Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 9 – Verse 11
VERSE. 9.
ANd God ſaid] After he had diſpoſed the waters above the Firmament, he now takes order with thoſe which are here below, gathering them into one place, within their Channels; for the cauſe afterward expreſſed. Some there are that imagine, the work of gathering the water into their channels, and diſcovering the dry land thereby, to be a part of the work of the Second day: As well, becauſe they conceive it likely, that when God began to diſpoſe of the waters, he made an end of that whole work at once, and did it not by halves, part on one day, and part on next: As alſo becauſe that, unleſſe theſe two verſes be taken into the hiſtory of the ſecond daies work; the work of that day wants Gods Approbation, which we find annexed, to the works of all the other daies, both before and after, And beſides, if we make theſe two verſes part of the deſcription of the third daies work, we have a double approbation of the work of that day, which we find in none of the reſt: although there ſeeme to be as great, or a greater occaſion, of doubling that approbation uppon the ſixth daies work, than there is here. But whether upon theſe conjectures it be fit to allow an inverſion of the order of the Text; (although upon manifeſt, and undeniable reaſons, we are inforced to do it in ſome other places) let the Reader judge: Few Interpreters follow this opinion.
Let the Waters be gathered] Which before covered the face of the earth, as by nature they ſhould, ſeeing the earth being heavier then the waters, muſt neceſſarily ſink into them, and ſo be covered by them. How they were gathered into one place it is needleſſe to diſpute. He that was able to make them, by his Word, could more eaſily gather them together, by the ſame word. Many conceive this work to be deſcribed, Pſal. 104.7.8.
Into one place] Called One place comparatively, becauſe before God thus gathered the waters into the Sea, they covered every place. Although (if we ſet aſide the rivers, and lakes, which are ſcarce worth the naming, in compariſon of the Ocean) the Sea may juſtly be accounted but one great body, branched out into divers limbs: ſo the place or Channel thereof, may not improperly be ſaid to be One, although the bounds thereof be extended as far as the world is wide in compaſſe.
And let the dry land appear] That was indeed the Principal, although not the ſole end of gathering the waters together; without which, the earth could not be made habitable, either for man, or beaſt, or yield any fit nouriſhment or food, for either the one, or the other.
Thus we ſee the waters are put from the place which they poſſeſſed before, at the Lords Commandement, for the furthering of the common good; and brought down into their Channels, the place whereunto God had confined them, there to abide, and continue, as they do unto this day, according to Gods Decree. VVhence,
1. Obſerve, It is the Will of God that all Creatures ſhall depart from their own Private, for a Common good.
Obſerv. 1 THus we ſee, he hath made the waters to leave their place, that the Earth might be dry, and habitable; and cauſeth the Ayre to come down, and fill up the hollow places of it; for preventing of vacuity and emptineſſe. And that which he hath ordered and appointed, concerning theſe baſer, and unſenſible Creatures: he hath commanded thoſe which are reaſonable, voluntarily to yield unto. The very Angels themſelves, the glory of all Gods works, come, down from heaven, their habitation, and are contented, for a time, to want the Viſion of God: that they may become Miniſtring Spirits, for the good of the Elect, Heb. 1.14. No marvail then, if God require his Children, to condeſcend to thoſe of the lower ſort, Rom. 12.16. not ſeeking their own profit, but the profit of many, 1 Cor. 20.33. And though they be free, yet becoming ſervants unto all, 1 Cor. 19.19. after our Saviour Chriſt's example, Phil. 2.4.
Reaſon 1. No Creature hath any wrong by it, ſeeing it enjoyes nothing, in its own right; but hath all by Gods free gift, who therefore hath juſt right, to appoint the employment of that, which himſelf hath freely beſtowed.
2. All Creatures were ordained, not for themſelves, but for Gods honour, and for their mutuall ſupport, for the preſervation of Community. So that in forgoing their own, for a common good, they are carried on unto their proper end; for which they were at the firſt Created.
3. The applying of our ſelves to further a Common Good, is our greateſt Honour, profit, and ſafety: and certainly recompenced with a large reward from God, who failes not to make up our loſſes, which we freely make for his ſervice, in furthering the common good, with a larger proportion of gain, uſually at preſent, but undoubtedly hereafter, according to his own promiſe, Matth. 19.29.
Let no man have reſpect to his own Right, or Honour, or Profit, in any eaſe, wherein God requires any ſervice for himſelf, or for his Church, after the example of Jothans Trees, Judg. 9.9.11.13. VVhichWhich 1. ſavours ſtrongly of Self-love, which is alwaies joyned with an unloving heart towards others. 2. Argues great unthankfulneſſe, and diſobedience unto God; when a man denies himſelf, or his eſtate, or abilities to him that gave them, and is ſtill Lord of us, and of whatſoever we have. 3. And diſcovers a diſtruſtful heart, as queſtioning either Gods VVill, or Ability, to recompence his ſervice, wherein we wrong God in an high degree who will be no mans debter.
It was no ſooner ſpoken, but it was done, and that with ſpeed: when God had ſpoken, the waters fled, they haſted away; as the Pſalmiſt repreſents unto us, the effect of this Decree of God, Pſal. 104.7. So his Word, that had created the waters, prevailed upon them, to carry them ſpeedily to their places, and to ſettle them there. Whence.
2. Obſerve, All the Creatures in the World, obey the voice of God.
Obſerv. 2 SEe, Pſal. 148.6.8. That prevailed upon the waters, to gather them together, into their Channels, Pſal. 104.7, 8. and to ſhut them up there, Job. 37.8. as in Store-houſes, Pſal. 33.7. At it the earth melts, Pſal. 46.6. And the foundation of it are diſcovered, Pſal. 18.15. The Sunne ſtaies its courſe, and ſtands ſtill, Joſh. 10.13. Nay turnes back again, 2 King. 20.11. The winds ceaſe and are ſtill, Matth. 8.27. Yea the hearts of the moſt rebellious ſtoop, and are calmed, and their rage is pacified, Gen. 31.29.
Reaſon 1. Why ſhould not that voice command them, which made them, at firſt; and limit their motions, which gave them their being.
2. Otherwiſe it were impoſſible for God, to do all things, according to the counſell of his own Heart, and conſequently to govern the world in righteouſneſſe, if he had made Creatures which he could not rule.
Let all Creatures then tremble at his Power, whom the very winds and Seas obey, Matth. 8.27. Jer. 5.22. Whereof all the Monarchs on the Earth, are not able to ſtay one wave or blaſt. And let all his Saints truſt in him, even in the greateſt extremities, with the Church, Pſal. 46.2. That God who can command the Earth, the Seas, Winds, and Heavens, can ſtill the tumults, and ragings of the people; nay of the moſt bloody Tyrants, Pſal. 65.7. and will not fail to do it, for the good and ſafety of his Servants.
The end why the waters were thus gathered together, and confined to their Channels; was eſpecially that the dry land might appear, without which, there could not have been either food or habitation for men, or beaſts, nor place for any herb, or plant to grow on: which quickly appeared, when God let looſe the waters, and overwhelmed the Earth by them, in the general deluge. So the appearing of the dry land, and making it habitable, by the gathering together of the waters, was none of the leaſt of Gods Mercies. VVhence,
3. Obſerve, It is onelyonly Gods Powerfull reſtraint of the Seas, and Waters, that makes the earth habitable for man and Beaſt.
Obſerv. 3 THe Flood of Noah is a ſufficient evidence of this Truth, which is likewiſe often manifeſted by ſmaller inundations ſince, which have deprived many people of their dwellings, and not a few of their lives.
Let all men lay it to heart, and bleſſe the Authour of this great Mercy, when they look upon the firm foundation of their houſes, the fruites of their grounds, the encreaſe of their cattell; when they enjoy the Ayre to breath in, the dry ground to walk on, and the ſeas to trade in; and do their buſineſſe there. And let men walk in fear before that Mighty God, who more eaſily might let looſe the Sea, then keep it in, within thoſe weak bounds that he hath ſet it, Jer. 5.22. and thereby choak all fleſh in an inſtant.
But it may be queſtioned, why God did not take away the waters, as well as he gathered them into their Channels; ſeeing the Earth had thereby been much inlarged. And it cannot be doubted but he had ſo done if he had found it good, either for his own Honour, or for the benefit of the Creature. VVhence,
4. Obſerve, Even the Huge and vaſt Seas are the Creatures of God, and ordained for ſpecial uſe unto Man.
Obſerv. 4 FIrſt to fill the hearts of men, with the fear of that great God, by beholding ſo vaſt, and mighty a Creature, ruled and ordered by his power, and kept within the bounds, which he hath appointed for it. 2. By obſerving, that by it way is made, to the diſcovering of the large Circuite of the Earth, which God hath given to the ſons of Men for their habitation, with the variety of the Creature's ſeveral kinds, wherewith it is furniſhed; diſcovered only by Navigation, and unknown in a great part, in former ages, wherein that art was imperfect, whereby the world being in a great part unknown, was conceived to be much leſſe uſefull for habitation, then we now find it to be. Secondly, for the uſe of mans life it is beneficial, 1. By furniſhing them with more plentiful proviſion of food, by the infinite ſtore, and variety of fiſhes that are bred therein. 2. By affording the means of entercourſe, between Nation and Nation, and thereby, in ſome meaſure, uniting the far diſtant parts of the earth, and making way for the diſperſing of thoſe various commodities, in which ſome Countries abound, when others want them; ſo that by this means, all the fruits, which the earth produceth, are communicated to every part of it.
VERSE 10.
ANd God called the dry Land, Earth] The word Eretz in the Original, (to which our Engliſh, Earth, comes very near; and the Radical letters whereof, both the Latine, and ſome other Languages ſeem to retain) whether it be derived from Rutz, which ſignifies to Run; or [Ratſats] which is to wear, or preſſe down (both which ſeem to point at either the Firmneſſe of the Earth, which yeelds ſure footing, to the Creatures that run and tread upon it: Or, at the Scituation of it, which by its own weight is preſſed down into the loweſt place, the other Elements of Ayr and Fire (if there be any ſuch) circuiting and being carried about it in a perpetual motion) comprehends the whole body of the dry land: ſo that it ſeems to be more general then (Tebel) which ſignifies only the habitable earth.
Seas] Or, Waters; called Seas by a kind of Eminency, becauſe all the waters, to ſpeak of, are contained in the Seas. And God terms them Seas, in the Plural number, becauſe that collection of waters hath many parts, and branches. This name of Sea, we find alſo given to Lakes: as the Lake of Geneſaret, is alſo called the Sea of Galilee, Matth. 4.18. nay, to Solomons huge braſen veſſel, which he made for the Prieſts to waſh themſelves in, 1 King. 7.23.
This ſeparation of the VVaters from the Earth, and the diſcovery of the dry land, by gathering them together into one place, God Looks upon and Approves as good, as he had done the Light before; and doth the reſt of his works in particular afterwards, and all of them taken together, when he had ended them, verſ. 31. Out of which particular view and approbation of every work apart, we may
Obſerve, The goodneſſe of every Creature of God, ought to be conſidered, and obſerved, in Particular.
Obſerv. THe Earth, Seas, Ayr, Heaven, Sun, Moon, Stars, Fowles, Fiſhes, Beaſts, Man, his Soul, his Body, and every Faculty of the one, and Part of the other, that we may be wholly ſwallowed up with admiration, and may cry out with the Pſalmiſt, How manifold are thy Works, O Lord? in wiſdom haſt thou made them all, Pſal. 104.24. Thus God having firſt given Job a view of the world in general, takes him (as it were) by the hand, and leads him to the Obſervation, and Conſideration of divers Creatures in particular, Job 38. ver. 39, 40, & 41. Now if the Queen of Sheba were ſo much aſtoniſhed, when ſhe beheld, and took a particular ſurview of the order of Solomon's hovſe, the meat at his Table, ſitting of his ſervants, attendance of his Miniſters, 1 King. 10.5. what impreſſion ought the conſideration of the infinite multitude, and various kinds of the Creatures, all ſupplyed out of Gods own ſtore, and directed, and ordered by his VViſdome, to make upon our hearts?
VERSE 11.
LEt the earth bring forth] He means Preſently, as he doth in all the reſt of his Commands, in his Chapter, (for God will not endure that the earth ſhould be barren for a moment) and withal Conſtantly, not only for the preſent time, but for continuance, in all times to come. Now we know the earth yeelds nothing, but the Matter of the herbs and plants. The ſeveral forms and ſhapes of them, eſpecially their life, is from God, who makes the graſſe to grow upon the Mountains, Pſal. 104.14.
Graſſe] Or, Tender graſſe; a name which ſome conceive ſignifies only ſuch herbs as grow of themſelves, without ſeed: and then we have here mentioned two ſorts of herbs, ſome that ſpring up of themſelves, and others that grow of ſeed which is ſowen.
Herb yielding ſeed] By which, when it decayes it ſelf, yet the Kind of it might be renewed and continued, thoſe are herbs that ſpring not of themſelves, but grow only out of ſeed; otherwiſe there is neither herb, nor plant, but either bears ſome ſeed, or hath at leaſt a propagative root, which is inſtead of ſeed by which it is or may be encreaſed and multiplyed in the kind thereof, as experience ſhewes.
And fruit Trees] And all trees have ſome fruit, or ſomething anſwerable to it, by which they propagate themſelves; as appears in thoſe that ſeem leaſt fruitful, as Elms, Populars, and the like. Some think that poyſonous herbs, and briars, and thornes, were not within the compaſſe of this Decree, but were the effects of Gods curſe on the earth, for mans ſin, Gen. 3.18. Although others, more probably, conceive, that even all theſe were created at the firſt, and became hurtful only by the curſe of God upon man for ſin; as it happened in beaſts, which were all made in the beginning, but for mans ſin, of uſeful and profitable ſervants, divers of them were made untractable and dangerous enemies.
After his kind] That is, according to the nature of the plant on which it growes. A matter worth our admiration, that Trees and Herbs ſhould produce (as we ſee they do) every one of them their proper ſeed, nothing like unto the plant it ſelf, on which it growes, and yet infallibly, out of it ſelf produceth ſuch another body, of an herb, or plant, as it ſelf grew upon.
Whoſe ſeed is in it ſelf] Not received from another, as it is uſual in Animals, which are propagated by the mixture of ſexes, whereof one receives ſeed from the other, as we ſee by experience.
And it was ſo] Not only at preſent (for the earth was preſently cloathed with all variety of herbs, and plants) but continues ſo, untill this day, according to the ſame Ordinance and Decree of God, and ſhall do to the worlds end.