How Did God Create Man?

Answ. God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

Q. Which was the best and last creature that God made on earth? A. Man, who was to govern the

rest, Gen. i. 26. Matth.xvi. 26.

Q. Why did God defer the creation of man till all other things were made? A. That man might be

brought into the world as a well-furnished habitation.

Q. What pecuHar solemnity did God use in making man? A. A council of the divine persons was held

for that purpose, Gen. i. 26.

O. Why was this solemnity used in making man?

A. Because he only was to bear God’s image, and be God’s deputy on earth; and in his nature the Son of God was to appear, Gen. i. 26, 28. Isa. vii. .14.

Q. In what sexes did God create man?

A. God created man male and female, Gen. i. 27.

Q. Why was man so made? A. For the propagation of mankind, and their mutual helpfulness, Gen. ii.

Q. Of what parts doth the nature of man consist?

A. Of two, a body and a soul, Eccl. xii. 7.

Q. Wherein do a body and a soul differ? A. A body is an unthinking substance, which may be seen, felt, and divided in two parts $ but a soul is a thinking substance,

which cannot be seen, felt or divided into parts, or die.

A. Of the dust of the ground 5 to teach us to be humbk and mindful of death, Gen. ii. 7. and iii. 19.

Q^ Of what was the body of the woman formed?

A. Of a rib taken out of the man; to teach us the great love and near equality that should take place between married persons, Gen. ii. 22, — 24.

Q. Of what were their souls made? A. Of nothing God breathed them into their bodies, Gen. ii. 7.

Q. What doth that teach us? A. How easily

Go u cieateth, and that with the same ease he can call back our souls by death, Zech. xii. 1.

Q. In what doth the soul of a man and that of a beast differ? A. Beasts have no proper soul, and their

spirit perisheth at death; but man’s soul can subsist when separated from the body, and lives for ever.

O. How prove you that man’s soul liveth for ever?

A. Christ paid an infinite price for its ransom j to it is made the promise of eternal life, or threatening of eternal death *, it cannot be killed with the body, but in death returns to God, Matth. x. 23. Eccl. xii. 7, &c.

Qj What doth this teach us? A. To be much more

careful for our souls than our bodies, Matth. xvi. 26.

Q. How is God as our Creator called in scripture?

A. The Potter, and the Father of spirits.

Q. Why is he called the Potter? Isa. Jxiv. S.

A. Because he forms our bodies out of clay, and can dispose of us as he plta-ses, Jer. xviii. G.

Q. Why is he called the Father of Spirits, Hcb. xii. 9.?

A. Because he creates angels and the souls of men.

Q. How did God call the first man and woman when he had made them? A. Adam; which signifies

either red earth, or beautiful, ox joined in love.

Q. Why did God call ihem both by this name?

A. That they might continually remember their low original, their near relation, and duty of love to one another; and their duty to God, to .shew themselves the beauty of this lower world? Gen. ii. 7, 22.

£). How were they the beauty of this lower world?

A. In them the beauty of the heavenly and earthly creation, a most elegant body, and a rational spirit, were united into one person, Gen. i, 27. and ii. 7.

Q. After whose image was man created?

A. After the image of God, Gen. i. 27.

Q^ Whether was man’s soul or body properly made after the image of God? A. His soul, Col. iii. 10.

Q. How prove you that his body was not properly made after the image of God? A. Because God hath no

body, but is a most pure Spirit, John iv. 24.

Q. Wherein was man’s soul made like unto God?

A. In its substance and qualities.

Q. HowT was man’s soul made like unto God in its substance ■? A. God is a Spirit, and it was made a spiritual substance, John iv. 24. Matth.x. 28.

Q. In what qualities was man’s soul made like unto God?

A. In knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.

Qj. What knowledge had man at his creation

A. Such a perfect knowledge of God, his will and •»orks, as rendered him happy, and perfectly fit for his duty, Gen. iii. 22. Eccl. vii. 29.

Q. What righteousness had man when created?

A. He was sweetly disposed, and perfectly able to render to God, and to others, what was their due.

Q^ What holiness had man at his creation? A. He

was perfectly free from sin, loved and delighted in the holiness, worship, and service of God, Eccl. vii,. 29.

£). What flowed, from Adam’s likeness to God in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness?

A. A likeness to God in honour and happiness.

Q, How was man like God in honour?

A. As God’s deputy he had dominion over the creatures, Psalm viii. 6.

O. Over what creatures had man dominion? A. Only over the creatures on earth, as fishes, fowls, cattle, creep* ing things, &c. Gen. i. 2S. Psalnrviii. 6, — ^8.

Q. What happiness had man at his creation?

A. He was free from all sorrow and death, and had sweet communion with God, as his father and friend.

Qj, Where was man placed when created? A. In

the pleasant garden of Eden, which God planted, Gen. ii,

Q. Why put he man into it? A. To heighten his

earthly happiness, and that he might keep and dress it.

Q. Did not God allow them to be idle in that estate?

A. No j all idleness is of the devil, 1 Tim. v. 13.

Q. Was man’s work then a toil to him? A. No

it did not fatigue him, but was his pleasure and happiness, as he saw and enjoyed God in every thing.

Q. What influence should the view of that holy and happy estate now have upon us? A. It should make

us cry out with grief, IVo to us that we have sinned.