Creatures on the ſeveral days. (1 ) Light produced by the powerful word of Goa, v. 3. approved and ſeparated from the darkneſs, v. 4 ramed, and the fir day declared, v. 5. (2) The Firmameit formed, its Uſe, Name and Time, v.6, 7, 8. (3) L Earth ; Sea md dry Land named and npproved, v. 9g, 10. The Earth brings forth Graſs, Herbs and Trees ; approved, and 1ime declared, v. 11,12, 13. ( 4 ) The Firmoment furniſhed with Sun, Moon and” Stars; their uſes aſſigned, their Names, wich Apprebation, and time of doing declared, V 14,195, 16, i7, 18, 19. (5) Waters and Air furnijh= ed, approved, bleſſed, and time of it declared, v. 20, 21, 22,13. (6) The Earth furniſhed with living Creatures ſerſitive, and approved, v. 24, 25. Rational Men in bot) Sexes created upon Conſultation, according to God's Image, with Dominion over the other Crearures ; and dl:ſed, v.26, 27, 28. Food appointed far Man, V. 29. bor Beoſts, v. 309. The whole approved on the ſixih day.
N * the beginning 4 Godcreated b the Heaven and the Earth c.
a To wit, Of Time and Things, in the firſt place, before things were diſtinguiſhed and perfected in manaer hereafter expreſſed. Or,the tenſe is this, The beginning of the World And this Phraſe further informeth us; "I tkitthe World
and all things in it, had a beginning, and wete ::rr from eternity, as ſome Philoſophers dreamed. b Made ourof nothing. c Either i. The Heaven and Earth as now they are with their Inhabitants. So this Verſe 1s a Summary or Brief of what 1s pai ticularly decla- red in the ref of this Chapter Or, - 2: The ſubſtance and com- mon matter of Heaven and Earth, Which ſeems more probably by comparing this Verſe with the next, where the Earth here mentt- cned is declared to be without form, and the Heavens withour lighr; as alſo with Gen. 2. 1: Where the Heavens and the Exrth, here only ſaid ro be created, areſaid to be fnijbedor perfefed, Yet I conceive the third Heaven to be included under the Title of the Heaven, and and to have been created and perfeCQed the firſt day, together with its blefſed Inhabitants the Holy Angels, as may be colleged from Job 33.6, 7. But the Scripture being written for men, and not for Angels, the Holy Ghoſt thought it ſuiticient to coniprehend them and their dwel'ing-place under that general term. of the Heavens, and proceedeth to give a more particular account. of the viſible. Heavens and Earth, which were created for the uſe of Man. In the Hebrew it 13, The Heavens and the Exrth. For there are three Hea- vens mentioned in Scripture, The Aerea! ; the place of Birds, Clouds and Mcteors,Mat.26, 64. Rev. 19. 17. & 20. 9. . The Starty ; the Region of the Sun,the Moon and Stars,Ger. 22. 17. The higheſt or fhird Heaven; 2 Cor. 12. 2. The dwelling of the bleſſed Angels. 2 And the Earth e was without formand yoid f, and darkneſs 2yas upon the face g ofthe deep : and the Spies
rit of God b moyed upon the tace of the Waters *.
The Waters ſeparated from the -
|
| o were the firlt day p.
p_—
Death ; where this Bock Ends, 7
A
e The ſame confuſed maſs or heap is here called both E2rth,from its mott ſolid and ſubſtantial part ; and the ep, from its vaſt Bulk and Depth ; and Waters, from ics outward face and covering. Sec Pjal. 104. 6. 2 Pet. 3.5. f(i,e.)' Without order and beauty, and without furniture and ufe. g The ſurface or uppermoſt part of it, upon which the light afterward ſhone. Thus not the Earth only, but alſo the Heaven above it was without light, as is manifeſt from the following verſes. h Not the Wind,which was nor yet created, as is manifeſt, becauſe the Air, the niatrer or ſubje&of ir, was not yet produced : But the Third Perſon of the glorious Trinity, called the Holy Ghoſt, to whom the work of Creation is attributed, Joh. 26. 13. as It 1s aſcribed rc the ſecond Perſon, the Son, Joh. 1. 3. Col. I. 16, 17. Heb. 1.3. and to the Firſt Perſon, the Father, every where. * ( 7.e.) Upon the Waters, to cheriſh, quicken,and diſpoſe them to the produttion of the things afrer-mentioned. Ir is a Metaphor from Birds hovering and fluttering over,and ſitring upon their Eggs and young Ones, ro cheriſh, warm, and quicken them.
3 And Godſaid ;, * Let there be Light: and there was Light &. |
7 ( 7.e.) Commanded, not by ſuch a word or ſpeech, as we uſe, whichagreethnot with the ſpiritual nature of God ; . bur either by an Att of his powerful will, called the word of his- power, Heb. 1. 3. Or, by his ſubſtantial Word, his Sozz, by whom he made the Worlds, Hebe 1. 2. Pſal. 33.6. who is called, The Word, partly, if not princi- pally, for this reaſon, 7oh.1. 1, 2,3, 10+ k Which was ſome bright and lucid Body, peradventure like the fiery Cloud in the Wilder- neſs, giving a ſmall and imperfe& Light, ſucceſſively moving over the ſeveral parts of the Earth ; and afterwards condenſed.encreaſed, perfeQted, and gatuered together in the Sun. ;
4AndGod ſaw / the Light, that ic 4s good » and God divided f the Light from the Darkneſs o
I (i.e. ) Obſerved with approbation. » (7. e. ) Pleaſant and ami- able,agreeable to God's purpoſe and Man's uſe. » Made a diftin&i- on or ſeparation between them in place, time and uſe, thit the one ſhould ſucceed and ſhur out the other, and fo by their viciflitudes make the day and the night.
5 And Godcalicd the Light day, and the Darkneſs he called Night : + and the Evening and the J1orning
oIr isacknowledged by all, that the Evoring and the 5oraning are nor here ro be underitoood according to our common uſ:ge,bur are put by a Syecdoche exch of rhem for one whole part of the natural day,But becauſe ir may be doubred which part each ofchem tignihes, ſome underſtand by £-cing,the foregoing day ; and by the Morning, the foregoing night, and to the natural day begins with the morn» ing or. the light, as it did with the ancient Chal/deans, Others by Evening underſtand the firſt night or darkneſs which was upon the face of the Earth, wer. 2. which probably continued for the 1pace;
þ of about twelve hours,the beginning whereof might fitly. be called
EVning,
7 Heb.BS tween the lioht, end between rh darkneſs,
+ Heb.and the even > ing was, | and the © morning +, was, &Ce
o . vx J . + Y Ll