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The propaga

fervation of

nature.

This A&t in this verfe, is an A&t of generation, nay

of conserva. tion and con- tion and preferving: the Fathers fay this is a creating of Nature,and the inacting the continuance thereof; this is magna Charta Dei, it I' may fo term it. The wheele of Generation began this day, which ftill turneth, and fhill till God ftay it. By his extraordinary power, of nothing, he created fomething: By nature,of fomething, fomething comes, for ex aliquo aliquid fit, faith natural wisdom.

3. Poynts.

1. The Phrafe.

is verball.

is reall.

In this verse are three points, Firft,the Term or Phrase; Secondly, the Tenor, Thirdly, a Provifo.

For the firft, God blessed them. Benedixit hath an affinity with creGod bleffed. avit: In the Hebrew Barath is for being, and Barak for bleffing: being and ingendring, crevit and creavit, have an affinity; Benedixit Deus is as much to fay, God gave good words; Dixit fiat, & eft fa&tum,bene dixit,& bene eft factum. Gods bleffings are better than ours. Mans bleffing God bleffeth and man blefieth: Mans bleffing is to wifh well, as to fay, The bleẞing of the Lord be upon you, or we bleffe you in the name of the Lord, Pfal. 129.8. Man bleffeth God with praifes, reverence, and with obedience. Our bleffing is but fair words blown out of golden Gods bleffing bellows, it is but verbal: God bleffeth us otherwife, for his bleffing is reall; for when God bleffeth, he leaveth a blessing behinde him, Foel 2. 14. destroy not the wine, for a bleẞing us in it, Efay 65.8.our bleffing is but of windie words. When Chrift bleffeth, a power went from him, he felt it goe from him in Matthews Gofpel. David · termeth it the dew of his blessing, for that it foaketh to the root, and his curfe is like oyle. The eccho of Gods benedixit is benefecit: bene precari nihil præftare, is mans bleffing: bene precari & præftare, is Gods bleffing. His bleffings are infinite; The water droppeth out of his bucket, and his feed fhall be in many waters, Numb. 24. 7. God is bleffednesse it self, Chrift is called the Sonne of the blessed. But among all his bleffings here is meant that which is ipoken of Gen. 49.25. namely the bleẞing of the brefts and of the womb, which is the power of fruitfulneffe and of fertility. When Ifaac bleffed Facob,the fmell, faith he, of my fonne, is as the fmell of the field which the Lord hath bleffed, Gen. Fertility, Gods 27.27. fertility is the bleffing of God; maledictio Dei, Gods curfe of the Earth is barrenneffe, chap. 3. 17. For the finnes of the People malediitio depafcet terram, the curfe fhall devour the Earth, Efay 24.6. The restraint of Gods bleffing causeth barrenneffe. The words of God (faying) before caufed but effects: Here he ordaineth his Creatures not only his works, but to be caufes and fellow workers with him : his bleffings of this place are bestowed upon all forts, Gods righteoufneffe is like mighty mountains, Pfal. 36.6. This word Barak is applyed to the knee, and fignifieth, as it were mothers tenderneffe to the Babe fitting upon her knee: Rachel faith to Facob, chap. 30.3. Goe in to her, and fhe fhall bare upon my knees, where barake is ufed. When the Babes are upon their Mothers knee, they kiffe them, they wish well, they cherish them: So doth God setting us on his knee, so that blanda eft in Deo matrum affectio. Let then every tongue speak his praises, let every knee bend, when God is named.

blefling.

Saying:

Saying As it is referred unto God, the very beafts doe underftand Gods dialect and obey, The Lord spake unto the fish, and it cast out Fonas upon the dryland, Fonah 2. 10. God commanded the Ravens to feed Eliah, and they brought him bread and flesh to eate, 1 Kings 17.4. If the Lord doe but hilfe, the flies from Egypt, and the Bees from Afhur, though they be dumb, shall come, and shall light in the defolate valleys, Ejay

7. 18.

Saying.

2.

The Teror

of the 22. verf.

The Tenor is tripartite. Crefcite multiplicamini, & replete aquas. Growing is referred to quantity, multiplying to numbers: Nec effe poteft luxuries verborum things grow bigger multiplying by con- crefcite multijunction of male and female, filling the waters: For the place, all replete aquas. waters, the two firft are for propagation, and to replenish the whole Sea, the pond of the World, auxefis erat. The Husbandman foweth the feed, but God giveth a body at his pleasure, even to every feed his own body, I Cor. 15. 38. Yet at length fuch is the increase, that the Cornlerveth not only their Countrie, but for Merchandise they carry Wheat for other Countries alfo,Ezechiel 27.17. whether thou fleep or wake thy Corn groweth the growth of living things allo is from God, for who by taking care can adde one cubite unto bis ftature? Matth.6.27. Learn there how the Lilies grow, incrementum a Deo eft. Plants doe grow, crefcunt viventia: But propagation is appropriate unto viventia, which is a ripeneffe of generation, and an ingendring of the like. He that findeth feed for the fower will minifter bread for food, and will multiply your feed, 2 Cor. 9. 10. there is for that cause distinction of fexes: God hath given feed to one in his loyns ad gignendum, to other a womb ad parlendum. It was God did with-hold from Rachel the fruit of the womb, chap. 301 2. If God be jo pleafed, there is no strength to bring forth, Efay 37. 3. So it is a bleffing to bring forth and to bring up, it is benedictio uberum to make the barren fruitfull. Filling the waters is a prefervation of things multiplyed.

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parts of this Conferva

I. Naturall

Edictum eft hoc confervationis,it hath four parts. First, natural love Four of the engenderer to the thing engendred. As an Eagle stirreth uption. ber neft, fluttereth over her byrds, ftretcheth out her wings, taketh them and beareth them upon her wings, Deut. 32. 11. yea even the Dragons draw love. out the breast and give fuck to their young, but the Daughters of my People is become cruel like the oftriches in the wilderneffe, faith Feremy, Lament. 4. 3. The Pellican pierceth her own breaft to feed her young; it is a great bleffing that the young ones fhall know their Damms, however they be hatched, as the Partridge gathereth the young which she hath not brought fourth, Fer, 17.11. The fecond point of their piefer- 1. The natural vation is the natural and ordinary knowledge of their meat; As the knowledge of Bee flyeth to the flower, the land fowl to the feed, the water fowl to the root; the Crab watcheth the Oysters gaping, he knoweth pabulum & latibulum, they know their place, the Sparrow findeth her an boufe, and the swallow a neft where fhe may lay her young, Pfal. 84. 2. and therefore they make their neft hard without and foft within, The Dove maketh her neft in rocks to be in fafety, Fer. 48. 24. The third 3. Knowledge part of preservation is, that they know their enemies: the Dove of their enefeareth

M 2

their meat.

mics.

feareth the Kite, not the Swan; the Partridge the Hawke, not the Goofe; and the fishes flie the Pike. The Bee hath knowledge of her fting, therefore in her anger she stingeth: the birds trust some in their beaks,fome in their talents,and the weak and fimple Dove trufteth in her wings. They have knowledge of time & place, the Stork knoweth her seafon; the Swallow never is feen but in the Summer; the Cock croweth certainly at his hours: Ex Avibus eft præfagium Cali,when the Crane taketh up a stone,and flies with it in his foot,it is a 4 Knowledge figne of a ftorm. The fourth part of prefervation is, that they doe of their Medi- know their medicines.The Eagle buildeth his neft on high, as in a tower: the Hawke to get her feathers flyeth with a fouth winde,fhe ftretcheth out her wings to the South,Fob 39.29. Plumefcit vento Auftrali;the Swallow cureth her eye fight by the Celandine; the Ibis teacheth us to take a glifter, the Sea horfe learned us the blood-letting, for when he feeleth himfelf full of corrupt blood, he pricketh himself upon a sharp reed.

cincs.

3. The Provifo

The Fowls only multiply.

Now of the Provifo. He faith only, The fowls fhould multiply upon the Earth, ffhes, by fhoals, did fill the waters, and the spawn of fishes covered the waters. It were dangerous and troublesome if the fowls had so many egges as the fishes have spawns, non eft tanta voLucrum luxuries quanta eft pifcium. God ftill regarded man, he would not have the Aire peftered, therefore he reftrained them only for to multiply. Sol & homo generant hominem, faith Philofophic: but Gods bleffing. Divinity faith benedictio Dei & homo generant hominem, illa & pifces generant pifces,illa & aves generant aves. It is his bleffing that giveth food to the hungrie, cloaths to the naked, riches to any man, It is not labor that maketh rich, nor ftrength that gestesh victory, Proverbs 10. 22. It is in vain for man to rife early, to lye down late, and to eate the bread of forrow, for mans ftate is in Gods providence, Pfal. 127. Children are she inheritance of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is his reward, in the fame Pfal. By ftudy and Gods bleffing commeth learning. Whether then you cat or drink, or beget, or whatever you do, you doc it by Gods bleffing. That this bleffing of God toward us may continue, let us bleffe and praife his name for ever. If our bleffing of thanksgiving and praise doe afcend, his bleffings will defcend, fic erit recurfus & decurfus perpetuus.

Poftea

Poftea dixit Deus, Faciamus Hominem ad imaginem noftram, fe» Gen. 1. 16. cundum fimilitudinem noftram qui dominetur in Pifces Ma ris, in Volucres Cali, in Pecudes, & in univerfam Terram, atque in omnia Reptilia Reptantia fuper Terram.

The Creation

of Man.

T is St. Ambrofe question Quamdiu difcimus alias Februar. 4: Creaturas, ignoramus autem nos? Before you fee 1590. that things created before, were forus: And now he createth us. The knowledge of names, the plenty of all things, Ecclefiafticus 17. 2. the tale of dayes numbring the firft, fecond, and third, &c. are for reafons capacity. This numbring of dayes is the Ephemerides and Chronicle to the Worlds end. God hath concealed his ftrength from the horse, yet hath fhewed it unto man: After God hath compaffed about the Heavens, after he had ordered the land and the Sea, he then created man, and then he foundeth the retreat, Quod eft actione ultimum, fuit intentione primum ; for God had still a regard of him: God faid thrice in the creation of Man, which hath a refemblance of the Trinitie:There is conveyance of Gods grace to man, here is Gods Counfell for mans care.

In this verse we will confider four things under four causes: First, 4. Things. Mans efficient Secondly, the matter: Thirdly, the form: Laftly, the end in the fimilitude of God, and in dominion over the fowls, fishes, and beasts God hath made him a Ruler. Of them in order.

cient.

First, There is a partition wall, there is a difference, between this 1. Mans effi work of man and all the former. The ftile now is changed, fiat &fit into faciamus God before was a Commander, now he is a Counsel Faciamm: lor: Quis eft (faith a Father) qui formabitur,ut tanta fit opus profpecti one Before with faying fit & fiat, facta funt: but here in faciamus is deliberation, for that he now makes him, for whom all the former Creatures were made. The beafts were made this day with Man; but here is the difference, creata funt ambo eodem die, non eadem fide; eodem loco, non eodem modo. God faid producat terra, germinet herba; fed dixit faciamus hominem. Austin faith well, Fecit alia præmiffa ut procul fans, at hominem ut prope accedens, porrigens manum: God framed man out of the Earth, as doth the Potter his pot out of the clay, As the clay us in the potters hand, fo is the house of Ifrael in Gods hand, Jer. 18. 6. We are not only the fheep of his pafture, but the sheep alfo of his hands, He made us and not wee our felves. Let us mark, to whom is this Precept directed? not the Angels and Elements.The Arrians and Jews doe fay, that in the creating of man God confulted with Angels, and had the help of Elements; which opinion is without all difcretion: For who hath instructed the spirit of the Lord? or was his Counsellor: Efay 40. 13. Nec confiliarium neque auxiliarium habet Deus. Men are not the patern of the Angels, but the image of God. Some Jews M 3..

Lay

God-head, and

fay here God fpeaketh like a Prince in the plural number, denying the Trinity; but Philo Judeus, the beft of the Jews, difclaimeth that opinion. We fay therein is expreffed the Trinity. Princes in giving their Law use most magnificence. God at the giving of his Law faith I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other Gods but one, in the The unity of fingular number. In dixit Deus is the unity of fubftance; in faciam us the Trinity of is the trinity of perfons: In the treble creavit in this chapter; in the treble dixit in this fixth day, is fignified the Trinity of perfons. In the image and fimilitude is the unity: In noftra is the trinity; dicit ad fimilitudinem, non fimilitudines: This is plain both in the creation and in the regeneration by Chrift, God in unity, man in the trinity. Increating man is great deliberation, it is a joynt work of the Trinity. Thus farre of the cause efficient.

Perfons.

2. The matter of Man.

3 The form of Man.

Secondly, Of the Matter. God created Man, or Adam, which is nomen collectivum, and fignifieth Earth, the Matter of our creation. God in creating the Heavens de profundis abyßi exaltavit altitudinem Cali And here man, a clod of earth, before perchance trodden sub pedibus beftiarum, collocavit fuper capita Angelorum ut in Chrifto. David feeing mans bafeneffe Pfal. 144. 3. faith, Lord, what is man that thou regardeft him? or the Sonne of man, that thou thinkest upon him? and likewife in the 8. Pfalme, all before tend to honour and excellency; this work of ours fheweth our own baseneffe, that we are but fimus and limus: the creeping worm called in Hebrew Adama hath alliance with Adam, which man, who is but a worm, as faith Job, he confesseth himself to be vile, Job 39.37. In the 22. Jeremy, 29. the prophet exclameth faying, o Terra,Terra,Terra. Adam or Man is not every kinde of Earth, he is not fandy, but of a ferviceable and profitable gleeb; for he is for Gods efpecial ufe,and made to his own likeneffe. In Gods temple there was no tymber but of fruitfull trees,aliquid Deus creavit ex nihilo, & hic ex infimo maximum, at homo malus & otiofus ex aliquo facit nihil. Though David were an holy man, yet did he fee corruption, Acts 13.36. For man is of the Earth earthly, and born mortal, fubject to corruption. Galen the Heathen faith, that the Anatomy of a man is Hymnus Dei: He faith to the Epicure, take an hundred year to work but one part of a man, and thou canst not mend it; for in man God hath been fo abfolutely a work-man, that nothing in him may be mended. Miranda fecit pro homine, fed magis miranda in homine. I will praife thee, O Lord,faith David,Pfal.139.14 for I am wondrously made.

Thirdly, The form of man in our Image, juxta fimilitudinem noftram; though man be de terra, & in terra, yet he is not propter terram. God created his former Creatures fecundum fpeciem fuam, according to their kinde: God createth man fecundum fimilitudinem fuam. Manis Microcosmos, fo fay the Heathen: but divinity faith he is Imago Dei: in omnibus Creaturis veftigia funt Dei,fed in homine non folùm fua veftigia fed imago fua. Eft enim non folum opus fed imago Dei. Mifcen. upon this place, faith upon Imago Dei, that in una bac voce innumeras habemus voces: Who fo fheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed; the reafon is this, for in the image of God hath he made man, Gen. 9.6. Sothere

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