his Hand alone Math. 10.28 whereof men are not so much as Instruments either in the Sentence or in the Execution thereof It must necessarily be so seeing otherwise the giving of Life could not be intirely in Gods Hand if a Creature at his pleasure might take away that which he Himself hath bestowed And Secondly it is fit that God alone should have the disposing of the greatest of all judgements as well that it might be measured out to all in Righteousnesse as that God might be feared alone The consideration hereof cannot but revive the heart of Gods Servants hated and persecuted by men of the world when they know their life and breath is in Gods Hand which therefore none can take away but by his Will and Decree And therefore 1. not while God hath any use of their service here 2. Not if they be of the Number of Christs Redeemed Ones for whom he hath conquered Death and taken away the sting of it 1 Cor. 15.55.57 and delivered them from the power of it Under this name of death are included all manner of Evils Outward and Inward Temporal and Eternal both Death it self and whatsoever tends thereunto So that we have hence warrant to 9. Observe All kinds of Evils and Miseries Present or Future Outward or Inward are the Wages of Sin Observ 9 DEath came into the world by sin Rom. 5.12 whereof it is the wages Rom. 6.23 Wherefore we find all Outward miseries threatened against men for disobedience Levit. 26. Deut. 28. And the plagues of the soul as Ignorance Inordinate Lusts a Reprobate mind are justly reckoned up amongst the Judgments upon men for sin Rom. 1.28 29. much more is it sin alone that brings Eterual death For unbelief men are condemned Joh. 3.36 and for hatred and malice men abide in death 1 Joh. 3.14 and for sin are adjudged to the everlasting flames of Hell fire Matth. 25.41 Rev. 21.8 Let men then when they feel the smart of any evil either Inward or Outward complain of nothing but sin as the fountain from which they spring Lam. 3.39 Ascribing their destruction to themselves or any evils that lyes upon them at present see Hos 13.9 And therefore 1. Let them remove and take away their sinnes if they desire ease abstaining from that as from the gates of Hell 2. Especially when they fear any Judgment hanging over them let them labour to prevent it by taking away the sin that brings it 3. In the mean time admiring and magnifying the riches of Gods mercy in our Redemption by Christ by whom both our sins in which we were all once dead and by which we draw death upon our selves every day are taken away and with them Hell and Eternal Death and those Evils that remain upon us at present are sanctified so that they work together for our good This phrase Dying you shall dye doth not only import the Extent but withall the Certainty of that Death which the doubling of that word usual in the Hebrew Language doth very often imply Whence we may further 10. Observe Gods Judgments are Certain and Infallible as well as his Promises of Mercy Obser 10 REsting upon the same grounds which are in themselves Infallible 1. The Holinesse of his Nature by which he is constantly moved to take vengeance on Sin as well as to reward Righteousnesse 2. His unalterable Truth which is firmer then Heaven or Earth See Numb 14.23 35. 3. His unresistable power Deut. 32.39 Secondly directed to the same End which God ayms at in all his wayes and works the filling of the Earth with his glory Numb 14.21 advanced in the Acts of his Justice as well as of his Mercy Howsoever men bewitch themselves with a groundlesse hope of Impunity in their sinful courses Deut. 29.19 Whereby as they take from God the honour of his Justice Holinesse and Truth so they necessarily overthrow all the grounds of their dependance upon Gods Promises the Certainty whereof is built upon the same grounds which assure the Infallibility of his Judgments and withall opens a gap to all Impiety The last considerable Circumstance in the Judgment here threatened is the speedy Execution thereof as being limited to the very day wherein they should transgresse Whence 11. Observe Vengeance and Judgment follow sin at the Heeles Obser 11 SIn that is the guilt and punishment lyeth at the door as God tells Cain Gen. 4.7 Indeed the Guilt of sin by which men are made liable to the Punishment is incurred by the very act of sinning Although God be pleased oftentimes to suspend the Execution either 1. For his own sake to manifest his Patience and Long-suffering and withall the Justice of his Wrath upon those that abuse it to the hardening of their own hearts Rom. 2.4 5. Rev. 2.22 23. 2. Or for the Sinners sake to bring him if it be possible to repentance Rom. 2.4 as God bearing with St. Paul in his bloody persecutions won him at the last Or 3. for the Churches sake to make use of the sinners service in the mean time for the good of his people Or some way or other for some fitter opportunity or some special occasion as we spare the Execution of women with child till they be delivered Notwithstanding vengeance overtakes men sometimes in the very act of sinning as it did the Sodomites Zimri and Cosby Corah Dathan and Abiram Gehazi Ananias and Sapphirah and the like in their several sins Let men tremble at Sin as at a Serpent conceiving that when they lay hold on sin they take hold of death it self and embrace the flames of Hell fire 1. Fly from it and from all Means and Instruments Occasions and Opportunities that lead unto sin 2. Repent of it speedily and cast it out as we would do fire out of our bosome and sleep not in the bonds of iniquity all night lest it break out suddenly upon us like an hidden fire and Consume us and all that we have VERSE 18. VVE have taken a surview of the Lawes given to man for the worship and service of God and for his employment The means of Propagating mankind and the Law that God gives man concerning it we have set down unto us in the rest of this Chapter wherein as in the relation of the planting of Paradise we have an addition to the works of the Sixth day as we had there to the works of the Third day the chief whereof were set down in the former Chapter In recounting the works of the Sixth day Moses had related the Creation of the man and addes that he created man in both Sexes how this was done the Holy Ghost records at large in this place Wherein he sets before us 1. The Cause or Occasion of Creating the Woman which was the Inconvenience of Adam's Solitarinesse and the Unfitnesse of his Society with any other of the Creatures 2. Gods observing of it and Resolution thereupon to make him such an help as might be every way meet for
with him would do something in this kind it could not but be very acceptable to the godly of this Nation For surely the Long and Various Experiences of such a Captain in the Lords Hoasts such a Veterane in Christs Service must needs yield much matter of Comfort and Profit when we shall come to the notice of them If this Book had proceeded from a meaner and more obscure hand it s own Worth would have sufficiently pleaded for its esteem and the Observations with their Prosecutions being every where so Solid and Judicious could not but be very Savoury to a gracious appetite but coming from such an Hand and as the product of some years Serious Meditations certainly it will find much acceptance with Christians abroad As much of it as my leisure would permit me to peruse gave me such refreshing as I could not but heartily desire the publication of it and doubt not but it will be judged as usefull a Tractate as hath been set forth in these last years This being signified I subscribe my self Thine in the Lords Work Tho Manton A COMMENTARY UPON THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the First BOOK OF MOSES called GENESIS THe Hebrews give the name unto this as they do likewise unto the other four Books of Moses that follow from the first words wherewith the book begins in their Language and call it Bereshith which in our Tongue we render In the beginning As for the name Genesis it was given by the Greeks and signifies Generation or Begetting pointing at the Most eminent Subject which the Book handles the Creation or Generation of the World From the Author that penned it it is called Moses his Book as our Saviour in like manner calls Exodus his book Mark 12.26 And because Moses is the Author of the four next Books that follow for distinctions sake this is called his first Book This Title of the Book challengeth our best Attention 1. From the Authour Moses graced 1. with the honour to be the first Pen-man of holy Scripture 2. with the priviledge to be Gods familiar with whom he was pleased to confer mouth to mouth Numb 12.4 3. With the Title of the first Instrument employed by God for the founding of the Church and State of the Jewes And for that cause of so honourable a name and memory amongst that people that God thought fit to conceal his Grave for the preventing of Idolatry in succeeding Ages as most Interpreters conjecture out of Deut. 34.6 2. From the subjects which the Book handles being the most eminent and remarkable in themselves and most nearly concerning men to know and the most difficult to be found out of all things that can come within the compasse of humane knovvledge Namely the Creation of the World the Fall of Man and his Restitution by Gods goodnesse vvith the Estate into vvhich he is restored the propagation of mankind and peopling of the World the Founding the Church and the Infancy thereof things unheard of and unknovvn amongst the Heathen described and recorded in no other Writings in the World but onely in this Sacred History Of the Authority of Moses his Writings IT cannot be denyed that the Writings of Moses have the same Authority with the rest of the holy Scriptures being delivered as the rest of them were by the same Divine inspiration of the Holy Ghost And yet withall these Five Books of Moses may in some respects be conceived to gain some kind of praeeminence above the rest of the Scriptures seeing that they are not only the first in order but in some sort the Fountain containing the summe of those holy Writings that follow For the histories of the Old Testament are for the most part but as so many instances of the fulfilling of the several Sanctions of the Law delivered by Moses as well in Judgment as in Mercy And the Writings of the Prophets are but applications of the Law and the Sanctions thereof to particular places times and persons interlaced with divers Promises the Heads whereof we find in these five Books And the Books of the New Testament contain for the greatest part the relation of those promises of Grace first recorded and set out by Moses and after repeated and enlarged by the Prophets to which use our Saviour applyeth them both Luke 24.27 44. together with a clear and full unfolding of that state of Grace into which we are restored by Christ shadowed out in a great part by Types in the Law of Moses Hence it is that in many of the Writings of the Prophets and much more in those of the Evangelists we have the Books of Moses so often cited and thereby the Authority of them the more fully established and confirmed Now as concerning the Means by which Moses might get the knowledge of the things which he relates in this First book of his whereof all were acted before his time and some as namely the Creation of the World before all mens times if we suppose he had no help of any Records to inform him which the Church might then have though they be now lost or if we make no great account of the Tradition of the Fathers whose memories were the Registers of the Church before the Scriptures were written Notwithstanding it sufficeth that the same Spirit that guided his hand in writing withall informed him fully and infallibly of those Truths which he was to leave upon record to posterity And yet we must take notice that all that is contained in the four Books following except the histories of his own Life and Death were confirmed unto him by his own knowledge and experience his own eyes and eares being witnesses of all that he writes A circumstance from which some of the Evangelists and Apostles justly challenge credit unto that which they deliver Luke 1.3 1 Joh. 1.1 The Division of this Book of Genesis THis Book of Genesis contains as it evidently appears by casting up the particulars of the times mentioned therein an history of 2368 years Namely from the Creation of the World to the Flood 1656 years from the Flood to the Birth of Abraham 252 years and from Abraham's birth unto Joseph's death which closeth up the Book 360 years And it seems naturally to divide it self into Two unequall parts containing in them the Histories 1. Of the Creation of the World Cap. 1. 2. Of the Administration and Government of it especially of the Church of God therein unto the end of the Book The Government of the Church is described unto us in a twofold estate of Mankind 1. In the state of Innocency before mans fall Cap. 2. 2. In the state of Corruption In and After his fall And that also 1. Before the Flood unto the end of Cap. 6. 2. In and After the Flood and that likewise of the same Church 1. Scattered over the whole World to the end of Cap. 11. 2. Founded in Abraham's Family and Posterity till Joseph's death to the end of the Book CHAP. I.
OBSERVE Christ in the dayes of his flesh was in his own Person wounded and bruised by Satan and his instruments Observe 26 THat he was wounded and bruised all the persecutions which he endured in the whole course of his life but above all his death on the crosse do sufficiently testifie and that he suffered those things by the hand of Satan and his Agents appears not only by the consideration of the persons by whom he was persecuted who as our Saviour testifies being of their father the devil fulfilled therein the will and and did the deeds of their father John 8.41 44. but is more especially manifested by Satans actual possessing of Judas who as we know contrived the plot and had the greatest hand in the acting of the meanes by which our Saviour was brought at last to his death John 13.27 Luke 22.3 Let none of Gods children either hope to escape persecutions seeing the servant is not greater then his Master Mat. 10.25 or be much troubled at them 1. Having Christ himself and so many holy persons of whom the world is not worthy our companions in them 2. Seeing they are sanctified in Christs person 3. And our selves are by them made conformable to him which is the head Phil. 3.10 according to Gods owne decree Romanes 8.29 4. Who can easily and will certainly cause all such persecutions to work together to our good Rom. 8.28 making use of them to purge out our sins at present Isa 29.9 to make us more pliable to Gods Will and careful of performing our duty Psal 119.67 71. more frequent and fervent in prayer and the like 5. And in them gives us more experience of his love 2 Cor. 1.5 and comfort in the midst of them Rom. 5.3 besides the encreasing of our reward hereafter This bruising of Christs heele we see is also a part of Gods decree for when God saith it shall be so we cannot deny but he decreed it Whence 27 OBSERVE Christ suffered nothing in his person but what God himself had before determined and decreed Observe 27 SO Saint Peter tells us in expresse termes that all that he suffered from Judas his betraying of him till he was crucified was determined by the counsel and foreknowledge of God Acts 2.23 and 4.27 28. much more were the agonies of his soule wherein he wrestled with the wrath of God determined by God seeing he laid them on him by his own hand For it pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief saith the Prophet Isa 53. â—0 1. Neither indeed was it possible for any evil to befall him but that which God had not determined to bring upon him seeing there is no evil in the city which he hath not done Amos 5.6 2. Neither have we any other ground of strong consolation to our selves in Christs sufferings but from hence that as he willingly poured out his soule to make it an offering for sin Isa 53.10 so he did it by the will and counsel of his Father who therefore cannot but accept that ransome which himself had appointed But this wound of Christs was only in his heele which therefore touched not his life seeing it came not near to any vital part so that Christ though he was bruised in that conflict yet was not overcome or destroyed by Satan but survived and his life remained whole in him still Whence 28 OBSERVE Though Satan by Gods permission wounded our Saviour Christ yet he could not conquer or destroy him Observe 28 IT was no part of Gods intention in Christs sufferings that he should be kept under by them therefore he would not leave his soule in the grave Psal 16.10 for then we had been yet in our sins 1 Cor. 15.17 and so the counsel and purpose of God concerning mans redemption which was the only thing intended in the sufferings of Christ had been wholly frustrated Nor was it possible that Christ should be held under by death Acts 2.24 seeing he was able by the Power of his Godhead to take up his life again as easily as he willingly laid it down as himself affirmes John 10.18 But this bruising of Christs Head implies not only the sufferings of Christ in his humane Nature in his own Person but withal the afflictions of his members which are also called the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.24 so that we see throughout this whole Promise Christ and his members are spoken of as one It is One seed betwixt which and Satan God will put this enmity that is Christ and all that are Christs and the bruising of Christs heel is the afflicting of him and of his children Whence 29 OBSERVE Christ and all that are members of his body are one Observe 29 ONe house Eph. 2.20 21. one vine John 15.5 one body 1 Cor. 12.27 in so much that the Church is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 The reasons may be 1. God who is One delights in unity which he therefore aimes at in his Church Job 17.22 23. as being nearest to perfection 2. By this meanes he can most easily communicate unto them all things both his graces Eph 4.15.16 and merits both of his sufferings and righteousnesse 3. And can likewise most easily rule and govern it as the whole body we see is easily guided by the Head First let it comfort all Christs members 1. In their advancement to be made members of Christ and thereby sons of God 2. In respect of their security Eph. 5.23 Zach. 2.8 3. In their assurance of supply in all manner of blessings both spiritual and temporal and that for eternity Secondly let it fill the hearts of all those that persecute Christ in his members with feare and trembling wherewith Christ terrifies Paul from heaven Acts 9.4 5. wherein they discover 1. Their impiety that take up armes against Christ himself 2. Their folly as being assured to be foiled and utterly ruined at the last Thirdly let it move us to be zealous for Christ our Husband nay our Head as Elijah was for God 1 Kings 19.10 and David Psal 119.139 1. For his honour Psal 69.9 2. For his children 2 Cor. 11.29 3. For his truth Jude 3. sensible of any evil done unto any of these see Psal 119.158 and rejoycing in their advancement Fourthly let us that draw so near unto Christ walk worthy of him in all holy conversation 1. Because he will be sanctified in all that come near him Levit 10.3 2. Because the scandals of our sins reflect upon him Rom. 2.24 It hath been noted that the bruising of Christs heele implies the sufferings of Christ in his members as well as in his owne Person and both of them by Gods decree Whence 30. OBSERVE The members of Christ may and shall suffer by the malice of Satan and of his instruments Observe 30 OF this truth our Saviour himself assures Mat. 24.9 and Rev. 2.10 and all experience makes it good Hebrewes 11.36 37. Reasons 1. Satans power Eph. 6.12 when God le ts loose the
my mother and my sister Job 17.14 Reason 1. To humble us Gen. 18.27 2. To magnifie Gods mercy in abasing himself to look on such vile wretches see Psal 113.6 7 8. to give his Sonne for them to advance dust and ashes to such a glorious condition as the Apostle describes Cor. 15.42 43 49. 3. To move us to long for heaven see 2 Cor. 5.1 2. First It reproves all that glory in Beauty or Ability or bestow all their care and labour in making provisions for the body by costly clothing delicate feeding sumptuous building and in the mean time leave the soul empty and naked discovering therein 1. Their earthly mindes Phil. 3.19 2. And grosse folly Psal 49.13 3. Joyned with some impiety in glorying in that wherein God especially labours to abase them Secondly let it move us to cease from our cares of providing for these earthly tabernacles and to bestow our labours for the supplying and adorning of the soule As 1. More immediately given by God 2. Carrying the most lively character of his Image 3. More capable in it self of true beauty 4. Yet most deformed by sinne 5. Consequently requing most care and labour to repaire and restore it unto that condition in which it was created To which purpose endeavour to enrich that with knowledge Psal 1.9 adorne it with humility 1 Pet. 3.4 establish it in faith Heb. 13.9 Now in that God who threatened death to our first Parents in the day wherein they should eate of the forbidden fruit yet suspends the execution thereof till a longer time though the weaknesse and infirmities of nature which before their fall they were not subject unto seized on them at present we may from thence 7 OBSERVE The disposing of mans life is in Gods hand Observe 7 WHich God chalengeth to himself Deut 32.39 David acknowledgeth Psal 3.15 Daniel testifies to Belshazzar Dan. 5.23 and is clearly manifested by all experience Psal 104.29 so that it is not in the power of men to cut it off at their pleasure 1 Kings 19. Dan. 3.27 and 6.22 though God use them to that end somtimes as his executioners Psal 17.13 14. Reason 1. He gives it Psal 104.30 Job 33.4 no reason then that any creature should make his gift void 2. And he can preserve it see Isa 54.16 3. To have power of life and death belongs to the highest Authority which is founded in God alone see John 19.10 11. that all men might feare before him First let it arme us against the threats and violence of wicked men who 1. Cannot shorten our life one day see Luke 13.32 2. Nor till we have served our time Acts 13.36 and finished our course 2 Tim. 4.7 3. And then shall but make us the sooner possessours of our reward Secondly depend upon God for our lives 1. Seek them at Gods hand with Hezekiah Isa 38 3. with David Psal 102.24 and Jonah and depend not on meanes with Asa 2 Chron. 16.11 12. 2. Blesse him for them Isa 38.20 3. And serve him with them living to him and not to our selves 2 Cor. 5.15 The decree of God for mans dissolution is clearly expressed the time when this shall be God keeps in his own breast that is not expressed at all Whence 8 OBSERVE Though death be certain to all men yet the time of death is uncertain Observe 8 NOt in respect of God who numbers every mans days out unto us Luk 12 19. as appears not only by extraordinary judgements that fell upon Dathan Uzzah Ananias c. but in the ordinary course of Providence Reason 1. That men might not be hardened in sin as usually they are when judgement is deferred Eccl. 8.11 but walk in fear as being not assured of life for one moment of an houre 2. To be assured of the terme of life would not profit us any way either to prevent death which is certainly determined or to further repentance which that blasphemous thief upon the Crosse found no place for though he saw death before him Luke 23.39 It is true notwithstanding that God extraordinarily may reveale unto men before-hand the time of their death or removal from hence as in Aarons and Moses case Numb 20.26 Deut. 32.49 and Elijahs 2 Kings 2.3 5. and Hezekiahs 2 Kings 20.6 but that is not usual Let it move all to stand loose from the world in which they have no assurance to continue one moment to have our lamps alwayes burning with the five wise Virgins Mat. 25.7 to make sure of Christ and Heaven to be alwayes well-doing that our Master may finde us so whensoever he comes Mat. 24.46 47. for feare of the danger threatened ver 50 51. But it is worth our observing that God together with the sentence which he pronounceth against man withal manifests the equity of it that he doth man no wrong since he leaves him in no worse condition then he was at first resolving him into dust that was but dust Whence 9 OBSERVE The judgements of God are just and equal all of them in all things Observe 9 AS Moses professeth Deut. 32.4 and Job acknowledgeth Job 1.21 and 2.10 and David Psal 119.75 128. though many times we see not how see Jer. 12.1 which notwithstanding God reveales unto his servants as he did to Abraham in the destruction of Sodom Gen. 18.32 Reason 1. He cannot wrong his own creatures no more then the Potter can the clay nay much lesse 2. His Nature will not suffer him to do otherwise he that is God must necessarily do good Psal 119.68 out of the Lords mouth proceeds not good and evil Lam. 3.38 3. Nor the respect to his owne honour magnified as well in his justice Psal 64.8 9. as in his mercy and truth 4. It would otherwise discourage his own servants see Mat. 25.24 25. as the opinion of Gods favouring of the wicked and afflicting his own servants had almost discouraged David Psal 73.13 14. Let it cease our murmurings against Gods administrations towards our selves or others to which our corrupt nature easily inclines Psal 73.3 against which the Psalmist gives a special Caveat Psal 37.1 and justifies God in all his wayes in which he is righteous Psal 145.17 To this purpose 1. Let us lay that before us as a principle unquestionable with the Prophet Jer. 12.1 2. That we may see and so beare witnesse to that justice of God 1. Confider that God may charge the best of his servants with folly see Psal 130.3 and 143.2 2. To satisfie us concerning the seeming prosperity of the wicked Consider 1. What they enjoy 1. Only outward things neither grace nor glory which are the godlies portion Psal 84.11 2. And those unto their own hurt Eccl. 5.13 so that a little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 3. That also oftentimes to their destruction at the last Prov. 1.32 for which purpose God advanceth them Psal 73.18 whereas good mens afflictions turne to their good
42.6 3. What contempt of all things in comparison of Christ with Paul Phil. 3.8 No title in the world could be more firme then Adams was to the Garden of Eden which God had planted of purpose for him and into the possession wherof God had put him with his own hand And yet we see for his rebellion he is cast out of all that God had given him Whence 1 OBSERVE There is no blessing so firmly assured unto us whereof sinne may not deprive us Observe 1 EVen Canaan it self though confirmed by Gods oath to Abraham and his seed the unbeleevers were deprived and kept out of by unbelief Heb. 3.18 as their posterity were cast out of it even after they possessed it as God had threatned Lev. 26.33 Deut. 28.63 Thus was Elies posterity cast out of the Priesthood 1 Sam. 2.29 30. and Davids out of the Kingdome though both assured by Gods firmest promises Psal 89.35 36. compared with ver 39 40. Reason 1. All promises are granted under the condition of obedience sometimes expressed as Psal 89.30 31 32. and alwayes understood 2 It were not for Gods honour to prosper men and continue his blessings to them in a course of â—ebellion 1 Sam. 2.30 Psal 94.20 3. Nor for mans good who would abuse the blessings to his own destruction See Ps 73.6 7. and harden the hearts of others by continuing in wayes of rebellion if they should prosper in them See Ps 73.10 Mal. 3.15 First it reproves all that walk in rebellious courses promising themselves impunity in their sinful ways Deut. 29.19 and assurance of their estates at present Psal 49.11 wherein they highly dishonour God as either not seeing or at least not regarding their wayes Ps 94.7 as if he were like unto themselves Ps 50.21 Secondly And beguile themselves like fools Ps 49.13 1. Wanting many good things which their sinnes Isa 59.2 keep from them and forfeiting what they do enioy which God either deprives them of at present or reserves unto them for their hurt Eccl. 5.13 and shut out themselves from all hope of enjoying any good for time to come as remaining under the wrath of God which they shall have hereafter poured out upon them to the uttermost that to all eternity 2. Let us be wise and walk in fear alwayes Prov. 28.14 Considering how prone we are of our selves to carnal security not only the wicked Prov. 14.16 but the godly also Ps 30.6 whence we are called upon to be watchful Mark 13.37 Considering 1. That all Promises are made under the condition of obedience Lev. 26.3 4. and Deut. 28.1 2. Prov. 2.21 2. That outward blessings may be a snare unto us Prov. 30.9 unlesse we use them warily 3. That even inward spiritual blessings though they cannot be lost yet may be much empaired and the comfort of them not felt for a time if we grieve the Spirit by any sin as David found by experience Psal 51.8.11 Adam being cast out of Paradise is confined to labour in tilling the ground whence he was taken which in all probability was not far from perhaps within the view of Paradise A great change in his employment from keeping and dressing which was rather a recreation then any painful labour to Tilling a tiresome toile especially to him who wanted tooles beasts servants and all helps for that work and had besides Tilling of the ground to provide himself some shelter to harbour himself from the weather together with many necessaries for the support and comfort of his life But it is observable that when God sends Adam out of Paradise he assignes him a place where to be and an employment what to do Whence 2 OBSERVE Mens dwellings and employments are both assigned by God Observe 2 GOd divided the earth amongst the inhabitants thereof in the beginning Deut. 21.21 22. and 32. and not only gave it to them in general Ps 115.16 or assigned a Countrey to his own people in particular Psal 105.44 but allotted out every Tribe their portion in it as appeares by comparing Gen. 49.13 with Josh 19.11 which although he point not out now to us by lot as he did then yet he disposeth in the ordinary course of his providence directing the subordinate means to act only what he had before determined And for mens employments the Apostle termes them Gods callings 1 Cor. 7.17 Reason 1. The earth is Gods Ps 24.1 to which by consequent no man can have any title but by assignation from him And we are his Ps 100.3 and in him live and have our being Act. 17.28 and consequently may more justly be assigned our employments by him then a servant may be appointed his work by his Master and besides it is God that must both furnish him with abilities for his employment and prosper his labours therein 2. It is fit it should be so as in all other acts of providence for avoiding confusion Let us first content our selves with our places and employments as being assigned to us by God himself who 1. Hath power to dispose of us 2. And knows what is fittest for us 3. And orders all things so as may be most for our good and his own glory Secondly and carry our selves in our places so as we may be able to give up with joy our account to him that employes us from whom we in our places doing his will and having our successe from his prospering hand have ground to expect the reward of our faithfulnesse in discharge of our duty at the last day See Eph. 6.6 7 8. Now although we are assigned and trained up to our imployments by our Parents or other governors we must look on them only as Gods instruments executing only what he hath determined concerning us The observation to be raised out of the consideration of the place where God disposeth of Adam when he sent him out of Paradise and of the employment that he assignes him that he should Till the ground and by his labour provide himself means to maintain his life have been noted in ver 19. But that which is pointed at here that it was the ground whence he was taken may give occasion to 3 OBSERVE God every where leaves remembrances to mind us what and how base we are Observe 3 THe grasse and flower of the field withering and cut down every day Isa 40.6 7. the eating of our garments by mothes James 5.2 Isa 50.9 the Winter and Summer darknesse of the night after the light of day our eating drinking and sleeping c. much more our infirmities and diseases the messengers of death at hand Reason Nothing is more useful to us then to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdome Psal 90.12 and take them off from the world Luke 12.19 20. and yet nothing is lesse thought on or laid to heart see Psal 49.11 12. Let not us suffer our selves to be beguiled and lulled asleep by the deceits of the world having such a cloud of monitors
IN this first Chapter of Genesis is described unto us the Creation of the visible World with all the Creatures therein contained in a plain and compendious narration setting before us only the Order Means Manner Times and Estates in which all things were Created and appointed by Gods Ordinance to continue as they do unto this day Psal 119.91 Wherein is laid down before us the work of Creation 1. In General expressing What was made and how Vers 1. 2. More particularly recounting the several parts of the work and therein 1. The rudenesse out of which all things were made Ver. 2. 2. The forming of the several Creatures out of that lump 1. Serving for general Use as the Light the Earth the Firmament the Stars c. which serve for the benefit of all the creatures here below to the end of vers 10. 2. Diversified in their particular forms and natures to the end of the Chapter Vers 1. IN the beginning Of time as some supply it or as others of the Creation Or to speak more clearly Of the Creatures To make this the sense The first beginning which the Creatures had when there was yet none of them they received in this manner which is afterwards expressed A like phrase of speech or rather to the same sense we read Psal 139.16 where the Psalmist tells us that his members were fashioned by God in continuance when there was yet none of them God The word Elohim which we render God signifies properly the Almighties or Mighty Powers and seemes in this place to point at that wonderful Power which God manifested in this glorious work when he created the whole world out of nothing the very consideration whereof is sufficient to astonish any one that thinks of it Created That is made of nothing or without any matter at all An act peculiar to God alone wherein he gave all things that now are or have been in the world since the beginning thereof a Being when they were not at all Now because the word Bara which we render Created is in the Originall tongue put in the singular number and joyned with Elohim which is of the Plural Number some have drawn thence an argument to prove the Trinity of the Persons in the Godhead as implyed in the word Elohim being of the Plurall Number and the Unity of the Godhead as intimated in the word Bara which is of the Singular Number But that fundamentall truth is more fully strengthened by many more clear and evident arguments out of other places of Scripture Although we deny not but that this also may be a probable collection out of those words seeing we know the Holy Ghost cannot be conceived to take up any unusuall phrase or form of speech but upon reason and with a mind to conveigh thereby something unto us for our observation The Heaven and Earth Or as the Apostle calls it the world and all things therein Act. 17. v. 24. So then this verse is the summe of this Chapter following setting before us in one word what was done the manner How and order Wherein is particularly described in the verses following There are notwithstanding some who by Heaven in this place understand that glorious body which the Apostle calls the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 the seat of the Blessed and under the same name include the Angels which have their dwelling there and came to have been made before the Creatures here below Job 38.7 whose creation they conceive Moses could not omit and therefore having not mentioned it elsewhere they conjecture it must be pointed at in this word But that Argument appears to be grounded upon a supposition that wants evidence namely that Moses intended in this history to give us the description of all Gods creatures Visible and Invisible where as it seems much more probable that he contains himself to discover unto us onely the Creation of the visible world So that we may probably conceive that in this place he intended only Indefinitely to signifie that it was God alone that gave a Being to all things that are which they had not before without pointing at any particular As for the Angels this generall intimation must necessarily imply that they also were Gods Creatures although their creation be not described or pointed at in particular as not so needsul to be known by us whom it concerns most to understand the state and condition of those visible things with which we have most to do The first circumstance which here offers it self to our consideration and observation is the phrase and manner of speech which the Holy Ghost makes choice of in this narration which we see is as Plain as it is Brief without any manner of insinuation by way of preface and without any garnishing by art or eloquence which men usually make use of for the setting out and gracing of their writings the Spirit of God suddenly as it were darting out the truth which he delivers like the Sun beams breaking in an instant as out of a cloud as being a light visible and beautifull in it self and therefore needing no other ornament or varnishing to commend it to the world Whence we may 1. Observe Divine Truths sufficiently commend themselves without the help of any Ornaments of Art or Eloquence Observ 1 SO they do appear indeed to all that understand them as light is beautifull only to those that have eyes to behold it and to them it hath so glorious a lustre that it obscures all kind of varnishings as the Sun shining in his brightnesse doth the light of a Candle A truth which is most clearly manifested by this that those divine truths shall never appear so glorious as when they shall be fully revealed in heaven as it were by the view of them when Art and humane Eloquence shall be no more Let us then desire both to hear and preach the Truth of God as Saint Paul sets it out to the Corinthians in plain and clear expressions demonstrated and displaied by the Spirit rather than garnished with the entising speeches of humane Eloquence 1. Cor. 2.3.4 The great art in Preaching is to make things clear and evident by expressing them spiritually as they are spirituall in themselves which needs more help of Logick than of Rhetorick but more Experience than them both Notwithstanding the use of Eloquence is not to be denied even in the work of the Ministry so it be neither affected nor depended on either by the Preacher or by the Hearer The next observable circumstance in this brief Compendium of the history of the Creation of the vvorld the summe vvhereof is comprised in this first verse is the order here observed by the Holy Ghost who first laies down unto us this ground of Truth that God made the vvorld and aftervvards expresseth hovv and in vvhat order he created it in every particular by this order vvhich he observes in this narration pointing out unto us in a sort the right order in