Chapter 2: The Original Righteousness of Man

For the opening of which assertion I have chosen this text (Ecclesiastes 7:29): God made man righteous, which clearly demonstrates that God made all mankind at first in Adam, in a most glorious, happy, and righteous estate. Man when he came first out of God's mint shined most glorious. There's a marvelous glory in all creatures (the servants and household stuff of man), therefore there was a greater glory in man himself, the end of them. God calls a Parliament and gathers a Council when man was to be made, and said, Come, let us make man in our own image — as though all the wisdom of the Trinity should be seen in the creation of man.

Wherein did the glory or blessedness of man appear?

In the impression of God's image upon him (Genesis 1:26). Can there be any greater glory for a Joseph, for a subject, than to be like his prince?

What was the image of God?

The schoolmen and fathers have many curious (yet some necessary) though difficult questions about this. I will omit all theirs, and tell you only what is the apostle's judgment (Colossians 3:20), out of which this general description of God's image may be thus gathered. It is man's perfection of holiness, resembling God's admirable holiness, whereby only man pleases God.

For all other inferior creatures did carry the works and footsteps of God's power, wisdom, and goodness, whereby all these attributes were seen. Now the most perfect attributes of God — that is, his holiness — he would have only appear in, and be made manifest by, man, his best inferior creature, as a king's wisdom and bounty appears in managing the affairs of all his kingdom; but his royal, princely, and most eminent perfections appear in the face and disposition of his Son, next under him. But more particularly, this image of God appeared in these four particulars.

1. In man's understanding: this was like to God's. Now God's image here chiefly consisted in this particular, namely: as God saw himself, and beheld his own infinite endless glory and excellency, so man was privy to God's excellency, and saw God most gloriously. As Moses, though a sinful man, saw him face to face, much more Adam, a perfect man. God loving man could do no less than reveal himself to man.

2. In his affections, the image of God chiefly appeared in two things.

First, as God seeing himself loved himself, so Adam seeing God loved this God, more than the world, more than himself. As iron put into the fire seems to be nothing but fire, so Adam being beloved of God was turned into a lump of love, to love God again.

Secondly, as God delighted in himself, so did Adam delight in God, and took sweet repose in the bosom of God. I think I see Adam wrapped up in continual ecstasies in having this God.

3. In his will, the image of God chiefly appeared in two things.

First, as God only willed himself as his last end, so did Adam will God as his last end, not as man does now.

Secondly, as God willed nothing but good, so did Adam will nothing but good, for God's will was his.

4. In his life, God's image did appear thus: that even as God, if he had assumed man's nature, would have lived outwardly, so did Adam. For God would have lived according to his own will, law, and rule — so did Adam. Adam's body was the lantern through which holiness, like a lamp burning in his heart, shined. This was God's image, by means of which (as it is said in the description) he pleased God, similitude being the ground of love. And hence God did most dearly love him, and highly honor him to be lord over all creatures. Hence no evil could hurt him; here was no sorrow, no sickness, no tears, no fears, no death, no hell, nor ever should have been if he had stood there.

Objection: How was this estate ours?

Answer: As Christ's righteousness is a believer's by imputation, though he never performed it himself, so Adam's righteousness and image was imputed to us and accounted ours. For Adam received our stock or patrimony to keep it for us, and to convey it to us. Hence he proving bankrupt, we lost it. But we had it in his hands, as an orphan may have a great estate left him, though he never receives one penny of it from him that was his guardian, that should have kept it for him, and conveyed it to him.

Here see the horrible nature of sin, that plucks man down by the ears from his throne, from his perfection, though never so great. Adam might have pleaded for himself and said: Although I have sinned, yet it is but one, and the first fault. Lord, behold I am your firstborn — oh, pity my poor posterity, who are forever undone if you do not forgive. Yet see, one sin weighs him down, and all his posterity (as we shall hear) into eternal ruin.

Hence learn how justly God may require perfect obedience to all the law of every man, and curse him if he cannot perform it — because man was at first made in such a glorious estate, wherein he had power given him to please God perfectly. God may therefore require this debt of perfect obedience. Now man is broke and in prison; in hell must he lie forever if he cannot pay justice every farthing, because God trusted him with a stock, which if he had well improved, he might have paid all.

See what cause every man has to lament his miserable estate he is now fallen into. For beggars' children to live as vagrants and poor is not so lamentable as for a great prince's children to become such. One never in favor with the prince grieves not as he does that was once in favor, but now cast out. Man is now rejected of God, that was beloved of God; he is now a fugitive up and down the earth, that was once a prince and lord of all the world. This is one aggravation of the damned's sorrows: oh, the hopes, the means, the mercies that once I had! Can these — do these lament for the loss of their bare hopes and common mercies? Lord, what hearts then have men that cannot, do not, that will not lament the loss of such special high favors, now gone, which once they had. It is said that those that saw the glory of the first Temple wept when they saw the glory of the second, and how inferior it was to the first. You that either have the Temple of God begun to be repaired in you, or not begun at all — oh, think of the Temple burnt, the glory of God now vanished and lost.

This speaks comfort to all God's people. If all Adam's posterity were perfectly righteous in him, then you that are of the blood royal, and in Christ, are perfectly righteous in him much more, inasmuch as the righteousness of the second Adam exceeds the first, so are you more happy, more holy in the second Adam, than ever the first in himself was; he might lose all his righteousness, but the second Adam cannot, has not; so that if Christ may be damned, then you may, else not.

This likewise reproves three sorts of people.

1. Such as are ashamed of holiness. Lord, what times are we fallen into now. The image of God, which was once men's glory, is now their shame; and sin, which is men's shame, is now their glory. The world has raised up many false reports of holy courses, calling it folly and preciseness, pride, hypocrisy, and that whatever shows men may make they are as bad as the worst, if their sins were written in their foreheads. Hence it comes to pass that many a man, who is almost persuaded to be a new man and to turn over a new lease, dares not, will not, for shame of the world, enter upon religious courses. What will they think of me then (says he?) men are ashamed to refuse to drink healths, and hence maintain them lawful. Our gallants are ashamed to stay a mile behind the fashion: hence they will defend open and naked breasts and strange apparel as things comely; O time-servers! that have some conscience to desire to be honest and to be reputed so, yet conform themselves to all companies; if they hear others swear, they are ashamed to reprove them; they are ashamed to enter the lists of holy discourse in bad company, and they will pretend discretion, and we must not cast pearls before swine; but the bottom of the business is, they are ashamed to be holy. O fearful! Is it a shame to be like God? O sinful wretches. It's a credit to be anything but religious, and with many, religion is a shame. I wonder with what face you dare pray, or with what look you will behold the Lord of glory at the last day, who are ashamed of him now, that will be admired of all men, angels and devils then? Do you look for wages from Christ, who are ashamed to own Christ, or to wear his livery?

2. It reproves them that hate holiness, which is more than to be ashamed of it.

3. It reproves them that content themselves with a certain measure of holiness. Perfect holiness was Adam's image whereby he pleased God, and shall a little holiness content you?

Now there are these three sorts of them.

1. The Formalist, who contents himself with some holiness, as much as will credit him.

The form and name of religion is honos, honour sometimes; but the power and practice of it, is onus, a burden: hence men take up the first, and shake off the second. And indeed the greatest part take up this course, if they have no goodness, they should be the shame, scorn, and table-talk of the times; therefore every man will for his honour's sake, have his form. Now this form is according to the mold wherein he is cast: if his acquaintance be but civil, he will be like them; if they be more exact, as to pray, read, confer, he will not stay one inch behind them. If to be better than his companions, to bear the bell before them will credit him, he will be so whatever it cost him; but yet he never will be so exact in his course as to be hated for it, unless he perceives the hatred he contracts from some men shall be recompensed with the more love and credit by other men. He disguises himself according to the places, or company he comes into. King Joash was a good man so long as Jehoiada the Priest lived. If a little religion will serve to credit men, that shall serve for that time, if more in another place, you shall then have them commending good men, good sermons, good books, and dropping forth 2 or 3 good sentences; what will they think of him then? They cover themselves over with these fig leaves of common honesty to cover their nakedness; they bait all their courses over with honesty, that they may catch, for they fish only for credit.

One may trap these people thus: Follow them in their private houses, there is worldliness, passion, looseness, and to their private chambers, there they ordinarily neglect or shuffle over duties to their private vain thoughts. In this tiring house you shall then see these stage players, their shop-windows are shut, here no honesty is to be seen scarce, because their gain, their respect comes not in at this door where none beholds them: Let either minister or any faithful friend search, try, discover, accuse and condemn these men, as rotten (though gilded) posts, as unsound, hollow-hearted wretches, their hearts will swell like toads, and hiss like snakes, and bark like dogs against them that thus censure them, because they rob them of their God they served, their gain is gone.

2. The guilty self-condemned sinner, that goes further than the Formalist, and contents himself with so much holiness as will quit him, and hence all the heathen have had some religion, because they had some conscience to trouble them. This man, if he has lived in foul sins, and begins to be racked and troubled for them, he will then confess and forsake those roaring sins; but how? as a dog does his meat, not because he hates his carrion, but because he fears the cudgel; he performs holy duties, not because he will use them, but because he must use them, there is no quiet else. If conscience be still, he omits duties: if conscience cry and stir, he falls to duties; and so has his good mood as conscience has its fits. They boast and crow over hypocrites, because the holiness they have is not a bare show; No, but it is to stop your conscience, and only to quiet the clamors of that. You bribe, and so quiet (the bailiff,) your conscience, by your praying, hearing, and sorrowing, but God your judge has heavy things to lay to your charge, before whom you will shortly with dread appear.

3. The pinching devout hypocrite, that being pursued with the fear of Hell, goes further, and labors for just so much holiness as will save him only, and carry him to heaven at last. Hence the young man in the Gospel came with that great question to Christ, which many unsound hearts come with to Ministers now, what he should do to inherit eternal life. These people set up such a man in their thoughts to be a very honest man, and one doubtless that shall be saved, and hence they will take him to be their copy and sampler, and labor to do as he does, and to live just as he lives, and to hold opinions as he holds, and so hope to be saved. They will ask very inquisitively what is the least measure of grace, and the least grain of faith, and the best sermons are not such as humble them most, but such as flatter them best; wherein they may hear how well good desires are accepted of by God; which if they hear to be of that virtue to save them, God shall be served only with good desires, and the devil in deed all their lifetime.

Thus they pinch God; they labor not after so much holiness as will honor Christ, but after just so much as will bear their charges to heaven, and save themselves. For this is one of the greatest differences between a child of God and a hypocrite. In their obedience, the one takes up duties out of love to Christ, to have him, and hence he mourns daily, because Christ is no greater gainer by him: the other does it out of love to himself, merely to save his own soul; and hence he mourns for his sins, because they may damn him. Remember that place therefore (1 Corinthians 15, last verse).

Lastly, labor to get this image of God renewed again. Honest men will labor to pay their debts; this is God's debt. How do men labor to be in the fashion; better to be out of the world, than out of the fashion. To be like God is heaven's fashion, angels' fashion, and it will be in fashion one day, when the Lord Jesus shall appear. Then if you have the superscription and image of the devil, and not the image of God upon you, God and Christ will never own you at that day. Labor therefore to have God's image restored again, and Satan's washed out, seek not, as many do, to purchase such and such a grace first: but.

1. Labor to mortify and subdue that sin, which is opposite in your heart to that grace. First, put off the old man, and then put on the new (Ephesians 4).

2. Labor for a melting tender heart for the least sin. Gold is then only fit to receive the impression, when it is tender and is melted; when your heart is heated therefore at a sermon, cry out, Lord now strike, now imprint your image upon me.

3. Labor to see the Lord Jesus in his glory. For as wicked men looking upon the evil example of great ones in the world, that will bear them out, grow like them in villainy: so the very beholding the glorious grace in Christ, this great Lord of glory, transforms men into his image (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). As the glass set full against the sun receives not only the beams, as all other dark bodies do, but the image of the sun: so the understanding with open face beholding Christ, is turned into the image and likeness of Christ. Men nowadays look only to the best men's lives, and see how they walk, and rest here; O look higher to this blessed face of God in Christ, as your own; as the application of the seal to the wax imprints the image, so to view the grace of Christ, as all yours, imprints the same image strongly on the soul. I come now to the third principal head, in order, which I shall insist upon, out of Romans 3:23. All have sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God. From where observe.