it demonstrated in all the parts The Manner of Creation in foure things Angels had no hand in the Creation Foure uses of the Point THe first thing now to be stood upon is the creation in generall as it is described in the generall nature of it by the name the Author or causes and the time when it first began and when it was done and that chiefely in this first verse First Creation is here set forth by the name of it in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created Secondly by the Author or sole efficient cause of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Thirdly by the time when God began the creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning and wherein he perfected that worke in six dayes Fourthly by the forme and manner of it vers 3 God said and it was done First the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 created if it bee rightly understood according to the true and proper signification of it in this place may give great light to the matter in hand I will therefore first distinguish it according to the severall significations in which it is used in the Scriptures and will shew in what sense it is here to be taken and then will come neere to the matter First it signifies properly that extraordinary miraculous worke of God by which he gives a substance and substantiall being to things which before were not and doth make them either of nothing or of some matter which hath in it selfe no naturall fitnesse or disposition to receive such a forme or to be turned into such a substance thus it is used Deut. 4. 32. in these words from the day that God created man And Psal. 148. 5. He commanded and they were created Secondly by a metaphore this word signifies the extraordinary works of God which are very like unto the creation because they are done by a supernaturall power and suddenly brought forth as it were out of nothing when there was no meanes or naturall disposition going before Thus the 〈◊〉 of regeneration in which the wicked corrupt heart of man 〈◊〉 by nature is unfit for any holinesse and most prone to wickednesse is changed in a moment by the Spirit of God and becomes a cleane creature and a new man is called creating Psal. 51. 12. Thus are all great and miraculous works of God called creating When hee raiseth up wonderfull strength out of weakenesse and by them who are as nothing doth overthrow mighty gyants and strong armies this is called creating Exod 34. 10. When God of a stubborne stiff-necked nation and of a people scattered despised and counted worse than nothing raiseth up and maketh a most holy people and glorious Church as he will doe in the last conversion of the Jewes this is called commonly in the Prophets by the name of Creation as Psal. 102. 18. and Isa. 43. 7. and 65. 18. And when the Lord in his just wrath doth raise up evill and destruction to the wicked out of good things which naturally turne to good this is called creating Isa. 45. 7. and 〈◊〉 â—â—ery raysing up of things without meanes as Psal. 104. 30â— When God suddenly beyond meanes or expectation by the supernaturâ—ll power of his Spirit reneweth the face of the earth it is called creating But in this place the word is to be taken in the proper sense for making thingâ— either of nothing or of matter made of nothing and of it selfe unfit and without naturall disposition for receiving any such forme as that which God doth give unto it The word thus expounded sheweth what creation is even a making of things out of nothing or of rude matter undisposed for such a forme and being as God in an instant frameth one of it And so it differs from all other kindes of making and producing things as from naturall generation of living crâ—atures and of clowds raine thunder and the rest which are made by an ordinary power out of matter fitted for the forme of things produced and from all artificall making of thingâ— as house and other things made by art of matter fitted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second thing by which creat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the author and cause of it expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is not here used metaphorically to signifie Angels false Gods and men who are ministers and vicegerents under God as it is sometimes used in Scripture but it is here taken in the sense which is most common and frequent in the originall that is for the true God and is one of his sacred Names And it is a word of the plurall number and in many places is joyned with verbes of the plurall number and that for this end to teach us that though God whose name this is bee but one in nature and essence yet in that unity of essence and in that one eternall Jehovah there is a pluralitie that is a Trinity of Persons This word therefore doth here plainely intimate unto us that Creation is an action of the whole Trinity and that it is the joint worke of all the three Persons even of God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost and this shewes that neither Angels nor false Gods but Jehovah the true God is the Author of the Creation as appeares Cap. 2. 7. The third thing by which the Creation is described is the time of it both the first time in which God began to create and did create the highest heaven and the rude masse the earth and also the progresse of time in which God created all visible things in order and finished the whole frame of the visible world This is expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning and in other parts of the Chapter which mention the particular dayes in which every thing was made For this word though sometimes it signifies Eternity and intimates unto us the eternall being of the Son of God together with the Father from all eternity and before all worlds as Prov. 8. 22. where eternall Wisdome saith The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old and John 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word yet most commonly and frequently in the Scriptures being laid downe absolutely as in this place it signifies either the first moment and beginning of all time as in this verse or else the first six dayes of the creation or any one of them in which dayes God made finished the whole frame of heaven and earth and all the host of them as Isa. 46. 10. where God is said to declare and foretell the end of all things from the beginning that is from the six dayes of the creation in which God began to speake to man and foretell 〈◊〉 end and Joh. 8. 44. where the Divell is called a â—urtherer from the beginning that is from the last day of the CreatioÌ„ in which God made the Divell marred man and brought him
before The first is simple absolute and immediate creation which is a giving of the first being to things simply and absolutely out of nothing when there is no matter at all to worke upon The second is a mediate and secondary creation which is a giving of the first being to things out of a rude unfit and undisposed matter and that instantly without any precedent altering or disposing of the matter of which they are made Each of these consists of two subordinate branches First absolute creation is either a making of things perfect out of nothing or a making of things imperfect out of nothing Both these parts or branches are here laid downe in this first verse Of them therefore I purpose to speake out of these words and for the better performance thereof I will sift the words particularly in the first place and so will come to the Doctrines And for the generall meaning of the words I have thus far laid it open That the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bereshith signifies the time of the creation The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bara signifies properly creating of things out of nothing or out of a rude matter fit for nothing and uncapable of any essentiall forme The word Elohim intimates the Trinity of persons in the unity of essence The word Heaven is to be taken for the Heaven of heavens or the highest heavens And by the Earth is meant the rude matter out of which God framed the whole inferiour visible world I now come to sift the words more particularly so as that they may give light to this first speciall branch of creation and to the two particular parts thereof The first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bereshith which is here translated in the beginning may admit a threefold exposition First if we take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as sometimes it signifies in Scripture for the chiefe or principall or for the first fruits which were the first and chiefest of every thing then this word may signifie either as the Hebrew Rabbins expound it Bereshith in or for the chiefe that is for Israels sake who were the chiefe of the Nations and choice people of God God created the heavens and the earth and in them God laid the foundation of all things created Or else Bereshith in the first fruits that is in Christ who is the chiefe and the first fruits of all and for the elects sake in him God created the heavens and the earth as some Christians have expounded it But if we take the word Reshith as it is commonly taken in the Scripture for the first beginning of a thing or the first part of the being of it or the first part and moment of time wherein a thing comes to have being then may this word Bereshith signifie the first part of time wherein things created came to have being or the first part of creation and this may bee the meaning that in the first part of time or in the first part of the creation God created the heavens and the earth and the creation of them was the first act of creation This as it is the exposition most commonly held and generally received so I take it to be the best and fittest and that which the Spirit of God chiefly intended in this place for though it is true that God created all things in Christ and for his sake and his elects sake especially yet here it stands with more reason and is more agreeable to the scope of the place to thinke that the first part of time or of the creation is meant For first it is manifest as shall appeare hereafter that here Moses doth not speake generally of the creation of all particulars which are after named in the Chapter Neither doth he by the heaven the earth understand the whole world all the particulars therein contained but by Heaven is here meant the highest heaven and by Earth is meant the rude masse out of which God framed the inferiour visible world Now they onely were not created for Christs sake but all other things also and they onely were created in the first part or moment of time and in the first beginning of the creation therefore it stands with better reason to expound these words in the beginning for the first beginning of time or the first part of the creation which is the subject of this holy History then to understand it of Christ that in him and for him the heavens and rude earth was created and for his elects sake for whose use all other creatures also were created Secondly the Scriptures themselves doe in other places which handle the same matter expound this word for the first beginning of time or the first part and moment of creation as Psal. 102. 26. where David speaking of the first foundation of the heavens and the earth saith They were founded of old that is in the first time for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth which hee there useth in stead of this word Bereshith and which is translated by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning Heb. 1. 10. and therefore it is manifest that here this word notes unto us the time when this first act of creation was performed namely the beginning or first part of time Some who held that the highest heavens and the first rude masse of the earth were created from all eternity and had their being long before the first beginning of time doe here take this word Bereshith to signifie from all eternity and doe thinke that so it may be translated from eternity God created the heavens and earth And to this purpose they bring an example where the words in the beginning signifie from all eternity to wit Joh. 1. 1. where it is said In the beginning was the Word that is from all eternity But this exposition may easily be confuted by other Scriptures for Exod. 20. 11. God himselfe affirmeth that in six daies he made heaven and earth and all other creatures and therefore the heavens were not created from all eternity but in the beginning in the first day of the creation As for the words of the Evangelist they may easily be answered for indeed they doe not properly signifie eternity but the first moment of time in which God began to give being to his creatures And yet take these words in the beginning joyntly together with other words which immediately follow in the same sentence and they necessarily imply and prove that the Word was eternall and from all eternity coeternall with God the Father For hee who was already and had a being with God and was God and made all things in the beginning must needs be from all eternity and before the first moment of time in which he was not made nor created but was that is had a being already yea was coeternall to the Father Therefore these words in the beginning as the
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
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
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
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
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
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
second Adam Christ in which hee was formed by the holy Ghost and into which all the elect are changed and renued when they are regenerate and made new creatures in him may serve for excellent use as I shall shew when I have described the image of God wherein our first Parents were created and have laid downe by way of Doctrine the particulars wherein it doth consist But before I can distinctly describe the Image of which my text here speakes I must yet a little more distinctly shew the severall sorts of images which are images of God and of other things There are images which are essentiall and perfect to wit every person begotten by another of his owne nature and images which are accidentall and imperfect An essentiall image is either absolute and most perfect or lesse perfect The essentiall image which is most perfect and absolute is one person begotten by another of the same undivided substance and being in all essentiall properties equall and alike distinct onely by personall properties and subsistence Thus the eternall Son of God is the image of the Father of whom he is begotten from all eternity of the same nature and individuall substance For the second person the Son considered according to his divinity simply as God before his assuming of our fraile nature is said to bee in the forme of God that is his person is of the same essence glory and majesty with the Father and hee thought it no robbery to bee equall with God that is to have all essentiall properties of God equall which the Father as the Apostle testifieth Philip. 2. 6. and in this respect hee is called the image of the invisible God Coloss. 1. 15. and the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person Hebr. 1. 3. which words though they have respect to Christ as hee is the Word made flesh and God incarnate revealing God in his goodnesse wisedome justice mercy power and the like yet they must not bee limited to his incarnation but are extended to his deity as hee is the eternall Word the Son the second Person by whom the Father created all things and who with the Father doth uphold and sustaine all things as the words immediatly following doe shew For indeed the eternall Word the Son is in the forme of God one and the same God of the same substance glory and majesty with the Father and onely distinguished in personall properties relatiom and subsistence And therefore hee alone can truely bee called the image of God in this sense which is most perfect and absolute The essentiall or substantiall image which is lesse perfect then the other is either naturall or supernaturall A naturall essentiall image is one person begotten by another of the same nature and kind of substance and equall and alike in the same kind of naturall properties but not of the same singular substance and individuall properties thus every Son of man is the image of the Father which begets him for though hee hath a severall soule and body and severall properties which are of the same kind but not the same singular with those of his Father yet because his body and soule and all the faculties of it are of the same kind and in the outward forme resembles his Father and his Father may bee seene as it were in him therefore hee is his Fathers image and made in his likenesse A supernaturall essentiall image is a nature or person who is so begotten of God by the holy Ghost given to bee and abide in him as the immortall seed of God that hee is made partaker of the divine nature that is hath not onely supernaturall and spirituall gifts wrought in him by which hee is made fit to see and enjoy God but also is united to God and God becomes his portion for ever This image is either primary or secondary The primary image of this kind is onely Christ as hee is man or the humane nature of Christ which God formed and made in the womb of the virgin so pure and holy by the holy Ghost from the first conception in which the holy Ghost came upon her and the power of the Almighty over-shadowed her Luk. 1. that it was not onely most pure and holy and full of the holy Ghost from the first being of it but also was personally assumed and united to the eternall Son of God the second Person in the blessed Trinity and so became the first borne of every creature Coloss. 1. 15. and the first fruits which doe sanctifie the whole masse of the elect 1 Cor. 15. 23. and hee head from whom the Spirit is derived unto all the elect Ephes. 4. 15 so that they become a kind of first fruits of Gods creatures Iam. 1. 18. The secondary supernaturall image is every elect regenerate child of God begotten and borne of his Spirit shed on them through Christ Tit. 3. 6. and so created a new man after God in righteousnesse and holinesse of truth and made partakers of the divine nature one with God in Christ and by Christ Ioh. 17. 23. I call this a secondary image because the elect become this image not immediatly but after a secondary manner by deriving the Spirit from Christ and by union with God in him I call it a supernaturall image because it is above mans nature and belongs not to him in the creation nor consists in any naturall properties or resemblance And I call it an essentiall image because every regenerate man hath in him the holy Ghost dwelling as the soule of his soule quickning the whole man which Spirit is of the same essence with the Father and the Son And in respect of this Spirit and his gifts dwelling in his tabernacles their bodies and furnishing them throughout they are truely called and are indeed a new image of God and new creatures All these sorts of images are to bee excluded out of this text for our first parents are not here said to bee created after God essentially or supernaturally but onely in the accidentall and naturall image of God as I have in part shewed before and shall also hereafter more fully shew in all the particulars The accidentall or imperfect image of a thing or of a person is a thing or person so framed and made by another as by a paterne and after the likenesse of that paterne that it doth very much resemble it in likenesse and similitude but yet is not every way equall nor in all things fully alike nor of the same nature and substance with it In an image of this kind there are required two things necessarily First that the thing which is the image bee very like that whereof it is the image yea so like that it must resemble and represent either the nature and essentiall forme of it or the outward forme and figure or some speciall properties and proper qualities of it or all these together and yet in
THE HISTORY OF THE CREATION AS IT IS WRITTEN BY MOSES in the first and second CHAPTERS of GENESIS plainly opened and expounded in severall Sermons preached in London Whereunto is added a short Treatise of GODS actuall Providence in ruling ordering and governing the world and all things therein By G. W. Batchelour of Divinity and Pastour of St. Iohn Evangelist LONDON Printed for John Bartlet at the signe of the gilt Cup neare St. Austins-gate in Pauls Church-yard 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND NOBLE Lords FRANCIS Earle of BEDFORD Robert Earle of Warwick William Viscount Say and Seale Edward Viscount Mandevilc Robert Lord Brooke John Lord Roberts and the rest of the Honourable Lords Committees in the upper nouâ—e of the high Court of Parliament Grace and Peace with multiplicity of all Blessings temporall and eternall Most Noble LORDS THat which the learned Doctours of the Jews doe say of their Masorah to wit That it is an hedge or defence to the Law We Christians may more truly say of our weekly Sabbath the Lords day that it is the hedge of defence to true Christian Religion For as their Masorah which was their Annotations upon all the Scriptures of the old Testament shewing the genuine reading and signification of every word in the Hebrew text with what pricks vowels and accents it ought to be and was anciently written and read by Moses and the Prophets and by tradition from Ezra and other succeeding Fathers in all ages delivered over unto them did serve as an hedge and fence to keep the Scriptures of the old Testament pure from all corruption and alteration so that if any Scribe did in writing any copy of them omit or adde one word or letter or alter and change any vowell point or accent his errour might easily by the notes and rules of their Masorah be discerned and amended So the Lords holy weekly Sabbath being rightly observed according to the Law of God and the first institution and sanctification of it that is First by cessation and rest from all worldly cares and all secular affairs in respect wherof it is called in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbath that is rest and cessation Secondly by devoting it only to the worship and service of God and by sanctifying it with preaching reading and hearing of the word prayer meditation and other works of piety and exercises of true Religion in which respect it is called the Lords day that is the day of the Lord Christ consecrated to his honor and to the service and worâ—hip of God in his name It is most certainly as we find by experience a strong hedge and fence to true Christian Religion by which true piety and the true knowledge and worship of God and true Faith in Christ are upheld maintained increased and continued among all Christian nations from generation to generation Without observation of this weekly Sabbath and keeping this day of the Lord Christ holy by holy assemblies the publik and private worship of God the knowledge of Christ the memory of our Redemption by him and of his finishing and perfecting that great work and resting from it in his resurrection the publike preaching reading and hearing of the word and all other exercises of Christian religion which are the most effectuall ordinary meanes of grace and furtherances to eternall life and blessednesse would undoubtedly grow out of use and at length utterly decay and vanish This consideration did move me to insist more largely upon this subject and to make many Sermons upon that Text Gen. 2. 2 3. which briefly relates the first institution of the Sabbath on the seventh day in the first weeke of the world and Gods blessing and sanctifying of every seventh day in every week to be an holy Sabbath to his people Out of which Sermons first publikly preached to mine owne peculiar flocke I did afterwards compose this Treatise at the importunity of some of my best affected hearers and imparted severall written copies of it unto divers of them having at that time no hope to get it licensed for the Presse For by Gods speciall providence I having handled the doctrine of the Creation out of the 1. Chap. of Genesis was by my order of preaching and expounding of that Scripture led along and brought to this Text concerning Gods sanctifying of the seventh day at that very time when a book of liberty for sports on the Lords day was by the Bishops in every Diocesse sent to every Parish Church and commanded to be publickly read by every Minister in time of divine Service in the audience of all the people And because I proceeded to handle this subject as the order of my text did lead me and durst not balk that part of Gods word I was three severall times convented before my Ordinary and admonished under paine of suspension to proceed no further in this doctrine not for any errour which could be objected against any part or passage in it but only because the times would not beare it And because I did not hold it fit nor safe for me to obey man rather then God by concealing from my flock any part of Gods truth and shunning to declare unto them the whole counsell of God I have undergone the high displeasure of that Primate to whose jurisdiction my Church doth belong who upon divers false informations of catchers which have bin imployed to entrap me in my words that they might have something wherof to accuse me hath caused me to be convented before the Kings Majesty and the Lords of his Honourable Privy Counsell and hath charged and accused me to be a Preacher of factious and seditious Doctrine and for many years the great troubler of the City of London Wherupon I was committed close prisoner for two and twenty weeks and through close custody was by sicknesse brought neare unto death and could not obtain so much liberty as to be confined to the limits of my brothers house for the safety of my life upon bayle of a 1000 pound given untill by the testimony of fifty five Neighbour Ministers of best report in and about the City I was declared to be innocent and free from all the crimes of which I was accused Now blessed be God for your happy Assembly in this most hopefull Parliament by which I have been eased of my strait bonds and the times are so changed that this Treatise and divers others of my labours are licensed to passe by the Presse into the publik view of the world I should not have dared to commend it to the sight and grave Judgement of your Honours If your godly Zeale for the sanctifying of the Lords day and for the honouring of the name of the Sabbath which appeared most evidently to us all who of late were present at the time when that scandalous libell intituled Sunday no Sabbath was most accurately and judiciously sifted and examined by your Honours and justly censured and condemned to the fire had
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
the Scriptures plainly testifie that God founded the world in wisdome Prov. 3. 19. that in wisdome hee hath made all things Psal. 104. 24. and that wisdome had an hand in ordering all things Prov. 8. Therefore the creation of the World was in perfect beauty and comelinesse 3. The third thing which we learne from these names is That the deformity of the world the enmity of creatures the corruption of man and the confusion of things created were not in the world nor in the creatures thereof at the first neither are they Gods handy-worke nor things by him created for the world is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beautifull frame And the Scriptures call the worlds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of being and continuance not things deformed corrupt and perishing This also the Scriptures shew Gen. 3. that the earth was cursed for mans sake and mans sinne came from himselfe and the Serpent And Deut. 28. 23. and Levit. 26. God himselfe in the Law professeth that for disobedience and sin of rebellious people hee doth make their heaven over them as brasse and their earth as iron And Eccl. 7. 29. it is said that God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions I might here also observe from the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the world was also made in a beautifull and pleasant season even the pleasant time of the Spring in all probability but I love not to build opinions on such weake foundations And from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies long lasting ages I might observe the ages of the world and discusse the question about the ages and years from the creation but they may more seasonably be touched hereafter when we come to speake of the particular branches of the creation Now I come to the Use of these considerations First they serve to make the thoughts and conceits of Atheists and carnall Philosophers hatefull to us to wit that the world is eternall and had no beginning neither shall have end For here wee see that all things universally were created of nothing and are creatures formed by God It is a point of faith above all naturall reason to understand that the worlds were made of nothing as the Apostle shewes Heb. 11. 3. And that was it which made Aristotle and other witty and learned Philosophers led by reason doubt of the creation of the world Beside when they observed the stability of the heavens and heavenly host and their beautifull order and incorruptible being this did further them in this conceipt and made them thinke there should be no end of it But Gods Word teacheth the contrary and sheweth that all things were created and made out of nothing except only God himselfe and though they were made perfect and good fit to flourish for ever and some of them have still a great remnant of that glory and perfection as the heavens which change little in many ages yet by mans sin they are corrupted and made changeable and so much more by how much more neere they come to man And this the Philosophers felt and perceived insomuch that many of them did acknowledge the creation and the end of the world and even Aristotle himselfe though he could not conceive that the world should be made of nothing by the course of nature yet hee did acknowledge God the Father Maker and Preserver of it and so likewise shall all be confounded who are not settled in this truth Therefore let us looke up to God and beleeve his Word and hate all blind conceipts of worldly wise men and see and behold in the most rationall and wise naturall men denying this truth of the worlds creation that the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse and the imaginations of the flesh enmity against God Secondly this consideration of creation and beginning of all the world serves to make us more admire Gods eternity and to ravish us with the consideration of it If there could be a man found on earth who had lived ever since the time of Christ or since the daies of Adam or Noah wee would highly esteem him and seeke to him from the uttermost parts of the earth as the Queen of Sheba did to Solomon But behold all this world is but of short continuance created of God not many thousands of yeares ago God is before it even from all eternity And this world shall perish but he endureth for ever Psal. 102. And therefore if wee wonder at the long lasting heavens and the surely founded earth how much more ought we to admire the eternitie of God the ancient of daies before all daies and times and without beginning or end Thirdly though this world be beautifull by reason of some reliques of perfection and beauty remaining from the creation yet seeing it had a beginning and is corrupted by sin and hastens towards an end let us not set our hearts on it or any worldly thing but looke up to God and have our hope and our affections firmly set on him whose beauties of holinesse shall not fade as the fashion of this world doth but his glory endureth for ever Fourthly we may here see that the world was created for us for our use not for any need which God had of it for God was infinitely blessed in himselfe without it from all eternity and certainly in that God did not create it and time with it many thousands of yeares before he did this is a strong evidence that God is all-sufficient in himselfe and hath for himselfe no need of any creature Lastly it serves to make us hate sin as the Divels poyson and turne from it and be affraid to communicate with it as wee doe with things created by God because it is not of Gods forming but is the corruption of mans nature poysoned and defaced and all enmity which is among the creatures vexing and destroying one another came in by sin and all the pleasure which men take therein is corrupt sinfull and against pure nature Wherefore let us ascribe all deformity disorder and discord in the world to mans sin as the proper cause thereof CHAP. III. Of Creation immediate and mediate The Hebrew words expounded Sundry Doctrines proposed and made usefull Some questions discussed 1. Of the time of the yeare wherein the world was created 2. Of the number of the yeares since this was Of the highest heavens 5. points proposed THe creation and creature in generall being described out of these words and the rest of the history of the creation in this and the next Chapter I proceed to the severall parts and speciall branches of the creation which I will unfold in that order in which they are here laid downe and will describe the severall kinds of creatures which God created together with the state and condition wherein God created them The worke of creation considered in generall comprehends in it two speciall branches as I have noted
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
use for comfort and confidence to all the elect and faithfull people of God in the midst of all troubles which befall them in this life and when dangers and worldly enemies beset them round about also for confirmation and strengthening of them against all the assaults and temptations of the Divell For if the glorious Angels which are ministering spirits for their good which also love them rejoyce at their conversion watch for their safety and are their fellow servants under one Lord Christ be such heavenly powerfull and active spirits even by creation so excellent in strength so lively quick and ready at hand to help in a moment when God gives the watch-word what need we feare or faint so long as wee cleave to God and sticke to his truth Hee is a tender and loving father and Christ our high Priest hath a feeling of our infirmities and doth pity us he will be ready to help and he hath mighty instruments and ministers even thousands and ten thousand thousands ready to save and deliver us from all enemies as he did Daniel from the Lyons and his three fellowes from the fiery furnace Or if hee doth not send them to deliver us out of the troubles of this life yet hee will at our death send his Angels to carry our soules with triumph to heaven as Eliah was carried up in a fiery Chariot and the soule of Lazarus is said to bee carried up by them into Abrahams bosome Wherefore let us not feare either multitude malice or might of enemies but carefully serve God and confidently rest on the Lord Christ our Redeemer and Saviour Secondly These Doctrines serve to discover divers errours concerning the nature and substance of Angels as that grosse opinion of Peter Lombard who held that the Angels are corporeall substances because the Divell and evill Angels shall suffer the torment and feele the paines of hell fire which hath no power but over bodily creatures Also that opinion of the Gentiles and Cardanus who held that the Angels were mortall and corruptible creatures both these are here discovered to be erroneous For the first is builded on a grosse conceipt that the fire of hell is elementall and corporcall fire which as it burneth and consumeth bodily substances over which it hath power so it in time wasteth it selfe and goeth out but indeed the fire of Hell is the fire of Gods wrath which burneth and tormenteth worse then elementarie fire but consumeth not neither shall ever be quenched as our Saviour testifieth The second opinion is also confuted by these doctrines which have proved Angels to be spirits or spirituall substances which though they may bee stained with sin yet they cannot bee dissolved as men are in death by the separation of soule and body not corrupted as mens bodies are in the grave but the evill Angells shall live in eternall torment and their substance shall never be corrupted and consumed and the holy and blessed Angels are immortall and shall live in glory for ever and there shall be no end of their blessednesse CHAP. V. Of the Creation of the Earth The names whereby it is called Properties of it All creatures have being of God with Vses The World is all mutable and appointed so to be Vses The creation and redemption of the World wherein they resemble one another Vses The holy Ghost is of one and the same nature with the Father and the Sonne THe Second thing created next after the highest heaven with the inhabitants thereof the Angels is the Earth as my text here faith in these wordes and the Earth But wee must not here understand by Earth this earth or drie land upon which men and beasts doe live and move and have their being and which is beautified and adorned with trees plants greene herbes and flowers and replenished with stones and metals of all sorts For that was created together with the waters of the Sea and brought into forme and replenished in the third day as appeares in the 9. 10. 11. verses of this Chapter But here by Earth wee are to understand a certaine rude matter and masse without forme and void out of which God made all the inferiour visible World and all things therein contained so the wordes following in the second verse plainely shew The earth was without forme and void and darknesse was upon the face of the deep Now that wee may know what creature this Earth was wee are to consider these 3 things First the severall names by which it is called Secondly the properties by which it is described Thirdly the meanes by which it was upheld in being and disposed to bee the common matter of all othervisible things created afterwards First the names by which it is called are three 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deep 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waters First it is called the earth because of the grossenesse unmoveablenesse and impurity of it For the earth is of all elements most grosse heavy impure and confused not fit to move out of the place wherein it is most untractable and not ready to apply it selfe to any other thing and hard to bee turned into the forme of other things without labour and working of it This first rude and informed masse which God created out of nothing is here declared by this name Earth to have beene like the earth very impure and confused dull and unfit for motion resembling at the first the earth rather then any purer element Secondly it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deep here also in the text which word signifies a great deep or devouring gulfe as it were of troubled waters also troubled and confounded with mixture of mud and myre which though in respect of the troubled mixture and confusion it hath a resemblance of earth yet it is bottomlesse there is no solidity in it no ground or stay to bee found at all Thus much the Hebrew word signifies according to the notation and common use of it Thirdly it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waters also in this text because of the waterish fluxibility which was in it by meanes of which it was unstable and unsettled and also because it was an huge deep like the great waters of the Sea Now it may seeme strange that this one and the same rude masse should bee like earth and like a bottomlesse depth of myre or quick-sand and like waters all at once which are things different and unlike one to another especially the thinne flowing element of water and the grosse dull unmoveable earth And therefore the learned Expositors labour thus to qualifie the meaning of the words they say it was a confused masse even the matter of all the elements mingled together and because the earth and water are the most grosse and impure and did most of all appeare in it therefore it is called earth and water and the deep which is a
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
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
the night of the three last dayes Hereby God did foreshew that the aire and this lowest World is the place of Satans Kingdome wherein hee doth rage and tyrannize with great power after his fall untill hee be cast into Hell at the last day which also other Scriptureâ— shew as Eph. 22. where Satan is called the Prince of the aire and Revel 16. 17. the Kingdome of Satan is called the aire and Ioh. 14. 30. our Saviour calls him the Prince of this World Wherefore let us not place our felicity here in the things of this World nor hope for peace and rest in this lowest airy heaven where Satan ruleth and rageth Hee who preacheth for things here hee speakes into the aire 1 Cor. 14. 9. Hee who wrastleth for a prize here hee beateth the aire and strives for uncertainties 1 Cor. 9. 26. Let us looke up higher to the Heaven of heavens to the Country and City which is above and where Christ is there let our heart bee Verse 9. CHAP. VIII The third dayes worke Of Water and Earth distinct elements Of the names of Earth and Sea Of Herbes Plants and Trees All earthly things nothing to God Wee are Pilgrimes on earth Vses God ruleth the most tumultuous creatures Vse ANd God said Let the waters under the Heaven bee gathered together unto one place and let the drie land appeare and it was so Verse 10. And God called the drie land Earth and the gathering together of the Waters called hee Seas and God saw that it was good Verse 11. And God said Let the Earth bring forth grasse herbe yeelding seed and the fruit tree yeelding fruit after his kind whose seed is in it selfe upon the Earth and it was so Verse 12. And the Earth brought forth grasse and herbe yeelding seed after his kind and the tree yeelding fruit whose seed was in it selfe after his kind and God saw that it was good Verse 13. And the evening and the morning were the third day The third dayes worke is the creation of the Earth and the Seas and the separating of them one from another in place and the calling of them by their names also the creation of the Herbes Plants and Trees out of the Earth all which made up a third dayes worke In the 9. verse wee have the creation of the two grossest and lowest elements the Water and the Earth laid downe very briefely and withall the separation of the Water from the Earth into one place and the appearance of the earth above the waters The first words And God said shew that God by his eternall Word the Son created these inferiour elements and all thing in them and still the Son works with the Father in all the works of creation These next words Let the waters under the heaeen bee gathered together unto one place and let the drie land appeare seeme not to speake at all of the creation of the waters or of the earth but onely of the separation of the waters into one place and causing the dry land to appeare by it selfe Some Expositors gather from these words that the earth and the waters were created before and that the earth being made perfectly round in the lowest place and framed of the heaviest and grossest part of the rude matter which settled about the center was all covered with the waters which were made of the purer part of that rude masse which remained after the creation of the spacious firmament the airie heaven and the naturall place of the waters was above the earth betweene it and the aire I easily beleeve and acknowledge that the earth being made of the heaviest part of the rude matter doth occupie and possesse the lowest place about the middle center of the round World and that the naturall place of the water which is a purer and lighter element in which place God first created it and gave it being is the place next above the earth compassing it round on every side and if the element of water were in quantity more then the hollow places of the earth could conteine it would overflow all the upper face of the earth or if God should bring the earth into a perfect round globe without risings up of hils or hollow valleyes the waters of the Sea would stand in the upper place next above it between the aire and the earth For wee see and find by daily experience that as heavier elements do descend downwards when they are in lighter elements and doe by naturall motion tend to the lower place as for example drops of raine-water being ingendered in the aire descend downward and the earth and every part of it whether a stone or lump of clay or clod of earth will sinke downe move towards the bottom in a lake of standing water and in a vessell full of water So also the lighter and thinner elements doe naturally ascend above the heavier and seeke the higher place and cannot but by violence bee kept under them or in the same place with them for wee see that sparks and flames of fire being in the aire will continually ascend upward till they come to the place above it and if aire be closed up in a bladder and by some weight held downe in the bottom of a pond or some great vessell of water if it bee let loose by opening or bursting the bladder it will presently flie up and make speedy way in bubbles to the top of the waters and if waters bee either ingendered in the earth under the ground or by secret conveyances bee driven from the Sea into the earth it will continually spring up till it cometh to the top of the earth and hence it is that wee have so many springs of water rising out of the earth But I cannot beleeve that the earth and the waters of the Sea were created distinct elements before the third day because no words in this Historie of the creation doe before this day mention any creation of water and earth as they are elements perfectly formed and distinct one from another Indeed the rude masse which was without forme and void is called Earth and the Deep and the Waters not because it had the forme of these or was any one of them but was onely the matter of which they were made and because it was like earth for the grossnesse of it and like water or a deep quagge or muddy lake for the instability of it And although it is said before that God made the airie heaven to divide between the waters above in the clouds and the waters below under the aire in the Sea and the Rivers yet it doth not follow that these waters were created before or that then immediatly it did divide betweene them but that it was made to divide between them afterwards when they were created Yea itis plaine that therewas no raine in the aire nor clouds nor mists nor vapours ascending up from the earth till after the earth was furnished
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
visible World which point the holy Psalmist openly proclaimed saying I am fearefully and wonderfully made marvellous are they works Psalme 139. 14. Secondly Gods consultation sheweth that in the creation hee considered mans fall and did foresee not onely that man in his nature and kind is a creature subject to such evils as might make it a matter questionable whether it were fit for God to create him or not but also the great good which comes by his creation and fall and that man is a fit object wherein God may make manifest his wisedome power and all his goodnesse more then in any other creature and in that respect most worthy to bee made by the counsell joynt consent and concurrence of all the three Persons in the Trinity Thirdly here we may observe that in one God the almighty Creatour there are more Persons then one manifested by Moses in the History of the creation And therefore the Doctrine of the Trinity is no new and lately devised opinion since Christ but a most ancient truth revealed from the first foundation of the World These Doctrines I here onely name which will come to be handled more fitly in the next thing which followes to wit Gods creating of mankind according to this his counsell and resolution which act of creation is laid downe first more generally and confusedly in the 27. Verse And more distinctly and particularly by way of recapitulation in the next Chapter First it is here said that as God upon consultation resolved so hee created man in his owne image and male and female created hee them wherein wee may observe two things generally laid downe First that God created man in his owne image Secondly that hee created them male and female I will not here enter into a discourse concerning the imagâ— of God and the speciall things wherein it doth consist that shall have a more fit place hereafter when I shall come to describe the excellent state of man in his innocency before his fall The thing which here comes specially to bee considered is the true meaning of the Hebrew word Adam which is translated man in this present text This word is in the Scriptures used two wayes First as a proper name of the first man even our first Father Adam thus wee must understand the word Chap. 21. where it is said that God did cast Adam into a deep sleepe and Verse 22. brought the Woman to Adam when hee had made her of his Rib and chap. 4. 1. and many other places where Adam is distinguished from Evah his wife and is called the man Secondly it is used as a common name of mankinde and includes in it both male and female Man and Woman as Psalmâ— 144. 4. Man is like to vanity and Gen. 5. 2. where it is said that God called the Man and Woman and all mankind in them both male and female by this name Adam Here in this text this word Adam is used in this latter sense as the common name of mankinde comprehending in it both male and female as appeares by the words following Male and female created hee them that is this Adam whom God created in his owne image was male and female of both sexes Man and Woman who are both but one kind of creature Whereby it is manifest that here is laid downe in generall the creation of all mankind in our first Parents Adam and his wife Evah and that they both were created in the image of God and that the difference of their sexes and the creation of the Woman after the Man of a Rib taken out of mans side doe not make any difference of their nature and kind but both are of one kind and both made in the image of God and after his likenesse And Women as well as Men are capable of the same grace and fit to bee heires of the same glory in Heaven where there is no difference of male and female but all shall bee like to the Angels not marrying nor given in marriage as all members of the same Christ and partakers of the same spirituall grace here so all fellow-citizens of the heavenly Citie there raigning with Christ in glory as our Saviour himselfe affirmeth in the Gospell Hence then wee learne That the Woman as well as the Man was made in the image of God and is by nature as fit a subject and as capable as man of grace and glory Which point is confirmed by divers Scriptures as by the words of our Saviour Matth 22. 30. where hee saith that Women and Men in the Resurrection are as the Angels of God in the last Resurrection not marrying nor given in mâ—rriage And 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will bee a Father unto you and the shall yee my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord almighty and Gal. 3. 28. Male and female are all one in Christ and 1 Tim. 2. 15. the Apostle affirmes that Woman may bee and shall be saved by continuing in faith charitie and holinesse with sobriety and 1 Pet. 3. 7. mention is made of holy Women and Wives are said to be heires together with their Husbands of the grace of life To which testimonies the examples of many holy godly and faithfull Women mentioned in the Scriptures may be added as our first Mother Evah who through faith in the promise obtained the title of the Mother of life Gen. 3. and the virgin Marie the Mother of the blessed seed is called blessed in all nations Sarah Rebecca Hannah Deborah Ruth Dorcas Marie Magdalene and many others But 1 Cor. 11. 7. Man is called the image and glory of God the Woman the glory of the Man The Apostle doth not here speake of the image of God as it consists in perfect uprightnesse and indowments of nature or in holinesse and supernaturall gifts of grace for so the image of God is one and the same in both and common to the Woman with the Man and they both have equall dominion and Lordship over the creatures given in the creation But here hee speakes of Man as hee was first created before the Woman and the Woman as shee was made to bee a meet helpe for Man and as it were his second selfe here on earth and of a Rib which is a part of mans substance and in all things like man of the same nature and kinde and in these respects man hath a priority and a kinde of power and authority over the Woman in outward things which concerne Ecclesiasticall and Civill order and mans glory even the image of his authority appeares in the Womans subjection to him ever since the fall upon which God made her desire subject to man and tooke from her power over man and the exercise of publike offices in the Church and common wealth And this subjection doth not exclude her from faith charity and holinesse with sobriety or any other part of Gods image needfull to salvation as the Apostle testifieth 1 Tim. 2.
garden was scituate in Eden that is a region and country most pleasant for in the Hebrew text the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies pleasure and delight Fourthly it is said to bee Eastward in Eden and that in a twofold respect First because being in Eden it was Eastward from Canaan the Land of the Israelites for whom Moses wrote this History and gave it to them when they were come into the borders of the Land and had taken possession of Bashan and Gilead Secondly because it was planted in the East-side of Eden towards the Sun-rising which is commonly the most pleasant place for scituation That Eden was Eastward from Cannan in the land of Mesopotamin towards Babylon it is manifest by this because Euphrates was the river which went out of Eden and watered the garden and Euphrates râ—â—s through the country of Mesopotamia close by Babylon which country when Iacob journed unto from Canaan hee is said to come into the hand of the people of the East Gen. 29. 1. That the garden was on the East-side of Eden it appeares evidently by this that the river which watered the garden did run through Eden Eastward towards Assyriah and Babylon in one streame or great river and when it came to the garden it was parted and became foure streames or chanels one of which to wit that which runs by Babylon retaines the name of the maine river and is called Euphrates as appeares Verse 14. Fifthly this garden is described by the commodities of itâ— First it had in it overy kind of tree both pleasant to the sight both the goodly Cedar which is said to have beene in the garden of the Lord Ezech. 34. â—8 and also good for food that is all trees yeelding fruit Secondly it had in it two speciall fruit-trees which were of singular use the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evill Thirdly it was watered with a river which went out of Edon that is proceeded out of the West part of Eden and 〈◊〉 it by dividing it selfe into foure severall streames which did run through severall parts of the garden to moisten the ground and to cherish the roots of the trees after which parting of the streames and running through severall parts of the garden not by any labour or art of man but by Gods appointment so ordering and disposing them they did not meet againe nor gather themselves into one chanell but ran apart from thence and were parted and became foure heads or streames running in foure chanels into severall parts of the country and into severall lands called by severall names The first here mentioned is Pishon which takes a compasse to the land of Havilah which is a countrie bordering upon the upper part of the Persian Gulfe it was first inhabited by Havilah the Son of Cush and by his posterity it borders on that part of Arabia which Ishmaels posterity inhabited which wee call Arabia deserta For wee read Gen. 25. 18. that they dwelt from Havilah to Shur that is in Arabia deserta and when Saul was sent to slay the Amalekites hee smote them from Havilah as thou goest to Shur 1 Sam. 15. 7. that is along the coasts of the Ishmaelites In this land of Havilah the text saith there is good gold and Bdelium that is a tree which yeelds a whitish gum and also there is Onyx-stone The second river in Moses dayes was called Gihon and it takes a compasse toward the land of Cush that is not Ethiopia which is also called Cush but that part of Arabia which borders upon Chaldaea For all Arabia and Ethiopia are in Hebrew called by the name of Cush because all these lands were inhabited at the first by Seba Sabtah Raamah Sabtecha Sheba and Dedam which were the Sons of Cush as appeares Gen. 10. 7. And that part of Arabia which the Midianites inhabited is called Cush For Moses his wife being a Midianitish-woman as wee read Exod. 2. is called a woman of Cush Num. 12. that is of Arabia not of Ethiopia as our translaters doe render the word Third river is called Hiddekell it is the streame which goeth Eastward towards Assyriah and runs into the great river Tigris which parts Assyriah from Mesopotamia And the fourth river is that which retaines the name of the maine river Euphrates which in Hebrew is called Perah because it makes the land watered by it fruitfull above others This is the description of mans habitation in the state of innocency as it is here laid downe and expounded by the helpe of other Scriptures and not according to the vaine conceipts of men which have no certainty nor truth in them Before I come to observe from hence any speciall point of instruction I hold it necessary First to shew the variety and multiplicity of vaine uncertaine and erroneous opinions of divers ancient Fathers and other later Writers concerning this garden and the particulars thereof before mentioned all which are by certaine ground laid downe in this exposition and by cleare evidence of Scripture and strong reasons easily confuted First Saint Hierome being missed by the translation of Aquila which runs thus God had planted a garden from the beginning doth hereupon conclude that Paradise was planted before the Heaven and Earth were created which Opinion is most ridiculous and contrary to common sense and reason For where there are trees growing out of the ground and rivers and streames watering them there must needs bee ground and earth It was impossible for trees to bee planted and to grow out of the ground before any earth was created Wee here may see how wise men may sometimes build castles in the aire and that the most learned of the ancients have their errours and hee who was counted the most learned of all the Fathers in the Hebrew tongue doth here miserably mistake the Hebrew phrase For though the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mikedem which is here translated Eastward or on the East-side when it is spoken of God or of Christ doth signifie in the Prophets from everlasting or from eternity as Mich. 5. 12. Hab. 1. 12. and Psalme 74. 12. And when other things are said to bee Mikedem the word signifies either from old time or from the dayes of old as Psalme 77. 6. and 143. 5. where David saith I will remember the dayes of old and Nehem. 12. 46. from the dayes of old even from David and Asaph they were chiefe of singers Yet sometimes it signifies Eastward or on the East-side or from the East as appeares most plainely Gen. 3. 24. where it is used to signifie the East-side of the garden where God placed the Cherubins and Gen. 12. 8. where it is said that Abraham came to a mountaine which was Eastward of Bethel and had Ai on the East-side and so undoubtedly it is used in this text for Eastward as our translators truely render it Origen and Phile
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
have preached and written Also our Saviour and his Apostles by their constant practise did shew that the sure ground of expounding and understanding the Scriptures in any obscure places is the plainer text and word of Scripture in other places For they proved the truth which they preached and wrote in the Gospell by the Scriptures of the Law and the Prophets Wherefore let us not build upon the wisedome of men nor upon the smooth words of mans reason but on the word of God proved by it selfe and made plaine one place by another Let us hearken to such preachers and follow them as the surest guides who make the Scriptures by themselves plaine and manifest to our understanding As for them who can give no better reason for doctrines of faith but testimonies of Fathers and Schoolemen nor follow any surer guide for expounding of Scripture but expositions of Fathers framed by their owne conceipts not proved by plaine texts let us not build too much upon them And above all Let us hate and abhorre the pestilent Doctrine of the Romish Doctors and all the Popish faction who make the Canons of Councels the opinions of Fathers and the Popes determination the onely sure grounds whereon men ought to build their understanding of the Scriptures and their beliefe of the word of God Another and a second thing which comes here to bee more fully opened over and besides the diversity of opinions is the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evill which are said to bee in the midst of the garden These two trees are here in the history marked out and distinguished from the rest of the trees as being set apart by God for another use more then meere naturall Concerning these trees there are divers and severall opinions of ancient and moderne Divines First concerning the tree of life Some thinke it had a naturall power and vertue in it to make mans body lively and to keepe it from all weaknesse decay and mortality till hee should bee removed to heaven this is the opinion of Scotus and Aquinas with others Some thinke it had power and vertue in it to make man immortall and to preserve him from death for ever as Tostatus and that if a man had once eaten of it hee would not have dyed but should have enjoyed such immortality as wee have by Christ after the last resurrection Bonaventures opinion is that it had such vertue and power in it not naturall but supernaturall But these opinions are meere humane conceipts contrary to reason For first the fruit of a tree which is pulled off eaten digested and so changed from that which it was in a bodily nutriment by the operation of mans fleshly stomack cannot in any reason bee conceived to have naturall power in it to give that to man which it selfe had not to wit immortality immurability It is a true rule that no naturall thing can worke beyond the naturall strength of it neither can it give to another that which it selfe hath not at all and this tree had no immortality for it was destroyed with the garden in which God planted it Secondly supernaturall power and vertue to give life is the proper vertue and power of Christ and of his Spirit which works in men and derives life from Christ to them but there was no such communion of the Spirit not any such operation of the Spirit in any earthly creature before Christ was promised such assistance and operation of the Spirit is proper to the elect of mankind and came onely into the World by Christ as the Scriptures testifie There are divers learned men of better judgement and they hold that this tree of life is so called not for any vertue in it either naturall or supernaturall but because it was given of God a Sacrament and seale of life to man and man was to eate of it not for bodily food onely but that by eating of it hee might bee as by a pledge from God assured that he should by God bee upheld in life and also might bee admonished that his life is upheld not by any power in himselfe but by covenant from God confirmed by this seale But these differ among themselves concerning the life whereof it was a seale and pledge Some thinke it was a seale of that present life which Adam had which in it selfe was mutable Some thinke it was a seale of a better life even of immortality and life immutable which Adam should have obtained by continuing in obedience for a certaine time Others thinke that it was a Sacrament that is an holy signe and seale of Christ who is our life and of that spirituall life which wee have in him thus Junius and others of our late Writers Now to declare in few words what I conceive to bee the truth First I cannot conceive that there were any Sacraments given to man before the promise of Christ and the revealing of Gods purpose and counsell in him For a Sacrament is an outward element or visible thing consecrated by God to signifie and seale heavenly and supernaturall things and grace spirituall and invisible But heavenly and supernaturall things which belong to eternall life in Christ and spirituall grace were not revealed to man in the state of innocency before the promise of Christ which was made upon mans fall Therefore there was then no use of any holy signe or pledge of supernaturall grace or of any thing which wee obtaine from above in and by Christ. The tree of life could not bee any Sacrament signe or symbole of Christ or supernaturall life in him All that I can conceive or affirme with any warrant from the Scriptures is this that the tree of life had greater and more excellent naturall vertue and strength in it then other trees and the fruit thereof was more sweet lively and nourishing and by this meanes it was more fit then other trees to bee not onely a signe symbole and pledge to man whereby hee was to bee admonished that his life was to bee upheld by his obedience to God and dependance upon him and also to bee assured and confirmed that God would uphold him in life but also a seale of the covenant of works whereby hee was to bee setled in that state of life wherein hee was created I confesse that the wisedome of God that is Christ as hee is made unto us of God wisedome is called a tree of life to such as lay hold on him Prov. 3. 18. and the fruite of the righteous that is eternall life and all saving blessings which are the fruite which the righteous justified and sanctified in Christ doe enjoy is called also the tree of life Prov. 11. 30. Revel 2. 7. and a wholesome tongue that is the healing and saving word of the Gospell and other powerfull meanes of salvation are called a tree of life Prov. 15. 4. and Revel 22. 2 14. But all this
the handling of this point if I should rehearse the severall opinions of the ancients how they make a difference betweene the image likenesse of God how some make the image of God to be onely in the soule some in the whole man some holdthe reasonable soule as it is endowed with understanding will and memory to be the image and holinesse and righteousnesse to be the likenesse of God others hold that Gods image consists in mans Dominion Lordship over the creatures others that Gods image consists in mans immortality others in this that man is a spirituall substance in respect of his soule others that the image of God after which God formed man is God the Son as hee is the image and character of the Fathers Person and the similitude is the holy Ghost others that the image of God is the humane nature which the Son was ordained to assume and did in fulnesse of time take upon him If I should rehearse all these and lay them open and confute so much in them as in unsound I should spend time and weary my selfe to small purpose Likewise it would take up exercises of many houres if I should rehearse the divers opinions questions and disputations of the Schoolemen all which would trouble mens braines and leave them in a maze or labyrinth uncertaine what to hold or beleeve as also the many disputations absurdities and contradictions of the Iesuits by which they contradict one another and some of them themselves in many things which they teach and affirme concerning the image of God As for the grosse opinions of old Hereticks as of the Manichaans who utterly denyed the image of God in man and of the Audians and Anthropomorphites who held that the outward forme and shape of mans body was Gods imagc and of the Pelagians who held that the image of God in which man was created was no other but that in which every man is now borne they are not worthy to bee named it were losse of time to confute them and to discover the absurdities of them The maine ground which I will wholly build upon shall bee the word of God written in the sacred Scriptures and what I find in the Fathers and best moderne Writers agreeable to the Scriptures that I will commend unto you and where I find them differing from Gods word I will be bold to professe open dissert and shew my dislike that none may bee mislead by them or by any who build upon humane authority But that wee may understand this point plainely and fully I will first of all sift the words of the text and shew what is the image and likenesse of God and how we are to understand the phrase of making man in his owne image and after his likenesse And secondly I will shew the particulars wherein man was made like unto God and what is that image in which hee was made First the image of a person or thing is that which though it differs in nature and substance yet is formed by that person and according to that thing and in all things made like unto that whereof it is the image in so much that hee who knoweth the person or thing it selfe when hee seeth the image can discerne that it is the image of such a thing or person and that it is very like him and by seeing the true image hee knowes and discernes what a one the person or thing is whereofit is the image this is the first the most proper sense of the word image and thus it is used where statues of gold silver wood stone or other metall made in the shape of a man to represent him or in some other shape to represent a feined God are called images as Num. 33. 52. where God commands the Israelites to destroy the Idols of the Canaanites and cals them molten images and a King 11. 19. the Idols or statues made to represent Baal the God of the Zidonians are called the images of Baal And man being made a fit creature to represent God and to shew his glory is in this sense called the image and glory of God 1 Cor. 11. 7. Secondly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zelem image is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is abusively to signifie a vaine shadow or bare forme and shape of a thing without a substance such as is the shadow of a man or other creature or a shape formed in the fansie having no being but in mans imagination as Psalme 39. 6. where every man is said to walke in a vaine shadow the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zelem image and Psalme 37. 20. the vaine fansie and dreame of the wicked that is the vaine felicity which they frame to themselves is called by the same name Zelem image Here in this text the word is used in the first sense for such a thing or such a creature as differing in nature and substance from God yet in that nature and substance is so like unto God and doth shew forth the glory wisedome power and other attributes of God that they may bee seene and represented in some good measure in the things and by the things which are proper to that creature And an image according to this sense hath in it two things to bee considered to wit the matter and the forme The matter is the nature and substance of the creature differing from the substance of the thing whereof that creature is the image and yet a very fit subject to receive such a forme and such qualities as may make it very like the thing whereof it is the image as for example gold silver wood and stone differ in nature and substance from man and yet they are fit to receive the whole outward shape of a mans body and to bee like unto it in all parts If things bee both of one kind and nature though the similitude bee never so great yet the one is not called the image of the other except it bee made by and according to it as for example One egge is not the image of another nor one apple nut or figge anothers image nor water nor wine of the same kind in severall cups though they bee very like because they are both of one nature and of the same kinde and one is not made and formed by another Secondly the forme of the image is the likenesse and similitude which is in all the parts properties of a thing by meanes whereof it resembles that whereof it is the image is like unto it so becomes the image of it as for example the forme shape resemblance which is in the image of gold silver or stone by which it resembleth and expresseth all parts of a mans body and the colour of it by which it resembles a mans haire face hands and cloathes that is the likenesse by which it becomes the image of a man even of this or that particular man and