When the first matter was strictly created out of nothing, " the " Spirit (as Moses excellently expresseth it, chap. i. 2.) *j- hovered, " or moved over it as a bird over her eggs, and, as it were, by " way of incubation, cherishing and influencing it," did thereby draw forth all the creatures into their several forms, and distinct particular natures, wherein we now, with delight and admiration, behold them.
In this manner and order was the stately fabric of the world produced and erected ; but as yet, it remained as a fair and well- furnished house without an inhabitant. God had employed infi- nite wisdom and power about it, and engraven his name upon the meanest creature in it ; but there was no creature yet made (ex- cept angels, the inhabitants of another city) to read the name and celebrate the praises of the Almighty Creator.
He therefore thought the world imperfect till there was a crea- ture made that could contemplate, praise, and worship the Maker of it ; for this very use and purpose was man created, that he might not only see, but consider the things he saw ; discourse, and rationally collect out of them the things he saw not ; and both praise, and love the Maker for, and in them all.
The palaces of princes are not beautified and adorned, to the intent men should pay their respects and honours to the walls, but to shew the grandeur and magnificence of the king, to whose per-
* Philosophy seeks or searches after truth, but theology finds it. Jo. Pictts Miran.
+ *^m Motvs est. He moved ; a metaphor taken from the action of the eagle, when she provokes her brood to the action of flying ; and is applied by some to the communication of motion to the several parts of the planetary system. Vid. Stokius on the wordy and a Dissertation of Dr. Jennings on the place. Editor,
490 A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN.
son their honour is due, as * Athenagoras in his excellent apology for the Christians, speaks. The world is a glorious and magnifi- cent pile, raised designedly to exhibit the wisdom and power of its Creator to the reasonable creature man, that from him God might receive the glory of all his other works. Of this creature man, the master-piece of all the visible world, (and therefore crowned king over it the first moment he was made, Psal. viii. 5.) Moses in the next place, gives us the account, both of his original, whence he came, and of his dignity, what he is. " The Lord God formed " man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nos- " trils the breath of life ; and man became a living soul." Where we find,
„. . . , fl. Of the body ) c Theongmaljjj ofthesouI jof
I. The original of the body of man : " Formed out of the dust " of the ground."" " Dust was its original matter ; of dust was it 48 made, and into dust it must be resolved, Gen. hi. 19- The con- 44 sideration is humbling, and serves to tame the pride of man f,11 who is apt to dote upon his own beauty. Man's body was not made of heavenly matter, as the radiant sun, and sparkling stars : no, nor yet of the most precious and orient earthly matter : God did not melt down the pure and splendid gold and silver, or powder the precious pearls and sparkling diamonds, but he formed it of the vile and despicable dust.
We find that the sprinkling of dust upon new writing prevents many a foul blot : I am sure, the sprinkling of our original dust upon our minds by serious consideration, is the way to prevent many a proud boast.
However, the baseness of the matter, and coarseness of the stuff, serves to set off the admirable skill of the most wise and power- ful Architect, who out of such mean, despicable materials, has fashioned so exact and elegant a piece. " The Lord God formed 44 man out of the dust."
" The Lord God.] The name of God is here set down at full j,
* This world is indeed most beautiful, yet it is not the world itself that is to be adored, but that great Artificer, its Creator : even as your subjects, when applying to you for what they need, do not act so foolish a part as to overlook you their lords and princes, omitting all the honour due to you, and confining their regards to the magnificence of your palaces : but, on the contrary, viewing the fine struc- ture of your palaces only by the by, they revere and honour yourselves before and abova all things else. Athen. Apol.
+ 77)21X71172 1^^ Pulvrrem tenuisaimrim ad domandam superbiam. Fagius.
% CsTtSk mrr"* Domirms Deus. Nomen Dei hie plenum est, propter hominis dig- nitatem. Nacbm.
A TREATISE OF THE SOUL OF MAN. 491
to set forth the dignity of man,1' the subject matter wrought upon, as some conceive.
Fanned.] Fashioned, or curiously moulded, and figured it*. The Hebrew verb, primarily signifies " to press, compress, or " squeeze together ; and by a metalepsis, by pressing or compres- " sing, to mould or fashion, as the potter doth his clay.r' The Psalmist useth another word to express the artificial elegancy of the body of man, Psal. cxxxix. 15, 16. *n»pi acupictus sum, I am embroidered, painted, or flourished as with a needle. We ren- der it curiously wrought. Whatsoever beauty and comely propor- tion God hath bestowed by creation upon it, " it is all answerable " to that excellent idea, or model *f" before conceived in his mind " and purpose."" All this care and cost was bestowed upon the body of man, which, when all is done, is but the case in which that inestimable jewel, the soul, was to be lodged. This therefore I must lay aside, and come to the more noble subject,
II. The soul of man : about which we have before us four things to ponder in this text, viz.
(J.) The nature and property, _
(2.) The descent, and original, f .t , c
>0 ( m\ v • c • r the soul of man.
(p.) 1 he manner or infusion,
(4.) The nexus, or bond that unites *
(1.) The nature and property of it, a living soul. The word tyrp as also the Chaldee Naphsha ; and the Greek -^uyj,, have one and the same etymology, all signifying to breathe, or respire ; not that the breath is the soul, but denoting the manner of its infu- sion by the breath of God, and the means of its continuation in the body, by the breath of our nostrils. God's breath infused it, and our breath continues it in union with the body. It signifies here the rational soul; and the Hebrew w*) 3, a soul, hath a very near affinity with the word &w the heavens ; and indeed there is a nearer affinity betwixt the things, viz. soul and heaven, than there is betwixt the names.
The epithet nm which we translate living, the Arabic renders a rational soul, and indeed, none but a rational deserves the name of a living soul ; for all other forms or souls, which are of an earthly extract, do both depend on, and die with the matter out of which they were educed ; but this being of another nature, a spiritual and substantial being, is therefore rightly stiled, a living soul.