Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 22
VERSE. 22.
ANd God bleſſed them] Not declaratively, as Iſaac and Jacob bleſſed their Children; nor Petitionally as Rebech's friends bleſſed her, Gen, 24.60. And as they bleſſed Ruth cap. 4.11, 12. But effectually; God decreed, and beſtoed a bleſſing upon them to make them fruitful. But why are the Fiſhes, and Fowles bleſſed, and neither any Creature that was made before; or the Beaſts that were Created after them? Queſtionleſſe, God bleſſed them too, that is both decreed their Continuance in the Natures and Uſes, and ordained the propagation of them in their kinds, as many of them as needed to be multiplyed; as the Herbs, and Plants, and Beaſts. So that the queſtion cannot be, why God did not bleſſe them, but why Moſes paſſed over their bleſſing in ſilence, which it were too much boldneſſe curiouſly to inquire after; Although we may ſee ſome probable ground, why Gods bleſſing upon Fiſhes and Fowles is expreſly mentioned, for the largeneſſe of it; for no Creatures multiply faſter then fiſhes and fowles. As likewiſe that the bleſſing upon man is expreſſed for the eminency of his perſon: the bleſſing upon other Creatures, he leaves us to ſuppoſe, but forbears to mention, for brevity ſake.
Saying] Not that God uttered the Bleſſing vocally (eſpecially to the Fiſhes and Fowls that could not underſtand it, but that he decreed and willed it only.
God then having created the Fiſhes and Fowls, that they might be continued in their kinde, beſtows upon them this bleſſing of fruitfulneſſe. Whence,
1. Obſerve, Fruitfulneſſe is a Gift beſtowed onelyonly by God himſelf.
Obſerve, 1 ESpecially the fruitfulneſſe of men, for the fruit of the Womb is his reward, Pſal. 127.3. Whence it was promiſed to Abraham as a ſpecial bleſſing, Gen. 13.16. and 22.17. Yea the fruitfulneſſe of the Earth and cattel, is a gift from him alone: it was Gods proſpering Hand, that Iſaac had an hundred fold encreaſe of that which he ſowed, Gen. 26.12. Wherefore he promiſeth it, Deut. 7.13. and beſtowes it on men eſpecially, Pſal. 113: 9. And withholds it at his pleaſure, Gen. 30.2. As he doth from the Earth and cattel, as appears by the Curſes threatned, Deut. 28. and Levit. 26. Good reaſon it ſhould be ſo, both that the greateſt of all outward bleſſings that can be beſtowed (for increaſe is the riches of the world) might be reſerved in his own hand, that for them men might honour and ſerve Him. And ſecondly, becauſe both Creation and Propagation (which therefore is called Creation, Pſal. 104.30.) are both the effects of the ſame power and Conſequently can be beſtowed by none but by God alone.
Let all men then ſeek the bleſſing at Gods Hand by prayer, the fruitfulneſſe of our bodies, as Iſaac did, Gen. 25.21 and Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.27. And expect it from him by Faith with Abraham, Gen. 15.6. And the fruitfulneſſe of our grounds and cattel promiſed to us in a courſe of Obedience, Deut. 28.5. And return all the praiſe and thankfulneſſe, for ſuch mercyes to him alone, as Jacob doth, Gen. 33.5.11. Which his people were Commanded to do in offering the firſt of all their increaſe to Him, accounting the fruitfulneſſe of all things, amongſt his gifts and wonders, as David doth the framing of his body, Pſal. 139.14.
The name (Bleſſing) both here, and in many other places of Scripture, is taken for the bleſſing of fruitfulneſſe, as if that were the moſt eminent of all Bleſſings. Whence,
2. Obſerve. Fruitfulneſſe in the Creatures is a ſpeciall bleſſing of God upon them.
Obſerv. 2 IT is indeed a bleſſing, of the ſame nature, with many other bleſſings in outward things, ſuch as God for mens ſins may juſtly turn into a Curſe, as he threatens wicked men, that they ſhall be fruitful to their own judgment; either bringing forth children to the murtherer, Pſal. 9, 13. or wicked children to their own ſhame, Prov. 10.1. Or perhaps to the hazard and loſſe of their own lives, as it fell out to Senacherib, 2 King. 19.37. But yet in it ſelf a ſpecial bleſſing; As yielding unto us, 1. That which is of greateſt value on the Earth, living Creatures, which in a due eſtimation, are more worth then all dead treaſures. 2. A bleſſing of that nature, that by it the Earth ſubſiſts, which would ſoon decay, if by propagation and fruitfulneſſe of the Creature, it were not preſerved and renewed from day to day. Yea by the fruitfulneſſe of the ſoil, the King himſelf is ſupported, Eccl. 5.9.
Eſteem it ſo, not only the fruitfulneſſe of the fields, when they fill our Garners with their increaſe, of which the Fool made ſo much account, Luk. 12.19. Or of our flocks, when our ſheep bring forth ten thouſands in our ſtreets, Pſal. 144.13. But much more the fruitfulneſſe of our own bodies, when our Children ſtand like Olive Branches round about the Table, Pſal. 128.3. Our Sons are like plants grown up in their youth, and our Daughters as Corner-ſtones poliſhed, Pſal. 144.12. It is in comparably a greater bleſſing, to be the Father of Many Children, than to be the Lord of many flocks. Let us never fear (as moſt worldly men do) that they will begger us; he that gave them life, will not fail to provide them food; and he that beſtowed on them their bodies, will give them cloaths to put on. No man was ever beggered by his Children, but ſuch as breed them up to be unprofitable, both to themſelves and others.
God would have the Sea ſtored, and filled with fiſhes, and yet he Created not at the firſt ſo many as might fill it, at that inſtant, no more then he furniſhed the Earth with men, and Cattel; but appoints that to be done in time, by a ſuckeſſive propagation, and multiplication of the Creatures thereby, in their ſeveral kinds, whereof themſelves muſt be the Inſtruments. Whence,
3. Obſerve, Though the bleſſing of Propagation be from God alone, yet it pleaſeth him to make uſe of the Creatures as his Inſtruments.
Obſerv. 3 THis courſe God hath conſtantly obſerved, from the beginning to this day, unleſſe it were onelyonly in the Conception of our Saviour Chriſt, by the Bleſſed Virgin. He Himſelf indeed is the Father of all Creatures, and he gives ſtrength to conceive ſeed, and that ſometimes beyond the ordinary courſe of nature, as he did unto Sarah, and Elizabeth; but yet ſo that they conceived ſeed by their Husbands. Now this Courſe God holds, 1. That by this meanes the Creatures might be the more firmly united in love, and every one of them might be ſtirred up to provide for his own fleſh. 2. That the Power of God might be the more manifeſted in the weakneſſe of the Inſtrument, which propagates life to another, which it neither had from, nor can continue in it ſelf.
When we Conſider the vaſtneſs of the Sea, we can never ſufficiently admire the infinite power, that appoints it to be repleniſhed with fiſhes. This indeed hath been a great vanity and folly, for any man to undertake, as work beyond his power, but God undertakes and performs it. Whence,
4. Obſerve, There is nothing ſo Vaſte or Wide, but God can eaſily Furniſh and Fill at his Pleaſure.
Obſerve, 4 AS he hath done the whole Compaſſe of the Earth with Herbs and Plants, yea, with Men and Beaſts. The Sea with Fiſhes, the Heavens, of ſuch an incredible extent, with Starres; 1. Seeing he hath abundance of Spirit, Mal. 2.15. which enables him to create Millions, as eaſily as to create One. 2. Becauſe he created nothing in vain, but proportioned, in his Infinite Wiſdome, the works which he made, according to the meaſure of the Creatures that ſhould ſtore it; ſeeing we account it folly in men to build a Large Houſe for a Small Family.
Let all men depend on Him for ſufficiency; He that ſtored the Earth, the Sea, and the Heavens, ſhall we doubt whether he can furniſh one of our poor Cottages? fill every one of our bellies? provide Portions for a few of our Children? Or ſhall we fear that he who ſatisfies the deſire of every living thing, will neglect his own, or encreaſe his Family beyond the portion of his proviſions? There remains even in the beſt a Leaven of Atheiſme, by which we are prone to meaſure God, according to the ſcantlet of Men. Moſes himſelf doubts, where God can find means to fill the bellies of ſix hundred thouſand men with fleſh, Numb. 11.21. but if God undertake, we ſee he makes it good. Out of the ſame heart of unbelief it is, that we are queſtioning what we ſhall eat or drink, or put on, Matth. 6.31. As if he that made this world out of nothing, could not as eaſily have made and furniſhed a thouſand if he had thought it fit. Nothing ſhall be left empty of all that he hath made; only our unſatiable deſires, which he never made, he never promiſed, nor intended to fill.