him, and for him;" but man in a peculiar and proper
way. As God, in making of man, was pleased of his goodness to stamp him
with a character of his own image--and in this he puts a difference between
man and other creatures, that he should have more plain and distinct
engravings of divine majesty upon him, which might show the glory of the
workman--so it appears that he is in a singular way made for God, as his
last end. As he is set nearer God, as the beginning and cause, than other
creatures; so he is placed nearer God as the end. All creatures are made
_ultimo_, lastly, for God, yet they are all made _proximo_, nextly, for
man. Therefore David falls out a wondering, "Lord, what is man, that thou
art mindful of him," "and hast made him to have dominion over the works of
thy hands, and put all things under his feet!" Psal. viii. 4, 6. The
creature comes out in a direct line from God, as the beams from the body
of the sun; and it is directed towards the use and service of mankind,
from whom all the excellency and perfection that is in it should reflect
towards God again. Man is both _proximo et ultimo_ for God. We are to
return immediately to the fountain of our being; and thus our happiness
and well-being is perpetuated. There is nothing intervening between God
and us that our use and service and honour should be directed towards: but
all the songs and perfections of the creature, that are among the rest of
the creatures, meet all in man as their centre, for this purpose that he
may return with them all to the glorious fountain from whence they issued.
Thus we stand next God, and in the middle between God and other creatures.
This, I say, was the condition of our creation. We had our being
immediately from God, as the beginning of all; and we were to have our
happiness and well-being by returning immediately to God as the end of
all. But sin coming in between God and us, hath displaced us, so that we
cannot now stand next God, without the intervention of a Mediator; and we
cannot stand between God and creatures, to offer up their praises to him;
but "there is one Mediator between God and man," that offers up both man's
praises and the creature's songs which meet in man.

Now, seeing God hath made all things for himself, and especially man for
his own glory, that he may show forth in him the glory and excellence of
his power, goodness, holiness, justice, and mercy; it is not only most
reasonable that man should do all th