An Help for the Ignorant, WSC Question 10
By John Brown of Haddington
QUEST. 10. 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 God made on earth?
A. Man, Genesis 1:26.
Q. Why did God defer the creation of man until all other things were made?
A. That man might be brought into the world as a well furnished habitation.
Q. What peculiar solemnity did God use in making man?
A. A council of the divine persons was called for that purpose, Genesis 1:26.
Q. 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.
Q. In what sexes did God create man?
A. Male and female.
Q. Why was man so made?
A. For the propagation of mankind, and mutual helpfulness.
Q. Of what parts does the nature of man consist?
A. Two, a body and a soul, Ecclesiastes 12:7.
Q. Wherein do a body and a soul differ?
A. A body is an unthinking substance, that may be seen, felt, and divided into parts; but a soul is a thinking substance, that cannot be seen, felt, divided into parts, or die.
Q. Whereof was the body of the man created?
A. Of the dust of the ground, Genesis 2:7.
Q. What does that teach us?
A. To be humble, and mindful of death.
Q. Whereof was the body of the woman formed?
A. Of a rib taken out of the man.
Q.What does that teach us?
A. The great love, and near equality that should take place between married persons, Genesis 2:23-24.
Q. Whereof were their souls made?
A. Of nothing [ex nihilo].
Q. How were they made?
A. God breathed them into their bodies, Genesis 2:7.
Q. What does that teach us?
A. How easily God creates; and that, with the same ease, he can call back our souls by death, Zechariah 12:1.
Q. Wherein do 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 his body, and lives for ever.
Q. How prove you that man’s soul lives for ever?
A. Christ paid an infinite price for its ransom; 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, Matthew 10:28; Ecclesiastes 12:7; etc.
Q. What does this teach us?
A. To be much more careful of our souls than of our bodies.
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?
A. Because he forms our bodies out of clay, and can dispose of us as he pleases, Jeremiah 18:6.
Q. Why is he called the Father of spirits?
A. Because he creates angels and 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.
Q. Why did God call them both by this name?
A. That they might continually remember their low original; their near relation to one another; and their duty to God, to show themselves the beauty of this lower world.
Q. 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 rational spirit, were united into one person.
Q. After whose image was man created?
A. After the image of God, Genesis 1:27.
Q. Whether was man’s body or soul properly made after the image of God?
A. His soul.
Q. How prove you that his body was not properly made after the image of God?
A. Because God has no body.
Q. Wherein was man’s soul made like unto God?
A. In its substance and qualities.
Q. How was man’s soul made like God in its substance?
A. God is a Spirit, and it was made a spiritual substance.
Q. In what qualities was man’s soul made like God?
A. In knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.
Q. What knowledge had man at his creation?
A. Such a perfect knowledge of God, his will and works, as rendered him happy, and fit for the whole of his duty.
Q. What righteousness had man when created?
A. He was sweetly disposed, and perfectly able to render to God, and to others, whatever was their due.
Q. What holiness had man at his creation?
A. He was perfectly free from sin, [and he] loved and delighted in the holiness, worship, and service of God.
Q. 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 8:6.
Q. Had man dominion over the angels, and the heavenly bodies, as sun, moon, stars, etc.?
A. No.
Q. Over what creatures then had he dominion?
A. The creatures on earth, as fishes, fowls, cattle, creeping things, etc. Genesis 1:28.
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.
Q. Where was man placed when created?
A. In the pleasant garden of Eden, Genesis 2:8-9.
Q. Who planted that garden?
A. God.
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 him to be idle in that estate?
A. No; all idleness is of the devil, 1 Timothy 5:13.
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 everything.
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, Woe to us that we have sinned.