Commentary on the Holy Bible

Many attempts liave been made to define the term GOD: as to the word itself, it is pure Annlo-.saxon, and among our ancestors signified not only the Divine Being;, now comand darkness was upon the face of the deep. '^ And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

monl y designated by the word, but also Good: as in their apprehension it appears, that God and Good were correlative terms; and when they tliought or spoke of iiini, tiiey were doubtless led from the word itself, to consider hiin as ThE Good Being, a fountain of infinite Benevolence and Benelicence towards his creatures.

A general definition of this great First Cause, a far as B 2

Creation of the light, and its

A. M. 1. 3 ^ > And God said, "^ Let there be ^l^l^t light: and there was Hght. 4 And God saw the hght, that it was good:

GENESIS. separation from the darkness.

5 And God called the light ' Day, and the

human words dare attempt one, may be thus given. The eternal, iiidejjendent, and self-exislent Beinp;: The Being ■whose purposes and actions spring from hinistlf, without lbreign motive or influence: He who is absoUile in dominion; the most pure, most simple, and most spiritual of all Essences: infinitely benevolent, beneficent, true and holy], the Cause of all being, the upholder of all things: infinitely happy, because infinitely perfect; and eternally self-sufficient, needing nothing that he has made. Illimitable in his immensity, inconceivable in his mode of existence, and indescribable in his essence: known fully only to Himself, because an infinite mind can be fully apprehended only by itself. In a word, a Being wlio, from his infinite wisdom, cannot err or be deceived; and who, from his infinite goodness, can do nothing' but what is eternally just, right, and kind. Reader, such is the God of the Bible, hut how widely different from the God of most human creeds and apprehensions!

The original word DTlVx FJoIiim God, is certainly the plural form of 7S (I, or rhu cloah, and has long been supposed, by the most eniincntly learned and pious men, to imply a. plurality o[ Persons in the Divine nature. As this plurality appears in so many parts of the sacred writings to be confined to three Persons, hence the doctrine of the Trinitv, which has tbrmed a part of the Creed of all those who have been deemed sound in the faith from the earliest ages of Chri.itianity. Nor are the CV(;7'si;((»s singular in receiving this Doctrine, and in deriving it from the first words of Divine Revelation. An eminent Jewish Rabbin, Simeon ben Joachi, in his comment on the sixth section of Leviticus has these remarkable words: " Come and see the mystery of the word Elohim; there are three degrees, and each degree by itself «/o);e, and yet notwithstanding ihey are all one, and joined together in one, and are not divided from each other." See Ainsxvorth. He must be strangely prejudiced indeed^ who cannot see that the doctrine of a Trinity, and of a Trinity in Unity, is expressed in the above words. The verb N"i3 bara, he created, heing joined in the singular number with this plural noun, has been considered as pointing out, and not obscurely, the Unity of the divine Persons in this work of creation. In the ever-blessed Trinity, from the infinite and indivisible unity of the Persons, there can be but one will, one purpose, and one infinite anrl uncontrolable energy.

" Let those who have any doubt whether DThn Elohim, wlien meaning tlie true God, Jehovah, be plural or not, consult the following passages, where they will find it joined with adjectives, verbs, and pronouns plural.

As the word Eluhiin is ihe term by wliich the Divine Being is most generally expressed in the Old Testament, it may be necessary to consider it here, more at large. It is a maxim that admits of no controversy, that every noun in the Hebrew language is derived from a verb, which is usually termed the radix or root from which, not only the noun, but all the diilerent flections of the verb, spring. This radix is the third person singular of the preterite or past tense. The ideal meaning of this root expresses some essential property of the thing which it designates, or of which it is an appellative. The root in Hebrew, and in its sister language, the Arabic, generally consists of three letters, and every word must be traced to its root in order to assertain its genuine meaning, for there alone is this meaning to be found. In Hebrew and Arabic this is essentially necessary, and no man can safely criticise on any word in either of these lan« guages, who does not carefully attend to this point.

I mention the Arabic with the Hebrew for two reasons.

1. Because the two languages evidently spring from the same source, and hava. very nearly the same mode of construction.

2. Because the deficient roots in the Hebrew Bible are to be sought for in the y\rabic language. The reason of this must be obvious, when it is considered that the whole of the Hebrew language is lost except what is in the Bible, and even a part of this is written in Chaldec. Now, as the English Bil)le does not contain the \\\\o\e..o^ t\\s English lung^tage, so, the Hebrew Bible does not contain the whole of the Hebrew. If a man meet with an English word which he cannot find in an ample concordance or dictionary to the Bible, he must of course seek for that word in a general English dictionary. hi like manner, if a particular form of a Hebrew word occur (hat cannot be traced to a root in the Hebrew Bible, because the word does not occur in the third person singular of the past tense in the Bible, it is expedient, it is perfectly lawful, and often indispensably necessary, to seek the deficient root in the Arabic. For, as the Arabic is still a living language, and perhaps the most copious in the universe; it may well be expected to furnish tho.se terms which are deficient in the Hebrew Bible. And the reasonableness of this is founded on another maxim: viz. that either the Arabic was derived from the Hebrew, or the Hebrew from the Arabic. 1 shall not enter into this controversy; there are great names on both sides, and the decision of the question in either way, will have the same effect on my argument. For, if the Arabic was derived from the Hebrew, it must have been when the Hebrew was a liiing and complete language; because, such is the Arabic now; and thcrctbre all its essential roots we may reasonably expect to find there: but if, as Sir William Jones supposed, the Htbrai; was derived from the Arabic; the same darJviicss lie called Night.

were the \\ "^ firmament in the mid.st of the waters, expectation is justifit-d, tlie deficient roots in Hebrew may be soiii;hC for in the motlier toni,fiie. li', lor example, we meet with a term in our ancient English language, the meaning of which we find difTicult to ascertain; coiiinion sense teaches us that we sliou'ul seek for it in the Aiiglo-sa.ron, from whicli our langiiaite springs, and if necessary, go up to the Teutonic, from whiih the Anglo-saxon was derived. No nerson disputes the legitimacy of this measure; and we find it in constant practice. 1 make these observations at the very threshold of my work, because the necessity of i.cting on this princijile (seeking deficient Hebrew roots in the Arabic) may often iTccur; and I wish to speak once fur all on the subject.

The first sentence tn the Scrijiture shews the propriety of having recourse to this principle. We have seen that the word D'H^N Elohim is plural; we ha\c traced our term Cud to its source, and have seen its signification; and also a general definition of the tluTi^; or being included under this term, has been tremblingly attempted. V\'e should now trace the original to its root; but this root does not appear in the Hebrew Bible. \\ ere the Hebrew a complete language, a pious rea-on might be aiven for this omission: viz. " As God is without beginning and without cause, as his being is infinite and itiiiterirecl, the Hebrew language consults strict propriety in giving no root whence his name can be deduced." Air. Parkluirst to whose pious and learned labours in Hebrew literature, most biblical students are indebted, thinks lie has found the root in ihni alali, he sivore, bound himself by oath: and hence he calls D'hSn* Elohim, the ever-blessed Trinity, as being hound by a condttiunal oath to redeem man, ^-c. iff. Most pious minds will revolt from such a definition, and villi be glad with nic, to find both the noun and the root pre- ^t.ncii in.Arabic. Al.t-llI ^! is the common name for GOD in the Arabic tongue, and often the emphatic ^^| is used. Now both these words are derived from the root alfiha, he ■wonhippcd, adored, ivus struck u-'ith astonishment, fear or. terror: and hence, he adored with sacred horror and veneration, cum sacro horrore ac veneratione coluit, adoravit. ^\'ll.- MET. Hence, ilahon fiar, veneration, and also the object of religious fear, the Deiii/, the supreme God, the tremendous Being. This is not a new idea; God was considered in the same light among the ancient Hebrews: and hence Jacob s«ears by the fear of his father Isaac, Gen. xxxi. 53. To complete the definition, Golius renders alaha; jitvit, libera- Tit, et lutatus fuit, " he succoured, liberated, kept in safety or defended." Thus, from the ideal meaning of this most expressive root, we acquire tlic mo.st correct notion of the divine nature; for we learn that God is the sole object of adoration, that the perfections of his nature are such as must astonish all those who piously contemplate them, and fill with horror all who woidd dare to give his glory to another, or break liis commandments: that consequently, he should be Xior- and let it di\'ide the waters from the waters.

shipped with reverence and religious fear; and that cv^ry sincere worshipper may expect from him help in all his weaknesses, trials, difficulties, temptations, &c. freedom from the power, guilt, nature and consequences of sm; and to be supported, defended and saved to the uttermost and to the end.

Here, then, is one proof among multitudes which shall be adduced in the course of this work, of the importance, utility, and necessity of tracing up these sacred words to their sources; and a proof also, that subjects which are supposed to be out of the reach of the common people, may, with little difficulty, be brought on a level with the most ordinary caj):icity.

In the beginning] Before the creative acts mentioned in this chapter, all was ETKIINITY. Time signifies Duration measured by the revolutions of the heavenly bodies; but prior to the creation of these bodies, there could be no measurement of duration, and consequently no time; thereibre In the beginning must necessarily mean the commencement of time which lollowed, or rather was produced by God's creative acts, as an cflTect follows, or is produced by a cause.

Created] Caused that to exist which, previously to this moment, had no being. The Rabbins, who are legitimate judges in a case of verbal criticism on their own lan<'-ua<''e. are unanimous in asserting, that, the word N"i3 bara expresses the commencement of the existence of a thing; or its egression Irom nonentity to entity. It does not, in its primary meaning, denote the preserving or new forming things that had previously existed, as some imagine; but Creation in the proper sense of the term, though it has some other acceptations in other places. The supposition that God f^irmed all things out of a pre-existing eternal nature, is certainly absurd: for, if tlieie was an eternal nature besides an eternal God, there must have been two self- existing, independent, and eternal beings, which is a most palpable contradiction.

COCn riN eth hnshamayim.] The word nN eth which is generally considered as a. particle, simply denoting that the word following is in the accusative or oblique case, is often understood by the Rabbins in a much more extensive sense. " The particle riN eth," says Abcn Iszra, " signifies the substance of the thing." The like definition is given by Kimchi in his Book of Roots. "This particle," says Mr. Ainsworth, "havingthe first and la.it letters of the Ilebrew alphabet in it, is supposed to comprize the stun and substance of all things." " The particle ni^ eth," (says Buxtoi-f, Talmudic Lexicon sub voce) " with the Cabalists, is often mystically ]jut for the beginning and the end, as A alpha, and il omega are in the Apocalypse." On this ground, tin >e words should be translated: " God in the beginning created the substance of the heavens, and the substance of the earth:" i. e. the prima materia, or first elements, out of which the heavens and the earth were successively formed. The Syriac translator understood

The separatioji of tJie waters below,

7 And God made the firmanent; * and divided the waters which were

GENESIS- Jrom the waters above thefrmamcnt.

under the firmament, from the waters which the word in this sense, and to e,\press this meaning, has used the word J^yJ yoth which has this signification, and is very properly translated in Walton's Polyglott, ESSE cocli et ESSE terra, " the being or substance of the heaven, and the being or substance of the earth." St. Ephraim Syrus in his comment on this place, uses the same Syriac word, and appears to understand it precisely in the same way. Though the Hebrew word is certainly no more than the notation of a case in most places; yet understood here in the sense above, it argues a wonderful philosophic accuracy in the statement of Moses, which brings before us not a finished heavens and earth, as every other translation appears to do, though afterwards the process of their formation is given in detail, but merely the materials out of which God built the whole system in the six following days.

The heavem and the earth.] As the word D'O'A' skamfiyim is plural, we may rest assured that it means more than tiie atmosphere, to express which some have endeavoured to restrict its meanintr. Nor does it appear that the atmosphere is particularly intended here, as this is spoken of ver. 6. under tiie term firmament. The word heavens must therefore com-

8 And God called the firmament Heaven.

prebend the whole solar si/sttm; as it is very likely the whole of tliis was created in these six daj's: for, unless the earth had been the centre of a system, the reverse of which is sufficiently demonstrated, it would be unphilosophic to suppose it was created independently of the other parts of the system; as on this supposition, we must have recourse to the almighty power of God, to suspend the influence of the earth's gravitating power, till the fourth day, when (he Sun was placed in the centre, round which the earth began then to revolve. But as the design of the inspired pen-man v.as to relate what especially belonged to our world and its inhabitants, therefore he passes by the rest of the planetary system, leaving it simply included in the plural word heavens. In the word earth, every thing relative to the terr-aque-aerial globe is included; that is, all that belongs to the solid and fluid parts of our world, with its surrounding atmosphere. As therefore I suppose the whole solar system was created at this time, I think it perfectly in place to give here a general view of all the planets with every thing curious and important, hitherto known relative to their revolutions and principal afiections.

from the Earth injin Enslish

Inclination ofl Attractive power

A GENERAL VIEW OF THE WHOLE SOLAR ^X^TYM— continued.

The following Celestial Podies, commonly calletl Planets, revolving between Jupiter and Mars, have been recently discovered: all that is known of their Magnitude, Surface, Diameter, and Distance, I here subjoin.

Mean distance fronQ the Sun.

Least distancei Greatest dist. from Earth, from Earth.

iJistance from 11. in semidiameters of Jupiter.

Distanc.' from 1^ in parts of the ecliptic, at l^"s mean distance from Earth.

Magnitude, the Earth being 1.

tJreatest semi-duration of eclipse.

Distance from Saturn in parts of the ecliptic at

Distance from Hcrschel in semidiameteriof

Distance from Herschel in parts of the ecliptic, at the mean distance of

Greatest distance from Earlh in

The waters sepcra'ed GENESIS the evening and the -were the second day. 9 % And God said, * Let the waters under

In Table I. the quantity of the periodic and sidereal revolutions of the ])lanels is expressed in common years, each containing 365 days; as e.g. the tropical revolution of j Jupiter is by the table, 11 years 315 day.-^ 14 hours 39 mi-! nutes 2 seconds; i. e. the exact number of days is equal to 11 years multiplied by 365, and the extra 315 days added to the product, which make in all 4330 days. The sidereal and periodic timts are also set down to the nearest second of time, from numbers used in the construction of the tables in the third edition oi M. de la Lande's Astronoi;. y. The columns containing the yiieim distance of the plant is from the 8nn in English miles, and tlieir greatest and least distance from the Earth, are such as result from the best observations of the two last transits of Venus, which save the solar parallax to be equal to 8 three fifth seconds of a degree; and consequently the Earth's diameter, as seen from the Sun, must be the double of 8? seconds, or ITi seconds. From this last quantity, compared with the apparent diameters of the planets, as seen at a distance equal to that of the Earth at her mean distance from the Sun, the diameters of the pla- 7tets in English utiles, as contained in the seventh column, have been carefully computed. In the column entitled " Proportion of balk, tlie Earth being 1." the whole numbers express the number of times the other planet contains more cubic miles, &c. than the Earth; and if the number of cubic miles in the Earth be given, the number of cubic miles in any planet may be readily found by multiplying the cubic miles contained in the Earth by the number in the coluum, and the product m ill be the quantity required.

Tliis is a small though accurate sketch of the vast Solar Sj'stem; but to describe it fully even in all its knoiin revolutions and connexions, in all its astonishing energy and influence, in; its wonderful plan, structure, operations, and resuU.=, would require more volumes than can be devoted to the commentary itself.

As so little can be said here on a subject so vast, it may appear to some improper to introduce it at all: but to any observation of this kind I must be permitled to reply, that T should deem it unpardonable not to give a general view of the Solar System in the very place where its creation is first introduced. If these works be stupendous and magnificent, what must HE be who formed, guides and supports them all by the tLord of his power I — Reader, stand in awe of this God, and sin not. Make him thy friend through the Son of his love; and when these heavens and this earth are no more, thy.soul shall exist in consummate and unutterable felicity.

See the remarks on the Sun, Moon, and Stars, after ver. 16.

Verse 2. The earth ivas without form and void^ The oritjiginal terms inn tohoo and ins bohoo, which we translate v:ith- ■out form and void, are of uncertain etymology: but m this place, and wherever else they are used, they convey the idea of confusion and disorder. From these terms, it is probable.

the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry la7id appear: and it was so.

that the ancient Syrians and Egyptians borrowed their gods, Theiith and Baii, and the Greeks their Chaos. God seems at hrst to have created the elementary principles of all things; a\id this formed the grand mass of matter, which in this state must be without arrangement, or any distinction of parts: a vast collection of indescrib.ibly confused materials, of nameless entities strangely mixed; and wonderfully well expressed by an ancient Heathen poet.

Atite mare et terras, et, quod tegit omnia, Ccfilum, Unus erat toto naturae vultus ifi orbe, Qviem dixere Chaos; rudis indigestaque moles. Nee quicqnam nisi pondus incrs; congestaque eodem Non bene junctaruin discordia semina rerum.

Before the seas, and this terrestrial ball.

And heaven's high canopy that covers all;

One was the face of nature; if a face:

Rather, a rude and indigested mass:

Of jarring seeds, and justly Chaos nam'd. DRYDEN.

The most ancient of the Greeks have spoken nearly in the same way of this crude indigested state of the primitive chaotic mass.

When this congeries of elementary principles was brotight together, God was pleased to spend six days in assimilating, assorting and arranging the materials, out of which he built up, not only the earth, but the whole of the solar system.

The Spirit of Gorf] This has been variously and sti'angely understood. Some think a violent wind is meant, because rrn mach often signifies wind as well as spirit; as 'nviujj.a does in Greek; and the term God is connected with it, merely, as they think, to express ^\t superlative degree. Others understand by it an elementary fire. Others the &in, penetrating and drying up the earth with his rays. Others, the angels, \^ ho were supposed to have been employed as agents in creation. Others, a certain occult principle, termed the anima nncndi, or soul of the world. Others, a magnetic attraction, by which all things were caused to gravitate to a common centre. But it is sufficiently evident from the use of the word in other places, that the Holy Spirit of God is intended; which our blessed Lord represents under the notion o{wind, John iii. 8. and which, as a mighti/ rusliing wind on the day of Pentecost, filled the house where the disciples were sitting. Acts ii. 2. which was immediately followed by their speaking with other tongues, because they were filled with the Holj^ Ghost, ver. 4. These Scriptures sufficiently ascertain the sense in which the word is used by Moses.

jl/orcrf] nSrpiD merachepheth was brooding over, for the word expresses that tremulous motion made by the hen while eitlier /i«^cA/)!^ her eggs, or fostering her young. It here probably signifies, the communicating a vital or prolific principle

of the waters called he Seas: and God Siiw that it teas good. 1 1 And God said, Let the earth ^ bring forth

to the waters. As tlie idea of Incubation, or hatching an egg is imphcd in the oriijinal word, hence prob.ibly tlie notion, wh.cU prevailed among- the ancients, that the world was generated from an fj,'^.

Verse 3. And God said, I^t there be //;'/;/] niX »n»1 1\V 'H' Yflll AL'R, fu yehi aur. Nolhinij^ can be cunceivcd more (li};nificd than lliis form of expression. It argues at once niicontrolable aulliority, and oinnific power; and in human language it is scarcely possible to conceive tliat God can speak more like himself. This passage, in the Greek translation of the Septnagmt, fell in the way of Dionysius Longinus, one of the iiiosi judicious Greek critics that ever lived, and who is highly cilclirated over the civdized world, for a treatise hewrote, entitled TTffi u-^ou;, concerning the SUBLIME, both in prose and poetry; of this passage, though a heathen, he speaks in the following ttrms: raurn uai o rav lou^aiuv 9sa'fio9£Tvii {ovx " TW^wv avrif) e'Tret^ri tuv tcu Oucu $uvauiv xara TJjy a^ixv ex^ontre, xa^npuviv, ziitiui tv Tn n^QoM ypx-^x; ruv vo/j.iiv, EIIIEN O 0KOS, ip.13-1, ri; FENEIGXl 0)122 y.ai eysvsTO- TENE- SQli rii' xs'.i £~/£viro. " So likewise the Jewish Lawgiver {who was no ordinary man) having conceived a just idea of the divine power, he expressed it in a dignified manner; for at th( beginiiingof his laws he thus speaks: GO D.SA I U— What? LET THL;-;K HK {\GWY\ and there uas n^ht. LKT THERE Br\ V.\WYV\\andlhereii3usearth." Longin. Sect. ix. edit. fVfn-cc.

Many have a~ked, " How could light be produced on the frst dt.i/, and the sun, the fuunla;n of it, not created till the fourth day'" With the various and often unphilosophical answers wlrcli have been given to this question 1 will not meddle; but sliall observe that the original word "l^S aur, signifies not only light but ^fire, see Isai. xxxi. y. Eztk. v. 2. ]t is Used for the SU.N,.Job xxxi. 2f). And for thj electric fuid or MGUTMSG, Job xxxvii.,3. And it is worthy of remaik, that it is used in Isai. xliv. 16, for the /(!.■«/, derived from B'X esh, the Jire. He burnetii part thereof in the fire, (IPX 123 benio esh.) — Yea he warmeth himself, and saith aha! • — I liave seen the fire, -,1N »n'jn raiti aur, vvhich a modern philosopher who understood the language, would not scruple to translate, I have received caloric, or an additional porti n of the mait'.-r of heat. I therefore conclude, that as God has difl'u ed the matter of caloric or lattnt h^-at through every part of nature, without which there could be neither vegetation nor animal lif<, that it is caloric or latent heat which is principally intended by tiie original word.

That there is Intent light, which is probably the same ■with latent heat, may be easily demonstrated: take two pieces of smooth rock crystal, agate, cornelian, or (lint, and rub them together hri^kly in the dark, and the latent light or matter of caloric will be immediately produced and become visible. The light or caloric, thus dis- kind, whose seed /'a' in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, and engaged, does not operate in the same powerful manner as the heat or fire which is produced by striking with flint and steel; or that produced by electric friction. The existence of this caloric, latent or primitive light, may be ascertained in various other bodies; it can he produced by the flint and steel, by rubbing twq hard sticks together, by hammering cold iron, which in a short time becomes red hot; and by the strong and sudden compression of atmospheric air in a tube. I'riction in general produces both fire and tight. God therefore created this universal agent on the first day, because, without it, no operation of nature could be carried on or perfected.

Light is one of the most astonishing productions of the creative skill and power of God. It is the grand medium by which all his other works are discovered, examined, and understood, so far as they can be known. Its immense diffusion and extreme velocity are alone sufficient to demonstrate the being and wisdom of God. Light has been proved, by many experiments, to travel at the astonishing rate of 194,188 miles in one second of time! and comes from the sun to the earth in eight minutes 11*^ seconds, a distance of 95,513,794 English miles.

Verse 4. God divided the light, from the darkness, l(C.'] This does not imply that light and darkness are two distinct substances, seeing darkness is only the privation of light; but the words sim()ly refer us, by anticipation, to the rotation of the Earth round its own axis once iii twentj/-lhree hours, fifty-six minutes, and four seconds, which is the cause of the distinction between day and night, by bringing the ditferent parts of the surface of the Earth successively into, and from under, the solar rays; and it was probably, at this moment, that God gave this rotation to the Earth, to produce this merciful provision of day and night. — Eor the manner in which light is supposed to be produced, see verse \6, undcrthe word Sun.

Verse 6. And God said. Let there be a firmament\ Our translators, by following the Firmumentum of the Vulgate, which IS a translation of the <nts%aiJ.a, of the Septuagint, have deprived this passage of all sense and meaning. The Hebrew word ppi rakia, fruin I»p1 rakn, to spread nut as the curtains of a tent or pavilion, simply signifies an expanse or space, and, consequently, that circuinamliient space or expansion, separating^ the clouds, which are in the higher regions of it, from the seas, &c. which are below it. This we call the atmosphere, the orb of atoms, or inconceivably small particles; but the word appears to have been used by 'JMosis In a more extensive sense, and to include the whole of the planetary vortex, or the space which is occupied by the whole solar system.

Verse 1 0. And God called the dry bud earth, ami the gather.- ing together of the waters called he seas."] These two constitute what is called tbe terraqueous globe, m which the earth and Ike tvas in itself, atitcr his kind: and God saw that water exist in a most judicious proportion to each oflier. Dr. Long took the papers ^vhich cover the surface of a seventeen inch terrestrial globe, and havint; carefully separated the land from the sea, he weighed the two collections of papers acciiratily, and fmnd that the sea papers weighed tliree hundred and forty-nine grains, and tiie land-papers only one hundred and twenty-four; by which experiment it appears, that nearly thne-fourths of the surface of our globe, from the arctic to the antarctic polar circles, are covered with water. The Doctor did not weigh the parts within the polar circles, liecausc there is no certain measurement of the proportion of land and water which they contain. This proportion of three-fourths water may be considered as too great, if not useless: but Mr. Ka}', by most accurate experiments made on evaporation, has proved that it requires so much aqueous surface to yield a sutliciency of vapours for the purpose of cooling the atmosphere, and watering the earth. See Hay's I'hj/sico-theolorrical Discourses.

An eminent chemist and philosopher, Dr. Priestley, has very properly observed, that it seems plain that Moses considered the whole terraqueous globe as being created in a fluid state, the earthy and other particles of matter being mingled with the water. The present form of the earth demonstrates the truth of the Mosaic account; for it is well known, that, if a soft or elastic globular body l)e rapidly whirled round on its axis, the parts at the poles will be flattened, and the parts on the equator, midway between the north and south poles, will be raised up. This is precisely the shape of our earth; it has the figure of an oblate spheroid, a figure pretty much resembling the shape of an oraji!;e. It has been demonstrated by admeasurement, that the earth is flatted at the poles, and raised at the equator. This was first conjectured by Sir Isaac Newton, and afterwards confirmed by M. Cassini and others, who measured several degrees of lalilude at the equator and near the north-pole, anil found that the difl'erence perttctly justified Sir Isaac Newton's conjecture, and consequently eonhrmed the Mosaic account. The result of the experiments instituted to determine this point, proved, that the diameter of the earth at the equator is greater by more than tweniy-three and a tialfn\i\es than it is at the poles, allowing the polar diameter to be xj"*''' part shorter than t\\^: equatoi-iul, according to the recent admeasurements of several degrees of latitude made by Messrs. Mechain and Delambre. — L'llistoire des JUatheni. par M. de la Lande, torn. iv. part v. liv. 6.

And God saiv that it uas good."] This is the judgment which God pronounced on his own works. They were beuiiti/ul and perfect in their kind, for.such is the import of the word 3>t3 toblt. They were in weight and measure, perfect and entire, lacking nothing. But the reader will think it strange that this approbation should bt expressed, once on the first, fourth, ffth, and sixth days; tiuice on the (hind, and not at all on the tecond.' I suppose that the words.

1 3 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 % And God said, Let there be " h'ghts in the firmament of the heaven, to divide " the day

'Hcb. bctuern the liaij and between the night.

And God savj that it txns ^ood, have been either lost from the conclusion of the eighth ^erse, or that the clause in the tenth verse originally belonged to the eighth. It appears from the Stptuagint translation, that the words in question existed originally at the close of the eighth verse, in the copies which they used; for in that version we still find nai Eihv o ©eo; ot« xaXo'j, And God saiv that it ivas s;ood. This reading, howe\ er, IS not acknowledged by any of Kennicott's or De Rossi's MSS. nor by any of the other Versions. If the account of the second day stood originally as it does now, no satisfactory reason can be given for the omission of this expression of the Divine approbation of the work wrought by his wisdom and power on that day.

Verse 11. J^t the earth bring forth grass — herbs — fruit-trees, tVc] In these general expressions all kinds of vegetable productions arc included. Fruit-trees are not to be understood here in the restricted sense in which the term i.s used among us; it signifies all trees, not only those which bear fruit, which may be applied to the use of men and cattle, but also those which had the power of propagating themselves by seeds, &c. Now as God delights to manifest himself in the little as well as in the great, he has shewn his consummate wisdom in every part of the vegetable creation. ^Vho can account for, or comprehend the structure of a single tree or plant.' The roots, the stem, the woody fibres, the bark, the rind, the air-vessels, the sap-vessel.s, the leaves, the flowers, and the fruits, are so many mysteries. All the skill, wisdom, and power of men and angels, could not produce a single grain of -^i-heat! A serious and reflecting mind can see the grandeur of God not only in the immense cedars on Lebanon, but also in the endlessly varied /oreWi that appear through the microscope in the mould ofchee.se, stale paste, &c. &c.

\'erse 12. Whose seed wdA in itself] Which has the power of multiplying itself by seeds, slips, roots, &c. ad infinitum: which contains in itself all the rudiments of the future plant through its endless generations. This doctrine has been abundantly confirmed by the mo.st accurate observations of the best modern philosophers. The astonishing power with whicli God lias endued the vegetable creation to multiply its diflerent species, may be instanced in the seed of the elm. Tins tree produces one thousand Jive hundred and eighly-four millions of seeds; and each qf these seeds has the power of producing the same number. How astonishing is this produce! At first one seed is deposited in the earth; from this one a tree s])rings, which in the course of its vegetative life produces one thousand fte hundred and eighty four millions of seeds. This is the frst generation. The second generation will amont to tivo trillions, five hundred and ten thousand and jifty-six billions, ^rhe third generation will amount to fourteen thousand six hundred and ffry-eight quadrillions, seven hundred and twenty seven thousand and forty trillions.' iVnd the fourth generation from tliese would amount to fifty- from the night; and let them be for i of the heaven, to give light upon signs, and " for seasons, and tor days,

and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament

one seTlillions, four hundred and ei!;/iti/-one thousand three hundred and ei^htj/-one qtiintillions, one hundred und txiH-ntijthree thousand one hundred and thirty-six qundrillions! Sums too immense for the litinian mind to conceive; and when we allow the most confined space in whioli a tree can "tow, it appears that the seeds of the third g-eneration from one elm would be many myriads of times more than sufficient to stock the whole s\ipertkie> of all the planets in the solar system!

Verse 14. And God said, Let there be lights, ifc.] One principal oflice of these was!o diviile between day and night. When night is considered astate of com|)arative diiikncss, liow cai» lights divide or distinguish it? The answer is easy; the sun IS the aionarih of the day, the state of light; the moon of the night, the stale of darkne.ss. 7'lie rays of the sun falling on the atmosphere, are refracted and dilFused over the whole of that heniispheie of the earth immediately under his orb; while tliose rays of that vast luminary, which because of the earth's smallness in com])arison of the sun, are dillused on all sides beyond the earth, falling on the opake disc of the moon, are reflected back upon what may be called the lower hemisphere, or that part of the earth which is opposite to tlic part whicii is illuminated by the sun: and as the earth completes a revolution on its own a.vis in about twentyfour hour.>, consequently each htmisphere has alternate day and night. Hut as the solar light reflected from the face of the moon is allowed to be 50000 times less in intensity and efiect than the light of the sun, as it comes directly from himself to our earth, for light decreases in its intensity, as the distance it Iraiels from the sun incrcusex; therefore a suflicient distinction is made between day and night, or light and darkness, notwithstanding each is ruled and determined by one of these ixio great lights. The moon ruling the night, i. e. reflecting fi-oiu iier own surface, back on the earth, the rays of light which she receives from the sun. Thus both hemispheres are to a certain degree illuminated; the one on which the sun shines, completely so; this is day: the other on which the sun's light is reflected by the moon, pariially; t\ni 'n night. It is true, that both the planets and fixed -.tars iifliird a considerable portion of light during the night, yet they cannot be said to rule or to predcuninale by their light, because their rays are quite lost in the superior splendor of the moon's light.

And let them be for signs],nnsS le-othoth. T,et them ever be considered as contitnial token^ of God's tender care for man, and as standing prodfs of his conliiiual miraculous intertirence; for so the word nx* oth is often used. And is it not the almighty energy of God that upliolds theni in being.? T he sun and moon also serve as signs of the dillerent changes which take place in the atmo.s])liere, and which are so essential for all jjurposes of agriculluie, commerce, &e.

l-'or seasoitii] D'lN'^O vioddicm, t"nr the determination of the times on which the sacred festivals kIiouKI be h- Id. In tin;-.sense

16 And God "made two great lights: greater light

the to rule the day, and " the lesser the w ord frequently occurs; and it was right that, at the very opening of his revelation, God.should inform man that there were certain festivals which should he annually celebrated to his glory. Some think we should understand the origmal word as signifying months, fur which purpose we know the moon essentially serves, through all the revolutions of time.

For duy.-i] ]5oth the hours of the day and night, as well as the dift'erent lengths of the days and nighl.s, are distinguished by the longer and.shorter s[)aces the sun is above or below the horizon.

For year.\] Those grand divisions of time, by vhicli all succession in the vast lapse of duration is distinguished. This refers principally to a complete revolution of the earth round the sun, which is accomplished in 36 5 days, 5 hours. 48 nilmiles, and 4S seconds: for, though the revolution is that of the earth, yd it CLiimnt be determined but by the heavenly bodies.

Verse 16. And God made tieo great lights] Moses speaks of the sun and moon here, not according to their Imlk or solid content.'!, but according to the propor ion of light they shed on the earth. The expression has been cavilled at by some who are as devoid of mental capacity as of candour. " The moon," say they, " is not a great body; on the contrary, it is the very smallc-t in our system." ^\ ell, and has Mo?es said the contraiy? He has said it is a great LIGHT: had he said otherwise, he had not spoken the truth. It is, in reference to the earth, next to the sun himself, the greatest light in the solar system: and, so true is it, that the moon is a great light, that it affords more light to the earth than all the jilanets in the solar system, and all the innumerable.stars in the vault of hiaveii put together. Il is worthy of remark, that on the fourth day of the rrealion the sun v as formed, and then " first tried his beams athwart the glooin profound;" and that at the conclusion of the/uuj/A niillenaiy from the creation, accordin^-^ to the Hebrew, the -Sun of Kighteou.sne.ss shone upon the world, as deeply sunk in that mental darkness produced by -sin, as the ancient world was while teeming darkness held the dominion, till the sun was created as the dispenser of light. \\'hat would the iiiiluial wnrld be without the sun? A howling waste, in which ncillu r animal nor vigetable life could possibly exist. And what would the moral world be without Jesus Christ, and the light of hu word and spirit? Just what those parts of it now are, where his light has not yet.shone — " Dark places of the earth, filled with the liatntatiuns of crueltv," where eiTor pre- \ails without end; and ^uper^tition, engendering false hopes and (idse lear>, degrades and debases the mind of man.

Many have supposed that the days of the creation answer to so many Ihou.sands of years; and that as God created all in six days, and rested the seventh, so the world shall last s/ e thousand yrars, and the.\cfenth.shall be the eternal rest til, It remains for the people of God. To this conclusion thev have been Ud by these words of the apostle, 2 Pot. iii. 8, r 2 lio-ht to rule the night: he made

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give hglit upon the earth,

18 And to " rule over the day, and over the night; and to divide tiie hght fiom the darkness: and God saw that it zcas good.

One iltiv is luilh the Lord as a thousand years; and a thousand years us one day. i^ijcTet tliinijs belong to God: those that are reveakd to us and our children.

He made the stars also] Or rather, he made the lesser light, ii:ith the stars, to rule the night.

On the nature of the sun there have been various conjectures. It was long thought that he was a vast globe of Jire, l,38-l,4G2 times larger than the earth; and that he was continually emittitiLf from his body innumerable millions of ftery particles, which bcinc; extremely divided, answered for the purpose of light and lieat, without occasioning; any ignition or burning, except when collected in the focus of a convex lens or burning glass. Against this opinion, however, many serious and weighty objections have been made; and it has been so pressed with difficulties, that philosophers have been obliged to look for a theory less repugnant to nature and probability. Dr. Herscliel's discoveries, by means of liis immensely magnifying telescopes, have, by the general consent of philosophers, added a nev; habitable xvorld to our system, which is the SUN. WiUiout stopping to enter into detail, which would be improper here, it is sufficient to saj', that these discoveries tend to prove, that what we call the itin is only the atmosphere of that luminary; " that this atmosphere consists of various elastic Jlnids, that are more or less lucid and transparent; that as the clouds belonging to our earth are jirobably decompositions of some of the elastic fluids belonging to the atmosphere itself, so wc may suppose that in the vast atmosphere of the sun, similar decompositions may take place, but with this difference, thai the decompositions of the elastic fluids of the sun are o{' a phosphoric nature, and are attended by lucid appearances, by giving out li'fht." The body of the sun he considers as- hidden tjeneraliy from us, by means of this luminous atmosphere; but what are called the macuhe or.'^pots on the sun, are real openings in this atmosphere, through which the opaque body of the sun becomes visible: that this atmosphere itself is not fieri/ nor hot, but is the instrument which God designed to act on the calorie or latent heat; and that heat is ftnly produced by the solar light acting upon and combining with Ihe caloric or matter of fire contained in the air, and other 6ubst.inccs which are heated by it. This ingenious theory is supported by many plausible reasons and illustrations, which may be seen in the paper he read before the Royal Society.- — On this subject, see the note on verse 3. OF THE MOON.

There is «carcely any doubt now remaining in the philo

19 And the evening and the morn-

ing were the fourth tUiy.

20 % And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the " moving creature that hath " lite, and " fowl that may fly above the earth in the ^ open firmament of heaven.

21 And ^ God created great whales, and every

sophical world, that the moon is a habitable globe. The most accurate observations that have been made with the most powerful telescopes, have confirmed the opinion. The moon seems, in almost every respect, to he a body similar to our earth, to have its surface diversified liy hill and dale, mountains and vallies, ri\ers, lakes, and seas. And there is the fullest evidence that our earth serves as a moon to the moon herself, differing only in this, that as the earth's surface is thirteen times larger than the moon's, so the moon receives from the earth a light thirteen limes greater in splendor than that which she imparts to us: and by a very correct analogy we are led to infer, that all the planets and their satellites, or attendant moons, are inhabited; for matter seems only to exist for the sake of intelligent beings.

The STARS, in general, are considered to be suns, similar to that in our system; each having an appropriate number of planets moving round it: and that, as these stars are innumerable, consequently there are innumerable worlds, all dependent on the power, protection, and providence of God. Where the stars are in great abundance. Dr. Herschel supposes they form primaries and secondaries; i. e. suns revolving about suns, as planets revolve about the sun in our system. He considers that this miist be the case in what is called the niilky nay; the stars being there in prodigious quantity. Of this he gives the following proof: On August 22, 1792, he found that in 41 minutes of time, not less than 258,000 stars had passed through tlie field of view in his telescope. What must God be, who has made, governs, and supports so many worlds! — For the magnitudes, distances, revolutions, 5|-c. of the Sun, Moon, Planets and their Satellites, see the preceding TABLI.S.

Verse 20. Let the tcuten bring forth abundantly] There is a meaning in these v\ ords which is seldom noticed. Innumerable nnllions of animaleula are found in water. Eminent naturalists have discovered not Ifss than 30,000 in a single drop! How inconceivably small must each be, and yet each a perfect animal, fiimished with the whole apparatus of hones, muscles, nerves, heart, arteries, veins, lungs, viscera in general, animal spirits, &c. &c. What a proof is this of the manifold wisdom of God! But the fecundity of fishes is another point intended in the text; no creatures are so prolific as these. A TENCH lays 1000 eggs, a CARP 20,000, and Leuwenhoek counted in a middling-sized COD, nine jnillion 384,000! Thus, according to the purpose of God, the waters brin<r forth abundantly. And what a merciful provision is this for the necessities of man! Many hundred? of

Creallon of xcild CHAP. I. oml tame catlk, S^-c, living creature that movcth, which | 24 ^ And God said. Let the earth a.m.i. the waters broiigiit forth al)iin(hintly, ': bring forth tlie hving creature after after their kind, and every winged fowl alter his kind: and CJod saw that it uas good.

22 And God blessed ihcm, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and till the waters in the seas, and let fowl nndtiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

thousamU of the earth's inhabitants live, for a great part of the year, onjish only. Fish allbrtl not only a wiiolesome, but a very nutritive diet: tliey are liable to few diseases, and generally come in vast quantities to our shores, wlien in their greatest perfection. In this also we may see tliat the kind providence of God goes hand in hand with his crcaliiicr energy. While he manifests his wisdom and his power, he is making a permanent provision for liie sustenance of man ihrouoh all his generations.

Verse 21. And God created /rrcat iihuks] CD'bijn:^3*:nn ha-tiiiwcenim liii-a^edoleem. Though this is generally understood by the diflerent versions as signifying vjhales, yet the original must he undei-stf)od rather as a general than a particular term, comprising all the great aquatic animals, such as the various species of whales, the porpoise, the dolphin, the monoceros or narwal, and the shark. God delights to shew himself in little as well as ^reat things: hence he forms animals so minute, that 30,000 can be contained in one drop of water; and others so great, that they seem to require almost a whole sea to float in.

verse 22. Let fowl multipUj in the enrlli.] It is truly astonishing witli what care, wisdom, and mniute skill God lias formed the diflei-cnt genera and species of birds, whether intended to live chiefly 'on land or in water. The structure of a single feather aiVords a world of wonders; and as God made the fowls that they might fy in the firmament of heaven, ver. 20, so he has adapted the form of their bodies, and the structure and disposition of their plumage, tor that very purpose. The head and neek in flying, are drawn principally wiihin the breast-bone, so that the whole under-part exhibits the appearance of a ship's hull. The wings are made use of as sails, or rather oars, and the tail as a helm or rudder. By means of these, the creature is not only able to preserve the centre of gravity, but also to go with vast speed through the air, either straight forward, circularly, in any kind of angle, upwar<ls or downwards. In these also God has shewn his skill and his power in the great and in the liitlc — in the vast ostrich and cassoiuart/, and in the beautiful humming-bird, which in plumage excels the splendor of the peacock, and in size is almost on a level with the Lee.

Verse 24. Let the earth bring forth the living creature, ^c] H'n U'CJ ncphesh chaiyah, a general term to express all creatures endued with animal life, in any of its inlinilely varied gradations, from the half- reasoning elephant down, to the

his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after liis kind: and it was so.

2.5 And God made t^ie beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that crecpeth upon the earth alter his kinti: and God.saw that it xcas good.

26 ^ And God said, "Let us malvc man in our

stupid potto, or lower still, to the pohpe, which seemscf|ually to share the vegetable and animal life. The word iri»n chaij/eto, in the latter part of the verse, seems to signify all ivild animals, as lions, tigers, &c. and especially such as are camiroroiis, or live on Jlesh, in contradistinction front domestic animals, such as are graminivorous, or live otv grass and other vegeiables; and are capable of being tamed, and ap])lied to domestic ])urposcs. These latter are probably meant by ncna hehemah, in the text, which we translate cattle, such as horses, kinc, sheepj dogs, Ifc. Crecpin<r thing, CD! re?ne.i, all the different genera of serpents, tvorms, and such animals as have no feet. In beasts also God has shewn his wondrous skdl and power; in the vast elephant, or still more colossal mammoth, or mcgalonux, the whole race of which apjjears to be extinct, a few skeletons only remaining. This anmial, an astonishing effect of God's power. He seems to have produced merely to shew what he could do; and after sufl'ering a few of them to propagate, he extinguished the race by a merciful providence, that they might not: destroy both man and beast. The mammoih, or mtgalonvx, is a carniiorott.i animal, as the structure of the teeth proves: and of an immense size: from a considerable part of a skeleton which I have seen, it is computed that the animal to which it belonged must have bee^n nearly twenty-Jive feet high, and sixty in length! The bones of one toe are entire; the toe upwards of three feet in length, tew elephants have ever been found to exceed eleven feet in height. How wondrous are the works of God! IJut his skill and power arc not less seen in the beautiful chcvrotin, or tragutus, a creature or the antelope kind, the smallest of all bifid or cloven-footed animals, who.se delicate limbs are scarcely so large as an ordinary "goose quill; and also in the shnix?nou3e, perhaps the smallest of the many-toed qiiaiiruptds. In the: repiile kind we see also the same skill and power, not only in the imiiiense snake called Boa constrictor, the mortal foe and conqueror of the royal tiger; bi't also in the Cobra do. Manille) a venemous serpent, only a little larger than a common sewing needle.

Verse 25. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, iic.'] Every thing both in the animal and vegetable world was made so according to its kind, both in genus autl species, as to produce its uivn kind through endlcsvs generations. Thus the several races of animaLs and plants havebeen kept distinct from the foundation of the world to the present day. This is a \)rooi that uU future generations «£"

image, after our likeness them liave dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and overall the earth, and over every creeping tiling that creepeth upon the earth.

27 »So God created man in his oivn image, ''in the image of God created he him; " male and tcmalc created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, ■* Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish

GENESIS. the image of God.

and Met lithe earth, and subdue it: and have plants and animals, have been seininally included in those whicli God formed in the befjinning.

Verse '26..Ind God said, Let us make mnri] It is evident that God intends to impress the mind of man with a sense of.something extraordinary in the formation of his body and soul, when he introduces the account of his creation thus: Lei US make man. The word OIX Adam, which we translate vmn, is intended to designate the specks of animal, as in'n chaieto marks the iL-itd beasts, that live in general a solitary lite; r^CTO belietiuih, domestic or gregarious animals; and trui retries, ail kinds of reptiles, from the largest snake to the microscopic eel. Though the same kind of organization may be found in man, as appears in the lower animals, yet there is a variety and complication in the parts, a delicacy of structure, a nice arrangement, a judicious adaptation of the different members to their great offices and functions, a dignity of mien, and a perfection of the whole, which are sought for in vain in all other creature.*. See ch. iii. 22.

In our image, afer our likeness] What is said above refers only to the body of man; what is here said refers to his soul. This was made in the imct:;e and likeness of God. Now, as the Divine Being is infinite, he is neither limited by parts, nor definable by passions; therefore he can have no corporeal image after which he made the body of man. The image and likeness must necessarily be intellectual: his mind, his soul, must have been formed after the nature and perfections of his God. The human mind is still endowed with mo.st extraordinary capacities: it was more so when issuing out of the hands of its Creator. Cyod was now producing a spirit, and a spirit too, formed after the perfections of his own nature, (jod is the fountain whence this spirit issued; hence the stream must re.semble the Spring which produced it. God is holy, ju>t, wise, good, and perfect; so must tlic so<il be that sprang from him: there could be in it nothing impure, unjust, ignorant, evil, low, base, mean or vile. It was created after the image of God; and that linage, St. Paul tells us, consisted in rigliteousness, true holiness, and knoxslcdtre, Kph. iv. 24. ("oloss. iii. 10. Hence man was wise in his mind, lioly in his heart, and righteous in his actions. Were even the word of God silent on this subject, we could not infer less from the lights held out to us by reason and common.sense. The text tells us, he was the «ork of Eloiii.m, the Divine Plurality, marked here more dominion over the fi.sh of the sea, and

over the fowl of the air, and over every li\ing

thing that ' moveth upon the earth.

29 % And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb 'bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and eveiy tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; ^ to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to " every beast of the earth, and to

distinctly by the plural pronouns US and OUR; and to shew that he was the master-piece of God's creation, all the persons in the Godhead are represented as united in counsel and eflbrt to produce this a.stonishing creature.

And let them haze dominion] Hence we see that the dominion was not the image. God created man capable of governing the world; and when fitted for the office, he fi.xed him in it. We see God's tender care and parental solicitude for the comfort and well-being of this master-piece of his workmanship, in creating the world previously to the creation of man. He prepared every thing for his subsistence, convenience, and pleasure, before he brought him into being; so that, comparing little with great things, the house was budded, furnished, and amply stored, by the time, the destined tenant was ready to occupy it.

h has been supposed by.some, that God speaks here to the Angels, when he says. Let us make man: but to make this a likely interpretation, the.se persons must prove, I. That Angels were then created. 2. That Angels could assist in a work of creation. 3. That Angels were themselves made in the image and likeness of God. If they were not, it could not be said in OUU image; and it does not appear from any part in the sacred writings, that any creature but man was made in the image of God. — Sec the note on Psal. viii. 5.

Verse 28. And God blessed them] Marked them as being under his especial protection, and gave them power to propagate and multiply their own kind on the earth. A large volume would be insulTicieiit to contain what we know of the excellence and p< rfection of man, even in his present degraded fallen state. Both his \>ody and soul are adapted with astonishing wisdom to their residence and occupations; and also Xhc place of their residence, as well as the surroundinsT objects, in their diversity, colour, and mutual relatioRs, to the mind and body of this lord of tin- creation. 'J he contrivance, arrangement, action, and re-action of the ditli rent parts of the body, shew llie admirable skill of the v.ondrous Creator; while the various powers and faculties of the mind acting on, and by, the different organs of this body, proclaim the souCs divine origin, and demonstrate, that he who was made in the image and likeness of Ciod, was a transcript of his own excellency, destined to know, love, and dwell with his Maker throughout etirnity.

The vegetables given to the

every ' fowl of the air, and to every

thinj? that crccpeth upon tlie earth, wherein there is Mifc, J have given every green lierb for meat: and it was so.

Verse 2!". / hare girai every?;•«« herb for meat.J It seems from tliis, says an eminent pliilosopher, that man was originally intended to live upon vegetables only: and as no change was made in the structure of men's bodies after the flood" it is not probable that any change was made in the articles of their food. It may also be inferred from this passage, that no animal whatever was originally designed to prey on others; tor nothing is here said to be given to any beast of the earth besides green herbn. Dr. Priestley. — Before sin entered into the world, there could be, at least, no violent deaths, if any death at all.

Verse 31. And behold it ti-as very good.] nSO 3113 toUi meod. Superlatnelj/, or onli/ good: as good as they could be. The plan wise, the work Mell executed, the difterent parts properly arranged, their nature, limits, mode of existence, manner of propagation, habits, mode of sustenance, &c. &c. properly and permanently established and secured; for every thing was formed to the utmost perfection of its nature, so that nothing could be added or diminished without encumbering the operations of niatfer and spirit on the one hand, or rendering them inellicient to the end proposed, on the other; and God has so done all tiiese marvellous works as to be glorified in all, bi/ all, and through all.

And the evening and the morning nrre tlie sixth day.] The word yyff ereb, which we translate evening, comes from the root y^y drab, to iuini;le, and properly signifies that state in which neither absolute darkness, nor full liglit, prevails. It has nearly the same grammatical signification with our iiiilight, tlie time that elapses from the setting of the sun till he is eighteen degrees below the horizon, and eighteen degrees before he arises. Thus we have the morning and evening twilight, or mixture of light and darkness, in which neither prevails; because, while the sun is within eighteen degrees of the horizon, either after his setting, or before his rising, the atmosphere has power to refract the rays of liglit, and send tliem back on the earth. The Hebrews extended the meaning of lliis term to the whole duration of night, because it was ever a mingled slate, the moon, the planets, or the stars, tempering the darkness with some rays of light. From the ereb of Moses came the EpiBo? Erehu.^ of Hesiod, Aristophanes, and other heathens, which they deijled, and made with i\o.r, or night, the parent of all things.

The morning] ip3 boquer, from ip3 buquar, he looked out — di beautiful figure, which represents the morning as iooking out at the East, and illuminating the whole of the upper hemisphere.

Thrts ends a chapter containing the most extensive, most profound, and most sublime truths, that can possibly come within the reach of the human intellect. How unspeakably are we indebted to God for giving us a revelation of his WILL and o( bis WORKS! Is it jwssible to know the mind of God but from himself? It is impossible. Can those things and services which are worthy of, and pleasing to an infinitely pure, perfect, and holy Spirit, be ever found out by reasomii'^ and conjecture? Never! tor the.Spirit of God alone can know the mind of God; and by this Spirit he has revealed himself to man; and in this revelation has taught him not only to know the glories and perfections of the Creator, but also his own origin, duty, and interest. Thus far it was essentially necessary that God should reveal his WILL: but if he had not given a itveluti(jn of his WORKS, the origin, constitution, and nature of the universe, could never have b'-en adequately known. The ivorld by aisdoin knew not God: this is demonstrated by the writings of the most learned and intelligent heathens. 'Iliey had no just, no rational notion of the orii^in and design of the universe. Moses alone, of all ancient writers, gives a consistent and rational account of the creation; an account which has been confirmed by the investigations of the most accurate philosophers. But where did he learn this? " In Egypt." That is impossible: for the Egyptians themselves were destitute of this knowledge. The remains we have of their old historians, all jiosterior to the time of Moses, are egregious for their contradictions and absurdity; and the most learned of the Greeks, who borrowed from them, have not been able to make out, from their conjoint stock, any consistent and credible account. Moses has revealed the mystery that lay hid from all preceding ages, because he was taught it by the inspiration of the Almighty.

Re.^DER, thou hast now before thee the most ancient and most authentic history in the world, a history that contains the first written discovery that God has made of himself to mankind. A discovery of his own Being in his ii'isdom, poitier, and goodness, in which thou and the whole human race are so intimately concerned. How much thou art indebted to Him for this discovery, He alone can teach thee; and cause thy heart to feel its obligations to his wisdom and mercy. Rend so as to understand, for these things were written for thy learning; therefore 7nark what thou readest, and inwardly digest, deeply and seriously meditate on what thou hast marked, and pray to the Father of lights that he may open thy understanding, that thou mayest know these Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.

God made thee and the universe, and governs all things according to the counsel of his will: that will is infinite goodness, that counsel is unerring wisdom. While under the direction of this counsel, thou canst not err; while under the influence of this will, thou canst not be wretched. Give thyself up to his teaching, and submit to his authority; and after "-uidinn- thee here by his counsel, he will at last bring thee to his glory. Every object that meets thy eye, should sanctification of the salhath.

teach thee reverence, submission, and gratitucle. The earth and its productions were made for thee; and the providence of tby heavenly Father, infinitely diversified in its operations, watches over and provides for thee. Behold the firmament •f his power, the Sun, Moon, Planets, and Stars, which he has formed, not for himself, for he needs none of these Ihinsjs, but for his intelligent ofVspring. What endless gratification has he designed thee, in placing within thy reach these astonishing efti:cts of his wisdom and power, and in rendering thee capable of searching out their wonderful relations and connexions; and of knowing himself the source of all perfection, by having made thee in his own image.

and in his own likeness! It is true, thou art fallen: but he has found out a Ransom. God so loved ibee, in conjunction with the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Bel eve on HIM: through bin ahne cometh salvation; and the lair and holy image of God, in which tbou wast created, shall be again restored; he will build thee up as at the first, restore tliy judges and counsellors as at the beginning, and in thy second creation, as in thy first, will pronounce thee to be very irood, and tliou shalt shew forth the virtues of Him by whom thou art created anew in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The spfenfh da>/ is consecrated for a sabbath, and the reasons assigned, 1 — 3. ^ recapitvlation of the six dtiys tiork of creation, 4 — 7- The garden of Eden planted, 8. Its trees, 9- Its rivers, and the coun'iies icatered by them, 10 — 14. Jldam placed in the garden and the command given not to eat of the tree of knoa ledge, on pain of death, 15 — 17- God purposes to form a companion for the man, 18. The different animals brought to Jdam that he might assign them their names, 19, 20. The creation of the xooman, 21, 22. The instil ution

THUS the heavens and the earth were finished, and " all the host of them. 2 " And on the seventh day God ended his

Verse 1. And all the host of them.l The word host signifies literally an ariuy, composed of a number of companies of soldiers under their respective leaders; and seems here elegantly applied to the various celestial bodies in our system, placed by the Divine Wisdom under the miluence ot the sun. From the original word N3X Isuba, a host, some suppose the Saheiins had their nauie, because of their paying divine honours to the heavenly bodies. From the Se|)tuagint version of this place, wa; o KotT/jio; aurav, all their ornnnienls, ■we learn the true meaning of the v\ord kotuci couiinonly translated -ioorld, which signifies a decorated or adorned ■whole or system. And this refers to the beautiful order, harmony, and regularity, which subsist among the various parts of creation. This translation must impress the reader with a very favourable opinion of these ancient Greek translators: had thy not examined the works of God with a philosophic eye, they never could have given this tuvn to the original.

work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God " blessed the seventh dav, and sanc-

general voice of Scripture, that God finished the whole of the creation in SIX days, and rested the seventh! giving us an example thai we might labour sn days, and rest t;e seventh Irom all manual exercises. It is worihy ot notice, that the Sepliiagint, the.Syriac, and the Samaritan, read tlie sLilh day instead of the scicnth; and this should be considered the genuine reading, which a)ipears from these ver-io:is, to have been originally, th.it of the Hebrew text. How the word sixth became changed into seventh, may be easily conceived from this circumstance. It is very likely that, in ancient times, all the numerals were signified by tellers, and not by words at full lengih. I'his is the case in the most ancient Grctk and I atin MSS. and in almost all the Rabbinical writings. VV^ien tlie.se numeral letters became changed for words at fiill lengih, two letters nearly similar, might be mistaken for each other: ^ vau stands for six, 1 zain ibr seten: how easy to mistake these letters for each other, when writing the words at full lengtli, and so give birth to the reading in question!

* created and made. 4 ^ " These are the generations of the heavens

and of the earth when they were created, in the

day that the Lord God made the earth and the

word "pa haruc, winch is n:eneral1y rentlered to hUss, has a very extensive meaning;. It is frequently used m Scripture in llie sense of speaking good of or to a person; and hence literally and properly rendered by the Scptuafjinl iu'KDyriiTiv, from £1/ good or xcdl, and Xsyw / speak. So God has spoken ■uiell of the sabhalli, and good to them who conscientiously observe it Blessing, is applied both to God and man; but when God is said to bless, we generally undir.stand by the expression, that he communicates some good: but w hf n man is said to bless God, we surely cannot imagine that he bcstoivs any gift, or confers any benefit on his Maker. The truth is, that when God is said to bless, either in the Old or New Testament, it signifies bis speaking good TO 7nan; and this comprizes the whole of his exceeding great and precious promises: And when man is said to bless (Jod, il ever implies that he speaks good OF him, for the giving and fulfilment of his promises. Tliis observation will be of general use in considering the Tarious places wliere the word occurs in the sacred writings. Header, God blesses thee, when, by his promises, he speaks good to thee: and tliou dost ble.w Inm, when, from a consciousness of his kindness to thy body and soul, thou art thankful unto him, and speakcst ^ood OF his name.

Because that in il lie had rested] rou^ shebath, from shabath, he rested; and hence, sabbath, the n:ime of the seventh day, signifying a day of rest — Rest to the body from labo\ir and toll; and rest to tlie soul from all worldly care and anxieties. He who labours with his mind by worldly schemes and plans on the sabbath-day, is as culpable as he who labours with his hands in his accustomed calling. It is by the authority of God that tlie sabbath is set apart for rest and religious purpose.<, as tlte six days of ll>e week are appointed for lahour. How wise is this provision! it is essentially necessary, not only to the body of man, but to all the animals employed in his service: take this away, and the labour is too great; both man and beast would fail under it. \\'ithout this consecrated day, religion itself would fail, and the human mind, becoming sensualized, would soon forget Us origin and end. Kven as a political regulation, it is one of the wisest and most beneficent in its effects of any ever instituted. Those who hahitually disregard its moral obligation, arc to a man, not only good for nothiuig, but are wretched in themselves, a curse to society, and often ent! their lives miserably. See the Notes on Kxod. xx. 8. xxiii. 12. xxiv. 16. and xxxi. 13. to which the reader is particularly desired to refer.

As God formed both the mind and body of man on principles o( activity, so he assigned him proper employment: and it is his decree, that the mmd shall improve by exercise, and

5 And every 'plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not "^ caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man 1 to till the groiuul.

6 But "^ there went up a mist fioni the earth, and watered the whole face of the around.

the body find increase of vigour and health in honest labour. He who iillis away his time in the six days, is equallv culpable in thi' sight of God, as lie who works on the serent/t. The idle person is ordinarily clothed with rags; and the sabbath-breakers frequently come to an ignominious death. — Reader, beware!

Verse 4. In the day that the Lord God made, ifc] The word niiT Ychotah, in for the first time ntentioned here. Wliat It signifies, see on Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6. Wherever this word occurs in the sacred writings we tra\islate it LORD, which word is, through respect and reverence, alwaj-s printed in capitals. Though our English term Lord does not give the particular meaning of the original word, yet it conveys a strong and noble sense. Lord is a contraction of the Anglo- Saxon hlaponb Hlaford, afterward written Lovepa lorerd, and lastly Lord; from hlap hlaf, bread: hence our word loaf; and popb Jbr(/, to supply, to give out. The word, therefore, implies tlie giver of bread; i. e. he who deals out all the necessaries of life. Our ancient English noblemen were accustomed to keep a continual open house, where all their vassals, and all strangers, had full liberty to enter, and eat as much as lliiy would; and hence those noblemen had the honourable name of lords, i. e. the dispensers of bread. There are about three of the ancient nobility who still keep up this honourable custom, from which the very name of their nobility is derived. M'^e have already seen, ch. i. 1. with what judgment our Saxon ancestors expressed Deus, the Supreme Being, by the term God; and we see the same judgment consulted by their use of the term Lord, to ckpress the word Dominus, by which terms the Vulgate version, which they used, expresses Elohim and Jehovah, which we translate LonD GOD. GoD is ihe good Being, and LoilD, is the dispenser of bread, the giver of every good and perfect gift, who liberally affords the bread that perishctli to every man; and has amply provided the bread that endures unto eternal life for every human soul. With what pioprielv then does this word apply to the Lord Jesus, who is emphatically called the bread of Life; the bread of God, tuhick conieth doixn from heaven, and xihich is given for tlie life of the world? John vi. 13, 48. 51. What a pity that this most impressive and instructive meaning of a word in such general use, were not more extensively known, and more particularly regarded!

Verse 6. Every plant of the field before it tvas in the earth] It appears that God created every thing, not only perfect as it respects its nature, but also in a state of maturity; s» that every vegetable production appeared at oace iit lull

* breathed into his " nostrils the breath of Hte; and ^ man became a living soul.

* eastward in " Eden; and there ' he put the man whom he had formed.

growth: and this was necessary, that man, wlien he came Into being-, might find every thing ready for his use.

Ver.<e 6. There ivent up a mi.it'] This passage appears to have s^reatly embarrassed many commentators. The plain meanino; seems to be this, that t!ic aqueous vapours ascending from the earth, and becoming condensed in the colder regions of the atmosphere, fell back upon the earth in the form o(dnL>s, and by this means an equal portion of moi.sture was distributed to the roots of plants, &c. As Moses had said, verse 5. that the Lord had not caused it to rain upon the earth, he probably designed to teach us, in verse 6. how rain is produced, viz. by the condensation of the aqueous vapours, which are generally, tlirough the lieat of the sun and other causes, raised to a considerable height in the atmosphere, where, meeting with cold air, the watery particles, which were beibre so small and light that they could float in the air, becoming condensed; i. e. many drops being driven into one, become too heavy to be any longer sus|)f nded, and ihen, through their own gravity, fall down in tiie form which we term rain.

Verse 7. God formed man of the dust'] In the most distinct manner God shews us that man is a compound being, having a body and a soul, distinctly and separately created: the body out of the dust of the earth, the soul immediately breathed from God hmiself Docs not this strongly mark that the soul and body are not the same thing? The body derives its origin from the earth, or, as'lij; aphcr implies, the dust: hence, because it is earthy, it is decomposable, and perishable. Of the soul it is said, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: D'T! DP ruuch chayim, the breath of LIVES; i. e. animal and intellectual. Winle this breath of God expanded the lungs, and set them in play, his inspiration gave both spirit and understanding.

Verse 8. A garden eastivard in Eden'] Thouirh the word Jni? Eden signifies pleasure or delight, it is certainly the name of a place. See ch. iv. 16. 2 Kings xix. 12. Isa. xxxvii. 12. Ezdc. xxvii. 2.). Amos i. 5. And such places probably received their name from their /f;7i7/(j/, pleasant situation, Ifc. In this light the Septuagint have viewed it, as they render the passage thus: ((purEV(riv o Qsog wapa^tiaov iv EJf/*, God planted a Purudi^e in Eden. Hence the word I'aradisehas been introducfd liito the New Testament, and is generally used to signify a place o'f 'exquisite pleasure and delight. From this the ancient heathens borrowed their ideas of the gardens of the llesperidcs, where the trees bore golden fruit; the gardens of Adonis, a word which is evidently derived from the Hebrew ni? Aden; and hence the origin of sacred gardens, or cnclosurcsj dedicated to purposes of dcvoUon, some comparatively

9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow " every tree that

is pleasant to the sight, and good for food;

' the tree of life also in the midst of the

10 ^ And a river went out of Eden to water

innocent, others impure. The word Paradise is not Greek; in Arabic and Persian, it signifies a garden, a vineyard, and also the place of the blessed. The Mohammedans say, that of Paradise, from light, and the prophets and wise men ascend thither, ^^'"ihnet places it after the root ^ farada to separate, especiall}' a person or place for the purposes of devotion, but supposes it to be originally a Persian word, vox originis Persiccc quam in sua lingua consenamnt Armeni. As it is a word of doubtful origin, its etymology is uncertain.

Verse 9. Every tree that is pleasant to the sight, dfc] If we take up these expressions literally, they may bear the following interpretation: the tree pleasant to the sight, may mean every beautiful tree or plant which for shape, colour, or fragrance, delights the senses; such as flowering shrubs. Sec.

The tree that is good for food] All fruit-bearing trees, whether of the pulpy iruit.s, as apples, &c. or of the kernel or nut kind, such as dates, and nuts of diflerent sorts, together with all esculent vegetables.

The tree of life] D"n chaii/im, oi lives, or life-giving tree, every medicinal tree, herb, and plant, whose healing virtues are of great consequence to man in his present state, when, through sin, di-eases of various kinds have seized on the human frame, and have commenced that process of dissolution which is to reduce them to their primitive dust. Yet, by the use of these trees of life, those different vegetable medicines, the health of the body may be preserved for a time, and death kept at a distance. Though the exposition given here may he a general meaning for these general terms, yet it i& likely that this tree of life, which was placed in the midst of the ' garden, was intended as an emblem of that life which maa should ever live, provided he couliniud in obedience to his.Maker. And probably the u.-^e of this tree was intended as the means of preserving the body of man in a state of continual vital energy, and an antidote again.->t death. This seems.strongly indicated from ch. iir. 22.

And the tree of kwjv.'ledge of good and erii] Considering this also in a merely literal point of view, it may mean aoy tree or plant which possessed the properly of increasing the knowledge of what was in nature, as the esculent vegetables, had of increasing bodily vigour; and that there are some aliments which, from their physical influence, have a tendency to strengthen the understanding and invigorate the rationai family, more tljan others, has been supposed by the wisest and best of men: yet here much more seems intended; but ichat, is very difhcult to be a" crtained. Some very eminent men Lave contended, tiiut the passage should be understood

the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into tour heads.

1 1 The name of the first is Pison: tiiat is it ivhich compassctli ' the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good; '' there is bdellium and tiie onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river 2,5 Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of ' Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river a.m.

aUc^oricalli/ < and that the tree of (he knowledge of good and evil, means simpiy that prudence, which is a mixture of knowledge, care, caution, and judgment, wiiich was prescribed to regulate the whole of man's conduct. And it is certain, that to knoxn i^nod and eri/, in difll-rent parts of Scripture, means such luiciwledgc and discretion as leads a man to understand what is/jV and mijit, what is not proper to be done, and what should be performed. But how could the acquisition of such a faculty be a sin.' Or can we suppose that such a faculty conld be wanting when man w'as in a state «f perfection? To this it may answered, the prohibition was intended to exercise this faculty in man, that it sliuiild con>tanily teach him this moral lesson, that there were smne tilings fit and others unfit to be (lone; anil tliat, in reference to this point, the tree itself should be both a constant teacher and monitor. The eating of its fruit would not have increased, this moral faculty, but the prohibition was intended to exercise the faculty he already posses.sed. There is certainly nothing unreasonable in this explanation; and, viewed in this light, the passage loses much of its ob.scurity. Vitringa, in his Dissertation De urbore prudentia: in Paradiso, fjustjiie mi/slerio, strongly contends for this interpretation. — »?ee more on chap. iii. 3.

Verse 10. A river went out of Eden, ^-c] It would a.stonish an ordinary reader who should ')e obliged to consult difFerent commentators and critics on the situation of the tej-restriul Paradise, to see the vast variety of opinions bv which they are divided. Some place it in tlie third heaven; otliers in the fourth; some within the orbit of the moon, others in the moon itself; some in the middle regions of the a;r, or beyond the earth's attraction; some on the earth, others under the earth, and others within the earth; some liave fixed'it at the north-pole, others at the south; some in Tartary, some in Chma;.some on the borders of the Ganges, some in tlic island of Ceylon; some in Armenia, others in Africa, under the equator; some in Mesopotaniiay others in Syria, Persia, Arabia, Babylon, Assyria, anil in Palestine; some have condescended to place it in Europe, and others Imve contended, it either exists not, or is invisdde, or is merely of a spiritual nature, and that the whole account is to be spiritually understood! That there was such a place •nc<', there is no reason to doubt; the description given by Jrlotes is too particular and circumstantial to be capable of is " Hiddekcl: that is it which gooth " ^■^''"^- 'toward the cast. of As.syria. And tlic fourth river is ^ Euphrates,

15 ^ And the Lord God took ^ the man, and " put him into the garden of Eden to dress it, and to keep it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of CAery tree of the garden ' thou mayes't freely eat:

being understood in any spiritual or alk^onral way. As well might we contend, that the persons of Adam and Eve were allegorical, as that the place of their residence was such.

The most probable accom>t of its situation is that given by Hadrian Keland. He supposes it to have been in Armenia, near the sources of the great rivers Euphrates. Ti/gris, 'Phasis, and Araxes. He thinks Pison was the Phasis, a river of Cholchis, emptying itself into the Euxine Sea, where there is a city called Ctiabalu, the pronunciation of which is nearly the same with that of Havilah, or nS'lH C/uivilali, according to the Hebrew, the fau 1 being changed in Greek to beta (3. This country was famous for ^oW, whence the fable of the Golden Fleece, attempted to he carried away from that country by the heroes of Greece. The Gi/tun he thinks to be the Araxes, which runs into the Ca-pian Sea, both the words having the same signification, viz. a rapid motion. The land of Cush, washed by the river, he supuoses to be the country of the Cussxi of tlie ancients. The Hiddekel all agree to be the Tit^ris; and the other river, Phrut, or mS Faath, to be tiie Euphrates. Ail these rivers rise in the same tract of mountainous country, though they do not arise from one head.

Verse 12. There is bdellium {n";n3 bedolach) and the oni/x stone, Dnirn p.vt Eben ha-shoham. Bochart tliinks that the bedolach, or bdelliuiii, means i\\e pearl-oyster: and thohaiii is generally understood to mean the onyx, a precious stone, which has its name from ovi|, a man's nail, to the colour of which it nearly approachj.s. — It is impossible to say what is the precise nuaniiig of the original words; and at this distance of time and place it is of little consequence.

Verse 1 5. Put him into the garden — to dress it and to keep it.] Horticulture, or gardening, is the first kind of employment on record; and that in which man waseng.iged, while in'a state of perfection and innocence. Though the garden may be supposed to jiroduce all things s})ontaneously, as tlie whole vcgelalile surface of the earth certainly did at the creation; yet dressing and tillin^r,vere afterwards necessary,.to maintain the dtfleient kinds of plants and vegetables in llilw perfection, and to repress Uixiiriance. Evcm in a state of innocence, we cannot conceive it possible that man could haie been happy if inactive. God gave him work to do, and liis employment contributed to his happiness: for the structure of his body, as well as of his min<l, plainly proves that he was never intended for a merely contemplative lite.

1 7 '' But of the tree of tlie knowledge of good and evil, '' tliou shalt

not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof "^ thou shalt surely die.

18 ^ And the Lord God said, It is not good that tfic man should be alone-, ' I will make him a help ^ meet for him.

19 ^ x\nd out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and " brought i/iem unto ' Adam to see

^"^crse n. Of the tree cf hioiiledgc — iltoic shalt not ea<] This is tlic first precept God gave to man; and it was given as a test of obedience, and a proof of his being in a dependent, probatiomiri/ state. It was necessary, that while con-.stitiited lord of tliis lower world, he should know that he w as only God's I'kegerent, and must be accountable to him for the use of his mental and corporal powers, and for the use he made of the ddllrent creature^ put under his care. The man, from whose mind the strong impression of this dependence and responsibility is erased, necessarily loses sight of his origin and end, and is capable of any species of wickedness. As God is sovereign, he has a right to give to his creatures what commands he thinks proper. An intelligent creature, without a taiv to regulate his conduct, is an absurdit}'; this would destroy, at once, the idea of his dependency and accountableness. Man must ever feel God as his sovereign, and act under his authority, which he cannot do, unless he have a rule of conduct. This rule God gives; and it is no matter of what kind it is, as long as obedience to it is not beyond the powers of the creature who is to obey. God says, there is a certain fruit-bearing tree; thou shalt not eat of its fruit; but of all the other fruits, and they are all that 'are necessary for thee, thou mayest freely, liberally eat. Had he not an absolute right to say so? And was not man bound to obey?

Thou shult surely die.'] mon mO moth tamuth, literally, a death thou shalt die; or, di/ing thou shalt die. Thou shalt not only die spiritually liy losing the life of God, but from that moment thou shalt become mortal, and shalt continue in a dying stale till thou die. This we find literally accomplished: every moment of man's life may be considered as an act of dying, till soul and body are separated. Other meanings have been given of this passage, but they are in general either fanciful or incorrect.

Verse 18. It is not good that the man should he alone} na*? lebaddo, only himself. / will make him a HELP MEET for Aim ' TUJ3 ItJ? ezer kenegedo, a help, a counterpart of himself, one formed from him, and a perfect resemblance of his person. If the word be rendered scrupulously literal, it signifies one like, or as himself, standing opposite to or before him. And this implies, that the woman was to be a perfect resemblance of the man, possessing neither inferiority nor superiority, but being in all things like and eijual to himself.

what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that "d'as the name thereof!

20 And Adam " gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to eveiy beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 ^ And the Lord God caused a 'deep sleep to fill upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereofj

As man was made a social creature, it was not proper that he should be alone; fof to be alone, i. e. without a matrimonial companion was not good. Hence we find, that celibacy in general is a thing that is not good, whether it be on the side of the man or of the woman. Men may, in opposition to the declaration of God, call this a state of excellence, and a state of perfection; but let them remember, that the word of God says the reverse.

Verse 19. Out of the ground, iVc] Concerning the formation of the diflerent kinds of animals, see the preceding chapter.

Verse 20. And Adam gave names to all cattle] Tho things God appears to have in view by causing man to name all the cattle, &c. i. To shew h.im with what comprehensive powers of mind his Maker had endued him; and 2d. to shew him that no creature yet formed, could make him a suitable companion. And that this twofold purpose was answered, we shall shortly see: for,

1. Adam gave names, but how? From an intimate knowledge of the nature and properties of each creature. Here we see the perfection of his knowledge; for it is well known, that the names alTixed to the ditltrent animals in Scripture, always express some prominent feature and essential characteristic of the creatures to which they are applied. Had he not possessed an intuitive knowledge of the grand and distinguishing properties of those aninlals, he never could have given them such names. This one circumstance is a strong proof of the original perfection and excellence of man, while in a state of innocence; nor need we wonder at the account. Adam was the work of an infinitely wise and perliect Being, and the effect must resemble the cause that produced it.

2. Adam was convinced, that none of these creatures could be a suitable companion for him; and that, therefore, he must continue in the state that was not good, or be a further debtor to the bounty of his Maker; for, among all the animals which he had named, there was not found a help meet for him. Hence we read.

Verse 21. The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, <?fc.] This was neither.swoon nor ecstasy, but what our translation very properly terms a deep sleep.

And he took one of his ribs] It is immaterial whether we render jhll tsela a rib, or a part of his side; for it may mean either: some part of man was to be used on the occasion, whether boite or jlesh, it matters not, though it is

22 And the rib, which the Loud

a woman, and " brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam saici, This h now ' bone of my

bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called '' Woman, because she was ' taken out of '' Man. 24 ^ Therefore shall a man leave his father and

liktlv, from verse 23. that a part of bolh was taken; for Adam, knovving; how the woman was formed, said, Thi.n is Jlesit of ray jiesli, and bone of my bone. God could have formed tiie woman out of the dust of the eartii, as he had formed the man; but had he done so, she must have appeared in his tyes as a di.«linct beinj;, to whom he had no naiural relation. But as God (brmed her out uf apart of the man himself, he saw she was of the same nature, the same identical tle.Nli and blood, and of the same constitution, in all respects, and consequently havinir equal powers, laculties, and rights. — This at once ensured his aftection, and excited his esteem.

Verse 23. Adam said. This is now bone of my bones, i!)c.] There is a very delicate and expressive meaning in the original, which does not appear in our version. When the difi'erent genera of creatures were brought to Adam, that he might assio^ them their proper names, it is probable that thfy passed in pairs before him, and as they passed, received their names. To this circumstance the words in this place seem to refer. Instead of this now is, Dyfin HXt zot happndm, we should render more literally tiiis turn, this creature which now pa.<ses, or appears before me, is flesh of my flesh, &c. The creatures that had passed already before him, were not suitable to him, and therefore it was said. For Adam (here ivas not a help meet found, verse 20. but when the woman came, formed out of himself, he felt all that attraction which consanguinity could pro<luce, and at the same time saw that she was in her person and in her mind, every way suitable to be his companion. — See Par/churst, sub voce.

S'le shall be called woman] A literal version of the Hebrew would appear strange, and yet a literal version is the only proper one. IT'S* Ish, signifies man; and the word used to express what we tf-rm woman, is the same, with a feminine termination, niTN* iihuh, and literally means sheman. Most of the ancient versions Iiave felt the force of the term, and have endeavoured lo express it as literally as possible. The intelligent reader will not regret to see some of them here. The VulffUc Latin renders the Hebrew viru^^o, which is a feminine form of vir, a man. Symmachus uses avhi^ andris, a female form of avvp aner, a man Our own term is equally proper, when understood. MWa« has been defined by many as compounded of woe and man, as if called tnan's woe, because she tempted him to eat the forbidden fruit: but this is no meaning of the original word, nor could it be intended, as the transgression was not then committed. The truth is, our term is a proper and literal translation of the original; and we may thank the discernment of our,Anj,lo-Saxon ancestors for giving it. UJombman, of which wo- \>uin is a contraction, means the man with the womb. A very appropriate version of the Hebrew niTN ishah, rendered by terms which signify, she-man in the versions already specified. Hence we see the propriety of Adam's observation: This creature is Jlesh of my fiesh and hone of my bone; therefore shall she be culled WOM B.MAN, or female-man, because she wax taken out of man. — See Vcrstegan.

Verse 'Z\. Therefore shall a man leave his father and motherl There shall be, by the order of God, a more intimate connexion formed between the man and woman, than can subsist even between parents and children.

And they shall be one Jiesh.] These words may be understood in a twofold sense. 1. These two shall be one Jlesh, shall be considered as one body, having no separate or independent rights, privileges, cares, concerns, &c. each bein" equally interested in all things that concern the marriaoe state. 2. These two shall he for the production of one flesh; from their union a posterity shall spring, as exactly resembling themselves as they do each other. Our Lord quotes these words, Matth. xix. 5. with some variation from this text: they TWAIN shall be onefesh. So in Mark x. 8. St. Paul quotes it in the same way, I Cor. vi. 16. and in Epii. V. 31. The Vulgate Latin, the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Arabic, and the Samaritan, all read the word 'JWo. That this is the genuine reading. 1 have no doubt. The word Dil'Jtr sheneyhem, they two, or both of them, was, I suppose, omitted at first from the Hebrew text, by mistake, because it occurs three words after in the following verse; or more probably it originally occurred in the 24th verse, and not in the 25th; and a copyist having found that he had written it twice, in correcting his copy, struck out the word in the 2-Hh verse instead of the 26th. But of what consequence is it.' In the controversy concerning Polygamy, it has been made of very great consequence. IVithout the word, some have contended, a man may have as many wives us he daises, as the terms are indefinite, THEY shall be, h,c. but with the word, marriage is restrieled. A man can have in legal wedlock but ONF wife at the same time.

We have here the first institution of marriage, and we see in it, several particulars wordiy of our most serious regard. 1. God pronounces the state of celibacy to be a bad state; or, if the reader please, not a good one; and the Lord God said. It is not good for man to be alone. This is GOD's judgment. Councils, and father.s, and doctors, and synods, have "iveii a diilerent judgment; but on such a subject they are worthy of no attention. The word of God abidetli lor ever. 2. God nade the woman,/br the man; and thus he has shewn us that every son of Adam should be united to a daughter of Eve to the end of the world. See on 1 Cor. vii. sf God made the woman out of the man, to intimate, that the closest union, and the most aflpctionate attachment, should subsist in the matrimonial connexion, so that the man siiould ever consider and treat the woman as a part of himself; and

^- M- 1 his mother, and shall cleave unto 11 25 ' And they were both nakel, ■'^- ^^- *• his wife: and they shall be one 1 the man and his wife, and were not as no one ever haled his own flesh, hut nourishes and support? it, so should a man deal with his wife: and, on the other hand, the woman should consider, that the man was not made for her, but that she was made for the titan, and derived, under God. her being from him, therefore the wife should see th:>t she reverence her husband. Eph. v. 33. The 23d and C4lh verses contain the tery icords of the marriage cereaionj- — This is flesh of viy fiesh — therefore shall a man leave father and mother. Ilow hapjiy must such a gtate be, where (iod's institutiim is))ropcr]y regarded; where the parlies are married, as the apostle e.xpreses it, in the Lord; where each, by acts of die tenderest kmdness, lives only to prevent the wishes, and contribute in every poss ble way to the comfort and happiness of the other! Marriage mie;ht still be what it xoas in its original institution, pure and suitable; and in its first exercise, aftectiouate and happy: but how few such marriages are there to be found! Passion, turbulent and irret;ular, nut Reti;;ion; Custom, founded by these iirtguUuiiie.s, not Reason; Worldly prof.pects, oriajinatinj and ending in selfishness and earthly affections, not in Spiritnal ends, are the grand producing causes of the great majority of matrimonial alliances. How then can such turbid and bitter fountains send forth pure and sweet waters? See the ancient Allegory of Cupid and Psyche, by which n^arriage is so happily illustrated, explained in the notes on Matth. xix. 4 — 6.