est adversary; and will work them out a deliverance, where otherwise it would seem impossible. Let these things lead us into thoughts grateful and reverential of the power and care of God, which are over all his works; which have been seen in their creation, and which are still seen in their preservation; which are negligent of none; in whose sight all are exactly displayed; and whose admirable wisdom and unspeakable goodness, are manifested in whatever He has commanded and done. CHAPTER VI. GENESIS i. 24, 25. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind and it was so. : And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. THE heaven, the air, and the water, were now arranged, and peopled with their respective tenants, each one according to its kind and capacity. The earth, likewise, equally arranged, and stored with all manner of food, and whatever was good for the use and enjoyment of its intended occupants, stood ready for their reception also; God, therefore, created "the cattle, the creeping thing, and beast of the earth," comprising every description of irrational animal, which was to have habitation and sustenance therein. He created these on the sixth day, being that on which he had determined to create the more noble creature, who was to have dominion over all. He created these first, because they were designed to be in subjection to man; and the earth could not be said to be pre Interpreters have pared for the service of man, until provision should be made upon it of whatever he should govern or possess. There is no kind of animal, at this day extant, which was not then appointed. The description of the sacred writer is threefold: he makes his division into three great classes, "cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the earth." much differed in their use of the word translated "cattle;" some conceiving it to mean animals of the larger size; some, simply to signify four-footed beasts; while others oppose it to the word which is in the same sentence translated "beast of the earth," and would have us to understand by it the more tameable and domestic animals; and this last-named interpretation seems to be that which is most conso- nant to the sense of the passage; and it will greatly assist in the proper presentation to us of the three kinds of creatures here stated to be made, under the several heads of "cattle," as we commonly render the word; of "creeping things," called by us reptiles; and of "beasts of the earth," or those which are not tamed to obedience, or the ordinary purposes of man. Agreeable to this is the opinion of the Commentator', who says, "Behemah, which we translate cattle, always signifies the flocks and herds of tame beasts, when it is distinguished from Chaja, which we translate in the end of the verse, beasts of the earth, that is, wild beasts; between which two he (Moses) mentions a third kind of living creatures on the OF CREATION. threefold: he makes his di is no kind of animal, at this day ex- CHAPTER V cases, cattle, creeping The word translated GENESIS And God said, Let the earth his kind, cattle, and cre his kind and it was earth after his kind, that creepeth upo' it was good. THE heaver ranged, a each or earth. mar er 66 or whatever ons; but they were rol, refusing no submission, .esistance; and none of them exhisavage tempers and rough habits which e not since ceased to be observable. These, as we are informed, were made out of the dust of the ground; the original of them was the earth. "Let the earth bring forth," were the ordaining words. And," it is said, "God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind.” The mode of their creation, we are authorized to conclude, was the commandment of God that they should proceed from the earth. In this operation, there are two points demanding our notice. In the first place, we remark the expression, " God made." OF CREATION. ire of man, until provision should tever he should govern or The description kes his di animal, at this day ex ping it is said, and truly said, that "God made" res, yet are we not thence to infer that Timself to their creation by any other t of commandment. He "made" thout his will or commandment, had or obtained existence; and, nding their existence, He beIt is the other point of no"the earth" to " bring" led the earth: He did Dower which it previand both bestowed earth did not bring 97 24 the influence of heaven upon er: but God formed them out of the so prepared, and produced them in their full perfection after their several kinds'." He directed the earth to produce them, assigning it a power to do so, which power was to cease with this first exercise of it it was given but for this special occasion. That it did cease, and never again was exercised, is clear to us from a circumstance of the flood, when Noah, in order to preservation of the living things of the earth, according to their respective kinds, was commanded to take with him into the ark two of each. God did not, as He might have done, destroy all, and command the earth once more to produce; but He said, "Of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them |