Works of John Bunyan Volume II Part 94

'Dost thou love picking meat? Or would'st thou see A man i' th'

clouds, and hear him speak to thee?'--Ed.

8. A cover, a booth, bower, or hut made of the boughs of trees.--Ed.

9. 'He owes,' a contraction for 'he owneth.'--Ed.

10. The word translated 'divine,' means to eye subtly, to search, to try. Verse 5 may be rendered, 'And he will search deeply for it'; and in verse 15, 'Know ye not that a man like me would search deeply,'

alluding to the certainty of detection, but not by divination.--Ed.

11. 'So naught,' so corrupt, bad, or worthless.--Ed.

12. The mourning of Egypt.--Ed.

13. By a typographical error, in the original edition, it is misprinted CHAP. XLVI.

14. How admirably does Bunyan enlarge upon this in his 'Peaceable principles yet true.'

An Exposition on the FIRST TEN CHAPTERS OF GENESIS, And Part of the Eleventh

An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan.

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nT BY THE EDITOR

Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis.

"What," said the D.D., with some appearance of incredulity, "Bunyan a commentator--upon Genesis!! Impossible! Well, I never heard of that work of the good Bunyan before. Why, where is it to be found?"

Yes, it is true that he has commented on that portion of sacred scripture, containing the cosmogony of creation--the fall of man--the first murder--the deluge--and other facts which have puzzled the most learned men of every age; and he has proved to be more learned than all others in his spiritual perceptions. He graduated at a higher university--a university unshackled by human laws, conventional feelings, and preconceived opinions. His intense study of the Bible, guided by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, enabled him to throw a new and beautiful light upon objects which are otherwise obscure. Oh! that young ministers, while attaining valuable book learning, may see the necessity of taking a high degree in, and of never forgetting this Bible university! Reader, is it not surprizing, that such a treatise should have remained comparatively hidden for more than one hundred and fifty years. It has been reprinted in many editions of Bunyan's works: but in all, except the first, with the omission of the scripture references; and with errors of so serious a character as if it was not intended to be read. Even in printing the text of Genesis 7:7 Noah's three sons do not enter the ark! although in 8:16 they are commanded to go forth out of the ark. It is now presented to the public exactly as the author left it, with the addition of notes, which it is hoped will ill.u.s.trate and not enc.u.mber the text.

This exposition is evidently the result of long and earnest study of the holy scriptures. It is the history of the creation and of the flood explained and spiritualized, and had it been originally published in that form and under a proper t.i.tle, it would most probably have become a very popular work. The author's qualifications for writing this commentary were exclusively limited to his knowledge of holy writ. To book learning he makes no pretensions. He tells us that in his youth "G.o.d put it into my parents hearts to put me to school, to learn to read and write as other poor men's children; though, to my shame, I confess, I did soon lose that little I learnt even almost utterly." In after life, his time was occupied in obtaining a livelihood by labour. When enduring severe mental conflicts, and while he maintained his family by the work of his hands, he was an acceptable pastor, and extensively useful in itinerant labours of love in the villages round Bedford. His humility, when he had used three common Latin words, prompted him to say in the margin, "The Latine I borrow." And this unlettered mechanic, when he might have improved himself in book wisdom, was shut up within the walls of a prison for nearly thirteen years, for obeying G.o.d, only solaced with his Bible and Fox's Book of Martyrs. Yet he made discoveries relative to the creation, which have been very recently again published by a learned philosopher, who surprised and puzzled the world with his vestiges of creation.

Omitting the fanciful theories of the vestige philosopher, his two great facts, proved by geological discoveries, are--

I. That when the world was created and set in motion, it was upon principles by which it is impelled on to perfection--a state of irresistible progress in improvement. This is the theory of Moses: and Bunyan's exposition is, that all was finished, even to the creation of all the souls which were to animate the human race, and then G.o.d rested from his work.

II. The second geological discovery is that the world was far advanced towards perfection producing all that was needful for human life, before man was created. Upon this subject, Bunyan's words are--"G.o.d shews his respect to this excellent creature, in that he first provideth for him before he giveth him his being.

He bringeth him not to an empty house, but to one well furnished with all kind of necessaries, having beautified the heaven and the earth with glory, and all sorts of nourishment for his pleasure and sustenance." But the most pious penetration is exhibited in the spiritualizing of the creation and of the flood--every step produces some type of that new creation, or regeneration, without which no soul can be fitted for heaven. The dim twilight before the natural sun was made, is typical of the state of those who believed before Christ, the Sun of righteousness, arose and was manifested.

The fixed stars are emblems of the church, whose members all s.h.i.+ne, but with different degrees of l.u.s.tre--sometimes eclipsed, and at others mistaken for transient meteors. The whales and lions are figures of great persecutors. But the most singular idea of all is, that the moral degradation of human nature before the flood, was occasioned by hypocrisy and persecution for conscience sake, arising from governors interfering with matters of faith and wors.h.i.+p; in fact, that a STATE CHURCH occasioned the deluge--and since that time has been the fruitful source of the miseries and wretchedness that has afflicted mankind. His prediction of the outpouring of the Spirit in the conversion of sinners, when the church shall be no longer enthralled and persecuted by the state, is remarkable. "O thou church of G.o.d in England, which art now upon the waves of affliction and temptation, when thou comest out of the furnace, if thou come out at the bidding of G.o.d, there shall come out with thee, the fowl, the beast, and abundance of creeping things. O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people." May this prediction soon be verified, and the temporal government no longer vex and torment the church by interfering with spiritual things.

It is remarkable that of the vast number of pious and enlightened mechanics who adorn this country and feed its prosperity, so few read the extraordinary writings of John Bunyan, a brother mechanic; for with the exception of the Pilgrim's Progress and Holy War, they are comparatively little known. His simple but ill.u.s.trative commentary--his book of Antichrist--his solemn and striking treatise on the resurrection and final judgment--in fact, all his works, are peculiarly calculated to inform the minds of the millions--to reform bad habits, and, under the divine blessing, to purify the soul with that heavenly wisdom which has in it the promise of the life that now is as well as of that which is to come. It is also a fact which ought to be generally known, that those preachers who have edited Bunyan's works and have drunk into his spirit, have been most eminently blessed in their ministry; Wilson, Whitefield, and Ryland, can never be forgotten. If the thousands of G.o.dly preachers who are scattered over our comparatively happy island were to take Bunyan's mode of expounding scripture as their pattern, it would increase their usefulness, and consequently their happiness, in the great work of proclaiming and enforcing the doctrines of the gospel.

GEO OFFOR.

AN EXPOSITION ON THE FIRST TEN CHAPTERS OF GENESIS, AND PART OF THE ELEVENTH

In the first edition of this commentary, a series of numbers from 1 to 294 were placed in the margin, the use of which the editor could not discover; probably the work was written on as many sc.r.a.ps of paper, thus numbered to direct the printer. They are omitted, lest, among divisions and subdivisions, they should puzzle the reader.

CHAPTER II. Of G.o.d.

G.o.d is a Spirit (John 4:24), eternal (Deu 33:27), infinite (Rom 1:17-20), incomprehensible (Job 11:7), perfect, and unspeakably glorious in his being, attributes, and works (Gen 17:51; Isa 6:3; Exo 33:20). "The eternal G.o.d." "Do not I fill heaven and earth?

saith the Lord" (Jer 23:24). "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight" (Heb 4:13; Pro 15:11).

In his attributes of wisdom, power, justice, holiness, mercy, &c., he is also inconceivably perfect and infinite, not to be comprehended by things in earth, or things in heaven; known in the perfection of his being only to himself. The seraphims cannot behold him, but through a veil; no man can see him in his perfection and live.

His attributes, though apart laid down in the word of G.o.d, that we, being weak, might the better conceive of his eternal power and G.o.dhead; yet in him they are without division; one glorious and eternal being. Again, though sometimes this, as of wisdom, or that, as of justice and mercy, is most manifest in his works and wonders before men; yet every such work is begun and completed by the joint concurrence of all his attributes. No act of justice is without his will, power, and wisdom; no act of mercy is against his justice, holiness and purity. Besides, no man must conceive of G.o.d, as if he consisted of these attributes, as our body doth of its members, one standing here, another there, for the completing personal subsistence. For though by the word we may distinguish, yet may we not divide them, or presume to appoint them their places in the G.o.dhead. Wisdom is in his justice, holiness is in his power, justice is in his mercy, holiness is in his love, power is in his goodness (1 John 1:9, Num 14:17,18).

Wherefore, he is in all his attributes almighty, all-wise, holy and powerful. Glory is in his wisdom, glory is in his holiness, glory is in his mercy, justice, and strength; and "G.o.d is love" (1 John 4:16).[1]

II. Of the Persons or Subsistances in the G.o.dhead.

The G.o.dhead is but one, yet in the G.o.dhead there are three. "There are three that can bear record in heaven" (1 John 5:7-9). These three are called "the Father, the Son [Word], and the Holy Spirit"; each of which is really, naturally and eternally G.o.d: yet there is but one G.o.d. But again, because the Father is of himself, the Son by the Father, and the Spirit from them both, therefore to each, the scripture not only applieth, and that truly, the whole nature of the Deity, but again distinguisheth the Father from the Son, and the Spirit from them both; calling the Father HE, by himself; the Son HE, by himself; the Spirit HE, by himself. Yea, the Three of themselves, in their manifesting to the church what she should believe concerning this matter, hath thus expressed the thing: "Let us make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness" (Gen 1:26). Again, "The man is become as one of US" (Gen 3:22). Again, "Let US go down, and there confound their language" (Gen 11:6,7).

And again, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for US?" (Isa 6:8).

To these general expressions might be added, That Adam heard the voice of the Lord G.o.d walking in the midst of the garden: Genesis 3:8. Which voice John will have, to be one of the Three, calling that which Moses here saith is the voice, the word of G.o.d: "In the beginning," saith he, "was the word": the voice which Adam heard walking in the midst of the garden. This word, saith John, "was with G.o.d," this "word was G.o.d. The same was in the beginning with G.o.d" (John 1:1,2). Marvellous language! Once a.s.serting the unity of essence, but twice insinuating a distinction of substances therein. "The word was with G.o.d, the word was G.o.d, the same was in the beginning with G.o.d." Then follows, "All things were made by him," the word, the second of the three.

Now the G.o.dly in former ages have called these three, thus in the G.o.dhead, Persons or Subsistances; the which, though I condemn not, yet choose rather to abide by scripture phrase, knowing, though the other may be good and sound, yet the adversary must needs more shamelessly spurn and reject, when he doth it against the evident text.

To proceed the, First, There are Three. Second, These three are distinct.

First, By this word Three, is intimated the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and they are said to be three, 1. Because those appellations that are given them in scripture, demonstrate them so to be, to wit, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. 2. Because their acts one towards another discover them so to be.

Secondly, These three are distinct. 1. So distinct as to be more than one, only: There are three. 2. So distinct as to subsist without depending. The Father is true G.o.d, the Son is true G.o.d, the Spirit is true G.o.d. Yet the Father is one, the Son is one, the Spirit is one: The Father is one of himself, the Son is one by the Father, the Spirit is one from them both. Yet the Father is not above the Son, nor the Spirit inferior to either: The Father is G.o.d, the Son is G.o.d, the Spirit is G.o.d.

Among the three then there is not superiority. 1. Not as to time; the Father is from everlasting, so is the Son, so is the Spirit.

2. Not as to nature, the Son being of the substance of the Father, and the Spirit of the substance of them both. 3. The fulness of the G.o.dhead is in the Father, is in the Son, and is in the Holy Ghost.

The G.o.dhead then, though it can admit of a Trinity, yet it admitteth not of inferiority in that Trinity: if otherwise, then less or more must be there, and so either plurality of G.o.ds, or something that is not G.o.d: so then, Father, Son and Spirit are in the G.o.dhead, yet but one G.o.d; each of these is G.o.d over all, yet no Trinity of G.o.ds, but one G.o.d in the Trinity.

Explication.--The G.o.dhead then is common to the three, but the three themselves abide distinct in that G.o.dhead: Distinct, I say, as Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. This is manifest further by these several positions.

First, Father and Son are relatives, and must needs therefore have their relation as such: A Father begetteth, a Son is begotten.

Proof.--"Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?" (Pro 30:4).

"G.o.d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," &c.

(John 3:16).

"The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:14).

Secondly, The Father then cannot be that Son he begat, nor the Son that Father that begat him, but must be distinct as such.

Proof.--"I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me" (John 8:17,18).

"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world"; again, "I leave the world, and go to the Father" (John 16:28).

"The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" (John 5:22,23).

Thirdly, The Father must have wors.h.i.+p as a Father, and the Son as a Son.

Proof.--They that wors.h.i.+p the Father must wors.h.i.+p him "in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to wors.h.i.+p him" (John 4:23,24).