Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 8
VERSE. 8.
VVHat right God had to diſpoſe both of Man and of all the reſt of the Creatures, as being all of them the Works of his Own Hands, we have ſeen already; He that gave them their Being when they were not, and ſtill ſupports them now they are, hath undoubtedly juſt right to Order them according to his own Will.
Now how God Diſpoſed of the Man that he had made, what laws he gives him, and how far he limits him in the uſe of the Creatures, the Holy Ghoſt relates to the end of the ſeventeenth Verſe of this Chapter; in which we have laid before us Gods Direction: Firſt, for mans Employment. Secondly, for the Uſe of thoſe Creatures which he allowes him.
In the Law given to Man for his Employment are expreſſed,
1. The place where he was to reſide and exerciſe himſelf: Paradiſe, a Garden of Pleaſures.
2. The Employment it ſelf; which was to Dreſſe and Keep it.
In the Deſcription of the Place where the Man was to reſide and be employed, are ſet before us:
1. The Lord of it, God Himſelf, who planted it with his Own Hand.
2. The Nature or Kind of it; it was a Garden.
3. The Situation of it; it lay Eaſtward.
4. The Furniture or Store of the Garden.
1. In General; it was furniſhed with all ſorts of Plants both for Uſe and Delights.
2. In Particular; It had in it Two Trees appointed to a Spiritual Uſe.
5. The Commodious Situation of the Garden, both for Fruitfulneſſe and Delight, by the benefit of the River that iſſued out of it.
6. The Aſſigning over of the Garden to the Man.
1. Of the Place, for them to dwell in.
2. Of the Fruits, to feed on.
Planted] Or rather, Had planted, namely, on the Third Day, wherein God had Created the reſt of the Herbs and Plants, he ſtored this place, which he intended to appoint the man to dwell in, above the reſt of the Earth, and furniſhed it in an eſpecial manner above other places with ſuch variety of Fruits, and in ſuch an Order as Orchards and Gardens are ſtored and furniſhed, which are planted by mans Art, but with ſuch exactneſſe, and abundant ſufficiency of all things as became the Workman that planted it, and was anſwerable to the end for which it was prepared, to ſatisfie man, beſides ſufficiency for Neceſſary uſe, with all variety for pleaſure and delight.
A Garden] Called therefore the Garden of God, Gen. 13.10. Or, Paradiſe, as the Greeks call it uſually in their Language, which ſignifies a place of delights and pleaſures: This place is a Type of the Church called, A Garden incloſed, Cant. 4.12: and a Figure of Heaven, where are Rivers of pleaſures, which is called by that name, Luk. 23.43. 2 Cor. 12.4. This Garden was doubtleſſe a large Circuit of ground, as appears by the greatneſſe of the River that watered it, and the variety of Fruits of all kinds with which it was furniſhed. Now whether this were a Garden incloſed (which is moſt probable (or how and wherewith it was fenced out from the reſt of the Earth, it is not expreſſed.
Eaſtward] From Canaan, as ſome ſay; or as others, from the Wilderneſſe, where they conceive Moſes wrote this Hiſtory; or, in the Eaſt part of the World, as a third ſort imagine. And if we interpret it in the Eaſt part of Eden, there is nothing againſt it in the letter of the Text, and following that interpretation we have here pointed out to us, not onelyonly the countrey it ſelf; but withal, the particular part of that Countrey, in which Paradiſe was ſeated. Howſoever the opinion of thoſe that think that Paradiſe, took in the Circuite of the whole world, can neither ſtand with this deſcription of the Situation thereof, nor with the relation of Adams expulſion out of it afterwards, to dwell in other parts of the world.
Eden] Is the name of the Countrey mentioned, Iſa. 37.12. Ezch, 27. And ſignifieth pleaſure, both in the Greek and Hebrew tongues; given unto that Tract of ground, for the fruitfulneſſe and delightſomneſs thereof, unto which the Prophet ſeems to allude, Iſa. 51.3.
There he put the man] Or, appointed him to dwell and continue, as in the place aſſigned unto him by God for that purpoſe. Now whether Adam were made, out of the Garden, (which opinion, ſeems to be favoured by that clauſe in his expulſion, that he ſhould go till the ground out of which he was taken) and ſo was brought into it afterwards, or whether he were made in the Garden; this phraſe (of putting) doth not clearly determine, which implyes no more but that God ſettled, or appointed him to Abide there: whether by continuing where he was, or by removing him thither from another place, it is not determined by this expreſſion. This onelyonly ſeems probable, that God gave man a dwelling apart from the beaſts, to intimate unto him the difference that he put between him and them, and to mind him of that more excellent condition, unto the hope whereof he was reſerved, wherein they ſhould have nothing common with him.
It is not in vain, certainly that the Holy Ghoſt in ſo brief an Hiſtory, deſcribes with ſuch variety of Circumſtances, the pleaſantneſſe and rich furniture of this Garden, which he prepared for mans dwelling. It may be, to manifeſt the bounty of God to man every way, that we might the more clearly diſcover both the malice of Satan in traducing him to our firſt Parents, as if he had envied unto man that happineſſe unto which he might have advanced him; And withal their folly and impiety in hearkning to his ſuggeſtion, againſt ſo many clear evidences to the Contrary. Whatſoever was the Scope of the Spirit of God herein, we cannot but take notice in the firſt place, that this pleaſantneſſe and fruitfullneſſe of Paradiſe above any other part of the Earth, was from God Himſelf, who is ſaid to plant it and make it ſo. Whence,
1. Obſerv. The ſruitfulneſſe of one part of the Earth above another is from God alone, and meerly and onelyonly by his Bleſſing.
Obſerv. 1 IT is onelyonly his Bleſſing that made Iſaacs ground yield him an hundred fold, Gen. 26.12. An unuſuall proportion, and queſtionleſſe, far greater then the grounds adjoyning yeilded unto others at the ſame time; And the flowing of the Land of Canaan with milk and honey, was, becauſe God cared for it in an eſpeciall manner, Deut. 11.12. Who by his bleſſing makes a barrain Wilderneſſe yield Corn and VVine and fruites of increaſe, and by his Curſe makes a fruitfull Land barrain, Pſalme 107.34, 37, 38.
If any man then be ſeated in a pleaſant and fruitfull place, if his grounds be fruitfull and yeild their increaſe above other mens; Let him acknowledge it as a peculiar bleſſing of God upon him above others; honouring him with the fat of the Earth, and firſt of our increaſe, as giving unto him of his own, 1 Chron. 29.14. and engaging him thereby, to continue and multiply his bleſſings upon us above meaſure, Prov. 3.9.10. Leſt if we abuſe his bounty, to pride, ſurfeiting and drunkenneſſe, he turn the fruits of our Land into Briars and Thorns, as he threatens to do to his own People, for the like evills, Iſa. 5.6.
But the planting and furniſhing of this Garden of delights had been nothing unto Adam, unleſſe God had given him the poſſeſſion of it, and appointed it to be his habitation. Whence,
2. Obſerve, Though God have prepared the Earth for man, yet he can have no Title to any more of it, then God allots out of it, for his habitation.
Obſerv. 2 IT is true indeed that God hath given the Earth to the Sons of Men, Pſal. 115.16. in generall; but who amongſt them ſhall have this or that portion of it for his inheritance, God muſt determine by a particular aſſignement; This Moſes tells us God did in the firſt dividing of the Earth, Deut. 32.8. This he did afterwards in beſtowing the Land of Canaan upon his own People, denying them the Land of Moab and Edom, becauſe he had diſpoſed them before unto others of their kindred. Yea, that Land though he gave to his People in generall, yet he devides it amongſt them in particular, aſſigning by lot unto every Tribe their particular portion. And the ſame power he continues ſtill to exerciſe, although by the Miniſtery of men; beſtowing whole countreys where he pleaſeth as his gift, as he did Egypt upon Nebuchadnetzar Ezech. 29.20. although he had won it by the ſword. And thus he doth in particular, in diſpoſing of mens particular eſtates, whether purchaſed by mony, or left as Inheritance by Parents, which although Solomon call their gift, Prov. 19, 14. Notwithſtanding, that they paſſe from God through their hands, is evident by Abrahams diſtribution of his eſtate, Gen. 25.5, 6. according to Gods Direction, Gen. 21.10.12. And howſoever men ordinarily are not directed in paſſing their inheritances to their poſterity by expreſſe command; yet that they are overruled therein by divine providence, may eaſily appear to any that will wiſely obobſerve the Courſe of Gods Waies, who many times alters the purpoſes and intentions of men, and conveighs the eſtates and inheritances of men, to others than theſe to whom they aſſigned them, at his pleaſure. And this power it is fit that God ſhould ſtill exerciſe as well for maintaining of Juſtice and equity, which mens greedy deſires, that delight to dwell alone on the Earth, Iſa. 5.8. would otherwiſe overthrow; As beſides to preſerve amongſt men the acknowledgement of his Soveraignty, and mens dependance on him, as Lord of their eſtates.
It ought not to be paſſed by without ſpeciall obſervation that God provides for mans habitation, the choiceſt place in the whole Earth, planted by his own Hand, and ſtored with all ſorts of Fruits both for neceſſary uſe and for delight. Whence we may,
3. Obſerve, God is pleaſed to beſtow upon men liberally his beſt and chiefeſt bleſſings.
Obſerv. 3 IN outward bleſſings for this preſent life, he gives them for their portion the fat of the Earth, as He did to Jacob, Gen. 27, 28. The chiefeſt of all lands to his own People, and promiſeth them the fineſt and pureſt of all the Wheat, and Honey out of the Rock if they will obey him, Pſal. 81.16. and the good of the Land, Iſa. 1.19. But above the reſt he inricheth them with all manner of bleſſings in Heavenly things, Eph. 1.3. Withholding from them neither Grace, nor Glory, nor any thing that is good, Pſalme 84.11. Not his Spirit, Luk. 11.13. Not his own Son, Rom. 8.32. and hereafter, not the fulneſſe of joyes, or rivers of pleaſures, which are in his preſence, Pſal. 16.11. And this he doth partly to magnifie his infinite love and goodneſſe; as Pharaoh, to ſhew his Love to Joſeph, placed his friends in the beſt Countrey in Egypt, even in Goſhen, Gen. 47.6. that men may admire and honour him for his goodneſſe; And partly, to incourage his Servants to Chearful obedience by the taſt of his bounty, which if they injoy not alwaies in full meaſure, they have none to blame but their own ſins, which hinder good things from them, Jer. 5.25.
Let all Gods Children then reſt and ſtay their hearts upon him and upon his faithfull promiſes (as having a ſure foundation upon his Goodneſſe, Truth, and All-ſufficiency) which include all the bleſſings of this Life, and of that which is to come, 1 Tim. 4.8. Even all things that may do us good, Pſalme 84.11. And in Chriſt are all of them, Yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. fulfilled all of them in their time and proportion; In Spirituall things, in ſufficiency of Grace for this life, and fulneſſe of Glory hereafter, Pſal. 73.24. And in Temporall things, in ſuch competency, as our places and occaſions ſhall require, which is all that we are warranted to pray for, under the name of daily bread, and as much as good men have deſired, Gen. 28.20. as being beſt for them, Prov. 30.8, 9. and wherewith we are willed to content our ſelves, 1 Tim. 6.8.