architect has first an idea or scheme, of the building he is to rear, and then rears it according to that idea or scheme *.-But this opinion it is impossible to admit; for it makes no distinction between man and the beasts of the field, or even the inanimate creation. There can be no doubt that God made these, and every thing else, from design, or accordding to ideas previously formed of them. Were the opinion just, then we should be obliged to believe, what no Christian, what no sensible person could believe, that the honour of bearing the image of God, may be ascribed to them as well as to immortal

man.

There are others, too, who have supposed the Divine Image to consist in the power and dominion with which innocent Adam was invested over the creatures.-That he was the representative of God, and under Him had the sole power and dominion in this lower world, we readily admit; for it is expressly said,-that he had "dominion

*This opinion, if I mistake not, was first started by Philo the Jew.

over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl "of the air, and over the cattle, and over "all the earth, and over every creeping

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thing that creepeth upon the earth*." But admitting this, can we ever suppose that power and dominion constitute the Divine image? Were this the case, then we should necessarily conclude, that those who have the most power and dominion, would always have the most resemblance to God: -a conclusion at which common sense sickens, and which uniform experience flatly contradicts.

It is obvious, then, that the Divine image must be understood as consisting in something very different. God is a Spirit, and every resemblance of Him must be a spiritual resemblance-The subject to which it relates must be the spiritual part of man: his rational and immortal soul. Now, the soul can resemble or bear the image of God only when He enlightens it with the knowledge of his truth, conforms it to his holy will, and makes it, in some measure, a partaker of his happiness.

* Gen. i. 26.

Knowledge, holiness, and happiness, then, are doubtless what constitute the image of God-that image in which Adam was made.

KNOWLEDGE was a part of this image.That it was so, is evident not only from the nature of the thing; but also from the express language of the apostle. "Ye have

put on," says he to the Christians whom he was addressing," Ye have put on the new "man which is renewed in knowledge, after "the image of Him who created him*." The knowledge of Adam was far superior to what we have now any idea of. Sin has now darkened our minds, and brought weakness and disorder into all our faculties. But man, at first, was perfectly innocent, and while his innocence lasted, his understanding was unclouded, and all his preceptions, were super-eminently clear, lively, and vigorous. We may judge of his amazing sagacity, the depth of his views, the extensiveness of his knowledge, from his being able, at once, to give names to all the creatures, according to their different constitutions. "The Lord God," we are

* Col. iii. 10.

told, "formed out of the ground every "beast of the field, and every fowl of the

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air, and brought them unto Adam, to see "what he would call them : and whatsoever “Adam called every living creature, that "was the name thereof: and Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of "the air, and to every beast of the field*." Now, that Adam should, at once, without labour or premeditation, be able to give names to all the infinite variety of creatures which were brought to him, and which he had never before seen,-and names too, so adapted to their respective natures, that God himself sanctioned the nomenclature,

-this is truly astonishing, and what we may venture to affirm, the most acute philosopher that ever lived, nay, the most illustrious college of philosophers ever assembled, durst not have attempted.

But Adam's knowledge of moral, as well as of natural things, was incomparably excellent. He knew, and (glorious privilege!) he freely conversed with God: he knew the nature and extent of his holy law he need

* Gen. ii. 19. 20.

:

ed it not to be written either in books, or on tables of stone: it was written in such deep and legible characters on the table of his heart, that, till defaced by disobedience, it was impossible for him either to mistake or to forget it. What a beautiful and noble part of the image of God!

But Knowledge was not the only part of this Divine image: it was accompanied by unspotted HOLINESS. The Apostle expressly tells us, that "the new man," that is, our restoration to the Divine image, consists in being "created in righteousness and true "holiness." Holiness is the brightest glory of the Divine perfections. It is what the angels, day and night, joy to celebrate in their songs of praise. "Holy,”—they ever sing, holy, holy is "The Lord of Hosts.". Holiness in God, is his invariable and necessary disposition to maintain all possible order, and promote all possible happiness throughout the universe. And holiness in his creatures, consists in their perfect conformity to his will, in the perfect consecration of all their powers and faculties to his

* Eph. iv. 24.