Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

Upon the third day the sea and the earth were made. God said, Let the waters under the firmament be gathered together. This implies that before God said this, the waters did quite cover the earth; and no marvel, for the earth being a much heavier element than the water, must needs lie under it. But that would not do; how would the earth then be a habitation for man? Therefore God gathered the waters together, appointing them to compass the earth like a swaddling band. Job xxxviii. 8, 9, 10, 11. Psal. civ. 6, 7, 8, 9. Into one place; that is, into the ocean, which is the seat of the element of water, and may, in a sense, be called one place; though there are some seas (as the Caspian sea) which have not immediate connection with the rest.

Let the dry land appear. When the waters, that before covered the earth, were gathered together from off it, it must needs appear and become

dry. "Twas for that end that the waters were gathered together, that the dry land might appear.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, the earth: and it was so.

upon

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Till the earth was severed from the waters, it was not capable of bringing fruit; but as soon as ever it was made dry land, it was made fruitful. Note: The earth brought forth fruit before the sun, moon, or stars were made; to teach us that though God doth ordinarily work by second causes, yet he is not tied up to them. The fruitfulness of the earth doth not necessarily depend upon the influence of the sun; for the fruits of the earth are a day older than the sun, and depend upon the blessing of God. The sun is not mother, but nurse, to the plants; therefore,

when the figtree doth not blossom, look beyond the

sun.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light the earth and it was so.

upon

On the fourth day were made the sun, moon, and stars, of which the sacred historian speaks in general in these verses, calling them lights. Observe,

ven.

1. The place of them; in the firmament of heaThe firmament was made before, and now it was adorned; so that it was, like the earth, not finished at once. Divine wisdom proceeds gradually, as in the work of creation, so also in the work of providence in the world, and of sanctification in particular souls.

2. The use of them. (1.) To divide the day from the night; to distinguish, by their presence or absence, between day and night. (2.) For signs; signs of the power, and wisdom, and goodness, of God; or for prognostic signs of the weather, rain,

and snow, and frost. But upon this scripture, to ground a warrant for vain astrological predictions of future contingent events, personal or public, is altogether unreasonable. (3.) For seasons; that is, to distinguish and regulate the four quarters of the year,-Spring and Summer, Autumn and Winter; which are ordered according to the course of the sun. Job xxxviii. 31, 32. Ps. civ. 19. The Jewish feasts of Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, and New Moons, are properly called seasons; and were celebrated according to the motion of the lights of heaven, especially the sun and moon. By them also the husbandman is directed to the seasons of sowing, planting, &c.; in which he may, and doth, observe the lights of heaven. (4.) For days and years. All the other parts of time seem to be included in these two; minutes and hours under days; weeks and months under years. The day is measured by the motion of the sun from East to East again, which is twenty-four hours; and the year by the motion of the sun through the twelve signs of the zodiack, which is accomplished in three hundred and sixty-five days, five hours, and about forty-nine minutes. (5.) To give light upon the earth; so that these glorious creatures were made, not for themselves, but for the benefit and advan tage of mankind.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

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

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morn ing were the fourth day.

The lights of heaven are divided into the sun, moon, and stars; concerning which, Moses speaks not as a philosopher, but as a divine; his design being, not to teach us the exact knowledge of the stars, their nature, number, magnitude, properties, motions, &c., and so make us astronomers; but to teach us the wisdom, power, and goodness, of the great God, in the creation of them, and so make us saints. The sun is the greatest of all the lights of heaven, being very many times larger than the earth. But the moon is the least of all, except one,-viz. Mercury, which is seldom seen, being several times

« FöregåendeFortsätt »