viously 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, 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 warns 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 was GOOD! David improved this subject to a religious purpose: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. Every night we retire, we are reminded of death; and every morning we arise, of the resurrection. in beholding the sun also, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his race, we see every day a glorious example of the steady and progressive path of the just, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Ver. 20-25. We are next led to review the animal creation; a species of being less resplendant, but not less useful than some of greater note. In one view, the smallest animal has 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 *Luke xxi. 11. after that to man, who is the subject of rational life. This shows that life is of great account in the Creator's estimation, who thus causes the subject to rise upon us as we proceed. Ver. 26-31. We are now come to the sixth and last day's work of creation, which is of greater account to us than any which have gone before, as the subject of it is man.-We may observe, 1. That the creation of man is introduced differently from that of all other beings. It is described 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. Under the Great Supreme, man was to be the lord of the lower world. On him would depend its future well-being. Man was to be a distinguished link in the chain of being; uniting the animal with the spiritual world, the frailty of the dust of the ground with the breath of the Almighty; and possessing that consciousness of right and wrong which should render him a proper subject of moral government. 2. Man 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. The image of God is partly natural, and partly moral; and man was made after both. The former consisted in reason, by which he was fitted for dominion over the creatures :* the latter, in righteousness and true holiness, by which 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: 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, for the honour of my species. What a condescension then, thought I, must it be for the eternal God to stamp his image upon man ! God made man upright. He knew and loved his Creator, living in fellowship with him, and the holy angels. Oh, how fallen! How is the gold become dim, and the most fine gold changed! * James iii. 7. DISCOURSE III. CREATION REVIEWED. Gen. ii. THIS chapter contains a review of the creation, with the addition of some particulars; such as the institution of the sabbath, the place provided for man, the law given him, and the manner of the creation of woman. Ver. 1. There is something impressive in this review: THUS the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them— wisely, mightily, kindly, gradually, but perfectly. Man's work, especially when great, is commonly a work of ages. One lays the foundation, and another the top-stone; or what is worse, one pulls down what another had reared: but God finishes his work. He is a rock, and his work is perfect. Ver. 2, 3. The conclusion of so divine a work required to be celebrated, as well as the Creator adored, in all future ages : hence arose the institution of the sabbath. We are not to imagine that God was weary, or that he was unable to have made the whole in one day; but this was done for our example. The keeping of a sabbath sacred for divine worship, has been a topic of much dispute. Some have questioned whether it was kept by the patriarchs, or before the departure of Israel from Egypt; supposing that Moses, who wrote the book of Genesis about that time, might be led to introduce God's resting from his works on the seventh day as a motive to enforce what was then enjoined upon them. But if there were social worship before the flood, and during the patriarchal ages, one should think there must be a time for it. We expressly read of time being divided into weeks during these ages: (Chap. xxix. 27,28.) and as early as the VOL. V. 8 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 than that of creation, by so much is the work of redemption is 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. Every 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 *Deut. v. 14, 15. + Heb. iv. 4-10. Acts xx. 7. 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.† 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 |