my mother and my sister Job 17.14 Reason 1. To humble us Gen. 18.27 2. To magnifie Gods mercy in abasing himself to look on such vile wretches see Psal 113.6 7 8. to give his Sonne for them to advance dust and ashes to such a glorious condition as the Apostle describes Cor. 15.42 43 49. 3. To move us to long for heaven see 2 Cor. 5.1 2. First It reproves all that glory in Beauty or Ability or bestow all their care and labour in making provisions for the body by costly clothing delicate feeding sumptuous building and in the mean time leave the soul empty and naked discovering therein 1. Their earthly mindes Phil. 3.19 2. And grosse folly Psal 49.13 3. Joyned with some impiety in glorying in that wherein God especially labours to abase them Secondly let it move us to cease from our cares of providing for these earthly tabernacles and to bestow our labours for the supplying and adorning of the soule As 1. More immediately given by God 2. Carrying the most lively character of his Image 3. More capable in it self of true beauty 4. Yet most deformed by sinne 5. Consequently requing most care and labour to repaire and restore it unto that condition in which it was created To which purpose endeavour to enrich that with knowledge Psal 1.9 adorne it with humility 1 Pet. 3.4 establish it in faith Heb. 13.9 Now in that God who threatened death to our first Parents in the day wherein they should eate of the forbidden fruit yet suspends the execution thereof till a longer time though the weaknesse and infirmities of nature which before their fall they were not subject unto seized on them at present we may from thence 7 OBSERVE The disposing of mans life is in Gods hand Observe 7 WHich God chalengeth to himself Deut 32.39 David acknowledgeth Psal 3.15 Daniel testifies to Belshazzar Dan. 5.23 and is clearly manifested by all experience Psal 104.29 so that it is not in the power of men to cut it off at their pleasure 1 Kings 19. Dan. 3.27 and 6.22 though God use them to that end somtimes as his executioners Psal 17.13 14. Reason 1. He gives it Psal 104.30 Job 33.4 no reason then that any creature should make his gift void 2. And he can preserve it see Isa 54.16 3. To have power of life and death belongs to the highest Authority which is founded in God alone see John 19.10 11. that all men might feare before him First let it arme us against the threats and violence of wicked men who 1. Cannot shorten our life one day see Luke 13.32 2. Nor till we have served our time Acts 13.36 and finished our course 2 Tim. 4.7 3. And then shall but make us the sooner possessours of our reward Secondly depend upon God for our lives 1. Seek them at Gods hand with Hezekiah Isa 38 3. with David Psal 102.24 and Jonah and depend not on meanes with Asa 2 Chron. 16.11 12. 2. Blesse him for them Isa 38.20 3. And serve him with them living to him and not to our selves 2 Cor. 5.15 The decree of God for mans dissolution is clearly expressed the time when this shall be God keeps in his own breast that is not expressed at all Whence 8 OBSERVE Though death be certain to all men yet the time of death is uncertain Observe 8 NOt in respect of God who numbers every mans days out unto us Luk 12 19. as appears not only by extraordinary judgements that fell upon Dathan Uzzah Ananias c. but in the ordinary course of Providence Reason 1. That men might not be hardened in sin as usually they are when judgement is deferred Eccl. 8.11 but walk in fear as being not assured of life for one moment of an houre 2. To be assured of the terme of life would not profit us any way either to prevent death which is certainly determined or to further repentance which that blasphemous thief upon the Crosse found no place for though he saw death before him Luke 23.39 It is true notwithstanding that God extraordinarily may reveale unto men before-hand the time of their death or removal from hence as in Aarons and Moses case Numb 20.26 Deut. 32.49 and Elijahs 2 Kings 2.3 5. and Hezekiahs 2 Kings 20.6 but that is not usual Let it move all to stand loose from the world in which they have no assurance to continue one moment to have our lamps alwayes burning with the five wise Virgins Mat. 25.7 to make sure of Christ and Heaven to be alwayes well-doing that our Master may finde us so whensoever he comes Mat. 24.46 47. for feare of the danger threatened ver 50 51. But it is worth our observing that God together with the sentence which he pronounceth against man withal manifests the equity of it that he doth man no wrong since he leaves him in no worse condition then he was at first resolving him into dust that was but dust Whence 9 OBSERVE The judgements of God are just and equal all of them in all things Observe 9 AS Moses professeth Deut. 32.4 and Job acknowledgeth Job 1.21 and 2.10 and David Psal 119.75 128. though many times we see not how see Jer. 12.1 which notwithstanding God reveales unto his servants as he did to Abraham in the destruction of Sodom Gen. 18.32 Reason 1. He cannot wrong his own creatures no more then the Potter can the clay nay much lesse 2. His Nature will not suffer him to do otherwise he that is God must necessarily do good Psal 119.68 out of the Lords mouth proceeds not good and evil Lam. 3.38 3. Nor the respect to his owne honour magnified as well in his justice Psal 64.8 9. as in his mercy and truth 4. It would otherwise discourage his own servants see Mat. 25.24 25. as the opinion of Gods favouring of the wicked and afflicting his own servants had almost discouraged David Psal 73.13 14. Let it cease our murmurings against Gods administrations towards our selves or others to which our corrupt nature easily inclines Psal 73.3 against which the Psalmist gives a special Caveat Psal 37.1 and justifies God in all his wayes in which he is righteous Psal 145.17 To this purpose 1. Let us lay that before us as a principle unquestionable with the Prophet Jer. 12.1 2. That we may see and so beare witnesse to that justice of God 1. Confider that God may charge the best of his servants with folly see Psal 130.3 and 143.2 2. To satisfie us concerning the seeming prosperity of the wicked Consider 1. What they enjoy 1. Only outward things neither grace nor glory which are the godlies portion Psal 84.11 2. And those unto their own hurt Eccl. 5.13 so that a little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 3. That also oftentimes to their destruction at the last Prov. 1.32 for which purpose God advanceth them Psal 73.18 whereas good mens afflictions turne to their good
and taking up wayes of dishonest gaine that we may purchase that by any meanes without which we think our selves not sufficiently supplied according to our worth Let then all that are godly the more carefully labour to establish their hearts in a setled content in that condition in which God hath placed them which must be done 1. By approving it in their judgement as every way best and fittest for them and for Gods honour and glory 2. By bringing in and limiting our desires thereby so far that we wish it not to be other then it is 3. By bringing our affections to delight and rejoyce in it as in that lot which God himselfe hath laid out unto us and that upon these considerations 1. That whatsoever we enjoy is more then we have any title unto by nature who came into the world naked a consideration which Job quiets his heart withal when he was at once stripped of all that he had Job 1.21 2. That we are unworthy of what we enjoy as Jacob acknowledgeth himself lesse then the least of Gods mercies Gen. 32.10 so that whatsoever we enjoy we have out of favour and free grace 3. That what we have we have no ability to manage as we ought nor can give a perfect account of it if God should deale strictly with us 4. That God who hath allotted us our estates is infinitely wise and therefore better knows what is fittest for us then we our selves and no lesse kinde and loving nay much more then we are to our selves and therefore will not faile to give us any thing that may be truly good unto us as having given us his own Son with whom he cannot but give us all things Rom. 8.32 5. That the life of man consists not in abundance as our Saviour tells us Luke 12.15 but in a secret supply of our wants by Gods blessing who makes a little that a righteous man hath better then the riches of the ungodly Psal 37.16 6. That when we have what we would desire yet we must depend upon God for our allowance out of it every day as all men rich and poor are directed to do by our Saviour to beg of him their portion for every day Now this contentednesse must reach even to our spiritual as well as to our temporal estate wherin our want of grace sense of our inward corruptions continual conflicts with Satan and foiles by him many times though they may and ought to quicken us to prayer and watchfulnels and make us humble and vile in our own eyes yet ought not to disquiet our hearts so far as to provoke us to impatiency and murmuring at our present condition or to kindle our desires to long after such a change of it as is not warranted Rather our unquietnesse at our own corruptions should beget in us only an holy indignation against our selves for our errours and failings with a desire of that future condition wherein we shall put off this body of death yet with patience waiting till the time of our appointed changing Job 14.14 but no manner of impatience against our present condition or repining against God who hath so ordered it both for his own glory and for our good at the last When Satan tells the woman that by eating the forbidden fruit her eyes should be opened he necessarily implies that for the present both she and her husband were blinde in effect so that these are the two grounds upon which he endeavours to move the woman to discontent at her present condition The first that she was under restraint and not left at liberty to take what she pleased The second that she was held in blindnesse and ignorance wherewith Satan would have her conceive she had great cause to be troubled as she had reason to be if the suggestion had been true So that we may thence 5 OBSERVE Blindnesse and Ignorance is a great misery Observ 5 IT is not good saith Solomon that the soule should be without knowledge Prov. 19.2 The Apostle goes farther and in expresse termes tells us that ignorance alienates us from the Life of God Eph. 4.18 and reckons it up amongst the spiritual plagues which the Lord in his justice laid upon those that dishonoured him and glorified him not as God the darkening of their sottish hearts Rom. 1.21 and is the meanes by which Satan whose work it is to blinde men 2 Cor. 4.4 prevailes so far upon men as he leads them at his will into all lasciviousnesse Eph. 4.19 and indeed into all other sins when their eyes being blinded they know not whither they go 1 John 2.11 More particularly the evils of this fearful plague are 1. The abasing of a man unto the condition of a beast from which he differs and is advanced above him only in his understanding Thus David for want of a right judgement and understanding of Gods ways termes himself a beast Psal 73.22 as be doth likewise all men else Psal 49 20. as Agur likewise termes himself brutish upon the same ground Prov. 30.2 2. Ignorance makes a man unuseful and unserviceable every way in all his undertakings for only a wise mans eyes are in his head but a foole walkes in darknesse Eccl. 2.14 which we know hinders all manner of emploiments as appears in the darknesse of Egypt which fixed them to their places from whence they could not remove till the darknesse was over Eâ—od 10.23 3. Ignorance leaves a man without comfort for it is the light that is sweet that is comfortable Eccl. 11.7 and the light of the eyes rejoyceth the heart Prov 15.30 consequently darknesse and ignorance must needs leave the heart without comfort whence the Scripture expresseth one being in a sad condition by being in darknesse without light Isa 50.10 Now that only the Scripture esteems to be knowledge which is the knowledge of God Prov. 30.2 and that in the face of Jesus Christ John 17.3 and of the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 revealed by the Word and taught by the Spirit Satan contents not himself with working the heart of the woman to a discontented humour against her present condition but gives a step farther and perswades her that God knew how to help it but would not that by this meanes she might conceive that Gods heart stood not well affected towards her and that he wished her no good whatsoever shew he made to the contrary First because he might have allowed this meanes of gaining knowledge which he had so strictly forbidden them without any prejudice to himselfe at all Secondly that he had denied it them out of an evil disposition namely that he might excel and be God alone wherein he most blasphemously chargeth God with injustice in taking order to maintain his own right and providing for his owne honour before the advancing of his creatures of which notwithstanding according to their place and condition he takes care in all his wayes Now although it be true that
services easie Gen 29.20 2. And of the Law it selfe for the purity of it Psal 119.140 the righteousnesse and saithfulnesse of it v. 138. the wonderful perfection and admirable effects of it Psal 19.7 8. 3. For the reward set before us hereafter and peace which our obedience to the Law brings at present See Psal 73.24 and 119.165 This cheerfulnesse of spirit is necessary 1. To sweeten and make us despise those incombrances which we meet in our wayes 2. To encourage others 3. To bring honour to God But it is observable that in this Commandment though the labour enjoyned be hard and painful yet it shall not want effect though it be purchased with the sweat of his brows yet his labour shall produce him bread to sustaine his life Whence 3. OBSERVE Whatsoever we undertake in obedience to Gods Commandment shall not want effect Observe 3 PRov. 14.23 He that soweth plentifully shall reap plentifully 2 Cor. 9.6 which is not only true in respect of the future reward promised 1 Cor. 15.58 but besides in respect of mens present labours that they shall not want successe unlesse God be pleased to deny his blessing to humble men for their sins as Hag. 1.6 otherwise the promise holds and is made good to all that in their labours serve God in sincerity Ps 128. 2. Isa 65.23 Unles God see it fit sometimes to with hold his blessing on them for some greater good to us or honour to himself Reasons 1. That God is able to give successe and by his blessing to prosper mens endeavours no man can deny 2. That it concerns him in point of honour to prosper that which he commands is as clear as theformer 3. It is needful to be so lest other wise men should be discouraged in his service if they should labour therein without bringing any thing to effect Let it encourage all men in the services which God Commands wherein they are sure not to labour in vaine but either to effect what they undertake 2. Or to attain something that shall be better for them 3. And to have the reward of their endeavours from God Isa 49.5 so they undertake things 1. In obedience to Gods Command 2. To a right end for his glory and the good of others 3. And depend upon Gods blessing and not on their ownlabours for successe After the injunction of painful labour follows the duration of it for terme of his life containing withal the sentence of God concerning mans dissolution by death with the equity thereof In this sentence take notice 1. Of the moderation thereof in respect of the curse threatened 2. Of the mitigation thereof 1. In the time Adam shall die though not that day 2. In the kinde of death it shall be temporal but not eternal though both were included in the Sanction Whence 4 OBSERVE Gods Sanctions are certain as well of judgement as of mercy Observe 4 NOt only unto the wicked Gen. 4.12 Eccl. 8.12 13. but unto the godly too 2 Sam. 12.14 18. but with this difference 1. That their judgments are only outward and temporary whereas wicked mens judgements are spiritual and eternal 2. And those judgements are laid on them not as a part of their debt for sin which Christ hath satisfied to the full 3. And are sanctified to them so that they work together to their good Reason 1. Both the threats of judgement as well as the Promises of mercy are founded on the same grounds of Gods Truth and Immutability and Power 2. And have the same scope the honouring of God in the manifestation as well of his justice as of his mercy giving to every man according to his deeds see Psal 58.11 Isa 59.18 19. 1. Learne to tremble at Gods judgements Ps 119.120 as well as to hope in his mercy yea even the godly who though they are freed from the everlasting curse by the death of Christ yet are liable to such chastisements Psal 89.31 32. as may make their hearts ake Psal 143.4 2. Let it appale the hearts of all wicked men that notwithstanding all Gods threatenings go on desperately in their sins Deut. 29.19 who as they dishonour God in the highest degree either denying his Power Holinesse and Providence Psal 94.7 and his truth or imagining him to be like unto themselves Psal 50.21 so they bring upon themselves the wrath of God to the uttermost to their everlasting destruction Deut. 29.20 Psal 50.21 If we consider this sentence of Gods decreeing mans dissolution and the turning of his body into dust in particular we may 5. OBSERVE Though God hath freed his children from eternal death yet he hath left them as well as others under the sentence of temporal death Observe 5 DEath by sinne passed upon all men Rom. 5.12 Heb. 9.27 from which though Henoch was exempted Heb. 11.5 and Elijah 2 Kings 2.11 as shall be such as are found living when Christ shall come to judgement 1 Cor. 15.51 1 Thes 4.17 yet upon the rest as well godly as wicked this sentence takes hold as all experience shewes Reason 1. That by it they might be put in minde of sin that brought death upon them Rom. 5.12 2. They have no harme by death which is at present but a sleep wherein they rest from their labours Isa 57.2 and which severs them not from Christ 1 Thes 4.14 through whom it is sanctified to them see 1 Cor. 15.55 and is made an entrance into life Rev. 14.13 and hurts not the body which shall be raised up in glory 1 Corinth 15.42 43. Prepare for it as being 1. Most certain Eccl 9.5 2. And yet uncertain in the time and meanes of it Luke 12.20 3. And whereof men are naturally regardlesse being bewitched by the world Psal 49.11 4. And yet being of all other things that which most nearly concerns us To this end 1. Make sure of Christ whom if we have to die is gaine Philip. 1.21 2. Be alwayes doing good see Luke 12.40 42 43. knowing there is no work nor device in the grave whither we go Eccl. 9.10 3. Stand loose from the world that it may not trouble us to go out of the world 4. Let us have our conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 and lay up our treasure there Mat. 6.20 whither by death we are translated The Lord contents not himselfe to minde Adam that he was taken out of the dust but tells him that he is dust and shall be resolved into dust Whence 6 OBSERVE Mens bodies are bast every way both in their original in their present condition and in their dissolution Observe 6 IN their Original of the dust Eccl. 3.20 earthly of the earth 1 Cor. 5.47 in their present condition no better then dust Psal 103.14 Eccl. 12.7 their food out of the earth Psal 104.14 their clothing no better and their dwelling houses of clay Job 4.19 In their dissolution turned into dust Psal 104.29 where one may say to corruption thou art my father to the worme thou art
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.
IN this first Chapter of Genesis is described unto us the Creation of the visible World with all the Creatures therein contained in a plain and compendious narration setting before us only the Order Means Manner Times and Estates in which all things were Created and appointed by Gods Ordinance to continue as they do unto this day Psal 119.91 Wherein is laid down before us the work of Creation 1. In General expressing What was made and how Vers 1. 2. More particularly recounting the several parts of the work and therein 1. The rudenesse out of which all things were made Ver. 2. 2. The forming of the several Creatures out of that lump 1. Serving for general Use as the Light the Earth the Firmament the Stars c. which serve for the benefit of all the creatures here below to the end of vers 10. 2. Diversified in their particular forms and natures to the end of the Chapter Vers 1. IN the beginning Of time as some supply it or as others of the Creation Or to speak more clearly Of the Creatures To make this the sense The first beginning which the Creatures had when there was yet none of them they received in this manner which is afterwards expressed A like phrase of speech or rather to the same sense we read Psal 139.16 where the Psalmist tells us that his members were fashioned by God in continuance when there was yet none of them God The word Elohim which we render God signifies properly the Almighties or Mighty Powers and seemes in this place to point at that wonderful Power which God manifested in this glorious work when he created the whole world out of nothing the very consideration whereof is sufficient to astonish any one that thinks of it Created That is made of nothing or without any matter at all An act peculiar to God alone wherein he gave all things that now are or have been in the world since the beginning thereof a Being when they were not at all Now because the word Bara which we render Created is in the Originall tongue put in the singular number and joyned with Elohim which is of the Plural Number some have drawn thence an argument to prove the Trinity of the Persons in the Godhead as implyed in the word Elohim being of the Plurall Number and the Unity of the Godhead as intimated in the word Bara which is of the Singular Number But that fundamentall truth is more fully strengthened by many more clear and evident arguments out of other places of Scripture Although we deny not but that this also may be a probable collection out of those words seeing we know the Holy Ghost cannot be conceived to take up any unusuall phrase or form of speech but upon reason and with a mind to conveigh thereby something unto us for our observation The Heaven and Earth Or as the Apostle calls it the world and all things therein Act. 17. v. 24. So then this verse is the summe of this Chapter following setting before us in one word what was done the manner How and order Wherein is particularly described in the verses following There are notwithstanding some who by Heaven in this place understand that glorious body which the Apostle calls the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 the seat of the Blessed and under the same name include the Angels which have their dwelling there and came to have been made before the Creatures here below Job 38.7 whose creation they conceive Moses could not omit and therefore having not mentioned it elsewhere they conjecture it must be pointed at in this word But that Argument appears to be grounded upon a supposition that wants evidence namely that Moses intended in this history to give us the description of all Gods creatures Visible and Invisible where as it seems much more probable that he contains himself to discover unto us onely the Creation of the visible world So that we may probably conceive that in this place he intended only Indefinitely to signifie that it was God alone that gave a Being to all things that are which they had not before without pointing at any particular As for the Angels this generall intimation must necessarily imply that they also were Gods Creatures although their creation be not described or pointed at in particular as not so needsul to be known by us whom it concerns most to understand the state and condition of those visible things with which we have most to do The first circumstance which here offers it self to our consideration and observation is the phrase and manner of speech which the Holy Ghost makes choice of in this narration which we see is as Plain as it is Brief without any manner of insinuation by way of preface and without any garnishing by art or eloquence which men usually make use of for the setting out and gracing of their writings the Spirit of God suddenly as it were darting out the truth which he delivers like the Sun beams breaking in an instant as out of a cloud as being a light visible and beautifull in it self and therefore needing no other ornament or varnishing to commend it to the world Whence we may 1. Observe Divine Truths sufficiently commend themselves without the help of any Ornaments of Art or Eloquence Observ 1 SO they do appear indeed to all that understand them as light is beautifull only to those that have eyes to behold it and to them it hath so glorious a lustre that it obscures all kind of varnishings as the Sun shining in his brightnesse doth the light of a Candle A truth which is most clearly manifested by this that those divine truths shall never appear so glorious as when they shall be fully revealed in heaven as it were by the view of them when Art and humane Eloquence shall be no more Let us then desire both to hear and preach the Truth of God as Saint Paul sets it out to the Corinthians in plain and clear expressions demonstrated and displaied by the Spirit rather than garnished with the entising speeches of humane Eloquence 1. Cor. 2.3.4 The great art in Preaching is to make things clear and evident by expressing them spiritually as they are spirituall in themselves which needs more help of Logick than of Rhetorick but more Experience than them both Notwithstanding the use of Eloquence is not to be denied even in the work of the Ministry so it be neither affected nor depended on either by the Preacher or by the Hearer The next observable circumstance in this brief Compendium of the history of the Creation of the vvorld the summe vvhereof is comprised in this first verse is the order here observed by the Holy Ghost who first laies down unto us this ground of Truth that God made the vvorld and aftervvards expresseth hovv and in vvhat order he created it in every particular by this order vvhich he observes in this narration pointing out unto us in a sort the right order in