SECTION I. Excellency of Mans estate , as created . ECCLES. 7.29 .

Loe this onely have I found , that God hath made man upright : but they have sought out many inventions .

[ God hath made man UPRIGHT ]

WEE are now come ( according to our Method ) to the Threefold estate of Man. I am not ignorant of those difficulties and disputes which occur in this Subject : Expect not from me in this place , an answer to all Objections , nor from any man satisfaction to each mans curiosity . Salomon himself could not satisfie himself in all particulars : Onely in the main of man he is very positive , and leaves us here two main Principles , whereof the first respects mans innocent and primitive estate ; The second , his lapsed and forlorn condition , together with the cause of both . His order is open and obvious ; he had said before , That man is wholly corrupt ; and now he delivers the originall hereof ; Negatively , it is not God ; Positively , it is man. We go on in our intended way of delivering Principles . And first , survey we mans first estate , and there look upon him as he stands in Gods hand , and is of his making til he mar'd himself . Here we find his beginning very good by creation . An excellent , a lovely , plain , even , uniforme piece , smooth without knots and flawes , straight without hook or crook ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So much Salomons comprehensive word imports ; The result of all is this :

Man at first avery excellent and desitable creature . Man at first was a very excellent and desirable Creature . This the Point ; and this is no more then Scripture reports of him . Where mention is made of his first estate , David brings him in with a crown upon his head , and that crown is a crown of glory and honour . Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour , Psal. 8.5 . His place was little lower then Angells , but far above all other Creatures : As Job affirmes , Job . 35. v. 11. God made him wiser then the beasts of the earth , then the fowles of heaven . Yea , the Prophet assures us that the worst piece of him , the very case and outside , was most curiously wrought and richly embroydered , Psal. 139.15 . Moses goes yet higher , and carryes us above creatures to Gods blessed self , Let us make man , faith God , This Creature , in our image and after our likenesse , Gen. 1.26 . Thus in Generalls we have him set forth to us . For Particulars , I shall not trouble you with any large discourse touching his excellencies , either of soul , or body , or estate : Neither can we in this our decayed condition reach them . We see , we feel what he is ; but what he either was or shall be , we can rather guess then judge , as blind men do of colours ; onely this we are sure of , within there was nothing but what was desirable ; without , nothing but what was amiable ; about him , nothing but what was serviceable and comfortable : his understanding was as full of light as it was free from darknesse ; his judgement , sound ; his conscience , clear ; his will , conformable to Gods will ; his affections , regular ; nothing on that side wanting to his present happinesse . Or if we look without him , 1. His body had nothing of blemish or blushing , or distemper ; but rather cloathed with all requisite beauties and abilityes , which might render him lovely , and commend him to every eye . 2. For his estate , what it was before his fall we may guesse by that which is since restored by Christ , whereof we have a touch in that 8th Psalme : to wit ; God gave him a Soverainty over all the creatures , and stampt such a majesty upon him , that they did all acknowledge him , and received their severall names , as so many acknowledgements from him . As for his possessions , we need not stand to enlarge upon one Parcell of his Desmeans , which they call Paradise , sith the whole , both of sea and land , and all the creatures in both , were then his possession , his Paradise . Thus the case stood with man at first , the creatures were as observant of him as he of his Creator . More then this I shall not speak in these particulars . This being a Theam so much treated of by Schoolmen and others , who write of this first estate . Cleared in his severall causes . The whole matter will be further cleared if welook upon man in his causes .

If we consider the Efficient cause , or the Author of man , it's God himself : Adam , saith Luke , was the son of God , thence he derives his Pedegree . Now from the excellency of the cause , it is not hard to infer the excellency of the effect , especially since efficients work by way of assimilation ; Naturall efficients . necessarily ; voluntary causes , freely : both strive to accomplish their own works to their own ends and inclinations ; now God ( a voluntary agent ) is all light , and works like himself , so that from him can come no darknesse ; he is all goodnesse , all perfection , and can do nothing but what is in its kind good and perfect : nay further , God is not simply to be considered in this work , but with relation to personality . The three glorious Persons concur in this externall work : whence that expression Job 35.10 . Es. 54.5 . Ps. 149.2 . God my makers . This is the joynt work of Father , Son and Holy Ghost , the issue of that power , wisdome , goodnesse which is common to them all , so that the glory of Father , Son , and Holy Ghost is in its measure put upon this noble creature .

Consider the Formall cause of man created . I mean , the manner in which God made him ; and that is , 1. In the perfection of wisdome and deepest counsell , as being the Master-piece of his visible works : hence for our better understanding Moses brings in God consulting with himself , Let us , saith he , make Man. 2. In perfection of skill and workmanship , as in that 139th Psalm , who hath made him a curious piece , and bestowed so much art and cost upon him , as that the Master of Physick , Galen , was enforced to frame a song of praise to that Deity that framed mans body . 3. In perfection of power : he created him , without the contribution of either matter or instrument , and so became the sole and whole cause of man.

The exemplary cause . And here we passe by that private opinion of Zanchy's and others , who conceive that Christ assumed mans nature for a pattern whereby Adam should bee made . The text sufficeth us : God made man in his own image , according to his own likenesse : which passage , having an influence into much which shall be hereafter said , must a little be opened . See then what is meant by those words ; And the answer is , that image and likenesse in this case , * speak one and the same thing ; Conser Ps. 58.4 . cum Gen. 1.26 . but in an high and strong way : Not as Bellarmine and others ; who , for ends , make the one substantiall , the other , not . In our Image , most like our selves , that is , As near as the matter will suffer ; There can be no proportion between the infinite God , and finite man ; some kind of resemblance in some degree there may be : In every Beast there are some footsteps ( as they are tearmed ) of a deity , but more in man : some in every man , but more in some now . At first , of all visible creatures man came nearest to God. But wherein ? not onely in regard of his nature ; because he had an understanding , a reasonable will , a working immortall spirit in him , as Papists , and others speak ; nor yet onely in order to his estate , because hee was made Lord over all creatures , as Socinians would have it ; But also and specially in regard of his Graces and endowments seated in his soul : God made him wise , holy , just , upright , wherein the Apostle chiefly placeth Gods Image ; and that most justly , Eph. 4.24 . That being the chiefe of Gods image in the first Adam , which Christ , the second Adam , doth mostly repair and restore . When then it is said , that God made man like himself , the meaning is , he made him holy , righteous , spirituall , according to the sampler , Gods blessed self .

Consider the Finall cause ; God made man for most excellent ends and uses ; he made him to be a King of creatures , to be near to his most glorious Majesty , to be that great piece which should crown the rest of his works , and speak out all his perfections : he made him capable of an immortall estate of true holinesse , and happinesse ; and designed him for a marriage with the heir , Christ , and for nearest alliance with himself : and in order to these ends , he put so much honour upon him at the first . Nor can any man strange at this , sith it is the practise of all wise agents : Every skilfull workman ( you know ) layes out most of his skill and cost upon that piece which he intends for highest use and credit , as every builder is more exact in setting out a chimney piece , then in making a gutter .

Now if it be objected , Object . that mans make is but of base materials , as dust , &c.

It's answered , that the matter contributes least of all causes unto the excellency of the work . And as much might be said touching the meannesse of it ; The truth is : The poorness and meanness of the matter , doth oftentimes most advance and commend the skill of the workman . That God out of nothing should draw something , out of dead , blind , dumb Clay should draw light , life , and speech , and out of such deformity should extract such beauty , strength , and excellency : this commends the workman , but doth not at all disparage the work . Be the stuffe what it will , God hath made a rich Arras of it ; and the work is now honourable , through Gods power , though the materials seem contemptible . So much for that objection . Other questions of like nature , we willingly passe over , and come to apply this .

Vse 1 Information concerning primitive estate . Let me call upon you all to be well grounded and Grammar'd in this truth , touching mans primitive estate . The not heeding hereof hath let in those inundations of errours , which now over-spread the Christian World. You are not to look upon man as now he is , but as first he was , existing out of his causes . And here I shall commend unto you these principles .

Man had a beginning . Though now he be Immortall à parte post , yet once he was not ; This is clear by the word , and by his continued dependence .

His founder and maker was one ; and that was God. It was a wilde and mad blasphemy to dream of Two beginners of the whole , as some did ; or at least of Man , as did others .

This God made him in his own likenesse , stamping upon him an Impression of Holinesse , Against Socizus . and as Peter cals it , the divine nature . These Principles , ( as others in other cases , have done ) commend I unto you , nor would I have you once troubled with Socinus his cavils against the same ; being such which scarce deserve an answer .

First , saith hee , Object . If man had born upon him Gods Image , intrinsecally , then man had been Immortall .

Sol. So he had , Sol. if he had not killed himself , and cast away his life .

And though for the present he had nothing of death in him , yet was he mutable , and so might contract death .

Secondly , Object . again he objects , If man were like God in holiness , then was he free from sin .

Sol. 1. Sol. From the Act of sin hee was free in his first constitution , though not from the power of sinning , being a voluntary agent .

Secondly , he was like God , but not a God , that is , equall to God , and equally uncapable of sin .

Thirdly , Object . again hee objects , If mans Image had consisted in holinesse , then upon his fall , the whole Image of God had been lost .

Sol. 1. So it was de jure , Sol. if God would have taken the forfeiture .

Yet , secondly , the argument holds not , unlesse we did place the whole of Gods Image onely in holinesse . There indeed we lay it chiefly , but not onely . We say that Gods Image is communicated to the whole compositum or Man. We put a difference between the body of a man , and the body of a beast , whether living or dying : wee yeeld that a dead man hath more of God in his body , then a dead beast .

Thirdly , and in short , to cut off these disputes , wee say two things ; first that there be degrees of holinesse in this Image of God ; and next , that it is not necessary that man should partake with God in all his attributes , whereof some are incommunicable ; much lesse that hee should equalize God , though in some measure he be a representative of God.

To the former I adde this fourth principle . The distance is very great between man now , and man at the first , as Salomon here puts it : as man was changeable then , so now he is changed very much ; though some ruines and remnants of that which they call the substantiall Image abide upon him . This you must the rather be setled in , because Hereticks labour tooth and nayle , to confound these different states . Thus Papists sweat to prove that man in his pure naturals is as good now as then : Against Papists . and the same then that he is now , differing no more , at least for intrinsccals , then a man cloathed , and uncloathed differs from himself ; or , then a horse bridled and unbridled . The case was this , God put a bridle of supervenient righteousnesse upon him to rein him in ; other wise hee had the same seeds and principles of corruption , conflict , concupiscence then , that he hath now .

This they tell you , Object . and Socinus brings his prop to uphold their rotten building ; If , saith hee , there had not been a conflict betwixt reason and affection , how could man have sinned ?

Sol. He should have said , Sol. If man could not have wrong'd himself , silenced reason , yeelded to appetite , how should he sin ? But the matter is , man had power to be naught , ( if wee may call that power ) though for the present he was actually good .

But what strange men are these , who will fetch in God as an accessary to mans sin at least ; in truth , as aprincipall ? For if God , who solely and wholly made man , so made him , as that he needed a patch , and an adventitious plaister so soon as ever hee was made , doth it not reflect upon Gods perfection ? but if hee were so made as that there was a propension against reason , and a rebellion in his members from the first ; and if that Rebellion be bad , at least not good ; is not God the author of it ?

Call they this Gods Image ? Object . Or could God then see all that he made to be good ?

Bellarmines answer in this case gives me no satisfaction at all , Bellar. God , saith he , intended the man : The corruption is but accidentall , as when the Cutler makes a sword , he mindes the sword , not the rust of it .

For ( to omit other differences ) the Cutler undertakes not to make the matter , Sol. to wit , the Iron or Steel , but onely to give that matter a form . And the rust doth follow the matter , not the form . The sword rusts not because a sword , but because Iron . But now God gives man both ; indeed all ; nothing else contributes ; and the saying is true , that who gives matter and form , gives the necessary consequents of both . But wretched men care not how much they depresse God , so they may exalt flesh .

Let them go . And hold we this distance still : man is not so bad now , but once he was as good . Originall righteousnesse was once as naturall as sin is now , if not more . And this truth carries more in it , then as yet happily you are aware of .

Learn hence that which Salomon here presseth , Vse 2 Justifie God in all his ways : against cavils of flesh and blood . namely , to justifie God in all his wayes as holy in all his works . It is a fearfull thing to see what proud man renders to God for all his kindnesse . God made him a most glorious , happy , sufficient creature : his own folly hath perverted his wayes , and now his heart frets , and his mouth chats against the Lord : I beseech you , understand your Originall , and preserve your selves from the Pestilent errours of this age , and know how to plead for God , and to emplead sin . For example .

You shall hear men cry out of Bloudy doctrine touching Gods Decreeing men to fall ; Object . nay , necessitating them to damnation , &c.

Now here learn an answer of Salomon , Sol. God made man good , made him for happinesse , put him into possession of it , gave him power to hold it , but he sought out many inventions , he , he sought out &c. it was an act of mans counsell and choice ; hold we to this , though we cannot so well conceive the concurrence of causes now , as Adam did then , or as we shall hereafter at the day of the revelation of the righteous Judgement of God. Rom. 2.5 .

Again , you hear men say , that we make God the greatest tyrant living , one who gives impossible lawes , requiring impossibilities under the penalty of damnation , unless we will yeeld that man can fulfill the law .

Now to this Answer . Then was then : Now is now . Sol. When God transacted with man he required no more then man could do , now why must the rule be bended to man ? or the debt drawn to his ability , especially sith the bond stands but for evidence and mans good ? God commits him , Gal. 3.23.24 . shuts him up onely to humble him , and to drive him to seek a surety of his own providing .

It's replyed , that this salves not the businesse , since , Object . in our doctrine , more is required of man lapsed , then of man in Innocency ; for God requires that faith now , which he did not then , and exacts what he never gave , gathering wherehe never strawed . Thus they .

Wretched men ! Sol. Doth God require any thing in the Gospel but upon Gospel tearms ? that is , that he will work the thing required when sought unto .

Again , what though Adam had not the exercise of faith in Christ , as neither of patience or some other graces , yet he had all in the roote , seed , and power ? The want was not in Adam , the subject : but the stay was the absence of occasion , and an object . He had power to do , and to beleeve any thing that then did or after should concern him , and his place , and condition ; and no more is required of us now . I never saw an Elephant in my life , why ? not for want of a principle in the subject ; the same eye that can see an Horse , could an Elephant too , were it presented to my sight . I cannot be said not to see it , but it is not to be seen .

Lastly , Object . you heare men thus reasoning . Why ! I am as God made me , I am cholerick , I confesse it , but 'tis my nature : I am sleepy ; Can I help it ? &c.

Answer . Sol. There are Defects which follow particular tempers , and natures , Purely-naturall ; others which are sinfull flowing from the principles of Poyso ned nature : sinfull distempers , are yours , not Gods ; you might once have prevented them , you must now have them healed . It is an aggravation to lay our faults upon our natures , yea hereby we accuse the Creator . Therefore in stead of excusing our selves or accusing our maker ( as Adam and Eve did ) let us lay load on our selves ; and that's the next use .

Where see for humbling , Vse 3 Be humbled , that thou art fallen as thou art . whence we are fallen , what we were , what we are . Men love to talke of their Ancestours , there by to pride themselves , and can hardly descend in themselves , though tumbled down by Gods hand . Let us , on the contrary , abase our selves to our estate , and befool our selves , as we see the Bankrupt doth , Once , quoth he , was I well , could I have kept me well ; I had mony , land , stock , friends and what not ? but now I lye under poverty , scorn , and contempt . Ah unwise man I ! In like manner let each of us say , Once I was light , now darknesse ; Once rich in grace , now empty ; Once Gods favorite , now an enemy ; Once beautifull . now ugly , a very Ichabod , my glory is departed , Ah soolish man ; how was I bewitched ! Thus let us rate and chide our selves into a low conceit of our selves . Howbeit , all this signifies nothing , unlesse we see this our misery in the cause thereof . Therefore look upon sin as a thing most pernicious and destructive . It is sin , ( say ) that hath undone me , that hath ruined mine estate ; cast me into debt ; 'tis sin that hath slain my Cattell , deprived me of my Crop ; 'tis sin , ray sin in Adam that hath forfeited mine honour , undermined my Authority over creatures . Time was when every beast , every bird , every fish , would have owned me , would have done me homage : Now my very servants trample upon me , my once subjects rise against me , as I have against God. Lyons are ready to devoure me , Bears to worry me , horses to brain me , yea , every Caterpillar , worme , flea , makes a prey of me . 'Tis sin , that hath marr'd my body . Once I had a body perfect , active , sound , glorious , the more naked the more shining : now in stead of those beauties behold a stench , sicknesse , shame and whatsoever else is blushfull . It is sin that hath spoiled my soul : at first I had near Communion with God , close correspondency with his will and Image . The peace of God , the joyes of God , the strength and life of God were upon me . Now hell is in my soul , darknesse and confusion fills every room ; I bear in stead of Gods glorious Image , the ugly Image of the devill himself , and come as near unto him as my nature is capable . Oh curse this accursed thing , Sin , which hath so undermined thee , and resolve against it for the future , as we do against lesser evills , we decline such meats as threaten partiall misery . This rots my teeth , that hurts my eyes , this distempers my liver , that my stomach , therefore I must forbear . Oh fear that sin that destroys eye , and hand , and head , the whole body , the whole soul , the whole man. And now bethink thy self of a recovery as decay'd men do ; lye not whining under losses , as Jacobs sons in their wants , much lesse run to base , sharking courses , as broken chapmen do ; But bustle and bestir thy self , bethink thy self , Is there no help ? is it not possible to raise my self again ? yes , there is hope and help , the Lord Christ , the second Adam comes with the Image of God upon him , as a restorer of the breach , he is come to recover what was lost , to pay what was owing , to repaire our ruines , to recruit us again , he is able , he is willing to undertake us . Nay , the thing is done already , therefore I'le to him , as once the bankrupts to David , I will confesse with the prodigall , I will beg for life , I will cast my self upon him , and close with him being offered as an husband , as the only way for decay'd fortunes , so shall I be restored in blond and repaired in mine estate . Thus resolve , thus do , and cease not doing till thou find his mark upon thee , his fruit and life in thee : so shalt thou find more life and happinesse in him , then there was death and misery in the old Adam .

Vse 4 Blesse God for the first estate : and that little which is lest to this day . Lastly , learn to be thankfull for this first estate : close with all the Saints in that Song of theirs , Rev. 4. ult. Thou are worthy , O Lord , to receive glory and honour and power : for thou hast created all things , &c. It is not little that we owe to God , for this poor estate which yet is left us ; for these poor eyes , these lame limbes , these frail bodyes , these sick souls , which we labour with every day ; We are much bound to him , for the meanest fare , for the least bit of coursest bread , the least sip of thinnest drink , and must coufesse with Jacob that we are lesse then the least of all his now f●…i●ed mercies ; what thanks then can we render for our first estate , which was every way full , free , glorious , whether we look upon soul or body , or place or state , or any thing appertaining thereto ; nor is Gods goodnesse and bounty the lesse , because we have foolishly squandered it away . That greatens our folly and wickedness , yet no way lessens Gods largesse and kindnesse .

Object . But why did not God put us past danger and losse , but left it in our hands to lose ?

Sol. An ungracious question : so the unthrift talks when he hath outed himself of his patrimony , Why did my Father trust me ? why did he not entayle his land ? There is no reasoning with such froward children , neither content full , nor fasting . A gracious heart must and will be thankfull , as for kindnesses intended , so much more bestowed , most of all for mercies restored in Christ , who hath mended that first estate .