skins on the body and heads covered | cated and wild, and to the positive with hair. observations collected respecting the limits of fecundity in hybrids. The greater part of the supposed con 9. That all the races have the same number and arrangement of muscles in every part of the body-trasts to which so much weight was the digestive and all other organs. 10. That they all possess organs of speech and the power of singing. 11. They are all omnivorous, and capable of living on all kinds of food. | 12. That they are capable of inhabiting all climates. 13. That they possess a slower growth than any other animal, and are later in arriving at puberty. 14. That in every race there is the same peculiarity in the physical constitution of the female differing from all other mammalians. 15. That all the races have the same period of gestation, on an average produce the same number of young, and are subject to similar diseases. 16. They differ most of all from every other creature, and most agree in this, that they all possess mental faculties, a conscience, and a hope of immortality. Alex. Von Humboldt says, "While attention was exclusively directed to the extremes of color and form, the result of the first vivid impressions derived from the senses was a tendency to view these differences as characteristics, not of mere varieties, but of originally distinct species. The permanence of certain types, in the midst of the most opposite influences, especially of climate, appeared to favor this view, notwithstanding the shortness of the time to which the historical evidence applied. But in my opinion more powerful reasons lend their weight to the other side of the question, and corroborate the unity of the human race: I refer to the many intermediate gradations of the tint of the skin, and the form of the skull, which have been made known to us, by the rapid progress of geographical science in modern times, to the analogies derived from the history of varieties, both domesti formerly assigned, have disappeared before the laborious investigations of Tiedemann on the brain of Negroes, and of Europeans, and the anatomical researches of Vrolik and Weber." "The great and important principle of the unity of the human race, was to be proclaimed and enforced. One couple were, therefore, made the progenitors of the whole human family! All other considerations were deemed of minor importance compared with that momentous doctrine which twines a tie of brotherhood around all nations and all ages. And though a plurality of first couples would have prevented marriages, which were later justly regarded with abomination, yet it would have destroyed a fundamental truth, which is the germ of noble social virtues, which sheds brilliant light over the confusion of national strife and warfare."-(Kalisch, p. 99.) The varieties which we find in races of men so far from proving a difference of origin, according to "the appropriate zoological districts in which they are found," are to be explained in consistency with the record-that "Eve was the mother of all living,"—and that "God hath made of one blood all nations." A clew is given to the facts by the record of what occurred at Babel. God's plan for mankind, as settlers of the globe, was not concentration, but dispersion. Man's plan was the opposite, (Gen. 11 : 4.) At Babel God did interpose to scatter men 66 over the face of the whole earth." And we are led, from the record, to understand, what no one can pronounce impossible with God, that certain changes, whether of complexion or of constitution, (as well as of language,) suited to such "zoological districts," were miraculously wrought in the race at that time-according to the declared object of God 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every e fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And f God saw every thing that he had made: and behold, c ch. 9; 3; Job 36: 31: Ps. 104: 14, 15; 136: 25; 146:7; Acts 14: 17. d Ps. 145: 15, 16; 147: 9. e Job 38: 41. f Ps. 104: 24; 1 Tim. 4: 4. to disperse mankind "abroad upon | the face of all the earth.-(See Gen. 11:5-9.) Subdue it. The blessing is found in the command-for the command is a grant from God, as are all His commands. He gives what He commands, and He commands us to receive what He has to give. The command to subdue the earth includes the tilling of the earth-bringing it into the fullest service of man by agriculture-and employing the animal tribes for all necessary and useful purposes. Here was the right given to man to exercise lordship over the earth and its inferior inhabitants. And he was to be active in using the right-for God has granted nothing that is worthy of us without requiring also our agency. Man was to rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over the behemoth, or herbivorous animals. The carnivorous creatures, or beasts of prey, are not mentioned. 29. The Creator of man here assigns to him the food that was proper for his use. The Divine appointment was that he should use freely the fruits of the trees, and the vegetables of the garden. And when after the deluge, flesh is allowed for food, it is expressly mentioned "Everything that moveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things," Gen. 9:3. The plain inference is that flesh meat had not been given to man for food prior to the time of this grant to Noah.-See Magee on the Atonement, Sec. LII. It need not be regarded in the light of an absolute restriction, because flesh would scarcely have been thought of for food at first, and the vegetable diet was that which best suited man's physical constitution at that time. În oriental countries flesh is scarcely used by the masses for food, even at this day. If animal food came to be used before the flood, as is inferred by many from the distinction of clean and unclean beasts made in the ark, the history of its introduction is not known. But such a distinction of clean and unclean would most likely have been introduced in connexion with the law of sacrifice, which must have originated immediately after the fall. Yet it does not necessarily imply the use of animal food. This early abstinence from flesh-meat is found in the traditions of all nations, as a characteristic of their golden age-the age of innocence. 30. While both herb and fruit were assigned to man for his food, it is the herb only, which is allotted to the inferior animals and fowls. There is no minutest animalcule created by God which is not provided for, and nourished from His own bounty. And it was 80. This refers to all the paragraph foregoing from vs. 27. See Ps. 147:9; 145:16. 31. God now surveys His entire creative work, and pronounces it all very good-nothing, as yet, impaired or corrupted by sin. This He would frequently set forth, that whatever is now defiled and desolate has become so by the fall, (vss. 4, 10, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. THUS CHAPTER II. HUS the heavens and the earth were finished, and a all the host of them. a Ps. 33: 6. 12, 18, 21, 25, 31,) and did not thus come forth from the hand of the Creator. It may be observed that TION THE SABBATH-EDEN- this verdict is pronounced in seven § 8. TRANSITION CLAUSE. Ch. 2:1. instances, and in each with a distinct reference: I. At the calling forth of LIGHT, (vs. 4.) II. At the calling forth of ORDER, 1. In the waters arranged, (vs. 10.) 2. In the dry land adapted to production, (vs. 12.) 3. In the adjustment of the heavenly bodies for lights, (vs. 18.) 1. Thus, lit., and were finished. The sacred historian now gives a summary statement, looking back over the preceding narrative, and harmonizing with the record of chapter 1-that thus the heavens and the earth were finished-that is, in this order, and in this time, they were completed-(used of Solomon's finishing the temple, 2 Chron. 7:11,) III. At the calling forth of LIFE, 1. In the fishes and fowls, (vs. 21.)-not as some would have it, in an 2. In the land animals, (vs. 25.) instant, though God could as easily 3. In man, as crowning all, (vs. 31.) have so done. Others would have In each case there is special signifi- it, in six indefinite ages. The narracance in pronouncing this sentence tive has it simply in the beginning, of approbation. ¶ And it was even- and in the six days which are foling, and it was morning, day the lowed by the seventh, without giving sixth the ordinal definite with the us any more particular account of the article, and only here in this chap- time. And this is so repeated here ter. Everything had been brought as to preclude all the tendencies to forth according to a fixed order-and doubt and distort the record. Besides, each in its proper relation to all the it is added, " and all the host of them," rest-and all in six days with refer--that is, all their array, multitude, ence to the seventh day, which was the day of rest from all the creative work. Herein God gave a type of human activity and of sacred rest for all his creatures, after His own Divine example. "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day." CHAPTER II. RECAPITULATION AND ENLARGE- (as of an army, in their ranks and order,) were created in this time. This is parallel with the declaration of John, (ch. 1:1-3,)" All things were made by Him, (the Personal Word, the Lord Jesus,) and without Him was not any (one) thing made that was made," Ps. 33:6. The term here rendered host, is the same as is commonly used in the title of God as "Lord of (the starry) hosts." The Samaritan reads, their parts. Sept. and Vulg.-their adornments. The other versions render it army-and the sense is of a multitude in orderly arrangement-as a host marshalled for battle. This term fitly expresses 2 b And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. b Exod. 20: 11; 31: 17; Deut. 5; 14; Heb. 4: 4. the orderly arrangement of the creation-every thing in its placeevery living thing yielding accord hosts that he leads to battle against darkness." BATH. Ch. 2:2, 3. ing to its kind, and in its season-§ 8. a. INSTITUTION OF THE SABevery animal, in its structure and instincts, exactly suited to its element and mode of life, and all things answering the Divine plan. OBSERVE.-Here is noted the positive completion of God's creative work-the institution of natural laws-and no alteration of these natural laws has since been made, though God has wrought supernaturally, as He cannot be tied to mere laws of nature, which are only the ordinary modes of His operation. There is no positive evidence that any new species have been created since the close of the creative week. The work was gradual, to exhibit the order and arrangement of the parts, and to give fullest proof of intelligent design in all the details of it-while it is thus best calculated to give instruction to man, as well as to the higher orders of intelligence. Job 38:7. Their host," that is of "the heavens and earth," is referred to in Neh. 9:6, Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that are therein, the seas and all therein, and thou preservest them all; and all the host of heaven worshippeth thee." The angels would seem to be here referred to, in all their or ders; and, perhaps, other tenants of other worlds. At least the idea is here expressed that all beings and things were created by God, and the statement is here distinctly repeated, perhaps to show that Satan, who is soon to be mentioned, is also a creature of God, and not independent of His control. Delitsch says, "God is 'Elohim of hosts.' The stars are His 2. Here is given the great fact which lies at the basis of the Sabbath institution. God endedfinished-completed—the same term as is used in vs. 1, where the completion was already noted at the close of the sixth day. But here the verb is in the intensive form, and is construed with the preposition "from," meaning God wholly ceased from. ¶ And He rested from. The verb is the same as the noun, which means Sabbath; and it conveys here the idea of rest, in the higher sense, not from exhaustion, or weariness, but ceasing from the creative work of the six days, as completed, perfected. "The Father worketh," however, (John 5:17,) and the Son works, in all the works of Providence. That He ceased on seventh day does not imply that any part of the creative work was done on the seventh day. Some have supposed this to be implied by the plain rendering, and hence the Sept., Syriac and Sam. altered the reading by adding "on the sixth day." Others, as Rosenmüller, Calvin, etc., translate had ceased. not necessary. It is that utter ceasing from His work which devoted the entire day to rest, (Exod. 31: 17,) -"not doing any work," as it is expressed in the fourth commandment. There is nothing here to favor the idea that the Sabbath is to be a day of indolence, or inaction the But this is an actual cessation from employment of all kinds, but from labor such as is carried on in the six days the secular labor of the week. It is to be a holy resting, even from 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. c Neh. 9: 14; Is. 58: 13. lawful employments, which are worldly, and yet it is to be a holy activity in joyous, thankful worship, and in grateful works of necessity and mercy. See John, (ch. 7: 23,) where our Lord expounds the doctrine. 66 3. This fact of God's resting, ceasing, from His six days' work is the positive ground upon which He proceeds to bless the seventh day, and sanctify it. As He ceased from His six days' work, so we are commanded to cease from our six days' work. "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work," etc. And God blessed the seventh day-("the Sabbath day,"-fourth commandment,)-not so much the day as the ordinance. This distinction God here set upon the seventh day, that this alone of all the days He blessed as being the original Sabbath. He conferred upon it His benediction, as the pearl of days," -the Sabbath-the best of all the seven on this account. He blessed it as the day that was to be made the channel of such special blessings to the race. He sanctified it-set it apart-separated it to a holy use(this is the sense of the term,)-to the purpose of enjoying God's special blessings in communion and fellowship with Him. This patriarchal Sabbath is referred to by the fourth commandment, (Exod. 20,) where, along with the other fundamental laws of universal moral obligation, is the Sabbath law, as instituted here in the earliest estate of man-even before the law of marriage and the law of labor-as indeed the very first necessity of man's earthly being. One day in seven, as a day of thanksgiving and praise, a day of grateful work and worship, in lively communion with God-this is the Sabbath as made for man. And the fourth commandment refers back to this original institution, "Remember the Sabbath day, etc., for in six days the Lord (Jehovah,) made heaven and earth, etc., and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." It is found to be in accordance with the physical constitution of man and beast, which requires such an interval of rest from the six days' work. It is every way the highest boon to man, in his social interests-it is at the very foundation of social order-the great auxiliary of all good laws, and without whose blessed influences, infidelity and crime must desolate the fairest land. And the Sabbath is indispensable for men in the promotion of their spiritual interests. God has graciously set up this institution for the purposes of salvation-inviting His creatures, specially and publicly, to adore Him in His works and ways-to read His word-pay Him proper worship, and promote the interests of His church on earth -keeping up His ordinances and sacraments in the world according to His covenant of grace. And it is found to be what the necessities of His cause on earth demand. The abolition of the Sabbath is, therefore, a blow at the foundations of morality and religion. Accordingly, infidels and false religionists have been ready to unite for its overthrow. OBSERVE.-(1.) The original Sabbath was man's first day upon earth; the first day after he was created was the Sabbath-and now the Christian Sabbath is the first day of the week, instead of the last-so that first of all, now under the gospel, as at the beginning, man may find rest and peace in Christ Jesus, and then go |