The History of the Creation, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Of the creature in generall. Names of the creature expounded, to shew their nature. Instructions concerning the creatures. Five Uses made thereof.
BEfore I passe to the speciall acts or branches of Creation, I hold it fit to insist upon the creature in generall, which comprehends under it every speciall kind of thing created by any act of creation. This History of the Creation, though not in any one word, yet in one sentence doth expresse the creature in generall, that is, the whole frame and collection of all things created, Chapt. 2. 1. in these words, Thus were the heavens and the earth finished, and all the host of them, or all their furniture, that is, whatsoever is in them rightly ordered and disposed, like an Army well marshalled; so the Hebrew word foreign doth properly signifie. And other Scriptures, both in the Old and New Testament, doe oftentimes in one word propound to us the generall consideration of all joyntly together. I will therefore first speake of the creature in generall, as it comprehends in it the heavens, and the earth, and all things in them, and that in such words and phrases, as Gods Spirit in this and other Scriptures is pleased to use for our instruction, and for the help and illumination of our weake understandings. And in this generall description, I will first consider the words and phrases, by which the creature in generall is called, and will shew what they doe import in their signification. Secondly, I will from thence and other Scriptures note such instructions, as may direct us to the knowledge of the creature in generall. And lastly, will make some use and application fit and convenient.
The first name, by which the creature in generall is called in the Names of the creatures. 1Old Testament, is the Hebrew word foreign, which signifies an universality, or perfect comprehension of all things: By this name, the whole universality of things created, is called, Pro. 16. 4. where it is said, that the Lord hath made all things for himselfe; not so much as the wicked man is excepted, who is made for the day of evill. Also, Isa. 44. 24. the Lord saith, I am Jehovah that maketh all things, foreign: Answerable to this are the Greeke words, foreign, and foreign, used by the Greeke Philosophers, to signifie the whole universall world, or the universality of all things; and foreign, which is commonly used in the New Testament, where there is mention made of the creation, and the creature in generall, as John 1. 3. By him were all things made. And Rom. 11. ult. Of him, and by him, and for him are all things. And Colos. 1. 16. and Revel. 4. 11. But yet, as the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15. 27. speaking of Gods putting all things in subjection under Christ, saith, that hee must be excepted, who hath put all things under him: so here, though the words foreign and foreign doe signifie an universality, and comprehension of all things; yet it is manifest by the word joyned with them, that God the Creatour, who is said to make and create them, is excepted, and all other things besides him are included.
Another name, by which the Spirit calls the universality of creatures, 2is the Greeke word foreign, which answers to the Hebrew word foreign; and is alwaies used by Septuagints, in their translation of the Old Testament, to expresse it. By this name the creature in generall is called, Heb. 1. 2. and 11. 3. where it is said, that God by his Son made the worlds, and that the worlds were framed by the word of God. And in the Syriack and Hebrew translations, the words are foreign and foreign: and according to their originall and true notation, they all doe signifie not onelyonly an eternall duration and continuance from the first moment and beginning of time, to the last end thereof throughout all ages, and the eternall duration of things in the world to come; but also all the things which are measured by this protraction and duration of times, and of time beyond all times, even all things under heaven, and all things above the heavens, as Angels and blessed Spirits, and all things which shall be upheld and kept in being after the end of the world: For the Hebrew word foreign signifies times or things, the beginning and end whereof are hid and unknown to mortall men of short time, by reason of the long continuance of them; and the Greeke word foreign, being compounded of foreign and foreign, signifies a perpetuall being, and duration, or whatsoever is alwaies, and in all times; and it is used in Gospel to signifie, not only this world, wherein we live in this mortall life; but also the world to come, both… the Kingdome of glory, and also the state of all things after death; as appeares, Mat. 12. 32. and Heb. 6. 5.
The third name, by which the creature in generall is called, is 3.the Greek word foreign, which is commonly translated the world; and doth fitly signifie that well ordered, decent, beautifull, and comely frame of heaven and earth, with all the goodly furniture, and well ordered host of creatures therein contained. For it is a word, which in Greeke doth properly signifie beauty, decency, and comely ornament; and by it the Greeks commonly doe call the whole frame of the world, because of the beauty, and comely order of the creatures therein: and by this name the creature in generall, and the universality of things created is called, Matth. 25. 34. Rom. 1. 20. and Ephes. 1. 4. where the Spirit of God speaks of the creation and foundation of the world: And lest we should thinke, that by this word foreign, is meant onelyonly the inferiour and visible world, the holy Apostles, when they speake of it, adde the word foreign, and call it foreign, as appeares, 1 Corin. 1. 20. and Ephes. 2. 2. to shew that there is another world, even the invisible, called also by this name: And John 1. 3. the Evangelist having affirmed, that all things were made by the eternall word, doth in the 10. Verse shew, that this foreign, all things, was foreign, the world. I am not ignorant that this word is used also in a more strict sense, and that it signifies sometimes the habitable world, or circle of the earth inhabited by men, as Matth. 4. 8. and John 1. 9. Sometimes men inhabiting the earth, as Rom. 5. 12. By one man sin entred into the world. Sometimes the elect, who are the chiefe ones of the world, and of mankind, as John 3. 16. and 2 Cor. 5. 19. and 1 John 2. 2. Sometimes for the carnall, unregenerate, and reprobate multitude of mankind, as John 14. 17. Whom the world cannot receive: And 17. 9. I pray not for the world. Sometimes earthly things, as Gal. 4. 3. opposed to spirituall; and sometimes sinfull and corrupt things opposed to holy and heavenly, as Galat. 6. 14. But the most full and proper sense is that which I have first named, and in that sense it is used in all places, which speake of the creating and founding of the world; and signifies the whole frame of heaven and earth, with the furniture of them.
The fourth name, by which the creature in generall is called, is 4.the Greeke word foreign, or foreign, which properly signifies that which is created, and made of nothing, by the act of creation; by this name the creature in generall is called, as it comprehends every thing created either in heaven, or earth, or in the sea, or under the earth, Revel. 5. 13. And by this name foreign, the whole world is called, Mar. 13. 19. where our Saviour saith, There shall be such affliction as was not from the beginning of the creature which God created, that is, of the world, foreign, as the word is rendered by the Evangelist Matthew, Chap. 24. 21.
Now from these severall names used by the Spirit of God in Instructions concerning the creatures.Scripture, to set forth the creatures in generall, that is, the universality of things created, we may observe divers things for our instruction.
1. First, that whatsoever hath any being in heaven, or in earth, either in this world, or in the world to come, even all things which can be conceived to have a true being, besides God himselfe, are created of God, have a beginning, and were made out of nothing at the first: This, as it is laid downe in my Text, so it appeares plainly by all the foure names before cited; and is confirmed by the Scriptures produced, to shew the true sense of them, to wit, Isa. 44. 24. John 1. 3. Col. 1. 16. and Revel. 4. 11. And besides these, wee have many other, as Exod. 20. 11. Psal. 146. 6. and Psal. 148. in which places the heavens, and the heaven of heavens the Angels, and all the hosts of God, the Sun, Moon, Stars, the Aire, and the Meteors, the Earth, the Sea, and all things in them are said to be made, and created by God: to which we may adde, Act. 14. 15. and 17. 24. Heb. 1. 10.
2. The second thing which I observe from these names of the creature in generall is, That the World was made in perfect beauty, fit to flourish perpetually; and every creature, as it was created of God, was good, perfect, and beautifull in his kind free from all discord, disorder, and corruption. This is gathered from the names foreign, and foreign by which the World is called; the one of which signifies beauty, ornament, and decencie, free from all deformity, discord, and disorder; and the other a perpetuall being, or a perpetuall flourishing in being and perfection. And the last words of this Chapter confirme this fully, to wit, God beheld all things which he had made, and so they were exceeding good. The words also of God himselfe, Job 38. from the 3. Verse, where he sets forth his manner of creating all things in a most excellent order, by laying the foundations of the earth sure, by measuring it as it were by line, by shutting in the deeps within bounds, by bringing forth the lights of heaven rejoycing, and the Angels singing joyfully, and by making all things to flourish. Reason also grounded on the Word of God doth prove this plainly: For that which was made in perfect wisedome, and in the framing whereof Gods eternall wisedome had an hand, must needs bee most beautifull, decent, and flourishing: For if Gods wisdome in Bezaleel and Aholiab, made them so excellent in working curious and glorious workes for the Tabernacle, much more excellent is it in God himselfe. Now the Scriptures plainly testifie, that God founded the world in wisdome, Prov. 3. 19. that in wisdome hee hath made all things, Psal. 104. 24. and that wisdome had an hand in ordering all things, Prov. 8. Therefore the creation of the World was in perfect beauty and comelinesse.
3. The third thing which we learne from these names is, That the deformity of the world, the enmity of creatures, the corruption of man, and the confusion of things created, were not in the world, nor in the creatures thereof at the first; neither are they Gods handy-worke, nor things by him created: for the world is foreign, a beautifull frame: And the Scriptures call the worlds foreign, things of being, and continuance, not things deformed, corrupt, and perishing. This also the Scriptures shew, Gen. 3. that the earth was cursed for mans sake, and mans sinne came from himselfe, and the Serpent: And Deut. 28. 23. and Levit. 26. God himselfe in the Law professeth, that for disobedience and sin of rebellious people hee doth make their heaven over them as brasse, and their earth as iron: And Eccl. 7. 29. it is said, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.
I might here also observe from the name foreign, that the world was also made in a beautifull and pleasant season, even the pleasant time of the Spring in all probability; but I love not to build opinions on such weake foundations.
And from the word foreign, which signifies long lasting ages, I might observe the ages of the world, and discusse the question about the ages and years from the creation; but they may more seasonably be touched hereafter, when we come to speake of the particular branches of the creation.
Now I come to the Use of these considerations: First, they Use 1. The world not eternall.serve to make the thoughts and conceits of Atheists and carnall Philosophers hatefull to us; to wit, that the world is eternall, and had no beginning, neither shall have end. For here wee see, that all things universally were created of nothing, and are creatures formed by God. It is a point of faith above all naturall reason to understand, that the worlds were made of nothing, as the Apostle shewes, Heb. 11. 3. And that was it which made Aristotle, and other witty and learned Philosophers, led by reason, doubt of the creation of the world. Beside, when they observed the stability of the heavens, and heavenly host, and their beautifull order and incorruptible being, this did further them in this conceipt, and made them thinke there should be no end of it. But Gods Word teacheth the contrary, and sheweth, that all things were created and made out of nothing, except only God himselfe; and though they were made perfect and good, fit to flourish for ever, and some of them have still a great remnant of that glory and perfection, as the heavens, which change little in many ages; yet by mans sin they are corrupted and made changeable, and so much more, by how much more neere they come to man: And this the Philosophers felt and perceived, insomuch that many of them did acknowledge the creation, and the end of the world; and even Aristotle himselfe, though he could not conceive that the world should be made of nothing by the course of nature, yet hee did acknowledge God the Father Maker and Preserver of it; and so likewise shall all be confounded, who are not settled in this truth: Therefore let us looke up to God, and beleeve his Word, and hate all blind conceipts of worldly wise men; and see and behold in the most rationall and wise naturall men, denying this truth of the worlds creation, that the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse, and the imaginations of the flesh enmity against God.
Secondly, this consideration of creation and beginning of all Use 2. Admire Gods eternity.the world, serves to make us more admire Gods eternity, and to ravish us with the consideration of it. If there could be a man found on earth, who had lived ever since the time of Christ, or since the daies of Adam or Noah, wee would highly esteem him, and seeke to him from the uttermost parts of the earth, as the Queen of Sheba did to Solomon. But behold, all this world is but of short continuance, created of God not many thousands of yeares ago. God is before it, even from all eternity. And this world shall perish, but he endureth for ever, Psal. 102. And therefore if wee wonder at the long lasting heavens, and the surely founded earth; how much more ought we to admire the eternitie of God, the ancient of daies, before all daies and times, and without beginning or end!
Thirdly, though this world be beautifull by reason of some reliques Use 3. Overlove not the world, now degenerate.of perfection and beauty remaining from the creation; yet seeing it had a beginning, and is corrupted by sin, and hastens towards an end, let us not set our hearts on it, or any worldly thing; but looke up to God, and have our hope and our affections firmly set on him, whose beauties of holinesse shall not fade as the fashion of this world doth; but his glory endureth for ever.
Fourthly, we may here see, that the world was created for us, & Use 4. Not God, but we need the world.for our use, not for any need which God had of it; for God was infinitely blessed in himselfe without it, from all eternity: and certainly, in that God did not create it, and time with it, many thousands of yeares before he did, this is a strong evidence, that God is all-sufficient in himselfe, and hath for himselfe no need of any creature.
Lastly, it serves to make us hate sin, as the Divels poyson, and Use 5. Hare sin: Motives.turne from it, and be affraid to communicate with it, as wee doe with things created by God; because it is not of Gods forming, but is the corruption of mans nature poysoned and defaced: and all enmity, which is among the creatures, vexing and destroying one another, came in by sin; and all the pleasure which men take therein, is corrupt, sinfull, and against pure nature: Wherefore let us ascribe all deformity, disorder, and discord in the world to mans sin, as the proper cause thereof.