Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 21
VERSE 21.
GReat Whales] Or, Dragons, as the word in the Original fignifies in ſome other places of Scripture. A Whale is called Leviathan, Job 41.1. & Pſal. 104.26. from Lavah, which ſignifies to cleave unto, becauſe his ſcales are ſhut ſo cloſe together, Job 4.7. The ſame name is figuratively applyed to ſignifie men of great power; as Pharaoh, with the Captains of his hoſt, are called Leviathan, Pſal. 74.14. and ſo is Nebuchadnetzar, Iſa. 27.1. Of huge bulk of bodie, that which many have ſeen with their eyes cannot but aſtoniſh them; but many things that are written of them are uncredible.
According to their kind] Different in Nature, and form; and continuing ſo by the Law which the God of nature hath eſtabliſhed amongſt thoſe unreaſonable Creatures, which withholds them from mixing themſelves with thoſe of another Kind, with which notwithſtanding they converſe daily.
In the Execution of this Decree, we ſee, as we have done in the decrees paſſed before, the Event anſwerable to it every way. In the relation whereof, the Holy Ghoſt, omitting the reſt, ſingles out one moſt remarkable above them all for the huge bulk of the body, and may thereby give us occaſion to,
1. Obſerve, The Eminency of any Creature ought eſpecially to be obſerved for the magnifying of the Work of the Creator.
Obſerv. 1 SO God Himſelf ſets out unto Job his Greatneſſe and Almighty Power, by reckoning up the moſt eminent of his Creatures, ſetting out Leviathan and Behemoth, by the vaſtneſſe and huge bulk of their bodies, the Horſe by his Conrage, the Peacock and Oſtritch by the beauty of their Feathers; the Lion, and the Unicorn, and the like, by their ſeveral eminencies, that Himſelf the Creator of them might be the more admired in them.
This is now the Second time that we find the greatneſſe of the Creature mentioned. Before we had Great Lights, now we have Great Whales: But in the Creation of Man, we have him (though the moſt excellent of all Gods viſible works) marked onelyonly by this. That he was Created after Gods Image. VVhence,
2. Obſerve, Many other Creatures excell and go beyond man in outward things.
Obſerv. 2 THe Heavens, and Stars, go beyond him in brightneſſe; both they, the Earth, Seas, Mountains, and divers other Creatures in Bigneſſe: The Lion in fierceneſſe of Courage; the Horſe, Oxe, and divers other Creatures, in Strength; ſome one Creature or other in every ſenſe; The Birds in Swiftneſſe, the very Flowers in Beauty.
Let not the ſtrong man glory in his ſtrength; how many Creatures excell all men that way? Nor the rich man in his wealth; the Earth is richer then all the Princes of the world. Nor the fair in their beauty, and the like; neither let any man delight in, or affect any of theſe; Jer. 9.23. Only wiſdom is that by which man excells all creatures, Job 35.11. and Holineſſe and Righteouſneſſe, that by which one man excells another, Pſal. 16.3. Prov. 12.26. Let only theſe be our deſire and delight.
God, who had appointed birds to flye in the open Firmament, withall mentions their wings, wherewith they flye, in the deſcription of their Creation. The fiſhes that are appointed to move ſwiftly, or ſlide through the waters, are furniſhed with finnes, which are unto them inſtead of wings, by which they move ſwiftly in the waters, as the Birds do in the Ayr, although they be not expreſly mentioned, in this place; as the wings of the Fowles are. VVhence,
3. Obſerve, God furniſheth every Creature with Parts, and Abilities, needful for the Nature of it, and uſe, to which he hath aſsigned it.
Obſerv. 3 THis truth experience makes evident to us in the ſurview of every Creature, but is moſt clearly diſcovered, if we duly weigh the compoſition of mans body, with the infinite variety of the Parts thereof, and correſpondence of every part, to the ſeveral faculties of the Soul, for the Uſe and Service whereof they were Ordained, which hath moved even Heathen men to admire at the Power, Wiſdom, and Goodneſſe of the Creator.
We need not doubt then, but that the ſame God, who hath manifeſted ſo much Wiſdom, and Goodneſſe, in furniſhing the natural bodies, not only of Men, but of all Creatures, will much more take care, that the Church, the myſtical Body of his own Son, may be fully ſupplyed in every part thereof, according to the effectual working of the Meaſure in every Part, Epheſ. 4.16. He that hath given wings to the Birds, to ſport themſelves withall, in the Ayr, will not deny means to the Soul of man to raiſe up it ſelf from Earth to Heaven, to enjoy God, and have the converſation of it in Heaven: Till Bodies and Soules be carried up thither to be ever with the Lord, 1 Theſſ. 4.17.
VVhat was the Matter, of which the Bodies of the Fiſhes and Fowles are compoſed, is not expreſſed; whatſoever it was, conſidering the infinite variety of Plants, and Herbs, wherewith the Earth was furniſhed in the former dayes work; and here, of Fiſhes, and Fowles; and in the next day following, of Beaſts and Men, all drawn out of the ſame Principles of Compoſition; the wonderful Power of God muſt be looked upon, with aſtoniſhment, who drawes ſuch infinite variety, and diverſity of Creatures, of ſeverall Kinds, Shapes, and Natures, out of the ſame materials. VVhence,
4. Obſerve, God can, and doth, out of the ſame maſſe draw out infinite variety of ſeverall ſhapes and natures.
Obſerv. 4 OF this truth, again, all the works of God yield abundant and manifeſt proofs, not only in their firſt Creation, but in the conſtant courſe of Propagation of the Creatures. The ſame matter in the framing of mans body yields ſtrange variety of the Parts and members of the body, diverſified in ſhape, nature, and uſe, conſiſting each of them of many diſſimilar parts. And in the ſuſtentation and nouriſhment of it; the bread yields blood, ſpirits, fleſh, veins, ſinews, skin and bones. Men indeed can make out of the ſame Timber, Iron, Stone, or Clay, divers veſſels or Inſtruments diſtinguiſhed in form and uſe: But, out of the ſame Subſtance, to draw out ſo many different natures, can be the effect of none other but a Divine power.
All thoſe works, even the Fiſhes of the Sea, and Fowles of the Ayr, God after he had made them, he looks back upon, and pronounceth this cenſure of them all, That they were Good. Now out of this regard that he had to the works of his hands, we may
5. Obſerve, God reſpects, and takes ſpecial notice of all, even the meaneſt of the works that he hath made.
Obſerv. 5 Ravens, Sparrowes, the very graſſe, that is to day, and to morrow is caſt into the oven, Matth. 6.30. to ſupport, feed, and direct, and order them according to his Will; and this he doth, 1. Out of his Goodneſſe and Faithfulneſſe, for he is a faithful Creator, 1 Pet. 4.19. 2. And withall out of Neceſſity, leaſt otherwiſe he ſhould have Created them in vain, ſeeing they muſt needs periſh, and come to nothing, if they be not ſupported by his hand.
1. Let the meaneſt, and thoſe which are neglected and deſpiſed by men, depend upon his care and Providence; the Children of the needy, whom Chriſt ſhall Judge and Save, Pſal. 72.4. The hungry, Priſners, Blind, Bowed down, the Fatherleſſe and Widdows, Pſal. 146.7, 8, 9. Whom God takes care of, relieves, contends for; and ſometimes from the dunghill advanceth to high places, Pſal. 113.7, 8. Much more thoſe that he hath choſen, to be partakers of his Glory hereafter, even poor Lazarus himſelf, Luke 16.22.
2. Stoop to the poore, and ſuch as are deſpiſed of men: Oppreſſe them not, Prov. 22.22. Job 31.13.21. Contend for them, Job 29.12. Cheriſh them, Iſa. 58.7. Conſider them every way, Pſal. 16.1. Remembring that they are ſuch as God Himſelf careth for, that they bear his Image, and are abaſed by the ſame God, who hath advanced us, may perhaps be higher in Gods eſteem, richer in Grace at preſent, and our Companions and equalls in Glory with Chriſt for ever hereafter.
All theſe Creatures that he had made, God doth not onelyonly look upon after he had made them, but beſides approves and ſees them even the meaneſt of them to be good. Whence,
6. Obſerve, Even the meaneſt of the Creatures, that God hath made, are Good.
Obſerv. 6 NOt onelyonly in their Being, but beſides in relation to God, as they ſerve to advance his Glory, as being the effects of his VVonderfull Power, VViſdom, and Goodneſſe, which are manifeſted in them, ſo that all his works praiſe him, Pſal. 145.10.2. In themſelves as they are all of them perfect in their kind. 3. In relation to the reſt of the Creatures unto which they are profitable and ſerve for ſome uſe or other, eſpecially unto men which if we diſcern not, we muſt impute to our Ignorance; and if, inſteed of uſefull Inſtruments, they prove dangerous or hurtfull unto us, we muſt lay the blame upon nothing but our ſin.
Let us herein ſet Gods VVorks before us for our pattern, let us put our hand to nothing, but that which may find and approve and delight in as good; ſuch let all our thoughts, our words, & works be, yea even our very ſports & paſtimes, all of them ordered by a right rule, and directed to ſome profitable end, for the good both of our ſelves and others, eſpecially ſeeing, we know we muſt paſſe an account of them before God hereafter.
The laſt Conſiderable circumſtance in the Creation of Fiſhes and Fowls, is his bleſſing for increaſe and propagation; wherein may be conſidered, both the bleſſing it ſelf in their increaſe and multyplying all of them in their ſeverall kinds, and the meaſure of it, till they filled the Sea.