d and fashioned to aspire to more likeness and conformity, so that
his soul may shine more and more to the perfect day.

There was an union made already in his first moulding, and communion was
to grow as a fragrant and sweet fruit out of this blessed root. Union and
similitude are the ground of fellowship and communion. That union was
gracious,--that communion would have been glorious, for grace is the seed
of glory. There was a twofold union between Adam and God,--an union of
state, and an union of nature, he was like God, and he was God's friend.
All the creatures had some likeness to God, some engravings of his power
and goodness and wisdom, but man is said to be made according to God's
image, "Let us make man like unto us." Other creatures had _similitudinem
vestiga_, but man had _similitudinem faciet_. Holiness and righteousness
are God's face,--the very excellency and glory of all his attributes, and
the Lord stamps the image of these upon man. Other attributes are but like
his back parts, and he leaves the resemblance of his footsteps upon other
creatures. What can be so beautiful as the image of God upon the soul?
Creatures, the nearer they are to God, the more pure and excellent. We see
in the fabric of the world, bodies the higher they are, the more pure and
cleanly, the more beautiful. Now then, what was man that was "made a
little lower than the angels"?--in the Hebrew, "a little lower than God,"
_tantum non deus_. Seeing man is set next to God, his glory and beauty
certainly surpasses the glory of the sun and of the heavens. Things
contiguous and next other are like other. The water is liker air than the
earth, therefore it is next the air. The air is liker heaven than water,
therefore is it next to it. _Omne contiguum spirituali, est spirituale_.
Angels and men next to God, are spirits, as he is a spirit. Now similitude
is the ground of friendship. _Pares paribus congregantur, similitudo
necessitudims vinculum_. It is that which conciliates affections among
men. So it is here by proportion. God sees all is very good, and that man
is the best of his works and he loves him, and makes him his friend, for
his own image which he beholds in him.

At length from these two roots this pleasant and fragrant fruit of
communion with and enjoyment of God grows up. This is the entertainment of
friends, to delight in one another, and to enjoy one another. _Amicorum
omnia communia_. Love makes all common. It opens the tre