A. M. 1. A. C. 4004; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, 5411. GEN. CH. 1. AND PART OF CH. 2. the power of second causes, such as the production of | globes of these several planets were completed. And matter out of nothing, the formation of the seeds of all as the grosser parts subsided, the lighter, and more animals and vegetables, the creation of our first parents, tenuous mounted up; and the lucid and fiery particles and inspiring them with immortal souls, &c., these we (being lighter than the rest) ascended higher, and, by affirm, and these we ought to believe, were the pure the divine order, meeting together in a body, were put result of God's omnipotent power, and are ascribed to in a circular motion, and in the space of a natural day, made to visit the whole expansum of the chaos, which occasioned a separation of the light from darkness, and thereby a distribution of day and night: and this was the work of the first day. d him alone. 2 To this purpose we may observe, that before our author begins to acquaint us with what particular creatures were each day successively brought into being, he takes care to inform us, (as a thing essential and preparatory to the work,) a that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.' For, whether by the Spirit of God,' we are to understand his holy and essential Spirit, which is the third person in the everblessed Trinity, whether that plastic nature, which (according to some) was made subservient to him upon this occasion, or any other emanation of the divine power and energy, it is reasonable to suppose, that its moving or incubation upon the chaotic mass, derived into it a certain fermentation, impregnated it with several kinds of motive influence, and so separated and digested its confused parts, as to make it capable of the disposition and order it was going to receive. CHAP. II.-The History. In this condition we may suppose the chaos to have been, when the fiat for light was given; whereupon all the confused, stagnating particles of matter began to range into form and order. The dull, heavy, and terrene parts, which overclouded the expansum or firmament, had their summons to retire to their respective centres. They presently obeyed the Almighty's orders, and part of them subsided to the centre of the earth, some to Jupiter, some to Saturn, some to Venus, &c., till the 1 Cudworth's Intellectual System. 'Gen. i. 2. It is observed by some later Jewish, as well as Christian interpreters, that the several names of God are often given as epithets to those things which are the greatest, the strongest, and the best of their kind; and thereupon they think, that since the word Ruach signifies the wind, as well as the Spirit, Ruach Elohim should be translated a most vehement wind, instead of the Spirit of God;' and that this signification agrees very well with Moses's account, which represents the earth so mixed with the waters, that it could not appear, and therefore stood in need of a wind to dry it. But besides that this sense seems to be a sad debasing of the text, it is certain, that the wind (which is nothing but the moving of the air) could not be spoken of now, because it was not created until the second day. The next thing which God Almighty commanded, was, that the waters, which as yet were universally dispersed over the face of the chaos, should retire to their respective planets, and be restrained within their proper limits by several atmospheres. Hereupon all the aqueous parts immediately subsided towards the centres of the several planets, and were circumfused about their globes; by which means the great expansum was again cleared off, and the region of the air became more lucid and serene. And this is the operation which Moses calls dividing the waters under the firmament, from the waters which are above the firmament,' for the waters under the firmament are the waters of the earth, the waters above the firmament are those of the moon, and other planets, which, in the second day's work, were dismissed to their several orbs, but were confusedly mixed, and overspread the whole face of the expansum before. Thus, on the second day, the delightful element of air was disentangled and extracted from the chaos: and one part of the business of the third, was to separate the other remaining elements, 'water and earth.' For the watery particles, as we said, clearing the expansum, and falling upon the planetary orbs, must be supposed to cover the face of the earth, as well as other planets, when the great Creator gave the command for the waters to be gathered into one place, and the dry land c If we rather approve the Copernican hypothesis, we must say, that the earth, having now received its diurnal and annual motion, and having turned round about its axis, for about the space of twelve hours, made this luminous body, now fixed in a proper place, appear in the east, which, in the space of twelve hours more, seemed to be in the west; and that this revolution made a distinction between day and night.—Bedford's Chronology. d'And the evening and the morning were the first day.' The Mosaical method of computing days from sunset to sunset, and of reckoning by nights instead of days, prevailed among the polished Athenians. From a similar custom of our Gothic ancestors, during their abode in the forests of Germany, words expressive of such a mode of calculation (such as fortnight, se'nnight) have been derived into our own language.-Burder's Oriental Customs, vol. i., p. 1.—ED. a The word in the Hebrew, according to the opinion of some, both ancient and modern, interpreters, signifies literally a brood- e Gen. i. 6. The seventy interpreters, in translating the ing upon the waters, even as a hen does upon her eggs; but, as word Rakiagh, the firm or solid, seem to have followed the there are only two places wherein the word occurs, Deut. xxxii. philosophy of the first ages: for the ancients fancied that the 11. and Jer. xxxiii. 9., Mr Le Clerc contends, that in neither heavens were a solid body, and that the stars were fastened of these it will properly admit of this sense; and therefore he therein, which might likewise be the notion of Elihu, Job xxxvii. rather thinks it (as our Ainsworth seems to do) to be a meta-18.; since he represents the heaven to be strong or solid, 'like phor taken from the hovering and fluttering of an eagle, or any other bird, over its young, but not its sitting over, or brooding upon them. A distinction of no great moment in my opinion. The words are, Let there be light,' which, as Longinus takes notice, is a truly lofty expression; and herein appears the wisdom of Moses that he represents God like himself, commanding things into being by his word, i. e. his will: for whereever we read the words, he said, in the history of the creation, the meaning must be, that he willed so and so.-Patrick's Commentary. a molten looking-glass;' whereas, the proper sense of the word is something spread or stretched out. And to this both the psalmist and prophet allude, when they tell us, that God spreadeth out the heaven like a curtain,' Ps. civ. 2. and 'stretched them out by his discretion,' Jer. x. 12. 6 ƒSeveral commentators suppose the waters above the firmament' to be those which hang in the clouds; but the notion of their being planetary waters seems more reasonable, because at this time, there were no clouds, neither had it as yet rained on the earth. See Gen. ii. 6. A. M. 1. A. C. 4004; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, 5411. GEN. CH. 1. AND PART OF CH. 2. to appear.' Whereupon the mighty mountains instantly | and their satellites. Nor was it only for the dispensareared up their heads, and the waters, falling every way tion of light to this earth of ours, that God appointed from their sides, ran into those large extended valleys, the two great luminaries of the sun and moon to attend which this swelling of the earth, in some places, had it, but for the measure and computation of time likemade for their reception in others. The earth, being wise: that a speedy and swift motion of the sun, (acthus separated from the waters, and designed for the cording to the Ptolemaic system,) in twenty-four hours habitation of man and beast, (which were afterwards to round the earth, or of the earth (according to the Coperbe created,) was first to be furnished with such things as nican) upon its own axis, might make a day; that the were proper for their support; grass for cattle, and time from one change of the moon to another, or thereherbs and fruit-trees for the nourishment of man. Im-abouts, might make a month; and the apparent revolumediately, therefore, upon the divine command, it was tion of the sun, to the same point of the ecliptic line, covered with a beautiful carpet of flowers and grass, might not only make a year, but occasion likewise a trees and plants of all kinds, which were produced in grateful variety of seasons in the several parts of the their full proportion, laden with fruit, and not subjected earth, which are thus gradually and successively visited to the ordinary course of maturation. For how great by the reviving heat of the sunbeams: and this was the soever the fecundity of the primogenial earth might be, work of the fourth day. yet it is scarce to be imagined, how a trees and plants could be ripened, into their full growth and burden of fruit, in the short period of a day, any other way than by virtue of a supernatural power of God, which first collected the parts of matter fit to produce them; then formed every one of them, and determined their kinds; and at last provided for their continuance, by a curious enclosure of their seed, in order to propagate their species, even unto the end of the world: and this was the work of the third day. When God had finished the lower world, and furnished it with all manner of store, that mass of fiery light, (which we suppose to have been extracted on the first day, and to have moved about the expansum for two days after,) was certainly of great use in the production of the ether, the separation of the waters, and the rarefaction of the land, which might possibly require a more violent operation at first, than was necessary in those lesser alterations, which were afterwards to be effected; and therefore, on the fourth day, God took and condensed it, and casting it into a proper orb, placed it at a convenient distance from the earth and other planets; insomuch that it became a sun, and immediately shone out in the same glorious manner, in which it has done ever since. After this God took another part of the chaos, an opaque substance, which we call the moon;' and having cast it into a proper figure, placed it in another orb, at a nearer distance from the earth, that it might perpetually be moving round it, and that the sun, by darting its rays upon its solid surface, might reflect light to the terrestrial globe, for the benefit of its inhabitants: and, at the same time, that God thus made the moon, he made, in like manner, the other five planets of the solar system, After the inanimate creation, God, on the fifth day, proceeded to form the animate; and because fish and fowl are not so perfect in their kind, neither so curious in their bodily texture, nor so sagacious in their instinct, as terrestrial creatures are known to be, he therefore began with them, and out of the waters, that is, out of such matter as was mixed and concocted with the water, he formed several of different shapes and sizes; some vastly big, to show the wonders of his creating power; and some extremely small, to show the goodness of his indulgent providence. And (what is peculiar to this day's work) here we have the first mention made of God's blessing his creatures, and e'bidding them be fruitful d (as F. Simon has evidenced in several other instances.) For the fixed stars do not seem to be comprehended in the six days' work, which relates only to this planetary world, that has the sun for its centre; Patrick's Commentary and Nicholl's Conference, vol. i. See answer to the subsequent objection. c From the words in Gen. ch. i. ver. 20. Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and opinion, that fowl derive their origin from the water; and others, fowl, that may fly above the earth,' &c., some have started an from the words, 'Out of the ground God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air,' raise another, viz. that fowl took their beginning from the earth: but these two texts are easily reconciled, because neither denies what the other says, though they speak differently; as when Moses says, 'Let the waters bring forth fowl,' he does not by that say, that the earth did not bring forth fowl. It is most reasonable therefore to think that they had their original partly from the waters, and partly than that of beasts, and more firm than that of fishes. Hence from the earth; and this might render the flesh of fowl less gross Philo calls fowl the kindred of fish; and that they are so, the great congruity there is in their natures (they being both oviparous which makes them more fruitful than other animals, and both steering and directing their course by their tails) is a suf ficient indication. d Moses instances in the whale, because it is supposed to be the principal and largest of all fishes; but the original word dea There are two things wherein the production of plants, in notes several kinds of great fish, as Bochart in his Hierozom. p. the beginning, differed from their production ever since. 1.1. 1. 1. c. 7. observes at large; and shows withal the prodigious That they have sprung ever since out of their seed either sown bigness of some of them; but he should have added, that the by us, or falling from the plants themselves; but in the begin-word signifies a crocodile likewise, as well as a whale; Patrick ning, were wrought out of the earth, with their seed in them, to and Le Clerc in loc. propagate them ever after. 2. That they need now (as they have ever since the creation) the influence of the sun, to make them sprout; but then they came forth by the power of God, before there was any sun, which was not formed till the next day-Patrick's Comment. in loc. I am very sensible that the words in the text are, 'He made the stars also,' ver. 16; but the whole sentence comes in so very abruptly, that one would be apt to imagine, that after Moses's time, it was clapped in by some body who had a mind to be mending his hypothesis, or else was added, by way of marginal note, at first; and at length crept into the text itself, e That fish and fowl should here have a blessing pronounced upon them, rather than the beasts, which were made the sixth day, some have supposed this to be the reason;-that the production of their young requires the particular care of divine providence, because they do not bring them forth perfectly formed as the beasts do, but only lay their eggs, in which the young are hatched and formed, even when they are separate from their bodies: and "what a wonderful thing is this," says one, "that when the womb (as we may call it) is separated from the genitor, a living creature like itself should be produced?"Patrick's Commentary. A. M. 1. A. C. 4004; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, 5411. GEN. CH. 1. AND PART OF CH. 2 and multiply,' that is, giving them, at their first creation, | that man was created, and introduced into the world in a prolific virtue, and a natural instinct for generation, a manner and solemnity not unbecoming the lord and whereby they might not only preserve their species, but governor of it. To this purpose we may observe, that multiply their individuals: and this was the work of the God makes a manifest distinction between him and other fifth day. creatures, and seems to undertake the creation, even of his body, with a kind of mature deliberation, if not consultation with the other persons of the ever-blessed Trinity; Let us make man.' Thus every thing being put in order; the earth covered with plants; the waters restored with fish; the air replenished with fowl; and the sun placed at a proper distance, to give a convenient warmth and nourishment to all; in order to make this sublunary world a still more comfortable place of abode, in the beginning of the sixth and last day, a God made the terrestrial animals, which the sacred historian distributes into three kinds : 1. Beasts, by which we understand all wild and savage creatures, such as lions, bears, wolves, &c. 2. Cattle, all tame and domestic creatures, designed for the benefit and use of men, such as oxen, sheep, horses, &c. And, 3. Creeping things, such as serpents, worms, and other kinds of insects. Thus, when all things which could be subservient to man's felicity were perfected; when the light had, for some time, been penetrating into, and clarifying the dark and thick atmosphere; when the air was freed from its noisome vapours, and become pure and clear, and fit for his respiration; when the waters were so disposed, as to minister to his necessities by mists and dews from heaven, and by springs and rivers from the earth; when the surface of the earth was become dry and solid for his support, and covered over with grass and flowers, with plants and herbs, and trees of all kinds, for his pleasure and sustenance; when the glorious firmament of heaven, and the beautiful system of the sun, moon, and stars, were laid open for his contemplation, and, by their powerful influences, appointed to distinguish the seasons, and make the world a fruitful and delicious habitation for him; when, lastly, all sorts of animals in the sea, in the air, and on the earth, were so ordered and disposed, as to contribute, in their several capacities, to his benefit and delight: when all these things, I say, were, by the care and providence of God, prepared for the entertainment of this principal guest, it was then a In the 24th verse of this chapter it is said, that God commanded the earth to produce such and such animals; 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind;' and yet, in the very next verse, it follows, that God made the beast of the earth, and every thing that moveth after his kind:' but this seeming contradiction is easily reconciled by putting together the proper meaning of both these passages, which must certainly be this that God himself effectually formed these terrestrial animals, and made use of the earth only as to the matter whereof he constituted their parts. Some indeed have made it a question, whether these several creatures were at first produced in their full state and perfection, or God only created the seeds of all animals, (i. e. the animals themselves in miniature,) and dispersed them over the face of the earth, giving power to that element, assisted by the genial heat of the sun, to hatch and bring them forth; but for this there is no manner of occasion, since it is much more rational to suppose, that God did not commit the formation of things to any intermediate causes, but himself created the first set of animals in the full proportion and perfection of their specific natures, and gave to each species a power afterwards, by generation, to propagate their kind; for that even now, and in the present situation of things any perfect species cannot, either naturally or accidentally, be produced by any preparation of matter, or by any influence of the heavens, without the interposition of an almighty power, physical experiments do demonstrate.-Patrick's Commentary; and Bentley's Sermons at Boyle's Lecture. However this be, it is certain that the force and energy of the expression denotes thus much—that the production of mankind at first was so immediately the work of Almighty God, that the power of no subordinate intelligence could be capable of it: that the curious Gen. i. 26. The Jewish doctors are of opinion, that the God might employ in the work of man's creation; and they tell consultation was real, and held with such angelical beings as a story upon this occasion which seems a little fictitious, viz., that as Moses was writing his book by God's appointment, and these words came to be dictated, he refused to set them down, crying out, O Lord! wouldst thou then plunge men in error, and make them doubt of the doctrine of the unity? Whereupon it was answered by God, I command thee to write, and if any will err, let them err.' Several modern expositors account it only a majestic form of speech, as nothing is more common than for kings and sovereign princes to speak in the plural number, command. It has been observed, however, that as there were especially when they are giving out any important order or no men, and consequently no great men, when this was spoken; so there was no such manner of speech in use among men of that rank for many ages after Moses. Their common custom was, in all their public instruments and letters (the better to enhance the notion of sovereignty) to speak in the first person, as it was in our nation not long ago, and is in the kingdom of Spain to this very day; and therefore, upon the authority of of the apostles, they all nearly coincide in faithfully declaring almost all the fathers of the church: "For, from the very times that God the Father spake these words to the Son and Holy Ghost, or at least to the Son." Whitby's Connexions of Fathers. Others have thought that this language of Moses represents God speaking, as he is, that is, in a plurality of persons. man, in conjunction, it should seem, with other persons conc "God is represented to have concerted the formation of sulting in secret counsel." This circumstance has been justly received as furnishing evidence in favour of the doctrine of the Trinity. "It is generally admitted also, that the manifestations of the Divine Nature, which were made to the Patriarchs, to Moses, to Joshua, and others, were made in the person of Christ," the Angel or "Messenger of the Covenant.' Thus, when the Lord appeared to Abraham, in the plains of Mamre, it is said, that three men stood by him, yet the Patriarch addressed them as he would have accosted one Being, or directed himself to one as superior—“Nay, my Lord, pass not away," Gen. xviii. When Jacob wrestled with the man who appeared to him, he called the name of the place Peniel, "for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved;" and when he blessed the sons of Joseph, he expressed the hope that "the angel which redeemed him from all evil would bless the lads," Gen. xlviii. 16. The angel which appeared to Moses at the bush, said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, Ex. iii. 6. When Manoah inquired the name of the angel who appeared unto him, the angel answered, “ Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?"-Using the same Hebrew word which is applied to Christ by Isaiah, when in his ninth chapter and sixth verse, he styles him "Wonderful.” We are told that Manoah, when he knew that he was an angel of the Lord, said unto his wife, "We shall surely die because we have seen God," Judges xiii. 18. It was the object of the Jewish dispensation to preserve men from idolatrous propensities, and from following after strange gods. Moses and the prophets therefore insist principally on the unity of God, though when led to refer to the offices of the other persons of the Trinity, they could not but impart some notices of a doctrine which was afterwards distinctly to be revealed."— Gray's Connexion, &c., pp. 121, 123.-Ev. A. M. 1. A. C. 4004; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, 5411. GEN. CH. 1. AND PART OF CH. 2. answer his desires in this particular likewise, "God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him,' which was in structure of man's body, the accommodation of it to faculties, and the furnishing it with faculties that are accommodated to it, (even as to its animal life,) im-tended, not only as an expedient for the performance of the wonderful operation upon him without sense of pain, but as a trance or ecstasy likewise, wherein was represented to his imagination, both what was done to him, and what was the mystical meaning of it, and whereby he was prepared for the reception of that divine oracle concerning the sacred institution of marriage, which presently, upon his awaking, he uttered. ports a wisdom and efficacy far above the power of any created nature to effect. And this may possibly suggest the reason, why, in the formation of his body, God made choice of the dust of the ground,' viz., that from the incongruity of the matter we might judge of the difficulty, and learn to attribute the glory of the performance to him alone. And if the creation of the body of our great progenitor was a work of so much divine wisdom and While Adam continued in this sleep, God, who, with power, we cannot but expect, that the spiritual and im- the same facility wherewith he made him, could have material nature, the immortal condition, active powers, formed the woman out of the dust of the earth,' (being and free and rational operations, which, in resemblance willing to signify that equality and partnership, that love of the Divine Being, the soul of man was to participate, and union, and tenderness of endearment, which ought should require some peculiar and extraordinary conduct to interfere between husband and wife,) took part of the in its production at first, and union with matter after-substance of the man's body, near his side, and closing ward; all which is expressed by God's 'breathing into up the orifice again, out of that substance he formed the man's nostrils the breath of life,' that is, doing the body of Eve, and then breathing into her the breath something analogous to breathing, (for God has no body of life,' made her, in like manner, become a living to breathe with,) whereby he infused a rational and im- soul.' mortal spirit (for we must not suppose that God gave This was the 8 conclusive act of the whole creation: any part of his own essence) into the man's head, as the principal seat thereof; and man became a living soul.' As soon as Adam found himself alive, and began to cast his eyes about him, he could not but perceive that he was in no small danger as being surrounded with a maltitude of savage creatures, all gazing on him, and (for any thing he knew) ready and disposed to fall upon and devour him. And therefore, to satisfy his mind in this particular, God took care to inform him, that all the creatures upon earth were submitted to his authority; that on them he had impressed an awe and dread of him; had invested him with an absolute power and dominion over them; and, to convince him of the full possession of that power, he immediately appointed every creature to appear before him, which they accordingly did, and by their lowly carriage, and gestures of respect suitable to their several species, evidenced their submission; and as they passed along, such knowledge had Adam then of their several properties and destinations, that he assigned them their names, which a small skill in the Hebrew tongue will convince us, were very proper, and significant of their natures. This survey of the several creatures might possibly occasion some uneasy reflections in Adam, to see every one provided with its mate, but himself left destitute of any companion of a similar nature; and therefore, to « The original word, which our translators render nostrils, signifies more properly the face or head. It is not to be doubted, but that Eve, the mother of all living, was created by Almighty God, and inspired with a rational and immortal soul, the same day with her husband; for so it is said, that in the sixth day, male and female created he them,' ver. 27; and therefore the historian only re-assumes the argument in the second chapter, to give us a more full and particular account of the woman's origin, which was but briefly delivered, or rather indeed but hinted at in the first. 1 Gen. ii. 21. е "Gen. ii. 23. d In like manner, he makes this sleep which fell upon Adam to have been a kind of trance or ecstasy, (for so the Seventy translate it,) and thus he relates the occasion and nature of it. He ended, and I heard no more; for now (As with an object that excels the sense, e As the original word does not strictly signify a rib, and is all along rendered by the Seventy pleura, a side, so I thought it not improper to give it that construction, thereby to cut off from infidels an occasion for raillery, and to spare them all their wit about the redundant or defective rib of Adam. f The original word signifies building or framing any thing with a singular care, contrivance, and proportion; and hence our bodies are in Scripture frequently called houses, Job iv. 19.; 2 Cor. v. 1.; and sometimes temples, John ii. 15.; 1 Cor. iii. 16. g It is not very necessary to determine at what season of the year the world was made; yet it seems most probable, that it was about the autumnal equinox, and that not only because the trees were laden then with fruit, as the history tells us our first parents did eat of them; but because the Jews did then begin their civil year (viz. in the month Tisri, which answers to part of our September and October) from whence their sabbatical and jubilee years did likewise commence, Exod. xxiii. 16. xxxiv. 22; Lev. xxv. 9. The month Abib (which answers to part of our March and April) had indeed the honour afterwards to be reckoned among the Jews the beginning of their year in eccle e Milton has expressed himself, upon this occasion, in the siastical matters, because the children of Israel, on that month, following manner: As thus he spake, each bird, and beast, behold came out of the land of Egypt; but from the very creation, the month Tisri was always counted the first of their civil year, because it was the general opinion of the ancients, that the world was created at the time of the autumnal equinox; and for this reason, the Jews do still, in the era of the creation, as well as in that of contracts, and other instruments, compute the be A. M. 1. A. C. 4004; OR, ACCORDING TO HALES, 5411. GEN. CH. 1. AND PART OF CH. 2. and upon a general survey of such harmony risen from CHAP. III.-The Objection. because he foresaw, that such procedure would be a means conducive to the better instruction both of men and angels. Angels (as we hinted before) were very probably created, when the supreme heavens were made, at least some considerable time before the production of this visible world. Now, though they be great and glorious beings, yet still they are of a finite nature, and unable to comprehend the wonderful works of God. There are some things (as the apostle tells us) that these celestial creatures desire to look into;' and the more they are let into the knowledge and wisdom of God, the more they are incited to praise him. That therefore they might not want sufficient matter for this heavenly exercise, the whole scene of the creation, according to the several degrees and natures of things, seems to have been laid open in order before them, that thereby they might have a more full and comprehensive view of the divine attributes therein exhibited, than they could have had, in case the world had started forth in an instant, or jumped (as it were) into this beautiful frame and order all at once; just as he who sees the whole texture and contrivance of any curious piece of art, values and admires the artist more, than he who beholds it in the gross only. 1' WHERE wast thou, when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding. Where- | upon are the foundations thereof fastened, and who laid the corner stone thereof?' is a question very proper to God was therefore pleased to display his glory before be put to those who demand a reason for the actions of the angels, and by several steps and degrees, excite God: for, if they cannot comprehend the works them - | their praise, and love, and admiration, which moved them selves, they are certainly very culpable in inquiring too to songs and shouts of joy. By this means, his glory, busily into the time and manner of his doing them. But (to gratify the inquisitive for once) though we do not deny, that all things are equally easy to Almighty power, yet it pleased the divine Architect to employ the space of six days in the gradual formation of the world, and their happiness were advanced, far beyond what it would have been, had all things been created, and ranged in their proper order in a moment. By this means they had time to look into the first principles and seeds of all creatures, both animate and inanimate; and every day presented them with a glorious spectacle of new wonders; so that the more they saw, the more they knew, ginning of their year from the first day of Tisri. Herein, how- and the more they know of the works of God, the more ever, the Jews differ from us; that whereas they make the world only 3760, most of the Christian chronologers will have they for ever love and adore him. But this is not all. it to be much about 4000 years older than Christ; so that by By this successive and gradual creation of things, in them 5732 years, or thereabouts, are thought a moderate com- the space of six days, the glory of God is likewise more putation of the world's antiquity. See Usher's Annals; Bed- | manifest to man, than it would have been, had they been ford's Chronology; and Shuckford's Connection. 'Job xxxviii. 4, 6. a Whether the institution of the Sabbath was from the begin-made by a sudden and instantaneous production. The ning of the world, and one day in seven always observed by the heavens, and all the host of them,' we may suppose, patriarchs, before the promulgation of the law; or whether the were made in an instant, because there were then persanctification of the seventh day is related only by way of antici-haps no other creatures to whom God might display the pation, as an ordinance not to take place until the introduction of the Jewish economy, is a matter of some debate among the glory of his works; but as they were made in an instant, learned; but I think with little or no reason, for when we con- we have little or no perception of the manner wherein sider, that as soon as the sacred penman had said, 'God ended his work, and rested,' he adds immediately, in the words of the same tense, he blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it;' when we compare this passage in Genesis with the twentieth chapter of Exodus, wherein Moses speaks of God's blessing and sanctifying the Sabbath' not as an act then first done, but as what he had formerly done upon the creation of the world; when we remember, that all the patriarchs from Adam to Moses had weekly, and of divine institution; that upon the return of these weekly Sabbaths, very probably, it was that Cain and Abel offered their respective sacrifices to God; and that Noah, the only righteous person among the Antediluvians, Abraham, the most faithful servant of God after the flood, and Job, that perfect and upright man, who feared God, and eschewed evil, are all supposed to have observed it; we cannot but think, that the day whereupon the work of the creation was concluded, from the very beginning of time, was every week (until men had corrupted their ways) kept holy as being the birthday of the world, (as Philo on the Creation of the World styles it, and the uniter | heaven and earth, and, resting on the seventh day, did set times for their solemn assemblies, and that these times were sal festival of mankind. Bedford's Scripture Chronology, and Patrick's Commentary. they were made: but now, in this leisurely procedure of the earth's formation, we see, as it were, every thing arising out of the primordial mass, first the simple elements, and then the compounded and more curious creatures, and are led, step by step, full of wonder and admiration, until we see the whole completed. So that, in condescension to our capacity, it was, that God divided the creation into stated periods, and prolonged the succession of what he could have done in six moments, to the term of six days, that we might have clearer notions of his eternal power and godhead, and every particular day of the week, new and particular works, for which we are to praise him. And this, by the bye, suggests another argument, founded on the institution of the Sabbath day: For if, in six days, the Lord made |