THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION AS IT IS WRITTEN BY MOSES in the first and second CHAPTERS of GENESIS plainly opened and expounded in severall Sermons preached in London Whereunto is added a short Treatise of GODS actuall Providence in ruling ordering and governing the world and all things therein By G. W. Batchelour of Divinity and Pastour of St. Iohn Evangelist LONDON Printed for John Bartlet at the signe of the gilt Cup neare St. Austins-gate in Pauls Church-yard 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND NOBLE Lords FRANCIS Earle of BEDFORD Robert Earle of Warwick William Viscount Say and Seale Edward Viscount Mandevilc Robert Lord Brooke John Lord Roberts and the rest of the Honourable Lords Committees in the upper nouâ—e of the high Court of Parliament Grace and Peace with multiplicity of all Blessings temporall and eternall Most Noble LORDS THat which the learned Doctours of the Jews doe say of their Masorah to wit That it is an hedge or defence to the Law We Christians may more truly say of our weekly Sabbath the Lords day that it is the hedge of defence to true Christian Religion For as their Masorah which was their Annotations upon all the Scriptures of the old Testament shewing the genuine reading and signification of every word in the Hebrew text with what pricks vowels and accents it ought to be and was anciently written and read by Moses and the Prophets and by tradition from Ezra and other succeeding Fathers in all ages delivered over unto them did serve as an hedge and fence to keep the Scriptures of the old Testament pure from all corruption and alteration so that if any Scribe did in writing any copy of them omit or adde one word or letter or alter and change any vowell point or accent his errour might easily by the notes and rules of their Masorah be discerned and amended So the Lords holy weekly Sabbath being rightly observed according to the Law of God and the first institution and sanctification of it that is First by cessation and rest from all worldly cares and all secular affairs in respect wherof it is called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbath that is rest and cessation Secondly by devoting it only to the worship and service of God and by sanctifying it with preaching reading and hearing of the word prayer meditation and other works of piety and exercises of true Religion in which respect it is called the Lords day that is the day of the Lord Christ consecrated to his honor and to the service and worâ—hip of God in his name It is most certainly as we find by experience a strong hedge and fence to true Christian Religion by which true piety and the true knowledge and worship of God and true Faith in Christ are upheld maintained increased and continued among all Christian nations from generation to generation Without observation of this weekly Sabbath and keeping this day of the Lord Christ holy by holy assemblies the publik and private worship of God the knowledge of Christ the memory of our Redemption by him and of his finishing and perfecting that great work and resting from it in his resurrection the publike preaching reading and hearing of the word and all other exercises of Christian religion which are the most effectuall ordinary meanes of grace and furtherances to eternall life and blessednesse would undoubtedly grow out of use and at length utterly decay and vanish This consideration did move me to insist more largely upon this subject and to make many Sermons upon that Text Gen. 2. 2 3. which briefly relates the first institution of the Sabbath on the seventh day in the first weeke of the world and Gods blessing and sanctifying of every seventh day in every week to be an holy Sabbath to his people Out of which Sermons first publikly preached to mine owne peculiar flocke I did afterwards compose this Treatise at the importunity of some of my best affected hearers and imparted severall written copies of it unto divers of them having at that time no hope to get it licensed for the Presse For by Gods speciall providence I having handled the doctrine of the Creation out of the 1. Chap. of Genesis was by my order of preaching and expounding of that Scripture led along and brought to this Text concerning Gods sanctifying of the seventh day at that very time when a book of liberty for sports on the Lords day was by the Bishops in every Diocesse sent to every Parish Church and commanded to be publickly read by every Minister in time of divine Service in the audience of all the people And because I proceeded to handle this subject as the order of my text did lead me and durst not balk that part of Gods word I was three severall times convented before my Ordinary and admonished under paine of suspension to proceed no further in this doctrine not for any errour which could be objected against any part or passage in it but only because the times would not beare it And because I did not hold it fit nor safe for me to obey man rather then God by concealing from my flock any part of Gods truth and shunning to declare unto them the whole counsell of God I have undergone the high displeasure of that Primate to whose jurisdiction my Church doth belong who upon divers false informations of catchers which have bin imployed to entrap me in my words that they might have something wherof to accuse me hath caused me to be convented before the Kings Majesty and the Lords of his Honourable Privy Counsell and hath charged and accused me to be a Preacher of factious and seditious Doctrine and for many years the great troubler of the City of London Wherupon I was committed close prisoner for two and twenty weeks and through close custody was by sicknesse brought neare unto death and could not obtain so much liberty as to be confined to the limits of my brothers house for the safety of my life upon bayle of a 1000 pound given untill by the testimony of fifty five Neighbour Ministers of best report in and about the City I was declared to be innocent and free from all the crimes of which I was accused Now blessed be God for your happy Assembly in this most hopefull Parliament by which I have been eased of my strait bonds and the times are so changed that this Treatise and divers others of my labours are licensed to passe by the Presse into the publik view of the world I should not have dared to commend it to the sight and grave Judgement of your Honours If your godly Zeale for the sanctifying of the Lords day and for the honouring of the name of the Sabbath which appeared most evidently to us all who of late were present at the time when that scandalous libell intituled Sunday no Sabbath was most accurately and judiciously sifted and examined by your Honours and justly censured and condemned to the fire had
our perfection and happinesse in the sight and knowledge of him Fourthly we may hence observe divers singular prerogatives of the first day which is now by the resurrection of Christ the Lords holy day and the Sabbath of all true Christians That by many speciall prerogatives God did in the creation foreshew his eternall counsell and purpose to make this day his holy day in the dayes of Christ and in the time of the Gospell under the Kingdome of grace 1. This is the first fruits of all time 2. In it was created the glorious frame of the heavens and the first light of the visible World 3. In this day God first shewed by his eternall Word the Son his eternall counsell and purpose and by his Word and Spirit began to bring his purposes to passe and produce things into being 4. In this day darknesse and light were so separated and divided that while the night lasted there was no day in all the inferiour World and while it was day there was no night over all the face of the earth the deep but light in all the World which was then created and brought into forme and perfect being 5. In this day God first shewed his approbation and his pleasure that he approved for good the things which by his eternall Word the Son he did forme and bring into being Therefore without doubt most fit to bee the day of the Lord Christ and sanctified and kept holy to the honour and glory of him who is the first borne of God and the first fruits of them that sleep and the light of the World and in whom God sheweth his counsell and is in him well pleased and by him turnes night into day and brings light out of darknesse and brings us to eternall rest in the highest heavens which were created in the beginning of the first day CHAP. VII The second dayes worke Of the skie and things now created All made by the power of God in Christ. The use of the firmament How called heaven All was created wisely and orderly Vse ANd God said Let there bee a Firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters 7. And God made the Firmament and divided the waters which were under the Firmament from the waters which were above the Firmament and it was so 8. And God called the Firmament heaven and the evening and the morning were the second day In these words wee have abriefe historie of the second dayes worke in the creation of the World wherein wee are to consider these five things 1. The thing created 2. The creation and bringing of it into being 3. The use of it 4. The name which God gave unto it 5. How by this worke there came in an evening and a morning which where the second day First for the thing created it is in the originall text called by a generall name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may signifie any thing which is spread abroad or stretched farre and wide according to the etymologie of it For the Hebrew verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which it is derived in all Scriptures wheresoever it is used doth signifie the act of spreading any thing abroad stretching it out and laying it wide-open to view as Exod. 39. 3. Numb 16 38. and Ier. 10. 9 it signifies beating out of gold silver or brasse into thinne broad plates that is spreading them broad by violent beating Exod. 40. 19 It is used to signifie the spreading abroad of the tent over the Tabernacle Psalme 139. 6. and Isa. 42. 5. and 44. 24. It is used to signifie the stretching out of the earth above the waters farre and wide Iob 37. 18. it signifies the spreading out of the skie and of the thinne cloudes and 2 Sam. 22. 43. it is used to signifie spreading abroad as a man spreads clay by stamping it with his feet and by a Metonymic of the effect it is used to signifie stamping with the feet as men stamp clay and spread it abroad Ezech. 6. 11. and 25. 6. These are the places of Scriptures in which onely that word is used So then this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived of it must needs signifie a thing which is stretched out like a tent or canopie or spread abroad as plates of gold and silver are by beating and clay by stamping The Greeke Septuagints transiate this Word every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a thing which though it bee farre stretched out yet it is so surely established that it abides still in the place which God hath appointed for it And the vulgar Latine with divers later translaters following the Greeke Septuagints translate it Firmamentum the firmament that is a thing firmely set and established in a place which cannot from thence bee driven out and leave the place empty And although this word may according to the notation of it signifie any thing stretched out or spread abroad or laid wide open and is once onely used to signifie broad plates of brasse beaten out for a covering and that in the plurall number Num. 16. 38. yet in all other places of Scripture it is used in the singular number for the skie which God hath from the beginning stretched out over the globe of the Earth and the Sea as here in this Chapter and Psalme 19. 1. and 150. 1. and Dan. 12. 3. and Ezech. 1. 22. and 10. 1. Now what this skie or firmament is that is a great question among the learned Divers of the Ancients as Basil Ambrose Beda and others doe by this firmament understand the starry heavens First because it is said in the 8. verse that God called this firmament heaven Secondly because it is said that when God made the Sun Moone Starres hee set them in the firmament of heaven vers 17. Thirdly because they doe imagine that there is a watery heaven above the starry heaven which consists of water congealed like to Cristall and doth temper the heat of the Sun Moone and Stars and out of this heaven they conceive that God poured the waters which drowned the old World because it is said Gen. 7. 11. that the windowes of heaven were opened and God rained on the earth But others doe hold that by the firmament here is meant the whole heavens that is both the first heavens the spacious regions of the aire and also the middle that is the firie and starry heavens and the third that is the highest heavens First because it is said that God called the firmament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heaven and this word is used in the Scriptures to signifie all these three heavens And as the highest heaven is called by this name Psalme 11. 4. the Lords throne is in heaven and Psalme 148. where it is said Praise Him O heaven of heavens So the middle and starry heavens as Gen. 22. 17. where wee read of the Starres of heaven and also
created in time but was from eternity or that it was created of a matter which was uncreated and had a being before the creation even without beginning 2. Of those doting Jewes and others who held that the inferiour visible world was created by the ministerie of Angels 3. Of Heretikes who denied God the Father of Christ preached in the Gospel to be the Creatour of the World and feigned another God Creatour inferiour to him 4. Of the Papists who teach that there be other Creatours besides God even that every Masse-Priest can create of Bread and Wine the true bodie and bloud of the Lord Christ our Creatour and Redeemer yea that same body which is already which was made of a woman borne â—nd crucified and is glorified at Gods right hand in heaven a strange contradiction and horrible blasphemy which God abâ—orres as a thing impossible For nothing can be made that which it is already nor receive that being which it hath before-hand 5. Of Atheists and Mockers who deny God and scoffe at the last resurrection and at the ending of this World in the last day all which are manifestly proved by the creation Lastly of all Idolaters who esteem and worship that for God their Creatour which is but the image of a creature and in nature and forme far inferiour to the least creature formed by God Thirdly it serves for reprehension and just reproofe First of them who thinke that God can be worshipped and pleased by mens giving of outward things to him immediately for his owne use as gold silver meat drinke clothes and curious ornaments all which God rejecteth as things unusefull for him upon this very ground and for this reason because hee created the whole World and all things therein are his owne already Psal. 50. and Act. 17. 25. Secondly of them who fret and grudge and too much repine and grieve for the overthrow and destruction of Kingdomes Countries Nations Cities Men or Beasts which God at his pleasure and in his justice doth destroy for mens sins and over-turne withall their glory and being Who is he that in such a case dare mutter against God For hee may doe with his owne what he pleaseth if they offend him he may destroy them and magnifie his justice and glorifie his power in their destruction and he can repaire them at his pleasure Lastly here is for all that trust in God love and serve him plentifull matter of comfort against poverty and all calamities and persecuting enemies No poverty ought to pinch or vexe them for God their portion is more worth then all the world all riches and other things are but the worke of his hands and he can give them when hee will and will give what hee in his wisedome knowes to be necessary and profitable All strength is of him and he can weaken all enemies in a moment so that if he be for us none can stand against us hee can raise sweet out of bitternesse Thus much for creation in generall CHAP. II. Of the creature in generall Names of the creature expounded to shew their nature Instructions concerning the creatures Five Uses made thereof BEfore I passe to the speciall acts or branches of Creation I hold it fit to insist upon the creature in generall which comprehends under it every speciall kind of thing created by any act of creation This History of the Creation though not in any one word yet in one sentence doth expresse the creature in generall that is the whole frame and collection of all things created Chapt. 2. 1. in these words Thus were the heavens and the earth finished and all the host of them or all their furniture that is whatsoever is in them rightly ordered and disposed like an Army well marshalled so the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie And other Scriptures both in the Old and New Testament doe oftentimes in one word propound to us the generall consideration of all joyntly together I will therefore first speake of the creature in generall as it comprehends in it the heavens and the earth and all things in them and that in such words and phrases as Gods Spirit in this and other Scriptures is pleased to use for our instruction and for the help and illumination of our weake understandings And in this generall description I will first consider the words and phrases by which the creature in generall is called and will shew what they doe import in their signification Secondly I will from thence and other Scriptures note such instructions as may direct us to the knowledge of the creature in generall And lastly will make some use and application fit and convenient The first name by which the creature in generall is called in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an universality or perfect comprehension of all things By this name the whole universality of things created is called Pro. 16. 4. where it is said that the Lord hath made all things for himselfe not so much as the wicked man is excepted who is made for the day of evill Also Isa. 44. 24. the Lord saith I am Jehovah that maketh all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answerable to this are the Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Greeke Philosophers to signifie the whole universall world or the universality of all things and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly used in the New Testament where there is mention made of the creation and the creature in generall as John 1. 3. By him were all things made And Rom. 11. ult Of him and by him and for him are all things And Colos. 1. 16. and Revel 4. 11. But yet as the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 27. speaking of Gods putting all things in subjection under Christ saith that hee must be excepted who hath put all things under him so here though the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe signifie an universality and comprehension of all things yet it is manifest by the word joyned with them that God the Creatour who is said to make and create them is excepted and all other things besides him are included Another name by which the Spirit calls the universality of creatures is the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is alwaies used by Septuagints in their translation of the Old Testament to expresse it By this name the creature in generall is called Heb. 1. 2. and 11. 3. where it is said that God by his Son made the worlds and that the worlds were framed by the word of God And in the Syriack and Hebrew translations the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and according to their originall and true notation they all doe signifie not onely an eternall duration and continuance from the first
point in the Description of Gods actuall providence Now the meanes which God hath ordained for the manifestation of the glory of his grace and goodnesse in the eternall blessednesse of his elect they goe before in execution though the end is first in Gods intention And therefore they come to bee handled in the first place And they all may be reduced to two maine heads The first is mans fall The second is mans restauration In the fall of man sive things come to bee consideredâ— First the Commandement of God at which man stumbled and which the Divell made the occasion of mans fall The second is the fall it selfe what it was and wherein it did consist The third is the state of rebellion into which man did fall The fourth is the multitude of evils which did accompany and follow mans sin and fall The fifth is the small reliques of good which remained in mans nature after his fall The Commandement of God is plainely laid downe Gen. 2. 16 17. And therefore I will first insist upon that portion of Scripture and after will proceed to the description of the fall as it is laid downe in the third Chapter But before I proceed further let me conclude this Doctrine of Gods actuall providence with some use and application First it is matter of admirable comfort to all true Christians and faithfull people of God in that the Lord whom they have chosen for their God their rocke and confidence is so wise and provident above all ordering and disposing all things which come to passe in the World in wonderfull wisedome and by an omnipotent hand to his owne glory and the salvation of his elect in Christ. Whatsoever good commeth at any time it is the gift of God and all good blessings and benefits which they receive and enjoy from any hand or by any meanes they are so many tokens and pledges of his love and fatherly care and of his eye of providence watching over them for good And whatsoever evils of any kind breake into the World by the malice of the Divell and the outrage of wicked men they are no other nor no more but such as God in his wisedome and goodnesse is pleased willingly to permit and suffer for a far greater good to his own people and as he over-rules them all and hath set them their bounds beyond which they cannot passe so he disposeth and turneth them all to his owne glory and the manifestation of his justice and power in saving of his Church and people and in confounding and destroying all his and their enemies wherefore in times of peace plenty and prosperity when all good things and blessings of all sorts abound Let us rejoyce and glory in the Lord and give him the praise of all and offer up daily and continuall sacrifices of thankfulnesse with cheerefull hearts and willing minds studying and striving with all our might and to the utmost of our power to use and employ all his blessings to the best advantage for his glory the good of his Church and the profit of our owne soules being well assured that these are his talents committed to our trust which if wee by our faithfulnesse doe increase wee shall in the day of account and reckoning receive the reward of good stewards and faithfull servants and bee received into the joy of our Lord. But on the contrary in evill and perillous time when iniquity aboundeth sinnes of all sorts are increased piety and charity are waxen cold religion is skorned the godly persecuted and oppressed justice judgement and truth troden downe and trampled Let us not faint nor feare nor bee dejected as men without hope For the Lord our God and our keeper is a provident God his eyes neither slumber nor sleep hee seeth and observeth all these things and without his will and knowledge no evill can come to passe As the Scripture saith of Pharaoh to may wee say in this case that even for this same purpose God hath raised up these wicked persecutors and outrageous sinners that is in his just wrath hath given them up to Satan and their owne lusts to multiply sin and oppression that he may shew his power in them and make his justice glorious and name famous throughout all the earth When the nations rage and the Kingdomes are moved God can give his voice and the earth shall melt and all the works of the wicked shall bee dissolved Secondly here is matter of terrour to the wicked both them who commit sins in secret and presume to goe on in their lewd courses with a conceipt that none seeth nor taketh notice of their abominations and also them who multiply their sins openly and without feare increase their persecutions and oppressions and vex and afflict the meeke of the Earth and breake Gods people in pieces thinking that they shall never bee called to account and putting farre from them the day of reckoning Behold here the Lord who is the judge all the earth is a most provident God all their doings are naked and opened to his eyes and he observes all their wayes and wicked workes their power strength and greatnesse is from him and he wittingly and willingly suffers them to abuse them to sin and to oppression and wrong and onely so long as he pleaseth that when they have filled up their measure hee may bring them to judgement and may make them a skorne derision and footestole to the righteous whom they have skorned hated and oppressed Thus much for the actuall providence of God FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masoreth sepes legi Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Creation 1 2 Creatures To create what 1. 2. Author of creation Time Object Forme What word it was 1 2 3 A large description of Creation Taken into parts and proved 1. Opus ad extra Heb. 11. 3. opened 7. Manner of creation in foure things Rom. 1. 20. None but God wrought in the creation Arguments 1 2 3. 4. 8. Use 1. By creatures ascend to know God And his soveraignty over all Use 2. Confutation of six sorts of men Use 3. Repâ—oofe to â—vo sorts Use 4. Comfort for the godly Names of the creatures 1 2 3. 4. Instructions concerning the creatures Use 1. The world not eternall Use 2. Admire Gods eternity Use 3. Overlove not the world now degenerate Use 4. Not God but we need the world Use 5. Hare sin Motives The words expounded I. The beginning of time here meant Argum. 1. 2 II. III. IV. V. Doct. 1. By the creation God is seen to be infinitely wise and powerfull Use 1. Look up to the omnipotencie of the Creatour To rejoyce and â—est in him Use 2. Bewaile the contrary negligence Use 3. Checks all Atheisticall thoughts of Gods power Doct. 2. The three personsâ— are equal Use 1. Against Antitrinitaries Use 2. Trust in Christ the holy Spirit John 1. The time In the beginning Doctr. The world and all in it
be good and gracious and to make us know him so great and glorious a God as he is In the second place for the wordes themselves they are plaine and easie to be understood at the first hearing without any laborious interpretation They run thus in the Hebrew All which the Lord pleaseth he hath done in Heaven Earth Sea and all deepe places This word all shewes that he speakes not of some particular workes but of all in that kind The word Jehovah is the proper name of God considered in the unity of his essence with all his essentiall Attributes and every one of the 3. Persons is called by this name as they are of the same essence and all one God The enumeration of all the notable places in the world wherein these workes are done discovers the workes which he here speakes off to be outward workes which doe not abide in Gods essence and there onely subsist as his eternall counsell decrees and inward operations do but are done in time and place and have their subsistance in and among the creatures such as are creating ruling ordering upholding of all things and also redeeming and restoring of all man-kinde The word pleaseth limits the generall note or particle all unto all workes which in themselves are good or else serve for good use and so are pleasing to the Lord for the use sake Hee doth not say that the Lord doth all things which are done but all things which he pleaseth that is he doth not make men sinnefull and wicked neither doth he worke rebellion in men which is displeasing unto him but he doth whatsoever is pleasing that is all things which are agreeable to his nature And whatsoever is according to his will and good pleasure that he doth none can hinder it This is the true sense and meaning of the wordes Now from the text thus opened and the circumstances observed wee may gather a perfect description of them in generall shewing the nature and use of them The description of Gods outward Workes The outward workes of God in generall are all things whatsoever the Lord God Jehovah that one infinite and eternall God 3. Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost doth according to his eternall purpose and after the counsell and good pleasure of his will work and bring to passe not within but without himselfe in all the world and upon all creatures therein and that certainely and irresistably in due time and place to the communicating and making of himself known to men and Angels in his infinite and eternall nature and in his goodnesse grace glory power and all other essentiall properties for the salvation and eternall blessednes of his elect in Christ. This description truely gathered from this Text and the scope and order of it and discovering plainely the nature and use of Gods outward workes in generall I will proove in every part and branch orderly and will conclude with some application The first thing in it is the generall matter of Gods externall workes they are things done that is not onely actions working and operations such as Creation Redemption and the like but also things or works made effâ—cted and done by those actions as Heaven Earth Angels and other things created For all these are things done and wrought by God This Branch is plainly expressed in this word of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath done or doth or hath made for the Hebrew word signifies all these And that Gods outward worlâ—s consist in doing and are things not spoken or promised but done and wrought Divers testimonies of Scripture doe shew Psal. 44. 1. David cals them workes which he hath done And Isa. 28. 21. The Prophet saith that the Lord doth his worke his strange worke And not to stand in repeating many Scriptures in a point so plaine This is one word is sufficient that the two Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are used in the Scriptures to signifie Gods outward works are both derived of verbs which signifie doing The second branch in this description comprehends in it the Author of these works to wit the Lord God Jehovah that one infinite eternall God and three Persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost This Branch doth distinguish these workes First from the workes of creatures which are proper to them Secondly from the personall operations of God as the eternall begetting of the Sonne which is proper to the Father and is his worke onely That God considered in the unity of his essence as he comprehends all the three Persons is the Authour of these workes and that they are common to the Father Son and Holy Ghost and every one of them hath an hand in every work of this kind though one more immediately than another The word Jehovah here used in the Text doth plainly shew where it is said Whatsoever Jehovah pleased or was willing to do that he hath done which word is so proper to God and signifies One God that it also agrees to every person in that one God And this is also confirmed by divers other testimonies of Gods word which shew that in divers of these outward actions or workes the Father workes by the Sonne and the Sonne by the Father with and by the Spirit The first great work of this kind even the work of Creation which sometimes is attributed to the Father as more peculiar to him because terminatur in Patrâ— as the Schoolemen speak that is it is bounded and termined in the Father and he is principium summus terminus creationis the first beginning and utmost bound of creation from whom it first proceeded even this is attributed to the Sonne and Spirit also as being common to all the Persons as Psal. 33. 6. By the word of the Lord that is the Sonne were the Heavens made and all the host of them by the Spirit of his mouth 'To which adde Job 33. 4. The Spirit of God made me John 1. 3 10. Colos. 1. 16. where it is said that by the eternall word the Sonne all things were made both in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible and without him was made nothing of all that was made So likewise in that outward worke of Judgement executed on Sodome and Gomorrah Gen. 19. 24. Jehovah is said to raine downe from Jehovah out of Heaven fire and brimstone that is Jehovah the Son from Jehovah the Father who are both one and the same God Jehovah yea that these externall workes of God are not divided some to one Person and some to another in the Trinity but are common to all the Persons and proceed from that one common essence according to that saying of the School-men opera Trinitatis ad extra suns indivisa Our Saviour sheweth most plainly Ioh. 5. 19 22. where he saith that as the Sonne cannot worke of himselfe alone without the Father but he must have and see the Father working with him so the Father doth not
it demonstrated in all the parts The Manner of Creation in foure things Angels had no hand in the Creation Foure uses of the Point THe first thing now to be stood upon is the creation in generall as it is described in the generall nature of it by the name the Author or causes and the time when it first began and when it was done and that chiefely in this first verse First Creation is here set forth by the name of it in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created Secondly by the Author or sole efficient cause of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Thirdly by the time when God began the creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning and wherein he perfected that worke in six dayes Fourthly by the forme and manner of it vers 3 God said and it was done First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created if it bee rightly understood according to the true and proper signification of it in this place may give great light to the matter in hand I will therefore first distinguish it according to the severall significations in which it is used in the Scriptures and will shew in what sense it is here to be taken and then will come neere to the matter First it signifies properly that extraordinary miraculous worke of God by which he gives a substance and substantiall being to things which before were not and doth make them either of nothing or of some matter which hath in it selfe no naturall fitnesse or disposition to receive such a forme or to be turned into such a substance thus it is used Deut. 4. 32. in these words from the day that God created man And Psal. 148. 5. He commanded and they were created Secondly by a metaphore this word signifies the extraordinary works of God which are very like unto the creation because they are done by a supernaturall power and suddenly brought forth as it were out of nothing when there was no meanes or naturall disposition going before Thus the 〈◊〉 of regeneration in which the wicked corrupt heart of man 〈◊〉 by nature is unfit for any holinesse and most prone to wickednesse is changed in a moment by the Spirit of God and becomes a cleane creature and a new man is called creating Psal. 51. 12. Thus are all great and miraculous works of God called creating When hee raiseth up wonderfull strength out of weakenesse and by them who are as nothing doth overthrow mighty gyants and strong armies this is called creating Exod 34. 10. When God of a stubborne stiff-necked nation and of a people scattered despised and counted worse than nothing raiseth up and maketh a most holy people and glorious Church as he will doe in the last conversion of the Jewes this is called commonly in the Prophets by the name of Creation as Psal. 102. 18. and Isa. 43. 7. and 65. 18. And when the Lord in his just wrath doth raise up evill and destruction to the wicked out of good things which naturally turne to good this is called creating Isa. 45. 7. and 〈◊〉 â—â—ery raysing up of things without meanes as Psal. 104. 30â— When God suddenly beyond meanes or expectation by the supernaturâ—ll power of his Spirit reneweth the face of the earth it is called creating But in this place the word is to be taken in the proper sense for making thingâ— either of nothing or of matter made of nothing and of it selfe unfit and without naturall disposition for receiving any such forme as that which God doth give unto it The word thus expounded sheweth what creation is even a making of things out of nothing or of rude matter undisposed for such a forme and being as God in an instant frameth one of it And so it differs from all other kindes of making and producing things as from naturall generation of living crâ—atures and of clowds raine thunder and the rest which are made by an ordinary power out of matter fitted for the forme of things produced and from all artificall making of thingâ— as house and other things made by art of matter fitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second thing by which creat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the author and cause of it expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is not here used metaphorically to signifie Angels false Gods and men who are ministers and vicegerents under God as it is sometimes used in Scripture but it is here taken in the sense which is most common and frequent in the originall that is for the true God and is one of his sacred Names And it is a word of the plurall number and in many places is joyned with verbes of the plurall number and that for this end to teach us that though God whose name this is bee but one in nature and essence yet in that unity of essence and in that one eternall Jehovah there is a pluralitie that is a Trinity of Persons This word therefore doth here plainely intimate unto us that Creation is an action of the whole Trinity and that it is the joint worke of all the three Persons even of God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost and this shewes that neither Angels nor false Gods but Jehovah the true God is the Author of the Creation as appeares Cap. 2. 7. The third thing by which the Creation is described is the time of it both the first time in which God began to create and did create the highest heaven and the rude masse the earth and also the progresse of time in which God created all visible things in order and finished the whole frame of the visible world This is expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning and in other parts of the Chapter which mention the particular dayes in which every thing was made For this word though sometimes it signifies Eternity and intimates unto us the eternall being of the Son of God together with the Father from all eternity and before all worlds as Prov. 8. 22. where eternall Wisdome saith The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old and John 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word yet most commonly and frequently in the Scriptures being laid downe absolutely as in this place it signifies either the first moment and beginning of all time as in this verse or else the first six dayes of the creation or any one of them in which dayes God made finished the whole frame of heaven and earth and all the host of them as Isa. 46. 10. where God is said to declare and foretell the end of all things from the beginning that is from the six dayes of the creation in which God began to speake to man and foretell 〈◊〉 end and Joh. 8. 44. where the Divell is called a â—urtherer from the beginning that is from the last day of the CreatioÌ„ in which God made the Divell marred man and brought him
by nature fit so by office ready to be sent on his message and to doe his will as Gen. 19. 1. Psal. 103. 20. Matth. 18. 10. In this sense we are to take the word in this discourse of the creation of Angels For though Christ be the Angell of God and the great messenger of salvation and Gods ministers as they are Gods embassadours sent by him are Angels of the Lord yet they are not Angelicall spirits created in the first beginning they are onely Angels by office and calling not by nature in the creation Onely the heavenly spirits whom God hath made at the first fit to minister and hath since in Christ appointed to be ministring spirits for the good of them who are chosen to be heires of salvation in Christ they are Angels both by nature and office And they are the proper subject of our present discourse I proceed to the Doctrines which I will prosecute in order as they arise out of this Text. First seeing the Angels are included in this word the heaven hence we may learne that as the heavens so the Angels the host of heaven had their beginning with the highest heaven and were not in being from all eternity which point is farther confirmed by all such Scriptures as attribute a beginning to all things and tell us that they are and subsist not of themselves but from God as Rom. 11. 36. where the Apostle saith that of God and through him and to him are all things and 1 Cor. 8. 6. But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we for him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things And Revel 4. 11. and 10. 6. thou Lord hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created And that God who liveth for ever created heaven and the things that therein are And that in this universality of things created the Angels are comprehended the Apostle sheweth most plainly Colos. 1. 16. where hee affirmes that all kinds of things visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all were created by him and for him But if any shall cavill and say that though they are of God and he is the cause and creatour of them yet it doth not necessarily follow that they were created in the beginning with the heavens but from eternity and as co-eternall effects have their being from God The next words which follow will cut off this objection which affirme that Christ is before all things and by him all things consist Verse 17. and therefore they had a beginning after Christ and were not co-eternall with him Reason also confirmes this drawne from the fall of a great multitude of the Angels For things eternall which were and had their being from eternity without beginning and before all times they cannot fall in time nor be changed but abide the same for ever But a great multitude of the Angels did fall And the Divell was once one of the most glorious among them and he with many others who left their habitation are reserved in chaines to the last judgement 2 Pet. 2. 4. and Jud. 6. Therefore they are but creatures made in the beginning Secondly though Angels are not circumscribed and measured by a bodily space or dimension yet they are definitively in place and where there is no place there can be no Angell as I shall shew hereafter Now before the creation of the heavens there was no place at all wherein Angels might be abide and subsist Therefore before the heavens they were not but were created with them But Angels are called Jehovah as that Angell which spake to Agar and promised to multiply her seed Genes 16. 13. and the Angell which appeared to Moses in the bush Exod. 3. 4. and the Angell which rebuked Satan Zach. 3. 1. And Jehovah is without beginning The Angell mentioned in those places was Christ the Sonne of God the Angell of the Covenant and so was Jehovah indeed the creatour of Angels the words of the severall Texts shew so much For that Angell saith I will multiply thy seed and I am the God of Abraham Therefore this Objection is of no force Angels are called the sons of God Job 1. 6. and 38. 7. Therefore they are of Gods nature and substance begotten from all eternity not created with the heavens Every son of God is not a naturall son begotten from all eternity for men are also called sons of God by creation regeneration and adoption and yet are not naturall and co-eternall sons of God And so Angels are sons First by creation in respect of the speciall image of God in which they were made and to which they are conformable Also the good Angels are sons by adoption unto God in Christ their head But none of them all is the Son of God by nature as the Apostle testifieth Heb. 1. 4 5. that is proper to Christ alone he onely is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory and the expresse image of his person and he onely is called the first-borne and the onely begotten Son of God John 1. 14 18. Therefore this Objection is of as little force as the other This point serves to shew that absolute eternity without beginning is the proper attribute of God and to communicate it to any other by holding that any other besides the one onely true God is eternall is no lesse then a sacrilegious robbery and taking from God the honour due to him For seeing Angels are all created in the beginning when the heavens were made and are not from all eternity much lesse may eternity be attributed to any other besides the true God Secondly here we see the grosse errour of Papists who worship Angels and pray unto them As also their foule mistaking and wresting of some Scriptures some examples of the Patriarchs as Abraham Jacob and Moses who did worship the Angels which appeared to them and spake unto them For these were not divers Angels but the great Angell of the Covenant Christ the Son of God appearing in the forme of an Angell who as he is Jehovah the true God so he is called by them who prayed to him and is worthy to be worshipped and prayed to but not any of the Angels which are but creatures and not Jehovah can be worthy of this honour which God requires as proper to himselfe The second Doctrine hence flowing is That all the Angels were created by that one God and three persons here called Elohim and that the Son together with the Father and the Spirit is the Lord the Creatour of them which truth is confirmed also by divers Scriptures as John 1. 3. where by the Word the eternall Son all things are said to be made and nothing without him And Colos. 1. 16. all things in heaven and in earth whether they be thrones or dominions principalities or powers all are said
to be created by him To which we may adde those places Psal. 104. 4. Revelat. 4. 11. and 10. 6. where all things in heaven and earth and by name the Angels are said to be made by God Which point may comfort us with assurance that Christ is absolute Lord of the Angels and as he hath a love to us and a will to help and assist us so he hath the Angels which excell in strength at his command alwaies ready prest to doe his will and to execute his word for our good The best ground of Lordship and Dominion which any can have over any things is the creating and making of them For it is good reason that none should have more power over a thing then he who made and formed it by his owne hand and skill and gave the whole being to it And this the Scriptures shew where they attribute great power and lordship to the potter over the clay which he formeth and the vessell which he makes of it Isa. 45. 9. Jerem 18. 6. Rom. 9. Now this the Lord Christ our Saviour hath over the Angels as he is their Creatour in an high measure for he made them out of nothing by his owne power And therefore just it is that all Angels Principalities Powers should ever be subject to him and that they should not only worship him Heb. 1. 6. but also should be his ministring spirits sent forth to minister for the good of them who are heires of salvation in Christ. In this assurance let us solace our selves and be of comfort knowing that the Angels in heaven are ministers for us when we are Christs little ones and they behold the face of our heavenly Father And let us in this hope harden our faces and stand with courage before all wicked violent enemies and persecutours And as we are here assured that the Angels being created by the Lord Christ and having him for their head adding light and holinesse unto them must needs love us as fellow-creatures and members under the same head and be ready and willing to help us when God sends them so we are here admonished to love them as our fellow-servants under one the same Lord and as creatures made in the same image but more excellent and by one and the same hand rejoycing in heaven at our conversion and turning unto God by repentance Here also we are admonished that we are not to dream or imagine that Christ tooke the nature of Angels on him though he be called the Angell of the Covenant and of Gods presence and the Archangell that is the Prince of Angels for an Angell he is called in respect of his office but by nature he is no Angell but as different from Angels as the Creatour and Lord differs from the creature who is by him created of nothing and the servant ministring to him The third point of instruction is That the Angels were created in the beginning of the world in the first moment of time by Gods first act of creation This is confirmed Job 38. 7. where Angels are called the sons of God to shew that he is their father by creation and also the starres of the morning to shew that they were created in the first moment or morning of the creation with the first light the highest heavens and are said to sing together and to lift up their voice when God laid the first corner-stone and foundation of the earth which necessarily implies that then they were already made and had a being given before even with the heavens Also Psal. 104. 4. where God is first said to make his Angels spirits and his ministers a flaming fire and then to lay the foundations of the earth that is of the inferiour visible world This serves to shew that Angels and their actions are not so properly measured by time as the actions of men and other inferiour creatures but as they were created in the first beginning with the first moment of time so they can remove their presence into places far distant in a moment without time and doe things quickly in an instant and are swift messengers Fourthly in that the Angels are here included in the word Heavens and are said to be created with them in the beginning Hence we may learne That the Angels are Gods first creatures made perfect out of nothing by the first act of simple and absolute creation For proofe of this we need no further argument but those Scriptures which affirme that God made his Angels Spirits that is spirituall substances which are the most perfect of creatures and come nearest in nature to God who is a spirit as Psal. 104. 4. and Hebr. 1. 7. If they had been created out of any matter made before then they must have been made out of the rude masse without forme called earth For all things which were created not by absolute and simple creation but out of some thing made before were created out of the rude masse the earth but Angels were not made out of it for it is the common matter of the visible and inferiour world but Angels are invisible and were created to bee inhabitants of the highest invisible heavens therefore they must needs be the first of Gods creatures made perfect as the invisible heavens were of nothing by the first act of simple and absolute creation This discovers to us the excellency of the Angelicall nature that the Angels are Gods master-piece his first and most perfect worke in all the creation The rude masse without forme called earth was made out of nothing imperfect void and full of darknesse and was no perfect creature but the matter of the visible inferiour mutable world and all the creatures therein The highest heavens were also made perfect out of nothing to be the place of the Angels the heavenly Spirits but yet the Angels must be more excellent then they by nature because they were made to serve for the use of Angels even to be the place of their habitation And yet the Angels those excellent and chiefest of all creatures are in Christ become our brethren and fellow-servants yea they are after a sort made our servants and ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation Wherefore as we are by this doctrine stirred up to contemplate with admiration upon the excellency of the Angelicall nature and to wonder at Gods bounty to us fraile men inferiour earthly creatures in honouring us so farre as give his glorious Angels to minister for us So also we are provoked to magnifie and extoll the infinite excellency of the merits and mediation of the Lord Christ our Redeemer and Saviour who procured and purchased this honour and dignity for us that the blessed Angels should minister for our good who of our selves and by our sinnes deserved to be slaves of the Divell and evill Angels Wherefore as Angels grudge not to minister for us so
let not us grudge but rejoyce to minister for the poorest of the Saints and the little ones of Christs flocke our brethren The fifth point of Doctrine is That the Angels were created in and with the highest heavens and by creation were made to inhabit those heavens as the naturall and proper place of their being and habitation This Doctrine is confirmed first by the expresse words of Moses himselfe in the first words of the next Chapter viz. Gen. 2. 1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them In which words he plainly affirmes That not onely the heavens and the earth but also all the host of them were thus created and perfectly finished that is in that order and maner as he hath before related in my Text the rest of this first Chapter Now in this Chapter we have not one word which can be understood of the creation of the host of the highest heaven that is the Angels but onely these words of my Text which affirme that in the beginning that is in the first moment when God began to give being to his first creatures he created the heavens that is the highest heavens distinct from the earth which was the common matter of all the visible world and with those heavens the host of them that is the Angels which are the host and inhabitants of them For it is an usuall thing in the Scriptures to signifie by the name of a place the proper inhabitants of the place together with the place it selfe as I have before shewed by divers examples Yea the word heavens is used to signifie the Angels as I have shewed from Job 15. 15. Therfore it is a thing most clear manifest that the Angels were created together with the highest heavens as the host naturall inhabitants of them and those heavens by the law of creation are the naturall and proper place of their being and habitation Secondly the Scriptures fully prove this point which call the Angels the Angels of heaven as Matthew 24. 36. and Galat. 1. 8. and the heavenly host as Luke 2. 13. and name the Angels among the hosts of the Lord which from the heavens and in the heights sing Halleluiah and praise to him as Psal. 148. 1 2. Thirdly this doctrine is confirmed by divers reasons grounded on the Word of God The first is builded upon the Doctrines before proved by plaine testimonies of holy Scripture to wit that the Angels were not from all eternity but were created by Elohim that is the true God who is one God and three persons as is plainly restified Psal. 104. 4. and 148. 5. and Colos. 1. 16. upon this infallible ground I thus argue That Angels being creatures created and made by God must of necessity be created either before the heavens or in and with the highest heavens or else together with the Elements and the creatures of the inferiour visible world which were all made out of that rude masse called earth which was without forme and void But they were not made before the heavens For the heavens were made in the beginning that is in the first moment when God began first to make and to give being to creatures before which beginning there could be no creation of Angels or any other things Neither indeed was there any place wherein Angels could subsist before the heavens were made Certainly no finite creature can subsist in it selfe without a place in meer nothing it is proper to God onely to subsist in and of himselfe Neither were they created together with the earth and other elements and creatures of the visible world For it is plainly testified Job 38. 7. that when God laid the foundations of the earth and stretched the lines upon it and laid the corner-stone thereof then the sons of God shouted for joy that is the Angels for they are called the sons of God Job 1. 7. and there were no other living creatures then made Therefore the Angels were undoubtedly created before the earth or else they could not have shouted and sung together when the earth was made David also testifieth that the Angels were made spirits first Psal. 104. 4. and after them God laid the foundation of the earth Verse 5. Therefore it followeth necessarily that the Angels were created in and with the highest heaven and are the host and proper inhabitants thereof Secondly that place from which the evill Angels were cast downe and did fall when they sinned and left their first estate and habitation is their naturall proper place in which God created them and they by creation are the proper inhabitants thereof Now that is the highest heaven for when some of the Angels to wit proud Lucifer the Divell and his Angels sinned and left their habitation as Saint Jude speakes Jude 6. then they were cast downe to hell 2 Pet. 2. 4. even from heaven as the Prophet Isaiah testifieth Isa. 14. 12. saying How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Therefore undoubtedly the Angels in their creation were made in and with the highest heavens and had them given for their proper and naturall habitation The third reason is drawne from the order which God observed in the creation For as soone as God had fitted any part or place of the world for the creatures which were to dwell and to have their being in it he made those creatures and replenished the place with them So soon as the airie heavens were made and the waters separated from the earth and place made for the Sun Moone and Starres and for their beames to be stretched out from heaven to earth then the host of the visible heavens the Sunne Moon and Starres were created and placed in them And so soon as the sea was fitted for living and moving creatures God created them out of it and so likewise when the earth was made to stand out of the waters and furnished with herbs plants and trees for the use of living creatures God created birds and beasts and when it was furnished with all creatures fit for mans use then he created man and the woman also an help meet for him Therefore undoubtedly so soon as he created the highest heavens the proper and naturall place of the Angels then and together with those heavens he did create the Angels which are the heavenly host and suffered them not to remaine one houre empty without their furniture and inhabitants This Doctrine thus laid downe and proved besides some speciall use which we may make of it for affection and practice is a ground and foundation of many other Doctrines concerning Angels which flow as Conclusions and Corollaries from it and an occasion of questions to be discussed First let me make some briefe application of it and then proceed to the Doctrines and Questions First in that Angels were created in and with the highest heaven by Gods powerfull Word and by his simple and absolute act of creation
perfect creature and element of the visible World and commanded it to shine out of darknesse and this was the morning of the first day In the words wee may observe these foure things First the creation of light in the 3. vers Secondly Gods approbation of it in these words God saw the light that it was good Thirdly Gods separation of it from the darknesse vers 4. Fourthly Gods nomination or naming of the light day and the darknesse night and so compounding these two light and darknesse into the first whole day of the World vers 5. In the first thing which is the creation of light the first of all perfect creatures in this visible World two things come to bee sifted and examined for our right understanding thereof First the thing created Light what is thereby here meant Secondly the manner of creating it God said Let light bee and it was so Concerning the first I find divers and severall opinions of the learned Saint Augustine lib. 1. in Genes ad literam cap. 3. and Rupertus lib. 1. de Trinit cap. 10. doe by this light understand the highest heavens and the Angels which are not a corporeall but a spirituall light but this cannot bee the truth for this light is said to bee that which is called the day and is opposed to the darknesse of the night here in this mutable and visible World the shining whereof doth distinguish day from the night which cannot bee said of the Angels and the highest heavens which were not made out of darknesse nor out of the rude unformed masse as this light was which God commanded to shine out of darknesse as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 4. 6. Secondly others as Beda Lyra and Lombard doe by this light understand a bright cloud carried about and making a difference of day and night Nazianzene and Theadoret doe think that it was the same light which now is in the Sun Moone and Starres subsisting at the first in one bodie and afterwards divided into severall parts when God made the Sun Moone and Starres out of it Basil thought that it was light without a subject Aquinas that it was the light of the Sun made imperfect at the first and of this opinion is Pererius also Catharinus held that it was the Sun it selfe made first of all which is directly contrary to the expresse words of the 16. vers which affirme that the Sun was made the fourth day Iunius by light here understands the element of fire In this variety of opinions I hold it the best and surest way of finding out the truth to seeke it out of the word used in the originall text The Hebrewword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or which is here translated Light besides the tropicall and spirituall senses in which it is used in those Scriptures which call God the light in whom is no darknesse and the light and salvation of his people and doe call Gods regenerate people light in the Lord doth more properly signifie two things First that naturall bodie or substance which among all the parts and creatures of the visible World is most bright and shining in it selfe and gives light to others as for example the Sun Moone and Starres are called Lights Psalme 136. 7. and the element of fire is called by this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Light Ezech. 5. 2. Secondly it signifies and that most frequently in the Scripture the light that is the shining brightnesse of the heavens and of the Sun Moone and Starres and of the element of fire burning in a lamp or torch or other combustible matter Here I doe not take the word in this latter sense onely for a shining brightnesse for then God had created an accident or quality without a subject which is a thing against nature of things created for common reason and experience shew that never did any qualitie subsist of it selfe without a substance by course of nature no light can be but in some created body as in the heavens fire or aire But hereby light wee are to understand of necessity some notable part of this great frame of the visible World which God first framed out of the rude masse which was without forme and void before mentioned yea that part which is most bright shining and resplendent and doth by light and brightnesse which is naturall in it shine forth and enlighten other things Now that cannot bee any of these lower elements the water and the earth for they have no such light in them and besides it is manifest that they were formed out of the grossest and most dark part of the common masse on the third day vers 9. Neither can it bee the spacious region of the aire which is extended and spread abroad farre and wide over all the round globe of the earth and the waters and reacheth up to the etheriall region of the visible heavens even to the sphaere of the Moone and is called the lowest heaven or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the broad expansion or firmament in the midst of the waters For that was formed the second day as appeares in 6. 7. 8. vers It must needs therefore bee the firmament of the visible heavens which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The large and farre stretched firmament of the midle heaven even the fiery or etheriall region wherein God on the fourth day formed and set the great lights of the Sun Moone and Starres vers 14. 16. For first those heavens were framed and made of the most pure and refined part of the masse which is the common matter of the visible World and are most bright and shining full of light and brightnesse and undoubtedly as in place and order they are the next to the highest heavens so they were created next after them in the first day and are here called by the name of Light because all the light of this visible World is in them and from them shineth into the aire and giveth light upon the earth Secondly there is no particular mention made by Moses in this Chapter of the framing of these heavens among all the works of the six dayes except it bee in this word Light and it is most incredible that hee would omit the creation of them which are the most excellent and glorious part of the visible frame of the World especially seeing hee doth exactly and particularly name and relate the creation of all other parts and the day wherein they were created I am not ignorant that Aristotle and the most learned naturall Philosophers of his sect did hold that the visible heavens are eternall and unchangable and of a matter and substance different from the foure elements fire aire water and earth and were not made of the same common matter Also divers learned Christians and Schoolemen doe thinke that these heavens were created together with the highest heavens immediatly of nothing in the beginning when time first began to bee and are mentioned in the
and after their likenesse to bee Lord over all other creatures the fishes of the Sea the fowles of the aire and all living things on earth In the creation of all other things God said onely Let them bee and so they were made but in the creation of mankind hee calls a councell as being now about a greater worke and saith Let us make Man which is a speciall point not lightly to bee passed over without due consideration First hee who thus enters into consultation is said to bee Elohim that is God the Creatour who is more persons then one or two even three Persons in one essence as the Hebrew word being plurall doth imply And hee who here saith Let us make man and in the next verse is said to create man in his owne image hee is the same God which created the heavens and the earth Verse 1. and the light and the firmament and all other things mentioned before in this Chapter They with whom hee conferres are not the Angels as some have vainely imagined nor the foure elements which God here calls together that hee may frame Mans body of them being compounded and tempered together as others have dreamed For the text shewes plainely divers strong reasons to the contrary First it is said that God created man not by the ministery of Angels or the elements but by his owne selfe as it followes in the next Verse and Chap. 2. 7. Secondly God created man in his owne image not in the image of Angels or elements and therefore it is most ridiculous to imagine that God spake to them or of making man in their image Thirdly it is shewed that man was made to rule over the earth and the fowles of the aire and the fishes of the Sea and therefore it is absurd to thinkethat the earth or any elements were fellow-makers of man together with God And lastly it is both foolish and impious to thinke that God who made heaven earth the heavenly host the Angels of nothing should call upon others to helpe him and to share with him in the honour of mans creation seeing hee doth so often in Scripture challenge this honour of creating all things to himselfe and professeth that hee will not give this glory to another Here therefore God the Creatour is brought in by Moses as it were consulting within himselfe even the eternall Father with the eternall Word the Son who is called the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his Person by whom hee made the World of which man is a part Hebr. 1. 2. and with the eternall Spirit And here hee brings in God consulting about mans creation to bee Lord over other creatures for 3. speciall reasons and to teach us three things which are reasons of consultations among men when they are about a worke The first is to shew not that God needed any advice or helpe but that the worke which hee was about was a speciall worke even the making of man the chiefest of all visible creatures one that should bee Lord over all the rest being made in Gods owne image indued with reason understanding wisedome and liberty of will The second to shew that man was to bee made a creature in whom God should have occasion given to shew himselfe a mighty and wise Creatour and Governour a just Iudge and revenger of wickednesse and sin which doe provoke him to wrath and revenge a mercifull Redeemer and Saviour of sinners seduced and an holy sanctifier of them by his Spirit If wee consider man as a creature which might fall and have Gods image defaced in him and by his many provoking sins might give God cause to repent that hee had made him as is said Gen. 6. then there appeares some reason why God should as it were consult whether hee should make him or no. Also if wee consider that man being fallen and brought under the bondage and slavery of death and the Divell and under eternall condemnation could not possibly bee redeemed but by the Son of God undertaking to become man and to suffer and satisfie in mans nature and that man cannot bee made partaker of Christs benefits for redemption without the holy Ghost the eternall spirit of God infused into man and descending to dwell in man as in an earthly tabernacle There will appeare to us great cause of consultation that God the Father should consult with the Son and the Spirit and this consulting about mans creation doth intimate all these things But in that this consultation is with a resolution all things considered to make man with a joynt consent this shewes that God foresaw how mans fall and corruption and all the evils which by it were to come into the World howsoever to our understanding and in our reason they may seeme just impediments to hinder God from creating mankind yet might by his wisedome bee turned to the greater advancement of his glory and might give him occasion to shew all his goodnesse wisedome power perfect purity and holinesse in hating sin his infinite justice in the destruction and damnation of wicked reprobates and in exacting a full satisfaction for the sins of them that are saved his infinite mercy love and free grace in giving his Son to redeeme and save his elect from sin death and hell and his unspeakeable bounty in giving his Spirit to sanctifie them to unite them to Christ and to conforme them to his image and so to bring them to the full fruition of himselfe in glory God in consulting within himselfe and thereupon resolving to create mankind and saying Let us make man and then immediatly creating him as the text sheweth did in the creation of man shew before-hand that in mankind hee would manifest and make knowne all his goodnesse more then in all other creatures The third reason of Gods consultation is to manifest more plainely in mans creation then in any other creature the mystery of the blessed Trinity that in the one infinite eternall God the Creatour there are more even three Persons of one and the same undivided nature and substance For such consultations and resolutions as are expressed in this forme of words Let us make man in our image and after our likenesse doe necessarily imply that there are more Persons then one consenting and concurring in the worke And that these three Persons are all but one and the same God it isâ—manifest by the words following which speake of these Persons as of one God for it is said that God created man in his owne image and not they created man in their image Thus much for the intent and meaning of the Spirit of God in these words Let us make man in our image and after our liknesse From which words thus expounded wee learne First that the creation of mankind was a speciall worke of God and that man is by nature the chiefest and most excellent of all creatures which God made in all the
fit subject for it then instantly God infused it into the body and by it did give life and breath to the body Some thinke that the body was formed and the Soule in the same instant created together with it as Damascene lib. 2. de fide cap. 12. Aquinas and others And Cyrill thinks that Gods breathing into mans face the breath of life was the infusion of the holy Ghost into man and that man in the creation had the holy Spirit given to dwell in him and was sanctified and endowed with supernaturall grace and holinesse Some thinke that Gods breathing into mans nosthrils was his inspiring into man a reasonable Soule as a part of himselfe so Rabby Moses Maymonides But by breathing into mans face I doe not understand any materiall breathing or blast but that God in causing breath of life to breathe through mans nosthrils did withall create the Soule in the body and by meanes of this reasonable Soule created in the body and united to the body by vitall spirits and breath man became a living Soule that is a living reasonable creature living onely a perfect naturall not an holy spirituall life The Apostle expounds these words in this Sense 1 Cor. 15. and doth make this a maine difference betweene the first man Adam and Christ the second Adam that the first Adam was onely a naturall Man endowed with a naturall living Soule but to be a quickning Spirit that is to bee sanctified by the holy Ghost and endowed with spirituall life is proper to Christ in his creation for in him the Spirit dwelt from his first conception Hence wee learne That the image of God in which mans was created was onely naturall and did consist in naturall gifts which naturally flow from his reasonable Soule and not in any supernaturall gifts of the holy Ghost as true holinesse and the like The words of Saint Paul last before named doe fully prove this I will here onely adde one strong Reason and invincible argument to prove it fully And that is drawne from the mutability of man in the creation and from his fall by which Gods image was defaced in him For it is most certaine that hee who hath in him that image of God which consists in true holinesse and in spirituall and supernaturall gifts hee is not mutable nor subject to fall away because hee hath the holy Ghost dwelling in him who is greater then he that dwels in the World 1 Ioh. 4. that is then the Divell who worketh powerfully in the children of disobedience For all true holinesse and all spirituall graces are the proper worke of the holy Ghost dwelling in man as all the Scriptures testifie But Adam in innocency and honour lodged not therein one night Psalme 49. 12. The Divell at the first onset gave him the foile in his greatest strength of nature and best estate which Divell with all his temptations and all the powers of darknesse and spirituall wickednesses the little ones of Christs flocke doe overcome by the power of the holy Ghost and his graces which they have in their fraile earthen vessels Therefore the image of God in which man was created was naturall onely This discovers Gods goodnesse free grace and bounty beyond all measure and all conceipt and comprehension of humane reason in that it shewes how God by mans fall malice and corruption which made him a slave of Hell and Death did take occasion to bee more kind and bountifull to man and to shew more love and goodnesse to him by repairing the ruines of his fall and renuing him after a better image then that which hee gave him in the creation and making him better after his sin and fall then hee was before in the state of innocency when hee had of himselfe no inclination to any sin or evill and bringing him to grace spirituall in Christ and to an image which cannot bee defaced and to a state firme and unchangable when wee rightly consider these things wee have no cause to murmur at Gods voluntary suffering of man to fall from his estate which was perfect and pure naturall but rather to rejoyce in God and to blesse his name and to magnifie his goodnesse for turning his fall to our higher rising and exaltation and lifting us up by Christ from hell and misery to heavenly glory which never fadeth and to a state spirituall and supernaturall not subject to change and alteration Secondly this Doctrine overthrowes the foundation and false ground upon which Papists and Pelagians doe build and seeke to establish their false and erroneous opinion concerning the apostasie of the Saints regenerate and their falling from supernaturall grace and Iosing the Spirit of regeneration which errour they seeke to establish by this argument Because Adam in innocency had the holy Ghost shed on him and was endued with spirituall and supernaturall gifts of holinesse from which hee did fall by sin and transgression But here wee see there is no such matter Adams image was onely naturall uprightnesse not spirituall supernaturall and true holinesse Hee was but a perfect naturall Man and a living Soule Christ the second Adam onely is called the quickning Spirit because through him onely God sheds the holy Ghost on men and hence it is that though Adam did fall away from his estate which was onely naturall yet the Saints regenerate and called to the state of grace in Christ can never fall away totally nor finally into apostacy because they have the seed of God even the holy Ghost dwelling and abiding in them CHAP. XIII Of the womans creation in particular How without her all was not good Woman not made to be a servant Of giving names to the creatures No creature but woman a meet companion for man Vses Of the rib whereof woman was made Of Adams deepe sleepe Five Points thence collected Of Gods bringing Eve to Adam and two Points thence Of Adams accepting Eve for his wife and calling her bone c. w 〈…〉 h divers points thence Of their nakednesse demonstrating the perfection of the creation GEn. 2. 18 19 20 21. And the Lord said It is not good that the man should be alone I will make an helpe meet for him And every beast and every fowle God brought to Adam to see what hee would call them c. And Adam gave names to them all but for Adam there was not found an helpe meet for him And the Lord God caused a deepe sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he tooke one of his ribs and made it a Woman and brought her to the Man c. These words and the rest which follow in this Chapter containe a particular description of the creation of the Woman which before was touched generally and summarily Chap. 1. 27. in these words Male and female created hee them In this History of the Womans creation wee may observe three speciall things First the preparation to it or the antecedents
aire and the beasts of the Earth c. For our full understanding whereof wee are to inquire and search out First what things are necessarily required in perfect Dominion and Lordship over the creatures Secondly the divers degrees of it Thirdly in what degree Dominion over the creatures was given to man Concerning the first There are foure things required to perfect Dominion and Lordship over the creatures two in the Lord and Ruler and two in the creature ruled and made subject In the Lord and Ruler there is required First Power and ability to order rule and dispose according to his owne minde will and pleasure in all things the creatures ruled by him Secondly a true right to use and dispose them according to his owne will and pleasure In the creature there is also required First a disposition fitnesse and inclination to serve his Lord and Ruler and to yeeld to him in all things whatsoever hee shall thinke fit Secondly a bond of duty by which hee is bound to obey his Lord and serve for his use and necessarily to yeeld to him in all things All these things are necessarily required in perfect Lordship and Dominion And wheresoever all these are found to concurre in the highest degree there is most perfect Dominion and where they are in a lesser degree there is a lesser an inferiour Dominion and where any of these faileth or is wanting there the Lordship and Dominion faileth and is imperfect As for example The Lord God as hee is almighty and omnipotent so hee hath absolute power in and of himselfe and all ability to order and dispose and rule every creature as hee himselfe will And as he is Iehovah the author of all being who hath his being and is that which hee is absolutely of himselfe without beginning and doth create and give being to all other things so hee hath absolute right to use and dispose all creatures according to his owne mind and will and in these respects hee is absolutely called the Lord and is absolute Lord even in this confusion of the World and all things therein as over all other creatures so over the rebellious Divell and all his wicked instruments and hath absolute power to destroy them or to make of them even contrary to their disposition what use he will And because in the creation God made all things good and perfect in their kind and nature according to his owne will and wisedome and every creature as it was good in the nature and kind of it so was it most fit inclinable to serve for the use unto which the Lord appointed it in the creation and as it was the worke of the Lords owne hand by him brought into being out of nothing so there was a bond of duty laid upon it to obey the Lords word and to yeeld to his will without any resistance or reluctation And in these respects Gods Dominion and Lordship was not onely most absolute over all creatures but also most sweet and lovely unto them even a most loving and fatherly rule of God over them and a most free and voluntary subjection and obedience of them to him and to his will in all things But now ever since the fall and rebellion of the Divell against the light and the fall and corruption of man and the confusion which thereby came into the World Though Gods power and right stand most absolute and unchangeable like himselfe and hee both can and doth most justly over-rule the Divell and all creatures which are most corrupt and malicious and makes even their enmity serve for his glory and for the communion of his goodnesse more fully to his elect yet this power and right he exerciseth not in that loving and fatherly manner over the rebellious and disobedient creatures but by just violence and coaction by necessity and strong hand forcing and compelling them to doe and worke and to suffer and yeeld unto and serve for that use which they would not and from which they are most averse And because no other Lords have any such power or right over any creature but all their power and right is given them by God and is but an image and shadow of his right and power therefore their Dominion is not absolute and most perfect but secondary and inferiour depending upon Gods will power and pleasure These things proposed as grounds and foundations wee may from them easily observe divers degrees of Lordship and Dominion The first and highest Lordship and Dominion which is most absolute over all creatures is that of God which in respect of Gods power and right cannot bee increased or diminished at all For as hee hath right to doe with all creatures what hee will because they are his owne and hee gives them all their being so he hath power as he is omnipotent either to incline or to inforce them to doe his pleasure and to serve for what use hee will The Angels in heaven and Saints glorified and made perfect and all creatures in the state of innocency as in duty they are bound to serve and obey God so they have in them a fitnesse and inclination to serve and obey his will in all things to the vtmost of their power and therefore this Dominion over them is lovely and amiable and is paternum imperium a fatherly rulo and Dominion over them But the Divels and wicked men and all creatures corrupted are froward and rebellious and his rule and Dominion over them is in respect of them violent and compulsive and as a King he forceth them to doe what hee will and compels them to serve for what use hee will and justice requires it should bee so The second Degree of Dominion is when a Lord hath both power and right to rule over creatures and they have an inclination and fitnesse to serve and obey but all these are from a superiour Lord giving this power and right to the one to rule and disposing and binding the other to serve and obey This delegated Lordship and Dominion is either unlimited or limited Vnlimited is that which is not confined to some creatures but is extended over all things in heaven and in earth and it is a power and right to make them all serve and obey him in all things whatsoever hee will This unlimited Dominion is given onely to Christ as Mediatour who as hee is man personally united to God and in his humane nature hath perfectly fulfilled the will of God overcome all powers of darknesse satisfied Gods justice and redeemed the World is exalted to Gods right hand as David foretold Psalme 110. 1. and hath all power in Heaven and in Earth given unto him Matth. 28. 18. and hath a name given him above all names even the name and title of the Lord Christ so that in and at his name all knees must bow both of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth
fit for the use of man and other living things that is rehearsed Verse 25. Nor Gods bare direction of men and beasts to eat of these nor a naturall appetite and inclination given to Man and other creatures to affect and desire these things but the words doe expresse thus much that God the Creatour is the onely Lord and all power and right is in him to dispose and give them and the use of them and man and beasts had no right to the herbes trees fruits and grasse but of the free gift of God The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I give or have given doth fully expresse a free gift In that hee saith that herbes bearing seed and trees yeelding fruit shall bee to mankind for meat and greene herbe or grasse shall bee meat to the beasts and fowles and creeping things which live on earth This shewes that man in innocency was to feed onely on such things and as yet hee had no other meat allowed and other living creatures did all feed on grasse Hereby also it is manifest that all herbes bearing seed and all fruits of trees were wholsome food for man and all green grasse for all other living creatures which move on the face of the earth Otherwise God would not have given them to man and other creatures for meat From the words thus opened wee may observe some profitable instructions From all the words joyntly together which shew the Dominion which God gave to man and the food which he allowed both to man and other creatures Wee may learne that God is the onely absolute and supreme Lord of all creatures and no creature hath right to rule over others or to meddle one with another but by Gods free gift our meat our drink and whatsoever wee have in this World God gives it freely to us and wee have no right to any thing but from him If mans wisedome power knowledge and ability to rule the creatures and their fitnesse and inclination to obey him had intituled him sufficiently and given him a true right there had beene no need of Gods giving this Dominion and so if his appetite to herbes and fruits and their fitnesse to feed and delight him and the concord betweene the appetite of living creatures and the greene grasse had given them a true right to it what need had there beene of this gift and that God should say Behold I give to you every herbe and fruit for meat c. In that therefore these two are here recorded as free gifts of God this doctrine flowes naturally from hence And this is aboundantly confirmed by other Scriptures as Gen. 14. 19. where Melchisedeck Gods high and royall Priest in blessing Abraham cals God the possessour of Heaven and Earth that is such a Lord as holds in his hand and possession by an absolute right Heaven and Earth and all that is in them so that none hath any right to any thing in them but of his free gift And Deut. 10. 14. it is said that the Heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lords the Earth also with all that therein is Also Psalme 24. 1. the Earth is said to bee the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the round World and they that dwell therein and Psalme 50. 12. the beasts of the fiâ—ld yea and the whole World is mine saith the Lord the same also is testified Psalme 89. 11. and Iob 41. 11. And Iob confesseth that all that hee had was Gods to give and take away at his pleasure Iob 1. 21. We have also a strong argument to prove this from the quit-rent which God requires and men are bound to pay to God and to whom hee assignes it in testimony of their homage and that they possesse nothing but of his gift as tenants at will that is the tythes of the fruite of the Land and of the Cattell and of all increase all are the Lords quit-rent and were paid to God by all the faithfull even to his Priests and Ministers who Minister before him and have him for their portion Levit. 27. 30. Gen. 14. 20. and 28. 22. and Num. 18. 20. This shewes that God may lawfully take away from wicked men and appoint others to take from them whatsoever they have if he be so pleased at any time and it is no injustice neither have they cause to complaine because they doe not acknowledge him their Lord nor pay due rent nor doe homage to him by honouring him with their wealth and substance It is held to bee no wrong but just and lawfull for earthly land-Lords to seaze into their owne hands and take away from their tenants the houses lands and farmes for which they wilfully refuse to pay the due rent and wilfully deteine it much more is it justice in God the chiefe and absolute Lord of all the earth and the creatures therein to cast men out of those houses and lands and to deprive them of all their increase and revenues for which they refuse to pay their due homage tythe and quit-rent to him and to his Ministers and Servants whom hee hath assigned to receive them for his use and service Secondly this admonisheth us to acknowledge that all wee have is Gods and all our houses lands goods and riches are but his talents lent to us to bee employed as for our owne benefit so for his glory chiefely and the good of his Church Also it justly serves to incite and stirre us up to render thanks praise and due service to him for all and to pray to him daily for a blessing on our meat drinke and all necessaries and to begge at his hand the free use of his creatures and a true right unto them Thirdly it serves to shew Gods great mercy bounty and fatherly indulgence to us in suffering us to have and enjoy so many blessings and good creatures which wee have forfeited by our sinnes and doe daily forfeit by not using them aright but abusing them and neglecting to pay a tenth at least for our quit-rent to God yea and all or the most part if hee requires it at our hands for the necessity of his Church and the maintainance of his truth I feare and justly suspect that if we examine our selves few will bee found among us not deeply guilty in this kind as many other wayes so especially for sacrilegious detaining of tythes and due maintenance which God hath separated to himselfe for the upholding of his publike worship and the preaching of his word and continuing of a learned and faithfull laborious ministery in his Church Secondly wee hence learne that in the state of innocency man had no power over living creatures to kill and eat them Neither did one beast devoure another and feed on his flesh but the food of man was onely herbes and fruits of trees and the food of beasts and birds was the greene herbe and grasse of the field the words of the text shew this plainely And other Scriptures intimate
garden was scituate in Eden that is a region and country most pleasant for in the Hebrew text the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies pleasure and delight Fourthly it is said to bee Eastward in Eden and that in a twofold respect First because being in Eden it was Eastward from Canaan the Land of the Israelites for whom Moses wrote this History and gave it to them when they were come into the borders of the Land and had taken possession of Bashan and Gilead Secondly because it was planted in the East-side of Eden towards the Sun-rising which is commonly the most pleasant place for scituation That Eden was Eastward from Cannan in the land of Mesopotamin towards Babylon it is manifest by this because Euphrates was the river which went out of Eden and watered the garden and Euphrates râ—â—s through the country of Mesopotamia close by Babylon which country when Iacob journed unto from Canaan hee is said to come into the hand of the people of the East Gen. 29. 1. That the garden was on the East-side of Eden it appeares evidently by this that the river which watered the garden did run through Eden Eastward towards Assyriah and Babylon in one streame or great river and when it came to the garden it was parted and became foure streames or chanels one of which to wit that which runs by Babylon retaines the name of the maine river and is called Euphrates as appeares Verse 14. Fifthly this garden is described by the commodities of itâ— First it had in it overy kind of tree both pleasant to the sight both the goodly Cedar which is said to have beene in the garden of the Lord Ezech. 34. â—8 and also good for food that is all trees yeelding fruit Secondly it had in it two speciall fruit-trees which were of singular use the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evill Thirdly it was watered with a river which went out of Edon that is proceeded out of the West part of Eden and 〈◊〉 it by dividing it selfe into foure severall streames which did run through severall parts of the garden to moisten the ground and to cherish the roots of the trees after which parting of the streames and running through severall parts of the garden not by any labour or art of man but by Gods appointment so ordering and disposing them they did not meet againe nor gather themselves into one chanell but ran apart from thence and were parted and became foure heads or streames running in foure chanels into severall parts of the country and into severall lands called by severall names The first here mentioned is Pishon which takes a compasse to the land of Havilah which is a countrie bordering upon the upper part of the Persian Gulfe it was first inhabited by Havilah the Son of Cush and by his posterity it borders on that part of Arabia which Ishmaels posterity inhabited which wee call Arabia deserta For wee read Gen. 25. 18. that they dwelt from Havilah to Shur that is in Arabia deserta and when Saul was sent to slay the Amalekites hee smote them from Havilah as thou goest to Shur 1 Sam. 15. 7. that is along the coasts of the Ishmaelites In this land of Havilah the text saith there is good gold and Bdelium that is a tree which yeelds a whitish gum and also there is Onyx-stone The second river in Moses dayes was called Gihon and it takes a compasse toward the land of Cush that is not Ethiopia which is also called Cush but that part of Arabia which borders upon Chaldaea For all Arabia and Ethiopia are in Hebrew called by the name of Cush because all these lands were inhabited at the first by Seba Sabtah Raamah Sabtecha Sheba and Dedam which were the Sons of Cush as appeares Gen. 10. 7. And that part of Arabia which the Midianites inhabited is called Cush For Moses his wife being a Midianitish-woman as wee read Exod. 2. is called a woman of Cush Num. 12. that is of Arabia not of Ethiopia as our translaters doe render the word Third river is called Hiddekell it is the streame which goeth Eastward towards Assyriah and runs into the great river Tigris which parts Assyriah from Mesopotamia And the fourth river is that which retaines the name of the maine river Euphrates which in Hebrew is called Perah because it makes the land watered by it fruitfull above others This is the description of mans habitation in the state of innocency as it is here laid downe and expounded by the helpe of other Scriptures and not according to the vaine conceipts of men which have no certainty nor truth in them Before I come to observe from hence any speciall point of instruction I hold it necessary First to shew the variety and multiplicity of vaine uncertaine and erroneous opinions of divers ancient Fathers and other later Writers concerning this garden and the particulars thereof before mentioned all which are by certaine ground laid downe in this exposition and by cleare evidence of Scripture and strong reasons easily confuted First Saint Hierome being missed by the translation of Aquila which runs thus God had planted a garden from the beginning doth hereupon conclude that Paradise was planted before the Heaven and Earth were created which Opinion is most ridiculous and contrary to common sense and reason For where there are trees growing out of the ground and rivers and streames watering them there must needs bee ground and earth It was impossible for trees to bee planted and to grow out of the ground before any earth was created Wee here may see how wise men may sometimes build castles in the aire and that the most learned of the ancients have their errours and hee who was counted the most learned of all the Fathers in the Hebrew tongue doth here miserably mistake the Hebrew phrase For though the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mikedem which is here translated Eastward or on the East-side when it is spoken of God or of Christ doth signifie in the Prophets from everlasting or from eternity as Mich. 5. 12. Hab. 1. 12. and Psalme 74. 12. And when other things are said to bee Mikedem the word signifies either from old time or from the dayes of old as Psalme 77. 6. and 143. 5. where David saith I will remember the dayes of old and Nehem. 12. 46. from the dayes of old even from David and Asaph they were chiefe of singers Yet sometimes it signifies Eastward or on the East-side or from the East as appeares most plainely Gen. 3. 24. where it is used to signifie the East-side of the garden where God placed the Cherubins and Gen. 12. 8. where it is said that Abraham came to a mountaine which was Eastward of Bethel and had Ai on the East-side and so undoubtedly it is used in this text for Eastward as our translators truely render it Origen and Phile
all mankind 2 Chron 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the Earth to shew himselfe strong for them whose Heart is perfect Isa. 41. 22. and 4â— 8 9. The Lord proveth himselfe to bee the onely true God by his provident care over all things and his foresight and prediction of things which afterwards hee bringeth to passe and that Idols are no Gods because they cannot do any such things Matth. 6. 26. Behold the fowles of the Aire they sow not neither doe they reap nor gather into barnes yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Matth. 10. 29 30. Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father But the very haires of your head are all numbred Hebr. 4. 13. All things are naked and opened to his eyes neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast your care upon him for hee careth for you These texts laid together doe aboundantly shew Gods actuall providence and the extent of it to all things created and doe Minister to us every Doctrine which concernes the object parts and kinds of it And besides these Scriptures wee have strong Arguments to prove the actuall providence of God First hee who is the Omnipotent Creatour Lord and Possessor of Heaven and Earth and all things therein infinite in wisedome knowledge goodnesse mercy justice must needs have a provident care to order rule dispose and preserve all things which belong to him Now such a one is God as I have aboundantly proved before in unfolding his attributes hee is infinite in power wisedome knowledge goodnesse and the like the Creatour and supreme Lord of all things The whole World is his and all things therein belong to him Psalme 50. 12. Therefore undoubtedly hee hath a provident care of all and an eye and hand in ordering all things Secondly the workes which God doth and the things which hee brings to passe in the World doe shew his wiâ—e care and providence Hee giveth raine in due season for a blessing to his obedient people he withholdeth it from the wicked for a iust punishment makes their heaven as brasse their Earth as iron he blesseth men in their basket and store in the increase of their cattell and the fruite of their ground and he againe for sin maketh fruitfull lands barren and destroyes their cattell with murraine and with thunderbolts Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Iob 12. 12. Psalm 107. 34. By him Kings are set up to rule and Princes and Iudges to execute iustice and to judge not for themselves but for him Prov. 8. 15. 2 Chron. 19. 6. He breaketh downe and shutteth up and none can resist him hee leadeth counsellors away spoiled and maketh Iudges fooles Hee looseth the band of Kings and poureth contempt upon Princes Hee increaseth he nations and destroyeth them hee enlargeth the nations and straiteneth them Job 12. 14 and all Kingdomes are disposed by him Dan. 2. 37. Thirdly the miracles which God worketh by them who call upon his name and the extraordinary things which come to passe whereof there is no naturall cause nor any cause at all but his owne will and pleasure and provident hand do prove the same The miracles and wonders which hee shewed in Egypt and the wildernesse so often as Moses called and prayed unto him His staying of the Sun for a whole day at Ioshâ—ah's prayer Iosh. 10. His thundering on the Philistines at the prayer of Samuel 1 Sam. 7. 10. His raising of the dead at the prayer of his Prophets and Apostles 1 King 17. 2 King 4. and Act. 9. His giving of heroicall gifts strength and courage beyond all humane reason to some men for the deliverance of his oppressed People as to Samson David and his worthies and divers others All these shew Gods watchfull care over the World and his actuall providence ordering and disposing all things This point thus proved as it serves to discover the impiety profanenesse and desperate blindnesse of Epicures who utterly reiect and deny the whole providence of God and those desperate Atheists such as Caligula Nere and others who scoffed and derided all them who taught and beleeved it and those heathen Philosophers who held that God had no care or respect of things uâ—der heaven but blind fortune ruled here below and all things here are casuall and come by chance So it admonisheth us all men to beware of giving way to such doubts and feares of infirmity which their owne corrupt flesh or Satan by mears thereof doth suggest into their hearts to weaken destroy their faith in Gods Providence Let no man admit such a thought into his heart That God hath forgotten to be gracious and that it is in vaine to serve God there is no profit in walking humbly before him in keeping his ordinance in mens purging their hearts and washing their hands in innocency because they that worke wickednesse and tempt God doe prosper and they who deale trecherously are set up and exalted But above all let us abhorre all presuming conceipts that all things come to passe by blind chance and God doth not see nor regard our wicked thoughts purposes and practises neither will hee call us to account for them For what is this but to deny the Lord to be God It is even the way to pull speedy wrath and vengeance on our owne heads Gods providence being proved that it is I proceed to shew by way of plaine description what it is and wherein it doth consist The summe of which description is this The actuall providence of God is Gods exercise of his wisedome power goodnesse iustice and mercy in ruling ordering and governing the whole World in watching over all his creatures with a carefull eye in doing all good and permitting all evill which are done in the World and in disposing all things good and evill to the manifestation of his glory and the eternall salvation of his elect in Christ according to his owne eternall purpose and the counsell of his will This description consists of two maine and principall parts The first sheweth what Gods actuall providence is in generall in these words Gods exercise of his wisedome power goodnesse iustice and mercy The second sheweth the speciall nature of it and the speciall things wherein it doth consist and whereby it is distinguished from all Gods other outward actions and exercises of his wisedome power and goodnesse This is comprised in the rest of the words First it is Gods exercise of his wisedome power goodnesse mercy and iustice and in this it agreeth with the creation and all other outward actions of God for every such action is either an exercise of his wisedome or of his power or of his goodnesse or of his mercy or of his justice or of all or the most part of them all together And indeed Gods actuall providence beareth sway