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CHAP.
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Luke xiv.

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message by his servants, is-Come; for all things are now ready.

19. It never was intended by the Creator of all things, that any part of creation should be redeemed or governed by a foreign power; for that would have laid a foundation for confusion, and showed a lack of wisdom in the whole order of things; which may be observed from things that are natural.

20. But God, in his wisdom, proportioned to every part of creation, its own internal government, without dependence on foreign aid, or the fear of foreign invasion.

21. And therefore, when Christ Jesus came into the world as the redeemer and ruler of his dominion, he did not come descending through the air from some remote part of space, but being born into the old creation, he was commissioned and sent from God, while dwelling in the midst of those whom he came to redeem, and over whom he was appointed ruler.

22. And thus was fulfilled the words of the prophMicah v. et: Out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel. Plainly showing, that in the order of things, the power of redemption would arise out of that creation itself which needed a redeemer.

23. Seeing then that the whole of God's work is connected like the links of a chain, and that one thing rises out of another in an increasing line from beginning to end; it will be proper to treat of things in their true and natural order as they arise, from age to age; from which the appearing of Christ, first and last, may be understood in its true nature and design.

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CHAPTER. II.

The State of Man in his first Creation.

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LL things were made and created for the honour CHAP. and glory of the invisible first-cause, whom we call God the Father of angels and men-a being of infinite perfections-eternal, and unchangeable in his nature and purpose; from everlasting to everlastingpossessing all power and wisdom-the centre of all goodness-the true spring of eternal life, and the only source of true happiness.

2. In the beginning God set in order the creation of the visible heavens and the earth; and "made every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every Gen. herb of the field before it grew for the Lord God had 4, 5. not caused it to rain upon the earth.”

3. By which it may be understood, that God reserved the times and seasons in his own power: for although it was said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, chap. i. the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit =after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: AND IT WAS SO."

4. Yet it was NOT INSTANTLY SO. The earth could not bring forth grass, nor the herb yield seed, nor the fruit tree yield fruit, any otherwise than according to the laws of creation established in each particular thing, whose sced was in itself after its own kind; and according to the order of times and seasons appointed by the Creator, in the law of nature.

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5. This was the law and order established in the vegetable creation and every thing was beautiful after its kind, and in its times and seasons. "And God saw that it was good."

6. Therefore no inferior law could be given to any superior part of the creation: but each part of the creation must be regulated by a law equal to its own inferior or superior dignity, that the whole might operate in one harmonious concert with the first moving

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7. "And God created every living creature, which Gen. i. the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, 21, 22.

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CHAP, and every winged fowl after his kind; and God blessed them saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth."

8. "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of Gen.i.24. the earth after his kind and it was so." "And out and ii. 19. of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air."

9. Thus God made the animal part of the creation, which was superior to the vegetable, from the great whales in the sea, to the least reptile of the earth, and the smallest bird of the air; and created every particular part, with a natural law, or instinct, to be fruitful and multiply, each after its own order, and after its own kind, and in the times and seasons appointed by the Creator, and established in the law of nature.

10. And thus the animal creation was set in order; and each part after its own kind, and in its own place, showed forth the glory and power of the Creator. Gen.i.25. And God saw that it was good."

bi.7.

11. "And the Lord God formed MAN of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." That is, he became endowed with spiritual sensations and the faculties of reason. Thus MAN was created the head and most noble part of all the creation.

12. Also the animal parts of the creation, which were formed out of the ground, were endowed with animal faculties, or bodily sensations, such as hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, and smelling, which made them noble in their order.

13. And although man was formed of the ground, yet, as he was made the most noble part of the creation, distinct from his living soul, he could not be deficient of such animal sensations as pertained to any of the inferior part of the creation.

14. Therefore, distinct from his living soul, he was likewise endowed with those natural, or bodily sensations, of hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, and smelling, which are called the five senses. And thus his living sou. gave him the pre-eminence over the animal part of the creation, and constituted him a human and ra tional creature, more noble than the rest.

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15. Again, the living soul of man, being superior to CHAP. his animal body, could not therefore be deficient in any one part or sensation which pertained to the body; consequently, in the union of soul and body, every part or sensation of the body must be occupied by a corresponding part, or sensation of the soul.

16. And hence, there was also a spiritual hearing, seeing, feeling, and so on, which being superior to all those natural sensations, were capable of dictating and ordering every faculty and sensation of his natural body aright.

17. And thus MAN was created with a most noble capacity, to know how to please and serve his Creator, and how to order and govern every part of his natural capacity and bodily sensations for the honour and glory of the GREAT FIRST CAUSE.

18. And as this noble and superior capacity of the living soul, had the pre-eminence over all the inferior senses of his own natural frame; therefore MAN was capable of having the sole dominion over all the inferior creation, and of preserving its order and harmony, for his own happiness, as well as for the honour and glory of the Creator.

19. But as man was formed of the ground, like the rest of the animal parts of the creation; so like those, his natural body was of the earth earthy, and was created for time. And because God breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul; therefore his living soul was the immediate offspring of Him who is eternal, and was created for eternity.

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20. "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the Heb. an man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for helpas ber him.' For among all other living creatures that had see Mar. yet been formed, for Adam there was not found an Gen. help according to that order which was before him.

21. And out of the man, the Lord God made him an helper, who was called woman, because she was taken out of man. Thus man was formed of two parts, male and female. These two, as to their local situation were different; but in point of nature and union, they were one, and formed but the one entire MAN, complete in his manhood.

22. Therefore, as the woman was formed out of the man, who was the most noble and superior part of all

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Bible.

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CHAP. the creation, by reason of his living soul; so the woman also was endowed with those same rational faculties and governing powers, as a suitable help in the dominion and government of all the inferior creation. 23. But as the man was first formed, and afterwards the woman, to be a helper with the man; therefore she was dependant on him for her counsel and instruction, and was not first, but second in the headship of MAN, and second in the order and government of all the inferior creation. Thus the order in the first creation of man was finished.

24. "And God blessed them, and said unto them, Gen.i.28. Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

Eccl. vii. 29.

25. Also, "God made man upright—in his own image created he him," and therefore he was without Gen.i.27. blemish, as he proceeded from the fountain of all Psal. viii. wisdom and perfection-made but a little lower than the angels having dominion over the creatures, and crowned with glory and honour.

5, 6.

Heb. i. 7.

26. Thus man in his first rectitude, stood as sole lord of the earth, and the most noble part of all the creation. And being endowed with a capacity to receive the law of God in his living soul, for the right ordering of all things under his dominion, he was properly the centre of order and union to all, and comparatively, stood as a living and most noble tree in the midst of the trees of the garden.

27. And while this was his standing, being the head and centre of union to the creation, every particular part, having a law peculiar to itself, served to increase the glory and beauty of each other, and operate, and move in one general and harmonious concert, to show forth the glory and power of the great and first movG31. ing cause. “And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good."

28. But the living soul of man was united to a material and natural body, which was of the earth earthy, and which was possessive of its own animal and earthly instinct; and this constituted his state of trial, and

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