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A65748 A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first book of Moses called Genesis by John White. White, John, 1575-1648. 1656 (1656) Wing W1775; ESTC R23600 464,130 520

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with him would do something in this kind it could not but be very acceptable to the godly of this Nation For surely the Long and Various Experiences of such a Captain in the Lords Hoasts such a Veterane in Christs Service must needs yield much matter of Comfort and Profit when we shall come to the notice of them If this Book had proceeded from a meaner and more obscure hand it s own Worth would have sufficiently pleaded for its esteem and the Observations with their Prosecutions being every where so Solid and Judicious could not but be very Savoury to a gracious appetite but coming from such an Hand and as the product of some years Serious Meditations certainly it will find much acceptance with Christians abroad As much of it as my leisure would permit me to peruse gave me such refreshing as I could not but heartily desire the publication of it and doubt not but it will be judged as usefull a Tractate as hath been set forth in these last years This being signified I subscribe my self Thine in the Lords Work Tho Manton A COMMENTARY UPON THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the First BOOK OF MOSES called GENESIS THe Hebrews give the name unto this as they do likewise unto the other four Books of Moses that follow from the first words wherewith the book begins in their Language and call it Bereshith which in our Tongue we render In the beginning As for the name Genesis it was given by the Greeks and signifies Generation or Begetting pointing at the Most eminent Subject which the Book handles the Creation or Generation of the World From the Author that penned it it is called Moses his Book as our Saviour in like manner calls Exodus his book Mark 12.26 And because Moses is the Author of the four next Books that follow for distinctions sake this is called his first Book This Title of the Book challengeth our best Attention 1. From the Authour Moses graced 1. with the honour to be the first Pen-man of holy Scripture 2. with the priviledge to be Gods familiar with whom he was pleased to confer mouth to mouth Numb 12.4 3. With the Title of the first Instrument employed by God for the founding of the Church and State of the Jewes And for that cause of so honourable a name and memory amongst that people that God thought fit to conceal his Grave for the preventing of Idolatry in succeeding Ages as most Interpreters conjecture out of Deut. 34.6 2. From the subjects which the Book handles being the most eminent and remarkable in themselves and most nearly concerning men to know and the most difficult to be found out of all things that can come within the compasse of humane knovvledge Namely the Creation of the World the Fall of Man and his Restitution by Gods goodnesse vvith the Estate into vvhich he is restored the propagation of mankind and peopling of the World the Founding the Church and the Infancy thereof things unheard of and unknovvn amongst the Heathen described and recorded in no other Writings in the World but onely in this Sacred History Of the Authority of Moses his Writings IT cannot be denyed that the Writings of Moses have the same Authority with the rest of the holy Scriptures being delivered as the rest of them were by the same Divine inspiration of the Holy Ghost And yet withall these Five Books of Moses may in some respects be conceived to gain some kind of praeeminence above the rest of the Scriptures seeing that they are not only the first in order but in some sort the Fountain containing the summe of those holy Writings that follow For the histories of the Old Testament are for the most part but as so many instances of the fulfilling of the several Sanctions of the Law delivered by Moses as well in Judgment as in Mercy And the Writings of the Prophets are but applications of the Law and the Sanctions thereof to particular places times and persons interlaced with divers Promises the Heads whereof we find in these five Books And the Books of the New Testament contain for the greatest part the relation of those promises of Grace first recorded and set out by Moses and after repeated and enlarged by the Prophets to which use our Saviour applyeth them both Luke 24.27 44. together with a clear and full unfolding of that state of Grace into which we are restored by Christ shadowed out in a great part by Types in the Law of Moses Hence it is that in many of the Writings of the Prophets and much more in those of the Evangelists we have the Books of Moses so often cited and thereby the Authority of them the more fully established and confirmed Now as concerning the Means by which Moses might get the knowledge of the things which he relates in this First book of his whereof all were acted before his time and some as namely the Creation of the World before all mens times if we suppose he had no help of any Records to inform him which the Church might then have though they be now lost or if we make no great account of the Tradition of the Fathers whose memories were the Registers of the Church before the Scriptures were written Notwithstanding it sufficeth that the same Spirit that guided his hand in writing withall informed him fully and infallibly of those Truths which he was to leave upon record to posterity And yet we must take notice that all that is contained in the four Books following except the histories of his own Life and Death were confirmed unto him by his own knowledge and experience his own eyes and eares being witnesses of all that he writes A circumstance from which some of the Evangelists and Apostles justly challenge credit unto that which they deliver Luke 1.3 1 Joh. 1.1 The Division of this Book of Genesis THis Book of Genesis contains as it evidently appears by casting up the particulars of the times mentioned therein an history of 2368 years Namely from the Creation of the World to the Flood 1656 years from the Flood to the Birth of Abraham 252 years and from Abraham's birth unto Joseph's death which closeth up the Book 360 years And it seems naturally to divide it self into Two unequall parts containing in them the Histories 1. Of the Creation of the World Cap. 1. 2. Of the Administration and Government of it especially of the Church of God therein unto the end of the Book The Government of the Church is described unto us in a twofold estate of Mankind 1. In the state of Innocency before mans fall Cap. 2. 2. In the state of Corruption In and After his fall And that also 1. Before the Flood unto the end of Cap. 6. 2. In and After the Flood and that likewise of the same Church 1. Scattered over the whole World to the end of Cap. 11. 2. Founded in Abraham's Family and Posterity till Joseph's death to the end of the Book CHAP. I.