Quest. How did God make man?
Answ. God did make man to consist of a body and a reasonable, and immortal Soul, according to the Image of God, and gave him dominion over the Creatures, and he was perfectly fitted to please God.
In the Creation of man we may consider his constitution and perfection.
1. His constitution or parts, as he consists of body and Soul.
1. His body, which is a part of man made out of the Elements, especially out of the Earth, and fitted with Organs for the Soul.
1. A part of man with the Soul, hence not his matter only.
2. Made of the Elements for it is nourish'd by them.
3. Especially of the Earth, therefore beareth that, Name, Gen. 2.7.
4. Fitted with Organs for the Soul to be its house or Tabernacle.
2. The Soul is a quickning Spirit, or spiritual substance, immortal, having understanding and will, and fitted for union to the body.
1. A quickning Spirit, or spiritual substance, a Spirit therefore invisible.
2. A substance, therefore matter and form.
1. Matter, else it could not suffer, for to the matter belongs passive principles.
2. Form, otherwise deformed, or boundless, for the Form limits the thing.
2. Immortal, for it was made immediately out of nothing, and hence returns to him that gave it, Eccl. 12.7.
3. Understanding and will, hence a reasonable Creature, a cause by counsel.
4. Fitted for union to the body.
1. The Soul is at first united to the body.
2. Hath a fitness for it.
3. When seperated doth affect this union, Rev. 6.10
2. The perfection of man at first, a fitness to please God, in which we may consider the image of God in man, and his dominion.
1. The image of God imprinted on man, Gen. 1.26.
1. In his understanding, he was able to see all the Rules which would lead to God, Prov. 30.2.
2. In his will, to choose them, Eccl. 7.29.
3. In his affections and body, with the members of thereof fitted to obey the commands of sanctified Reason and will, Rom. 6.19.
2. Dominion, which was that Royalty of man whereby he had power to use the Creatures for his end, Gen. 1.26.
And the woman was joyned with him as a Co-partner with him in this perfection, and his Companion, Gen. 2.22.
Thus of Creation, in which these wonders appear.
1. God made something out of nothing, his power being infinite.
2. The act of Creation in respect of God Eternal, otherwise he should change, which cannot be, but passive Creation had a beginning, that is, in respect of the World made.
3. Time and place began with the World, having no absolute being, but relative respecting the Creatures hence no time nor place before the World.
4. Man the Microcosmos.
1. A being, as the Elements.
2. A body as the Minerals.
3. A moving life as stars, a springing life as Plants.
4. A sensitive life as Beasts, and
5. A rational life as Angels, and ought to lead a God-like life as God, acting his Image in imitation of him and for him.
Quest. What is Providence?
Answ. It is that whereby God looketh to his Creatures, either in an ordinary, or extraordinary manner, and therefore preserveth and governeth them either by his common government, and thus he overruleth all his Creatures, or by his special government, and thus he ruleth Angels and men.
1. Providence is the Efficiency of God whereby he looketh to his Creatures watcheth over them, Psal. 145.15, 16.
2. This is either an ordinary, or extraordinary manner.
1. In an ordinary manner, that is according to the order set at first, Hos. 2.22.
2. Or in extraordinary manner, not attending to that order, & then the change is not in respect of the Rule, but in respect of the means, it is not to make an effect without a cause, but to supply the place of the ordinary cause and means by his own power immediately.
3. Providence is either Conservation or Government, Conservation which is that whereby the Being and qualities of the Creatures are continued,
1. The Creatures have their Being from God.
2. Hence depend upon that same causal power to continue their Being.
3. The cessation or withdrawing of that power will be the dissolution of the Creature, Psal. 104.29.
2. Government which is the guiding of the acts of the Creatures to their ends.
1. They were made for some end else in vain.
2. They must act, otherwise how can they attain the end.
3. Some Rule to guide them, else not act well.
4. Hence guided & governed, Dan. 4.34, 35.
There are two sorts of causes which God governeth causes by nature and by Counsel.
1. Natural causes which he guides by the Law of nature to their inferior ends.
1. They act by power, or principle arising out of nature, natura est res nata ex principia, as water cooleth and fire burneth.
2. Hence determined to one opposite fire of it selfburneth only if condensated.
3. Hence this cause acts to the uttermost of its power if not hindered by an external power over-ruling.
4. Nature is in all Creatures, and God as a God of nature over-ruleth them, therefore this is called a common government, Jer. 32.19, Psal. 19.1, 2.
2. Causes by Counsel, whom God guides in a rational manner by special Rules to the highest end, thus Angels and men.
1. They have Reason and liberty of will.
2. Hence are to be guided in a rational manner.
3. This manner is
1. By shewing his will.
1. Commanding, and to that annexing a Promise.
2. Prohibiting, and to that annexing a Threatning, Mic. 6.8.
2. Fulfilling his will, giving every one his due, Jer. 32.19 And thus the Lord ruleth Angels and Men.
1. Angels,
1. The rule given to them was the moral law, for they were made holy and righteous.
2. the transgression of this law was charged upon the fallen Angels as murther [murder] and lying: the event of this was,
1. Some of the Angels obeyed and were rewarded
2. Some disobeyed and are miserable.
1. The time of their Fall was before men fell, for they tempted him.
2. Their sin was Pride, they kept not their station, but aspired higher, Jude 6.u.
2. Their punishment not in the highest degree inflicted until the last day, Matth. 24.11. Next of the Government of God respecting Man.
Quest. What is the Government of God respecting Man?
Answ. The government of God respecting Man at first was that whereby God gave man the moral Law and promised to reward him with life if he obeyed, and threatened to punish him with everlasting death if he disobeyed. Concerning the event of which we may consider Mans Apostacy and Anastacy [restitution].
1. The moral Law was given to Man at first to be the Rule of Obedience.
1. For he was made holy and righteous.
2. And the transgression of this Law was charged upon fallen man; hence the same rule with the Angels only with these distinctions,
1. Various deductions and applications of the moral Law respecting the condition of mans life as he hath a body, as the Sabbath, the honouring of Parents, and such like rules were properly belonging to man.
2. As man had sense, and was to be led by sensibles to spirituals; thus Sacraments were appointed to him.
1. The Tree of life, to assure him of life if he obeyed.
2. The tree of knowledge of good and evil to be a seal of death if he disobeyed. Gen. 2.9.
2. Man acted not as every Angel, for himself only, but at as a publick person for himself and his posterity: but more of this in the Apostacy of Man.
3. Hence arose a Covenant between God and his reasonable Creatures, Angels and Men: That God promised happiness upon condition of Obedience, and threatened the contrary upon disobedience.
And the event comes to be considered respecting man in mans Apostacy and Anastacy.
Quest. What is the Apostacy of Man?
Answ. The Apostacy of man is that whereby man did fall from obedience to the Rule of Gods government, in his disobeying by eating the forbidden fruit, the Devil tempting him to it by abusing the Serpent and the woman instruments, and the Man abusing the liberty of his wit, the effect of which was guilt and punishment upon man and his posterity.
In the Apostacy of man we may consider his Transgression and the Propogation of it.
1. The transgression itself in eating the forbidden fruit.
1. He had liberty to eat any other. Gen. 2.16.
2. It was against an express command.
3. An abuse of the Sacrament; and thus a contempt of the whole Covenant, Gen. 2.17.
And we may consider the causes of his sin, and the effects of it. The causes, a blameable, and blameless, the blameable, adjuvant and principal, the adjuvant or helping causes, the Devil abusing the Serpent and the woman.
1. The Devil tempted.
1. Pretending a good.
2. Concealed, yea, denyed the evil.
2. Abused the Serpent which had a natural subtlety which Satan abused, Gen. 3.1, 2., 3., 4., 5.
3. Abused the woman who being next to man might be most likely to perswade man, Gen. 3.6. I Tim. 2.14, 2 Cor. 11.3.
2. The principal, blameable cause was mans abusing the liberty of his will, Gen. 3.6, Eccl. 7.29.
1. Man as a Creature was mutable, immutability is a property of the Creator, and mutability is inseperable from the Creature, that is a possibility to change, and this belonging to a Creature as a Creature, and not as a sinful Creature, is no sinful defect.
2. As man was a cause by counsel he had reason and liberty of will, and that liberty of indfferency, could chuse and refuse, had no necessity upon his will.
3. Adam had the image of God, so he was able to have obeyed if he would.
1. He had perfection.
2. This was not taken away before his fall; for then he had not been perfect before his fall.
4. Hence his first sin did not arise.
1. From any sinful principle in him, for
1. He was perfect and had no such principle.
2. The eating of the forbidden fruit was his first sin, but if it had arose from any sinful principle in him, that disposition to sin had been his first sin.
2. Hence first sin was not error in understanding, for either he had not ability to discern, or he did not use it. Not the first, for he had perfection of intellectual virtues; if the second, a neglect to use his ability, this was not error in understanding, but rather of his will.
3. Hence his first sin was a consent of his will to Satans Temptation.
1. Satan presents a good.
2. Tempts to unlawful means, and man inordinately chuseth the one, and is overcome by the other,
4. Hence man put himself under the power of his mutability, and thus abuseth the liberty of his will, Eccl. 7.29. that a glass is breakable is not a defect to be complained of, but that man who was mutable would cry whether by an unlawful means he could not attain a good and runs put himself under the power of mutability, and thus this glass is broken and undone,
2. The blameless cause was the Law of God.
1. The Law forbids sin.
2. Man opposeth it.
3. The Law must yield, or man must be broken.
4. The Law cannot yield, or give place, but is like a Rock against which a Ship runneth, and breaks it self in pieces, Rom. 4.15.
The Effect of this was, first guilt, 2dly, punishment.
1. Guilt, whereby a transgressor is bound to suffer due punishment, or is lyable to it. Rom. 3.19.
2. Punishment, namely, which is death itself, Gen. 2.17.
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