is called the heavenly treasure looke as it is with wicked men Rom. 2.5 They treasure up wrath against the day of wrath the more sinne they commit the more punishment will lye upon their soules so doth a good man lay up a treasure of holinesse Should a man bring all the treasure of Dives all the honour of Ahashuerus they would doe him no good Wilt thou appeare and say Lord I have cozened so many poore and by this means I have gotten so much wealth No the onely commodity that will go off is holy services Rev. 14.13 Blessed are they that dye in the Lord their works follow them nothing in the world but works can follow a man The services that come from a sincere heart will go with thee to thy grave therefore as Factours purchase things that will bee saleable when they come home so let us now lay up that provision that will stand us in stead hereafter 2. Hence we see how to carry our selves towards others Love those best who are best As good children let us imitate our father God loves men that obey Let the same minde be in us Psalme 119.63 I am a companion of those that love thee Hee saith not I am a companion to those that haunt evill places but to such as love God Psalm 103.6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull in the land 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while you are with him The Lord keeps company with them that keepe company with him in holy duties Let us be of the same affection towards our brethren and let nothing breed division but only the sins of others Zach. 8.23 Tenne men shall take hold on the skirt of a Jew saying Wee will goe with you for the Lord is with you I say let nothing breed jarres between us and others but only their sins §. 11. NOw wee proceed to the second part of the Covenant Of life promised to Adam if obedient What God promises to Adam Hee that doth these things shall live For the opening of this wee must treat of three particulars 1. What life is 2. Wherein lies the sweetnesse of the promise 3. The universality of it 1. What is meant by life Life naturall Life is double naturall and spirituall eternall life is nothing but spirituall life made perfect Naturall life is the motion of the creature issuing from the joyning of the body and soule together according to the kind thereof The life of a tree is to grow of a reasonable creature to discourse This is not meant here for Adam did thus live before and after he brake the Comandements of God And spirituall 2. There is a spirituall life which belongs to the soule in holy duties it is called life by a similitude and it is those spirituall workes which proceed from the whole man the soule being united to God As the union of the body and soule causeth life so the union between the soul and God causeth spirituall life Gen. 2.7 God breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life so the Lord breathes assistance and this is spirituall life here meant which may bee discovered in three particulars 1. Adam Spirituall life discovered in 3. things out of his speciall liberty hee had was able to put himself under the streame of Providence and so to bee carried on to holy duties God would have assisted Adam but hee must first put himselfe under the streame of Providence as the boat upon the streame so would the Providence of God have conveyed Adam All things were made for man and man is next neighbour to God Had Adam looked towards Gods wisedome hee should have been quickned in wisedome and so he might have received strength from any Attribute if he would submit his heart to the streame of it Joh. 1.16 From Christ we receive grace for grace What letters are in the seale the same are in the waxe so when by faith wee look upon Christ there is grace in him and it is conveighed to us Psalm 86.11 Unite my soule to thee first the soule must be united and then it acts from that union John 6.68 Thou onely hast the words of eternall life as if hee should say By thy vertue only wee must bee strengthened By this time God and Adam are met 2. The soule of Adam being met with God hence followed spiritual actions namely Adam was able to worke like God according to his manner the boat and rower and streame goe all one way In 1 Pet. 4.6 a good man is said to live according to God This is spirituall life when a mans will and desire is answerable to God but wicked men Ephes 4.18 are strangers to the life of God Col. 4.12 The Apostle prayeth that they might stand perfect in the will of God Psalm 119.144 Give mee understanding that I may live A man doth not live thus because hee seeth as the beasts doe or growes as the trees do or reasons which the devils can do but because hee hath an understanding to live the life of God When Adam is at God hee is where he would be Rom. 14.18 The kingdome of heaven consists not in meats and drinks that is in outward actions they are in themselves neither good nor bad but when a man is led by God to performe holy duties hee then pleaseth God in them 3. Hee had power to hold out this blessed will of God to others that they might love it Phil. 1.20 St. Paul prayeth that in life and death God might be magnified Adam did hold out the glory of God that all the world might see how glorious hee was Quest. Wherein lyes the pith of this promise what should Adam reap from this The sweetnesse of the promise of life wherin Answ It lies in this That God would so continue good to Adam that if hee would obey God hee would so support him with his grace that hee should have pleased him for ever as if God had said If thou will doe what I command I will unchangeably supply life to thee I will expresse it by the contrary Thus it befell Adam hee broke the law and therefore was vnder the power of sinne to bee led by the force of it to sinne eternally and perish everlastingly The Lord said Thou shalt not eate Adam did eate so going against the command the Lord puts him under the authority of corruption and this is spirituall death So then it is not the law of God that rules thee but the vanity of thy minde that domineers over thy soul and members of thy body Contrariwise had Adam pleased God he should have been under the power of holinesse and never have sinned For God thus said to Adam If thou will keep my Lawes I will support thee and thou shalt never bee subject to any evill As it is with the damned they can doe nothing but sinne and depart from God daily so contrariwise had Adam performed Gods laws God with a
that which is before to the reward of the high calling in Jesus Christ if by any means I might attaine unto it Ob. Is this the price Yes But then some may object and aske May a man of himselfe purchase salvation Ans No no nothing so Man cannot deserve it at the hands of God No merchant can get a commodity unlesse hee layes downe something for it so it is here unlesse we part with sin and pleasure and the like we cannot have these And these are the rates that God hath set on his wares that 's the reason why they are called purchasing As a man cannot have commodities unlesse hee purchase them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse hee payes for them just so it is here wee cannot have these unlesse wee buy them at these rates that God hath set downe and that is called purchasing Now when wee come into the market Rules for buying at Gods market that wee may buy those things wee want at the best hand observe these foure rules wee are all carefull to buy at the best hand most care ought to be taken for the purchasing of grace and salvation 1. We must runne betimes to the market wee must take the day before us wee must seek after the means of grace and salvation and seek it in the first place Wee must know that there is no buying but in the market and all men that need repaire thither and wee must rise betimes in the morning and be at the opening of the market In the little countrey villages you know there are no markets nor no commodities that wee need if a man stands in need of a commodity it is to bee had no where but in the market thither he must repaire just so it is here In every town there is not fasting and praying and preaching then you must goe where it is so that if we have not means at home wee must seek for them abroad When Josephs brethren wanted corn in the time of famine they went to Joseph their brother for hee had laid up some for them There is corne in Egypt there is praying and preaching in such a towne there you may buy corne Ye should use all meanes and take all paines to heare the Word and though men scoffe at you yet tell them that market-men must doe so Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be encreased 2 Chron. 11.16 It is said there that the people forsooke all and went up to Jerusalem to sacrifice to God Many times a man goes four or five or sixe miles to a market I confesse a man might make a shift for a while without a market by borrowing of his neighbours but a man cannot live without a market long no not the best gentleman in the countrey so a gracious heart cannot live without the Word Mat. 24. The text saith Wheresoever the dead carcasse is thither the Eagles will resort so it is with the Saints of God if there bee any Eagle-minded they will resort thither where Christ is taught and there seeke for Christ as the Eagles for the carcasse If he be a dung-hill sparrow then he will be content to live among the flyes such men can live whether there bee any market or no whether there bee fasting or praying or no they care not Isa 2.3 The people there say Come let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob that hee may teach us of his waies Each man calls his neighbour Come let us goe to the market or to the faire so should the Saints of God Come let us goe unto the house of the Lord unto mount Zion c. There are a generation that are content to have commodities cryed at their doores will not come out for them to buy them oh surely such men never knew the want of grace As they must come to the market so they must come with the first Pro. 8.34 We must waite at the gate of Wisdome we should bee with the formost in the towne not stay as many doe till halfe Gods service is past Psalm 103.4 My soule saith David doth even waite untill the morning watch so wee should wait all opportunities to be first in the Church and tarry till the last When Peter was to come to Cornelius his house Act. 10.24 before hee came they were all there A good husband or a wise merchant will goe betimes to the market goe and stand at the townes end and see what good cattle comes in and what good penny-worths may be bought so that by this means he hath all the best before him and seeing all the good penny-worths will let none goe out of his hand Oh that yee were as wise for your soules as you are for your bodies to come betimes He that comes betimes hath the chiefe all the holy petitions sweet promises of the Gospel and uses of instruction admonition reproofe and comfort But for a man to come late when the prayers are finished and the Minister hath tooke out his Text and hath delivered such points and such Doctrines he loses all the benefit of them and why he came after they were delivered as when the dayes of Fasting were wee came at the last duty when as many sweet prayers and heavenly petitions had been put up to the Lord and what is the reason you got no benefit by them oh you lost your market you must seek to the means with the first 2. When you are come to the market you must attend upon it You must bestow your selves upon the meanes that God hath bestowed upon you you must come for some good end A wise man as hee comes to the market betimes so when hee comes there hee attends it hee will not stand hanging about stalls or slip into an ale-house yea rather an hell-house but he will attend his businesse and see how the market goes and observe the penny-worths hee will see the choice things in the market and will not let a good penny-worth passe his hands so should a good Christian bee attentive and listen not suffer any choice thing to slip from him You must attend the market for your go upon life and death upon salvation or damnation therefore do not lose your market Rev. 3.2 Bee watchfull let not a good penny-worth goe out of your hand but hold it fast A wise merchant sees a commodity and layes hold on it and will not let it goe hee will cheapen it and will not let it goe out of his hands for feare he should lose it so when the Word meets with you hold it fast oh that 's my sin say and that belongs to me Pro. 4.13 The text saith Lay hold on instruction let her not goe keep her for shee is thy life Deale with it as men do many times with a commodity if they set on it they will have it whatever it cost them Oh that men were thus set upon Christ
what is true and tells the heart You must not doe thus or thus the will saith I must have another verdict so that the root of liberty is mainely in the will Deut. 30.19 I have set life and death before you chuse life c. That is the blessings are many if you obey the curses are many if you disobey therefore chuse the good way Act. 5.4 Was it not in thy power c as if he should say It was in thy choice to have given or not to have given I adde that the will of Adam could chuse any good whether naturall morall or heavenly the two former remaines in us but Adam was further enabled to chuse holy things There was no command but hee was able to obey nor no truth but hee was able to chuse Good is the food of the will Adam was able to disgest any good with full content and herein mainely consists liberty for a man to chuse that which is good It is no liberty for a man to be carried on headily to evill Men esteeme none so free as they that chuse what they list I will chuse bad as well as good saith one I will profane an holy-day as well as sanctifie it but this is not free-will to be hurried on to evill In 2. Pet. 2.19 the false Apostles would give a man free liberty to doe any thing and yet goe to heaven as the Text saith 2 Pet. 2.19 promising liberty when tâ—â—y themselves are the servants of sinne There is no such slavery under heaven as to be slave to sinne but for a man to have a soveraigne uncontrolled power to be carried to that which is good truely and spiritually this is liberty The Angels of heaven are most free in the performance of their duty they are so confirmed that they cannot love evill nay God himselfe wills good most freely There are no bounds to his will and yet he cannot but will good therefore when wee are able to will good most freely wee are most free He is a free man that is able to follow good beyond persecutions and temptations The other description of liberty is a very false one 3. Without any impediment Of impediments in chusing good This is a great blessing to be able to embrace good without any hinderance Nothing could crosse Adam in his course A man may binde anothers hands but he cannot command the will There was this speciall priviledge in Adams will that nothing could thwart him Now this appeares in foure things 1. There was no weaknesse in him to disable him there was no good to be done beyond the depth of his understanding and reach of his will Psal 73.16 David had that feeblenesse of understanding that it was too difficult for him to observe the difference of Gods providence but this was not in Adam 2. There was no stirre of corruption that could oppose him corruption is like a backe-byas that hinders our course The Saints of God finde alwayes some stirrings of corruption still opposing them in duty but it was not so in Adam Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit This every Saint of God findes for when he would be humble then pride stirres c. it was otherwise with Adam 3. There was no strength of corruption that might foile him but our corruptions prevaile over us Rom. 7.23 I see another law leading mee captive unto the law of sinne Mans proud heart makes him vent wrathfull words and foyles him but Adam had no power of corruption to foyle him As it is with a ship well trimmed if winde and tide serve it goes on amain so Adams heart was full of holinesse which carried him forward to good amaine he had sea-roome to inlarge himselfe in the choice of good 4. There was nothing without to stop Adam in what he would The Divell might offer a temptation to Adam but he could offer no compulsion he might see if he could perswade him but he could not force him When the serpent spoke with Eve if she had resisted him he would have gone from her For Adam had the soveraigne dominion over the creatures the Divell only usurpt it Adam had nothing within nothing without to hinder him The fourth thing in the description is that it was after a mutable manner The meaning is Adam was able as to chuse any good which God had revealed and performe it so to entertaine any evill and commit it It was with Adams liberty as with a paire of scales that are equall if you put more into the one then the other you will easily make the one sinke and the other rise so Adam was in an even poize he might be carried to good if hee would exercise that power he had and he might turne himselfe towards evill if hee would abuse that liberty he had For the opening of this two questions may be scanned Quest 1. What was the ground of the manner of this choice of good and evill in Adam Ans It lay in the nature of Adam and flowed from that mutability which was in the nature of Adam who was a reasonable creature Though nothing could force Adam to turne from a good course yet there was a mutability joyned with his liberty that he might turne himselfe from God Solomon having discoursed of the deceit of a woman supposing it demanded whence it came He answereth Eccl. 7. ult I know that God made man upright but he sought out inventions inventions were of his owne devising not of Gods ordering Nothing in the world could compell man to doe it but hee sought out crooked wayes This was intended in the two Sacraments that Adam had Gen. 2.9 the Lord set two trees in the garden first the tree of life to intimate that as verily as he saw that tree so verily if he loved God hee should live for ever and secondly the tree of knowledge of good and evill to wit if hee did eat of that fruit hee should know what it was to have the image of God and what to bee deprived of it These two Sacraments intimated that God had set life and death before Adam hee might chuse the one and refuse the other Our Sacraments signifie not so Baptism signifies our implanting into Christ the Lords Supper signifies our growth in Christ but in the Sacraments of Adam the one shewed a possibility he had to live the other the possibility he had to dye This mutability was no part of the liberty of Adam for it destroyed his liberty but it was a quality that did accompany the condition of Adam Gen. 1.1 Darknesse was upon the face of the deepe The text doth not say God created darknesse but it did accompany the creature naturally so did this mutability accompany Adam Immutability belongs to God onely and therefore Job saith he found no stedfastnesse in his Angels mutability therefore belongs to the creature as a creature Quest But how did this stand with the perfection of Adams nature An.
promises of God in Christ when thou art in any straight or temptation as wel for thy present provision and preservation in this life as for thy salvation in the life to come abstaining from the use of any unlawfull or unwarrantable practices Gen. 22.8 And Abraham said My son God will provide himselfe a Lambe for a burnt offering so they went both of them together Exod. 14.13 And Moses said unto the people Feare ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord what he will shew to you to day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day yee shall see them againe no more for ever Mar. XI If thou canst find in thy heart that thou dost love God sincerely although thou couldst never love him but that hee loved thee first Joh. 21.17 And hee said unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou mee Peter was grieved because hee said unto him the third time Lovest thou me And hee said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee 1 Joh. 4.19 Wee love him because hee first loved us Rom. 5.5 And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us Mar. XII If thou canst heartily love good Christians and others that have helped thee on to heaven and on the contrarie doest hate and avoid wicked and dissolute men but most of all such as withdraw others from the faith or by scandalous lives have caused the faith to bee blasphemed and evill spoken of 1 Joh 3.14 Wee know wee have passed from death to life because wee love the brethren Mat. 10.41 He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and hee that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward Rom. 16.4 Who for my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only I give thanks but also all the Churches of the Gentiles Gal. 4.14 And my temptation which was in my flesh you despised not nor rejected but received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus Ps 15.4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them that fear the Lord. 1 Tim. 3.3 Without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Mar. XIII The fight between the flesh and the spirit Rom. 7.23 But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing mee into captivity to the law of sinne which is in my members Gal. 5.17 For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot doe the things you would Mar. XIV If wee long for the appearing of Christ Revel 22.20 He which testifies these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto them also that love his appearing Mar. XV. If thou makest conscience of secret sinnes which none eye sees as a hard heart a secure proud heart if thou lookest not so much to the matter of good duties as to the manner if they bee done in truth and sincerity also if thou dost apply both the promises and the threatnings to thee in the Word of God and lovest and admirest grace more in others then in thy selfe and hatest sin in all but most in thy selfe Thou mayest take comfort from these if thou canst doe them in a holy manner namely 1. With uprightnesse of heart 2. With continuance 3. With daily growth in the practice of them And to this end two things must be practised 1. Use often to examine and try and search thy heart and all thy actions 2. Take an often account of thy life concerning thy progresse in the course of godlinesse for want of this examination many live and die hypocrites and know it not but suppose their case is good 1 Chro. 29.17 I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse as for me in the uprightnesse of mine heart I have offered all these things 1 Joh. 3.18 My little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth Rev. 2.19 I know thy workes and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last bee more then the first 2 Tim. 3.7 Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Psal 119.59 I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate upon these things give thy selfe wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all Gal. 1.14 And profited in the Jewes religion above many my equals in mine owne nation being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my Fathers Heb. 5.12 For when for the time yee ought to be teachers yee have need that one teach you againe which bee the first principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milke and not of strong meat Mar. XVI If thou dost desire to keepe no corruption or if thy endeavours bee constant in the use of all meanes against every corruption Mar. XVII If thou desirest Christ for his holinesse-sake which if thou dost then thou wilt take all that comes with holinesse whether it bee shame or disgrace or persecution c. FINIS
freed from the guilt of sinne in justification from the slavery of sin in sanctification In Act. 8. when Peter was in the towne streets he perceived hee was not in a dreame but it was a thing reall so it is with thy soule Canst thou finde that God hath knockt off thy fetters then thou mayst know this is a realitie not a dreame of grace If Peter had dreamed he had been out of prison and had been fettered in the morning hee would have knowne hee had been in a dreame so thou hast dreamed that God hath renewed thee Are thy fetters of sin on thee then it was but a dream indeed and when thou awakest by death thou shalt see thy selfe bound up in chaines of darknesse Psalm 45.17 All the sonnes of God are Princes all Gods servants are free-men 1 Cor. 7.22 If thou art Christs thou art a free man to be carried uncontrollably to good though sinne and Sathan conspire against thee they shall never overcome thee but thou shalt still be victorious Qu. But what shall we say of many that seeme holy whose sinnes clogge thim heavily Where was Saint Pauls freedome when hee was led captive as hee speakes of himselfe Of the captivity of sin in the godly An. A man may be led captive and yet be free too This freedome in captivity appeares in three things 1. Though many times by the violence of Occasions the Saints are surprized yet they have hearts to approve of the good they cannot do This is that Saint Iames speaks of Chap. 1. ult If a man saith he hath Religion and sweareth and rayleth against Gods truth hee deceives himselfe but this is pure religion to keep a mans selfe unspotted Looke as it is with a City besieged when it is taken the enemies make those that are in the city sweare to their King if now a man resolves to take his death rather then the oath he keepes himselfe unspotted from treason So Sathan by long siege transports the heart unto the commission of evill yet the soule keepes it selfe untainted when it chuses the good it cannot do Deut. 22.25 if an adulterer offer a rape to a Virgin the sinne is his that forced her it lies not on the party forced so Sathan in a sort forceth the soule to the commission of evill if therefore thine heart beare it as a burthen the fault is Sathans and not thine 2. Yet the soule takes part with the word against both the temptations that would inveigle it the corruptions that would foyle it As it approveth all good so it joynes sides with the word against all evill Rom. 7.15 I doe the thing that I hate The spirit lusteth against the flesh the heart is resolved to die in the quarrell though it cannot prevaile as it would yet it will fight as it can 2 Cor. 13.8 I can doe nothing against the truth 3 The soule gets the upper hand of evill David was never adulterous more Peter never denied his master more the soule not onely reformes infirmities outwardly but subdues the distempers inwardly 1 Ioh. 5 18. Hee keepes himselfe that the evill one touch him not Rom. 8.2 The law of the Spirit sets a man free from the law of sin and of death Sathan saith Thou mayst be full of malice and spleen the law of meeknesse saith I will not bee full of spleen so also the law of humility takes off the law of pride Pro. 28.13 Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne shall finde mercy the same phrase is used Gen. 2. The wife shall forsake father and mother The woman forsakes First the place and company Secondly the authority of father and mother Thirdly shee is not to perform what service they will require but what her husband requires so the soule must forsake the house of sin If thou wert married to Christ thou wouldst loathe the place and abhorre the society of those that goe down into hell themselves and lead others with them I say if a man were married to Christ hee would not bee under the authority of corruption but being delivered from the bondage of sinne will utterly forsake it To get liberty labour for holinesse Use 3. The third Use is of exhortation The former truth should force every soule to imploy the best of his endeavours to gaine this holinesse Will any man be a free man let him be an holy man Bee sure of the one and thou canst not misse of the other and where the one is not the other cannot bee Liberty should bee like a load-stone to draw us to it Nature hateth slavery then if we would bee freed from it let us get holinesse Experience teaches that the poor bird will beat her selfe to death rather then be kept in a Cage What poor shifts men in captivitie take to bee freed from those that are hard taskemasters over them our often Briefes shew Wee are all captives taken by the policy of Satan Let us make a gathering out of the stock of the prayers of Gods servants and let thine owne prayer bee Oh guide and direct mee how to get power against my corruptions How carefull are men to purchase the liberty of a Corporation and how highly doe they account of it when they have it In Acts 22.23 Saint Paul saith he purchased to be a free man of Rome with a great summe What slavish hearts have wee then when we may be incorporated into the body of Christ and will stick for a little Goe and sell that you have what ever it cost you that you may bee free men in Christianitie Christ saith Joh. 8.32 If you continue in my words you shall be free To continue in Gods word is to submit to the authority of the truth for if we doe thus we are free Rev. 6.2 And I saw and behold a white horse c. The white horse there is the truth It is called a white horse because of the purity of it and it prevailes wheresoever it comes Would you be free then let the Word prevaile in you Is it not every mans desire that when the strength of corruption and the violence of persecution presse in upon him then to be conquerour of all Labour then to get this image of God and you shall be above all things but God and be carried on incontrollably in a good course §. 7. NOw wee proceed to the image of God in the affections of Adam as love joy Of Gods image in the affections delight sorrow feare which are seated in the sensitive soule for all sensitive creatures have them The poore creature feares the whip and the creature againe sports and delights it selfe Now these Adam had and in these was the image of God Qu. What was the image of God in the affections of Adam Ans It appeared in that serviceable subjection What it is sweet agreement and submission which they did yeeld unto holy will and right reason The Understanding directed what should bee done the
the body Of Gods image in the body Ans I answer two waies 1. Negatively Wherein it stood not The image of God did not consist in the body of man so as to bee in the flesh and bloud bones and sinewes and the reason is double 1. Because if the image of God consisted in these then other creatures should have the image of God but other creatures though thus qualified have not the image of God but only Adam 2. God is a Spirit Joh. 4.24 and consequently Body implies rather an opposition There is no proportion betwixt a Spirit and a Body Luk. 24.38 A Spirit hath not flesh and bones This is against the plea of the Papists that make the image of God the Father like an old man the reason they give is because man had the image of God and therefore wee may resemble God by him I answer If flesh and bloud bee not the image of God then there is no ground to resemble God thereby Isa 40.14 To whom will yee liken mee To frame an image of God is to commit a great sin Quest Where was then the image of God in the bodie Answ In that framablenesse In what it was whereby it was moved by the reason will and affections and so did expresse the vertues of them A mercifull heart doth expresse it selfe in a bountifull hand So David Psal 45.1 Psal 45.1 My tongue is the Pen of a ready writer his heart indited it and then his tongue did speak it Quest Wherein doth this framablenesse appear Ans In two things 1. The framablenesse of the body to act the service that wisedome and holinesse required The parts were not stiffe not stubborne nor weary but in a readinesse to act what wisedome required But wee finde it otherwise in us St. Paul himselfe complained that hee was clogged with it When a man is distempered either sicke or weak there is a wearinesse in holy duties The body is then like a darke shop in which a good workman may cut his fingers When the body is full of noysome humours it is but an ill shoppe for the soule to work in but this was not in Adam 2. There was a fitnesse in each part for its taske The eye was fit to see the tongue to talke c. So that it is observed by Galen though hee were an heathen yet considering the frame of the body he fell in admiration of it so that hee professed that it was not possible for a naturall cause to bring forth such an effect Rom. 16.8 Yeeld not your members instruments to unrighteousnesse He calls the members instruments The Devill oftentimes tunes the tongue and hee seeth out of an adulterous eie yea his malice vents it selfe in an unruly tongue Looke againe in the 19. verse and there it 's said a mans members should be servants to holinesse tooles or instruments that should bee under the power of God In a tool there is both the metall and the making as in a saw or axe so there is in the parts of the body which are tooles serviceable to wisedome and the power of holinesse that they may work their works thereby An hand is a toole whereby the mercifull heart may deale mercifully Wee say in such a case Here is a gracious tongue a chast eye c. so the hand is the Almoner of a mercifull heart so that this image of God in the body is wide from that of the Papists Q. What 's the reason of this A. This Because it was not only requisite that God should instampe his image inwardly but that is should bee exprest outwardly that others might see it and glorifie God in heaven Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorifie your heavenly Father 1 Pet. 2.9 Shew forth the vertue of him that hath called you out of darknesse Hereby is Gods honour promoted Eph. 2.9 We are the workmanship of God created unto good works When men see anothers excellent workmanship they say This man was a skilfull workman So Gods workmanship is seen in you when another reviles and you are patient to beare When hee is impatient and utters words of reproach the wicked stand by and say I marvell how you can suffer it This is rare workmanship to them When the wicked challenge godly men and say What do they more then other men The answer is They feare an oath their soule abhorres the least sinne goe thou and do so they are willing to heare a reproofe doe thou likewise But when a wretched man comes to lye on his death-bed ready to go out of the world aske him then what hee thinkes of the Saints oh sayes hee that I might dye their death Thus wee see it is requisite the image of God should bee in their bodies Murther an hainous sin Use 1. This Use is for instruction Hence wee observe the hainousnesse of the sin of murther as being that which defaces the image of God after a vile manner What greater evill can there bee He that clips the Kings coyne is a traitour but if a man maimes the body of a Prince every man thinkes no punishment is enough for him That creature for the creation of which there was a consultation that creature upon whom the image of God was imprinted on whom all the works of the Trinity were expressed of the Father in Creation of the Sonne in Redemption of the Spirit in Sanctification which was the master-piece of Gods workmanship to blemish that image and overthrow the workmanship of God therein what sinne more hainous It is therefore called a crying sinne as it was said to Cain Gen. 4.10 The bloud of thy brother cries up to heaven Murther calls for vengeance and will have no nay Gen. 9.6 Hee that sheds bloud by man shall his bloud be shed because God made him after his image therefore God pursueth the malefactor with unconceiveable horrour of heart The reason is not only because of the unnaturalnes of it though that bee great for Lions and Lions Tygers and Tygers will lie together but herein also appeares the vilenesse in that all the attributes of God are up in armes against a murtherer because they have all been wronged Drunkennesse wrongs sobriety adultery wrongs chastity these sinnes wrong particular graces only and a drunkard may honor God by sobriety as hee hath dishonoured him by drunkennesse but murther defaces the image of God never to bee recovered There was a gracious tongue but when it is murthered it will never speake more a wise head Grace in the heart appears in the body but now will never plot businesse more Use 2. Hence wee see the spreading nature of grace Wheresoever holinesse and righteousnesse is it will discover it selfe If it bee in the soule it will appeare also in the body It is with grace as David speakes of the Sunne Ps 19. wheresoever it comes it casts in its beams so it is with