3. Besides this, He did not only make Man so noble a Creature in his Frame, but he made him after his own Image in Holiness. He imparted to him a Spark of his own Comeliness, in order to a communion with himself in Happiness, had Man stood his ground in his trial, and used those Faculties well, which had been the gift of his Bountiful Creator: He made Man after his Image, after his own Image;† That as a Coin bears the Image of the Prince, so did the Soul of Man the Image of God: Not the Image of Angels, though the speech be in the Plural Number, [Let us make Man.] 'Tis not to a Creature, but to a Creator; Let us, that are his Makers, make him in the Image of his Makers. God Created Man, Angels did not Create him; God Created Man in his own Image, not therefore in the Image of Angels: The Nature of God, and the Nature of Angels are not the same. Where in the whole Scripture is Man said to be made after the Image of Angels? God made Man not in the Image of Angels, to be conformed to them as his Prototype; but in the Image of the Blessed God, to be conformed to the Divine Nature: That as he was conformed to the Image of his Holiness, he might also partake of the Image of his Blessedness, which without it could not be attained: For as the felicity of God could not be clear without an unspotted Holiness, so neither can there be a glorious Happiness without Purity in the Creature; This God provided for in his Creation of Man, giving him such accomplishments in those two Excellent Pieces of Soul and Body, that nothing was wanting to him but his own will, to instate him in an invariable Felicity. He was possessed with such a Nature by the hand of Divine Goodness, such a loftiness of Understanding, and purity of Faculties, that he might have been for ever Happy as well as the standing Angels: And he was placed in such a Condition, that moved the envy of fallen Spirits; He had as much Grace bestowed upon him, as was proportionable to that Covenant God then made with him: The Tenor of which was, That his Life should continue so long as his Obedience, and his Happiness endure so long as his Integrity: And as God by Creation had given him an Integrity of Nature, so he had given him a power to persist in it, if he would. Herein is the Goodness of God displayed, that he made Man after his own Image.
3. Besides this, He did not only make Man so noble a Creature in his Frame, but he made him after his own Image in Holiness. He imparted to him a Spark of his own Comeliness, in order to a communion with himself in Happiness, had Man stood his ground in his tryal, and used those Faculties well, which had been the gift of his Bountiful Creator: He made Man after his Image, after his own Image;† That as a Coyn bears the Image of the Prince, so did the Soul of Man the Image of God: Not the Image of Angels, though the speech be in the Plural Number, [Let us make Man.] 'Tis not to a Creature, but to a Creator; Let us, that are his Makers, make him in the Image of his Makers. God Created Man, Angels did not Create him; God Created Man in his own Image, not therefore in the Image of Angels: The Nature of God, and the Nature of Angels are not the same. Where in the whole Scripture is Man said to be made after the Image of Angels? God made Man not in the Image of Angels, to be conformed to them as his Prototype; but in the Image of the Blessed God, to be conformed to the Divine Nature: That as he was conform'd to the Image of his Holiness, he might also partake of the Image of his Blessedness, which without it could not be attained: For as the felicity of God could not be clear without an unspotted Holiness, so neither can there be a glorious Happiness without Purity in the Creature; This God provided for in his Creation of Man, giving him such accomplishments in those two Excellent Pieces of Soul and Body, that nothing was wanting to him but his own will, to instate him in an invariable Felicity. He was possessed with such a Nature by the hand of Divine Goodness, such a loftiness of Understanding, and purity of Faculties, that he might have been for ever Happy as well as the standing Angels: And he was placed in such a Condition, that moved the envy of fallen Spirits; He had as much Grace bestow'd upon him, as was proportionable to that Covenant God then made with him: The Tenor of which was, That his Life should continue so long as his Obedience, and his Happiness endure so long as his Integrity: And as God by Creation had given him an Integrity of Nature, so he had given him a power to persist in it, if he would. Herein is the Goodness of God display'd, that he made Man after his own Image.
- †Gen. 1.26, 27.
