Expository Discourses on the Book of Genesis

It is now upwards of twenty-two 3’ears since I first took the oversight of you in the Lord. During the last fifteen years, it has, as you know, been my practice to expound amongst you on a Lord’s-day morning some part of the holy Scriptures, commonly a chapter. From all that I have felt in my own mind, and heard from you, I have reason to hope these exercises have not been in vain. They have enabled us to take a more connected view of the scrip- ’ tures than could be obtained merely by sermons on particular passages; and 1 acknowledge that as I have proceeded, llie work of exposition lias become more and more interesting to my heart”.

IV DEDICATION”.

I have not been in the habit of writinar Dedications to what I have pubHshed; but in this instance I feel inclined to deviate from my usual practice. Considering my time of life, and the numerous avocations on my hands, I may not be able to publish any thing more of the kind; and if not, permit me to request that this Family book may be preserved as a Memorial of our mutual affection, and of the pleasures we have cnjo3’ed together in exploring the treasures of the lively oracles.

You will consider these discourses as the result of having once gone over that part of the scriptures to which they relate. “Were we to go over it again, and again, such is the fulness of God’s word, that we should still find interesting and important matter, which had never occurred in readino- it before; and this should encourasje us not to rest in any exposition, but to be constantly perusing the scriptures themselves, and digging at the precious ore.

As the Exposition was delivered in public worship, it was not my wish to dwell upon particular words, so much as to convey the general scope and design of the scriptures. Whether I have in any considerable degree caught the spirit which runs through them, is too much for me to decide: but this I can say, that such has been my aim. I know by experience, that, with respect to this, when I have been the most spiritually’ minded, I have succeeded the best; and therefore conclude, that if I had lived nearer to God, the work had been better executed. But such as it is, I commend it to the blessing of God, and your candid acceptance;.

And remain,
Your aftbctionate Pastor,

THE AUTHOR.

KETTERING,

October 29. 1805.

It is common for the writers of other histories to go back in their researches as far as possible; but Moses traces his from “the beginning.” The whole book is upon ike origin of things, even of all things that had a beginning. The visible creation, the generations of man, moral evil among men, the spiritual kingdom of the Messiah, the new world, the church in the family of Abraham, the various nations and tribes of man; every thing, in short, now going on in the world may be traced hither as to its spring head. Without this history the world would be in total darkness, not knowing whence it came, nor whither it goeth. In the first page of this

VC Ffiisr day’s CREATION”. Dis. 1,

sacred book a child may learn more in an hour than all the philosophers in the world learned without it in thousands of years.

There is a majestic sublimity in the introduction. No apology, preamble, or account of the writer: you are introduced at once into the very heart of things. No vain conjectures about what was before time, nor a/^j, things were done thus and thus: but simply so it was.

In this account of the creation nothing is said on the being of God: this great truth is taken for granted. May not this apparent omission be designed to teach us, that those who deny the existence of a Deity are rather to be rebuked than reasoned with? All reasoning and instruction must proceed upon some principle or principles, and what can be more proper than this? Those writers who have gone about to prove it, have, in my opinion, done but little, if any good; and in many instances have only set men a doubting upon a subject which is so manifest from every thing around them, as to render the very heathens zvithout excuse.^

The foundation of this vast fabric is laid in an adequate cause — Elohim, The. Almighty. No*

* Horn. i. CO, thing else would bear it. Man, if he attempt to find an adequate cause for what is, to the overlookinp- of God, shall but wearv himself with very vanity.

The writer makes use of the plural term Elohim, which yet is joined to singular verbs. This has been generally thought to intimate the doctrine of a plurality in the unity of the Godhead. It is certain, the scriptures speak of the Son, and holy Spirit, as concerned in creation, as well as the Father.* Nor can I on any other supposition affix a consistent meaning to such language as that which afterwards occurs:” Let iis make man in our image, after our likeness — Behold, the man is become like otie of us.’’

The account given by Moses relates not to the whole creation, but merely to what immediately concerns us to know. God made angels; but nothing is said of them. The moon is called one of the greater lights, not as to what it is in itself, but what it is to us. The scriptures are written not to gratify curiosity, but to nourish faith. They do not stop to tell you how, nor to answer a niunber of questions which might be asked; but tell you so much as is necessary, and no more.

* John i. 1. Gen. i. 2.
B 2

4- FIRST day’s creation. [Dls. 1.

Ver. 1, 2. The first act of creations seem to have been general, and the foundation of all that followed. What the heavens were when first produced, previous to the creation of the sun, moon, and stars, did not greatly concern us to know, and therefore we are not told. What the ea?^tk was, M’e arc informed in ver. 2. It v, as a chaos, “without form, and void;” a confused mass of earth and M’ater, covered with darkness, and void of all those fruits which afterwards covered the face of it. As regeneration is called a creatiofi, this may fitly represent the state of the soul while under the dominion of sin. — “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” The word signifies as much as brooded; and so is expressive of “an active, effectual energy, agitating the vast abyss, and infusing into it a powerful vital principle.” Hence those lines of Milton:

“And chiefly thou, oh Spirit

That with mighty wings outspread,

Dove like, satt’st brooding on the vast abyss, And niad’st it pregnant.”

Thus also God hath wrought upon the moral world, which, under sin, was without form, and void; and thus he operates upon every individual mind, causing it to bring forth fruit unto himself

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