The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

Hitherto hath been entreated of the Creatures of all sorts, some of them being only spiritual Creatures, as the Angels; some of them only bodily creatures, as all the rest in Heaven and earth: Now followeth, that we consider of man, who is a creature both spiritual in respect of his soul, and corporal in respect of the outward matter of which he consists. A creature, into whom enters the composition of all the world; Nature as it is spiritual and bodily meeting in man: for man is the Epitome of all Gods works, and a pattern of the great Universe: He is the world abridged, or the little world, into whose being enters the nature of every thing without him, ⟨p. 195⟩being a creature partly terrestrial, partly celestial, partly mortal, partly immortal: so as what God made a part in other creatures, he makes perfect and jointly together in man: He had made spirits by themselves, and bodies by themselves, and then he makes a Creature that should consist of spirit and body joined together; and therefore as we have read in the great Book of nature which is the world, so now we must learn to read in the little Book of Nature, which is man: else it will be a shame for us to know other things, and not know our selves: He were a senseless man, that did know curiously all the rooms in other mens Palaces, and yet knows not so much as a corner of his own dwelling.

Hitherto hath beene intreated of the Creatures of all sorts, some of them being onely spirituall Creatures, as the Angels; some of them onely bodily creatures, as all the rest in Heauen and earth: Now followeth, that we consider of man, who is a creature both spirituall in respect of his soule, and corporall in respect of the outward matter of which he consists. A creature, into whom enters the composition of all the world; Nature as it is spirituall and bodily meeting in man: for man is the Epitomie of all Gods works, and a patterne of the great Vniuerse: He is the world abridged, or the little world, into whose being enters the nature of euery thing without him, ⟨p. 195⟩being a creature partly terrestriall, partly celestiall, partly mortall, partly immortall: so as what God made a part in other creatures, he makes perfect and ioyntly together in man: He had made spirits by themselues, and bodies by themselues, and then he makes a Creature that should consist of spirit and body ioyned together; and therefore as wee haue read in the great Booke of nature which is the world, so now we must learne to read in the little Booke of Nature, which is man: else it will be a shame for vs to know other things, and not know our selues: He were a sencelesse man, that did know curiously all the roomes in other mens Palaces, and yet knowes not so much as a corner of his owne dwelling.