Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 12
VERSE 12.
ANd the Earth brought forth] Every particular, in the Event, anſwers the Decree in every point; wherein the admirable and unchangeable order that God hath ſet in nature, offers it ſelf to our conſideration. Firſt, that all herbs and plants, having the matter of their nouriſhment, and being produced by the ſame Earth, and cheriſhed by the influence of the ſame Heavens, yet grow up into ſeveral forms, having their natures and kinds, ſtill diſtinct one from another, every ſeveral kind anſwerable to it ſelf in every one of the individuals. Secondly, all of them grow to perfection, and continue the way of their propagation in the ſame uniform courſe, firſt the blade, then the ear, and at laſt the full and ripe corn in the ear, Mark 4.28. The ſeed falls into the ground, and ſhoots up into a tender graſſe; that growes into a ſtronger ſtemme, and ſends forth in ſome a flower, in others another form; under the flower comes and ripens the ſeed again, the ſame in form and nature with that from which it ſprung at firſt. That this diſtinction between the ſeveral kinds of creatures, all produced by the ſame common cauſes, and the Identity of every kind, and agreableneſſe thereto of every individual in that kind, through ſo many variations into ſeverall ſhapes and forms, till it come to perfection, ſhould be conſtantly and unchangeably preſerved, can come to paſſe by no other means; but by the unchangeble law which God hath ſet in nature, by which he gives to every ſeed his own body as it pleaſeth him, 1 Cor. 15.38. And to every plant and herb his own ſeed, ſo that men gather not grapes of thorns, nor figgs of thiſtles, as our Saviour ſpeaks, Luke 6.44.
In the order of this decree, for the production of herbs, and plants, it is obſervable, that all theſe are Created before the Sunne, or any other of thoſe Celeſtiall bodies, by the influence whereof they are now cheriſhed; without which either they ſpring not at all, or at leaſt come to no perfection, that we may know them to be the effects of Gods Power, and not of any natural cauſe: and were produced before the beaſts, or Man, that were to be ſuſtained by them, to manifeſt Gods Providence; who failes not to make proviſion for all his Creatures, which he foreſees, and takes care to ſupply even before they need; nay before they have any being at all.
Upon this ground, that herbs, and plants, were produced in their full ripeneſſe, ſome conclude that the world was created in the Autumne, when all things in the courſe of nature, come to their full growth and ripeneſſe. An argument that might be eaſily anſwered, ſince God muſt be acknowledged, in their firſt Creation, to do all things Miraculouſly: and therefore did not bind himſelf to obſerve the courſe of nature at all, in that work (as appears in the Creation of the man and woman, not Infants, but of full growth; in the firſt moment of their Creation) and to regard as little, the time of ripening herbs, and plants, as he did the cauſes that ſhould produce them. In the time of producing thoſe herbs, and plants, that as ſoon as the Earth was dried, that is, was fit to receive them; he ſtored it with ſuch great variety, of ſo many uſeful Creatures, and gave it that fruitfulneſſe to produce them, for time to come; We may,
1. Obſerve. God will have nothing barrain and unprofitable.
Obſerv. 1 NOt the Earth, which receiving the firſt and the later rain, he ordained to bring forth herbs to them that dreſſe it, Heb. 6.7. Not the herbs, or plants: which all of them yeild their ſeed and fruits; Not the beaſts, Fiſhes or Fowles, which are fruitfull in propagation, uſefull by their labours, and ſerviceable for food, and cloathing: Not the clouds which empty themſelves upon the Earth, Eccl. 11.3. Not the Sunne, Moon, and other Celeſtial bodies, which by their light, and influence, cheriſh all things here below.
Reaſon 1. It is the end for which all things were made, that they might ſupport one another, by their fruitfulneſſe, and ſervice.
2. God thereby teſtifies his overflowing bounty, and goodneſs, by the fruitfulneſſe and uſefulneſſe of all the works of his hands.
Let not men then for ſhame, be barrain, either in any duties of obedience unto God, or ſervices of love to men; but be fruitfull both waies, nay filled with fruits, Phil. 1.11. Alwaies bringing them forth in their ſeaſon, and abounding more therein even to their old age, Pſal. 92.14. and encreaſing therein, Rev. 2.19. As being, 1. ordained by God more eſpecially thereunto, Joh. 15.16. 2. Having all needful helps to that end, not onelyonly outward, as the word and Sacraments falling on us, like the firſt and latter rain, Hebr. 6.7. To which the word is reſembled, Iſa. 55.10, 11. Or generally by the influence of Gods fructifying Power, by which he bleſſeth the ſpringing of all things, Pſal. 65.10, 11. But particularly, and inwardly the aſſiſtance of his Holy Spirits which is able to work in us both to will, and to do. 3. Having our fruits ordained to a more excellent end, both Gods Glory, Joh. 15.8. and the furthering of our own account, Phil. 4.17. Wherefore we are juſtly threatned with the greater plague if we remain barrain and unfruitfull, Matth. 3.10. Heb. 6.8. The meanes to be uſed to make us fruitfull, are 1. to be engraffed into Chriſt, Joh. 15, 2.2. To live under the continuall dropping of the clowds, that is the Miniſtry of the Word. 3. To be often purging and cleanſing of our hearts, whence are the iſſues of life, Pro. 4.23. and all our actions, whether good or evil, Mark. 7.21, 22.
The Order obſerved by God, in producing the herbs and plants, miniſters unto us matter worthy our meditation. 1. That they were created before the cauſes, by which they are now, according to the courſe of nature, ordinarily produced: which make manifeſt the Power of God, that can effect what he will without means, Numb. 11 23. [See the obſervation before upon verſe 3.] 2. That God made proviſion, for the ſuſtaining of Man, and Beaſts before he created them; wherein he diſcovrs his provident care of his Creatures, in providing for them before hand. But the Obſervation to be drawn from thence we ſhall defer till we come to verſe 26.] In deſcribing the Creation of the herbs and plants, Moſes laies before us firſt the Author by whom; and then the time When, they were produced out of the Earth by his Command: he bad the earth bring forth, and it did ſo. Whence,
2. Obſerve, Even the Herbs, and Plants of the Earth, are Gods Creatures.
Obſerv. 2 PSalm. 104.14.16. Not onelyonly Jonahs Gourd, which was prepared by God extraordinarily, but even the Corn which the Earth produceth by humane Culture, God is ſaid to prepare, Pſal. 65.9. To which, as unto all the reſt, he gives a body as it pleaſeth him: yea, and cloathing too, unto the very graſſe of the field, Matth. 6.29.30.
Let us then take notice of Gods Work, in all the fruits of the Earth, obſerving in them 1. the infinite variety of them, according to their ſeverall kinds. 2. Their beautiful ſhape and proportions, exquiſite taſtes, and delightfulneſſe of many of them. 3. The ſtrange variety of ſeverall forms, through which they paſſe, before they come to their full perfection, from ſmall ſeeds to tender herbs: from thence to ſtronger ſtemms, divided many times into ſeverall branches, Covered with leaves, and after that garniſhed with flowers: and laſtly yielding ſuch ſeeds as themſelves ſprang from at the firſt. 4. Take notice of their life, by which they grow and encreaſe, which all the Potentates in the World cannot give, nor any Art of man imitate, Let all theſe conſiderations, ſtrike into all mens hearts an awful apprehenſion, and admiration of Gods wonderful Wiſdom, and Power, that our mouthes may be filled with his praiſe. And let it bring us all, to an acknowledgment of Gods infinite Mercy, and Juſtice, in beſtowing, or taking away thoſe uſeful Creatures; without which we cannot ſubſiſt, that we may receive them as a gift from Gods Hand, with all thankfulneſſe; and uſe them with all moderation, and ſobriety, unto the Glorie of his Name, who both made them, and beſtowed them upon us.
Theſe plants and herbs God commands to ſpring out of the Earth, which yields them the ſubſtance of that Body, which they have, and nouriſhment by which they are maintained: Whence,
3. Obſerve, The ſubſtance of all Trees and Plants is from the Earth
Obſerv. 3 GOd brings food out of the earth, ſaith the Prophet David, Pſal. 14.104. and our Saviour himſelf tells us that the earth brings forth fruit out of her ſelf, Mark. 4.28.
Let us then behold, and admire the wonderfull power of that God, who out of the ſame maſſe of the Earth, is able to produce ſuch infinite variety of Creatures, ſo far different one from another, in Shape, Nature, and Uſe; ſo many comely proportions, out of ſuch a rude lump, ſo many various Smells, and Taſtes, out of that which of it ſelf hath neither Taſte, nor Sent at all: Nay, life it ſelf, out of that which is wholly without life; as the Earth is, which notwithſtanding yieldeth ſuch variety of ſundry ſorts of living Herbs, and Plants, which may occaſion us farther to
4. Obſerve, God can, and uſually doth, draw Life out of Death it ſelf.
Obſerv. 4 THis he manifeſted, That he was able to do in that viſion of the Dry bones, repreſenting the ſtate of his own people, Ezek. 37.10. This he doth in the whole courſe of nature: All ſeeds dye before they be quickened, as the Apoſtle tells us, 1 Cor. 15.36. Yea, our own bodies are nouriſhed by dead food, and receive Life and ſtrength thereby.
Reaſon 1. God can do it, who is the Life, and hath Life both In and Of Himſelf, Joh. 5.26. and therefore can quicken the dead, verſ. 21.
2. And it is fit he ſhould do it for his own honour, that he may be the more wonderful, and admired of all men in all his wayes and works.
Let it ſtrengthen our faith, when in our own judgment we ſeem to be in a dead condition, as feeling in our ſelves, no power of Grace, no Life: the Spirit of God that quickned us when we were dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, Epheſ. 2.1. both can and will certainly recover us out of that ſeeming deadneſſe of our hearts: that ſickneſſe is but like unto Lazarus his ſhort death, only for Gods further glory, Ioh. 11.4. And let it encourage us to expect the reſurrection of our bodies, with holy Job, Chap. 19.26. by the power of him that quickeneth the dead, Rom. 4.17. whereof the ordinary courſe of natural effects, give evident teſtimony, as the Apoſtle proves at large, 1 Cor. 15.
We ſee beſides, that God takes further order, that theſe herbs and plants ſhould every one of them have ſeed in it ſelf, by which, though they periſh daily, yet the Kinds of every one of them might be preſerved, leſt the Creatures ſhould in time be utterly deſtroyed: Whence,
5. Obſerve, God provides for all his Creatures, that though they decay daily, yet they ſhall not wholly periſh.
Obſerv. 5 ALl Creatures that are nouriſhed waſte every moment, but God hath provided them food by which they are repaired, and kept alive; and when they dye and periſh in their own bodies, yet he hath ordained that by propagation they ſhould be renewed in their kinds, Pſal. 104.30.
This continual decay and change, God hath in his Wiſdom decreed,
1. To ſhew his own unchangeable continuance by the mutability of the Creature, Heb. 1.11, 12.
2. To quicken us to a longing deſire after heaven where all things are durable and conſtant; whereas here below they are ſubject to change every moment. He hath likewiſe decreed the renewing of the face of the Earth: Partly to ſhew himſelf a faithful Creator: And partly, to preſerve his own works to be monuments of his Goodneſſe, Wiſdom, and Power.
Let Gods example teach us, to extend our care, to make proviſion for Poſterity, not only in our own Children, in whom every man deſires to continue his name; and in furniſhing our own ſtore with continual ſupplyes, (although God is pleaſed to make uſe of ſuch private reſpects, for the preſervation of Community) but in General, to provide for poſterity, that is to come after: that we may leave all things, and deliver them over, into the hand of ſucceeding ages, in as good eſtate as we found them; ſince we cannot but acknowledge, that God hath, as it were, put his ſtock into our hands, not to waſte and conſume it, but to manage it diſcreetly, for our own uſe, and neceſſary preſervation, and to deliver it over to our Succeſſours, for the ſame end.
God, we ſee, not only provides for the perpetuation of the Creature, by ſucceſſive Propagation; but beſides, that the nature of every Creature might continue the ſame, without change, takes order, that the Seed of every plant may be according to the kind of the plant that yeelds it. Whence,
6. Obſerve, Fruits ought to do, and certainly Will, reſemble the Nature of the Stock of which they come.
Obſerv. 6 EIther Good or Evil, according to the Tree, or plants, on which they grow, Matth. 12.33. ſo that men gather not grapes of thorns, nor figs of thiſtles, Matth. 7.16. And this ſeems to be thus ordered by the Wiſdom of God; 1. For our ſakes, that we might more fully, and perfectly know the kinds and natures of things, which are manifeſted by the fruits which they produce: And, 2. for the manifeſting of his Truth, who deſires that every thing ſhould appear as it is, ſeeing He himſelf is as He appears.
1. Let good men then endeavour to ſhew forth the renewing of their nature, by the works of the Spirit, and not of the fleſh, that men may know and approve of them by their fruits, and for them glorific God, Matth. 5.16. leſt they otherwiſe diſhonour God, ſcandalize Religion, and corrupt others by their ill examples, which men readily take up, when they have the countenance of any godly mans failing, to cloak the evils of their wayes.
2. Let all men abhor all hypocriſie, 1. As being in it ſelf unnatural. 2. Extreamly diſhonourable both to God and to Religion. 3. Dangerous to others, when they are graves that appear not, Luk. 11.44. 4. Damnable to our ſelves, ſeeing we cannot be hid from him that ſeeth in ſecret, and knowes our thoughts afar off, Pſal. 139.2. or left unpuniſhed by him, who being a God of Truth, muſt neceſſarily pour out his wrath upon all falſe diſſemblers.