'CONSIDERATION OF And this happens two ways: (1.) When our graces are weak, withering, and unthrifty; for in their flourishing and fruit-bearing is our likeness unto God evidenced, and in them loth the glory of God in this world consist. (2.) When, by the power of our corruptionsor our temp- tations, we contract a deformity; something that bath the likeness of the old crooked serpent. Where either' 9f these befal us, that our graces are low and thriftless; that our corruptions are high and active, frequently dis- covering themselves; there, though the image of God may be in us, there is not much of his likeness upon us, and we come short of our duty, in this great and funda- mental duty of our faith and profession. So far as it is thus with us, may we not, ought we not, greatly to blame ourselves? Why are we so slow, so negligent in the pursuit of our principal interestand happiness? why do we suffer every thing, why do we suffer any thing, to divert our minds from, or retard our endeavours, in this design? Wherefore that I may contribute something to the awakening of our diligence herein, I shall add some few motives unto it, and some directions for it, that herein we may be found perfecting holiness in thefear of the Lord, which is theonly waywhereby we may be like unto him in this world. Sect. 18. lust, In our likeness unto God, consists the excellency and pre-eminence of our ñature, above that of all other creatures in the world, and of our per- sons above those of other men, who are not partakers of his image. For, (I.) 'With reference unto other things, this is the highest excellency that a created nature is capable of. Other things had external impressionsof the great- ness, power, and goodness of God upon them; man a- lone, in this lower world, was capable of the image of God in him. The perfection, the glory, the pre-eminence of our nature in the first creation, was expressed only by this, that we are made in the image and likeness of God, Gen. i. 26, 27. This gave us a pre- eminence,a- bove all other creatures, and hence a dominion over them ensued: for although God made a distinct grant of it unto us, that we might the better understand and be thankful for our privilege; yet was it a necessarycon- sequence of his image in us. And this is that which James respects, where he tells us, that r.eue pvcss, every stature, the nature of all things in their several kinds, aae4sza, re puss, as á,ega ron, is tamed, that is, subjected 4 Ii THE NATURE OF GOD. 343 to the nature of man. He renders osn Gen. i. 28. by 14,e<4a,, which the LXX render sa.savgnua, subdue it. But, being not contented to be like God, that is in ho- liness and righteousness, we would be as God in wisdom and sovereignty; and not attaining what we aimed at, we lost what we had, Gen. iii. 5. Being in honour ces continued not, but became like the beasts that perish, Psal. xlix. 12. We were .first like God, and then like beasts, 2 Peter ii. 12. By the loss of the image of God, our nature lost its preeminence, and we were reduced into order amongst perishing beasts. For, notwithstanding some feeble reliques of this image yes abiding with us, we have really, with respect unto our proper end, in our lapsed condition, more of the bestial nature in us, than of the divine. Wherefore, the restoration of this image in us, by the grace of Jesus Christ, Eph. iv. 28. Col. iii. 10. is the recovery of that pre-eminence and privilege of our nature which we had foolishly lost. Hereby there is an impression again made upon our na- tures of the authority of God, which gives us a pre- eminence aboveother creatures, and a rule over them; yea, that whole dominion which mankind scrambles for with craft and violence, over the residue of the creation, depends on this renovation of the imageof God in some of them. Not that I judge that mens right and title to their portion and interests in this world, doth depend on their own personal grace or holiness; but that if God had not designed to renew his image in our nature by Jesus Christ, and as the foundation thereof, to take our nature into union with himself in the person of his Son, and thereby to gather up all thugs unto a new head in him, and to.make him the first -born of the creation, the head and heir of all, he would not have continued any thing of right or title therein. It was upon the promise and the establishment of thenew covenant, that this right was restoredunto us. So it is expressed in the renovation of the covenant with Noah and his chil- dren, Gen. ix: I, 2. " God blessed Noah and hissons, "and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and " replenish the earth; and the fear ofyou, and the dread " of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth, and " upon every fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth " on the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into ',your hand are they delivered;" which is an express renovation of the grant made unto us at our first crea- tion, Gen. i. 28. The right whereunto we had lost, in 32
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