27. SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD CREATED HE HIM; MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM.

The creation of woman is more fully detailed in the following chapter, by an examination of which therefore, its spiritual signification will be best elicited. Here it will be sufficient to remark that where the phrase "the man" is to be explained of our Lord, the language of later Scriptures leaves no room for doubt as to who or what is described as the woman, his wife, or spouse. Under this image is constantly described the Church. "The husband" saith St. Paul, "is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church,'

"as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." "Husbands love your wives, even asChrist also loved the Church." "A man shall leave his father and

mother and shall be joined unto his wife,

and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church"."

The mention of "male and female" here may therefore remind us, that the mysterious dispensation, which brought our Lord into the world, was to develop itself in His exaltation, together with that of the Church, His mystic Bride; and may shew that it is to Christ reigning over, and united to, His Church, that the following words, in their spiritual meaning, belong.

28. AND GOD BLESSED THEM, AND GOD SAID UNTO THEM, BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY, AND REPLENISH THE EARTH, AND SUBDUE IT: AND HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA, AND OVER THE FOWL OF THE AIR, AND OVER EVERY LIVING THING THAT MOVETH UPON THE EARTH.

"What," saith the holy Psalmist in reference to this passage, "what is man that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that Thou visitest him? For Thou

hast made him a little lower than the Angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field: the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth."

And the following comment of an Apostle on this Psalm, gives to its spiritual application the sanction of inspired authority.

“One in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst

s Psalm viii. 4-9.

set him over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet, for in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the Angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren: saying, I will declare Thy name unto My brethren; in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto Theet."

Heb. ii. 6-13.

We may not, therefore, doubt that in the original grant to man, of dominion over the brute creation, is presented to us the appointed shadow and counterpart of that great work of the Almighty Father, "which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church; which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all"." In the words, then, "Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it," we may recognise the "commandment with promise" given to the Church, to spread out "her branches unto Ephes. i. 20-23.

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