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Help to the Man, Gen. ii. 18. Adam and Eve were the firft Man and Woman: And from them all Man kind is descended: Acts xvii. 26. ' God hath made of

one blood, all nations of men, for to dwell on all the 'face of the earth.' The Parts whereof Man confifts, are a Soul and a Body. The Body of the Man was made of the Duft of the Ground: Gen. ii. 7. The Lord God formed man of the duft of the ground, and breathed into his noftrils the breath of life; and man became a living foul.' Which Con fideration may be of Use to us, to be a Cure to our Pride, a Memorial of our Death, and an Emblem of our Refurrection. The Woman's Body was made of a Rib and Flesh taken out of the Man's Side: Gen. ii. 23. And Adam faid, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man ;' and that to the End they might be one Flesh, verf. 24. 'Therefore fhall a man leave his father and his 'mother, and fhall cleave unto his wife: and they fhall be one flesh.' The Soul is of a fpiritual and immortal Nature: Eccl. xii. 7. Then shall the duft return to the earth as it was; and the fpirit fhall return unto God who gave it.' Their Souls were made within them, of Nothing: Gen. ii. 7. above cited. Zech.xii.. The Lord, which form

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eth the fpirit of man within him.' But Mofes gives no separate Account of the making of their Souls, as of the making of their Bodies; because their Souls were not of a different Make, but only their Bodies. Neither are the Souls of Men fince that Time generated by the Parents, but created of God within their formed Bodies in the Womb; hence called the Father of Spirits, Heb. xii. 9. Now, Man was created in a holy and happy State; which

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which appears, in that he was made fo far like God, that he was after his very Image, Gen. i. 26. And this was not peculiar to the Man, but common to the Man and the Woman, verf. 27. ' So 'God created man in his own image, in the i

mage of God created he him: male and female 'created he them.' The Image of God wherein Man was fo like him, confifted in Knowledge, Righteoufnefs, and Holinefs, and Dominion over the Creatures: Col. iii. 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the 'image of him that created him.' Eph. iv. 24. And

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that ye put on the new man, which after God is 'created in righteousness and true holinefs.' Gen. i. 26. 'God faid, Let us make man in our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the 'fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and < over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over "every creeping thing that creepeth upon the

earth.' The Parts of the Image of God impreffed on his Soul, were, Knowledge on his Mind, Righteousness on his Will, and Holiness on his Affections. His Knowledge was a fufficient Understanding of what was neceffary to make him compleatly happy, Gen. i. 26. Col. iii. 10. His Righteoufnefs was a perfect Conformity of his Will to the Will of God: And his Holiness was the perfect Purity of all his Affections. Eccl. vii. 29. 'God made man up

right.' That Part of the Image of God impreffed on the whole Man, was Dominion over the Creatures. The Creatures he had Dominion over, were the Beasts of the Earth, the Fowls of the Air, and the Fishes of the Sea, Gen. i. 26. The Dominion he had over them, was a Right and Power soberly to use them for God's Glory and his own Comfort. His

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Charter for this Right to the Creatures, was the Covenant of Works, Gen. ii. 16. 17. compared with Chap. i. 28. Have dominion over the fish ' of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and o ver every living thing that moveth upon the earth.' And in thefe Things Man bore the Image of God, as in him he faintly resembled God himfelf, who is infinitely knowing, righteous, and holy, and fupreme Lord of the Creatures. Now, Adam bore this Image as a public Perfon, to propagate it to his Pofterity: Eccl. vii. 29. 'God made man upright. But it was loft to himself and all Mankind, by his Fall, 1 Cor. xv. 22. In Adam all die ;' and that even to the forfeiting of the Dominion over the Creatures; an Evidence of which is, Beasts proving unruly, and hurtful to Man. The only Way to recover the Image of God, is to unite with Jefus Chrift by Faith: 1 Cor. xv. 22. 'In Chrift shall all be made alive." For he is the Image of the invisible God, and to him as a fecond Adam is the Dominion over the Creatures reftored: Col. i. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the 'first-born of every creature. Pfal. viii. 6. 7. 8, • Thou madeft him to have dominion over the ' works of thy hands; thou haft put all things under 'his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beafts ' of the field: the fowl of the air, and the fish of

the fea, and whatsoever paffeth through the paths ⚫ of the feas. Compared with Heb. ii. 7. 8. 9. • Thou madeft him a little lower than the angels; 'thou crownedft him with glory and honour, and 'didst set him over the works of thy hands: thou haft put all things in fubjection under his feet, &c. And he repairs this Image in all that believe on him. The Reparation of the loft Image of God in their Souls

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is begun in their Sanctification in him, and perfected in their Glorification Col. iii. 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.' Heb, xii. 23. To the fpirits of juft men, made perfect.” The Reparation of the loft Dominion over the Creatures, is begun in their getting a new Right to them in their Union with him, and perfected in their being put in full Poffeffion of the Dominion at the laft Day: Rom. iv. 13. For the promise that he fhould be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his feed through the law, but through the righteoufnefs of faith.' Rev. xxi, 7. He that overcometh, fhall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my fon.' Pfal. xlix. 14. Like fheep they are laid in the grave, death fhall feed on them; and the upright fhall have dominion over them in the morning.' Their Charter for this new Right to the Creatures, is the Covenant of Grace, Rom. iv. 13. forecited. But they that are out of Christ, have no Covenant-right to the Creatures, but only a pro, vidential Right: And that is such a Right, as a condemned Man hath to his Food, until his Exe, cution. The Management that Men now have over the Beasts, is far fhort of the original Dominion over them: Gen. ii. 19. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam, to fee what he would call them and whatfoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." But fuch as it is, it is owing to a new Grant made after the Fall, for the Neceffities of human Life; which new Grant is found recorded, Gen. ix, 2. And

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the fear of you, and the dread of you, fhall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the fea; into your hand are they delivered.'

Queft. 11. What are God's Works of Providence?

Anf. God's Works of Providence are, his most holy, wife, and powerful preferving and governing all his Creatures, and all their Actions.

EXPLICATIO N.

There is a divine Providence about the Crea tures. That appears, from their entire Dependence on God as their firft Caufe, and from the exact Accomplishment of Scripture-prophecies: Acts xvii. 25. God is not worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, feeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.' verf. 28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain alfo of your own poets have faid, For we are ⚫ alfo his offspring.' If. xlvi. 9. 10. Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none elfe; I am God, and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, faying, My counsel shall stand, and I will ⚫ do all my pleafure.'

The Object which Providence is employed about, is all the Creatures, and all their Actions, Pfal. ciii. 19. His kingdom ruleth over all.' EB 4

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