Man from the dreadful effects of fin, both original and actual, of which, God willing, much more below. Hence an union once more fubfifts between Man and his Maker, which, with regard to the body, is univerfal and indiffoluble; in confe. quence of which, the wicked and righteous will all rife from the dead in their own Order, 1 Cor. xv. 23.

Phil. Do you fuppofe that the eternal Logos appeared in human fhape, and in that fhape converfed with Adam ?

Didas. By all probability, and upon many occafions afterwards. The vehicle that He affumed, was an earnest of His future incarnation, as above noted. This vehicle was a vifible prototype or pattern, after the likeness of which, man was originally formed. At this time, the future incarnation of the WORD was, doubtlefs, both foreseen and decreed. His intended body was the model: This was the form of a fervant, which he put on, when he diverted himself of the form of God. It is therefore to the man Chrift Jefus we are to look for the likeness or conformity to his maker, in which the first Man was made, and unto which, in both body, and mind, we are to be Reftored.

Phil. Man appears to me to have had a faint reflection of fome of his Maker's divine attributes impreft upon him, and that evidently, as in mirror. His understanding being a faint reflection of divine wildom-his dominion over the creatures a fhadow of divine authority felf-government and freedom of choice, a dull tranfcript of the power and will of his creator-the fpirituality and im mortality of his foul, evidencing him to be the offspring of Him who is an eternal fpirit.

Didas. Every image ought to poffels a ftriking likeness of its original; and this, no doubt, man originally did. These things are all very wonderG 3

ful,

ful, but rendered much more fo by the faculty of fpeech. This noble faculty feems to be a god-like endowment. He, who made the human intelle&t, knows how to communicate knowledge unto it, as well as to bring a world into being by a word. Has he not imparted a degree of this power unto Man? Who can defcribe the almoft omnipotence of words-the communication of ideas conveyed in intelligent founds, and the aftonishing impreffions they make upon the mental powers? Nor is it lefs wonderful to obferve, how, by arbitrary characters in different forms and in different languages, we can read the minds of perfons many thousands of years fince lodged in the houfe appointed for all living; and tranfmit our own fentiments to the latest ages yet to come. Thefe are vehicles of knowledge, which neither diftance of time nor place can prevent its conveyance. In a word, languages spoken and written, are the Keys by which we have access to one another's hearts, which give, in a degree, that God-like property to fearch them; to know and communicate Thoughts, Deligns, &c. But the most excellent. property belonging to this Microcofm, called Man, the perfection and crown of all the reft, is his capability of an union unto, and communion with the Deity, in whofe image he was made; whom, favingly to know, fervently to love, reverentially to fear, fpiritually to worship, and faithfully to ferve, is at once his duty, privilege, honour, and happinefs. In thefe, the true dignity and fuperexcellency of man confift. Herein he vies and will vie with angels, in equality. In this refpect, dif. ference of fex, time, or climate, make no difference at all.

Phil. In Gen. i. 27. the word created is three times used: Twice, refpe&ting man's creation in the divine image; the third time is, "Male and

Female

Female created He Them." Which mode of ex-. preffion feems to me to import, That the female was not altogether created in that image. The diftinction is ftill more obvious in Ch. v. 1, 2. Pray, my dear Didas. why, think you, did Mofes make this obvious diftinction ?

Didas. The diftinction is too plain to escape the notice of an attentive reader. But, perhaps, the reafon of it is not fo plain. 1ft. Did not the woman derive her vitality, as well as fubftance, from the man? Did not God blefs them, and call their name Adam, in the day they were created? What difference then fubfifted between them except that of fex? And is not this difference the real reafon of the diftinction obfervable in the text? 2d. And is not the difference of fex very important? If the male was made in the likeness of that One in the Elohim, whofe heel was to be bruised, by which he was to know Evil; certainly the female was not. That ONE incarnated was Chrift, a man, and not a woman. Nevertheless, a woman has an immortal foul as well as a man; and though not the honour to be of the fame fex, yet fhe is of the fame nature with her bleffed redeemer, whofe humanity was derived from hers. This obfervation fufficiently evidences, that when it was propofed to Make man, a compound creature, confifting of a Spirit united to Flesh, a two-fold Pattern was propofed, as Models after which to Make him. The firft was Betzalmenu, In our Image. May not this refer to the " Spirit in man ?" The fecond was Cidmuthenu, after, or according to our Likeness. Gen. i. 26. What likeness is there between the Body of man, and the Divine nature ? But is not the Body a part of Man, and a principal Part that was made? Does not this likeness then Principally refer to the Body? And was not the original Pattern or Model of that body fome how Poten

tially in the Elohim? But fuppofing the facred Trinity to be intended by that word, which of the Trinity ever had a body except the fecond Perfon? And is not this that divine Perfon fo eminently diftinguished, under the appellation of JehovahElohim, in the fecond, third, and fourth chapters ? What can be plainer than the words of Eve, (Ch. iv. 1.) in the Heb. Kanithi Ifh eth Jehovah, "I have Gotten a Man, The Jehovah." It is hence evident, that the fuppofed her Firft Son was the promifed Seed, and that Seed Jehovah. Therefore Jefus is Jehovah.

The fexes being diftinguifhed and adapted to procreation, the Father of the fpirits of all flesh iffued out this fecundating mandate, "Be ye fruitful and multiply," by conjugal union. What a prolifical word was here! What countless mil. lions have and will derive, in fucceffion, an intelligent being, by its influence! It appears, by the ftanding uniform laws of nature, that man propagates man, as inferior animals do their kinds, foul as well as body. Who can find a difference, in this refpect, between ver. 22 and 28? Had there been any in nature, might we not reasonably have expected here to have found it, where divine Infpiration profeffedly treats of the original of all things, communicating the knowledge of every necessary and useful fubject of this kind?

The degree of this multiplication of mankind, was "To replenish or fill the earth." A degree that has in no age hitherto taken place, any more than the following, to Subdue it. The undif covered and uncultivated millions of known ́` traЄts of land, inhabited by favages, or brutes only, prove to demonftration, That this earth is as far from being fubdued as it is from being completely peopled. But God's purpofe, and the extent of this blelled command, will not fall to the ground;

the

the "Ages to come" will abundantly fulfil them; both as to population and fubduction.

The chaiter for food for man and beaft, you may read in Chap. i. 29, 30. What divine bounty had before provided, beneficence now beftowed. The. luxuriant juicy herb, the delicious life fupporting fruit, to gratify the appetite, fupply the lamp of life, and repair all the wafting fibres of the human frame, and every other animal.

Phil. But, if the human body thus ftood in need of nourishment in the ftate of innocence, does it not feem to 'uppofe, if not to prove its natural mortality? A thing immortal admits of no decay.

Didas. True. There is no need to fupply nou. rifhment, where there is no poffible waffe. But may it not be fuppofed, that though the bodies of faints will rife immortal and incorruptible, that is, that they fhall never die nor corrupt more, yet, that this will not be from a neceffity of nature, at the leaft in the firft ftages of its future advances ment, but by the mediums of the fruit of the Tree of Life, and of the water of life? This is the more probable, as it is certain, that this actually was the cafe with Adam in a state of innocence. But of this D. V. more hereafter.

The world being thus made; replenished with inhabitants; with ample provifion for its continuance, by procreation; with proper nourishment for every creature requiring it; the clock of Time having measured fix days and nights; every wheel and fpring in the vaft machine fet a going; the omnifcient architect, at one penetrating glance,. furveyed the whole, and pronounced them all to be VERY GOOD.

Phil. As EVIL of no kind, whether moral, spiritual, or natural, had as yet any being in this new creation; and as man and woman were the principal creatures in it; and man the deputy: governor