בר×שית × THE Creation of the world BEING An Exposition on the Hebrew in the first Chapter of Genesis As it was Delivered at Sir Balthazar Gerbiers Academy in White Fryers BY HENRY WALKER Minister of Gods Word at Knightsbridge and formerly Student of Queens Colledge in Cambridge The first Oration Concerning the First Dayes WORK Imprimatur Hen Scobell Cleric Parliamenti Printed at London for Robert Ibbitson dwelling Smithfield neer Hosier Lane 1649. To the Right High and Supreame Power of this Nation the Parliament of England And in particular to the Right Honourable William Lenthall Esquire Speaker and to every individuall Member thereof Right High and Honourable UPon the clear demonstrations of the Right Worshipfull Sir Balthazar Gerbier his admired love to this Commonwealth to make it as happy in a gallant Academy as other Nations I was easily perswaded to offer there this small talent of my truest and dearest affections towards the erecting of so stately a Fabrick And here now it prostrates it self at your feet Me thinks Englands Reformation at this time resembles much the world in the first daies Creation here is a new forme of a Commonwealth by the Providence of God moulded which is hoped to be the beginning of a new heaven and a new earth The ornaments of this State are not yet beautified in perfection nor have all men prowesse to enjoy this glory yet because a great darknesse is still spread over England But were not men infatuated they would see and acknowledge that glorious worke which God hath put into your hands And how wonderfully the spirit of God which moved on the face of the waters hath supported you and wrought by you The Lord go on still with you untill he hath compleated his own work to his eternall glory and praise And as by many Acts so by your late Resolutions to furnish all parts in this Nation with able and godly Ministers to preach Jesus Christ a glorious light it is hoped is breaking forth as to settle so to enlighten and refresh the soules of Gods people and to divide between light and darknesse which is the first great work of Reformation wherein goe on and the Lord prosper you Yet in the middest of your great presents of State be pleased Right Honourable to accept this seasonable New years gift humbly tendred from though a mean hand yet a cordiall heart by him who can think himselfe happy in no enjoyment but what is sweetned by your prosperity in the great and glorious workes of God and is Your most reall servant in the Lord Jesus HENRY WALKER THE Creation of the VVORLD BEING An Exposition on the Hebrew in Genesis the first Chapter The first Oration concerning the first Dayes Work Right Honourable and the rest Lovers of Vertue MOses begins the History of the first dayes work of the Worlds Creation thus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} bereshith bara elohim eth hashshamajim veeth haarets Genesis 1.1 In which he shews how the visible world sprung from the outflowne divine power And Montanus translates it thus In principio creavit Deus Coelos terram And it is rendered in our English Bible as followeth In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth But I will God inabling mee explaine every word in order clearly to your understandings The Lord give a blessing to it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} reshith beginning is a noune derivative of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} raash to cause beginning or first and from thence takes its signification and it is of the feminine gender to shew its naturall production of what God from all eternity hath appointed it And here being no emphaticall {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} h for its prefix it is not properly to be translated in the beginning but in beginning and it teacheth us that the first of all things out of God hath beginning God and only God is from eternity {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} b the prefix signifies in by which we may learn That all Gods decrees are accomplished in his own time {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} bara he created It is the root it self it signifies to make of nothing which is proper only to God All Artists are said to make according to their severall works but God alone createth Some of the Hebrew Rabbins have delivered their opinions that the severall Letters of these two first words בר×שית ×‘×¨× being summed up in figures did presage the time to be in how many years after he creation of the world the Messias was to come as thus × ×‘ ר ש ת ×™ M. MM. CC. CCC CCCC X. 1000. 2000. 200. 300. 400. 10. 〈…〉 to 3910. And about that time it was that Christ came {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} elohim God is Noune derivative of the Masculine Gender and plurall number for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} eloahh is the singular But there is a great controversie of what root it is derived Some are of opinion that it is of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ajal to strengthen and so it signifies Gods omnipotency but from thence he is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} el God omnipotent Others say it comes of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ala to curse and so it signifies Gods wrath And I confesse it is under this root in the Lexicons yet under favour we finde it a name sweet to the remembrance of Gods people as oh my God our God is frequent in Scripture the joyfull expressions of Gods people where this word is found It takes part with both these and so is the name of God as he is omnipotent to defend his people and as he is a consuming fire to destroy his enemies And though it is a noune of the plurall number and joyned with a Verbe of the singular number as if you would say Dii Creavit an unusual phrase in Latine yet it proves clearly that the world was created by the Trinity in unity And that the Eternall Immence Incomprehensible unity manifesteth it self in it selfe from eternity in eternity by the Trinity and is Father Son and Holy Ghost in a threefold working And that the Father by the Son with the Holy Ghost in unity created the Heavens and the Earth and all the Hoasts of them {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} eth is onely a signe that the word â—â—â—ing is to follow the Verbe in the Accusative case but its selfe â—â—â—nifies nothing at all {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shamajim heaven is a Noune derivatives of the duall number and there are very great disputes from whence this word should be derived Some say it comes from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} majim which signifies waters taking {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sh for its prefix which signifies which as if one should say that by
{non-Roman} raiti eth haarets vehinne tohu vabohu veeth-hashshamajim veen oram I beheld the Earth and lo it was without forme and void And the Heavens and they had no light That which Moses calls the depth Ieremiah calls the Heavens and that which is called darknesse in Genesis is here called no light The End of the second Oration concerning the first dayes work of the Creation THE Creation of the VVORLD BEING An Exposition on the Hebrew in Genesis the first Chapter The Third Oration concerning the first Dayes Work Right Honourable and the rest Lovers of Vertue I Shall now God willing shew you how the Spirit of God supported the unformed world and thereby the Divine power working upon Nature formed and brought the Creation into figures to the eternall glory of God and contemplations of Angels and Men {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} veruahh elohim merahhepheth ghnal-pene hammajim Genesis 1.2 Which Montanus translates Et Spiritus Dei motabat super facies aquarum and in the English Bible it is translated thus And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} veruahh and the Spirit {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ruahh is a Noun derivative and is sometimes in the Masculine gender and sometimes the Feminine Interpreters doe much differ about its signification in this place Tertullian as Doctor Willet reports and so the later Iews generally also say that it is to be interpreted here wind A mighty wind or the wind of God but that is a mistake for the wind was not yet created Theodoret was of opinion that by it is meant the Aire but that cannot be for all the Creation was in the first forme only in the Chaos Cajetanus translated it an Angel because Angels are said to bee Ministring spirits but that is absurd God needed not the helpe of Angels to create the World nor to sustaine it or to helpe to garnish it when the first forme was created And besides it doth not seem probable that the Angels could be before the Heavens were created nor had God yet created the Light in its first forme much lesse the Angels The old Rabbins who were more able to interpret say it signifies spirit or ghost as wee have it translated It is derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ravahh to breath or cause breath to inspire or put in an influence of motion and from thence {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ruahh signifies a breath or spirit And it is here in the Feminine gender holding forth the Spirit of God to bee the Creatour of spirits and breath which is testified by the Prophet Amos. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Hinne jot ser harim ubore ruahh Lo hee that formed the mountains and createth the spirit or wind Amos 4.13 And therefore the Prophet David confesseth unto God in the hundred and fourth Psalm {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Teshallahh ruhhacha jibb areun Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created And so here it signifies the Spirit of God the Creatour And therefore it follows {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Elohim God God in Trinity {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ruahh elohim the Spirit of God in Trinity that is the Holy Ghost the third person in the Deity As God is one in Unity so he is three in the Hypostaces Father Son and Holy Ghost The Father is from himselfe the excellent glory enjoying himselfe in his eternall will The Son proceedeth from the Father and is the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse Image of his Person enjoying himself in the eternity of his Fathers will The Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son and is the Spirit of glory enjoying himself in the eternall motion which is roused up and stirred from the eternall enjoyment which the Father and the Son have each in other This is a great mystery it canot be fully explained to the senses of mortall men but we may see Emblems of the Trinity in the Sun there is the illustrious body of the Sun the Light and the Warmth So the Father is the excellent glory the Son the brighnesse of that glory and the Holy Ghost the Spirit of glory And God in Trinity by the Spirit of glory created and beautified the world And therefore saith holy Iob. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Beruhho shamajim shiphra By or in his Spirit he garnished the Heaven And so here Moses {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Veruahh elohim mer ahhepheth ghnal pene hammajim And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Merahhepheth moved There are very great controversies about the meaning of this word and many disputes have beene among the Learned concerning it As for example The Septuagint translate it was carried The Spirit of God was carried upon the face of the waters that is as a Bird is carried with her feathers swimming upon the waters by the motion of her feet But this is far fetcht Tremellius translates it did sit the spirit of God did sit upon the waters that is as a Hen sits over her young and this I confesse comes nearer to the sence of it The latine translation renders it motaba did flutter The spirit of God did flutter upon the faces of the waters that is as a Bird fluttereth over-her-nest to warme and refresh her young But Calvin in his Commentary upon this place renders two significations as so indifferent in his judgement that saith he the Reader may take that which he likes best It may be understood saith he stirred itselfe or rested upon 1 That the Spirit of God stirred it selfe upon the waters to exercise his strength 2 Rested upon them to sustaine them The root from which {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} merahhepheth is derived is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} rahhaph which in the English Bible is severally rendered Sometimes it is translated to shake And so when the Prophet Ieremiah being troubled at the peoples sinnes said {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} rahhaphu col-ghnatsmothai which is translated in our English Bibles thus all my bones shake that was through the influence that it wrought upon him it made his bones to stirre and move within him all his bones did shake Sometimes again it is translated to flutter as in Deuteronomie where Moses sets downe Gods out-flowne love to his people under the similitude of an Eagle over her young it is in the Hebrew {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ghnal-gozalaiv jerahheph It is translated fluttereth over her young moves expands spreads puts influence in by resting upon as the sun that spreads its beames upon the Earth fluttereth over her egges not chickens for so the word imports {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} gozel
the heavens is meant that place from which the waters fall But it is very well known that by the heavens is meant not only the receptacles of the waters above but of those higher Heavens where the Sun Moon and Stars are And also of the Heaven of glory But none of these were finished the first day And indeed it seems clear to me that it is derived of the root {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shamam which signifies to astonish and so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sham astonishment taking {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} aâ—â—m for its affix which properly makes it the duall number we are therby rightly told what the heavens are even those glorious manifestations of God which though excellent discoveries thereof are made unto us yet when we poore mortall creatures have pryed all that we can into them even then the more we know the more we are astonished {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} h emphaticall here put for the prefix as if it were said these heavens those heavens the heavens pointing out unto all the heavens to be created of God even the heaven of glory for Saints and Angels which is without end was not without beginning {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} erets earth is a noune derivative of both genders sometimes masculine and sometimes feminine It is derived of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} ratsats and so of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} rats which signifies to bruise which doth very well set forth the nature of the earth for it is the most ponderous matter of all the creation When {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} erets is of the masculine gender it signifies the earth only as to its own substance without any relation to any thing flowing out of it unfruitfull and unadorned as it was in its first forme and as it is since spoken of in relation to its self only as shels potsheards and the like When it is of the Feminine gender it is to be understood as being the wombe of creatures flowing from it as plants to adorn it or Inhabitants to dwell upon it as the Earth in the Fields Gardens and such like places {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} h emphatically is the prefix to earth here as before to heavens and doth teach us the same Lesson concerning things below That the first forme that the Earth received it had from God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} veeth and is only the mark again of the accusative case taking {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} v a conjunction copulative for its prefix {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} eth hashshamajim veeth haarets Coelos terra the heavens and the earth All was created by God in the first matter and forme together on this part of the first day when God in beginning created them as a workman casteth or forgeth a cup and cover both together and afterwards fashions and beautifies it or as an Egge which when it is layed hath the white and the yolke but after it becomes a chicken receives perfection of bones and is beautified with feathers and other adornments So were the Heavens and the Earth first both created by God in the first motion and matter and afterwards perfected in beauty and order From the whole Verse there are some of the Hebrew Rabbins have been curious in observations for they were strangely given that way as appeares by all their writings some of their conceits were thus First from the letter {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is as much in number as M. with us That because in this Verse it is six times exprest that is once in six of the words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} hashshamajim only wants it that therefore this world is to continue from the creation 6000 years And some since have called the seventh of the thousands the eternall rest and therefore consealed in the mystery of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} hashshamajim in which {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is not found And a second observation is from the number of these seven words that they hold forth unto us the seven dayes in the week in six of which God created the world and we are appointed to labour and the seventh which is the Heavens doth signifie the day of rest But leaving the Rabbins to their curiosities I will conclude at this time with this undeniable truth That in beginning God who is Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity created the heavens and the Earth in the first forme thereof of nothing and this Heaven and Earth thus first made was the world though not yet set in perfect order but afterward beautified by the Ornaments of the six daies work The End of the first Oration concerning the first dayes work of the Creation THE Creation of the VVORLD BEING An Exposition on the Hebrew in Genesis the first Chapter The second Oration concerning the first Dayes Work Right Honourable and the rest Lovers of Vertue I Shall now by Gods assistance shew you how the grossenesse of Creation was separated in the first form from the spirituall nature and what that substance in its beginning was I pray God give a blessing upon us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} vahaarets hajeta tohu vabohu vehhoshech ghnal-pene teâ—om Gen. 1.2 which Montanus translates into Latine thus Et terra erat solitudo inanitas et caligo super facies Abyssi And in our English Bible and the Geneva it is rendred And the Earth was without form and voyd and darknesse was upon the face of the deepe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} v and is a Conjunction Copulative which pointing to the insuing words relates what the Creation was in its first forme as to its owne substance even as a peece of wood cutrough out of the timber by the Carver or a stone-hewed out of the rocke by the Mason intended for curious works to be ingraven and wrought for the adorning of it but as it is so in its own rough shape and first forme it is only a block or a stone and no fashion no beauty put upon it I know that most of the Interpreters upon this place are of opinion that these words which I have taken for this second theame do relate only to the Earth and not any thing at all to those places where the Firmament or Heavens now are But I shall make it very cleare to your understandings and prove it positively out of the Scriptures that these words do relate part of them to the Earth and part of them to the Heavens The former part {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} vahaarets hejeta tohu vabohu relates to the Earth And the next words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} vehhoshech ghnal-pene tehom extend to those higher Orbes whither the