flood, when Noah sent out the dove once and again from the ark, the term of "seven days" is noticed as the space between the times of sending her. Add to this, the division of time into weeks is said to have been very common in heathen nations, in all ages; so that though they ceased to observe the sabbath, yet they retained what was a witness against them-the time of its celebration. The sabbath was not only appointed for God, but to be a day of rest for man, particularly for the poor. It was enjoined on Israel for this reason, That thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou: and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt. Those who would set it aside are no less the enemies of the poor, than of God and religion: they consult only their worldly interest. If such sordid characters could so order it, their servants would be always in the yoke. Nor would their being so in the least tend to increase their wages; every day's work would be worth a little less than it is now, and the week's work amount to much the same. To those who fear God it is also a great rest to the mind; a time of refreshing, after the toils of worldly care and labour. * The reason for keeping the sabbath was drawn, not only from God's having rested, but from the rest which Israel felt from the yoke of Egypt. And we have, since that time, another reason; namely, Christ having rested from his works, as God did from his. Hence according to the practice of the primitive Christians, the day was altered :‡ and by how much more interesting the work of redemption is than that of creation, by so much is this reason greater than the other. : Ev Finally It is a Jewish tradition, and seems to have generally prevailed, that, as there is a harmony of times in the works of God, this seventh day of rest is prefigurative of the seven thousandth year of the world being a rest to the church. We know that years were divided into sevens, and seven times sevens. ery seventh year the land was to have its sabbath, and every fiftieth year its jubilee: and thus it may be with the world. If so, we are not at a great distance from it; and this will be the period + Acts xx. 7. * Deut. v. 14, 15. + Heb. iv. 4-10. when a great number of prophecies of the universal spread of the gospel shall be fulfilled. Ver. 4-7. After reviewing the whole in general, and noticing the day of rest, the sacred writer takes a special review of the vegetable creation, with an intent to mark the difference of its first production, and ordinary propagation. Plants are now ordinarily produced by rain upon the earth, and human tillage; but the first plants were made before there was any rain, or human hand to till the ground. After this, a mist or vapour arose, which engendered rain, and watered the earth. (ver. 6.) So also after this, God formed man to till the ground. (ver. 7.) It is God's immediate work to communicate the first principles of things; but their growth is promoted by the instrumentality of man. And now, having made mention of man, he tells us of what he was made. His body was formed of the dust of the ground. His soul proceeded from the inspiration of the Almighty. What a wonderful compound is man! There seems to be something in the additional phrase: And man became a living soul. God is said to breathe the breath of life into all animals; and we sometimes read of the soul of every living thing; but they are never said to be living souls, as men are. God hath stamped rationality and immortality upon men's souls, so as to render them capable of a separate state of being, even when their bodies are dead. Hence the soul of a beast, when it dies, is said to go downward: but the soul of man upward.* Ver. 8. Next we have an account of the place provided for man: not only the world at large, but a pleasant part of it. It was situated in the country of Eden, in Asia; probably among the mountains of the East. It was near the origin of several rivers, which always proceed from the mountainous parts of the country. It is spoken of, as rich and fruitful in a high degree, so as even to become proverbial.t 1 Ver. 9. Things were also adapted to accommodate man: trees and fruits, for pleasure and use are ready to his hand. Among the trees of Eden, there were two in particular which appear to have been symbolical, or designed by the Creator to give instruction, in the manner which is done by our positive institutions. One was the tree of life, to which he had free access. This was designed as a symbol to him of that life which stood connected with his obedience; and therefore when he sinned, he was debarred from eating it by the flaming sword and cherubim, which turned every way to guard it. The other was the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which was the only tree of the fruit of which he was forbidden to eat. As the name of the first of these trees is given it from the effect which should follow obedience, so that of the last seems to have been from the effect which should follow on disobedience. Man, on the day he should eat thereof, should know good in a way of loss, and evil in a way of sufferance. Ver. 10-14. Besides this, it was a well watered garden. A river rose among the mountains of the country of Eden, which directed its course through it; and afterwards divided into four heads or branches. Two of them are elsewhere mentioned in scripture; viz. the Hiddekel or Tigris, and the Euphrates, both rivers of Asia. With the others we are less acquainted. Ver. 15. Among the provisions for man's happiness was employment. Even in innocence he was to dress the garden and keep it. Man was not made to be idle. All things are full of labour: it is a stupid notion that happiness consists in slothful ease, or in having nothing to do. Those who are so now, whether the very rich or the very poor, are commonly among the most worthless and miserable of mankind. Ver. 16, 17. The trial of man, by a special prohibition, was singularly adapted to the end. To have conformed to his Creator's will, he must always have been contented with implicit obedience, or satisfied in abstaining from a thing on the mere ground of its being forbidden of God, without perceiving the reason of his being required to do so. In truth, it was a test of his continuing in the spirit of a little child, that should have no will of its own; and this is still the spirit of true religion. The consequences attached to a breach of this positive law teach us also not to trifle with the will of God in his ordinances, but implicitly to obey it.. More particularly: Observe. (1.) The fullness of the grant. Here was enough for man's happiness, without the forbidden fruit ; and so there is now in the world, without transgressing the boundaries of heaven. (2.) The positiveness of the prohibition: Thou shalt not eat of it. So long as this was kept in mind it was well; and it appears to have been deeply impressed, from the first answer of the woman to the serpent. (Chap. iii. 3.) It was this impression which he aimed to deface by his devilish question, Yea, hath God said it? And when once she began to doubt of this, all was over. Let us learn to keep God's words in our minds, and hide them in our hearts, that we may not sin against him. It was with thus and thus it is written, that our Lord repelled all his temptations. (3.) The penalty annexed: Thou shalt die, or Dying thou shalt die. Some think this means corporeal death, and that only ; and that if the threatening had been executed, man must have been immediately struck out of existence. But the death here threatened, whatever it was, is said to have passed upon all men, which implies the existence of all men, and which would have been prevented if Adam had at that time been reduced to a state of nonexistence. The original constitution of things provided for the existence of every individual that has since been born into the world, and that, whether man should stand or fall. The death here threatened doubtless included that of the body, which God might execute at pleasure: the day he should eat, he would be dead in law. But it also included the loss of the divine favour, and an exposedness to his wrath. If it were not so, the redemption of Christ would not he properly opposed to it, which it frequently is. Nor is Adam to be considered as merely a private individual: he was the public head of all his posterity, so that his transgression involved their being transgressors from the womb, and alike exposed to death with himself. Such has been the character of all mankind; and such is the account of things given in the scriptures. If men now find fault with this part of the divine government, it is what they will not be able to stand to at the last day. The judge of all the earth will, in that day, appear to have done right, whatever may be thought of him at present. (4.) The Heb. ix. 27, 28. *Rom. v. 12-21. promise of life implied by it. There is every reason to believe that if man had obeyed his Creator's will, he would, of his own boundless goodness, have crowned him with everlasting bliss. It is his delight to impart his own infinite blessedness as the reward of righteousness: if Adam, therefore had continued in the truth, he and all his posterity should have enjoyed what was symbolically promised him by the tree of life. Nor is there any reason to suppose but that it would have been the same for substance as that which believers now enjoy through a Mediator: for the scriptures speak of that which the law could not do, (in that it was weak through the flesh, that is, through the corruption of human nature,) as being accomplished by Christ.* Ver. 18-25. The subject closes with a more particular account of the creation of woman. We had a general one before : (Chap. i. 27.) but now we are led to see the reasons of it. Observe, (1.) It was not only for the propagation of the human race, but a most distinguished provision for human happiness. The woman was made for the man not merely for the gratification of his appetites, but of his rational and social nature. It was not good that man should be alone; and therefore a helper that should be meet, or suitable was given him. The place assigned to the woman in Heathen and Mahometan countries has been highly degrading; and the place assigned her by modern Infidels is not much better. Christianity is the only religion that conforms to the original design, that confines men to one wife, and that teaches them to treat her with propriety. Go among the enemies of the gospel, and you shall see the woman either reduced to abject slavery, or basely flattered for the vilest of purposes: but in Christian families you may see her treated with honour and respect; treated as a friend, as naturally an equal, a soother of man's cares, a softener of his griefs, and a partner of his joys. (2.) She was made after the other creatures were named; and consequently, after Adam, having seen and observed all the animals, had found none of them a fit companion for himself, and thus felt the want of one. The blessings both of nature and of grace are *Rom. viii. 3, 4. |