of Beings, for this Reason, because He has made us in his own Likeness? No wonder this is his Law to us, and this his Grace and Favour to us, to require our Love? "My Son, give me thy Heart! Is He not thy Father, that hath made thee? that has fashioned thee in the Womb, with the same wonderful and precious Thot's unto thee, as to thy First Parent when he spake first of forming him, "Come let us make Man, in our I­mage, after our Likeness. O what is there that is lovely in us but that, and who should be the Object of our Souls Love but this Blessed Being? "Whom have I in Heaven but Thee? and there is nothing on Earth that I desire beside Thee.

‘Did ever any Prince make a Law that his Sub­jects should love Him^‡? yet such is the Conde­scention [Page 30]of the Divine Grace that this is God's first Law to Man.’

Let me turn the Question, and ask — Was there ever any King that did not expect and require the Love of his own Children? So high and near a Sub­ject as a Child must needs love, as well as fear; and it is the Glory of Kings to be lov'd as well as fear'd.

But if we are made in God's Image, let our Love be regulated hereby. ‘Our Desire must be toward Him, out Delight in him, our Dependance on him, and to him we must be intirely devoted. It must be a comstant Pleasure to us to think of Him, hear from him, speak to him and serve him. We must love him with an intelligent, in­tire and superlative Affection.’ We have had Fa­thers of our Flesh and we gave them Reverence; shall we not love the Father of our Spirits and live?

2. Our being made in the Image of God teaches us to love our Selves, to love our own Souls, with a high Esteem and Value, with a rational tender and fervent Affection. God made us to love our Selves for his sake, for his Image on us and Glory from us. God is Himself Love ^†: What more amiable Idea can we have of Him? what a delectable Object is He by this Account of Him? How lovely is He to Himself and to all Intelligent Beings! He is in the first place Love with Regard to Himself, in a most perfect blessed everlasting Self-love. He necessarily, infinitely and unchangeably loves Himself; whether we consider Him in the Ineffable mutual Love of Three Divine Persons, One in God-head and Glory; or in his infinite Complacence in his own blessed and glo­rious Perfections. He has revealed Himself thus to us, "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God! which speaks Self-Regard in the highest Degree. He can­not [Page 31] deny himself, nor give away his Glory. He has made all Worlds, and all, Rational Beings for his own Glory. He has made us like Himself, with an invincible Principle of Self-love, but first for his own Praise from us, without which we can never be per­fect and happy.

It is evident that the Principle of true Self-love in us is Part of the Image on God on us; for by this we govern our Selves, our Appetites, our Will and Affections, by the Will of God, for his Glory and our own Good, present and future. As soon as Adam was created he was forbidden to Sin against his own Life; "In the Day thou eatest thou shalt surely die." In our fallen State God addresses to this same Principle, in its Remains within us, "Why will ye die? In Regeneration Souls are recover'd to the true Love of Themselves. As God is glorious Self-love, so is Man in his | primitive and saved State. The greatest Self-good we can propose to our Selves, is to be like God, and to have him well pleased with us. That is to say, to be good and do good, as God is and does.

We should love nothing in our Selves but what is agreable to God, and an Exhibition more or less of his Image on us. We should hate and loathe in our Selves whatsoever is contrary to God, his Nature and Will made known to us. We must deny our present carnal Self, which is Enmity to God, is not subject to his Law, nor indeed can be ^*, without a holy and blessed Change wro't in us by the Spirit of God. Hence we are required to mortify our Mem­bers, and to crucify the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts. These are not our Self, but the Corruption and Enemies of our Soul.

[Page 32] O that we did but know our Selves, and love our own Souls! we should then seek the Image of God within our Selves, and set a just Value on it. The Want of this is the real Hatred of our Selves and of God: Proverbs. viii. 36. He that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own Soul, all they that hate Me love Death.

3. We must love our Neighbour as our Selves, for he is made like us in the Image of God. Therefore honour all Men, and therefore love the Brotherhood. ^* Have we not all one Father, has not One God created us? And have not Saints One Redeemer & Sancti­ster, whose Image is renewed on them all! The End of the Commandment is Charity (the Love of God and of our Neighbour) out of a pure Heart, a good Cons­cience and Faith unfeigned.

Say not, Who is my Neighbour? Let Humanity be found in us, for the sake of that Image of God wherein Man was created. We must love the Stran­ger, for the Lord loveth Him. Contempt of Men is Contempt of God, and Cruelty to Men is odious to God. So is all Injustice and Unrighteousness. The last Injury to Man is in his Life, and this is forbid­den from the Beginning, and revenged by God, for this Reason, "For in the Image of God made He Man! therefore whoso sheddeth Mans Blood, by Man shall his Blood be shed. No | wonder that the Blood of Abel cried so from the Ground against wicked Cain, and that God has set such a Mark and Brand upon his Name for ever. Benevolence and Beneficence ever was and is the Law of Nature, of Moses and of Christ. Love is the fulfilling of the Law. As we have Opportunity let us do good to all Men, especially to the Houshold of Faith.

[Page 33] Christians are under a more special Law of Love than others, from the Knowledge of God and his Love in Jesus Christ, that great Love wherewith he has loved us; and from the Example and Law of Christ, "A new Commandment give I unto you, that you love one another, as I have loved you that ye love one another. And how is this new Commandment inforced and urged on us in the New Testament? but from the Image of God restored by Grace in the Godly. Therefore we must love the Brethren, and to Godliness add Brotherly Kindness. We should be able to see God in one another, and we must love the Godly in Christ Jesus for the sake of his Spirit in them, and their Likeness to Him. As Aaron and the Elders of Israel looked on the shining Face of Moses, when he came down from the Mount, with Wonder and great Reverence. The Apostle of Love, who had lain in the Bosome of Jesus, vehemently urges the Law of Christian Love from the Image of God re­newed in the Saints. ‘Every one that loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him: Beloved, let us love one another, for Love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and know­eth God; he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is Love. If we love one another God dwelleth in us, and his Love is perfected in us: We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren: he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death.’ Such was the Love of this blessed Apostle to the Elect Lady and to Gaius; for the Truths sake, which dwelleth in us and shall be in us for ever. It goes to Heaven with us, and is the Image of God on Angels and Saints there for ever and ever. Charity never faileth, but remains and is perfected when that which is perfect shall come; when Prophecies and Tongues, and Faith and Hope shall cease and vanish away. 1 Cor. xiii. 8, 10, 13

[Page 34] How odious then should the want of Love be a­mong Christian! who as God for Christ's sake has loved them, so they ought for his sake to love one another. This Love should not be in Word or in Tongue, but in Deed and in Truth, with a pure Heart, fervently. ^* The Tongue is an unruly Evil, full of deadly Poison, when not under the Law of Kind­ness; therewith Men bless God even the Father; and therewith curse they Men which are made after the Si­militude of God. Can there be any thing more a Contradiction, and an Abomination than this. Let Love be without Dissimulation, bless and curse not. But if ye have bitter Envying and Strife in your Heart, glory not in Words of feigned Love, and lie not a­gainst the Truth. This is earthly, sensual, devilish. So distant is it from and opposite to the Likeness of God and Heaven.

How excellent are the Precepts and Directions of our Holy Religion ^‡! ‘Be angry and sin not; let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath: Neither give place to the Devil. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed to the Day of Redemp­tion. Let all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Anger, and Clamour, and evil Speaking, be put away from you with all Malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you.’ So does the I­mage of God on Man teach him to love God, Himself and his Neighbours, more especially Those in whom the Image of God is renewed in Righteousness and Holiness.

IV. I go on to infer the dreadful Loss to Man by Sinning against God, and the positive Misery that he [Page 35]has bro't upon Himself. He has lost the Likeness of his God! O how vast was this Loss! how dread­ful this natural and inevitable Punishment of Sin! He aspired to be as God for Knowledge and he lost that bright Understanding which God had given him. Sin got him nothing but the Knowledge of Evil, and it lost him the Knowledge of God. Man lost his Original Righteousness. This Glory depart­ed from him. He was a living Temple and Palace of God, and the Spirit of God dwelt in him; but he polluted himself and became a Stye of unclean Lusts, the Habitation of Devils. Sin extinguish'd the Light of God on him, in Mind and Body; and Darkness cover'd him, the Shadow of Death stain'd him. He lost the Possession of himself, Dominion over him­self, and became a Slave of Satan. The Creatures lost their Fear of him, which the Majesty & Lustre of his Face before commanded, and he lost that Knowledge of the Creatures which God had given him for Empire over them. They grew surly and fierce toward him, as he had lost his Reverence and Fear of God. He lost his true Happiness in his Original Rectitude; his Peace within and Joy in God was gone; the Terrors of Guilt seiz'd and stung him, and he fled from God; was afraid and hid himself. His Immortality indeed remain'd, but what Joy in that, when Innocence and Purity was gone! Im­mortality in Sin and Guilt, under the Loss of God's Image and Favour, unlike God and abominable in his Sight,—it was but the greater Misery to be im­mortal in such Circumstances. To cease to be at all, were the thing now to be desired! even to lose Im­mortality too with the Likeness of God! for in his Favour is Life, and his Likeness is better than Life. We may take to our Selves in our Apostacy from God, those Words of the Prophet, Isaiah. xiv. 12. How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Son of the Morn­ing! thou that didst say in thy Heart, I will be as the [Page 36]Most High! how art thou bro't down to Hell, to the sides of the Pit! — But then the Misery of Man by the Fall is not only the Loss of God's Image, but a Contrariety and Enmity to God. We are alienated ^* from the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in us, our carnal Heart is Enmity to God, is not subject to his Law, nor indeed can be of it self. The natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God, for they are Foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. The Light that is in the wicked is Darkness; and how great is that Darkness! which is lov'd and chosen rather than Light! — This is that Corruption of our whole Na­ture, "which is commonly called Original Sin", from which the Rebellions of our Lives against the Will of God do flow; even all our Transgressions in Tho't, Word and Deed — This is the Scripture ^† Account of our Contrariety to God by Nature and wicked Works. ‘We are wise to do Evil, but to do Good we have no Knowledge. We even hate the Knowledge of the Holy. God is not in all our Thoughts. The Imaginations of our Hearts are only evil continually. We are all gone aside, we are alto­gether become filthy, there is none that doeth Good no not one. I know that in me, dwelleth no good thing; the Good that I would I do not, the Evil that I would not that do I! O wretched man that I am. who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death?’ — This Soul-Misery is the dire Consequent of the Loss of God's Image. It is the Image of Satan on us, who deceived us into our Revolt from God. This is Sin's Dominion and our natural Bondage. And our necessary Immortality is an infinite Addition to this State of Sin and Misery, were there no Deli­verance from it.

[Page 37] In one Word, For what is it that the Sons of Men exchange the Image of God in their Estrangement from Him, and in their Rebellions against him! O 'tis for the Image of a Brute Beast in their fleshly Lusts, and for the Likeness of unclean Devils in their spi­ritual Lusts! a miserable Exchange be it the Filthi­ness of the Flesh or Spirit. But there is no avoiding either, if we leave God or will not return to Him; we must take our Lot, nay our own Choice, and be­come both Brutes and Devils, and perish like 'em.

Wherefore,

V. Here is abundant Matter and Cause for that Evangelical Repentance, Humiliation, holy Mourning, Shame, Fear, Confession, Deprecation, and Agony of Soul after Pardon and Renovation, which the Gospel teaches and requires. The Doctrine of our Salvation must be a Doctrine of Repentance & Re­turn to God. In this the Kingdom of Heaven returns to us. There is no other possible Way for it. Re­pentance unto Life must be granted, revealed and published to us; and it must be wro't in us, we must be bro't into it. By what other Means can a Soul ever recover out of a state of Sin? Therefore Moses and the Prophets, the Baptist and the Holy JESUS, came all preaching Repentance. We must mourn for every single Act of Sin committed by us, how then ought we to bewail the Sin of our Nature, which is the Spring of all the Impurities of our Life! It is only Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ ^* that draws forth this Repentance toward God, shewing us that there is Forgiveness with Him that he may be feared; "Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation, thro' Faith in his Blood, to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sin; that he might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. See here the Fountain opened for Pardon and Cleansing, in the Exercise of [Page 38]Faith and Repentance! See it decribed by Zecha­riah and exemplified in David; The Prophet gives the Promise of it, the Psalmist practises it. "I will pour (says the Promise of God) upon the House of David, and on the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication, and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only Son, and shall be in Bitterness for him as one that is in Bitterness for his First-born. So the Psalmist practis'd in the Day of his great Repentance. "Have Mercy upon me, O God, according to thy Loving kindness; according to the Multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Trans­gression! Wash me thro'ly from mine Iniquity, & cleanse me from my Sin; for I acknowledge my Transgressions, and my Sin is ever before me!— Behold I was shapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me! Purge me as with Hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whither than Snow!—Create in me, O God, a clean Heart, and renew a right Spirit within me!— Restore to me the Joy of thy Salvation, and up­hold me with thy free Spirit.

VI. Learn we the Misery of Devils, which to be sure must be equal to, if not much greater than fallen Man's, in the Loss of God's Image & Likeness, and in the Infliction of his Wrath and Curse. And yet not greater than theirs who despise the Gospel and perish under the Light thereof: For Devils ne­ver sinned against an Offer of Mercy or Means of Grace, that we know of. The Son of God took not their Nature, to put them in a Way for the Recovery of their primitive Holiness and Glory. They saw him indeed in our Nature, but it was with Hatred and Indignation, which added to their Guilt and Judgment. They tempted him in Hope to have defeated the Design of our Redemption; but finding nothing in Him, and prevailing nothing [Page 39]against him, they trembled before him and hated him the more. Math. viii. 29. What have we to do with Thee, Jesus thou Son of God? art thou come hi­ther to torment us before the Time? They thus ab­hor'd from the Brightness of the Image of the Fa­ther in Him; "I know thee who thou art, thou holy One of God! In this their Uncleanness, and Enmity to God and Christ and Holiness, they remain odious and accursed for Ever; and the Son of God in our Nature and in our Air will sentence 'em to the everlasting Burnings.

VII. See we then the Glory of the Man CHRIST JESUS, the second Adam. The first Adam in all his Glory was not to be likned, or compared to Him. The first Adam was in his best Estate of the Earth earthy, the second Man is the Lord from Heaven; the first Adam was made a living Soul, the second Adam a quickning Spirit ^*. There is as much Difference between the Image of God in meer Men, and that in the Man Christ Jesus, as there is between Earth and Heaven, between God and his Creature, between a living Soul and Him that made it, between Him that has Life in Himself and communicates Life natural and spiritual, and him that receives it. Accordingly we read of CHRIST, that He is the Image of the Invisible God, the Heir of all things, the Brightness of the Fathers Glory, the express Image of his Person, having by Inheritance a more excellent Name than Angels, the Object of their Worship; And yet they are Domini­ons and Thrones and Principalities and Powers: To the SON it is therefore said, "Thy Throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever! Agreably we read again, of the Light of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ, and that his Glory was beheld as the Glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father.

[Page 40] Such is the Image of the Eternal Father in his dear Son, by an ineffable Communication of Essence, or by an unsearchable Self-existence, is not for us to say! for what is his Sons Name? if thou canst tell.

Was Adam created wise in the Likeness of God? Christ is the Wisdom of God; the Serpent with all his Subtlety could not beguile him, neither in the Desart nor in the City. Was Adam made holy in the Like­ness of God? Christ was the Holy One of God; seen and confessed to be so both by Angels and Devils. Was Adam made Lord of the Creatures on Earth? Christ is set down on the Right Hand of the Majesty in the Heavens; Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to Him. And was Adam made blessed and happy in the Likeness of God? of Christ we read that God has made Him most blessed for evermore. — In one word, the incommunicable Glories of the Eternal and Unchangeable Godhead are in Christ, in whom dwelleth the Fulness of the Godhead bodily. — But let us descend to the poor Members of Christ on Earth.

VIII. What must we then think and say of the Saints on Earth? of Souls Regenerated by the Spirit of God, converted from Sin and sanctified to God; adopted in Jesus Christ, pardoned and justified; again made Children and Heirs of God! Why, the Image of God is in part restored in them, and will soon be perfected in 'em. How else should God justify them, put 'em among his Children, and de­clare them Heirs of Heaven? Well might the A­postle John speak with Admiration of this new Crea­tion of God, the Conformity of renewed Souls to the Image of the Son of God, and their Adoption in Him^†; Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the Sons of God! [Page 41]therefore the World knoweth us not, because it knew Him not: Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is: And every One that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himself even as He is pure.

See the Blessedness of a State of Grace here and of Glory for ever! the Image of God is begun in this Life, and will be perfected in the next. The Sancti­fied in Jesus Christ are renewed in Knowledge, and made Light in the Lord; they are after God created in Righteousness, are made free from Sin and are translated into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God. They are begotten to the lively Hope of the Inheritance incor­ruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for them. Thus does the Holy Ghost mag­nify the Regenerate State, and set it before the Eyes of Men in a Divine Light, that all may see the Ne­cessity and Excellency of the true Salvation of Souls; which is the Recovery of the Image and Likeness of God, wherein we were at first created. So that all the Precepts and Directions of the Gospel do at last expire in those Words to the Romans, "And be ye transformed by the renewing of your Minds, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect Will of God.

IX. Think and infer from all, what Heaven is, and what the Caelestial Glory and Blessedness will be found by the happy Partakers thereof! then the Image of God and Christ will be perfected in the Saints! They will shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father, wise holy blessed dignified for ever & ever. And this glorious Likeness to God will be for ever growing in 'em, to their increasing Joys for ever and ever.—This is Heaven, Paradise regain'd, the Jerusalem from above, with the Glory of God upon it. This is Vision, to be more and more like God, by seeing Him as he is. This is to know even as we are known; to see [Page 42]the Face of God in his Name and Image on us. This is the Tree of Life, with all manner of Fruit; and this the Water of Life from the Throne of God and of the Lamb: And there can be no more Curse, no more any Loss or Want for ever of the Likeness and Love of God; but the highest Blessedness in the everlasting Enjoyment of both; and they shall reign for ever and ever. Revel. xxii. 1,—5.

And here let us contemplate, for a Moment, the UNITY of the Scriptures of God; how they begin and end, and thro' every Part agree and are one in This; "Man created in the Image of God and most happy therein; but presently miserable by sinning against God in the Loss of God's Likeness and Favour: Then the Seed of the Woman is revealed, recovering Souls into the Favour of God, by renewing them in Knowledge and Holiness, after the Image of Him that created them, and so making them meet for the Heavenly Paradise.—Whosoever looks through the Book of God, may easily see this one Line drawn thro' the whole of it; than which nothing can be more worthy of God, nor more necessary for us, and level to us.—And I know no more short and plain Argument of the Authority of the Holy Scriptures than this View of their Unity gives unto us. ‘Such a Unity of Design, in all the Parts of Scripture, tho' written by different Persons, in different Ages,’ and in such a Manner as the Scripture is delivered, Histo­rical, Doctrinal, Legislative, Prophetical, Devoti­onal, and Hortatory; seems utterly inconsistent with either Imposture or Enthusiam; one or other of which must be the Charge that Infidels bring against our Belief of their Inspiration of God.

"Shew if you can (says a late learned Writer^*) a single Enthusiast that is consistent with himself thro' [Page 43]many Volumes. If then it shall appear, that there is one worthy and noble Design pursued thro' the Books of the Old and New Testament, by one wise plain and simple Mean, tho' they had forty or more dif­ferent Authors and were not written in less than sixteen hundred Years; it will amount to the clearest Demonstration that the Bible must be from HIM who exists thro' all Ages, and sees all that is past, pre­sent and to come, who has always the same View, &c." Thus He.

Upon all therefore, as the natural Result and Con­sequence of what has been said,

X. And lastly, How dear and precious, infinitely so, should Christ and his Gospel be to us? and what can we think or say of our Selves if we refuse Him in the Proposals of it?

The Design and End of Christ's coming into the World is to restore the lost Image of God in us, and to recover us into the Divine Likeness, Love and Fa­vour; to our primitive Holiness and Blessedness, Dominion and Glory, and to a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory. He took our Nature and died in it to make us New Creatures, such as God at first made us; His Workmanship a second time, created in Christ Jesus unto good Works. He came to deliver Souls from the Power of Satan, and to bruise the Serpent's Head under the Feet of his Elect, that they should trample on the Lion and the Dragon. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works ^‡. This should make Christ glorious in our Eyes that he saves only in this Way of Holiness thro' Sanctification of the Spirit, and Obedience to the Truth: So that every renewed Soul can say [Page 44]after him, "Lord, thy Law is within me, I delight to do thy Will, O God. O what a Change is this! into the Likeness of Man's Original State! "I de­light in the Law of God after the inward Man.

For this Cause should the written and preached Gospel be very dear to us; it being the declared End, Use, Power and Efficacy thereof, to restore the lost Image of God in us. It is the blessed Means of holy Knowledge and saving Illumination; and of the Purification of Souls for Communion with God: Ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth ^*. It is the Means of spiritual Dominion, Freedom from Sin and Liberty to what is good and holy: Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power, in the Beau­ties of Holiness. It is the Means of infinite Blessed­ness unto Souls in the Likeness and Love of God. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest my Self to him.

We ought therefore to give the more earnest Heed to the Things which we have heard, to the Doctrines Precepts and Motives of the Gospel, lest at any Time we should let them slip out of our Minds and Hearts; for how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation? the Recovery of the lost Image of God in our Souls, and thereby the Pleasure and Delight of God in us, which supposes and secures a state of Holiness and Happiness everlasting. What can God himself propose better for us than such Salvation? the same Felicity which he at first made us for and made us in. What can our own Souls desire or wish for beyond this, or any thing beside it? to have the Likeness of God restored in them, or to be restored in his Eye and Heart! and by this Means to be made meet for the Vision of God, and for Blessedness [Page 45]in Him to all Eternity! And indeed there is no other Way to the true and proper perfect Happiness of Man; for without Holiness no Man can see God. Without Likeness there can be no Love; no Love in God to us, no Love in us to God, and both are necessary to the Felicity of Souls, whether in the Body or out of it.

O the Misery of Souls then, who by their Disobe­dience and Impenitency under the Gospel do in Effect say to God, "Depart from us, we desire not the Knowledge of Thee; the Recovery of Likeness to Thee or any Communion with Thee! O the Mi­sery of that Soul, which having lost the Image of God and his Love, is content in the Want of it; seeks not the Recovery of it, nay refuses the Means thereof! If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them that believe not, lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the Image of God, should shine into them. The same Serpent, the Devil, and Satan, who deceived our first Parents into the Loss of God's Image, still blinds and hardens Sinners, under the Light of the preached Gospel, and they wilfully refuse the Recovery of it in their own Souls. Sinners chuse to perish under Ignorance of God, Lust, Servitude and Death; when Light, Holiness, Liberty, Glory Honour and Immortality are set before them and tender'd to 'em. They perish therefore with­out Excuse, and everlasting Remorse will be their Torment. The Sacrifice of Christ will be so far from saving them, that his Blood cries against them, and will inflame their Consciences for Evermore. As it is written, Hebrews x. 26,—31.

How earnest therefore and instant should we be in seeking the Recovery of the lost Image and Like­ness of God, with our whole Soul? the Beginning of it in this Life, tho' here we can but know in part and prophesie in part, understand as a Child and speak [Page 46]as a Child; yet the Infant bears the Image of the Parent; the Perfection of it in the Life to come, where that which is perfect shall come, and that which is in part shall be done away; and we shall see Face to Face, and know even as we are known ^‡." Deli­ver my Soul from the Wicked, prays the Psalmist, from Men of the World which have their Portion in this Life; As for me, I will behold thy Face in Righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy Likeness ^*. They are sure to shine in the Divine Likeness for ever and ever, who here behold the Face of God in Righteousness, How Divine and God-like there­fore, how full of Grace and Benignity to us, are the Exhortations ^† of the Gospel, with reciting which I will conclude, as carrying in them a Light and Au­thority, a Majesty and Goodness which no Words of Man can pretend to: ‘And be ye transformed by the renewing of your Mind, that ye may prove what is that good, & acceptable, and perfect Will of God: And be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind, and put on the new Man which after God is created in Righ­teousness & true Holiness; and is renewed in Know­ledge after the Image of Him that created him: According as his Divine Power hath given unto us all Things that pertain unto Life and Godliness, through the Knowledge of Him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue; whereby are given unto us ex­ceeding great and precious Promises, that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature, hav­ing escaped the Corruption that is in the World thro' Lust: Give all Diligence therefore to add unto your Faith Vertue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, God­liness, Brotherly-kindness, Charity; for if these Things be in you and abound, they make you that ye [Page 47]be neither barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Now the LORD is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the LORD is there is Liberty: We all with open Face, beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the LORD, are changed into the SAME IMAGE, from Glory to Glory, even as by THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD.’