every one that which is just and equal;—which difpofition properly lies in the will.The will or bent of Adam's foul to righteoufnefs whilft he bore his maker's image, was fixt and perfect: he was heartily difpofed in all things to give unto Gop the honour due unto his name, by yielding the moft implicit faith in his word, universal obedience to his law, and the most unfeigned fubmiffion to his fovereign pleasure: he had no more difpofition to evil in his will than he had of darkness in his understanding.

HAD he lived for ages in that ftate he could not have judged otherwise than that it was just and right to love his Creator with all his heart, mind and ftrength; and his neighbour as himself, nor would he have chosen any other way.

In his will there was no indifference or doubtful fufpence whether to chufe good or evil; but he heartily chofe the former, and rejected the latter. The law of GOD was in his heart, and his foul abhorred all manner of evil; and had he not finned against knowledge, and refifted the righteous bent of his foul, he could never have fallen; for the bias of his mind was continually on the fide of righteousness: This fet or difpofition of foul in all things to pleafe GOD and live to his glory was created with him that he might be a proper image of him who eternally and infinitely wills good, and as neceffa

rily

rily bates evil. Thus the first man was endued with natural powers and moral propenfities to keep the whole law of his maker. Righteousness went before him in the facred bias of his will, and knowledge in understanding, as a light to direct his way whilst a consciousness of the divine favour, honor and felicity attended his fteps whitherfoever he went.

3. He was created in true boliness; this part of the divine image feems to be placed in the affections. What the foul apprehends to be amiable, juft and good, is as fuch pointed out by the understanding, chosen by the will, and embraced by the affections; had not these been holy and pure, concurring on all occasions, and harmonizing with the understanding and the will, his foul must have been the feat of continual ftrife and war, which is a state infinitely oppofite to the ever bleffed GOD. But in these alfo he refembled his Maker who is glorious in holiness; to do his will and obey his voice was as pleasant food to his foul, the fervice of GOD is perfect freedom; by experience he knew that wifdem's ways were ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace. Whatsoever things were holy juft and good were undoubtedly the very joy of his heart. Where the affections are holy, heavenly, undefiled; they abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good; by these the foul enjoys its

beloved

beloved object, as it is diftinguifhed by the underftanding, and chofen by the will; and from hence arifes the happinefs of the rational foul, whofe felicity is marr'd or interrupted, when betwixt thefe faculties there is any difagreement, ftrife or war. But Adam was created pure, and therefore happy in the enjoyment of him that made him, and in running the ways of his commandments with an enlarged heart.

THE glorious ftate of this inner man was doubtlefs to be feen through the veil of that earthly body with which his Creator had cloathed him. It is highly probable that a vifible brightnefs and glory refted on him being all glorious within, his cloathing was of wrought gold; the workmanship of him that is perfect in knowledge, all whofe works praife him; 'tis certain that every member of his body offered themselves willingly as fo many fervants, or inftruments of righteousness unto God; he had no fleshly luft oppofing the law of his mind, and warring against the foul; every fenfitive appetite was temperate, orderly, and in due fubjection there was no call for any act of violence, or reftraint to keep the body under, for it was free from every murmuring rebellious paffion or inordinate affection. Truely this was a perfect man :he was holy throughout in body, foul and fpirit, for the body itfelf was finlefs, incorruptible and glorious. Thus God created man perfect and en

tire

tire, lacking nothing. Within was knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, divine order, harmony and peace; without dignity, glory, and beauty: Thus man in his native innocence and purity was a veffel unto honor; fanctified, and meet for his Creator's ufe and fervice.

THE rectitude and dignity of the human na ture before man fell, cannot be rationally doubted: good and upright in the LORD, and fuch he created man; to fuppofe the contrary is charging GOD foolishly: It is equally abfurd and blafphemous to imagine that God created man in that dark depraved condition he is now in ; as is the worker fo are his works: GOD is infinitely perfect; boly, just and good, and fuch are the operations of his hands, all whose works praise him; for when God had finished his works of creation, he beheld every thing that he had made, and behold they were very good.

By image and likeness in our text, I conceive is meant, a just, exact, and complete fimilitude in the whole man, both in body and in foul; internally and externally he was created in the image and likeness of his Maker.

LIKENESS here is not fuppofed to be exegetical, or explanatory of the term image; but of different fignification; which distinction should be carefully Roted in the paffage before us: By image then I unC derstand

1

derftand a moral internal refemblance; and by likeness an external form or figure.-The fame diftinction may be observed where Adam after his fall is faid to beget a fon in his own image after bis likeness that is, depraved and corrupt as himself was internally, and of the fame shape or form externally. Thus likeness is reftrained by Mofes to the outward form or figure of any thing: as, on the contrary, when St. Paul tells us that the new man in Believers is created in knowledge,righteousness,and true bolinefs, after the image of him that created him; it must be neceffarily understood of an internal moral rectitude of the rational foul.

4. THE fcripture I think clearly fhews that the firft Adam was a created image, or living picture of JESUS, IMMANUEL, our incarnate GOD; in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily +. The exprefs image of the invifible GOD is the only begotten Son JESUS CHRIST, who in the fullness of time (according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of GoD) affumed a human body, in which the Deity dwells, and will dwell through all eternity; as he faith in the Pfalms, this is my reft for ever, here will I dwell, for I have defired it.

BUT he that before all time exifted in the form of God, and therefore counted it no robbery to be equal

Deut. iv. 16. 17. ↑ Col. ii. 9.

† Pfa. cxxxii. 14.