moment and beginning of time to the last end thereof throughout all ages and the eternall duration of things in the world to come but also all the things which are measured by this protraction and duration of times and of time beyond all times even all things under heaven and all things above the heavens as Angels and blessed Spirits and all things which shall be upheld and kept in being after the end of the world For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies times or things the beginning and end whereof are hid and unknown to mortall men of short time by reason of the long continuance of them and the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a perpetuall being and duration or whatsoever is alwaies and in all times and it is used in Gospel to signifie not only this world wherein we live in this mortall life but also the world to come both◠the Kingdome of glory and also the state of all things after death as appeares Mat. 12. 32. and Heb. 6. 5. The third name by which the creature in generall is called is the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is commonly translated the world and doth fitly signifie that well ordered decent beautifull and comely frame of heaven and earth with all the goodly furniture and well ordered host of creatures therein contained For it is a word which in Greeke doth properly signifie beauty decency and comely ornament and by it the Greeks commonly doe call the whole frame of the world because of the beauty and comely order of the creatures therein and by this name the creature in generall and the universality of things created is called Matth. 25. 34. Rom. 1. 20. and Ephes. 1. 4. where the Spirit of God speaks of the creation and foundation of the world And lest we should thinke that by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant onely the inferiour and visible world the holy Apostles when they speake of it adde the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as appeares 1 Corin. 1. 20. and Ephes. 2. 2. to shew that there is another world even the invisible called also by this name And John 1. 3. the Evangelist having affirmed that all things were made by the eternall word doth in the 10. Verse shew that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world I am not ignorant that this word is used also in a more strict sense and that it signifies sometimes the habitable world or circle of the earth inhabited by men as Matth. 4. 8. and John 1. 9. Sometimes men inhabiting the earth as Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entred into the world Sometimes the elect who are the chiefe ones of the world and of mankind as John 3. 16. and 2 Cor. 5. 19. and 1 John 2. 2. Sometimes for the carnall unregenerate and reprobate multitude of mankind as John 14. 17. Whom the world cannot receive And 17. 9. I pray not for the world Sometimes earthly things as Gal. 4. 3. opposed to spirituall and sometimes sinfull and corrupt things opposed to holy and heavenly as Galat. 6. 14. But the most full and proper sense is that which I have first named and in that sense it is used in all places which speake of the creating and founding of the world and signifies the whole frame of heaven and earth with the furniture of them The fourth name by which the creature in generall is called is the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies that which is created and made of nothing by the act of creation by this name the creature in generall is called as it comprehends every thing created either in heaven or earth or in the sea or under the earth Revel 5. 13. And by this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole world is called Mar. 13. 19. where our Saviour saith There shall be such affliction as was not from the beginning of the creature which God created that is of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word is rendered by the Evangelist Matthew Chap. 24. 21. Now from these severall names used by the Spirit of God in Scripture to set forth the creatures in generall that is the universality of things created we may observe divers things for our instruction 1. First that whatsoever hath any being in heaven or in earth either in this world or in the world to come even all things which can be conceived to have a true being besides God himselfe are created of God have a beginning and were made out of nothing at the first This as it is laid downe in my Text so it appeares plainly by all the foure names before cited and is confirmed by the Scriptures produced to shew the true sense of them to wit Isa. 44. 24. John 1. 3. Col. 1. 16. and Revel 4. 11. And besides these wee have many other as Exod. 20. 11. Psal. 146. 6. and Psal. 148. in which places the heavens and the heaven of heavens the Angels and all the hosts of God the Sun Moon Stars the Aire and the Meteors the Earth the Sea and all things in them are said to be made and created by God to which we may adde Act. 14. 15. and 17. 24. Heb. 1. 10. 2. The second thing which I observe from these names of the creature in generall is That the World was made in perfect beauty fit to flourish perpetually and every creature as it was created of God was good perfect and beautifull in his kind free from all discord disorder and corruption This is gathered from the names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the World is called the one of which signifies beauty ornament and decencie free from all deformity discord and disorder and the other a perpetuall being or a perpetuall flourishing in being and perfection And the last words of this Chapter confirme this fully to wit God beheld all things which he had made and so they were exceeding good The words also of God himselfe Job 38. from the 3. Verse where he sets forth his manner of creating all things in a most excellent order by laying the foundations of the earth sure by measuring it as it were by line by shutting in the deeps within bounds by bringing forth the lights of heaven rejoycing and the Angels singing joyfully and by making all things to flourish Reason also grounded on the Word of God doth prove this plainly For that which was made in perfect wisedome and in the framing whereof Gods eternall wisedome had an hand must needs bee most beautifull decent and flourishing For if Gods wisdome in Bezaleel and Aholiab made them so excellent in working curious and glorious workes for the Tabernacle much more excellent is it in God himselfe Now
his pleasure whensoever he will And hereby to be stirred up and encouraged to rejoyce mo 〈…〉 aboundantly in the Lord our Creatour to rest more confidently on him when we have committed our selves to his protection and he hath received us under the shadow of his wings and to hope for all blessings which he hath promised and for the performance of all his promises in due time and season without hinderance or resistance of any power As all created things were made for some end and whatsoever is not fit to serve for some speciall end is a meer vanity so the knowledge of things without the knowledge of the end and use of them is a vaine notion swimming in the braine and therefore the maine thing which we ought to drive at in seeking the profitable knowledge of things is to know and understand the speciall use of them Now Gods creating of the highest heavens and the host of them in glorious perfection by himselfe alone in the first act of creation in the beginning doth serve most properly naturally and necessarily to shew the infinite wisdome and omnipotencie of God the Creatour as is before proved that we seeing therein these divine attributes of God as in a glasse may rejoyce in him and rest securely on his promises knowing that he will performe and fulfill his word and none can resist him Wherefore let us study to make this right use that our knowledge may be sound and saving and may bring us on to salvation Secondly this may justly smite our hearts and make us ashamed of our owne dulnesse and negligence in this point in that we all or the most part of us have so often read heard remembred and understood in reading and hearing the Word of God this great worke of creating the heavens and heavenly host and have beleeved it and spoken of it and so have passed it over without seeing beholding and considering in it the wisdome power and glory of God Alas there be few amongst us who have taken care to look so farre into the end and use of these things of God and that is the cause that science abounds without conscience and much knowledge goeth alone without any sound or sincere practise O let us be throughly ashamed of our negligence in the times past which is too much indeed and let us labour to redeem the time hereafter by double diligence studying to see Gods glory in those great workes and seeing to admire his wisdome and to adore his heavenly Majesty Thirdly Gods truth in this doctrine beleeved and embraced is a strong Antidote against all Atheisticall thoughts which possesse the hearts of divers dull and carnall people who cannot conceive thoroughly nor fully beleeve but often doubt of Gods omnipotencie and ability to create in a moment out of meere nothing most perfect and glorious creatures such as are Angels and blessed spirits and the heaven of heavens Such doubts are the cause that they cannot beleeve in God rest on his power and be confident in him in cases of extremity when the whole world seems to be against them and all outward helps faile If they did but discerne the power of God by the first simple act of creation they might know and beleeve that hee out of nothing can raise more help then they can desire or stand in need of in their greatest extremities Secondly in that here in the first act of creation performed in the first beginning of all things and in the first moment of time God the Creatour is described by the name Elohim which signifies a plurality of persons in the unity of essence as I have before proved and this act is ascribed to all the three persons equally in one and the same word Hence we may gather a necessary doctrine concerning the consubstantiality equality and eternity of all the three persons in the sacred Trinity to wit That the three persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost are all co-eternall and without beginning all equall among themselves and consubstantiall of the same undivided nature and substance three persons distinct in one infinite eternall Jehovah For plaine reason tells us that whatsoever had no being given to it in or after the first beginning of creatures but was and had a being already in the first beginning and before any thing was made yea was the authour and maker of the first worke of all that must needs be of absolute eternity every way eternall without any beginning or end at all Now such are all the three persons in the blessed Trinity they all by this word Elohim are shewed to be equall in the first act of creation and so to be before the first beginning of all things as the authour and cause before the worke and effect they all are declared to be one and the same singular God and undivided essence and therefore this Doctrine doth hence truly arise I need not here againe stand upon further proofe of it for that I have done aboundantly already in expounding the Doctrine of the Trinity Onely the consideration of this truth may serve first to convince all Heretickes of horrible errour and blasphemy who deny either the Creatour of the world to be the true God or the Son and the Spirit to be equall co-eternall and of the same substance with the Father as the Arians and others did Behold here the blasphemous fictions of these men cut off before they shoot forth and rooted up before they were sowne by this first act of creation as it is here described by the Spirit of God and therefore let us hate and abhorre all such dreames and fictions as most monstrous and unnaturall damned in Gods booke from the first words of the history of the first creation Secondly let us even from this furthest ground fetch the all-sufficiencie of our Mediatour and Redeemer Christ and the efficacie and perfection of his full satisfaction that we may rest on him confidently without scruple feare or doubting As also the infinite power of the Spirit that we may rest in his strength for perseverance If the Son Christ or the Spirit were inferiour Gods and of an inferiour nature not infinite nor co-eternall with the Father men might have some colour of diffidence and some cause to doubt of sufficient satisfaction redemption and stedfast perseverance But here we see the contrary that the Son if the Word by whom all things were made and the Son and Spirit one the same God and Creatour with the Father and the Spirit as he is in the regenerate is greater every way then he that is in the world 1 John 4. therefore let us comfort our selves in the all-sufficiencie of Christ for full redemption and of the Spirit for sanctification and perseverance Thirdly in that here the first act of creation even the creation of the highest heavens with the host of them and of the common matter of the visible world out of
the starry visible heavens as Deut. 26. 15. 1 Kings 8. 30. and Mat. 18. 10. Yea the hoâ—y Apostle puts all out of doubt 2 Cor. 12. 2. where he calls this the third heaven That this highest heaven is not God but a place created by God for here it is said that God created this heaven Some thought that there was no place above the Spheres of heaven but that there God is all in all and that there all things are in God and subsist in him Their ground is that speech of the Apostle 1 Corinth 15. that God shall be all in all But that shewes the contrarie that God is in all not that all things are or shal be and subsist in God as in a place Againe this shewes not the place but the state of the blessed that they shall immediately injoy God without a Mediatour Now that the highest heaven is not God divers reasons shew First it is Gods throne Isa. 66. 1 Deut. 26. 15. therefore not God himselfe Secondly it cannot containe God but he is infinite and farre without the compasse of it 1 Kings 8. 27. Thiâ—dly God is every where but this heaven is not so it is onely above not in the visible world Fourthly it is such a bodily substance as can containe glorified bodies as the body of Christ Enoch and Eliah It comprehends the visible heavens within the compasse of it But God is a spirit That it is not God but his creature and his workmanship and that he hath the disposing of it as his creature appeares Gen. 2. 1. Heb. 11. 10. Psal. 115. 16. That this heaven is above the visible heavens divers Scriptures testifie For it is called Heaven above where Jehovah is Deut. 4. 39. Jos. 2. 11. that is above all the visible world Into this heaven our Saviour is said to be taken up on high when he ascended Luke 24. 51. Yea he is said to ascend up farre above all the visible heavens Ephes. 4. 10. Fourthly that this heaven is a most ample and large place may easily be gathered and proved from this That it was made distinct from the earth which was the matter of the whole visible world and doth subsist above and without the compasse both of the masse and of all things which were made of it and so comprehends them within the large compasse of it And our Saviour intimates so much where he affirmes that in it are many mansions John 14. 2 3. Also the Psalmist Psal. 68. 5. where hee calls this heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies faire and large spacious plaines And yet it is not infinite nor every where for God fills it and the earth also and it is not able to containe him 1 Kings 8. 27. The fifth instruction is That the highest heaven is a place most glorious and excellent free from all corruption and full of glorious light farre surpassing our fraile imagination and the reach of mans naturall understanding The very signification of the name shewes that it is farre remote from our sight conceipt and apprehension And that rule in Philosophy proves that it is free from alteration and corruption to wit That those things onely are changeable and may be corrupted and turned into their first matter which are made of a common matter capable of divers formes But things which have no part of any such matter in them are incorruptible and unchangeable free from alterations incident to inferiour things Now such are these heavens discovered to be in my Text For they were made absolutely of nothing with or before the first common matter of the visible world Yea in the next words the Spirit of God doth distinguish the rude masse from these heavens by this that it was full of darknesse and without forme and void which implies that these heavens were farre different that is full of beauty forme and light And other Scriptures fully confirme this First by the names by which this heaven is called and by the excellent things which are spoken of it for it is called the Heaven of heavens that is the heaven farre above all heavens in glory and excellency Deut. 10. 14. and 1 Kings 8. 27. and Psal. 68. 34. The Heaven of heavens everlasting so much the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth intimate And Saint Paul who was rapt up into this heaven was so astonished with the glory of it that he knew not whether he was in the body or out of the body there he heard words which it was not lawfull to utter and the sight thereof was such a cause of glorying that he was afterwards in danger thereby to be too much exalted and had need to be buffetted by the Angell of Sathan for his humiliation to keep him from excessive boasting 2 Cor. 12. And the same Apostle calls the inheritance therein reserved for the elect the inheritance of the Saints in light Colos. 1. 12. and he saith of God who dwels there by his glory that he dwels in light which none can approach unto 1 Tim. 6. 16. which testimonies with many other which might be cited fully prove the glory and excellency of this heaven Besides we have many Arguments to this purpose The first is drawne from the proper efficient cause of this heaven For it is most certaine that the place and city which hath God only for the builder maker of it in the building whereof God hath shewed such admirable divine wisdome that it more specially is called his worke and building must needs be most excellent and glorious Now such is the highest heaven it is called the citie whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11. 10. that is the city which God builded alone as his master-piece for his owne purpose to shew therein his glorious wisdome and art as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used doth signifie Yea it is said to have foundations that is to be so firmly built that it can never faile but stand stedfast for ever world without end Therefore it is a most glorious place A second Argument is drawne from the proper inhabitants of these heavens For in all reason and by the course of nature that is the best place which falls to the share and is allotted to the best inhabitants by the will and appointment of him who is the wisest of all and doth order all things in wisdome and equity Now the highest heavens are allotted by God to the best inhabitants First he hath chosen them to be his owne habitation wherein he delighteth to dwell not onely by his essentiall presence and power as he is in all other places but also by his visible glory holinesse and unspeakable majesty So the Scriptures testifie Deut. 26. 15. where these heavens are called the habitation of his holinesse And Psal. 113. 5. the high dwelling in which God is so high above all And Isa. 57. 15. and 63. 15. the high and holy place the habitation
have smitten and destroyed thousands of men in a night as 2 Kin. 19. and rejoyce over sinners which repent Fourthly the Scriptures reckon up Angels not among those inspirations motions or affections which proceed from Gods Spirit or any other person or substance but among perfect creatures and spirituall substances which live and move and subsist by themselves and not in another substance and so the Spirit of God speakes of them Psal. 149. 5. and in all the places where they are said to come from heaven to earth and to be sent from God unto men The third point in the definition is That Angels are heavenly spirits that is neither made of any bodily substance nor compounded of any elements or creatures of the visible world but of a pure and heavenly nature made to dwell in the highest heaven as in their proper and naturall place of habitation and there have their continuall residence This is manifestly proved by the former Doctrine and also by those Scriptures which testifie that they alwaies and continually in heaven behold the face of God as Matth. 18. 10. and that they are the heavenly host Luke 2. 13. and Spirits of heaven Zach. 6. 5. And there they encamping are in a moment as ready to defend the righteous and to guard the Church militant on earth and avenge all wrongs done to Gods little ones as if they were here present on earth for in the twinckling of an eye they can descend from heaven to earth and deliver the godly and stay the hand of their enemies and smite them with death as we see by the army of Angels coming from heaven and guarding Elisha so soon as he called upon God 2 Kin. 6. and by the Angell of God which at the praier of Hezekiah destroyed all the army of the Assyrians in one night and at our Saviours praier in his agony appearing presently from heaven and comforting him In a word our Saviour affirmes that spirits have not flesh and bones Luke 24. 39. They cannot be seen with bodily eies nor felt by bodily hands as corporall things may be Therefore Angels being spirits are not corporall nor compounded of bodily elements but are pure and invisible as the Apostle cals them Colos. 1. 16. The fourth point to wit That Angels were created by God in the beginning and God hath given to them their being is aboundantly proved in divers Doctrines before I need not say any more of it The fifth point is That Angels were created in the image of God and doe in many respects resemble God more then any other creatures First in their very substance and naturall being for as God is a spirit so they are spirits yea pure spirits and in that respect resemble God more then any other creatures Secondly as God is absolutely pure and simple so they are more pure and simple then any other creatures and have no corporall or visible substance in them Thirdly as God is the living God and even life it selfe and as he is infinite in wisdome knowledge goodnesse and power and doth all things freely of himselfe according to the good pleasure of his owne will also is in and of himselfe most glorious and blessed for ever and with him is no variablenesse or shadow of turning so Angels are most quick active and lively spirits the most excellent of all Gods creatures in wisdome knowledge and liberty of will and in all goodnesse and good will towards men they are also great in power and excell in strength Psal. 103. 20. and are called the blessed and glorious Angels of light heaven the place of blisse is their habitation And as they are incorporeall spirits which cannot be dissolved and die as men doe when their soules are separated from their bodies and the whole person is dissolved so and in that respect they are immortall do more resemble God who only hath immortality then any other creatures doe by nature All these things to wit the lively strength activity knowledge wisdome free-will glory power and blessed estate of Angels wherein they were created the Scriptures doe most clearly testifie and declare where they affirme that the Angels doe see Gods face who is all in all and that they look into all the mysteries know the manifold wisdome of God concerning the salvation of the Church 1 Pet. 1. 12. and Ephes. 3. 10. and have great joy in heaven over sinners which repent and doe relate great and mighty workes done by Angels most readily and speedily without delay The sixth point is That Angels are distinct and different among themselves and one from another by a proper and particular existence and being this I have fully proved in the second branch The last is That Angels are finite in their nature and number and have their bounds and limits and also are by nature mutable such as might fall from the first estate wherein they were created That Angels are in nature finite and cannot be in divers places or in all places at once is most plaine both by this that they are said to be Gods heavenly host and Angels in heaven that is who are confined to heaven for the proper place of their dwelling and when they are here on earth are said to be descended from heaven Matth. 28. 2. and to be here and not there That though they are many and more then man can number and in that respect are called innumerable yet that their number is limited and that God knowes the number of them cals them by their names and brings them out by number the Prophet testifieth Isa. 40. 26. That Angels are mutable by nature subject to fall from the state wherein they were created the Scriptures doe testifie where they make this Gods property that hee onely changeth not Malach. 3. 6. And with him is no variablenesse Iam. 1. 17. And where it is testified that God hath charged the Angels with folly Iob 4 18. And many of the Angels did not keep their first estate but left their habitation and by sinning did fall from Heaven and are cast downe to Hell and delivered into chaines of darknesse 2 Pet. 2. 4. and Iude 6. And that onely the elect Angels are made holy and immutably blessed by the light which God hath added to them Iob 4. 18. Thus much for the definition of Angels 3. Corollary The third Corollary is That the bodily shapes of men and other creatures in which Angels have appeared were no parts of their nature and substance neither were essentially united unto them but were onely assumed for the present time and occasion that thereby they might make fraile men see more evidently and acknowledge their presence and their actions For the heaven of heavens is not the place of grosse earthly bodies and therefore Angels being naturall inhabitants of heaven have no such bodies personally united they onely did for a time assume the bodies in which they appeared and performed some
mixture of both But in viewing reviewing and sifting the words thoroughly I have observed something over above that which by reading I could observe in others to wit that this rude masse was not suffered to lye idle one moment from the first creation and bringing of it into being out of nothing but being a meere unformed masse or Chaos it had at the first a resemblance of earth because the grosse matter of the earth was so mingled and confounded in it that it chiefely appeared in the upper face of it and so it seemed grosse and earthy and is first called Earth Secondly by the operation of the spirit of God cherishing and moving it the grosse thicke matter settling downward toward the center it became immediatly in the upper face of it like a deep mire or quick-sand which more inclines to water then earth and hath no ground stay or bottome in it and therefore in the second place it is called the deep Thirdly God making the earthy matter to sinke and settle downward still more and more all the upper face of it became more thinne and fluid like unto impure water and thereupon in the third place it is called the waters though indeed there was neither perfect water nor earth but a confused matter without forme and void out of which all visible things were formed Thus much the names shew unto us concerning this masse which I propounded as the first thing The second thing is the consideration of the Properties by which it is described for it is said to be Tohu and Bohu and that darknesse was upon the upper face of it First it is said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tohu that is without forme even a thing imperfect which had neither the nature nor substance nor naturall shape or property of any perfect creature Secondly it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bohu void it had in it no formed creature of any kinde to fill and replenish it for this word is used to signifie the emptinesse and utter desolation of a land wholly depopulated laid waste and of a Citie brought to ruine having nothing left but heapâ—s of ruined Walls Isa. 34. 11. and Ier. 4. 23. Thirdly it is said to bee all darknesse in the upper face of it darknesse was upon the face of the deep By darknesse we are not here to understand any darke body as aire or thick clouds of darknesse compassing it round and over-spreading of it as the dark aire and thick mist did the land of Egypt when God plagued it with darknesse but this is the meaning that in this rude matter there was no light neither did any appeare in the out-side or upper face of it Now these properties by which it is described do comprehend in them that which in naturall philosophy is called privation is held to be a principle or beginning of natural things For unto the making generating of any bodily creature or natural body there are three things required as first principles 1. A matter capable of some forme that is expressed in the names of earth deep and waters 2. Privation which is an absence or want of the forme which ought to be or might bee in that matter for to give it that naturall being of which it is capable and unto which it is inclined This privation of forme and this emptinesse of all naturall powers and properties which are required in creatures and this darkenesse which is the privation of light they are the second principle The third is the naturall and substantiall forme which is that which distinguisheth one creature from another and gives being to every creature that is makes it to bee that which it is in the kind of it This forme God by his word gave to the severall parts of this matter when hee said Let it be it was so But when a matter rude undigested and unformed is inclining to some forme and wants it there must be a disposing of the matter to receive the forme which it ought to have to make it a perfect creature in his kind and which it yet wants and requires and that working preparing and disposing of the matter that it may bee fit to receive the forme which must perfect it And this disposing of the common and rude matter of all the visible World is here expressed in these words of the text And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Some doe here by the spirit of God understand some Angelicall spirit which God used and imployed to fit and prepare this matter to his hand thus Cajetan a Romish Cardinall and Schooleman held Tertullian lib. 3. contra Hermog saith that this spirit of God was a winde by which God prepared and disposed it Theoderet saith it was the aire which moved on the upper part of it Quaest. 8. in Genes But I conceive all these to bee unsound opinions First they are confuted by the very words of the text and by all other Scriptures which ascribe the whole worke of the creation and the making of the World and all things therein wholly and onely to God the Father the Word and the Spirit three Persons in one undivided essence Secondly it is against all reason to thinke that God who created the chiefest and most excellent of all his workes the highest heavens and the Angels the heavenly spirits immediately of nothing in a moment and also the common matter of all the visible World in an instant would use or did imploy any creature to dispose the matter and to fit it to his hand Wherefore tho best exposition of these words is that which is held generally by the best learned to wit that this Spirit of God here mentioned is the eternall Spirit one and the same God with the Father and the Son by whom all things were made and Hee is said here to move upon the face of the waters The Hebrew word here used doth properly signifie the Eagles gentle fluttering with her wings over her young ones thereby to cherish them as appeares Deut. 32. 11. And here it signifies the worke of Gods Spirit extending his power upon this rude confused unformed and empty masse and gently shaking it and causing the grosser parts to settle downewards and the more subtle parts to gather into the upper place and so to prepare and dispose every part for the substantiall forme which God at length gave unto it Thus you have the text opened From whence we learne First That man and all other creatures which live and move and have any being in the whole visible World howsoever they are engendered and propagated one by another yet they have their whole substance and being from God and he is the sole creatour and maker of them That he made the first common matter out of which they were framed the text here sheweth plainely Also that the spirit of God did prepare and dispose that whole
there is no helpe in them Psalme 146. 3. and that of the Prophet Ieremie Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme Ier. 17. 5. Secondly though there happen many changes and great confusion in the World yet let us here take notice that they come not by chance and allwayes acknowledge that they are in the will and power of God and are ordered and disposed by his over-ruling wisedome If to the wicked enemies and persecutors of Gods Church changes come for worse to their confusion and overturning of their power let us see Gods hand therein and let us give him the praise for working our deliverance and avenging our cause on our enemies If changes come to our selves and our peace bee turned into trouble and danger let us humble our selves as under Gods hand If our adversity bee turned into prosperity let God have all the thankes If wee see just cause to feare great changes in Church or State let us flie to God for helpe strength courage and patience and betake our selves to his protection that wee may rest safely under the shadowes of his wings The third point of doctrine which wee may observe from the Spirit of God moving upon the waters cherishing and fitting the unformed masse to receive a perfect being and perfect formes of visible creatures doth shew the concord and perfect similitude which is between the worke of creation by which God formed all things by his word and Spirit and the worke of restauration and redemption of mankind by which he reformes them by Christ and by his Spirit and brings them to supernaturall perfection and blessednesse As in the creation God by his Spirit cherishing the rude masse did prepare and fit every part thereof to receive a perfect forme and naturall being so in the restoring of man kind being deprived of his image and deformed God doth by his Word and by his Spirit shed on us through Christ regenerate renue reforme and prepare us for the fruition of himselfe and doth fit and prepare us for supernaturall perfection and blessednesse As in Ezechiels vision the wind from God did move and shake the drie bones scattered upon the face of the earth and fitted them by flesh and skinne to receive life and to stand up living men in perfect strength and stature So by the word and Spirit of God men dead and rotten in sinnes and sinfull corruption are by the Spirit of God breathed through Christ renued after his image and fitted by the life of grace for the eternall life of glory Ezech. 37. The Spirit of God as our Saviour testifieth is like the wind which bloweth where it listeth it is hee which doth frame us after Gods image in our new birth Ioh. 3. 5 8. and fits us for the Kingdome of glory Wee are as farre from God and from Christ and as void of his image and of all Spirituall life as the rude masse was of all forme in the first creation untill the Spirit of God bee given to us in Christ to dwell in us and renue us as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 8. 9. 13. Ephes. 2. 18. 22. and Tit. 3. 5. 6. Wherefore as wee desire to be made like unto Christ in the image of glory and to see and enjoy God in his heavenly Kingdom where all fulnesse of perfection and blessednesse is to bee found So let us by the consideration of this Doctrine bee stirred up to thirst after the river of the water of life even the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost and never rest satisfied till wee feele within us the testimony of the Spirit of Christ witnessing with our Spirits that wee are the children of God and till wee feele our selves sanctified throughout both in soule and body and holinesse engraven upon our hearts without which none can see God Secondly seeing the Spirit of God is he who prepares men for supernaturall perfection and there is no communion to be had with Christ nor participation of his merits and saving benefits to salvation except men have the Spirit of God dwelling in them and of profane and carnall sons of Adam making them holy and spirituall sons of God Let us not count it any shame or reproach to us that profane mockers of these last times doe in mockery and derision call us spirituall men who ascribe all good motions which are in us to the Spirit of God dwelling in us directing us in all our wayes We doe not deny but that all Enthusiasts and other men of fanaticall Spirit doe most profanely and sacrilegiously Father their owne fansies and lustfull motions on the Spirit of God and therein deserve reproach and derision but let men take heed that they doe not by loathing their hypocrisie and arrogancy runne into Atheisme and blasphemous impiety by rejecting and denying the Spirits dwelling in all Gods regenerate children working in them all saving graces and moving them to walke in the holy wayes of God which lead unto supernaturall perfection and eternall blessednesse For most certaine it is that as the first rude matter of the visible World was sustained and cherished by the Spirit of God moving upon the face of it and was not otherwise able to subsist or to bee formed into divers creatures every one made perfect in their kind with naturall perfection so the perfect stabilitie of man in an happie unchangable estate yea the perfection of the visible World made for mans use is the work of the holy Ghost uniting man to to God in Christ and gathering and reconciling all things unto God in him who is the head over all Although man and all creatures as appeares in the last verse of this Chapter were created every one good and perfect in his kind with naturall perfection yet man the chiefe and the Lord of them all having not as yet the holy Ghost shed on him through Christ as all the regenerate and faithfull have was mutable and in that honourable estate of innocency hee did not stand and abide but did full from it very quickly after that the Woman was created and given to him as wee read Chap. 3. yea hee did not lodge one night therein Psalme 49. 12. and by Mans sinfull fall and corruption the whole frame of the visible World was made subject to vanity and groaneth under it as under an intolerable burden and with earnest longing waiteth for deliverance and restitution to an higher estate in the glorious libertie of the sons of God Rom. 8. 19. 20. And although the eternall Word the Son of God had undertaken for man in the eternall counsell of the blessed Trinitie and did step in to mediate for man and in the first promise made upon mans fall was proclaimed to bee the onely and all-sufficient Redeemer and was fully exhibited in the flesh and became a perfect Redeemer in his death and resurrection so that in him is plenteous redemption and matter sufficient to merit more then
man lost by sin even heavenly glory and immortality yet all this profits nothing without the work of the Spirit Christ with all his sufferings and obedience unto death and all his righteousnesse and fullfilling of the law are as a Fountaine sealed up and treasures hid and locked up in darknesse so that none can partake of him or them for redemption and salvation without communion of the holy Ghost which God in our regeneration doth shed on us aboundantly through Christ. This Spirit dwelling in Christ and the faithfull makes them one mysticall body with Christ sons and heires of God makes his satisfaction their ransome for actuall redemption and reconciliation and his righteousnes their righteousnes for justification This Spirit also doth renue them after the image of God and transformes them into the image of Christ in all holinesse that they may bee fit to see and enjoy God and thus hee brings them to the fruition of perfect blessednesse and to the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which never fadeth And Gods blessings are through Christs mediation poured out upon all creatures for their sakes And hereupon it is that all gifts and graces which tend to make men perfect and unchangably blessed are ascribed to the Spirit as wisedome knowledge faith hope love meekenesse patience courage strength prayer and in a word all holinesse and perfection and whensoever God is said to give any of these gifts to men in an effectuall and saving manner and measure hee is said to give them the Spirit of grace wisedome zeale and supplication as appeares Isa. 11. 2. Zach. 12. 10. Yea common illumination and all extraordinary supernaturall gifts which are given to unregenerate reprobates for the revealing of Christ as the gift of prophecie to Balaam and Saul and the change of heart in Saul from cowardly pusillanimity to fortitude and magnanimity the gift of miracles to Iudas also illumination tast of the heavenly gift joy in the holy Word of God given to backsliders Heb. 6. are the worke of the holy Ghost assisting them and inspiring them from without for the Churches good not inwardly dwelling and working in them for their owne salvation Wherefore let us count it no reproach that wee have no hope of being in an happy and blessed estate no assurance that wee are in the way to perfection till wee feele the Spirit of God dwelling and working in us moving our hearts and conforming us to the image of Christ and that wee rejoyce in this and this is our glorying that wee are not carnall but spirituall They who think it enough for the obtaining of perfection and salvation to know beleeve and professe that in Christ there is as sufficient matter of satisfaction for the redeeming of all mankind as there was in the rude masse without forme matter enough for the whole visible World and all creatures therein doe much deceive themselves for many who know and beleeve all this doe perish and none are saved or perfected by Christ but onely they who are by the Spirit dwelling in them united to Christ and regenerated and renued after his image This Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance and witnesseth to us our adoption hee makes us new creatures and a free willing people hee sanctifieth us to bee an holy Temple for himselfe to dwell in purgeth out sinfull corruption mortifieth the deeds of the flesh so that sin cannot reigne in our mortall bodies There is one thing more which I may not passe over here in silence to wit that this text doth prove plainely that the Spirit of God the third person in the Trinity is one and the same God with the Father and the Son of the same uncreated nature and substance the almighty Creatour and Preserver of all things in heaven and in earth visible and invisible To sustaine a rude matter without forme and void and to make it subsist is a worke of power farre above the power of any thing created and to compasse and comprehend the whole matter and masse of the visible World and to assist and cherish by present vertue every part thereof at once is a strong argument and plaine proofe of divine and infinite power and omnipotency proper to Iehovah the one onely true God and all this is here testified of the Spirit of God in these words and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters that is as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merachepheth and here used in the originall signifieth did sit upon and cherish that mightie masse as an Hen doth sit upon and cherish her egges that they may bee formed into chickens Therefore the Spirit of God is here proved to bee one and the same God with the Father and the Son and the almighty Creatour former and preserver of the whole World and all things therein To which purpose the Scriptures also speake fully in other places where the heavens and the host of them are said to bee made by the Word and Spirit of God as Psalme 33. 6. and that when God sends out his Spirit things are created as Psalme 104. 30. and that God by his Spirit garnished the heavens Iob 26. 13. and that hee is present by his preserving and sustaining power in all places Psalme 139. 7. which places prove the Spirit of God to bee Iehovah the Creatour and Former of all things and the true God in whom wee all live move and have our being This point which I have proved and confirmed by many other strong arguments already in my discourse of the Trinitie as it discovers the desperate malice impudency and Atheisme of the Remonstrants the Disciples of Socinus and Arminius who call into question the Deitie of the holy Ghost and his unitie with the Father and the Son and his right to bee prayed unto and worshipped with Divine worship so it is of singular comfort to the faithfull whose bodies are Temples of the holy Ghost in that it assures them that God is their portion and dwells in them and they are begotten of his seed in regeneration and are partakers of the Divine nature and heaven is their inheritance CHAP. VI. Of the first dayes worke What the light was What it is God said Let there be light How be called the light day and the darkenesse night Of a day naturall and civill That the night was before the day How a day was before the Sunne was Prerogatives of the first day VErs 3 4 5. And God said Let there be light and there was light And God saw the light that it was good And God divided the light from the darknesse And God called the light day and the darknesse hee called night and the evening and the morning were the first day After that darknesse had continued upon the face of the deep and the whole matter of this inferiour World had remained full of darknesse for the space of one night God by his powerfull Word created Light the first
day or the first day I answere that Gods day which is most truly and properly so called is the time of light and in it their is no night or darknesse For God speakes of a naturall day distinct from the night but Moses speakes of a civill day which comprehends in it the space of 24. houres in which the Sun runnes round about the World with the heavens which day includes in it a day and a night and here observe that Gods day is all light and mans day is mixt of light and darknesse Thirdly it may asked whether the night or the day went before in the first day of the creation The Answer is that the night or time of darknesse was first and it is likely that darknesse did over-spread the face of the deep the space of a night that is 12. houres before God formed the light and setled the visible heavens in their place and that after the light was created it did shine forth for the space of 12. houres more before God went about to make the firmament which was the second dayes work and so the first day of the World was of the same length with all other civill or Astronomicall dayes that is 24 houres divided equally between light and darknesse The words of the text shew that darknesse overspread all the masse of the inferiour World for a time before the light was formed Also in naming the six dayes of the creation the evening that is the time of darknesse is rehearsed first before the morning which is the 〈◊〉 of light Also Gods people began their dayes of the weeke and of the yeare with the night and reckoned the Sabbath and other solemne dayes from evening to evening as appeares Levit. 23. 32. Fourthly it may bee asked how the firie or visible heavens could by their light make a day before the Sun was created seeing the light of the same heavens together with the light of the Moone and the Starres added thereto cannot make a day but it is night where the Sun is absent and the light of it not seene not withstanding the light of the heavens and of the Moone and Starres I answere that the light of the heavens without Sun Moone and Starres is sufficient to make a bright day in the place where they are and there it is alwayes day though by reason of the spacious regions of the aire and the great distance betweene them and the earth their light doth not shine to us to make a day of light without the beames of the Sun but it is dark night in that part of the earth where their light onely appeares Now in the first day before the firmament was made that is the region of the aire purged and refined out of the masse by the sinking and settling of the earthy and waterish matter towards the center there was no need of light further then the body of the heavens reached that is to the upper face of the rude masse not yet formed but remaining rude and full of darknesse And therefore so farre as the visible World was brought into forme they did give most clear day light and as all had before bin overspread with darknesse for the space of a night so all was now overspread with light for a dayes space and so the first day of the creation was one halfe all night and another halfe all day in all the visible World even in all parts thereof which were then created and brought into perfect forme and being From this text thus opened wee may observe divers points of instruction First we learne that as there are three Persons in that one God which created the World by his own infinite power so every Person is a creatour and God the Father by his eternall Word the Son did extend and shew forth his power to the framing of every creature and by his Spirit did give all forme and perfection to them As the word Elohim used in the first verse notes more Persons so here and in the verse before wee see the Persons distinguished and all three working in the framing of the World and all the creatures therein First God the Father is brought in creating Secondly by his Word that is not by a sound of the voice or a word uttered for there was then no aire to receive such a sound but by his eternall Word bringing things into being according to his eternall Counsell and decree Thirdly by his Spirit moving upon the face of the waters and cherishing the rude and common matter of the whole visible World yet void and unformed and preparing it for the receiving of the severall formes of all creatures in the severall parts of it Which point excellently confirmes our faith in the true Doctrine of the blessed Trinitie and confutes Sabellius Servetus the Socinians and Arminians who denied the eternall Deity of the Son and the holy Ghost and overthrowes their severall heresies and damnable errours Secondly wee hence learne that all things are possible to God he can as easily and quickly by his eternall Word and power bring greatest things to passe even bring light out of darknesse and the glorious pure spacious visible heavens out of the rude impure and confused masse which was without forme and void as a man of nimble tongue and ready speech can speake a word Which Doctrine other Scriptures doe aboundantly confirme which ascribe to God omnipotency and proclaime him to bee wonderfull in counsell and excellent in working and that nothing is too hard or wonderfull for him to doe as Genes 18. 14. Isa 28. 29. Iob 36. 5. and 42. 2. Which serves to stirre us up to feare admire and reverence God to seek his favour and protection above all things and to rest confidently on him for defence against all enemies and dangers when wee are reconciled to him and have him for our God and our portion Thirdly we may here observe that God is wonderful in wisedome and providence in that the first thing created in this visible World was light even the bright and shining heavens which as above all visible creatures they shew the glory and super-celestial excellency of God in their naturall frame and substance so also give bodily light to the eyes of all bodily living creatures which were to bee made to see and discerne the glorious beauty and admirable frame of his visible works for hereby it came to passe that none of gods visible perfect works of wisedome were for an houre smoothered in darknesse but were all manifest and Gods glory was clearly seene in them so soone as there was a seeing creature able to discerne them This sheweth that God hath done his part to reveale himselfe and man who takes not notice of God in his works to worship him aright is without all excuse And this should stirre us up to labour to see God and to discerne him in his works and to place all
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
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
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
giving of Christ his Son for a Redeemer aboundantly testifieth his infinite goodnesse and bounty his punishing our sins in Christ to the full shews his infinite Justice and his pardoning of beleevers by Christs satisfaction freely given and communicated to them shewes his infinite mercy and free grace as the Scriptures often testifie and our own consciences within us do witnesse and our daily sense and experience do proove And in our Redemption and application of it we see discovered the Trinity of Persons in one God And while wee in these things as in a glasse behold the glory of God with open face the vaile of ignorance being remooved we are changed into the same Image from glory to glory and so come to have communion with God and the fruition of him 2 Cor. 3. 18. The seventh and last Branch sets before us the utmost end of all Gods outward works to wit the eternall blessednesse of the elect by the communion vision and fruition of God in all his glorious attributes as wisedome power goodnesse mercy justice and the rest The Text it selfe intimates this Truth to us saying that all these workes of God proceed from his good will and pleasure For the good pleasure and will of God consists chiefly and principally in willing that his elect shall be brought to perfect communion of himselfe and of his glory for their eternall happinesse And what God willeth according to his owne good pleasure and doth because he is pleased so to do it must needs aime at the blessednesse of his elect by the sight and fruition of him and his glory Now therfore all Gods outward workes proceeding fiem Gods pleasure must needs tend to this end and this is confirmed Rom. 8. 28. 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. where we read that all things worke together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose and that all things are the elects the world life and death things present and things to come and they are Christs and Christ is Gods also Col. 1. 16. all things visible and invisible were created as by Christ so for him that they might serve him for the salvation of his elect and for this end and purpose Angells principalities and powers are said to be made subject to Christ 1 Pet. 3. 22. And their office and ministery and the great wonders which God doth by them are said to be for them who shall be heires of salvation Heb. 1. 14. To these testimonies many reasons might be added I will onely call to mind that which I have else where abundantly declared and prooved to wit that for this end the world is upheld by Christ and for his sake and through his mediation ever since mans fall and for this end the wicked live even the barbarous and savage nations either that they may serve for some use to Gods people or for the elects sake whom God will raise up out of them or that God may shew his justice and power on them being sitted for destruction to the greater glory of his elect even the judgements of God on the wicked and their damnation serve for this end to increase the blessednesse of the Saints The doctrine of this description serves for to stirre us up in imitation of God our Creator not to content our selves with saying purposing and promising or with making a shew of doing good workes but to be reall true constant and faithfull in performance of them I or so doth God whatsoever he promiseth or purposeth or is pleased to doc that he doth in Heaven and Earth Sluggards who delight in idlenesse doing nothing and Hypocrites who say and promise and make great shew of doing but are barren of the fruites of good workes as they are most unlike to God and contrary to him so they are hatefull and abhominable in the sight of God and they onely are accepted of God who are active Christians alwayes doing good and abounding in the worke of the Lord their labour shall not be in vaine but every one shall receive reward according to his workes which are evidences of his communion with Christ and of his faith justification and sanctification wherefore seeing God is alwayes reaching forth his mighty hand to worke in Heaven in Earth in the Sea and all deep places for our profit let us be alwayes doing and studying to do good for his glory Secondly it serves to move and direct us in and through the outward workes of God to see and behold the infinite eternall and omnipotent God and his divine power and Godhead and in the unity of Gods essence the sacred Trinity of persons because all the persons have a hand in every worke and that one God who is three persons is the author and worker of every divine outward worke as this doctrine teacheth It is a common custome among men when they see and behold the handy worke of any person to remember the person to bee put in minde of him by the worke especially if he have knowne the person before and beare the love and affection to him of a friend and a beloved one So let it be with us so often as we see and behold the visible outward workes of God let us in them behold the face of God and remember his glorious attributes Let us in the great workes of Creation behold the wisedome and power of God the Creator in the worke of Redemption the mercy bounty and love of God in our Sanctification the love and the holinesse of God and in them all let us behold the three glorious Persons in that one God who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will The Father by his eternall Word and Spirit creating all things The Sonne sent forth by the Father in our nature and sanctified by the Spirit redeeming us and paying our ransome The Holy Ghost shed on us by God the Father through the Sonne Christ in our regeneration And all three conspiring together to purge sanctifie and justifie us and to make us eternally blessed in our communion with them and in our fruition of God in grace and glory And let us take heed and beware of idle and vaine speculation of Gods great workes which shew his glory and proclaime his glorious Attributes Wisdome Power and Goodnesse lest by such idle negligence wee become guilty of taking the name of the Lord our God in vaine Thirdly from this description we may easily gather and conclude that sinnefull actions as they are evill and sinnefull are not Gods workes for God is pleased with those things which he doth and his workes are according to his pleasure but God is not pleased with sinnefull actions and evill workes he hath no pleasure in iniquity Psal. 5. 4. If any aske How then can it be done if he will not and be not pleased I answer That in them there is to be considered 1. A naturall motion or action proceeding from some created power
the body of Divinity First I will begin with the Creation and will labour to unfold the nature of it in generall And then I will proceed to the handling of all the speciall works therof every one distinctly by it self in particular Secondly I will passe from thence to the works of Gods actuall providence under which comes the government and preservation of the world and of al things created and the ordering and disposing of every thing to the proper end of it More especially the fall of man into sin misery and guilt of damnation And the Redemption of man from misery and his Restauration to grace and glory by the application and fruition of Redemption and by true spirituall union and communion with Christ the Redeemer and with God the Father in him by the inhabitation of the Holy Ghost Thus much for the generall Doctrin of Gods outward works laid down in this Text and for the division of them in their severall heads and kinds unto which all the particular outward works may be reduced FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OF THE CREATION OF THE VVORLD GEN. 1. 1. In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth IN this Chapter the historle of the Creation is most plainely and succinctly written by Moses and the workes of the six dayes are distinctly laid downe according to the order wherein God created and made all creatures in heaven and earth In the second Chapter some things which were but more briefely and generally laid downe in the first Chapter to wit the creation of plants herbes and trees and of birds and beasts and especially of man and woman and the creation of the garden of Eden with other circumstances are more plainely and fully related And therefore I have made choice of those two Chapters the words whereof doe give us ground and occasion to handle the doctrine of the creation and to discusse of all points therein needfull to be knowne for the glory of God and our own profit and comforts In the whole history comprehended in these two Chapters the Spirit of God offers to our consideration two things First the creation as it is a worke of God together with the severall parts and degrees of it Secondly the creatures produced by that work even the whole world and all things therein contained that is the heavens and the earth all the host of them Creation is here described First generally according to the common nature of it as it concernes all creatures and is the making of them all Secondly it is distinguished and described particularly according to the severall parts and branches thereof as it concernes severall kindes of things created First Creation is described generally by the name the Author or cause and by the time and forme of it throughout this whole Chapter Secondly it is distinguished into two branches or degrees The first is simple or absolute and immediate creation which is a making of something out of nothing The other is secondary creation that is a making of perfect things out of an imperfect matter which was before created of nothing and was of it selfe most unfit for any such substantiáll forme and being as was raised out of it Simple or absolute creation which is a making of things out of nothing is laid downe in the first verse And that is here distinguished into two particular branches according to the number of the things created the Heaven and the Earth The first is the creation of the highest heavens and all the host of them as the spirit of God by Moses expounds himselfe more plainely Chap. 2. 1. This was a most perfect creating and making of things perfect in nature forme and being out of nothing and that in an instant The second is the creating of the earth that is a rude imperfect masse and confused Chaos or deep which was without forme and void and fit for no substantiall forme or perfect being as yet neither could subsist but by the spirit supernaturally susteining it For so the word Earth is expounded in the next verse even to be that rude masse and deep which he made of nothing that it might be the common matter of all the inferiour visible world and of the creatures therein conteined The second maine branch of creation which I call secondary or mediate creation and which is a making of things perfect out of an imperfect matter created of nothing is laid downe historically throughout these two Chapters where the creation of the severall kindes of creatures in the six dayes is described particularly And this hath also two particular branches The first is the creating of things out of the first rude confused matter which was without forme and void and full of darknesse such was the creating of the foure elements 1. Fire called light 2. The Aire called the firmament 3. The Waters or the Seas 4. The Earth or drye land The second is the creating of things perfect out of the second matter which was beforehand formed and disposed into the forme and substance of elements such was the creation of the Sunne Moone and Starres in the heavens and of the foules in the aire and fishes in the sea and beasts on earth which were all created of the second matter that is of the matter of the elements brought into forme There is besides these branches of creation another particular creation mixt of simple and secondary creation namely the creation of man who in respect of his body was made of the dust of the earth by secondary or mediate creation and in respect of his soule was created by God as the Angels were immediatly of nothing by a simple absolute and immediate creation This is also described First generally in this Chapter verse 26 27. and also distinctly and particularly Cap. 2. 7. And as this history doth describe the act or worke of creation both generally and particularly in all the bâ—anches thereof so also all the Creatures or kindes of things created The Creatures are here distinguished according to the time and order of their creation Some of them were created in the first beginning of time in the first moment wherein time first began to wit the highest heaven with the inhabitants thereof the Angels and the earth that is the rude masse or first common matter of the inferiour world and all the creatures therein Some of them were created in the progresse of time or in times distinct even in six severall dayes to wit all the rest of the creatures and they are distinguished by the time and order of their creation Some were created the first day some the second and the rest severally in the rest of the six dayes and they are described by their severall names and natures as shall appeare hereafter when they come to be handled distinctly CHAP. I. Of the Creation in generall What the Hebrew word signifieth Of the Author Time Object and Forme of the Creation A description of
under death The time of the creation as here I take it in generall is not onely the first moment of time as in this verse it signifies but also the six dayes mentioned distinctly in the rest of the Chapter For the highest heaven and the rude matter the earth were created in the first moment of time and all other things in the space of six dayes as the historie most plainely teacheth Some besides that which I have observed from this word doe gather also that the time and moneth of the yeare in which God created the World was the seventh moneth which wee call September The ground of their conjecture is a Cabalisticall conceit of some Jewish Rabbins to wit because the letters of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth in September are the same with the letters of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies here in the beginning and therefore as the letters of the one word if they be transposed make up the other word so both words agree in one time and this beginning was in the moneth September But their ground is deceitfull First because September which is the seventh moneth is called in the pure Scripture Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King 8. 2. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of the corrupt Rabbinicall Hebrew tongue and therefore Gods Spirit alluded not to it Secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it more than the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so they doe not perfectly agree Thirdly the Rabbins and Cabalists doe not agree among themselves in this conceit For some of them have another conceit that the letters of this word are the same with the two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first or chiefe house that is the Sanctuary Others that it hath the same letters which make up the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Covenant of fire to shew the purity of the burnt offerings made by fire And many other such conceits they have concerning this word which to repeat were losse of time I am not ignorant that some learned men and judicious divines doe hold this opinion of the worlds creation in Autumne and September but for other reasons especially because Autumne is the time when all fruits come to perfection and therefore Gods creating of all things perfect was in that time of the yeare But this is no good reason for many creatures have their perfection and glory in the Spring-time as hearbs flowers and such like And birds and beasts doe chiefely breed in the Spring and the Spring revives the things of the earth and makes them fresh and greene And the cause why many fruits come not to perfection till Autumne is the corruption of the earth and the curse laid on it for mans sinne In the creation things when they first began were perfect and so would they be in the Spring and all the yeare if man had not brought a curse upon them Therefore I leave such curious points as not needfull to be determined or if I incline to any opinion concerning the time of the yeare it is that the world was created in the Spring when the day and night are equall and both of one length in all the world that is in the moneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abib which is part of March and part of Aprill For this God seemes to teach Exod. 12. 2. where hee injoines the Israelites to account that for the first moneth of the yeare contrary to the custome and account of the Egyptians which they had before followed The fourth thing by which the creation is described is the Object or effects that is the things created even the Heavens and the Earth and all things in them For it is said God created the heaven and the earth The fifth thing is the Forme and manner of the creation to wit by saying Let it be done and it was done this appeares vers 3 6 9. which implies also the matter and the end Now here a question may bee moved concerning this word of God whether it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word spoken and uttered with a sound like that which God spake from Mount Sinah in giving the Law or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inbred facultie of reason and understanding or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inward thought of God caused by outward objects or whether it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substantiall and eternall Word the Sonne of God First it cannot be a word spoken and uttered with a sound for that requires aire as the medium of it and there was none when God said Let there be light there was no eare to heare nor any use of such words Secondly it cannot be any inward thought of God now beginning to thinke of the creation and being of things for this purpose was in God as all thoughts are from all eternity Neither is this word the Son of God now spoken that is begotten and not till now as some hereticks dreamed and this saying of God the begetting of the Son For the Son is God the creatour coequall and coeternallo the Father and that God which said Let there be light and Let there be a firmament c. Wherefore the true meaning of that speech is this That as God the Father Son and Holy Ghost had decreed and purposed from all eternity to create all things out of nothing so in the beginning in the first moment of time the Father by his eternall Word the Son and by his Spirit not as instruments but chiefe agents with himselfe did actually put his decree in execution and that so quickly as a word can bee spoken with the tongue which hath before been conceived in the heart and that all was done at Gods beck and command most easily without any toiâ—e or labour and that as the word spoken is the revealing of mans will so the creation was the declaring of Gods eternall will and purpose by the open execution of it and in a word that God by his Wisedome Will Goodnesse and Power which are his attributes by which as by a speaking word hee is made knowne to men did create and make all things and for an end not in vaine for his word is never in vaine Now from these things laid down plainly in the words of this first verse and in the verses following wee may gather this description of creation in generall viz. That it is the first outward act or worke of God Almighty the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost performed in the first beginning of time by which hee immediatly brought all things out of nothing according to his eternall purpose and gave the first being to the world and every creature therein when as they were not and that by his owne infinite goodnesse wisedome power and will actually working and like a powerfull Word and
commandement bringing all things to passe out of meere nothing or that which was as nothing made of nothing without any instruments toile labour alteration or delay for the revelation of himselfe and for the communion of his goodnesse and glory This description truely gathered from this text and this historie is in whole and in every part confirmed by other testimonies of Gods holy infallible Word First creation is an outward act or work because it is not within God himselfe but his making of things and giving to them a being different from his own essence Secondly it is Gods first outward act because it was the giving of the first being to all kindes of creatures in which and upon which hee exerciseth all other outward works these two points are manifest and need no further proofe But as for the third point the Author or first cause God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost wee have manifest proofe of it in Scripture able to satisfie any reasonable mind First that the Lord Jehovah the only true God not Angels is alone the Creatour of all things Holy Job testifieth saying that hee alone spreadeth out the heavens and treadeth upon the waves of the Sea Job 9. 8. And Isa. 44. 24. I saith Jehovah am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe Secondly that all the three Persons are equall in this worke and as they all are one God so are one Creatour of all things it is manifest Job 35. 10. Where the Creatour of all things is called in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my makers that is more Persons than one even three Persons in one God and Psal. 149. 2. Let Israel rejoyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them that made him and Eccles. 12. 1. Remember thy Creators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Isa. 54. 5. The Lord thy makers is thine husbands the Lord of hostes is his name For the Father in particular there is no doubt all confesse him to be the Creatour and so the Scriptures testifie Prov. 8. 22 23. and Heb. 1. 2 3. For the Son also we have plaine texts that by him all things were made and nothing without him John 13. 10. and Joh. 5. 17 19. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Col. 1. 16. Heb. 1. 10. And as the Spirit is one God with the Father and the Sonne so his hand wrought with them in the Creation as appeares Gen. 1. 2. Where it is said the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters that is cherished the rude masse as the Hen doth her egges by sitting on them and so gave forming vertue to them so the Hebrew word signifieth and Job 26. 13. God is said by his spirit to have garnished the heavens and Job 33. 4. The spirit of God hath made me saith Elihu and 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 breath of his mouth that is his spirit Fourthly for the time of the Creation we need not stand much upon proofe of it This Text sheweth that it began in the beginning or first moment of time And in six dayes it was perfected and fully finished as the rest of the Chapter sheweth It was of old that God founded the earth and made the heavens as the Psalmist testifieth Psal. 102. 25. that is in the first beginning of times And reason tells us that time being a circumstance and inseparable companion of creatures visible must of necessity begin together with their being Yet one thing is worthy to be noted in the time namely That whereas God was able in the first moment to create all things as he did the highest heavens and the rude masse which is called the earth in my Text and which was the common matter of all the visible world yet he did distribute and divide the creation into divers acts which are distinguished one from another by the effects that is the creatures made and by the severall times and dayes also wherein they were performed Which point wee will insist upon as it well deserves when we come to the several acts performed particularly in severall dayes of the Creation The fifth point in the description is the generall object and effect of creation to wit all things and the first being of them For here the object and effect concurre and are altogether the same The world and all things therein and the first matter of which they were made as they are the onely things about which the act of creation is exercised so they are the object of creation And as they are things made by the creation so they are effects of it Now this generall object and effect as it is truly gathered from the enumeration of all the kindes of things created which are numbred in this Chapter and the next and is plainely expressed in the description so it is abundantly testified in all the Scriptures as Isa. 44. 24. and Coloss. 1. 16. and Exod. 20. 11. where all things in heaven and earth visible and invisible are said to bee made created and formed by God Yea the first rude matter it selfe out of which the inferior world was made is here in my Text said to be created by God And this is confirmed by reason drawn from the nature of God and his Name Jehovah For God as this Name signifieth is an absolute essence of himselfe and the first being of all and the Author of all being Therefore every thing which is or hath being must needs be of him and be his creature The sixth point in the description is the matter out of which God created all things under which we comprehend two things First the matter improperly so called or Terminum à quo from whence God brought the first being of all things immediately And that was either negative even nothing or their not being at all or positive their being in Gods eternall purpose onely This was the first matter which God had to worke upon in the first immediate act of creation Secondly the matter properly so called that is either the rude masse made of nothing which was without forme and void or the foure Elements which had in them no forme or being of the things created and so were as nothing in respect of that being which God gave to every particular thing which he made of them For proofe of this we have a plain testimonie Heb. 11. 3. where the Apostle saith By faith we underst and that the worlds were framed by the word of God So that the things which are seen were not made of things which doe appeare Here it is plaine that hee speakes 1. Of creation in generall in that hee saith The worlds were framed 2. In that he denies the visible world to be made of any naturall things which doe appeare to any sense hereby hee shewes that their first matter was made of
nothing and if they had no matter before the creation much lesse had invisible spirits any matter 3. In that hee makes this a matter of faith to bee beleeved not to bee knowne by reason hereby hee sheweth that there was a creation of their first being out of nothing for reason without faith can apprehend a making of things of matter fitted and prepared 4. In that hee doth not say simply that they were not made of any thing but saith rather they were not made of things which doe appeare hereby hee intimates that they had a being in Gods purpose and secret counsell before Reason also gathered from the present Text doth prove that no creature in the world was made of matter uncreated or of matter co-eternall with God for here it is said that God first made the rude matter which was without forme which he needed not to have done if there had been any eternall matter uncreated Secondly this matter could not subsist but by the Spirit of God exercising his creating power upon it as the second Verse sheweth Therefore all things were made of nothing some immediately as the highest heavens and the first matter called earth and the forme of every thing and some of a matter either that first without forme or else unfit for such a being as God made out of it The seventh thing in the description is the forme and manner of the creation in generall and that consists in foure particulars 1. First that God in the creation had no moving causes to move him thereunto but his owne will goodnesse wisedome and power and by them and according to them hee created every thing First that God created all things by the free liberty of his owne will and according to his owne good pleasure and was not by any necessity compelled thereunto it appeares plainly Psal. 115. 3. and 135. 6. where it is said that God hath done all things whatsoever pleased him and whatsoever pleased him he hath done in heaven earth sea and all deep places and Revel 4. 11. it is said that God hath created all things and through his will and pleasure they are created Secondly that God created all things by his goodnesse and according to his good pleasure as the places last cited doe shew so also the goodnesse which at the first creation did appeare in every thing created proves it most sensibly For as it is said of Light that it was good Verse 4. and so likewise of every otherthing that it was good so of all in generall which God had made that they were very good Now all goodnesse in the creature comes from the goodnesse of the Creatour and is an image and shadow of it Therefore certainly God by and according to his goodnesse created all things Thirdly that God created all things by his wisedome and according to it the Scriptures aboundantly testifie Psal. 104. 24. where David saith Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisedome hast thou made them all and Psal. 136. 5. The Lord by his excellent wisedome made the heavens and Prov. 3. 19. The Lord by wisedome founded the earth And this is implied Prov. 8. 27. where Wisedome saith When God prepared the heavens I was there Fourthly that God created all things by his mighty power and strength the Prophet Jeremy testifieth Jerem. 32. 17. saying O Lord God behold thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arme And Saint Paul affirmes that Gods eternall power is seen from the creation of the world in the things which are made Therefore the first particular concerning the inward moving causes concurring with God is manifest to wit That God by his will goodnesse wisedome and power created all things 2. The second particular by which the forme and manner is set forth is this That God created all things himselfe without any instruments at all by his powerfull word and commandement This is expressed in the Text which saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is God the three persons did but say of every thâ—ng Let it be and it was so And in the second Chapter Moses makes this manifest Ver. 4 5 6. where he professeth that God used no subordinate means no not so much as raine or moistening vapour or the hand of man in the creating of plants in the earth And Isa. 40. 12 13. the Prophet ascribes to God alone the framing and stretching out of the heavens and the earth without the counsell direction or ministery of any other therein For howsoever the creation was according to Gods eternall counsell and in the creation of man God is brought in to say Come let us make man as if hee did consult with others besides himselfe yet this is not to be understood of Gods consulting with any other but of the consulting of God with himselfe even the Father with the Son and the Spirit who were persons of the same essence with himselfe and were the same God after whose image man was made and had the same hand in the creating of him For so the words Let us make man in our owne image doe necessarily imply Yea as they all are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son as well as the Father and the Spirit as well as the Son and all are included in that name so it was the joynt and equall counsell and the purpose and saying of them all Come let us make man so that the Son and the Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joynt Creators and Workers with the Father not his instruments and the powerfull word of the creation comes equally from all three But as for Angels or other inferiour creatures it is against all reason yea against all piety and Gods glory to imagine or dreame that they are instruments used by God in the creation First all being is of him who is Jehovah the author of all being Now creation is the giving of being and God onely is Jehovah therefore creation is onely of him Secondly in every thing which was created there was something made of nothing even the substantiall form and the matter was disposed in an instant or moment Now this cannot be but by an infinite power and is an action of infinite vertue therefore no created instrument could concurre in any act of creation Thirdly if God could create Angels the first and chiefest of his creatures of nothing when there was none but himselfe nor any to be his instrument much more could he without instruments create inferiour creatures Lastly God proves himselfe to be the true God and none besides him by the act of creation Isa. 43. which proofe were defective if any creature had wrought with him in any part of the creation Thus the second particular is manifest 3. The third particular wherein the forme and manner doth consist is this That God created all things without any toile labour change or alteration in himselfe at all Hee was not changed from rest to
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
Evangelist useth them doe signifie eternity but in that he saith The Word was that is had already a being with God in the beginning when hee began to give being to all other things this proves by necessary consequence that the Word was eternall and therefore the common exposition stands sure that here the word Bereshith signifies the beginning or first part of time The second word of this Text that is Bara created signifies the giving of first being to all things either simply out of nothing or out of matter undisposed for the forme introduced as I have noted before And by a Metaphor it signifies great and mighty workes which resemble the creation but here it signifies absolute creation or giving the first being to the highest heavens and to the rude masse or matter of the visible world out of meere nothing for they were created of no matter before existing as all doe hold and of their creation onely this Verse speakes That the third word Elohim being of the plurall number signifies three persons in one God the Creatour and that the creation was the worke of all the three persons in the Trinity I have before shewed Here let mee adde further a Cabalisticall proofe gathered from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the act of creation and consists of three Hebrew letters which are the first letters of the three Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie the Father the Son and the Spirit And therefore if the Caballisticall art be of any credit this act of creating is the work of all the three persons the Father the Son and the holy Spirit one and the same God The two last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heaven and the earth do here signifie as I have noted before the highest heaven and the earth which was without forme and void that is the rude masse and common matter of the visible world Some learned men do by heaven and earth understand the whole world in the same sense as the words are Chapt. 2. 1. By heaven they conceive the highest heaven the visible starry heaven and the whole firmament of the aire to be meant by earth the lowest globe of the earth which hath the sea intermingled with it and by creating they understand the whole worke of creation in generall and not that first speciall act by which God made the highest heavens and the rude masse and matter of the visible world onely The main reason which they have to prove this is drawn from the Hebrew Articles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is prefixed before the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth The first of which Articles consists of the first and last letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and so implies an universall comprehension of all things which were created both the first and the last The other to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of plaine demonstration and sheweth that this heaven and earth as they now stand are said to be created here in these words But this exposition is plainly overthrown by the Text it selfe and the reason answered without any difficulty First the act of creation spoken of and intended in this Verse is that which was performed in the beginning that is in the first moment of time so the Text affirmes but the whole world and all creatures in heaven and earth were not made in the first moment of time nor in the first day but in sixe daies therefore the whole world is not meant in these words nor all creatures in heaven and earth Secondly if the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be of generall comprehension then each of these words should signifie the whole world for it is added to each of them and so the other word should be superfluous in this place Thirdly we may safely grant that these words are of generall comprehension and yet we need not expound them of any other heaven then the highest heaven nor of any other earth then the first rude masse out of which the whole visible world was made which was without forme and void as it is testified in the next words Verse 2. For this heaven did comprehend in it the highest heaven and all the host and inhabitants of it the Angels actually And this earth or rude masse did potentially comprehend in it the whole visible world which afterwards in the sixe daies was actually formed out of it and therefore I take this to be the best exposition to understand by the heaven the highest heaven onely where the Angels and blessed Saints have their dwelling together with the host thereof And by the earth to understand as the next Verse sheweth the rude masse out of which God after formed the whole visible and mutable world consisting of the starry heavens and of the aire water and earth with all things in them As for them who here by heaven and earth understand the whole world actually formed and made and them who understand the common seed and rude matter of the heavens both highest and invisible and also the visible heavens and the inferiour world they exclude out of this history of the creation the distinct and speciall narration of the creation of the highest heavens and of the glorious host thereof the Angels and super-celestiall Spirits contrary to that which Moses himselfe plainly teacheth Chapt. 2. 1. where repeating summarily the whole creation in generall which he had before distinctly related and in all the parts thereof described in the first Chapter he saith Thus were the heavens and the earth finished and all the host of them that is the Angels among the rest for they are called the heavenly host Luke 2. 13. From the words thus expounded we may gather an excellent description of the first speciall act of creation which is called simple and absolute creation and of the two particular branches thereof to wit That it is that act of creation whereby God in the first beginning did create and give the first being out of nothing to the highest heavens and to the earth that is the first rude masse and matter of the visible world The parts of this act are two The first is that act of simple creation by which God created out of nothing and gave a most perfect glorious being to the highest heaven and to all things therein contained The second is that act of simple creation by which God gave the first imperfect being to that rude earth the masse which was the common matter out of which hee formed the whole inferiour visible and mutable world In this description of the first act of simple creation and of each branch thereof wee may observe foure things The first is the matter both generall and speciall laid downe in the word Bara created Secondly the author of it God the Father Sonne and
death is seventy sevens of yeares Daniel 9. that is 490. yeares all which make 3960. yeares from the creation Now from Christs death which was in the 33. yeare of his age or 33. after his birth it is in this present yeare 1623. the full number of 1590. yeares which being added to 3960. before Christs death make from the creation 5550. yeares Now this computation of yeares together with the clearing of the former question may serve First to discover unto us divers waies the admirable providence of God in that he doth so order all things that the time of the incarnation of Christ the second Adam should fall in the same moneth with the creation of the first Adam and the day of redemption from sinne and death should be the same day of the week and of the moneth with the day of Adams falling into sin and bringing all mankind into bondage to hell and death And that in the holy Scriptures which were written by holy men of God in severall ages the true computation of times and yeares should be put upon record and reserved and kept safe through all ages untill this day in the midst of so many dangers and among so many alterations and changes which have happened in the world Surely he who is so provident in ordering the circumstance of times and preserving the records of them even his holy Oracles when the Nation of Jewes to whom they were committed in trust is cast off and scattered over all the earth will much more keep his promises and fulfill all prophecies and predictions every one in the set time and season which he hath appointed Secondly this exact record of times and of the very moneth of the creation and of the redemption serves to confirme us in the verity and truth of those things which are written concerning the beginning and creation of the world and the redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ comming in the exact fulnesse of time to redeem the world according to Gods promises when severall witnesses or writers who never conferred nor consulted one with another doe agree in their relations not only in the maine matters but in the circumstances of time also no man can have any least pretence or colour of doubting And thus doe the writers of the holy Scriptures who lived in severall ages they exactly agree in the histories of creation and redemption even to the circumstances of times the very daies and moneths wherein they were performed And therefore let us firmly beleeve them and rest on the truth of them for we have sure grounds of beleeving but not any pretence or colour of doubting Thirdly hereby it is made manifest that the world being created in time and onely so long ago as is before shewed was made onely for us and for our benefit who live under time and not for the eternall God to adde any good or any blessednesse to him who was all-sufficient and most blessed in himselfe from all eternity and both could and would have made the world millions of yeares before if it might have been profitable to himselfe Wherefore let us hereby be stirred up to use the world as a gift and as talents given to us by God to be well imployed and study to honour him by all worldly things created Fourthly hereby we may justly be moved to admire the eternity of God when we see the whole time of the world to be but 5550. yeares which are before him but as 5. daies and an halfe For a thousand yeares with him are but as one day 2 Pet. 3. 8. Wherefore as holy David when hee compared Gods eternity with the temporary being of the heavens and the earth and their inclining to decay and changes like a vesture and wearing garment did admire Gods infinite and eternall Majesty So let us all be after the same manner affected with reverence of God and admiration of his eternity when we compare the ages of the world even the longest of them the thousands of yeares since the creation to be but as so many daies with the Lord who liveth and abideth the same for ever The fourth thing in this Text is the object and effect of Gods first worke of creation to wit the heavens and the earth First the Heavens come to be considered together with the creatures here comprehended under that name and that these things may more plainly appeare to our understanding we must first search and sift out the true sense and signification of the word Heaven in this Text and then come to the instructions which doe thence naturally arise The name by which it hath pleased the Spirit of God in this place to call the Heavens is in the Originall Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shamajim concerning the signification and Etymologie whereof the learned much differ among themselves Some make it a compound of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth there and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth waters because above in the aire which is the lowest and nearest heaven and in the clouds water is engendered and in showres distills from thence Some compound it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is fire and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waters because the heavens seem to be made of both the Sun Moon and Starres resemble fire and the rest of the heavens resemble calme and still waters Some derive this name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies astonishment because if a man doe stedfastly behold and consider either the glory or the wonderfull height and compasse of the heavens they are things which will dazle his eyes and make his heart astonished But the best derivation of the word which is grounded upon the best reasons is that which some late Writers have observed to wit that it is derived of the simple Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth there and is never used but when we speake of being in a place which is remote and distant from us For as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies the place present so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies a place remote and distant from us and the being of things there in that place Now the heavens are the utmost and most remote place from the earth which is set in the middle and about the center of the round world and upon which men doe live in this world Therefore this derivation doth agree very aptly to the heavens Secondly of a place which is most excellent wee are wont to say There there is the best being and in a kind of vehement and affectionate speech we use to double the word And heaven is the most excellent place and therefore the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of the duall number and signifies as much as There there or there double is most fitly derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there Thirdly the heavens are divided most properly into two heavens
the highest heavens which is invisible and the visible or lower heaven which also consists of two parts the starry and the airie heavens And all these are divided into two equall parts to all men living on earth The one is that which wee see in our Hemisphere and within our Horizon from East to West and from North to South above the earth The other halfe is that which is hid from us by the earth and is seen by the Antipodes that is them who dwell on the other side of the earth directly opposite to us and both these parts of the heavens are equally remote and distant from the earth Moreover the heavens doe move about two Poles the North and South Pole and therefore in many respects the name of the heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is most fitly derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought into the forme of the duall number Fourthly this derivation of the name and the signification of it doth fitly agree to all things which are called by the name Heaven and is verified in them all even the highest heaven the starry heaven and the superiour regions of the aire for they are all remote and distant from the earth and are divided every one into two equall Hemispheres equally distant from the earth But in the highest heaven there is neither fire nor water nor any mutable Element and therefore the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot agree to it at all And as for the superiour regions of the aire they are not so glorious nor so high as to astonish us and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot agree to them wherefore the last is the best derivation The next thing after the derivation of the word is the diversitie of significations which we are to note in the next place and withall to shew in what sense it is here used in the Text. First this word is used in a large sense for that whole space from the upper face of the earth and the sea to the utmost height of the highest heavens which comprehends in it the highest the starry and the airie heavens thus the word Heaven is to be understood Gen. 2. 1. and in all other places where the Spirit of God comprehends the whole world under these two words The heavens and the earth Secondly it is used to signifie more specially either the highest heaven as Deut. 26. 15. Looke downe from heaven the habitation of thy holinesse which Saint Paul calls the third heaven 2 Corin. 12. 2. Or the starry heaven as Gen. 22. I will multiply thy seed as the starres of heaven and Psal. 19. 6. Or the airie regions wherein birds flie as Gen. 1. 26. where mention is made of the foules of heaven Thirdly the word Heavens by a Metonymie of the cause for the effect and of the subject is used in Scripture to signifie foure things First God the possessour of the heavens whose glorious Majestie doth dwell in the highest heaven as Dan. 4. 26. where the heavens are said to reigne that is the God of heaven And Luk. 15. 18. I have sinned against heaven and Matth. 21. 25. Was the baptisme of John from heaven or of men Secondly the Angels and blessed Spirits which dwell in the highest heaven as Job 15. 15. The heavens are not cleane in his sight and Psal. 89. 6. and 69. 35. where the heavens are said to praise God that is the Angels and Saints Thirdly the Church militant which is a congregation of people written in heaven begotten from above of heavenly seed and whose hope reward and triumph is in heaven as Dan. 8. 10. the armies of the faithfull are called the host of heaven And so in the Prophets and the Revelation Heaven signifies the true holy Church and the Earth signifies earthly men of the world Fourthly the clouds in the aire and in the face of heaven as Levit. 26. 19. I will make your heaven as iron that is the clouds insomuch that they shall yeeld no raine Now here in this Text is meant as I have before touched the highest heaven as it is distinct from the rude masse without forme which is here called Earth which was the common matter of the starry and airie heavens and of all the visible world as appeares in the next Verses And under this name here the Angels who were the host and inhabitants of the highest heavens are comprehended For as the word Jerusalem is often used in the Prophets to signifie the people and inhabitants together with the citie and place so here the word Heaven signifies not the bare place and body of the highest heaven but the place with all the host and inhabitants of it the Angels As for the visible starry heavens which are the light of the inferiour world and the airie heaven called the firmament they can in no case be here understood for they were made out of the rude masse without forme called Earth and opposed to heaven in my Text. From the word thus expounded I come to the instructions For whereas some doubt whether there be any heaven besides the visible starry heaven where those heavens are and whether they were created this Text doth cleare the doubt and sheweth that there is an heaven which farre exceeds the heavens which are seen in all glory and excellency For here Moses speakes of an heaven created in the beginning with or before the common masse out of which the Sunne Moone and Starres and all the visâ—ble heavens and world were made Yea in that this heaven was created out of nothing and had not a being given it out of the rude masse without forme out of which God made all the visible world as the Text here saith this doth imply that they have a more excellent being of another kind farre better then all that is seen and above and without the compasse of the visible heavens so that hence these Doctrines arise 1. That there are such heavens 2. That this heaven is not God but a place created by God 3. That it is above the visible heavens 4. That it is most large and ample and yet not infinite nor every where as God is 5. That it is a place most excellent and glorious free from corruption excelling and exceeding the naturall knowledge reach and apprehension of men First we here learne That besides the visible starry heavens which were made out of the first rude deformed earth there are heavens created out of nothing in the first beginning of the creation And this is confirmed by those Scriptures which speak expresly of the Heaven of heavens that is an heaven besides these visible heavens as Deut. 10. 14. 1 Kings 8. 27. Psal. 68. 33. and 115. 16. Also by those Scriptures which mention an heaven in which Gods glorious Majesty is said to dwell and the holy Angels which cannot be
of Gods holinesse and glory and even eternity which shall never decay Secondly God hath appointed this place to be the habitation of his holy Angels which kept their standing in which he will have them to dwell and to behold his glorious face continually as our Saviour saith Matth. 18. 10. and so much is intimated Luke 2. 13. where Angels are called the heavenly host The third sort of inhabitants to whom God hath allotted these heavens is the glorified company of his Saints with Christ their head in whom they are chosen and brought to salvation Though Adam was made after Gods image yet by creation and in the state of naturall uprightnesse he was not capable nor worthy of heavenly glory that is the proper purchase of Christ for his elect and it is the gift of God in Jesus Christ which he gives only to them who are made in Christ the first fruits of his creatures sons and heires of God Our Saviour testifies so much Joh. 14. 3. where he saith that he prepares a place for his faithfull in that house of God And the holy Apostle Heb. 9. where he saith that Christ onely opened the way into this Holy of holies and that none can enter thereinto but by him the way and the doore And Ephes. 1. 3. he saith that God blesseth us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. we are said to be begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to the inheritance incorruptable and undesiled that never fadeth reserved in heaven for us wherefore it is manifest by the excellency of the inhabitants being none but God himselfe and the elect Angels and Saints which are most neare and deare to God that this Heaven is a place most glorious and excellent A third Argument may be drawne from the situation of it For the highest place is ever the best by the law and course of nature as our senses doe teach and we see manifestly in all knowne parts of the world and by faith we ought to beleeve that it is so in places beyond our sight especially because the Spirit of God in the Scriptures extolls the highest places Psal. 113. 5. and Isaiah 57. 15. Now the highest of all places is the third heaven in situation For Christ ascending up thither there to remaine and to make intercession for us Act. 3. 21. and Heb. 9. 24. is said to ascend farre above all other heavens and those heavens are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the high places Psal. 148. 1. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the highest places Ephes. 4. 8. and Heb. 1. 3. Therefore they are the most excellent and glorious places The fourth reason is drawne from the excellent things which are there laid up in store for the Saints For the wisdome of God requires that he should store up the best treasures and things in the best place and undoubtedly that place is the best where God layes up in store such treasures Now in the highest heaven are the best treasures which neither rust nor moth can corrupt nor theeves touch with unjust hands Matth. 6. 20. there is the inheritance of the Saints in light Colos. 1. 12. and the incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 13. There God hath prepared for them that love him such things as neither eye hath seen nor eare heard nor mans heart conceived 1 Corin. 2. That is the place of Gods right hand and of his presence where is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal. 6. Therefore it is the best place of all Fifthly that place from whence every supernaturall good and perfect gift doth come must necessarily bee the most excellent and such a place is the highest heaven Christ the second Adam the fountaine of all blessings is said to be from heaven heavenly 1 Corinth 15. and to be the bread of life which came downe from heaven to give life to the world John 5. The calling of men to the participation of all excellent graces is called the heavenly calling Hebr. 3. 1. The gift of supernaturall grace is called the heavenly gift Heb. 6. 4. The substantiall things shadowed out under legall types are called heavenly things Heb. 8. 5. and the new Jerusalem the most glorious Church is called the heavenly Jerusalem Hebr. 12. 22. and is said to come downe from heaven Revel 21. In a word every good and perfect gift is said to come downe from above from the father of lights that is from heaven Jam. 1. 17. Therefore this heaven must needs be a most excellent place Sixthly the Spirit of God in the Scriptures doth describe and set forth this Heaven by all the things which are or have been most excellent in this world and doth make thâ—m but types and shadowes of it as first by the earthly Paradise in which God put Adam in the state of innocency which was the sweetest and most excellent place that ever was knowne in the world 2 Cor. 12. 4. by the hill of Zion which was most beautiful for situation and the joy of the whole earth Heb. 12. 22. By Jerusalem the most glorious citie of all the world the place which God chose to put his Name there Gal. 4. 26. and by the Temple of Jerusalem the most glorious Sanctuary of God and the Holy of holies Psal. 11. 4. and 18. 7. Habak 2. 20. Heb. 9. 12. and 10. 9. Therefore this Heaven is most excellent Lastly that this Heaven is a place of wonderfull light and glory and a worke of God which shall never be changed or perish but stand and endure for ever it appeares by the light which hath shined from thence and by the eternity of the things which God hath annexed to it The light which shined from thence on Saint Paul at mid-day did surpasse the brightnesse of the Sun Act. 26. 13. And the house which the faithfull have there prepared for them is said to be eternall in the heavens 2 Corin. 5. 1. And the inheritance there reserved is said to be immortall 1 Pet. 1. 3. and the life which the elect shall live there is called life eternall Therefore it is a most blessed place Now though some Scriptures seem to speak to the contrary that the heavens shall perish as Psal. 102. 26. and that heaven as well as earth shall passe away Matth. 24. 35. and the heavens shall passe away with a noise 2 Pet. 3. 10. and be burnt with fire Yet the truth is they speak not of the highest heaven which was with the Angels created immediately out of nothing but of the visible fiery and starry heavens which were created out of the same rude masse the common matter of the aire water and earth They may be burnt and set on fire and passe away but the highest heaven being not of the same common matter no fire can take hold of it Now these instructions concerning this first worke of God
Scripture the Angels may here be understood Thirdly what is here meant by the heavens Moses himselfe sheweth Chapt. 2. 1. namely the heavens and the host of them that is the Angels for they are the host of the highest heaven and so are called Luke 2. 13. Therefore undoubtedly the Angels are included in the word Heavens So then the creation of the Angels coming now the next in order to be handled I will seeke no further for a Text though there be some more plain and expresse but will ground all my Doctrines concerning the creation and nature of Angels on this word taken in that sense which I have here proved which offers to our consideration five maine and principall points of instruction unto which all other Doctrines may be reduced which concerne their nature and creation and may be as branches comprehended under them First we here learne that Angels had a beginning and were not from all eternity Secondly that God created them and that they were made by that one God and three persons here called Elohim Thirdly that they were created in the beginning as the word Bereshith taken in the most strict sense signifieth the first moment of time Fourthly that they were created by the first simple act of absolute creation that is they were made out of nothing most perfect and glorious creatures in an instant Fifthly that they were made in and with the highest heavens and by the law of creation made to inhabit them as the proper place of their naturall habitation These are the maine and principall points of Doctrine which immediately flow from the words And these especially the last of them doth offer to our consideration divers other particular questions and points of instruction to be handled As first seeing they were created in and with the highest heavens to be the proper inhabitants of them therefore they are of an heavenly nature even pure excellent and glorious spirits such as the nature of the place requires to be suteable inhabitants And here an occasion is offered to seeke out a true description of Angels and to enquire after their wisdome power and such like properties wherein they excell and are like unto God the Creatour bearing his image Secondly hereby are offered to us these points to be handled and these questions to be discussed viz. That the Angels are of a finite nature limitted to their places Also whether they are circumscribed and measured by the place in which they are or rather definitively in it And whether and how they move from place to place and such like Thirdly the most high and large heavens compassing about the whole visible world in and with which they were created to be the host of them doe import that the Angels were created many in number according to the largenesse of the place and that they are innumerable more then mans fraile reason can comprehend Fourthly the highest heaven being their naturall place in which they were created Hence a question ariseth concerning a being in other places How they come to be out of heaven their naturall place and some of them quite banished out of heaven for ever And here their mutability and fall comes to be handled and the distinction of them into good and evill Angels Thus we see in briefe into what a broad field this short Text doth lead us and what large scope it gives us to speake of the Angelicall nature and the heavenly spirits the first and chiefest of the creatures of God That we may better understand these Doctrines I will first consider the name of Angels what it signifies and how we are to take it in this place The name Angell comes of the Greek name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a messenger sent forth from some superiour person or state to deliver a message and to declare the mind of him or them that sent him The Hebrew name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the name of an Angell in the Old Testament signifies also a messenger but yet in a more full and large sense For it signifies such a messenger as doth not only deliver and declare a message by word of mouth but also doth act and execute indeed the will of him that sent him and doth performe his worke injoyned as a faithfull minister and servant And hence it is that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived of it and is used for the office and worke of an Angell signifies in generall any thing which serves for the use and ministery of man And as the signification according to the Etymology is generall and large so the word is used in the Scriptures to signifie any messenger or minister sent forth upon a message or some employment either from God or men Jacobs messengers which he sent unto Esau Genes 32. 3. to worke his peace are called by the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels And Num. 20. 14. the messengers which Moses sent from Kadesh unto the King of Edom are so called and in Greeke translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But when Gods messengers are thereby signified it hath the name Jehovah or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most commonly added to it As for the first signification we let it passe as a stranger in this place where we are to discourse of heavenly Angels and doe take it in the second signification for the Angels of the Lord. And being so taken it is still doubtfull till it be more particularly distinguished For in this sense it signifies three sorts of Angels as the learned have well observed First of all it signifies that chiefe and principall messenger and ambassadour of God his Son Jesus Christ who was sent forth as God in the forme and shape of an Angell and Messenger to the fathers before his incarnation And as man in â—uâ—nesse of time by incarnation and assuming of mans nature into his person For Gen. 48. 16. by the Angell which delivered Jacob and which he prayeth may blesse the sons of Joseph is meant the Lord Christ. And in all places where the Angell which appeared is called Jehovah or was worshipped God the Son is meant as Exod. 3. and Zach. 3. there by the Angell Christ is meant appearing either like an Angell or in the shape of a man to fore-shew his incarnation So likewise where we reade of the Angell of Gods presence or face as Isa. 63. 9. Or of the Angell of the Covenant as Malac. 3. 1. Or of the Archangell as 1 Thes. 4. 16. Jud. 9. Christ is meant Secondly this word is used to signifie men by divine inspiration called and sent from God upon some speciall message especially the message of salvation as Job 33. 23. Judg. 2. 1. Malac. 2. 1. and 3. 1. and Revel 2. 3. Thirdly this word is most frequently and commonly used to signifie the heavenly spirits created by God to stand about his Throne in heaven to behold his face continually because they are as
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
this shewes the infinite power and omnipotency of God that he can make the most excellent immortall and glorious creatures greatest in power and strength meerly out of nothing by his owne hand immediately The wisest and most able and skilfull Artificers and Master-workmen in all the world and among all the sons of men doe stand in need of divers helps and instruments for the effecting and perfecting of any good worke and without them he can doe little or nothing He must have servants and inferiour workmen under him he must have good tooles and instruments fitted for his hand and he must have also good materials to worke upon for he can frame and make no good worke out of course stuffe and base metalls But lo here an admirable Artificer and Work-master before whom all the art and skill of all creatures is as vanity and nothing The Lord God the Creatour and Former of all things he alone hath made all the world and he hath not onely made his owne materials out of which he framed this great fabrick of the visible world and all this without any instruments or working-tooles but also hee hath made in a moment in the first beginning together with the glorious highest heavens the Palace and Throne of his glorious and infinite Majesty the most glorious and excellent of all his creatures the Angels and that out of nothing which are great in power wonderfull in strength and admirable in swiftnesse immortall spirits able to destroy a whole army of men in a night and to overturne kingdomes and cities in one day at whose sight and presence valiant Gideon a mighty man of warre and the great Captaine of Israel was so affraid and astonished that he cried Aha Lord God I shall die Zachary an holy Priest was stricken dumbe for a time And the hardy Roman souldiers which watched Christs sepulchre were astonished and became as dead men Who therefore can sufficiently admire this mighty Creatour What heart is able to conceive or tongue to expresse his wisdome power and omnipotency Let us in silence adore him and tremble and feare before him not with servile and slavish horrour but with holy feare and reverence Let us flee to him for all help succour and strength in all distresses for supply of all our wants for guidance and direction in all our waies If we be assured of his favour and that he is with us and on our side and that we stand for his cause let us not care who be against us nor feare what men and Divels can doe unto us If we want meanes and instruments let vs not be dismayed for he can worke without them If we want necessary matter he can make it or worke without it and bring things most excellent out of nothing For this very end the Lord hath shewed himselfe and his divine power in the creation and by the creatures that we might know and acknowledge love and honour serve and worship him and upon all occasions give him the glory due to his name and tell the people what great and wonderfull things he hath done and how by his owne arme and power he hath brought great and strange things to passe Secondly this Doctrine serves to discover the errour and falshood of divers opinions published and maintained by men of learning As first that of Origen Basil and other Greek fathers who dreamed that the Angels were created many ages before the corporeall and visible world 2. And that held by some others That they were created after the creation of Adam 3. That the creation of Angels is not mentioned by Moses in the history of the creation but the time thereof is altogether concealed which is the opinion of Pererius and of some Fathers and Schoolmen 4. That opinion of some Ancients who held That God by the ministery of Angels created this visible world This Doctrine proves them all to be vaine dreames and fictions in that it shewes plainly by plaine testimonies and solid arguments out of Gods holy Word that the Angels were created in and with the highest heavens neither before nor after them and are the inhabitants and host of those heavens mentioned Gen. 2. 1. and that expresly by Moses 5. Also for that opinion of the Popish Schoolmen and of their Master Aristotle who hold that Angels move the spheres of the visible heavens and guide the severall motions of the Sun Moon and Starres it is in no case to be allowed For as the Scriptures doe expresly ascribe the creation of all things to God alone and to his eternall Word and Spirit and never mention Angels as creators working with God in the creation but as creatures first made in and with the highest heavens and rejoycing at Gods founding of the earth So they affirme that in God all things move and have their being and he gives the law and rule of motion to the Sun Moon and Starres guides them by his hand causeth them to rise and set and brings forth all their host by number Isa. 40. 26. and 45. 12. And this Doctrine which teacheth us that the Angels were made to dwell in the highest heavens and there they have their residence not in the spheres of the visible heavens it overthrowes all such conceipts makes them vanish like smoak and drives them away like chaffe before the wind Wherefore let us all acknowledge that as God created Angels of nothing by himselfe alone and did give motion to the heavens so without help of Angels he doth continue the same motion and did create all other inferiour things Let us take heed that we give not Gods glory to any other but let us confesse that all thankes for all blessings are due to him in him things live move and have their being and he turneth about the spheres of heaven by his counsels that they may doe whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth Job 37. 12. From the use of this Doctrine I proceed to the Conclusions which necessarily flow from it 1. Corollary or Conclusion The first is That Angels by creation and in their nature and substance are the first and chiefest of all Gods creatures far more excellent then man in his best naturall being in the state of innocency this Doctrine floweth necessarily from the former For first God in wisdome hath made all things the best and chiefest of creatures for the best places and inferiour creatures for inferiour pâ—aces as we see by experience in all things visible And therefore undoubtedly the Angels which were created to be the naturall inhabitants of the highest and best place must needs be the chiefest creatures and the most excellent in nature and substance Secondly those creatures which God framed in the creation to dwell nearest to his glorious presence even with his heavenly Majesty and to stand before his Throne in the heaven of heavens must needs be in their nature and substance most excellent and farre
above man in innocency whose best dwelling was but an earthly Paradise or Garden furnished with fruits which might be eaten up and consumed and such were the Angels as the former Doctrine hath plainly proved Therefore this conclusion necessarily flowes from that Doctrine and is proved and confirmed by it But we have for further confirmation both plaine testimonies and arguments in the holy Scriptures The royall Prophet David being ravished with the contemplation of the supercelestiall glory appearing in the secondary beames thereof which shine in the visible heavens and in the Sun Moon and Starres cries out in admiration and wonders that God dwelling in such admirable glory and having such excellent and glorious company and attendants about him should vouchsafe to look upon man or have any regard of him What is man saith he that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him Psal. 8. 4. But in the next words he goeth further and speaks fully to the point and shewes that Christ himselfe according to his humanity though conceived and borne most pure and holy was made lower then the Angels thou hast made him saith he a little or for a little while lower then the Angels that is Christ in the nature of man which he took upon him for so the Apostle expounds these words of David Hebr. 2. 6. And Psal. 103. 20. Yee Angels saith he which excell in power Our Saviour also in the Gospel sheweth plainly that the Angels in heaven are so excellent in nature and substance as the elect Saints glorified shall be after the last resurrection and their most glorious and blessed condition which farre excels Adam in innocency shall be like unto the Ange's Matth. 22. 30. Saint Peter in plaine words saith that Angels are farre greater then men in power and might 2 Pet. 2. 11. Saint Paul calls them Angels of light 2 Corinth 11. 14 and the Angels of Gods power 2 Thes. 1. 7. he numbers them with principalities and powers which farre excell the nature of man Rom. 8. 38. Whensoever he sets forth the greatest excellency of things created greater then in men he doth instance in Angels as 1 Cor. 13. 1. though I speak with tongues of men and Angels And Galat. 1. 8. If I or an Angell from heaven and 4. 14. Ye received me as an Angell of God yea as Christ Jesus In a word whereas man is an earthly creature framed out of dust in respect of his visible part his body Angels are pure heavenly spirituall substances framed immediately out of nothing by the simple and absolute act of creation And whereas mans better part the soule though it be a spirit yet was not created a perfect compleat creature but made to subsist in the body and cannot be in full perfection without it Angels are spirits complete and perfect in themselves without subsistence in any other creature as shall appeare hereafter And therefore Angels are by creation and in nature and substance farre above man in his best naturall estate even in the state of innocency First this shewes most clearly that all the love and favour which God extends to man in Christ and in giving Christ to be mans Saviour and Redeemer by taking mans nature upon him and making full satisfaction therein to justice for him and in saving man from hell and damnation and exalting him to heavenly glory is on Gods part most free and voluntary arising meerly and wholly from the good pleasure of his owne will and not from any merit worth and excellency which he at first created or since found in mans nature If the naturall excellency of any creature could procure Gods speciall favour or deserve his bountie or move him to shew mercy to any creature which hath sinned and by sin is fallen into misery surely the Angelicall nature should have been more respected of God then the nature of man and Angels being fallen should more easily have found mercy at his hand For as this Doctrine hath proved Angels are by creation and in nature and substance the chiefest and most excellent of all Gods creatures far excelling man in power might purity and being And yet when Angels and man were both fallen and found guilty charged with folly and involved in misery God passed by the Angels and shewed no mercy to them neither gave his Son to take upon him the nature of Angels and to be their Saviour and Redeemer but so many of them as sinned and kept not their first estate but left their habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chaines of darknesse unto the judgement of the great day 2 Pet. 2. Jud. 6. But for man who is of lesse worth and farre inferiour by nature he hath given his Sonne to take mans nature upon him to be incarnate and made flesh and hath sent him forth in the forme of fraile and sinfull flesh made of a woman and made under the Law and hath delivered him up to a cursed death and to hellish agonies pangs and sorrowes that he might redeem this fraile worme of the earth miserable and sinfull man from hell and damnation unto which the Angels which sinned are reserved under darknesse and to exalt him far above the state of innocency in which he was created and his best naturall estate in Paradise unto the high estate of heavenly glory with the elect holy and blessed Angels which is farre above that mutable state of glory in which the Angels were first created and from which so many of them did fali Wherefore let us admire this free grace of God and stand amazed at his wonderfull and supertranscendent bounty to mankind And whatsoever mercy we receive from him in our deliverance from any evill or whatsoever blessing and benefit of bounty and goodnesse in advancing us to this state of grace or glory let us wholly ascribe it to the good pleasure of his owne free will and not to any merit in our selves or any excellency created in our nature And let no man glory in his naturall wit or wisdome and knowledge gotten by learning and study nor boast in his owne strength but as it is written Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord and triumph in this that he knoweth Gods free grace and aboundant mercy in Jesus Christ and hath the sweet taste and experience of it in his owne soule Secondly this serves to magnifie in our eyes both the large measure of Gods bounty to his elect in Christ and also the infinite power and excellency of Christ his mediation and the dignity and worth of his person in which hee hath so dignified our fraile nature by assuming it upon himselfe and uniting it personally to his Godhead that hee hath exalted it farre above the most glorious and excellent state of the Angels in heaven That Angels are the best and chiefest of all Gods creatures by creation and in nature and substance farre more excellent then man in his best naturall estate of
actions on earth The wordes of our Saviour Luk. 24. 39. shew that Spirits have not flesh and bones Therefore Angels being spirits have no such bodies united to them as those wherein they appeared 4. Corollary That Angels are confined to the places in which they are and are in places definitively though not circumscribed and measured by them as bodily things are Angels being pure spirits doe not consist of parts as bodily things doe neither have they any bodily quantity or dimension as length breadth height and thicknesse and so they cannot bee compassed about nor measured nor limited by any bodily space but yet they are definitively in their places that is there and no where else and their substance together with bodily substances may be in the same place as the whole soule of man is in the whole body and is wholly in every part of it and no where else so it is with Angels 5. Corollary Seeing Angels are by creation the proper and naturall inhabitants of the highest heavens which is a most spacious place compassing about the whole visible World and more large and capacious then all other places as Solomon doth intimate 1 Kin. 8. 27. Hence it followeth that the Angels are many in number more then can be numbred by man and so in respect of man innumerable For we must not thinke that God who in the creation replenished the Sea with fishes the aire with birds and the visible heavens with innumerable starres and the earth with beasts and creeping things and commanded man to multiply and replenish the earth wouldleave the bestand most glorious place of all not fully replenished with inhabitants glorious Angels who were created at the first in their full number undoubtedly therefore there must be many farre more then man can number And this the Prophet Daniel saw in a vision and testified Dan. 7. 10. where hee saith that a thousand thousand ministred to the Lord Christ and ten thousand thousand stood before him Also in the Gospell wee read that there was a Legion that is six thousand divels in one man Mark 5. 9. And if there be so many divels that is evill Angels in one man then surely the whole company or multitude of those evill Angels must be many And the whole company of Angels in the first creation of which some onely did fall and become Divels must needs much more bee innumerable And if that conjecture and opinion of learned men be true to wit that the Angels which sinned and were cast downe from heaven are as many in number as all the elect of mankind which have beene are or shal be to the end of the World and that they shall fill up the glorious mansions and supply the roomes and places of the lost Angels then surely the multitude of all the Angels which God created must needs bee great and innumerable farre exceeding our capacity 6. Corollary Sixthly the highest heavens being the place of rest and not of motion which is proper to visible and corporeall things and being the place where God hath appointed that the eternall rest or Sabbath shal be kept Therefore the Angels which were created to bee the naturall inhabitants of those glorious heavens were not made to move with bodily motion as bodily creatures doe their coming from heaven to earth is not a passage through the whole space between heaven and earth which would require a long time but as it is with the mindes and thoughts of men they are now here exercised about things present and in a moment of time in the twinckling of an eye they are in the remotest parts of the World or in the highest heavens and yet passe not through the space betweene so it may well be and we may with good reason conceive that the Angels which are of a purer and more heavenly substance then our soules and more nimble and active then the mindes or thoughts of men are by nature can in a moment bee present here on earth and in the next moment bee againe in heaven But howsoever or by what way soever they descend and ascend it is most certaine that they are the swiftest of all things created and so much the Scriptures shew clearly in many places where they describe Angels with wings and call them Cherubins and Seraphins yea some one of them with many wings which are instruments of flying and of swiftest motion as Gen. 3. 24. Ezech. 10. 1. 19. and 11. 22. and Isa. 6. 2. Also we read that on a suddaine even in an instant a whole multitude of the heavenly host have descended from heaven and beene present on earth Luk. 2. 13. And the Angell of the Lord is said to encampe with an heavenly host round about them that feare God Psalm 34. 7. not by being here resident and abiding on earth out of their proper place of abode but by standing before God in heaven and beholding his face that they may bee ready in a moment when hee gives the watch word to present themselves on earth there to deliver his elect and to destroy their enemies as our Saviour doth intimate Matth. 18. 20. 7. Corollary Seventhly seeing the highest heaven is the proper place of Angels and this is the order which God did set in the creation that all creatures should keep their station and not leave their dwelling Hence it followes that it is against nature and contrary to the order of creation that many Angels are excluded and shut out of heaven even all the evill Angels And it is a thing above nature even the supernaturall grace and gift of God and a thing purchased and procured by the infinite power excellency and dignity of Christs merit and mediation that the elect and holy Angels should bee made ministering spirits and sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation as the Apostle saith Hebr. 1. 14. And here now occasion is offered to discourse about the sin and fall of the Divell and evill Angels how contrary it was to the law of nature that they should forsake their station sin against God and not stand in the truth and to the order which God set in the creation that they should leave their dwelling and exclude themselves out of heaven and be cast downe into Hell Also here is occasion given to shew that the elect Angels come to minister for the elect through the supernaturall power and efficacy of Christs mediation that Christ by supernaturall grace and benefits given to the heavenly Angels hath obliged and bound them to himselfe to obey him as their head and to minister for the good of his little ones But these things come more fittly to bee handled after the creation when wee come to discourse of the confusion of the World by the Divels Apostasie and mans fall and of the restoring of mankind and the renuing and perfecting of the World by Christ. Now these Doctrines thus opened and proved are of great
first verse and that light which is here said to bee made is the element of fire the naturall place and region whereof the Philosophers held to bee next under the visible heavens and above the aire their reasons are two especially The first because there is no other mention of the creation of the firie element in all this Chapter The second is because the fire is the most pure element and full of light But these things are not of strength to overthrow our exposition First for the opinion of the Philosophers that the visible heavens are immutable and cannot bee dissolved it is contradicted by the expresse words of holy Scripture Psalme 102. 26. and 2 Pet. 3. 10. Also wee finde by experience many changes in those heavens as new Starres Comets appearing for a time after vanishing The Sun and Moone stood still for the space of a whole day Iosh. 10. and the Sun went back ten degrees 2 King 20. Secondly the vertue and influence which is in the visible heavens and is from them naturally communicated to the lower elements sheweth plainely that they all are of one common matter Thirdly that they were not made at once of nothing with the highest heavens appeares by this that the Sun Moone and Stars which are the chiefest parts and ornaments in them were created after the first rude matter and secondarily formed out of it on the fourth day Fourthly that the visible heavens are indeed the pure element of fire which is here called Light and that the creation of the light is the creation of them and of the firie element all in one may easily bee proved by divers reasons First by the light and servent heat which flowes from them into things below by meanes whereof they doe beget firie meteors and lightenings in the aire and scorching sumes and burning flames in the earth as dayly experience teacheth Secondly by the burning and consuming fires which descended from those heavens in the destruction of Sodom and when the Lord came downe on mount Sinah to give the Law and when Eliah consumed the captaines and their fifties 2 King 1 and was answered by fire which consumed his sacrifice 1 King 18. Thirdly that these heavens are of a fierie substance and indeed the pure element of fire and that in the dissolution of them when the Lord by his mighty voice shall rend them and dissolve them at the last day and mingle them with the inferiour elements they shall bee all on fire and in flames and flashes shall passe away with a noyse and melt the elements with servent heat and burne the earth with all the works that are therein the Apostle doth affirme in plaine words 2 Pet. 3. 11. 12. If they were not of a firie substance made out of the rude masse but of an higher and super-elementary nature created immediatly out of nothing together with the highest heavens they could not bee dissolved and set on fire Thus you see the first thing opened viz. what is here meant by Light The next thing is the manner of creation expressed in these words God said Let there bee light and there was light I will not here trouble my discourse with needlesse questions which are moved by divers ancient Writers and not cleared concerning the manner of Gods speech when He said Let there bee light as whether it were a bodily and audible voice or a spirituall and the like Certainly it was no sound of voice nor any forme of words or speech by which God formed the light It was the act of his Almighty power by which he formed and brought into actuall being the light and every other thing even so as hee had decreed from all eternitie Now the Spirit of God doth here expresse this powerfull act by the name of saying or speaking for 3. reasons First because as the speech and word of a wise man sheweth his minde and declareth his will so by this act of power by which the light and every other thing was formed God did shew and declare his eternall counsell purpose and decree concerning the nature and being of them Secondly because God the Father by his eternall Word the Son who is one God with himselfe did forme and make the light and all other things created as appeares Ioh. 1. 3. and Colos. 1. 16. and Hebr. 1. 2. Thirdly to shew that the creation of the World and all things therein was a worke as easie to God as it is for a man to speake a word and to command a thing to bee done and that God by his power omnipotent and powerfull and mighty word and command can as quickly bring into being the greatest things and performe whatsoever he willeth and purposeth with more case then man can speake and say Let this thing be This is the true sense of the words wherein the manner of creation is expressed The second thing after the creation of light is Gods approbation of it in these words And God saw the light that it was good That is such as God purposed to make the light such it was when hee had made it there was no defect in the making or in the thing made but God did see and know it perfect in the kind thereof and did approve it to bee good profitable and usefull every way for the purposes which hee intended The third thing is Gods dividing between the light and the darknesse which did over-spread the face of the deep and possessed all the rude masse which yet remained without forme and void This dividing between them was nothing else but Gods setting and placing of the firie and shining visible heaven in the superiour place above the confused matter which was full of darknesse and settled downe in the inferiour place where now the inferiour elements are The fourth thing is Gods nomination of the light and darknesse and composing the first day of the evening that is the space wherein the darknesse remained over all the deep before light was created out of it and of the morning that is the space wherein light appeared before God set upon the second dayes worke and made the firmament This is expressed vers 5. God called the Light Day and the Darknesse he called Night the evening and morning were the first day Here for our right understanding of this point divers doubts and questions come to bee touched and briefely answered The first is how and in what sense God is said to call the light Day and the darknesse Night The true and full answer is this that God did not onely call the light Day and darknesse Night but also did ordaine and appoint that the time of light should bee the day and the time of darknesse should bee the night and that they should bee so accounted and called The second is why God called onely the light day and Moses calls both the evening and the morning that is the time of light and darknesse one
earth And although the Moone being the lowest and nearest of all the heavenly lights unto the earth and therefore more dimme in it selfe and of a more impure bodie and substance as appeares by the cloudy specks in it shining very little of it selfe may in that respect bee called one of the least lights yet because it borrowes light from the Sun shining in the face of it as in a looking glasse and because it is 18. times lower then the Sun and nearer to us then the earth is lower then it as Mathematicians have observed and so it is nearer to the earth then the Sun almost 18. hundred thousand miles therefore in our eyes it appeares the greatest of all the lights next to the Sun And Moses here speaking according to the capacity of the vulgar and our outward senses and the sensible effects of light which the Moone gives to the earth cals it one of the two great lights And as hee gives to the Sun the office and prerogative of ruling the day because the sight and presence of the Sun makes the day light and smoothers and obscures all other lights in the day time so hee gives to the Moone the office of ruling the night because when it appeares in the night it giveth more light to us here on earth then all the other Starres Thus wee see that as God said so every thing which was made in the fourth day came to passe God himselfe made every thing by his eternall Word according to his owne eternall Counsell minde and will And therefore no marvell though hee gives approbation to this dayes worke also which is the third maine thing in the text expressed in these words And God saw that it was good And so the Sun having shined for the space of twelve houres till it had passed through one Hemisphaere or halfe of heaven that time or morning of light together with the evening or time of darknesse going before it and caused by clouds mists and vapours over-shadowing the Earth is called the fourth day Now this History of the fourth dayes worke as I have expounded it affords us some points of instruction First in that herbes grasse plants and trees were made perfect in their kinde before any Raine or Dew or Sun Moone and Starres were created Hence wee may learne that God used no instruments nor helpe of any creatures in the creation of any thing but made and formed every creature himselfe by his eternall Word and Spirit who are with him one and the same Iehovah infinite almighty and omnipotent For further proofe whereof there are many testimonies in the holy Scriptures as Isa. 40. 21. 22. and 66. 2. where the Lord appropriateth to himselfe and to his owne hand the creating and making of heaven and earth and Ioh. 1. 3. and Colos. 1. 16. where all things are said to bee created by the eternall Word the Son and also by the Spirit Psalme 33. 6. This Doctrine admonisheth us to give all the glory of the wisedome power and goodnesse shewed in the creation to God alone and to acknowledge that all things created even the whole World and all things therein are the Lords also to make us admire his rich bountie to render all thanks to his holy Majesty for all the profit benefit and comforts which wee receive from any of Gods creatures Secondly wee may hence learne and observe the wisedome and wise providence of God in making every thing in due season and nothing before there was need of it for the creatures which were next in order to bee made for hee did not create the lights of Sun Moone and Starres together with the starry heavens which is the place of them untill hee was about to create living things which could not well bee nor move according to their kinde without such lights shining in the earth and in the waters Which wise providence of God is a patterne and direction to us to doe all things in order in the first place things necessarie and usefull for the well-being and bringing to passe of things which are afterwards to bee done and nothing which may bee and remaine without use and profit As God would not make the Sun Moone and Starres together with the first light the firie heavens on the first day because then there was no use nor necessitie of them but deferred the creation of them untill the fourth day when there was use and necessity to make a cleare day-light and living creatures endued with life sense and sight were to bee made in the two next dayes following whose life without such cleare day light would have beene but like the shadow of death So let us bee carefull then to provide things necessary and usefull when wee see and perceive that wee shall have present use of them and not bee like foolish prodigall and fantasticall builders who build stately houses like palaces with large barnes stables and stals when neither they nor theirs are in any way or possibility to furnish them with corne horses or cattell or to make use of them for fit and necessary habitation Thirdly though the glory of God doth more appeare in light of day then in darknesse of night and it was and is in Gods power to make more great lights and divers Sunnes in severall places of the heaven to shine in all the World at once and to make a perpetuall day on earth yet hee made them so that on the earth in this lower and inferiour World there should bee as much night as day and darknesse as light whereby hee teacheth us even from the creation that this earthly World was not made to bee the place of mans immutable perfection and blessednesse but a place of changes and alterations wherein by reason of darknesse the Prince of darknesse may rule rage and tyrannise by himselfe and his wicked instruments and drive us to seeke a better rest and an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance reserved in heaven in the place of perpetuall light The whole booke of the wise Preacher is an ample testimony of this truth and a large commentary upon this Doctrine for it wholy tends to make men loath this inferiour World under the Sun wherein there is nothing but changes and vanity of vanities and all is vanitie Wherefore let us not seeke for immutability nor unchangable peace and prosperity here on earth lest wee bee found as foolish as those builders who build and set up goodly houses on a sandy foundation which may easily bee beaten downe and ruined with every wind wave and tempest They who settle their rest on earth and here seeke perfect felicity and immutable blessednesse they trust under the shadow and shelter of a gourd which may grow up in one night and in the next night wither away and perish and bring much griefe and sorrow to them which will vex them and drive them like Ionah to impatiency and anger against God their Creatour
15. In a word common sense and reason teach us that if the Woman be made in the image of the Man and the Man is made in Gods image then Women must needs beare Gods image and likenesse But the truth is God being still the same both in the creation of the Man and of the Woman and creating both by the same wisedome and power hee needed not to take Adam for his paterne whereby to make the Woman but made her in his owne image as hee did man and so in all things like to man the different sexe onely excepted This serves to admonish and stirre up women to bee carefull diligent and industrious so to beare themselves as they that are made after Gods image so to order their lives conversation as they who expect the glory of heaven and must by passing through the state of grace here and by conforming themselves to Christ both in his death by mortification and in his life by sanctification come to the fulnesse of glory in Heaven and bee made conformable and like to Christ in his glorious body and coheires of God with him Secondly it serves to reprove the wicked and profane men of the World whose wickednesse is transcendent and their profanenesse most horrible and impious in that base esteeme which they have of the female sexe and the vile account which they make of woman-kind who thinke and speake of women that they have no soules nor any part in Gods image and are utterly uncapable either of grace in this World or glory in the World to come Like and equall unto which in their profane impiety are common strumpets and whorish women the shame and staine of woman-kind who prostitute themselves to all filthinesse and so live as if they were made onely to serve the lusts of unreasonable men of bruitish lust I proceed to the more speciall things which are more distinctly laid downe concerning the creation of mankind where I will first insist upon the creation of the male and female and the matter of which they were made and of the manner and order in which God formed them Which that wee may distinctly understand wee must looke forward to the 7. Verse of the 2. Chapter where the creation of mankind is more particularly rehearsed in these words and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life and man became a living soule In the Hebrew text the man is here called Adam not as by his proper name but as it is the common name of all mankind for so much the article which is prefixed before it doth shew and therefore as the Greeke so also our English Translators doe translate this word not Adam but Man God formed man of the dust For in the first creation the man comprehended in him all mankind even the Woman who then was a Rib in his side and afterward was taken out and formed into a Woman The matter of which God formed Adam is said to bee the dust of the ground and here he useth another word not used before in the creation of other things that is the word formed for hee doth not say that God made or created but formed man and true it is that whole man was not made of dust but onely the substance of his bodie and therefore it is said that God formed man to wit in respect of his body of the dust of the ground that is hee framed and fashioned it of dust as a potter formes a pot of clay and brought it into that forme and shape which all perfect bodies of mankind doe beare untill this day And this is the first beginning of the being both of the Man and also of the Woman who was created here a Rib at the first in Mans side and afterwards taken out and made into a Woman First in that Iehovah Elohim the Lord God is here said to forme man that is to frame his body of dust and to bring it into the forme and shape which it beares in all mankind Hereby wee are taught that God did neither consult with Angels about mans creation nor assume them or any other creatures into the fellowship of this worke but God himselfe alone who is Iehovah one God in essence and substance and yet Elohim that is more Persons even three Persons in that one undivided essence did forme the very body of man and brought it into that forme and temper that it might bee a fit subject of the soule which is a spirituall substance And this all other Scriptures confirme which attribute the creation of mankind to God alone as Deut. 4. 32. and Isa. 45. 12. with many other places where the creation of man upon earth is ascribed unto God onely and where holy and faithfull men speaking as they were moved by the holy Ghost confesse themselves the worke of Gods hands as Iob 10. 3. and God their maker and former Iob 36. 3. and Malac. 2. 10. and God the potter and themselves his formed worke Isa. 64. 8. This Doctrine well weighed is of excellent use First to make us ascribe all our excellency and all our well being to God that wee may give him the glory of them and that wee may beare our selves before God as before our creatour and may ever remember that whatsoever service wee are able to performe either with our soules or bodies it is wholy due to God and none other but onely in him and by commandement and warrant from his holy and infallible Word Seeing God alone hath created us and given us all our being even the forme and shape of our bodies wee must not thinke it enough to keepe our selves to God and to serve him in spirit onely but wee must serve and worship him with our bodies also and with all parts and members of our bodies Although God many times makes men instruments and meanes to convey health life being and well being to us as naturall Parents to bring us into being and life and to nourish and bring us up and as Kings and Rulers and wise Magistrates to bee Saviours of our bodily lives from death and other dangers and to procure safety peace and well being to us and in this respect and for these causes wee doe owe love honour and service to them in and under God yet in no case may wee in things which tend not to the honour but dishonour of God and are contrary to his Word and Will and offensive to his Majesty obey serve and honour them In such cases let us say as the Apostles did to the high-Priests and Rulers of the Iewes We ought to obey God rather then men and whether it be right and lawfull to obey you more then God judge yee Act. 4. 19. and 5. 29. All Potentates Kings and Rulers because they are men and have no power but from God must not looke that any should serve and obey them rather then God or
according to his inferiour part the body of dust which is a created substance better then nothing of which the Angels were made and yet the Angels in nature far excell man Therefore mans creation of dust doth not prove him to bee so fraile a creature seeing God gave him such an excellent forme To this I answer that to bee created immediatly of nothing is in it selfe a more excellent worke and shewes greater power then to bee made of a meane inferiour matter For when things are said to bee created of nothing the meaning is not that they are made of nothing as of a matter but that they are made of no matter at all but have their whole being from God and his infinite power and so may bee if God will most excellent But when man is said to be formed of dust the meaning is that dust is a part of his substance even the matter of which hee consists and that his body according to the matter is a dusty earthy substance and his Soul though a spirituall substance created of nothing yet dwelling in that body is an inhabitant of an earthly Tabernacle and house of clay founded in the dust Secondly though the frame of mans body is in it selfe most excellent and surpasseth all bodily formes and his Soul is a spirituall substance endowed with reason yet all these were of mutable excellency in the best naturall estate of innocency and could not continue in that excellency but by dependance upon God and cleaving fast to him and by his hand and power sustaining them continually which by promise hee was not bound to doe in that estate And therefore wee may truly gather from the matter of which God formed mans body that hee was in his best naturall being in respect of his body but a dusty substance such as might returne to dust by falling off from God by sin and disobedience yea undoubtedly as God in framing man his chiefest visible creature of dust intended to shew his wisedome and power and to glorifie his goodnesse so also hee teacheth man thereby his owne naturall frailty and mutability how unable hee is of himselfe to abide in honour and excellency And this hee shewes most plainely Gen. 3. 19. where hee saith to man alluding to his creation Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne Wee have also an excellent argument to this purpose Iob 14. 18 19. and 15. 15. where the Lord is said to charge his Angels with folly and to lay no trust in his servants and the heavens are not cleare in his sight how much lesse can hee find steadfastnesse in men who dwell in houses of clay which have their foundation in the dust that is seeing the heavenly spirits are not immutably pure in Gods sight but some of the Angels hath God charged with folly to wit such as did fall and to the rest hee hath added supernaturall light of his Spirit and so hath made them Saints immutably holy much lesse is man immutably pure and steadfast by nature whose better part the Soul is by creation made to dwell in an house of clay a body made of dust To this purpose serve those Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles which compare man in his first creation to clay in the hand of the potter Ier. 18. 9. Rom. 9. 21 which affirme that the first Adam was of the Earth earthy 1 Cor. 15 47. that is in his first creation hee was of an earthy and dusty substance First this serves by discovering unto man his frailty and mutability in his best naturall being to humble every man in his owne eyes and to make him lowly and to withdraw his heart from pride and all high conceipts of any worth in himselfe and to teach us all to ascribe all the unchangable purity which wee finde in ourselves and all our steadfastnesse to the free grace of God in Christ and not to any power of our owne free will or to the excellency of our naturall frame and being If man in his first creation and best naturall being was but of earth and dust an earthy and dusty creature and before that death entered into the World while hee had yet power of free will to obey God and to depend on him was mutable and might fall into sin and disobedience and by sin might bring and did bring death upon himselfe and all his posterity how much more now in the state of nature corrupted is every Son of man a very masse of corruption and frailty yea vanity and abominable filthinesse who drinketh iniquity like water as it is written Iob 15. 16. Wherefore Let no man glory in any naturall power or prerogative nor hope to stand by his owne strength much lesse to merit or purchase by any works of nature or power of free will the least grace supernaturall which tends to bring him to heavenly happinesse and glory unchangeable For man as hee is flesh and blood that is an earthly creature cannot possibly come to inherite the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. Secondly this discovers the madnesse and desperate blindnesse of Pelagians and Papists who teach that a man by the right use of his naturall power and free-will may procure spirituall grace from God and even the Spirit of regeneration and faith working by love by which hee may merit and purchase to himselfe eternall life and heavenly glory and felicity as a just and condigne reward of his works If Angels cannot bee made steadfast and trusty without supernaturall light added to them much lesse can earthy man who by sin is become filthy and abominable worke out his owne salvation by meriting and purchasing the heavenly reward Oh let us all hate and abhorre all such conceipts which wholly tend to the frustrating and evacuating of Christs merits and satisfaction and to make them seeme vaine and needlesse Be not deceived God is not mocked they who sow such tares and feed like swine on the huskes of their owne works and on things which nature teacheth they are enemies to the grace of God which is given onely in Iesus Christ and together with him by communion of his Spirit After the creation of mans Body of dust immediatly followes the creation of his Soule which is to bee understood in these words And breathed into his nosthrils the breath of life and man was a living Soule For no sooner was mans body brought into frame but God breathed into him the breath of life that is caused him to breathe with the breath of life even those vitall spirits which are the band of union by which the Soule is united to the body and in the first instant wherein he created the vitall spirits he also created the spiritual substance of his Soule in his body immediatly of nothing by his omnipotent hand Some are opinion that mans Soule was first created a Spirit subsisting by it selfe before his body was formed and when the body was formed a
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
up to him to seeke his direction and assistance by humble fervent and faithfull prayers and supplication It is onely he who knoweth fittest matches and consorts for every one and can give to man an help meet for him Fourthly it discovers to us the abomination and unnaturall filthinesse of whoredome and fornication wherein men and women do joyne and mingle themselves together without God the Divell and fleshly lust leading them No marvell that Adulterers whoremongers and fornicators are so often in the Scriptures excluded out of the kingdome of God Secondly wee hence learne That pure marriage which is Gods ordinance is of one man with one woman For God had an excellency and over-plus of spirit in the creation and yet hee made but one Woman for Adam who was but one man why but that he might seeke a godly seed as the Prophet saith Mal. 2. 15. Our Saviour also teacheth in the Gospell that a man ought to have but one wife while he and shee liveth and God from the beginning even from the creation shewed that he did not allow Polygamie And in old time God tolerated it in some of the Patriarchs and Prophets not as a thing naturally good and allowable but as a type and figure of Christ and his severall Churches which as severall spouses he gathers to himselfe out of Iewes and Gentiles Cant. 6. 8. This being so teacheth every man to bee carefull circumspect and inquisitive in choosing to himselfe a Wife who is to bee his perpetuall consort and companion of his life It is good councell of a wise-Man which he gives to all that There ought much deliberation to bee used in doing a thing which is to bee done once for all and if it bee done amisse can never bee amended And such is a mans taking of a woman to bee his Wife shee is once taken for all and during her life hee may not seeke a better nor can bee eased of his burden if shee proveth froward perverse and contentious hee who finds a good wife gets a meet helpe and continuall comfort to himselfe but hee who takes a brawling wife puls upon himselfe a perpetuall crosse and clogge The second consequent is Adams free and willing acceptation of the woman to bee his wife and so an helpe meet for him in these words And Adam said This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh shee shall bee called Woman because shee was taken out of man Verse 23. wherein wee may note three things worthy to bee considered First that God having made a wife fit for Adam doth not by câ—active or commanding power and authority put her upon him but having shewed her to him what one and whence shee was suffers him to accept and choose her freely of his owne accord and makes not up the marriage till Adam doth cheerefully upon certaine knowledge of her nature and disposition accept her for his wife and second selfe Whence wee learne That Marriage according to Gods ordinance is a free voluntary contract made betweene a Man and his Wife made with the well liking and mutuall consent of both parties Though Fathers are said to take Wives to their Sons and to give their Daughters to bee wives Exod. 34. 16. And some Sons are said to desire their Fathers to give them such or such wives as Gen. 34. 4. and Iud. 14. 2. Yet they ought not to impose wives on their Sons without good liking and free consent nor give their Daughters in marriage against their wils as appeares in the example of Rebecca whose consent was first asked before shee was promised to Isaac Gen. 24. 58. And there is good reason of this Because where mindes hearts affections are not united in two parties they cannot delight to draw cheerefully under the same yoke nor bee an helpe or stay one to another Now a wife is ordained of God to bee an helpe to her husband and the desire of his eyes and to draw with him in the same yoke and hee is to bee a shelter to cover and a stay to uphold her all his life Therefore reason requires that marriage should bee a free and voluntary contract made with the well liking and mutuall consent of both parties This Doctrine serves to reprove divers sorts of people and to condemne divers marriages First marriages of Persons under age before the parties have knowledge and discretion either to make a fit choice or to order their affections Secondly marriages of wards who have wives imposed on them under great penalties Thirdly forced marriages unto which children are compelled by violent and tyrannicall Parents or cruell unjust guardians against their mind and liking on such marriages there can bee no blessing hoped for nor expected but much mischiefe and many inconveniencies adulteries and whoredomes and many discontentments of life as experience teacheth The second thing here to bee noted is Adams speech This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh c. by which it is manifest that God in presenting the Woman to him did declare whereof hee had made her and of what nature and kind shee was Some ancient and moderne Writers doe gather from hence that Adam was divinely inspired with the Spirit of Prophecie and had understanding of hidden mysteries which hee had never seene heard nor learned from any because so soone as God brought the Woman hee could presently tell whence shee was and whereof shee was made without any information But this is a vaine and false surmise for no Prophet could at any time know and declare secret things beyond sense and reason without revelation either in a dreame or vision or word speaken to him by God To know mens secret thoughts or doings without revelation or word from God is proper to God and to Christ and to the Spirit which searcheth all things undoubtedly therefore when God brought the Woman to Adam and presented and offered her to him hee did withall declare how and whereof hee had made her of the same nature and framed her in the same image as I have before touched For in marriage-making there are such declarations going before to draw affection and free consent and externall informations by outward meanes and this was a true platforme of marriage Hence wee learne That men and women must not bee lead unto marriage by secret inspirations and divine revelations But by knowledge gotten by experience inquiry and information Lust and fleshly desire are blind guides to marriage as wee see in the Sons of God the seed of Seth who by beauty were drawne to take to wives the Daughters of men who were of Cain's carnall and profane posterity Gen. 6. 1. and in Esau Gen. 27. A wife was chosen for Isaac upon knowledge and experience of her vertue modesty and hospitality and therefore God blessed the match And Boaz tooke Ruth to wife not for riches or kinred but because shee was knowne
more subject of the froward to learne perversenesse then by the wife meeke and liberall consorts to be drawne from their folly fury and churlishnesse and therefore though in case when an hard lot befals Men or Women they must make the best they can of that which is too bad in hope that God will blesse their vertuous and godly endeavours yet the best rule which godly Christians can observe in the choice of wives iâ— to choose such as are like affected and vertuously disposed as they themselves are to regard chiefely the unity of Spirit and the similitude of nature and disposition which is a thing here taught by God in the creation and first marriage betweene Adam and Evah the first Father and Mother of all mankind Secondly we may gather from this doctrine that there can bee no hope or expectation of good from unequall marriages And when men for carnall worldly and politike respects yoke themselves with wives of a contrary disposition and religion daughters of a strange God and vassals of Antichrist there seldome or never followes a blessing For just it is with God that when men and women wall contrary to God and reject his right rule in their marriages and in laying the foundation of their families God should walke contrary to them in their whole course of life and should crosse them in their endeavours and bring their families to confusion The third and last consequent of the womans creation is that they were both naked â—he man and his wife and they were not ashamed ver 25. In which words wee are not in any case to understand by nakednesse either want of necessary apparell for in the state of innocency there was no need thereof and therefore no want of any nor any want of naturall abilities or vertues need full for beauty comlinesse and ornament or for naturall perfection All such nakednesse and want came in by sin and after their fall But here they are said to be naked because they neither had nor needed any cloathes or covering of their bodies which were in all parts most comely and beautifull Their skin was not rough over-growne with haire like beasts nor with feathers like birds nor with hard scales like fishes but their skin faire white and ruddie was comely in it selfe and beautifull to their owne eyes more then all ornaments of silke fine linnen and all jewels of gold and silver set with the most glorious and precious stones of most resplendent colour and brightnesse And their bodies were of that excellent temper and constitution that they neither felt nor feared any distemper of heat or cold The aire and all the elements were tempered according to the temper of their bodies and all things were pleasing wholesome and delightsome unto them and to all living creatures they appeared lovely and full of beauty and majestie It was the creatures delight to see them and to looke on them and it was their joy to see the creatures admiring them and rejoycing in their sight and presence And therefore there was no cause or occasion of any shame or of any feare to shew their simple naked bodies and to have every part and member openly seene no uncomlinesse which needed a covering but all parts and members were beautifull in themselves and composed together in a comely order and frame This is the true sense and meaning of the words Wherein we have this plaine doctrine That the worke of God in the creation of our first parents was perfect without errour the image of God appeared in their bodies and bodily for me and shape they were full of all naturall grace beauty and comlinesse in all parts and members from the crowne of their heads to the sole of their feete the glory and wisedome of Gods workmanship shined in them most clearely to their owne eyes and the eyes of all creatures The truth of this appeares most manifestly in the words for certainly if there had beene any least blemish or unseemely member in their naked bodies they would have beene ashamed to goe and appeare openly bare and naked without covering therefore I need not stand to prove it with many arguments this one is sufficient That all the forme beauty and comelinesse of the most goodly Men and fairest Women that ever were or are in the World gathered together and composed in the body of one Man or Woman the goodly personage of Ioseph or Adonijah the beauty of Absalom and Abishag and the glory and comlinesse of Solomon and all other formes and beauties named in histories are but the ruines reliques di 〈…〉 shadowes and defaced scraps of that beauty and comelinesse which was in the naked bodies of our first parents and in every part of them in the creation And therefore our reason and senses may judge what comlinesse was in them This point considered is of great force to provoke and stirre up men to acknowledge with all thankfulnesse Gods bounty to mankind in the first creation and how exceedingly they are bound to love and honour and serve God for the naturall gifts abilities with which God at the first did fully furnish man not onely for necessity and welbeing but also for glory beauty ornament and comelinesse in the eyes of all creatures And although our first parents forfeited these blessings by their disobedience and have defaced by sin this excellent beauty yet wee see Gods goodnesse abounding to us in this that hee imprints in many of us some stamps and foot-steps of the image in which wee were created that wee may by the ruines which remaine judge of the building of mans body and of the beautifull frame wherein God at the first created us Secondly wee may hence gather comfortable assurance that as God did create man in admirable beauty at the first in the creation and made him comely in the eyes of all creatures in all parts of his body so that it was no shame but a glory to walke naked without cloathes or covering So much more in the work of redemption and restauration by Christ God both can and will repaire our vile bodies and restore unto them their first beauty and glory with great advantage and make them like the glorious body of Christ and reforme them after his heavenly image of holinesse which so farre exceeds the first image as heavenly excels earthly spirituall and supernaturall excels naturall and incorruptible and immutable surpasseth that which is fading and vanishing For the worke of redemption and restauration is a worke of greater goodnesse to men then the worke of creation and as it excels so the effect of it must bee more excellent In this worke God stretcheth forth his omnipotent hand and all his goodnesse further then in the creation there hee created all things by his eternall Word the Son and by his Spirit working with him but here hee gave his Son to bee incarnate and the eternall Word to bee made flesh and
Iudaeus lib. de mund opific. did conceive Paradise to bee no earthly or bodily place but to bee spiritually understood which opinion Epiphanius proves to bee against reason because trees growing out of the ground and rivers shew that it was a garden planted on the earth and earthly not spirituall Some have held that the whole World was Paradise and that this garden did extend it selfe over all the earth which then was wholly a place of pleasure and delight which is also very absurd for then Adam had beene cast out of the whole earth when God cast him out of the garden and the land of Cush and of Havilah and Assyria towards which the rivers did run after they were gone out of the garden had beene out of the World Besides wee read in the Scriptures that Eden in which the garden was planted was a speciall country in Mesopotamia neare Haran and Gozâ—n and the people thereof did trade with Tirus 2 King 19. 12. and Ezech. 27. 23. Ephrem held it to bee a remote place beyond the vast Ocean Sea and unknowne tous Damascene in his book 2 de fide chap. 14. held it to bee a place higher then all the earth Beda and Rupertus held it to bee a place next unto heaven reaching up to the Sphaere of the Moone Alexander Hales and Tostatus thought it to bee a place in the aire farre below the Moone Others who held it to bee a speciall place in the earth doe much vary and differ among themselves Luther conceived that it contained in it all Mesopotamia Syria and Egypt Others thought that it comprehended all Asia and Africa Others that it was that part of Syria which is called the region of Damaseus because there was the Kings forrest of goodly Cedars which is called Paradise Nehem. 2. 8. and there is a towne called by the name of Eden and Paradise which is mentioned as some thinke Amos 1. 5. The Opinion of Bonaventure is that the place of it is under the Aequinoctiall Bellarmine in his booke de gratia primi hominis chap. 10. confesseth that it must needs bee an earthly and bodily place planted with trees but farre remote from knowledge of men and that no man can define where it is that it was not destroyed in the generall deluge and flood of Noah but remaines to this day And that Enoch and Eliah were translated thither and there are kept to fight with Antichrist in the end of the World This Opinion is contrary to truth and contradicts it selfe First the Scriptures testifie that Eliah was not translated into an unknowne place on earth but went up to heaven in a firie chariot Secondly that the waters of Noah's flood did prevaile 15. cubits above the highest mountaines And therefore if Paradise was an earthly place as Bellarmine holds it must needs bee destroyed in the generall deluge Gen. 7. 20. Yea if Paradise had beene preserved safe from the flood it had beene needlesse and vaine labour for Noah to build such an huge arke God might have saved him and all the creatures with him in the garden of Paradise Thirdly Moses doth here plainely define where this garden was and whosoever with understanding reads this History may easily define where it was But where it is now none can define for it is destroyed and onely the place of it remaines still But not to trouble my discourse with particular confutations of these severall opinions the very text it selfe and that exposition which I have made of it by the helpe of other Scriptures doth as it were with one blast blow them all away like chaffe and with one stroke dash them all in pieces For this text tels us that this garden was planted in the earth and God made the trees in it to grow out of the ground that the speciall place of the earth in which God planted it was Eden that is a place in Mesopotamia and Babylonia knowne by that name and mentioned by Rabshekeh among the countries which the Assyrian Kings had conquered scituate betweene Iudea and Assyria and neare unto Assyriah 2 King 19. 12. and by Ezekiel cap. 27. 23. mentioned among the countries and cities which from Mesopotamia did trade with Tyrus The text also tels us that it was in Eden Eastward or on the East-side watered with a river which came out of Eden from the other part thereof which river having divided it selfe into foure streames that it might run through severall parts of the garden and water it did no more meet in one but from thence that is from the garden was parted and became foure speciall rivers taking their course and compasse towards severall lands to wit Pishon to the land of Havilah Gihon to the land of Cush Hiddekel to the land of Assyriah and Euphrates through Babylonia and Chaldaea all which are to Iewes and naturall Israelites who ever since the captivity of Israel to Assyriah and of Iuda to Babylon doe live a dispersed and scattered people in those countries knowne by those old names to these dayes as appeares in the Itinerarie of Benjamin Tudalensis the Iew and divers other histories Now these things being plainely laid downe in the text explained by other Scriptures the places and rivers being often mentioned in histories and knowne to the Iewes who dwell in those parts untill this day there is now no least colour or show of reason left for the divers opinions before rehearsed they all appeare to be vaine erroneous the manifest truth of this text overthrowes them all at once And now from hence wee may learne a profitable point of instruction viz. That nothing is more vaine and uncertaine then the opinion of witty and learned Men both ancient Fathers and later Writers and Schoolemen while they follow their owne reason their owne witty conceipts without warrant from the Word of God There is no sure or certaine ground which a man may safely rest upon for the right understanding of the Scriptures but onely the word of God it selfe either speaking plainely in the very text it selfe or by other places and testimonies which are more full and plaine compared with the obscurer texts By this meanes onely the Spirit of God doth enlighten our hearts and understanding to know infallibly the true sense and meaning of them Besides many other proofes which serve to confirme this which I omit as not necessary at this present wee have a firme argument from our Saviours owne words Iohn 16. ver 13 14. where hee saith that now under the Gospell the Spirit speakes not of himselfe by simple and immediate inspiration without any word as in the Prophets of old but whatsoever hee shall heare that shall hee speake and hee shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you that is hee shall inspire and enlighten men onely by my word which I have spoken with mine owne mouth and by the Prophets and holy Men of God who
is knowne and discerned to bee his image and in it his shape is plainely seene Both these are here to bee understood in this word image and Gods image containes in it both the similitude or resemblance by which man is said to bee like unto God in all his naturall properties gifts and endowments and also his nature and substance which though it differs from Gods nature and substance Yet is a fit subject of such properties gifts and endowments which resemble Gods attributes and properties Secondly the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demuth which is here translated likenesse is used in a twofold sense First it signifies the similitude and likenesse by which one thing resembles another in all the speciall properties of it thus it is used Psalme 58. 4. where the poison rancour and malice of the wicked is said to have the likenesse of the poison of aspes and Ezech. 1. 10. the likenesse of the faces of the foure living creatures in Ezechiels vision is said to bee like the face of a man and of a Lyon and of an Oxe and of an Eagle and Dan. 10. 16. one is said to touch Daniel who had the likenesse of the Sons of men Secondly it signifieth the same that the word image doth that is a thing which is made like to another and is the very patterne which resembleth it in all parts and properties as 2 King 16. 10. where the patterne of the Altar of Damascus which Ahaz sent to Vriah the Priest is called the image of it And 2 Chron. 4. 3. the images of Oxen which Solomon made under the brasen Sea are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demuth the likenesse of Oxen and Isa. 40. 18. an image made to represent God according to that conceipt of him which men frame in their mindes is thus called Here in this text the word is used in the latter sense and signifies the same that the word image doth in effect but in a diver and manner For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Image signifies first a creature and then the likenesse by which that creature so resembles God the Creatour in all the speciall properties of it that it becomes his image And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likenesse signifies first the similitude and then the creature that is such a similitude and resemblance of God stamped upon the nature and being of a creature as makes it the very image of God and so these two words Zelem Image and Demuth Likenesse are as the best learned and most judicious expositors of this text doe affirme the one the exposition of the other The word Image sheweth that the creature barely considered is not Gods image but by the naturall properties and gifts by which it resembles God And the word likenesse sheweth that the similitude alone is not the image but as it subsists in a fit subject and flowes from the nature and properties which God gave it in the creation Vpon these grounds wee may easily understand that the phrase of creating man in Gods owne image and likenesse signifies Gods creating man of such a nature and endowed with such naturall properties gifts and endowments that hee doth in them all resemble himselfe and is his lively image very like to him shewing forth his divine properties and attributes of goodnesse wisedome power knowledge and in all things conformable to his just will Thus much for the opening of the words The next thing to bee considered is the Image it selfe and the speciall things wherein it doth consist And here I hold it necessary first to distinguish the image of God and his likenesse into two kinds The first is naturall formed in the creation The second is supernaturall and spirituall formed in man by the holy Ghost dwelling in him This distinction though divers people lead by custome and humane authority more then the word of God doe reject as a meere device of mine owne yet I finde it plainely laid downe in the word of God For the holy Apostle Saint Paul 1 Cor. 15. 49. doth in expresse words affirme that as there is both a first Adam made of the Earth earthy who by Gods breathing into him the breath of life became a living soule in the first creation and also a second Adam made a quickening Spirit even the Lord Christ from Heaven heavenly So there is a twofold image of God in man the first The image of the earthy Adam in which hee was created which though hee forfeited and lost by the law of justice yet by Gods common and generall indulgence in Christ hee did so farre retaine and communicate it though grievously mangled defaced that we are said to have borne it who are Adams naturall progenie and were created upright in his loynes The other is the image of the heavenly Adam the Lord Christ who being in the forme of God equall with God did humble himselfe to descend from Heaven by taking our nature upon him and framing to himselfe out of the seed of the woman by the operation of the holy Ghost a most pure and holy manhood which did beare over and above the image of the first Adam deformed with many frailties and all our infirmities sin onely excepted Rom. 8. 3. Philip. 2. 7. an holy and heavenly image created and framed in his humane nature by the working of the holy Ghost which is given to him not by measure Ioh. 3. 34. even from his first conception Luk. 1. 35. And this image as the elect regenerate and faithfull doe beare in part in the state of grace while they are by the inward worke of the Spirit conformed to the image of Christ Rom. 8. 29. and Christ is formed in them Gal. 4. 19. So they shall fully and perfectly beare it in heaven after the last resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 49. And as the holy Apostle doth distinguish these two images and doth oppose the one to the other making the one the image of the first Adam who was of the Earth earthy the other proper to Christ the second Adam who is the Lord from Heaven heavenly so hee doth shew divers differences betweene them in his divine Epistles which are confirmed also by other Scriptures First the image of God in the first Adam was naturall it was that which was given him in the creation so my text here saith God created man in his owne image But the image of God in the second Adam was supernaturall and spirituall for hee was conceived and formed in the wombe by the holy Ghost Luk. 1. 35. and his image is communicated to men and they are changed into it by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 3. 18. Secondly the image of God in the first Adam was mutable and Adam did forfeit it together with his life and naturall being by his sin and disobedience And although God out of his common favour and indulgence in Christ doth still continue it in some degree to Adams posterity yet
in all his outward actions which hee doth either immediatly by himselfe or mediatly by the ministery of his subordinate instruments and it also over-ruleth and disposeth things which are evill which are not done by God himselfe moving the doers of them but come to passe by the permission and sufferance of him wittingly and willingly suffering his creatures to abuse the power which they have from him This point is manifest by the Lords owne words Isa. 45. 7. where hee saith I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord do all these things And by that speech of the Prophet Amos. Chap. 3. 6. Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it The true sense and meaning of which words Saint Augustine doth notably expresse where he saith nothing is done unlesse God omnipotent doth will that it be done either by doing it himselfe or suffering it to be done for it could not be done if he did not suffer it neither verily doth he unwillingly without or against his will but willingly and with his will suffer every thing to be To which purpose hee hath divers other speeches as that God being good would not suffer any evill to be done unlesse as he is omnipotent he could bring good out of them neither is that done without Gods will which is done against his will that is his word and approbation In the second maine part there are divers speciall branches shewing the speciall things whereby Gods actuall providence is distinguished from his other outward actions The first is that it consists in Gods ruling ordering and governing the whole World and watching over his creatures with a carefull eye The second that it comprehends in it Gods doing of all good and his permission and suffering of all evill The third that by it God disposeth all things which are done in the World to the manifestation of his glory and the eternall salvation of his elect in Christ. The fourth and last is that it is no other exercise of wisedome power goodnesse mercy and justice but in executing things which hee hath decreed from all eternity even ruling ordering and disposing all things wisely after the counsell of his owne will For the first point to wit that God exerciseth his actuall providence in ruling ordering and disposing the whole World and all therein as supreme Lord King Iudge and Ruler thereof the Scriptures aboundantly testifie as Gen. 18. 25. and Psalm 50. 6. Psalm 82. 1. and 2. Chron. 19. 6. where God is said to bee the Iudge of all the Earth yea the Iudge both in Heaven and Earth who sitteth chiefe among all Iudges and is with them in the iudgement Also in those places where the Kingdome Dominion and Rule over all is said to belong to God and hee is said to bee the King which reigneth and ruleth all to the utmost ends of the Earth yea to be a great King above all Gods and the onely potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords as I Chron. 29. 10. 11. Psalm 10. 16. and 29. 10. and 4. 27. and 95. 3. and his Kingdome is said to rule over all Psalm 103 19 and that not for a time but from generation to generation Psalm 145. 13. It is he who setteth bounds to the tumultuous Seas beyond which they cannot passe Iob 38. 8. Psalm 104. 9. and ruleth over the raging waves Psalm 89. 9. and stilleth thâ—â— when they arise And that hee hath a watchfull eye over all creatures even to preserve man and beast it appeares Psalm 36. 6. and that as his eyes are upon them that feare him and hope in his mercy to deliver their soule from death and to keepâ— them alive in famine Psalm 33. 18. 19 So his face is against them that do evill to cut off the remembrance of them Psalm 34. 16. The second point is that Gods providence is exercised both in the doing of all good and in permitting and suffering wittingly and willingly all evill which commeth to passe in the World and so it consists of two parts action and permission This also is fully proved and confirmed Isa. 41. 23. and 45. 7. where the Lord proves himselfe to bee the onely true God by disposing all things both forming the light and making peace by his active hand and power and also creating evill and darknesse by permitting and giving up the Divell and his wicked instruments to abuse his power which hee hath given them to doe evill and to worke wickednesse as wee see in Pharaoh whose heart hee is said to harden yea and to raise him up by giving him up to his owne lusts and into the hand of Satan who hardened him and made his heart obdurate so that the more God plagued him with great plagues which naturally tend to breake a stout heart and to pull downe pride the more did his corruption rise up and rebell and the more did Satan stirre him up against God and his people and made him run desperatly into the devouring gulfe of destruction Wee see this also in Gods permitting Satan to afflict Iob and to tempt him to blasphemy by stripping him naked of all that hee had tormenting his body and battering his soule with sore temptations of his wife and friends and with skaring dreames and terrible visions as wee read Iob 1. and 2. and 7. 14. Also the Apostle in expresse words affirmeth that God being provoked by mens wilfull sins doth in just wrath give them to uncleanesse through the lusts of their owne hearts and to vile affections and a reprobate minde to worke all iniquity with greedinesse Rom. 1. 24 26 28. and doth give them the Spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare Rom. 11. 8. not by putting such a Spirit into them so as hee sheddeth his Spirit on men through Christ but by suffering Satan the Spirit of lying and of all blindnesse and wickednesse to enter into them which hee would doe into all men if God did not restraine him and by casting them out of his protection as wee see in the evill Spirit which vexed Saul and in the lying Spirit which deceived Ahab by entering into his Prophets and speaking lyes by their mouths 1 Sam. 16. 14. and 2 King 22. 22. And thus wee see that in all evils of sin Gods providence is exercised by way of voluntary permission But as for all good things which come to passe God hath in them an approving will and a working hand and worketh in men both to will and to doe yea every thought and purpose of good 2 Cor. 3. 5. Philip. 2. 13. and without him we can doe nothing Ioh. 15. 5. So that in all morall duties and in all good and godly workes God worketh in men by his Spirit immediatly and giveth them hearts will and power to doe them and they are but his instruments to performe these good things as
the airy or lowest heaven is thus called Verse 20. and 26. where it is said Let the fowles flie in the open firmament of heaven and Psalme 79. 2. and Hos. 2. 18. and many other places where wee read of the fowles of heaven But the best learned of later times have for the most part held that by the firmament is here meant that vast and spacious element and region of the aire which is extended and stretched out not onely round about all the Earth and the Sea but also reacheth from this globe of the Earth and the Sea to the starry heavens even to the spheare of the Moone and this is without doubt the true sense and meaning of the word in this place as appears by divers reasons First the Hebrew name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which God called this firmament or large region being compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies there or in that place and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies waters notes out unto us that this firmament is the place where waters are engendered in the clouds and which from thence descend and water the earth and that is the fluid and waterish element the aire Secondly there is no other firmament besides the aire stretched out between the waters of the Sea which are below and the undermost and the waters above in the clouds heaven-ward and from thence distill and water the earth and did descend in great aboundance and drowned the old World when God dissolved the clouds so opened the floud-gates and windowes of heaven The aire is the onely element which divides between these two waters of the clouds above and of the Sea and Rivers below Thirdly the airy region is that in which the Sun Moone and Starres doe shine and give Light to the Earth and in which their beames and light appeare to us on earth The light of the starry heavens and of the Sun which alwayes shines in them even at midnight as well as at noone day is not seene of us as it is in the heavens but as it is in the aire for by multiplying their beames in the aire the Sun Moone and Starres are seen of us and give light upon the earth And therefore it is not said that God made the Sun Moone and Starres in the firmament or set them to have their place and being in it but gave them to bee lights in it that is set them above to shine through it and by multiplying their beames in this firmament the aire to give light to the earth Verse 15. Fourthly the fowles which flie in the open face of the aire are said to flie in the firmament which God called heaven Verse 20. Fifthly the highest heaven was created in the beginning in the first moment of time together with the Angels And the starry heaven is the light created in the first day therefore this heaven here called firmament is the airie region or lowest heaven Sixthly in all places of Scripture wherein wee finde this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translated firmament wee may very well and with good reason understand by firmament the large extended region of the aire and it cannot be proved by any one place that the word signifies any other then the airie heaven enlightned with the beames of the Sun and the starry heavens Seventhly they who here by firmament do understand the starry heavens are forced by the words of the text which say that the firmament is in the midst of the waters and divides the waters above from the waters below to imagine that there are waters above the starry heavens there placed to mitigate the heat of the Sun and the Starres and that these waters drowned the old World which is a ridiculous conceipt grounded on palpable mistaking of divers Scriptures and contrary to all reason For the places of Scripture which speake of waters above the heavens intend no other waters but such as are in the clouds in the middle region of the aire and above the lowest region of the firmament or airy heaven First the Hebrew phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is above the firmament or above the heavens signifies no more but waters that are above heavenward Secondly the Scriptures doe plainely expound this phrase and in many places shew that by waters above the heavens they doe not meane either the multitude of heavenly Angels as Origen dreamed or any Crystall orbe or naturall waters above the starry heavens as Basil Ambrose Beda and others imagined or the matter of spirituall and supercelestiall substances different from the matter of earthly creatures as Austen thought but that these waters above are the waters in the clouds above in the middle region of the aire even raine and haile and snow and such waters as flow from thence in great aboundance when it pleaseth God to open the bottles windowes fountaines and floodgates of heaven that is the clouds for the clouds are called the bottles of heaven Iob 38. 37. and the fountaines of the deep Prov. 8. 28. and the watery roofe of Gods chambers Psalme 104. 3. and God is said to bind up his waters in the thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them Iob 26. 8. and when God openeth the clouds and sends downe raine to water the earth to give to it the blessing of fruitfulnesse hee is said to open the windowes and flood-gates of heaven Gen. 7. 11. and Mal. 3. 10. And the lowest region of the aire in which the dew is engendered of vapours and mists dissolved into small drops is called heaven and the dew from thence distilling is called the Dew of heaven Gen. 27. 28. Psalme 133. 3. and Zach. 12. 8. So then wee see that the firmament here called heaven is the wide and broad spread aire reaching from earth to the starry heaven and compassing the globe of Sea and land round about and by the waters above the firmament the waters in the clouds are meant which are above the lowest region of the airy heaven or firmament And thus much for the opening of the first thing in my text to wit the thing created The second thing is the creation of this firmament and the manner of it It is said God made the firmament that is framed it as hee had done the light the starry heavens out of the rude matter before named which was without forme and void Verse 2. and this hee did by the same power and after the same manner as he did the light saying Let there be a Firmament that is by his eternall Word the Son by whom he doth exercise all his power and performe all his works according to his eternall Counsell and by whom hee sheweth outwardly his eternall purpose and will as a man by his word doth openly professe and declare his mind and purpose And thus wee see the Son◠still worketh with the Father and
the Spirit in the creation of every thing in the World and without him nothing is made and created The third thing is a maine use for which this firmament was made to serve namely to divide the waters from the waters that is the waters which are below in the Sea and Rivers and are mingled with the earth from the waters which are above in the clouds for wee finde by experience that there is no other thing which divides between those waters but onely the lowest heaven the airie firmament There is also another use hereafter mentioned Verse 20. that is to convey the light from the Sun Moone and Starry heavens to the earth The fourth thing is the name by which God called the firmament that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heaven Indeed according to the common etymologie and notation approved of all the learned this name most properly expresseth the nature of the aire the place of waters and waterish clouds and the starry and highest heavens are so called by reason that they appeare to us in our fight to be one and the same common body or else by a metaphore because there is a great similitude between them and the aire in respect of their purity and brightnesse or as I have formerly noted this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is the proper name of the highst heaven may have another derivation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth there doubled or made in the forme of the duall number and so it is as much as if one should say there there that is there is the place of all places there is the best being in the heaven of heavens and here wee may observe what manifold and wonderfull wisedome there is in the names which God hath given to creatures which hee himselfe named The fifth and last thing to bee considered in this text which is a point of greatest difficultie is How by the framing and continuance of this worke there came in an evening and a morning which are the second day The Sun was not yet created to shine and to give clear day light such as wee now have and therefore how could there bee a day or a morning And the light that is the bright frame of the firie heavens being extended over all the inferiour masse of the inferiour elements not yet formed how could there bee an evening or night and so a whole civill day as the text here speakes All that the learned have devised and written for the removing of these doubts is this Some hold that the light which God created subsisting without a subject did for the space of 12. houres shine and send forth beames and make the morning and againe for the space of 12. houres was contracted and withdrew it selfe and so made the night or evening This is the opinion of Basil and Damascene Others think that light created the first day being a bright cloud which moved about as the Sun doth did shine like fire one while and so made the day and was like a thick cloud of darknesse for another while and so made the night as the pillar of cloud which lead Israel so Beda holds Others thinke it was the light of the Sun created imperfect at the first and moving about with the heavens did make a difference between day and night equally But certainly the light which God created being good that is a perfect creature in his kind and so approved of God as the words of the text shew cannot with any reason bee held to bee any imperfect thing which afterwards was altered or any such mutable and corruptible light as was kindled and quenched for God seeing and approving it for good would not so quickly alter it Wherefore I take the evening or night time of the second day to bee the time wherein God by his word and power was separating the aire and purging it by causing the thick waterish and earthy part to descend and settle downewards towards the center For all that time the vast and spacious wide region of the aire being not purified remained dark and duskish because the light of the firie heaven did not shine thorough it and that was the evening or night of the second day but the aire being made pure perfect and settled in his naturall place received the light of the heavens into it for the space of 12. houres before God began to create the other elements which were the first works of the third day And this was a day of light cleare enough for the creatures then made though not so light as when the Sun was made and this evening and morning made the second day as the text saith And thus we see the true sense and meaning of the text and what is the second day and the work thereof from whence wee may observe some points of Doctrine First wee hence learne that God proceeds most wisely and orderly in the creation of the World declaring manifestly that hee doth nothing in vaine nor makes any thing before it is usefull and necessarily for the communicating of his goodnesse to his creatures but doth all for the benefit of others and addes nothing to himselfe neither hath need to receive glory from any creature If God had made the Sun and Starres before hee made the aire or the earth men might have imagined that hee had made the Sun and lights of heaven not for the use of men and other earthly creatures but either because hee had need of them in the heavens to adde glory to himselfe or else to remaine for a time without use and in vaine But in that hee made not the glorious lights at the first before the aire through which they might shine and give light to the earth Hereby hee sheweth that hee created all things wisely and orderly the most needfull things in the first place and nothing before there was use of it nothing which remained unprofitable for one houre and that in creating the World hee neither sought nor needed any addition of glory to himselfe but made the glorious Sun and lights for to shew and to impart his glory to men and his goodnesse to other creatures Let us all see Gods wisedome and goodnesse and labour to imitate him in them and as he doth all for our use not his owne profit so let us not seek any thing in the World for our owne vaine ends but make the setting forth of his glory the end of all our labours and strive to doe his will and pleasure not our owne nor the will and commandement of any man when wee perceive it to bee contrary and not according to the will and word of God Secondly in that the light of the second day which shined onely in the aire and through it to the earth and deep was not a cleare but obscure light in comparison of the first day and the dayes after the Sun Moone and Starres were made not much brighter then
to suffer and dye and bee made the price and ransome of our redemption and for the perfecting of this worke hee doth in and by and through his Son give and communicate his holy and eternall Spirit to dwell in their earthly tabernacles to unite them to Christ in one body to bring them to communion of all his benefits and to renue them after his glorious image of true holinesse Here therefore is ground of hope and matter of rejoycing to all the elect and faithfull and great incouragement against all feare and shame of wounds stripes and all deformities which cruell persecutors and mangling tyrants can inflict on their bodies For the future beauty and glory which is purchased for them by Christ and prepared for them at last shall cover wash away and utterly abolish all when hee shall appeare in glory Thirdly wee are hereby admonished that the distempers deformities and all defects and infirmities which appeare in our bodies whereof wee may bee ashamed are not of God the Creatour but proceed wholly from our sin and fall in Adam and from our owne surfeting and intemperance For God made mankind most perfect in Soule and Body even with full perfection of beauty in the first creation as this Doctrine teacheth And therefore so often as wee are ashamed of our deformities and our nakednesse let us with griefe remember our fall and bee much more ashamed of our sins and lay the blame on our selves and not on the Lord God our Creatour CHAP. XIV Of the estate and condition of our first parents In five things 1. The blessing of fruitfulnesse A speciall blessing Vses Marriage free for all men Colonies 2. Dominion over all living creatures Foure Requisites thereto Degrees of it Absolute and Dependent Vnlimited and Limited Restored in Christ. 3. Food for man Not the living creatures in innocency 4. Mans habitation Eden What. Of the rivers Twelve opinions about Paradise Of the two trees in Paradise Why the tree of life How of the knowledge of good and evill 5. Of Gods image ANd God blessed them and said unto them Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowles of the aire and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth Vers. 29. And God said Behold I have given you every herbe bearing seed which is upon all the face of the earth and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yeelding seed to you it shall be for meat Vers. 30. And to every beast and foule and creeping thing wherein there is life I have given greene herbe for meat and it was so After the History of the particular creation of the Woman with the immediate Antecedents and Consequents thereof The next thing in order is the historicall description of the state and condition of our first parents in the creation in their integrity and innocency before their fall and corruption while Gods image imprinted on them remained perfect both in their Soules and Bodies so that they had no least blemish or infirmity in their naked bodies whereof they might bee ashamed In this their first state of innocency there are divers things mentioned by Moses and historically laid downe in this History of the Creation which are to bee unfolded in order The first is the blessing of fruitfulnesse wherewith God blessed them so soone as hee had created them male and female This is laid downe in these words And God blessed them and said unto them Bee fruitfull and multiply and replenish the Earth Verse 28. The second is the power and dominion which God gave them over the earth and over all living creatures in the water aire and earth this is in the last words of the Verse and subdue it and have dominion over the fishes fowles and beasts The third thing is the bountifull gift of all herbes bearing seed and of all fruits growing upon Trees which God gave to mankind for bodily food Verse 29. And his free gift of green herbe or grasse for meat to the birds beasts and creeping things Verse 30. The fourth thing is the place of their habitation the garden which God planted in Eden this is described Chap. 2. 7. and so a-long to the 16. Verse The fifth thing which is the chiefest of all and which is first of all mentioned in the creation of Man and Woman is the image of God in which they were both created This requires a more large discourse for the understanding of it and for that cause I have deferred the handling of it to the last place next before the conclusion of the whole creation even his viewing and approbation of every thing which hee had made for very good laid downe Verse 31. The first is the blessing of fruitfulnesse for the multiplication and increase of mankind even to the filling and replenishing of the Earth and the subduing of it In describing this blessing Moses doth her first lay downe the blessing in a generall word saying God blessed them Secondly hee sheweth more particularly wherein this blessing doth consist to wit in bodily fruitfulnesse for the increase of mankind in these words Be fruitfull and multiply Thirdly the aboundance of the blessing and large extent of fruitfulnesse even to the replenishing of the Earth and subduing of it First whereas God is said to blesse them the meaning is that God gave them the gift of fruitfulnesse so soone as hee had made them in his owne image male and female For the Hebrew word which is here used signifieth first and primarily to bow the knee or to kneele downe as appeares Gen. 24. 11. 2. Chron. 6. 13. Psalme 95. 6. Dan. 6. 10. And because bowing of the knee is a kind of submitting and applying of the body in kindnesse to some person to doe him some kind and pleasing service hereupon this word is translated and used in the Scriptures to signifie First Gods applying of himselfe to men and as it were bowing downe from the high throne of his Majesty to shew himselfe kind unto them by giving them many both earthly and spirituall blessings in this life yea and himselfe with all his goodnesse to bee their portion and to make them fully blessed in glory Secondly it is used to signifie mans applying of himselfe to God by bending his knees and his speech to praise God and to laud and extoll his name and to render pleasing thanks to his Majesty and also one mans applying of his speech to another and with bowed knees to salute him as Gen. 24. 60. and 2 King 4. 29. Also the action of Parents publike Ministers and superiour Persons whom God hath set over others bowing downe towards them and applying themselves to them to wish all blessings unto them and to pronounce them blessed of God as Melchisedeck blessed Abraham Gen. 14. and Isaac blessed Iacob Gen. 27. and Iacob