On the Five Last Days' Creation
Ver. 6 — 8. We here enter upon the second day, which was employed in making 2, firmament or expanse. It includes the atmosphere, and all that is visible, from the position of the sun,’ moon, and stars, down to the surface of the globe, ver. 15, 20.
The use of it was to “divide the waters from the waters:” that is, the waters on the earth from
8’ FIVE LAST DAYS* CREATION. [DiS. 2.
the waters in the clouds, which are well known to be supported by the buoyant atmosphere. The “division” here spoken of is that of distribution. God having made the substance of all things, goes on to distribute them. By means of this the earth is watered by the rain of heaven, without which it would be unfruitful, and all its inhabitants perish. God makes nothing in vain. There is a grandeur in the firmament to the eye; but this is not all; usefulness is combined with beauty. Nor is it useful only with respect to animal subsistence: it is a mirror, conspicuous to all, displaying the glory of its Creator, and shewing his handy works.* The clouds also, by emptying themselves upon the earth, set us an example of generosity; and reprove those who, full of this M’orld’s good, yet keep it principally to themselves, t
Ver. 9 — 13. God having divided the heavens and the earth, he now on the third day proceeds to subdivide the earth, or chaos, into land and water. The globe became terraqueous; partly earth, and partly sea.
It is easy to perceive the goodness of God in this distribution. Important as earth and water
* Psal. xix. 1. t Eccles. xi. 1 — 3.
Gen. I.] FIVE LAST days’ creation. 9
both are, yet while mixed together they afford no abode for creatures: but separated, they are each a beautiful habitation, and each subserves the other. By nicans of this distribution the waters are ever in ]v,otion, wJiich preserves them and ahnost every thing else from stagnancy and putrefaction. That which the circulation of the blood is to the animal frame, that the A’aters are to the world: were they to stop, all would stagnate and die.* — See how careful our heavenly Father was to build us a habitation before he cave us a beins:. Nor is this the only instance of the kind: our Redeemer has acted on the same principle, in going before to prepaie a place for us.
Having fitted the earth for fruitfulness, God proceeds to clothe it with grass, and herbs, and trees of every kind. There seems to be an emphasis laid on every herb and tree “having its seed in itself.” Vc here see the prudent foresight, if T may so speak, of the great Creator, in providing for futurity. It is a character that runs through all his v»orks, that having communicated the first principles of things, they should go on to multiply and encrease; not independent of him, .but as blessed by his con-
* Eccles. i. 7.
10 FIVE LAST DATs’ CREATION. [DtS. ft.
servative goodness. It is thus that true religion is begun and carried on in the mind, and in the world.
Ver. H — 19. After dividing this lower world, and furnishing it with the principles of vegetation, the Creator proceeded, on the fourth day, to the producing of the heavenly bodies. Firit they are described in general as the “lights of heaven;” (ver. 14, 15.) and then more particularly, as the sun, moon, and stars, ver. 16 — 19.
The use of these bodies is said to be not only for dividing the day from the night, but “for signs and seasons, and days and years.” They ordinarily afford signs of M’eather to the husbandman ;* and prior to the discovery of the use of the loadstone, were of great importance to the mariner. f They appear also on some extraordinary occasions to have been premonitory to the world. Pjevious to the destruction of Jerusalem, our Lord foretold that there should be *’ great earthquakes in divers places, and famines, and pestilences, and fearful sights, and great signs from heaven, :{: And it is said by Josephus, that a comet like a flaming sword was seen for a long time over that devoted city,
* Matt. xvi. 5. t Acts xxvii. 20. t Luke xxi. 11. a little before its destruction by the Romans. Heathen astrologers made gods of these creatures, and filled the minds of men with chimerical fears concerning them. Against these God M’arns his people; saying,” Be ye not dismayed at the signs of heaven.’* This however does not prove but that he may sometimes make use of them. Modern astronomers, by accounting for various phenomena, would deny their being signs of any thing: but to avoid the superstitions of heathenism, there is no necessity for our running into atheism.
The heavenly bodies are also said to be for seasons, as winter and summer, day and night. We have no other standard for the measuring of time. The grateful vicissitudes also which attend them are expressive of the goodness of God. If it were always day or night, summer or winter, our enjoyments would be unspeakably diminished. Well is it said at every pause, “And God saw that it -svas good!”
David improved this subject to a religious purpose.! He considered “day unto day as uttering speech, and night unto night as shewing knowledge.” Every night we retire we are
* Jer. X. 2. t Psal. xix.
12 FIVE LAST days’ creatiox. [Dis. C.
reminded of death, and every morning we arise of the resurrection. Tn l)eholding the sun also, “which as a bridegroom coi.nelh out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race,’” we sec every day a glorious example of the steady and progressive “path of the just, which shineth more and niore unto the perfect day.”
Va’. 20 — 25. We are next led to review tlic animal creation; a species of leing less resplendant, but not less useful than some of greater note. In one view, the smallest animal lias a property belonging to it which renders it superior to the sun. It has life, and some degree of knowledge. It is worthy of notice too, that the creation begins with things without life,. and proceeds to things possessing vegetative life, then to those which have animal life, and after that to man, who is the subject of rational life. This shews that life is of great account in the Creator’s estimation, who thus causes the suijject to rise upon us as v.e proceed.
7 er. 26 — 31. A^’e are now come to the sixth and last day’s Mork of creation, and which is of greater account to us than anv which have none before, as the subject of it is 77ian. — “We nay observe, 1. That the creation of man is introduced” differently from that of all other beings. It is
descriied as though it were the result of a special counsel, and as though there were a peculiar importance attached to it: “God said, let us make man,” Man was to be the lord of this lower world, under the great Supreme. ‘Ow him would depend its future well-being. IMan was to be a distinguished link in the chain of being; uniting the animal with the spiritual world, the frailly of the dust of the trround with the lu’eath of the Almighty; and possessing that consciousness of right and wrong which should render him a proper subject of moral government.
2. ]Ian was honoured in being made after his Creator’s image. This is repeated with emphasis: “God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him.” Ihe image of God is partly natural, and partly moral; and- man M’as made after both. The former consisted in reason, by which lie M-as fitted for dominion* over the creatures: the latter in righteousness and iriie holiness, by Mhich he was fitted for communion with his Creator. The figure of his body, by which he was distinguished from all other creatures, was an emblem of his mind:
* James iii. 9«
U FIVE LAST days’ CREATION. [Dis. 2.
“God made man upright.” I remember once, on seeing certain animals which approached near to the human form, feeling a kind of jealousy, shall I call it, fnv the honour of my species. What a condescension then, thought I, must it be for the eternal God to stamp his image upon man I
“God made man upright.” He knew and loved his Creator, living in fellowship M4th him, and the holy angels. Oh, how fallen! How is the gold become dim, and the most fine gold chauijed!”