thing out of nothing; or a giving of being or existence to that which had no being or existence; or a forming of preexistent matter (which is the work of almighty power), and then a forming of this matter into the various things which we now behold.-Heb. xi. 3.

God, the first cause of all things, created the world and all things whatever, except himself, who is uncreated.—Gen. i. 1 ; Prov. iii. 19; Job xxvi. 7; Col. i. 16; Neh. ix. 6; Psal. lxxxix. 11; Isa. xxxiv. 1; Psal. xxxiii. 6; Heb. iii. 4.

The world cannot be eternal, as some suppose; for then it would be necessarily existent, and not liable to any possible change. But experience and daily observation teach us, that the world is undergoing many alterations; and we know assuredly, that it has already undergone many; which shows that it is not eternal.

Neither angels nor men could have created the world; nor could it have formed itself. For, 1. Angels and men were created themselves; and creation being a work of almighty power, no creature can give being to another. 2. The world is a creature; and, consequently, had the world formed itself, it would have been both creature and creator, which is a gross absurdity.

Although God created all things, yet he did not create sin. He permitted it to take place for wise ends, but it cannot be said that he produced sin as such. God made angels and men upright, but they made themselves devils and sinners.

That all things were made of nothing is evident, because they are said to have been made in the beginning,—that is, when there was nothing but God the Creator, and when there was no measure of time by any thing.-Gen. i. 1.

Obs. 42. God created all things by the word of his power.

God brought all things out of nothing by his powerful word; he only spake, and it was done; he commanded, and all things stood fast. This may also signify the Personal Word; for it is said in John i. 3, that "all things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." See John i. 1-3.

Obs. 43.-God made all things in the space of six days.

God, who is almighty, could have created all things in a moment of time; but he spent six days in the work, in order

that we might the better apprehend the order of the creation, and because he saw it more for his own glory and the good of mankind, to set them an example of working six days, and resting on the seventh.

1. On the first day, God created the highest or the third heavens; the angels, who are called the hosts of heaven and sons of God,-Job xxxviii. 7; the chaos of earth, and water, and light. He also divided light from darkness; calling the former day, and the latter night.-Gen. i. 1-5.

2. On the second day, God created the firmament, which seems to include both the starry and aërial heavens. He also divided the waters above the firmament of air from those under it.-Gen. i. 6-8.

3. On the third day, God collected the waters, which were mingled with the earth, into one place, and called them seas; and the dry land which then appeared he called earth. He also caused the earth to bring forth all kinds of trees, plants, and herbs, before there was any sun or rain.-Gen. i. 9–13.

4. On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars; placed them in the heavens; and appointed them to rule the day and the night, and to be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years.-Gen. i. 14-19.

5. On the fifth day, God made of the waters all kinds of great and small fishes, and every living creature that moveth in the waters. He also made of the waters all kinds of winged fowls which fly in the open heavens.—Gen. i. 20–23.

6. On the sixth day, God made of the earth all kinds of beasts, and cattle, and creeping things. And, last of all, he made man,—his body of the dust of the ground, and his soul a spirit immediately breathed into him by himself.-Gen. i. 24-30.

Obs. 44. God created all things very good.

It is said that God created all things very good, because, upon a survey of his works, he himself declared them to be so.-Gen. i. 31. This goodness, visible in the creatures, consisted in the perfection of their nature. Every thing perfectly answered the end for which it was created. All the evil which hath since come into the world, is either sin itself, which is the work of the devil and man, or the fruit and consequence of sin.

Obs. 45.-God created all things for his own glory.

He made all things, that he might manifest,—

1. The glory of his power, in effecting so great a work by a mere word.—Psal. xxxiii. 6; Rev. iv. 11.

2. The glory of his wisdom, in the order and variety of the creatures.-Psal. civ. 24.

3. The glory of his goodness, especially towards man, for whom he first provided all things necessary, before he called him into existence.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,—1. How glorious that God is whom we profess to worship. 2. That God has sole dominion over us, and that therefore he is entitled to our obedience. 3. That it is our duty to advance the glory of God. 4. That we ought to be thankful for every enjoyment. 5. That seeing all have one Creator, all ought to live as the children of one God. 6. That we ought to meditate on the works of God, and from them to carry our views to God himself, and to Jesus Christ, who hath accomplished the work of redemption, the chief of all the ways of God.

Creation of Man.

God created man male and female; after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That God created man male and female. Gen. i. 27.— "God created man; male and female created he them."

2. That man was created in the image of God. Gen. i. 27. -"God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him."

3. That the image of God consists in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. Col. iii. 10. "Put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Eph. iv. 24. "Put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness." See also Eccl. vii. 29.

4. That God created man with dominion over the creatures. Gen. i. 28.-"God said unto them, have dominion

over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 46.-God created man male and female.

At first God created one man and one woman,-man out of the dust of the ground, and woman out of a rib taken from man's side.-Gen. i. 27, and ii. 7, 21, 22.

The import of their names, Adam and Eve, is this:—Adam signifies earth; and man was so called, because he was formed of the dust of the earth: and Eve signifies life; so called, because she was to be the mother of all living,—that is, of all that have been, are, or shall be in the world.

Man consists of two parts-a body and a soul.

The soul was not, like the body, formed from the earth, but was a spiritual substance breathed into him by God.Gen. ii. 7. And hence God is called the Father of spirits, and the God of the spirits of all flesh.-Heb. xii. 9; Numb. xvi. 22, and xxvii. 16.

The soul of man differs from his body in every respect, both as to its nature and duration. The body is visible, but the soul is invisible; the body is mortal, but the soul is immortal.

Obs. 47.-Man was created after the image of God, which consists in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.

By the image of God, we are to understand the similitude or likeness of God.-Gen. i. 26. But this similitude or likeness does not consist in any outward visible resemblance (for God is a spirit, and cannot be seen), but in the inward resemblance of his soul to God, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.-Col. iii. 10; Eph. iv. 24.

This image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, includes the universal and perfect rectitude of the whole soul:

1. Knowledge in the understanding.-Adam knew much more of the nature and perfections of God, and of his own duty to him, than it is possible for fallen man now to know.

2. Righteousness in the will.-In his primitive state, man had a disposition to every thing which was right. There was nothing in him but perfection in its utmost extent.

3. Holiness in the affections.-At first man's affections were holy and pure; they were placed upon the most holy, high, and noble objects; his desires were chiefly after God, and

his delight was chiefly in him. He was capable of the immediate enjoyment of God. There was nothing in him which offended God; nothing by which his glory was dishonoured.

Obs. 48.-Man was created with dominion over the creatures.

Man at his creation had dominion, not only over himself and his own affections, but also over the inferior creatures. Before the fall, all the creatures of this world were subject to man; but since that, either they have become a terror to him, or he to them.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. That we should be humble and lowly, seeing we had our beginning in earth, and to earth we must return. 2. The change which sin hath produced upon the whole man. 3. That we should

love God, seeing we were at first made after his image; and that we should love one another, seeing we are the children of the same common parents. 4. The necessity of being created anew in Christ Jesus; and of conformity to him who is the "image of the invisible God."

Nature and Character of God's General Providence.

God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,—

1. That God preserves all his creatures. Psal. cxlv. 15.— "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season." See also Heb. i. 3.

2. That God directs and governs all his creatures, and all their actions. Psal. ciii. 19.-"His kingdom ruleth over all." Prov. xvi. 9.-" A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps."

3. That God's works of providence are most holy. Psal. cxlv. 17.—“The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works."

4. That God's works of providence are most wise. Isa.