i22 c.f1 De.claration of theGlorious MYSTERY 3,1 The thirdwas, that it might be a means to bring man unto that eternal enjoyment of himfelf, which he was fitted for, and defigned unto. For this was to be done in a way of obedience : Do tloia and live, was that rule of it which the nature of God and man, with their !nutua! relation unto one another did require. but we were mademeet for this obedience, and enabled unto it, only by virtue of this image of God implanted in our natures. It was morallya power to live unto God in obedience, that we mightrome to the enjoymentof him inglory. Evident it is, that thefe were the principal endsofGodin the creationofall things. Wherefore this tontti- tution ofour nature, and-the furnifhment of it with the image of God, was the molt eminent efech of infinite wifdom in all the outwardworks of the divine nature. 2. In the entrance of fin, and by apoffafy from God, man voluntarily tejefted and defaced this 'bleffed reprefentation of the righteoufnefs and holinefs ofGod, this great effect of his goodnefs and wifdom, in its ten- dency unto his eternal glory, and our enjoyment ofhim. No greater dif- honour couldbe done unto him, no endeavour could have been more per- nicious 'in caning contempt on his counfel. For as his holinefs which was reprefented in that image was defpoiled, fo we did what lay in us to defeat' the contrivance of his wifdom. This will be evident by refledling on theends of it now mentioned. For I.) Hereon there remained nothing in all the creation here below, whereby any reprefentation might be made of God's holinefs and righteouf nefs, or any of the moral perfe&ions ofhis nature. How could it be done this image being dobbin of the world ? The brute inanimate part of the Creation, however ftupendioully great in its matter, and glorious in its outward form, was no way capable of it, The nature of man under the lofs of this image, fallen, depraved, polluted and corrupted, gives rather a reprefentation and image offatan, than ofGod. Hence inffead of goodnefs, love, righteoufnefs, holinefs, peace, all virtues ufefully communi- cative and efehive of the good ofthe whole race ofmankind, whirls would have been efebs of this image of God, and reprefentatives of his na- ture, the whole world from and by the 'nature of ma-n, is filled with envy, malice, revenge, cruelty, opprellion, and all enginesofpromoting felf, whereunto man is wholly turned, as fallen of from God. He that would learn the divine nature, from the reprefentation that is made of it, in the prefect atings of the nature of man, will begradually lead unto the devil inftead of God. Wherefore no greater indignity could be of- fered unto divine wifdom and holinefs, than there was in this rejebion of the image of God wherein we were created. 2.) 'There was no way left whereby glory might redound unto God, from the remainder of thecreation here'below. For the nature of man a- lone was defigned to be theway and means of it, by virtue of the image ofGod implanted on it. Wherefore man by fin did not only draw off himfelf from that relation unto God wherein lae was made, but drew off the wholecreation here belowwith himfelf, into anufelefnefs unto his glory. And upon the entrance offin, >before the cure of our apoftafy was actual- ly accomplifhed, thegenerality of mankind divided the creatures into two forts; thofe above, or the heavenly bodies, and thofe here below. Thofe of the firft fort They worfhiped as their Gods; and thofe of the other fort they abtsfed unto their lufts. Wherefore God was every way difho- noured in and by them all ; nor was there any glory given him on their account. What force attempted to do of that nature, in a wifdomoftheir own, ended in folly, and a renewed difhonour of God, as the apoftle de- clares, ,Rom. i. 18, 19,-21, 22. 3.) Man
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=