Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 31
VERSE. 31.
ANd God ſaw every thing] Overlooked the whole Frame of his Work, as he had done before every Particular of it, Man only excepted: and why he forbare to give that teſtimony of him, that he had given of all the reſt, that he alſo was good, it is uncertain. Some think, that becauſe the Creation of the Woman had not been yet mentioned, that therefore God forbare to give his Approbation of that Work that was but half perfected; whatſoever the reaſon was, it is certain, that God made Man good and upright, Eccl. 7.29. And it is ſufficient that he is included in the general Approbation of his whole Work taken together.
Very good] All the work together, was Correſpondent, every part ſuitable to the reſt in a due proportion, and fitted in ſuch order, that they were all uſeful for the ſervices to which they are deſigned.
This general Approbation of all the Works that God had made, and that by God himſelf, the beſt Judge of Goodneſſe and Perfection, being beſides a God of Truth, and therefore an infallible Witneſſe of his own Judgment, manifeſts the Infinite Perfection both of the Wiſdom, and Power of Him that Created them. So that we thence may,
Obſerve, The whole Frame of the Works which God made in the Creation of the World, is perfectly Good every way.
Obſerv. SO that we may truly ſay that of Him, which the people teſtified of our bleſſed Saviour: he hath done all things well, Mark 8.37. Which we ſhall not onelyonly find true in the works of Creation, but in the Acts of his Providence alſo, that they are all perfect, and all his waies are judgment, as Moſes teſtifies of them, Deut, 32.4. So that all his works praiſe Him, Pſal. 145.10. And indeed herein, is the eminency of the perfection of Gods Works, and of his Wiſdom in creating them, fully manifeſted, that when they are all of them laid together, they appear in their times, places, and uſes, to which God hath aſſigned them ſo beautifull and fit every way, that nothing can be added to them: nor any thing without blemiſhing them, taken from them, Eccl. 3.14.
Let it be our endeavour to imitate God as far as we may: ſo to walk, that our works every one of them a part, and our whole way conſidered together, may all appear to be good, anſwerable one to another in Order and Proportion; ſo that our whole converſation may be approved as a perfect frame of unblameable holineſſe. There are amongſt Men, that do ſome things well, to which their ordinary and conſtant carriage is not ſuitable The difference between the works of a godly Man and an Hypocrite, appears moſt in this: An Hypocrites work is beſt conſidered apart, a good Mans works are beſt and moſt approveable, when they are laid together.
Thus have we the Hiſtory of the Creation of the world, a ſhort record of a wonderfull glorious work, which being laid before us in ſo ſincere and brief a manner, requires the more ſerious meditation, and examination of the particulars therein expreſſed. The rather, becauſe it gives us a true mirrour both of God Himſelf appearing in his infinite Power, Wiſdom, and Goodneſſe; and of the Creatures nothing in it ſelf, till God gave it a being; and being now what it is meerly by his gift and goodneſſe. In the right knowledge of theſe two main heads, are included the grounds of all true Wiſdom. To look back therefore, and to take a view, of the principal ſcope, at which the Holy Ghoſt aimes, in the deſcription of the Creation of the World, we may find therein ſet before our eyes.
1. In God the Creator of all things,
1. His Eternity, who if he had not been before the World, and conſequently before all time, which began with the world, could not have made it.
2. His Power, in Creating all things, 1. Of nothing, 2. By the Word alone, 3. Many of them, of Vaſt and almoſt infinite extent; as the Heavens, Stars, Earth, Seas, and ſome other Creatures, of almoſt incredible bigneſſe.
3. His All-ſufficiency, manifeſted 1. In Creating ſuch infinite Variety of ſo many ſundry ſorts of Creatures, 2. And in affording them all, even the baſeſt amongſt them, ſuch plentifull proviſion for their maintenance.
4. His Goodneſſe and Perfection, appearing in his works which taken ſeverally, or together, were found to be exceeding good in their mutuall correſpondency, and uſes to which they are aſſigned.
5. His Faithfullneſſe, who both performed and made good all that he decreed, and ſetled all things that he made in ſuch ſort, that they continue to this day according to his Ordinance.
6. His Wiſdom diſcovered in the excellent order of all his works: and in their fitneſſe for their ſeveral ends and ſervices for which they were appointed.
7, His loving kindneſſe to Man, above all the works of his hand, whom he Created after the moſt exact pattern, even his own Image and likeneſſe, advanced to be the Lord over all the works that he had made, and furniſhed with infinite variety of proviſions, both for neceſſity and delight.
II. In the Creatures made by God, is manifeſted their vanity and weakneſſe; which,
1. Were,
1. Nothing till God gave them a Being.
2. A Rude, unformed, and imperfect Maſſe, when they firſt began to Be.
2. Are,
1. Perfect in deed in their kinds and meaſure, but neither in all kinds of perfections, which are not to be found in any one Creature; nor in thoſe they have, but in a weak proportion, infinitely ſhort of thoſe abſolute and boundleſſe perfections, which appear in Him that made them.
2. Not ſubſiſting in themſelves, but in God that made them, in whom they have their Being, and Motions, without whom they muſt ſpeedily be reſolved into Nothing, as they were nothing at the firſt.
2. Baſe, 1. in their Original, being all of them drawn out of a confuſed Maſſe, without any form at all, and the moſt of them out of the Earth, and waters, the baſeſt of all Elements.
2. In the means of their ſupport for the continuance of their being; which are both Baſe, like themſelves and ſupplied unto them, from day to day.
So that we may conceive, that in recording and ſetting before us the hiſtory of the worlds Creation, the Holy Ghoſt may aime at three things.
1. To ſettle our hearts in a right judgment of the emptineſſe, and conſequently of the Inſufficiency of all the creatures, that none of us may reſt our ſelves upon them, which being conſidered a part from God are Nothing, and conſequently can do nothing; and are therefore, neither to be entertained with any extraordinary affection; nor ſought after with any great care, or deſire; nor much leſſe to be reſted on with any firm Confidence.
2. To fill our hearts, with the Apprehenſion, and Meditation of Gods infinite Majeſty, Glory, Power, Wiſdom, All-ſufficiency, Goodneſſe, and Truth. 1. That we may in our hearts advance and lift him up alone, caſting down all his workes at his feet; and we may be ſtill kept in a reverend awe and fear of him. 2. That we may be quickened to all duties of obedience, ſerving that God, with all our hearts, and that with chearfulneſſe, by whom we are, and from whom we have received, ſuch an advancement to be made after his own Image, and appointed Lord over all the works of his hands, and do daily receive ſuch a liberall ſupply of all needfull meanes, for the comfort of our lives. 3. That we may be brought to ſtay our hearts upon God alone, as being both able to provide us all things, ſeeing he made them al; and Faithful and True to ſupport us, and do us good, as a faithfull, Creator, and therefore cannot but take care to preſerve all that he hath made, leſt he ſhould have made any thing in vain.
3. To direct us in the Uſe both of our ſelves, and the reſt of the Creatures, what to aym at: which is indeed chiefly the advancing of Gods honour In, and By them, when we diſcover thoſe glorious Attributes of his Wiſdom, Power, and Goodneſſe, appearing in the Creation of all things, and ſuſtaining them; and, upon all occaſions, ſpeak of them to his praiſe: But withall, the directing of our ſelves, and all the reſt of the Creatures, in our power, to the preſervation of Community, which is one of Gods Speciall Aimes, in making all the Creatures ſerviceable one to another, and all of them to Man, and in charging him with the care and overſight of them all, that ſo they might be the better carried on to that general End, whereunto God had ordained them. So then a man aiming only at himſelf, or uſing the Creatures only for the ſervice of himſelf, without relation to the Community, perverts the whole Courſe and Order, which God hath ſet in Nature, than which nothing can be more directly oppoſite to Gods Mind and Will, more Injurious to the Creatures, or unprofitable to our ſelves, whoſe good is included in the Common good of all that God hath made.
FINIS.
A COMMENTARY upon the Second CHAPTER OF The Firſt Book of MOSES Called GENESIS. The Second Book.
WE have ſeen in the former Chapter, that great Work of the Creation of the world. In this Chapter we have ſet before us, the beginning of the Adminiſtration, and Government thereof, and eſpecially of Man, in the ſtate of his Innocency; Concerning whom the Holy Ghoſt repreſents unto us, Gods Goodneſſe and Care for his
1. Government by Lawes, preſcribing his Duties,
1. To God, conſiſting of three Heads:
1. Faith in God; intimated by the Tree of Life.
2. Obedience; preſcribed under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
3. Worſhip of God; implyed in the Obſervation of the Sabbath.
2. To the Creatures.
1. In the uſe of them, which muſt be according to the Will of God, and not according to his own pleaſure, inforced in his reſtraint from eating of the Tree of Knowledge, and in the Law of Marriage.
2. His careful overſight, and labour for the preſervation of them, expreſſed in Gods Commandement for the Keeping and Dreſſing of the Garden of Eden.
2. Support and Suſtentation; manifeſted,
1. In the proviſion of food fit for him, both for neceſſity and delight, by planting the Garden of Eden, and giving him the free uſe of all the Fruits therein, one Tree only excepted.
2. In the Creation of the Woman, to be an help meet for him; comfort for his life, and help for propagation.