of the PERSON Of CHRIST. 121 the principal notion thereof, the eternal wifdom of the Father. Divine power wrought effe&ually in the pçrfon ofthe holy Spirit ; 'who is the im- mediate alloy of all divine operations. (3. The propofition of the effefting this work being by way of conful- ration, reprefents it a fignal effeft of infinite wifdom. Thefe expreflions are ufed to lead us unto the contemplation of that wifdom. Thus God made man in his own image, that is, in fuels a re&itude of nature as reprefented his righteoufnefs and holinefs, in fuch a ftate and condition as had arefle&ion on it of his power and rule. The former was the fubftance of it, the latter a neceffary confequent thereof. This repre- fentation, I fay of God, in power and rule, was not that image of God wherein manwas created, but a confequent of it. So the words and their order declare. Let us make man in our imageand after our likenefs and let them have, dominion over the ffir of the Sea, &c. Becaufe he was made in the image of God, this dominion and rule were granted unto him. So fond is their imagination who would have the image of God to con- fift folely in thefe things. Wherefore the lofs of the image of God was not originally the lofs ofpower and dominion, or a right thereunto. But man was deprived of that right, on the lofs of that image which it was granted unto: wherein it did conflit. See Ecclef. vii. 29. Ephef. iv. 24 Three things God defigned in this communication of his imageunto our nature, which were his principal ends in the creation of all things here below. And therefore was divine wifdom more eminently exerted therein, than in all the other works of this inferiour creation. a.] The firft was, that he might therein make a reprefentation of his holinefs and righteoufnefs among his creatures. This was not done in any other of them. Charaftersthey had on them of his goodnefs, wifdom and power. In thefe things the heavens declare the glory ofGod, andthe fir- mamentfhewetb bis, bandy -work. His eternal power andGodhead are ma- nifeft in the things thatare made. But none of them, not the whole fa- brick of heaven and earth, with all their glorious ornaments and endow- ments, were either fit or able to receive any impreflions of his holinefs and righteoufnefs, of anyof the moral perfeetions, or univerfal rectitude of his nature. Yet in the demonftration and reprefentation of thefe things cloth the glory of God principally confift. Without them he could not beknown and glorified as God. Wherefore he would have an image and reprefentation of them in the creation here below. And this he will al- ways have fo long as he will be worfhiped by any of his creatures. And p therefore when it was loft in Adam, it was renewed in Chrift, as bath been declared. 2.] The fecotïd was, that it might be a means ofrenderingaftual glory unto him, from all other parts of the creation: Without this, which is as the animating life and form of the whole; the other creatures are but as a dead thing. They could not any way declare the glory of God, but paf ively and objec ively. They were as an harmonious well tuned inftrument, which gives no found, unlefs there be askilful hand to move and aft its What is light if there be no eye to fee it? or what is mu- tick if there be no ear to hear it? How glorious and beautiful foever any of the works of creation appear to be, from impreflions of divine power, wifdom and goodnefs on them, yet without this image of God in man, there was nothing here below to underítand God in them, to glori- fy God by them. This alone is that whereby in a wayof admiration, obe= dience and praife, we were enabled to render unto God all the glory which he deigned from thole worksof his .power. H h- g:] Thy
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