Chapter 8: Of the State of Man in Innocence by Creation

Q How does the providence of God exercise itself towards man?

A. In a fourfold estate; the state of Innocency by creation before the fall, the state of Corruption by and since the fall, the state of grace in this world, and the state of Glory in the world to come.

Q What was the state of man in Innocency by creation before the fall?

A. God did as it were deliberate with himself, the Father, Son, and Spirit consulting together about the making of man, and therefore it must needs be that the state of man at the first by God's creating of him, was very excellent.

Q. Wherein did his chief excellency consist?

A. In that he was made in the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27).

Q. What was that image of God?

A. Principally it stood in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness (Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24; Ecclesiastes 7:29).

Q. What was the knowledge that man was endued withal in that estate?

A. He did then truly, and distinctly know God, and the will of God, with the nature of the creatures, and his own present happiness.

Q. What was that holiness and righteousness?

A. That his will, and affections, with his whole heart and soul, was exactly conformable to the revealed will of God.

Q. Did not man in that state besides this conformity to God enjoy communion with God?

A. Yes, at that time there was great amity, and love between God and man, all the distance that is now being risen since as the effect and fruit of sin.

Q Did not the place where man was then put, something set forth his happiness in that estate?

A. Yes; for he was placed in Paradise which was an excellent garden planted by God himself, and abounding with all delight, and pleasures (Genesis 2:8, 9, 10, 15).

Q But seeing man was to work and labor in the garden in dressing and keeping it, how does this agree with happiness?

A. Yes very well, because happiness does not consist in idleness; and as for his labor, it then was, and always should have been without pain, and weariness, if man had continued in that estate.

Q. What was man's condition at that time in respect of food and raiment?

A. The earth at that time was furnished with plenty, and variety of wholesome and delightsome fruits, and he had liberty to eat of them all, except only of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16).

Q. His food then was excellent; but what was his apparel?

A. Such was the strength and beauty of his body outwardly, and the perfection of God's image, wherewith he was clothed inwardly, that he had no need of other bodily apparel either in respect of shame or season of weather, and therefore he lived naked (Genesis 2:25).

Q. What was his condition in respect of other creatures?

A. All the fishes of the sea, all the birds of the air, and beasts of the field were all of them subject to his dominion, and rule (Genesis 1:20, 28, and 2:19, 20).

Q. But what help had he in his condition against solitariness?

A. The Lord saw it was not good for a man to be alone, and that among all the other creatures there was not a meet help for him, and therefore of a rib of his side he made a woman and brought her to the man to be his wife (Genesis 2:18, &c.).

Q But why was man created last of all creatures?

A. This also does declare his excellency and happy estate by creation; for being made last it appears thereby, that he was under God the end for which the other creatures were made, and so was more excellent than they, as the end is more excellent than the means.

Q How else did the time of man's creation declare his happiness?

A. It appears thereby, that God would not make him before he had first provided for him, but brought him into the world as into a great store-house already fully furnished with all variety of good things that might be for his service and comfort.