Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 7
VERSE 7.
FOrmed the Man] Or Faſhioned, or (as the Prophet David ſpeaks, pointing at our natural generation, Pſal. 139.15, 16.) wrought curiouſly: now in relation to this Forming, it is that God is called our Potter Iſa. 64.8.
Of the duſt of the ground] Or Clay, as it is termed, Iſa. 64.8. But duſt ſeemes to be a name that more ſignificantly expreſſeth both the baſe Matter of our bodies, and the Power of him that faſhioned them into ſo excellent a form, of a matter baſer and more unapt to be brought into faſhion then clay it ſelf; not onelyonly Earth, but Earth that had no coherence or Conſiſtence, apt to be ſcattered by every puff of wind. This name is commonly uſed to expreſſe our baſeneſſe, as Gen. 3.19. and 16.27. Now that clauſe (of the duſt of the ground) is more ſignificant, then if he had ſaid; Out of the duſt of the ground, for that had onelyonly expreſſed, Of what matter he was made, but this expreſſeth What he was made, even duſt faſhioned into the form of a man; ſo that he is ſtill Duſt as God termes him, Gen. 3.19. and Solomon, Eccl. 12.7.
Breathed] Immediately from himſelf, or Secretly.
Breath] Or Spirit, becauſe the Soul's reſidence in the body is manifeſted by breathing, which we know never ceaſeth till the Soul depart out of the body. Now ſome obſerve that the word here uſed, which is Neſhemah, is never applyed, but to ſignifie either the Spirit of God or the ſoule of man.
Of life] Or lives, as it is ſignificantly expreſſed in the Originall by the plurall number, to expreſſe the ſeverall faculties, and Operations of life, exerciſed by the ſoul, in Vegetation, Senſe, and Reaſon, and the reſt of the abilities ſubordinate thereunto, which are ſo far diverſified in the natures of them, that although they proceed from one fountain, yet they ſeem to be as ſo many ſeverall ſoules, by the diverſity of their operations, and by ſome have been conceived to be ſo indeed.
And man became] that is, this body formed of the duſt into the ſhape of a man, and the ſoul breathed into it by God, became one perſon, and being truly and really joyned togther, the man conſiſting of them, was a living Soul, that is, (as ſoul is often taken in Scripture) a living perſon.
A living Soul] Living a natural life, exerciſed in vegetation, Senſe, and Reaſon. Otherwiſe in reſpect of Spiritual life the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 15.45. oppoſeth the firſt Adam to the ſecond; and a living ſoul to a quickning ſpirit, implying that man received now only a Naturall life, but obtaines his Spirituall life only by Chriſt.
1. Obſerve, The Subſtance of mans body is exceeding baſe and vile.
Obſerv. 1 AS is clearly manifeſted, both in the Original and Diſſolution of it. Duſt at firſt, or more vile then duſt, and duſt at laſt, yea Dirr at preſent, termed an houſe of clay, Job. 4.19. Comely indeed without, but full of filthineſſe within: breeding and caſting out corruption every day, maintained by as baſe meanes as it ſelf is; Bread out of the Earth and fleſh of ſuch Creatures, as in a few hours would turn into ſtincking carrion; and cloathed with Skins or Excrements of Beaſts and worms, or Linnen out of the Earth as vile as either.
Let no fleſh glory in beauty which is Vanity, Prov. 31.30. Or eſteem the man whoſe breath is in his noſtrils, Iſa. 2.22. Or delight in making proviſion for the fleſh; but firſt long after that eſtate wherein the Corruptible and Earthly bodies, ſhall be made Heavenly and Spiritual, and in the mean time labour to beautifie the hidden man of the heart, which God ſets much by, Pet. 3.3, 4. labouring to adorn it with grace, and to cloath it with Chriſts Righteouſneſs.
This duſt as baſe, as it was God wrought curiouſly into the ſhape and form of a Man. Whence.
2. Obſerv. How baſe ſoever the matter of mans body is, yet God hath framed it into a curious and excellent piece of work.
Obſerv. 2 JOb tells us that, not only Gods Hand made him, and faſhioned him round about, Job. 10.8. But farther, that he Cloathed, that is, covered and adorned him with fleſh and skin, after he had faſhioned and finiſhed the firm frame of his body, of bones and ſinewes; Ver. 11. The Truth is, that of all viſible Creatures there is none that in any ſort equals man, in the curious compoſition of his body, whether we look upon the Beauty and Majeſty of his Perſon, or take notice of the Variety, Nature, and Uſe of his ſeverall parts, with their compoſition and framing of them together in a wonderfull order and correſpondence one to another, which even heathen Men behold with admiration of the Wiſdom, Goodneſſe, and Power of Him that made them.
2. Let it aſſure us of Gods provident care, for the ſuſtaining and ſupporting of a work on which he beſtowed ſo much Art in framing and compoſing it; eſpecially ſince we know him to be a faithful Creator, who neglects nothing that he hath made.
2. Let us honour the Lord even with thoſe bodies of ours, on which he beſtowed ſo much workmanſhip poſſeſſing our veſſells in holineſſe, and glorying neither in our ſtrength, nor beauty, but in him alone that made us for his own honour and ſervice.
Now after God had thus curiouſly framed mans body, he became not a living ſoul untill he himſelf breathed into him the breath of Life. Whence.
3. Obſerve. The ſoul of Man by which he lives, comes Immediately from God Himſelf.
Obſerv. 3 SO Solomon tells us that God gave the Soul, Eccle. 12.7. or, made it, as it is expreſſed, Jeremy 38.16. And whereas the Body is ſupported by Meanes, and the help of the Creatures: the Soul is ſupported without meanes, by the immediate Hand and Power of God Himſelfe. And comming Immediately from God, carries the moſt lively Reſemblance of his Image, as we have ſeen already.
1. Let our ſoules ſeek unto him, who gave them, and ſerve him, as we are directed, 1 Cor. 6.20. 1. Praiſing him with all that is within us, Pſalme 103.1. 2. Submitting all the Abilities of our ſouls to be guided by his Spirit, that we may be led by it and walk in it. 3. And labouring with all our endeavours to lay hold on Heavenly things, whence we had our Originall, forgetting the things that are here below, Col. 3.1.
2. Lay hold on this as a ground of ſpecial Comfort: that which God hath given more immediately, he will certainly moſt carefully preſerve and provide for, as it appears he hath done, by redeeming the ſoul from hell, and purging it from ſin by the blood of his own Son, and adorning it with the graces of his Spirit, and reſerving it hereafter to enjoy his preſence, and there to be ſatisfied with his Image.
The manner of Gods uniting the ſoul unto the body, the Holy Ghoſt expreſſeth by the phraſe of breathing, which beſides that it points at the ſecret way of infuſing the ſoul (as Elihu teſtifies, that the Breath of the Almighty gave him life, Job. 33.4.) withall may imply the weak band of Conjunction of the ſoul unto the body, ſo often mentioned in Scripture, that our breath is in our Noſtrils. Whence,
4. Obſerve, The life of Man conſiſting in the union of the Soul with the body hath but a very weak foundation.
Obſerv. 4 THough the ſoul it ſelf be of a durable ſubſtance, ordained by God unto Eternity, yet it dwells in an houſe of Clay, founded in the duſt, ſupported by meanes which periſh with the uſing, and the breath which ſoders both together is in the noſtrils, Iſa. 20.22. to be blown out at one puff, which when it is gone, they turn to their duſt again, Pſal. 104.29.
Let it move us in the whole courſe of our lives, to paſſe the time of our dwelling here in fear, having alwaies our Lamps burning, and our loynes girt, Luk. 12.35. ready to remove hence whenſoever God ſhall call us. 2. Ceaſing our immoderate care for outward things, Luke 12.20. Which are in themſelves of ſhort continuance, and from which we may be taken we know not how ſoon. 3. And endeavouring to make ſure of a ſtate of continuance, a Life that is hid with Chriſt in God. 4. Forbearing any dependance upon, or fear of men, as we are adviſed, Pſal. 146.3, 4. Who cannot long continue to do us either good or evil.
The body of man, which God had framed of the duſt was in it ſelf but a lump of Earth …, becauſe though it had the ſhape of a man, yet it wanted life, but when God had breathed into it that breath of life, then man became a living ſoul, and not before. Whence,
5. Obſerve, The life of man is only by his Soul.
Obſerv. 5 THe Breath of the Almighty, that is, the ſoul inſpired by him, is that which gives us life, ar Elihu ſpeaks of himſelf, Job. 44.4. Wherefore in many places of Scripture we find Life and Soul put one for another, as Gen, 19.17. That which we render life is Soul in the Original; upon the ſame ground, a Living perſon is frequently in Scripture called a ſoul, becauſe every man lives wholly by his Soul.
Let every mans Soul be his chiefeſt care, by which we live at preſent, and in which we live Eternally, get it clearſed by Chriſts Blood, renewed by his Spirit, beautified and adorned by his Graces, and aſſured of enjoying his Glory unto the hope whereof we are called.
But Beaſts we know have ſouls as well as Men; Yea, and their ſoules are called ſpirits too, Eccl. 3.21. yet beaſts are no where termed living ſoules, as men are. Partly, becauſe beaſts have a life of a lower and baſer Condition, as being wholly drowned in the groſſe matter of the body, and exerciſed about that alone; and partly, becauſe their ſoul dyes together with their body, and goes downwards as Solomon ſpeaks, Eccl. 3.21. that is, periſheth as the body doth which turns to the Earth. Whence,
6. Obſerve, There is none worthy the name of a Living ſoul, but he only that lives by a Reaſonable Soul.
Obſerv. 6 NOw amongſt them, whereas men by nature have reaſonable ſouls, yet that being ſo Corrupted that their Reaſon ſerves them to no other uſe, then to guide them according to ſenſe; howſoever, amongſt men they are accounted living ſoules, the Spirit of God eſteems them amongſt bruit beaſts, Jude 10. Dead while they live, 1 Tim. 5.6. Living indeed a Natural life, but Spiritually dead, as being cut off from Chriſt who is the fountain of true life; yea, twice dead and plucked up by the roots, Jude 12. as being guided and carried on only by ſenſual luſts and deſires, after the manner of a beaſt.
Let it then be every mans care and endeavour to live as a man, that is as one Created after Gods Image, whoſe ſoul and the motions thereof aſcend upwards, and not downwards to the things below, Col. 3.2. and therefore unworthy to be embraced by the Soul which is from above, leſt the man dye while he lives, and that not only for the preſent, but for ever.